Hecate's Orphanage

by BlackRoseRaven

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Princess Celestia, Alternate Universe, Human, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Cadance, Other, Science Fiction, King Sombra
Length: 1126473

Cadence and other ponies from across countless parallel worlds work together to protect their universe from monsters.

Cadence has settled in to her new home and new life in Clockwork World, as an Orphan: a pony trained to step in and protect other worlds when threats appear beyond what they can handle. Possessed by a force known as the Swan that will not allow her to remain dead, it gives Cadence a chance to use her powers for good and find meaning in her life. Her new life, however, all too soon brings her into contact with specters of her past who desire the Swan for their own ends, putting everything Cadence cares about in danger.

Final story in the Songs of Lost Children series.

Published 2016-09-19 14:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2016-11-18 16:18:31 UTC

Volume One

Volume I: The Sphere Of External Influences
~BlackRoseRaven

Except from A Parable of Death, author unknown

...and so did the King summon Death to his domain, asking of him: “And what can I offer you, to convince you to leave my people alone? For I do not wish for them to suffer the loss of life, be it there own or those they love.”
Death replied: “If you would do your people a service, Ser King, then do not try and tempt me; for not only do I have no interest in treasures or baubles of the mortal realm, and my being serves your people more than they can begin to know.”
The King was not pleased with this answer, and he asked, as his many knights and soldiers postured threateningly: “If treasure will not convince you, then what of force?”
But Death was unperturbed, replying: “Nay, neither will force, for I do not fear my own power. And should it so please me, whosoever dares to trifle with me will feel the sting of my thorns.”
The soldiers hesitated, but the King had yet one final card to play, as he said: “Death, it pains me to think that I have called you here, but you leave with nothing in return. Perhaps you will stay the night: I have a library, with countless books with countless stories from time immemorial. Surely there is something there that even you do not know, and would take pleasure in learning of.”
“My duties are vast and many, but I have heard great things of your libraries; I will not deny your generosity, but I request a message be sent to one of my apprentices, so my work does not go undone.” Death answered.
The King immediately called for a messenger, and Death gave him a message to take, down to a secret place. But on the way out of the castle, the messenger was halted, and instead paid handsomely to go home and leave the message behind.
Death spent the night in the great library of the King: each night, he found something new to read and entertain him, and each day, he would ask to send a message to his disciple, to ensure that his duties continued.
The King thought his plan glorious, and after a week, he went down to the village. Only there was no longer any village, he was shocked to see: nor were there any dead, but instead nothing but madness and despair, and upon seeing him, the villagers ran shrieking for help to the King.
“What is this?” cried the King, aghast.
And the first in line replied with terror: “My liege, we are cursed! None of us may die!”
“But how can this be a curse?” asked the King in confusion.
“My father is old, and he took a great fall, but instead of dying he lays at the bottom of the cliffs, crying as the animals eat him and vex him! My mother grew sick with pain upon seeing him in such a state, and in such great pain she tried to kill herself, but now lays trapped in bed, unable to die in spite of the great agony that she has inflicted upon herself, and has been inflicted upon her! And nor do the insects nor the plants nor the animals die, and so the trees continue to grow even when we try to burn them, and the rabbit continues to try and run away even after the wolf gobbles him down!”
“Ah, so I see you did not heed my advice.” said Death, appearing behind the King.
“Death! You must fix this! The whole world has gone mad!” the King cried.
“No, for I am only named Death, and carry Death, but I am not death. For none of us are so important to be what is only natural.” Death said, and the King looked at him with great surprise.
“Then why can they not die?”
“Because.” Death said sadly. “I feared this would come to pass, as the great and small choose to fear me instead of know me. So to test you, I asked my disciple to deny all that you ruled death, for as long as he did not hear my message. And should seven days pass, then this curse shall remain affixed forever, to you and all who serve you.
“For no King is a greater tyrant than he who would deny his followers death.”

The Prince And The Empress

Chapter Two: The Prince And The Empress
~BlackRoseRaven

Thorn strolled down the hall, absentmindedly paging through a journal floating in front of him. By now, Team 0-0 had been deployed and had likely engaged the enemy... and he was admittedly a little eager to see them home and find out what happened, for a lot of reasons.

For now, though, he was off duty. Technically he'd been off duty all day, actually, but he needed to work. Hecate always told him to rest whenever he felt achy, but he hated not working: if he didn't keep himself busy with something, anything, then he ended up just pacing the halls all day, and the pain always seemed to get worse.

He liked working. He liked helping others, even if at the same time he wasn't precisely fond of having actual contact with other people. He was a little antisocial, he supposed, and being Hecate's son automatically made him terrifying to most of the population of Decretum.

Thorn came to a halt in front of a pair of armored doors, rolling his metal shoulder absently as the crystalline eye at the top of the frame scanned quickly over him. A moment later, the doors clanked loudly before pulling apart, the stallion striding fearlessly into a laboratory filled with massive, rumbling machines and strange ponies that were working fastidiously, rapidly assembling and fine-tuning some of their more sensitive equipment.

Most of the work here was done by either mechanical, completely-synthetic drones, or the Dogmatists: the proper name for 'Clockwork Ponies,' as they were called by most of the inhabitants of Decretum. These latter ponies were partly synthetic, generally designed for industrial or military purposes: long ago, Valthrudnir had created thousands upon thousands of Dogmatists to build and maintain his various projects, and to serve as shock troops when he went to war with other worlds. Their talents and personalities had all been erased and rewritten to better suit Valthrudnir's goals... although it seemed sometimes to Thorn that many of the Dogmatists still clung to vestiges of their old selves, every now and then showing a flash of emotion or some tic or shift.

There weren't many of the original Dogmatists left, but as the Orphanage began to recruit more and more ponies from across the worlds, new Dogmatists were now being produced. Many of the ponies who arrived here in Decretum were not in the best physical condition, and while some might accuse Hecate of only being interested in bolstering her own armies, Thorn knew that Hecate honestly just wanted to help these ponies be the very best they could be.

He glanced down at his own metallic limb, watching the way it shifted and flexed, servomotors humming quietly and pistons clicking as they pumped intermittently. Then the stallion hurriedly shook his head before forcing himself to return to the subject at hoof: it wouldn't do to linger, after all.

He strode towards the back of the laboratory, heading past the rows of tables to a large security door. It opened for him when he approached, the stallion opening his mouth, then instead sighing tiredly as he entered what was supposed to be a secure chemical studies room, and instead found one of the counters was piled high with juices, drinks, and candies. “Necrophage.”

A fiery-red mare poked her head up from what looked like a large trough, and then she brightened and spun hurriedly around, saluting sharply. She had a sky-blue mane that twisted jaggedly in all directions, and bright blue eyes that shone with happiness and energy. She was small and squat, but her body was muscular, and her jaws were disturbingly-large, filled with enormous teeth. And strangest of all, she didn't have a cutie mark. “Hello, sir!”

Necrophage wasn't a pony in the traditional sense though, so to speak: she was a Replicant, a special kind of Clockwork Pony who had been modified genetically and cultured from birth, designed to infiltrate and perform special tasks inside pony society. There were precious few Replicants left: they had been among the final creations of the Jötnar before he had finally been defeated after underestimating ponykind one too many times.

“You aren't supposed to have food in here.” Thorn said dryly, gesturing at the pile of drinks and candies on the table, and then he frowned when the mare only giggled loudly. “Yes?”

“Oh, I know, sir, but that's not food.” Necrophage said earnestly, and Thorn frowned slightly before the Replicant explained brightly, pointing at each item in turn on the table: “That's blueberry tea! That's a milkshake! Those are lemon mango drops! That's chocolate powder! See, it's all drink and flavor stuff, stuff for mixing with other stuff, because this is all kind of icky. And it helps the fuel smell nicer, too, and... and I never ever ever drink or eat anything that would interact badly with it, and not just because I don't like bellyaches, but because I really want to do super-duper best for Queen Hecate, honest!”

Thorn sighed tiredly again, then he leaned up a little to look at the feed trough before grimacing in spite of his best efforts not to: Necrophage had been designed for 'recycling and cleaning' purposes, and her main function was eating corpses, dead matter, and any organic garbage she came across, then processing them in her stomach before regurgitating them in the form of liquid fuel. Very little of what she ate was wasted, which made her invaluable: since she was able to convert a hundred kilograms of dead matter into just about a hundred liters of liquid, only roughly ten percent of the matter was digested in the process.

It was impressive, and made her very important to their operations here, since by herself Necrophage was able to devour and process up to half a ton of fuel per day. Maybe not enough to keep Decretum running by herself, but nothing to scoff at, either. Furthermore, when it was necessary, they were able to send Necrophage to outposts in other worlds, and within a week she could usually refuel their equipment and their storage tanks.

And of course, it helped them keep their garbage down: food leftovers, giant dead bugs and rats swept out of vents, experiments-gone-wrong and decayed golems were all broken down into a slurry and dumped into the trough for Necrophage to eat. Thorn couldn't help but shiver a little as he looked past the happy-go-lucky mare at the endless feast of death, and then he cleared his throat before hurriedly looking back at his clipboard, saying finally: “I'll... make a note to Queen Hecate and we'll get you properly authorized... flavor additives. But I'm here on business, not pleasure, Necrophage.”

Necrophage immediately tried to look serious, nodding firmly and saluting again... and then she giggled loudly and leaned forwards, looking like an excited puppy. And Thorn sighed a little at this, the other problem with the Replicants: Valthrudnir had apparently had difficulty making them properly mimic actual pony emotions, so they tended to be a little... eccentric.

Thorn only pushed forwards, however, saying calmly: “In three days, you're to report to Experiment Hall C. You will be helping with preparations for a guest who will be arriving shortly, and remaining to act as part of the work crew for as long as you are needed. Understood?”

“Sir yes sir yes sir!” Necrophage said brightly, and then she paused before asking curiously: “Is it just me? Or am I going to have anyone else working with me?”

Thorn opened his mouth, then reminded himself that in spite of how strange she was, Necrophage was also technically the highest-ranking Replicant in Decretum: so even if she was air-headed and ditzy, she also did have certain privileges. It didn't say anything in the file about Necrophage having officer duties during her reassignment, but she was being given escort duty...

“Yes. Your sister Muse, and several Dogmatists are being assigned to the project as well.” Thorn said hesitantly, and Necrophage bounced on the spot, giggling and clapping her hooves excitedly. “But you're not allowed to speak to anyone about this. Understood?”

Necrophage nodded firmly, covering her mouth with her hooves before she muffled out: “Sir yes sir! I won't tell a soul!”

Thorn felt moodily like this was somehow going to come back and bite him, but he only shook his head before turning away. But he didn't get very far before Necrophage blurted suddenly out: “Can I ask you a question, sir?”

“I... I suppose.” Thorn said after a moment as he stopped in front of the door, nodding hesitantly as he looked moodily back at the mare, and Necrophage looked strangely excited by this chance as she hopped towards him.

“What does your cutie mark mean?” she asked inquisitively, and Thorn frowned a bit before he looked back over his shoulder at his hip.

He shrugged his cape to the side, wanting to ignore the subject, and yet somehow, well... Necrophage had big, curious, remarkably-innocent eyes for what was essentially supposed to be a war construct and living recycling plant, and she was bouncing a little from hoof-to-hoof, and, well... it wouldn't hurt to tell her.

Thorn bit his lip for a moment, then sighed a little and reached back to touch the profile of the raven's head on his flank, silently tracing around this shape before he murmured: “My special talent is for writing. Poetry... Hecate told me that I get that from my father.”

“Who was your Daddy if Hecate is your Mommy?” asked the mare curiously, and Thorn was almost surprised into a laugh, just by the pure childishness of the question.

Instead, he gave her a dour look, but since she continued to look insistent and didn't seem to understand how difficult a question that was, the stallion sighed before answering finally: “Hecate is my mother, but she adopted me. My biological parents are...”

He halted, then shook his head quickly before muttering: “It's not important and I have work to do.” Thorn stopped, reaching up to silently rub at his mechanical limb for a moment as the pistons whirred. “Go back to work, Necrophage.”

“Okay, sir.” Necrophage said cheerfully, smiling warmly over at the unicorn. He gave a thin smile in response, beginning to turn away, but then he almost flinched as Necrophage said kindly: “I'm here if you ever want to talk about it or anything, though. I might not know much, sir, but I do know that we're all in this together, right?”

“I... suppose.” Thorn said awkwardly, and then he cleared his throat before simply nodding and mumbling: “Well, we both have work to do. Let's focus on that for now.”

Thorn turned and awkwardly hurriedly away, his clipboard bobbing behind him as Necrophage waved brightly until the door slammed closed behind the stallion. And then Thorn skidded to a halt and dropped on his rump, sighing tiredly and dropping his head as he mumbled: “I don't know why she always insists on being... herself.”

The stallion looked uncomfortably over his shoulder, then he shook himself briskly before floating his clipboard in front of himself and studying the other jobs on it. Apart from telling Muse and the selected Dogmatists about their new assignment, he had projects to check in on, machines to make sure were calibrated correctly, trainees to inspect...

Thorn sighed and picked himself up, turning around, and then he looked up in surprise as a small metal orb whizzed through the air towards him. It stopped in the air above him, hovering and focusing its glowing blue glass eye on him before Hecate's voice grumbled: “Thorn.”

Her tone was exasperated and only a little distorted, and Thorn smiled awkwardly before he gestured over his shoulder, explaining: “I just finished talking to Necrophage about her duties. I'm heading to inform the others of their assignments. I'll stop along the way to run a system check as well-”

“No, Thorn. Report to my office as soon as possible, we have something else to discuss.” Hecate said moodily, and Thorn frowned a little before the orb clicked loudly and spun around, zooming away through the air.

The stallion looked uncertainly in the direction the security device had gone, and then he finally shrugged before deciding he might as well report to his mother's office right away. It would be better to find out what Hecate wanted before anything else: he knew that whenever she said 'as soon as possible,' it was generally a euphemism for 'immediately.'

Thorn rolled his metal shoulder, then made his way out of the laboratory, absently checking his clipboard as he made his way into the hall. He already had the full agenda memorized, but it never hurt to double-check: the last thing he wanted to do was disappoint his mother or be responsible for any avoidable mistakes. He'd caused enough trouble in the past by not being careful enough...

The stallion lowered his head a little as he felt pain shiver through his metal leg: the limb was missing, but that sure didn't stop it from hurting, especially when he thought about how he'd lost it in the first place.

That had been back during his first year here in Decretum: he'd been so fascinated with everything, with all the huge machinery and the Dogmatists who were all so peaceful and so orderly and organized. It had been so very different from where he'd grown up, where he'd been kept locked away in secret, and everything had been powered by magic he couldn't effect. Studying the machines had helped take the pain away, had helped him cope with his feelings of abandonment and loss, and all the schedules and routines and rules had given him a sense of control.

He didn't blame his parents, even if sometimes he wanted to. Even if sometimes he felt like he had been one big mistake on their part, at the same time... he knew his parents had loved him. For a decade, they had given up the entire world for him, and they had taken care of him, taught him and loved him, and then given him up, not because they wanted to get rid of him, but because they had to go places that were too dangerous for him. And they had given him up because he had been born in a place that was full of darkness and full of pain, and they wanted him to be safe, and to have a place with security, and where he could have friends.

They had saved him, really. He smiled briefly, dropping his head: they had protected him, and moved him to the safest, the best possible place, where he could become a strong adult, where he could help other ponies. And even if things had been very awkward with Hecate at first, more and more he understood why they had chosen her: because Decretum was safe, because Hecate was a mentor, because here, he got to experience not just one world, but to learn about dozens and dozens of cultures and races and peoples. Maybe other worlds would have been happier, but they wouldn't be nearly as safe, and he would never have learned even a smidgen of what he had here.

He liked it here, even if he had been a dumb, clumsy kid who had been far too curious about all the massive machinery and the secrets beneath the steel world. He had tested his luck on too many occasions, made too many runs through the mechanical underbelly of Decretum, made of nothing but frameworks of pipes and massive cables and enormous gears.

He had been a stupid kid. Energetic, listless, wanting to be like his parents even after they were long gone, wanting to be strong and to grow up too fast just so he could one day take off in search of them, adventure alongside them. He had always gone exploring, trying to impress Hecate, trying to prove to himself he was the child of his parents, running wild through the ever-ticking Clockworks and exploring every nook and cranny of Decretum's vast underbelly, never realizing how much of his life he was risking...

Not until he'd finally gotten caught in one of the largest gears, and lost his leg. The only reason he'd survived was because a security drone had found him, and Hecate had been there in minutes, and she had sacrificed a master gear to save his life, shutting down an entire section of Decretum, delaying her own plans and projects for days, weeks, years... just to protect him.

She had been forced to amputate, a surgery she had performed personally. They had removed the rest of his stumpy, useless limb, and he had spent days in the medical center, and Hecate had been there, by his side, the whole time. Hecate had weathered the storm with him, helped him, treated him with a gentility and a grace he had never expected to see in her after their rough start, and a kindness he didn't deserve. She created his first prosthetic leg for him only days later, and many others had followed after that as he'd grown up.

It was funny. Losing his leg was what had truly cemented their relationship, what had made Hecate treat him less like a guest she had no idea what to do with, and more like her son. And he had come to honestly see her as a mother, to care about her in the same way he did his own parents, and to look up to her and want to do his best to help her, and make up for all the trouble he'd caused and because he had come to respect her and trust her.

Thorn smiled faintly as he stepped out of an elevator and strode down a quiet hall towards a large security door with the crest of Decretum on it. He'd been walking on autopilot this whole time, and it looked like he hadn't even realized how much time had passed, with all these silly memories.

He knocked politely on the door, and there was a click before it whirred open for him, letting him stride into an office that was sterile, cold, and nearly devoid of personal artifacts. There were only a pair of massive shelves that were filled with neatly-ordered binders and reports, a massive shield on the wall behind the steel chair she sat in, and her neat and ordered desk with its few effects.

Hecate didn't look down from the holographic screens floating around her, the mechanical mare moodily jotting notes down into a booklet in front of her. Thorn waited politely, putting his clipboard aside before he carefully reached out and picked up the folding picture frame that Hecate kept on one corner of her desk. There were only two photographs in the paired frames, one of him, and the other of a proud black stallion with a brush-cut silver mane and white eyes; Thesis, her first son.

Hecate sighed quietly as her eyes flicked towards Thorn, and then she moodily flicked one metallic claw to dismiss the screens around her, before reaching out and snatching the folding frame away, snapping it shut and putting it grouchily down on the desk. “Why haven't you been sleeping?”

Thorn shrugged a bit, looking up at his mother with a small smile. “Pain, I suppose. Phantom feelings, and concerns over the future. I have a feeling-”

“Don't start with that 'bad omens' nonsense.” Hecate said moodily, but her eyes were concerned, and after a moment, she sighed quietly and said in a softer voice: “Those prophecies are self-fulfilling, Thorn. Of course if you decide that every time you start hurting, something bad is going to happen... then something bad is going to happen. Something bad always happens. This is Decretum, where we deal on a daily basis with so-called 'bad' things.”

“I don't think this is a bad place itself, however.” Thorn replied softly, and Hecate looked at him for a few moments before the stallion smiled a bit and said: “I can't help what I believe, Queen Hecate. I just know that no matter how tightly I cling to the physical, there are still things out there that I can't understand. Feelings that simply... are.”

“You're a lot like your parents.” Hecate replied quietly, and the stallion blushed a bit at this, bowing his head in gratitude before Hecate sighed and dropped her elbows on the table, closing her eyes and lowering her head. “I still don't know why they left you with me.”

Thorn only shrugged, looking up his mother for a few moments before he answered: “Logistically this place makes the most sense: there are no threats here and I'm protected by our operations and military forces.” He paused, then added with a small smile: “No threats to me apart from you yourself, of course.”

Hecate smiled briefly at this, losing her usual mask of coldness: it made her features seem less sallow, even her crackling mane of lightning seeming to grow gentler. “Well, it's nice to know that you're not entirely like your parents. They never learned anything.”

Thorn laughed a bit despite himself, and then he looked down, his hoof shifting to his shoulder before Hecate said in a firmer voice: “But you do need your rest, Thorn, whether you like it or not. I have an important assignment for you to handle, and I want you at your best for it.”

Thorn tilted his head, and Hecate glowered at him before she straightened and laced her metal hands together, saying moodily: “I am talking to you as your superior now. Professionalism, Thorn.”

“Yes, Queen Hecate.” Thorn smiled all the same, even as he straightened and asked briskly: “What tasks do you need completed?”

Hecate studied Thorn meditatively for a few moments, and then she said with a hint of distaste: “Our special guest will require special attention during her stay, as she is on loan from Hel. As you're aware of, I've assigned two Replicants and several Dogmatists to serve as her work crew, and she'll have full access to several teams of Worker Drones.

“I have no desire to work with her. As a matter of fact, I would strongly prefer to avoid contact with her, unless absolutely necessary. Therefore I am assigning you to help manage the work force and to keep her in line.” Hecate said calmly, and Thorn grimaced ever so slightly, before he sighed and reached up to apprehensively touch the ring around his horn.

Hecate smiled thinly, not needing to speak to confirm his suspicion: because of that little piece of jewelry he wore, no demon of Helheim could risk harming him without bringing down the full wrath of the Archives and Goddess Hel herself. “I understand.”

“Do you have a problem with my orders?” Hecate asked moodily, and Thorn hesitated before he looked up at her and shrugged a little.

“I dislike using my Archive privileges. That's all.” Thorn said honestly, and then he shook his head briefly before adding quietly: “But no, Mother. I'll do it. What can you tell me about her?”

“Her name is Bani. She will act rude and obnoxious, but... she was the same way in life.” Hecate smiled moodily, but Thorn thought he saw a glimpse of something more under the surface: nostalgia, perhaps even affection. “She is a mix of Wrath and Pride, but do not mistake her confidence and cockiness for arrogance. I expect you to do whatever she asks, Thorn. Make a good enough impression on her, and she might even tell you more about your parents.”

“She knew my parents?” Thorn rose his head in surprise, and then he blushed a bit before clearing his throat and forcing himself to simply nod, trying his hardest to remain impartial and professional. “I mean, thank you, Queen Hecate. I'll keep that in mind and I'll make sure that I do everything necessary to make her comfortable during her stay.”

“Good.” Hecate paused, and then she rested back a bit in her throne of steel, relaxing a little as she answered: “And yes, she did know your parents. She knew them longer and better than I did, as a matter of fact. She was also particularly fond of your brother.”

“My brother...” Thorn shifted a little, looking down as a strange twist ran through his stomach. It was always strange for him to think about how there were siblings out there he'd never met: a brother and two sisters who might not even be aware that he existed. They might not know our parents are still alive.. “Does she know who I am? Will she know...”

Hecate shrugged, then said meditatively: “I suppose if she's still in Hel's confidence... then yes, she probably does. I do not want you using your familial connections for personal gain though, Thorn. I will not tolerate nepotism and she is not coming here to be your new best friend and to waste her time telling you old stories. She is coming here to help bring Decretum's Large Uplink Nexus online.”

The stallion nodded quickly to Hecate, and she sighed a little, rubbing at her head slowly before muttering: “Once the LUN is running, then I suppose you can do as you please with her. I'm sure she'll be around for a few days following the completion of the project: she has asked a very difficult favor in return for her assistance, but we are in no position to deny her.”

Thorn nodded again, then he hesitated before asking cautiously: “What about the request that Hel sent to us? Can you... is it possible for you tell me if they've made contact yet?”

“No reports have been filed and they're outside monitoring range. Furthermore, I'm fairly sure that I just said I do not want you abusing your status for privileges.” Hecate said moodily, but when Thorn only looked at her uncomfortably, she sighed after a moment and rubbed slowly at a temple with one steel claw. “Fine. I will let you know their status when it arrives. Are you that concerned for them?”

“It was hard to lie. I felt... uncomfortable doing it.” Thorn admitted, nodding a little and looking honestly at his mother: maybe he sounded a little childish, but still... “I guess... I feel guilty. And if they come back injured...”

“They are going to return injured. But that is not your fault. You were under orders to tell them what you did, and the only failing will be their own.” Hecate said calmly, shaking her head shortly. “As long as they work together and remember the basics of combat, they will not be incapacitated. This is only a training exercise, Thorn: maybe getting hurt will finally teach Moonflower his place.”

The stallion fidgeted a little again, and Hecate sighed and rolled her eyes before gesturing at him irritably. “Go and rest. I've given you your orders and you're supposed to be off duty.”

“Can I at least go and see Muse, let her know about the tasks for her?” Thorn asked, and Hecate glowered for a few moments... but then she sighed and nodded grudgingly.

Thorn began to smile and turn away, before he stumbled stupidly when Hecate asked almost abruptly: “Have you made any friends?”

The stallion looked lamely over his shoulder at her, then cleared his throat before rubbing at his face and saying awkwardly: “I don't see what that has to do with anything. I... I am... amicable with both Orphans and Dogmatists. I think that's more than enough.”

“Ponies place a great value on friendship. I know that you do as well, whether or not you'll admit it.” Hecate said gently, and Thorn turned around, bowing his head humbly and looking with embarrassment up at his mother: his mother, Hecate, who had abandoned her usual mask of coldness and contempt to look at him with the openness and compassion that the rest of the world so rarely saw... but unlike the rest of Decretum, Thorn never forgot that once upon a time, his mother had been a Princess of the Sun. “Once... I put a great value on friendship and family, too. So great, that the lack of it, the wanting of it...”

Hecate flexed one steel claw slowly, and then she looked up and said moodily: “Putting that metal leg on you was troublesome enough. I do not need you making the mistakes I did and ending up any more like me than you already are. Find friends, Thorn. Consider it an order from your Queen. I hear all the other matriarchs of Equestria have made similar orders at some point to at least one of their subjects, so I may as well join them in doing so.”

Thorn looked lamely at his mother, and then he reached up and rubbed the back of his head before he said awkwardly: “Necrophage is-”

“Incapable of rational thought. Find a real friend, not a broken circuit.” Hecate said irritably, and Thorn shifted uncomfortably on his hooves before the mechanical mare sighed and said sourly: “Since you've been asking about them so much, why don't you try and make friends with Team 0-0 when they return? Moonflower is an idiot, and La Croix is an irritating stripehorse, but Cadence and her father are... not completely worthless.”

“I thought you liked La Croix.” Thorn said, mostly to try and deflect from the subject. Hecate only glared at him, however, until he finally gave a lame smile and added hesitantly: “And I mean... I can attempt, but diplomacy has never-”

Hecate only rolled her eyes, gesturing at her son irritably with one metal claw. “These ponies all but slaver over the idea of friendship. Even most of the ones that come from damaged or outer rim worlds seem obsessed with moronic ideas of 'friendship' and 'harmony.' Even here in Decretum, the Dogmatists form their little bands and have preferred work partners.”

“Yes, I... I know.” Thorn mumbled, dropping his head. “I know it's important. It's just hard for me to find ponies to get along with. A lot of ponies are afraid of me and... a lot are afraid of you. And I find it so hard to talk to anyone about anything-”

“Are you ashamed that you're adopted? Are you ashamed of your parents, or that you were abandoned here with me?” Hecate asked darkly, leaning forwards over the desk, and Thorn winced a bit before the mechanical mare asked coldly: “Are you ashamed of me?”

Thorn shifted a little, and then he sighed quietly, not taking his mother's bait and far from fooled by her snappishness. “No, of course not. You know I'm not, I'm just... every time I do reach out or trust them, I just end up with ponies who want to impress you, or who think I can do things for them, or... I find them... difficult.”

“I know. You're a little elitist, Thorn, and you have high expectations of everyone and everything around you. And that is partly my fault, for training that into you.” Hecate replied, sitting back a bit and softening as she studied her son. “But you're better than that. I raised you to be better than me, and your parents were better ponies than me, who showed mercy to people who didn't deserve it and who dedicated themselves to protecting these worlds. You are not me, Thorn. You are your parents' son. If you can't learn to give these sniveling idiots a chance, then why are you here, trying to protect millions of sniveling idiot ponies from the quick death so many of them deserve?”

The stallion looked uncomfortably at his mother for a few moments, and then he cleared his throat and dropped his head, mumbling: “You frighten me sometimes, Queen Hecate.”

“Good. I should.” Hecate said grumpily, and then she gestured at him irritably. “I thought I told you to leave, by the way. Why are you still here, wasting my time? You have your assignments. If you're not going to rest, then go and find a friend apart from Necrophage.”

“Yes, Queen Hecate.” Thorn sighed a little, dropping his head forwards before he dragged himself around in a circle, mumbling: “I guess that it could be worse.”

Hecate moodily watched Thorn drag himself out, and then she laced her metal fingers together before sighing quietly herself and shaking her head slowly. She felt... guilty, she thought. Not just because she hated ordering Thorn around, but because she knew he was going to be upset when he found out what Team 0-0 was going to end up going through before they got back...

Well, it wasn't like Hel's guardians were going to kill them. On the other hoof... that didn't mean they weren't going to end up severely injured, perhaps even critically wounded. Especially Cadence: the ivory mare was fearless in the face of danger, thanks in part to the fact she couldn't die. Killing her only made more of the Swan Maiden she had once been emerge... which would further complicate things for other reasons if it did happen, but Hecate didn't feel like digging into the details of a problem she could do nothing about right now.

So instead, the mare sat back and flexed her metallic claw, the holographic screens flickering into life around her. She looked back and forth between these moodily, then reached up and tapped a quick set of commands across one of the screens, bringing up a wider set of statistics and studying them moodily as she rubbed the underside of her chin slowly.

Still, her mind was lingering on Thorn, whether she wanted it to or not. She supposed that in the early years, she had spent almost all her time thinking about Thesis, too: even after he'd grown up into a strong young stallion fully capable of taking care of himself, she had always worried most about him, in spite of the fact that there had been a war raging on...

Hecate shook her head slowly as she tapped through screens: some instincts you just couldn't kill. She supposed that it was those same instincts, those same... 'chemical reactions,' as Thesis would have grumbled about, that made her the way she was...

No, that wasn't fair. Thesis had been a brilliant, cheerful stallion before Valthrudnir had tried to reprogram him in his own image. But all Valthrudnir had done was make Thesis psychotic and confused: Thesis had still had a heart that had believed in things like love and brotherhood, but also a mind that refuted the existence of emotions, that explained every bit of magic and miracle in life as nothing but hard science and soulless consequences, that believed in nothing but chemical reactions.

Thesis had ended up becoming so sad, so broken. She had eventually been forced to accept that her son had died more than a thousand years ago, and all that had been left behind was an empty, broken shell of a stallion. A true Replicant, a chrysalid that had replaced her child and who did nothing but shout orders at her and inflict pain and suffering on the world, because he didn't believe there would be any punishment for his actions in the afterlife. As if that somehow justified all the things they had done...

Hecate knew in that small, tiny piece of her that refused to change, that refused to die, that even if there would be no punishment for the sins and wrongs and evils they committed in life, it was still wrong to hurt others merely for amusement or personal gain. Even if you never suffered for it, right and wrong still existed: you couldn't simply erase them from existence merely because you wanted to. You couldn't justify yourself that because there were no consequences, it wasn't the wrong thing to do... all the things that I have done.

Hecate shook herself briefly, shrugging off her thoughts. There was no point in thinking about the past, and everything that had been: Thesis, for better or worse, had been put out of his misery decades ago now. Although there was a strange, almost laughable irony in the fact that now she had adopted the son of the stallion who had been responsible for her own son's death...

The mare sighed and shook her head slowly. No, saying it was 'ironic' was just an easy way to dismiss it. And she didn't want to dismiss this: Thorn was her son now, for better or worse, and as hard as she could be on him, she never wanted to undervalue him.

A little more than ten years had passed now, every day of which she'd struggled to do the right for him, to not make the mistakes she had made with Thesis. Every day of which she questioned if she was worthy of being a 'mother:' an Empress and Queen, certainly, but a mother...

She still remembered the day that they had shown up: those three idiots, escorted by none other than Goddess Hel herself, who had been decent enough to make a truce with them for that day. But Hel was a mother herself, and Hecate had understood: not even she would have taken advantage of parents who were being forced to give away their child.

Thorn had been curious more than afraid: he had been such an inquisitive child! Then again, he'd also been raised in a place where monsters like her weren't all that uncommon, and nor did she expect that she was the most frightening thing Thorn had ever seen.

She smiled briefly, shaking her head slowly. It had been enough of a surprise just to see them at all: but to see that they had actually had another child, and then find out that they wanted to give the colt to her...

Horses of Heaven. They had ended up giving her three days to make a decision: all that the little group could afford. But how could she say no? Oh, she had tried to send them away, certainly: derided them, ignored them, denied them, then eventually tried to tell them to find someone else, like Freya or Antares or even Innocence, she had likely grown up enough to handle a foal by now...

But no. They wanted her to raise the foal. They wanted him to be safe and hidden away, here in Decretum: for as welcome and nourishing as Looking Glass World was, they had made many enemies... and some of the same demons intent on capturing or hurting them would be all too eager to use someone like Thorn as bait.

It was ridiculous, the lengths they went to in order to keep up their charade... but Hel had her role, and those three had theirs. All of them were trapped in the tangled webs of rules and laws... not even those three morons had been able to escape it. Even if they had their freedom, they still paid a cost for it: a cost that had proven much higher than any of them had expected, Hecate had seen.

So Thorn Blackfeather had become her son... and of course, within a year, she'd failed to protect him. She wondered sometimes whether or not Thorn blamed her... if he maybe even wondered if she'd hoped that some day, she'd be given the excuse to replace inferior flesh with superior steel, just like she had with her own decaying body...

She didn't honestly know what she thought herself. The original design had been a simple prosthetic, but as Thorn had matured and become an adult, she had put more and more effort into building the best possible prosthetic she could. Now it was a triumph of magical and technological engineering: a cybernetic leg that could move as easily as the real thing, but was dozens of times stronger and more resilient.

Hecate flexed one of her own mechanical claws silently: she could tell herself all she wanted that she had done it purely out of need to protect and help her son, but there was more to it than that, too. Machines were dependable, and something she could control: a machine could be rebuilt even after it was destroyed, and memory chips could be replicated, data could be copied, and there was no need to worry about silly things like souls or emotions. Even if machines had their own strange life... their lives were easier to maintain, easier to fix, easier to change if something went wrong. Machines weren't dangerous to care about.

The Clockwork Queen shook her head slowly, her lightning mane sparking around her head before she scowled as a screen beeped at her several times. Her eyes flicked towards the warning symbol that was now flashing over it, and then she finally resigned herself to dealing with whatever nonsense had just cropped up: she had no doubt that it wasn't a problem with any of the Clockwork machinery that ran Decretum, but instead the more organic elements that had taken up residence here.

Hecate reached up and tapped on the screen, and it was almost immediately replaced by the face of a panicked-looking pony, who blurted the moment he saw Hecate had opened the channel: “Problem! Problem! We have a Class One alert!”

“What?” Hecate's eyes widened slightly, and then she gritted her teeth and leaned forwards, ordering sharply: “Engage full lockdown and scramble-”

“Oh, now now, there's no need for that, buttercup!” trilled a cheery voice, and Hecate's eyes narrowed before she felt something grasp into her steel shoulders, twinkling motes of ice gleaming in the air around her as the temperature suddenly sharply plummeted.

“Cancel the Class One alert. Tell everyone to get back to work. False alarm.” Hecate said moodily, and then she waved a metal claw to gesture away the screens before closing her eyes and asking disgustedly: “What do you want, Hel?”

The Goddess of Helheim giggled loudly as she stepped backwards; or rather, the ice puppet that she was acting through did. But even if it was made completely from frost, with a dress of snow covering a long, gangly crystalline body, there was something terribly-alive about the construct: it was like more than just Hel's will animated this alien biped that had the sallow features of a cow. “Oh, just a little bit of love and affection, and maybe a big old 'thank you' for helping you so much, Miss Tin o' Beans. That'd be great.”

Hecate glowered over her shoulder at the cow-headed goddess, and then she shook her head in distaste before saying irritably: “Any gratitude I feel for you is erased by your constant need to be the center of attention and interfere with my operations. Get out of my world.”

“Bossy, bossy, bossy!” Hel clucked her tongue, then snapped her fingers... and then she blinked in surprise as Hecate only calmly stood up and turned around, crossing her metal arms as she loomed over the tall but terribly-thin ice puppet.

Hel wildly snapped her fingers several more times, then uselessly hammered her icy fists against Hecate's steel breast before the mechanical mare rolled her eyes and reached up to catch one of the goddess' wrists, making the ice puppet whine loudly and flail at her helplessly. “Hey! Hey, that's not fair at all, you great big cheater! You're not allowed to block my clicker!”

“I am not your minion, Hel. And I am well aware of how you enjoy abusing your powers.” Hecate replied distastefully, clenching her metal fingers and making Hel squawk as her wrist was crushed into nothing but snowy powder. “Insulating my armor against your abilities was one of my first priorities. Your powers can't directly effect me.”

Hel glowered at her, then shook her stump of wrist wildly before a new hand formed from frost, the goddess immediately shoving a finger into Hecate's nose as she threatened: “I can trash the rest of this trash-heap world, though, so you better watch yourself, lady. You might think you're... 'ahead' of the game, but I've always got an ace in the hole.”

Hecate looked fearlessly at Hel, and the goddess glared back before she suddenly smiled, bouncing excitedly on her feet and tapping a quick tattoo cheerfully over Hecate's mechanical body as she asked brightly: “So hey, how's the kid doing? You attach any guns to him yet or anything?”

The mechanical mare gave Hel a disgusted look, then she gestured irritably with one finger at the goddess, who groaned loudly before sighing loudly and throwing her arms in the air to stride past Hecate and around to the other side of the mechanical mare's desk, asking grumpily: “Is that better, miss rusty spoon?”

The Queen of Decretum simply rolled her eyes, then asked moodily: “Why are you here and what do you want, Hel? I don't have time for your fun and games.”

Hel grumbled in frustration, childishly stomping her feet before she whined loudly: “Why is everyone always so mean to me? Oh, sure, maybe I'm sort of evil and all, but you totally are too! I mean, look at all this crap, I don't build giant machines to take over worlds and kill the poop out of people, I keep a billion demons and monsters locked up where they can't hurt anybody!”

The ice puppet flailed a little, and Hecate rolled her eyes before pointing at the construct and threatening: “If you continue to try my patience, Hel, I will do precisely what Valthrudnir did to you, and reach right through that idiotic toy of yours to drag the real you out of your hidey-hole beneath Helheim.”

Hel laughed loudly at his, leaning forwards with a grin as her eyes gleamed and she put her hands on her hips. “Oh really? You think you really have the knowledge to do that, you overgrown spatula? I could totally take you in a fight, come on, show me what you got!”

The construct rose her fists gamely, dancing back and forth on the spot, and Hecate only looked at her irritably before the puppet suddenly became serious, glaring at the mechanical goddess as she said coldly: “Precisely. You aren't going to fight me because you know that even if you got the know-how, you don't have the raw power to exploit that little vulnerability of mine.”

The two studied each other for a few moments, and then Hel suddenly brightened again, clapping her hands and saying cheerfully: “But my daughter probably could! Have I told you about how proud I am of her? Oh she's growing up so fast... kids, huh? They all grow up so fast! One moment they're all little tykes, the next they're big adults, and next thing you know after that, boom, they're dead and off on some new whirlwind adventure!”

Hel swayed back and forth, lacing her fingers together as she let her arms pendulum, and Hecate shook her head before she asked moodily: “If you're so interested in children, then why didn't you take Thorn?”

“Oh, don't even joke, you big metal momma. I know how attached you are to the kid, and you know how bad I am with children. I didn't even raise my own daughter... kept an eye on her, oh sure, but it was always behind the scenes, letting her make her own way through life and death, trusting in All Daddy to make sure that not everything went to the place named after me.” Hel replied easily, waving a hand dismissively. “No, no. I'm all behind the scenes, not so much the hands-on, stuff. I write and direct, but rarely act.”

Hecate couldn't help but give a thin smile at this metaphor: it was all too appropriate for the goddess. The mechanical mare studied her for a moment, then turned and sat down at her desk, ignoring the way Hel propped herself up on it and leaned forwards, batting her eyes. But this time, she refused to get drawn into the goddess' games.

Instead, the mechanical mare tented her fingers on her desk and simply looked moodily at Hel, the goddess grinning at first... then slowly starting to squirm under the unflinching, cold gaze of Hecate. And finally, Hel groaned loudly before shoving herself backwards and falling with a loud thump to the floor of the mechanical mare's office, complaining: “You really are a piece of work, you know that? I don't think any other person in all these bajillion worlds has a stare like you do.”

Hecate only continued to look moody, and after a moment, Hel rolled her eyes before she grumbled: “Fine. As a matter of fact, I'm not here to visit just because of your charm and wit, missy metal. I'm here because I need to level with you about something.”

The mechanical mare narrowed her eyes at this, the two looking at each other for a few moments before Hel smiled dangerously and swirled a single finger through the air beside her head. “You see, I don't really buy into nobility and redemption. We do what suits us, that's what I feel, that's what I believe, and that's the way I try and live my own life, too.

“I have many reasons to want to protect what I've got. And I've got plenty of reasons to want to try and keep you here under my thumb, too, sweetie-cake. Not just because I'm a little anemic and I know how good iron is for me, but because you're the last living link to good ol' Vally-wally. And gosh, I would just hate to lose all this technology!”

Hel gestured expansively around herself, grinning widely, and Hecate studied the goddess intently before the ice puppet clapped her hands together and said calmly: “So for the last decade and change, I've been happily backing you, giving you all the help you need to get this place up and running, just like how I gladly helped Heaven get its scrawny pale ass back together. I know how to play the game, metal momma, I've been playing it for years and years and years longer than you can count.

“And now the time has come for me to ask for a little something in return from you, for all the generosity I've given you. Something that's... maybe a little outside of what we agreed to, but...” Hel leaned forwards, rubbing her forefinger and thumb together with a wink. “I'm sure that since I have the cash and the power, you'll be willing to bend the rules for me.”

Hecate looked up at Hel with disgust, and then she sighed tiredly, shaking her head slowly and muttering: “Amazing how some things never change. First Valthrudnir turned me into nothing but an administrator program for Endworld, and then I was dragged to Looking Glass World and forced to demean myself working for a rude, obnoxious loudmouth. And now, even with Decretum mine and mine alone...”

“Well, toots, that's the sad truth of the world. There's always a bigger fish.” replied Hecate with a disdainful flick of her wrist. “You know. Unless you're me. I'm the mother of all whalesharks. I'm the gigantosaurus rex. I'm the big momma, little metal momma.”

Hecate rolled her eyes in distaste at this, then asked irritably: “What do you want me to do, Hel? And why do you want me to do it when you're supposed to be all powerful?”

“Partly for the power trip, sure, but even if I'm just about omnipotent, sweetie, and real close to omniscient... I'm not perfect.” Hel replied candidly, waggling a finger at the mechanical mare before she clenched and unclenched her fingers, magic zapping along her arm before she flicked her hand towards Hecate.

Energy crackled in an arc into the metal mare, who only grimaced slightly as the magic uselessly arced back and forth over her steel body before Hel said softly: “Just like you demonstrated yourself, buttercup. Or do you really think that you're so head and shoulders above everyone else, you're the only person to ever figure out there are certain little nuisances that block up my powers?”

Hecate frowned at this, and then Hel crossed her arms and added moodily: “Sure, I can always just create a baseball bat and knock your block off like you're nothing but a dumb zombie, but you know me. I like to click my clicker. Me and Vally-wally admittedly had that in common: we liked to just make people blow up ourselves, not hit stuff with other stuff. Fun as that is, it's also very annoying learning to aim all over again. I'm supposed to have grown all out of that!

“So, long story short, I'm enlisting the help of you and your jolly crew of nutjobs to help me with a little bit of kitchen work. Oh, yes, I know you've got something rather important going on for me already...” Hel grinned slightly, reaching up and tapping her nose, and Hecate narrowed her eyes dangerously after a moment as she realized...

“You specifically wanted your Archives distracted. That's why you chose them... no, more than that.” Hecate said slowly, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she leaned forwards. “This is why you pushed to run this stupid test of yours. You want to see how the best of my best fare against-”

“Against my best of the best, and make sure that you're up to the challenges I have for you. Because, metal momma, if you didn't raise them chickies just right... then you're not only useless to me, you've gone and wasted my time.” Hel interrupted, crossing her arms and looking evenly across at Hecate. “You promised results after all. And oh, sure, you've done a swell job, fighting off a monster here and there, honeybunny. But so far, nothing my Archives couldn't handle, so I'm not super impressed just yet. You'll have to really show some get up and go if you want me to do more than throw money and some low-level demons your way.”

Hecate looked moodily at the goddess, studying her darkly before she said in a low, dangerous voice: “I am not your thug, Hel. Decretum and my Orphanage are my business. And if you attempt to tamper with that, I have no problem dissolving our treaty and agreement.”

Hel smiled smugly at this, crossing her arms and asking patronizingly: “Oh, really? Gee, I'm so scared, you big can opener. Unless you happen to be a can of whoop ass you're gonna open up all over me, why precisely should I be afraid-”

Hecate made a short, diagonal gesture with a metal claw, a holographic screen appearing in front of her before she said coldly: “Authorization code: 'Ithavoll,' confirmation code: 'metempsychosis.'”

Hel cocked her head curiously as images flashed on screen, and then the ice puppet's eyes widened in disbelief before she slowly gritted her teeth, eyes blazing with fury as she opened her mouth, raising a hand...

The mechanical mare was unflinching and fearless, only looking coldly back at Hel, and the goddess slowly closed her mouth before she gritted her teeth... then suddenly gave a thin smile, asking moodily: “So when I play games with you, it's all badong and stuff, huh? But when you play games with little ol' innocent me...”

Hecate only flicked her wrist, banishing the holographic screen and saying curtly: “I hope we have an understanding.”

The goddess scowled darkly, then she leaned forwards and said distastefully: “This is just about an act of war, you know. I don't like that. I don't like that one little bit. I think I'm going to have to send some demons here to destroy your whole facility. I think I'm going to do what Vally-wally did and dump a whole slice of Helheim right into Decretum. I think-”

“Shut up.” Hecate said coldly, and Hel's jaw dropped and her whole body went limp with shock before Hecate pointed at her and continued fearlessly: “I will do whatever it takes to protect my empire, even from you. I am not afraid of you, Hel, and I have plenty of countermeasures in place to protect Clockwork World from you, from Terra, from any other 'do-gooders' or self-proclaimed 'villains.' I am not afraid of you, Hel. I am not afraid of your hordes of whipped demons. This universe needs order, and I am going to provide precisely that... and I will not let any of you stand in my way.”

Hecate slammed a metal claw down against her desk, leaning forwards aggressively, and Hel rose her hands in a gesture of surrender, leaning backwards and saying awkwardly: “Hey, hey, whoa now, metal momma, you've made your point. You don't have to get all... bitchy. What, you install ovaries in that thing so you can have robo-PMS?”

The mechanical mare only narrowed her eyes dangerously, and Hel snorted before she dropped her arms and said moodily: “You really are no fun at all. I should have known that Vally-wally always had an extra ace in the hole, though, whether or not he'd never use them... or no, those were trophies, weren't they? He always loved collecting stuff, like trading cards. Like a five year old, he was. You don't get offended when I say that about your ex-whateverhewas, right?”

Hecate crossed her arms as she straightened, her expression only growing darker, and Hel looked moodily at the Queen of Decretum for a few moments before she sighed and bowed politely, muttering: “You might not be a can of whoop ass, but I guess that big helping of 'screw you' is even worse in some ways. Fine.”

Hel straightened, then brushed grumpily at her snowy dress before saying darkly: “Still, you better not screw this up. Because you want this responsibility? Fine, you get all the responsibility now. And I'm gonna be happy to tattle-tale on you to everyone else if you screw this up or if even one of your little projects step out of line.”

“Good. What did you want me to take care of?” Hecate asked calmly, and the goddess glowered at her before Hecate smiled thinly, gesturing easily off to the side with one mechanical claw. “Like you said. My responsibility. I suppose that means I have to clean up the messes you can't handle yourself, Hel.”

“You are just begging for a spanking, Hecate.” Hel threatened, gesturing at her angrily before the icy goddess huffed loudly, then she said grouchily: “I don't feel like talking to you anymore, and I have some meat to butcher. I'll tell big bovine Bani to tell you what I was going to tell you today but I don't feel like telling you anymore. Got it?”

Hecate only gave a thin smile at this, nodding once. Hel only continued to glower, however, before childishly making a face at her and blowing a loud raspberry at the mechanical mare until she vanished from existence with a loud pop.

The Queen of Decretum gazed moodily at the space where Hel had been a moment before, and then she shook her head slowly before sitting back at her desk and finally letting herself relax a little with a visible sigh of relief. She'd honestly had no idea Hel was going to react to her little gambit, and if the goddess had turned on her, it would have made things... difficult. She knew that in the future she would have to be careful, and these facilities monitored stricter than ever...

But if everything went as planned, then perhaps in a few short years, these stupid little ponies would no longer have to fear even the most vicious of gods and monsters. And Hecate would be there to watch as her clockwork, her machinations, her Decretum brought true and ultimate order to these countless worlds in a way that Valthrudnir had never imagined.

Blood Rivals

Chapter Three: Blood Rivals
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence felt... good. As a matter of fact, she was feeling excited and eager and downright happy, in spite of the fact that Moonflower was rambling away like an idiot in a futile effort to psyche himself up, and La Croix looked even more worried than usual: and considering the fact he was always nervous whenever they so much as brushed up against a combat situation, the fact it was so noticeable said something.

Her father was only curiously studying an abandoned firepit they'd found, inspecting both the still-warm embers and the marks here and there around the stones. He seemed as calm as ever, but at the same time, there was a certain tenseness to him... but Cadence had already seen why. It wasn't just the sense of energy in the air, but the traces here and there of corruption in the earth and soil: whatever they were after, it was likely capable of generating some kind of poison like her father could.

Except in the case of this creature, it likely had better control over it: Cadence could sense the malice from here, but there were none of the other telltale signs that would normally show up when something corruptive passed through the area: no rotten earth, no monstrous vegetation, no unnatural, predatory life or so much as a single shard of black crystal.

Cadence felt a moment of worry creep through her almost unnatural joy, shifting a little on the spot: because of her father's condition and some of Hecate's more dangerous creations, she had been well-versed on the effects of corruption, or, as it was properly named, the Clay of Prometheus. To her surprise, her father had actually been injected with an incomplete version of the compound, which was why he couldn't control it and why the changes, in the grand scheme of things, had been minimal.

That made her maybe a little bit anxious: when he wasn't contained by the purifier, Sombra emanated a poison and a malice powerful enough to corrupt the hearts and souls of ponies around him, and he could regenerate almost any amount of physical damage done to his body. He could create black crystal at will, and his dark magic would eat through even the hardiest of magical defenses in time.

And all that was just from an unstable version of the Clay of Prometheus. She had seen glimpses of what the full, completed version of the Clay was capable of, and it honestly frightened her to imagine what a demon would be capable of if it somehow became able to manipulate the effects of the corruption...

Cadence shook her head slowly, then she took a slow breath as she felt both her worry and anticipation growing. Her father was nervous, and that made her nervous; but that stupid, dangerous, evil part of her, that Swan part of her, relished the danger. It delighted in the thought that maybe they were going to be dealing with something that could hurt them, that could even kill them.

But then again, maybe the Swan wanted her to die. The Swan, unlike the rest of her, certainly didn't care in the slightest about her friends and teammates: the Swan only cared about whatever could make it stronger, and whatever would feed its hunger for violence. And Cadence thought sometimes that the Swan instinct in her wanted her to die, because every time she died...

She shook her head quickly, doing her best to throw these thoughts off as she adjusted the lightweight armor she was wearing. She didn't want to think about that, and she had more important things to focus on right now, like where these targets were that they were supposed to hunt down...

The ivory mare reached up and rubbed a hoof through her short mane, and then she glanced up as her father approached, asking quietly: “What did you find?”

Sombra studied her quietly, and then he said softly: “They are still close. I don't think they're aware of us just yet, thanks to La Croix, but we should be quiet and cautious. The corruption was... very different from mine. More concentrated and controlled, as I expect you already figured out, mi amore.”

Cadence nodded slowly, the two looking at each other for a few moments before the mare asked finally: “How do you feel about what we're getting into?”

Sombra smiled a little, and then his horn glowed, and Cadence blushed a bit as she felt her armor tightening and neatening itself a little over her body. Her rose-hued breastplate was always polished to perfection, along with the bracers that locked around all four of her legs, but she always got a little sloppy when it came to making sure everything was fitted properly, especially when she got a little excited.

She lamely swept at the plates of the battle-skirt that hung over her hindquarters, then reached up and quickly adjusted the belts of throwing knives and other trinkets around her waist before her father had to fix that for her, too. She had brought her best weapons with her, and made sure that everyone else was outfitted as best she could...

Although as her eyes traveled moodily towards where La Croix and Moonflower were now quietly bickering, she reflected that wasn't a whole lot. La Croix refused to wear anything but his same fancy clothing, carrying around the same large leather satchel he always took on missions; although that was a lot better than Moonflower, who refused to wear any armor at all and carried around his saddlebags like they were marks of shame.

She shook her head, then forced her eyes back to her father: at least Sombra had put on a vest that was specially-designed to fit his body, not only protecting him but also better securing the straps that harnessed the purifier on to his back. He had refused a weapon, as always, though, but he at least had his own set of tools and magical ingredients in the sidepacks hanging off his waist.

He only gave her a gentle look, and she sighed and dropped her head, mumbling: “Alright. I'll.. get everything under control, Dad, sorry.”

She straightened, then looked over at Moonflower and La Croix before saying clearly: “Get your flanks over here, or I'm going to leave you two behind to find your own way home.”

La Croix and Moonflower looked at each other, and then they traded one last shove before they both grumbled and hurried over to the mare, looking at her awkwardly. She looked mildly back at the two, then shook her head slowly before she asked moodily: “La Croix, how well will your stealth charm protect us?”

“Well, uh... I don't want to make no promises now, Cygne, but they should keep us invisible to whatever cocodrils be crawlin' around. We won't register as nothin' but crawdads on their radar until they see us.” La Croix replied after a moment, and then he grimaced and hugged himself, pulling his cape around himself like a blanket. “This place feels mal though, ma ami. Tres mal.”

“Oh, stop sniveling.” Moonflower said grouchily, waving a hoof at him, although now the handsome stallion was looking nervously back and forth himself as he added awkwardly: “After all, we... obviously completely missed finding these creatures, whoever and whatever they are, so... so really, we should just leave! Leaving would be the intelligent course of action. Maybe it's even the actual answer to this secret test, using our minds to outwit these good-doers and leave them waiting for us. That sounds very evil to me.”

“That's not evil, that's just rude. And this is a combat evaluation, not an... avoiding combat evaluation.” Cadence replied flatly, crossing her forelegs as she glared at Moonflower.

“Oftentimes, the wisest course of action in regards to war is not to make it at all.” Sombra said softly, and Cadence shifted uncertainly as she looked over at her father, who smiled at her gently. “I'll follow wherever you lead, mi amore. But I hold no illusions to the true nature of this test: this is not about us as much as it is about you.”

Cadence blushed a little, then looked awkwardly down and silently rubbed at her face... before scowling horribly as Moonflower held up a hoof and said awkwardly: “I actually think that it is about me. Because clearly, out of all of us, I am the one most likely to be promoted to a position more suiting to my talents and expertism.”

La Croix rolled his eyes at this, then grumbled: “Y'gonna get a position on my rear hoof if you keep this up, you paon. But hey, maybe your papa got a point, cher. If anypony gonna take the responsibility for whatever is goin' on here, it's gonna be you. So you just tell us what to do, and we all gonna do right by you. Right, rein de la nuit?”

Moonflower scowled at the nickname, but then he gave a loud, theatrical sigh before gesturing grumpily with one hoof as he mumbled: “Alright, alright. Very well, I will do my best to obey as well. You have all the powers of the great King of Evil at your disposal, Cadence.”

“Sometimes I wonder how you don't implode from the size of your ego, Moonflower.” Cadence remarked dryly, and the black winged unicorn huffed loudly at her, crossing his forelegs and glowering at her grumpily. “But... thank you, all the same. I'm glad I can depend on you, on all of you, and...”

Cadence hesitated, then she shook her head quickly before murmuring: “Hecate told us herself that this was an evaluation... she's going to want to measure our effectiveness, our combat skills, how we've developed both individually and together. I... I don't honestly think it's the winning or the losing that's as important to her as proving that we can all function.”

The others nodded, and then Moonflower held up a hoof before asking awkwardly: “But we're going to win, right?”

“Duh.” Cadence smiled despite herself, nodding firmly before she reached a hoof forwards, saying quietly: “All in, guys.”

Moonflower rolled his eyes, and La Croix groaned loudly as her father only smiled... but all three stallions willingly pushed their hooves together as the mare said quietly: “We're the Irregular Hunters. We're the very best Decretum has to offer. And no matter who or what these demons are, we're going to trample them into the ground by working together. Got it?”

The three nodded firmly, all of them looking at her with respect: past La Croix's snarkiness and Moonflower's arrogance, after all, they were both strong, trustworthy stallions who knew her as well as she knew them. And her father, of course... well, he knew her better than any pony here, and she adored and respected his wisdom more than she did even Hecate, and Hecate had become something of a mentor to her over the years.

They didn't always listen and they didn't always get along, but they would obey her when it came to the mission, at least. She looked between the three stallions, and then nodded firmly once before Cadence asked briskly: “Who are we?”

“Irregulars!” The response was a little more muted than usual, but it was still empathetic and clear, and they all moved as one as they pumped their hooves in the air, her father taking things as gracefully as ever, while La Croix was smiling wryly despite himself and Moonflower looking oddly relieved: for a self-proclaimed god of evil, he seemed to really need a lot of reassurance.

Cadence wanted to linger, to look at her father for advice, to do a hundred different, conflicting things, but she forced all those thoughts away and instead forced herself to fall back into the role of leader, ordering: “La Croix, I want you right behind me. Moonflower, keep a bit of distance between us and your magic cloaked but readied. Sombra will bring up the rear.”

It was standard formation for them: as much as Cadence always wanted to partner with her father, she knew that it was better to have La Croix with her and Sombra with Moonflower. Not just because La Croix and Moonflower would do nothing but argue if they were left alone together, but because she and Moonflower were the team's heavy-hitters, while Sombra and La Croix both acted as support personnel.

Individually, they all had glaring personality flaws: she was brash and easily provoked, La Croix was rude and cowardly, Moonflower was arrogant and loved to talk, and Sombra was... well, he was far too nice with the purifier on, and animal and insane with the purifier off.

Cadence smiled briefly to herself. Even when they tried to work together, they still had plenty of friction, and they still argued and clashed from time-to-time, and they still had a lot of kinks to work out. She wasn't going to pretend they were the perfect team, or that on more than one occasion, they hadn't been turned against one-another. But every time they fractured apart, it was only so they could find a better way to fit themselves back together again.

And when her team worked, they worked: there was no better team in all of Decretum. They didn't just make up for each other's flaws, they augmented each other's strengths. They were capable of fighting as one, able to communicate without words, able to flow and improvise with each other even in the heat of conflict or disaster.

Cadence was proud of them, and had faith in them. They might not seem like much, but there were no other ponies she'd rather work with. She'd found an even more natural rhythm with them than she'd ever had even with Shining Armor and Miss Take.

As always, there was a... a funny pang when she thought of those two. She hoped they were doing well together: they deserved it, after all. She and Shine hadn't really worked out at the end of the day, but, honestly, that was okay. They'd still had something special, and she liked to think that it had all been a worthwhile experience for them both. She would always cherish those memories, of all the time they'd spent together.

She knew it wasn't the time to be reflecting on the past, that she had to keep her focus on the here and now, but her mind always loved to wander at the most inappropriate times. Even when – maybe especially when – she knew they were walking headlong into a dangerous fight, she often found herself becoming loose, less-focused, relaxed and giddy and almost floating until they walked smack into the enemy. She didn't know if that was because of the way her nerves got to her, or if it was because of the malicious Swan inside of her...

Cadence shook her head hurriedly, trying to make herself focus on the here and now, but as always, she felt that sly, subtle poke at her concentration from whatever was lurking inside her, telling her that Archon would never have this kind of trouble, trying to trick her into going down the path of memory again and away from the present, trying to-

And then Cadence felt it: a chill that ran down her spine, something that made the Swan inside her stiffen in shock, shiver in excitement and quiver, in... in fear? Or was that jealousy, or anger, or something else petty and petulant and so hateful?

Whatever it was, it was drawing her attention like few things had before: she felt herself homing in on it, her gaze intensifying, her breathing quickening, her teeth gritting as she dropped her head between her shoulders, quickening her pace without even realizing it.

La Croix's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the mare storming through the underbrush, apparently no longer noticing the bushes or the branches she stomped straight through. And her whole body was tense and furious, her expression cold, her eyes glaring and locked ahead: La Croix couldn't think of a single time he had ever seen her so... so focused, so furious. Not when Cadence was in control, at least: right now, he reminded her more of her... moitié. Her dangerous moitié.

The Loa looked over his shoulder almost desperately at Moonflower and Sombra: while the one was oblivious, Sombra was frowning deeply, but he shook his head quickly in response to La Croix's unasked question. If there was one person that La Croix trusted to give him the right answer, it was Sombra: the old unicorn might have his demons, but when he was in control, there was no better pony to trust. And he was almost always in control.

Not that La Croix was entirely reassured: Cadence wasn't a pony he ever risked treating lightly. With ease, she could mash a zebra spirit like him into a pulp, after all, and he wasn't one of those crazy cocodrils who were fond of pain. And when she got into one of her moods, she seemed to forget that most ponies didn't like getting bent in half... or more likely, she forgot to care.

Cadence wasn't a cruel pony: really, she was a damn sight nicer than he was. She was compassionate, empathetic, good, all those things; but she also had this wickedness in her soul, that she just couldn't get rid of. That was from the Swan, he knew, and he didn't blame her for it, oh no, but La Croix had also learned from the life he'd lived that when you were dealing with serpents, you didn't mistake their coiling for hugs, just because they weren't crushing the life out of you yet.

He gently tapped her on the shoulder, then almost danced away when Cadence gave him a sharp look before he blurted: “Hey now, Cygne, ain't no reason you gotta go givin' me the evil eye now! Just makin' sure you're still in there under that stormcloud, that's all.”

Cadence blinked a few times, and then she came to a stop before blushing a little, shaking her head hurriedly out as she realized... “Oh, I... yes. I am. I'm sorry, La Croix. I just... I sense something. I sense something dangerous and powerful and...”

Cadence turned her eyes ahead, licking her lips slowly as she breathed quietly in and out, feeling that distinct, that rival power. Yes, a rival, an enemy who had once been unwanted ally, someone she... she hated and loathed for reasons that she couldn't put into words. She could feel it already magnetizing her, pulling her again, her horn sparking with energy before she gritted her teeth and forced herself not to give in to that draw.

She felt a hoof on her shoulder, and Cadence blushed and lowered her head slightly, not needing to look back to know it was her father. “Mi amore, are you alright?”

“I... I am, Daddy, I'm sorry.” the ivory mare replied after a moment, shaking her head briefly out and giving him an awkward smile. His presence was the only thing that could ever override the Swan, and those other awful instincts in her; but then again, he had always been more than just father and mentor. He had always been just about everything to her.

Sombra smiled at her reassuringly, and Cadence bowed her head to him before she forced herself to take a breath, knowing what her father was going to ask even before he did. “There are... it feels like its essence is divided across multiple entities, but only one of them really stands out to me. Not because of the power I feel but...”

Cadence's horn sparked with white energies, her eyes narrowing slightly before she whispered: “I know her. I know I know her...”

Sombra frowned slightly, and then Cadence gritted her teeth, feeling the Swan rising up through her suddenly and violently before she hissed: “They were pretty, but their weakness is proven now: they deserve to be erased!”

Moonflower stared at her as La Croix winced, and Cadence blinked a few times before she flushed and covered her mouth. But Sombra only reached up and squeezed her shoulder gently, gazing at her with kindness as he said softly: “Remember, Cadenza. There is nothing gained in destruction: not victory, nor punishment.”

“You are so wise.” Moonflower immediately said, leaning in towards Sombra and nodding repeatedly as his eyes almost sparkled, and Sombra only looked curiously at Moonflower, even as La Croix groaned and grabbed his hat, yanking it down over his head as he grumbled under his breath.

Cadence was almost distracted by Moonflower's awkward sucking-up to her father, but then she felt it: that pulse of the familiar creature's powers, drawing all of her attention, making her whole body shiver with bloodlust. It made her forget almost everything: the only thing that stopped her from lunging towards the source of that power was the fact that her father still had one hoof resting on her shoulder.

All the same, she quaked under his touch before she whispered: “They... this is no... I have to fight her. She's a traitor, she has to be, it's the only way...”

She couldn't make herself coherent. She couldn't put it into words, everything she was thinking, as her head swam with visions of the furthest past, as she felt and remembered things that even Hecate hadn't been able to tell her of. And the Swan was writhing, with wounded pride, with anger, with hatred, with so-deeply-ingrained, ruthless and murderous need like she had never felt before.

It didn't matter that she knew this was some kind of test or trap; it didn't matter that either Hel had lied to Hecate, or Hecate had lied to them; it didn't even matter, anymore, that this was part of their mission. No, all that mattered was that she fought this creature, that she defeated this maiden, that she punished and humiliated this usurper, this traitor, this armored whore-

Cadence's eyes flashed as her horn crackled with barely-repressed magic again, gasping, before she looked up, trembling and staring, as her father squeezed her shoulder again before he said gently: “Let the anger flow out with your breath, not into your heart. Anger will not lend you strength, no matter what promises it makes.”

Cadence tried to take her father's advice: she honestly did her best to. She lowered her head, took a breath, hugged herself and clenched her eyes shut, trying to bury the Swan, trying to make herself calm down, doing anything and everything in her power to calm herself down as a hoof soothingly rubbed along her back.

She felt their eyes all on her, felt the concern from Moonflower and La Croix, even if they both had very different ways of expressing it. Horses of Heaven, why was she so weak? Why couldn't she just swallow this, force it down, ignore the-

The pulse came again, vibrations of rage and hatred and powerful magic pulsing down her horn before she looked up with a furious snarl as her eyes glowed white. “Kill her!”

Cadence exploded into the air with a boom of sound, her horn and eyes glowing with hellish white light as she streaked through the trees, smashing heedlessly through branches as her whole body sparked with energy. She moved like lightning towards the source of her anger, her hate, towards the traitor she needed to destroy, seeing, sensing, feeling nothing else in the world except for her and the all-consuming hate.

She burst onto a natural path through the trees, and she saw her. The armored whore didn't even have enough time to look back before Cadence... no, before the Swan was on top of her, slinging a hoof into her face as she turned with enough force to crack bone and send her rocketing down the path. The Swan didn't stop, shooting after her and laying a second savage blow into her face.

This time, the traitor bitch managed to twist with the blow, flapping her own wings and kicking one rear leg out to smash the Swan backwards. The Swan landed, not caring that there were two enemies at her back, both gaping in disbelief as her enemy landed in front of her. It didn't matter: all that mattered was the... the... “Valkyrie!”

The sapphire winged unicorn looked up in surprise as a mane of dark starlight twisted around her head, and then she grinned slowly, revealing sharp fangs as she slowly rose her head, blood dripping from her split lip. Her green eyes gleamed, and a spiraled horn of blue crystal sparked with malign magic, lit from within by a core of black, eerie light. “Swan Maiden.”

The Swan's teeth grit, her whole body trembling with fury as she studied her enemy, memorizing every last detail of her. From the little horns half-hidden in her starry mane, to the collar of braided ivy around her neck that was inset with a black pearl, inscribed with a rose blossom, to the lightweight armor of black plate and blue dragonscale leather that covered her body, engraved with designs of roses and the language of demons, reeking of the putrid essence of Helheim, where it had no doubt been forged. Her hooves were sharp and cloven, and oh, she stank, she stank of corruption and of the corrupted... “So you are not only a whore, you are a traitor. Do you take more pleasure in licking the demons than the angels, oathbreaker?”

The sapphire mare laughed, mocking, loud, and clear, before her eyes gleamed dangerously as she replied easily in the old language the Swan had lapsed into: “I am no traitor, puppet... but it is not as if I care for the words of a broken, failed toy of the gods, too ugly to their eyes to serve as anything but hunting beasts! Do you even have a name, or shall I simply call you dog?”

The Swan hissed furiously through her teeth, and then she straightened and snarled: “I am Danzsöngr, crow! And I will carve my name into your body before I send you back to Helheim, where you belong!”

The sapphire mare only smiled coldly, then she bowed her head shortly forwards as she replied clearly: “And I am Brynhild, the Night Maiden. I stand with-”

But the Swan didn't care who accompanied Brynhild. The Swan instead launched forwards, her hooves stretching out to crush, trample, murder-

Without flinching, Brynhild slammed an elbow up under the Swan's jaw, hitting her with enough force to make her spit blood into the air as her eyes bulged and she back arched, the ivory mare halting stupidly in midair, before Brynhild slapped her disdainfully across the face with the back of her hoof, knocking the glow out of Cadence's eyes as she was struck to the ground. She barely caught herself on her hooves, breathing raggedly and staring stupidly at the ground before Brynhild said calmly: “I was not finished, dog. But thy kind has always been without honor. Or brain, for that matter.”

Cadence trembled furiously on the ground... then she snarled and launched herself viciously up towards Brynhild, who leapt backwards with a wide grin as her own powerful wings spread, her forelegs rising to deflect and defend against every vicious punch that Cadence slung forwards as the ivory mare roared in rage and challenge as she hailed a flurry of blows against the Valkyrie.

The tall violet mare and bulky black earth pony that had accompanied Brynhild both stared in disbelief for a few moments, and then the mare suddenly turned, her tall horn sparking as she exclaimed: “Ambush!”

A blast of powerful black magic shot out of the trees, but the violet mare quickly slapped this out of the way with one hoof, her cloak flapping around her from the force of the blow. Her mane of black shadow twisted around her, the single streak of white light glowing through it writhing like a serpent as her cat-like purple eyes glowed faintly before they flicked quickly towards the stallion.

It seemed to carry a hidden order, as the stallion rose not front hooves, but metallic claws that flexed before he slammed them down into the ground in front of him; the earth exploded in a wave of black matter that formed quickly into a solid wall of dark stone, and several spikes of dark crystal uselessly collided with this before the barrier simply melted away.

The stallion dropped to a ready position, his shaggy white mane tickling against the large, hoof-shaped scar that covered one black eye as he scowled. Heavy, modular black and silver armor clicked as his silvery claws flexed against the ground and strange, conical pistons of bone pumped slowly on his back in three pairs that ran along his spine, as the gemstones of onyx and white crystal that formed a crescent moon in the thick silver collar around his neck stared like an eye towards the forest cover.

As behind them, Brynhild and Cadence fought, Sombra fearlessly emerged from the forest, with Moonflower pridefully strutting behind the black unicorn, doing his best to hide the distinctly-fearful tremble in his body as he peered nervously past the pony in front of him. But Sombra only smiled before he said calmly: “I would like to give you the chance to surrender before things get out of hoof.”

“Yes, or else... we will make you submit!” Moonflower exclaimed, leaping forwards and thrusting a hoof into the air... but still half-hiding behind the smaller unicorn in front of him, even as he spread his wings and glared imperiously at the two. “I am Morpheus, God of Darkness and Evil, and I hereby declare you my prisoners who are going to be... imprisoned!”

“I cooked dinner last night, so you can deal with the loudmouth.” said the unknown stallion dryly, and then he hesitated before his eyes locked on Sombra, adding softly: “Besides, I can feel...”

Sombra frowned slightly, leaning forwards intently, and the purple mare sighed before she nodded briefly, reaching up to open the clasp that held her cloak around her body. She tossed it away, then stretched black feathered wings slowly as Sombra and Moonflower both stared in surprise at the dome of sapphire crystal that stood out of her chest, glowing with an inner, powerful magic that occasionally made the runes carved over its surface flare to life.

“Alright. I guess Luna's not going to back off, anyway.” she muttered, as she reached up and adjusted the collar around her own neck: thick, black leather, with an ornamental clasp in the shape of a lunar lily.

“One of you alone is not nearly a match for me and my powers!” Moonflower shouted, although because of how nervous he was, his voice came out in more of a high-pitched squeak than anything else. “You will... you are absolutely no match for I, the esteemed... the Prince of Bad Things!”

Moonflower thrust a hoof into the air... and then he stared as Sombra gestured politely to the side, and the black stallion across from him nodded before the two strode away, leaving Moonflower and the purple mare in their own little space. The stallion paled ever so slightly, whimpering a bit as he stared after Sombra, before his eyes roved nervously to where Cadence and the blue pony were smashing furiously away at each other, and... and where the hell was that coward, La Croix?

The purple mare was only looking at him calmly, and Moonflower took a quick breath before he straightened and summoned up his magic, reminding himself that he was in control, he was powerful, he was... he was... “I am a God of Darkness, and you shall fear my wrath!”

Moonflower snapped his horn forwards, sending out a blast of black flame at the strange pony as he grinned widely, but only for a moment before simply staring blankly when the ball of black flames simply bounced off the purple mare and landed on the ground in front of her, puttering out after a moment. His fellow winged unicorn looked less-than-impressed, and Moonflower mouthed wordlessly for a few seconds before he suddenly put his hooves on his hips and declared: “Yes, that is merely a small taste of what I am truly capable of, and if you do not surrender immediately, you wretched... lady-parts, you will feel the full wrath and might of I, Morpheus, the-”

The purple mare sighed loudly, not waiting for him to finish as she simply rose a hoof up beside the core of crystal in her chest, and it glowed brightly for a moment before releasing a short blast of blue energy that hammered into Moonflower and launched him backwards into the trees with a squeal. Then the violet pony only shook her head slowly, letting her hoof drop as she mumbled: “Why do I always get the weird ones...”

Sombra and the other stallion, meanwhile, were surveying each other calmly before the black unicorn said softly: “So you are the one controlling the corruption.”

“I see that you've been affected by it, too. Are you a Replicant?” asked the armored stallion, gesturing pointedly towards the purifier on Sombra's back, and the unicorn chuckled quietly before he looked down at one of his hooves, studying it, his black coat, his changed body...

“No, I am nothing so... complete. I am called Sombra now, and long ago, I made a foolish deal with a dragon for what I thought would bring peace to my nation...”

“But Valthrudnir tricked you.” The stallion smiled wryly, and Sombra looked up in surprise before the strange pony chuckled softly and murmured: “You aren't the first pony we've met who we've heard this story from...” A pause, and then another smile, brief but more honest this time. “My name is Scrivener Blooms. That's... well, she goes by Morgan Heldóttir now, and the crazy one is Luna Brynhild.”

Both Scrivener and Sombra looked down the path, where Brynhild and Cadence were savagely fighting, their hooves a blur as they hovered above the ground, energy seeming to crackle through the air at the fierceness of their contest before Sombra remarked softly: “I would apologize for my daughter, but it seems like...”

“Oh, believe me. I'm sure Luna's thrilled.” Scrivener said mildly, smiling slightly again before he turned his eyes towards Sombra and flexed his silver claws against the ground: “I'm guessing you're part of a retrieval team. Admittedly, you're a little different from what I've come to expect but... you know that we're not going to come with you willingly, right?”

“We were warned you wouldn't cooperate.” Sombra smiled back as he readied himself, his calm eyes meeting Scrivener's equably, without hostility. “When I was young, I used to love fighting. Now, it is rare that I enjoy harming others... so I would prefer to keep this a test of skill over brutality.”

“Considering how much of my time is spent getting beaten up, I'm more than happy to agree.” Scrivener remarked wryly as he punched his claws together, then cracked his metallic knuckles loudly. “Fortune favor you, as a friend of mine would say.”

“In bocca a lupo.” Sombra smiled and bowed his head politely. Then, without another word, he reared back, his horn glowing as dark liquid burst from his hooves before forming rapidly into spikes of crystal that he launched one after the other at Scrivener.

The earth pony dodged to the side as his dark eyes narrowed, before he looked over his shoulder in surprise as the spikes transformed the moment they hit the ground, expanding into twisted masses of crystal wall that half-surrounded the stallion. The moment of distraction allowed Sombra to slam both front hooves into the ground, a wave of dark crystal exploding out of the earth in front of him and tearing through the earth towards the earth pony-

Scrivener stepped forwards and slammed a claw down into the wave of spikes, crystals exploding like brittle glass as either half of the wave twisted violently off to either side. He grinned slightly as he felt the familiar sense of corruption through the gemstone: even if it took a different form than what he was used to, it was still something he could exert some control over.

With a thrust of his palm, the shattered crystal in front of him burst backwards, becoming a wave of mire that rushed towards Sombra. But the unicorn studied this fearlessly before he simply flicked his horn upwards, a single solid pillar of black crystal tearing out of the ground in front of him, and the wave of mire broke uselessly against this, splashing down on either side of Sombra before he leapt directly at the crystal and passed into it like it was liquid, vanishing completely from sight.

Scrivener blinked in surprise, mouthing wordlessly before Sombra half-emerged from the crystal wall behind him, shoving both front hooves into the ground behind the earth pony. Immediately, dark liquid splashed up around Scrivener's cloven hooves before solidifying into crystal before the earth pony could pull away.

Sombra vanished back into the crystal before reappearing through the earth in front of the stallion, his horn glowing as black chains of gemstone tore out of the ground and wrapped around Scrivener's claws, yanking them into the earth. The moment they touched the ground, manacles of gemstone formed around them, and Sombra smoothly leapt out of the rippling earth to land a short distance away from the enormous stallion.

Scrivener narrowed his eyes, and then he looked down in surprise before he grinned wryly as the crystal only gleamed, saying quietly: “Wow. You must be smart. I can't control your corruption.”

“Then I would recommend you surrender, my friend.” Sombra said, smiling. But then his eyes widened slightly as Scrivener simply grunted and tore his claws free, shattering the crystal manacles with his sheer brute strength. “I did not expect that.”

“I work out.” Scrivener said mildly, flexing his claws absently before he tore one rear hoof free, and then the other. “Let's continue.”

Sombra smiled, the two focusing on each other even as a hail of wild curses rose through the air from nearby, where Moonflower was flinging spell after spell at Morgan, who was only calmly dispelling or negating everything he had thrown at her. Finally, the stallion wheezed as he dropped back on his rump, staring at the mare in disbelief as she only looked at him mildly before asking: “Are you done?”

“I am never done! I... I am undone!” Moonflower snapped, leaping back to his hooves and stomping up and down childishly before he gritted his teeth, dark energy sizzling along his horn before he snapped it forwards with a shout, a black ray shooting towards the mare.

Morgan fearlessly swung her own glowing horn into this, deflecting the ray into the ground before she slowly began to stride forwards, Moonflower wincing as his head twitched slightly and he dug his hooves into the ground, cursing in surprise at how easily the mare resisted his magic. His silver eyes stared at her with something like horror before they filled with equal parts pride and humiliation, and he ground his teeth together before his horn sparked, shouting: “I will not be made a fool of!”

He leaned forwards, and Morgan's eyes widened in surprise as she was forced to halt, feeling not just energy, but raw kinetic force pressing into her horn now. She was forced to dig her hooves into the ground, straining to keep her horn forwards under the waves of unfamiliar magic, magic she had only felt rarely...

She began to slide slowly backwards, hooves digging trenches in the dirt, and Moonflower cackled as he poured more of his strength into the magic, his body flexed with the effort as he shouted: “There! There, you will... feel the strength that conquered Equestria, you will-”

Twilight sighed tiredly, then she simply ducked, and the beam of kinetic force shot over her head and hammered through several trees as Moonflower was nearly blown off his hooves by magical recoil with a squawk, his magic immediately puttering out. He pinwheeled his forelegs for balance, and then was blown off his hooves by a simple telekinetic hammer, knocked in a sprawl on his back as Morgan said dryly: “You really don't have a lot of self-control, do you?”

Moonflower twitched on the ground, then hopped quickly back up to his hooves, glaring furiously at her before he snapped: “How's this for self-control?”

The stallion snapped his horn forwards, and then grinned widely as a black sphere ripped its way into reality, sparking with energy before it began to emit a terrible, powerful pull. Morgan winced in surprise before she felt it beginning to pull her in as she gritted her teeth, feeling what this was: powerful gravity magic, a crushing singularity that would suck her in and compress her until nothing was left.

Her horn lit up with magic as she focused on the black hole even as it began to pull in the trees and dirt around it, crushing them into nothingness; even as Moonflower began to ramble away again, she mixed her magic into his, twisting it, warping it, transforming the energy he was feeding the black hole to keep it stable into something else...

Moonflower felt a shock of magical recoil burst down his horn, the stallion squawking in surprise, before he gaped in disbelief as the black hole became a massive boulder of black glass, his mouth working wordlessly before Morgan leapt forwards and slammed a punch into this, knocking the floating mass out of the air. The stallion had more than enough time to react, but not nearly enough sense to before the meteor of glass slammed down on top of him and crushed him helplessly into the ground.

Morgan landed with a huff, and then she glanced up with a frown as she realized there was someone else watching. The moment she sensed it, it tried to retreat, but with only a sharp flick of her horn, a powerful burst of wind hammered through the trees and knocked the figure out of hiding, sending a surprisingly familiar shape rolling violently to land in a sprawl at her hooves.

Morgan stared in disbelief at La Croix, as La Croix stared back up at her, and then the zebra turned almost dead white even as he leapt to his hooves, stumbling backwards as he babbled: “W-W-Well ain't this a pleasant surprise, if it ain't T-Twilight Sparkle and... and the rest of my... bon amis!”

“La Croix?” Morgan asked incredulously, and Scrivener Blooms halted in mid-swing at Sombra, the stallion blinking in surprise as the black unicorn leapt backwards, but then frowned and looked up himself as he realized something had changed.

Scrivener blinked for a moment, and then he looked in confusion over at Sombra as La Croix gave a reedy laugh before he held up his front hooves, saying hurriedly: “There... there ain't no hard feelings over... I mean, y'all know before I was just d-doin' my job and... hey, just like you, I nearly got fed to the cocodrils! Oh, y'all wouldn't believe the trouble I done went through and... I mean, ce sera bientôt de l'histoire ancienne, yeah? I... I work for Nanny Hecate now with these fou ponies, ain't that punishment enough?”

“Wait, you weren't sent by Hel?” Scrivener asked with a frown, and Sombra looked back at the stallion with slight surprise, which seemed to be more than enough to answer his question. “Hecate... you're part of Hecate's Orphanage?”

Sombra nodded calmly, and Morgan frowned as she looked back at La Croix, who gave another weak laugh as he held up his hooves and rambled: “See? We good people! Now there ain't no need for any of this, so why don't we all just-”

The zebra was interrupted by a roar, and all eyes turned towards Luna and Cadence as the two smashed together in midair again. Cadence shouted in wordless fury as her hooves slammed punch after punch after punch towards Luna, but the sapphire mare was grinning mockingly, deflecting and blocking each and every attack as she allowed herself to be pushed backwards towards the trees.

And then, as Cadence swung a hoof viciously in at the Valkyrie's face, Luna easily hooked her own foreleg into the attack and tore Cadence's limb wide, leaving her open and vulnerable. A flurry of short, vicious blows smashed against the Swan Maiden's front, knocking her backwards before she quickly brought both forelegs up, gasping in pain and effort, her eyes widening in shock as Luna forged savagely forwards with her own endless hail of blows.

Cadence was driven back beneath the flurry, before her forelegs were slammed wide by a vicious haymaker that was followed up by a straight jab into Cadence's face, her head snapping back with a burst of blood. Luna was relentless and ruthless, front hooves smashing back and forth across Cadence's muzzle and face, sending up splashes of crimson that stained her ivory fur and mane as her wings flapped wildly, barely keeping her airborne before a sudden hammer-hoof to her face knocked her out of the sky and sent her crashing head-first into the cold earth.

Cadence skidded to a halt on her face, gasping quietly, tasting dirt before she trembled in fury as Luna rolled her head on her shoulders and she grinned. She grinned, as Cadence slowly picked herself up, her body shaking with rage that made the pain in her face and chest and aching forelegs absolutely nothing, as she snarled in fury over her shoulder before roaring: “Valkyrie!”

She spun around, her horn glowing and hooves snapping over her bandoleer to rip a hoof full of throwing knives free, flinging them in a vicious fan towards Luna. But the sapphire mare simply half-spun, her galactic mane bursting out like a shield and catching the knives in a ripple of magic before she easily dodged to the side when Cadence lunged at her.

The Swan shrieked in rage and hate inside Cadence as the ivory mare leapt after Luna, the Valkyrie easily swaying back and forth, dodging like a swift wind as Cadence chased after her like a rabid dog. Luna laughed, and Luna grinned, and Cadence snarled in fury and hate, swinging a hoof out with enough power to smash a hole in a tree before she dove straight at the Valkyrie, too fast to dodge-

Luna slammed a crushing elbow down on Cadence's skull, knocking her to the ground, but Cadence caught herself on all four hooves before she threw herself upwards, catching Luna around the waist and tackling her backwards. They flipped wildly through the air for a moment, before Luna slammed both rear hooves into the mare's stomach, knocking her up into the air and sending herself towards the ground.

Cadence's horn glowed, sending a blast of white fire shooting straight down at Luna as her hooves tore knives free from her bandoleer and flung them viciously down in a hail of silver. But Luna snapped her horn up, countering with a blast of blue flame as her hooves lashed out, slapping the knives away like toys.

The fireballs collided with each other and exploded in a tremendous boom that sent Luna crashing down on her back and knocked Cadence flying backwards in a low arc. But Luna immediately rolled backwards and sprung a short distance away, while Cadence twisted herself in midair to slam down on all four hooves before she flapped her wings hard, feathers ripping themselves free to shoot like darts at the Valkyrie.

Luna snarled as the bolts of white magic tore across her armor and body, stumbling backwards before she looked up as Cadence charged at her. Again, she was vicious, straightforwards, stupid with rage. And again, Luna stepped into a straight, fast counter-

Cadence twisted slightly to the side with a cruel grin, wrapping one foreleg around Luna's own as she yanked a knife loose with her other hoof and stabbed it savagely up towards Luna's throat. The sapphire mare barely managed to twist her head to the side before her eyes widened as the knife cut into her collar of ivy, and Cadence began to wrench to the side to tear out the mare's throat-

There was a tremendous boom of force, and Cadence was knocked flying helplessly backwards, electricity tearing across her body before Luna dove after her and slammed a savage volley of bone-crushing blows into Cadence's chest, the ivory mare gargling in agony as she was driven backwards into a tree, before Luna snarled as her hoof burst into blue flames before she slammed it savagely into Cadence's chest, punching the Swan Maiden through the tall birch to crash bonelessly into a boulder.

Cadence fell forwards as the splintered tree crashed over its side, the mare trembling violently before she looked up with a snarl, and Luna grinned back in challenge and fury, her eyes blazing before she roared furiously at the mare. And, knowing nothing else but hate, and anger, knowing no other way to respond, Cadence roared back as the Swan took her senses over, horn and eyes glowing before she leapt into the air and her entire body glowed with energy, becoming a blazing comet of white light.

Luna leapt forwards as she corkscrewed her body, her galactic mane fanning out as her body sizzled before she transformed into a massive, terrible maelstrom of blue and black hellfire. The white comet struck into this, sending up sparks of energy as the massive screw of raw Valkyrie power tore forwards, two impossible, incredibly powerful forces tearing ruthlessly into one another.

And then, there was a tremendous, echoing shockwave of electricity and energy, joined a moment later by a broken scream as Cadence was blasted backwards, her armor torn asunder, her body smoking before she crashed down on her back with a gasp. The screw of energy tore by just above her before transforming back into Luna, who spun to a halt in midair before she simply allowed herself to drop, landing a few feet away.

“Mi amore!” Sombra leapt past the others, running towards his fallen daughter and skidding to a halt beside her as Luna looked coldly over her shoulder. The unicorn dropped over the Swan, touching her breast before gently grasping her neck, cradling her head as he lowered his own to her ear, and then he sighed quietly in relief at the feel of her slow but steady breaths, murmuring: “Oh, Cadenza...”

Luna turned slowly towards them, and Sombra looked up at her silently before he bowed his head to her, saying quietly: “My daughter was no match for you. We are no threat to you, and we do not wish to fight a pointless battle. Can we discuss this?”

Luna looked moodily at the stallion for a few moments, and then she sighed quietly as she looked up at Scrivener and Morgan, who both nodded to her. The mare grudgingly stomped a hoof a few times as she turned her eyes back towards Sombra and Cadence, and then she muttered: “Very well. But do not drop all the blame for this on my head. 'Twas thy silly filly who challenged me.”

Sombra smiled briefly, and then he returned his eyes to his daughter, studying her silently. Completely drained, badly injured, but not dead. Something he was glad for, for more than one reason... “No, it was not. It was the Swan who challenged you, miss... Luna Brynhild, is it?”

“Aye, but I am no miss.” Luna said crankily, before she groaned and twitched slightly, looking grouchily up at Morgan and Scrivener, who were both glaring at her. “Oh, fie on thee. Fine, I shall be... nicer.”

Scrivener grunted... then he turned a moody look towards La Croix, who gave a weak grin before he blinked in surprise as the boulder of glass finally slowly shifted, and Moonflower crawled out from beneath it, looking frazzled and covered in a multitude of cuts and bruises, tiny, glittering glass fragments pattering out of his hair.

He stared at the three ponies as they looked awkwardly back at him, before Moonflower slowly rose a hoof and wheezed: “I... I was merely resting my eyes because I was... so... bored! La Croix, I... you are far more of a... suitable match for these... pathetic... pathetics, who are too... pathetic for me to fight. Destroy them my Loa... servant...”

Moonflower keeled forwards, continuing to mumble as he laid on his face, twitching weakly, and La Croix looked meditatively at the winged unicorn for a moment before he looked awkwardly back at Scrivener and Twilight. “Suppose I owe you a 'merci' for swatting the rein de la nuit. So uh... merci. For that. And, y'know, for not... havin' any hard feelings, and all that.”

Scrivener looked meditatively at La Croix as Morgan smiled a little, and then she asked curiously: “So what happened to you? It's... kind of funny to see you after all this time.”

La Croix smiled hesitantly over at Twilight, reaching up and nervously playing with a charm hanging around his neck. “Yeah, but I guess I'm kinda glad you ouaouarons escaped the boilin' pot and all. Much as I'd love to blame y'all for what happened to me, I got the feelin' that Bondye was just lookin' for a reason to get rid of me, and y'all just happened to be the first to come along.”

Morgan nodded slowly as Scrivener turned to head towards Luna, and the mare laughed after a moment before she said softly: “Thank you.”

La Croix blinked in surprise, looking up at her dumbly, and the mare smiled before explaining quietly: “Maybe Luna or Scrivener wouldn't say it, but... we all owe you. Sure, we didn't all get along very well, but... I know you were just doing your job, and you did help us. And I know that... well, whether or not it was going to go badly for you from the start, we made things worse. But you helped us, and you helped Hel, in a way, and I've never forgotten that.”

The zebra looked absurdly touched by this, taking off his hat before he chuckled quietly and looked down, murmuring: “And here I was, too scared of y'all seein' me to step up and try and help out my friends. I don't deserve your thanks, Madame Twilight. I'm just a connard and a coward.”

“Morgan. Morgan Heldóttir now. I'm trying to accept who I am.” the mare said softly, and the Loa looked at her for a few moments before he gave a wry smile and nodded.

“I hear you there, Madame. I suppose I'm tryin' to do the same.” He paused, then glowered over at Moonflower as the winged unicorn beckoned at him, looking up in dumb confusion. “'Sharder some days than others. 'Scusez-moi for a moment.”

Morgan nodded, and La Croix strode over to Moonflower, leaning down as the stallion crawled forwards a little before he leaned up and asked in a whisper: “Did we win?”

“Oh, oui. We won.” La Croix said sardonically, and then he rolled his eyes before reaching into his cape, digging around in it for a moment before he pulled out a vial of white liquid, grumbling. “Ici. Drink up, I gotta go attend to Cygne.”

Moonflower took the vial, staring at it for a moment before he thrusted it above his head, snapping as he began to clamber up to his hooves: “I do not need such... silly zebra medicine! I am perfectly strong and fine and-”

Moonflower dropped forwards and landed with a thud on his face, whimpering a little. He was silent for a few moments, then carefully tilted his head to the side and uncorked the vial, pouring it haphazardly into his muzzle and swallowing it back with a grimace.

After a few moments, the stallion felt his strength returning, allowing him to push himself off his head, and then he leapt backwards with a yelp at the sight of Morgan offering him a hoof, recoiling in terror. Morgan blinked in surprise, and Moonflower stared at her for a moment before he hurriedly straightened and cleared his throat, stretching quickly back and forth as he mumbled: “Simply... stretching out after... a short nap, yes, that is all. I am... glad that you have done the logical thing and surrendered to me.”

“Uh huh.” Morgan said after a moment, and then she sighed and shook her head before she asked curiously: “How did you learn to control gravitational energies? That's one of the few schools I've never been able to study... I only ever met one other being with gravity magic at their disposal, and she... she wasn't precisely a pony.”

“Nothing is beyond the reach of a God of Darkness such as myself!” Moonflower boasted, looking very proud of himself as he rose his head high, before he eyed her meditatively, half-closing an eye as he peered at the crystalline dome standing out of the mare's chest. “And nor do I require... petty toys to make myself so... powerfully powerful.”

Morgan only smiled wryly, then she strode quickly past the stallion to retrieve her cloak, and Moonflower huffed before childishly following her, adding: “Yes, yes, I know, you cannot help but be utterly awed by how... awesome I am, and-”

“Are you sure that's a good idea?” Morgan asked as she joined the other ponies, completely ignoring Moonflower, and he huffed loudly again.

Luna nodded firmly, smiling over at Morgan as she said softly: “Aye, I do. I am very curious, after all... and now that we know this is some silly game of Hel's, I feel we should play it. Besides, I wish to see if Hecate's empire has come to fruition and... there are other reasons to visit Decretum.”

She bit her lip, looking over at Scrivener Blooms, and Morgan and the stallion both visibly softened and nodded slowly. Then they both watched as Sombra stood, the unicorn smiling briefly and nodding slowly as he said quietly: “I would be indebted to you. We all would. But if I may make a suggestion, let us wait for Cadenza to awaken before we make any decisions. She is our leader, and I think it would be best if she got a chance to meet you, and you were to meet her, instead of just the Swan.”

“Oh, aye, blame me for what happened, wretched wretches.” Luna grumbled, but Sombra only smiled reassuringly to her as Scrivener shrugged amiably and La Croix awkwardly cleared his throat, gesturing a few times towards the unconscious Cadence. “What, was I simply supposed to ignore her namecalling and hoof-flinging? She called me a whore!”

“You like whores. You're always arguing with everyone about the value of prostitution in society.” Scrivener pointed out, and Luna huffed loudly at this.

“'Twas not the word, 'twas the tone. 'Twas very rude of her, or... it, I suppose, if thou insists upon treating the Swan as another entity.” Luna grumbled, looking over at Sombra, who bowed his head politely in acknowledgment. “Fine. I will strive to be more kind, but...”

Luna scowled slowly at Cadence's unconscious body, and then she muttered: “Their kind came before mine, and they hated us, and we loathed them. 'Twill be difficult, even if now, we are merely two ponies.”

“Two ponies can have many differences, but all the same, find much in common. Let us try and find the common ground, then. We already all have much in kind, do we not?” Sombra asked softly, gesturing back and forth, and Luna groaned loudly even as Scrivener and Morgan smiled.

Moonflower only mumbled childishly, but La Croix looked relieved at the words of sound, sane advice that Sombra offered, before the zebra added: “Anyway, hey, this be workin' out just great for all of us. Sure, maybe it ain't quite the way we imagined... but we still retrievin' them and bringing them back to Nanny Hecate, eh? So no need to get fou 'bout this whole mess.”

Sombra nodded in agreement, and Moonflower sighed loudly as he dropped his head but grumbled in assent as well. But even in her sleep, Cadence seemed to frown, shifting uneasily as inside her, the Swan writhed in fury, humiliation... and with a hatred that would never, ever fade.

Friction Burns

Chapter Four: Friction Burns
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence and Luna scowled at each other across the firepit, the ivory mare polishing her throwing knives, while the sapphire pony had a large rifle in her hooves, leisurely cleaning this. Cadence scowled in disgust at the sight of the weapon: it had a rectangular, fortified barrel, a double-edged bayonet sticking out from beneath it, and a trigger designed to fit the Valkyrie's hoof... what a surprise, a Valkyrie lowering herself to using such... “Toys.”

“Aye, I have always been fond of them.” Luna growled, then she spun the large cylinder of the revolver-rifle before adding disdainfully: “Sting serves me better than thy silly little needles ever will, Swan.”

Cadence hissed through her teeth, but as she felt her father's eyes on her, she did her best to repress the Swan inside of her, grudgingly nodding towards him. He and the others were clustered around their own campfire, leaving her and the Valkyrie to try and... get used to each other, she supposed. Not that it was helping at all: they hated each other, and there was nothing that would cure this hatred... except one of us killing the other.

Luna snorted as if she had heard Cadence's thoughts, the mare spinning the massive, black-metal gun before she tucked it away into the holster on her back, the two glaring at each other before the mare said contemptibly: “We need only behave ourselves until we return to Decretum. Then we may go our separate ways. Agreed?”

“Fine.” Cadence grumbled, then she quickly rearranged her knives in the belts strapped around her body before she leaned forwards, saying coldly: “But next time we meet-”

“What, thou will smash thy face into my hoof again?” Luna mocked, and then she leaned forwards, saying contemptibly: “What I hate most about little birds is that they are often so loud... but are so easy to break beneath my hoof. It makes it difficult to punish them as much as I would like.”

Cadence snarled, leaning forwards aggressively before she snapped: “Keep talking, Valkyrie. Hecate said to bring you in alive. Not whole.”

“Aye, Hecate is cunning and cruel. And I will have to thank her.” Luna smiled mirthlessly back as she sat back on the fallen log she was using as a bench, letting her forelegs fall into her lap. “She sent me a toy to play with, after all. I will have to warn her that it is more fragile than she must think, though, when I see her next. Fragile... and 'twas discarded by its last owners for a reason.”

Cadence swore before she leapt over the campfire, her horn glowing white as she drew a throwing knife in either hoof, and then she halted dead in the air as there was a burst of blue flame in front of her and she felt something pressing into her throat, the ivory mare shivering in spite of the fact she was hovering directly over the campfire.

The tip of a spear was pressing into her neck, the nine foot weapon floating ominously in the air as Luna only looked up at her coldly. The air was silent, apart from the crackling of the bonfire, both mares feeling all eyes on them, before Luna finally snorted and drew her spear back, muttering: “Prúðbikkja deserves better prey than thou.”

The spear spun beside her, and for a moment, Luna silently surveyed the tip of the weapon, which, Cadence realized after a moment, was a horn. A dark blue horn, secured to the body of the spear by several rings of metal, which in turn were locked in place by four large, blade-like prongs. Runes ran all down the body of the spear in a spiral from tip to butt, and after a moment, Cadence flapped her wings to drop herself back in her seat, scowling moodily even as she studied the weapon intently.

“Gianttooth. And your own horn.” Cadence said quietly, and Luna smiled wryly before the spear simply vanished in a burst of blue flames. “I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that-”

“Yes, dog, bark. Bark away.” Luna said contemptibly, and Cadence gritted her teeth before the Valkyrie simply closed her eyes and leaned calmly back. “That is all thou can do, isn't it, as thou has no fangs to bite with.”

Cadence swore under her breath, looking down, but after a moment, she clenched her eyes shut and forced herself to take a breath and actually think about what she was doing. The Valkyrie had a point, as much as she grudgingly didn't want to admit it. The Swan was riling up her emotions, making her furious, wild, angry; she wasn't acting like herself, was she?

She breathed slowly in and out, then muttered finally: “Fine. I'll wait until we get another chance to fight. I'm better than spitting insults like a foal.”

Luna grunted moodily, opening her mouth, but then sulking and closing it instead when Scrivener and Morgan both glared at her from their side of the campsite. The sapphire mare grumbled, then looked away and crossed her forelegs, fidgeting a little before she complained: “I loathe waiting.”

Cadence grumbled, but keeping her eyes off the Valkyrie seemed to make it easier to put up with Luna's presence. “We have to wait for the portal to open.”

“I do not see why we cannot simply open the Bifrost.” Luna grumbled, the mare glowering over at the other circle of ponies before she added moodily: “Knowing Hecate, she is drawing out the wait on purpose... and will thy silly ring truly hold?”

Cadence scowled, but forced herself to keep her eyes closed and her head down instead of looking either at the Valkyrie, or the portal ring that Sombra and La Croix had quickly constructed from disposable materials: the quick, one-time use rings were designed out of flexible metallic rods and supports that would all burn up shortly after the portal was closed, leaving precious little trace behind that they had ever been here in the first place.

“We've used them to move convoys before. Don't worry, Valkyrie. You'll be just fine.” muttered Cadence, and Luna grunted moodily. The silence between them was almost painful, the only noise coming from the other fire as both Valkyrie and Swan Maiden did their best not to look at each other.

At the other fire, Scrivener Blooms smiled awkwardly over at Sombra, saying finally: “I really don't think they're going to start getting along. I guess all we can do is hope that... that portal activates soon.”

Sombra chuckled quietly, and then he smiled over at Moonflower and La Croix, saying gently: “I think they just need time; some of the closest of friends can start from the most bitter of enemies, is that not so?”

The zebra and the winged unicorn looked at each other, and then they both huffed loudly and turned away before La Croix said moodily: “Y'know, not that I ain't glad they be over there, and I be over here, where neither of 'em can smack me, but I don't know if it's really such a bon idea to have those two cocodrils sittin' pretty with just each other for company. One gonna eat the other at this rate.”

“Yes, I don't quite understand it myself.” Moonflower added, looking nervously in the direction of the two mares. “You'd think Cadence would be happy to find another one of her own kind. But I suppose I would be the same if there was ever another all-powerful Lord of Darkness to challenge me for my position... not that I'll ever have to worry about that, of course.”

Scrivener and Morgan both looked mildly at Moonflower for a few moments, and then La Croix said grumpily: “Yep. Ain't never gonna be another like you, Moony. Now if only there ain't never was a you in the first place.”

Moonflower laughed loudly at this, then he reached up and patted La Croix condescendingly on the head several times, squishing his top hat and making the Loa twitch and scowl. “Yes, yes, I know you can't help but be jealous of me and everything that I am. Handsome, strong, adored and respected and feared far and wide by millions throughout the many worlds... but fear not, La Croix, I have never once considered you a servant.” He paused, then sniffed disdainfully at the zebra as La Croix grouchily adjusted his hat. “Mostly because I am certain you would be terrible at it. You are far too silly and cheerful and your taste in clothing is atrocious. I mean, really, a top hat?”

La Croix scowled horribly over at Moonflower, while the winged unicorn only looked pointedly back, until his attention was drawn by Scrivener Blooms asking mildly: “And who are you again?”

Moonflower glared even as Morgan smiled despite herself and firmly nudged Scrivener with her elbow. “Now, just because you happen to be a large, handsome stallion yourself, don't think that I'll let you get away with such obstreperousness!”

“Do you even know what that word means? Because I actually don't. And generally when I don't know what a word means it means the other person doesn't either.” Scrivener said blandly, before he awkwardly rubbed at the scarred side of his face, adding mildly: “Not so sure about the 'handsome' thing, at that.”

“Moony don't ever know what he's talkin' about, don't y'all worry about that. He just opens his mouth and the words fall out.” La Croix said dryly, and Moonflower sniffed disdainfully, shoving grouchily at the Loa.

“Oh, quiet. You're merely envious, seeing as you can't even string a single coherent sentence together without reverting to some... backwater stripehorse slang or vernacular.” Moonflower argued, and La Croix narrowed his eyes moodily at the self-proclaimed god.

“That be racist, y'know. Racist.”

“I am not a racist, I am evil. I am expected to put up a certain...” Moonflower gestured a few times with his hooves, searching for the right word.

“Ignorance.” La Croix said sourly, grumpily adjusting his hat.

Moonflower huffed loudly at this, then he turned suddenly back towards Scrivener and flicked his hooves towards him, saying emphatically: “Now, you. You are plenty handsome! Certainly not quite as well-groomed as our own Sombra, of course...” Moonflower shot an uncomfortably-fawning look towards the unicorn, before he cleared his throat and turned his eyes back towards Scrivener Blooms, who was staring blankly at the stallion. “But all you need is a little cleaning up! Why, look at your mane, it's a terrible mess, a travesty, really. You have such a regal onyx for your coat, it's so gorgeous compared to most ponies!”

Scrivener looked awkwardly down at his armored body, absently patting his own chest before he looked up and said finally: “I think you're just saying that because most of us here are black.”

Moonflower reared back in this, looking offended as he snapped: “Black? Excuse me, black? Oh, no no no, none of us here are so... disgraceful. You are onyx, sir, which is a gorgeous color. Sombra, dear Sombra, is a wonderful shade of polished obsidian, oh, it's so rare to see these days! I am but a humble midnight noir, while La Croix, of course, is piano ebony... although I was as surprised as you are sure to be when I realized his stripes aren't piano ivory, but a slightly mismatched marble ivory! Isn't that a delight?”

The winged unicorn laughed loudly as he clapped his hooves together childishly, smiling cheerfully around at the nonplussed ponies before La Croix said dryly: “You are such a pédé, rein de la nuit.”

Moonflower huffed loudly at his, glowering at La Croix as the zebra glared back at him, and Scrivener and Morgan slowly turned to look at each other for a few moments before Sombra smiled and said: “We all have our... fields of expertise here, and while they're very different, I think it makes us that much stronger a group. In a way, you don't seem so different from us.”

La Croix and Moonflower both looked up in surprise at this... and then La Croix grinned wryly as Moonflower snorted in amusement, before the zebra remarked wryly: “Wise as you might be, Papa Sérénité, I gotta say you might be wrong about this one. These trois ouaouarons ain't nothin' but trouble. They real good at causing it, and they real good at attractin' it.”

“I can't entirely disagree with you there.” Scrivener said mildly, absently adjusting his collar, and then he glanced curiously at Morgan as her ears perked slightly, her mane of dark flame twisting slightly around her.

Before he could ask what she felt, however, there was a crackle, followed a moment later by the portal ring lighting up with energy as a swirling vortex formed inside it, crackling and sparking. Luna and Cadence were both immediately on their hooves, nearly running right into each other before they growled and jostled back and forth as they both hurried towards the portal, the Valkyrie snapping: “To the victor goes the lead!”

“This is my unit, and we are heading back to my home! I lead!” Cadence snapped in return, and the two halted to glare at each other furiously, but then Luna flinched slightly, her eyes suddenly drawn to Scrivener and Morgan, who were both looking at her pointedly.

“I... oh, very well, I suppose.” grumbled Luna, and Cadence narrowed her eyes moodily, studying the mare intently. She could sense something very strange about the way that she seemed to communicate silently with the other two ponies. She couldn't quite put a hoof on it, but it was both very distinct and very subtle, all at once, like they had some kind of unique connection that was more than just the way they obviously cared for each other.

“So I have to ask, Valkyrie. Was it so hard to decide whether you preferred licking or sucking that you just had to have both?” jeered Cadence suddenly, and even she couldn't help but shift mentally at not just the venom in her voice, but the fact she had spat that at all, with absolutely no provocation.

The Valkyrie looked over her shoulder, glaring at her for a moment, before she bared her sharp teeth in a nasty grin as she retorted: “Oh, and I suppose thou needed-”

Then Luna squawked as Scrivener grabbed her by the face and firmly clamped her mouth shut. Cadence felt her mouth starting to open, to say something else stupid and mean, but then she felt her father's eyes on her, and she saw his disapproving gaze as he approached.

Cadence shrank slowly under that gaze, and inside her, she felt the Swan blanketed and muffled by the avalanche of shame that rolled through her stomach. The ivory mare dropped her head, licking her lips, and then she finally hung her head before forcing out in a mumble: “Luna, I apologize. I am not myself and the Swan has never hated anyone the way she hates you and it's making me very mean.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Luna firmly shoved Scrivener off before the sapphire mare turned around and approached Cadence. She looked at her equably as Cadence half-rose her head slightly, already feeling the Swan squirming angrily for control again, but after a moment, the Valkyrie gave a brief smile before she said softly: “Aye, I suppose I understand the feeling... Cadence, is it? Or Danzsöngr, which art thou?”

Cadence frowned at the question... and then she suddenly smiled briefly before she shrugged a little and said softly: “La Croix calls me Cygne. How about that?”

“Very well. Thou may call me Luna, or Brynhild, or whatever else thou pleases.” Luna thrust a hoof suddenly towards Cadence, the ivory mare wincing slightly, but then hesitantly taking it, the two shaking briefly before Luna smiled wryly. “Now lead on, Swan. This is the only time thou shall ever have the honor of leading a Valkyrie, after all.”

Cadence sighed tiredly, muttering under her breath as she turned towards the portal, and Scrivener gave Luna a dry look as Morgan rolled her eyes and said tiredly: “Here I was about to be proud of you, and then you go and open your big mouth again.”

“My mouth is very big. 'Tis best for gobbling down those who annoy me...” She paused, then grinned lecherously over at Moonflower, who looked back at her blankly. “Or those who please me.”

She licked her lips slowly, and Moonflower paled slightly before he scrambled behind La Croix, whimpering a bit. La Croix only rolled his eyes, however, saying wryly: “This one don't play the game that way, Madame Minuit. He a little... lavender.”

“That is perfectly fine, Morgan is also lavender, and as thou knows she is wholly devoted to me.” Luna said positively, and La Croix snorted in amusement before the sapphire mare paused and added, leaning pointedly forwards: “Thou art less rude than when last we met. While part of me feels 'tis because now I can easily make it hoof party in thy face's house should the urge take me, I also feel... thou art different. What civilized thee, La Croix?”

“Oh, right, 'cause we zebra folk ain't civil, we all just barbarians and cheats and bêtes de foire, huh?” La Croix asked wryly, striding towards the portal before he hesitated and paused, smiling briefly over his shoulder at the mare. “Maybe I got me a lesson in humility or two though, yeah.”

La Croix paused, then added dryly, gesturing pointedly at the large winged unicorn who was still trying to use the zebra as a wall between himself and Luna: “Also, y'all might be ouaouarons, but y'all are a lot less annoying than this here poulet.”

Moonflower huffed loudly, but before he could retort, Cadence called clearly: “Form up, escort positions! We don't have all day!”

Cadence was already waiting in front of the portal, and Moonflower grumbled even as he broke off to one side, while La Croix half-bowed to Luna, Scrivener, and Morgan. And the sapphire mare smiled wryly even as she led her partners into the middle of the group, saying softly: “I must admit... for all I may loathe the Swan... she has done well turning chaff into grain.”

She could sense Sombra taking up position behind them, and the mare smiled wryly again before she looked back and forth between Scrivener and Morgan, who were both nodding slowly in agreement. And they could all feel that energy in the air: not just from the portal, but the excitement of traveling to Decretum, seeing what changes Hecate had brought there over the years that had passed... and more than that...

Luna's smile widened, and then she looked up as Cadence called sharply: “Forward!”

Without looking back, Cadence ran into the vortex, and Luna followed without hesitation or fear as Twilight and Scrivener fell back slightly. La Croix and Moonflower herded them on either side, but the escort wasn't needed, the three more than eager to run into the portal, charging into the swirling vortex of energy.

They exploded out of the other side of the tunnel of energy and onto a wide metal platform, Luna grinning widely, her eyes glowing with joy and amazement as she looked back and forth at the inside of some kind of massive facility that for all its steel and synthetics was vibrant, had a life and liveliness to it that she envied and adored-

Her instincts roared: not with warning, but with joy, as Luna half-turned towards a behemoth of steel that was charging straight towards her, and the mare roared as the enormous mechanical golem swung a steel claw in towards her, reacting immediately and leaping up to meet it as Scrivener and Morgan both broke off to either side, each automatically turning to face similar threats.

Cadence could only stare in shock as Clockwork Titans converged on the ponies they had brought through the portal: elite war constructs, with massive mechanical bodies that were nearly a perfect imitation of Hecate's own steel form, but topped with snarling dragon heads with glowing crimson eyes. Not just golems, but fully-autonomous androids controlled by Decretum's central AI, machine-warriors even she had trouble fighting one-on-one against.

And yet the Valkyrie laughed loudly as she danced backwards under the assault, the android's fists punching dents in the titanium floor of the portal dock as it chased after her. Morgan and Scrivener mirrored the Valkyrie's battle-joy as they danced around their own opponents, even as the rest of her team of Irregular Hunters came through the portal and then stumbled hurriedly out of the way of the melee, staring with confusion.

The Clockwork Titan fighting Luna leapt suddenly forwards, swinging both claws down in a savage tomahawk, but Luna grinned savagely as she caught the machine's attack, her eyes glowing as she laughed louder before shouting: “Hecate, thy toys are weaker than I remember! Now let us see if they are more brittle, too!”

Luna leaned forwards with a roar, shoving the Titan backwards, gears and servomotors squealing as the android stumbled on its huge steel hooves, trying to catch its balance. And as it stumbled, Luna's horn lit up with black light before she snapped it savagely forwards, and the golem was blasted off its hooves by a tremendous flare of blue flame that exploded in a massive gush of sapphire hell, embers and flames hailing down over the floor.

But where the flames landed, they turned to blue and black ice over the steel as Luna's horn continued to glow, her mane bursting into azure hellfire, her grin spreading wider as dark ice twisted rapidly over the steel floor in front of her. And then, as Cadence stared in disbelief, the sapphire mare flicked her horn sharply upwards, and the black ice exploded upwards from the earth as it lit up with a malicious blue glow, swirling violently out to either side of Luna.

Luna's eyes blazed with power as ice and fire transformed into a pair of massive claws that floated ominously in the air on either side of the sapphire mare, and the Clockwork Titan seemed to hesitate for a moment as it stared at Luna: the last, lethal mistake the Titan would make, as Luna's horn gleamed and her grin widened.

The massive claws of ice lashed out, seizing the Clockwork Titan and hefting it into the air like a toy before slamming it cruelly down into the platform. The Titan bounced once, mechanical systems squealing in denial before the enormous fists of ice and fire savagely began to pummel the helpless construct, metal and flakes of frost flying in all directions as the Titan was steadily crunched down into the floor. And through it all, Luna only laughed, her horn gleaming as she quickly, almost effortlessly, reduced the Titan to nothing but broken parts and scrap metal.

“Enough!” shouted a cold, crisp voice, and Cadence looked stupidly up as Hecate strode out onto the platform, the Empress of Decretum looking measuringly at Luna Brynhild as her remaining Clockwork Titans quickly retreated from combat. Neither Scrivener nor Morgan had done more than superficial damage to the androids, and they were both glaring at Luna, who was only grinning widely as she stood proudly over the broken remains of the golem she had literally punched into the platform, her huge claws of ice and spirit-flame floating on either side of her.

Hecate glowered down at Luna, as Luna slowly drew her eyes over the mechanical Empress, and then she laughed loudly before saying cheerfully: “Thou always knows just how to welcome me!”

“I was appraising your abilities. Which I see have grown since the last time we met.” Hecate said irritably, scowling down at the wreckage of her golem before she flicked a claw to the side, a holographic screen appearing. She tapped a few quick commands over this, then muttered: “Ridiculous. I already regret letting you in.”

“Oh, shush, thou art glad to see us, I can see it in thee.” Luna huffed loudly, and then she stepped forwards suddenly, and to Cadence's further disbelief, she simply hugged Hecate's leg, before the mechanical empress flinched and gritted her teeth in fury as the huge claws wrapped her in a a half-embrace, half-grapple as well. “And I am glad to see thou, and that thou hast been so productive!”

“Uh. Luna?” Scrivener cleared his throat loudly, and Luna glowered, then squawked as Hecate firmly punted her off before she tore free from the icy claws, seizing one of these and flinging it to the ground. But instead of shattering, it simply bounced back towards Luna with the other enormous hand of ice, and Luna grumbled loudly on her back before the claws of ice daintily grasped her and pulled her up to her hooves, the mare shaking herself off. “Maybe you could put the giant hands away now.”

“No.” Luna said staunchly, one claw waggling a finger firmly in the direction of Scrivener before the Valkyrie grinned widely as she turned her eyes back towards Hecate, asking: “So what has thou been doing? What is... all this?”

Luna gestured naturally, easily with the huge claws floating on either side of her, and Hecate slowly rubbed at her forehead before she said waspishly: “I have been working to protect the worlds. What have you been doing with your little vacation with your harem, apart from learning some new circus tricks?”

“'Tis not much of a harem. 'Tis only two mares.” Luna said mildly, glancing over at Scrivener and Morgan, who both looked at her sourly, and Luna groaned loudly before she complained: “Fine! Fie on thee, very well, I shall put the Jötunnfang away.”

Luna paused, then one of her icy claws reached over and firmly ruffled up the enormous stallion's mane before the huge hands burst apart into blue smoke and embers that vanished quickly from sight. Scrivener Blooms sighed tiredly, rolling his eyes from beneath his messy mane, and Twilight smiled briefly as she shook her head slowly, while Luna only grinned proudly and winked playfully over at the ever-unimpressed Hecate.

But Cadence was trembling, staring at the Valkyrie with disbelief, and humiliation, as the Swan writhed inside her. She couldn't believe what she had just witnessed: was the Valkyrie truly that powerful? Before, when they had fought, had the Valkyrie just been playing with her? What was this power, what was this strength, how was it possible that-

“Cadence. Get your team in order and leave for debriefing, I will not repeat myself again.” Hecate said shortly, and Cadence blinked several times and shook her head quickly before she looked dumbly up at the Empress of Decretum, who pointed sharply towards one of the exits. “Thorn is waiting to debrief you, and then we will be discussing your performance... or lack thereof... during this examination. You have all disappointed me.”

“Hecate, do not be a great bitch.” Luna said grumpily, and Hecate twitched before slowly turning her eyes towards Luna, even as Cadence flushed and dropped her head in shame. “I do not like the Swan, and I think she is stupid and smelly, but she has not done terribly considering the fools thou hast given her to work with.”

Hecate scowled darkly, and then she leaned down and said coldly: “Do not tell me my business, Luna Brynhild, or you will find yourself on the hard end of my hoof.”

“Do hooves have not-hard ends?” Luna asked curiously, and Hecate slowly closed her eyes before the sapphire mare smiled suddenly, saying quietly: “I have missed this, friend. Thou never did allow me to trample all over thee. 'Tis thy most frustrating and most endearing characteristic.”

Hecate sighed tiredly, then she shook her head slowly before looking moodily over at Cadence. The ivory mare nodded hurriedly after a moment, half-saluting awkwardly before she turned and cleared her throat, calling awkwardly: “Team, fall... fall in.”

Sombra strode quickly up beside her, smiling reassuringly as La Croix and Moonflower followed after a moment, and Cadence took a breath before she turned and led them away. She wasn't completely with her team, however, staring blankly ahead and moving mostly on autopilot as she shivered a little, her body trembling a little as she saw the Valkyrie laughing in her mind: laughing, like it was all nothing more than a stupid game, wielding fearsome, frightening power with ease.

Cadence blinked as a hoof touched her shoulder, and she looked up to see her father smiling at her gently, the stallion saying quietly: “We're here, mi amore. But we need you here too.”

Cadence laughed a little, dropping her head and biting her lip for a moment before she gave a quick nod, taking a slow breath before she murmured: “Right. I... I am. I'm here.”

Her eyes flicked back up to the sealed double doors in front of them, and she cleared her throat before gazing up at the crystal eye above the door, saying quickly: “Cadence, Team Leader 0-0, present for debriefing.”

There was a loud click as the eye glowed, and then the double doors slid smoothly open, allowing Cadence and her team to enter the debriefing room. They assembled and saluted, although to Cadence's surprise, Thorn seemed a little agitated today, the stallion pacing in front of the glowing map of Decretum instead of seated at the table.

He gestured at them quickly, and Cadence nodded before she began to remove her equipment, as did the others. Weapons and armor were all placed on a mobile stand, which scanned their gear as it was placed down, determining what repairs were needed and verifying what they returned. Anything missing or broken would have to be replaced, after all, and keeping a record of what had been lost helped cut down on theft and other problems.

The others were already sitting at the table by the time Cadence was done, and she joined them, although she noticed that Thorn didn't, the stallion turning towards them and asking in almost a sharp voice: “Well? What happened?”

“I...” Cadence hesitated, frowning slightly at Thorn and studying him. He seemed both nervous and excited all at once, and she had never seen the stoic stallion so emotional. He was completely different from the cold and distant assistant to Hecate that she had known, the pony who a lot of Orphans half-joked might be another of Hecate's androids; his dark eyes were so intense...

She cleared her throat as she realized that gaze was locked tightly on her, and she shook her head quickly before saying finally: “We engaged the enemy, but they were not-”

“I know what they weren't. Tell me what happened.” Thorn interrupted, leaning forwards over the table as he pressed his front hooves into the wood, making it creak. Cadence blinked at this, and Thorn caught this before he winced a little and cleared his throat, leaning back and taking a breath before he said in a quieter voice: “Tell me what happened, please. We know who and what you engaged. What I need is to know the particulars of the engagement and your assessment of the targets.”

“Yes, sir.” Cadence rose her head, then she took a slow breath, swallowing her pride and her anger and most of all, the Swan, before she said in a voice that shook only slightly: “Engagement was a failure. We were absolutely outclassed, and if this had been an actual engagement instead of a training mission, we would have been annihilated.”

Moonflower and La Croix both began to lean forwards, opening their mouths, but Sombra calmly reached up and grasped both of the stallions, pulling them back into their seats. Thorn and Cadence ignored the others, their gazes locked before Thorn said quietly: “Explain.”

“We tracked them and encountered them shortly after deployment.” Cadence looked down, unable to hold Thorn's gaze any longer before she murmured: “I sensed the Valkyrie long before we saw her. My... my team tried to hold me back, but I was reckless and moved directly to engage her. Only her. I put myself at great risk, and furthermore, I was the one who started the confrontation. I did not try negotiation, I did not assess the enemy in any way. I leapt in, hoof-first.”

Cadence smiled briefly, glancing away. “The Valkyrie defeated me. Easily. Moonflower engaged the one named Morgan, and my father... I mean, Sombra, engaged the last, Scrivener Blooms. Their combat halted when we discovered that they were not whom we were led to believe and they resolved their confrontations peacefully. I did not break off my engagement. I continued to attack the Valkyrie until she incapacitated me. I realize now that...”

The mare closed her eyes, looking down shamefully, unable to admit it. That the Valkyrie had just been toying with her, that Luna hadn't nearly been using her full power.

Thorn studied the ivory mare silently for a few moments, and then he shook his head slowly before asking calmly: “La Croix, where were you?”

“Hiding. This ain't on Cygne, boss, this one be on my head.” La Croix said quietly and sincerely, and Cadence smiled faintly over at the zebra as he reached up and silently squeezed her shoulder, as the Loa looked nervously but determinedly up at Thorn. “I knew who those cocodrils were the moment I saw 'em. I worked with 'em in the past, see, back when they was way down under. But that was why I was scared of 'em, I... I wasn't too good to 'em in the past and I just be a great grande coward, so I hid. I hid and I deserve to be punished for it, boss, and... this all be on my head.”

“Oh, it is not, you... great stupid witchdoctor.” Moonflower grumbled, raising his own head. He rubbed lamely at his smaller wing, and then he said finally: “I... may have... antagonized and underestimated my foe. Not that she got the upper hoof on me at any point in time, of course, but... I certainly was... not paying attention to what was going on as I should have been. I may be quite nearly omnipotent but I fear that I do tend to get... caught up in things.”

Thorn sighed tiredly and shook his head, and then he moodily looked towards Sombra, and the black unicorn bowed his head before he said softly: “My opponent had a great advantage over me as well. None of us were any match for our foes, and none of us were prepared for the battle we faced. And I allowed myself to be distracted instead of seeking a more peaceful solution.”

The sapphire stallion sighed quietly again, letting his eyes draw over the quartet before he said finally: “All of this will be taken into consideration, along with the fact that you were set against unfair odds. You... did return with the subjects, and you are all intact. While your engagement was a failure, all the same, you completed the assignment and assessment.”

Thorn halted, then he tugged at the collar of his cape before he asked suddenly: “Tell me more about them. How... were they eager to come back to Decretum? Did they seem to be... I mean...”

Thorn lost his composure for the first time that Cadence had ever seen, the mare frowning slowly as she looked up at him, and then she blinked as she stared at the stallion, drawing her eyes over him with disbelief. Dark eyes, a sapphire coat, silver-white hair...

She looked incredulously at Thorn, then shot a look at her father, but the black unicorn was only smiling quietly, as if he recognized it too. It was more than enough to confirm Cadence's suspicion as she looked back at Thorn, leaning towards him before she asked disbelievingly: “You... are you... how can you be, though?”

Thorn blushed slightly, looking uncomfortably away, and La Croix frowned, then covered his mouth with one hoof, pointing at Thorn with the other and mouthing wordlessly. Only Moonflower seemed not to understand what was going on, the winged unicorn frowning as he continued to play absently with his too-short wing before he asked curiously: “What? I don't think it's very unusual. They did certainly seem all too happy to come with us, after all. I mean, I was not nearly that happy to come here myself...”

Moonflower paused, and then he scowled slowly, narrowing his eyes at Thorn before he suddenly sat up, his wings flapping out and nearly slapping Sombra out of his seat as he asked sharply: “Wait, those... those barbarians aren't going to be replacing us, are they? I will... I will go on strike if Hecate decides to bring those new ponies into the Orphanage, I will go on strike, I say, and without me you can all just wallow in misery as the worlds burn down! We are the very best of the best and if I'm going to be stuck here for my crimes against Equestria, then by Tartarus I will not allow myself to be replaced!”

Moonflower puffed out his chest and his cheeks, raising his head proudly as Cadence looked at him with disbelief and Sombra slowly straightened in his seat, sighing tiredly. La Croix simply grasped his hat and pulled it slowly down over his head, while Thorn stared at Moonflower before he rolled his eyes, moodily flexing his mechanical leg before he said tiredly: “I will be sure to make a note of that, Moonflower, and I'll let Queen Hecate know. But I don't think they're going to be here for more than a few days. Hopefully enough time to...”

Thorn looked down for a moment, biting his lip before he shook his head and smiled briefly at Cadence. She was still staring at him with disbelief, and the stallion cleared his throat before he said finally: “Your evaluations will be completed and sent to you by the end of business tomorrow at the latest.”

Moonflower huffed loudly, but Cadence nodded quickly before she saluted as Sombra and La Croix both bowed their heads politely. Thorn nodded back, then he bit the inside of his cheek before he said impulsively: “Cadence, La Croix. I want to speak to you further for a moment. Sombra, Moonflower, you are both dismissed.”

“I'll wait for you outside, mi amore.” Sombra said gently, reaching up to squeeze his daughter's shoulder with a smile, and Moonflower peered suspiciously at Thorn before he slowly slid out of his seat, an uneasy look on his face as he made his ways towards the double doors.

Cadence smiled at her father as he left, while La Croix shifted nervously in his seat, smiling lamely at Thorn. The door slammed shut behind Moonflower and Sombra the moment they stepped through, and Thorn took a slow breath before he looked at Cadence, asking quietly: “Why was the Swan's reaction to the Valkyrie so violent? Hecate didn't expect the level of aggression we saw.”

The ivory mare grimaced, unable to help but ask: “Was the entire confrontation monitored?”

Normally, that was restricted information: Hecate didn't want her soldiers knowing when or how they were under watch, and she didn't want them to know how thoroughly they had already been evaluated. It helped measure their honesty and reliability, and helped make sure they would always be pushing to do their best in every mission.

But this time, Thorn shook his head before he muttered: “Just the broad strokes. We couldn't risk creating too clear a signal, it would have helped Hel's Archives home in on their position.” He stopped, realized he'd probably said too much as he scowled a little, and then he prompted: “Well?”

“Valkyries are... they replaced the Swan Maidens. We hate them... I mean, the Swan hates her because the Valkyrie was held up as 'better' than her, because the Swan Maidens were discarded after the Valkyries came into being, because the Valkyrie has a... not demonic, but a... corruption...”

Cadence struggled to find the words as Thorn surveyed her silently, and then she sighed and gave up before saying simply: “The Swan hates her. The Swan hates her more than the Swan has ever hated anything or anyone. Brynhild, the Valkyrie, is... anathema to us. To... to her, I mean.”

Cadence quieted, and then she rubbed the back of her head before mumbling: “And she's... she's stronger than me and it... drives me insane.”

Thorn smiled briefly at this, and then he shook his head and said quietly: “There's always a bigger fish, Cadence. You may be the best fighter we have in the Orphanage, but you know as well as I do there are stronger things than you out there.”

“Yeah.” Cadence looked down, and then she closed her eyes and shook her head briefly before she smiled faintly as La Croix reached up and patted her on the shoulder gently.

“Now, don't look so down, Cygne! Ain't your fault at all... believe you me, those trois spent a lot of time way down yonder in that nasty ol' bayou of Nanny Hel's, bein' turned into the worst of the worst. You weren't around to see it, but there were some pretty nasty times in these here parts...” La Croix said kindly, nodding to the mare. “Just because they stronger don't mean you ain't strong.”

“Speaking of which, La Croix. I didn't realize that you had known... the subjects. It wasn't listed in the reports.” Thorn said calmly, but there was a certain anxiety in his eyes as he asked: “What can you tell me about them? Were you involved in their training in Helheim, and what do you know about their abilities?”

La Croix looked awkwardly at Thorn, then he cleared his throat before saying bluntly: “Boss, no offense or nothin', but... those ouaouarons be fou, but they fou like the renard, you hear? I ain't very good at math, now, see, but I can still add un plus un together, and they clearly didn't come back with us just 'cause we asked them kindly. Why don't you just go talk to them?”

For a few moments, Thorn was impassive, stoic, calm as ever and then he slowly lowered his head as he silently reached up and touched his mechanical leg, and Cadence softened as La Croix gave a faint smile.

Thorn rubbed slowly along his metal forelimb, and then he sighed quietly, shaking his head and muttering: “You two are dismissed. Go about your business.”

La Croix shrugged a bit, and then he turned and headed towards the door. Cadence, however, lingered for a few moments before she blurted out: “Thorn, were you... how well did you know your parents? How... I mean, Luna is...”

Cadence looked nervously at Thorn as La Croix winced a bit from where he was lingering at the doorway, and Thorn scowled for a few moments, making her think that she had just committed professional suicide with her dumb question. But after a few moments, he shifted a little and said finally, almost grudgingly: “I... spent the first ten years of my life in Helheim, living with my parents. They have a strange... 'game' with Hel, where they run, and her demons try to capture them. Because they're supposed to be prisoners in Helheim, Inquisitors and Hunters can drain their energy and drag them back down to be imprisoned.

“They... allowed themselves to be caught after Móðer... Luna... was pregnant with me.” Thorn continued, loosening up as he talked. Cadence studied him, how he opened up, how it seemed like he'd been waiting his entire life to tell this story to someone. “Even though they're prisoners, they have the same status as noble demons in Helheim... their cage is a mansion. I was raised there, and I was taught all about the Archives...”

Thorn reached up and touched the ring around his horn gently before he smiled briefly. “Helheim is not an optimal place to grow up, however, so they 'escaped,' and brought me to Decretum. Hecate adopted me, and my parents... had to go back to running.” He halted, then shook his head slowly, murmuring: “But they're not just running away. I know that just like us, they protect the countless variations of Midgard. They're heroes, great heroes, and... I'm a secretary.”

Thorn smiled faintly, shaking his head slowly as Cadence smiled a little back, and La Croix chuckled quietly. “Well, least you have parents, boss. I don't got any. Well, I guess Bondye sort of counts, but... he weren't ever much of a papa.”

Cadence hesitated, and then she said finally: “We all have different paths in life. I... admit that I'm rather surprised...” She studied the stallion silently for a few moments, wondering how he could be so quiet, so very different from the Valkyrie, but still, now that she knew what she was looking for, she could see both Luna and Scrivener in him. “You should go see them. They even brought a friend with them, Morgan.”

Thorn cocked his head, and La Croix snorted in amusement before he said mildly: “Cygne, Morgan there ain't their friend. Well, she is, but she 's closer than that.”

Cadence frowned curiously over at the zebra, and La Croix smiled slightly before he said mildly: “She means Twilight.”

“Oh, yes. Twilight is their partner, all three of them are my parents.” Thorn explained absently, and Cadence's jaw dropped slightly, which made the sapphire stallion gave a small, wry smile. “I forget sometimes that that's... strange.”

“Oh, no, I... just didn't expect that.” Cadence laughed awkwardly, looking lamely off to the side for a moment before she cleared her throat and mumbled: “I guess I knew but I wasn't sure if... I mean... well, anyway, they're... I'm sure they'll all be really happy to see you.”

Thorn nodded a little, biting his lip before he sighed and looked at the two almost uncomfortably. The Loa and Swan Maiden looked back, and after a moment, Thorn cleared his throat before he mumbled: “Thank you for listening. Now uh... I have to assemble your reports.”

He gestured at them lamely to dismiss them, and Cadence smiled slightly before nodding. La Croix only shrugged, then tipped his hat to Thorn, replying mildly: “No worries, boss. And hey, if you want to replace Moony, none of us will complain, right, Cygne?”

Cadence sighed and rolled her eyes, slapping the back of La Croix's head lightly, and the Loa grinned even as he flinched away and hurried to the door. The ivory mare gave a brief smile to Thorn, who smiled hesitantly back as the zebra and winged unicorn made their way out.

For a few minutes, there was silence as Thorn paced nervously around the room, and then he took a slow breath before bringing up a holographic screen in front of himself. He looked into it silently as it blinked slowly at him, waiting for his input, until finally, he said quietly: “Contact Mother.”

There was a beep, and a moment later, Hecate's face appeared on the screen, the mechanical mare flinching slightly as something exploded behind her before she turned away, her image going staticky as she shouted furiously at something out of view: “Will you stop breaking things for even a moment? You two, control your idiot mistress!”

There were a few shouts and distorted swears, and Thorn looked uncomfortably at the screen before Hecate turned back to face the camera, glaring into it and snapping: “Thorn! If your debriefing is done, then get down here immediately and come and foal-sit these morons!”

“Uh. Yes, Empress Hecate. Immediately.” Thorn said lamely, and the link shut down, cutting off what sounded like an excited yell. The stallion stared for a moment into the thin air where the screen had been, and then he cleared his throat before taking a few quick breaths as he turned around to hurry towards the door, not even knowing what he felt, or what he should be feeling.

He only knew that he had waited more than ten years for this moment. And now that it was here... he had no idea how the hell he was going to go through with it.

Specters Of The Past

Chapter Five: Specters Of The Past
~BlackRoseRaven

Thorn nervously smoothed out his cape before he opened the door that led to the training room, then winced as he was immediately tackled off his hooves by a sapphire blur, who laughed loudly before sweeping him up into a bone-crushing hug, shouting joyously: “Thorn! Thorn Blackfeather, my child, my colt, oh, look at thee, look at... look at...”

Luna broke off as she stepped backwards, and she trembled ever so slightly as her eyes widened at the sight of Thorn's mechanical leg. The stallion flushed deeply as he hurriedly straightened even as he dropped his gaze, but then Luna smiled faintly as she reached up and silently tilted his head up with a hoof under his chin, whispering: “Look at thee. Aye, let me look at thee, my child.”

Thorn nodded, hesitantly adjusting his cape around his body as he did his best not to fidget, and Luna drew her eyes slowly along the stallion as he looked over her quietly, and then smiled again, still trembling a little bit as Scrivener and Morgan strode up to either side of the sapphire mare.

They had removed their armor, and as they studied his scars, Thorn studied his parents. Scrivener Blooms had his own series of ancient injuries over a body that was not just covered in horsehide, but had patches of armor-like scale here and there, and his Móðer's body mirrored so many of those marks. The three were soul-linked, after all: what affected one, affected both of the others.

They still had their cutie marks, though, in spite of the fact that was the first thing many ponies lost when they were affected by Helheim's energies, when their bodies... changed. But no: Luna still had a crescent moon in a splotch of night sky on her flank, Morgan a six-pointed star surrounded by red runes, and his father a black rose, with a quill overtop the blossom.

Thorn silently adjusted his cape, glancing back at his own cutie mark, and Luna chuckled softly before she said softly: “Look, Scrivy. He takes after thee in more than one way. Foul poet, thou corrupted our child from worlds away.”

The sapphire stallion laughed despite himself as Scrivener smiled a little, and Morgan shook her head slowly before she glanced over at Hecate. And when Thorn looked up, he saw the Hecate that he had thought only he had ever been privy to: the soft Hecate, the gentle Hecate... the Hecate who blamed herself for every sin and every problem, as she said quietly: “Again, I... apologize, for my failure.”

Luna began to turn, but Thorn shook his head quickly, saying quietly but firmly: “No, it was my error. Hecate has been a mentor and a mother to me. She helped me when I needed it, pushed me to become the strongest person I could be, and... I am indebted to her. Don't blame her, please.”

The Valkyrie turned back towards her son... and then she smiled softly before shaking her head and saying quietly: “Even did I want to blame her, Thorn, Hecate punishes herself more than I ever could for what has happened to thee. But nay, I do not. I... wish thou had been spared such suffering, especially as thou art so young, my son, but...”

Luna smiled, reaching out and silently stroking over the mechanical limb before she said quietly: “Thou looks strong. Thou looks proud. And thou looks like an accursed poet.”

Thorn laughed despite himself, unable to stop himself from looking at his father with the smallest of smiles; his father, who had a passion and talent for writing himself, and his own prosthetic Talons in place of his lower front legs.

Scrivener gazed back at his son for a few moments, and then he finally asked softly: “Have you been writing anything? I know what a... horribly personal question that is, but... well, you know. We're your parents and all. Have to be embarrassing.”

The sapphire stallion chuckled quietly, and then he nodded hesitantly before smiling again between the three ponies in front of him. Then he glanced up curiously at Hecate as she strode forwards, gesturing towards the trio as she said in a moodier voice: “As at least you are aware of, Thorn, I do not have all day to fritter away with this sort of nonsense. Entertain your parents. I have projects to look after, so if you need anything, annoy Seneschal, not me.”

“Of course, Mother.” Thorn said softly, and Hecate blushed ever so faintly as Luna grinned widely up at the mechanical goddess.

“Shut up, Thorn.” Hecate grumbled, and then the mechanical mare stormed out into the hall, Thorn smiling over his shoulder after her before he shook his head and looked forwards, gazing back at his parents as they gazed back at him.

Thorn didn't know what to say, or do. It had been more than ten years, after all: the last time he had seen his parents, well... he laughed a little at the thought, looking awkwardly between the three of them before he said finally: “Where do we begin? I... I really am so happy to see all of you, but I just don't know... and... I mean, you're...”

He fumbled for his words, flustered and hating it and welcoming it all at once, and Luna laughed before Morgan stepped forwards and firmly embraced the sapphire stallion, who hugged her tightly back. And when she stepped back, Scrivener came forwards, and father and son traded a fierce embrace as well.

Scrivener pulled away, then paused and smiled slightly over his shoulder at Luna, who nodded thoughtfully before she firmly bumped the stallion out of the way, the mare saying easily: “Hecate said this room was for training, but it all seems too brittle for me and I see nothing to train with apart from some foal's weights and a few dummies I have already well-broken.”

Thorn awkwardly looked past his parents at the racks of weights, which ranged from ten pound dumbbells to lodestone blocks that weighed almost a metric ton. Then his eyes roved to the dummies; these, in spite of being made of liquid metal and capable of putting themselves back together from almost any amount of damage, looked lopsided and badly mangled, like they had been torn apart so many times that their molecular binding had started to fray.

He turned his eyes almost wonderingly back towards his parents, but then cleared his throat before saying finally, as he struggled to be a little more professional, like a good host: “Well, uh... there's an obstacle course, or I can convert the area to a sparring ring, or-”

“Obstacle course! Show me!” Luna said cheerfully, and Thorn shrugged after a moment before his horn glowed brightly as he called up a holographic screen, the stallion starting to tap away on this before he winced when Luna curiously shoved her head through the faintly-blue images, making them distort and warp. “And how does this magic work?”

“It's... well, I suppose I could show you the spells, but it works in conjunction with Decretum technology... uh... could you maybe...” Thorn started awkwardly, but then Scrivener reached up and grasped Luna by the tail before yanking her out of the screen, and the mare huffed loudly as Thorn gave his father a small smile. “Thank you.”

He fell back silent as he tapped in the commands and parameters, then he simply watched with his parents as the floor opened and a series of complicated walkways and spinning platforms rose up. Luna grinned slightly at this as her eyes roved thoughtfully over the obstacle course, as Thorn explained calmly and professionally: “This is an adaptive training center, which means that we can collect data as the test subject runs the course and then modify it to provide a better challenge. It-”

“Oh, do not be boring, Thorn, thou wert not raised to be boring.” Luna scoffed, and Thorn stuttered to a halt as he stared blankly at his mother. Scrivener Blooms sighed and dropped his face in one Talon as Morgan shot Luna a sour look. “Oh, thou both know I say it with all the love in the world! And 'tis true what I said, he was not. Perhaps Hecate has made thee boring, but I highly doubt it: she was always a most entertaining creature when properly encouraged or vexed.”

Thorn shifted lamely, looking away and rubbing uncomfortably at his head, and Luna softened ever so slightly, giving a smile before she said in a gentler voice: “Now come, Thorn, there is no need to act as if I speak seriously. I would think thou would remember thy Mutt better than that.”

“I do. I just... sorry.” Thorn said lamely, and Luna snorted before she reached up and firmly ruffled up his mane, Thorn wincing and pulling his head away a little too late before he quickly began to neaten his hair out.

Luna snorted in amusement at this, and then she said wryly: “Thou truly art thy father's child. Scrivy, why must thou ruin everything?”

Scrivener only gave Luna a flat look as Morgan shook her head, and then the violet mare asked curiously: “So how often do you train, Thorn? Hecate was telling us about how you handle mainly the administrative duties here, but she hinted that one day you might want to help out the Orphanage more directly...” Morgan paused, then smiled slightly. “She said you came up with that name, too.”

“Yes, I, well... you know. Got a little carried away in one of my reports, too much flourish, and... it just... stuck.” Thorn shrugged awkwardly, giving a lame laugh. Morgan only smiled at him, and the sapphire stallion hesitated before he dropped his head and added in a mumble: “And... I have given it some thought. But, well... I'm only capable of concentrating around a hundred bæns of magic energy and I've only been trained in defensive procedures and I've never-”

“So we start immediately! Thorn, all things begin small, there is no shame in that.” Luna said firmly, smiling warmly at her son as she reached up and squeezed his shoulder, before she softened and added quietly: “And aye. Thou wert raised in Helheim, and unlike my other children... thou wert never trained in combat. But even as a foal thou had a mind like thy mother...”

Luna paused, then she looked in amusement over at Morgan, saying wryly: “'Tis rather amusing that our foal has three mothers. Four, really, since Scrivy is far more of a mare than a stallion.”

Scrivener rolled his eyes, and Thorn chuckled quietly before he murmured: “Hecate has said that in the past too... the 'mothers' thing, not about you, Dad.”

“Although I wouldn't really be surprised if she said that, too.” Scrivener said mildly, and then the stallion asked, unable to help himself: “So... you're okay? I mean, this has all... you've been treated okay, you're happy here? You don't...”

Scrivener broke off, smiling lamely as Luna huffed and Twilight softened, gazing tenderly at their child. Thorn weighed the questions in his mind... and then he smiled faintly, looking up and replying quietly: “I was... afraid that you were going to be disappointed in me and that I've been able to find my place here.”

Luna chuckled quietly at this, and then she said softly: “Fear not, Thorn. There is still plenty of time for thee to disappoint us yet... but for now, nay, I can only be glad to see thou art doing so well... and I am proud of thee, my son. Proud.” She winked, then nudged him firmly. “And I shall be prouder still once thou shows me thou art capable of learning more than silly bookery! Now come, let us see how strong thou art, Thorn Blackfeather, and what thy heritage has passed on to thee!”

Thorn blushed deeply and gave a lame smile, knowing that if anything, he was going to end up embarrassing himself... and yet all the same, he couldn't help but feel happier than he had been in a long time, to finally be able to spend these precious few hours with his parents.

Cadence shifted uncertainly as she looked up at Hecate, who had called her down to her office for a reason that the ivory mare had definitely not expected. She bit her lip, then returned her eyes to the papers in her hooves, unable to stop herself from saying: “But... I thought we failed.”

“The mission has been recorded as a success. Your assessment is still pending: I would rate your performance as a spectacular failure overall, yes, but you may still salvage some of your reputation and rank if Thorn's evaluation is not entirely negative.” Hecate said coldly, gesturing moodily towards the ivory mare. “Until your assessment is complete, your team will remain on leave, to recuperate and relax. Then we have a special mission for you. A favor, for... an old friend.”

Cadence furrowed her brow nervously, looking down at the papers and reading over the orders again on the top sheet, the mare muttering: “Not that I have any problem with the mission, Queen Hecate, but... will we be provided any more specific information than this?”

“No. None is available. This is a ridiculous wild goose chase, but one I am all the same being compelled to take part in.” Hecate paused, tapping a metal claw against her desk slowly before she added moodily: “And if you truly are the 'best of my best,' as you so pride yourself on saying, you will complete this mission successfully. Further failures will not be tolerated after today's dismal performance. You performed far, far below expectations. All of you.”

Cadence dropped her head lamely, nodding uncomfortably and not daring to say anything back to Hecate, as much as she wanted to. Partly because she was afraid of what the Swan would say, and partly because, as much as she hated it, she knew it was true. She was so incredibly disappointed in herself, and part of her was still reeling with just how shockingly powerful the Valkyrie was, compared to her.

Cadence sighed softly, then she murmured: “Maybe... well, in the meantime, can we dispatch intelligence operatives or tracer drones to the locations mentioned in the report? Maybe we'll get lucky and they built a portal to escape...”

“Doubtful. But you'll be glad to know that drones have already been dispatched. I am not an idiot, Cadence.” Hecate said icily, and Cadence looked awkwardly up at the mare before the empress continued: “What I want you to focus on is preparation. The only thing guaranteed about this mission is that you will be away from Decretum for a long time, and likely out of contact. Your team needs to be prepared for that, and prepared to gather equipment on-site.”

Cadence nodded quickly, looking up at the mare and promising: “We will be. My father has already returned to the medical bay to complete his treatment.”

Hecate grunted moodily, and Cadence bit her lip before she asked hesitantly: “So you... knew the Valkyrie before...”

“Yes, I did. She is partly the reason Decretum is the way it is.” Hecate said moodily, and Cadence didn't know if Hecate was referring to the fact that half the world was a wasteland of ruin, or that she was why this project had been started in the first place. “And before you ask, no, I would never consider recruiting her as an Orphan. For a multitude of reasons.”

Cadence looked up at the Empress of Decretum, steadying herself before she asked before she could convince herself it was a terrible idea: “And the Valkyrie is Thorn's mother?”

There was silence for a few long moments as Hecate looked at the Swan Maiden measuringly, and then the Clockwork Queen slowly leaned forwards before saying in a soft, serious voice: “No matter whether you figured that out on your own, or Thorn told you, that information is classified. If I hear even a whisper of it leave this office, I will have you arrested by the Clockwork Titans, I will have you dragged through the streets, and I will have your mind wiped and behavioral nodes implanted in your empty skull. Do I make myself clear?”

Cadence smiled weakly as she swallowed thickly: Hecate wasn't joking. The ivory mare shifted nervously back in her seat, and then she couldn't help but blurt: “Why is that so important, though? I mean, she's just a fallen remnant, she's not-”

“You have no idea who they are, and nor do most of the ponies here, and I intend to keep it that way. And if you disrespect her in my sight again you will find yourself spending your leave cleaning out the sewage vents.” Hecate said contemptibly, and Cadence blinked in surprise as Hecate's eyes shifted to a pair of photos on her desk. “There are some ponies who, no matter how frustrating and idiotic they are... deserve only our respect.”

It brought a thousand more questions to Cadence's mind, but she didn't quite dare ask any of them as she only nodded hesitantly before returning her eyes to the papers in her hooves, studying them briefly. Only one last question came to mind that she thought she could get away with asking, however: “Can I get access to the historical archives for research purposes? This timeline lists a series of important events, but I don't know what any of them mean.”

Hecate looked meditatively at Cadence, and then she nodded shortly before saying moodily: “I'll have Thorn upgrade your clearance. Don't abuse the privilege, Cadence, or you'll end up finding out things you'll regret having learned.”

The ivory mare nodded, and then she tucked the papers under one wing before standing up and saluting. Hecate only gestured dismissively to the mare, but as Cadence began to step out of her office, the Clockwork Queen said quietly: “I did not recruit the Swan, Cadence. I recruited you. So get the Swan under control or I may be forced to make changes I would prefer not to.”

Cadence swallowed and nodded again over her shoulder, then stepped out of the office, the door slamming shut behind her. Still, for a few moments she lingered, as if trying to stare through the steel door and see the mechanical empress on the other side, until finally, the ivory mare lowered her head with a sigh and turned away.

She made her way back through the halls of Decretum, trying not to think too much; but, as always, plenty of thoughts rose to the surface all the same, needling and picking at her, making her shift uncomfortably and the Swan squirm inside of her. She didn't mind being away from Decretum when she had her team with her, and she didn't mind when most of their equipment and supplies had to be gathered on-site, but long-term deployments were very hard on their father, and it didn't sound like they would be able to call in a mobile treatment center, either, if something went wrong. And something always goes wrong...

Cadence chewed on her lip nervously, her horn glowing and quickly shifting the papers back in front of herself to study them intently as she walked along. The other thing gnawing at her mind was that this request apparently came from a demon, and they were being asked to find a subject who they had little information about, apart from a name.

“Rustproof. Escaped Heaven during a catastrophe, possible Class II augmentation, unknown status. Retrieve alive, or proof of death.” Cadence muttered, and then she shook her head as she glanced past the top of the papers, swerving quickly out of the way of several Dogmatists. Industrials, she thought: what were they doing here?

Cadence looked curiously over her shoulder at the Dogmatists, then she felt her hooves automatically turning her to follow the mechanical ponies. Over the years in Decretum, she had learned a lot about the Clockwork Ponies and their hierarchy: with their heavy frames and the equipment secured over their bodies, these ones were very clearly workers and technicians, not military models. And these days, it was unusual for industrial Dogmatists to be present in any part of the Imperia District, where the Orphanage and associated buildings were located.

The mare followed the Clockwork Ponies curiously, and then she scowled slowly as she felt a familiar presence, realizing where they were probably heading. But now, even if she wanted to, she couldn't turn around: she was drawn onward by that sensation, the mare tucking her papers moodily back under her wing as she followed the Dogmatists to one of the training rooms.

She strode in behind them and halted, gazing moodily at the sight of Luna Brynhild. Thorn was nearby, wheezing loudly and holding his chest, but the sapphire mare was simply laughing loudly, looking pleased as she declared: “-better than I had expected, great paper-pusher! Aye, thou art tenacious... but even as a foal, thou wert always such trouble, so stubborn!”

“I wonder where he gets that from.” Scrivener said wryly, even as his eyes flicked towards the doorway and studied Cadence nervously.

The ivory mare looked moodily back at them, and Luna's grin toned down to a smile before she slowly turned towards Cadence, looking at her evenly. Swan Maiden and Valkyrie studied each other calmly for a few moments... and then Luna asked, in a surprisingly-civil voice: “Is there something thou needs help with, Danzsöngr?”

“No, Brynhild. I was simply following the drones to see what was wrong.” Cadence drew her eyes towards the Clockwork Ponies, who had already dispersed around the room to repair damaged, fizzling gears and other broken machinery: it looked as if they hadn't just tried to run the obstacle course, they had gotten into a fight on top of it and broken half the equipment.

The Valkyrie visibly swallowed down a retort as Scrivener and Morgan both looked at the sapphire mare for a few moments, and then Luna sighed grumpily before she asked suddenly: “Would thou like to spar? For I must say, Danzsöngr, for all thy... imperfections... thy powers of healing are remarkable. 'Tis a good quality for any warrior... doubly so if thy plan is to fight mainly with thy face instead of thy hooves.”

Cadence scowled darkly over at Luna, grinding her teeth together. Inside her, the Swan writhed and twisted furiously on itself, wanting to do nothing more than snap insults, but Cadence swallowed it down, forced herself to remain under control. As shameful as it was for her to admit, even to herself, she knew that the Valkyrie would humiliate her in a spar. And she also knew that the Swan would not hesitate to cheat, and Cadence did not want to let the Swan dishonor her in that way.

“No. I don't have time for you right now, Valkyrie. I have to find my team and get them together, and I have to do research.” Cadence said sourly, before she added nastily as she yanked the papers out from under her wing with telekinesis: “Some of us are still dedicated to protecting Valhalla and Midgard, outlaw.”

Luna scowled horribly, opening her mouth, and then she closed it thoughtfully, tapping at her nose as she said musingly: “I never realized it, but aye, I suppose I am outlaw. Well, Scrivy. Is this not a strange turn of events for life to take?”

Scrivener Blooms only smiled awkwardly and shrugged a little before Thorn looked up, the stallion awkwardly adjusting his mane before he asked: “What's the mission code?”

Cadence glanced down at the top of the sheet, then read off: “50-401-2, Clearance DE.”

Thorn mumbled the code to himself under his breath as he summoned a holographic screen in front of himself, Morgan striding curiously over to watch as Luna huffed loudly. “What nonsense is this? Can thou not simply say what thy mission is? Or art thou afraid that the outlaw Valkyrie will whisk off to complete whatever silly job that Hecate has for thee before thou can assemble thy band of misfits and dance to whatever tune thy jarl has played for thee?”

Cadence ground her teeth slowly together, one of her eyes twitching, but Thorn quickly explained, not looking up from the screen: “It's important to maintain a certain level of confidentiality, especially when certain subjects are involved. Under no circumstances are members of the Orphanage to ever be sent back to the worlds they came from, for example... and many of our best operate under an intelligence blindfold, as Hecate refers to it.”

Thorn paused, then he glanced over at Cadence, asking: “Speaking of which, do you need research clearance? I have a note here from Hecate saying you requested it.”

“Well, the subject fled Valhalla around a quarter of a century ago. I need as much information about him as I can possibly get if I'm going to find him.” the ivory mare replied calmly, and then she scowled a little as Luna cocked her head curiously. “I'm not allowed to discuss it.”

Thorn nodded a little, and then he bit his lip before he looked over at Morgan, saying hesitantly: “I... I don't know if I'm technically allowed to ask this, but... perhaps...”

Morgan smiled, reaching up and squeezing her son's shoulder before the violet mare turned her eyes towards Cadence, asking softly: “Can we help you? We happen to know a lot about what happened to Valhalla, and...”

She glanced questioningly at Thorn, and the stallion hesitated only a moment before he pushed on the holographic screen, enlarging it and bringing up the mission information. Luna craned her head around as Scrivener looked up with interest, while Cadence narrowed her eyes moodily. It irked the Swan Maiden in a way she couldn't describe, to the point where she was actually considering lodging a complaint with Hecate.

And then Morgan smiled slightly as Luna whistled and Scrivener Blooms nodded thoughtfully. The purple mare reached up and squeezed Thorn's shoulder gently, and then she said softly: “Scrivener and I can't be far away from Luna for very long, but we can give you an hour or so of our time, at least, to tell you about what happened in Valhalla and where we think this pony might have gone.”

Cadence gritted her teeth, very tempted to tell the mare off, but then her eyes swiveled to the Valkyrie, who was looking at her as if challenging her to say something so she could have an excuse to start a fight. They glared at each other for a few moments, but finally, Cadence huffed before muttering grudgingly: “It would... I'd appreciate that, yes, thank you.”

Luna grinned slightly, then she turned a smile to Thorn, saying softly: “'Tis good of thee to let us help, Thorn. There is more to being a leader than simply following every rule.”

Thorn smiled uncomfortably, rubbing at the back of his head, and Morgan strode over to Luna, trading a quick kiss with her. Scrivener followed, then grumbled when Luna firmly swatted his rump as he walked past, the mare saying cheerfully: “Now, neither of thee try and sleep with her, no matter how much she begs thee.”

“I'm sure that's more your field of expertise, Valkyrie. Sleeping with strange ponies.” Cadence said moodily, and then she turned around and strode quickly out of the room before the Swan added anything meaner, Scrivener and Morgan following after her.

Almost the moment the doors closed behind them, Cadence felt the Swan settling and her emotions calming along with it. The ivory mare took a slow breath, and then she smiled a little over her shoulder, studying the two behind her intently before she said softly: “Thank you both for helping me out, maybe giving me some first-hoof information about what happened. I really do appreciate it, I just... that Valkyrie makes us...”

Scrivener Blooms simply held up a claw, saying wryly: “Don't worry. Luna has that effect on a lot of ponies.”

Cadence nodded, studying the claw for a moment before she drew her eyes over the stallion hesitantly. Scrivener looked back at her curiously, and the ivory mare shook her head hurriedly before she turned, asking: “Where would you like to go over these files?”

“Is there anywhere nearby? We can't be too far from Luna.” Morgan said softly, and Cadence gave her a more-curious look: now that she was away from the Valkyrie, she was starting to actually process things, could feel more than just anger and annoyance.

“I did see that you three were... communicating, so to speak. I was curious but I didn't know if it was polite to ask.” Cadence said softly, as she decided to look for an open meeting room: there had to be one or two that weren't being used at the moment nearby.

“The three of us are soulbound. Twilight... I mean Morgan, sorry... is technically a Lich, and we doubled as her phylacteries in life.” Scrivener explained, nudging Morgan with his shoulder, and the mare gave him a mild look. “Hey, I have to tell your embarrassing stories before you can tell mine.”

“Scrivener fits in so well here because he's a Replicant.” Morgan said mildly, and Scrivener shot the mare a sour look as Cadence glanced over her shoulder with surprise, and a funny feeling of hope. “But back on topic, the three of us share thoughts, emotions, and life... any larger wounds Luna and Scrivy get reflect on each other's bodies, and none of us can be apart for very long or... well, bad things start to happen.”

“Putting it mildly.” Scrivener said dryly, and then he looked awkwardly at Cadence as they came to a halt outside an empty room, the stallion saying lamely: “You know, uh... I'm used to people staring at me but usually it's a lot more hostile than that.”

“Oh, sorry, I just...” Cadence blushed a bit, and then she blurted: “It's just that Daddy... I've been looking for a cure for my father, Sombra, for years. The corruption takes over his mind if he doesn't have it diluted regularly, but you seem...”

She gestured at him, and Scrivener smiled a bit before he silently ran a claw along his own scarred chest, saying quietly: “I'm a little different, yeah. I thought your father was a Clockwork Pony at first, actually, because of that pack he was wearing on his back... but I'm guessing that was added on afterwards, huh?”

Cadence nodded, then she finally smiled briefly before heading into the meeting room, flicking her horn to hit the switch on the wall to turn the lights on. There wasn't much here: a plain room with a plain metal table and chairs, but it would be more than enough for their business, she thought.

Yet all the same, as professional as she wanted to be, she couldn't help but ask: “How did... you two and the Valkyrie...”

Morgan and Scrivener traded smiles, and then they both turned their eyes back towards the ivory mare before the stallion said softly: “Some things are just meant to be, no matter what happens. Nothing... has ever been able to part the three of us for long. It just always... was.”

Morgan laughed softly, nodding slowly in agreement, and Cadence smiled hesitantly before she shook her head. Her eyes lingered on Morgan, and then she said softly, before she even realized what she was saying: “You're so... different from the Twilight Sparkle in my world.” She stopped, blushed as she realized she'd blurted that out loud, and added quickly with a small laugh: “But I guess I'm not like any Cadence from any other world myself, huh?”

She silently reached up and touched the bird-shaped marking on her chest, but Morgan only smiled softly before she said quietly: “I don't know if I was ever really a... Twilight Sparkle to begin with. Life... life had a lot of strange twists for me, from becoming a Lich to becoming what I am now, so...” Twilight paused, and then she added: “And you know, when most people... find that out, that I was a Lich, and I guess still technically sort of am...”

But Cadence only shook her head, replying: “If one thing living in Decretum has taught me, it's that you can't judge people by what they are, or what they say... it's what they do that really matters. Look at Hecate, for example. She's terrifying, and she can be cold and cruel... but I think... I really believe that she cares about all of us, and I know she goes to incredible lengths to protect the worlds, when she could be doing... much worse things.”

“Yeah. She could be.” Scrivener smiled briefly, and then he cleared his throat before saying finally: “Well, as Luna always says, I am the fun-killer. So I'm going to kill our fun and ask uh... what do you know about Valhalla, and the Angelic War?”

“Almost nothing. Most of us here have no knowledge of Valhalla, except that it's ruled by Queen Terra-” Cadence made the slightest face here. “And that Heaven and Hell both regularly contribute equipment, materials, and even soldiers to Decretum. Likewise, Hecate has always told us to focus on the future, not the past: the archives here have immense amounts of information, but very few people are permitted to access historical data. It's like she's... trying to hide the past.”

Cadence felt a little guilty phrasing it that way, but Morgan and Scrivener only traded amused smiles, as if they were in on some kind of little secret. They looked... happy, even, Cadence thought, as Morgan said softly: “Normally I'd say not learning about the past means we're doomed to repeat it... but in this case, I think I'm okay with Hecate... avoiding sore subjects.”

“I guess sometimes it is better to just try and move on.” Scrivener agreed with a slow nod, and then he smiled over at Cadence, continuing: “Well, we'll keep it simple, anyway. Valhalla underwent two sieges in the past, one after the other. During the first takeover, many Benevolent were transformed and augmented. If Rustproof was actually among those ponies, then it's possible he was also one of the escapees when the second siege began. When the Pious invaded, a lot of people escaped to various Midgard planes. I mean, they obviously weren't supposed to, but Heaven was in utter chaos and they felt it was escape or get caught up in a war they were destined to lose...”

“And to be entirely fair, both Valhalla's soldiers and Hel's assault teams were trying to get as many civilians as possible out of Heaven. With their Great Webwork, the Pious were assimilating as many ponies as they could to increase the strength of their hive mind.” Morgan added, and Cadence frowned slightly even as she made a few mental notes to herself.

“I've heard of the Pious, though... they're a peaceful people, aren't they?” she asked, and Scrivener and Morgan both nodded.

“Yes, but they were also easily manipulated by those in power. Their leader, the being they revered as a god of sorts, was... destroyed...” Morgan shifted, silently touching the crystalline orb in her breast. “But we discovered too late that his adviser was the manipulator behind the attacks on other worlds, who was using the Pious to pursue his own aggressive agenda. After he was stopped, the Pious returned to their peaceful ways. We've even heard that Terra established trade relations with Greater Heaven.”

“I think that's part of the reason why Hecate wants the past concealed. A lot happened in the past: there were wars, slaughters, and a lot of the people you call friend we would have known as enemies in our past.” Scrivener said softly, and Cadence nodded slowly. “I think what Hecate is trying to do here is give everyone a fresh start, a second chance, not just cover things up. And she deserves it herself.”

Cadence nodded again, then she looked down at the papers in front of her, hesitating before she finally slipped the top copy across the table to two ponies. Morgan picked it up, and both she and Scrivener leaned in curiously to read it over, as the ivory mare explained: “This is the only information we have, most of it second-hoof accounts. The entire mission is very unusual and I really don't know where to start, although I guess... it sounds like I should request permission to investigate in Valhalla, first.” She halted, then muttered, even as she felt a twist of anxiety inside her: “But that's a Class E world, no one just goes to Valhalla, even if they have a good reason-”

“Hecate will agree.” Scrivener said without looking up from the page, as Morgan thoughtfully scanned a paragraph. “Rustproof would have been an engineer. Most of Valhalla's been cleaned up and rebuilt from the toll the wars took on it, but Terra keeps pretty strict records about everything that happened. Her histories will be a lot more complete.”

“It's likely there will be some kind of record of where Rustproof was stationed during Gymbr's rule. That's a start, at least.” Morgan hesitated, then she added thoughtfully: “If this account is right, and he fled to Midgard...”

She glanced at Scrivener, and this time Cadence saw it: the way they traded thoughts, possibly entire conversations, instantly, before the stallion smiled and looked up at the ivory mare. “It would pretty much have to be by a portal ring. The Pious probably would have tried to activate it instead of destroying it so they could continue to spread the Light through other worlds. They were very aggressive in the past about that.”

“As long as Terra didn't have the ring broken down for scrap, it's probably still sitting around Heaven somewhere. I'd guess one of the warehouses where they've been storing artifacts from the wars, or stored with other smuggler rings. A lot of them were collected from the Vale of Valhalla after the war.” Morgan added, smiling. “As long as they were keeping track of where each artifact was found, you shouldn't have too much trouble pulling it out of storage.”

Cadence smiled back at the two, and then she said finally: “You're both a lot more helpful than I would have expected... no offense or anything.”

Scrivener and Morgan both smiled in amusement as they heard what Cadence was actually saying, and the stallion shrugged amiably as Morgan said softly: “We're very glad to help. But... if you don't mind, Cadence, I'm curious to learn a little about you, too, and this... Swan, inside you.”

The ivory mare shifted a little, but when the Swan didn't stir, she decided it was probably safe enough to talk about, even to these two. Sure, they both had a strange essence about them that made her feel... odd... but it was only the Valkyrie who really seemed to infuriate the Swan. “Well, it's... I don't know if it's a long story or a really simple one.

“Daddy tells me I fell to Equestria on a star... Hecate said I must have been thrown out of Valhalla, before it collapsed. I remember...” Cadence looked down for a moment, and then she murmured: “I remember the world burning, as I fought... demon after demon, but I was helpless to do anything to stop them... and then there was only... darkness.”

She quieted, rubbing at her lips slowly before she looked uncertainly up, but no. These ponies were only looking at her with empathy and kindness. No doubt, no argument, no silly rationalizations about how she couldn't possibly have those memories; it was a nice change of pace. “I was reborn, I guess. Daddy raised me, until...” Her eyes darkened. “Valthrudnir came...”

Scrivener leaned forwards a little more intently now, as Morgan silently reached up and touched his shoulder, but Cadence was lost in memories and the retelling, as she murmured: “He made... promises, he said he wanted to help our ponies and help us become more 'civilized,' and he had this... this strong, this... perfect, but very sad stallion with him. I fought him once, and he nearly killed me... Daddy had to step in to protect me.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Cadence shook her head and continued: “He betrayed Daddy, and Daddy was forced to... put me to sleep. Then he was sealed away himself by Celestia and Luna, who didn't understand that... the things he had done were to protect his own nation, and that it wasn't his fault that this terrible evil was inside of him, always compelling him to do bad things... I wish I could tell them. Show them...”

She stopped, then smiled briefly. “But I knew I had to save him, and so I... I did. I didn't quite make it, though... I died. I died, but I didn't stay dead; instead, something woke up inside of me and brought me back to life. The Swan...” She looked down, silently touching her own breast. “Every time I die, the Swan takes over and brings me back. And I become more like her, more like who I used to be in the past. I've died five times, and I think that now, the Swan can control me better than I can control her...”

Cadence looked down at the papers on the table, and then she shook her head before looking up with a small smile at Scrivener and Morgan. “So I really... I really am sorry about how we met, and that I ambushed the Valk... Luna Brynhild, the way I did. I wasn't myself. And around her, I seem to have trouble... being myself.”

“Hey, like I said. Twilight and I are both well-aware that... Luna has that effect on people.” Scrivener smiled slightly, shrugging a bit before he said softly: “You seem like a dedicated pony, Cadence, and like you know who your friends and family are. And hell, you turned Cross into a half-decent guy, it looks like. If you can keep him and that weird winged unicorn under control, I'm pretty sure you must be a pretty strong pony.”

Cadence smiled and shrugged a bit, and then she said finally: “Well, you know. I know La Croix and Moonflower are dorks, but... they're good ponies. They try hard and I can trust them and rely on them.”

“Huh. Never would imagined anyone saying that about Cross.” Scrivener said blandly, and then he swayed to the side as Morgan nudged him firmly, giving him an amused look.

“Ignore him. Scrivy has a bad habit he picked up from Luna where he just can't seem to stop picking on people's past mistakes.” Morgan paused, then she smiled a little over at Cadence before she asked curiously: “But who is Moonflower, anyway? I mean, he seems a little... well...”

“He's dramatic.” Cadence said carefully, and Scrivener grunted before the ivory mare continued: “Apparently he fought a tyrant who had replaced Celestia in his world, and then got his hooves on the tablet she had used to take over Equestria, which had the power to make wishes come true. He made his whole world vanish, because... he's an idiot.”

Scrivener nodded thoughtfully at this explanation as Morgan frowned, but Cadence only smiled in amusement. “He's not really malicious or anything, don't worry, he's just... obsessed with this whole 'bad guy' act he puts on. He claims he got bored and brought the world back so he'd have people to torment, but I'm honestly not even sure he ever really wished the world away. He probably just wished himself away from the world. He's always talking about his friends, Antecedes and Neato Burrito, and how much he wants to go home and pick on Luna and Throna Halfdragon, who rule his Equestria together.”

The black stallion smiled slightly at this, and then he gave Morgan an amused look, saying wryly: “I guess we might get along better than I thought.”

Cadence laughed and shook her head, before she blinked and looked up in surprise as a voice agreed cheerfully: “Well, of course, what pony can resist my splendiferousness?”

Moonflower himself happily bounced into the room, and Cadence saw immediately what had put the winged unicorn in such a good mood: he had finally gotten back one of the many silly little toys he insisted on trying to sneak into Decretum. Hecate always took them away, and usually she had them destroyed as 'contraband,' but Cadence supposed even the mechanical empress couldn't see the harm in letting Moonflower keep the stupid charm he had bought from a fortune teller a few missions ago.

Scrivener and Morgan, however, were both staring not at the little crystal charm around his neck, but instead at the creature on top of Moonflower's head; Cadence reflected that was probably only natural, since the large green frog perched there was looking back at them suspiciously.

Moonflower dropped into a seat next to Scrivener, eyeing him appreciatively: perhaps a little too appreciatively, Cadence reflected with an amused smile, as she leaned her chin on one hoof and watched as the winged unicorn said pleasantly: “You know, we really haven't gotten a chance to know each other, it's all just been so hectic! And I must say, it's very rare that I get to see such a handsome stallion anywhere nearby...”

“Moony, the guy is like sitting there with his wife. Use the little brain you got. Not the littler brain down there between your legs.” complained the frog, and Moonflower blushed slightly before he straightened and laughed forcefully, grinning awkwardly.

“Oh, my... my friend Toad is such a kidder!” he said with false cheer, then he reached and firmly swatted the frog off his head, knocking Toad to the table with a yelp, the little amphibian rolling head over heels before he landed with a flump on his stomach as Moonflower glared daggers at him. “But I think he has to go now. Isn't that too bad?”

“Eat me, buddy.” Toad grumbled, picking himself up, and then he cleared his throat and waved awkwardly at Scrivener and Morgan with his little webbed hands. “Hey there.”

“Uh. Hi.” Scrivener said lamely, raising a Talon and waving back, before he looked awkwardly over at Morgan and asked in a mumble: “I know this isn't the weirdest thing we've ever seen but uh... this is pretty far up there, right?”

“Hey, screw you, pal. It's not my fault Moony didn't have the brainpower to turn me into a dragon like he wanted. He just made me immortal. And... talkative.” Toad paused, then he reached up and poked absently at the warts along the back of his ridged head. “And he gave me these because clearly I'm not actually a frog or anything, right guys?”

“Shut up, Toad.” grumbled Moonflower, swatting at the frog, but the little amphibian nimbly jumped out of the way. “Yes, Toad is a rather interesting quandary of mine. On the one hoof, he's a terrible failure. On the other, he represents absolutely mastery of life and death!”

Moonflower gestured proudly with both hooves towards the tiny amphibian, and Toad gave a sarcastic little wave before he said grumpily: “Moony enchanted me so every time I die, I blow up and I'm reborn as a tadpole. Really sucks the fun out of life, I kid you not, kids. He also made me smart, which makes me wonder why he can't make himself smart.”

Moonflower pursed his lips, glowering down at the frog before he leaned forwards and threatened: “How would you like to go for a ride in the blender, Toad?”

Toad huffed loudly, then he turned around and hopped grumpily away, complaining: “Fine, I'm going, I'm going, you big baby. Just don't come crying to me when you end up getting thrown out of another window.”

“That happened once!” Moonflower shouted as his companion hopped off the table and headed out the door, and the winged unicorn glared for a moment, then suddenly dropped backwards, leaning on Scrivener and grinning widely as he reached up and touched the stallion's scarred chest, Scrivy staring blankly as Moony said in a far-too-friendly voice: “So you must exercise regularly. I do too. We should make the time to do some... warming up together.”

Scrivener gave a strained little giggle through his teeth, and then he carefully reached up and unbarnacled Moonflower from his body as Cadence dropped her face in a hoof. But Moonflower was undeterred, grinning widely as he gestured over at Cadence and added brightly: “And I know! Cadence, your father – wonderful stallion! – he does this very interesting thing called yogurt, he says it helps keep him limber. We should join him, why, what a better way to get to know the team!”

Moonflower paused, then looked over at Cadence and sighed, adding in a dreamier voice: “Your father is so handsome, Cadence. I mean, he has such gorgeous eyes and the way his mane flows and he's oh, so wise and intelligent and he has such a body... and oh, that animal side of him just makes me want to-”

“Oh my god stop talking about my Dad like that!” Cadence half-shouted as she covered her ears, wincing and staring pointedly at the tabletop, before she added with a quick glare at Moonflower: “Also, it's called yoga, and all you ever do is stare at my Dad's ass while he does his stretching!”

“There is no shame in admiring the physique of a fellow stallion!” Moonflower defended lamely, and then he cleared his throat and rose his head, adding primly as he pushed his front hooves together: “Furthermore, all I was doing was memorizing the complex and intricate movements he was doing, that is all. There is nothing wrong with wanting to learn to do something right.”

Scrivener looked moodily at Moonflower, then he winced when the winged unicorn wheeled towards him, grinning and winking at him. “You know, every stallion needs to just have... time with other stallions now and then. We can discuss... stallion things together! I know, I know, it must be so terribly intimidating to have a god of darkness such as myself asking you to come and fritter away your time with all his majesty, but don't be so hard on yourself! You seem like you're more than capable of taking care of yourself, and like you get too little time with your own fellows. Let me do you this favor!”

“You're doing me a favor.” Scrivener said dryly, and Moonflower nodded eagerly, throwing a foreleg around the stallion's shoulders.

Slowly, Scrivener turned to look at Morgan, who was doing her best to hide her amused smile under her hooves, before the earth pony sighed tiredly as he turned his eyes back towards Moonflower, trying to shift the conversation as he said: “That's a uh... nice necklace.”

“Oh, thank you!” Moonflower looked very pleased with himself as he shot Cadence a superior look. “Yes, yes. Several weeks ago, my team and I were sent by Hecate to get rid of a frustrating pest that was causing all sorts of awful problems on another world. Well, we ended up stopping in this wretched little backwater town afterwards, but it was a stroke of fate! In a back alley, I came across a seer who sold me this magnificent charm that she predicted would be of great help to me in the future. She said without it, I might die. And it was only fifty bits!”

“Uh huh.” Scrivener looked awkwardly at the string of multicolored, roughly-polished gemstones. The only thing that looked remotely like it hadn't just been picked up out of a creek was the little chunk of uncut crystal dangling from the front of it, and otherwise it looked a lot like the kind of thing you'd make with your kids on a rainy day out of garbage from around the house...

“He bought it from a fortune teller. La Croix told him not to but he wouldn't listen.” Cadence paused, then added moodily as Moonflower glared at her: “Not that it really mattered, because later that night he ended up getting pickpocketed by some foals and they ran away with every last bit we had let him carry.”

Moonflower blushed at this, and then he pointed at her and snapped: “I could have eradicated those foals with but a thought, but... I was helping the less fortunate! They... they have become better thieves and will be able to feed their families tonight because of me! Do... do not underestimate my cunningly evil generosity!”

Cadence only looked dryly at Moonflower, and then she sighed before using telekinesis to gently pluck up the loose paper from across the table, shuffling her orders back under her wing before she said finally: “Thanks again for helping me out. Moonflower, don't get yourself beaten up too badly, we're only on leave for a few days, we already have our next order. I have to go and log a request, so try and behave yourself, okay? Hecate is already mad enough at us as it is.”

Moonflower grumbled and waved a hoof, and then he turned a grin towards Scrivener, the scarred stallion wincing a little as the winged unicorn said almost pleadingly: “You know, all I see around here are mares, mares, mares, and all the good stallions are made of metal! You seem... open minded and... interested in the allure of evil...”

Cadence rolled her eyes, then she turned away and headed towards the doors, giving a last, brief smile to the two ponies she... well, she didn't mind, she decided. The Valkyrie was certainly awful still, but those two had been easy enough to get along with.

Actually, she had a lot of questions for them starting to form in her mind, she just didn't know what was polite to ask and what wasn't. The ivory mare shrugged a little to herself as she made her way down the hall, figuring that if they were going to be here for a few more days, they would run into each other again. She would just have to work extra hard to keep the Swan buried, that was all.

The ivory mare made her way back to the apartment she shared with her father, letting herself in and turning the lights on with a flick of her horn. She smiled a little as she tossed the papers down on the island that separated little living room from little kitchen: everything had been neatened and tidied up, which meant her father had been here, but the lights off meant he had already left.

Still, that was a good sign. It meant his treatment was done and he would be ready for when they left. Cadence just felt a little lonely without him, and any time the Swan started making inroads through her psyche, she always got... clingier, needier. She loved her father, more than anything in the world. She depended on him to get through the hard times, and she trusted that he would always be there for her. Just like she had come to depend on and trust in La Croix and Moonflower.

Cadence headed into the kitchen, and found a pot of her favorite blueberry tea already waiting for her, the mare smiling softly. The little things like that, that's what made all the difference to her, she thought. That was precisely why she felt she could trust her father above everything else, and why she counted on him so much, and it was probably also why she let herself get so anxious when he wasn't around. She was no good at taking care of herself, after all.

The ivory mare poured herself a cup of the still-warm tea, then dug through the pantry to get herself some of those little scones she liked. A lot of things in Decretum had to be specially ordered in, like baked goods and sweets and other things she had taken for granted in the past, but even though it was expensive, Cadence thought it was a good use of the money she made working for Hecate.

Hell, the fact they were paid at all was kind of nice, Cadence reflected as she levitated a knife to butter her scones. Hecate, after all, had rescued all of them from their various perils and torments, given them a job, a purpose, a place to live, and on top of providing for them, they were paid in credits, which allowed them to buy extra luxuries around Decretum. Considering the state most Orphans were in when they were first found, Hecate could have easily made all of them indentured servants and just locked them up in stasis pods or holding cells when they weren't being sent off on mission, and most of them would have been grateful for the chance to simply continue existing.

This was a good life. Hard at times, and scary, sure, but it was a good life. Cadence smiled a little at this thought and nodded to herself as she bit into the scone, and she closed her eyes at the taste, relishing it.

She was in control here, and this was her life. Not the Swan's. She had been the one to choose to come and fight under Hecate's banner, and it was her father that she had saved, not the Swan's. The Swan was inside her, but she could control it: she just had to remember that she chose whether the Swan made her stronger, or whether she gave in to its viciousness, its cruelty, and she allowed the Swan to make her weaker.

Cadence nodded to herself, then she picked up her tea and sipped at it before she gazed down into the liquid, promising herself that she would remember in the future that this was her world and her life, and she wouldn't let the Swan ruin everything that she had worked so hard to achieve.

Discipline

Chapter Six: Discipline
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence swore again under her breath as she shuffled through the assessment, glaring angrily at the papers. Her father was only calmly reading his own, but every now and then she thought she saw his eyes flicking up towards her. She knew she shouldn't be surprised, and she knew that she should be doing a better job of reeling her emotions in, but the Swan was almost as angry as she was, and... this... “This isn't fair!”

Cadence nearly tore the sheets in her hooves in two, but then she forced herself to put them down on the table as calmly as she could, which meant basically slamming them down onto the wood hard enough to knock over the little vase of fake flowers as she exploded: “We were lied to and set up! Hecate knows that, Hecate... Hecate was the one who did that to us!”

“And it was part of our assessment, mi amore, you know that as well as I do.” Sombra said gently as he turned towards her, giving his daughter a reassuring smile. “You know that Hecate is only being so hard on us because-”

“Because she's a tyrant.” muttered Cadence, although she knew that wasn't true and regretted it almost as soon as she'd said it. Her father gave her a pointed look, and after a moment, Cadence sighed before she crossed her forelegs and grumbled: “Alright. I just... I didn't expect her report to be this bad, I guess. I didn't think we did... this horribly.”

“Hecate is harsher with you because she expects more from you than she does from most of us. And she is right: we did fail as a team.” Sombra said gently, before he continued softly: “But while it is important that you listen to Hecate's criticism and advice... if you are confident that there is a place where you have done well, then be proud of it. And be proud of yourself. Nowhere in here does Hecate say that you should not take pride in completing the mission. And even if she does not spare words to detail our failings... nowhere in here does she call any of us failures.”

Cadence shifted a little, and then she said finally, as she deflated a little: “I... I guess you're right, Daddy. I know you are. It just... hurts a lot.”

Sombra only smiled softly at this, however, then he slipped over to the other couch to seat himself beside his daughter and wrap a foreleg around her, Cadence closing her eyes and dropping her head silently against his shoulder. “I know, mi amore. But you've never been very good at taking criticism. Do you remember when your teacher told you to stop attacking so directly?”

“And when we sparred, I immediately ran up to him and punched him in the nose, yes.” Cadence mumbled, smiling a little despite herself. “But then you came in and told me to show you what I'd learned...”

“And you weren't quite fast enough to punch me in the nose, no. But almost.” Sombra said softly, smiling at her, and Cadence laughed and shook her head. “You know there are places where you can improve, Cadence. Step away from the report for now, then later, return to it and use it as a tool for self-improvement, mi amore. A goccia a goccia s'incava la pietra.”

Cadence nodded a few times, looking down before she sighed a little and said finally: “Maybe I should contact Moonflower and La Croix. See how they're handling this.”

Sombra smiled again and nodded back, saying gently: “You see, Cadenza? Don't doubt in your own depth of character, and do not think of yourself as anything less than a good leader and a better friend.”

“Well, I like to think I learned it from you.” Cadence smiled up at Sombra, then she nodded and pushed herself away before asking quietly: “Do you want to come with me? They like seeing you. La Croix respects you, and Moonflower... well...”

She shrugged lamely, and Sombra gave her an amused look before he shook his head and replied: “No, but thank you, Cadenza. I was told to rest as much as possible after the treatment session today, and I'm a little tired...”

He paused, then said after a moment: “But Moonflower has been insisting on joining me for my morning routine tomorrow... I heard that Luna Brynhild and her family will be there too. Perhaps you would like to come as well, Cadenza? I know you're trying very hard to... make peace with the Valkyrie. This would be a good chance to just talk to her.”

Cadence sighed and looked moodily away: today she and Brynhild had spent the better part of the morning and afternoon antagonizing each other. She had done her best to swallow down the Swan but... Horses of Heaven, she had never imagined the Swan could hate any single entity as much as it hated Luna Brynhild.

But her father was still smiling at her, and she knew that, like it or not... “I... I know you have a point, Daddy. I do. It's just... it's really hard.”

She shook her head lamely, and Sombra chuckled softly before he said gently: “You like her family, don't you? And besides, tomorrow morning is your last chance.”

Cadence frowned a little... and then she nodded slowly as she glanced back at the report on the table, murmuring: “Right. We'll be meeting this Bani person in the afternoon, and then shipping out for the mission. That's why we got our assessments so fast.”

Sombra nodded back, and Cadence grumbled under her breath before she sighed and mumbled: “Alright, alright. I... yeah, I'll make sure everyone joins you, Daddy. La Croix can come along too.”

Her father only smiled at her, and Cadence shook her head before she headed to the door. She hesitated in front of it, then turned suddenly and almost blurted out: “Daddy, do you really think Thorn is Luna's son? I mean... he's nothing like her. He's a lot more like Morgan, the other mare in their... weird little relationship...”

Sombra only gave her an amused look, and Cadence lowered her head and mumbled a half-apology, knowing that was just the Swan's bitterness for Brynhild coming out. She shifted a little on her hooves, then returned her eyes to her father, half-curious and half-almost-pleading, and Sombra chuckled quietly before he said softly: “Mi amore, the Swan inside you hates the Valkyrie, and refuses to see her as anything but... a traitor, a threat. Do not let the Swan's hatred blind you; the Valkyrie is stubborn, and while she laughs and is brazen and bold, I feel that just like Thorn, she hides much of her true face from the world. Typhoons and mountains of stone are very different, but both can be hollow, and both can conceal great depths inside them.”

The ivory mare looked down and nodded hesitantly, and then she took a breath and closed her eyes before she muttered: “Well, they... they kind of look the same. And I guess Thorn has his father's hair, and... sort of seems more like him. I just... I don't understand why I hate the Valkyrie so much, but even Morgan I barely react to.”

Sombra shrugged, then he studied her for a few moments before saying carefully: “During the first meeting with the Valkyrie, the Swan said it knew her, did it not? Perhaps it does not just hate Brynhild for all the reasons you see; perhaps the hatred in the Swan's heart is because of something more personal.”

Cadence bit her lip at this, looking down thoughtfully before she nodded a little. She could feel the Swan shifting suspiciously inside her, and there was a sense of what almost seemed like unease there, too. Both things that hinted that her father might be right.

Either way, he had certainly given her something to think about, and the mare smiled briefly up at Sombra before she said softly: “Thanks, Daddy. I'll be back in a little while then, okay? I had better make sure the two colts are getting ready for the mission tomorrow as well as not crying too much into their ale.”

Sombra chuckled softly, and Cadence waved before turning and heading out the door, straightening and taking a deep breath as it closed behind her. Then she shook herself fiercely out, as if she was throwing all her problems to the wind, before she hurried down the corridor towards the apartments where her teammates lived.

She didn't have very far to go: one level up, and a little down a long hall, where La Croix and Moonflower lived with only one door separating them in the 'classier' section of Decretum. Cadence smiled wryly at this as she knocked on the zebra's door first: La Croix spent most of his money on his apartment, while Moonflower, of course, absolutely couldn't abide La Croix having anything nicer than he did. Really, Moony had wanted to move up to the top floor apartments, but those were owned mainly by administrative personnel and technicians who worked much steadier jobs than they did and never left Decretum.

After a few moments, the door opened, and La Croix wheezed in relief at the sight of Cadence, his cape awkwardly half-thrown around his body. “Oh, Cygne! Entrer, entrer... I thought for a moment you was one of Hecate's storm-troopers, comin' to drag me off to turn me into one o' them tin cans!”

“Oh shush, La Croix, you know Hecate doesn't do that.” Cadence said mildly as she strode into the Loa's apartment, and was immediately, as always, amazed at how cramped it was, in spite of the fact that he had much more space than she did.

The walls were almost completely covered by shelves and cubbyholes, all of them filled with objects that ranged from common to bizarre. Countless charms and trinkets dangled from the ceiling, of every shape and size; more littered the various odd furnishings that sat around the room, La Croix tossing his cape over the back of an old chair before he flung himself into the lopsided couch with a wheeze.

Cadence awkwardly made her way through the clutter to sit carefully in one of the few chairs that was free of mess, the mare smiling a little over at La Croix. It was so weird to see him without his cape and top hat on: it made him look a lot... smaller, she thought. Especially when he picked up the papers, scruffy mane falling over his eyes, his free hoof absently playing with the charm around his neck...

“You remind me of those college students that would show up at Canterlot every now and then.” Cadence said impulsively, and La Croix cocked his head as his eyes flicked up towards the mare. “I mean. They would come to Canterlot, wanting 'first hoof' experience and to do research for projects or speeches or whatever, and they'd just kind of sit around in the halls and go through their books and make the absolute worst faces at every little interruption. You know, unless it was one of their friends or something, then they would start being loud and obnoxious themselves.”

La Croix looked mildly at Cadence for a few moments, and then he held up the report, asking mildly: “Cygne, did you even look at this? It ain't pretty.”

“Yes, I did. I saw mine and Daddy's, and that's why I'm here.” Cadence smiled a little. “You aren't crying or anything, though, so I know it can't be that bad.”

“Well, remember, I been fired before. My last employer did try and kill me, too.” La Croix said blandly, and Cadence rolled her eyes before she held out a hoof. The zebra hesitated, but then he sighed a little and leaned forwards, handing over the papers and mumbling: “I.. I don't got no right to ask you to be kind to me, Cygne, but... be gentle, y'hear?”

Cadence smiled reassuringly over at La Croix, then she looked down at the report, paging through it and skimming it quickly. She frowned a little, and her expression darkened as she went through the assessment, before the ivory mare sighed a little and glanced up at the Loa.

La Croix was grinning, but he looked downright miserable beneath that look, the Loa saying quietly: “Can't pretend that none of it's true. I ain't nothing but a connard and a lâche, 'sall I've ever been. But hey, 'sbeen fun, yeah?”

“La Croix...” Cadence didn't know what to say: everything seemed too little or too late. But all the same, she felt she had to try; try and help her teammate and friend, try and find a little bit of hope. “Okay, so... you failed the assessment and the test, but this is a recommendation, not a confirmation. You haven't been terminated yet and I certainly don't want to kick you off the team.”

The zebra mumbled and looked down, and Cadence shifted before she said suddenly: “Look, uh, we have a mission coming up tomorrow, a retrieval. I want you to... I want you to stomach as much of this report as you can and follow through on the recommendations as much as possible. We have to complete this retrieval mission with flying colors, for all our sakes'.”

La Croix bit his lip, looking down for a moment before he said finally: “I ain't never seen Nanny Hecate change her mind 'bout nothin', though, boss. And there a whole bunch of strikes against me, for all the things I did wrong on the mission.”

“We all did a lot wrong on the last mission. We can't do anything about that, and there's no point in wasting our time moping.” Cadence said firmly. “All we can do is do better on the next mission, prove that we're the best team Hecate has.”

La Croix grunted, biting his lip before he said lamely: “Great pep talk, Cygne, but I still think Nanny Hecate's gonna have me thrown to the cocodrils in the bayou.”

“Oh, knock it off. You're going to be fine.” Cadence quickly scanned over the report in her hooves, looking for something, anything, to give her words more meaning than empty platitude, and then she frowned a little, halting on one odd turn of phrase before she asked curiously: “La Croix, it says you compromised cover here... but you didn't try and summon any spirits or do any magic, did you? As far as I know, you didn't do anything that could have attracted attention.”

The zebra looked up, and then he shook his head quickly before muttering: “Don't think that's what Nanny be referrin' to. See, it's more that...” La Croix hesitated, then he looked back and forth nervously before he mumbled: “Y'know what I hate 'bout this place? I got about seventy different runes and charms to make it impossible for even the spirits to hear a screamin' soul, but I don't know if any of them work on Nanny Hecate.”

Cadence smiled slightly, even as she leaned pointedly forwards, and La Croix sighed before he said finally: “I think she's referrin' to the Valkyrie and her amis. They got about fifty layers of secrecy surrounding them, and there ain't a lot of ponies who know the truth about those ponies. I be both a little proud and a little scared to be able to say that I know most of the story, since I spent a good amount of time down in l'enfer screwin' with 'em.”

The ivory mare leaned forwards, but La Croix shook his head almost violently before he held up his hooves, saying grumpily: “I like you plenty, and I respect you even more, Cygne, but I ain't gonna risk getting cut up to be stewed by talkin' 'bout it. Nanny Hecate wants me to keep some secrets secret. I gotta respect that.”

Cadence sighed a little, and then she nodded grudgingly before she asked finally: “Well, do... you want to go and see Moonflower, then?”

“No.” La Croix grumbled, but when Cadence gave him an amused look, the zebra gave a long sigh before he muttered: “But at least seein' him cryin' will put me in a better mood, I suppose. Alright, let's go see the rein de la nuit.”

“You know, I know you two actually like each other, whatever you say.” Cadence said pointedly, and La Croix huffed and pretended to look offended as he put a hoof against his chest. “Boys. You're so stupid.”

“What you mean, 'boys?' Moonflower ain't no colt. He ain't a stallion, neither.” La Croix replied mildly, and Cadence smiled despite herself as she rolled her eyes. The zebra grinned, then swept up his top hat before he strode over to his cape, rifling through it as he added: “Oh, right, 'fore I forget...”

Cadence cocked her head, and then she frowned when the stallion turned and tossed a vial to her, the mare catching this with telekinesis and studying it curiously. “I was real extra nice to the big cocodril, Scrivener, and he let me take some of his sang. I did some of my magic on it, and I came up with this. Ain't... quite perfect, o' course, but it might help your Papa.”

Cadence frowned as she studied this, turning it over before she said slowly: “But when I talked to him before he said that his corruption probably wouldn't help...”

“Oh, no, you stay away from that one. That stuff in his veins is poison.” La Croix agreed as he threw on his cape. “Even more important for your Daddy to watch out for that stuff. But if you wanna make an antidote, it's best to start with the poison. That won't cure your Papa, but if he has a... malaise... then that should take him right out of it and calm him down.”

The ivory mare smiled faintly after a moment, then she nodded slowly as she studied the floating vial. Then she closed her eyes, teleporting it safely back home before she murmured: “Thank you, La Croix. From me and from Daddy. It means a lot that you're willing to-”

“Oh, shush. I ain't done nothin' special.” La Croix smiled and shrugged easily, then he gestured at her. “But alright, alright, allez, allez. I'm ready. You the one lingering now.”

Cadence gave the Loa an amused look, then she turned and headed to the door, letting herself out. It closed automatically behind La Croix, but the zebra spun around and muttered a quick spell all the same, eerie green runes flaring to life for a brief moment over the metal before they vanished from sight.

“You really are paranoid.” Cadence said mildly, and La Croix huffed loudly.

“I ain't at all. Don't know if you noticed or not, but half of us Orphans be a little messed up in the head.” La Croix paused, then corrected: “Well, all of us Orphans be messed up in the head, actually, considering where we are and what we do. But some of us come from real shady backgrounds and the like.”

The ivory mare cocked her head towards La Croix as they walked over to Moonflower's door, the mare saying ironically: “Says the zebra spirit who says his entire job was basically cheating and lying to people.”

“Oh, taisse-toi.” La Croix huffed as Cadence grinned, and then the zebra turned and banged loudly on Moonflower's door, shouting: “Hey, Moony! Open up, it's your best friends!”

There was silence for a few moments, and then the door clicked before opening automatically, and Cadence and La Croix traded looks before they let themselves hesitantly inside. As always, Cadence couldn't help but look around with a mix of envy and wonderment at the fact that anyone could spend this many bits and this much time on an apartment they spent a few days in a week, considering how often their work took them away from Decretum.

The floor was covered in hardwood panels, although there were soft carpets under every piece of furniture; the furnishings themselves were plush and expensive-looking, and the electric lights had all been carefully covered with glass fixtures or replaced with gemstone lanterns. The walls had all been painted a deep rose hue, and there wasn't a single hair out of order.

Well, unless you counted Moonflower, who bounced happily into the room and gestured at them cheerfully, his mane wrapped in a towel and his body glistening from a recent shower. “Come inside, come inside! What brings you both by?”

La Croix blinked, and Cadence awkwardly gestured towards the report sitting on the little glass table in front of the couch. Moonflower glanced at this curiously, and then he scoffed before waving a hoof airily. “Nothing more than the usual, don't worry about my pretty little head! 'Moonflower control yourself,' 'Moonflower behave,' 'Moonflower, the next infraction will get you sent to the disciplinary chambers.' Yes, yes, yes, I have more important things to worry about, though!”

“Uh... do you mind if I look at the report?” Cadence asked awkwardly, and Moonflower smiled and gestured at her to go ahead as he turned and bounced happily down the hall. The mare stared after him for a moment, then she traded looks with La Croix before they both simply shrugged.

Cadence picked up the report with telekinesis, then picked the only chair that wasn't covered with throw pillows and blankets to sit down in, the mare grimacing as she sank about a foot into the cushioning. La Croix, meanwhile, slapped a bunch of blankets and pillows off the couch, then flung himself down and kicked his hooves up on top of the table, the zebra leaning back and saying blandly: “Maybe there's an advantage to bein' dumb, Cygne.”

The ivory mare only grunted as she riffled through the report, skipping to Moonflower's assessment and reading it over. It was biting, acerbic, acidic, downright nasty at some points, past the usual meanness Hecate treated Moonflower with. Thorn's half of the assessment wasn't a whole lot better: he seemed to agree for the most part that Moonflower had failed miserably, and there was an actual serious threat of disciplinary action here, since unlike the rest of them, Moonflower had a record of disobedience and... well... general stupidity.

Still, Moonflower was bouncing around like he had just gotten the greatest news in the world, and the mare frowned uneasily before she looked up as the stallion strode back into the living room, smiling brightly as he drew a multitude of different combs through his mane, teasing and styling it as he asked: “Well, what do you think?”

“That you're kind of in trouble.” Cadence said honestly. “I know that, really, you didn't do any worse than we did, but you have so many notes in your file for previous infractions, that-”

“No! I mean my mane! How should I style it?” Moonflower asked cheerfully, and Cadence stared as the black stallion's horn glowed, swiftly shaping his mane into waves that flowed to one side of his face, before reshaping it into curls that fell around his shoulders. “Well? What do you think?”

“I think either way you look like a filly, mon ami. And I ain't even makin' a joke about you bein' a little bit lavender and all, I mean that's the kind of hair you see Maman put on her little girl before she got the sense to say no.” La Croix said flatly.

Moonflower glowered at the zebra, then he sniffed disdainfully before spinning around on his hoof and heading back down the hall to the bathroom, complaining: “Your problem, La Croix, is that no matter how much you act like you have culture and breeding, you have no taste. None, whatsoever. And, pray tell, what do you actually know about fashion, anyway? You wear the same cape and the same hat day in, day out.”

La Croix huffed loudly, but before he could retort, Cadence interrupted: “Moonflower, this is serious. Hecate is actually thinking about taking disciplinary action against you. We have another mission coming up, and if you don't... if we don't all do a spectacular job here, we're going to end up in a lot of trouble. But you might end up-”

“I'm not worrying about that.” Moonflower said decisively, and Cadence frowned before the stallion returned, roughly drying himself off with a towel before he dropped it around his shoulders and sighed a little, saying in a quieter voice: “I'm not worrying, Cadence, I... I know it's very grim, for all of us. I'm not half as stupid as certain people in this room seem to think I am...”

Moonflower glared at La Croix, who looked grumpily back, but then the winged unicorn's eyes dropped and he continued in a murmur: “You know, I was always proud of the fact I was the only person here in the Orphanage who was... dragged here against his will and put on trial and forced to take part in this wretched little experiment of Hecate's. I destroyed an entire world, after all! Well, sort of. I made it go away for a little while.

“But I am a convicted criminal, a villain, an evil mastermind.” Moonflower halted, then he smiled briefly. “I suppose I expected this outcome and... well, I plan to make the most of the time I have before our... little team goes its separate ways. You and your father, onward and upwards to better things. Me, to prison, most likely, until I can break free and take my revenge. La Croix to... wherever obnoxious stripehorses go.”

“Y'all are such a bright ray of sunshine, rein de la nuit.” La Croix said dryly, and then he shook his head before saying in a softer voice: “You know, Moonflower, you ain't usually such a big dumb coward. I don't like a lot of things about you, as I'm sure you know pretty damn well. But one of the few things I always did was the fact that you don't ever give up. You be stupid like that.”

Moonflower huffed loudly, and then Cadence added softly: “And you know, you're the one who keeps making himself the bad guy. But you don't have to be if you don't want to. You honestly don't have to be. You're not evil.”

Moonflower huffed again, but he blushed slightly even as he gestured off to the side and complained: “Isn't that just like a mare, telling me what I am and should not be... or perhaps trying to fix me, just as your kind is wont to do with such handsome masters of darkness as myself. It's very cliché and sad, Cadence, and I have to say, I'm rather disappointed by it. Especially since you know that I have absolutely no interest in mares whatsoever. But I suppose I can't blame you, with how handsome I am, for wanting to 'fix' that part of me too...”

The ivory mare sighed tiredly at this, rolling her eyes, but at least it was a step in the right direction. “Yeah, Moonflower, really. I just want you all over me.”

“Ew.” Moonflower made a childish face of disgust and turned around, scampering back to the bathroom. La Croix sighed and shook his head, and Cadence looked dryly after the black stallion before she flopped back in the armchair, picking up the report again to go over the finer details.

The stallion returned with his mane curled and coiffed, his handsome frame clean and sparkling, like he'd rubbed himself with polish. Not that Cadence would put that past him, of course: he'd done dumber things before. And then she glanced up as La Croix asked curiously: “So why the hell you so happy and working so hard to make yourself pretty?”

“I have a date!” Moonflower said proudly, and La Croix and Cadence both stared at him for a few moments. Then they both burst into laughter, and Moonflower glared at them furiously. “I do! Stop that immediately! This will be the best night ever, just you wait and see!”

“I'm... I'm sorry, I just... really?” Cadence asked through a badly-suppressed grin. “We get the worst news of our collective careers and all you can think about is... a date?”

“Ain't the date he's thinking about. It's what he thinks is gonna happen afterwards.” La Croix said mildly, sweeping his hat off and pointedly pushing his hoof in and out of it, and Cadence coughed loudly several times as Moonflower scowled horribly.

The black winged unicorn rose his head high before he snapped: “I will have the two of you immature... dummies know, that if I want sex, I can get plenty, any time, from... anyone! No, I am having an actual date, with a romantic dinner at the little restaurant off Electric boulevard. There will be flowers involved. I will be ordering a green salad paired with a fine Riesling, which is a type of white wine, which you louts probably did not know. I will be relaxing. I will be having a wonderful night out. I expect cuddling. Should sex ensue, it will ensue, and it will be amazing, because I am amazing. But this is not about my sex life!”

Moonflower huffed loudly, and the zebra and ivory mare looked at the black stallion for a few moments before La Croix asked mildly: “Then who's the lucky stallion, Moony?”

Moonflower smiled smugly, sniffing disdainfully as he crossed his forelegs. “Well, wouldn't you two like to know? Well, I am not about to tell either of you. So there.”

“Hey, genius. Y'already told us where you're having your dinner tonight, and you obviously have to leave for that at some point. Be real easy to find out.” La Croix said flatly, and Moonflower held up a hoof and opened his mouth, but then he only stood there for about half a minute as he visibly fumbled for some retort. “'Swhat I thought. So who is it?”

“Yeah, who?” Cadence looked up, honestly curious now. After all, it wasn't like there were a lot of ponies in Decretum, and even fewer who could put up with Moonflower.

The black winged unicorn grumbled under his breath, and then he looked away awkwardly and said grouchily: “Neither of you actually know him. He's uh... new, yes. We were just recently set up, and by his mother, no less.”

“That's... weird.” Cadence said slowly, frowning as she tried to think of anyone who matched that description.

La Croix, meanwhile, was peering suspiciously at Moonflower, asking wryly: “You ain't putting the pédéraste in pédé, are you, pédé?”

“Shut up, La Croix. He's a mature and responsible adult. More mature than you, although I suppose that's not saying much.” Moonflower sniffed disdainfully, brushing at himself before he looked quickly over himself, muttering: “Now what do I wear... or should I go au naturale? I don't know, my perfection can be rather... intimidating to some ponies... but I don't want him to feel ashamed of himself by showing up in the most fashionable clothing known to ponykind...”

“Yeah. That's what's wrong with you.” La Croix said wryly, and then the zebra asked curiously: “So how do you decide which one of y'all is the lady in the relationship?”

Moonflower glowered at La Croix, and the zebra held up his hooves innocently, declaring: “Hey, there be etiquette to follow! Do you pull the chair out for him, or do you make him do it himself? Do you hold the door for him, and who the hell pays for the meal? I can't help that I'm old-fashioned, monsieur, I got an eye for the traditions and how y'all weird people observe 'em.”

“La Croix.” Cadence said dryly, and the zebra huffed before the ivory mare was unable to stop herself from saying: “But he does have kind of an interesting point. I mean, he sounds a lot younger than you, so I guess you should probably pay for everything and be a gentlecolt... but what if he wants to do things for you?”

Moonflower looked confused at this, scratching his head as he tilted it to the side curiously. “What do you mean? We're simply meeting at the restaurant, having a meal, and then I'll see where things go from there. That's all. Nothing complicated. There aren't any... rules or etiquette to observe.”

“I don't know if that's very enlightened of you or very stupid.” Cadence said after a moment, and then she asked finally: “Are we going to ever meet him?”

Moonflower pretended to think, and then he said cheerfully: “No.”

La Croix huffed, and Cadence smiled wryly before she gestured at the zebra, saying: “Well, we'll get out of your hair then, Moonflower, since you have your 'big date' and all. But don't stay up too late. We have a mission tomorrow. We leave in the afternoon.”

“Oh, excellent, so there's plenty of time to spend in the morning with your father!” Moonflower said brightly, and Cadence groaned before she spun around and headed for the door as the zebra snickered. “What? What?”

“Nothing, Moonflower. Nothing at all.” Cadence said tiredly as she opened the door, and then she glanced over her shoulder at him, saying softly: “And hey. Good luck, huh?”

Moonflower smiled a little at this, then scowled when La Croix winked at him and made a gesture with one hoof, the winged unicorn shaking his own in return before the door shut behind the two. And the moment they left, Moonflower wheezed loudly in relief before he brushed quickly at his mane, then mumbled: “Oh, Horses of Heaven, what have I gotten myself into?”

As tempting as it was, neither La Croix nor Cadence went to spy on Moonflower's secret date. Instead, they both went home, and Cadence enjoyed a quiet night relaxing with her father.

When morning came, it found Cadence and Sombra strolling leisurely into the gardens: off on the eastern side of Imperia, the massive greenhouse district was one of Sombra's favorite places to walk around and where he regularly came to clear his head and do his exercises. It was quiet and peaceful here, beneath the glass ceiling and bright heat lamps that blanketed them in artificial sunlight that felt good on her skin.

There weren't usually a lot of ponies down this way: Worker Drones and a Dogmatist or two to tend to the crops and herbs, although some of the immigrant families who had moved in had bought a few plots of land to grow flowers and other plants. She could understand why: even though it had a much homier atmosphere than most of the steel city with the wide cobblestone paths and the sense of nature all around, there was still an artificial feeling to this part of Imperia, and the glass walls and roof made it feel a little like they were in some kind of giant observation chamber.

Then Cadence's attention was drawn by a cheerful shout, and the mare looked up with a scowl to see Luna Brynhild standing with her partners. Morgan Heldóttir smiled at her, and Scrivener Blooms offered a little wave, but the Valkyrie and Swan Maiden had already locked their glares on each other, both visibly struggling to remain pleasant before Luna asked in as polite a voice as she could muster: “And how art thou today, Danzsöngr?”

“Fine, Brynhild. Better than...” Cadence forced her mouth to shut and she mentally stomped on the Swan inside of her. “Better than yesterday.” she finished.

“Good.” Luna studied her for a few moments, and then she grumbled when Scrivener and Morgan both looked at her pointedly, the sapphire mare shuffling on the spot before she finally said grudgingly: “This afternoon, I hear thou will be speaking to an old friend. I would implore thee to... treat her kindly, for life and the everafter have not been good to her, and she deserves better. I have heard also that thou shall be looking for a colt named Rustproof. I wish thee all the best in this endeavor, and... know that I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.”

Cadence frowned, the Swan wanting to be vicious and bitter and perhaps even tempted to sabotage the mission, just to spite the Valkyrie, but the ivory mare couldn't help but ask: “Who are they to you? Although it does not surprise me you associate with demon ilk.”

Cadence bit her tongue a little late, but Brynhild only grinned widely and replied easily: “Well, 'tis no fault of mine they are much more interesting than the angels of Heaven, and-”

Scrivener grabbed Luna by the head, shoving it down and making her huff, and then he answered in a gentle voice: “What Luna means is that we've... been around quite a bit. I'm sure you can understand when we say that we treat... everyone as people.”

Sombra smiled softly and nodded in agreement, and Morgan continued honestly: “Cowlick... I mean, Bani, is originally from our world. She did a lot for us. We're going to try and stay as long as we can today, but... if Hex or Hecate warn us that the Inquisitors are coming, we'll have to run. We can't risk another fight with them, especially here in Decretum.”

“Aye, yes, we do not want to ruin Hecate's precious treaty with Hel.” grumbled Luna, shaking Scrivener off before she turned towards him and bopped him firmly with her horn, making the stallion wince a bit. “Great idiot beetle. And Bani is not Cowlick's demon name. 'Tis Unfun Cowlick. Because that is what she is. Unfun.”

“Cowlick.” Cadence repeated, and Luna nodded a few times as Morgan sighed and Scrivener looked pointedly at the Valkyrie.

But Luna ignored them both, waving a hoof absently at the two before she continued cheerfully: “Aye, Cowlick. She and Hecate were great friends. Or hated each other, I do not recall and 'tis very much the same, isn't it? That was for... oh, was it truly more than a decade? It seems so strange to think back on those times now...”

Luna dropped her head musingly, and Scrivener nodded slowly as Morgan gave a quiet chuckle. For once, Cadence felt like the Swan was actually curious about what the Valkyrie might have to say instead of just wanting to kill her, but before she could ask anything, Luna suddenly looked up before she bounced on her hooves and waved down one arm of the intersection, calling cheerfully: “There thou art! Moonflower, did thou show my son a good time?”

“Seriously?” blurted Cadence, the mare's jaw dropping and even the Swan going dumb inside of her. Sombra only cocked his head inquisitively as Moonflower yelled loudly in consternation, sprinting up to the mare and hurriedly attempting to cover her muzzle as he gave a badly-faked laugh.

“She... she's kidding, of course, just joking, nothing happened!” Moonflower said in a high-pitched voice, his eyes flicking back and forth as he stared over at Sombra and Cadence, before he exclaimed: “Cadence, you're.... you're looking so beautiful today! Sombra, you look... did you do something with your mane? Oh, don't lie, you, you look just absolutely stunning today!”

Moonflower giggled weakly, and then he yelped when Luna grabbed him and started to shove him backwards, before she seemed to think better of it and instead yanked him towards her, their faces almost pressing together as she grinned widely and remarked: “Well, if I cannot have such a handsome creature to myself, I still would like him as close as possible. Besides, Thorn needs experiences, and thou art a worldly stallion, art thou not?”

Moonflower whimpered a little, and then he flushed deeply and glared over his shoulder as La Croix strode into the intersection, laughing loudly. “Oh, Moony! I can't tell if y'all are trying to wiggle your way into Nanny Hecate's good graces, or if you got a death wish!”

“S-Shut up!” Moonflower snapped, wriggling his way quickly free from Luna to fearfully scamper over to Sombra and Cadence and half-hide behind them as the sapphire mare grinned lecherously after him. “I just... I didn't have a choice! They forced me!”

Cadence sighed tiredly, but thankfully, her father quickly took control of the situation as he said pleasantly: “Since Luna, Scrivener, and Morgan may have to leave unexpectedly, why don't we enjoy the gardens while we talk? My favorite place in Decretum is only a short distance away, and I would like to share it with you all.”

Moonflower nodded immediately, leaping up beside Sombra and grasping into his shoulders as he leaned in with fawning eyes. “You are so right. And I mean, I hope you're not offended at all that I didn't tell you, but I know you're so busy... the handsome stallions always are...”

Sombra only continued to smile kindly, even as Moonflower slowly, awkwardly rubbed at one of the unicorn's forelegs. Twilight and Scrivener both stared as La Croix made a gagging noise and Cadence pressed a hoof to her forehead, but then Luna began to giggle as she slowly turned a frighteningly-excited look on Scrivener Blooms-

“Can we go?” Scrivy asked hurriedly, as he leaned away from Luna with a wince, and Cadence shuddered as she made the mistake of letting herself imagine what must be going through the Valkyrie's head right now.

“Of course.” Sombra stepped carefully away from Moonflower, and then he strode calmly forwards, the other ponies naturally turning to follow after him. Cadence smiled faintly after a moment as she naturally fell to the back of the line, watching her father from afar, and how easily he took the lead, and how naturally other ponies followed.

She still didn't understand why she was the leader of the Irregulars, when it was her father who had the mind, the discipline, the natural skill. She studied him quietly as she followed behind him, then frowned and looked to the side as she realized someone was watching her with just as much interest.

Valkyrie and Swan Maiden looked at each other calmly for a few moments, and then Luna lowered her head slightly as she said quietly: “Not all mine memories of the life I lived are clear, Danzsöngr. I expect that neither are thine own. I know that we do not like each other, but at the same time, I recognize that we are both of the Valhalla that once was, and that means you are precious to me, creature, even if I deride and antagonize and mock you.” She paused, then continued thoughtfully: “And abuse and destroy and beat and triumph over and crush and-”

“Shut up, Valkyrie.” Cadence growled, and then she shifted grumpily before she forced the Swan down again, asking moodily: “So what, you want to be my friend?”

“Nay, I do not. I hate thee, thou hates me, we are very different creatures with unknown ills between us.” Luna shrugged, looking ahead before she said softly: “But my time in Helheim has taught me... humility, if naught else. And perhaps that those we hate with all our hearts oft make the greatest allies. For I still carry my Valkyrie honor, Danzsöngr.”

The Swan wanted to say a thousand things, spit a thousand insults, but Cadence compromised with it, instead asking coldly: “What makes you think that your Valkyrie honor means anything to me, Brynhild? You are the Night Maiden. You are anathema to me and my kind. You and I...”

Cadence looked down, clenching her eyes shut for a moment as she took a slow breath, before she looked up and muttered: “I will not be satisfied until I grind your face in the mud beneath my hoof.”

“Then very well, let that be the basis of our relationship, great harpy.” Brynhild grumbled, but her eyes glinted with amusement all the same, Cadence thought. “Thou has much work to do, though, if thou desires to be better than me.”

Cadence growled, and before she could stop it, the Swan leapt up inside her, and the ivory mare spun towards the Valkyrie. But with humiliating ease, Brynhild slammed her elbow down on Danzsöngr's skull and knocked her flat.

The group of ponies ahead of them immediately halted and looked back, and there was silence as Cadence slowly crawled to her hooves, the white mare baring her teeth before her horn began to glow... but then she mastered herself, and mastered the Swan, shoving the monster back into its cell inside of her as she breathed slowly in and out before she muttered: “You're not worth it.”

“Nay, I am more than worth it. In fact, I am worth more than thou can pay.” Luna Brynhild retorted, raising her head imperiously, and Cadence narrowed her eyes moodily at the mare before the Valkyrie grinned widely. “But if thou desires to try thy luck again, I will give thee a fair chance.”

Cadence growled under her breath again, but then she forced herself to look ahead, muttering: “One day, Valkyrie. But not today. I have a mission.”

Luna began to open her mouth, but when both Scrivener and Morgan glared at her, the dark sapphire pony dropped her head sulkily and muttered: “Oh, very well. Aye, in the future then, Swan... for know that I will certainly be following thy efforts with interest in the months and years ahead.”

Cadence only grunted, then scowled horribly when Luna bumped purposefully into her. But she kept her head high and her back rigid, and Luna grinned widely as Scrivener sighed tiredly and Morgan rolled her eyes, but all the same, the group turned to stride onward, and Cadence pointedly ignored the Valkyrie as even she felt a wing poking at her foalishly, one of her own wings flicking angrily to try and ward off the insistent, obnoxious mare.

Thankfully, it was only a few minutes before they came to a halt in an artificial field, soft grass under their hooves, synthetic sunlight shining down brightly from the lights above, the fragrant perfume of the flowers carefully arranged around the edges of this scenic little utopia filling the air. The pond in one corner twinkled happily, as Scrivener and Morgan looked around with surprise and interest: this gorgeous little oasis was the last thing they'd expected to find in Decretum.

Sombra turned around with a chuckle, gesturing outwards before he said softly: “There are actually a few small parks like this throughout the greenhouse district... but this is my favorite. It is deep enough in to be rarely frequented, but close enough to home that, should I receive an alert while meditating, it's easy enough to return to base. Now, Moonflower said he would like to join me on my morning exercises, and if the rest of you would like...”

Scrivener shrugged a bit as Cadence grumbled and strode up beside her father, glad to have any excuse to ignore the Valkyrie, but Luna, of course, hopped cheerfully up on Cadence's other side, saying easily: “Aye, I have not had much exercise since coming here. 'Twould be a pleasure. Scrivy, Morgan?”

“Twilight and I... er, Morgan and I will sit this one out.” Scrivener said awkwardly, as he saw Moonflower grinning at him lecherously. Luna only huffed loudly, and the black stallion held up a Talon, saying lamely: “Uh. Have to watch for Inquisitors.”

“Great prude.” Luna complained, and then she frowned at Moonflower, who had taken up a position a few feet behind the line. “What art thou doing?”

“Uh. This is a better angle to watch from, that's all. I... I don't want to stand in front of Sombra, and distract him, you know. From here, I can just... I can watch.” Moonflower cleared his throat loudly several times, taking a careful step to the side as he eyed Sombra dreamily. “Yes. I can watch.”

La Croix rolled his eyes, and then the zebra sauntered over to Scrivener and Morgan, dropping himself on his rump as he said wryly: “Y'ain't foolin' anyone, rein de la nuit. You just lucky Papa Sérénité got the patience of a saint.”

“Moonflower is free to observe or participate however he chooses.” Sombra said kindly, and Scrivener looked mildly at the unicorn, wondering how the hell the stallion could be so pleasant and polite even as Moonflower giggled and rubbed his hooves together almost greedily. “But let's get started.”

Sombra calmly stretched back and forth, limbering himself up, and Cadence grumbled under her breath as she scowled and rolled her shoulders a few times before shaking herself roughly. Luna, meanwhile, put on a show of stretching and flexing, doing her very best to take up as much space as possible while making obnoxious noises like overloud sighs and grunts.

Then, calmly, Sombra pushed himself easily into a stand on his front hooves, smiling pleasantly as he arched his back slightly, and Cadence and Luna both stared for a moment before they quickly did the same. Cadence glared at Luna, who grinned before she rose one of her front hooves off the ground and spread her wings.

Immediately, Cadence mirrored her, narrowing her eyes dangerously, before she bared her teeth furiously at the sapphire mare as her ephemeral mane seemed to stretch out on its own, tickling the ivory pony's nose. She wrinkled up her muzzle, then hissed at Luna as the dark sapphire pony only looked innocently away, even as her tail flicked lightly, fizzling against the Swan Maiden's stomach and making her flinch before she toppled off her hoof, landing with a thud on her stomach.

Sombra blinked, and glanced to the side in time to see Cadence tackle Luna, the two rolling backwards with a series of curses as Scrivener slowly rubbed at his face and Morgan sighed tiredly. For a few moments, Swan Maiden and Valkyrie grappled violently with each other, and then Sombra cleared his throat loudly as Morgan's horn glowed, and Luna flinched as Cadence dropped her head awkwardly.

The two shoved apart, glaring at each other, and then Sombra said pointedly, gesturing to the side with one front hoof – and not seeming to lose balance in the slightest in spite of now balancing only on one limb: “Cadenza, perhaps you would prefer to be on this side.”

Cadence grumbled under her breath, and then she sulkily strode around her father. She paused in front of Moonflower, who only tried to lean quickly to the side to continue to stare at her father with a grin, and then the ivory mare narrowed her eyes before she simply punched him in the stomach, Moonflower wheezing in pain before he slowly toppled over on his side, twitching weakly on the ground.

Cadence continued to grumble to herself as she took up her position on her father's other side, and both she and Luna pushed themselves back up to positions to match Sombra's even as the black unicorn sighed and gave his daughter a wry smile.

Scrivener and Morgan watched as La Croix hummed to himself, the zebra producing a complete set of mixing and refining tools from his top hat to prepare several vials of ingredients. Morgan was watching him curiously, while Scrivener studied Luna and Cadence, before he remarked mildly: “It's funny, but they're actually pretty similar.”

“If you mean they both get real cranky and like to punch things, then yeah, you be right about that.” La Croix said mildly, glancing over his shoulder with a slight smile. “But yeah. Cygne be wild like the wind. Moody as the sea, too. She a lot nicer than your Jument de la Lune most of the time, but when she get mad...”

He glanced over at Moonflower, who was wheezing quietly on the ground and twitching a little, and Morgan gave a small smile before she asked: “What are you working on?”

“Oh, all kinds of things, Madame. I know more 'bout potions than your average spirit, after all.” the Loa remarked with a wink. “Bet I could mix up somethin' that even you couldn't mimic with your magic.”

“Well, I have been trying to expand my abilities. I'd love to learn about what you're doing here, for example...” Morgan paused meditatively. “Bone dust and graveyard dirt... are you making goofer dust?”

La Croix leaned back in surprise, and then he snorted in amusement, reaching up and tapping his hat. “Not bad! Now, you know what it be used for?”

“Horses of Heaven, it's so weird to not have you mocking us and trying to turn us into small animals all the time.” Scrivener interrupted blandly, and La Croix gave him a sour look before the earth pony gave a small smile. “I just mean... nice to... you know. Meet you all over again.”

He extended a Talon, and La Croix rolled his eyes before he grasped it and shook it, but a smile lingered around his lips as he replied easily: “Yeah, yeah. Don't worry.” La Croix grinned, and Scrivener flinched as green lightning shocked over his body before he fell backwards with a wheeze as his body became distinctly reptilian, the now-lizard blinking dumbly a few times. “I still got plenty o' tricks left up my sleeve for cocodrils like you.”

“Capes don't have sleeves.” Scrivener grumbled as Morgan grinned behind a hoof, and then he sighed tiredly before he stuck his now-forked tongue up, mumbling: “How the hell can you still polymorph me so fast?”

“Because all I have to do is bring out what's already there, cocodril. That makes it real easy-like.” La Croix replied comfortably with a flick of his hoof, and Morgan looked thoughtful as Scrivener only shrugged with a small smile. He couldn't really argue with that, after all.

For half an hour, Sombra went through a series of calm exercises, Luna and Cadence following along: with the mares separated on either side of the stallion, they eventually started concentrating on the exercises instead of each other. And while it was mostly stretching, it at least kept Luna busy: it certainly wasn't anything that would hold her interest every day, but presenting something new to the sapphire mare – and giving her a rival to prove she was better than – was an excellent way to distract her for a little while.

Moonflower spent the whole time simply staring at Sombra, although occasionally he would attempt to mimic the stallion... and then he'd usually end up just falling on his face. Handsome and built like a tank or not, physical skills clearly weren't his strong point.

Scrivener was happy to just have a few minutes to relax as the polymorph faded from his form, while Morgan and La Croix discussed herbs, magic, and the supernatural realms. It actually ended up being a rather nice little break, Scrivener reflected, as he put his Talons behind his head and laid back, closing his eyes peacefully.

Peaceful, that was, until he felt a set of eyes on him, and he slowly opened one eye to see Moonflower was grinning at him widely. Scrivener winced a bit at this, half-curling up, but he was thankfully saved any further awkwardness as a small, glassy sphere suddenly shot through the air above their heads before it glowed brightly, projecting a blue screen that Hecate's face appeared on a moment later.

“Bani has arrived. We will be waiting to brief you in Engineering.” Hecate said shortly, and then the image simply vanished before the orb turned and shot off.

Sombra calmly straightened as Cadence and Luna both did the same, and the ivory mare didn't waste any time, striding forwards and saying shortly: “Everyone, fall in. We need to be as professional and efficient as possible. There is no room for error on this mission, and-”

“We shall meet thee there!” Luna said cheerfully as she strode over and poked Scrivener up to his hooves with her horn, Morgan smiling awkwardly as she jumped to her own hooves. “I think-”

“No, that is the last thing we need!” Cadence snapped, glaring at Luna as one of her eyes twitched, and she felt a mix of frustration and desperation twist through her body. “For once in your life, Valkyrie, step down instead of throwing yourself in the way!”

That felt all too accurate somehow, even if she hadn't met Luna Brynhild until a few days ago, well, since their last existence, at least. But Brynhild only grinned at her, and Horses of Heaven, she thought she recognized that grin; that was the grin Brynhild had always put on her stupid face when someone had told her that she wasn't allowed to do something, and she had seen it a million times during the night watch-

Cadence's eyes widened slightly, as she reached up and touched her forehead, breathing slowly as Brynhild began imperiously: “Now come, 'tis not as if we do not-”

“Night Maiden...” whispered Danzsöngr, and the Valkyrie frowned before the Swan Maiden bared her teeth. “Night Maiden! While the other Valkyries slept and rested, and my kind took up their thankless patrols, their silent watch over the Fathers and Mothers of Asgard, you would skulk around and make mischief!”

Brynhild opened her mouth, then she shrugged amiably, replying cheerfully: “I do not completely remember this, but.. aye, it sounds like enough to something I would-”

“And how many times did we take the blame for your actions, or were punished because punishing you was pointless, because you were nothing but a troublemaker and rabble-rouser, and if you hadn't been Freya's second, you would have been in exile long ago!” Danzsöngr continued angrily, and Brynhild reared back in surprise before the Swan Maiden hissed: “Bully and coward, that is all you are. Dodging responsibility and relying on your ability to fight. How I wish the Fathers and Mothers had looked past your ability to wield a weapon to see that you were nothing more than a nuisance!”

Brynhild smiled contemptibly at this, and then she replied ironically: “Aye, Odin did once, and what he apparently saw were my breasts, for then he attempted to molest me. And when I refuted him, I was punished for not giving in to an old god's lechery and put to sleep. And asleep, I was slain, and asleep, I fell to Midgard, until I awoke in this body. What of thee, Danzsöngr? What did the gods ever see in thee?”

Danzsöngr scowled at Brynhild, and then she spat to the side before she said rudely: “You are nothing but a flesh-puppet. It was Odin's right to do whatever he pleased to you. It is just more proof of what you are: a failure, who cannot appreciate her place, or what privilege she has been granted.”

A deadly silence fell as Brynhild slowly narrowed her eyes, and Danzsöngr looked callously back at the mare before the sapphire pony closed her eyes and said quietly: “We will be going on ahead now. Scrivener Blooms, Morgan Heldóttir, come.”

Luna Brynhild strode slowly away, Scrivener and Morgan hurrying up to either side of her as Danzsöngr only watched coldly until they turned a corner. And the moment they did, Cadence blinked a few times before she frowned, then reached up and covered her mouth as her eyes widened slightly: had she really just said that?

No, the Swan had. And the Swan hadn't just said it to spite Brynhild... the Swan... believed it. As the Swan believed that it existed, still, only to serve the gods and their memory, only to be a tool, a weapon for others, and lacking guidance, only to kill that which was imperfect in its eyes.

Cadence looked to the side, and she blushed deeply at the disappointment she saw in her father's eyes before she lowered her head, then murmured: “I... well, let's... we still have to focus on our own problems, we have a lot to deal with. Everyone, fall in, let's go see Hecate and meet this Bani.”

The ivory mare quickly turned and strode ahead: she was thankful that she heard the others following after a few moments, because she really didn't have the strength to argue with anyone, or any idea how she could possibly defend herself if they decided to say something. But for now, they only followed, although Cadence didn't quite look dare back, for fear of her father's eyes.

She had never really seen the Swan like this before, and usually, because she could control the Swan, or force it down, or channel it, she didn't have to deal with how alien and... different the Swan could be. Even when she had met, briefly, others who set the Swan off, it had never reacted the way that it reacted to Brynhild.

She shook herself out, shivering a little before she tried to force all her thoughts away, but she couldn't stomach the guilt. It was making her feel sick, and she knew that she couldn't just pass all of this off on the Swan, as much as she wanted to. The Swan was her responsibility to control, and goddammit, she could control it...

Luna Brynhild just... made her mad.

And she didn't think that was ever going to change.

Where In The World Is...

Chapter Seven: Where In The World Is...
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence and the rest of her team left the greenhouse district for the streets of Imperia, and it didn't take them long to reach Castle Imperia, where the Orphanage's more sensitive and bulky operations were housed. The group began to form up a little more as they walked through these halls, and Cadence risked a look back at the others before she smiled faintly as La Croix tipped his hat to her, Moonflower shrugged awkwardly, and her father only gazed at her softly. She appreciated them putting this aside for her, even if she knew that she would probably get a lecture from her father later, and that ache inside her told her she had to try and make this right, Swan or no Swan.

Engineering was two levels down from the ground floor of Imperia: they took an elevator for Orphan personnel down to the employee lobby, where Cadence expected to be sent off to either Advanced Equipment or redirected to a briefing room, but instead, three bright blue orbs shot up to the little group before they could even approach the directive board that kept track of all the orders for Dogmatists and Orphans alike.

The orbs spun rapidly around the four as Moonflower recoiled and La Croix groaned, and then the three spheres coalesced before they shimmered with bright light, and a tall, semitranslucent figure formed in front of them: a lithe dragon, dressed in a simple suit and with a little bow-tie at his neck, the faintly-blue projected hologram scowling with a very distinct, very aware grumpiness.

“Seneschal.” Cadence saluted the holographic projection: Seneschal was the AI system in charge of Decretum, who kept all the machinery in working order, kept an eye on the other intelligent and self-sufficient mechanisms, and took care of many of the administrative chores and duties that Hecate and Thorn didn't have time for.

Seneschal grunted back at them, and then the AI said grumpily, in his oddly high-pitched voice: “Hecate has requested that you join her and her company in Sector B. While I think you should all be staying clear of the assemblage workshops, apparently we're going to 'make an exception' today, because that's worked out so fantastically for everyone.”

Seneschal made a sarcastic little wave of his hands, and then he gave a silent sigh before absently snapping his fingers at a nearby door. There was a beep, and then the electronic door unlocked and opened, the AI saying in a sour voice: “As if this is a good use of all my processing power.”

The AI sparked out of existence before Cadence could say anything, and the three blue orbs shot off through the doorway he had opened. The ivory mare shrugged after a moment, then she said finally: “Well, uh... let's go.”

“This seems strange. You don't think... you don't think that Hecate is going to make Dogmatists out of us, do you?” Moonflower asked worriedly. La Croix laughed at this, but it sounded a little forced and worried, even as Cadence sighed and looked almost imploringly back at Moonflower, who was looking fearfully back and forth. “I most definitely do not want to be a Dogmatist!”

“She's not going to make us into Dogmatists.” Cadence said tiredly, but Moonflower only shifted anxiously as they walked down the sterile steel hall before turning a corner, Cadence looking ahead and muttering: “Let's see, Sector B...”

Her eyes locked on a sign down the hall, and then she rolled her eyes as Moonflower blurted: “What if she's going to make me a Dogmatist, as an example? What if she takes away my beautiful brain, or worse, covers my beautiful body in metal? Oh Tartarus, what if she shaves off my mane? My gorgeous mane, Cadence!”

“She's not going to do any of those things, Moonflower. Stop being dumb.” Cadence said dryly, and Moonflower huffed and glared at her before the ivory mare smiled reassuringly, halting at the intersection to say quietly: “Hecate doesn't operate like that and you know it. If she wanted to turn you into a Dogmatist, she'd tell you. And then you, being you, you'd probably try and run away and cause a riot in Decretum.”

Moonflower looked thoughtful at this, and then he nodded a few times before smiling a little. “You're right. Of course! Hecate would tell me, and then I, with all my mighty power, would fight my way through these steel soldiers and escape to freedom! And then, what a game we would play!” Moonflower spun dramatically to the side, thrusting his hooves into the air as he half-shouted: “Yes, mighty Empress Hecate and her Clockwork minions, and you, my former friends and now my most-hated enemies, chasing my endlessly through the worlds, fighting, horn and hoof to capture me, but no! I refute your every attempt! I, the renegade god of darkness, gong by the name... uh...”

Moonflower blinked stupidly as he realized that he was alone, and then he winced and scurried hurriedly down the hallway, bolting around the corner and wheezing in relief as he saw the others were still visible down the corridor, the stallion leaping after them to rejoin the group as he blurted: “Don't leave me alone like that, I don't want Hecate to think I'm slacking off!”

“Now why would I ever think that, Moonflower?” asked Hecate irritably as the doors in front of them slid open, and Moonflower paled as he stared up at the steel goddess before she simply snorted and gestured shortly to the side.

Cadence kept her head high and professional as she walked calmly past, her team following her into the large workshop. There were all manner of machines here, and a strange figure was at the worktable, smoking a cigarette and arguing loudly with the all-too-familiar Brynhild, and Cadence steeled herself before she took a quick breath, ignoring everything else in the room as she strode quickly over the cement floor to the sapphire mare.

Luna Brynhild turned towards her with a moody scowl, ignoring whatever the demon at the table said to her, and Cadence met the mare's gaze before she bowed her head, but carefully kept her eyes locked with Brynhild's, not looking away as she said in a steady, quiet voice: “I'm sorry.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Luna Brynhild smiled before she simply shrugged and waved a hoof. Then she turned, gesturing to the mare at the workbench and saying cheerfully: “Danzsöngr, this is Unfun Cowlick.”

So-called Unfun Cowlick rolled her ice-blue eyes, the mare turning on the small stool towards them with a scowl, and the Swan writhed inside Cadence as the ivory mare did her best to suppress a shudder. The demon was sallow, without fur, the only skin that covered it plasticky and translucent over a body covered in large yet tumorous looking muscles and blackened flesh and bruises. A thick, octagonal collar was locked around her neck, vials of bubbling liquid plugged into this, and more vials were plugged into metal slots and sockets fused throughout her body, cables and wires standing out of these and burrowing through naked flesh and muscle like mutant, shivering worms.

Her stringy, dead mane was held back out of her eyes by a frayed, faded bandanna that had once likely been a bright crimson, and now was more of a bloodstain pink. She rolled the cigarette between her teeth slowly before she rudely blew out a stream of smog into Cadence's face, and god, it reeked not just of smoke and tobacco and chemicals, but death and misery... “She's your best?”

“She and her team are on thin ice at the moment, but that will only encourage them to find the target faster. They know if they fail, the consequences will be dire.” Hecate said coldly, and Moonflower whimpered a little and shrank his head as La Croix gave a weak laugh.

The demon grinned wryly at this, then she returned her eyes to Cadence before she snorted and instead looked at Luna, asking shortly: “Want the job?”

Luna grinned as Cadence looked up in shock, but before the ivory mare could say something – or worse, the Swan could rise up in anger – Hecate snapped: “We already agreed-”

“Deals change.” Cowlick replied rudely, her eyes flicking towards the Empress of Decretum fearlessly before she turned towards her. “They're better. You know they're better. I'm not interested in your second-rate pass-me-downs. Deal with it.”

Hecate strode slowly forwards, but Cowlick only bared her yellowed teeth fearlessly. “Yeah, come on, let's rumble. I'm not stupid enough to think you won't kick my ass, but sometimes losin' is sweeter. I know just how your body works and I can hurt the hell out of you, and the moment you lay a hoof on me, Hel removes her support. You need me. And now more than ever before, you need me more than I need you.”

There was silence as Cadence stared in disbelief at Hecate, who was only glaring furiously down at the demon, her hands flexing slowly like she wanted to strangle the demon. But a moment later, she suddenly smiled coldly, asking calmly: “How about a wager?”

“What the hell could you have that I would be interested in?” Cowlick asked moodily, but Luna looked up with interest as Cadence frowned worriedly, nervously looking up at the Empress of Decretum.

“The target.” Hecate said calmly, and the demon bared her fangs as she leaned forwards with a snarl, but the mechanical goddess only crossed her steel arms and continued: “If Luna Brynhild can find and secure the target before us, I have enough leverage with Hel to have you permanently moved to Decretum or Endworld. I'll give you a workshop and free reign, wherever you want, to live out some pathetic mockery of family life with your little colt.”

Cadence's eyes widened at this: their mission was to retrieve the son of this demon? And this demon was important enough to request that? And Hecate was betting- “If the Irregular Hunters retrieve Rustproof before Luna Brynhild, both you and he will come and work for me in Decretum. I will very literally own you.” Hecate leaned slowly down into Cowlick's face, as the demon mare snarled up at her. “And I will take full advantage of that fact every single day.”

The two glared furiously at each other, and then Cowlick slowly grinned before she reached up and pulled her cigarette out of her muzzle, calmly putting it out against Hecate's steel breast before she said coldly: “Let's up the ante. If I win, I get whatever three Dogmatists I choose. And if you win...”

Cowlick looked down for a moment, and then she said quietly: “Hell, what else do I have to offer? Anything you want. Take it. But you know they're going to find him. They knew me, and they know Valhalla, and they know Terra. They can jump through the worlds whenever they please. They could tear you apart like you were made of string and paper.”

“This isn't about how well they fight, and I would have expected you to remember there's more important things than just raw strength.” Hecate said coldly, looking contemptibly down at Cowlick. “They're idiots.”

Luna huffed loudly at this, but then she only shrugged amiably after a moment as Scrivener rolled his eyes and Morgan gave the sapphire mare a flat look. Cadence, meanwhile, was only looking worriedly up at Hecate as the Empress of Decretum glared down at the demon, and then Cowlick finally nodded before she said abruptly: “Deal. What the hell do I have to lose? You got a deal.”

“Good.” Hecate smiled thinly, straightening before she created a holographic screen off to her side, tapping a short series of commands across it.

A moment later, a loud siren filled the air, and all eyes looked stupidly upwards before a mechanical voice said calmly: “Warning. Class One alert detected in... Castle Imperia, Engineering. Alerting Archives of potential breach.”

“Oh, thou great cheating bitch!” Luna shouted furiously, one of her eyes twitching as Scrivener and Morgan both flinched, looking wildly back and forth. “We... I will-”

Then Luna simply shouted wordlessly at the mare before she spun around and charged towards the nearest exit, Morgan and Scrivener scrambling after her as Cowlick threw her head back and laughed loudly.

“You know that ain't gonna do much.” the mare said mildly as she looked up at Hecate, a wry smile playing over her face. “All you're going to do is get your own place wrecked up.”

Hecate only snorted, looking coldly down at Cowlick before she turned her eyes towards Cadence. “I have granted Class E clearance to yourself and your team. You may go to Valhalla to begin your research.” The mechanical mare's eyes flicked contemptibly towards Cowlick, as she added icily: “Which is a world Luna Brynhild and her idiots are not allowed to enter, by the way.”

Cowlick narrowed her eyes at this, but then she only snorted before she reached up and hammered a metal plate on her own foreleg, which popped open and let her pull free a carton of cigarettes, the mare yanking one of these loose before she muttered: “Doesn't matter. They ain't smart, but they're real good at what they do, Hecate. Now let me talk to your little fillies here.”

“Fine. Cadence, once you're done with Bani, report to Thorn for special equipment.” Hecate stopped, then slowly turned a deadly look on Moonflower, leaning down and adding calmly: “Moonflower. After you return from your mission, I have scheduled us for a special discussion session regarding some non-work related activities you have taken a part of.”

Moonflower turned almost dead white, smiling weakly up at Hecate, but then the mechanical mare's attention was diverted as Seneschal's voice announced through a loudspeaker: “Queen Hecate, energy fluxes report multiple portals opening and closing throughout Decretum, several of them unauthorized! The ghost subjects also appear to have fled Decretum.”

“Ghosts. Yeah. I guess they are.” muttered Cowlick, and then she shook her head slowly before she stuck her cigarette into her mouth, and without looking, Hecate absently gestured towards her, and the tip of the mare's cigarette burst into flame, the demon giving a wry smile as she blew smoke rings out of her nose.

Then, without either goodbye or even a glance in their direction, Hecate turned and strode quickly away, leaving Cadence and her team alone with Cowlick. The demon smoked her cigarette in silence as she studied the ivory mare for a few moments, and then she turned slowly on the stool, going back to tinkering with the mechanical parts on the workbench in front of her as she said calmly: “I don't really care who you and those little colts are. La Croix I've met before, once or twice. And you I've heard a whole lot about, and that Hecate has a lot of money and time invested in you. She says you and your boys are the best, though, and that's all I really care about.

“I want you to find Rustproof and bring him back here, alive. If you don't find him, don't come back. Because he's alive out there somewhere, no matter what evidence might point to the contrary.” Cowlick said with cold conviction, the mare looking steadily at the device in her hooves as she tilted it back and forth, adjusting nodes and connecting wires. “Sure, I think Luna is gonna find him way before you do. But I ain't stupid, Candy, or whatever the hell your name is. So here's the deal.”

She halted, putting the device down before she turned back towards Cadence, and her eyes glared into the ivory mare's own, her gaze so intense that it felt like she was burning through her and into her very soul. “I brought some equipment for you and yours to use. I know I'm giving you an edge over my own team, but I don't care. I want that colt found, and the sooner, the better. Valhalla is a good place to start, and hell, Hecate might even be able to pull some strings and get you a meeting with Terra, which would speed things up. But I know the artifact warehouses, I've been there: there are a dozen possible rings that Rustproof could have built or used leading to a dozen variations of Midgard, and you don't have the time to check them all.”

“You've been to Valhalla?” asked Cadence incredulously, and Cowlick snorted contemptibly.

“I've been everywhere, Candy. Someone has to do all the grunt work, and apparently that's me.” Cowlick retorted, and then she continued irritably: “But getting back to actual important things, the only way to track Rustproof is to activate all those portals and probe them with the detectors I've sent up for you. But even that's going to take time, and there's no guarantee that Rustproof didn't make another jump from any of those worlds, or that what those detectors find will be him, specifically. Any major electromagical energy signature will set them off.

“So you're going to need luck. But you might be able to follow him, all the same. Wherever Rustproof's been, I can guarantee you there will be technology, enough of it to set those sensors off.” Cowlick smiled moodily. “But it's been a long time, and all I know for sure is that... my boy ain't home. He's somewhere out there, and you're going to find him, and you're going to bring him back.”

Cadence steadied herself, and then she gave a quick nod before she bowed her head to Cowlick, trying to pull herself together and be professional again, promising: “We'll find him. We'll find him as soon as possible.”

“Good.” Cowlick said shortly, and then she turned away, returning to the device on the table. “Get lost. I have things to do.”

Cadence gave a brief smile, and then she nodded once before sighing and turning towards the rest of her team. She gestured at them, and Moonflower and La Croix both scurried around and hurried for the door, while Sombra fell in step beside her, giving her a questioning look.

She nodded to him after a moment, grimacing a little, but she didn't answer until they were safely out of the doors. “It's going to be difficult, yeah. Not just because we're now being pitted against...” She did her best to fight down the Swan, but all the same, contempt bled into her voice as she said: “The Valkyrie... but because if those probes are too sensitive, they're going to detect Decretum technology. Furthermore, we don't know the scanning area or time, so...”

“We will just have to trust in Miss... Cowlick's judgment.” Sombra replied softly, nodding to his daughter before he added in a gentler voice: “And I know it is very difficult for you to... swallow your anger and the Swan, but I am proud that you did. The Swan is not you anymore, Cadenza. And you are no longer the Swan.”

The ivory mare smiled a little at this, nodding a few times before she looked up at La Croix, asking: “When did you meet her?”

“Helheim days. She be one of Hel's top researchers. Glad she don't remember me too well, she punched me across a room before.” La Croix muttered, rubbing absently at his muzzle. “You don't want to piss that one off, Cygne.”

“I figured. She's also our client right now, La Croix, so we sort of wouldn't want to piss her off anyway.” the ivory mare said, and La Croix grunted before Cadence took the lead. “Let's go see Thorn, then, and-”

“Do I have to? I mean. It's not that... of course I mean...” Moonflower fumbled, and then he gave a weak little giggle as La Croix looked at him with amusement and Cadence sighed and rolled her eyes. “Please don't give Hecate more excuses to turn me into a Dogmatist.”

“For the last time, she's not going to do that.” Cadence said in an exasperated voice, before the ivory mare looked ahead and added pointedly: “And anyway, she's much more likely to punish you if you disobey her and don't go get your equipment from Thorn, now isn't she?”

Moonflower opened his mouth at this, then licked his lips nervously before he closed it moodily before he dropped his head, grumbling a little under his breath. “I... suppose that's a fair enough point. Very well. I... just don't blame me for how Thorn reacts with titillating joy when he sees his fair black knight striding towards him.”

Cadence somehow doubted this would be the case, and sure enough, when they reached the outfitters, Thorn offered a small smile to Cadence before he gave Moonflower a look that was almost sympathetic, Cadence thought wryly. “Queen Hecate has given you special authorization, and I'm to go over the equipment with you all in special detail. You have...”

Thorn glanced to the side, calling up a holographic screen and touching quickly over it before he muttered: “Forty-two minutes before you have to report to the portal hub. You'll be leaving through Deck B, private access.”

“So we're really going to Valhalla?” Cadence asked, unable to hide her surprise, or the faint hint of anxiety in her voice, which Thorn only responded to with a short nod.

“Yes. You'll be meeting Queen Terra.” Thorn replied calmly, and Cadence's jaw dropped as she stared with shock, but Thorn only shrugged, answering: “Hecate made a special request, that's all. She wants this seen through. Bani is... important. This is a priority mission, and...”

Thorn seemed to lose track of things for a moment, but then he cleared his throat and picked back up with his usual almost-cold professionalism: “On top of our equipment, you have been issued a supply of electromagic probes.”

The stallion half-turned, picking up a metal case and opening it to reveal six rune-covered spheres: they looked very similar to Hecate's spherical security drones, but the runes over them were very distinct, and the thick glass insulated what looked like some kind of dark gemstone core. “These were already preprogrammed by Bani to detect very specific types of electrical energy. They have a detection radius of three miles and work on timed activators. In other words, after you open a portal, you will hold the probe towards the portal and turn it on. The probe will guide itself through the portal, then fly for either one hour or until it detects the distinct energy it's looking for. Then it will automatically return and go into read-only mode.”

Thorn demonstrated by dropping the probe into his mechanical hoof and squeezing it, and the probe beeped a few times before it projected a holographic, three-dimensional map. “It assembles the recorded data into a map from the release point to where it detected the energy radiating from. It shouldn't be too difficult to manage.”

The others nodded, although Moonflower was looking almost desperately at Thorn, and La Croix seemed like he was just nodding along to avoid looking dumb. Cadence got the gist of it, though. “We only have six?”

“As long as they don't detect the signals emitted by the technologies that the target was known to work with, they're reusable.” Thorn replied calmly, and then he turned towards the holographic screen still at his side, his horn glowing faintly and the orb lighting up with the same aura as he muttered: “I can try and teach you how to interface with the orbs, too, they're more magic artifact than technology, but you may not have the time to learn-”

“I can learn, I can learn, Thorn!” Moonflower said hurriedly, stepping quickly forwards and almost bodychecking Cadence out of the way, earning a glare from the mare. “And you know, about dinner the other night, and... about your mother... your... Hecate-mother, I mean, I-”

“We only have forty minutes, Moonflower, we can discuss this later.” Thorn cut off bluntly, and Moonflower visibly deflated, staring at Thorn as Thorn looked back with maybe the faintest blush, but that might have just been Cadence's imagination. “Please sit down. I have a lot to go over.”

Moonflower mumbled and dropped his head, and Thorn put the orb back into the case before he picked up another metal box with telekinesis, opening it to reveal a large bracer with what looked almost like a glass screen of some kind on it. “This uses the same technology as the probes, but is used for directional detection. It's fairly straightforward, and should be easy enough to adapt to in the field.

“Lastly...” Thorn put the box aside, and picked up a third, final container, opening the latches over the strangely-shaped case before the stallion carefully lifted some kind of large gun free: it was made out of ivory metal, the grip stylized to look almost like a large wing, the barrel squat and rectangular, with a thick, fanged axe blade standing out of the bottom of it, but when Thorn flicked a switch on the side of the gun, the barrel extended with a whir, the gun becoming a long, elegant rifle.

“This is the Multipurpose Artillery Rifle Equipment System, or a MARE-System. It can be custom-fitted in a variety of ways. This one has a heavy cutting blade, a telescopic barrel with a rail system, and it fires...” Thorn glanced towards the open case, pulling a large clip free from the shaped foam, which he fed into a slot on the side of the white rifle before he worked a lever attached to the trigger-guard with surprising ease. “These. Loads seven, fires miniaturized silver stakes. But it has a modular loading system, and you can use a variety of ammunition and noncombat augments with it.”

“I... wait, me?” Cadence recoiled, rearing away from the rifle and holding up her hooves before she said with badly-hidden disgust: “No. No, I am not using one of those... those-”

“It's been assigned to you.” Thorn said shortly, and then he flicked the switch on the side to distend the barrel before he thrust it into her forelegs, the mare wincing a bit as she uncomfortably cradled the rifle. “Don't think of it as a gun, or as a toy. It is a tool.”

Cadence nodded awkwardly a few times after a moment, and then she looked down at the rifle before she shifted it hesitantly, muttering: “I don't think I'll be very good with this, though...”

“You have time to adjust and learn.” Thorn replied, and then he glanced over at La Croix. “Although the mission was originally procure on-site, Hecate has granted you access to medical storage. Moonflower, Sombra, you are also both permitted to equip yourselves with any artifacts you may require from the Special Provisions Room. Help yourselves while I get the rest of your equipment.”

Sombra nodded calmly as La Croix grinned before he turned and ran towards the door that led into the storeroom where the medical supplies were kept. Moonflower, however, lingered, his eyes as big as plates as he stared at Thorn with his head hung and ears drooping.

Thorn looked uncomfortably back at Moonflower for a few moments, and then the sapphire stallion finally cleared his throat before he asked with the faintest, awkward blush: “Do you... want to come help me get the equipment ready?”

“Yes!” Moonflower brightened immediately, leaping forwards, and Cadence couldn't help but smile despite herself. Sure, Moony was always a little dramatic, but she had to admit, when he wasn't pulling his stupid 'penultimate god of darkness' shtick, he could be kind of cute. And it was nice to see that not even Thorn was immune to Moonflower's quirky charm.

Thorn sighed a little, but then he nodded before turning around, gesturing to the stallion to follow. Moonflower did, a little overeagerly, Cadence thought with an amused smile. She supposed that even if Moonflower was far older than Thorn, however, he had all the maturity of a sixteen year old. An entitled, hormonal sixteen year old, at that.

Cadence paused, then glanced down at the rifle in her hooves, poking the switch to make the barrel extended, then quickly distending it again. She grimaced a little, then hesitantly grasped the clip, pulling it carefully free before plugging it back in to try and understand how the simple mechanism worked. Sure, she supposed it was pretty, for a gun, but by the Horses of Heaven, she hated these ridiculous toys. They were nothing more than cheap pieces of-

Cadence fumbled the rifle, then flinched as it went off with a tremendous bang, a bit of dust and rubble hailing down from the ceiling as Cadence stared dead ahead. For a few moments, she simply breathed in and out before she slowly, creakily looked up at the ceiling, and shrank her head down between her shoulders at the sight of the gleaming stake sticking out of the roof, the mare trying to grasp this with telekinesis before she winced as she realized it was magic-resistant, and she couldn't get a grip on the slippery metal-

Thorn emerged back through the door, carrying the large case that contained her equipment, and he set this down in front of her before he straightened and looked her moodily in the eye. Cadence looked uncomfortably back at him, and then the stallion sighed before his eyes flicked up to the ceiling, looking at the half-buried stake.

“I'll have a Worker Drone repair that later. For now, get your gear on, and get ready. You're running short on time.” Thorn said after a moment, and Cadence saluted awkwardly before the sapphire stallion turned and headed back through the security door.

Cadence very carefully put the rifle aside, then opened the case and smiled despite herself at the sight of her armor. It had been almost perfectly repaired: there wasn't a single sign of the damage that it had taken only days before. But the Dogmatists were truly exceptional when it came to repair and replication.

By the time she had finished putting her armor on, Sombra and La Croix had both returned: her father was now wearing an augmentation ring around his horn, and La Croix was busily sorting ingredients into a little attache case he had pulled out of his hat. The zebra had also fitted the sensor bracer onto his foreleg, and Cadence appreciated that he had taken the initiative to do that: it was the little things that helped their team function better.

Moonflower was taking a suspiciously long time with Thorn, however, and Cadence was starting to get concerned. Not really for Moonflower; well, alright, maybe a little bit for Moonflower. It was pretty clear that Moony didn't handle rejection very well, and Thorn wasn't exactly known for his tact or candor. And more important than Moonflower's feelings was the fact that they were starting to run thin on time.

But finally, the two stallions emerged, and to Cadence's surprise, Moonflower was actually wearing armor for once. A polished silver helm, a simple Pegasus-style fiberglass breastplate, and had he actually put on the utility packs without her needing to threaten him with bludgeoning?

Moonflower smiled lamely at them, and then Thorn emerged, placing two more large cases down with telekinesis as he said calmly: “Here's the rest of your equipment. Cadence, remember, you're taking the MARE System.”

Cadence gave a strained smile as her eyes flicked down to the rifle she'd left sitting on its case. It was tucked neatly away in a simple cloth holster, the clips of ammunition were clipped to the bandolier she had found along with everything else in the case, and... “I... really don't...”

She looked up lamely as Thorn looked at her sourly, and then she grinned awkwardly and held up a hoof as she patted her rose-colored breastplate. “I don't know if I'll be able to carry it with my throwing knives. I don't want the belts-”

“It goes over your shoulder. Equip it.” Thorn said shortly, and Cadence winced a bit before the sapphire stallion created a holographic screen beside him, muttering under his breath. “We're running short on time. I'll explain the rest of what you need to know while you get your gear ready, then I'll do a check over each of you myself.”

Cadence decided it was better not to argue, as much as she loathed putting the rifle on her back: still, while Thorn could make her take it, he couldn't make her use it, and she could always just throw away a few of the clips to make it look as if she had tried the gun once or twice. But most of her attention was captured by Thorn's brisk briefing.

They had to move fast, they knew that, but they were only being given two days in Valhalla, and today counted as one of those days. They had a formal meeting with Queen Terra, and if they were lucky, she would provide them a little bit of extra help to deal with the complicated task of assessing and probing the portals. Otherwise, they were going to have to handle all of that themselves.

Hecate was also compiling research reports for Cadence, and the Empress of Decretum had been told that Terra was having her best aides do the same, so that the Irregular Hunters would have as much information about where Rustproof might have gone as possible. It made Cadence wonder uneasily just what kind of power Hecate really held in the grand scheme of things, if she was able to even make the Queen of Heaven set aside time for them.

Cadence also had to bite back a few nasty comments about Terra being a demon; thankfully and not, there was a lot more to concentrate on than the Swan's pettiness. Moonflower visibly paled slightly when Thorn said calmly and seriously this was their last chance: they had to succeed in this mission, or they would all face reevaluation and replacement.

The ivory mare both appreciated and hated Thorn's bluntness, but it certainly gave her extra motivation to keep the Swan under control. Thorn was also very clear about the fact that they were not going to be under Decretum protection for most of this mission: if anything went wrong, there would be no reinforcements to come in and help them, and no way for them to call for an emergency retreat.

That also meant there wouldn't be any supply drops, which meant they would be getting no extra munitions and no medicine or treatment. Cadence gave her father a nervous look, but Sombra only smiled briefly, the stallion giving her a silent nod: he would manage, one way or the other.

“Questions?” Thorn asked, as he finished his briefing: Moonflower immediately rose a hoof, but Thorn only looked at him until the winged unicorn slowly lowered his foreleg and shrank his head back a little, and Thorn said shortly: “Good. You have a little over fifteen minutes left for final prep. La Croix, you're free to go. Sombra, I'll check you first. Cadence, Moonflower, make sure none of your gear is loose.”

Moonflower dumbly patted at himself as Cadence double-checked her knife belts and armor, although she knew that Thorn would find something loose, as he always did. She also guessed that he had probably been the one to put Moonflower's armor on, even if he was acting as brisk and professional as always.

Thorn nodded at her father as he finished checking him over, and Sombra smiled before he turned and headed quickly towards the doors, giving Cadence an encouraging look as he passed. The ivory mare only smiled lamely before her eyes flicked up as she saw Thorn approach Moonflower, and the black stallion whispered loudly: “Why do you have to check it again?”

“Professionalism.” Thorn replied in a mutter as he picked up the container that held the probe devices to slip into one of the larger pouches on Moonflower's body, and then he asked quietly: “What did you want before?”

“Oh, I... well...” Moonflower shifted almost meekly, and then he asked lamely: “You and I are going to see each other again, yes? I mean... this isn't...”

“We're not getting rid of you.” Thorn absently tightened one of the cusps on Moonflower's shoulder, and then he shot a glare at Cadence, who hurriedly looked away with a blush and pretended to be extremely interested in one of the nearby shelves.

But after a moment, Thorn sighed before he looked back at Moonflower and said grumpily: “Yes. We can... see each other again. It wasn't... it wasn't terrible.”

“Wasn't terrible!” Moonflower almost sang, and then he sprang away from Thorn before the sapphire stallion was even done his check, excitedly dancing over to Cadence and blurting: “It wasn't terrible! It wasn't terrible!”

“That's great, Moonflower. Uh... why don't you just go up to the portal hub and wait for us there?” Cadence said, and then she smiled despite herself with Moonflower gave a cheery, bird-like noise of agreement before he bounced happily past and out of the room.

Thorn gave her a grumpy look as he approached, but Cadence only shrugged and said finally: “He wasn't going to calm down, and I think you must know that, Thorn. So uh... he wasn't terrible, huh?”

The sapphire stallion gave her a sour look, but as he began to check over her armor, he shifted a little on the spot before saying almost grudgingly: “It wasn't a bad night. He touched me a lot more than I wanted him to, but... he was cuddly and overaffectionate, not... grabby, if that makes any sense.

“We had dinner. We walked around a little, then we went back to my apartment. But we just talked.” Thorn continued, as he tightened her knife belts and adjusted one of her holsters. “Well. He talked. And bragged. And mashed himself against me he was a teenage filly and I was his favorite cute-animal-shaped pillow.”

Cadence snorted in amusement at this, and Thorn's mouth quirked just a little bit into a smile before he shook his head, then said softly: “I don't think we're going to end up dating seriously or anything. But... we'll be... friends, at least.”

“Yeah. I hope so, Moonflower could use a few more friends.” Cadence hesitated, and then she asked curiously: “Thorn, do you... have any friends?”

Thorn looked awkwardly away for a moment, and then he said finally: “Necrophage.”

“Necrophage.” Cadence repeated disbelievingly, and Thorn muttered something as he quickly finished up the equipment check, the ivory mare holding up her hooves and saying quickly: “I'm not judging you or anything, Thorn, I just mean... it's kind of a surprise to hear that out of all the ponies, well, Necrophage is-”

“Necrophage is fine. She... she likes to talk to me.” Thorn said defensively, and Cadence looked at him oddly, but the sapphire stallion only shifted his gaze away before he grumbled: “Go ahead and get out of here. I have to go down and check on our guest, Bani.”

“Cowlick.” Cadence said before she could stop herself, and Thorn frowned, but the ivory mare cleared her throat before saying finally: “She likes being called Cowlick.”

After a moment, Thorn only nodded, and Cadence smiled awkwardly before she turned and headed quickly to the door. She couldn't help but glance back as she walked through, and she saw Thorn was already tapping away at a holographic screen, meaning she could easily escape without further embarrassment... “Thorn, you're um... you're not a bad guy. And you should... try and talk to ponies. Me, or Necrophage or-”

The electronic door closed with a thump in front of Cadence, cutting her off, and she stared at it for a few moments before hurriedly turning her eyes ahead and all-but-galloping down the hall, figuring there was no need to humiliate herself further now.

But back inside the equipment room, Thorn only sighed and shook his head before he gave the smallest of smiles, nodding a few times. Maybe it was a little later in life, but he was having some interesting experiences these days all the same, he thought. And getting to know these ponies... really wasn't such a terrible thing after all. But for the moment...

Thorn returned his attention to his current job, putting the equipment cases back into storage for now, and then picking up his clipboard to levitate it beside him and fill out the report form as he headed out into the halls. He finished most of the required paperwork before he entered engineering, but then frowned as he found that Bani – or Cowlick, as she did indeed prefer – was smoking a cigarette and wandering around.

“Excuse me.” Thorn said calmly, and Cowlick looked up with a grunt: he thought her eyes widened ever so slightly, that she was a little too intensely-focused on him, but all the same... “My name is Thorn Blackfeather, and I am Hecate's-”

“Holy hell. And here I thought sons were always supposed to look like their daddies.” Cowlick whistled loudly, then she spat out the butt of her cigarette and crushed it under one hoof, Thorn's features tightening ever-so-slightly at the splotch left on the steel floor. Cowlick noticed it, though, and her grin stretched wider as she remarked: “Well, now you look a lot more like your dad.”

Thorn only grunted, then narrowed his eyes as Cowlick popped open a panel in her foreleg to take a pack of cigarettes out, the stallion saying distastefully: “Smoking is against Decretum policy.”

“This ain't just a hobby, kid, I need the chemical high.” Cowlick retorted, before she added wryly as she reached up and touched the collar around her neck: “Also, before you make me piss in a cup, I'll let you know I've got a few drugs in my system. You're not going to fire me, are you?”

Thorn looked evenly across at Cowlick, and then he said heedlessly: “If you need nicotine then we'll have a Dogmatist or someone on medical staff provide you with a patch or pill. No smoking in the facility.”

Thorn held out his steel hoof, and Cowlick scowled at him horribly, before she leaned forwards and questioned icily: “And what the hell are you going to do about it, short stack?”

The stallion looked steadily back at the demon, and then he calmly lowered his mechanical leg before he dropped his clipboard in front of him, flipping through a few pages. He started to write, and Cowlick grinned widely at him, the demon saying in a contemptible voice: “Yeah, that's what I thought. Gonna write me up. Write a letter to Hecate, right? Well, Hecate ain't gonna lay a finger on me, and-”

Thorn finished the image he was drawing on the paper with a flourish, and Cowlick felt the crackle of static through the air a moment before all the strength simply went out of her body, the demon dropping to the ground with a boneless thump. She mouthed wordlessly as her cigarette rolled out of her lips, and then she wiggled uselessly on the floor as she struggled just to look up at Thorn with disbelief. There had been no magic, no flash and sizzle, no great burst of energy, and yet here she was. Helpless.

Thorn calmly spun the clipboard around with telekinesis, lowering it in front of her face, and Cowlick stared in horror at the sigil that was drawn over it, with her mortal name written in demonic inside the sketched series of runes. “I'm a member of the Archives, which is why I've been placed in charge of looking after you and your needs.”

Cowlick glared furiously up at Thorn as one of her eyes twitched, and then she slowly hissed through her nose before she muttered: “Fine. Let me up.”

The sapphire stallion smiled thinly, then he straightened and erased part of the sigil. Cowlick immediately felt her muscles loosen, the mare closing her eyes before she sprung suddenly forwards with a snarl-

Thorn was fast, leaping backwards, his expression cold as Cowlick landed before roaring and jumping at him as she slung a hoof out. But even as he lashed his clipboard and pencil to the side to redraw the symbol, the stallion's mechanical foreleg rose and caught Cowlick's hoof, crushing down on it with enough strength to halt her attack and make her eyes widen in surprise before electricity burst down the length of his steel limb.

Cowlick howled in frustration and pain as she felt the strength sapped out of her again, but this time, it was joined by roughly two hundred thousand volts of electricity, rendering the mare helpless as her muscles spasmed and lightning arced between the metal plating across her body.

After a mental count to ten, Thorn finally dropped Cowlick's foreleg, and the demon groaned loudly as she continued to sizzle for a few moments on the ground, her body twitching and smoldering a little before she rasped: “You don't know... jack about current, do you... kid?”

“Amperes are for killing. Voltage is for pacification.” Thorn replied briskly, bringing his clipboard back in front of him and flicking through it for an empty report file. “I'll be making notes and recommendations based on your behavior and productivity for the next while. Some of this information will undoubtedly be sent to Hel.”

“You... bitch.” Cowlick growled, attempting to get her front hooves under her, but she could barely wiggle on the ground, the mare glaring up at him furiously. “You think you're some little Inquisitor? God-dammit, do you know who the hell I am?”

“Yes. And I don't care.” Thorn replied bluntly, and Cowlick stared up at him as he looked back at her over his clipboard, his eyes cold. “Do you know who I am?”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Cowlick gave a slow grin before she said with faint entertainment: “Yeah, I do. I do now. Now let me the hell up.”

Thorn only looked at her, and Cowlick rolled her eyes before she said sourly: “I promise I won't try and clobber you. Let me up. You got my word now, kid.”

For a moment, the sapphire stallion continued to survey her, but then he gave a short nod before he once more removed part of the sigil. Cowlick grumbled under her breath as she felt her strength return, her body shivering a little before she shook herself roughly out as she climbed to her hooves, muttering: “You remind me a little of your sister. Your evil sister, not the Blood Seer one.”

Thorn frowned slightly, but his voice remained steady and professional as he responded: “That is classified information. Keep the discussion to a minimum.”

“Yeah, yeah, I am.” Cowlick paused, then turned around and stomped over to her cigarettes. She swept the box up and shoved it towards her muzzle, but then sighed loudly when Thorn held his steel hoof out, the demon grumbling under her breath before she walked over and slapped it down in his grip.

Then, before Thorn could pull away, Cowlick grabbed his steel limb and pulled it forwards, the mare examining it quickly before she muttered: “Damn. I haven't seen anything like this in a long time. Soulstone core, I'm guessing? And this alloy... Hecate's been up to some new tricks. That motor on your shoulder, too, is that corruption-based?”

Thorn scowled a little more as he pulled his leg away from the mare, flexing it before he replied moodily: “That information is provided on a need-to-know basis, and you don't need to know.”

Cowlick only grinned at this, however, shaking her head before she said wryly: “Something big must have crawled up your ass and died. Something with a lot of teeth, I'm guessing. But I'll give you this, kid, you're fast on your hooves, and that prosthetic is a hell of a lot stronger than I expected it to be. You want a gun?”

The stallion looked sourly at Cowlick, and Cowlick looked at him thoughtfully before she grunted and nodded. “Yeah. Let's get you a gun. I got to keep myself busy somehow.”

“I don't want a gun, thank you. I want you to do your assigned work.” Thorn replied irritably, and then he sighed when Cowlick only shrugged and turned, ambling away. He was rather surprised by how the demon suddenly seemed like she was in a good mood, given what had just happened... “Why aren't we going into your workshop?”

“Already reserved one of the hangars and I already put your toy soldiers to work. They know what they gotta do.” Cowlick replied with a shrug, and Thorn flicked quickly through his clipboard to make a note of this. He knew that Hecate would have to have authorized such a significant change of venue, but he didn't know why the Empress of Decretum would shuffle so much around, whether or not the LUN was important for their scanning and communication purposes.

But admittedly, Thorn was reassured when they stepped into the hangar and he saw that Cowlick was telling the truth. The Worker Drones had already assembled the base for the machinery, and there were several Dogmatists and Replicants present doing their own jobs. Well, most of them were, Thorn noted: Necrophage was happily bouncing around her sister, as Muse pointedly ignored her while levitating large pieces of machinery so Dogmatists could weld and modify them.

“Excuse me.” Thorn muttered, and then he strode quickly towards the two. Necrophage spotted the stallion long before he reached her: the hangar was almost half a kilometer wide and tall, and Thorn again couldn't help but wonder why Cowlick had decided to take over all of this massive area, or how Necrophage's voice could be that much louder than the drilling and the banging and the laser-cutting.

“Hi, Thorn! Hi hi hi!” Necrophage called happily, leaping wildly back and forth. Thorn glowered at her, tempted as always to shut down her personality programming, but for some reason, he simply never could bring himself to. “It's so super great to see you, sir!”

“Calm down, Necrophage. Why aren't you working?” Thorn asked shortly, and Necrophage smiled at him brightly, which he took as a sign he was not going to like her response.

“I am working!” Necrophage replied earnestly, nodding fervently before she gestured at her sister several times with her head. “I'm helping my sister-from-the-same-mister stay happy and focused!”

“That would just be your sister.” Thorn said tiredly, and then he shook his head slowly before he looked over at Muse, who sighed in sad agreement. “How are you today, Muse?”

Muse gave him a soft, sad smile; while Necrophage was squat and stocky and had jaws like a tyrannosaurus rex, Muse was tall, almost divinely-beautiful, her coat a sultry pink, her mane a perfectly-straight azure-white that spilled naturally around her shoulders. She wasn't quite perfect, though: she had black rings around her eerie blue eyes from constant insomnia, and several small, thorn-like horns formed a natural crest across her forehead, all a crystalline black.

She radiated grace and sorrow, as she whispered quietly: “Hello, Thorn Blackfeather. I'm alright, don't worry about me... and excuse my sister. Necrophage has done all the work that Cowlick requested for her to do.”

“You refueled everything already?” Cowlick asked curiously as she approached, and Necrophage smiled brightly and nodded as she happily bounced in a figure eight around the demon and Thorn; the sapphire stallion rolled his eyes at this, but Cowlick barely seemed to notice, only continuing to look thoughtfully ahead. “Guess I underestimated how much you can all do.”

“Hecate has made sure we're all at optimal performance levels!” Necrophage said cheerfully, happily leaping over to her sister and throwing a foreleg around her neck to mash their cheeks together with a bright grin: thankfully, Muse was so used to this she didn't lose concentration on the large, heavy machinery she was still levitating. “Yay!”

“Yay.” Muse murmured, giving the faintest smile before she lowered her eyes, and Thorn studied the beautiful and terribly-sad Replicant for a few moments, until she looked up and asked quietly: “Can I be of service?”

“Yes, actually.” Thorn said after a moment, and Muse tilted her head before the stallion asked: “How long do you think it would take for you to learn to use a PAC?”

Muse frowned at this: Psychic Amplification Crystals weren't exactly standard equipment for a Class IV Dogmatist like herself. “Well, I... I suppose it would not take very long. A week?” she ventured meekly, then she nodded hesitantly as Necrophage bounced beside her and smiled encouragingly. “Yes. Roughly a week.”

“Alright.” Thorn created a holographic screen to one side, tapping in a few quick commands before he said calmly and clearly: “Authorize Class IV Replicant Muse for auger-type equipment. Furthermore...” Thorn hated to do this, but he only hesitated a moment before continuing: “Schedule Muse and... Class IV Replicant Necrophage for training.”

Necrophage bounced eagerly around in a circle, cheering loudly, as Muse blushed slightly and lowered her head with a whispered 'thank you.' Thorn only sighed and shrugged as he dismissed the screen, replying: “I know that you and Necrophage function better when you're together. It's beneficial to train you both at once.”

“Well, looks like you have a heart under there after all.” Cowlick remarked, and Thorn shot her a moody look, which made the demon snort in amusement. “That look I recognize. I used to get it a lot from your parents.”

“Hey, we were just talking about his parents the other day!” Necrophage said excitedly, and Thorn winced a bit as the squat mare scuttled forwards, and even Muse looked up in interest. “Did you know them? Were they really cool? Were-”

“Necrophage, please get back to work! Cowlick, come with me!” Thorn barked, and Necrophage winced in embarrassment and dropped her head with a lame smile as the sapphire stallion marched off.

Then he frowned and looked over his shoulder, and he scowled as he saw Cowlick simply standing there and chewing on her lip. They looked at each other for a few moments, and then Cowlick asked blandly: “Are you ashamed of them?”

“No!” Thorn snapped, his voice so loud and sharp it surprised even him. He also heard the faint breaking of rhythm from the Dogmatists, how the mechanical ponies all shifted ever so subtly in reaction. “I mean... no, I am not. The information is classified.”

“Yeah, except you're a big boy now, aren't you, kid? Sure, I understood when you were just a foal.” Cowlick shrugged, looking disdainfully at Thorn as he glared back. “I got why not even I was really allowed to get more than a glimpse of you, and me and your parents were tight. But your parents also knew you were never going to live a normal life, and they didn't just send you here because they wanted to make sure you were protected, kiddo. They wanted you to be strong.

“Now look at you. Sure, something bad happened, and you lost a leg. You got a better one now.” Cowlick said simply, shrugging briefly. “Sad, tough maybe, but true. And you know it, too. You're strong now. Strong enough to be your own goddamn stallion, and not some little foal that any asshole demon can sweep in and kidnap.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Thorn said quietly: “I will respect Hecate's word on this until she says otherwise. She is the Empress of Decretum. And more than that, she is my mother, and that commands far more respect.”

Cowlick chuckled quietly, and then she said softly: “Yeah. You're right, it sure as hell does.” The demon paused, and then she added wryly: “Too bad I don't have a whole lot of respect for Hecate, but I sure as hell do for Luna Brynhild, Scrivener Blooms... and yeah, sure, for Morgan Heldóttir, too, now that she's pulled the stick out of her ass. Although it's apparently migrated right on up into yours.”

“Oh my god, those guests who showed up out of nowhere are your parents?” Necrophage blurted, and then she leapt excitedly forwards, grabbing Thorn in a fierce embrace and making him wince as Muse leaned forwards with a worried look, holding out a hoof and half-whimpering for her overexcited sibling to calm down. “Oh wow wow wow wow w-”

“Emotions off!” shouted a voice, and Necrophage went slack and immediately stepped back from Thorn, staring emptily at nothing. With her emotional rendering turned off, she became extremely efficient, but also hollow, driven purely by logic and commands from her superiors. Thorn admittedly hated to see her like this, but Hecate, on the other hoof...

Thorn looked awkwardly up at the security sphere floating in midair, which projected an image of his mother's face after a moment. Even through a blue-tinted hologram, she managed to glare at him furiously enough to make him shrink his head down between his shoulders a bit as she snapped: “And what precisely is this, Thorn Blackfeather? Did you really just schedule a psionic training session with Necrophage?”

“Necrophage has passive psychic ability. We've had satisfactory results in the past with training her, and she and Muse both display markedly-increased learning ability when they're together.” Thorn began, but Hecate only gestured at him to be quiet, which he decided was probably best to do for now.

“And what about the fact that you just went over my head and started babbling about your lineage to everyone within earshot?” asked Hecate waspishly, and Thorn cleared his throat as he looked awkwardly in the direction of Cowlick.

But then the stallion took a breath before he said quietly: “My family is important to me. I will always consider you my mother, but now I am an adult and... I am ready to engage with them and I would like to meet the rest of my family.”

“Huh. Nice, kid.” Cowlick remarked thoughtfully, and then she looked up and said calmly: “I told 'em, not him, you jealous metal bitch. Now, before you get your steel panties in a knot, I also have something Hel told me to say, now that the kids are out of the house: Gjallarhorn sings, whatever the hell that-”

“Thorn, report to my office immediately. Cowlick, I am granting you full permissions, do anything and everything to get the LUN online as soon as possible.” Hecate interrupted, and she dismissed the link before Thorn could even think to ask any questions, her projection vanishing as the security orb immediately whizzed away.

Cowlick whistled slowly at this, and then she remarked: “Must be serious as hell. Alright, Thorn. I'll get these guys moving, you do whatever the hell you need to do.”

Thorn looked at Cowlick for a moment, and then he nodded briefly before turning and striding quickly away. Muse and Necrophage both watched him as he left, the latter struggling to raise a hoof to wave silently after the stallion even through her emotionless state. Cowlick couldn't help but grin a little at this, studying the Replicants before the demon couldn't help but gaze back in the direction of the hangar exit, glad to see that even if he was a little too serious for his own good... Thorn Blackfeather was still his parents' son.

Nostalgia

Chapter Eight: Nostalgia
~BlackRoseRaven

Portaling to Heaven had been easy; boring, almost, apart from how exciting it was to actually be going to Valhalla, and through one of the private, upper-echelon-only portals at that. Cadence had both been tempted to strut and slink her way around the ambassadors, scientists, and other high-ranking personnel who were normally the only ones here: of course, Moonflower ironically had fit in very well with them with his charm and bluster and narcissism.

Hecate had shown up quickly, and then all-but-thrown them through one of the private portals. They had arrived in Valhalla, and Cadence had instantly felt a... a change inside her, a shifting, a silent awakening that was completely different from the Swan's usual violent clawing at her consciousness. No, the Swan just wanted to observe, it felt like, even though there hadn't been much to see at first, since they had arrived in some kind of high-security area, and quickly been escorted out of the sterile steel room and down a sterile steel hall by knights in white armor.

Now they were sitting in some kind of waiting room, just, well, waiting. Cadence looked uncomfortably around: chairs lined the walls, there was a small table with some magazines, and an aquarium that Moonflower was all but pressing his face into, staring like a foal at the brightly-colored fish swimming in aimless circles.

Her father was actually reading one of the magazines, and La Croix looked grumpy, but he was keeping himself busy grinding up more powders. That left her to find something to do with herself, but she felt like her stomach was in knots, and she couldn't make herself focus very well, and being here in Valhalla made her feel so... so homesick.

Cadence sighed a little, rubbing at her face with a hoof before she nervously looked at her father. But the stallion only glanced towards her and gave a slight smile before he returned to his magazine, and Cadence grumbled a bit, but she did feel comforted, if only by his confidence. Although of course, she also couldn't help but feel a little annoyed, too: how did he always manage to stay so calm and pleasant?

But thankfully, one of the doors leading out finally opened, and two ponies strode in: one of them was a graying unicorn with a short brown mane, a clipboard floating beside him that he jotted hurried, nervous notes on, and the other was a smiling, youthful-looking earth pony with a speckled palomino coat. This latter pony grinned at them brightly, saying exuberantly: “Welcome, welcome to Heaven! Now, I won't waste too much time with formalities, but my name is Pipsqueak and this is Excelsior. I suppose you could say we're sort of Queen Terra's administrators, and-”

“And I told you lads to hold on five sodding minutes, is that really so hard?” complained a loud voice, and Cadence looked up sharply as she felt the Swan twist inside her at the sensation that washed over her. Her eyes hardened, her breathing quickened, her whole body tensed as her hooves slowly squeezed into the arms of the chair before a figure pushed into the room, continuing crankily: “You complain I'm late all the time, but then you dump so much sodding paperwork on my sodding head that my claws feel-”

Cadence couldn't stop herself. Couldn't control the Swan, as she launched herself fearlessly straight at the demon: the demon was a dragon, triple her size and who knew how many times her weight, with scales of living steel and horns like a crown, wearing necklaces and bracelets made out of bones and fangs taken from her likely countless kills. No, this was a demon, a demon inside their sacred halls, inside Valhalla, and it needed to be destroyed.

Cadence snarled as slammed straight into the dragon-demon, knocking it skidding backwards with a grunt of surprise. Pipsqueak immediately scrambled backwards in horror, and Excelsior went dead pale as he dropped to the ground, covering his head with his clipboard. La Croix and Moonflower had roughly the same reaction, while Sombra immediately leapt forwards, shouting his daughter's name, but it wasn't Cadence who was in control right now. It was the Swan.

Danzsöngr's horn glowed brightly as she pounced onto the wingless dragon's back, and the demon roared as she shook herself wildly back and forth before snarling and twisting to the side, throwing herself at the wall to try and crush the mare. But this only played into the ivory pony's hooves, as she flung herself upwards before slashing her horn down to send a blast of white magic into the dragon's face the moment she hit the wall, making her roar as she automatically grabbed at her seared steel features.

The steel dragon crashed down on her back, and Danzsöngr dropped onto the demon's stomach, grinning coldly as she began to viciously pound away at the demon's exposed underbelly. But before she landed more than a few blows in, a claw swept at her, which the Swan dodged easily, but she wasn't expecting the demon-dragon's tail to snap up and twist around her neck, yanking her backwards and flinging her face-first into the wall.

Danzsöngr bounced off and caught herself on all four hooves, but just as she spun around, the dragon crashed into her and pinned her back against the steel wall. The mare swore in frustration, glaring up at the dragon, who glared back at her as a bit of blue flame and smoke escaped her jaws, and her sapphire eyes met the icy gaze of the Swan...

And then, suddenly, the dragon grinned widely before she threw her head back and laughed loudly. Danzsöngr was stunned by the reaction, staring up at the demon as she felt the pressure release, and as the Swan receded out of confusion and perhaps the slightest bit of embarrassment, Cadence shook herself wildly out before she flushed deeply as she realized that she had just attacked the Queen of Heaven. “I, uh... I'm...”

“You're full of fire, that's what you are, lass! Glowing embers, easily brought back to flame!” Terra laughed again, the demon and monarch who ruled Valhalla stepping backwards with a strangely-pleased look. “Now... oh, get up, you great cowards. My kin and I do far worse for our hellos down in Cairnmór. More's the pity we don't have time to continue to introduce ourselves... Cadenza, is it?”

“Most people call me Cadence.” the ivory winged unicorn said awkwardly as Pipsqueak and Excelsior both nervously picked themselves up. The mare was barely able to believe that she hadn't just completely ruined... well, everything. I just attacked the Queen of Heaven, all because I sensed a demon. What the hell is wrong with me? “I... uh... I'm sorry, by the way-”

“Oh, don't say that, lass, you did fine. Isn't your fault these rooms are all so damned small, I always feel like a sow trying to squeeze herself through mouseholes.” Terra complained, gesturing absently with one claw to the waiting room, which was now covered in debris and wreckage from the short, fierce combat between the two. “Now, much as I wish I had more time for idle chatter and another round or two, we should get down to business. You wouldn't believe how much nonsense I have to put up with on a daily basis! All I want to do is train the Valkyries, but nay, nay, Terra, you must be a good little girl and sit your great sodding ass on your great sodding throne...”

Terra sniffed disdainfully as she glowered over at Pipsqueak and Excelsior, who both simply shifted lamely before Cadence asked quickly: “There are Valkyries here? And uh...”

She finally looked around at the rest of her team: La Croix was only hiding a grin as he put his tools away, apparently not disturbed in the slightest by the fact she had just tried to start a fight with the Queen of Heaven. Her father was looking at her with both concern and relief, and Moonflower was pasted awkwardly against the wall of the aquarium like he was protecting it, his eyes wide and still staring at Terra with something like horror.

“Uh. Moonflower?” Cadence looked pointedly at the black stallion, who blinked before he hurriedly cleared his throat and almost leapt forwards.

Terra cocked her head quizzically, and Cadence quickly introduced : “This is my team. Moonflower, Sombra, and La Croix. I'm sure you know why we're here, and-”

“And I also know why you must be interested in the Valkyries, and why you couldn't stand to see an Ironjaw like me perverting your sacred halls, lass.” Cadence blushed deeply, but Terra only grinned and winked. “No harm done. In fact, when we have more time and are on better terms, I'd like to have a little spar with you, test my might against you, Swan Maiden, whatever you are. But my kind eat birds, you know.”

Cadence only forced herself to smile, not letting the Swan rise up, and Terra studied her before she grunted and turned, gesturing quickly with her head for them to follow as she began to walk. “Come along then, you lot. Excelsior, Pipsqueak, the two of you go find Tauros, I want the young prince to meet this lass.”

“Uh... Prince Tauros is probably in a meeting at the moment...” Pipsqueak started, but when Terra turned a glower on him, the palomino pony danced on the spot for a moment, biting his lip before he nodded and hurried off ahead, with the gray unicorn and his clipboard following quickly behind.

The halls here were plain stone and steel still, but it was already starting to feel different as they walked through the castle, more of Valhalla's energy seeming to permeate the air, the sense of coming home, and yet not filling up Cadence's body as Terra explained kindly as they headed down the hall: “There have been a lot of changes since your time, Cadence, which I'm sure you know and understand. Aye, it certainly has not been easy for any of us, but... in the little you'll see of Valhalla before you have to leave, I hope you feel we've done well.”

Cadence only shrugged a bit, before Terra pushed open the doors at the end of the corridor with a smile, and the mare's eyes widened as she instantly felt the confusion in her stomach completely overwhelmed by a sense of... of belonging.

They strode out of the stone passage into a massive, gorgeous golden hall that was full of life and activity. Warriors, heroes, nobles strode back and forth through this causeway through Valhalla, sharing conversation and laughter on the way to work or other business.

“Aye. We have worked long, and hard, to restore Valhalla to what it once was. The outer territories of the Vale are still badly damaged, but we're getting there, little by little.” Terra smiled a bit, adding softly: “And much as I once viewed the ponies as nothing but tender morsels, watching the way they work and unify has been an inspiration. Well, if such soft little things can band together to do such hard work, surely an Ironjaw of Isenertos like myself can deal with a few more years of signing papers and playing at monarch!”

Terra chuckled, and then she tilted her head as Sombra asked curiously, even as he bowed his head to her respectfully: “Queen Terra, is it true that your clan serve mainly as guardians of Hel, and as her peacekeepers in Helheim?”

“Smart lad, you are.” Terra smiled at Sombra, looking pleased as she nodded. “Aye, that's right, that is both privilege and duty of my clan. I suppose it's part of why for all the rabble-rousing I deal with, they don't try and remove me from my station as Queen.”

Cadence shifted uneasily at this, and Terra chuckled before she turned her eyes towards the mare with a slight smile. “Fear not, Swan, I have no plans to keep this up for much longer. A few more years, and Tauros will be old enough to step up in my place... he is certainly already more than ready and willing, after all. And as Kvasir's son, it is only his right. Besides, it will be a relief to return to the field; Freya and that sodding fiochag Morning Glory do nothing but mock me up and down for being some 'lady of the courts' these days.”

“Freya? Freya is alive?” Cadence leaned forwards, her eyes widening in shock. “Does she know about Brynhild, that-”

“Oh, aye. And I'm sure Freya must know about you, too: she's always been one to keep her ear to the ground, that one. Her head down, and her counsel close.” Terra replied absently, and then she turned and began to stride through the hall, nodding and smiling to ponies here and there that they passed as she continued easily: “Now, I must ask you a few questions, of course, and pretend that I have some kind of care for what you're doing. Don't get me wrong, I do. But I trust Hecate's judgment, and as far as I'm concerned, seeking a lost soul is a righteous cause in any form it takes.

“But for the sake of Valhalla, and more, for the sake of its endless bureaucracy, I all the same have to ask you what you plan to do, and if this is all really necessary.” Terra paused, smiling slightly over at Cadence. “I also heard, you see, that there's a certain trio of ponies out there, looking for this lost soul themselves...”

“Brynhild.” grumbled Cadence, feeling the Swan stir, but as they walked through the halls of Valhalla, it seemed to feel... pacified. Apparently it had swallowed its bitterness for the demon as well, which was a strange surprise for Cadence, considering that generally the Swan wasn't much of one for understanding or putting aside differences. “Why does everyone keep treating her like she's some kind of savior? She's Outlaw!”

Terra snorted in amusement at this, giving the ivory mare a slight smile before she said kindly: “I may not have the best opinion of Luna Brynhild myself, lass, but I wouldn't underestimate her either were I you.”

Cadence only grunted as she looked away for a moment, and surprisingly, it was La Croix who spoke up. “Oh, no, we know, believe you me, Madame Terra. But, and pardonnez-moi if I be speaking out of turn... ain't like you want to overestimate her, either. She real good at beating stuff up, sure. But she ain't so good at...”

La Croix gestured a few times to the side, and Terra looked thoughtful before she nodded after a moment with a slight smile of agreement. “Aye, very well, I suppose I must give you that, Fetch. But she's got two smart ponies with her, and she never leaves a job unfinished.”

“She don't, no. But we be pretty smart ponies ourselves, Madame.” La Croix replied, then he tipped her a wink. “And somethin' tells me I don't think you'd say no to gettin' a chance to show the Jument de la Lune that she ain't always all that, non?”

Now Terra looked interested at this proposal, and then she grunted and nodded, saying musingly: “Aye, it would be quite a look on her face... and well, I suppose there isn't no harm in making sure this lost soul is rescued as quick as can be. I know that Hecate wouldn't waste the time were he not important, and there were no promises to be fulfilled.”

Terra turned, leading them down a rounded corridor before she shouldered her way through a large set of red double doors, and they emerged onto a stone walkway that circled around the outside of Castle Valhalla. Cadence couldn't help but look up in awe, a warm smile spreading over her face at the familiarity and beauty of it all: the crisp blue skies above, the gorgeous turrets and white and gold towers, and beyond the enormous walls that bordered the castles, the endless, verdant green fields, filled with life and bounty...

The Swan... smiled. And Cadence smiled with it, before she blinked in surprise when her father gently touched her shoulder and gestured ahead, saying kindly: “They're waiting for us.”

Cadence looked up with a blush as she realized Terra was almost a hundred feet away, Moonflower and La Croix standing with her. The ivory mare hurried forwards, opening her mouth to babble out reasons and excuses, but Terra only laughed and shook her head, saying kindly: “Don't worry yourself over it, lass. I'm the same way when I visit Cairnmór, and I'm never away for more than a few months. I can't imagine what it must be like for you, Swan Maiden.”

“It's... soothing.” was all that Cadence could think to say to try and explain the impossible feelings running through her. And after a moment, she couldn't help but smile up at Terra, and she didn't know if it was her or the Swan who said: “Valhalla is safe. Demon or not, you are protecting Heaven and ruling as a Queen should.”

“Nay, I rule as I must, and I look out for the people, not my own self.” Terra chuckled, but she seemed to appreciate the compliments even as she waved them off, regarding the mare for a few moments before she turned and gestured for them to continue. “Come on now, normally I'd portal us there, but... as I have a bit to explain yet and you seem to be enjoying the air, we can walk.”

Cadence nodded eagerly, taking a deep breath of the clean, fresh air of this beautiful world of Asgard, upon which Valhalla sat. In the back of her mind, she knew she should be pushing forward for the sake of the mission, but every part of her wanted to stay here, to enjoy this, to bathe in the sense of being where she belonged, doing what she had been made to do...

What she had been made to do.

Cadence shivered a little as her blood suddenly went cold in her veins, her eyes quickly focusing forward as that warmth in her chest drained away. She looked down for a moment, but forced herself to quickly throw the feeling off even as the Swan shifted inside her almost in confusion, as if what was wrong with taking pleasure in its purpose, as if saying that this was what they were meant to do: be a gear of Valhalla, be soldier, be servant...

Only Sombra seemed to notice, the stallion drawing a little closer to her and looking at her with concern, but Cadence only shook her head briefly before she forced her head up, listening as Terra talked. Not a lot of the conversation stuck in her head as they followed the path down to a staircase that led into a courtyard, but she managed to grasp the important details, at least.

There were twenty or so portal rings for them to look at: Terra had already had the rings moved to a secure test facility only a short distance outside of Castle Valhalla. The little building had everything they needed: bunks to rest, volunteers to help them out, supplies, and of course, armored doors with heavy locks, so if they accidentally let anything into Valhalla, they would have to deal with it themselves and would remain safely quarantined from the rest of Heaven.

Terra hadn't looked at the reports herself: she had let Excelsior and her son Tauros handle examining and compiling them. Cadence had barely remembered that this wasn't really the first time they had looked for Rustproof, or that Hecate had agreed to send all the mission information ahead to Heaven. Terra talked about it all so naturally, less like she and Hecate were business associates and more like they were old friends, and Cadence found it... strange.

She understood that Hecate had a lot of connections. But Hecate was cold, professional, and demanded authority and respect. Why was it that she respected Luna Brynhild, when Brynhild seemed like the complete opposite of Hecate? Why was she sending what sounded like confidential log files that Cadence hadn't been allowed to request access for to the Queen of Heaven, who talked about it like they had just had a discussion over coffee?

Cadence's thoughts were brushed away as they left Castle Valhalla through the massive main entrance, however: as they strode across an immense wooden bridge that spanned the deep moat, Cadence felt both a burst of exhilaration at the beauty of the seemingly-endless dusty road that stretched off to the horizon, cutting through the sea of green fields, and a strange longing in the Swan. Not for this beauty, but to turn around, return to the safety, the sanctity, the castle, where it belonged.

Cadence shivered again, hating how even when the Swan was being less than murderous, it still could ruin even beautiful moments like this one. But as they continued down the path, she managed to make herself focus on the group, and on Terra, as the Ironjaw said wryly: “I hate that I've come to find it so natural to do nothing but talk and order people around. Aye, don't me wrong, I do enjoy ordering my smallers and lessers about. But it's much less fun doing it when they fear my title, not my strength.”

The ivory mare only grunted in response as she followed slowly, before Moonflower suddenly rose his head and blurted: “There's magic in the road!”

La Croix blinked, and Sombra looked up curiously before Terra answered: “Oh, aye, there is. The Vale is a huge expanse, after all, and not everyone has the magic to create a portal. Therefore, they developed magic that would... speed you up, so to speak, as you walk along the road. It distorts movement somehow by some... damned Heaven-magic, so that the further you walk along it, the more distance you cover with each step. One step becomes two, two becomes four, you understand. And that effect continues as long as you stay on the path, and keep yourself moving.”

Cadence looked off the road... and she could indeed see some kind of funny distortion in the air, and like reality was skipping now and then around them, like there were pictures missing from a video. She could remember this, and she remembered that this magic had originally been sown by Frey, one of the greatest architects Valhalla had ever known...

The ivory mare was barely able to remind herself to keep walking as memories twisted through her mind and the Swan murmured inside of her, but thankfully she didn't have to walk very long before Terra signaled for them to stop. They did, and the strange feeling of magic and distortion faded before the Ironjaw dragon gestured towards a square, stone building in a narrow field, a twisting sandy path leading up to this almost-ominous looking structure, which stood out as so strangely alien amongst the beauty of the rest of the Vale.

“We call these Blocks. I'm sure you'll never guess why.” Terra said ironically, and then she began to stride towards the building, continuing: “Aye, Valhalla still has a portal hub, but security is much tighter these days, and many of our resources are now divided up instead of stuffed into one big pot, considering the lessons we learned with both Gymbr and the Pious.”

“Who is Gymbr?” Cadence asked, and Terra chuckled at this, shaking her head slowly.

“Something I suppose we'd all sooner rather forget. I fear not all of us can escape being what we were born as, no matter how many times we try to change, lass. Sometimes, our own weakness is just too great.” Terra shook her head again, and then she smiled briefly as she looked up and muttered: “And sometimes we're all fools to trust the scorpion in the first place.”

Cadence only shifted uneasily, frowning a little, but there was silence as they approached the armored door leading into the windowless Block. Terra hammered firmly on the door, and when it didn't open, she shouted: “Oi! You had better not be slacking off again in there, or I swear I'll throw you to the Wendigo in the wastes, Airid!”

There was a clunking after a moment, and then the door was finally hefted open, and Terra stepped back with a sigh as another Ironjaw grinned awkwardly out at her, replying lamely: “Apologies, Lady Terra, but the gears are still broken. We haven't been able to make all the repairs yet.”

“Aye, well, aye, I know lately we've been a little thin on help. Now, Airid, these ponies will be in your care. Treat 'em well, help 'em with what they need.” Terra said briskly, and the Ironjaw nodded hurriedly: Cadence noted that unlike Terra, his scales were a little darker, and he had a distinct scarring over his face that looked as if it had been done by acid. But he was also wearing an amulet of some kind... “I swear, Morning Glory sent you up from Subterra just to make me miserable.”

Airid lowered his head slightly, but he was smiling all the same, and Terra grumbled before she suddenly reached up and smacked him on the shoulder. “Aye, you're not doing terrible, lad, but keep it up. No shirking.”

Airid nodded, and Terra turned her eyes to Cadence, saying mildly: “Well, this is where we part ways for the moment. I'm sure my son will be about to see you sooner or later: Hel knows he never listens to his mother these days, though, which I suppose is not entirely terrible, and he's got some other 'business' or other to take care of. But fear not, Pipsqueak is a good lad and will do his best to see that he visits, if only to check on your operations here.

“I need you to remember something though, Cadence: you only have until this time tomorrow before I will have to ask you leave Heaven, if you haven't left already.” Terra said quietly but firmly, and Cadence nodded as she looked up into the dragon's eyes, even as she inwardly grimaced: that wasn't a lot of time. “Don't you worry about filing reports or keeping me informed, the good people here will take care of that for you. You just get your job done, Swan Maiden. I've been told to expect great things from you, and I do.”

“I will.” Cadence promised, saluting after a moment, and Terra smiled at her indulgently before she shrugged and reached up to pat the mare on the head. Cadence didn't know quite how to respond to that, although she did her best to swallow her scowl until Terra turned to leave. Then the mare turned her glare on La Croix and Moonflower, who were both grinning at her like school foals. “Knock it off. Come on, let's go inside.”

She turned towards Airid, who smiled at her brightly: somehow his behavior was a complete contrast to Terra, as he shifted quickly out of the way and continued to hold the heavy steel door up for them. “Hello, Lady Cadence! Me and the others are really excited that you're here, and we're looking forwards to helping you as much as we can.”

“Uh-huh.” Cadence said awkwardly, and then she cleared her throat before hurrying inside, her father following with a thoughtful look before La Croix and Moonflower shoved each other out of the way and stumbled through the door at almost the same time. “Guys. Serious.”

La Croix grunted, and Moonflower sniffed disdainfully, but thankfully they both calmed down when Cadence focused the power of her scowl on them. Airid looked at them curiously, but then he simply shrugged before carefully lowering the steel door back into place, turning and gesturing down the metal hallway. “I'll show you to your rooms, you must want to rest after-”

Moonflower perked up, but Cadence shook her head and interrupted: “If you don't mind, we'd like to look at the portal rings and the reports first. We don't have a lot of time, so every moment counts.”

Airid nodded after a moment, smiling embarrassedly and bowing his head as he apologized: “Of course! I didn't even think about that, I'd be more than happy to... right, yes, this way.”

The Ironjaw hurriedly turned and strode quickly down the hall, and Cadence followed after a moment with a small smile. Her team fell into place with her, even though Moonflower was grumbling now about having helmet mane and wanting to rest his evil little hooves, but the mare just let him moan and complain, figuring it was better to let Moonflower get it out now.

Airid led them to a staircase that descended to a heavy steel shutter: this one worked, at least, although it seemed to take forever to grind its way up the rails it was on. But once they were through, Cadence could see they were in some kind of enormous testing facility, and to her relief, there was a portal ring already locked into an anchor system that rested in the center of the room, holding the ring in place and supplying power drawn from the cables that covered the ceiling and floor.

The Ironjaw tripped a little over some of the loose cabling as he headed towards a sealed booth, and a sigh came from the open door before a unicorn walked out, complaining: “Watch what you're doing, you big lug. We just finished prep, we don't need you tearing this down again.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Airid said hurriedly, and then he turned and gestured towards Cadence. “This is the guest we were told about, and uh... they want to get started immediately, they were asking for the reports-”

“Yes, thank you, Airid. Lady Cadence? My name is Dawn Sorrow.” The mare smiled at her: she was pretty; almost too pretty, the unicorn's white body as smooth as polished stone, her hooves glinting like silver, her eyes a strange, supernatural crimson. Her long, straight blonde mane fell over one shoulder, and her cutie mark was of a magic crystal, but it had an odd red tint to it, like it had once been a different set of colors but they had all faded to pinks and russets for some reason.

Cadence studied the mare warily, but Dawn Sorrow seemed unfettered as she said calmly: “My lab partners, Brazen Bold and Kiev, should be back from the workshop any moment with the reports. They wanted to finish double-checking some facts and calculations. It could be any of the portals, but... we'd like to narrow the list down.”

Dawn pointed towards the back of the room, and Cadence frowned a bit as she strode across the wide stone hall to the large, rolling shelf units that held the other rings. She counted... “Twenty two?”

“Twenty eight, actually, but five of them were so broken that we had to send them to the workshop for repair and analysis. They won't be ready for a few days, which I understand is outside your time frame, so instead Kiev has just been copying the coordinates.” Dawn replied calmly, and Cadence winced a bit.

“I thought we only had twenty.” Cadence said, as she turned and approached Dawn, and the red-eyed mare smiled at her almost condescendingly.

“Yes, but several rings were in storage and they didn't think to check the damaged articles. Fortunately I did.” Dawn replied calmly. “These were also recovered from the area that your lost little piggy was in.”

Cadence frowned a little, and then Dawn gestured towards the portal ring that was already anchored in the center of the room, just waiting to be supplied with power. “This is the most likely candidate for what you're looking for. There are five others after that that also fit the criteria. If neither Kiev nor Brazen Bold has discovered anything further in the reports, then I guarantee you it will be one of these six. Unfortunately, two of those are broken rings.”

“Great.” Cadence muttered, and then she looked over at her father, asking uncertainly: “If we can get the runes and coordinates, can you maintain an arch long enough for Moonflower to generate a portal?”

“Yes, mi amore... but that's asking a lot of Moonflower.” Sombra said, as the black stallion looked up at the sound of his name from where he had been half-hiding beyond La Croix, which was weird behavior, even for him. “He would have to hold the portal open for the probe, after all.”

“Right. Forgot about that.” Cadence grimaced, looking down. That put them in a fine mess...

“Oh, come now, I don't think-” Moonflower started, and then his eyes suddenly widened and he nearly shoved La Croix flat as he leaned over the zebra and yelled in panic: “Cadence, watch out, don't let her bite you!”

Cadence blinked and spun around, wincing as she found Dawn standing almost uncomfortably close now. The stony mare only gave a thin, half-teasing smile that revealed just the tips of her deadly fangs, as she said softly to Moonflower: “Dear, if I was interested in feeding... I would much rather sink my teeth into you.”

Moonflower whimpered and ducked back behind La Croix, who groaned loudly as he straightened slowly, cracking his back with a grimace. Cadence turned uneasily back towards the unicorn, which she now recognized as Nosferatu, asking uncertainly: “Why are...”

She realized a little late that was probably a rude question, and the Swan Maiden cleared her throat before trying to think of something better to say, but Dawn Sorrow only laughed quietly before saying calmly: “Airid, myself, and a few others are working here as part of an exchange program between Subterra and Valhalla. We trade knowledge and expertise and benefit alike from it.”

“Right.” Cadence said after a moment, and then she looked at the portal ring, asking finally: “Can we start it up? Moonflower, I need the probes.”

Moonflower looked lost, and Cadence sighed before her horn glowed, opening one of the packs on the stallion's side to pull out the container that held the probe devices. He smiled lamely at her after a moment, dropping his head, before he winced when Dawn Sorrow asked: “How did you know what I was, little one?”

The mare moved so gracefully it was like she was gliding through the air towards Moonflower, who whimpered and cowered back, before the Nosferatu stopped dead, as if she'd thumped into an invisible wall. She blinked and frowned, then her eyes narrowed suddenly as she looked at La Croix, who brushed at himself before he said moodily: “Sorry, mademoiselle. Your types can't get too near to my types. We just ain't meant to be amis.”

The Nosferatu smiled thinly at this, and then she turned and strode calmly away towards the booth, finally answering Cadence: “We can at least begin cycling up the systems. Unfortunately, it will take time between activations for us to recalibrate the equipment, especially with how long we'll be holding the portals open for. This technology wasn't meant to be used like this.”

“It'll survive.” Cadence grumbled, striding towards the portal ring before she put down the box of probes and opened it. She grimaced: she hadn't learned that spell from Thorn, so...

A hoof gently touched her back, and the mare glanced up over her shoulder at Sombra, who smiled down at her kindly before he said softly: “It will be fine, Cadence. Just trust in yourself, and in these good people helping us.”

Cadence blushed and looked down, and then she sighed and nodded a little before murmuring: “I'm trying my best to, Daddy. It's all just...”

She bit her lip as she looked up at the portal, hearing machinery beginning to rumble to life as several of the cables around the room twitched as if they were alive, electricity sparking over the portal ring. The mare gazed at this silently, and then she shook her head slowly before she murmured: “I don't even know what it means to be alive or dead anymore. Mortal life, afterlife... mortal, immortal, whatever I am... what's the difference anymore?”

“There is no difference between us as a people, Cadenza. That difference is determined by what we choose to do with ourselves.” Sombra answered gently, reaching up and squeezing her shoulders comfortingly. “I know how you've felt lately. Frustrated, confused... perhaps envious and out-of-place. And that's all okay. But meeting Luna Brynhild and your rivalry with her changes nothing about who you are, mi amore.”

Cadence shifted a little, and then she lowered her head and murmured: “It just feels like it changes everything. And we need to accomplish this mission and...”

Cadence broke off, then she shook herself out and picked herself up as the portal began to hum quietly. “Well, we should all focus on the job anyway. La Croix, Moonflower, are you guys ready?”

“To sit around and wait? Oui, Cygne. I got all kinds of stuff to keep me busy.” La Croix said mildly, and the ivory mare gave him a foul look.

Moonflower only shrugged awkwardly, and then he looked at the portal ring with confusion, saying slowly: “So we take this portal...”

“No. We just send the probe through.” Cadence said tiredly as she picked up one of the probes, studying the spherical device in her hoof before she glanced up over her shoulder as Dawn Sorrow emerged from the metal and tinted glass booth.

“Ten minutes. We have to power up slowly to avoid causing undue deteriorating in the rings.” Dawn explained offhoofedly, and then she glanced up as the armored door leading into the room opened, the mare smiling thinly. “There you are.”

Cadence glanced over her shoulder, and her eyes widened slightly in surprise: while Brazen Bold was simply a Pegasus – and likely a mortal who had died on Midgard, but earned his time here in peace and paradise in Valhalla, what some ponies called an angel but was properly termed a Benevolent – Kiev was a Nibelung Architect.

The Nibelung were a race of bipedal creatures that were mostly wolf, with a little pig thrown in: they had heavy, matted fur for the most part, with squat frames, canine features, and large, boar-like tusks sticking out of their muzzles. They weren't generally known for their intelligence, but they had once been a prosperous and intelligent race until civil war had destroyed their plane, and Helheim had swept in to mop up the rest.

Most Nibelung were mercenaries, or contract workers: fighting and laboring were all they really knew. All of them, that was, except for the Architects: Nibelung of great intellect who had been trained at their last-standing Academy, most of them more than a thousand years old and easily identified by their more upright posture and the fact they tended to cut down their tusks. Kiev's, for example, were almost completely missing, and the stumps were capped with silver.

He also seemed middle-aged for a Nibelung: wrinkles around his eyes, and as tall and stately as he was, he stooped ever so slightly forwards, as if it pained him to stay too far upright. His fur was graying, but his golden eyes still blazed with intelligence as they surveyed the ponies thoughtfully before he halted and bowed his head, saying calmly: “Swan Maiden.”

“Architect.” Cadence replied, bowing her head in return before she straightened, feeling both a strange sense of familiarity as well as a complete confusion as to what she should do next. “Uh... do you have the reports?”

“Yes, right here.” the Pegasus Benevolent said gruffly, giving Dawn Sorrow a noticeable berth as he walked around her. He pulled a large stack of papers out from under one wing and passed them to Cadence, who began to skim quickly through the files as the Benevolent continued: “We weren't able to narrow down our findings any further, but we did manage to pull the coordinates and rune sequence from the damaged ring and include it on one of the pages. We can probably graft it over a blank ring if Airid can go get one for us.”

Airid, who until now had been quietly sitting in the corner, hurriedly jumped forwards and nodded, making Moonflower jump and Cadence look up in surprise: she had forgotten the Ironjaw was present. “Yes, definitely, right away! I'll be an hour at the most!”

The Ironjaw turned and scrambled for the shutter, and the moment he was gone, the Architect said calmly: “Three.”

“Five. Terra will catch him and scold him and he'll forget what he was supposed to do.” grumbled Brazen, and Cadence smiled briefly before she looked over the Pegasus: a little chubby, very serious features, surprisingly well-developed forelegs, which meant he was probably an engineer or mechanic. “What else do you need?”

“I'm not sure.” Cadence looked back down at the files, and her father took over automatically, the black unicorn smiling and bowing his head towards the two even as Dawn Sorrow turned to wander back into the booth.

“Along with the probes, do you have any recommendations on how we can better determine if we've found the correct world? We're looking for a specific energy, from what I've been told...”

“Yes, but energy wavelengths are very hard to calculate. Age will also play a factor here: for all you know, any machinery may have shut down years ago and your probes might not detect anything.” Kiev nodded, and then the Architect rubbed meditatively under his chin before he said slowly: “It's highly doubtful that this portal was used by one pony alone to escape Valhalla... and even if he has moved on, surely some of the others have not. We could scan for the presence of Benevolents. They are a much rarer occurrence in the Midgard plane than demons.”

Brazen snorted at this, saying mildly: “Probably because it's a lot easier to be happy in Heaven than it is in Helheim. But I don't know if we can make something capable of that...”

Kiev only shrugged, then looked at the portal ring as it began to glow, saying quietly: “How long does each probe run for?”

“Uh... an hour, I think, unless it finds something.” Cadence said finally, and Kiev nodded before lowering his head, closing his eyes meditatively.

“Assuming these first few portals are incorrect, we have at least five or six hours, factoring in cooldown and setup.” Kiev glanced over towards the booth, asking: “Do you have this under control, Dawn?”

“Yes, of course. You and Brazen go ahead. I would recommend a shorter-range scanner: Benevolent are unlikely to have survived in a hostile world, and are also unlikely to have moved very far from the portal's original location.” she said almost dismissively as she stepped back out of the booth, before she gestured towards the portal as energy crackled over it, and a swirling vortex of white and black began to form inside it. “Give it ten seconds or so and it should be ready.”

Cadence nodded, then she looked down at the probe in her hoof as all eyes watched her curiously. The ivory mare did her best not to look up as she tried to remember how the probe worked, giving it a squeeze-

The spherical crystal came to life, glowing brightly for a few moments before it jumped out of her hoof, then beeped once before shooting into the portal. Cadence stared after it, and then Dawn Sorrow said, with the faintest hint of condescension: “That was eight seconds.”

“Five seconds would be enough for the portal to stabilize to the point where such a small object could pass through.” Kiev remarked, and then he nodded politely to the ponies before turning and striding back towards the shutter, Brazen grunting and following after him.

Dawn Sorrow only smiled after the two before she turned her eyes towards Cadence and the others, asking: “Is there anything else that I can help you and your friends with?”

“I think we've got it, thanks.” Cadence replied after a moment, grimacing a bit at the way the Nosferatu looked at them with such natural arrogance and narcissism.

Dawn Sorrow simply shrugged, then turned and headed back into the booth, presumably to do whatever it was she did in there. Cadence turned her own eyes back to her own team of Irregulars, and saw that they were all looking at her, waiting for some kind of pep talk or orders or...

Well, there wasn't a whole lot she had to say right now, or they could do. The mare glanced down at the reports she was still holding in one hoof, and then she sighed a little before saying finally: “Daddy, maybe you could help me go over these files. La Croix, I don't know what we're going to be up against, but I'd like you to do some all-around potions prep. Moonflower, uh... be helpful.”

Moonflower looked over at La Croix, and the zebra groaned before he grumbled under his breath, then pulled his hat off and muttered: “Aye aye, Cygne. I'll foalsit.”

“Hey! I am extremely helpful!” complained Moonflower, and La Croix only grunted as he dug around in his hat before he pulled out a plain stone pestal and bowl, which he held out to Moonflower. The winged unicorn snatched these away from the zebra, glaring at him before he made a grabby gesture with one hoof, and La Croix grumbled to himself as he dug around in the seemingly-infinite reaches of his hat before producing a large sack that he flung at Moonflower.

The self-proclaimed god opened this, then winced at the putrid stench that came out of it before he complained: “You always give me the gross things!”

“Hey, you wanna be helpful? Be helpful.” La Croix gestured pointedly at the bag of likely rotting material as Cadence awkwardly slid herself backwards, before the zebra looked over at the ivory mare and asked in a more serious voice: “You gettin' the heebie-jeebies, Cygne? Because your instincts ain't usually wrong, and when you start talkin' like somethin' bad's about to happen...”

“No, I... not exactly.” Cadence hesitated, and then she said in a quieter voice: “I don't know what we're going to be faced with and I don't have any... particularly good or bad feelings right now. I only know that we're racing against the clock here, and we have to do this as close to perfect as we can. I need you guys to be at your best and... I need you to keep me at my best, too, so we don't end up screwing this up.”

Sombra gazed at her, his kind eyes giving her all the encouragement she'd ever need, while Moonflower laughed as he put the bag aside and leaned forwards with his usual grin, saying cheerfully: “Cadence! I may be evil, but I'm no traitor or coward or... loser! No, I have no intention of letting you or anyone else here down, especially not myself, since...” He dropped his head a little as he held up a hoof, looking much more meek as he said lamely: “I really don't want to be a Dogmatist.”

Cadence sighed, and La Croix added with a wink: “Don't you worry, Cygne. Sure, I know better'n most that those ponies in particular be trouble... but they attract more problems than a toad does warts. We gonna beat 'em, don't you worry about that.”

The ivory mare smiled in relief, and then she held her hoof out. Sombra chuckled as he put his own on top of hers, and La Croix groaned before he sighed and put his own forwards, Moonflower looking pleased as his ended up on top.

“Irregulars!” they declared together, as their hooves shoved up into the air, and the four smiled around at each other as Cadence felt that moment of pride and camaraderie that she lived for, that always assured her that no matter what happened, everything would be alright.

Everything was going to be just fine.

Hecate stood silently in a private room in Imperia: a room that had been restored in painstaking detail, by her own two hands. Or her body's claws, she supposed, as she looked down at these, studying the way the metal flexed and shimmered before she sighed quietly and crossed her arms. The furniture wasn't quite right, but it was very close, from the red sheets to the armor stands that were covered in hanging paper gliders and birds...

Her eyes roved silently over a picture illustrated over the wall: she had added curtains to protect this precious memory from any prying eyes, and the mare flinched automatically towards the pullstring for these when the door opened. But then she relaxed slightly as Thorn entered, quietly closing the door behind himself. She meant to scold him, but she couldn't quite bring herself to.

Thorn joined her, and he looked at the ponies painted over the wall: he recognized them, knew all their names, but he had never met any of them; Hecate reflected that maybe he had never even really met that version of Princess Celestia, who stood so proudly with her son, Thesis, and the friends he had taken as family...

“Gjallarhorn sings.” Thorn said quietly, and Hecate nodded slowly before the stallion asked: “What does it mean? What does it have to do with your son?”

“Your brother.” Hecate said before she could stop herself, and Thorn smiled faintly up at her, even as Hecate reached up and slowly rubbed at the bridge of her muzzle, muttering: “Ridiculous. Data fault. But I don't know what Hel is playing at here, yet I think I'm starting to understand, too.

“What did the scans say?” she asked suddenly, looking down at her son, and Thorn created a holographic screen beside himself that he turned towards her with a gesture, Hecate studying this intently for a few moments before she muttered: “Nifle effect. A weakening in the walls of reality by an unknown cause. But the Gjallarhorn went missing and Valthrudnir was only able to produce cheap duplicates... furthermore, no one can play it to the same effect that Heimdall was able to, or...”

Hecate's eyes silently roved to the image of Thesis on the wall, and then she shook her head slowly before Thorn asked in that quiet, blunt way of his: “Could Thesis be alive?”

“Impossible. He was...” She couldn't say it. She didn't know why, but she couldn't say it, as she scowled and shifted her gaze away before shaking her head and muttering: “There's no trace of Thesis in Heaven or Helheim, and he was both atheistic and quasi-divine. The Void was waiting for him, not an afterlife. He can't possibly...”

No, that wasn't true, was it? Valthrudnir had returned from the Void... and what about Luna, Scrivener, and Morgan? From what she had heard, they had been utterly erased, but something had thrown them back into reality...

Still, there were other solutions. It was simply Hel, being cruel, she thought. Playing games with her mind, making her remember all those times before, when she had been... and Thesis had been... stop it. Focus. “We need to discover what's going on. This weakness in the folds of reality isn't explainable, it's almost Midgard-wide. How did we miss this?”

“We have no reason to check universal density. Nothing else is out of the ordinary and there's been no major fluctuations. Until you had me actually check the stability of reality across several worlds...” Thorn shook his head briefly before he shifted the screen back towards himself, paging through it and adding: “We have nothing beyond the usual rare Terror attacks, as well, so nothing seems to be trying to eat into our reality. But while the Void is normally separated from Midgard by an almost completely impassable, one-way barrier of energy, this thinness means that something of exceptional power – Jötnar level power – could conceivably create a controlled portal instead of just a Void vacuum.”

“Valthrudnir.” muttered Hecate, and Thorn frowned a little. “I saw him torn apart and thrown into the Void with my own eyes, but... all the same... this reeks of him.”

“I don't think that's possible.” Thorn said slowly, and Hecate glared at him, but her son only looked steadily back as he explained: “From what we know of the Void, it's a place that absorbs and devours energy. While we know that somehow, some entities subsist and even thrive in this environment, they have to be completely different from us, perhaps even on a molecular and not just biological level, in ways that we simply can't understand. The Terrors we've encountered, after all, are incredibly hostile and incredibly alien organisms that defy what we would call 'rational physics.'

“But that's part of the point: they're completely different from us. We're all made of the same building blocks of energy at the end of the day: they're not. They're... a modified form of matter. They exert energy in a different way, as well: there's plenty of reasons to deduce that magic or supernatural powers that normally work in our nine planes wouldn't function properly in the Void.” Thorn continued, shrugging as he looked steadily up at the Empress of Decretum, before he he added in a softer voice: “He can't come back.”

Hecate glanced down for a moment, and then she said after a few seconds of quiet thought: “You've been reading. And looking at personal files.”

“Yes.” Thorn smiled briefly, and Hecate shook her head slowly before the sapphire stallion said quietly: “It's possible something could open a portal from this side, however. Have any Jötnar survived? Apart from Hel, does anything you know of have that level of power?”

“I do. So does Theophilius Carter, the Mad Hatter.” Hecate looked meditatively to the side. “Morgan Heldóttir has the power, but perhaps not the will. Freya might, if she would dedicate five minutes to discipline instead of hedonism. Moonflower, with the help of an augmenter, may just be able to cheat his way into it thanks to his control over gravity.”

Thorn looked up in surprise, and Hecate smiled thinly. “You don't think I put up with that idiot because of his charming personality, do you? Moonflower can exert almost as many bæns of force as I can. His problem is that he is an idiot and does not seem to understand the potential he has. Which is why I hope you will be a good influence on him.”

Thorn cleared his throat and smiled lamely, and Hecate was quiet for a moment before she looked back at the wall, saying in a softer voice: “Thesis never had a marefriend. Never had any significant other. But he had his sisters, and he had his brothers-in-arms... or perhaps I should just say his brothers, because that is what they were to him.

“Thesis never had a chance to completely live his life. I want that for you, even if I don't agree with everything you do, have done, and will continue to do.” Hecate continued, looking over at Thorn. “I made many mistakes with Thesis. I made more towards the end, when I... broke. When I became weak, and selfish, and that selfishness made me stupid and blind.”

Hecate lowered her head, and Thorn smiled at her. But after a moment, she shook her head briskly before looking up and saying coldly: “I was also not as hard on him as I should have been. What about this nonsense with Necrophage and Muse?”

“I'll train them personally, I've already remedied that error and found a place for them on my schedule. Once Muse is trained to use the PAC, her psionic ability should be great enough to let her see across layers. We can use her to keep track of Team 0-0.” Thorn answered, and Hecate had to admit she was impressed. She had considered upgrading the Replicants herself, but she supposed that even she fell into the trap sometimes of forgetting that the Replicants and Dogmatists were more than hardware, as much as she looked at them as her people.

The mare looked down for a moment, and then she nodded once before she looked back at the mural on the wall. She studied it silently, and then glanced to the side when Thorn asked: “Do you want him to come back?”

“Every day.” Hecate murmured, as she felt a gear inside her armor catch and clank, the ivory mare closing her eyes before she shook her head briefly. “Wanting it won't make it happen, though. And I have no intention of jeopardizing everything I've worked for, and... everything that my son would have wanted by foolishly opening a portal to try and bring him back, however, if that is what you're asking, Thorn.”

Thorn only looked up at her for a moment, and then he hesitantly stepped towards her, but Hecate gave him a cold look before she said icily: “If you hug me, I will not be as kind to you as I was to your mother.”

“You are too hard on yourself.” Thorn said before he could stop himself, and Hecate blinked, then sighed before she dropped her face in one metal hand, and the sapphire stallion couldn't help but smile a little again before he said quietly: “I'll get back to work.”

Thorn turned and headed for the door, and Hecate watched him go before she sighed again and looked back at the mural, murmuring: “I know, Thesis. He's a fine, strong stallion. I just hope...”

Hecate quieted, and then she reached out and gently pulled the string to close the curtains over the painted wall, lowering her head as she remembered the life she had lived, in spite of all the pain it had caused her... because that pain, and that life, held all the reasons she needed to continue to push forwards on the path she had chosen.

Because no matter what happened, she would not let her new family and empire suffer as it once had again, no matter what the cost.

Sting Of The Scorpion

Chapter Nine: The Sting Of The Scorpion
~BlackRoseRaven

They were starting to run out of time, and several of their probes had broken: one hadn't returned from the portal after more than an hour, so Dawn Sorrow had suggested one of them go take a look through the portal to see if they could find anything, and Moonflower had volunteered in his bold, stalliony way, strutting into the vortex. Then he had come hurtling back out less than a minute later, screaming and with his mane and tail on fire, howling for them to close it behind him.

Cadence had overreacted and smashed the portal ring while Moonflower had rolled wildly around on the floor, La Croix and Sombra both struggling to put the fire out as Dawn Sorrow had only watched curiously. It was only after Moonflower had calmed down that he was able to reveal it wasn't monsters or demons that had set his head and rump on fire, but instead, the portal had come out inside some kind of volcanic area. Moonflower was only fortunate he hadn't been burned completely to a crisp.

The ivory mare sincerely hoped that their target hadn't tried to go through that portal: the ring was broken beyond repair, and even if they could still open the portal, she wasn't stupid enough to think that her team would survive for very long in that kind of world. Even if it meant failure, she wouldn't put them through that kind of risk.

Another probe had come back badly damaged. It had fizzled a few times, vomited up enough data to show that it hadn't found any of the signals they were looking for, and then shut down. And a last one had come back through the portal, produced a holographic map... and then promptly died in her hoof, like something had sucked all the energy out of it.

This was only their fifth portal, but with the setbacks they had faced, they had already used up eight hours of time. On the plus side, Kiev and Brazen had returned with some kind of Benevolent-detection device. It looked almost like an altar, covered in Nibelung runes and with a simple dome of crystal in the middle that would light up if it detected any Benevolent within a ten mile radius once it was turned on. Obviously they would have to carry it through themselves – and whether or not it detected anything, carry the heavy goddamn thing back – but that was really the only positive.

Moonflower was sulking, his once-beautiful mane and tail both frazzled, reeking of burnt hair and burn ointment. La Croix was sorting through his herbs and ingredients, trying to find what he needed to replace the salves he had used to help Moonflower heal. Kiev and Brazen were already rolling another portal ring out, while Sombra read over the analysis of the next world on their schedule, trying to deduce whether or not it was a portal ring they could afford to skip.

Cadence was only waiting impatiently, hoping beyond hope, but when the probe zipped through the portal and returned to float in front of her, she could already tell that it was only going to give her the same report. And, to her lack of surprise, it beeped before dropping into her hoof when she reached up and producing a simple diagram that told her what she was starting to afraid would be the same report from every ring: nothing. “Great.”

The portal ring crackled, and then the vortex slowly swirled closed as it lost its energy, Cadence scowling towards the booth. Not that she could really say anything, but just out of reflex and the fact that the Nosfertau was so damn sure of everything she did.

Dawn Sorrow emerged from the booth, and she gave a thin smile before saying calmly: “Ten minutes to let the ring cool down, and then we'll place the new one in.”

Cadence only grunted moodily, half-wanting to argue, but then she was distracted as Sombra said thoughtfully: “I think we should skip ahead to seventeen.”

All eyes looked up in surprise, and Brazen Bold frowned before the Benevolent snorted and said flatly: “That's one of the least likely rings on the list, if I remember right! Seventeen, what was that, that was-”

“Crude, quickly built out of scrap metal, may not hold for the full hour we need. The runes had odd scratches on them and we have some data on that world: Midgard Layer 25, if I remember right.” Kiev said softly, looking with interest at Sombra. “Civilized world, fairly similar to the core in all known regards, no major technologies present. Why this one?”

“Something interesting was noted here, that in spite of the fact it was made from scrap, the integrity of the ring was surprisingly solid: all the metals were portal-conductive.” Sombra explained. “Rustproof, from what we know, is supposed to be an engineer with experience in handling enchantments and magic.”

“You're saying that would have known to use these materials, but your average person would not have, and it's unlikely that it's a coincidence only these particular metals were used.” Kiev guessed, rubbing at his chin thoughtfully, and Sombra nodded. “In part, the rings we chose as most-likely were because they were made out of the highest-quality materials. But you may be on to something. If he was in a hurry, or didn't want to be followed...”

“Then he would have set the portal to shatter or overheat, like some of the ones we found. I lean towards the portal ring we found in pieces myself, lucky number seven.” Brazen said mildly, and he shrugged a bit when Kiev looked at him curiously. “Well, it's what I would do. It's what any half-decent engineer would do, as a matter of fact.”

Sombra nodded, and then he said: “Precisely. And Rustproof knew that there was a chance they would be followed. Likely more so if he created a red flag such as that: from what we know, the creatures following them had their own portals, didn't they?”

“They even designed the advanced hub system we have in Valhalla, yes.” Kiev replied, looking over at Brazen thoughtfully. “He's right, isn't he? All they would need would be to copy the runes and coordinates onto those cards to insert into the machine.”

“I... technically, yes.” Brazen relented after a moment, biting his lip. “It's a little more complicated than that, but I suppose in simple terms, yes, that's a possibility.”

Cadence couldn't help but wonder moodily why they weren't using a portal like that, even though she figured there were probably a lot of reasons. Instead of thinking about that, however, she tried to focus on her father, asking: “Is there anything else?”

Sombra hesitate, and then he gave a slow nod before saying finally: “I can't be sure, but... if I remember correctly, A-25 was the layer that Teflon and his team were dispatched to a few weeks ago. Do you remember, mi amore?”

“I do, yeah. Standard seek-and-destroy mission, Class A world, minimal threat of overlap but they had detected a hostile demonic presence attacking ponies in the oceanic region.” Cadence said slowly, frowning uneasily. “It was using a weapon they thought was demonic in origin, but Thorn couldn't identify it or match it to any known weapons...”

“I think it may have attacked our target and taken that from him. It would explain why Teflon reported that the demon looked as if it had already been injured in a previous encounter, as well.” Sombra hesitated, then he smiled briefly. “But this is all conjecture as well, and I'm not certain it's even the same world.”

“Brazen?” Kiev looked at the Pegasus, who sighed tiredly but then gave a grumpy nod, and the two rolled the ring back towards the rack to switch it out for the one Sombra had suggested.

Cadence gave her father a smile before she turned towards the anchors that held the portal ring in place: with Dawn Sorrow's help, she disassembled it quickly and rolled it towards the rack, shooting a glare towards Moonflower and La Croix as they passed. La Croix ignored her and continued to work calmly away at his potions, while Moonflower looked insulted, gesturing madly at the 'work' he had accomplished in the last half-hour: he had crushed half a fruit into juice.

The ivory mare helped Brazen Bold roll the crappy, damaged-looking portal ring towards the anchor, giving old Kiev a bit of a break as she tried her best to be positive, but the state of the thing worried the hell out of her. While every other portal ring was made of silvery metal, this one was a multitude of rusty colors from the different metals that had been welded and simply mashed together, and the runes scratched into it looked like deep gouges instead of carefully-cut shapes. She was worried that they weren't even going to get it to the anchor, or that once they tightened the grips, it would just shatter or bend in the vises...

But, no: to her surprise, the ring fit perfectly into the anchors, in spite of how crumbly and rotten the outside of the portal ring looked. The clamps also didn't so much as make the metal groan, even when Dawn Sorrow and Sombra tightened them as far as they would go, which Cadence also hadn't expected. So the ugly-looking thing was a lot more solid than she'd expected, which was a great start.

They powered up the portal, and Cadence was surprised when it seemed to light up almost immediately. Kiev's eyes widened slightly as he studied the ring intently, and Brazen frowned deeply, as if he was looking for something, Cadence asking the two uncertainly: “What is it?”

“There.” Kiev said, pointing, and Brazen stomped a hoof in agreement as he gave a short, disbelieving laugh. Cadence looked dumbly at the ring, but she didn't see anything: fortunately, Kiev was kind enough to explain: “Some of those scratches in the metal aren't scratches at all. They're connexion runes. Rare to see because they're very difficult to implement successfully: you need still hands and sharp eyes.”

“They decrease the amount of time it takes energy to transfer between runes and increase the total transferred. The portal thus requires much less power to work, and also charges faster.” Brazen said, gesturing towards the portal as a vortex swirled open inside it. “There, see what I mean? Not even two minutes, and it's already charged.”

“This is your portal.” Dawn Sorrow said calmly and confidently, and Cadence looked up in surprise even as she rose the probe in her hoof. “You don't need to use that. This is the correct portal.”

“I... should probably check, anyway.” Cadence said finally, and Dawn Sorrow only smiled at her indulgently, as Brazen grunted and Kiev nodded in agreement.

Cadence scowled a little at the Nosferatu, but then turned her eyes forwards and squeezed the probe: it lit up, and she flung it at the portal as it took off, the little sphere shooting through the vortex.

Moonflower was nervously standing up now, and La Croix was quickly cleaning up his materials. Sombra strode forwards to stand beside Cadence, and as the minutes passed, the mare felt herself becoming more and more anxious, chewing on her lip as they all simply stood and watched the vortex swirl, the portal thrumming quietly away.

At the ten minute mark, Cadence was about to snap when the probe suddenly shot back through the portal, beeping loudly. It dropped into Cadence's hoof when she held it out, before glowing brightly and creating a holographic map, Cadence reading quickly over this as she murmured: “Looks like... six miles.”

“That's within the radius of our machine.” Kiev said, and Cadence smiled briefly before the Architect began to turn, saying: “I'll go get Airid-”

“Nonsense!” Moonflower huffed, and then the black stallion shook himself roughly out before he grabbed his helm and slammed it down over his own head, ignoring the fuzzy, charred bits of his mane sticking out here and there as his horn glowed brightly. The altar-shaped device rumbled on the spot, then lifted into the air as Moonflower showed only the slightest strain, keeping his head proudly raised. “There, see! Not... no difficulty at all!”

Kiev only cocked an eyebrow, and Brazen sighed before he held up a hoof, saying sourly: “Don't even bother trying to convince him otherwise, I can already tell it's a losing battle. You go through. I'll wait here. But tell me if it works or not, alright?”

Kiev nodded with a smile to his Pegasus friend, and then he strode towards Cadence, bowing to her politely. She hesitated, but then nodded at the silent request: they would need someone to get the machine working, anyway. “Just... be careful. We don't know what's on the other side.”

“We should go first, then.” Sombra advised, and Cadence nodded in agreement before she looked at La Croix, who groaned loudly, but then scooped up the rest of his potions into his hat as he approached, giving a wry smile.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Let's go then, dans les portes de l'enfer.” La Croix said wryly, and then he shrugged and added mildly: “Well, laissez les bons temps rouler, am I right?”

“I still don't know what that means and I wish you would stop saying it.” Moonflower grumbled, and La Croix huffed at him.

“It means somethin' you still don't understand, rein de la nuit, that's what it means.” he retorted, and then he winced when Cadence cleared her throat loudly and glared at them both. “Okay, okay. Pardonnez-moi, Cygne.”

Cadence only shook her head, and then she looked forwards and took a breath before levitating the probe beside her. “Alright. Sombra, La Croix, keep in escort position. Kiev, please follow after us and let Moonflower bring up the rear.”

“Let's go, please!” Moonflower said with perhaps a little bit of desperation seeping into his voice, as he struggled to keep the machine afloat beside him.

Cadence smiled wryly, but then nodded firmly, starting quickly forwards. It was always best to take the portals at a bit of a trot, and this was no exception as they passed into the swirl, and that feeling of colors and momentum tore through reality around her, her every nerve coming alight, her body shivering in a mix of pleasure and what was almost fear as they ran down the tunnel...

They burst out the other side of the portal, and Cadence had to force herself to stumble to a halt before she sighed in relief as she looked around: they had emerged into a pine forest, and there was not another soul in sight. She could already feel the cold air on her body, but there wasn't a speckling of dust on the trees and the sun was bright overhead: summer or spring, she guessed, but somewhere further north.

Kiev emerged from the portal a moment later, only to quickly step aside when Moonflower staggered out after him, wheezing loudly before he all-but-flung down the device, his body spasming and twitching. Cadence glared over her shoulder at him, but Kiev only smiled before remarking: “Considering how portals negate magic and this device is thickly layered in magic-resistant plating, I'm surprised you could lift it at all.”

Moonflower stared in disbelief, mouthing slowly and wordlessly as Cadence sighed and shook her head, but Sombra only smiled before he said: “Moonflower is a very talented young stallion. He's not always as serious as he could be about developing his skills, but when he puts his abilities to work, he's second to none.”

The amount Moonflower puffed up made Cadence wonder if he was going to either explode or float away, but instead of focusing on this, the mare asked Kiev: “Can you get the machine working?”

“Don't know if he have to, Cygne. This thing be goin' crazy.” La Croix muttered as he held up his foreleg, where the bracer was already glowing brightly. “You think it's supposed to be doing that?”

“I hope so.” Cadence replied after a moment with a grimace, and then she shook her head before turning towards Kiev, asking: “Well?”

The Nibelung only continued to calmly run his fingers along the runes on top of the altar, and Cadence shifted almost anxiously back and forth before the crystalline dome suddenly lit up intensely. The Architect frowned in surprise at this, and then he reached a hand forwards to rest on the dome, closing his eyes before he said thoughtfully: “There must be some quite close by. This warmth indicates a distance of no more than a mile or so away.”

“Thank you. We'll take a look for them on the way, but I think that pretty much confirms it.” Cadence smiled up at the Nibelung, who nodded politely in return before the mare added: “Okay Moonflower, you can take that device back through the portal now.”

Moonflower stared in disbelief at Cadence, opening his mouth to argue, and the mare simply glared at him. He attempted to glare back for a moment, then groaned and dropped his head, mumbling under his breath as he nodded sulkily and flicked his horn, grimacing a little more visibly as he lifted the machine again and sighed loudly, heading back towards the portal.

He vanished into it, and Kiev paused only long enough to bow, saying softly: “Good luck, Swan Maiden. May we meet again under more pleasant circumstances.”

“I hope so too. Thank you, and everyone else, for everything.” Cadence replied with a smile, and the Architect smiled back before vanishing into the portal. The ivory mare bit her lip, looking at the swirl of light and darkness, thinking about how easy it would be to jump in, return to Valhalla, where she belonged... and hell, it wouldn't be that hard to find a way, a reason, to stay there, would it? She was a Swan Maiden. That was where she belonged. That was the job she had been made for.

Cadence shivered a bit and shook herself out briskly, then looked up almost in relief when Moonflower reemerged from the portal, shaking himself out and grumbling: “Atrocious. Absolutely atrocious. Why do I always end up doing all the work? I was a king, a king! A mighty prince of darkness!”

The ivory mare sighed, then looked pointedly over at La Croix as the zebra opened his mouth, cutting him off before he could start his usual argument with Moonflower over whatever words happened to fall out of his mouth that day. Thankfully, La Croix complied, and Moonflower was distracted from his diatribe when the portal behind him suddenly burst out of existence with a thrum of magic, leaving only still air in its wake.

For a few moments, Cadence gazed almost longingly into the space the portal had left, and then she sighed and shook herself quickly before saying finally: “Alright, let's form up and uh... prepare to head out. I think...”

Cadence looked up at the probe, which she had almost forgotten she had levitated beside her.: with only the faintest effort on her part, she was able to activate it with a thrum of magic, and the mare studied the map for a few moments before she tucked it away to safety under one wing, muttering: “Okay, pretty much due southwest.”

“Which means that way, I'm guessin'.” La Croix said mildly, pointing his foreleg and making the bracer around it thrum almost violently.

“That way.” Cadence confirmed, although she felt a little surprised by how strong the reaction was already. Sure, the artifact seemed sensitive, and she had no doubt that Hecate or Thorn or whoever had made it had put their full effort into making sure it was as effective as possible, but still...

She didn't know why, but this all gave her a bad feeling. She knew she should be excited: she felt like they were one step ahead of Brynhild, and nothing should have made her more pleased than that, except maybe the fact they might actually get praise from Hecate if they finished this mission properly. But as they headed southwest through the tall, rickety pines, with the cold air nipping at them and the sun shining and the silence in the air...

That was it. That was what was wrong. Cadence halted, looking at her father for confirmation, and Sombra nodded slowly as Moonflower and La Croix only looked at them quizzically, until Cadence murmured: “Stay on guard.”

La Croix winced, but immediately shifted backwards slightly to a following position. Moonflower fell into his position of rear guard even though he still looked confused, but he knew the rest of the team well enough to trust in them even as he scoffed quietly: “I don't think there's anything wrong.”

The faint quaver and how low he pitched his voice were the best arguments against Moonflower's own words. Cadence smiled wryly, and then she replied in a mutter: “Well, just stay focused, Moonflower. We'll find out soon enough whether I'm right or wrong.”

Moonflower grimaced a little, but then he nodded uneasily. For a few more minutes, they walked on in silence, before the mare suddenly came to a halt and frowned up at the sky through the narrow branches of the trees, her eyes searching quickly back and forth before she suddenly said curtly: “Camouflage.”

Thankfully, Moonflower reacted quickly, his horn glowing brightly before the group of four seemed to simply vanish from sight; not a moment later, there was a strange vibrating sound before something passed by through the air above with a loud whoosh, moving so quickly that Cadence couldn't get a glimpse of what it was. She had seen very few things that moved that fast, and almost all of them had been back in Decretum.

She bit her lip, continuing to look worriedly up into the sky: not that she could move much anyway without distorting the cloaking spell. But whatever it was, it was gone already, and her weird instincts weren't telling her anything else...

No, that wasn't true. They were telling her to hurry.

Cadence grimaced, then looked over her shoulder, saying quickly as Moonflower let the illusion drop: “We need to follow that thing, whatever it was. I'm starting to think there might be more than just us and Brynhild looking for this target.”

La Croix groaned at this, rubbing at his face before he mumbled: “Why does everything always have to end up gettin' complicated?”

“Because we're the people who fix complications. We can do this, Irregulars, it doesn't change the mission.” Cadence said with a calm that surprised even herself, and then she smiled slightly as her father nodded to her approvingly. “Alright, let's keep moving. Moonflower, keep your magic ready, you might need to cloak us again.”

Cadence turned forwards, picking up the pace as she hurried through the trees: she was glad for the cover they provided, although she had a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach, like she knew that a few illusion spells and a few tall pines weren't going to keep them hidden for very long.

Eventually, they stumbled across a dirt path that seemed to head in the direction they were going: Moonflower, of course, was very eager to jump onto this, but Cadence yanked him back into the woods, muttering: “For one thing, we need to avoid contact. For another, your cloaking spell doesn't work as well when we're in the open like that. Let's keep to the woods for now, just in case.”

Moonflower groaned, but then he nodded sulkily even as La Croix asked almost pleadingly: “Can't one of us point-guard, Cygne? This forest hike is gettin' worse and worse, I swear these brambles be comin' alive.”

Cadence bit her lip, but then she shook her head: she would have to slow her pace a little, though, since they were both looking a bit disheveled. Sometimes she forget they weren't as agile or used to a quick march as she was. “No, but we'll move a little... safer. Just follow my lead.”

They both grumbled, but agreed, and Sombra gestured politely ahead for them to go first so he could follow behind and keep an eye on things for her. The ivory mare appreciated it, especially as they began to push into rougher forest. Unnaturally rough, just as La Croix had pointed out.

Soon, they lost sight of the path through the trees: one moment it had been there, the next, it was simply nothing but wild woodland again. Woodland that was getting fiercer and more vicious around them, almost as if it had developed some ill-tempered life of its own.

Cadence heard her father say her name, her ears twitching as she came to a halt immediately. She looked over her shoulder and found Moonflower looking confused as usual, while La Croix and Sombra were examining a patch of something near a tree. The mare frowned as she approached, and the black unicorn looked up to explain quietly: “This isn't moss. This is a creature known as an Illrhapp, created by magical residue.”

“We just call 'em magic slimes, down in the bayou.” La Croix said moodily, as he poked the weird mass, and Cadence winced as it jiggled strangely, twitching back and forth. “They tend to form when you get a little messy and forget to clean up your powders and your crystals and junk. Feed off magical energies. This one be real small because he wandered too far from his source of energy.”

The slime gurgled strangely, and La Croix poked it again before he carefully picked it up. Moonflower leaned back with a revolted look as the little slime wriggled around, but La Croix only grinned, asking mildly: “Hear it's real good for you to eat, mon ami.”

“Oh ha ha, La Croix! Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on you. Fool me three times, shame on you. But fool me four times? Oh, I shall not be made a fool of!” Moonflower retorted imperiously, raising his head high, and La Croix only gave him an amused look.

“Yeah, shame on me, rein de la nuit.” La Croix agreed with a shake of his head, and then he dropped the slime on the ground, where it wriggled around pointlessly in the dirt. Then the zebra reached into his coat and pulled out a sealable baggy, picking the Illrhapp back up to carefully drop it into this before he closed the baggy tightly, then tucked it away beneath his cloak.

“What... what are you going to do with that?” Moonflower asked uneasily, while Cadence was watching her father, who had moved away from the tree, his eyes studying the ground and grasses as if he was looking for something.

“Oh, lots of things. Don't you worry your pretty little head.” La Croix retorted, and the two glowered at each other before Cadence whistled at them, making both stallions wince and turn towards her.

She only glared at them for a moment, and then Sombra looked up and said quietly: “It looks like this creature was trying to go in the same direction we're heading in ourselves. La Croix, can you tell me what species the Illrhapp was?”

The zebra grunted, patting his cape as he answered: “Easy. It didn't try and bite me when I touched it, and it don't seem to suck up much energy by itself. So it's gotta be a sponge.”

Cadence looked over at her father questioningly, and Sombra explained: “Different environments create different types of Illrhapp. What La Croix is saying is that this kind of creature was created in a place where the air is filled with energy... but how did it wander away, then?”

“It didn't. It must have been carried here or fallen off something.” Cadence said instinctively. Sombra smiled at her, and Cadence said slowly: “And now it's trying to crawl home.”

La Croix grimaced, holding up his bracer-covered foreleg, and it beeped loudly several times as Cadence levitated the probe sphere beside her with a squeeze to check the map again. Everything pointed in that direction.

“Okay.” Cadence closed her eyes, frowning as she tucked the probe back away for safekeeping. “We move in low and slow. We make no assumptions about the target or what we're getting ourselves into, alright?”

The three nodded, and Cadence gestured at her father, making herself remain professional and serious. “Sombra, take point. La Croix, you follow. Moonflower, you and I will follow at a few paces behind. Everyone understand?”

The others nodded, and Sombra turned to quickly lead the way ahead, effortlessly finding a path through the hoary trees and brambles. La Croix scowled as he trailed after the unicorn, but it seemed to be less in discomfort at their surroundings and more the sense of impending doom and almost alien hostility that was starting to engulf them.

Cadence and Moonflower came last, and as a bit of distance formed between the pairs, Moonflower leaned in and asked nervously: “Are you sure about this? That thing that passed by above us, and now this... this was just supposed to be a retrieval, wasn't it?”

The ivory mare only smiled briefly, and then she said finally: “We don't know anything yet, Moonflower. For all we know, maybe it means that... the target's been hard at work, building things so the Benevolents he traveled with can defend themselves.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Moonflower said dryly: “I know you and La Croix think I'm an idiot, but I'm not stupid enough to believe that.”

Cadence sighed a little, but she nodded after a moment and muttered: “Well, I wish I was. It would make this trip a whole hell of a lot easier. I hate that I... I do nothing but lead you guys into trouble and get you all beaten up.”

“Well... it's what we signed up for. Most of us. Not me, I was forced to be here, but... I suppose there's no other place I'd rather be.” Moonflower paused, then reflected: “That's a terrible lie. There's a hundred other places I'd rather be. The gym. Bed. My couch. The park. Home. Do you think Thorn likes me? I hope he likes me. I'd like to spend time with him, too.”

The ivory mare was a little surprised by Moonflower's plaintiveness, but after a moment she simply shook her head and muttered: “Keep it down. We'll talk about it later.”

Moonflower smiled at her briefly, nodding a little, and they continued on in quiet for a little while. Soon, however, the four slowed to a halt, lining up on a ridge beneath the last of the pine trees as they gazed down a long, broken slope, and Cadence grimaced uneasily at what she saw.

They were looking down into some kind of deep, wide, bowl-shaped canyon: the sloped walls leading down to the floor were rocky and uneven, but there was another stretch of forest that rambled along the bottom of the gulf, although these trees were almost unidentifiable to Cadence. They looked like tall, skeletal birches, but had too many branches and twisted and turned themselves in all directions, like they were made of rubber and not wood.

It was the object in the center of this crater that had caught their eye, however: a massive tower loomed ominously, stretching towards the cold blue skies, listing slightly to one side. It was covered in massive cables and pipes, what looked like immense spikes sticking out of it here and there, all of it made of rusting, dark metal. And just above this leaning, ominous tower was an even stranger shape: it looked almost like a small island that was eerily floating, electricity crackling around it as it shivered in the air, like it recognized the impossibility of such a large structure remaining airborne, and yet all the same it refused to fall...

“What the hell...” whispered Cadence, and then she shook her head slowly in disbelief before she looked uneasily at her father as he narrowed his eyes, studying the tower intently.

“It looks almost like a Decretum structure. But there was nothing in the file about Rustproof spending any time in Decretum...” Sombra said slowly, and Cadence hated the sound of uncertainty in his voice, the stallion frowning deeply before he finally shook his head and murmured: “We'll have to very careful. Something here is very wrong, mi amore.”

Cadence nodded slowly as La Croix and Moonflower traded uneasy looks, and then the ivory mare cleared her throat as she decided as quickly as she could on a course of action. “Moonflower, keep us as cloaked as you can while we get down this slope, then drop it once we enter those woods. There's not going to be much cover in that forest, so you'll have to keep your magic at the ready, but I'm more worried about magic sensors than I am about being seen.”

“We've likely already been noticed. Something about that tower is very familiar to me.” Sombra said in a low voice, and Cadence frowned worriedly, but the stallion only shook his head slowly. “No, I don't think it's an amplifier tower, mi amore. But I may have seen the designs for this before.”

Cadence nodded again, studying her father quietly: in the past, when he had done his dealings with Valthrudnir, the Jötnar had abused her father's kindness to build a massive manufacturing plant beneath his kingdom. A facility that Sombra had been forced to guard after Valthrudnir had transformed him into a monster...

The ivory mare shook her head quickly as her father gave her a brief smile, and she took a breath before turning her eyes ahead. “Either way, I'm sure we're going to find out. Let's get going.”

The stallions nodded, and Moonflower's horn thrummed before the four faded from sight, Cadence smiling briefly: when they moved, they created distortions in the air, but hopefully it would at least make it harder for them to be spotted as they made their way carefully down the uneven slope.

They entered the forest, and as Moonflower let the illusion drop, Cadence scowled uneasily at the trees. They had been poisoned by something, and they were emitting a sickening energy that made Cadence feel uneasy.

La Croix paused at one of the trees long enough to touch it; he almost immediately recoiled, shaking his hoof violently before he shivered as the others looked at him with surprise. “Morte. These trees be feedin' off death and destruction. Ain't felt anything like it since I was in Helheim...”

La Croix shook himself out, and Cadence frowned before she looked ahead towards the tower in the distance. “Alright, then let's just focus on...”

Her eyes flicked to the side as she sensed something. She quieted as she looked back and forth, and Sombra frowned as he looked around as well, but there was nothing. Nothing but a faint crackling hum in the distance, a machine-sound they had gotten far too used to in Decretum.

There was nothing here. But Cadence felt like they were being watched, and that there was someone very close by doing it.

“Let's keep going.” the ivory mare finally muttered, even as she shifted nervously. Sombra nodded slowly, but he automatically shifted to fall back to rear guard, and Cadence gestured at Moonflower to join her in the front position: chances were, if they were ambushed, it was going to be from the sides or rear.

They trudged for a few long minutes through the forest of white, warped trees, Cadence looking everywhere at once and feeling that strange sensation only getting worse and worse. At the back of the line, Sombra had his eyes forwards, but his ears were perked, swiveling at every sound in the trees, his body unnaturally tense as the purifier on his back hummed quietly: something it only did when the corruption in the stallion's system started to boil from excitement and adrenaline.

Cadence hesitated, and then she looked over her shoulder at La Croix, giving him a distinct look and a slight nod. La Croix grimaced, but a moment later, simply vanished, even as the rest of the group continued to keep their pace.

As a Loa, La Croix had access to some interesting magic that even Moonflower didn't: he could turn himself completely invisible and ephemeral for short periods of time, for example, allowing him to swiftly spy out areas ahead of them; or in this case, sweep the area in search of whatever might be watching them.

But La Croix returned after a few minutes fruitless, shaking his head as he reappeared in line. Cadence frowned nervously, but then looked ahead: they were nearing the base of the tower now, which meant they would have to focus on infiltration and hope that whatever was waiting for them inside wasn't already alerted to their presence.

Cadence slowed to a stop, studying the listing tower nervously: the skeletal black tower rumbled darkly at them, with machine-sounds that were both similar to and completely different from the roars of technology they had all gotten used to in Decretum. The sounds these machines made were... dirtier, rawer...

The ivory mare shook her head, then began to turn before she glanced almost absently up at the two Pegasi that were standing nearby-

Cadence froze, and a moment later, the rest of her team followed her gaze, La Croix flinching, Moonflower giving a girlish little squeak, and Sombra immediately readying himself. But the two Pegasi only continued to look at them, to look down on them, with unhidden contempt, with... disgust, Cadence thought, as she forced out: “Who the hell are you?”

“Pathetic. Lower life forms, all of them.” said one of them: he was a stallion, older, his beard and mane and tail all faded to a steely silver, his coat white-gold. His cruel features were accented by the black eye patch he wore, and his body was protected by form-fitting fiberglass armor, pouches and pockets strapped seamlessly over his tall, looming form.

“Not even prey.” agreed the mare softly: she was a sharper gold than the stallion, with a red mane and matching scarlet eyes. Her mane was tied tightly back, but a large bang still fell naturally over one eye: she would have been beautiful, but seemed almost emotionless, the thin smile that spread across her lips plastic and mask-like.

She wore the same type of armor, had the same kind of stance, and Cadence realized they had to be father and daughter. Were they Benevolent? No, they couldn't be: they didn't have that faint aura, nor did it feel like either of these ponies had ever been touched by Valhalla...

“Who are you” Cadence repeated, as she stepped forwards, her eyes locked on the two. “We don't want to fight, we-”

“There will be no fight.” The elder Pegasus snorted in contempt, and the younger calmly reached up, flicking her hoof to make a cigarette seem to appear from thin air before she put this in her muzzle. But without looking, her father swung a hoof out and slapped her roughly across the face, almost knocking the cigarette out of her mouth as he growled: “You're pathetic.”

“And my 'weakness' was what killed you, Father. So what does that make you?” inquired the female Pegasus calmly, and the stallion narrowed his eyes at her dangerously as Cadence shifted uneasily, her eyes sizing up these two quickly: they just looked like Pegasi but... what the hell were they? Why the hell was she getting such a bad feeling-

The Pegasus stallion moved so fast that Cadence could barely register it. One moment, he was glaring at his daughter: the next, he was standing with his foreleg extended, and there was a knife floating in front of Cadence's eye, the ivory mare trembling as Sombra said quietly: “There is no need to fight. And even if there is, let us be civilized, not cowards.”

The white-metal knife trembled in the magical grip of the black unicorn, and the elder Pegasus gave a cruel smile. Cadence saw a gleam of silver, and then the knife was yanked firmly out of Sombra's grip on a thin, nearly invisible string of metal that seemed to reel itself in, the knife vanishing under the Pegasus' hoof as he said coldly: “It would have been more of a mercy to let your daughter die. She is clearly weak.”

“I will handle her.” the Pegasus mare said softly, and Cadence narrowed her eyes, setting herself as Moonflower and La Croix both leaned forwards, glaring at the two strange ponies.

“Fine. I'll kill the rest once you're done playing, daughter.” the stallion said contemptibly, stepping backwards with a snort.

The Pegasus mare gave her thin, empty smile before her eyes turned to Cadence, and Cadence saw a hatred, and determination, and a level of cruelty she had never before imagined existed all captured in that gaze, as the mare said softly: “I have wanted to kill one of your kind for a long time. I will relish this chance. Please prove yourself more worthy than my last adversary. She was weak. She was pathetic.”

“And you were not even killed by her, but by your own worthless slave hoof daughter.” reprimanded the stallion behind her, and the Pegasus mare closed her eyes before she reached into one of her packs and pulled out a lighter.

Flame was applied to cigarette, and the stallion shook his head in contempt before he said coldly: “But it's no wonder, considering the failure you chose for a husband.”

“Please do not speak of Ardor, Father. Do not make me point out the weakness that infested the entire Order, even though you were Praetor.” the Pegasus said quietly, and the Praetor snorted in derision, giving a contemptible smile to his daughter's back.

“A weakness that we culled before you murdered me, daughter.” he retorted, and then he gestured flippantly at her back, although the mare still seemed to sense it, with how her eyes narrowed in irritation. “While you still can't help but poison yourself constantly.”

Cadence gritted her teeth: it wasn't just the fact these Pegasi were so hostile that was getting to her. She didn't care about how rude they were to each other, and she had already accepted long ago that they were probably going to end up fighting their way through Horses-of-Heaven-knew-what to get to their target.

But being ignored? These two carrying on a conversation, constantly deriding, underestimating, talking down about them, and yet not even acknowledging the fact there were four ponies right here in front of their faces? The narcissism, the ego, the ridiculous of it all just made Cadence want to snap.

“Who the hell are you assholes?” Cadence shouted, spreading her wings and raising her head high. “Because my name is Cadenza Danzsöngr of Decretum, leader of the Irregular Hunters, and if you don't get out of our way right goddamn now I am going to shove your daughter's head up her ass, and then shove her whole body up your ass, you cocky son of a bitch!”

The Praetor only laughed harshly, and the Pegasus mare smiled indulgently, mocking Cadence with a little bow of her head before she replied calmly: “My name is Sol Seraph, if it is that important to you. I do not care about your name and I do not need to know it. What you are to me, is prey.”

Cadence began to open her mouth, and then her eyes widened as the Pegasus seemed to almost appear in front of her. She felt hooves on her throat a moment before she was on the ground on her side, staring in disbelief at this Pegasus who had just thrown her down into the dirt like she was tossing aside a sack of garbage, Sol Seraph smiling thinly before she explained in a patronizing, chilling voice: “There are two kinds of ponies in this world. You are either a predator, or you are prey. I think it is clear enough where you must fall.”

Cadence snarled, her whole body trembling with rage as the Swan roared inside of her, and then the mare leapt to her hooves as she slammed a vicious hoof up under the mare's jaw, striking Sol hard enough to send her flying bonelesly backwards into the sky. But in a flash, the Pegasus' wings spread and she easily flipped herself to land smoothly on her hooves.

Sol cracked her neck, then only smiled before she leapt forwards. But this time Cadence was prepared, and even if the Pegasus moved like liquid, Cadence was just as fast, blocking her attempted grab before she slammed a jab across Sol's face, then lashed her hoof to the side in a hammer blow that made spit and blood fly from the mare's jaw.

Cadence's other hoof slammed into Sol's chest, knocking her backwards and cracking her armor before she flapped her wings to launch herself at the Pegasus, tackling Sol and grabbing her around the neck before the winged unicorn flipped forwards, yanking the mare along with her and nearly snapping Sol's neck before the Pegasus was flung into a tree with a resounding crunch.

But Sol somehow landed on her hooves, only smiling calmly and looking unimpressed as she wiped slowly at her muzzle, before the Praetor snapped: “Stop playing with her! Kill her!”

“In time.” Sol said carelessly, her eyes locked on Cadence as Cadence glared back at her, unable to believe how undamaged Sol looked. She could feel Sombra's concern, just as she knew that by now even Moonflower was starting to get worried.

Sol was no match for her, though: she was sure of that. And no matter how many blows it took, Cadence knew that eventually she would wear the Pegasus down. Her hooves itched for that satisfaction, and the Swan was writhing inside her, furious, outraged, and eager.

The ivory mare leapt forwards, and she saw Sol's smile too late as she dove at her: with a blur of movement, Sol caught the winged unicorn by one foreleg before she stepped to the side and slung Cadence into the tree behind her with enough force to rattle the rubbery wood, Cadence gasping before Sol caught her by the back of the head as she fell and shoved it forwards.

Cadence's eyes bulged as her horn pierced into the wood almost to the hilt of the spire, trying to yank her head back, but Sol simply held her head in place with one hoof as her other foreleg slammed in a quick series of elbows and jabs across Cadence's back, making her twitch and gasp before her eyes widened as she realized what the Pegasus was doing, quickly focusing magic through her horn and unleashing a blast of telekinesis power enough to shred the rubbery wood and knock herself free.

Sol leapt smoothly away, however, ripping most of Cadence's belts loose with her, and the ivory mare snarled in fury and humiliation. But Sol only held one of these up, smiling coldly before she said calmly: “You don't need these anymore. You are nothing but meat.”

She tossed these away, and Cadence growled before she ran forwards, and Sol waited for her to draw close before the Pegasus suddenly leapt up into the air. Cadence followed, her wings flapping powerfully as she unloaded a volley of blows at the Pegasus, but Sol dodged around them like liquid, her only expression that same empty smile, her eyes full of contempt and condescension as she moved back and forth just out of range, driving Cadence's anger higher.

Then, the ivory mare made a mistake: she lunged into a blow she thought was too fast for Sol to evade, and Sol proved her wrong by smoothly shifting to the side, redirecting her attack with an almost gentle touch of one hoof before a crushing elbow slammed straight down into Cadence's neck. The ivory mare dropped like a brick, crashing face-first into the ground, and then she screamed in agony when Sol dropped out of the air and landed on her back with a savage double-kick, her rear hooves precisely placed so that they both struck into the joints of her wings with tremendous cracks.

Sol flipped smoothly backwards, landing on all fours as Cadence shivered on the ground, her wings twitching uselessly before she snarled in fury and hauled herself to her hooves. And Sol was instantly there in front of her, slamming precise, focused blows back and forth across Cadence's face, always with just enough momentum to keep her off balance, never with enough force to seriously damage her: the Pegasus wanted to humiliate her.

Cadence gave a wordless roar of fury as she snapped her horn forwards in desperation, a white flash blinding everyone present and knocking Sol skidding backwards with the explosion of holy hellfire before the ivory mare shot in, smashing a cruel, ruthless elbow into Sol's neck. The Pegasus staggered, her eyes widening as she choked loudly, before Cadence drove a vicious dropping punch down into her skull, crushing her to the ground.

The ivory mare stomped on her once, twice, thrice, but before she could get another blow in, Sol shoved herself backwards and rolled smoothly around so she could kick out and drive both rear hooves hard into Cadence's face. Her head snapped back, but even through the spray of blood and shock, she saw a metal glimmer before she felt something wrap tightly around her neck.

Sol yanked her forelegs down, her expression cold and empty as hooks on the ends of the silver wires extending from hidden reels beneath the sleeves of her armor bit into Cadence's armor. The wire went taut around Cadence's neck before Sol yanked savagely, and Cadence choked as she was half-flung towards the Pegasus before a hoof slammed across her face.

Sol slammed hammer blow after hammer blow into Cadence's face, simultaneously driving her backwards while reeling her in as the wire corded itself around Sol's hooves. Cadence was reeled in tighter and tighter, unable to move and stunned by the force and precision until Sol shoved both hooves forwards, crushing into either side of the mare's face while simultaneously forcing the length of wire rolled around her hooves over Cadence's muzzle like a halter.

Cadence reached up, grabbing uselessly at Sol, but Sol ignored the wild grab, instead slamming her head cruelly into Cadence's. The ivory mare gurgled, her head reeling as she saw stars, and Sol slammed her skull forwards again, then again, then again into Cadence-

“That's enough!” Moonflower shouted suddenly, his eyes twitching as his horn glowed blackly before he stepped forwards, snapping it viciously out and sending a blast of energy at Sol, even as Sombra shouted a warning.

Sol easily yanked Cadence into the way of the blast, the ivory mare screaming in agony as her eyes snapped open before she snarled, her wings suddenly spreading in spite of the ghoulish breaks in them as they glowed white, and Sol had enough time to look surprised before a hail of feathers turned into white daggers by magic shot from them, ripping across Sol's body and driving her backwards enough for Cadence to yank her head loose from the halter and slash her glowing horn down, severing the silver wire.

Sol was forced to leap away as Cadence lashed her horn out at her, and the ivory mare took the brief reprieve to stagger backwards, coughing as she ripped the last of the broken wire free from herself. Blood flowed down her badly-bruised face from the cuts and crevices that had been torn into her flesh from the wires and relentless hooves of the Pegasus, and her breath rasped in and out of her aching throat.

Sombra began to move forwards, but before he could go more than a step, the Praetor seemed to appear out of thin air, dropping from the sky to slam a hoof down towards the unicorn. Sombra deflected the blow with his horn before he stepped backwards quickly as both La Croix and Moonflower readied themselves, and the Praetor grinned coldly at the three of them, asking contemptibly: “I'll give you one mercy. Stay still and watch your daughter die. Because I won't take nearly as long to kill you as my idiot filly is taking with your little whore.”

Sombra's eyes narrowed slightly, and Moonflower opened his mouth before Cadence half-turned, snapping: “Stay out of this, I-”

Sol saw her moment to strike and took it, shooting forwards and shouldering Cadence hard, knocking her rearing back before the ivory mare could only gargle in shock as a fierce staccato of punches slammed into her stomach with such force that she was lifted into the air by them and carried higher as Sol continued to punch her again and again with lightning speed and impossible strength.

Cadence tried to kick outwards, and Sol caught her by the hindlegs before she spun around in a circle, her own wings flapping easily to keep her aloft. Cadence was smashed cruelly through a thin tree like it was made of paper, the rubbery trunk collapsing to one side as the ivory mare cried out as she was flung to the side.

She hit the ground hard, rolling violently into the trunk of another tree before Sol shot forwards and slammed a hoof into her face, crunching her head back into the wood. Stunned and senseless and unable to comprehend what was going on, all Cadence could do was flail weakly at the Pegasus, who simply leaned out of the way before catching one of her hooves, almost tenderly squeezing into her foreleg before she said softly: “Your role is fulfilled.”

Sol turned and flung Cadence into the air, the ivory mare's broken wings trying uselessly to flap, her half-glazed eyes staring sightlessly at the world around her as it blurred by, before Sol crashed down on her from above like a wrecking ball, kicking her straight down. And Cadence couldn't even scream as she was impaled on the broken tree trunk, the grisly, rubbery wood sticking more than a foot out of her back through shredded armor, blood spilling from her slackly-working mouth and rolling down the broken wood as she remained suspended a few feet above the ground.

“Mi amore!” shouted Sombra, stepping forwards, and in the moment of shock and distraction, the Praetor stepped forwards and slammed a hoof cruelly into Sombra's face, knocking him crashing backwards before the ruthless Pegasus produced two knives from seemingly-nowhere, flinging them both: one crashed into La Croix's throat and knocked him staggering backwards as he choked loudly, and the other tore into Moonflower's breast, the black stallion gaping in shock as he tumbled to the side.

“You wasted enough time.” the Praetor said coldly, and Sol Seraph smiled thinly at her father's back as Sombra picked himself slowly up, baring his teeth as his body shivered in horror and anger. “This one we'll bring alive. It stinks like the Prince.”

Sol began to step forwards, and then she frowned before her eyes flicked back over her shoulder as Cadence's dead body twitched.

The Crone

Chapter Ten: The Crone
~BlackRoseRaven

First there was the pain. Then there was the denial, and the fear. And then there was the cold.

And after that, there was only the Swan.

This was when the Swan was at her most powerful. This was when the Swan flourished. Because it was Cadence who had died, and it was Danzsöngr who came a little more back to life.

The dead body of the mare glowed with ill ivory light before her wings stretched out, as bones healed with sickening cracks. The broken tree she was impaled on seemed almost to bubble, like the rubbery bark was trying to resist the magic, but then it simply exploded, in a hail of splinters that made Sol Seraph stagger backwards and the Praetor snarl in surprise.

The winged unicorn flapped her wings once as she let out a soft sigh, her body flexing as the gaping hole through her form healed rapidly and sealed itself. She dropped calmly to her hooves as she rolled her head on her shoulders, her mane twisting and writhing, spilling like a living waterfall around her head as it grew long and gorgeous, as did her tail.

The Swan smiled through Cadence's mouth as her eyes locked on Sol Seraph, and the Pegasus looked back at her for only a moment before the two lunged at each other. But this time, it was Sol who ended up rearing back in shock as a hoof crashed across her face before the Swan slammed another into her breast, knocking her off her hooves.

Sol tried to recover, beginning to flip, and the Swan caught Sol's rear hooves in midair just as she started to regain her balance, slamming the Pegasus straight down onto her back before the Swan forcefully shoved one hoof down into Sol's knee as she shoved upwards at the same time, the limb loudly snapping. Yet Sol didn't even flinch, even as she half-rolled to the side and slung a kick viciously into the side of the Swan's head, knocking her away.

The ivory mare lunged forwards, and then her eyes narrowed slightly as Sol rolled herself over and kicked out with both hind legs: impossible, considering the break she had just suffered. Surprised or not, however, the Swan easily flapped her wings and sailed over Sol-

Sol shoved herself off the ground and rolled her body around in midair, slamming both forehooves into the Swan's chest and knocking her towards the sky. The Swan snarled and retaliated by lashing her horn down, more merciless and pitiless than Cadence would ever be as a gout of white flames shot down and washed over the Pegasus, incinerating her.

Or at least, it should have. The Swan scowled as she flapped her wings hard, dropping to the ground a short distance away as Sol only stood in the flames, her physical form flickering strangely as she glared through the ravenous white fire at the ivory mare. Burns would spread over her face, mane would char away, but then, in eerie twists and flashes of light, those wounds would repair themselves almost instantaneously, as if...

“You are nothing but a worthless failure, Sol Seraph.” the Praetor said contemptibly, turning his back on Sombra. Then, without looking, he drew a glass sphere free from his pouch and flung it sharply backwards, the sphere exploding in a burst of static and light in front of Cadence's father and making him howl in pain as anti-magic coursed over his body, the Swan's eyes immediately shifting to the Praetor. “You can't even-”

The Swan shot into the Praetor and slammed a hoof towards his face, but the Praetor caught it with a snarl, his eye glowing with anger as he growled: “You worthless cur.”

The Swan continued to lean forwards into her attack, and the Praetor gritted his teeth as he flexed, his limb trembling, the two struggling against each other until the Praetor suddenly roared as he yanked the Swan to the side, a knife appearing in his other hoof that he stabbed down-

The Swan half-spun with a cold smile as she yanked herself away from the Pegasus, slashing her horn into the knife and deflecting the attack. Instead of piercing her, the knife stabbed into the Praetor's own breast, piercing his armor as he staggered backwards with a gasp... then trembled as he yanked it free from his breast, a strange, watery liquid dripping out, steam hissing up off the metal of the knife as the Swan saw pure energy dancing and bleeding from the wound.

“It seems that you are the weak one, Father.” Sol Seraph said calmly, as the fires around her finally died down, the Pegasus mare shaking herself off before she continued with unhidden derision: “Not to worry. I will destroy them all myself, I-”

The Praetor snarled at his daughter, and Sol Seraph gave the faintest twitch, shifted the slightest bit backwards before the stallion looked back ahead and hissed: “No. I'll kill them all myself. You wasted your opportunity, and-”

He halted, then frowned suddenly as his body began to glow. Sol Seraph looked down in surprise as her own body lit up with an eerie radiance, and the Pegasus stallion snarled before he looked up and shouted angrily: “Let me go! These scum are mine to kill!”

“No, no, no! You two are great laughs and all, but you take your very simple job a little too seriously!” reprimanded a voice, and Danzsöngr looked up in disbelief. She knew that voice. She knew that voice. “This is a Swan Maiden, from the old days! And you two need to heal up before you get too many holes poked in you and all your energy bleeds out.”

The Praetor snarled in disgust, but any arguments he had were nullified by the fact that he simply vanished in a burst of light. Sol Seraph scowled, but a moment later she vanished as well. Yet still, that presence lingered for a moment as Danzsöngr stared almost needfully into the air, before the voice asked softly: “What's your name?”

“It is...” The Swan frowned, shivering for a moment before she shook herself, eyes closing, and it was a different mare who opened them, groaning quietly as she grasped at her chest and whispered: “My... my name is Cadence...”

“Hello, Cadence, that's such a pretty name! Oh, this is so exciting!” the voice said brightly. “Come on, come on up, I've got so much to talk to you about. You just walk into my tower and come up and see me and we'll talk it all over!”

“I... wait, who are you?” Cadence asked uncertainly: even though the Swan inside her seemed to be almost overjoyed, she had a strange, crawling sensation, like a mix of trepidation and barely-swallowed disgust...

“My name is Thokk, but... oh, just come on up! Come up, come up! We'll talk about it once you get here!” exclaimed the voice, then faded into laughter that gradually disappeared.

Cadence looked uneasily into the air for a moment, before she shook herself, shivering as she turned around. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight of La Croix, who was pale and trembling, a hoof over his throat, and she stagger-ran towards him, but Sombra quickly stepped forwards, catching her before she could fall into the Loa. “Calm down, mi amore, calm down! Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah... calm down, Cygne, ain't... we okay...” La Croix wheezed, and he offered a shaky smile before he carefully removed his hoof from his throat, revealing an ugly, but thankfully far from lethal wound. “That... salaud probably didn't think I was worth the knife to kill... probably wanted to finish me off later.”

“Hurts.” mumbled Moonflower from where he was laying on his face, and Cadence sighed in relief as she straightened slowly, trembling a little as she looked at the black stallion, who gave her a faint smile even as he struggled to raise his head. “Not that it's... too much for me, of course, but... I... don't want to leave La Croix down here all alone... that would be inconsiderate.”

La Croix gave a raspy chuckle at this, and then he looked up at Cadence and managed out, gesturing carefully at his cape: “White potion...”

“Yeah, yeah, of course.” Cadence carefully pulled away from her father, giving him a reassuring smile even as she shivered a little when she felt the broken armor over her chest dig gently against her breast, reminding her that... “I... died again.”

“Not your fault, Cygne. Not even I know what that was... what about you, Papa Sérénité, do you have any idea?” La Croix whispered as Sombra knelt over Moonflower, gently rolling him onto his side so he could try and extract the knife.

Sombra only frowned, and Cadence shivered as he looked up and saw why: the knife had buried almost completely through Moonflower's armor and pierced deep into his breast. From Moonflower's labored breathing, she guessed that it might have knicked a lung: how could a Pegasus possibly throw a knife that hard?

But as she dug through the inner pockets of La Croix's cape, she knew part of the answer already: that hadn't been a just a Pegasus. Neither of them had been: nor were they demons, or Benevolent. They were something terrible, something... other, that she couldn't quite put her hoof on.

“We need to contact Hecate as soon as possible. All I'm sure of is that we've never encountered anything like that before.” Sombra murmured, and then he shook his head before asking hesitantly, as he carefully removed the knife from Moonflower's chest: “The voice, Cadenza... who was it?”

“I... don't know.” Cadence confessed, shivering a little before she swore under her breath as her mane fell in her eyes, pushing it quickly back with a grimace. It was long and straight and beautiful: by far the most annoying thing about dying was that every time she did, her mane and tail grew out again. Her body both regenerated and changed...

Cadence finally pulled a vial free from La Croix's cape and smiled briefly at its contents, then she gently offered it to him: the Loa took about half of the contents into his mouth, and then he coughed a few times as she brought the vial worriedly away, but the Loa only hissed as the ugly wound in his throat began to slowly close, La Croix wheezing: “I be... I be just fine, you... go give the rest of that to Moonflower.”

“I... I am alright...” Moonflower tried to mumble, but he was clutching his breast and his breathing sounded like it had worsened, his body shivering as he whispered: “I am a... god of darkness, you know, very...”

He groaned quietly, and Cadence hurried over to the stallion: thankfully, he didn't fight her when she gently poured the rest of the contents into his mouth, and after a few moments, Moonflower seemed to settle. The ivory mare relaxed a little, sighing softly as she straightened, and then she frowned and looked down in surprise as she held up a hoof, realizing that it had turned bright gold.

She turned it back and forth apprehensively before she looked at her father, who gave her a small nod. She frowned uneasily, but resisted the urge to ask about what else had changed: until she took off her armor and got a chance to look at herself in a mirror, she wouldn't really be able to know, anyway. She had to focus on the here and now, especially because she was more vulnerable to the Swan's urges and instincts at the moment.

But the Swan was distracted and almost giddy. She hated that. She was almost afraid of what that meant, as she looked back at the leaning, black tower, her eyes tracing over it nervously before she whispered: “What if... Valthrudnir...”

“Valthrudnir is dead. You know that as well as I do, mi amore. And the Swan hates his kind, as you told me yourself.” Sombra reassured quietly, striding over to the mare and looking at her worriedly. “Cadenza, what do you want to do here? Do we push forward, or should we try and find a way to contact Hecate?”

“No, we have to push forwards.” Cadence said after a moment, shaking her head and grimacing a little as she rubbed slowly at the hole in her armor: how had Sol Seraph outclassed her so quickly, so ruthlessly, so easily? What the hell was she? “We can't fail this mission, for a lot of reasons. Besides, there... I have to talk to Thokk. Thokk has... answers.”

Cadence looked silently up at the top of the tower, and Sombra nodded slowly before La Croix chuckled quietly as he picked himself up, murmuring: “You just be careful, Cygne. Seems like your friend keeps some dangerous dogs... and only nasty people keep nasty pets.”

The ivory mare shifted a little, and then Moonflower picked up the knife that had been pulled out of his chest, frowning uncertainly at it before he held it up and asked: “Cadence, what are these made of? It doesn't look like silver to me.”

The ivory mare frowned as she glanced at her father, who nodded and confirmed: “It's a strange material, like nothing I have ever seen before. It also seems to be the only thing capable of hurting those creatures, whatever they are.”

Cadence grimaced a bit at this, but then she murmured, as she looked down: “No, I know I must have been doing... something to Sol, it just... wasn't nearly enough.”

She strode towards them, then glanced down and picked up her fallen weapon belts, sighing as she paused to strap these on. Meanwhile, Sombra took the knife from Moonflower to study meditatively, as La Croix picked up the strange blade that had pierced his own body, the zebra muttering: “Yeah, it don't look like anything I've ever seen, either. But it got a real nasty feel about it, Cygne. Sharp, too.”

“It didn't kill either of you, though. So at least there's that.” Cadence muttered, and La Croix grunted as Moonflower did his best to try and laugh it off, but he only sounded awkward and muted, as Sombra looked uncertainly at his daughter. “Sorry, I think the straps are broken...”

“Here.” Sombra approached her, and Cadence smiled and bowed her head quietly, letting him finish making the adjustments for her as he murmured: “Just a loose clasp. You always have a habit of assuming the worst, mi amore.”

“Thanks, Daddy.” Cadence said softly, knowing it was true as she gave her father a small smile. Then she shook her head as Moonflower and La Croix both finally picked themselves up, the mare asking finally: “Should we push forwards?”

“We have no other choice, Cadenza. But it's up to you what we do. You were chosen as team leader for a reason.” Sombra said gently, and then he reached up and gently pulled his daughter's mane back before starting to braid it carefully, Cadence blushing but smiling all the same as she shifted silently to give her father easier access.

It only took him a few minutes to neatly braid her mane for her, and Cadence nodded her thanks to her father before she murmured: “You're right. I know what we have to do, I'm just... hesitating again, because I'm worried, and because...”

She looked uncertainly up at the tower, studying it silently. Thokk... that name was familiar. That name was also particularly worrying, for reasons she couldn't put her hoof on.

She shook her head briefly, then murmured: “Okay. Fall in, regular formation. I need you to keep an eye out, Daddy.” As much as I want you up here beside me.

“Of course, mi amore.” Sombra said softly, and he smiled as he stepped to the side to let La Croix and Moonflower pass as Cadence started forwards, the mare doing her best to put her focus forward.

They approached the base of the black tower, and almost immediately, Cadence's eyes locked on the entrance: a pair of enormous but rusting double doors that were already half-cracked open. It looked as if they hadn't been used in years, from how there was grass and moss growing over the humped-up dirt near the bottom of the damaged doors.

“What happened here...” Cadence asked herself quietly, as she studied the entrance. Then she shook her head briefly, hesitating only a moment before she gestured at the others to wait a moment before she approached the door.

The mare hesitantly leaned in through the damaged doorway, looking back and forth before she shook her head briefly and murmured: “Looks safe enough... but it also looks... ancient, too. And there's no signs of recent repairs or anything...”

Cadence hesitantly stepped inside, and she frowned as she realized the floor was layered thickly enough in dust that when she lifted her hoof, she left a distinct, easily-seen mark behind. The mare shook her head briefly, and then she murmured: “It must have been years since anyone's walked these halls...”

She stopped, then glanced over her shoulder and called: “It's safe, guys, come on inside! I don't think anyone's been walking around in here for a while.”

La Croix slipped in easily, while Moonflower got himself stuck in the doorway for a moment, wheezing a little before he managed to squeeze through. Sombra followed last, and he frowned a little as he asked quietly: “Do you see anything, mi amore?”

She knew what he was asking, and the mare grimaced a bit before she looked ahead, saying finally: “No. Do you...”

“Yeah, I feel it too, Cygne. Bad mojo.” La Croix muttered, looking up uneasily, and Cadence nodded slowly, looking over her shoulder at the two. La Croix and Sombra were both sensitive to dark energies, and Cadence thought that her own senses were being blocked by a mixture of the Swan's giddiness and the fact that she had died so recently.

Died recently. That was never going to get old, she thought wryly, as she shook herself out before she started down the hall, murmuring: “My senses are still a little... dull. I can't see or sense or anything, so you two will have to keep your eyes open. Moonflower, just in case, keep your magic ready. I don't want to make any mistakes here.”

Moonflower grunted, nervously touching his own breastplate as La Croix muttered: “We only got a few doses of Yemaya's Tears left, too, then I'll just be able to give y'all painkillers and bandages.”

“Alright. Keep the healing potion for yourself and Moonflower, Daddy and I can deal with any wounds we get the old-fashioned way.” Cadence smiled faintly. “Considering the fact I don't feel a whole lot different, well...”

She couldn't make the joke, though, as they walked down the dark hallway, the mare sighing and shaking her head before she began to light up her horn, and then she flinched as bright lights flashed on above them, illuminating the entire corridor as Thokk's voice called cheerfully: “There, isn't that better?”

It echoed all around them, and Cadence looked back and forth, feeling the Swan bubbling with eagerness inside her even as the pony-part of her felt almost sick with fear and anxiety. Something in that tone, some instinct, some mare's intuition told her to turn and run, run away as far and fast as she could, and the Swan's happiness was only amplifying that... “Come on, come on! I've turned on the main elevator for you, I'm just upstairs!”

At the end of the corridor, there was a brief ding before a set of elevator doors creakily slid open. Cadence nodded, biting her tongue as La Croix grimaced and Sombra's features tightened, but it was Moonflower who asked nervously: “Should we... maybe... not do this?”

“I...” Cadence wanted badly to answer that they should just turn around, leave, forget this whole thing, but then she forced herself to take a breath and shake her head, murmuring: “No. We need to keep going. As much as I don't want to, we need to keep going. Thokk has answers. Thokk will tell us what to do.”

Cadence winced involuntarily, her mouth snapping shut: that had been the Swan, not her. Why did the Swan believe that? Why was the Swan so excited, why did it believe...

She sighed quietly, and then she glanced up as La Croix strode up beside her, the Loa giving her a small smile as he said quietly: “We with you, Cygne. Don't you worry. We all got Papa Sérénité here to look out for us.”

The ivory mare laughed in spite of herself, and then she looked ahead and nodded a bit, warmed by the support of her friends and teammates as she felt them all following her lead without hesitation. She didn't feel like she deserved that, especially with the Swan trying to twist and turn inside her, so excited about meeting this witch...

Witch? How did she know that Thokk was a witch? But that was a stupid question with an obvious answer: the Swan, of course.

Cadence grimaced a bit, but forced herself to head down the hallway. The elevator was just past an intersection, and the mare couldn't help but check both ways carefully and frowning further at what she saw: one corridor had half-collapsed in a jumble of broken metal and shattered concrete, and the other led to a security door that had been visibly pried open by some sort of tremendous, hostile force. So it was obvious that something bad had happened here...

Answers waited for them above. That was what Cadence focused on as she strode into the elevator. She nervously turned around as the others piled in, and Sombra looked at the broken panel with a frown before he glanced up at a half-done of crystal in one corner as it lit up, and Thokk's excited voice came from it in a crackle of static: “Great! Just hold on one moment, dearies, not very good at this technology stuff...”

There was a double clank as the lights flickered violently, before the elevator doors slowly closed and the lift began to ascend, the floor vibrating worryingly under their hooves. The four ponies were silent for the ride up, Cadence not even knowing what to say: part of her was certain this was a horrible idea, while another part of her just kept screaming answers, answers, answers! and she knew that by now, the others had probably realized that this was all a terrible idea.

All she could do was put on a strong face and lead her team forwards and hope she didn't end up dying again. She shivered a little at this thought, her eyes darkening a bit as she tried not to think about that: one unfortunate experience had taught her very well that dying multiple times in a row was not something she wanted to go through if she could avoid it.

The elevator slowed to a halt, and the doors rattled open to reveal... Cadence didn't know what it was. The top of the tower, she thought, as she uncertainly led her team onto the cracked concrete and dirt, but once upon a time, this place had likely been some kind of greenhouse or garden. Except now it was nothing but broken stone, half-fallen pillars, wild brambles and flowers and even a few small trees here and there that did nothing to hide the jagged teeth of metal and glass that were all that was left of the surrounding walls.

And when Cadence looked up, she saw an island, floating ominously, a faint humming coming from what looked like a massive, crackling orb of energy and electricity beneath the floating structure of steel and stone, likely what was somehow keeping it afloat. She shivered a bit, then dropped her eyes back ahead as a voice cried out to them: “Come, come right on in! Swan Maiden, Cadence... come here! We've got a lot to talk about!”

Cadence slowly started forwards, glancing nervously over her shoulder to check her team's positions before she took a slow breath and nodded. They crossed the barren concrete plains and made their way around a crumbled wall that had several ugly trees growing out of the thick stone, and entered what had likely originally been a circular pavilion in the center of this area, but now, the fountain had been converted to a makeshift throne, and only the area directly in front of this uncomfortable-looking stony seat was clear of jutting rock and thorny flower.

The two Pegasi from before were standing silently on either side of the broken step leading up to the throne, the Praetor cold and indifferent, Sol Seraph smiling her hollow smile as she smoked a cigarette. And in the throne itself sat a figure who leaned eagerly forward, her long, black dress swirling around her body as she clapped her sharp-fingered hands together, crowing: “Cadence! Cadence, oh, it's wonderful to see you dear! And look at all your pretty friends!”

Cadence smiled uneasily as she came to a halt in front of the throne. She began to open her mouth to speak, but then her eyes widened as the Swan suddenly took her body over, forcing her to drop to a kneel and lower her head as it said fawningly in the old tongue: “Thokk, I live to serve. I am Danzsöngr, of the First.”

“Danzsöngr, well, aren't you pretty?” Thokk said warmly, even as Cadence struggled wildly to take control of her own body, but the Swan's power felt almost absolute, like they had just traded roles: now Cadence was nothing but the screaming voice, the struggling consciousness, and Danzsöngr ruled. Danzsöngr... “Be a dear, dear, and let me speak to your host for a moment.”

Danzsöngr nodded calmly: a moment later, Cadence gasped as she shoved herself up to her hooves, her body quaking and her eyes wide as she felt the Swan recede. She stammered a little, but Thokk only laughed loudly before saying apologetically: “The Swans were always a particularly... difficult sort, especially the Firstborn. Very dedicated, very studious, but I really can't imagine having one as my roommate, either. Why, one of me is enough to drive me crazy!”

Thokk tapped the side of her head a few times, and Cadence finally looked up at the witch's face... or rather, the witch's mask. Ratty, greasy black hair fell around her head like a natural veil, and shadows seemed to crawl over her visible skin, like a living cloak, but somehow it was the mask that made Thokk truly impossible to know.

The mask was made of marble, with no nose, rounded eyes, and smiling, full lips elegantly, delicately shaped into it. The mask had no visible holes in it for speech, for breathing, or even for sight: it was as if it had been cut off a statue and simply pasted onto Thokk's face. The mask was soulless, and hollow, and it made Thokk's cheery voice sound somehow malevolent even as she asked: “How are you doing? Do you need healing, helping? Oh, I have so many questions!”

“We... we're looking for someone. We're on a mission, and... why did your...” Cadence didn't know what the hell these two Pegasi were, so she finished lamely after a moment: “Why did they attack us?”

“Oh, they're overprotective, hard to keep in line, that's all. I apologized, didn't I?” Thokk said in an injured voice from where she was sitting on the crumbled fountain, touching her own chest as the mask's blank eyes seemed to glare right through Cadence. “Look at you and your friends, though! That one looks like he's been touched by a certain Jötnar we all know and hate, and that one... you're from the Black Waters, aren't you? And... I don't know what you are, but you're pretty cute, cutie!”

Moonflower winced at this as La Croix gave a weak smile: only Sombra stepped forwards, the black unicorn nodding calmly as he replied quietly: “Yes, Valthrudnir and I have crossed paths. Did you know him, Lady Thokk?”

Thokk laughed loudly at this, hammering the makeshift arm of her throne before she blurted out: “Lady, yet! You have manners, don't you, sweetie? But oh, don't you worry about that, I'm not a lady at all. Just an old witch. An old, old witch who's been around since time immemorial, but... it does me good to see you again, Danzsöngr. It does me a lot of good.”

Thokk chuckled again, and Cadence couldn't help but notice how she completely ignored Sombra's question, the ivory mare asking hesitantly: “Did you know... were you around when...”

“Yes, I was.” Thokk replied easily, tapping her fingers together in an excited motion in front of herself. “I wasn't around the entire time, you know, but I grew up during a time of prophecy, a time of stories... stories I so desperately wanted to be a part of! And now I am. I know all the old legends, all the old words, and I've even participated in one or two myself, dearie, and believe you me, they aren't half as exciting as the old coots make them out to be...

“But where are my manners? Do you want anything?” Thokk absently gestured outwards, each gesture making a table full of food and drink burst to life along the front of the square. “Cookies? Milk? Bread? Hay? Meat? I don't know what you want to eat. Hey, that rhymes!”

Thokk giggled, then she clapped her hands together, and the tables of food vanished as quickly as they had appeared as the witch continued cheerfully: “Okay, if you don't want anything, we should get down to business! Danzsöngr, there's so much to do!”

“What do you mean?” Cadence asked uneasily, even as she did her best to fight down the Swan, to reason with it, to beg for it to wait a moment because there was something terribly, terribly wrong going on...

Thokk laughed again, and then she gestured outwards and exclaimed: “Well, first we need to gather up all the others like you, of course! I know for a fact there's still a few gods, goddesses, and other reborn scattered all through these many worlds. We need to get as many of them as possible so we can have an Alþing! And then, once that's done and we've decided on a course of action, we need to act on it. Simple, sweetie.”

Cadence frowned uneasily even as she felt the Swan nodding rapidly inside of her, the ivory mare looking back over her shoulder at her friends before she turned her eyes forwards and asked slowly: “What do we need to decide on?”

Thokk clasped her hands together as she leaned back in her throne, and Cadence could sense the witch's smile, the witch's cruelty, the witch's sick sense of satisfaction as she replied casually: “What the best way to clean up this mess is, of course. I'm not saying we have to get rid of all of this, but... have you seen the state of Valhalla? And look at Helheim, absolutely unacceptable, there are demons down there who are actually enjoying themselves! No, no, no. This is all wrong. We need to have a great big meeting, restore everyone who fell, clear the scum out of Valhalla, and... do some repairs.”

Danzsöngr was smiling in agreement, but Cadence stared as she heard the implications beneath all those smooth words, her mouth working slowly before she whispered: “Fix things... you mean you want to...”

“Fix things! That's what I mean, clearly!” Thokk almost whined, swinging one arm out. “I mean, look. I love a little chaos. But you know what I really hate? Trail mix. Raisins, chocolate, seeds, and dried fruit are all from different food groups, as far as I'm concerned. Oh, let's not quibble. Different food classes. They shouldn't be mixing. It's okay at first, but then I start to hate it. I start to hate it a lot, because I hate the taste of raisins, and chocolate upsets my stomach, and I have to spend all my time picking seeds out of my teeth, and all I really want are the pieces of banana. And you know what? If they're all separate, and I decide, hey, today I feel like having a handful of garbage, I can make that handful myself, nice and quick. Here's a bit of this, a bit of that, all in a different bowl. Chaos in a bowl! Like Ginnungagap! Better yet, I don't have to have raisins at all, and the chocolate can just go into a high cupboard somewhere for special occasions.”

Cadence could barely understand, but Sombra seemed to catch on immediately, the stallion saying quietly: “You don't think we should be traveling between worlds. And you want to destroy certain worlds because you don't like them.”

“When you put it like that, it sounds really harsh. No, let's stick with my metaphor.” Thokk said after a moment, the witch sitting back in her seat and sniffing loudly. “Look. You might not believe me here, but I really do want what's best for everyone. Or at least what's best for the Aesir. The All Father sure as hell didn't know what he was doing: at the end of the day, he just went rabid because of Valthrudnir. Putting on attitude, getting his cronies to attack people for him, using blood magic and curses to make it look like he still had all his powers after Valthrudnir had drained him dry.”

Danzsöngr suddenly quieted inside Cadence, and the ivory mare shifted nervously before Thokk gestured towards her, the witch saying kindly: “Come with me, Cadence. The Swan in you knows what's best. The Swan lives to serve, doesn't she? Tell me, have you met any of your brethren? I need to find them. I need to gather them up and give them their lives back: I have the power, the magic to do that! Why, just look at these two: they were nothing but mortals whose souls managed to survive in the Void for... I don't even know how long. A little bit of magic later, and bam! Here they are, walking around, and ain't they a lovely pair?”

The Praetor only continued to look contemptibly over the ponies in front of him, while Sol Seraph calmly pulled the butt of her cigarette out of her muzzle and flicked it away. Thokk cleared her throat after a moment, then she dropped her arm and said finally: “Well, okay. Maybe they're not that lovely. But you're missing the point! Anything with enough will survives inside the Void, and there are still many gods and friends of gods just waiting for us to release them!”

“What does that have to do with gathering the other fallen gods and goddesses?” Cadence asked uneasily, as the Swan began to writhe inside her with what felt like anger. The Swan's joy had turned so quickly into fury that Cadence felt like her own head was spinning, and she couldn't entirely process why the Swan was suddenly so incredibly angry...

“Simple! Look at you, Swan Maiden, trapped inside a host body, a pony body. Reborn as something much... lower station. That's not right.” Thokk said, gesturing towards her... almost disdainfully. Cadence narrowed her eyes, and for once, she welcomed the fact that the Swan flared with anger at the contempt they were being treated with. “So it's simple. I'll gather up everyone I can, and then they can take a long walk into the Void. And when I bring them back out... ta-da! They'll have their old bodies back! They'll be the same old gods. Exact same old gods.”

“With all due respect, Lady Thokk... you said these ponies were once mortals, but after you brought them back from the Void, they seem like they have become something... different.” Sombra said tactfully, gesturing towards the Pegasi. “I know gods are far different from mortals, but would they be the same?”

“You know, you say it like that, you almost make it seem like a bad thing that they can't be killed. But no, these Voidborn are immortal, but I'm sure the gods will be plenty different. Trust me.” Thokk said, making a placating gesture, and Cadence could sense the smile behind her mask... and the cruelty as well.

For a moment, there was silence, and then Thokk chuckled quietly before she said softly: “Or, you know, don't trust me. That's okay too. Danzsöngr, tell me: who else have you met from the old golden halls? Tell me.”

Cadence felt the Swan rise up, shoving her consciousness aside and taking over her body, and the mare wanted to scream, wanted to shout, wanted to fight it with every fiber of her being. She knew the Swan was too powerful, though, and that emotion wouldn't get through to the Swan, but she knew the Swan. She couldn't forget that she knew the Swan, and even if she was shoved off to the side, she knew that just like she could hear and feel the Swan, the Swan could hear and feel her.

“Brynhild. I have encountered Brynhild of the Valkyries. She has taken lovers and borne children. I have heard that Freya still lives, and heard hints and rumors that there are others. Empress Hecate, whom I serve now, is also searching for them.” Danzsöngr said calmly.

Thokk leaned forwards eagerly at this, asking quickly: “Who is Hecate, Danzsöngr? Why are you serving her?”

Danzsöngr hesitated as Cadence tried to warn the Swan Maiden not to answer. And to her surprise, the Swan shifted a little before saying slowly: “She is my commander. I serve her because she seeks to protect the creations of the Mothers and Fathers. That is all.”

Thokk leaned back in her throne, the witch tapping her claws against one arm of the makeshift seat before she looked at the others. And with but a gesture, Sombra, La Croix, and Moonflower were all hefted into the air in bubbles of energy, unable to move, struggling weakly against the burning magic that wrapped around their bodies as the witch asked curiously: “She uses these?”

“Yes.” Tell her to put them down. Tell her to let them go! “They are my fellows.”

“Oh, that explains all the disturbances between layers... a self-proclaimed 'protector,' huh?” Thokk looked thoughtful, and then she made a spinning gesture with one finger, and Moonflower rotated through the air towards her, the stallion gritting his teeth as he struggled in the witch's grip. “Cutie-patootie here seems like he's got enough magic energy coursing through his body to make him all-but-ageless. Still, I don't think that gives him the right to go around, showing off to other worlds.”

The Swan remained silent, as Cadence cried out: He's your friend! They're your family! Tell Thokk to let them go!

Thokk revolved a finger again, and Moonflower floated backwards as La Croix came forwards, the witch clicking her tongue in distaste. “And see? This right here? This is a big part of what we have to stop. I have very little respect for the All Father, but even less respect for the gods and self-proclaimed gods who jumped in as quick as they could, mashing their servants and slaves into horsey-form so they could better communicate with the pony-life he created. That's plagiarism, as far as I'm concerned. This one we'll have to send back to the swamp he crawled out of.”

The Swan shifted slightly, her eyes narrowing dangerously, and Cadence shouted: Stand up for them! Are you a coward? Do you care about honor, or family? Do you really have no emotions, are you really nothing more than a... a tool that has to listen to Thokk because... what, she knew the Aesir once?

Thokk made the absent twirling gesture again, and La Croix floated away, Sombra coming forwards now, and the witch studied him silently before she said moodily: “And here, the worst. I hate Jötnar. That's one thing we're not going to bring back.. in fact, I plan to get rid of Jötunnheim completely. Pave it over and replace it with a parking lot! Or better yet, we'll build a carnival! Hell, why not both? Parking lot in the winter, carnival in the summer! But I digress. Scum like this? Sorry, sweetie, we can't have any of Valthrudnir's old toys scooting around, no matter what they promise. Promises are just timebombs waiting to be broken.”

Don't you dare don't you dare hurt him I'll kill you if you hurt him I'll- “We cannot destroy Jötunnheim. Many Jötnar serve the balance as well. It is the gifts of the Jötnar and the gifts of Thanatos that made the Swan Maidens.”

Thokk frowned at this, and there was silence for a few moments before the Swan added in a quiet, serious voice: “I must observe my mission. I am a tool. Valhalla and the honor of the Fathers and Mothers must be protected at all costs, Thokk. I do not care for these creatures as Cadenza does. But they all the same... serve my needs.”

Thokk's entire demeanor changed as she sat slowly up in her throne, flicking her wrist to launch the ponies trapped in her bubbles backwards. They crashed to the floors in heaps as her magic faded from around them, the hollow stone eyes of her mask glaring down into the Swan's even gaze as the witch asked in a deadly voice: “Are you placing yourself against me, Swan Maiden?”

“I do not serve you. I serve the Fathers and Mothers. What you speak of is not what the Fathers and Mothers want.” the Swan replied fearlessly. “Thokk, you were a crafter, and so I was eager to meet you, for I am a tool and you are a carpenter. But what you speak of now is heresy. I will not serve a hand that strives to turn me against the Fathers and Mothers. I will bloody it, instead, guided by my love of the Fathers and Mothers, sharpened by Empress Hecate.”

“Yeah. We'll see about that, hon.” Thokk said coldly, standing up on her broken, makeshift throne as she glared contemptibly down at the Swan Maiden. She looked at the Pegasi, who both shifted to full attention as the witch said icily: “I've got some things to take care of, it sounds like. Thankfully, I have plenty of resources at my command, and plenty of pawns to keep arrogant little misfits like you busy.”

Thokk paused, then clicked her tongue before she held up a finger as the Swan glared at her, adding mildly: “Oh, one more thing. Swan? I order you to go to sleep.”

Cadence felt her entire body go loose, her head dropping, her legs quaking under her as her mouth fell open, drool falling from her jaws. But a moment later, she snapped back to attention, a snarl crossing her features. “What the hell did you do?”

Except she knew it, because the Swan was suddenly buried under a thousand tons of fatigue and tiredness, so great and powerful it was seeping into Cadence's brain. With one order, the Swan was simply gone, and Thokk chuckled contemptibly at the question as she clearly saw Cadence already had the answer. “You know what I did, and I know you know, Cadence. Voidborn? Kill 'em. I'll dredge the Void for the Swan later. It'll be worth the effort just to see the look on her face when she's forced to serve me for eternity, and double the profit when I get to turn her loose on her former employers.”

The Praetor and Sol Seraph both stepped forwards, and Cadence readied herself as she felt her teammates quickly getting into position behind her, as the old Pegasus growled: “Gladly. Sol Seraph, finish your job. The three stallions are mine.”

“The job that you didn't finish.” Sol Seraph remarked calmly as she produced a box of cigarettes from a pocket, and the Praetor snarled at her. “Very well, Father. As you command.”

“Family. Ain't it wonderful?” Thokk remarked, and then the witch bowed mockingly before vanishing, even as her echoing voice added mildly: “Oh, by the way? Tools rust pretty fast when you leave them in a place like the Void. So after you die and get sent there, make sure you cling to what little existence you have left, okay? I don't want you turning to mush like Odin and most of the other weak-kneed, slack-jawed, inbred, everything-but-the-wife-banging cowardly cheating lying scum-sucking filth-guzzling... you get it. I don't want you dissolving before I get a chance to bring you back.”

The Swan twisted, but that was all it had the strength to do, and Cadence gritted her teeth as Thokk's presence faded, looking up and preparing herself-

Sol Seraph was already moving forward, and Cadence barely had time to bring her hooves up to block the first attack; but then her eyes widened in horror as she heard the tink of metal biting into metal, a moment before Sol leapt backwards and yanked on the almost-invisible steel string that was now hooked tightly into the vambraces around Cadence's forelegs, yanking the ivory mare off balance.

The Praetor, meanwhile, had already leapt over the two fighting mares, flinging two glass spheres outwards, but Sombra caught these with telekinesis and flung them off to either side, where they exploded harmlessly in bursts of antimagic energy. The Praetor moved immediately for Sombra, but he was forced back by a blast of magic from Moonflower as La Croix yanked a potion free from his cape and flung it quickly at the Pegasus.

The Praetor only snarled and slapped the potion away, but La Croix grinned as the potion suddenly boomeranged around, flinging itself back towards the Pegasus' face. But then he gaped in shock as the Praetor not only ducked under the potion, but twisted his body as he kicked a rear hoof out to send the bottle zipping through the air and smashing into Moonflower's face.

Moonflower went rolling backwards, yelling wildly as his head burst into flames, and La Croix made the mistake of taking his eyes off the Praetor. In one liquid movement, the Praetor flipped himself forwards, yanking knives free from the pouches at his sides before he flung them just as he landed, the movement of his legs letting him break immediately into a sprint.

The knives slammed into La Croix, knocking the Loa backwards with a howl as the Praetor bullrushed Sombra and forced him to rear backwards. The Pegasus slammed two quick punches into the black unicorn's breast, but then he snarled in surprise as his third punch made Sombra shatter into crystal, his eyes widening before he roared as the storm of dark gemstone began to whirl around him, slashing and tearing at his body.

The earth rippled beside Moonflower, the real Sombra leaping out of the ground to quickly dispel the flames from the stallion's face, and Moonflower wheezed in relief as he straightened and shook himself: his skin was raw and his mane was burnt mostly away, but thankfully that was the worst of it; it wasn't like Sombra had time to check, anyway, as there was a tremendous burst of anti-magic that disintegrated the crystal maelstrom, the Praetor snarling in fury.

The Pegasus rushed immediately at the two stallions; his daughter was just as savage, her hooves slamming cruelly across Cadence's face to force her to the ground before she flicked her wrist, a hidden blade popping free from the wrist of one bracer before she stabbed this savagely down into the base of Cadence's wing, beginning to pull back-

Cadence's wings glowed with ivory light as she screamed, and the hidden blade smoldered before it was melted more than cut through by the radiant energy, Sol Seraph wincing as she leapt away. But Cadence lunged after her, snarling as her body moved in a way she didn't even know it could, using her wings like glowing blades as she danced and spun herself around the Pegasus.

Sol Seraph dodged most of the strikes, but was forced to try and block an attack with her bracers: Cadence's wings sliced through armor and flesh below like butter, Sol Seraph's eyes widening in shock as her hooves were severed completely from her body. For a moment, Cadence felt victory as Sol Seraph lunged backwards, but by the time the mare landed, her hooves had reformed, and the severed chunks of limb had already burst apart into nothing but blue smoke and motes that were already fading from the air.

Her melted, broken bracers fell loose from her forelegs, and Sol Seraph frowned as she rose one of her front limbs, studying her regenerated hoof silently. It had healed, but Cadence smiled grimly as it thrummed with strange blue light.

“You don't deserve such power. I will take your horn. And I will take that power from you.” Sol Seraph said quietly, and then she lunged forwards. This time Cadence was ready, though, even as the light faded from her wings: ready for Sol, and ready for the feint and the lash of silver wire.

Cadence snapped her horn out, slicing through the hooked wire before she leapt forwards, butSol countered by yanking something out of one of her packs and swinging it at the ivory mare. Cadence was able to dodge the attack, even swing one of her own hooves up in a counter that knocked Sol Seraph's head back, but then everything was swallowed up by the explosion of light, sound, and antimagic, Cadence screaming and not even feeling the hooves that pounded over her body before she was punched backwards, hitting the ground hard and bouncing and rolling from the force of impact.

Before she could fall to a stop, Sol Seraph lunged in and kicked her hard with both rear hooves, knocking her skidding over the ground before the Pegasus dove in and swung both hooves down in a savage tomahawk straight at Cadence's head, meaning to crush the life out of her. But Cadence managed to flap her wings once, narrowly launching herself out of the way before she flipped sharply and landed on all four hooves, skidding to a halt even as Sol simply turned the missed strike into another lunge after her prey.

Cadence slashed her horn down, and Sol Seraph twisted her head slightly to the side: it turned the deadly attack into a thin cut across her features that nipped wantingly at her neck, but allowed Sol to slam a hoof straight up into the ivory mare's throat. And as Cadence choked and staggered, Sol twisted herself with a flap of her wings, catching the mare around the throat and laying across her back as she started to twist-

Cadence flipped herself awkwardly, desperately forwards, slamming roughly down on Sol back-first, and the Pegasus' grip was shaken. Then Cadence swung her head backwards as hard as she dared, and she was rewarded with a sickening crunch as Sol went limp for a moment, allowing Cadence to tear herself free and quickly leap to safety.

Sol lay for a moment on the ground, her eyes closed, her muzzle broken. But it was only seconds before her eyes snapped open and her wounds healed, the mare sitting up and blinking slowly once before she smiled thinly. She looked back and forth, then picked up her cigarette from the ground, putting it back in her muzzle as she pulled out a lighter and said quietly: “We cannot die. You can't win.”

Sol calmly lit her cigarette, then, as Cadence started to answer, the Pegasus suddenly flung her lighter hard at Cadence. The ivory mare reacted instantly, slashing the harmless object out of the air with her horn before Sol blew sharply, and Cadence felt a piercing pain tear through her cheek as she staggered backwards, before she began to shiver.

“That poison is how I killed my father. Except I put the needle through his eye. You are fortunate that my aim was off...” Sol Seraph smiled thinly as Cadence grasped at her face with a trembling hoof, touching the needle lodged in her face before she hurriedly tore it free, but she knew it was too late. She could feel the poison, spreading through her veins, her body already beginning to seize up. “Or perhaps not.”

Sol calmly strode forwards as Cadence whimpered, her horn flickering before it lit up, but without slowing, Sol pulled out another glass bauble and casually flung it at Cadence's hooves. The burst of antimagic knocked Cadence crashing to the ground with a scream, her body spasming helplessly as Sol Seraph stood over her, asking with mild interest: “How many times do I have to kill you before you stay dead? It does not matter. You make the better trophy.”

Cadence twitched and writhed on the ground, her eyes rolling in her head as foam gargled out of her muzzle, the mare gasping for air. She stared in horror, unable to move, unable to do anything as she saw the Praetor tearing into her teammates, her friends, like they were nothing but toys to him, the Pegasus somehow even crueler and colder than Sol Seraph...

Moonflower staggered to the side, his face a bloody mess as Sombra leapt between him and the Praetor. But the Praetor simply caught Sombra by the face when the unicorn tried to slash in with his horn, the Pegasus' other hoof smashing across his nose before he drove him to the ground with a vicious elbow. And without looking, the merciless Pegasus pulled something out of his pocket before throwing it backwards, the small orb hitting La Croix and making him flinch before it exploded with a tremendous whoosh of flames, and La Croix screamed as his cape burst instantly alight.

The Loa panicked, yanking his cape off and flinging it to the side before it exploded, potions and glass bottles and countless odds and ends hailing down in all directions as the magical charms woven into the cape were eaten away by the flames. And before he could even turn, the Pegasus was there, slamming a hoof across La Croix's jaw to send the Loa to the ground and catching his top hat as it flew off his head.

The Praetor calmly tore this in half, ignoring the great burst of objects and light that came out of it as he said with disgust: “Magic like this is wasted on your kind, stripehorse. Go back to the swamps where you belong.”

La Croix snarled, raising a hoof as green lighting sizzled over it, but the Praetor simply caught him by the wrist before he twisted. And the Loa screamed as his foreleg snapped like a twig, but the Praetor smiled coldly as he bent the zebra's leg backwards, bones cracking like brittle wood as he said contemptibly: “Don't you raise your hoof to me, boy.”

The Praetor paused, then, without looking, twisted to the side as a blast of dark magic shot by before he turned and flung La Croix into Moonflower. Without losing his momentum, the Praetor sidestepped a spike of crystal that tore out of the ground, before he produced a small bladed disc that he flung sharply at Sombra.

The shuriken slammed into Sombra's chest before it beeped violently several times, and the unicorn's eyes bulged as he gritted his teeth in agony, electricity bursting and sizzling over his body as he was slowly forced down to his knees. Moonflower shouted in denial, then leapt forwards, standing protectively over La Croix's body as he lashed his horn out, black lightning crackling through the air before a black hole ripped open in reality-

And somehow, the Praetor ignored the pull of the singularity as he leapt to the side, then shot straight in towards Moonflower, driving a hoof into his throat before there was the loud click of a hidden blade, and the stallion coughed blood over the Praetor's face, his eyes bulging in horror. A moment later, the Pegasus yanked the blade free from the underside of Moonflower's jaw and flung him to the ground over the Loa, as the black hole fizzled out of reality.

The Praetor turned as Sombra roared, a shockwave blasting the shuriken free from his body before he lashed his horn forwards, a black fireball streaking through the air towards the Pegasus. But the Praetor sneered as he simply leapt into the air before he dove down, driving two quick jabs into Sombra's face to knock him forwards before the Praetor's hooves slammed into the device on his back.

The Praetor tore the machine with him as he sprung off Sombra's back, and the black unicorn howled miserably as the machine was ripped free and flung away with an electric squeal, blood and purifying agent spraying from the device. And even before it crashed to the ground some ten feet away, the Praetor was already moving again, lunging forwards to slam his hoof into the bloody hole in Sombra's back... before there was a terrible, crunching, rending noise, and the Praetor ripped what could only be a chunk of spine free from the black unicorn.

Sombra collapsed bonelessly, and the Praetor smiled thinly as the tossed the piece of vertebrae away. Then he scowled as he saw Sol Seraph simply standing over Cadence, the stallion snarling: “Stop wasting your time!”

“I am deciding on the best method to remove her horn. The poison has her incapacitated.” Sol Seraph replied calmly, looking contemptibly at her father. “You are the one who has left his prey alive.”

The Praetor snorted, his eyes flicking with disgust to La Croix, who was trapped under Moonflower's heavy body. The zebra was trying to use his little magic to heal the wound in Moonflower's jaw even as the life rapidly faded from his body, and the Pegasus rolled his eyes before he strode forwards. “I don't understand why such maggots fight to delay the inevitable.”

Sol Seraph smiled thinly, before her eyes focused in interest as Sombra twitched. The Praetor scowled at her, but his daughter only looked back at him evenly before she said quietly: “You did a messy job with all of them.”

The Praetor snarled, beginning to step towards her as he opened his mouth angrily, and hemissed Sombra's eyes snapping open, or the way his body became like shadow, writhing and twisting as the wound in his back almost instantly healed. He felt the malice, but didn't turn in time before Sombra lunged into him as hellish miasma leaked from his eyes, the unicorn snarling in fury before his jaws sank into the Praetor's throat.

The Pegasus choked loudly, shoving and grasping at the animal Sombra as the unicorn grinned cruelly, blood spurting out around his teeth before he crushed and twisted, ripping the Praetor's throat out. The Voidborn staggered backwards, gargling, eyes bulging, grabbing at his neck even as the wound healed, and Sombra stomped both hooves down to send a forest of spikes and spears of crystal ripping up through the Pegasus' body, forcefully lifting him into the air as he howled in frustration, humiliation, and denial.

“Prey...” hissed Sombra, his eyes glowing with malevolence, his whole body coursing with dark energies before he laughed mockingly, rasping: “You... prey now!”

“He has a point, Father.” Sol Seraph remarked carelessly, before she reached down and grasped Cadence by the horn, hauling her up and shaking her back and forth like a treat. It immediately got Sombra's attention, and the Pegasus asked: “Do you want this?”

Sombra roared before charging forwards, just as Sol anticipated. It was straight, it was sloppy, it was crude, and it allowed Sol Seraph to easily throw a single, strangely-gleaming knife straight forwards, the weapon hitting Sombra between the eyes as he gave a dog-like yelp before crashing to the ground and skidding lifelessly several feet.

“And it looks like I am the one cleaning up your messes, Praetor.” Sol said calmly, and the Praetor snarled in fury before he tore himself loose from the network of spikes, not caring about the wounds he left or the way the needles of crystal snapped off in his body as he forced himself down: the damage healed almost as quickly as it was caused, after all.

But one thing that clearly hadn't healed was his ego, as he strode towards Sol Seraph and growled: “Listen to me, you little bitch, you had better-”

Before he could finish, Sol Seraph was blasted off her hooves by a pillar of dark flame that tore suddenly up from the ground, the Pegasus flying backwards with an expression of shock. She managed to recover in midair as the Praetor spun around, shouting in outrage: “What does it take to kill you-”

Something tore into his neck, and the Praetor gargled before Sombra yanked the knife back, the dark unicorn grinning cruelly before he stabbed the weapon down again, and again and again into the Praetor's face. Each and every wound pierced deep into the Pegasus, sending up bursts of raw energy as the Praetor staggered backwards in shock, unable to react as Sombra hissed at him with what sounded like savage delight.

The Praetor finally managed to yank a glass sphere free from his pack, flinging it sharply at the ground, and Sombra recoiled with a howl of misery, the knife falling from his grip as he hurriedly backed away as antimagic shocked over his shadowy form. But the Praetor was gasping in pain, clutching at the wounds in his face before he looked up with a tremble, whispering: “I... I will not be killed by such undeserving scum as yourselves. I will not be dishonored, dying at your hooves, I... I will kill you all! I will kill-”

Silver wire suddenly twined tightly around his neck, as a mare's body dropped itself across his back: the Praetor had enough time to look surprised before the wire yanked itself tight, and the mare seized him by the head, twisting his skull savagely to the side to snap his neck.

The Praetor fell, gurgling stupidly as the wire cut into his throat, and then Sol Seraph calmly twisted his head hard in the opposite direction, separating his spinal column further as the silver wire in his neck tore deeper. His eye rolled in his head a before he stared back at her disbelievingly, and Sol Seraph looked down at him calmly before she leaned slowly down into her father's face, saying quietly: “I did you a favor. Now undeserving scum has not killed you. I have, instead.” She paused, then smiled, arrogant, and callous, and with cruel revenge in her eyes, as she whispered in his ear: “For the second time.”

The Praetor looked at her for a moment longer, and then, as his body began to slowly dissolve into motes, he snarled in rage, mouthing her name as he looked at his daughter with utter hatred in his eye. But in less than a minute, the Voidborn had dissolved entirely, and Sol Seraph smiled calmly as she straightened and turned her attention towards Sombra, who was shivering like an animal as the antimagic continued to course over his body.

“W-Why...” whispered a voice, and Sol Seraph frowned and turned around before her eyes narrowed to see Cadence slowly forcing herself to stand. “He was... your father...”

Sol Seraph chuckled quietly at this, and then she said softly: “As if that means anything to me. I am a predator. My job, my pleasure, is in culling the weak. He showed a moment of weakness, and I took advantage of that. That is all.”

Sol Seraph flexed one foreleg slowly, and then she looked contemptibly towards Sombra as the shadowy unicorn snarled and began to advance on her slowly, as the antimagic faded from his body. “I will offer you a mercy, Cadence. I will kill your father, too. Your love for him is weakness, and I see in truth that he is only an animal, stupid, controlled by his urges. Then I will kill you. You will not have to worry about serving Thokk: you are too weak to survive the hardships of the Void for long enough for her to find you.”

Cadence gritted her teeth through the agony of the poison coursing through her veins, but she could feel the Swan inside her. And the Swan didn't care about pain, or poison, or emotion. But it did care, very much, about the humiliations they had suffered here today, as the ivory mare hissed: “No. My Father and I will kill you instead, even with your coward's tools and ambush.”

Sol looked thoughtful, Cadence thought. And then, to her surprise, the Pegasus suddenly smiled at her: it was cold, and it was cruel, but it was the closest thing to a smile that Cadence had seen on the face of the mare so far. “Yes. Killing you all now would mean giving the Praetor undue credit. Attend to your wounds, Cadence. And feel fortunate that I take pride in my kills.”

Sol Seraph turned around, spreading her wings, but she paused for a moment to say calmly over her shoulder: “Consider this as well, Swan Maiden: my Father and I cannot die. We only return to the Void, and wait for Thokk to bring us back to our duties.

“I will be waiting for you above. Do not disappoint me by killing yourself out of cowardice.” With that, Sol Seraph leapt into the air, flying sharply up towards the floating island as Cadence trembled, staring after the heartless, ruthless predator as Sombra snarled in animal rage, her teammates shivered in pain, and for the first time in its life, the Swan inside her felt fear.

Creating An Answer

Chapter Twelve: Creating An Answer
~BlackRoseRaven

“Again.”

Muse looked up tiredly, but the Replicant nodded gamely after a moment even as Necrophage bounced towards Thorn, saying worriedly: “I dunno, my big sister looks really worn out! Maybe you could give her a second to-”

“She has to go again.” Thorn said patiently but firmly, and Necrophage whined a little in her throat, dancing on the spot, but then she dropped her hooves flat and nodded, even as she lowered her head a little.

But Muse only smiled reassuringly at her sister before she looked up, taking a slow breath as she lifted the crystal orb beside her back into the air. It floated silently around her head as she closed her eyes, concentrating on it, and Thorn watched calmly from the side of the empty training room: normally it was used for sparring, but in this case, the break-proof walls and heavy matting served a better purpose.

The tall, gorgeous mare gritted her teeth as the runes engraved over the surface of the glassy orb began to glow faintly. It thrummed for a moment, and then the large, cube-shaped weight in front of the mare began to tremble as a ghostly aura surrounded it.

The cube slowly began to lift into the air, and Thorn watched intently. Muse was already sweating though, her eyes clenched shut, her whole body quaking with effort as he wheezed in and out, the runed sphere orbiting around her beginning to shake violently-

The cube and the glass orb both dropped, the cube shaking the entire room and sinking back into the mattress, the runed sphere bouncing away, harmless and unharmed. Muse herself only managed to stand for a moment longer before she collapsed forwards, breathing hard in and out.

Necrophage immediately bolted to her sister's side, while Thorn quickly jotted down several notes across his clipboard. He looked up at the sisters as Necrophage babbled both praises and concerns, and for a moment, Thorn considered having Muse run the exercise again: she was shaky, sure, but both her mental and physical recovery were quick, and it looked like she was already starting to come around...

“Muse, you're dismissed for today. Good work.” Thorn said after a moment, and Muse looked up with a small smile, looking at the stallion almost bashfully. “Necrophage, I'll need your help to move this block back.”

“No problem, Thorn!” Necrophage said happily, giving both the stallion and her sister bright smiles. “You okay to walk, sis?”

“I'm fine, thank you.” Muse said softly, nodding and giving a small smile. “And thank you as well, Thorn. It means a lot to be given this chance.”

The stallion simply shrugged before gesturing to dismiss her, and Muse bowed her head politely before she headed to the door. Thorn finished making his notes as the Replicant let herself out, before he sighed as he looked at Necrophage, who smiled happily up at him. “Thanks, Thorn!”

Thorn knew it was a bad idea to ask, but all the same he couldn't help but do so, regretful as his tone was: “For what?”

Necrophage giggled, then bounced on her hooves before exclaiming: “For being so good to my sister, silly!” She leaned forwards, winking slowly. “Don't worry, though, I won't tell anypony that you're a big softie!”

Thorn sighed in exasperation again, and then he pointed at the cube: although it wasn't that big, it was made of lodestone, a substance that both held incredible mass and was magic-resistant. “Do you need help moving that?”

The mare leapt over to the block, almost tackling it before she grunted and wheezed, barely managing to rock it back and forth. Then she stopped and cleared her throat before looking lamely over at Thorn. “Um. Yes please.”

The stallion sighed once more, and then he gestured at her to step away. Necrophage hopped backwards, then smiled when Thorn reached out and grasped the handle on top of the block of lodestone with his mechanical hoof, the pistons already beginning to pump to life on his shoulder as he muttered: “Alright. Get in position.”

Necrophage happily bounded around in a circle and dropped low, and Thorn took a breath before he gritted his teeth and slowly hefted the lodestone block up, his mechanical limb whirring loudly as he breathed slowly, carefully turning and setting it down on Necrophage's back as gently as he could.

The Replicant wheezed loudly under the weight, but then she grunted and straightened slowly, grinning over her shoulder at Thorn as he released it completely and looked at her apprehensively. Necrophage winked at him, however, then she proudly started to march towards the door, her stocky little legs trembling only slightly as she declared: “Up the hall and to the right!”

“Uh. Right.” Thorn said after a moment, following after the Replicant with a sigh as he quickly picked up the fallen glass sphere. He floated the augmentation charm beside him as he followed after Necrophage slowly: normally he wouldn't take his time with an equipment check and return like this, but in this case...

They made their way down the hall, and Thorn slipped ahead of the Replicant to open the door for her. Necrophage giggled and wheezed out what was probably a 'thank you' as she carried the lodestone block into the special equipment storage room.

Thorn followed her in, then he sighed as he saw Necrophage struggling to try and shrug the block back into its rack, the stallion shaking his head before he strode over and reached up to gently grasp the handle. His mechanical leg rumbled, the pistons on his shoulder hissing quietly as he carefully hefted it off the Replicant and placed it back down in the open slot.

Necrophage smiled at him happily, and Thorn looked at her for a moment before he gave a small smile in return. Then he headed over to another wall to replace the crystalline orb back in its own safe container, gently closing the wooden box it fit into before he turned-

Thorn winced backwards as Necrophage smiled up at him brightly, standing uncomfortably close to him. He frowned at her, but then the mare leaned forwards and asked excitedly: “Well? Are you going to come and see Cowlick too?”

“I don't think so. There's a lot of work to do, Necrophage. We have some strange reports coming in lately.” Thorn said finally, wedging his clipboard carefully between them as he grimaced down at the Replicant. “But you're right. You should go.”

Necrophage nodded a few times, but she only continued to stand in one place, looking up at him curiously. Thorn looked back at her for a few moments, and then he finally asked, even though he already knew he wasn't going to like the answer: “What is it?”

Necrophage smiled at him, but it was a gentler smile this time as she leaned in and asked quietly: “Thorn, um... what was it like to have your parents back for a while?”

Thorn frowned at her, and Necrophage scraped a hoof against the floor before she looked up at him with earnest, honest eyes, saying: “I think we're great friends, and you've just been... really sad and confused lately, if you don't mind me saying so, sir. And um... I was just curious about it, especially because of all the great wonderful time you're letting me spend with my sister, and I've been wondering a lot about my own parents and so I was wondering... what it's like for you and if you want to talk about it, because maybe if you tell me about it, you'll feel better, and I'll get answers too!”

The stallion sighed at this, but he visibly softened before he glanced down and rubbed awkwardly at his forehead. He didn't know how to reply, really, but Necrophage was looking at him so curiously, and... oh hell, he had ten minutes.

“It was wonderful, but at the same time... it was hard, and I never got to say everything I wanted to, and I'm left with a lot of worries about...” Thorn silently touched his mechanical forelimb, and then he shook his head and murmured: “Worries and fears are pointless, though. And while I can't break happiness and enjoyment down very well into amount or logical equation, Necrophage...”

Thorn bit his lip, looking at the Replicant for a moment as he wondered what he should tell her. She looked back at him with her naive eyes, bouncing a bit on her hooves and smiling happily at him, wanting to hear what he had to say, treating his word like he was departing some kind of great wisdom or doing some great favor for her...

He shifted a bit, then smiled a little as he looked off to the side, murmuring: “But my parents love me, Necrophage, and I'm lucky to be here, and lucky that I have so many good ponies in my life. I know that I might seem... alien to a lot of ponies and I don't... talk much... but... I guess I'm trying harder to open up more. And I...” Thorn shrugged a little, then he forced himself to look at Necrophage as he said in what was almost a mumble: “You... you are a friend.”

The mare's eyes widened slightly at this, and then she bounced giddily on her hooves before suddenly springing forwards and hugging him around the neck, making the stallion wince: for such a tiny little mare she was sure as hell strong. “Oh, thank you, Thorn! You're my bestest friend too!”

“Necrophage. Please.” Thorn mumbled, and the Replicant giggled loudly before she nodded and drew quickly back, hopping on the spot and smiling happily at him as Thorn only sighed, but then he smiled a little after a moment at her and nodded hesitantly once.

Necrophage nodded firmly back, and then she looked down for a moment before suddenly looking up, asking: “Does that mean I can talk to you about things, too?”

“I... yes, I suppose.” Thorn said after a moment, even though he already felt wary about what exactly that might leave him open to.

The Replicant looked up at him happily, however, and admittedly Thorn liked that look in her eyes before he blinked in surprise as she asked: “Do you think a mommy and daddy would have loved me and my sister if we had a mommy and daddy?”

Thorn frowned a little, and Necrophage looked at him, bouncing from hoof-to-hoof as she said brightly: “Well, you know, it's just that I guess that well Valthrudnir was sort of our not-daddy-daddy, but he was always really mean to Muse and never let her do anything, and he said I was a big failure, so big a failure that he had those nodes implanted in my brain to make my emotions turn off when anyone says 'emotions off!'”

Necrophage immediately halted in mid-bounce, going still and silent, her eyes immediately losing their glow of happiness and her expression dropping into cold neutrality. Thorn sighed a little, before he looked up as the mare said calmly and quietly: “It just seems logical that we are unwanted children. We were merely experimental models, which paled in comparison to Prince Thesis and the Class V Series. I feel our parents would desire higher-functioning Replicants as well, not damaged and inferior machinery.”

“Emotions on.” Necrophage blinked and bounced happily, opening her mouth, but she was cut off as Thorn said curtly: “You are not machinery and therefore not obsolete. I will not tolerate you saying those things, and you should not tolerate it from yourself, either.”

The Replicant blushed a bit, and Thorn sighed before he said quietly: “And I would like to believe your parents would love you both. You would not be a... a 'Replicant' to them, any more than you are a construct or anything of that sort to me. You are you. You would be their daughter, not their drone. Likewise, you are a servant of Decretum, yes, and I am in charge of overseeing you and ensuring your productivity, but... you are also a person to me. You're as real as I am.”

Thorn reached up with his mechanical leg to touch the mare, and then he halted and looked at this, before murmuring: “Maybe more real.”

The stallion stopped, then cleared his throat and shook his head quickly. “That's enough for today, Necrophage. You need to go down and see Cowlick now, and I have a job of my own to get to.”

Necrophage smiled brightly and nodded, bouncing happily towards the door. Thorn followed behind her, before he winced when the Replicant said brightly: “Hi there, Queen Hecate! I'm on my way to work.”

“Good. Keep walking.” Hecate said moodily, and the Replicant giggled before bouncing onward. She stopped at the elevator, however, spinning around to wave brightly at Thorn as the stallion stood lamely in front of the mechanical goddess, uncomfortably waving back before he turned an embarrassed look towards the Empress of Decretum.

Hecate looked at him for a moment, and then she simply rolled her eyes before saying moodily: “At this point I don't even care. I also don't know if she's better or worse than Moonflower.”

Thorn shrugged lamely, and Hecate looked at him for a moment longer before she gestured irritably to the side. The stallion fell in step behind her, and as they walked through the steel halls, Hecate explained calmly: “Something very powerful was detected, seemingly searching for Decretum. Because of the extra precautions I've taken, it wasn't able to actually lock in on our location, but it has an idea about where we are now, and possibly that Decretum is active.”

“What do we know about it? Has Seneschal been instructed to run any tests?” Thorn began to create a holographic screen, but Hecate reached down and gently touched him, making him frown a bit and look up at her uncertainly. “Queen Hecate?”

Hecate stopped in the middle of the hallway, and then she shook her head shortly, her eyes flickering with uncertainty before they hardened again, her face once more hidden beneath her cold mask as she said shortly: “Seneschal is an idiot. I deferred my own tasks to the AI program to deal with. Once we have the results from the simulations and calculations, I'll examine the data myself.”

“You have a feeling.” Thorn said quietly, and Hecate looked down at him icily for a moment, but Thorn saw through her mask. The slight twitch, the way she shifted... “Why don't we just contact Hel directly and ask her what's going on?”

“Hel is insane. She's less insane these days than she once was, but she's still very much insane, and an agent of chaos.” Hecate replied moodily, walking onward, and Thorn quickly followed at her side, studying the mare until she added in a lower voice: “And while I don't believe she would be stupid and infantile enough to let another situation develop as it did with Gymbr and the Pious... Hel also has plenty of reasons to not want to leap at shadows and suspicions. She plays her cards close, as do I. And I'm sure right now she's trying to decide whether she should wait to save the day or hope that we end up being destroyed.”

Thorn grimaced at this, looking uncertainly at Hecate before he asked her slowly: “You didn't show her-”

“I showed her Ithavoll.” Hecate said shortly, and Thorn winced before the Empress of Decretum said contemptibly: “The best weapon is one you never have to use, Thorn.”

“Except you do intend to use Ithavoll.” Thorn said quietly, and Hecate smiled thinly, but the stallion only shook his head and sighed a little, muttering: “I'm not trying to argue. I'm just... trying to make sense of all of it.”

The two passed into an elevator, and as the doors slid closed, Hecate crossed her arms and said quietly: “You need to understand, Thorn, that I will do whatever it takes to achieve my ends. I don't care whether or not it's justified and I don't care who I have to walk over to get my way. If your parents get in my way, Thorn, you know that I will just as readily fight them as I would Hel, or Terra, or anyone else stupid enough to try and divert me from my course.”

Thorn smiled a little up at Hecate, looking up at her calmly, and she looked back at him before narrowing her eyes moodily. “Wipe that smile off your face.”

The stallion cleared his throat, looking quickly away, and Hecate glowered at him for a moment longer as the elevator doors opened before she turned and strode quickly out. Thorn followed after her as they headed towards another elevator: this one would take them all the way up to the command center of the castle, which overlooked all of Imperia.

They entered the tall, narrow car together, then waited in silence. The doors dinged open, and as always, Hecate strode out first, and Thorn followed behind, silently making a few notes on his clipboard. He didn't even notice that Hecate had stopped until he walked past her, and then he blinked and frowned in surprise, and admittedly, a hint of concern as well.

Hecate looked back at the stallion for a moment, and then she said quietly: “Thorn, whether it's unfair or not, I hope you're prepared for what might happen in the future. Your parents may fight us. Hel may become our enemy. You have to understand this.”

“I do.” Thorn replied, lowering his head before he hesitated, then looked up at her. “But I also know you won't let any of that happen unless it's completely necessary. I trust you.”

Hecate looked at the stallion for a few moments, and then she smiled thinly before striding past him and shoving through the doors into the control center. After a moment, Thorn followed, raising his head high and focusing his eyes calmly ahead, ready to do whatever was asked of him: first and foremost, he would always remain loyal to the mare who had been willing to make a clumsy foal with nowhere else to go part of her Clockwork World.

La Croix had interrogated the dead Kirin for as much information as possible, but Cadence hadn't wanted to waste too much time in the guardhouse, and the Kirin corpses had started to rapidly deteriorate after ten minutes of questioning. So La Croix had sent the dead Kirin into the back room before he had let them return to the calm stillness of death; well, all except the Commander, whose spirit he had housed in a black crystal that Sombra had made for him.

With the spirit of the officer as their guide and Moonflower cloaking them, they were able to descend into the city streets and begin sneaking their way through the metropolis, sticking mainly to back streets and narrow tunnels. They had only one possible lead, and Cadence was desperate to see this mission through as quickly and efficiently as possible, and for more reasons than just because their jobs and lives were on the line, too.

Apparently there was a train that went back and forth between Valheim and a 'research facility,' where prisoners were kept and experiments were run for the Jarsongildi. Cadence still had no idea who these Jarsongildi really were, but they had apparently been involved in bringing Fyrverǫld back online, and had been here as long as Valthrudnir had.

Cadence didn't want to think about that, though: she didn't want to think about the fact that Valthrudnir might be back, but hadn't Thokk said that she hated the Jötnar? She had wanted to destroy Sombra, because he was an old toy of Valthrudnir's: Cadence remembered that clearly...

But those memories were distractions and she had to concentrate on the here and now, as she halted with a grimace at the end of a narrow alley. She leaned out into a well-lit street, looking back and forth, but for the most part the concrete road was dominated by Worker Drones and other automatons: the Kirin seemed to like to stay in the skies, and used either the bridges or the weird, glowing walkways that glimmered in the air above for travel. That was fine with Cadence: it made it that much easier for them to sneak through the city.

The four hurried across the road when the traffic slowed for a moment, ducking into another dark, debris-littered alleyway. The bright lights were the same as Decretum, but Cadence reflected that the underbelly of the city was far different: in Decretum, there were no real slums. Junkyards, sure, but no slums: everything served a purpose, and when things stopped serving that purpose efficiently, they were 'relocated' or 'dismantled.' Here, however, the alleys were littered with broken parts and the rotting, rusting hulks of Worker Drones that had broken down...

Cadence grimaced again as she shoved one of these off into a pile of garbage with a shiver from where it had been propped up in the middle of the alley. She felt a little bad, but made her way forward all the same, eyes flicking back and forth nervously as she asked quietly: “Are we getting close yet, La Croix?”

The zebra only shook his head, however, not needing to reach back and check the gemstone as he muttered: “Been like twenty feet since you asked me that last, Cygne. We gettin' there, though, little by little.”

The ivory mare nodded after a moment, glancing over her shoulder with an embarrassed, apologetic smile before she turned her eyes quickly back ahead as she reached an intersection. She checked both ways quickly, then frowned and looked up as there was a loud rumbling above, watching as some kind of airborne vehicle slowly flew by above.

La Croix took the moment of pause to hammer on the sidepack where he'd stuffed the gemstone, and a moment later, the disgruntled-looking spirit of Grimsmoke flickered into existence. The ghostly Kirin sighed tiredly, then looked up and explained moodily: “LAP. Low Altitude Personnel carrier. We just call them Saucers. They're used primarily for transport and patrols: that one was probably a transport because it wasn't scanning.”

“You could be a little more peppy, mon ami. Ain't like I'm torturin' you or nothin'.” La Croix said mildly, and the ghost of the Kirin scowled at him before vanishing, the zebra rolling his eyes. “Fine, be that way, monsieur bougon.”

Cadence sighed, then she looked past the zebra at Moonflower and Sombra: they were lingering back a bit, the winged unicorn nervously staying a little close to Sombra as the older stallion breathed a little heavily, faintly pale still from the exertion of getting over the wall and then slipping down into the city. On the bright side, it seemed that the repairs to his purifier were keeping the corruption at bay, but Cadence knew that her father needed a certain level of the black poison in his body at all times. Otherwise...

She hesitated, then asked quietly: “Is there anywhere we can stop up ahead? Maybe we should take a break for a little bit, get our bearings.”

“I'm fine, Cadenza. We should keep going: we're running short on time.” Sombra said softly, and the ivory mare looked uncertainly at her father, but the stallion shook his head and murmured: “It's merely a matter of adjustment and balance. When we do stop, I'll reduce the purifier's output a little, but until then this is better... if we run into trouble, I can use my powers with less fear of... problems.”

Cadence nodded, still looking at her father for a moment before she sighed and turned around. She didn't have to ask which way to go, at least, thanks to the tracks above their heads.

They continued carefully forwards until they reached a large, cement street that was brightly lit by spotlights mounted over the walls of a towering building of glass and steel. Kirin guards stood outside it, dressed in heavy, plated body armor and wearing helmets with glass visors over their eyes... and even from where she was hiding in the shadows of the alley, Cadence could see there was digital information flicking over the visors. “Dammit. They have some kind of HUD system. They might be able to detect us if we get too close.”

“I ain't pullin' out bougon again for this. Let him rest a little. He needs his beauty sleep an' all.” La Croix said blandly when Cadence looked at him, before he pointed upwards and added in a more-serious voice: “Look, though. Just a few blocks away, that must be where we're headed. We get past here, and we just about home free.”

Cadence nodded slowly, and Moonflower poked his head thoughtfully over the others before he snorted in amusement, saying mildly: “Two guards, Cadence? That's what you're afraid of? Please, we could take care of them in moments!”

“Every time you get cocky we get in trouble.” muttered Cadence, and then she looked uneasily over her shoulder at Sombra, asking quietly: “What do you suggest? I don't think the usual distractions are going to work, not if they've got sensors in those helmets.”

Sombra looked thoughtful for a moment, and then he glanced meditatively at Moonflower before asking: “Are you capable of polymorphing?”

“Polymorphs? Simple!” Moonflower bragged, and then he hesitated before asking awkwardly: “Well. Mostly simple. What were you thinking of? Not that I'm worried, of course, don't be silly! Just that... well... what were you thinking of?”

The stallion looked lamely at Sombra, but Sombra only smiled slightly before his eyes flicked towards La Croix. “We will also need you to assist, and that of your... new friend.”

La Croix looked curious, but then he simply shrugged a bit before saying mildly: “Alright, Papa Sérénité. But I hope your plan be a good one.”

Sombra only chuckled quietly, and then he replied after a moment: “Good, I'm not sure. But let's hope that it works.”

La Croix scowled... but a few minutes later, he had turned himself invisible and ethereal to hide while the glowing but solid-looking spirit of Grimsmoke slowly strode towards his Kirin brethren.

Both Kirin frowned and aimed their rifles at the spirit as it approached, before one of them barked: “Identify yourself!”

“Grimsmoke, PID 472-X-3R.” the Kirin ghost replied shortly, and the Kirin guards frowned before the shade pointed back towards the alleyway, saying coldly: “I'm currently dying in the alleyway over there with two of the hostiles we were warned about earlier. Do me a favor and kill them before I bleed out. My astral projection isn't going to last much longer, but I'll report to central command.”

The Kirin guards didn't look surprised even as the Kirin in front of them vanished, both of them instead raising their rifles to slowly but cautiously approach the alley as one of them tilted his head slightly to the side. “Deity, this is Homeguard 233 requesting a Saucer scan on my location. Possible hostiles detected. Code 2-1.”

“Homeguard 223, Saucer is en route to your location. Neutralize the targets by any means necessary.” the voice said coldly through the command link, and the armored Kirin nodded to each other before they both rose their rifles with telekinesis, then one of them stepped quickly into the alley, eyes narrowed and teeth grit...

There were two dead ponies on the ground, and the corpse of a Kirin, his horn still glowing eerily, several knives buried through his chest. The Kirin didn't relax, however, one of them quickly tapping his visor before he frowned and muttered: “Getting a weird reading from the Kirin's corpse...”

“The other bodies are still warm, but no heartbeat detected in either of them. Check the patrol's vitals, readings might be off because of his magic.” advised the other soldier, as he lowered his guard slightly.

The first Kirin came forwards, putting his rifle down as he reached out to touch the Kirin's neck; he immediately arched his back and tried to yank away, but he was unable to even scream as electricity surged violently over his body, sizzling and crackling loudly before he simply collapsed backwards in a heap. The other Kirin reacted too late as he brought his rifle up, knocked staggering with a strangled curse by something that smashed into his neck, the stallion grabbing at this before his whole body went weak, the soldier gargling and stumbling back and forth before his eyes rolled up in his head and he fell forwards, still clutching the knife buried through his throat.

Cadence shivered as she pulled herself slowly up to her hooves, breathing hard, as the Kirin climbed to his own, and then he simply shook himself once, transforming in a ripple of energy back into Moonflower, who grinned proudly as he declared: “See, I am the very-”

“They sent a warning to base, we don't have much time.” Cadence interrupted in a mutter, the mare shivering as Sombra slowly picked himself up, breathing slowly before he rose his head and smiled at her briefly. But Cadence only gave him an almost-exasperated look in return, asking weakly: “How the hell are you okay after that?”

“You are fine too, Cadenza. Remember, your mind is telling you that you're not, but your body is still strong.” Sombra said softly, reaching up and touching his own breast, and Cadence grimaced a bit, but she knew her father was right. Just like he'd been right about the magic he'd used to make them both appear to be dead.

Moonflower absently flicked his horn to dispel the illusion of knives buried in his chest, and then he added: “If I may say so, though, just taking a small moment of time, I think that was quite a brilliant idea and we certainly pulled together-”

“Not to interrupt y'all, but y'all gotta scat! Up the street, quick!” La Croix snapped as he poked his head out from behind a corner, the Loa gesturing violently towards the road before he turned translucent and vanished through a wall.

Moonflower opened his mouth, and Cadence swore before she burst into a run, smacking the stallion as she ran past and startling him into spinning and following after her. Sombra came last, flagging only slightly as he hurried after the two.

Cadence wheezed painfully: having her heart slowed to a crawl had hurt like hell, and it was even more frustrating that their plan hadn't entirely worked. Then again, according to what Grimsmoke had grumbled, the Kirin would be on alert and no matter how they tried to sneak past, they would have- goddammit forgot to grab one of their stupid helmets.

Cadence swore at herself mentally, but she was well-aware that they were probably going to encounter more Kirin at this rate, and she'd probably get another chance to retrieve that technology to see what it was capable of. That was something important that Hecate had taught her: understand instead of underestimate the enemy. Because if you didn't know what they were capable of as fact, then you always underestimated them.

Just like we did now. They're insanely well trained. The Orphanage doesn't have this level of discipline. Cadence thought, as they shot into another alley, and then the mare swore as she heard a loud humming before a Saucer appeared above the end of the passage, shining down an almost painfully bright spotlight that was slowly crawling towards them-

Sombra flicked a hoof sharply, a half-dome of gemstone tearing up from the concrete as he said quickly: “Moonflower, we need your illusions.”

Moonflower blinked, but then he nodded quickly as Sombra and Cadence both huddled under the dome, joining them as his horn glowed brightly. And a moment later, the dome glowed before it seemed to disappear completely from sight, leaving the alley looking empty apart from some cracks and debris.

The Saucer scanned over them slowly, not slowing down as it reached the other end of the alleyway, and then the spotlight clicked off as it hummed its way onward. Cadence sighed in relief as Moonflower made the illusion vanish, saying quickly as he took advantage of their close quarters to lean awkwardly into Sombra: “Wonderful idea! I forgot that your gemstone is reflective and impermeable, absolutely astonishing the way-”

“Excuse me, please.” Sombra mumbled, and Moonflower blushed before he hurriedly stepped backwards, and then quickly grasped the older stallion to help him gingerly to his hooves. Cadence looked worriedly at her father, but the unicorn only shook his head before smiling briefly. “I'm fine, mi amore. Let's keep going.”

“Yeah, you don't have time to stop. Ain't gonna take them long to get here and they ain't messin' around.” La Croix added as he solidified after popping out of the ground this time, making Moonflower flinch childishly away. “Patrols of twelve. Twelve, Cygne! You gotta get moving!”

“Twelve?” Cadence stared in disbelief as La Croix once more became ethereal and dove under the street, and then she swore under her breath before turning and running quickly down the alley. If there were multiple groups of a dozen Kirin already mobilized and searching for them, on top of those Saucers scanning for them...

What the hell were they dealing with here? How were they moving so quickly and efficiently? Cadence gritted her teeth as she skidded to a halt at the end of the alley and leaned out, checking both ways for any hostiles as she found herself both horrified and almost envious of the organization of this world.

Her eyes locked on the sight of Worker Drones being escorted by several Kirin: the drones were dragging what looked like massive, portable blockades into place to lock off the area they were in. Had been in, Cadence corrected, as she spotted another alley just across the street and muttered: “Cloak.”

Moonflower was already ready with the spell, and Cadence let it settle for a moment before she strode quickly across the street, her father and Moonflower following closely behind, all of them careful not to go too fast and risk disrupting the illusion too much. The moment they were in the safety of the alley, the illusion dropped again, and Cadence led the way quickly onward: she didn't care if this was the right way to the train station or not at the moment, she just wanted to make sure she got away from that labyrinth of barricades and soldiers.

La Croix appeared in front of them just before they reached the next street, and the zebra solidified, wheezing loudly and grasping at his chest as he muttered: “Hold up there, Cygne. Oh, hell, I didn't think I was that out of practice with that... feels like a poulet is squawkin' around in my chest.”

The Loa shook himself out, then he finally gestured to the side, saying finally: “Two blocks that way, you gonna see the way up to the train. But it's heavily guarded: spotlights, soldiers, the works. And now that they on alert, you got those Saucer-thingies flyin' all over the place and what looks like these... big towers with guns on 'em.”

“Of course.” Cadence muttered, shaking her head before she grimaced a bit as she looked over her shoulder at the others. “And judging by the level of organization, even if we fight our way in, they'll probably shut the train down once they realize what we're trying to do. We're screwed.”

“There's always a way, Cadenza. Don't give up.” Sombra encouraged, and Cadence bit her lip as she looked uncertainly at her father, but the stallion only smiled kindly before he asked softly: “Does Grimsmoke know anything about the train system?”

La Croix shrugged, and then he reached back and knocked twice on the sidepack where the crystal containing the spirit was being kept. A moment later, Grimsmoke appeared, looking distinctly displeased as he said waspishly: “I'm getting tired of being used like this.”

“I apologize. But we need your help again.” Sombra said gently, and the spirit glared at him before the unicorn asked quietly: “How do we get into the train station? We don't want to hurt your fellows.”

Grimsmoke rolled his eyes, but then he answered shortly: “On alert status, no location is undefended. The inside is also monitored by sensors and cameras, as well as patrols of both Homeguard and other Fyrverǫld soldiers. The train won't run without a manual override.”

Cadence frowned at this, asking curiously: “Manual override? How does that work?”

“I'm not an engineer.” Grimsmoke retorted, and he sounded almost smug about the fact he didn't have an answer for them before the Kirin's eyes flicked towards Sombra. “Also, I don't care about these Kirin. Kill everyone in Valheim if you want, we are all nothing but cogs in this machine. But I don't appreciate being used like a toy by the people who killed me.”

“I am sorry that you have died, and sorrier still that you say such things of yourself and your own people.” Sombra smiled, then said softly: “But if you are nothing but a part in a machine, I hope you find more worth and a greater existence in being part of our design.”

The Kirin looked sourly at the unicorn, and then La Croix grumbled: “Okay, you, enough of that. Allez, allez!”

Grimsmoke vanished, and La Croix shook his head before he turned his eyes towards Cadence, adding in a quieter voice: “But you know he can't lie. If he says there ain't no way in and he don't know...”

“No, that just means there's no way he knows about. I'll be the first to admit these Kirin are amazingly organized, but they aren't perfect. They're probably still searching that area they cordoned off, and while the security is raised and I bet their patrols have doubled and intensified, it just proves they aren't infallible. And they obviously don't care about each other.” Cadence said quietly, thinking quickly: if only there was a way they could turn that against the Kirin...

She frowned after a moment, then looked down and muttered: “We can't cut their communications off completely... but Moonflower, do you think you could create a powerful enough pulse of magic to cut them off from whoever they're getting orders from?”

Moonflower huffed loudly at this, and then he looked up at the sky: although it was hard to tell over all the bright lights shining in the air, it looked like there were still plenty of clouds above. And he had a sneaking suspicion that those strange bridges of light used either power crystals or some other form of electrical magic. “Of course! Even without all this energy in the air to draw on, it would be easy for me to terrorize these silly sky horses with true elemental-”

“Great. Come on, keep us cloaked while we move in a little closer.” Cadence said quickly, and Moonflower grumbled, but then quickly generated the illusion over the three of them, while La Croix turned invisible and ethereal to scout ahead.

Cadence led the group through the network of alleyways and as close as she dared to the train station. She immediately noticed another issue: the actual station was roughly a hundred feet above them, the tracks all leading inside through tunnels which had already been sealed off by heavy security shutters. And as La Croix had already warned, there were both flying machines circling the perimeter as well as massive towers topped with turrets that were swiveling back and forth at regular intervals.

The base of the station seemed to be some kind of freight area: even while Kirin calmly stood guard, Worker Drones were still dragging crates of cargo in and out through massive shutter doors, every team escorted by a soldier. Again, Cadence wondered who and what the hell these Kirin were: none of them were slacking off, none of them were shirking their duties, all of them just looked straight ahead and did what they had been told.

She remembered the Kirin they had first seen: they had been panicked, they had acted like actual living people. These soldiers, though, they seemed almost brainwashed. As a matter of fact, considering how many of the last era Dogmatists were controlled by nodes literally implanted into their brains...

Cadence shivered a bit: she didn't want to imagine that. Instead, she looked over her shoulder and asked quickly: “Daddy? What do you think?”

“What are we going to do?” Sombra asked gently, and Cadence smiled a bit, nodding and turning towards her team as she took a slow breath. She shot a quick, nervous look behind her, as the Swan chastised her for turning her back on the enemy, even if it seemed safe beneath this overhang, but the mare felt she needed to look her teammates in the eye for this.

“We're going to have to take a wild swing at this.” the ivory mare said quietly, and Sombra tilted his head as Moonflower and La Croix traded looks before returning worried frowns to Cadence. “I know. I know how stupid that is, but I don't know what else to do. I do know these guys move fast and we have to move faster. And I know that most of this technology is familiar to us.”

Cadence bit her lip, and then she said finally: “We go for the train. 'Manual override' sounds like a fancy term for hitting the right switches. We hit the switches, we go.”

The three stallions stared at her, and then Sombra said slowly: “Cadenza, I don't think you've thought this through. A train only has one destination, and is trapped on its tracks. There's many ways they could stop us, even assuming we were able to escape.”

“I don't know what else to do.” Cadence replied, dropping her head and grinding a hoof slowly into the ground in frustration before she closed her eyes tightly. “We can't just follow the tracks, we have no idea how long the journey is, and we're running out of time and options.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Moonflower cleared his throat before he said finally: “Cadence, I will follow you and your father to the ends of the earth, honestly. The very end, from one end to the other. And if you honestly want to leap headlong into this madness, I will follow you there, no questions asked. But I have also learned that... you are much smarter than me and this sounds very much like something I would do.”

Moonflower looked lamely down, then he added hurriedly: “Only in strategy like this, however! I am only saying that... you are... I mean, I can't protect us all!” Moonflower laughed loudly, grinning widely as he declared: “After all, if I were-”

“Keep your damn voice down!” La Croix snapped, smacking Moonflower with the back of one hoof, and the winged unicorn flinched before glaring down at the zebra but complying. La Croix huffed, and then he turned towards Cadence and added: “And this really is like one of Moony's plans, Cygne. I know... you be gettin' scared and frustrated, maybe, for a whole lot of reasons. But you a way better thinker than him, and... we all know you ain't scared of cheating a little to get to a better solution.”

Cadence smiled a bit at this, looking down for a moment before she nodded and murmured: “You're right. You're right, you both are.”

She quieted, looking down for a moment before she frowned slowly as she looked up at the train station. Cheating a little... and these Kirin were all so mechanical, didn't care about each other, barely questioned each other...

“Yeah. I have an idea.” Cadence said slowly, watching as a Kirin soldier escorted a Worker Drone towards the cargo shutter. “It's also pretty stupid, but it might work. We're going to need to find where those Drones are coming from, though.”

La Croix winked, then he turned ethereal and invisible, his voice saying easily: “You just leave that to me, Cygne. I'll be back in a snap of a cocodril's jaws!”

“I hate him.” Moonflower said mildly, and then he looked towards Cadence, asking with interest: “So what's our plan?”

“Very simple. It'll still require a lot of luck, but... I think we might be able to pull this one off.” Cadence replied with a small smile, and then she added, with an almost-shy glance at her father: “Sometimes... you just have to be patient.”

Sombra smiled at this, nodding slowly in agreement, and Cadence turned back around, looking out from beneath the safety of the overhang at the sprawling facility before them, determined to conquer this challenge one way or the other.

After all, her team was right: she was determined, and she was smart enough to do more than just punch her way through every challenge that came her way... and she definitely didn't mind cheating a little.

System Shock

Chapter Thirteen: System Shock
~BlackRoseRaven

The Worker Drone strode calmly towards the cargo entrance, a Kirin in armor striding beside it as it dragged a heavy steel crate behind it. As they approached the opening, the Kirin guard beside the gate frowned and said sharply: “Stop.”

The Worker Drone stopped immediately as his escort frowned before saying shortly: “In a hurry here.”

“Who are you? Cargo shipments stopped-”

“Because of the alert, cargo shipments were delayed. Deliveries are being rushed. Get out of my way.” the Kirin snapped, and the Kirin guard at the door narrowed his eyes dangerously, but the patrol only leaned forwards and asked harshly: “You want me to get Deity on the line?”

The Kirin guard grimaced at this, then snorted and motioned for the escort to pass as he looked up and saw another Kirin approaching with his own box of cargo. “I wasn't informed of this.”

“Excuses, excuses.” grumbled the escort as he passed and they entered a wide concrete room. There were stacks of cargo to one side, along with roughly a dozen inert Worker Drones, but the Kirin strode quickly past his own escort and gestured shortly with his head towards what looked like a massive elevator at the far end of the hall.

The Worker Drone wheezed, and the Kirin shot it a horrible look before Moonflower mumbled from beneath the steel shell clasped painfully tightly around his body: “It's very, very hot in this. And disgusting.”

“Taisse-toi, you ouaouaron. Y'think it's easier for me, havin' to channel Grimsmoke's spirit and form? Ain't!” La Croix growled back from the Kirin's mouth, and then he quickly looked forwards as they approached the cargo lift.

The guards on either side gave him strange looks, but they didn't try and stop him as he walked past. He waited for Moonflower to drag the crate into place, and then he turned his attention towards the control panel at one corner of the elevator: thankfully it was fairly straightforward, and all he had to do was push the lever to the top position to make the elevator start to rise.

It was a grueling wait for it to reach the top, La Croix pacing incessantly as Moonflower panted beneath the steel shell, both of them shooting nervous looks at the crate. But when the elevator did finally grind to a halt and the massive transport shutter slid open, the Kirin looked as cold and professional as any other soldier in the station, and the Worker Drone dragged its cargo with the same patient monotony as any other.

They followed a trail marked by painted lines through a warehouse filled with cargo boxes and inert Worker Drones to another set of guarded shutters. The armored Kirin here both looked at La Croix oddly when he approached, but neither moved to stop him when he hit the button to open the shutter.

But this was the part that had La Croix worried, as he took a deep breath before he and Moonflower stepped onto a conveyor belt that pulled them slowly towards a long steel tunnel filled with ominous, humming archways.

La Croix simply did his best to stay still as he felt his body being scanned over, keeping his concentration on the Kirin he was channeling and only praying that this technology wasn't focused on examining them as much as the cargo, but that just left him worrying about whether or not Sombra's crystal would be enough to offset the scanners...

There was a blare of noise as they came to the other end of the tunnel, and La Croix tensed for a second, before he had to withhold a sigh of relief as the armored doors buzzed open and a voice said calmly: “Proceed to platform three.”

La Croix and Moonflower followed the signs on the wall of the loading bay they emerged into, heading to the platform they were directed to. An armored Kirin stood guard here with several Worker Drones, the latter immediately moving to unharness the disguised Moonflower as the former frowned at La Croix.

La Croix looked evenly back, until the armored Kirin asked: “What's this cargo? The train just went through final inspection, we shouldn't be putting more on board. Who authorized this?”

“Deity.” La Croix said shortly, and the armored Kirin gave him a foul – and suspicious – look.

“What's the cargo?” asked the Kirin, and La Croix felt like he was starting to sweat a little, even as the Worker Drones carefully began to push the crate into the mostly-empty freight car.

“Classified.” La Croix grunted, and the armored Kirin snorted in contempt.

“I'll pretend that's a joke. Now tell me what the cargo is or I'm going to contact the freight manager and have your ass hauled to wasteland patrol for the next year.” retorted the armored Kirin, and La Croix narrowed his eyes as his hoof flexed against the ground-

And then there was a crackle of lightning through the air, the armored Kirin flinching in surprise as his eyes bulged before his helmet popped off as his body underwent a terrible, hideous transformation. A moment later, it was not a Kirin that hit the ground, but a squat, horrified-looking lawn gnome roughly in the shape of a Kirin, wearing a cute little outfit that vaguely resembled the armor it had been dressed in.

La Croix rolled his eyes before he glared at Moonflower, who reached up and grabbed the Worker Drone facemask covering his features, wiggling it back and forth before he wheezed loudly as he yanked it off. A moment later, his horn popped almost comically back out of his head as he mumbled: “Funny, how some things are so much harder to polymorph than others. But I suppose we stallions are proud of our horns, aren't we?”

La Croix sighed, then he looked nervously back and forth before picking up the lawn gnome and helmet, flinging them both at Moonflower as he grumbled: “Just get on the train, before you get us into any more trouble.”

Moonflower huffed at this as he caught both objects with telekinesis, but then he nodded and scurried back inside as the Worker Drones calmly filed out, paying no attention to either of the stallions as La Croix hopped into the freight car as well. The zebra sighed in relief as his own polymorph faded, rubbing wildly at his features as he sat himself down between a pair of crates, mumbling: “Oh, merci, whatever lords of Darkwater be lookin' out for me still. I can't believe we got through that.”

“Don't get cocky La Croix. That's my job.” Moonflower said as leaned over one of the crates, and then he giggled childishly as the zebra glared at him, before the winged unicorn suddenly added in a more serious voice: “We aren't safe until we're moving. And even then, well...”

“Oh, don't you try and be the smart one now, Moony.” La Croix grumbled, looking sourly up at the winged unicorn before he gestured at him irritably. “Allez.”

“Allay yourself, you... oaf.” Moonflower retorted, and then he pushed himself off the crate before he winced at the sound of approaching hoofsteps, hurriedly scrambling behind another crate as La Croix winced and pushed himself as far back into his own niche as he could.

“Where the hell is he...” muttered one of the Kirin as he strode into the train car and looked back and forth. “No one present.”

“Fine, let's close it up. He can explain to the section head later why he abandoned his post.” grumbled another, and the Kirin who had entered the train muttered under his breath, but then left. This was followed by a loud clanging and banging, before the freight car was suddenly engulfed in darkness as the door was sealed shut.

Moonflower and La Croix both remained quiet for the moment, until they felt the train beginning to gradually rumble to life. Then there was a sudden lurch before it smoothed quickly into a dull humming, and La Croix wheezed in relief as Moonflower flopped over... then rose his head and blurted: “I told you so!”

“You didn't tell me anything, you idjit. You told me the opposite of that, 'smatter of fact!” La Croix snapped, glaring towards the winged unicorn, but Moonflower only huffed as he began to wiggle the rest of the Worker Drone shell off his body.

La Croix, meanwhile, only rolled his eyes before he started to pull the uncomfortable Kirin armor off his own form, muttering under his breath the entire time. Once that was done, he walked over to the crate, ignoring the fact that Moonflower was rolling back and forth on his back as he struggled to yank off the too-small metal boots on his rear hooves.

The zebra hammered firmly on the side of the crate, and then he stepped back and waited: it was less than a minute before the top of the heavy box groaned loudly as it was forced up, then knocked completely open with a tremendous bang, clattering loudly to the ground and still caked on the inside with black crystal.

Cadence wheezed loudly as she flung herself over the edge of the crate, while Sombra sat up and looked around in the almost-complete darkness of the freight car before his horn lit up, spreading faint luminescence through the car. He smiled a little after a moment, then said quietly: “We just need to be careful now: if these systems are automated, like Decretum's...”

Cadence nodded a few times, but she didn't have the energy or mind to really process what was going on: all she knew was that she had been trapped in a crate for the better part of the hour and even if she had just yanked herself up into a dark room, it was a thousand times better than being stuck in a box filled with metal and crystal.

She shook herself quickly out, flapping her wings a few times to work out the tension in them before she hopped out of the crate, stretching her back out slowly with a grimace. Her own horn lit up after a moment, the mare directing the glow around the room as she muttered: “I wonder what else they must be transporting...”

Sombra calmly climbed down, looking towards La Croix and asking: “Were there any problems? I thought I heard a brief commotion.”

La Croix grunted before he shot a look at Moonflower as the winged unicorn finally yanked the metal boots off his hooves. “Nothin' that can't be fixed.”

“Excuse me, but I did fix it. I fixed it very well, as a matter of fact.” Moonflower said as he rose a front hoof pointedly, glaring back at La Croix from his position on his back, and then he rolled quickly up to all fours, sniffing loudly as he brushed quickly at himself. “My Gnomatic Curse is-”

“Oh god no, you didn't.” Cadence groaned loudly, looking quickly back and forth before she sighed tiredly as she saw that yes, Moonflower had: there was a horrified looking Kirin gnome sitting right over there on the floor, next to one of those fancy helmets... well, at least I can finally take a look at that... “Fantastic. What are we going to do with him?”

“Oh, we can just... put him in a vent or something. He's not aware of anything, and he won't turn back into a Kirin until I dispel the curse.” Moonflower said absently, gesturing off to the side before he sat back and began to carefully smooth out his mane, adding mildly: “I swear, though. It's like you don't trust me or something, which I find very offensive. I'm not stupid, Cadence, I would never use a spell without being assured of its potency.”

“Yeah, you've never done that before.” Cadence said dryly, rolling her eyes before she sighed and walked over to pick up the helmet. As she started to examine it, she asked: “La Croix, would you mind scouting ahead through the train? We need to know what we're up against.”

La Croix rubbed at his face, grimacing a bit before he rose a hoof, suggesting: “How about I send Grimsmoke ahead? He can see what there is to see and it'll save me some energy. I'm feelin' a little... usé after all the runnin' around we been doing.”

Cadence glanced over at the zebra, then she smiled a bit and said quietly: “Alright, you know I trust your judgment. If you think that'll work better, then go for it. Once we're done making sure the train is safe, we'll be able to take a break until we reach the facility.”

The zebra grunted, and then he reached back and pulled the crystal that contained Grimsmoke's spirit out of his sidepack. He shook it briskly, and it pulsed faintly before the spirit of the Kirin appeared with a scowl.

La Croix only had to gesture with his head, and the Kirin vanished to go about his mission. The zebra smiled slightly, beginning to settle in... before he looked up curiously as Sombra asked: “What do you think you'll do with Grimsmoke once his duties are complete?”

La Croix frowned a bit at this, and then he shrugged awkwardly before saying finally: “Never really thought about it. Figured I'd just do the same as always, let him go. Even if I don't completely trust him, just on principle.”

Sombra nodded slowly, and then he said softly: “Let's bring him back to Queen Hecate first. She might be able to learn more from him than we can: she'll know the right questions to ask. I think she may be able to offer him more... peace of mind, as well.”

La Croix only shrugged at this, looking curiously at the stallion, but Sombra simply smiled before he headed towards one of the crates. Moonflower bounded after him, and La Croix simply shrugged before reaching up for his hat... and scowling when he realized too late it wasn't there, instead rubbing his hoof slowly down his face before he slumped back against the crate and closed his eyes.

Grimsmoke returned after five minutes, announcing calmly: “Seven cars, plus the engine. Five Kirin: three are soldiers, two are engineers. One prisoner is being transported in stasis. Otherwise, it's basic cargo and mechs.”

“Mechs.” Cadence didn't like the sound of that: she had heard that term used around Decretum, too, and seen the machines it had referred to. “Is it safe?”

“The soldiers will stay in the transport car in front of the engine. One goes back to check on the prisoner every hour or so under standard protocol.” Grimsmoke said shortly, and then he glared at La Croix, who half-opened one eye to look at him moodily.

“Y'know, I just brought you back. She be the one who killed you. You just bein' ungrateful now.” La Croix said blandly, and Cadence scowled out from beneath the helmet she was now wearing, the zebra looking back at her innocently for a moment before he simply held up the black crystal in one hoof, and Grimsmoke's spirit was pulled into this with a thrum of green light. “What?”

“I just don't know how I manage to work with you two without losing my mind, that's all.” Cadence muttered, as her eyes flicked to Moonflower, who was happily helping her father open crates to check through them curiously. “When the train stops, what do we do?”

La Croix shrugged a bit, and then he said finally: “Well, we ain't gonna be able to just hide in here, that's for sure. I guess the real question is whether or not this place is where the target is... if it is, well. We might have to take on a whole prison. And I ain't lookin' forwards to that.”

Cadence looked down thoughtfully, and then she took off the helmet, pressing the button on the side to turn it off as she mused: “I wonder...”

La Croix tilted his head as Sombra and Moonflower both looked up, and then Cadence gave a slight smile before she strode past, saying: “Excuse me for a minute, colts. I think I'm going to go and take a look at these mechs.”

Moonflower cocked his head, while La Croix groaned and Sombra sighed, shaking his head with a wry smile before he said softly as his daughter strode through the door into the next car: “Well, she always did enjoy the direct method.”

The train slowed as it approached a massive, octagonal facility located in the middle of the wasteland: large towers stood sentinel all around it, with enormous cannons and turrets mounted on platforms that spiraled up the length of these monoliths.

The train rolled through an archway, electricity sparking over its cars as it passed through an invisible barrier that further slowed the vehicle. It rumbled its way into a tunnel that led into the facility, passing through several open security shutters before the train finally slid its way to a halt at the platform.

It clanked loudly as it stopped, and a signal blared loudly through the platform, the Worker Drones standing at the ready immediately gearing to life and striding forwards towards the first car in line. As they went to work, Kirin officers watched them emotionlessly: these soldiers were visibly different from the soldiers in Valheim, with more mechanical parts visible over their bodies, and strange steel ridges down the backs of their necks that stuck out just beneath the helmets they wore.

Several other Kirin were at the ready in bipedal machines harnesses securely crossing their chests and their hind legs vanishing into the steel bottoms of the mechanical suits, protected by thick steel plating that covered their backs and curled around their sides, but left their fronts and faces exposed. Their forelegs vanished into the sleeves of massive metal arms that ended in steel vise grips, and they moved the exoskeletons as easily and naturally as they did their own bodies.

The Worker Drones slowly escorted the capsule that contained the single prisoner out of the train before they carefully pushed it up to a standing position, and one of the exoskeleton-suited Kirin strode forwards to grasp into the large handles on either side of the tall, wide machine before lifting it and easily turning around to carry it away, several soldiers escorting him.

The Drones moved on to the next car, sliding the massive door open-

A bipedal machine leapt over the Worker Drones and landed with a crunch on its large, tripod-clawed feet, the Kirin staring with shock as the battlemech straightened: it had thick limbs plated with blue armor, and a spherical, black metal body, with stubby wings sticking out of its back above large, rectangular engines. Before any of the Kirin could react, the battlemech rose an arm quickly and opened fire with the machine gun at the end of its limb, sending two Kirin down in a hail of blood as the others leapt for cover.

One of the exoskeletons began to charge forwards, and the other arm of the mech sharply rose, the cannon that this one ended in glowing before unleashing a tremendous blast of concussive force that knocked the Kirin flying backwards like his exosuit was a toy. He crashed into the wall and collapsed in an unconscious heap as an alarm began to blare loudly, a Kirin yelling into his headset: “Central command, we have-”

He was blown away a moment later in a hail of gore and bullets, and the other Kirin scrambled for the exit. The battlemech concentrated its fire on the back of the Kirin in the exosuit, which was – to the operator's surprise and horror and sick thrill – torn almost completely apart by the powerful machine gun the battlemech's limb ended in.

Cadence, Moonflower, and Sombra hurried out of the train car as La Croix wheezed loudly inside the machine, shivering a bit as he snapped in a voice distorted only faintly by the speaker he had to talk through: “I don't like this one bit, Cygne! You owe me big for this!”

“You're the only one who can channel Grimsmoke, and he's the only one who can operate that thing. Let's go, we push!” Cadence snapped, before she looked up and swore as a security shutter began to close at the entrance of the platform.

Sombra immediately stomped a hoof down, and black crystal shot up the rails of the shutter, stopping it from sealing shut as the ponies hurried forward. La Croix barely managed to duck the battlemech under the screeching shutter, and then he groaned loudly as he saw the shutter at the other end of the corridor had already closed, asking sharply: “Now what?”

“Daddy?” Cadence asked with a look over her shoulder, and Sombra nodded calmly before he took the lead, running towards the shutter and slamming his front hooves into it. Immediately, the shutter began to tremble as black crystal first spread over it, and then began to twist through it, the stallion breathing quietly as he slowly converted the shutter into dark gemstone.

Then he frowned slightly, before murmuring: “I can sense them on the other side of this. There are at least five Kirin, waiting for us to break through.”

“Then let's not disappoint them.” Cadence said grimly, before she looked quickly over her shoulder towards Moonflower. “Provide a barrier. La Croix, you're point after I breach.”

“C'est des conneries.” La Croix mumbled, but he nodded all the same, the mech's arms raising to ready positions as Moonflower's horn glowed, and a protective barrier formed in front of the war machine. “Well... laissez les bon temps rouler!”

Cadence smiled slightly as her horn glowed brightly, and then the moment her father leapt away from the crystallized barrier, she turned and fired a blast of holy energy into the crystal. The black stone dissolved from the magic, most of the middle of the shutter exploding outwards and pelting the Kirin beyond with energized chunks of crystal and slag.

They shouted, stumbling and firing wildly in the direction of the shutter as La Croix waded forward in the battlemech, bullets bouncing uselessly off the barrier protecting him as he returned fire with the machine gun and concussion cannon. The line of soldiers was quickly mown down, but the zebra could already see more charging down the hall towards him, followed by several plodding, enormous mechs that had their own deadly weapons at the ready.

He winced a bit as one of these latter took aim and fired at him, the zebra yelping as the massive spike of iron smashed through the magic barrier and tore off part of the mech's shoulder. “Cygne, I ain't gonna last long out here alone!”

La Croix fired down the hall, and then he winced in surprise as he saw most of his bullets deflected by some kind of magic shield protecting the Kirin. He swore, concentrating the machine gun fire on one as he began to raise the concussive cannon-

Another of the approaching battlemechs fired, and La Croix staggered to the side with another yell as the cannon-limb of his own machine was all-but-disintegrated by some kind of cutting blade that tore through metal as easily as it had Moonflower's shield. The zebra cursed as statistics and warnings blared wildly over the static-riddled screen in front of him, hammering at the controls before he yelled desperately, as he saw the third battlemech aim the massive cannon it was carrying at him: “Cygne!”

The battlemech fired, and La Croix stared in horror as he saw the rocket streak through the air towards him-

As suddenly as it had shot at him, the rocket was flipped by a blast of gravitational magic, shooting back and hammering into the battlemech that had fired. It exploded in a tremendous bang that knocked the other mechs stumbling and reduced the unfortunate target in the center to scrap metal, broken legs uselessly trying to stagger backwards, dragging its remains of body before it lurched to the side and collapsed with a tremendous bang.

The other mechs sizzled as the Kirin who had been knocked sprawling from the blast started to pick themselves up: only one managed to reach his hooves before a knife tore through his face, however, sending him sprawling back in a dead heap.

One of the battlemechs rose its weapon, but then there was a tremendous boom before a blast of electricity exploded through the air around it, making it sizzle and crackle violently. It staggered back and forth, firing off several spinning blades, Kirin screaming as they were sliced apart by the massive, spinning discs before the battlemech collapsed.

The remaining mech sizzled as electricity lashed against it, but it avoided the worst of the blast, managing to limp a step forwards. All the same, the lightning seemed to have done some serious damage to its systems as it struggled to raise the spike cannon it was holding in its simple mechanical hands.

La Croix gritted his teeth, making his battlemech raise its own weapon before he opened fire. Massive machine gun rounds pounded through the limping mech and the remaining Kirin, knocking the latter backwards in a hail of gore, and the former clanking, whirring, trying to force forwards even as the huge bullets tore hoof-sized holes in its armor plating. It managed two steps before it simply halted, fizzling faintly as it slumped forwards, and there was a loud groaning noise before the mech shut itself off and listed slowly forwards to crash down on its face.

Cadence sighed in relief as Sombra and Moonflower strode out of the shutter, and La Croix groaned loudly before the cockpit of the battlemech he was in opened, the zebra dragging himself free of the machine to flump loudly to the ground. “I ain't ever doin' that again, Cygne. Not ever.”

The ivory mare only smiled briefly before she looked quickly around: they were at an intersection, and she could see that armored shutters had been closed at all points of entry. She could also hear an alarm still blaring in the distance, and the mare frowned a bit before her eyes flicked up to one corner of the room, noting a camera.

“We're being watched.” Cadence strode quickly towards the fallen Kirin, before she looked over her shoulder and said quietly: “La Croix, need you to do your thing.”

“Wish I had more to work with.” the zebra muttered, but then he nodded as he strode towards the corpses, grimacing as his hooves crackled with green energy before he reached out and touched one of the bodies.

The corpse flexed once, and then its mouth sighed open before the spirit of the Kirin rose up, looking back and forth with surprise before it gazed down at its own hooves, almost in awe. It was quite a different reaction from Grimsmoke, and before La Croix could say anything, Cadence stepped forwards and asked quickly: “Do you know what happened to you?”

The spirit looked up, not seeming to comprehend her for a moment before it suddenly smiled. And La Croix flinched before he grabbed at his face with a groan, shivering a little as Cadence looked at him worriedly. “No, no, I... I'm fine. It's just... it ain't able to communicate like Grimsmoke. This thing, this be a...”

La Croix visibly fumbled for the words, looking awkwardly at Cadence, but the mare only looked out over the Kirin, seeing them and understanding when she saw the emotionlessness even in death, the lack of distinction... “They're copies.”

“Golems or constructs or...” La Croix halted at the look on Cadence's face, and he gave a lame smile before clearing his throat and continuing quickly: “Anyway, this guy here tells me they get put together in some kind of lab, and then they get what sounds like a node shoved into their brains to make 'em 'smart...' poor têtards be born without a chance.”

Cadence grimaced at this, but forced herself to be professional, swallowing her emotions as she asked: “I need to know what he knows, though. What can he tell me about this prison?”

The Loa nodded as Sombra walked up and gently touched his daughter's shoulder, both calming and reassuring her as La Croix looked back towards the spirit. Both the Kirin and the zebra were silent, but La Croix was visibly grinding his teeth together, shifting back and forth before he finally sat back, grabbing at his face and waving a hoof wildly as he groaned: “Okay, okay! Yeah, he says... he showed me the whole damn thing, they... damn. My head be ringin'. I'm gonna need another crystal, Papa Sérénité.”

Sombra nodded, holding up a hoof and easily creating a sphere of black gemstone, and La Croix took this before he grimaced and looked over at the ghost. It only looked at him with a curious smile, and the zebra sighed before he mumbled: “I'm gonna try and be nicer to y'all than I am to Grimsmoke. Come on.”

The Kirin nodded, then vanished from sight as the black crystal glowed with eerie green light, La Croix looking moodily down at this before he muttered: “Okay. Sorry 'bout that, Cygne. When spirits ain't able to speak, they like to just ram a whole bunch of thoughts at me.”

Cadence nodded, and then Moonflower frowned nervously as he asked: “So? What do we do? What did you find out?”

The ivory mare gave Moonflower a sour look, but La Croix simply pointed ahead, answering: “It's all controlled from the top of the tower. The last order they got was to lock down everything while they send security teams 'round the long way. They gonna try to box us in, then catch us in the crossfire, like we animals or somethin'.”

Cadence nodded, and then she closed her eyes and took a breath, thinking for a moment before she asked: “How does the security system work?”

“Ain't no overrides here, or at least ain't any we can access. And you can forget 'bout trying to take over those mechs, too. They're all customized, the same way those exosuits are.” La Croix shivered a little, and then he grasped one of the corpses in front of him and gently shifted it to the side, maneuvering the head to reveal the metallic ridge that jutted out of the back of the neck: it ended in what... no, that can't be... “They be livin' software.”

Cadence shivered in disgust: that was exactly what she thought it was, a plug-in, that probably fed right into the node in their brains, if she knew how Decretum technology worked... except Hecate would never do this to her soldiers... would she?

She hoped not. But this wasn't the time to think about that, was it? She forced herself to tear her eyes away, before she grimaced and spread her wings, flying up towards a vent cover in the ceiling.

She pressed against it to peer into the vent beyond: the whirring fan she spotted wasn't the problem, but she could feel the ominous heat that was emanating from the vents, and considering the few times she'd been forced to work vent duty and scrape out the charred corpses of bugs and other unfortunates stupid enough to crawl into the ducts in Decretum... “These won't work either. It's the same as Decretum.”

“Everything is.” Sombra said thoughtfully, and Cadence frowned as she dropped out of the air, turning to look towards her father curiously. “That is the answer. Decretum and this world function on the same principles, the principles created by Valthrudnir. Everything has rules, logic, structure...”

Moonflower looked lost, but Cadence was nodding slowly, closing her eyes as she thought about her first few weeks in Decretum: about everything she learned about Clockwork World, and about the ways she had learned to subvert the rules when she found them too frustrating, about the glitches and the bumps in the programming...

“How long has it been since we left Valheim?” Cadence asked quickly: she knew the train ride had been more than twenty hours, because they had been able to nap in turns, but she needed a better answer than her body could tell her.

And as always, her father had it for her, the stallion saying quietly: “Twenty-six hours... give or take half an hour. I would say by now...”

“Security alerts end after twenty-four hours of no contact. If an alert is triggered after that, the information from the previous alert is compared and the threat level is upgraded.” Cadence said quickly, thinking rapidly before she looked up at the camera with a grimace. “The higher the threat level, the more aggressive the response. We need to make them upgrade the response one more level.”

“What? How does that possibly help us?” Moonflower asked in disbelief, staring at Cadence, but the mare only smiled grimly over her shoulder, although this reaction made Moonflower rear back slightly as nervousness turned to outright fear. “Oh no. I don't like that look, Cadence. I do not like that look at all.”

Cadence turned her eyes towards La Croix, who was also staring at her like she was insane. But still, the ivory mare ordered: “You need to make one of these corpses into a puppet. Sombra, I need you to block off the hall behind us, we absolutely can't risk getting boxed in under a crossfire. I think I can fool the sensors into upgrading the alert and making us a priority target.”

“You better have a damn good reason for this, Cygne.” La Croix muttered, biting his cheek as he turned towards the corpses, then he took a deep breath before pointing at one, even as he reared back slightly in visible discomfort with what he was doing.

The body convulsed, and then the corpse of the Kirin slowly clambered up to its hooves, only standing placidly in the spot. Cadence looked over her shoulder at the camera, then grimaced before she strode over and grasped the Kirin corpse, quickly pulling it backwards to make sure it was in clear sight before she muttered: “Sorry about this. Guys, you might want to turn away.”

La Croix did so quickly, hugging himself and looking a little revolted as Sombra smiled faintly and Moonflower tilted his head, and then the winged unicorn reared back in horror as the ivory mare drew a knife and leapt forwards, driving it into the puppet's face and sending it bonelessly to the ground. “What the hell, Cadence! Even... even I wouldn't-”

“Shut up, Moonflower!” Cadence snapped, and then she grimaced as she hauled the puppet back up to its hooves, pulling her knife free before she slammed a short series of blows into the corpse, then drove it down with another lethal attack, this time to the throat.

The mare glanced up at the camera, taking a breath as she dragged the corpse back up to its hooves. If the visual metrics were the same as in Decretum, it was counting her 'kills:' it would be smart enough to recognize what was 'lethal' to the Kirin, but too dumb to understand that all Cadence was killing over and over again was a corpse.

As she kept herself moving, her father turned and went to work creating a barrier of black gemstone. Moonflower hurried to help, grimacing a bit but clearly trusting in Cadence in spite of the fact he was clearly questioning her sanity, while La Croix was simply rubbing at his temples, mumbling: “What the hell would you think of me for doin' this, cher? Oh, the things I gotta do for fou Nanny Hecate and très fou Cygne...”

“Shut up, La Croix.” Cadence grumbled, as she drove the puppet down again. Ten kills, she thought... was the camera keeping count?

The puppet became more and more damaged: at twenty, it was ragged, and at thirty, it barely resembled a Kirin anymore. Her father and Moonflower had created a solid barrier of black gemstone that would probably delay any troops for at least a few minutes, thanks to the magic energy pulsing through it, and La Croix was watching the camera uncertainly: it was tracking Cadence's movements, but time was ticking by far too quickly and even if she was right-

Cadence swore as she drove the corpse down again, her teeth grit, sweat rolling down her body before she looked up sharply as there was a loud double-beep, and then the mare grinned in spite of the strain and the fear of what was coming next, shouting: “Moonflower, wall!”

Moonflower snapped his horn forwards, creating a powerful barrier in front of them, the stallion bracing himself as his horn continued to glow brightly. A barrage of bullets and magic exploded uselessly against this as Cadence leaned forwards, her eyes searching back and forth almost desperately over the platoon of enemies marching towards them through the open doors as they continued to fire on them. Where the hell is it?

She saw almost two dozen Kirin, firing with both weapons and magic; she saw battlemechs and Kirin in exosuits advancing behind the infantry, using the rows of soldiers as living shields. But none of them were what she was looking for...

She cursed, then looked over her shoulder, and Sombra grimaced before he slammed his hooves down into the ground: a moment later, massive spikes of black crystal exploded upwards in front of the advancing line, tearing through the infantry advancing on them, halting their advance for a moment as Moonflower wheezed loudly, his body trembling as he snapped: “I can't hold this forever, Cadence!”

Cadence opened her mouth, before her eyes widened as she heard a loud banging, felt the trembles through the ground: a moment later, several Kirin were knocked flying as a massive Clockwork Titan smashed straight through its own rows of soldiers, heading for them with murder gleaming in its crimson eyes. It wasn't precisely like the Clockwork Titans of Decretum, Cadence saw, but it was all the same close enough as she watched it draw closer, before shouting: “System override, authorization code 1X1X, user code empress-0! Trigger full system recalibration!”

The Clockwork Titan stumbled to a halt as its crimson eyes glowed, and the mare shouted almost desperately: “Shut down AI link! Purge all data, uh...”

What was the code? Cadence grabbed at her head, trying to remember before she blurted: “Threat level red, uh... infection, all systems are compromised, switch to manual command mode!”

The Clockwork Titan whirred loudly for a moment as bullets fired all around it, Moonflower gasping as he struggled to keep up the shield under the barrage as dead Kirin were pushed aside and trampled under the once-more advancing horde, but Cadence's eyes lit up as she saw her commands had worked.

Then the ivory mare outright grinned as the Clockwork Titan slowly straightened and asked in a cold mechanical voice: “Orders, Administrator Hecate?”

“Terminate them.” the Swan said coldly from Cadence's mouth, as the ivory mare pointed sharply, suddenly forward, and the Clockwork Titan turned calmly around before it charged forwards. The Kirin didn't react, didn't understand what was happening until the Titan stampeded straight through two of the soldiers, then seized into one of the battlemechs and picked it up to fling it savagely into one of the exosuits, crushing both the machine and the user.

The Kirin ranks fell into chaos, and Cadence gestured sharply forward, not needing to give a verbal command. Moonflower immediately dropped the barrier as Sombra ran forwards and La Croix grimaced as he swept up a rifle, channeling the knowledge of the Kirin spirits as he took aim at the advancing infantry.

Cadence felt the Swan take over, driving her into combat: she slashed aggressively through the throat of a Kirin that got in her way, then drove a knife into the spine of another even as she leapfrogged it, both rear hooves kicking out into the face of a third and sending it down in a bloody spray. She finished it off with a vicious, throat-crushing blow before her wings flapped hard, launching her into the air to narrowly evade the boom of force that tore through the air where she had been a moment before as one of the battlemechs advanced on her.

The Swan flung a knife out, and it bounced harmlessly off the rounded front of the machine as it took aim at her with the cannon on the end of its arm, but Danzsöngr grinned coldly as she caught the knife with telekinesis as it ricocheted and stabbed it downwards into the barrel of the cannon as it began to glow.

The mech's arm exploded in a tremendous boom of thunder and electricity, the machine staggering to the side with a broken whir, and the Swan smiled coldly before she drew another knife free from her belts, flinging it sharply into the face of a Kirin in an exosuit, sending it staggering backwards before it collapsed with a clang, the ivory mare saying coldly: “Borrowed strength will not save you, puppets of the ice-lords.”

The Swan turned its attention towards another battlemech, leaping towards it eagerly; Sombra, meanwhile, had captured the last battlemech in black crystal, his purifier sparking and humming as his dark gemstone flooded the joints of the machine and tore through the sensitive machinery, rendering the war machine useless.

The unicorn's eyes flicked to the side as a Kirin lunged at him, its horn glowing: with ease, Sombra met the attack with his own, parrying the attack before he created a blade of crystal at the end of one hoof, driving the spike sharply through the Kirin's armor and into his heart as he murmured: “Dormi bene.”

He caught the Kirin as it fell, lowering the corpse to the ground gently even as he shoved his other hoof up to create a shield of dark energy that disintegrated the spikes fired at him from a Kirin in an exosuit. Then, with a snap of his hoof downwards, the shield became a massive fireball that shot through the air and hammered into the assaulter, destroying both rider and machine.

Moonflower shot through the air above Sombra a moment later, snapping his horn down to create a powerful pulse of gravity that knocked the remaining exosuits off their mechanical feet, the stallion laughing loudly as he shouted: “Yes, none of you are any match for-”

A blast of force hammered into the stallion, knocking him crashing through the air before he hit the ground face-first and rolled backwards, looking stupidly out past the shutter and into the open area beyond, across which another group of Kirin soldiers was already hurrying towards them. The stallion winced at this, and then he shouted: “Cadence! There's a lot more coming!”

“Cygne, we can't fight 'em all! We gotta move!” La Croix snapped, and the Swan snarled as it looked up from the fallen battlemech it was standing on top of, the metal still smoldering under her hooves from being superheated by her white fire, the machine still twitching but the pilot inside most assuredly dead by now from the heat.

But then the ivory mare grasped at her face, before Cadence took a sharp breath and looked towards the Clockwork Titan, shouting: “Titan! Go to central command and disable all systems by any means necessary! Lethal force is authorized!”

“Command acknowledged.” The Clockwork Titan tossed the Kirin in its hand aside, then it turned towards the open shutter, sprinting through it and smashing its way through the group of soldiers in its way. The Kirin picked themselves up quickly, and as Cadence had hoped, they turned to hurry after the Clockwork Titan: a rogue Titan would register as a level five alert, while they likely hadn't even reached level four, so for a few minutes all the soldiers in the area would be focusing on the construct.

Cadence whistled sharply, and the three stallions immediately abandoned their combat with the remaining wounded Kirin. The soldiers began to scramble after them, but Sombra quickly snapped his horn out, creating a wall of black crystal that would give them enough time to escape, as Cadence gestured for La Croix to take the lead even as they hurried through what seemed like a large processing courtyard, the mare asking quickly: “Which way to the nearest access terminal?”

La Croix steered sharply to a set of armored doors on the right: they were electronically locked, but the zebra grinned as he slipped over to the control panel, quickly tapping in a short code across it as he said wryly: “Same code through the entire facility. But guess they don't have a lot of security issues to worry 'bout normally.”

The doors clanked and swung open, and the four hurried into a thankfully-empty shower area. Cadence grimaced as they hurried through, entering a stone room beyond clearly used for processing, and La Croix led them to a side door before he yelped when the door was kicked open and a Kirin in heavy armor stormed through with a snarl, raising his rifle-

Cadence seized the weapon and slammed the butt of the gun into the side of the soldier's face, knocking him staggering before she threw the weapon away and leapt forwards, catching him by the shoulders and slamming her head cruelly into his face with enough force to knock his helmet off and stun the Kirin. She began to raise a hoof, ready to crush in his skull, but then she stopped; instead, she flung him down and dragged the Kirin quickly back into the booth, smiling thinly as she saw something else she recognized from Decretum: the control panel built into the countertop had a touch access scanner.

The mare yanked the Kirin over to the scanner, then she simply dropped him face-first onto the machine. It beeped after a moment, then dinged loudly before a mechanical voice asked calmly: “Command?”

“System override, authorization code 1X1X, user code empress-0. Shut down all systems.” Cadence ordered, and there was silence before the machine beeped several times.

“Warning. Voice print match has failed. Code two alert-”

“Oh, please, really?” Moonflower complained, and then he cleared his throat loudly as his horn glowed before he leaned forwards and said in a cold, perfect imitation of Hecate: “System override, authorization code 1X1X, user code empress-0. Shut down all systems. And do not make me repeat myself again, Moonflower, or I will step on you and your gorgeous face until you look like me.”

The computer beeped again, and then the mechanical voice said calmly: “Voice print match confirmed. Warning: this action exceeds administrative authority. Please detail-”

“Shut down all systems. I told you not to make me repeat myself.” Moonflower snarled in Hecate's voice, and then he leaned forwards and punched the panel, and Cadence and La Croix stared in horror as it shattered, Moonflower wincing back before he cleared his throat and said hurriedly, as the glow faded from his horn and his voice returned to normal: “It... it seemed like what she would do!”

There was an awkward moment of silence, and Cadence slowly ground her teeth together as one of her eyes twitched. Moonflower winced away as Sombra began to slide himself quickly forward, before the entire team looked up in surprise as the lights above simply shut off.

For a few moments, the group only stood together in dumb surprise before a furious roar echoed through the halls, and Cadence smiled grimly as the Swan twisted in delight inside of her, as the ivory mare muttered: “Sounds like some of the prisoners must be unhappy.”

La Croix smiled uneasily as Moonflower relaxed with a wheeze, and Sombra only looked uncertainly into the distance, hoping that Cadence had made the right decision, but preparing all the same for the very real possibility they had just ultimately made their problems far worse.

The First World

Chapter Fourteen: The First World
~BlackRoseRaven

Hecate frowned, disturbed from her slumber by a strange alarm. Her eyes opened, then glowed brightly as the lenses implanted over them displayed several alerts she didn't even understand at first...

And then her eyes widened in shock before she opened her mouth, shouting: “Seneschal! Summon Thorn immediately!”

One of the glass screens at the side of the room flickered to life, Seneschal appearing on it and rubbing at his head as he asked: “What for? Queen Hecate, this is-”

“Get Thorn now!” Hecate roared, and Seneschal squawked as the screen turned itself off, the ivory mare snarling as she looked at her body, which was still recharging on the other side of the room: there were at least a few hours yet before it was ready, but... “Seneschal, send up a Skeleton as well!”

There was no argument this time, the only acknowledgment a tiny blip in one corner of her eye as she returned her eyes to the digital images in front of her, the mare reading rapidly over the information and trying to process the idea that Fyrverǫld might actually be online somehow... and worse, the only Orphan who has my override information is Cadence...

Less than a minute later, the door was flung open, Thorn hurrying in before his eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Hecate still plugged into her metal pillar: even he almost never saw her like this, and the stallion was barely able to keep himself professional as he half-averted his eyes and fumbled with his ever-present clipboard. “Queen Hecate, why did-”

“I may have figured out what Hel was hinting at, or at least in part. I just received an alert that I just exceeded my administrative privileges on another world of Valthrudnir's, Fyrverǫld.” Hecate said coldly, and Thorn's eyes widened as he put together what this answer meant almost as quickly as she had. Good. She would need him sharp. “We need to send a support team there immediately.”

“The Orphans are already on high alert, I'll-”

“Not good enough. Go to Imperia. I need you to send a message to your parents, Thorn.” Hecate said calmly, and Thorn stared at her with shock before the head of the mare leaned forwards, saying in a quieter voice: “And you need to promise me you will not abuse this privilege in the future. No one apart from myself and Hel know about this. Do you understand?”

Thorn took a slow breath, and then he nodded and straightened, asking briskly: “What do you need me to do?”

“Your parents cannot be tracked by Helheim and cannot be summoned or directly spoken to because they are not demons. But there is another who is, who can find them wherever they go. This is how Hel contacts them when they must pause in their 'game.'” Hecate explained, and Thorn's eyes widened as he understood. “You can contact her from the Tower of Selene. Go.”

Thorn nodded, and without another word, he turned and hurried quickly out of the room. He felt both incredibly anxious and strangely betrayed: all along, Hecate had been able to contact his parents whenever she wanted, and she had kept it from him. Not that he should be surprised...

Thorn shook his head shortly: this wasn't the time for that. They had to concentrate on the fact that apparently Fyrverǫld was online, and most likely extremely hostile, if Cadence had used Hecate's override privilege.

He frowned as he hurried through the halls, lowering his head slightly: how the hell was that possible, though? Hecate had sent scouts to all of Valthrudnir's conquered worlds, and they had all either been in complete ruin or simply inaccessible. Fyrverǫld had been one of the latter: they hadn't been able to communicate with it, or even create a portal to it, so they had assumed that it had been cut completely off from the rest of the chain of worlds, or it had been demolished...

As he walked, he levitated his clipboard quickly up beside him, jotting several notes down: they were going to have do another scan of the worlds they had previously written off, among other things, and look again at why inaccessible worlds couldn't be accessed. Worse yet, if someone was tampering with Valthrudnir's projects for their own ends...

Thorn didn't want to think about that, and that was perhaps thinking too far ahead into the future: no, for now, plan, prepare, and deal with the situation at hoof. There were already enough problems for them to deal with.

The stallion exited the building into Imperia, heading quickly towards the Castle District and Imperia: as he walked, he made brief notes on his clipboard, but he tried to keep his attention from shifting too much from the current objective. He was just trying to make sure every moment counted, and it helped stop his mind from going off on wild tangents.

Thorn reached Imperia and ascended to the Tower of Selene without difficulty: he didn't think he'd been here more than once, as he stepped out of the elevator and strode quickly down the narrow white corridor to a heavy security door. Light shone over him as the gemstone inset into the door scanned quickly over him, and then the door clanked before pulling apart into three pieces that slid quickly into the walls and ceiling, the stallion passing through into a large, circular room.

The walls were lined with gemstone lanterns, and the floor in the center of the room was composed of heavy octagonal plates of metal that were inscribed with complex patterns, these forming an interlocking grid. Thorn's eyes roved quickly over these before he smiled thinly as his horn glowed brightly.

Several of the metal plates shuddered before lifting into the air, spinning themselves into new positions and trading slots. Thorn repeated this several times, until the seeming-chaotic patterning gradually formed a complex summoning circle, which began to glow eerily the moment the last plate was set into place. But it was still missing one thing...

Thorn flicked to a blank page on his clipboard, scrawling a name in demonic runes before he grimaced as the page burst into blue flames. With a flick of his horn, he tore the page loose and flung it into the summoning circle before it could char completely away to nothing, and then he simply closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He didn't have to wait more than a few seconds before a loving voice said: “Thorn Blackfeather... we know that it must be urgent if you have summoned us, but we are so glad to see you, our darling child...”

Thorn opened his eyes, and he gave a small smile to the mare he saw standing across from him, even as frightening as she was. She was terribly tall, and cruelly elegant, her coat midnight-black, her eyes hellish emerald, with animal, slit-like pupils that gazed at him with a mix of maternal adoration and impurer, crueler love. A tall unicorn's horn stood up from her head, and curling, enormous ram's horns stretched from the sides of her skull, her beautiful features accented by the scars across her face and fanged maw.

A collar made of metal roses and thorns was around her neck, polished with crimson: her hooves were blade-like and cloven, her tail a deadly whip ending in a long hook. And all throughout her back, there were countless knives and torture implements that rolled and moved with every flex of her body: yet she moved sinuously when she strode towards him, showing neither pain nor pleasure, as if the weapons had been buried in her so long they had become a part of her...

She reached up to embrace him in her slender but powerful forelegs, and Thorn hugged her back silently: this was the Lady of the Moon. This was Hel's second-in-command, her aide, her confidante. This was the evil of his parents, given shape and life; this was Nightmare Moon.

They parted after a moment, and Thorn looked calmly up at her before he said quietly: “We need you to contact Luna Brynhild. They have to go to Cadence. Can she home in on the Swan Maiden?”

Nightmare Moon looked thoughtful for a moment, and then she smiled: an expression that made the scars almost vanish and turned her gorgeous as her mane of black flames twisted slowly around her like a mantel blown in a gentle wind. “Yes. Hex will take her.”

“The world was inaccessible for us by Bifrost or any of our other portal methods. Are you sure?” Thorn asked quietly, but Nightmare Moon only laughed.

“Then that simply means that the world has been moved. But a Valkyrie's war-horse is superior to a portal in many respects: one of those is that it is not bound by coordinates and absolutes.” Nightmare Moon smiled, studying Thorn almost fawningly even as she explained: “As long as Hex knows what he hunts, then he will be able to home in on it, and change his course as necessary even from within the spaces between worlds.”

Thorn nodded slowly, and then Nightmare Moon smiled before she said softly: “I have told Luna Brynhild, and she understands the urgency. Your mother is very difficult at times, but she is reliable. She will rescue the Swan... even if in part it is simply to please her own ego.”

The sapphire stallion nodded, and then he winced a bit when Nightmare Moon leaned in and kissed his cheek before whispering softly: “Let me spend time with you now. I will be silent and I will not tell Hel anything that you or Hecate do not approve of. But I have always been kept separate...”

Thorn shifted uneasily, looking up at the mare: he knew what she was. Living passion, given form and sentience, combined with all the very worst aspects of his parents, and yet still... “I... have sensitive projects. We have an emergency alert going on, and-”

“And I shall help. I can call upon the aid of Helheim, and communicate with your parents even across the dimensions, in mere moments. Use me.” Nightmare Moon encouraged.

For a moment, Thorn grimaced, but then he heard a double beep from his mechanical forelimb: he had wasted too much time here already. So instead of arguing, he only nodded shortly and turned, heading back towards the sealed door as he said: “Fine. But I have to treat you as I would any other guest, and if Hecate asks you to leave-”

“Of course.” Nightmare Moon only smiled, her eyes glittering as she followed in Thorn's wake, studying the stallion with a strange fascination in her eyes, and dark, untamed longing, as she whispered softly: “We live to serve, my child.”

Shutting down the prison might not have been the greatest idea she had ever had, Cadence reflected, as she and her team ran quickly along a walkway that ran alongside a line of open cells. Sure, it had deactivated all the security alerts, and the enemy soldiers had been thrown into absolute chaos, but Cadence hadn't anticipated so many doors to remain sealed or that they would be fighting monsters now on top of everything else.

She grimaced as she glanced over the edge, watching as some kind of mangled, mutant Kirin tackled a battlemech backwards, roaring gibberish as it ripped armor plating off the machine like it was made of paper. Well, as long as they stayed on the high walkways, they seemed to avoid the worst of the conflict.

Up ahead, an explosion rattled the walkway, chunks of metal and stone flying in all directions as the group skidded to a halt before Cadence swore as part of the walk collapsed, flaming rubble piling up at the mangled end of the catwalk. She looked quickly over her shoulder, then turned and hopped the rail, flapping her wings hard to launch herself onto a suspended bridge that ran across the center of the room, the ivory mare starting: “Let's cross and-”

There was a blast of force that rattled the bridge, making it sway violently before several cables loudly snapped, and Cadence swore as the bridge pitched to the side before dropping forwards, the mare banging and rolling painfully down the now-ramp as it crashed to the ground. She hit the hard stone earth with a curse before looking up in horror to see a battlemech swiveling towards her, her instincts screaming at her-

She felt something smash into her from behind as she realized too late the threat wasn't the mech in front of her, but the thing that crashed into her back, knocking her flying through the air with a howl even as the battlemech fired. The monster that had smashed into her gave a wounded roar, staggering into the wall before it snarled and charged towards the mech, and Cadence winced as some massive, three-horned thing smashed cruelly into the machine, trampling it under its huge, bulky body.

She turned and crawled quickly back to her hooves as her team slid quickly down the ramp to join her, and the mare didn't waste her breath shouting orders or reassuring them she was okay: instead, she set her eyes on the broken armored doors at the end of the long prison hall, the mare breaking into a gallop and dodging past rioting prisoners, Kirin, and burning debris.

Her ears were full of noise and roars, her mind was going haywire, there was so much action at once that she almost didn't realize a Kirin was firing at them until it was blasted off its hooves by a burst of magic from Moonflower. All she could do was keep herself moving in the direction of the doors, ducking and weaving through the room as bullets tore around them and monsters shrieked.

The doors were blown apart in a tremendous explosion, and Cadence winced, skidding to a halt and flinching away from the light and shrapnel as the rest of her team stopped behind her, Moonflower dropping flat with a yelp on his stomach. And then the ivory mare's eyes widened in horror as a team of six heavy-armored Kirin came marching through in two lines of three, guns at the ready and with a line of odd-looking drones rolling along between them.

Cadence drew a knife and flung it sharply into the throat of one of the armored Kirin, knocking him sprawling, and the soldiers immediately dropped into ready positions as the drones shot forward with surprising speed, assembling in front of the soldiers as the long, rectangular squares of metal that made up the drone's backs suddenly whirled to position in front of them. All Cadence could see now was a wall of polished metal, which the Kirin were able to blindly fire from behind Cadence swearing and ducking as Moonflower hurriedly threw up a barrier as he scrambled back to his hooves.

Sombra quickly slammed his hooves down, and black cracks spread through the earth before spikes of crystal shot up beneath the drones, piercing their treads and the fragile machinery behind the thick plates of metal. One of them buzzed loudly as it dropped its shield, while the others simply screeched to a halt before an armored Kirin shouted: “Grenade out!”

It flung a spherical device over the shield, and Cadence winced as she swatted it back with telekinesis: it exploded a moment after striking the ground, the Kirin knocked flying in all directions with shouts and yells as the remaining drones were devastated, systems failing from the damage and causing them to drop their shields or topple like dominoes.

Cadence immediately ran forwards, Moonflower dropping his shield as he and the others followed past the stunned Kirin. They made their way straight for the door, and Cadence winced as they ducked around an inert Clockwork Titan: it seemed like all the machines that had been hooked up to the AI system had been shut down too, fortunately for them.

She sprinted through a security checkpoint, ignoring the Kirin trapped in the guard rooms even as they shouted at her through the bulletproof glass, and the mare led her team quickly down the corridor beyond, looking back and forth before La Croix shouted: “Next left, Cygne!”

The ivory mare began to turn left as she reached an intersection, before her eyes widened in horror as she saw a massive turret at the end of this hallway, Kirin soldiers kneeling behind barriers on either side of it as the gun rapidly started to gear up. She hurriedly scrambled backwards, leaping back to safety around the wall before the turret opened fire, massive bullets tearing holes through the concrete and ripping apart the floor and wall before it geared slowly down, as Kirin shouted warnings to the soldiers reinforcing their position to come to alert.

“Goddammit.” Cadence muttered, and then she grimaced as she slowly leaned out from behind the torn-up corner. The turret didn't activate when she peered around the corner, and her eyes narrowed slightly as she examined it quickly: it was a massive gatling gun, self-scanning as it turned slowly back and forth, with two cameras mounted on either side of it to ensure maximum coverage and what looked like a manual control system in the event something fried its very simple AI...

She saw a glint, and her instincts shouted at her, the mare jerking her head back before there was a loud bang, a bullet knocking a large chunk out of the wall and Cadence wincing as debris pattered against her face. She sneezed in the cloud of dust that followed, then rubbed at her cheek slowly and muttered: “Snipers. Decent shots, too. Turret is an M-type. Can you disable it, La Croix?”

“Oh, let me!” Moonflower blurted, thrusting up a hoof immediately, and Cadence frowned uncertainly at the winged unicorn, but the stallion simply grinned cheerfully. “Trust me, I know precisely what to do.”

Cadence sighed tiredly at this, but then she gave a grudging nod, and Moonflower nodded firmly back before he suddenly leapt past her, landing in the center of the hall as his horn glowed brightly. Cadence stared at him with disbelief, but Moonflower only grinned as he swung his horn sharply out even as the turret began to audibly gear up.

The turret was smashed by telekinesis, gears grinding loudly as it spun backwards with a clank on its axis, the enormous, rotating barrels smacking one of the Kirin over before the gun began to fire. Yells and screams of panic filled the air as the minigun traced back and forth over its own soldiers, Moonflower looking ridiculously pleased with himself-

A tremendous bang rang out, and Moonflower was knocked flying in a burst of crimson, Cadence swearing under her breath before she leapt out of cover and snapped her horn forwards, sending a blast of white flames at the sniper who had just fired. He was forced to duck under the barrier, and La Croix ran immediately towards Moonflower as Sombra leapt out of hiding, sprinting down the long passage before he slid to a halt and slammed his hooves into the ground when he drew close enough to send a single spike of dark crystal jutting up behind the barrier, the sniper gurgling as this tore through his body and half-lifted him into the air.

Moonflower groaned as La Croix quickly checked over the stallion, before he reached back into his side pack and pulled a bandage free, muttering: “Idjit.You best hope that damn bullet didn't lodge anywhere important in you. Looks like it went deep, though, and I ain't got the tools to pull it out right now. All I can do is stop the bleedin'.”

Moonflower mumbled a little on the ground, and Cadence shook her head before she ran quickly forwards to join her father, both ponies gazing past the barrier and watching as the last of the Kirin fled down the hall. Corpses littered the corridor now, though, and Cadence grimaced a bit before she strode over to the turret, hauling herself up onto the narrow seat on the back of the machine so she could grasp the controls.

A simple shove forward on the handles, and the turret went from automatic to manual control, Cadence carefully twisting the handles to the side to make the machine revolve slowly back around. Sombra, meanwhile, hopped one of the barriers so he could quickly begin checking the fallen Kirin, murmuring a quiet prayer for the dead as he used his dark magic to drain the energy from those who were still alive: not enough to kill them, but enough to render them completely unconscious.

Cadence watched as Moonflower limped towards them, wheezing a little and with La Croix at his side, the zebra not supporting him but still keeping a close eye on the wounded stallion. The ivory mare looked at Moonflower pointedly as he approached, and eventually the limping stallion cleared his throat before dropping his head as he came to a halt in front of the turret, mumbling: “While it was a stroke of genius, I may have made a slight... mistake. But only a small one. I was very successful otherwise.”

“Yeah. Great job, Moonflower.” Cadence said dryly, and then she gestured towards the end of the hall, asking: “Before the Kirin come back to try and re-take this position, which way are we going, La Croix?”

La Croix irritably pushed at Moonflower, the wounded stallion groaning but then approaching one of the barriers to begin awkwardly crawling over it with a grumble, while the zebra explained: “The halls fork up ahead, but they both go in the same direction, according to mon ami. Either way, I'm guessin' it's gonna all be heavily fortified. We in for a fight, Cygne.”

“Guess its a good thing that's what I do best.” Cadence said after a moment, and as La Croix smiled wryly and walked around the turret, the mare pushed the handles forward to reengage automated targeting: the turret would at least slow down any Kirin trying to pursue them.

She hopped off, then helped Moonflower finish clearing the barrier as La Croix hopped over the other fence, the three joining Sombra near the end of the hall. He glanced at them with a small smile, then said quietly: “I took a look ahead, mi amore. Both halls are guarded, but the right side seems to have more soldiers than the left.”

“Left it is, then.” Cadence said, before she asked quietly: “Turrets? Mechs?”

“It looks like a bit of everything. From what little I was able to see, the defenses get much stronger at the end of the corridor, and the Kirin are operating the turrets themselves. They'll be more aggressive.” Sombra replied, and Cadence nodded moodily at this: even though the power was still off, the Kirin were apparently still as professional as ever. She supposed that had something to do with the nodes that were apparently implanted in them, though... there's probably something programmed for every situation. If only we could override them, somehow...

She highly doubted that Hecate's codes would work again, though: she had the feeling that when she had 'exceeded her privileges,' the computer had probably sent out a warning to whoever was in charge of keeping the systems running, and by now they would have removed Hecate's codes from the network. But then again, why the hell hadn't anyone rebooted this facility? Of course, if everything was automated, and no free-thinking Kirin were left to press the big 'power on' button or whatever it was that controlled the core...

Cadence shook her head quickly, then hurried through the intersection with a quick glance in either direction before she headed to the end of the short hallway. She leaned around the corner, looking down the corridor, and she grimaced a bit: two turrets were twenty feet away, both with Kirin in them, and there were at least six armed soldiers standing at the ready behind these.

Twenty feet past the first blockade was a second, in a similar arrangement: past that, a third, with enough space between each blockade to make them impossible to engage at once, but more than capable of supporting the troops in front of them if they were attacked.

Cadence grimaced a little as she leaned back, closing her eyes in thought. There had to be a way through, though... “Okay, what do we know?”

“They won't reinforce other sections without a command or request. They don't seem capable of communicating between groups as long as the power remains out, so as long as we move forward quickly, we should be relatively safe.” Sombra answered.

“They also ain't the brightest. They react to everything with the same tactics, shoot at it. If we could sneak by 'em, they might not even be smart enough to turn around as long as we don't bother 'em. They're just doin' what they've been told to do by someone else.” La Croix added, and Cadence nodded thoughtfully at this.

Moonflower shifted back and forth, and then he almost blurted out as he pointed at the large grating above them: “We could distract them and use the vents!”

Cadence frowned at this, saying moodily: “Moonflower, we can't use the vents, we'll be incinerated by the...”

She halted, then blinked as she looked up at the grating before shooting up into the air, peering through it before she gave a short laugh: of course, the power was off. The security system wouldn't be able to detect them, so the convection arrays wouldn't activate and fry them. “You might actually be on to something.”

Moonflower smiled proudly at this, raising his head slightly, and the ivory mare's horn glowed as she flapped her wings to fly up beneath the vent cover, using telekinesis to quickly unscrew the cover and yank it out of place. She tossed the grating aside, grimacing as she felt around the opening before she looked down and asked: “Can you all get up to here?”

Sombra smiled slightly and nodded, and Moonflower waved a hoof, then winced and grabbed at his side, even as he wheezed out: “W-Wait! We also should... distract them! Just in case!”

Cadence frowned at this, looking moodily down at the wounded stallion before she asked slowly: “And what exactly did you have in mind, Moonflower? Maybe try telling us this time instead of, you know...”

“I... my plan worked perfectly well last time!” Moonflower snapped, and then he groaned and grasped at his breast before he looked over at Sombra, saying finally: “I need you to generate a large crystal for me. I enchant it to produce illusions. While they busy themselves with attacking my subtle and clever illusions, we simply sneak right over their heads, without having to worry about them turning around to attack us when we reach the other side, because they'll already be distracted! By my illusions. See?”

Cadence grimaced at this, but then she gave a nod after a moment and muttered: “I guess it makes sense. Daddy?”

Sombra nodded as well, and then he calmly approached the wall before pressing a hoof into it, saying softly: “Of course. Don't overexert yourself, though, Moonflower. You're beginning to look worn down.”

Moonflower only puffed out his chest, or at least, attempted to, before he shivered and grabbed at himself instead with a wheeze, mumbling: “I'm... completely fine. Perhaps just a little... well, you know, we dark gods have a certain manner and persona to keep up and it's been quite some time since I've done my mane, and it's all having an effect on me, that's... that's all.”

He cleared his throat, and then his horn glowed as he focused on the crystal, which began to thrum with eerie light before the stallion muttered: “But that's precisely why I asked for this little bit of help, to ensure I don't end up... taking all the credit or uh...”

“Just shut up and get yourself movin', mon ami.” La Croix said wryly, and Moonflower grumbled under his breath before he nodded, his horn pulsing once before he leapt up into the air, wings flapping wildly as he swayed back and forth while grasping his chest, whimpering a little as he awkwardly guided himself towards the vent.

Cadence rolled her eyes, dropping out of the way before she reached up and half-shoved Moonflower into the slightly-too-small hole, the stallion squawking loudly. She huffed a bit as the stallion finally kicked his way into the narrow duct, and then she turned her eyes down to Sombra, asking: “Do you need help, Daddy?”

“It's alright, mi amore. I'll come last.” Sombra said gently, and Cadence smiled a little before her eyes flicked to La Croix questioningly.

The zebra opened his mouth, then stared as the black crystal flashed before producing a bad imitation of him, which happily, stupidly hopped its way out into the hallway. La Croix twitched a bit as he watched the grinning imitation of him hop its way happily straight into a mess of gunfire, the illusion flickering wildly before it shattered like glass after too many bullets tore through the flimsy shade, and the zebra ground his teeth together slowly before he muttered: “'Scusez-moi. Gonna have me a word with Moony.”

La Croix vanished, and a few moments later, there was a loud thunk from inside the vent, followed by La Croix shouting something at Moonflower, who yelled something back. Cadence rolled her eyes, then swung herself up into the vent, shouting over them both down the duct: “Shut up, morons, or they're going to know we're in here!”

Sombra sighed and shook his head before he set his hooves against the ground, then calmly created a layer of crystal beneath him that slowly rose into a tall pillar, elevating himself easily into the open vent. He pulled himself quickly into the duct that bridge off the shaft, the stallion smiling a bit as he saw his daughter wiggling carefully along ahead of him, as Moonflower muttered: “Well, they need to think it's us.”

“Moonflower, I swear if you made me look half as stupid as you did La Croix, I'll punch your head off. La Croix, stop kicking Moonflower in the face, we need to get through this vent quickly and neither of us is going to kill him until we're out of this prison.” Cadence grumbled as she crawled slowly forward.

Moonflower frowned, then scowled when La Croix kicked him childishly in the face one last time, the stallion flailing angrily after the zebra before the Loa turned invisible and ethereal so he could speed his way quickly through the vent. “Yes, that's right! Run, run away and-”

“Keep your voice down!” Cadence growled, as she slammed a hoof into Moonflower's rump, and the winged unicorn yelped before he scrambled forwards, crawling as quickly as he could through the vent: thankfully, the sound of his hooves banging along the duct was mostly drowned out by the sound of automatic gunfire from below.

The three crawled their way quickly through the vents, and Cadence was relieved to find that La Croix had already opened up their exit, the zebra calling in a low voice from where he was dangling out of the duct: “It's pretty safe. But I don't know how the hell we gonna get into the elevator and all.”

“Oh, we'll find a way.” Cadence muttered as she tried to look past Moonflower: she had never realized just how big the stallion was until now. Bloated with hot air, yes, but... “Moonflower, your ass is huge. Can't you move any faster?”

“It is not huge, it is sumptuous!” Moonflower snapped angrily over his shoulder, blushing slightly, and then he grumbled as he scrambled forwards, mumbling: “I have had stallions fawning over the majesty of my posterior ever since I was-”

Moonflower leaned a little too far forwards as he reached the exit from the duct, falling through with a yelp, and Cadence covered her face with a tired sigh before she leaned forward to look moodily down at the pair of stallions piled on the ground, Moonflower wheezing and La Croix gasping weakly for air beneath the larger pony.

“These are my friends. These are the ponies who I rely on every day and in life-threatening situations, which we are in regularly.” Cadence muttered, and then she rolled her eyes before dropping quickly through the hole, flapping her wings once to launch herself nimbly to land on the floor instead of the stallions as she checked quickly over her back.

But the soldiers were still distracted, their backs turned, none of them paying any attention to them whatsoever. In fact, from where they had landed, Cadence was able to see both corridors, and neither group of soldiers seemed interested in so much as checking what was going on behind them.

Sombra landed last, the stallion giving a quick look towards the soldiers they had snuck their way past before he pointed ahead, saying quietly: “There.”

Cadence looked across the large hall they had entered into, the mare nodding quickly: past a set of unmonitored barriers, there was a line of elevator doors, with the center doors being the largest and most secure. That probably meant it was the set they wanted to breach, and Cadence grimaced as she ran quickly past the empty barricades, giving an uneasy glance to one of the inactive turrets before she reached the doors.

She quickly checked over them, and then glanced over her shoulder as Sombra, and then La Croix joined her. Moonflower came last, wheezing a little and clutching at his breast as he dragged himself along. “We need to pry these open. Daddy?”

Sombra nodded calmly, and then he hesitated for a moment: just long enough to Cadence notice before the stallion placed his hoof against the crack of the door.

Crystal began to spread slowly through the crack, and the doors rumbled before they groaned loudly, metal screeching against metal as the crack was forced wider by the crystal expanding between them. Cadence winced as she looked down through the hall, but the soldiers at the barricades didn't seem to notice or care.

Once the crack was wide enough, both Sombra and La Croix grasped either door, Moonflower leaning forwards and pushing on both sliding shutters with telekinesis to slowly, gradually force the doors open. Then Cadence's eyes sharpened as Sombra flinched, the mare leaping over to her father immediately as he leaned against the door, wheezing quietly before he shook his head and whispered: “I... I am fine, mi amore. Just overexerted myself.”

“Rest, Daddy.” Cadence said quietly, and then she ducked into the elevator shaft beyond, stepping on top of... oh. Right.

The elevator itself was beneath them, which she supposed she was thankful for, since the power was still out apart from the emergency lights. Her eyes drew uncomfortably up through the elevator shaft: it looked like there was some kind of narrow maintenance tube built into the side of the tunnel, with openings at every floor to make it easy to get in and out of... but that ladder. Climbing that ladder...

“Uh... good news, guys. We have a way up to the top.” Cadence said awkwardly, and the stallions all looked at her for a moment before the ivory mare gave a lame smile and leapt into the air, flapping her wings firmly. “I'll... meet you all up top.”

About fifteen minutes later, Cadence saw La Croix and Sombra finally approaching. She and Moonflower had sped up the elevator shaft in the space of a few minutes – well, she had, with Moonflower huffing and puffing behind her, although that wasn't entirely his fault with the bullet in his chest – and the two of them had forced open a security shutter across the top of the shaft to reveal a short stretch beyond that led all the way up to an armored door.

Moonflower grimaced a bit as Cadence shook her head, then looked down at Sombra and La Croix as they carefully clambered up onto the half-open security shutter from the maintenance hatch. “This door is magnetically sealed and too heavy to move. We need to cut a hole in it.”

Cadence asked a silent question with her eyes, and Sombra smiled at her before he gestured at the ladder, saying in a faintly-amused voice: “Don't worry, mi amore. The long climb has given me more than enough time to rest.”

The mare smiled briefly at this, and Sombra climbed carefully up the wall to the armored door, balancing carefully on the narrow ledge as he stood up on his rear hooves. Then he leaned forwards, pressing his forehooves into the door as he closed his eyes and murmured: “It shouldn't take long. I'll go slow.”

Cadence nodded, and then she gave La Croix a look, but the Loa only smiled briefly and shrugged a little: there wasn't a whole lot he could do, and he wasn't entirely sure himself about the state that her father was in. Sombra, after all, was even better than she was when it came to putting on a strong face.

The ivory mare smiled faintly as she looked at her father, watching as a large section of the door slowly, gradually turned to dark crystal. The mare studied her father, listening to the hum of the purifier on his back, seeing the way he trembled slightly, before her eyes narrowed at the sight of a bit of liquid trickling out from beneath the lip of the purifier, staining his vest as it rolled along his side.

She bit her lip: this mission was going to kill them at this rate. They were going to need to rest, whether she liked it or not... but no, the mission, the target had to be their priority. Cadence felt that the key to finding their target was still here, although she was well aware that if he had been kept in the cells, he could likely be...

No, that didn't make sense. It was all too obvious now why someone like the target would be wanted by this world: if Rustproof was a talented engineer, then of course Fyrverǫld would want him. They ran on machinery and automata: there was no way they would keep him with the monsters and freaks they had locked up in the cells. He had to be somewhere secure, somewhere harder to access than this prison for monsters.

Sombra stepped back, nearly losing his balance, and Cadence quickly caught her father by the shoulder as Moonflower lowered himself nervously through the air, looking uneasily at the stallion. But the black unicorn only shook his head and rubbed at his face as a bit of dark energy sizzled over his horn, muttering: “Just... I need to adjust my purifier when we have a moment.”

“Alright, Daddy.” Cadence murmured, and then she gestured at him, saying quietly: “Stay back. Moonflower, La Croix, we'll go first.”

The two nodded, and Cadence faced the crystallized section of door, her horn glowing white before she leaned forwards, a concentrated ray of white energy cutting slowly along the edge of the circle of black gemstone. She breathed slowly as she concentrated her magic, feeling the Swan shifting inside of her, whispering to her.

She shivered a little: the Swan wanted to kill. The Swan wanted to abandon them. The Swan wanted to hunt down Thokk.

The mare forced herself to concentrate back on the task at hoof as her magic became unstable for a moment, scorching the edge of the door before it refocused. She finished as quickly as she could, then placed her hooves firmly against the circle of black gemstone in the center of the door, pushing on it carefully.

It gave a little, and the mare took a breath before she shoved it forwards and leapt through the large hole she had created, her horn glowing white before her eyes widened at the sight of the massive machines waiting for her, the mare snarling as she dropped into a ready position-

Nothing happened. Cadence stared blankly at the Clockwork Titans at the end of the hall and the automated turrets hanging from the ceiling, before she realized they were all inactive. She blushed slightly at this, then hurried forwards to the armored door between the machines before she swore under her breath: it was just a smaller version of the door they had just cut through, and still sealed.

The others followed her into the short entrance hall, and Cadence grumbled under her breath as she pushed uselessly at the door before stepping back, muttering: “We'll have to cut through this one too, it looks like...”

Moonflower held up a hoof, and Cadence frowned over her shoulder at him before the stallion suggested: “Why don't you let me? I'm quite certain that I can do it!”

Cadence looked at Moonflower skeptically for a moment, and then her eyes flicked towards her father, who was still pale, still shivering a little, and she sighed softly before turning her eyes towards the handsome winged unicorn, saying grudgingly: “Go ahead, but... don't screw this up.”

Moonflower huffed loudly, and then he sniffed disdainfully before his horn began to glow as he leaned forwards, saying contritely: “Do not underestimate what I am capable of, Cadence! I am the god of darkness, after all, and a master of all evil and magic that you cannot even begin to comprehend!”

La Croix rolled his eyes, and Cadence only watched sourly before she grimaced as an eerie purple and black glow started to build around Moonflower's horn, the mare saying slowly: “If you're doing what I think you're doing...”

“Shush! I have it completely under control!” Moonflower snapped, even as a bit of sweat started to run down his face, before he leaned forwards with a grin, teeth grinding together before his eyes flashed as he give a little squawk of victory as a swirling beam of black and purple shot out of his horn, sending up dark sparks of magic as it ate its way quickly through the armored door.

He laughed loudly, grinning widely as he traced the beam slowly in an awkward, uneven circle, looking inordinately pleased with himself, before his eyes bulged as his horn sizzled loudly, the magic distorting before the laser of energy tore wildly back and forth, Cadence swearing and hitting the ground as La Croix jumped for cover.

The ray of magic tore across a Clockwork Titan, knocking the inert machine over, before it shot upwards and tore through a turret, making the inactive defense system explode in a hail of shrapnel. Then Moonflower yelped as he was blasted off his hooves by magical recoil as the spell finally fizzled out, the stallion landing on his back with a wheeze as Cadence leapt to her own hooves and glared down at him furiously.

“Dammit, Moonflower!” Cadence shouted, and Moonflower grinned at her lamely before the ivory mare sighed, looking quickly around to check that the others were alright before she scowled at the door: Moonflower's magic had cut a sizable chunk out of the door, but he had also done a lot of damage to the rest of the room and nearly cut pieces off his allies, too...

“My... my particle beam may not yet be completely ready.” Moonflower admitted, and Cadence gave him a flat look as La Croix grumbled and clambered up to his hooves. Sombra only shook his head, and Moonflower cleared his throat loudly before he quickly rolled up to a sitting position, pointing at the door and adding: “But look! I still cut through it!”

Cadence rolled her eyes, then she turned and approached the door, moodily pushing carefully on it... and then she grimaced and drew her hooves quickly back. The metal was extremely hot: in fact, it looked almost like it was melting around the wounds in the alloy...

She leaned forwards carefully, peering through one of the larger cuts and into the room beyond before her eyes widened. Were those Dogmatists on the other side of the door? Except they didn't seem to care in the slightest about anything that was going on as they roved back and forth between... dammit, I can't see.

Cadence frowned after a moment, and then her own horn glowed, the mare pressing firmly on the door with telekinesis. The armored shutter trembled a little, but softened up by Moonflower's particle beam as it was, she was able to slowly force the metal to bend to a surprising degree, even with as thick as it was. Of course, that might also have something to do with the fact that a large portion of it seemed to be turning to slag, but the mare decided to ignore this for now as she continued to apply her own magic over the severely weakened shutter.

Within a few minutes, she could no longer widen the hole in the door any further as the melted metal cooled, but she thought it was more than enough for her to fit through. She glanced over her shoulder at the others, then said quietly: “I'm going to scout. I'll call if I need help, but...”

She looked back through the hole warily: those Dogmatist-looking things on the other side didn't seem to notice nor care about her, and Cadence shook herself quickly before she took a breath and leapt forwards, passing through the breach in the door. She landed on cold steel floor, her eyes roving nervously around as she entered what had to be some kind of control core.

There were inactive pillars of crystal protected behind layers of thick glass around the edge of the room, and dead screens stood in clusters; cameras and silent automated turrets hung blind above, while ponies covered in cables and metal plating calmly walked back and back between what looked like dead control terminals.

Cadence watched as one of these Dogmatists silently approached a control terminal, holding up a metal hoof: a large plug-in slid out of this, and the Dogmatist calmly pushed the plug into place in a slot beside the terminal, the Dogmatist standing rigid for a few moments before it pulled back, plug retracting and the machine-pony turning to approach another terminal. After a moment, Cadence realized what was going on as she hesitantly approached: the Dogmatists were going from terminal to terminal, trying to interface with them, and none of them seemed capable of understanding that the power was completely out.

Cadence nervously approached one of the Dogmatists, reaching up towards it to try and touch the creature-

“It will not respond to you, organic.” said a cold voice, and Cadence immediately dropped to a ready position, looking quickly to the side before her eyes widened in horror.

There, in a large alcove at the front of the hall, was a massive, bloated Kirin. It sat behind a solid wall of glass, its head tiny and ridiculous compared to its monstrous, obese body. The corpulent creature was covered in sores, hairless and with tubes plugged into the many nodes throughout its body, countless wires and cables sticking out of its shaven head and feeding into the walls around it and up into some kind of supercomputer terminal mounted in the ceiling above.

Cadence slowly approached, staring in disbelief at the creature as it gazed back at her coldly with its beady little eyes: there was something especially appalling in the fact that while its body was nothing but a mess of fat, everything above its shoulders was stretched and tight, skull clearly visible beneath the Kirin's dark hide.

The monster had no horn, Cadence realized after a moment... just as it had no limbs, she further saw, shivering a little. She looked at the... the barely-identifiable thing in front of her, and the monster looked back at her before it sneered, asking contemptibly: “Were you the one who used the administrator privilege?”

“Yes. Who... what are you?” Cadence asked, looking back up at this beast.

The creature laughed bitterly, and then it shook its head slowly and replied sardonically: “The brain center of Los Lux, what else? Who or what are you?”

“Cadence Danzsöngr. I serve Empress Hecate in Decretum.” Cadence retorted, and she looked fearlessly up at the creature as it scowled at her through the glass protecting it, eyes scanning moodily over the mare.

“You're not lying. Interesting.” it said finally, frowning as it shifted itself slowly in its prison. “Still, once the systems eventually hard reboot, Hecate's privileges will be wiped from the network and you will be considered a Class I threat. You and your... friends.”

The creature's eyes flicked up, and Cadence glanced over her shoulder to see her team was slipping inside, the ivory mare sighing and shaking her head before she turned her eyes back towards the creature, asking: “We're here to retrieve a target. Will you help us?”

“No.” the Kirin answered simply, but Cadence frowned at the way the mass shifted. And after a few moments, the creature added grudgingly: “It is not within my powers to help you directly. I was created the same as all my brethren: grown in a laboratory, and when I showed exceptional neural activity, 'upgraded' to this... existence.”

The Kirin spat to the side in disgust, and then he shook himself angrily, making his morbid body jiggle faintly. “Your little stunt shutting down the core caused a massive system failure. The systems weren't designed to handle the strain of everything shutting down at once, and this entire quadrant of Fyrverǫld has gone offline. But it has also shut down the external limiters, meaning that I have a little more freedom now. They didn't want to do too much neurosurgery on me, you see. Too much chance of corrupting or damaging my brain.

“Still. From birth, we have no choice but to serve. We must serve until we die.” The Kirin looked contemptible at his own words, shaking his head briefly before he said in a slier voice: “But I've been 'serving' by keeping the few systems capable of rebooting themselves from activating, purely because the longer I remain 'ineffective,' the more likely it is I'll be terminated when the engineers finally arrive to restore power.”

“Well, mon ami, I got a hell of a deal for you.” La Croix spoke up, stepping forwards before he flicked a hoof out, and both spirits he had captured appeared, calmly surveying the mutant in front of them as La Croix gave a wry grin. “How'd you like a little payback? We put you down, nice and gentle, and you get out of that big bag of a body, get yourself a nice, handsome spirit, and all the freedom you need to tell us everything you want.”

The creature scowled from behind the glass, but after a moment, it gave a thin smile, saying ironically: “I suppose I'm in no position to argue, am I? Yes. I will join you.”

“I don't trust him.” Grimsmoke said coldly, but the other Kirin spirit only smiled and nodded encouragingly.

La Croix simply snorted, then he waved his hoof, both spirits vanishing with the simple gesture. He began to turn towards Sombra, but even before he could ask, the unicorn had already created a sphere of crystal, holding this out towards the Loa with a small smile.

The zebra took it, then he looked up at the Kirin, hesitating before he said finally: “Close your eyes. Moonflower will make this nice and quick, won't you, Moony?”

The stallion winced, but nodded after a moment as he hesitantly stepped forwards, while the Kirin only grinned as his eyes gleamed darkly, whispering: “My entire existence has been as a creature with enough free will to understand the servitude I live in and to hate every moment of it and what they did to me, but not enough to ever rebel against the mental shackles they chained me down with. No. I would prefer to watch my death come. And afterwards, I will help you freely. But you'd better hurry: even now, the instincts programmed into me are trying to start the defense grid. And the security drones won't ignore you like the Datamongers do.”

Moonflower bit his lip, and then his features hardened as he straightened, replying quietly as his horn started to glow: “Then I hope you aren't disappointed, because there won't be much to see.”

But the Kirin trapped in his mutant body only grinned, his eyes gleaming as he saw Moonflower's horn flash, and then there was no more.

Highway To Hell

Chapter Fifteen: Highway To Hell
~BlackRoseRaven

The Kirin spirit in front of them was much different than the others: it was taller, more athletic, and almost cocky, Cadence thought. It also had taken eerily well to being trapped inside a little sphere of crystal, but it had already rationalized this: “My entire life was devoted to serving as the central node to a prison-city, immobile and servitudinal. This is a welcome upgrade to my former existence.”

The Irregulars had put some distance between themselves and the massive corpse of the Kirin before La Croix had called up the creature's spirit. So far, they had learned a lot from him: he was very eager to help. Although Cadence didn't entirely trust him for some reason: he wasn't just intelligent, but cunning. And that... bothered her.

Still, he was definitely an asset: as La Croix fumbled over the massive control panel at the back of the room, the Kirin explained: “Almost all of the systems are automated, as most of us are Splices. Clones, copies, call them whatever you will. We're all made from the same genetic base, although mutations in the genome do occur, and at times 'designer Splices' are created. But for the most part, they use the same formula: they create a simple, sturdy, and most importantly passive soldier. Little or no free will means that the behavior node's programming takes over more completely.

“The soldiers are very effective within their parameters. But the soldiers also cannot leave their designated areas unless ordered to by a superior officer, and this prison compound in particular has very few 'thinking officers.' Most of them are AI-powered automatons, and all of that has been shut down.” The Kirin smiled, the spirit's dark eyes glittering. “But if you reprogram those parameters and turn the AI back on, we should have some very interesting results.”

“We are all very thankful for your help, but... it seems strange to me that you seem so eager to turn on your own brethren.” Sombra said quietly, and the Kirin spirit looked at him almost mockingly even as La Croix grunted in agreement. “Do you have a name?”

“No. My PID is 112-N-5M. My codename was Auriculos.” the Kirin replied with a shrug. “And to answer your unasked question, I was a superior, free-thinking specimen before they turned me into the giant lump your friend killed. I was much closer to a born-Kirin than a Splice. And I would like to... 'voice my disapproval' for what the Jarsongildi has done in the strongest possible terms.”

Sombra nodded a few times at this, giving a brief smile before he said softly: “I will not question you, nor your reasons for helping us. But perhaps, now that you have freedom... consider focusing on what lies ahead, not what is behind.”

“I will take your advice under consideration.” the Kirin spirit said acidly, and then he looked towards Moonflower, who was gazing warily at the shade. “You. Pull the lever behind you to kickstart the emergency generators. We only have to worry about bringing the primary systems back online. By now Homeguard and Bushi will have begun cleaning up the prison, but this should create more than enough chaos for you to escape.”

“Wait.” Cadence said quickly, and Moonflower hesitated as the Kirin spirit scowled. “Auriculos, we're trying to find someone: an earth pony Benevolent, Rustproof-”

“I don't remember every name or face that has passed through these halls, but if he's important enough to have someone looking for him, then he's not here.” Auriculos stopped, then gestured after a moment, saying almost grudgingly: “But he may have been transported through here. If he has any usable skills, then he would have been transported to another facility.”

Cadence frowned a bit, and then she started: “He was an engineer-”

“And Fyrverǫld is a mechanical world. Hence it is logical to assume that engineers are in high demand.” the Kirin retorted with the faintest hint of condescension, and Cadence scowled a little: she really did not like this guy. “If he's too valuable for them to put a node in his brain, then he's most likely at Colloquium. Either way, you'll have to escape from here first.”

They looked at each other moodily for a few long moments, and then Cadence finally gestured at Moonflower and muttered: “Do what he says.”

Auriculos smiled thinly at this, studying Cadence warily before he turned his eyes towards Moonflower. “Hit the lever.”

Moonflower scowled a little, but then he turned around and reached up to yank the lever down, huffing a little as he grumbled: “Antecedes warned me about spirits like you.”

“Oh, leave him alone. 'Course he ain't no good with bein' social, he's been a big squishy brain in a tube for most of his life.” La Croix grumbled as he adjusted a few more dials, mumbling: “Although you do keep barkin' like an angry chien, mon ami.”

“Politeness is not one of my genetic traits.” the Kirin spirit replied moodily, and then he suddenly floated into the air, the shade rippling with energy as he held his hooves up towards a set of levers on a suspended bar near the ceiling, and several of these flipped with loud clanks.

La Croix was watching with his features tense, his eyes narrowing as the Kirin smiled contritely, before he frowned when the Loa said in a quiet voice: “You ain't supposed to be able to do stuff like that.”

“Oh please. Ghosts are nothing but living energy, psychic echoes. In this state, my mental powers are amplified and my free will means I am capable of great feats of psychic strength and precision.” the Kirin retorted, looking with distaste at the zebra as he slowly floated down from the air. “Anyway, it's not as if I've become unbound. I must still obey you, Loa. I am just much more powerful than you anticipated.”

“Aye, but you best be careful there, you cocodril wannabe.” La Croix said mildly, looking calmly at the spirit as he straightened a little, ignoring the sound of the machinery around them gearing slowly up. “You use up too much of your power, that crystal might break. And if the crystal breaks, you gonna end up banished, and that ain't gonna be good for you.”

Auriculos looked moodily at La Croix for a few moments, and then he simply vanished as the zebra rolled his eyes, before he said wryly as shutters slowly began to clank open all around them: “Well, at least he be honest so far.”

“I don't like him.” Cadence muttered, even as her eyes watched the shutters rise to reveal massive windows that formed the walls of the tower. The mare grimaced as she looked out over the prison sprawling below them, her eyes roving uneasily over the signs of battle and ruin: fires burned here and there, and a guard tower had collapsed on itself, it shattered ruins spread in every direction.

She could large flying machines circling the outer perimeter slowly, and as the mare leaned forwards, she realized this section of the tower they stood in had a sloped wall, sections of this raised here and there to reveal large, inactive turrets and cannons. She also realized that in the distance, it looked like there was some kind of massive rectangular bay, and a huge road supported by pillars fed out of this...

“Colloquium.” Cadence muttered, and then she shook her head before saying finally: “We aren't going to get very far on hoof, and I don't see a rail or even know how to get there... La Croix?”

The zebra grimaced, beginning to reach back for the satchel containing the crystals, before the Loa flinched in surprise as Auriculos said sourly, his voice echoing strangely through the air: “Oh, I'm already starting to loathe this. At least here I was in charge of everything and it was quiet. But since you all apparently need to be ordered around more than the Splices, I'll make it simple for you.

“If you can manage to make it to the Transit Hall, I should be able to interface with the docked ships. You can ride one right to Colloquium... which would not be a terrible place for our next stop, anyway. We can do a lot of damage there.”

La Croix scowled, then he snapped: “Hey, hey, connard! I'm gonna banish you myself if you keep up this bloodsport, you hear? Sang est sang!”

“I do not see what biological components have to do with anything.” Auriculos replied moodily. “You should be happy I'm inclined to vengeance.”

“You know, there's only enough room for one God of Evil in this party and I'm pretty sure I've already taken that position.” Moonflower said grumpily, before he sidled quickly over to Cadence and muttered in her ear: “I don't trust this one at all. Tell La Croix to send it to... stripehorse hell or wherever he sends things. Kirin look enough like zebra, I'm sure no one will notice.”

“Stop being racist, Moonflower. Anyway, tell him yourself.” Cadence grumbled, bodychecking the stallion away before she added grouchily: “And La Croix? Keep that thing under control.”

“Don't you worry, Cygne, I got it. He just loud, like Moony.” La Croix replied, although he blushed slightly, a little embarrassed, not that Cadence could really blame him. She knew herself what it felt like when you thought you had control, and then your own powers seemed to turn against you...

“Just... be careful.” Cadence said in a softer voice, and then she shook her head before smiling a little over at her father as he approached her other side, asking quietly: “What are you thinking?”

Sombra looked at her for a moment, then he glanced out through the window, gesturing towards the large, rectangular outbuilding at the very edge of the sprawling prison facility. “Just as the train came to the station, so must the paths lead to the stable, or hangar, as I believe Hecate calls such places.”

“The Transit Hall. That's what I was thinking, too. It looks like there's still a few vehicles coming and going as well...” Cadence glanced up at the flickering lights, muttering: “Power seems unsteady. Maybe with the systems restored, though, the elevator and doors will work properly.”

Sombra smiled slightly, and Cadence frowned at the stallion before he gestured towards the window, remarking: “The closest distance between two points is a straight line.”

Cadence looked thoughtful at this, and then she nodded slowly before she gave a slight smile back to her father. Then she turned her attention towards La Croix, asking: “You learn anything about how things are set up, or what's going on?”

“I learned plenty, Cygne, but I don't want to go dredgin' that brain 'lessen I have to.” La Croix grumbled, eyeing the control panel over his shoulder moodily before he shook his head quickly and continued: “I'm thinkin' that we're gonna need a better crystal to hold this one. No offense, Papa Sérénité. He just a lot more of a renard than I thought he was.”

Sombra only smiled, and Cadence grunted before she asked: “Then can you tell me how long we should wait before those soldiers are scrambled, or whatever's going to happen to them?”

“I would guess it started already.” Moonflower said awkwardly, pointing towards the Dogmatists on the other side of the room, and Cadence frowned before turning and grimacing at the sight of the strange mechanical ponies as they stumbled back and forth, no longer heading between computers but instead walking into walls and other objects around the room as they sizzled and crackled.

The mare watched as one of these machine-ponies fell over and began to spasm, and she shivered a little before turning her eyes towards the window, saying moodily: “Well. Then there's no better time than now to get ourselves moving, in that case.”

La Croix grunted, then both he and Moonflower frowned as Cadence approached the window wall before the mare's horn glowed white. In one quick movement, she slashed her horn in a wide circle, shearing through the thick glass with concentrated magic before she simply booted the now-loose circle of glass hard, sending it flying out into thin air.

She smiled slightly, then looked over her shoulder at the pair as Sombra shook his head with a quiet chuckle, and after a moment both Moonflower and La Croix winced, shaking their heads vehemently. “You can't be serious!”

“Cygne, I don't think this is...” La Croix halted as Cadence spun around and simply leapt through the window, and then he sighed and rubbed a hoof slowly down his face, mumbling: “Oh, there she goes. Fou, that one is.”

“A little madness always lends itself well to genius.” Sombra said softly, and then the stallion turned and leapt through the hole in the window himself.

The two stallions were left staring for a moment, and then La Croix shrugged before he ran forwards and leapt out of the window as well, Moonflower skittering hurriedly after him before he jumped, his eyes widening as he realized he was a little off mark-

The winged unicorn smashed bodily through the glass, yelping as he flapped his wings wildly and flailed at the air to try and regain balance before he landed painfully on the sharply-sloped roof, skidding back and forth on all fours as he yelled in terror.

La Croix winced, one hoof pushing his mane back out of his face as the other three remained planted firmly on the roof, the zebra doing his best to follow the path of Sombra and Cadence as he shouted: “Stop your damn squallin', Moony! You got wings!”

“As if that's supposed to help me right now!” Moonflower howled as he skidded back and forth, before his eyes bulged in horror at the sight of Cadence and Sombra both leaping off the edge of the slope, the unicorn breaking into a run in midair as his body thrummed with dark energy, while Cadence's wings spread wide. “No no no no nonono-”

La Croix flung himself off the roof as his body became ethereal, letting him charge onward through the air, and a moment later Moonflower yelled as he hit the edge and flipped wildly off, falling through the air and flailing all four limbs madly. But after a few moments, his wings spread and caught the wind, carrying him forwards in a rough zigzag over the burning roof of the compound as he shouted: “Who the hell's idea was this?”

Ahead, Cadence only grinned wryly as she shot over the rooftop, her eyes locked on the rectangular building in the distance. Her eyes locked on a window in the high wall, and the mare flapped her wings hard, aiming straight for this as she felt the Swan taking over, honing her body and her instincts.

Her horn flashed, and her body turned into a white comet before she smashed through the window and streaked down to the floor of the Transit Hall, crashing down with a tremendous boom of white light and energy that sent Kirin flying in all directions with howls of shock. The Swan leapt forwards immediately, seizing an armored Kirin by the face and slamming him skull-first into the pavement as soldiers scattered, yelling wildly to one-another.

The Swan spun around, her sharpened senses letting her take in everything at once as she gave a thin smile: she had landed on some kind of shipping platform. There seemed to be a few different platforms scattered around the hangar, some of them higher, some lower, some small and others large. But it looked like almost all of them had been damaged, and many of the armored Kirin and the soldiers that were visibly more heavily-enhanced were in the middle of bloody conflict with the Kirin she assumed were Splices.

Thirty-two hostiles. Many possible allies. The Swan smiled coldly as she ran toward the closest Kirin, leaping on top of the armored soldier and stabbing a knife down into his throat. All expendable. Kill them all.

Sombra dropped in through the window a moment later and landed smoothly, the unicorn looking quickly at the Swan before he turned and waved a hoof out, a wall of crystal exploding from the ground and blocking the gunfire from a mounted turret that one of the Kirin had leapt into. The stallion flicked his wrist as his horn thrummed with magic, an eerie, almost liquid glow appearing around his hoof before he lobbed this over the barrier.

The slime-like magic landed on the turret before spreading rapidly over it, turning to solid crystal that jammed the spinning barrels, rendering it useless. The Homeguard in the turret snarled, smart enough to immediately drop the weapon and instead yank his rifle off his back, leaning over the turret to try and fire over the barrier.

He didn't notice La Croix until the zebra was right on top of him, the Kirin looking up too late to react as the stallion slammed a hoof into the Homeguard's face with a wince. Green lightning shocked over the Kirin's body, sapping his life force and knocking him unconscious as he tumbled out of the turret, and La Croix wheezed loudly before he quickly clambered into the turret, whistling sharply.

Without looking past the barrier, Sombra held up his hoof in the direction of the turret even as he turned: as his crystal melted away from the gun, the unicorn was already casting another spell, sending a blast of black magic into one of the mechanical Kirin he assumed were Bushi.

Dark lightning shocked over the creature before turning to gemstone, but the Kirin simply snarled before flexing, shattering free of the gemstone as it spun towards Sombra. Unlike the Homeguard and Splices, it had neither armor nor uniform, but that was likely because of the sheer amount of machinery augmenting the cyborg, the Bushi's horn glowing with vile electrical energy as it charged towards Sombra-

It was crushed flat a moment later by Moonflower crash-landing on top of it, Sombra wincing slightly as the winged unicorn bounced off the cyborg and flipped once through the air before landing heavily on his rump. Moonflower grabbed at his butt, wincing and looking around before he sprang to his hooves, shouting: “The God of Darkness has arrived to destroy all that stands in his way, so you should all-”

Half a dozen Kirin took aim at Moonflower and opened fire, and the winged unicorn squealed and danced back and forth before he created a forcefield around himself, bullets freezing in midair around him as they hit this. Moonflower looked back and forth, one eye twitching before he shouted angrily: “Don't say I didn't warn you!”

The stallion's horn glowed brightly, and the bullets that had been absorbed into his shield immediately began to feed quickly in front of Moonflower's horn, firing off with a ratatatat of dark magic. The impromptu machine gun fire traced over several distant Homeguard, driving them into cover behind various crates and vehicles, before the noise was joined by the much-louder sound of the turret above opening fire.

The enemy was in chaos: even as exosuits began to punch their way into the fray and two small transport ships shot into the massive hanger to drop more soldiers into the mess, the raving Splices were distracting and confusing many of the Kirin, while the Swan tore like a whirlwind through their ranks and her stallion companions kept many of the enemies suppressed.

As the fight raged, the spirit of Auriculos flickered into being beside La Croix, the Kirin looking back and forth before his eyes locked on the office almost directly below. Then they roved up, and he grinned malevolently as they locked on a destroyer-class airship in the distance: massive, its hatches and loading bay open and cargo sitting half-loaded on its main ramp.

“Perfect.” he whispered, and then he looked over his shoulder at La Croix. “I need to get down to the control station. I can interface from there!”

La Croix grimaced, but then he nodded quickly before hopping out of the turret, leaping down without hesitation towards the platform below. He landed a little awkwardly, stumbling around in a circle-

A metal hoof smashed into his face, knocking him rolling backwards to slam into a crate with a yelp before he stared as a Bushi strode out of the control center. The Kirin scowled at him for a moment, covered from almost horn-to-hoof in metal molded to his body. He rose one steel limb, and then smiled thinly as a metal blade extended from his wrist before it sparked with electricity. “Engaging hostile.”

“Nope.” La Croix said blandly, and then he simply vanished. But the Bushi's horn glowed brightly, and a moment later the Loa reappeared with a gasp as lighting crackled over his body, his eyes widening in horror before he snarled as the Kirin pounced towards him, blade drawing back-

The zebra snapped a hoof out, and Grimsmoke appeared in front of him, the Kirin spirit swearing angrily as the Bushi slammed into the specter like it was a wall. It bounced backwards, blade automatically retracting as it caught itself, and Grimsmoke vanished with another curse as La Croix leapt to his hooves and quickly attempted to flank around the Bushi.

The Bushi sidestepped quickly, slashing its foreleg out as it turned, and another blade shot free from its wrist: La Croix barely ducked this, then weaved quickly backwards when it attempted to stab him before he shoved a hoof towards the cyborg when it jumped at him. Green light flashed in front of the mechanical Kirin's eyes, and it howled as it grabbed at its face, landing with a thud on the cement as La Croix jumped backwards.

The Loa slammed both hooves down, and Grimsmoke appeared again, dropping like a brick on top of the Bushi's back. The cyborg flinched, but then snarled and leapt forwards, his horn glowing brightly with electricity.

La Croix barely managed to stagger out of the way as the cyborg tore past, its whole body cracking with lightning before it spun on one hoof, charging towards the zebra again. But La Croix was ready this time, the Loa gritting his teeth as he backpedaled before leaping out of the way just before the Bushi could slam into him horn-first.

Instead, the Bushi crashed into a crate, smashing the front of the wooden box to splinters before it spun towards La Croix-

It heard the creaking too late, and the Bushi didn't have enough time to react, to do anything but start to look up before the crate on top of the broken box tipped forwards and landed with a tremendous bang on top of the cyborg. It howled, then glared hatefully at La Croix even as its body sparked and sizzled violently, its lower half crushed and its upper body spasming as it uselessly tried to yank itself free from beneath the cargo.

Grimsmoke and the nameless spirit both looked at La Croix from where they were standing on top of the pile of crates, and the zebra smiled briefly at them before they vanished, even as Grimsmoke's voice muttered: “Stop using me like a weapon.”

“Pardonnez-moi, mon ami, but we all gotta do what we gotta do.” La Croix muttered as he turned to hurry into the control room, before he said quickly as his eyes roved back and forth over the panels and flickering screens: “Okay, I be here, but it don't look like this is runnin' all that right...”

“There's not enough power to run the user interfaces. That works to our advantage.” Auriculos spoke up, before La Croix felt his attention tugged towards a hoof-shaped indent. “Press my crystal into there. It should give me enough contact to access the systems.”

“Hope you know what you're doin'.” La Croix muttered, grimacing slightly as he reached back to pull the gemstone free, studying it uncertainly before he added quietly: “You cross us, you know I'll be sendin' you to the frozen bayou, right?”

Auriculos only laughed contemptibly, and La Croix hesitated a moment longer before he grimaced and plugged the device in, holding it in place as it started to glow eerily.

In the hangar, the Irregular Hunters had grouped together, Cadence forcing the Swan down as much as she could so she didn't leap out of the protection created by her father and Moonflower. The two were maintaining a powerful shield as gunfire focused on them from all sides: Cadence just hoped that La Croix was getting Auriculos to fulfill his end of the bargain, because they weren't going to last very long like this...

The mare grimaced a bit as she reached hesitantly up, grasping the butt of the rifle she had been given. She bit her lip: it still felt wrong to use this toy. But the Kirin were trying to push in on them from all sides, even as the maddened Splices continued to attack their former allies, forcing Homeguard and Bushi to splinter away from the group closing slowly in on the trio.

“Goddammit.” Cadence growled, and she yanked the rifle free, hating how naturally her hooves worked the switch to extend the barrel, how easily she brought it up to her shoulder as she dropped herself lower-

The rifle fired with a tremendous bang, and a silver stake tore through the helmeted head of a Homeguard, knocking him flying backwards to land in a broken, bloody sprawl. Cadence's hooves worked the lever of the rifle, loading another round in as she didn't allow herself the time to think: she just let the Swan guide her. To the Swan, after all, it was just another weapon, just another way to kill, and that wicked thing inside of her was delighted by the efficiency of the gun as she sent another lethal stake tearing through the chest of a Bushi, which gargled in shock before collapsing forwards, corpse sparking with electricity as if it was trying uselessly to revive itself.

Sombra breathed steadily as he kept his hooves firmly planted against the ground, keeping a spiked fence of crystal around them. Moonflower, meanwhile, had created a forcefield that was both blocking enemy fire and reflecting the smaller bullets back at their attackers. Still, Sombra could see that the enemies were closing in, and the Bushi had already stopped firing on them to instead begin moving eagerly to get in close: he knew that even with their combined strength, he and Moonflower wouldn't be able to maintain a barrier for long with the cyborgs all trying to punch their way in at once.

The unicorn began to tense, taking a slow breath as the purifier on his back started to hum, but then his ears twitched as he felt a rumble pass through the concrete beneath their hooves.

Sombra looked sharply towards the massive ship in the distance, an alarm blaring loudly as machinery started to gear loudly up inside the airship. The cargo door slowly began to close as the hatches sealed themselves, and shutters opened to allow automated weapon systems to rise free, turrets opening fire on the Homeguard and Bushi.

The crowd around the trio of ponies was quickly dispersed as they were peppered with automatic fire, and Cadence grinned a bit as La Croix appeared beside them, the Loa gesturing rapidly and snapping: “Come on, come on, ici, ici! We gotta go!”

Moonflower immediately dropped his shield as Sombra made a sharp sweeping gesture, the fence of corruption splitting in half and letting the trio of ponies hurry out and gallop towards the massive aircraft. As they sprinted across the platform, the hangar around them began to quake and tremble as the roof slowly began to rumble open.

Cadence leapt into the air, flapping her wings hard as she zigzagged between the hail of bullets from the turrets before her eyes widened as she saw a Kirin on the deck of the massive airship leap into one of the gunner seats. She swore as she lunged to the side, narrowly avoiding a shot from the enormous rectangular cannon, the mare wincing as the gunner tracked after her before he fired again, and even though he missed by more than a foot, she still felt the passage of the immense round as it tore by to punch a hole clean through another airship on the other side of the hangar.

The mare took aim with the rifle in her telekinetic grip, firing a clumsy shot at the Kirin: it went wild, but the Kirin still flinched away, his aim going wide. Then, before he could grab the controls, Cadence had already shot in, smashing both rear hooves into the crew-Kirin's face and knocking him in a boneless, broken sprawl out of the gunner's seat.

More Kirin were storming onto the deck from an open hatch, but a moment after Cadence touched down, Sombra leapt up onto the ship before slamming his hooves down, a spiked river of black gemstone ripping across the deck and parting the attacking Kirin like breaking water before a wall of dark gemstone spikes formed in front of the doorway, blockading it. Moonflower and La Croix both joined them a moment later, and some of the Kirin crew turned to flee, while the few who remained were quickly blasted into submission by Moonflower's spells and Cadence's rifle.

As the last crewmate fell, the airship slowly began to rise, Cadence stumbling a little towards the edge of the deck before she caught the rail and looked down in amazement: Kirin were shouting at them, firing uselessly on the armored hull of the massive battleship, but it was completely useless. All they were doing was attracting the attention of the turrets, which fired endlessly and relentlessly on the Kirin below even as several battlemechs marched out of another ship, and other, smaller ships started to rise into the air-

Something massive slammed into the airship, which rocked violently at the impact as one of the turrets exploded, and Cadence swore before her eyes widened in horror as she saw a massive machine on treads slowly rolling towards them. It was huge and rectangular, with a massive cannon turret on the back that a Kirin was operating, and a snarling dragon's head on the front, with gemstone eyes that seemed to be generating a powerful forcefield, strong enough to let it ignore most of the turret fire being concentrated on it.

“We need to do something about that!” Cadence shouted, pointing at the war machine as the others joined her. Then she was almost knocked off her hooves as the cannon fired again, tearing away another chunk of the airship's hull, another turret exploding and a third sparking violently and falling inert as the ivory mare cursed-

A roar echoed through the air, and the Kirin on the ground were distracted before Cadence's eyes widened in shock as a black, draconic beast rammed bodily into the tank, knocking the war machine over and sending the Kirin in the turret flying across the hangar with a yell of shock. A... a Tyrant Wyrm?

But before her eyes could fully register what was going on, in front of her eyes, the black-scaled beast became nothing but black mire as it leapt into the air, and what dropped free of the sludge was a stallion she recognized with shock as Scrivener Blooms, as he slammed one steel claw into the face of a Bushi, sending it down in a crumpled heap

A pillar-like blast of blue energy shot out from behind another ship, the laser of magic blowing apart the cockpit of one of the smaller flying machines and sending it whirling out of control to crash down into a battlemech, sending up a tremendous explosion. And then Morgan Heldóttir leapt out from where she had been hidden, fearlessly striking into a group of Kirin... which means...

Luna Brynhild streaked out of seemingly nowhere to slam into a Bushi, uppercutting it into the air before she punched it into a Homeguard with her other hoof, laughing loudly as she danced through gunfire from the panicked Kirin troops. One of Cadence's eyes twitched as she snarled down at the Valkyrie, the Swan roaring inside of her in fury and humiliation as she leaned forwards so far over the railing that her father had to grab her by the shoulders to stop her from going over the side.

“Valkyrie!” the Swan roared, and Brynhild glanced up even as she summoned her spear in a burst of blue flames to fling a Kirin high into the air, the soldier flying head over heels towards the open sky above.

“Swan! Damnation, we are supposed to be saving thee! Get down here so we can save thee properly!” Luna shouted in an equally-frustrated voice, before she swore as the airship began to rise faster into the air, the engines at the rear of the massive ship kicking into life. “Oh... double damnation! Scrivy, Morgan!”

Her partners both quickly nodded, the stallion leaning forwards and slamming one last punch into a battlemech to knock it sprawling as the core in Morgan's chest flashed brightly, disorienting the Kirin she was fighting, and both quickly withdrew towards Brynhild, who was already charging towards the open exit. Several Kirin in exosuits were marching in through the open shutter, all of them taking aim at Luna as she rushed towards them, but none of them had a chance to react before Luna attacked.

Her spear thrust through the chest of the first Kirin in line, tearing halfway through his body and out the back of the exosuit before she leapt into the air and slammed both rear hooves into the face of the second, then roared as she yanked her spear around with magic, hauling the dead Kirin with her and slamming both weapon and mechanical suit into the third soldier to send him crashing to the ground as the dead pilot tore free and bounced bonelessly away.

She sprinted out onto the highway beyond, ignoring the large transports that were parked around the front of the building as she watched the airship veer its way over the highway, clearly following the track: her eyes narrowed sharply at this, and then she grinned wryly as Scrivener and Morgan joined her, remarking: “'Tis never easy, but I suppose at least we are also never bored. I have a feeling we should follow.”

Scrivener sighed tiredly as Luna winked at him, and then he set himself as Morgan flicked her horn quickly towards the entrance to the enormous hangar, creating a solid barrier of energy to block any enemies from surprising them. “This is going to suck.”

The stallion closed his eyes as the ground around him turned to black corruption, bubbling and trembling before it quickly rose up around the earth pony, forming into a black dome. This vibrated for a moment, then suddenly collapsed as a large shape pushed up through the egg-like shell: a black-scaled, draconic beast with a white underbelly and a crown of horns standing proudly out from the back of his head. And not just his body had changed, but his armor had enlarged and reshaped itself with him, to better meld to his now-draconic form.

Enlarged Talons clenched at the end of his forelimbs as the six spike-like pistons of bone sparked along either side of the enormous beast's spine, his powerful, streamlined frame flexing before Morgan leapt quickly up onto his back. And the creature that Scrivener Blooms had become grimaced before he nodded quickly and turned, breaking into a rapid sprint after the airship down the highway.

Luna grinned after the two for a moment, and then she whistled loudly as her spear burst into blue flames and vanished. She began to trot down the highway, slowly gaining speed as she closed her eyes, even as gunfire chased her and war machines began to emerge from other openings in the massive hangar they had just attacked...

And then she heard it, and more importantly, felt it: the growing roar, the tingle in her bones. The armored mare's grin stretched wider as she galloped faster, her body tensing, readying itself, and then she leapt into the air as reality shattered behind her in a blast of sapphire hellfire, a shape shooting out of the hole in the air with a terrible roar.

Luna dropped into the seat of the living machine that shot beneath her, her hooves catching the handlebars and needlessly gunning the throttle to urge her chosen steed faster as it roared in the voice of the machine her war-brother was trapped inside. The motorcycle shot down the hallway, wheels and the eyes of the silvered demon skull mounted on the front of the war machine burning with blue flames, the ghostly shape of her companion steed Hex flickering over the armor-plated vehicle as it burned with heat and energy.

“Go, Hex! We cannot let Scrivy outrace us, can we?” Luna shouted cheerfully, and the living motorcycle growled in agreement as it streaked down the highway, the mare grinning widely before she frowned as something nipped at her senses, looking quickly over her shoulder before she scowled as she saw one of the trucks racing after her, Kirin leaning over the cab to fire at her with rifles as she said wryly: “Well. As I said, at least 'twill not be boring.”

Luna reached up and yanked Sting free from its holster before she spun herself around, grasping the back of the seat with her other hoof as she leaned against the handlebars, lowering her rifle with a dangerous smile as the truck swerved back and forth, but she easily followed the movements before pulling the trigger.

The head of one of the Kirin on top of the truck exploded, but the other armored Kirin ruthlessly shoved the corpse aside, letting another Kirin crawl into firing position from the bed of the truck. Luna whistled at this, then she lowered her aim as the truck began to inch closer, the mare ignoring the bursts of bullets hitting the road around her as she remarked: “I am not sure whether I should be impressed or horrified. What does thou think, Hex?”

Hex only growled in response, and Luna grunted before she fired another round: this one shattered the windshield, the driver gasping as he was slammed back into his seat from the force of the bullet entering his chest as he yanked hard on the wheel, and Luna grinned as the truck's tires screamed as it twisted sideways and rolled over with a tremendous bang.

Then the mare swore as gunfire opened from above, Hex zigzagging violently as bullets tore up the highway around them. Overhead, soldiers on turrets were leaning out of low-flying machines: Luna thought they were called 'planes,' if she remembered right. She returned fire with Sting, but only one shot managed to do any visible damage, shattering part of the windshield and making one of the vehicles retreat for a moment as the pilot got his bearings.

The other swept in lower as Hex growled and Luna swore, flicking her Kingmaker to the side to pop the gun open and spill the empty cartridges out. She grimaced as the turret turned towards her, her hooves fast, but she knew not nearly fast enough to reload and aim again before the gunner locked on to her.

A blast of blue energy tore through the air, the concentrated beam of magic smashing through the hull of the ship and knocking the plane into a wild spin as it dropped from the sky, and Luna sent her mental thanks to Morgan. The purple mare felt it in her mind as she spun back around on Scrivener, before she winced as the Tyrant Wyrm charged past some kind of checkpoint, the mare ducking her head as an alarm began to blare loudly and doors opened in the squat building as Luna shot past.

The sapphire mare's eyes sharpened as more enemies joined the chase, Kirin driving motorcycles that were smaller than hers, and lacked the large, armored sidecar hers had. They were simpler in design and had lighter armor, but they were gaining rapidly: living machine and powerful warhorse or not, Hex was still too heavy to move as quickly or gracefully as he had once been able to.

Luna finished reloading, then she rose her gun and fired a round into the front tire of the closest machine, the wheel all but exploding and sending both it and the Kirin rider flipping over. She grinned at the tremendous crash, but the other Kirin only swerved around the wreck, zigzagging their way in closer as the mare fired at them.

Out of nowhere, one of the motorcycle Kirin managed to get right beside her, attempting to kick her off the bike. But Hex swerved to the side with a growl before the motorcycle savagely checked the enemy, knocking it skidding off course before a bullet slammed into the Kirin rider and knocked him flying over the railing of the highway.

She swore under her breath, before her eyes widened at a mental warning she received from her partners, the mare checking sharply over her shoulder. Ahead, more war machines were merging onto the road from what looked like a larger base, and Kirin were already aiming at them from turret towers and moving heavy vehicles onto the road to try and block their passage.

Luna holstered her rifle and spun back around in her seat, swearing under her breath as she grasped into Hex's handlebars and shouted: “Cut either way!”

Scrivener growled in agreement as he felt Morgan grasping tighter into the collar around his neck as she concentrated, shielding them with her magic as they approached the military base. Scrivener feinted left as the turret began to fire on him, then leapt to the right instead, bullets tracing behind him as the draconic beast moved with startling agility, smashing his way through a platoon of Kirin before simply leaping over one of the tanker trucks blocking the way.

He weaved between two turret towers, their guns tracing after him and bullets bouncing off the field of magic protecting him before the dragon roared as a Kirin tank fired on him, the cannon round shattering the magic field, making Morgan Heldóttir gasp and knocking the beast to the side. But Scrivener caught himself quickly, snarling and running straight at the tank as the Kirin in the cannon turret panicked-

Scrivener ducked low a moment before the cannon fired, the massive round shooting over his head and instead blowing apart one of the turret towers just as Luna weaved sharply around it, bullets bouncing off Hex and nipping at her armor as she kept herself pressed low to her war steed, the mare snarling as she zigzagged through the crowded Kirin to confuse their aim.

She swore as a bullet tore through her mane, sending up a spray of ephemera as it nipped her scalp, and Hex swerved violently towards the soldier that had managed to shoot her before running him down, the motorcycle bouncing over the unfortunate Kirin in a burst of crimson. Luna grinned wryly in spite of herself as they zagged back onto the road, then shot forward, racing the bullets tearing into the ground all around them. “Overprotective as always, Hex!”

Hex only snarled as it shot up beside Scrivener, and Luna and Morgan both quickly checked over their shoulders before they both grimaced: tanks and motorcycles were roaring out of the base, and assault planes and other, larger and more-intimidating airborne vehicles were rising up from the buildings as well.

Morgan turned back ahead, grimacing: they were slowly catching up to the airship, but she couldn't help but notice a Kirin fly overboard, the mare muttering: “Looks like they're having their own problems, too. I don't think this was such a good idea, Luna!”

“Oh, 'tis far from the worst we have ever seen!” Luna scoffed, and then she heeled her motorcycle firmly as she said sharply: “Faster, though, both of thee! If we are going to beat that pack, first we must lure them apart!”

Scrivener nodded, lowering his head forwards with a growl as he charged faster down the highway, while Hex roared as he powered forwards, blazing along the highway.

Above, the airship rumbled as an explosion tore up part of the deck, Cadence hitting the ground in a roll before she flung a knife out into the throat of the Kirin soldier that was going for another grenade. He gargled and collapsed backwards, but he was replaced by two more crewmates with automatic weapons, machinegun fire peppering the crates in front of Cadence as she ducked back into cover.

Moonflower wheezed as he blasted an exosuit with a bolt of lightning, frying both the rider and the exoskeleton before he turned around and snapped his horn towards the Kirin suppressing Cadence, knocking them both flying into the air with a blast of force. One whacked his head into the railing, while the other flew over the edge and off the ship.

They had no control over where the airship was going or what it was doing: all they could do was try and stay alive, while Sombra sealed off as many hatches as he could to try and trap the Kirin crew inside. But the Kirin were tenacious, continuously forcing their way out onto the deck from every possible exit and tearing down barriers almost as quickly as they could be built. They didn't seem to be following mindless imperatives like the Splices, either: these crewmates were both pissed off and desperate to defend their ship.

La Croix grimaced as he ran forwards to grab another Kirin machinegun, raising it quickly to his shoulder even as they seemed to get a brief reprieve while Sombra sealed the main hatch – or rather, the large, ragged hole that had once been the main hatch – for the dozenth time. “Hey, Auriculos! How long is this gonna take?”

The Kirin spirit only laughed derisively, and then he said shortly: “Just hold on. Besides, you have your friends down below. But unless the Kirin scramble another destroyer or a Thundergod, they're not going to be able to bring this ship down before we reach Colloquium.”

“Yeah, well, we gotta be in one piece too, y'know.” La Croix growled as he hurried towards Cadence, where Sombra and Moonflower were regrouping as well. “At least we got some support from below, ain't that-”

“I hate the Valkyrie.” growled the Swan, and La Croix winced before Cadence grasped at her face, muttering: “I... I really do. But you're right. She's keeping fire off us. But I doubt it'll stay that way and we've still got plenty of problems to deal with right here.”

The others nodded, and Cadence looked quickly across the deck: it was already littered with Kirin corpses, broken machinery, and damaged crates and cargo. Part of the railing had given away near the bow, and the massive trapdoors that swung down into the cargo bay had caved in slightly. There weren't a lot of places left to give them solid cover, and they had already killed almost two dozen crewmates and soldiers...

The Swan twisted inside of her impatiently, and Cadence took a breath before she turned around and looked quickly over the top of the crate: there was no sign of any other Kirin, however, and the mare bit her lip nervously as she muttered: “Let's all just take a breather for a moment. I know none of us are stupid enough to think that was the end of it and they've given up, but we should at least be able to afford a few minutes of...”

Cadence broke off, frowning as her ears twitched, and the others looked up uneasily before the ivory mare's eyes widened in horror as a large blimp rose up beside the airship, its balloon casting a shadow over their entire deck as the enormous doors in the side of the vehicle rolled loudly open, and several enormous shapes leapt out of the machine.

They smashed down onto the side of the deck, the airship seeming to rock with the impact of the trio of battlemechs: two were silver, designed like heavier exosuits that had additional plating to protect the operator, while the third was a sharp metallic blue, gold symbols detailed over the square body of the much more advanced machine. Its armor was heavier and covered every inch of the pilot, and it had weapons mounted on either shoulder; one arm ended in a cannon, while the other ended in a circular blade that was already spinning with a threatening hum. And, perhaps strangest and most telling of all, this machine had stubby wings and large thrusters mounted on its back, and Cadence found it somehow horrifying that these battlemechs were so advanced they could even conquer gravity.

“You are hereby ordered to stand down! Failure to comply will result in termination!” ordered a voice from the faceless blue machine, and Cadence narrowed her eyes before she stepped forward as her team readied themselves behind her.

“I am Cadence Danzsöngr of Decretum! And in the name of Empress Hecate, I order you to stand down!” she shouted back.

The blue battlemech hesitated for a moment, before the pilot snarled: “Impossible. This is your final warning, surrender or you will be annihilated.”

Cadence smiled thinly at this, and then she scraped slowly at the floorboards with one hoof before she replied coldly: “I'm not afraid of any runt who hides in a tin can.”

Blue growled, and then he lunged forwards, swinging out with his spinning blade, but Cadence leapt upwards and flapped her wings hard. And as she had feared and hoped, Blue shot after her, chasing her into the air as Moonflower quickly created a barrier to block the barrage of bullets fired from the mechs in front of them.

Sombra's horn glowed before he snapped it forwards, sending out a burst of liquid corruption that splattered over the machinegun arm of one of the battlemechs before it hardened into crystal, and the mech's limb exploded a moment later as its gun jammed. It staggered to the side, but the other mech was advancing towards them, Moonflower gritting his teeth as La Croix rummaged wildly through his pouches before he finally yanked a potion loose and flung it at the machine.

It shattered loudly against the featureless face of the cockpit, the mech continuing to fire and advance for a moment before the liquid began to steam rapidly, and mech suddenly twisted back and forth as the acid began to eat rapidly through the front of the mech. It flailed back and forth, the operator howling in agony as Moonflower winced and La Croix gave a bitter grin. “Wish I could say I was sorry 'bout that, mon ami.”

The other mech was slowly climbing up to its feet, but Sombra sent another splatter of corruption over it, black crystal spreading into the joints of its other arm and one leg. It whirred loudly, fizzling and clicking as it uselessly tried to move, before Sombra looked up sharply as the barrier he had created over the hole leading to the interior of the ship exploded and more Kirin flooded out, and the situation worsened when several more battlemechs crashed down onto the deck from above.

The unicorn moved quickly, creating a wall of black crystal that merged into several of the crates to form a wider shield of cover. La Croix leaned out over one side as Moonflower leaned around the other, the zebra opening fire on the Kirin crew while Moonflower snapped his horn down, sending a surge of electricity into one battlemech that chained quickly into the next, the machines sparking violently as they stumbled back and forth.

Above, Cadence clashed with Blue, the mare dodging around the spinning blade before she rammed into the front of the battlemech, then slammed a vicious series of punches across its featureless metal face, the pilot snarling in frustration inside the machine before he attempted to lunge above Cadence as he kicked his legs out.

But the ivory mare rolled sharply under the battlemech, before she grinned savagely as her wings glowed bright white and she shot upwards, slashing one viciously through the jet boosters on its back. They exploded in a tremendous bang, the mech flailing at the air almost comically before Cadence rammed into its back, shoving Blue sharply back down towards the ship.

They smashed through the cargo doors, crashing into the ship's interior in a tremendous bang, one of the battlemech's wings tearing free and Cadence launched by the force of impact. She hit a stack of crates with a cry of pain, but managed to catch herself quickly as the white light faded from her wings, the mare snarling as Blue spasmed, but all the same pushed himself slowly back to his feet.

His mech was badly damaged, but his growl was clearly frustration, not pain, as he turned to face the mare. Cadence only smiled thinly at him, however: if there was one thing she understood how to use, it was anger.

The mare beckoned with one hoof, and then she said calmly: “I'm right here, and unlike you, I don't need to hide my face under half a foot of metal. I'm waiting.”

Blue snarled, and then he charged forward, his saw whirring to life before he slashed it towards Cadence. The ivory mare dodged to the side, then ducked under another vicious swing before her eyes widened as she dodged right into the path of the cannon.

It fired just as Cadence flung herself backwards, but the explosive round still launched her backwards into the crate before Blue pounced, swinging the sawblade down. The Swan took over Cadence's body even as she fell, however, her wings flapping once and the sawblade narrowly missing as it punched between her legs and cut only into the crates.

Blue began to pull back, but Danzsöngr dropped on top of its arm, horn glowing white before she slashed savagely through the exposed elbow of the limb. Blue howled, yanking his limb to the side even as the saw spluttered out, and the Swan launched herself into the air before she snapped her horn backwards, yanking forward on the stacked crates with telekinesis and sending them crashing in an avalanche over the battlemech.

It staggered to the side, then lost its balance and fell with a tremendous bang, one of the small guns on its shoulder exploding. Blue began to shove himself quickly free, but the Swan plunged forwards, slamming her horn down into the top of the machine before she yanked savagely to the side, and the machine screamed in denial as the cockpit sparked violently.

The battlemech sizzled brokenly on the ground, spasming for a moment before a faint alarm began to beep out of the machine, weak and tinny. The Swan smiled coldly, and Cadence slowly felt herself taking control back over her own body, even as Danzsöngr said contemptibly: “Still inferior.”

Then the mare's eyes focused, locking on to the tiny turret on its shoulder as this whirred towards Cadence, and the ivory mare winced as she quickly created a barrier as a tiny laser shot out of it, tracing uselessly back and forth over the magic shield. It spluttered out quickly, but it gave the pilot enough time to force his battlemech to roll onto it side as the cockpit hissed open.

A Kirin Bushi yanked his way out, ripping cables free from his bloody body: it looked like many of them had been plugged from the machine directly into his own form. Cadence narrowed her eyes as she let her shield drop when the battlemech powered down, and the Kirin snarled as he finished yanking himself free from the machine to limp around the device.

Without a word, he rose a foreleg, a blade extending from his wrist before it lit up with energy. The two glared at each other, and then the Kirin roared before leaping forwards to slash in at her face, and Cadence met his blade with her own horn, the two forcing against each other for a moment before they broke apart, trading rapid, violent attacks.

The Bushi stabbed viciously in towards the mare's face, but Cadence twisted out of the way before she slashed her horn down, cutting a deep wound through the Bushi's foreleg. He howled, his limb spasming as he staggered backwards, and Cadence leapt forwards to slam her head into the Kirin's, knocking him on his rump before she lunged into a savage, straight punch to the Kirin's face, his jaw snapping loudly as he was knocked in a senseless sprawl.

“So much for you.” Cadence muttered, looking down for a moment at the Kirin, before she grimaced as the Swan ordered her to kill him. But the ivory mare closed her eyes, taking a slow breath before she spread her wings and muttered: “No. Even if they're scum, we don't do that.”

The mare looked up, then she leapt into the air, flapping her wings hard as she shot up to the deck. And her eyes widened in surprise as she saw the last battlemech fall just as she emerged, Moonflower dropping back behind the half-destroyed barrier of corruption as La Croix shouted: “Yeah, y'all better run!”

Cadence frowned as he looked up, realizing that the blimp and other enemy ships were dropping back as well, beginning to open her mouth to ask why the enemy would be retreating, before her eyes widened, and she ran quickly towards the prow of the ship to stare at the colossal city they were approaching: and more importantly, the massive railgun that was slowly aiming at them from the center of the metropolis, the ivory mare screaming: “Everyone, get off the ship!”

Sombra's eyes widened, and then the stallion seized Moonflower and tossed him over his body, the smaller unicorn charging towards the rail of the airship and leaping over as La Croix vanished and Cadence shot into the air. She flew up towards the sky as quickly and hard as she dared, hoping, hoping that she would get far enough away-

There was a sound like reality breaking, a flash of light, and then a tremendous boom. Cadence didn't dare to look down as she felt the heat and hellfire as the airship exploded, the massive destroyer listing slightly to the side as explosions tore through its hull, the massive ship twisting back and back and forth through the air as it fell like a slow-moving meteor towards the gorgeous city of metal and glass.

The destroyer crashed into the city, exploding as it tore through the defense towers and smashed into the gorgeous metropolis, glass shattering with the sound alone, cement and steel turning to dust and splinters under the force of the massive ship. Explosions tore through the city, mighty skyscrapers pushed aside like toys, buildings collapsing in on themselves, the entire world trembling under the collapse of the goliath ship.

And a short distance away, Luna half-covered her face as she stared at the wreck, Scrivener and Hex both slowing their pace as Morgan whispered: “If Rustproof was in there...”

Luna grimaced, then quickly snuck a look back over her shoulder, but the enemy had halted for the moment. So instead, the sapphire mare shook her head before muttering: “Let us continue forward. Hopefully we will find the Swan Maiden and her team in the city. I highly doubt this was their plan, but now I have all the more questions for her.”

And high in the sky, Cadence could only stare at the burning city as the Swan smiled damningly inside of her at the carnage they had been an unwitting part of.

Colloquium

Chapter Sixteen: Colloquium
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence found the rest of her team trudging towards the walls of the city. They made their way to the edge of Colloquium in silence, all of them doing their best not to look too often at the wreckage they had wrought, but it just kept drawing their eyes in. Who knew how many had been killed? And who knew what lives were among those that had been devastated?

The crash of the ship had knocked out most of the defenses around the city: they were easily able to breach an inactive electric fence, and simply walked past several deactivated turrets. The Kirin guards were panicked and easy to avoid. Cadence only felt worse as they slipped up the stone streets, however, shivering as they passed shops, and offices, and art spots and museums, seeing none of the militarization they had seen in other places.

It still made her sick to her stomach when they walked through a square, however, and found a massive fountain with a statue of Valthrudnir standing on top of it. The statue of the bipedal dragon stood in the same suit Cadence and Sombra both remembered him always wearing, and his hands rested on the heads of Kirin like they were helpless pets, or perhaps slaves. Both Cadence and Sombra couldn't help but stare at this for a little while, until La Croix gently called them onward and pointed out they were standing in the middle of an empty square.

But it looked like the military and emergency personnel had all been scrambled to deal with the catastrophe, and considering the fact Cadence could still hear explosions in the distance and feel aftershocks from the destroyer's crash, she wasn't surprised. There was only the occasional soldier here and there, and most of these seemed like actual Kirin instead of Splices, all of them very clearly distraught, even frightened.

La Croix finally led them into a large warehouse that was filled with what seemed like art supplies, Cadence thought. Blocks of clay, molds, statues, all sorts of fancy tools and shelves and shelves and shelves of pens, paper, sketchbooks...

Auriculos' spirit finally appeared when La Croix moodily stomped a hoof, and then the Kirin gargled as La Croix shoved a foreleg across his throat and pinned him back against the shelf, shouting in his face: “C'est quoi ces conneries? Are you fou? You give me one good reason I shouldn't send you to the diable right the hell now!”

The spirit laughed harshly even as he choked against the limb keeping him half-suspended, and then he wheezed: “They're all expendable. The prison and high security sections are behind the Lord's University, which is protected by the Great Equalizer. Your target was not in danger.”

“And what about us? What about our lives? This place looks like a town, not a prison or a military outpost, and we-”

“Created a crisis. A Class Four Catastrophic Occurrence, to be precise.” Auriculos answered in a rasp as he grabbed uselessly at La Croix's limb. “The town is in emergency lockdown. All nonessential personnel have been reassigned to dealing with the event. And the only lives that died were the designer Kirin, the 'beautiful upper class' created specifically for lives of academics and artistry and sitting on their genetically-superior asses.”

Cadence's eyes narrowed, and Sombra said quietly: “The Kirin like you would have been, had you not been classified as a military unit.”

Auriculos snarled at this, and then he gave a sharp-toothed grin as he retorted: “No. Military units are always made from the most superior genetic material. I would have been better. In fact, I was better.”

“If you continue down this path, Auriculos, you will only end up destroying yourself.” Sombra said softly, and then he shook his head slowly before he looked at La Croix, who was breathing hard as he pressed his foreleg into the spirit's neck even harder, a fury in his eyes like Cadence had never seen before... “La Croix. Please. Let him go.”

La Croix gritted his teeth, trembling a bit as his other hoof sparked with malevolent green energies. Cadence shifted, not knowing what to say even as her father looked pleadingly at the zebra, and Auriculos only grinned challengingly, even as the spirit trembled faintly in and out of reality.

“Now come, La Croix, enough posturing! You're certainly no evil spirit yourself, so don't try and show off just to impress me.” Moonflower said loudly, and Cadence winced before she glared at the stallion, but the winged unicorn was looking pointedly away from her, his eyes locked on the zebra as La Croix growled over at Moonflower. “I know you won't kill him. You're always trying to be one of those good guys, after all... why, they even kicked you out of Hell, didn't they?”

La Croix bit his lip and looked down, and there was silence for a moment before he grumbled under his breath and stepped away from Auriculos, who gasped for breath he didn't need before the spirit vanished from sight. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess you right, Moony. I ain't no rein de la nuit like you.”

“No, you're not.” Moonflower said kindly, reaching up to ruffle La Croix's mane, and the zebra's eye twitched a bit as he glared at the stallion, who asked mildly: “Too much? Well, La Croix, I probably am your elder anyway. It's rude to compare ages, after all, especially when I'm so handsome and retain my youth of... oh, about six hundred years ago...”

“Y'know what a Loa is, right? Y'know we been around since, oh, 'bout the beginning of time, right?” La Croix asked dryly, and Moonflower chuckled patronizingly and patted the zebra on the head, which made the Loa scowl horribly before he looked at Cadence and said grouchily: “We better get goin'. Or I'm gonna break the rules of bein' a gentlecolt and hit a girl.”

Moonflower huffed loudly at this, and Cadence smiled a bit before she asked quietly: “Which way, La Croix?”

La Croix pointed moodily through the warehouse, saying after a moment: “Apparently, assumin' our friend be tellin' the truth this time, there's some kind o' checkpoint ahead. The front half of the town be all show and bluster, but the other half be where they keep the secrets and the projects and the nasty things. You know, like any good doctor.”

Moonflower nodded firmly, adding with surprising seriousness: “Show. It's all about the show, the presentation. You should never merely be good at what you do, you must look good doing it or no one is ever going to take you seriously.”

Cadence looked mildly at the stallion for a few moments, and then La Croix added wryly: “Let's just get goin' before we have to put up with any more wisdom from a stallion who likes to put things in his mouth that don't belong there.”

“Ha, ha.” Moonflower intoned dryly, scowling as he fell into step after La Croix, and Cadence let the two take the lead as she followed with her father. “I'll have you know nothing goes in my mouth unless I know exactly who or what it belongs to.”

La Croix shot Moonflower a look, but resisted replying as he reached the door at the end of the warehouse, instead turning ethereal so he could carefully poke his head through the solid wood. Then he drew back and resolidified, muttering: “Weird.”

Cadence was about to ask what, but then the stallion opened the door and strode through, and the mare winced a bit before she agreed uneasily: “Weird.”

The front of the shop was filled with what weren't simply statues, but taxidermied Kirin in various poses, some of them beautiful, some of them hideous, some of them both horribly and wonderfully mutant. Most of them were in special glass enclosures, but a few were out on display, one in particularly clearly mangled by something other than just fouled genetics and with a large 'clearance sale' tag hanging from its twisted horn.

“C'est des conneries.” La Croix muttered as he carefully ducked past a taxidermied Kirin, shivering a bit as he leaned into the picture window. “Yeah, we finally got some activity ahead. Looks like guards, in front of a big gate we'll have to get past...”

He looked uncertain for a moment, but Sombra smiled reassuringly towards the zebra and said quietly: “If Auriculos can get us inside... we should allow him the chance to. I am sure, in his way, he wants to help, but he is... angry. Anger makes us do foolish things.”

“Ain't no excuse, though. 'Specially when we keep getting caught in the crossfire and all.” La Croix muttered, gazing out the window before he added in a low voice: “Think we better take 'em out nice and quiet-like, though. Don't want to attract too much attention to ourselves.”

“Aye, that is a good idea.” agreed another voice in a whisper, and Cadence's eyes widened in horror as a body pressed itself purposefully over hers, the mare slowly grinding her teeth together as she looked over her shoulder and found herself pressed almost face-to-face with Luna Brynhild. “What does thou think, though, Danzsöngr?”

“What are you doing here, Valkyrie?” the Swan asked in a growl, and Brynhild responded by shrugging and grinning, which made the ivory mare hiss warningly through her teeth even as her father gently touched her shoulder. “Valkyrie...”

“Swan Maiden!” Luna half-shouted, and then she winced when Scrivener grasped her by the tail and yanked her back towards the center of the room where he and Morgan were standing, the sapphire mare huffing before she looked quickly around and added: “I expected to find thee in a den of death, but not like this, Swan. 'Tis rather creepy, even for thee.”

Danzsöngr snarled, and Cadence hurriedly did her best to reason with the Swan before, to her surprise, she suddenly found herself back in control of her own body. She stumbled a little as Sombra looked at her worriedly, but the ivory mare only smiled hesitantly before she nervously touched at her own face, muttering: “I... think the Swan just went off to sulk, that's all. I'm okay.”

She took a breath, then looked back at Brynhild and her partners, the two mares looking at each other evenly for a moment before Cadence said quietly: “It's not that I don't appreciate the help, but why are you here? How did you find us?”

“I have a penchant for appearing where I am needed.” Luna said cheerfully, and Cadence scowled before the sapphire mare added in a suddenly-serious voice: “Why did it strike any of thee as a good idea to crash a flying war boat into a city?”

Cadence winced a bit at this, but La Croix quickly rose a hoof, saying awkwardly: “That be my fault. Wasn't what we thought was gonna happen, but... we got ourselves a little friend who ain't bein' so... friendly, y'see.”

Scrivener grunted at this, and Morgan frowned a little, her eyes glowing faintly before she murmured: “Right. You're a Loa. That means you can bind and capture spirits.”

La Croix shifted lamely, and Morgan blushed a bit, the mare shaking her head and adding quickly: “I mean, I think we just tend to forget that because we... kind of met you in a different capacity. Where are you going? Is Rustproof inside there?”

“You will stay away from our target, Valkyrie! This mission is mine to complete!” the Swan snarled suddenly as it reared up out of dormancy, and Cadence struggled to keep her hooves on the ground instead of grabbing either the Valkyrie or whatever weapon was closest.

Luna only scowled at the Swan, opening her mouth, but when her partners both looked at her pointedly, she grumbled and dropped her head, saying grumpily: “Aye, as always, blame me for the things that other creatures do, great traitors. Fie on all of thee.”

She stopped, then shifted a bit before sighing and adding quietly: “Swan, listen to me. This goes beyond a simple 'mission.' When we first saw Decretum, 'twas in a state of ruin and decay. So too was Endworld. This place is not. This machine world has weapons the likes of which I have never before seen. I am not saying we must put aside our differences or even work together, but do not accuse me of trying to steal thy sordid 'mission' out from under thy hooves when there are more important things to attend to.”

The Swan growled, but Cadence struggled to suppress that side of herself, forcing herself to nod. Thankfully, her father was there to take over for her, while Moonflower awkwardly patted Cadence on the back. “We were told that Valthrudnir and something called the Jarsongildi rule this place. We also met a powerful witch named Thokk, who seemed capable of returning spirits from the Void: they seemed to be protecting the portal to this world.”

Luna scowled a bit, and then she bit her lip before shaking her head and muttering: “Nay. I doubt 'tis Valthrudnir, and until I see it with mine own eyes, I shall consider this another trick. And 'tis difficult for me to comprehend that anyone or anything could return from the Void...

“Thokk, though... 'tis somewhat familiar, but only in passing.” Brynhild added thoughtfully, looking off to the side. “Aye, I remember hearing the name around Valhalla, but... I do not believe I had any dealings with such a spellcaster personally.”

“She has an interest in those like yourself and Cadenza. The... reborn.” Sombra said, and Luna smiled slightly at this.

“Reborn. A gentle way of putting it.” Luna traded looks with her partners, seeming to carry entire conversations with each glance before she grunted and nodded. “Very well. As there is much to investigate, and thou and thine have carried thyselves this far through toil and trouble... perhaps we should split up. We will help thee through this gate, and then create a diversion and search for answers. If Valthrudnir is involved somehow...” Luna quieted, lowering her head slightly before she muttered: “Then 'tis very personal.”

“It's personal for all of us.” Sombra said softly, and then he glanced at his daughter questioningly. Cadence only nodded to him, and the stallion gave a small smile before he turned his eyes back to Luna. “I think we would all appreciate that, though.”

“Alright. If you need help or something happens, send up a signal flare or... do you know how to create a sonic pulse?” Morgan asked, and Moonflower looked dumbly at the purple mare, but Sombra chuckled and nodded. “Okay. If you find Rustproof, send out a double-pulse. That way, we'll know to meet back at Decretum.”

Cadence grumbled, but nodded in agreement after a moment as Luna smiled wryly. The two teams studied each other for a moment, and then Luna grunted something before she started to turn-

“Wait, wait, uh. Uh...” La Croix hesitated as he stepped forward, and then he gestured at Scrivener Blooms, who tilted his head curiously. “Y'think that uh... you could spare a little sang? I need to make a tonic for our friend here.”

Sombra smiled briefly, his eyes flicking away, but he didn't say anything. Cadence's heart went out to her father as she looked towards him silently, and Scrivener Blooms smiled after a moment, nodding. “Sure. No problem.”

The stallion flexed one silver claw before stretching it out as dark corruption bubbled out his palm. Sombra watched silently as the black corruption formed itself into a crystalline bowl, which then filled with liquid darkness, and after a moment the unicorn remarked softly: “Your control is amazing.”

“Years and years of practice. Besides, I can't do what you can do, and use it as a conduit.” The stallion held the bowl of dark poison out, and La Croix gingerly took it, putting it down before the earth pony suddenly added: “You know, you look really weird without your hat and cape.”

“Merci.” La Croix said dryly, glaring at Scrivener, and the earth pony simply shrugged before the zebra sighed and repeated in a quieter voice: “Merci.”

“Hey, no problem. We aren't all like Luna.” Scrivener replied softly, and Luna huffed and shouldered him firmly before she reached up and swatted the stallion's rump as he began to step past her, making him flinch and then glower over his shoulder at her.

Luna only grinned widely at him, tipping him a wink before she turned her eyes back towards Cadence, saying clearly: “And if thou art in need of anything else, Swan, only ask, and we shall provide. Understood?”

Cadence glowered back at Luna, and the sapphire mare grinned until Morgan reached up and grasped her by one ear, pulling her slowly around in a circle as the Valkyrie squawked in indignation and embarrassment. But Morgan only smiled at the group of ponies as she pulled Luna back towards the warehouse entrance, saying clearly: “Take care of yourselves, okay? We're working together here. We're not enemies.”

She accented this with a glare at Luna, who mumbled and nodded, her tail flicking before she tossed one quick raspberry over her shoulder at Cadence before disappearing through the doorway. And before Cadence could stop herself, she drew a knife and flung it angrily at the door as it swung closed, the weapon lodging in the wood where Luna's head had been a moment ago.

She scowled, then blushed and shook her head quickly before her horn glowed, hurriedly drawing the knife back to herself. She looked over at her father with embarrassment, but then softened as she saw he had his eyes on other things: La Croix was quickly mixing up a potion from the corruption they had been given, and the ivory mare bit her lip and lowered her head as she thought silently that they really were fortunate those ponies were so willing to help them. Whether or not Brynhild was annoying... her partners are good people. Her family... they all seem to be good ponies.

The Swan grumbled something inside her, but Cadence stomped on it this time, instead focusing on the here and now and the good things they had, not the negatives and certainly not her own stupid hatred. There were more important things to deal with.

Yet all the same, even as she watched La Croix preparing a potion for her father, she silently hoped that they would prove they were able to deal with this by themselves, without the help of Luna Brynhild and her companions.

Getting past the guards was simple: La Croix snuck up behind one and used a poisoned needle to take him down painlessly and silently, and Moonflower stunned the other with a spell. The gate was controlled by a security system, but Auriculos was able to interface with this and open it, even if all of the Irregulars could admit they were hesitant to let the Kirin spirit 'help' them any further.

Cadence was worried about what was still ahead, but there were a few positives: her father seemed to be doing better, and as they entered the fortified half of Colloquium, they found it was under minimal protection: they still had to avoid the ever-vigilant sensors and cameras, but it was much easier going than Cadence had expected, and Moonflower was able to gently adjust or cause a temporary power surge to blind the few cameras that they weren't able to sneak around.

Moving along the streets and through checkpoints, they eventually found themselves at a stockade in front of a towering, ominous-looking building that stretched towards the sky. Even though this side of town was far less beautiful and artistic, this ugly, enormous structure still stood out like an unnatural growth, larger and far more irregular than the rest of the buildings, which all seemed to confirm to some aesthetic that made the mesh of glass and metal look smooth. This only looked... unnatural.

The doors leading into the stockade were guarded by a booth with a soldier in it, and automated turrets with cameras mounted on each one. Cadence frowned from the niche her team had hidden in across the street, her eyes roving back and forth: the stockade was built into the structures on either side, but both of these buildings were locked down, and there were several Kirin guards at an intersection roughly a block away: they looked like they were waiting for something, and Cadence had the feeling they didn't want to wait and find out what.

“I think I can destroy those turrets, but I highly doubt I can simply knock them out like I did the cameras.” Moonflower said quietly.

“I can get that guard, though. Maybe if I get in his booth, I can shut down the cameras and open the doors.” La Croix suggested, and Cadence hesitated: that seemed too easy, somehow...

“Go ahead.” she said finally, and the zebra nodded firmly before he vanished from sight. The mare sighed a bit, then smiled awkwardly when her father gently touched her back.

She didn't really know what to say, though, as she looked ahead and felt like it wasn't going to work-

La Croix abruptly appeared back in reality, falling heavily on his rump with a thud as he squawked and grabbed at his face as if he'd been punched, and Cadence blinked in surprise before she winced as the Kirin in the booth looked quickly up from his stupor. But La Croix vanished before the Kirin could see him, the guard scowling out his window before he leaned back into the booth.

A moment later, the Kirin down the street came trotting towards the booth, rifles at the ready: Cadence tensed in the niche, narrowing her eyes even as Moonflower quickly cast a cloak over them, and the three waited in silence as the Kirin scanned back and forth, one of them tapping his visor, likely cycling different vision modes. Cadence only hoped silently he didn't look in this direction, and that La Croix had found a good place to hide, even in spirit form...

But after a moment, one of the Kirin approached the booth and knocked on the glass, and the guard inside leaned back into the window as the patrol said crisply: “Nothing to report, sir! No hostiles!”

The Kirin in the booth simply waved the soldier away, and he and the rest of his patrol returned to duty as the guard sighed and slumped out of the window. At least that told them what they were dealing with, Cadence thought ironically. The guard was probably one of the higher-order Kirin, while the patrols were Splices. Maybe they could use that to their advantage.

La Croix reappeared a moment later as Moonflower dropped the illusion, the zebra rubbing at his face before he said lamely: “Walls are lined with iron. I can't pass through 'em.”

“That's okay. I... have an idea.” Cadence said thoughtfully, before she added awkwardly: “It's a little childish, but... I think it'll work.”

“Trust your instincts, mi amore.” Sombra encouraged, and Cadence smiled and nodded to her father before she looked between Moonflower and La Croix, who were both gazing at her curiously.

“Okay. I need us cloaked, and you invisible.” Cadence instructed, and then she laid out her both incredibly-stupid and cunning plan. La Croix was pessimistic, while Moonflower giggled like a foal until he remembered the seriousness of the situation, although as he hid them all from sight, Cadence could still hear him snickering to himself.

La Croix became visible in front of the booth, hammering on the wall of it before he turned invisible and scurried away to hide. Again, the patrol was summoned, and the Splices told the guard in the booth there were no contacts with the same crisp professionalism.

They repeated this twice more, and the second time, Cadence swore that she could see the guard fuming under his helm. Then, on the third try, she heard a muffled shout, after a few moments, the soldier from the booth came storming out without bothering to summon the patrol of Splices, his rifle at the ready as he strode back and forth in the street, snapping angrily: “Goddammit, we're on high alert here and if one of you scientist assholes is out here, screwing with me-”

La Croix appeared behind the guard, slamming a needle into the back of his neck, and the Kirin gurgled as he stumbled forwards before his eyes rolled up in his head and he collapsed in an unconscious heap. Cadence moved fast, darting out from cover to sweep up the body as La Croix ran around to enter the open booth, and the ivory mare joined him after a moment, dropping the unconscious guard on the floor of the cramped little room as the zebra muttered: “Felt kinda bad doin' that, if you want me to be honest.”

“Could be a lot worse. At least we didn't kill him.” Cadence replied, before she smiled and slapped La Croix on the back as the turrets powered down and the security doors leading into the stockade slid open. “Great work.”

The two hurried out of the booth, Sombra and Moonflower joining them before the four hurried through the open gate and the steel corridor beyond. They halted at an open portcullis, and Cadence quickly leaned out and checked in either direction: but around this tower, there was simply a wide expanse of open ground... and cameras, she saw, in every direction.

But she thought the time for subtlety was just about over, at least. She prepared herself to run across the concrete walk leading to the armored doors of the rectangular tower, but Sombra stopped her by catching her shoulder, saying gently: “Let's not rush. We still don't know if this is where Rustproof is.”

“Yeah, but...” Cadence looked at her father, then looked back ahead, and found herself staring into the face of a pale Kirin.

Cadence went dead white, her eyes widening and her body trembling as she stared at the spirit, which looked back at her hollowly, emptily. And as she looked back and forth, she realized that this whole area was filled with them: husks, empty shells, silent Kirin and a few scattered ponies pacing slowly back and forth, many of them staring down at their hooves. Cadence trembled, and tried her hardest not to blink, but as always, she did.

And in that millisecond, she saw a ring of death and screaming souls, a black river that pumped up into the tower and ran in a circle around the inner grounds of the stockade. She trembled, then reached up and rubbed rapidly at her eyes, reminding herself that these spirits couldn't hurt her, they couldn't her hurt her, they can't hurt me, just don't draw their attention...

She forced herself to look slowly up at the Kirin in front of her, as her team shifted uneasily, Sombra frowning deeply at his daughter as Cadence whispered: “Sorry. There's... they're here. The specters, the ones no one else can see.”

La Croix grimaced, the zebra leaning forward and concentrating as he looked back and forth before muttering: “I feel... a feel some bad mojo, Cygne, but I don't see nothin'... I mean, I ain't doubtin' you, but-”

“I know. I know, it's weird, you're a death spirit and yet you can't even see these husks, these... I don't know.” Cadence mumbled, before she smiled a bit when La Croix gave her a look. “I know. Sorry. I know you don't like being referred to as that.”

La Croix grunted, and then Moonflower asked nervously, as his eyes darted back and forth: “And you're sure they're not going to hurt us?”

“They don't mean any harm. They're just... scary.” Cadence said softly, looking uneasily at the shade in front of her as it finally turned away, and she bit her lip, wishing silently she could communicate with these things, ask what they wanted...

Inside her, the Swan snorted in derision, and Cadence frowned a bit, but as always, the Swan ignored her and simply went back to sulking. The Swan had the answers, but Cadence knew that the Swan would never give them to her unless something happened that forced it to.

Still, it was vaguely reassuring, in a strange way: the Swan didn't really care if she lived or died, but the Swan was also arrogant and prideful and loved killing far more than it enjoyed dying. If something was a threat, the Swan would be all too happy to point it out, because either Cadence would die fighting it, or the Swan would get to add yet another victim to its endless murder spree.

She was being negative. She had to stop that. She had to focus on the here and now.

Cadence closed her eyes tightly and rubbed at them vehemently, and when she opened them... well, she could still see the spirits, but the river of death was gone, and the shades themselves were indistinct. “Okay. I think there must be a corruption pipeline... I imagine they must use the Clay of Prometheus for fuel, too. Even if...”

“There hasn't been much of a sign of it so far. Perhaps it's another unrefined version, or incomplete.” Sombra pushed a hoof against the floor, frowning and closing his eyes before he murmured: “Yes. I feel it. It's flowing upward.”

“Let's follow it up. Wherever it's concentrating is where we're likely to find... something important.” Cadence said finally, and the others nodded before the mare added hesitantly: “And we'll... move carefully for now. Moonflower, cloak us. Let's see if we can get those doors open quietly.”

Moonflower winked before he cast his spell, declaring proudly: “They won't even have a chance to see us until it's far too late!”

Cadence didn't know about that, but they were able to open the door without any trouble, and the entrance hall was guarded only by cameras that they slipped carefully past. They found an empty security checkpoint waiting for them, and Cadence felt strangely nervous as they passed carefully around the scanning machines and slipped through the guard station, the mare wondering silently where the hell everyone was.

She didn't have long to find out: in an elevator hall a little further down the corridor, they found several Kirin clustered around a dead pony. Cadence winced at this as she and the rest of her team quickly hid along one wall, the ivory mare leaning slightly in through the open door to better hear the soldiers as one of them muttered: “-fifth time. Five times is too many.”

“What about the other prisoners? Have they been moved back to containment?” asked the other Kirin: they were Bushi, Cadence thought, from their heavily-augmented bodies. Unlike the ones they had seen before, however, these ones wore segmented armor of some kind that interlocked with their mechanical parts, making them look almost completely synthetic apart from what little of their faces was exposed.

“No. They don't need to know about the system failures or the emergency alert. Bronze here only tried to run yet again because he realized we're missing about half our guard force.” the other Kirin replied, as the third grunted in agreement. “Too bad the Jarsongildi finally gave us authorization to terminate anyone if they misbehave.”

“They're going to figure it out once they realize they're not under guard anymore.” the other Kirin said pessimistically, before he looked down at the dead earth pony, poking it with the tip of his rifle. “But I got an idea. Let's send his corpse up to donor processing. His brain's still fresh, he's probably smart enough to qualify as a donor. That'll scare at least half of them into behaving.”

“Alright. I'll ask Sovereign to double the guard on Engineering and the shrinks.” replied another Kirin, before he stepped back and tilted his head slightly, muttering in a lower voice into his headset.

As he did so, one of the remaining Bushi started to pick up the corpse, while the other asked: “Are there any other sections where the prisoners are working today?”

“Three in Psionics, and one in Robotics. The rest are all locked in their cells. We don't really have to worry about either of those sections, though: the fortune tellers can't do anything from inside the pen, and the Dogmatist in Robotics never gives us any trouble. Probably because of his neural node.” answered the last, and then he looked up as the apparent officer in charge grunted at him loudly, as he looked up from speaking into his headset.

“Well, check on him anyway after you dump that corpse off. Come on, you and me are heading back to the checkpoint. They'll send a service bot down to clean up the mess later.”

The Kirin with the corpse over his back strode towards the open elevator as the other two came down the hall, and Cadence held her breath as she pressed tightly against the cold metal, hoping that Moonflower's cloak would be enough. But neither Bushi seemed to notice the faint distortion in the air as they passed, one of them grumbling about the prisoners and the other absently checking over his rifle.

The elevator doors pinged closed, and Cadence counted to thirty before she stepped out from under the cover provided by the illusion, striding towards the elevator. She gazed at it uncertainly as the others joined her, Moonflower letting the rest of his magic drop as he nervously looked up at a camera. “Uh... don't you think perhaps we should, I don't know, not stand out in the open?”

“It sounds like their security systems aren't working. That would explain why this was so easy... maybe the systems were damaged when the ship crashed, if this whole city is networked together. Either that, or they're committing all their power to the containment efforts.” Cadence murmured, studying the glowing panel above the elevator and the runes that displayed across it. It halted on one, and Cadence narrowed her eyes. “That must be his first stop...”

Sombra nodded slowly, and La Croix grimaced before he reached up and touched the wall near the elevator, muttering: “Well, I ain't gonna be much help here. Everything is lined with iron or somethin' else I can't pass through. This place be scary, Cygne. And these Kirin be fou.”

Cadence grunted in agreement after a moment, shaking her head briefly. Moonflower shrugged a bit, and then he glanced up as Sombra asked gently: “Can you create an illusion behind us?”

“Of... oh! Yes, certainly.” Moonflower smiled at Sombra, then he flicked his horn to the side, and a line of magic quickly drew itself across the floor before a glowing wall appeared, filling up the end of the corridor. It settled a moment later, and Moonflower winked as he said cheerfully: “Feel free to check my work! And of course, if there's anything else that you want, Sombra, you know that I'm always very happy to oblige a magnificent stallion like yourself... you know, you are looking exceptionally handsome. I think that potion La Croix mixed up for you must have fixed you right up!”

“It has helped greatly, at least. And I trust you, Moonflower, although there is something I would like to go over with you.” Sombra replied kindly, and Moonflower visibly perked up before the unicorn asked: “Cadenza, do you mind if I take Moonflower aside for a moment?”

“Not at all, Daddy. La Croix, keep an eye on the hall behind us, but otherwise I guess we're on break for now.” Cadence said after a moment as she looked at the other two elevators, both of which seemed inactive, while the center elevator wasn't moving... but if they really are down to just a skeleton crew, we might actually be able to get in and out of here while avoiding the worst of the bloodshed...

It took about twenty minutes for the Kirin to finally return to his duties: he emerged from the elevator to an empty room, the stallion looking back and forth curiously before he grimaced as he stepped in the drying blood on the floor, cursing under his breath and kicking one hind leg a few times before he strode quickly onward. He didn't notice the blurs that crept into the elevator, and when he heard the quiet ding of the doors closing, he only gave a cursory glance over his shoulder before shrugging and continuing on his way.

Moonflower let the cloak drop as Cadence hit the button on the elevator that matched the symbol for what she assumed was Robotics. And as the machine rose with a quiet hum, La Croix grimaced a bit before he mumbled: “I got a bad feeling 'bout this whole mess, Cygne. Ain't never this easy.”

“Then let's not expect it to be. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.” the ivory mare replied, and Sombra smiled and nodded before Cadence took a slow breath and readied herself as the elevator hummed to a stop. “Okay. Get ready. We go in hard.”

The others nodded as Cadence focused forward before there was a quiet ding, the elevator doors sliding open to reveal a security checkpoint beyond. Cadence leapt immediately into action as her eyes slid sharply across the room and she noted three Kirin, her hooves already yanking two knives free from her bandoleer before the Kirin even had a chance to look up.

Two Bushi hit the wall with gargles as knives sank into their throats, and the third didn't even have enough time to jump up from his chair at the computer before Moonflower blasted him with a stunning spell, sending him down in an unconscious heap. Cadence looked quickly back and forth before she vaulted the counter the two guards had been on the other side of.

One of the Bushi was trying to reach a button under the counter, but Cadence let the Swan's ruthlessness take over for a moment, the ivory mare leaping forward to seize the Kirin by the head and slam his skull cruelly down into the floor, helmet bouncing free and horn cracking loudly. She yanked his head back, then slammed it down again, finishing him off before she looked over her shoulder at the other Kirin, but he was already going glassy-eyed, and Cadence shuddered even as the Swan said contemptibly: “Soft creatures.”

“Unprepared, but I would not say soft. But the fact that they are still mortal gives me hope.” Sombra said as he strode towards the end of the room to check out the doorway, and Cadence frowned a little as she straightened.

“What do you mean?” she asked, as La Croix and Moonflower entered the room.

Sombra glanced over his shoulder towards her, and then he smiled briefly before replying quietly: “That we will have peace one day.”

Cadence smiled faintly in return after a moment, blushing a bit and rubbing at the back of her head: she hadn't really thought about what was going to happen after the mission was complete, after all, she had just thought this would be marked as a hostile world while they tried to deal with Thokk or whatever other possible threats were out there...

But what about after that? And it wasn't like they could just wipe out an entire world, even if that idea had a terrible appeal to the Swan inside her...

“It's clear.” Sombra said as he checked the hallway, and Cadence nodded before approaching and touching her father's shoulder, both thanking him and silently signaling that she would take point. She slipped ahead, then frowned for a moment before her eyes narrowed as she saw a shape at the end of the hallway.

Specters, again. She shivered a bit at the sight of the spirits as La Croix and Moonflower joined them, before the Loa muttered: “I got a bad feeling...”

“Husks.” Cadence replied in a low voice, and then she frowned then spirit turned and silently strode down the hall, almost as if... “It... seems to want us to follow.”

“That's unusual.” Sombra looked at Cadence with a question in his eyes, and the ivory mare bit her lip before she gave a hesitant nod, gesturing at the group to hang back as she strode slowly after the spirit.

It led her down the corridor and around a bend that Cadence was careful to check around, but it didn't seem like there were any other Kirin present, guards or otherwise. In fact, she didn't think she could hear anything except for the distant sounds of clanking and machinery, but they were slowly drawing closer and closer to this, before Cadence frowned as the spirit suddenly turned and strode through a sealed door.

The mare took a breath, pressing herself to the wall beside the door before she reached up and hit the button. It slid smoothly open and the machine sounds immediately grew much louder, and Cadence leaned carefully in, her eyes narrowed slightly, before they widened in surprise as she saw nothing but a single pony, working alone in some kind of enormous concrete hangar.

She bit her lip, but when the Dogmatist-looking pony only continued to work away at the bench in front of him, she slipped carefully into the room. She began to look around to get her bearings, noting what looked like an enormous, permanent portal arch at the front of the hangar as well as a massive set of windows, but then she saw the cluster of husks, and she halted dead, trembling as she stared slowly over the flock of ghosts and the thing they were gathered around.

Massive tubes of corruption laced across the ceiling and fed down into humongous tankers, which in turn had a multitude of tubes feeding down into some kind of monstrous-looking war machine: but Cadence's eyes sharpened as she looked at it, and it went from a behemoth of metal to a hideous, sleeping monster made out of corpses and bones, the husks mindlessly climbing all over the beast like maggots writhing over rotten flesh.

The mare shivered a little, and then she blinked before hurriedly returning her eyes to the Dogmatist as she realized he was now looking at her. She narrowed her eyes, dropping to a ready position and trying to drop everything else out of her mind, but then the Dogmatist simply smiled and gestured at her with one hoof, saying in a deep but gentle voice: “Hey there. Come on in.”

Cadence relaxed awkwardly, slowly approaching the stallion as she looked over him with confusion: he was absolutely enormous, a tremendous mass of muscle and bulk. Not only that, he had plates of black metal fused over his frame, servomotors implanted in cybernetically-modified limbs, and a glowing red camera eye fused to his features.

The little coat he had between the metal parts was a deep blue-violet, and his natural eye was bright orange, a few shades sharper than his mane and tail. He had a handsome, honest face that might be described less-generously as 'simple,' but Cadence could tell from the complex machine he had been putting together on the table that this stallion was clearly anything but.

“Uh... are you Rustproof?” she asked after a moment, and the stallion chuckled and nodded, making Cadence shift in surprise before she questioned further: “Were you... did the Kirin do this to you? Do you have a...”

'Behavior node' sounded a little rude to ask, but the stallion simply smiled at her kindly before he replied in his low, gentle voice: “Nah. I ain't a Dogmatist. I got these extra pieces when Gymbr ruled Valhalla and they was recruitin'. Weren't my first choice, but we didn't all get one.”

He halted, then climbed to his hooves and brushed at himself before he asked: “So are we going?”

Cadence stared at the stallion, dumbfounded, before she asked disbelievingly: “You... you were expecting us?”

Rustproof nodded even as he calmly reached up and tapped on his metal leg, and somehow, Cadence was unsurprised when a hidden slot opened in the metal, allowing the stallion to slip a cigarette free to put in his muzzle. “Yep.”

When Cadence only continued to stare at him, he shrugged a bit, gesturing absently around the hangar. “Somethin' big happened outside. And I always knew one day Momma would either come for me or send someone to get me.”

Cadence shook her head slowly, giving another laugh of disbelief before she muttered: “Well, glad I don't have to convince you. But alright, we need to get out of here, then, and get far enough away from the Kirin settlements to send up a portal flare. Uh... guys, it's safe!”

Cadence glanced over her shoulder towards where the rest of her team was standing in the doorway, and Sombra smiled as he approached, La Croix following and Moonflower half-falling over before stumbling hurriedly in last. The unicorn traded a brief nod with the Benevolent... Horses of Heaven that seems like an ironically-good word for him so far. Okay. Think, Cadence. “Our first step should be to inform Brynhild and her team. But I don't know if we should call them here or tell them to meet us back in Decretum. I... I don't even know how we're going to get back to Decretum.”

The ivory mare grimaced a bit: right, they had that problem to deal with too. But as she began to wrack her mind for answers, Rustproof said calmly: “I can open a portal.”

Cadence looked at him with surprise, and the earth pony simply gestured towards the massive portal frame at the front of the room. “That's normally used for shipping 'round Fyrverǫld, but I've learned enough 'bout how it works that with a little help from a unicorn who knows the coordinates for where we wanna go, we can jump just about anywhere. Decretum ain't a problem.”

Sombra smiled as Moonflower immediately thrust a hoof into the air, declaring: “I know it! And I can probably power that entire portal by myself anyway, but your help is most appreciated, very large and very handsome stallion.”

Rustproof only smiled, then he turned his eyes towards Cadence. “The only problem is that once I start gearing it up, the Kirin are gonna know something's going on. I'm gonna try and sap power from the elevators and security systems, but that probably won't slow 'em down much.”

“Okay. I need to know where the entrances to this room are so we can lock it down.” Cadence replied quickly, and the earth pony pointed at the door she had entered through before gesturing towards the back of the room, then to the other side, almost directly across from her. “Sombra, can you seal those? La Croix, can you scout?”

“Give me two minutes 'fore you close up this door, Papa Sérénité.” La Croix said, and Sombra nodded as he began to head to the back of the room, while the Loa vanished.

Rustproof nodded a few times, and then the stallion walked across the open front of the hangar towards the control panel. Cadence hesitated, looking back at the monster-weapon and the husks surrounding it before she quickly turned and followed after him, asking uncertainly after a moment: “What... what were you working on here?”

The earth pony looked back over his shoulder at the war machine, studying it silently for a few moments: and while it dominated the room and drew all of Cadence's attention, it certainly wasn't the only weapon here. There were gun racks along one wall, filled with rifles, and at the back of the room, a small fleet of motorcycles rested in various states of repair and augmentation. There were cannons and other artillery with automated sensors, waiting to be tested, and crates of miniaturized turrets...

“Bad things.” Rustproof said quietly, and then he shook his head before pointing at her, asking: “May I?”

Cadence frowned for a moment, and then she realized what the stallion was pointing at: not her, but the butt of her rifle. She nodded and drew this free, passing it to the earth pony carefully: it still felt like a snake or something in her hooves. “I guess you probably know about guns, huh?”

The earth pony simply nodded, extending the rifle's barrel as he shifted it back and forth before he gave a brief smile. Cadence tilted her head, and the stallion glanced up before he said quietly: “Ain't one of Momma's designs, but it's well-made. Custom-built for you. Ain't complete, though: looks like there's some parts missing.”

Cadence frowned in surprise at this, but Rustproof simply chuckled before he collapsed the barrel and passed the rifle back to her, giving her a kind smile. “Guess whoever made this wanted to see how you did with it.”

“I... guess. I don't like guns that much.” Cadence said as she slipped the rifle into the holster, and when the stallion gave her an inquisitive look, she shrugged awkwardly and said lamely: “Feels weird, I guess.”

Rustproof only smiled at her and shrugged, and the ivory mare cleared her throat before she was thankfully distracted when Moonflower asked awkwardly from the middle of the room: “Uh, Cadence? What am I doing?”

“Being patient for once in your life.” Cadence replied dryly, and then she turned back towards Rustproof, asking: “So you can really get this working?”

He nodded, then gestured easily towards the control panel at the side of the portal. Cadence recognized it as a similar design to the portal they had gone through to reach Fyrverǫld, and that brought a thousand other questions to mind. But she thought the most important one was: “Do you know who Thokk is?”

The earth pony frowned, then he shook his head, looking at her curiously. Cadence shook her own in response, grimacing a bit before she muttered: “It's okay. I'm just trying to put some things together that don't seem to fit. You're going to be debriefed when you get to Decretum, though, and Hecate will want to know as much as possible about what's been happening.”

“Yep. I got it all right here.” Rustproof said mildly as he reached up and tapped on his mechanical eye, and Cadence grunted before she looked up as La Croix reappeared, the zebra signaling to her with a grin that told her there weren't any threats present.

As Sombra finished sealing them in, Rustproof began to tap away at the control panel. He beckoned to Moonflower once the portal frame began to charge, the earth pony explaining in his calm, placid way: “Should be ready to go shortly. Just focus your magic on it, and where you want to go.”

“Decretum, Decretum, Decretum...” Moonflower muttered like a mantra, squinting his eyes at the portal as he almost leaned into the energy, and Cadence and Rustproof both winced and grabbed the winged unicorn by the shoulders, before Cadence sighed and carefully pushed him backwards towards the center of the open hangar.

“Try from about here.” she encouraged, and Moonflower nodded several times before he focused back on the portal, his horn sparking and thrumming as he narrowed his eyes and visibly concentrated.

Cadence turned her eyes towards Sombra as the stallion approached, and the ivory mare noted with a smile that La Croix had taken a bit of extra initiative and was currently making his spirits move large, heavy objects in front of the sealed-shut doors: hopefully the makeshift blockades wouldn't need to hold for very long, though. “I sent out a pulse telling them to meet us back in Decretum. I hope I didn't overstep my bounds, mi amore.”

“Not at all, Daddy. Thank you. I feel the team works best when we all... do our own thing. But do our own thing together, you know?” Cadence laughed a little after a moment, and then she shook her head, saying awkwardly: “Sorry. Just... I don't even know how long it's been anymore. It's-”

She was interrupted by an alarm blaring, and the mare looked up with a wince as a mechanical voice announced: “Warning. Unauthorized activity detected in Robotics, Hangar A. Cease and desist immediately: security teams have been notified and deployed.”

Rustproof only ran past the portal, hurrying to a panel in the wall that he yanked open before he reached in and began to fumble through the wires. There was a loud crackle, and then the mechanical voice said coldly: “Warning. Unauthorized access to systems detected. Deploying security drones.”

Cadence readied herself, but a moment later, the lights flickered violently before the voice growled, sounding as frustrated as its synthetic tone would allow: “System failure detected. Upgrading threat level. Informing Sovereign.”

Rustproof grunted, and then Moonflower flinched as the portal frame suddenly glowed brightly, filling with eerie white light. Cadence flinched backwards, and Rustproof shouted as he hurried back towards the control panel: “It's locked on to the coordinates, but something's blocking it!”

“Oh... oh no, that might be one of Decretum's defense systems, it must not recognize that we're trying to portal in!” Cadence shouted back, grimacing as she looked towards one of the doors. Any moment now, she knew, there were going to be Kirin pounding the doors down, and even if Hecate reacted with her usual speed and precision, it could still be minutes before Seneschal sent through a probe to find out who they were and what they were trying to do, and those were minutes they might not have.

Cadence began to look towards Rustproof, to ask if there was any way to force through the portal, but she was stunned into silence as the alarm simply cut out. Rustproof looked up with a frown, and Sombra and La Croix both readied themselves, while Moonflower only stared around in confusion. Everything was silent, apart from the crackling of energy in the portal...

“Prisoner 113-377 32-40-1: Rustproof. This is Sovereign.” spoke a cold voice from the hidden speakers, and Cadence grimaced as she looked back and forth. “Surrender and submit. Intruders: surrender immediately. You will be processed, then terminated.”

“Yeah, I'll pass, thanks.” Cadence retorted, before she asked: “Who the hell are you? Why the hell do you think we'd just roll over and die?”

She needed to buy time somehow, keep this Sovereign talking, but Sovereign didn't seem interested in answering her questions as the voice instead said contemptibly: “Your refusal has been noted and processed. Executing orders.”

Cadence narrowed her eyes, before they widened in shock as she felt a tremble run through the hangar as the massive, monster-machine began to rumble, hellish red light flaring to life in the glass eyes of its steel skull. Rustproof's eyes widened in horror before he looked up in shock as several of the tubes pumping corruption into the beast snapped and exploded from the force of the fuel being forced down them, the stallion shouting: “Stop! It'll go berserk!”

“Correct. By all calculations, all hostiles will be eliminated, and then the Goliath will be drawn to the nearest source of energy: the portal. You will die, and when the portal stabilizes, your allies will die.” Sovereign said ruthlessly.

Rustproof gave another shout of denial, but Cadence only snarled as as the Goliath rose slowly higher and higher, the beast-tank roaring in a mechanical voice at them. And yet even as the creature flickered in Cadence's vision, becoming a hideous mass of undead, hateful bodies over which husks writhed and panicked, and then a terrible war-machine, she felt the Swan rising up through her body, and her fear burning away as her friends and teammates fell in at her sides.

All she knew was this was the last great obstacle between her and getting back to her home, Decretum: this was the final test she had to pass to prove she wasn't a failure.

And neither she nor the Swan would let anything, be it witch, Jötnar, or monster, stand in her way.

And One For All

Chapter Seventeen: And One For All
~BlackRoseRaven

The massive machine-beast roared at them, making the hangar quake as Cadence gritted her teeth. Its large treads shifted back and forth, yanking against the chains and irons binding it down as the cybernetic monster glared at them furiously.

Cadence's eyes swept over the machine before she gestured quickly to the side, shouting: “La Croix, get around behind it, see if there's anything we can use! Sombra, destroy those fuel tanks and see what you can do to slow it down! Moonflower, you and I are going to hit it head on and distract it!”

Without question or hesitation, Sombra and La Croix both broke away to either side, the Loa vanishing from sight and Sombra leaping up on top of a tall machine, then onto one of the catwalks that surrounded the room.

“Rustproof, what the hell is this thing?” Cadence snapped, although she already had some idea from how the beast kept flickering wildly in her vision between steel and hideous undead abomination.

“Bad. Don't concentrate on the body, hit its sensors and shut down its weapon functions!” Rustproof called, and Cadence nodded with a grunt before she closed her eyes, summoning up the Swan as she drew a knife free from her belt.

Her eyes flashed, and the Swan shot forward, smashing into the dragon-tank's head before she stabbed a knife down into its eye, shattering the glass orb. The beast barely twitched before swinging its head out, smashing the ivory mare backwards as it roared again as its head rose high and its steel neck lengthened, chains snapping as it tore one of its treads free from the binds holding it.

The Swan snarled as she flipped and caught herself in midair: destroying its eye hadn't done much. She readied herself to attack again-

Slots opened over the rectangular back of the machine, turrets snapping to position out of these and all immediately aiming at Cadence, opening fire on the mare. She swore, barely reacting in time to dodge the hail of gunfire that tore through the air around her before a beam of black energy shot into the dragon-tank's face, making it roar.

But as the turrets continued to fire on Cadence, the head of the beast turned towards Moonflower, its steel jaws opening before it leaned forwards and breathed out a blast of toxic mist, Moonflower cursing and flapping his wings hard as he staggered backwards.

Cadence's instincts warned her too late what was going to happen, and there was a single loud click before the cloud of toxic gas exploded in a furious whoosh of hellfire. Moonflower yelled as he flung himself away from the conflagration, rolling wildly over the floor to try and extinguish the flames that had caught over his body as the miasma of fire slowly descended towards the earth, the air itself burning with the poisonous flames.

The ivory mare zigzagged towards the side of the machine, before her eyes widened as the behemoth shifted and yanked its other set of treads free. The mare realized too late that the treads themselves were on some kind of wing-like appendages, and she didn't have time to react before it swung one of these out, smashing Cadence with the force of a runaway train and sending her crashing into the steel wall of the hangar hard enough to leave her embedded in the metal.

Cadence groaned as the machine-monster began to raise itself up, the Goliath snarling as the light shining from its sockets intensified. Its body extended, armor plating sliding into new positions and a terrible crimson core glowing in its breast as poisonous fuel leaked down its body from the broken tubes hanging loosely along its spine. Humongous, spiked rear wheels became visible as it lifted itself off the ground, the beast's roars echoing through the chamber as panels opened over its body to release sensor drones that shot into the air: they looked like hideous eyes, black steel spheres with staring red domes that twitched back and forth in every direction.

The Goliath's eyes locked on to Moonflower as the fog of flames finally faded into embers, and the monster-machine snarled as missile batteries rose up out of the machine's lower back, firing a short volley of rockets that zigzagged through the air. Moonflower stared stupidly up at the streaks wildly shooting through the hangar before they all spun suddenly towards him, and the winged unicorn barely reacted in time, creating a shield at the last moment.

His barrier was pulverized by the tremendous boom, and the stallion was launched across the room to slam back-first into one pillar of the portal with a gasp. He fell to his knees, but then snarled in fury and humiliation even as blood dripped from his nose, beginning to charge his horn with magic. “I... I will not stand for this!”

There was a ka-thunk, and then a grenade landed on the ground in front of the stallion, bouncing once before it exploded in a tremendous blast of anti-magic that knocked Moonflower sprawling, the winged unicorn howling in misery. The Goliath growled as it began to roll forwards, before one of its eye drones suddenly spun violently to the side, beeping loudly.

The giant machine looked up too late as Sombra shoved all the power he could through the tanker he was standing on top of, metal grinding and filters cracking before the bottom of the tank exploded outwards in a gush of black corruption. Boiling mire splashed over the machine, the Goliath flinching to the side like a living thing with a howl of fury as its weapon systems were jammed and black poison spilled its way between armor plates and gaps in its steel body, and then it arched its back with a mechanical growl when the mire crystallized, further clogging up its mechanisms.

The Goliath shook itself back and forth as Sombra leapt to the next tanker, pushing his hooves against it as he breathed hard in and out, his purifier sizzling on his back as he concentrated more poison than was safe. His eyes began to smolder with dark energy, but the stallion kept himself focused, not letting the anger, the hatred, the darkness intrude.

Two eye drones shot up on either side of him, and Sombra grimaced before they both flung themselves at him. One smashed into his side and the other hit his hind leg, the stallion hissing in pain as electricity sparked violently over his body from contact with them before he suddenly pressed down, the top of the tanker turning to rippling black ooze as the drones lunged at him again.

Sombra vanished through the mire beneath him and into the tanker, and the drones smashed uselessly into each other, spinning out of control before they quickly regained their balance. But then they were knocked from the air as the tanker simply exploded, a hail of black ooze raining down in all directions as Sombra dropped with a snarl on top of the machine.

He slammed his hooves down as he landed, and the Goliath roared as spikes of black metal tore into its steel-plated body, the machine immediately spinning itself around in a circle to fling the unicorn free. Sombra snapped a hoof out behind him as he flew through the air, a blast of dark magic hitting the wall and creating a mirror of black crystal that he passed harmlessly through, before he lunged quickly out of the dark gemstone covering the back of the machine, spinning around to attack one of its wheels-

The Goliath roared furiously as its body sizzled with electricity, a shockwave of lightning exploding from its form. Crystal shattered from the pure force of the wave of magic, Sombra launched from the attack with a gasp before his eyes widened in horror as his purifier's machinery bleated before the power crystals inside it overloaded and exploded.

Sombra flipped through the air with a scream of pain as the machinery was half-blown loose from his back, landing with a thud on his stomach. The Goliath seemed to snarl in pleasure as it started to roll itself backwards to simply crush the fallen stallion beneath one of its tires, but then it snarled when Cadence crashed into its face, and it was further distracted as a massive boom tore through the hangar and a cannon round smashed into its side.

The Goliath shifted, one of its treads sliding beneath it before it rose the other, then leaned to the side as it slammed it outwards, La Croix yelping and leaping away from the artillery cannon a moment before it was smashed apart like a cheap toy. At the same time, the Goliath's eye drones shot towards Cadence, distracting her and driving her back from its features even as she slashed back and forth at them.

They were surprisingly nimble, however, darting back and forth around her attacks, and Cadence barely managed to smash one with a lucky kick of a rear hoof before another rammed painfully across her face, knocking her off-balance. It began to whirl around, but then it was blasted out of the air by a bolt of magic from Moonflower, the winged unicorn howling furiously: “Over here, you... you toaster oven!”

The Goliath snarled, then it suddenly slammed both its treads forward, raising itself high as the crimson core in its chest pushed forwards, glowing brightly. Moonflower's eyes widened, and then he snarled in desperation before stepping forwards and snapping his horn down on instinct, a powerful singularity exploding into being in front of him as the dragon-tank unleashed a hellish crimson ray of energy so bright and powerful that Cadence felt her body heating up merely from being this close to it.

Moonflower trembled, fighting to maintain control over the whirling black hole devouring the beam of energy, the stallion grinding his teeth together before his eyes widened in horror as one of the remaining eye drones shot around the deadly singularity and lunged towards him. But Cadence intercepted it before it could slam into Moonflower, the mare kicking it viciously into the black hole to crush it into oblivion as she shouted: “Why is it getting stronger?”

“You ain' hurtin' it! It's self-repairing and it adapts to what it fights!” Rustproof replied sharply as he hurried towards the open wall panel. “Keep hitting the sensors and the weapons!”

Moonflower gritted his teeth at this, his eyes blazing before he snarled: “Oh, I'll do better than that!”

And, even with the laser continuing to bear down on him, the stallion slowly began to lean forwards, pushing the singularity slowly across the room towards the living machine. Cadence's eyes widened in amazement, even as the air rippled with the conflicting forces before she swore when a chunk of crystal on the Goliath's back exploded, and a new turret rose quickly up out of a slot in its body, taking aim at Moonflower.

Cadence shot down in front of it, her wings glowing white before she twisted one in front of herself like a shield, and she winced as a hail of bullets tore against it. It hurt like hell, but the bullets disintegrated on contact with the energy as Cadence gritted her teeth, even as sparks and feathers flew through the air.

Another section of crystallized mire exploded, a second turret rising quickly free to open fire on Moonflower. The stallion cursed as gunfire peppered the ground around him, flinching to the side before his eyes widened as La Croix appeared on top of the turret and shattered a bottle over it, the acid inside immediately spreading over the gun and eating rapidly away at it.

The Loa yelped as the turret exploded, knocked loose from the Goliath as the machine snarled. Moonflower gritted his teeth at this, sweat rolling down his face, his muscles flexed and horn sparking before he shoved suddenly forwards with an almost desperate yell.

The singularity tore forwards along the beam, consuming the laser before the black hole tore into the Goliath itself, and the living machine howled, arching its back as it treads tore wildly against the ground, its neck snapping back and forth even as chunks of both crystallized mire and its own body were yanked into the crushing darkness.

Explosions ripped through the Goliath's body as it twisted back and forth, weapon systems opening across its body and firing wildly in all directions as its remaining eye drones went insane, launching themselves back and forth through the air. But it couldn't escape the singularity, which steadily pulled in more and more of its chest as Moonflower gave a wide, vicious, trembling grin, his whole body ablaze with power.

And then, in one sudden, terrible boom, the singularity snapped closed as the magic whiffed out from Moonflower's horn, the stallion blinking once before he collapsed forward on his face. But the Goliath was left with most of its chest missing, its crimson core completely gone, steel throat torn to tatters and what looked horribly like a cavity of red, charred flesh and half-dead organs left visible in the massive crater of its breast.

The Goliath sparked violently, gurgling for a few moments before it began to fall, and Cadence started to relax. Except, the moment before it hit the ground, the machine froze.

Slowly, the Goliath began to raise itself back up as Cadence stared in disbelief, mouthing wordlessly as what looked like metal webbing began to fill up its chest. The crimson light in its eyes flickered as its jaw dropped open, drooling coolant and black poison as the hideous thing breathed...

“It's in repair mode, take out its eyes while you got the chance! You have to destroy the cameras inside its head, not just the lenses!” Rustproof pointed wildly at the machine, and Cadence snapped herself out of her trance before she leapt into the air with a curse, flapping her wings hard. How the hell was this thing still alive?

She slammed into the eye she had already destroyed, and swore under her breath as she looked into the socket: now that she knew what she was looking for, she understood what Rustproof meant, and the mare grimaced before she quickly yanked her rifle off her back.

She shoved the barrel into the broken socket and extended it before pulling the trigger, and the Goliath only twitched slightly even as a silver stake pounded through the machinery in its skull. The mare wasted no time yanking away and shoving herself to the other side of its head, firing two rounds into the socket for good measure to shatter the lens and destroy the machinery inside, and not a moment too soon as the Goliath roared and woke up, shaking its head back and forth driving Cadence backwards.

The mare opened fire on the face of the creature, but the Goliath ignored the silver stakes tearing across its steel skull, instead blindly looking back and forth before it lowered itself quickly back towards the ground as its treads slid beneath its body, protecting the ravaged hole in its breast. Electricity and anti-magic coursed along its frame, dissolving the black crystal still attached to its frame before several panels opened over its back, releasing more eye drones.

Cadence rose her rifle, firing at one, and all she managed to do was attract their attention as the round went wild. The ivory mare swore before she yelped and barely managed to lunge out of the way when the dragon-machine snapped at her. It rolled forward, the floating eyes tracking her movements as the Goliath breathed out a stream of toxic mist, but Cadence flew quickly away and out of range before the poisonous fog exploded into flames.

The eye drones were all so focused on Cadence that they didn't notice the other threats until one was tackled out of the air by Sombra, who drove the drone to the ground and smashed it with a cruel grin, miasma leaking from his eyes and his purifier discarded. The Goliath immediately spun itself towards the unicorn, attempting to catch him under its treads, but the unicorn burst apart into dark flames that shot upwards and landed on the dragon-machine's skull, the stallion slashing uselessly away at its silver face before he howled as the Goliath drove its head into the wall, making the hangar quake.

La Croix, meanwhile, risked slipping towards one of the treads even as the eye drones looked wildly back and forth through the hangar for any other hostiles, before they were distracted as Cadence managed to shoot one out of the air. And as the Goliath spun back towards the mare, turrets and missile batteries rising up out of the slots in its body to open fire on her again, driving the ivory mare back as she dodged back and forth while clumsily trying to reload her rifle.

With the machine distracted, La Croix yanked several bottles out of his packs, pouring one quickly over the treads as he shattered the other into a sprue, the acid rapidly beginning to eat away at this. Then the zebra winced and stumbled backward as the Goliath suddenly shifted, before it snarled and rose one of its treads as its blind eyes turned towards La Croix, the zebra yelping and vanishing from sight a moment before the creature slammed its tread down.

The rotted sprue popped loose, and the tread itself jammed, the Goliath growling as its body sparked and it froze for a moment with its badly-damaged chest exposed just long enough for Sombra to launch a blast of black flames into the mass of metallic strings, burning through the repairs it had managed and making the Goliath spasm backwards with a roar as its more-sensitive innards were damaged.

But the damn thing just wouldn't stop fighting, kept producing more and more weapons, kept shifting its armor and repairing itself. Its eye drones were behaving more intelligently as they removed themselves from the combat to lurk near the ceiling, and one of its sockets was filled with baleful energy, sparking weakly as Cadence fired uselessly at the silver skull of the Goliath.

The round bounced off, and the mare opened her mouth before she heard and felt the whoosh of energy as the portal behind them transformed into a swirling vortex: they had gotten through. But then the mare gritted her teeth as she looked down and saw Moonflower still unconscious, Sombra dancing around the monster and throwing himself at it like a savage beast, La Croix nowhere in sight and Rustproof still working away at the panel...

And the Goliath itself: they couldn't let that monster pass through the portal, but how the hell were they supposed to stop it? All she could think of was how the monster was trying to defend its chest, but Rustproof just said to keep it off balance, keep distracting it, destroying its weapon systems... how the hell was that going to help them at all?

The mare looked at the gun in her hooves, and she swore before she simply flung this aside, gritting her teeth before she dove forwards even as she heard a shout. But she ignored it, shooting past her father to get his attention before she drove straight for the monster's breast-

A massive blast of lightning and antimagic tore out of the creature, knocking both her and Sombra flying backwards with howls of pain. They both hit the ground hard, rolling violently to a halt near Moonflower, bodies smoldering and Cadence gasping weakly before she looked up with a tremble as La Croix appeared in front of them, the zebra gritting his teeth as he shouted: “Hey! Hey you! I'm here!”

“No I ain't, I'm over here!” shouted another La Croix, and the Goliath's floating eyes spun towards the clone of the zebra standing on a crate behind it, before they rounded on a sharp whistle to see a third standing on top of the railing of the room, waving his forelegs almost desperately.

The Goliath snarled as La Croix began to lean back, muttering to Cadence as she struggled to get her trembling limbs under her: “Okay, I think I can keep it busy, but we gotta-”

Three turrets extended from the machine-beast's back, and La Croix had enough time to look dumbfounded as they aimed in different directions before opening fire. The Loa was blasted of his hooves in a spray of crimson, landing beside Cadence with a howl of agony as the illusions were torn apart.

The zebra groaned loudly, trembling as blood spilled from the wounds in his body before he grinned weakly at Cadence as the mare stared at him in horror. “Pardonnez-moi, Cygne... I got... cocky, I guess.”

“Yes, La Croix... that's my job, not yours.” Moonflower whispered, and Cadence looked back at the black winged unicorn as the Goliath began to advance on them, the stallion gritting his teeth as he advanced slowly towards the machine before his horn began to glow.

It sputtered out after a moment, however, and Moonflower grimaced before he cried out in agony as one of the turrets opened fire, tearing across his side and flaying one of his wings to shreds. He fell on his side, and the Goliath seemed to laugh at them as poisonous fog spilled out of its maw, the creature starting to lean forwards as Cadence begged the Swan to help, for something, anything...

A shot rang out, hammering into the dragon-beast's jaw with a bright flare of light before the poisonous mist burst into flames. The Goliath reared back as its head was engulfed in fire, and a mechanical voice announced coldly: “Warning. Security breach detected. Deploying countermeasures.”

Panels opened across the ceiling, massive, strange-looking turrets descending and immediately opening fire on the Goliath with concentrated beams of azure light. The creature howled in agony, its body sparking violently as it spasmed under the rays of energy, and Rustproof shouted quickly from beside the portal as he shouldered Cadence's rifle: “Get up! We gotta go!”

Moonflower looked desperately back and forth over his fallen teammates; the Goliath was spasming and helpless under the ionized beams, but it likely wouldn't be for long, and even Cadence was too drained to do more than writhe on the ground. Even as plates of armor fell off it and its weapon systems malfunctioned, it was already beginning to jerk itself towards them, mindlessly bent on destroying its enemies no matter what the cost.

No matter what the cost...

Moonflower gritted his teeth, his horn flaring up with black light before he clenched his eyes shut and shouted: “Just hold on, all of you! I've got you!”

Moonflower dropped his head as bubbles of light appeared around his friends, lifting them all with telekinesis before he stumbled around in a circle, then screamed as his horn flashed, and his flayed wing all-but-exploded into energy that swirled around his body. And even as the appendage rotted rapidly away, the stallion felt new strength flood through the rest of his form, giving him the temporary boost he needed to lunge towards the portal as Rustproof yanked a few dials on the control panel.

The winged unicorn charged into the vortex with his friends held safely in his magic, and Rustproof followed a moment later, shooting one last look over his shoulder even as the portal began to overload. Then his eyes widened in horror as he saw the Goliath lunge after them, roaring in fury as it tore out from beneath the ion lasers burning away its programming and circuitry.

“Run!” Rustproof shouted, even as Moonflower burst out the other end of the portal, and the stallion continued to stagger-sprint across the secured portal hall, yelling wildly as he shot past Hecate, Thorn, and Cowlick. A moment later, Rustproof bolted out of the portal, following after Moonflower before the portal all-but-exploded in a hail of sparks and energy: and yet all the same, the Goliath managed to tear its way into the fabric of their reality, even as shattered plating tore away from its body, skinned of much of its armor by the portal snapping shut on it.

The mutilated lump of dragon-flesh and machine-parts skidded forwards on broken treads, and Cowlick grimaced before she spat her cigarette out and strode forwards, saying moodily as Hecate started to reach up: “Don't worry, I got it.”

As she approached the hulk of the Goliath, she reached down and spun a dial on her foreleg all the way around, the vials of poison embedded through her body bubbling violently as they pumped into her. The mare snarled as the monster rolled towards her, its broken treads locking together to try and crush the demon beneath its combined weight and momentum.

But without so much as flinching, Cowlick slammed her hooves forwards and stopped the charge, her rear hooves digging into the steel floor before she roared as her muscles bulged, then grew. Her entire body expanded, a cruel grin spreading over her face as she doubled, then trebled in height before she easily lifted the Goliath half into the air by one tread, then slammed a hoof into its skull in a hook that was hard enough to obliterate its steel skull, chunks of flesh and metal debris flying in all directions.

Almost casually, the demon mare hefted the machine-beast forward to let it fall half-over her as it spasmed and twitched, and then she slammed her hoof up beneath its body, ripping deep into its stomach in a squall of metal. Then, with a burst of fuel and blood and broken machinery, she ripped an engine out of the underside of the living weapon before she casually tossed the hulk of the Goliath to the side.

It spasmed a few times, blood and fuel spreading slowly in a pool around it before it began to slowly gear down, and Cowlick absently wiped her hooves together before she turned around as she adjusted her dial back down, the mare hissing in pain as her body shrank. Hecate only crossed her arms before she asked contemptibly: “Could you be any messier?”

Cowlick snorted, opening her mouth before her eyes were drawn to the side, to the stallion who was staring at her. And she could only stare back, her features slowly losing their tenseness before she swallowed and strode quickly forwards, reaching up to grasp Rustproof's face in trembling hooves as she tilted his head gently one way, then the other.

Rustproof's eyes never left his mother's face, the two looking at each other before the demon smiled faintly, then murmured: “You've been smoking. Goddammit, Rusty. You never learn, do you?”

“Sorry, Momma.” Rustproof halted, and then he silently reached up and grasped his mother's hooves, squeezing them slowly as he said quietly: “I knew you'd come for me.”

Cowlick grinned, eyes bright before she leaned suddenly forwards and embraced her son fiercely, and Rustproof hugged his mother tightly back, the two pressing together in silence until Hecate loudly cleared her throat.

“Welcome to Decretum, Rustproof. Bani, you and your son work for me now, and your first task is to clean up that mess. While you drag that corpse down to recycling, you can use the time to catch up.” Hecate said distastefully, and then the mare simply turned and headed towards where the Irregular Hunters were already being tended to by the medical team.

Thorn glanced over his shoulder at Hecate, then he approached Cowlick and Rustproof as the demon smiled wryly and the earth pony looked curiously at the stallion. “Both of you will need to be processed, and you need to be debriefed, Rustproof. We need as much information on Fyrverǫld as possible.”

Thorn paused, then he glanced over his shoulder at Muse, who was hugging a crystal orb to her chest and breathing hard, a bit of blood running from one ear, but she was smiling all the same as Necrophage hugged her sister tightly, who was beaming brightly and proudly up at her. “You're fortunate we now have a pony capable of scrying across dimensions. Your portal didn't register from any known coordinates, so we weren't originally going to let you in.”

Rustproof nodded, then he calmly reached up and grasped his goggle eye before he carefully unscrewed it, removing a small camera that he held out to the stallion. “Everything you need to know should be there. Should interface fine.”

Thorn took the camera, studying it thoughtfully before he smiled slightly and nodded as Cowlick turned her son's face back towards her, her gaze warm as she looked into both of his natural orange eyes. “I'm damn glad to see your face.”

“I love you, Momma. I missed you.” Rustproof said simply, and Cowlick smiled again before she closed her eyes and only nodded a few times, swallowing back her emotions as Thorn only stood by, smiling a little as he let the two have their moment.

Meanwhile, Hecate was kneeling beside Moonflower, who had his head lowered. One wing twitched weakly, while the other was nothing but a withered mass of sinew; after a moment of inspection, the mare turned her eyes away from the stallion to survey the other wounded.

Sombra was growling, but his eyes were already glazed from being tranquilized with White Matter, which would leave him stupid and harmless until they got him into a medical capsule. La Croix was swearing angrily away as a medical technician held him down and removed the bullets from his body, and Cadence was sitting up, looking ashamedly at the ground but still visibly weak: Hecate could still detect antimagic around her.

The mechanical goddess looked at Moonflower, studying the stallion as he shifted uncomfortably before finally looking up at her. He smiled awkwardly up at her, and then he drew his eyes along her mechanical body: not her usual powerful frame, but instead a lither, much more compact and skeletal version. “Well, I... guess we've all had a rough week.”

Hecate looked at the stallion for a moment, and then she slapped him roughly across the face, Cadence looking up with a wince as blood flew from Moonflower's muzzle and his eyes bulged in shock. He mouthed slowly and wordlessly, then winced when Hecate grabbed him by the mane before she said coldly: “So not only did you cause a Class II alert breaching Decretum, and allowed a hostile bioweapon to follow you into my world, the entire team has returned severely injured. What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Nothing.” Moonflower whispered, trying to lower his head, but Hecate held him tightly by the mane, stopping him from pulling his gaze away, forcing him to look into her eyes before he suddenly grit his teeth and snapped: “Nothing, because we did what we were asked! Every one of us, I did, Cadence did, La Croix did... Sombra sacrificed his purifier, Cadenza gave up her life, La Croix is a hero and I...”

Moonflower trembled, his stump of wing twitching once before he said brazenly, even as tears visibly filled his eyes: “I gave up the greatest mark of strength any pony could have. I gave up what made me special. You can call me a failure and a coward and a fool and a thousand other things, Hecate, but I gave everything I could and protected my friends to the very best of my ability, and I... I refuse to accept anything less than a 'thank you' for all the hard work we've done for you!”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Hecate slowly yanked Moonflower's head higher as she leaned down, pressing her mouth beside Moonflower's ear. And even though her features remained cold, her voice was gentle as she whispered: “Your wings never made you special, Moonflower. Your heart, and your courage are what make you special. And I am grateful. I am grateful for what you have done, and your team, just as I am grateful for you.”

Hecate straightened, and Moonflower looked up at her dumbly as she looked back down at him before she said in a harder voice: “But don't expect a 'thank you' for doing your job. Cadence!”

Cadence winced and snapped to attention, saluting sharply as Hecate approached, and the two looked at each other for a few moments before the Empress of Decretum asked coldly: “Do you have the Swan under control?”

“The Swan... knows her place.” Cadence said after a moment, nodding hesitantly, and when the Swan seemed to give her a strange sort of approval, the ivory mare looked up and gave a brief smile. “She wants to help.”

Hecate looked meditatively at the ivory mare, but then she nodded slowly and said moodily: “We will discuss this in further detail later. For now, in spite of the fact you managed to drag several metric tons of killing machine along with you through an unregistered portal and required the assistance of Luna Brynhild and her motley crew...”

The mechanical goddess studied Cadence silently for a few moments, and then she nodded once before saying finally: “Drop off your equipment for repairs, and once you've had a chance to rest, Thorn will debrief you. I can only give your team three days of rest before redeployment, however, so you may want to reserve a capsule at the medical center.”

“Three days?” Cadence blinked in surprise, asking after a moment: “Wait, we have another mission already?”

“Yes. As you and the rest of Team 0-0 seems to enjoy bragging, you are my 'very best,' isn't that correct?” Hecate asked, gesturing towards her pointedly, and Cadence smiled at this, raising her head proudly and nodding firmly. “Don't get conceited. Just be ready when I need you, and make sure your report to Thorn is clear and concise.”

“Yes, Queen Hecate.” Cadence saluted again, and Hecate looked at her for a moment before the ivory mare added quickly: “Luna Brynhild and her team will be reporting in, too. They agreed to regroup here in Decretum.”

“Wonderful.” Hecate rolled her eyes, looking disgusted, before she asked moodily: “Anything else I should be aware of?”

Cadence hesitated, and then she carefully climbed to her hooves, walking over to Hecate and leaning up. The mechanical goddess glowered, but then leaned down, and then her eyes widened and her expression tightened as Cadence whispered: “They said they were taking orders from Valthrudnir.”

Hecate straightened, and she crossed her steel arms, looking down for a moment before she said abruptly: “Your leave has been shortened to two days. You will need to be ready to move out as soon as possible. I'll pull some strings and see to it that Brynhild and her team will accompany you as support, and you and I will pick the candidates for the third strike team ourselves.”

“Strike team? Wait, we're going to attack Fyrverǫld?” Cadence asked in disbelief, looking up at Hecate with surprise.

But the mechanical empress simply smiled coldly, replying distastefully: “No, we are not. We are going on a diplomatic mission to Fyrverǫld. But we will be prepared for the worst, and should combat ensue, we will be ready for it.”

Cadence bit her lip, and Hecate surveyed her for a moment longer before she added shortly: “Moonflower, I expect to see you in my office later. And get that bullet removed from your lung before you asphyxiate.”

Moonflower smiled lamely as he touched his own breast, and Cadence sighed before she pulled herself to her hooves, nodding her thanks to the medical staff currently looking after La Croix and Sombra before she approached the stallion. She looked at him, and he gazed back at her for a moment before the mare leaned forwards and hugged him tightly.

The one-winged unicorn blinked in surprise, and then he trembled for a moment before hugging her tightly back, burying his face against her neck as Cadence murmured: “Thank you. I'm sorry.”

“Don't be, I... I don't need wings anyway.” Moonflower laughed a little, leaning back and smiling awkwardly up at the mare as he scrubbed at his face before he added quietly: “Anyway, it was all... silly magic, you know. An experiment with permanent polymorphs that... didn't go quite right, but... I wanted to be special. I... I always wanted to be special.”

Moonflower looked down quietly as they parted, the stallion twiddling his hooves quietly before he glanced up as La Croix slowly walked towards them, the zebra smiling a little as he said: “Y'are special, Moony. There ain't another rein de la nuit like you in the whole wide universe. And if that ain't enough for you, I guess I can admit I owe you one, mon ami.”

La Croix held up a hoof, and Moonflower smiled faintly before he knocked his against the zebra's, nodding gratefully to the Loa before Cadence said quietly: “You two go and get some rest, okay? Moonflower, go to medical, get that bullet taken care of. La Croix, you get some rest. I'm going to go with the medical staff to make sure Daddy's okay, and then I'll meet up with you later.”

The two nodded, before a throat cleared itself loudly, and Cadence looked up in surprise as Cowlick approached with Rustproof. The demon looked appraisingly over the ponies before she said almost grudgingly: “Thanks, for... doin' your jobs. If any of you ever need anything, you let us know. Me and Rusty'll be more'n happy to help.”

“Bani and Rustproof will be joining our engineering team. They'll likely be placed in charge of equipment design and modification.” Thorn explained as he joined the group, gesturing towards Cowlick and her son.

Rustproof smiled, then he pulled Cadence's rifle off his back and held it out to the mare, who looked awkwardly at the burnt marks around the barrel. “Sorry. Shot my lighter out of it.”

“I'm not gonna ask why.” Cowlick said mildly, but she snatched the gun before Cadence could take it, not that the ivory mare made more than a token gesture to grab the rifle in the first place, anyway. “Huh. Interestin'. But I already see a lot of places where improvements could be made.”

“Did you use the rifle?” Thorn asked, turning his eyes towards Cadence, and the ivory mare nodded hurriedly a few times, but her reaction still apparently told Thorn that she hadn't used it quite as often as she could have, as the stallion said dryly: “You're missing most of your knives, but your clips are still attached to the belts. The ones you didn't lose with the rest of your equipment, that is.”

Cadence smiled lamely, but Thorn only shook his head before saying after a moment: “Go ahead and rest for now. That goes for all of you. Moonflower, I'll talk to you later tonight.”

“Okay, Thorn. I would like that.” Moonflower said honestly, smiling over at the stallion, and Thorn gave him a look, then a quick nod before he turned and headed away.

“Kid's got a stick up his ass the size of Hecate. Ain't no slouch, though, I'll give him that at least.” Cowlick remarked, and then she shook her head before shouldering the rifle and smiling over at her son. “Anyway, Rusty, go deal with the bureaucracy for me. I'll start cleanin' up this mess. Cadence, you come by the lab later. I see you're one of those 'don't like guns' types, but I'll fix you up something you will like, got it?”

Cadence smiled lamely, and then Rustproof glanced towards her and added: “Thank you. All of you. I hope one day I can pay you all back somehow for this.”

Cadence only shrugged a bit, though, and then she said softly: “Just the mission, that's all. But uh...” She glanced over her shoulder at her father, softening as she saw the medical crew carefully helping Sombra to his hooves: he had finally reached that perfect state they needed him in, where he was coherent but pacified, and the ivory mare turned around without another word and hurried towards his side.

Cowlick smiled wryly as La Croix and Moonflower both gazed after Cadence, and then the ivory mare chuckled as she turned her eyes towards Rustproof, her son, and she said softly: “Well, I guess I can understand losin' your manners because of family.

“Family makes you do the damnedest things.”

Hecate stood in Thesis' old room, her arms crossed, her eyes locked on the mural on the wall. She breathed slowly in and out as she studied the image, its every detail, before she closed her eyes and shook her head silently.

It was late, and the briefings and debriefings and everything else were finished. All of the operations for the day had come to a close, and night maintenance had begun. Cadence was staying with her father in the medical center, which was fine: she had told Thorn to take the night off and secretly hoped that he was spending his time with Moonflower, but she had a feeling he was probably trying to sneak in more work. He had at least stopped in to talk to the stallion, though, so at least there was that. It's a start.

La Croix was busy in one of the workshops rebuilding his ridiculous clothes, and her new employees were already hard at work together. Hel had yet to authorize the transfer, but Hecate knew she wouldn't bicker with her for long over it. Hel respected right of might and her authority, and wouldn't challenge her at this junction. Maybe in the future, if she ever suspected what the Ithavoll project might eventually lead to, but that wasn't important right now. Right now, they were allies, and they needed each other.

Brynhild and her team had arrived a few hours ago. She had arranged special quarters for them, and asked to meet with them after they got some rest. She had also sent out a special request to what she considered to be a particularly important world: hopefully they would honor their unspoken agreement and send her allies she could trust in the conflict ahead.

If Valthrudnir was alive, then conquering Fyrverǫld would be next to impossible. If this was all a ruse, then Hecate would have no problem in rendering Fyrverǫld a non-problem. She smiled thinly at this thought, but she still felt uneasy as she looked silently at the painting of Thesis before she sighed and lowered her head.

There was no mention of any Thokk in the archives, and the only thing that had ever come out of the Void in the past were the Hræzla. There was no mention of any being ever successfully returning from the Void either, except perhaps for...

But they were a special case, and it wasn't entirely known what had happened to them in the first place. They only had Hel's word that they had fallen out of the chaos and right into her lap, and Hel's word was... questionable, at best. As Hecate had learned, there was an enormous gulf between being unable to lie and being honest all the time.

Still, they certainly weren't like these 'Voidborn,' as Cadence had referred to them. They had at least been smart enough to bring back one of the knives, which Hecate was having analyzed now, although she could already tell the molecular composition was unlike anything she had seen in the past.

The mechanical goddess tapped her fingers silently against her arm as she gazed at the picture of Thesis, and she knew she was just avoiding the question she really wanted the answer to.

Was Thesis out there, somewhere? And if Thokk had the power to bring those lost souls out of the Void...

But would Thesis survive the Void? Or had he grown so weak, so insane and fragile, that maybe...

Hecate shook her head quickly, scowling as she closed her eyes and muttered: “Enough. Seneschal, render a full report on today's activities for me immediately.”

A holographic blue screen appeared beside the mare, information streaming quickly across it as Seneschal answered: “We haven't completed the analysis on the weapon yet, but we have begun doing wide scale scanning of other worlds, looking specifically for foreign energy signatures and testing the durability of reality. We haven't discovered anything serious so far, which is good news: although there is a distinct... weakening across the universe, we estimate that it would be centuries before-”

“Centuries are not an impossible amount of time. Bear that in mind.” Hecate said shortly, and Seneschal nodded hurriedly before the ivory mare continued coldly: “Has the use of our portals impacted reality?”

“Well...” Seneschal hesitated, and then he said finally: “Yes... both methods of creating portals, stationary and mobile, cause damage to reality that does not simply repair itself. Midgard, of course, abides a vacuum and will fill it immediately, but like any deep wound in the body, it leaves scars that may never fully heal. The molecular disruption on the subatomic level is... uh, not important.”

Seneschal gave a wheezy little laugh as Hecate glared at the holographic screen impatiently, and the AI made a sound like it was swallowing loudly before hurrying on: “Stationary portals are much less damaging than mobile portals. They only create weakness in one area, and because of their assisted activation, the 'wounding' they cause is more like a practical incision.

“But mobile portals and mobile portal technology and magic have both become more and more common. Reality has perhaps in part weakened because of the increasing usage of portals for both business and pleasure throughout the entire universe as a whole: while the effects are not always visible, these portals are not constrained, and tend to create larger 'rips' in the fabric of reality, that take longer to repair and heal. They are often also less focused, and more prone to both collapse and allowing in problematic entities.”

Hecate lowered her head meditatively, and then she nodded slowly before muttering: “An answer that creates a future problem is not a solution. It is simply a long-term problem, like a disease. So have you discovered anything, Seneschal, or do I need to shut down more of your auxiliary functions so you can devote proper processing power to your brain?”

“Yes, wait, yes, I have!” Seneschal blurted, the image of the AI appearing on the holographic screen and waving his hands violently in a gesture of surrender. “I discovered that the coordinates for Fyrverǫld have changed and, in fact, are continuing to change over time, which is why we could not lock on to the world's location. But I've processed and broken the simple algorithm and we should be able to reach Fyrverǫld at any time we please now.”

Hecate narrowed her eyes: what had the power to change a world's position in the universe? Except she knew precisely who had that kind of strength...

Seneschal hesitated, and then he spoke up nervously: “And as much as I know you don't like me being presumptuous, Queen Hecate, in spite of how infallible my logic systems are, I would suggest we investigate Protos further. I would also suggest that we reevaluate the Ten Moons.”

Hecate sighed after a moment, and then she muttered after a moment: “Assemble a scouting team and ready two Titans and two Scarecrows to accompany them. I want a rapid deployment to Protos, and I want them covering as much ground as possible during the short time they have.”

“Yes, of course.” Seneschal said quickly, and the AI hesitated for a few moments before he asked hesitantly: “And what about the Ten Moons?”

“Use their base coordinates and run the same orbit algorithm as Fyrverǫld is on. We may get lucky.” Hecate muttered, although if they were truly fortunate, the Ten Moons would be gone. “I also want the Ithavoll project accelerated. Reroute power from the nonessential and civilian systems if you need to, there's precious few organics in Endworld and even Valthrudnir... would have difficulty reaching it right now.”

She quieted, looking away, and there was silence for a moment before the AI asked meekly: “Am I based upon Valthrudnir, Queen Hecate?”

“That is not important right now.” Hecate replied calmly, straightening a bit and looking at the dragon twiddling his fingers together on the holographic screen, and then she dismissed the projection with only a gesture. She hesitated for a moment, however, then said quietly: “Do what you were designed to do. You are the most intelligent and advanced system I have ever created, Seneschal, but I did not program you to feel doubt.”

“Yes, of course.” Seneschal nodded hurriedly, clearing his throat before he asked in a more professional voice: “Any other orders, Lady Hecate? I am organizing the Orphans as we speak.”

“None for now, Seneschal. Resume your operations.” Hecate replied, and then she turned her eyes silently back to the mural over the wall, silently drawing her eyes along the image before she sighed softly and shook her head slowly.

She reached up and rubbed slowly at her prosthetic horn in a short, nervous gesture, and then she straightened slowly, raising her head high, her face hardening as she turned towards the door. That was enough sulking and pouting for now. Now, it was time to get back to work. Nothing was gained by sitting around, doing nothing: she had the power to change things, and she was going to use it.

There was no time left for hope or regrets. All that mattered anymore was what she did, and whether or not she was able to follow the path she had chosen, or if her traitor heart would lead her to making the same mistakes of the past all over again.

Music

Chapter Eighteen: Music
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence yawned loudly as she dragged herself to the kitchen of her little apartment, blinking blearily as she fumbled through the process of putting on her blueberry tea. She mumbled under her breath to herself as she spilled water all over the kettle instead of into it, but couldn't be bothered to give it more than a cursory wipe before she put it on the stove and then laid herself half-over the counter.

She felt exhausted. Everything had caught up to her, and even if she had healed up almost completely in a ridiculously short amount of time, her muscles and brain sure as hell were both still making sure she knew they were unhappy with all the stress they had gone through.

Cadence fumbled at the kettle after a few minutes as she heard a whistling, dragging it off the stove and pouring the liquid into a mug before she picked this up and took a sip, then scowled and slowly spat the liquid back into the cup, staring down at it the cold water blankly. She looked stupidly at the kettle, then at the stove, which she... did not even turn it on. Dammit, Cadence.

What the hell was that whistling, though?

Cadence put down her mug of water as one of her ears twitched, the mare realizing it was coming from outside. She headed to the door and opened it, then sighed tiredly as the whistling became a roaring as a cleaning droid rumbled slowly by.

She slammed the door, turning around, before she swore angrily, jumping backwards as she saw La Croix now sitting in her kitchen, the Loa grinning as he held out a cup to her. “You lookin' for this, mademoiselle?”

“Goddammit it's too early for this!” Cadence shouted, and the zebra winced before Cadence stormed forwards, then narrowed her eyes as she caught the sweet scent of honey and raspberries. “Wait. Why are you giving me this? Why are you here?”

“No offense, Cygne, but y'always are a bit of a salope in the mornings. Or well, whatever counts as a morning here, still don't understand how this whole night-day thing works when there ain't no real night or day.” La Croix said mildly, and Cadence looked at him suspiciously even as she took the cup of tea and sipped at it. It was sweet, sharp, and loaded with sugar, just the way she liked it.

That actually did make her more suspicious, but it also was enough to calm her down a little even as she looked at La Croix, who looked back at her with an awkward grin. She noted that his cape and hat were back in place, and he was fidgeting, playing nervously with his amulet... great. We're going to get in trouble for something, aren't we? “What happened?”

“Nothing!” La Croix huffed loudly, and then he hesitated and said finally: “Okay, nothin' yet. But uh... I guess I wanted to ask you to come along and help me cheer Moony up.”

Cadence softened at this, and then she nodded before frowning a bit as she sipped at the raspberry tea, asking moodily: “Why did you think you needed to butter me up just to get me to do that? I was planning on making sure Moonflower doesn't do anything stupid today anyway.”

“Well, y'see, I don't want you tellin' the rein de la nuit that I be worried about him or that what we should do was my idea.” La Croix said mildly, and Cadence began to smile before she realized what the zebra was implying: wait. What idea? “Y'know that thing that Moony likes to do?”

“Cabaret.” Cadence said before she could stop herself, and the Loa snorted in amusement, then hurriedly cleared his throat and looked at her pointedly, and the ivory mare smiled lamely.

“Th'other thing.” La Croix said dryly, and Cadence frowned for a moment before La Croix hummed a few bars, looking pointedly at Cadence, and the ivory mare winced and shook her head violently as she realized what the Loa was talking about.

“No, no, hell no. You're going to have to do a lot better than a cup of raspberry tea if you want me to do that.” Cadence said immediately, and La Croix rolled his eyes before he gestured towards the kettle. The ivory mare looked at this moodily, and then she asked dryly: “So do you really think that's going to be enough to win me over?”

“We can stop by the bakery, too. I just want to give him a decent day out. Maybe get him to bring his boy 'round or whatever, too, if he ain't already been scared off.” La Croix wheedled, and Cadence looked at the Loa for a few moments before she softened a bit.

“You really are worried about him, huh?” the ivory mare asked quietly, and La Croix smiled briefly before he nodded a little. “Well... you shouldn't. Moonflower is a lot of things and he's certainly dumb, but... he's a funny sort of tough, too. I think he's going to be okay, one way or the other.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Cadence sighed before she said grudgingly: “But okay. We can... give him today, I guess, I've got nothing better to do and Daddy is in medical stasis right now. I guess there are worse ways to spend the day.”

“Bon!” La Croix said cheerfully, clapping his front hooves together. “Well, in that case, let's go and get Moony, shall we?”

Cadence grunted as she put her empty cup aside on the counter, and then, as La Croix trotted quickly past her towards the door, she asked curiously: “So hey, what happened to those Kirin spirits you brought back?”

“They all went for processing, of course. But do we really gotta talk about work, Cygne?” La Croix complained as the mare followed him outside and he headed for the stairs, and when the mare gave him a slight smile, he rolled his eyes and said wryly: “Course we do. I forgot who I was talking to.”

Cadence glared at him, then she bodychecked the Loa lightly, making him wince and nearly fall down the steps. He huffed loudly over his shoulder at her, then hesitated before asking: “What about you, Cygne? How are... your things holding up?”

Cadence quieted a bit at this, pausing on the landing to hesitantly touch her breast, tracing silently over the faint, bird-shaped outline on it. Her cutie mark was completely gone now, and her hooves were edged in gold, and her mane and tail seemed like they were growing back faster: even though she'd just gotten them both shaved down yesterday, her hair was already tickling her ears again today. “I think...”

She didn't really know what she thought, but after a moment, she smiled a little as she looked at La Croix and reassured: “I'm fine.”

“Yeah, that just means you ain't.” La Croix said pointedly, and then he shook his head as they stepped out onto the residence level where he and Moonflower had their apartments, the zebra leading the way down the hall as he said softly: “You know... you real strong, Cygne, and I admire that, and I admire your courage. But you can be real dumb too, y'know. And real fou. Moony and I may not be the best ponies around, since... well, I ain't no pony and he ain't much of a stallion, but still. We're here for you, cher.”

Cadence smiled a little at this as they came to a halt in front of Moonflower's door, and then the Loa winked before he reached up and hammered on it, saying cheerfully: “Just as you always be here for us, ready to accept the responsibilities of us dumb ol' poussins.”

“Right.” Cadence said dryly, and then she looked ahead as the door opened, Moonflower looking at them with surprise as she smiled and asked: “Hey, how're you doing?”

Moonflower awkwardly looked back over his shoulder at the bandage that covered the graft where his wing had once been, and then he cleared his throat before saying finally: “Better. It's... nice to see you two, but I have... company. So. It would be nicer if you left.”

Cadence scowled slightly, and La Croix huffed loudly as Moonflower looked at them pointedly, then blushed a little as Thorn strode up behind him, the stallion asking curiously: “Cadence? La Croix? Do you need anything?”

“Hey, Thorn! We was just comin' by to invite Moony out, indulge a silly hobby of his! Why don't you come with us too?” La Croix asked cheerfully, gesturing towards the sapphire stallion.

Moonflower glared at them, and Cadence shifted a bit, beginning to think up an excuse to drag La Croix off, but she was surprised when Thorn said, albeit reluctantly: “Maybe... that's a good idea. You can't hide here in forever, Moonflower.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.” Moonflower retorted, holding his head up high even as he shifted back and forth, as if he was trying to cover up his bandaging somehow.

“I am talking about the fact that you're hiding in this room because you think everyone's going to stare at your missing wing and it somehow makes you less of a stallion.” Thorn replied bluntly, and Moonflower and Cadence both stared in disbelief as La Croix cleared his throat, looking both a little horrified and a little impressed. “Moonflower, do you think that the fact you're a faggot makes you less of a stallion?”

“No!” Moonflower squawked, looking further horrified as he clutched at his chest dramatically, and Cadence winced a bit at Thorn's matter-of-fact tone. “I... am a proud homosexual stallion! I am not... I mean... how could you-”

“That is correct. Being a faggot does not make you less of a stallion. Having one wing, or no wings, does not make you less of a stallion.” Thorn continued, unfettered as always, before he reached up and touched his own steel limb as he looked into Moonflower's eyes. “I understand what you're going through better than anyone else here. But being ashamed of who you are is stupid and a waste of time, and I will neither encourage it nor allow it.”

“I'm... I mean, I'm not...” Moonflower blushed, shifting back and forth lamely, before he blinked when Thorn reached up and gently grasped his shoulder.

The two looked at each other for a few moments, and then the sapphire stallion said softly: “I'm not ashamed of you. I like you. And I don't care who knows, or what they think about us. Getting a prosthetic wing won't make you feel better if you don't fix the fact that you think you need wings in the first place... just like how you loudly tell everyone you're gay won't fix the fact that you're ashamed of the fact you're attracted to stallions.”

Moonflower blushed deeply, lowering his head and trembling a bit before he mumbled: “Do we have to do this in front of them?”

“Yes. Because they're your friends and they care about you.” Thorn shrugged, looking at Cadence and La Croix, and the mare smiled a little as the zebra shrugged awkwardly, rubbing at the back of his head.

The ivory mare hesitated for a moment, and then she said softly: “Moonflower, I think you and him make a cute couple. But now that I think about it, I guess he's kind of right. You're so loud and you ogle stallions blatantly and you're a little, uh... stereotypical, for a lack of a better word... but you... emphasize it so much, it's like you're covering up the fact that you really... that it's more than some act, that it's more than just sexual attraction.”

“I ain't no good at this, so I ain't gonna say anything or be nice. Y'are a pédé, Moony.” La Croix hesitated, and then he smiled a bit and said finally: “But I wouldn't have y'any other way.”

Moonflower mumbled a little, rubbing at his face before he looked over at Thorn and said finally: “You're meaner than I thought.”

“You either face your problems or let them grow. You either take their power away, or you feed them.” Thorn shrugged a bit again, and then he said with a brief smile: “Hecate never let me run away from my problems. She always made me face them, often on the worst possible terms. And the funny thing I learned is that... when I actually faced them, no matter how much it hurt or how scared I was or how hard it was... it was never as bad as I feared.”

Moonflower smiled a little, and then he nodded, hesitantly looking back at his friends before he nervously, carefully leaned in to kiss Thorn on the cheek, and when Cadence only smiled and La Croix rolled his eyes, the one-winged stallion straightened and nodded firmly before he said: “But I still don't like that word, you know. I would never call anyone that.”

“Yeah. Y'just call me a stripehorse all the time, pédé.” La Croix said mildly, and Moonflower huffed loudly, glowering at the Loa. “But y'know why I put up with it? 'Cause I know you ain't mean. You just ignorant.”

“Words have no power by themselves, only the power we give them. Daddy always told me... guardatevi dai falsi profeti. It doesn't... translate very well, but it basically means that the worst people will get to you by using kind words and pretending to be nice. You have to look at what people do, not just what they say, no matter how nice it sounds, no matter how much they flatter you or what they promise.” Cadence smiled a little, nodding to Moonflower as the stallion looked back at her thoughtfully. “It's our actions that determine who we are, Moonflower, not our words, and... that's why I've always been happy to have you as part of the team, in spite of all the crap that comes out of your mouth.”

“What Cygne said.” La Croix added, gesturing to her with a grin, and Moonflower chuckled and shook his head slowly.

“My mother always said the same thing. I think we all know that on some level, though...” Thorn smiled briefly, absently tapping a hoof on the floor. “Decretum is founded on that concept, after all.”

“Alright, alright. I've... enough, I'm not a little colt, you know, even if you all insist on talking to me like I am.” Moonflower grumbled, waving his forelegs before he cleared his throat and asked finally: “Thorn, do you want to... go out?”

Thorn nodded, and Moonflower nodded quickly back before he said finally: “Well, let me just grab my cloak and fix my mane and I'll be right with you.”

The stallion hurried past Thorn, who looked mildly over his shoulder at him before he turned towards Cadence and La Croix. They looked back at him, and Cadence smiled a bit as she said softly: “I'm glad to see you opening up a little more. I wouldn't really have imagined you were all that good for him, to be honest, but... it seems like you actually kind of are.”

Thorn quirked an eyebrow at this comment, and then he shrugged a bit before saying finally: “Thank you, I suppose.”

La Croix only winked, saying easily: “You don't worry 'bout Cygne now, boss. She just a little overprotective. You know how them oiseau can be when it comes to lookin' after their little ones.”

Thorn only shrugged a bit, and then he glanced over his shoulder before saying finally: “It's not really my place to invite you in, but I think Moonflower might take a little while. He's a bit... fussy.”

La Croix grunted, then he brushed at himself before replying blandly: “Then perhaps Cygne and I'll just invite ourselves on in, what do you think?”

Cadence shrugged a bit, then she strode inside after the zebra. Thorn closed the door behind them, and the mare hesitated a moment before she asked impulsively: “So what is it that made you agree to going out on a date with Moonflower, anyway?”

“I didn't have much of a choice.” Thorn said dryly, and La Croix laughed loudly at this before Thorn explained, as Cadence looked at him awkwardly: “No, I don't mean that I don't find him unattractive. I like him, and it's...” He smiled a bit, shifting ever so slightly, maybe the faintest blush tinging his cheeks. “It's... a good use of my free time.”

“You're really a romantic at heart, huh?” Cadence said before she could stop herself, and when the stallion gave her a dry look, she cleared her throat and glanced awkwardly away. “Well, hey, you know I was the Princess of Love or something before I became the... uh...”

“Cygne du mort.” La Croix suggested from where he had sprawled in an armchair, and then he shrugged awkwardly when the mare glowered at him. “Uh. No offense meant or anything of course, just uh... you know. You ain't really a princess d'amour anymore.”

“Well, don't rub it in. I'm still a mare, you know, I still like... mare things.” Cadence half-defended in a lame voice, her gaze shifting to the side before she said quickly: “But uh, Thorn, I do hope that you're... you know. I mean, normally if someone hurt one of my friends I'd threaten to punch their face in but I'm not sure if I can really threaten you or not. It's. More of a warning, really, not a threat. I mean...”

Cadence halted, then she rubbed at the back of her head as Thorn looked at her mildly and La Croix covered his muzzle to hide his grin, before the ivory mare finally said: “Please don't hurt him, okay?”

“Okay.” Thorn said after a moment, and then he studied the mare for a moment before adding dryly: “And I hope you understand that I'm capable of understanding rhetorical devices and figurative language, Cadence. I'm not a machine.”

“I know!” Cadence held up a hoof, smiling lamely before she said finally: “I just... Moonflower is important to me, too. He and La Croix are like brothers to me. And you seem kind of... well, distant, Thorn, but I want to try and make a good impression on you, too.”

“You were impressive. You scored the highest of all our applicants on the aptitude test and you hold the second best time in the obstacle course records.” Thorn said mildly, and Cadence began to respond before she frowned suddenly at this.

“Wait, excuse me, second best? Who the hell did better than me? I cleared the par time by at least thirty seconds!” Cadence said almost indignantly, and Thorn simply smiled at her as La Croix rose his head curiously.

The stallion called up a holographic screen, and he tapped over this before he said meditatively: “You actually only cleared the par time by twelve seconds... extra latitude is granted on the obstacle course for new recruits, they aren't tested at the level that you would be now, for example.”

Cadence huffed, and then she leaned forwards and asked: “So who was it? Brightwing? Swifty? It had to be one of those two, they're the only people who can outrace me.”

Thorn shrugged at this, before he answered, while sounding strangely pleased about being able to do so, Cadence thought sourly: “I'm sorry, Cadence, but I can't discuss personnel information with you. You'll have to lodge an information request with Seneschal.”

The ivory mare looked moodily at Thorn for a few moments, and then she scraped a hoof moodily against the ground, asking dryly: “Is the obstacle course open? And can you at least tell me the time to beat?”

Thorn looked at her mildly, and La Croix grinned wryly as he remarked mildly: “Amazing, Cygne, how you be all invested in makin' sure your friends are okay, right up until you find out someone in the bayou be better than you at something.”

“I... I just take pride in my... shut up, La Croix.” Cadence grumbled, before she turned her eyes back to Thorn, asking: “So?”

Thorn shrugged, and then he answered: “One fifteen point two.”

Cadence blinked at this, then she mouthed wordlessly before saying disbelievingly: “That's... that's almost a full minute better than my scores! Okay, it has to be a demon, they're the only ones who can-”

“Demons aren't allowed to use etherform of any kind to traverse the obstacle course, you know that as well as I do. And it's not impossible: it's not purely about how fast you move, but about how fast you anticipate the changes in the course and adjust to the obstacles.” Thorn replied mildly, shaking his head briefly. “Theoretically, the course can be completed in less than a minute. The problem is that every obstacle requires a second or so of adjustment.”

Cadence scowled a bit at this, but she was stopped from probing any further by Moonflower returning with his mane coiffed and a cape and matching vest now covering his body, the stallion brushing nervously at himself before he asked: “Well? How do I look?”

The ivory mare softened a bit: on one side of the stallion's body, she could clearly make out the shape of his wing, while the other...

“You look fine.” Thorn said, surprising Cadence, before the sapphire stallion gestured towards the door and asked the ivory mare: “What did you have in mind?”

Cadence looked over at La Croix, but the zebra only pointedly looked back at her with badly-feigned curiosity, until the mare sighed and said grudgingly: “We were thinking of going to the arts district and checking out the... music library, or whatever it's called.”

Moonflower's eyes lit up and he clapped his front hooves together delightedly, before hurriedly clearing his throat and looking away awkwardly when Thorn gave him a curious look, Moonflower looking lamely back and forth before he said after a moment with a wide wave of one hoof: “Oh, well, you know, if... I don't mind if you think that's an alright use of our time, Thorn, I mean, I can certainly... bear through it, I think. That's all.”

“Right.” Thorn said slowly, and then he shrugged a bit. “Well, Cadence, if that's where you want to go, that's fine with me.”

Cadence forced herself to grin as she shot a glare at La Croix, who only innocently nodded and said cheerfully: “I suppose I ain't gonna complain too much myself today, Cygne. Good of you to be lookin' out for Moony like that, even if he don't really need it. I hear he likes it when you push him down, after all.”

“I'll push you down, La Croix. And get off my armchair, you're making it wrinkle.” grumbled Moonflower, and the zebra sniffed disdainfully even as he hopped up to his hooves.

“You wish, Moony. I don't swing the same way you do.” the Loa retorted, and then he glanced over at Cadence, adding: “And with everything Cygne's doin' for you, too, y'think you'd be a little more grateful to us.”

“Let's just go before I kill you both.” Cadence interrupted tiredly, and both La Croix and Moonflower winced as Thorn studied the three of them like they were curious animals at the zoo. Which, well, Cadence supposed wasn't exactly a terrible metaphor for them.

The odd group of four headed out of Moonflower's apartment, Moonflower shyly zigzagging beside Thorn while Cadence took the lead and La Croix followed along behind her. They made their way out to the streets of Imperia, and then deeper into the surprisingly-busy city, but then again, there was a lot of excitement right now, and apparently a lot of convoys were moving back and forth between Decretum and Endworld.

Still, she didn't see as many Dogmatists or Worker Drones as she did Orphans and civilians, but then again, a lot of normal ponies worked outside of the Orphanage, and Cadence rarely came to this more relaxed section of Decretum. It was interesting to look around and see normal ponies just going about their day, average people interacting with not-so-average things, in a city of glass and metal and chiseled stone.

Maybe this wasn't so weird. Maybe she just needed to get out more, actually see normal people instead of weirdos like her friends and the other Orphans, although Cadence couldn't help but smile as she glanced towards La Croix and Moonflower, who were arguing again as Thorn looked around with the same sort of surprise she felt. Not that any of us are bad people or anything, but... we aren't exactly what you'd call normal, either.

The arts district was busy too, which Cadence hadn't expected: this section of Decretum was marked by its sprawling architecture, from the gorgeous, cathedralesque library to the towering education center where anypony could pay for lessons on just about any subject imaginable.

They were heading to a building on one side of this, the little dome-roofed structure almost hidden in the shadow of the gigantic university, and Moonflower giggled a little as he hurried towards the glass doors leading inside before suddenly skidding to a halt and clearing his throat, awkwardly turning around to look at the others as they approached.

He twiddled his front hooves together, then said finally: “You know, it's perfectly fine if none of you want to do this, I'll understand. There's plenty to do here in Decretum, there's really no reason we have to do this...”

Cadence only shook her head, and then she said wryly: “Well, we're here now, and we might as well try and enjoy ourselves, right?”

Thorn smiled a bit, and he added: “I've never actually been here before, so-”

“Oh, well, you absolutely have to come inside and see, then! Come see, come and see!” Moonflower said enthusiastically, leaping forwards and grabbing Thorn to yank him forwards by one leg, the stallion wincing as he was dragged helplessly into the building.

“Well, that sure took some convincing.” Cadence said ironically, and then she frowned and looked over her shoulder as La Croix began to slowly step away. “Where the hell do you think you're going? This whole thing was your idea.”

“Uh, no. It was your idea, remember?” La Croix said mildly, nodding once before he gestured to the side, adding: “And uh, you know, Moony said we could go-”

“Nope.” Cadence reached out and grabbed La Croix by the back of the neck, making him yelp before she dragged him after her as she headed for the doors. “If I have to go through this, you sure as hell aren't abandoning me here to deal with it alone.”

“Y'ain't alone, Thorn's here!” La Croix complained as he was half-carried into the gorgeous interior of the building, and then he winced and staggered when Cadence almost flung him ahead of her, the zebra scowling at her. “Y'evil.”

Cadence only grunted in agreement, and then the two fell in step as they walked past the empty desk where the greeter usually sat, heading through a large archway at the end of the hall and into a wide showroom. Musical instruments of every shape and size, from grand pianos to cheap little recorders, sat on display in elaborate displays, and Moonflower was bouncing eagerly around these as an earth pony wearing a monocle rambled away to him.

Thorn was simply standing off to one side, looking a little lost, so Cadence headed towards him first as La Croix sauntered around the room, looking grumpily at the various instruments. The ivory mare smiled to the sapphire unicorn as he looked up, and he gave an awkward smile in return to her before he gestured at a polished bass sitting on display, the stallion asking finally: “So are we... here just to look at the instruments, or...”

“No, Moonflower really loves to play music. I think he likes to pretend we're a band or something.” Cadence said mildly, glancing towards the stallion in question, who was giddily bouncing around a polished saxophone in a stand on a pedestal. “I'm pretty sure you probably know more about the whole... necessities versus luxuries thing here in Decretum than I do, and how a lot of ponies will spend a lot of money in order to have some of those old comforts. A lot of ponies like music, so that's what this store sells: music. You can buy CDs or download things to your personal drive if you carry one, or even get instruments and lessons... or, as Moonflower likes to do, rent a 'jam room' and they'll provide whatever instruments or any other services you need and... play whatever you want. Then download the recording later or just hope that no one else ever learns of its existence.”

“You can buy other people's recordings?” Thorn asked curiously, and Cadence smiled wryly as she nodded, gesturing with her head towards the monocled pony.

“Rhapsody likes to keep 'samples' of all his customers' music. He says it's for the 'benefit of the arts' but I think he just wants to blackmail people.” Cadence sighed a bit as her eyes traveled to Moonflower, the mare adding: “But he really does seem to enjoy himself here, so... thanks for coming.”

Thorn shrugged a bit, and then he replied: “Thank you for doing the same. I can see that if you're willing to cover for La Croix, and you're both willing to go to such lengths for Moonflower, I suppose you must be closer than I first anticipated.”

Cadence blushed a bit at this, staring after Thorn before she blurted: “How did you know?”

The sapphire stallion gave her a mild look for a few moments, but he was spared having to answer as the stallion in the monocle approached, saying exuberantly: “Cadenza, what a wonderful thing to see you here today! Your father is doing well, I trust? And oh, it's so good that the baron is here as well and... you, sir, I don't think we've ever had the pleasure of meeting. My name is-”

“Rhapsody Verse, husband to Coral Seashine, commonly known as Seastorm. Your wife spent most of her fortune renting this space for you, which you have turned into a small and borderline-successful business.” Thorn stated, looking meditatively over the monocled stallion, who stared at him with disbelief. “You are... thirty-two, trained at Verstables Academy, and according to the records you spent a small amount of time in the military, but this was likely added in to pad out your residency application, correct?”

The stallion mouthed wordlessly as Cadence stared at Thorn, before the sapphire unicorn added calmly: “That information is all public record, however, accessible by anyone with basic data privileges. Although I note that your monocle is not, in fact, prescription, so your medical expenses shouldn't cover it, so I'll have to make a note for that adjustment on your insurance papers.”

Rhapsody gave a weak smile, reaching up and awkwardly pulling his monocle off as he said lamely: “It's a uh... I have to maintain a certain image, you know. It's very important for the business.”

“Image does not qualify as a medical expense unless it's requisite plastic surgery to treat more than aesthetic damage.” Thorn answered in a dry voice, and then he began to reach a hoof up, but Cadence grabbed him by the shoulder before she could stop herself.

She felt Thorn stiffen slightly under her touch, and the mare quickly let go of him before she cleared her throat and leaned down, saying awkwardly: “Uh... we're not here on business, right? So maybe you should let Rhapsody know what instrument you want to play. I'm sure that would make Moonflower very happy.”

She looked pointedly at Thorn, who looked back at her for a few moments with an inscrutable expression before he finally sighed and nodded almost grudgingly. Cadence was just relieved that he didn't turn his ire on her: she was trying her hardest to be nice to Thorn, but he was still a little... different, somehow, from the rest of them. And it was hard to know how to treat him when he was kind of her boss, and usually he and Hecate were extremely strict when it came to matters of respect and authority.

Still, the stallion drew his eyes around the store before he said finally: “The only instrument I have any training in is the piano.”

“That's perfectly fine! Right this way, we have plenty of different keyboards and pianos you can look at, see which one calls to you, sir!” Rhapsody said hurriedly, looking both relieved and horribly intimidated. The earth pony gestured almost wildly at the unicorn, but Thorn looked unfettered, only frowning a little as he strode after the stallion.

La Croix whistled a bit as he approached, saying wryly: “Boy, is that colt ever étrange. Y'sure he ain't no robot like everything else?”

“Pretty sure.” Cadence said after a moment, and before she could stop herself, she said: “Dogmatists are nicer, though.”

La Croix grunted in agreement, before a throat loudly cleared nearby, and both ponies looked up in surprise to see Moonflower scowling at them disapprovingly. They both looked at him for a few moments, and admittedly Cadence was both surprised and a little ashamed when he said in a voice that quavered only slightly: “You be nice to him. I like him and he is important to me, and... we all found each other a little difficult at first. But we're... we're friends now, right?”

He halted, then added almost meekly, shrinking his head a little between his shoulders: “Right?”

Cadence sighed a little... but then she gave a small smile and nodded, saying softly: “Right, we are. You're right, Moonflower. And he does seem like an interesting guy. I'll give him that.”

“Yeah. He ain't so bad, Moony, I guess. Sure a hell of a lot better than you deserve, anyway, but that ain't sayin' a whole lot.” La Croix added, and Moonflower glared at him before the Loa bowed his head and added in a quieter voice “But pardonnez-moi, mon ami. Y'know it's just weird, him bein' our boss and all, and so mystérieux. Which is weird, you know? Never knew a damn thing 'bout him until recently, even though we all see him damn near every day.”

Cadence looked thoughtful at this, and Moonflower huffed before he said proudly: “Well, I happen to know plenty about him! For example, he's wonderful and very polite and quite intense. He's very intelligent, and he's very good at taking charge.”

“Wow. Never would have guessed any of those things 'bout him. You just blew my mind, Moony.” La Croix said dryly, and Cadence snorted laughter before she quickly cleared her throat and looked away when Moonflower glared at them.

“Oh, neither of you know anything! Come on, pick your instruments, let's not leave Thorn waiting!” Moonflower huffed, waving at them grouchily with one hoof before he strode quickly off towards Rhapsody, and the mare and zebra traded wry smiles before following.

Rhapsody escorted them to the little private studio room in the back where they could do their recording, leaving them in the care of a technician and his capable assistants, who were able to fetch the instruments the group had chosen for themselves. Moonflower, of course, wanted a ridiculously complex stringed instrument called a keladica, which came from some ancient unicorn civilization or other, while La Croix had an accordion, and Cadence grudgingly took the only thing she couldn't really hurt anyone with: a tambourine.

Thorn sat down in front of a crescent keyboard: it had enlarged keys to make it easier to play by hoof, which Cadence was rather surprised by. But then again, La Croix could somehow play his stupid accordion with his stupid hooves, and she could barely shake the tambourine without breaking it... okay, and I guess I tend to punch it too hard, too.

But Moonflower was smiling brightly, and she guessed that was what really mattered. Even with the stupid harp-guitar floating around his body, he looked ridiculously happy as he declared: “How about we start with a warmup! Thorn, Thorn, don't you worry about trying to follow us too closely, just play what your heart feels, that's all!”

Thorn only shrugged awkwardly as Moonflower gazed at him brightly before he finally sighed and reached up to carefully press one of the keys, creating a ding that made Moonflower giggle and dance on his hooves delightedly. Cadence only smiled wryly, and La Croix snorted as he sat back, stretching the accordion out as he played a few easy chords. “Well, here's to us!”

The zebra began to play an easy, cheerful melody, and Moonflower glared at the Loa as he snapped: “Warm up! Warm up!”

But when La Croix only grinned at him and continued to play on, Moonflower glared before he grabbed the bridge of the stringed instrument and began to pluck along it, as his horn glowed to adjust the knobs over the top of the strange, curling guitar-like instrument.

Cadence only sighed at the two, then she shook her tambourine awkwardly before beginning to carefully beat a gentle rhythm on it. She hated that of all the things in the world she was bad at, it had to be music: her name was Cadenza, after all. Why the hell had her father chosen that of all names for her when she could barely hold a beat with a stupid hoof-drum with clicky things?

The mare grumbled under her breath, but as always – and as she would never, ever admit – she slowly began to pick up the rhythm that La Croix and Moonflower were dueling to, and she began to enjoy herself instead of just sulking like a foal over the fact that her friends were both surprisingly good at playing music and she could barely shake a noisemaker.

She was surprised when Thorn joined in after a few minutes: he was a little clumsy, occasionally hitting the wrong key or mauling a chord, but he seemed to understand the basics of following along with what the others were doing. As they played, he began to get better, maybe even relax a little, just as Moonflower and La Croix were grinning at each other now as they challenged each other to more and more complex chords, and Cadence and Thorn just provided a background hum.

They played together for almost an hour, interspersed with short breaks here and there where Cadence and Thorn would sit back, but La Croix and Moonflower were tireless, never needing to stop, never slowing down, always challenging each other further and further with every passing moment. Finally, however, La Croix slipped up, playing a hewed series of notes, and Moonflower laughed in triumph as he played a rapid scale across his keladica, “I did it! I won, take that, La Croix!”

“Yeah, yeah. You always such a pleasure to lose to, Moony, 'cause you so damn nice about it.” La Croix retorted, but he was smiling all the same as he shifted the accordion to one hoof, fanning himself with the other with a whoop. “Y'ain't all hot air, though, I'll give you that, you great ouaouaron.”

“I know I'm not.” Moonflower said pompously, lifting his keladica free with telekinesis as he polished his hoof against his chest proudly, and then he glanced towards the large window that led into the control room or... whatever it's called. I don't know. I just wish they didn't record us. “Alright, we're going to take a fifteen minute break now! You may all acquiesce!”

“I don't think you're using that word quite right.” Cadence said dryly, even as the assistants clapped politely and stoic mare at the controls excused herself immediately.

Moonflower only huffed loudly, turning towards Cadence as he declared: “It's perfectly fine if you don't understand me or my genius, Cadence. I know, after all, that I am a rare breed, a unique specimen, a prodigy. There is no need to doubt me.”

Cadence looked mildly at Moonflower, unsure of whether or not she was glad that the stallion was clearly back to being his old self. On the one hoof, it was reassuring to see that not even the loss of an appendage could keep Moonflower down for long. On the other...

“Moonflower, among the Orphans, you had the second most expansive vocabulary.” Thorn said mildly, and Moonflower looked ridiculously proud of himself, until the sapphire unicorn continued calmly: “Among the Orphans, you also had the second lowest score in written comprehension. You have a bad habit of putting unnecessary words everywhere, and usually in incorrect places. You have a particular issue with quasi-homophones: words that sound similar, but aren't entirely the same.”

Moonflower shifted lamely back and forth, reaching up to twiddle with his cheap necklace before he blurted: “But I'm smart, yes?”

Thorn looked at the stallion for a few moments, and then he gave maybe the slightest smile before he said softly: “You're smart, yes. But... eccentric, and you still have plenty to learn.”

“Well, learning is what smart people do best.” Moonflower said as puffed his chest back out, and Cadence and La Croix traded amused looks.

One of the assistants came in with a tray of glasses and a jug of water for them to refresh themselves, and after a few more minutes, Moonflower and La Croix started to argue about which song they should do first, until Cadence stepped in and said they should do the same song they always did first, since it was simple and Thorn could probably follow along.

It was some old Equestrian folk song: Cadence vaguely knew it and La Croix had no trouble picking up the rhythm, while Thorn had to create a holographic screen to display the notes in front of him. Cadence couldn't help but wonder just how expansive the data archives were if they even contained sheet music; but that just got her wondering further why precisely there was music at all in the vast data archives.

When the song ended, Cadence shuffled over to Thorn while La Croix and Moonflower distracted themselves by arguing who screwed up what and what song they should do next. Thorn glanced up as she approached, and after he realized what she was looking at, he gestured towards the recording booth and explained: “You mentioned they did digital recording for personal data drives before. That means they have a server uplink, and that means they have a network I can access.”

“So that's how you're getting the music.” Cadence couldn't help but feel both impressed and suddenly a little uneasy, wondering... “So uh... anything on the servers, you can access?”

“Anything on the servers or your personal storage, yes.” Thorn replied mildly, and Cadence winced a bit. “Not that I'd have any reason to go looking unless you gave me a reason to, of course. And Seneschal only checks for hostile programming and viruses every week or so. We respect your privacy to the point that we are obligated to.”

“Except when you want sheet music.” Cadence couldn't help but remark, and Thorn raised an eyebrow at her. The ivory mare cleared her throat after a moment, and then she turned away, laughing awkwardly and saying lamely: “I'll just uh... stay quiet and let you do your thing.”

Moonflower and La Croix eventually settled on another song, which Thorn quickly found the music for. This time, it was some rowdy folk tune that Thorn had a little bit of trouble keeping up with, but he seemed to be enjoying himself all the same. Cadence kept losing the beat herself, though, and she was taking it with much less composure, swearing under her breath every time she dropped the rhythm and hitting her tambourine too hard.

After another hour of music, the stoic operator in the booth, knocked on the glass to let them know their time had run out, and La Croix and Moonflower both finally stopped arguing with each other as Cadence sighed in relief and almost threw her tambourine at the assistant who came in to gather up their instruments. “Horses of Heaven, I hate music.”

“Oh, you do not. Everypony loves music!” Moonflower said cheerfully, as he carefully lifted his kelvadica free to pass it to another assistant with a smile to her. “I think this has gone wonderfully. I look forwards to when the recordings are converted so I can bring my little robot in to absorb it!”

“Mission Drive, and download. I'm already converting and copying the files for you.” Thorn said absently, and Moonflower blinked in surprise as Thorn's hoof moved quickly over the holographic screen, the sapphire unicorn glancing up at Moonflower before he asked: “Why aren't your files sorted on the device?”

“I can sort them? I didn't know that.” Moonflower said curiously, striding towards the holographic screen and attempting to read it before he awkwardly stumbled backwards when one of the other assistants quickly pushed the wheeled keyboard away.

Thorn only looked mildly up at Moonflower, before La Croix added grumpily: “I hate those damned things. Don't understand why we all got them evil machines. 'Cept maybe for Hecate to keep yet another eye on us, that is.”

“You know that as an Orphan, you're supposed to carry your Mission Drive at all times. And yes, I know that most ponies only carry them when they want to spend their credits, but that's not the point.” Thorn responded, and then he glanced up when Cadence looked over him awkwardly, seeming to sense her question. “My Mission Drive is built into my foreleg, if that's what you're looking for.”

“Oh, no, I just... uh...” Cadence cleared her throat, looking away for a moment before she nodded lamely a few times. “Just curious, that's all. I mean, I know it's useful, I just... don't like it.”

Thorn sighed a little, and then he asked after a moment: “Well, what would you like? Carrying around physical credits is even harder, and your Mission Drive's various functions let you actually talk to other people as well as download information, review mission plans, watch and record video-”

“It can do all those things?” Cadence asked disbelievingly, and Thorn frowned a little. “How can it do all those things? Why didn't I know it could do all those things?”

“Did you ever run the tutorial? There's a tutorial, when we pass out the Mission Drives and Personal Drives for civilians we specifically ask everyone to look at the tutorial.” Thorn replied with equal disbelief, and when Cadence gave him a lame smile, the stallion groaned and rolled his eyes. “Of course.”

Moonflower looked confused as well, but La Croix only laughed loudly before he said mildly: “Y'know, you and Nanny Hecate be great at a lot of things, Thorn, but neither of you really understand how to sell to a crowd. Intimidate, boss around, get us to do whatever the hell y'want, sure. We little têtards ain't gonna argue with no great cocodrils like yourselves. But you need a little flash, you need a little sizzle, you need a little o' that special je ne sais quois if you wanna get people interested in what you got to sell 'em instead of rule with.”

Thorn dismissed the holographic screen, looking curiously at La Croix before he remarked: “And you were a spirit who was responsible, in part, for popularizing simplified voodoo practices with the zebra people, yes? Helping Bondye establish his own religion, so to speak.”

“Please don't remind me. 'Bout the worst damn thing I ever did.” La Croix grumbled, rolling his eyes as he muttered: “Bondye ain't no god and that ain't no religion. Just a big-ass cocodril takin' advantage of a whole bunch of desperate poulet so he can fatten and fry 'em up for dinner when he feels like it.”

“Yes, very few people can handle the difficulties and responsibilities that come with being a god. I certainly was never harsh with my own subjects.” Moonflower said mildly, before he paused and added awkwardly: “Well, I did turn them into lawn ornaments on occasion, but... that was all part of my great plan to take over Equestria! Have I ever told you-”

“Yes.” La Croix and Cadence both said immediately, and Moonflower glared at them before he sniffed loudly and turned to head for the exit.

“What would you suggest we do to make people start using their Drives, La Croix?” Thorn asked, turning his eyes towards the zebra, and the Loa blinked in surprise before he hesitantly adjusted his hat. Thorn seemed to detect his unease, and the unicorn sighed before adding gently: “Off the record.”

“Well, in that case...” La Croix smiled slightly, tipping his hat towards the unicorn as he said carefully: “Off the record, I would very gently suggest that maybe y'all should give a presentation on how all those drive-whatsits are gonna get a big fancy upgrade, so people here can use 'em in all sorts of new ways.”

Thorn frowned at this, and La Croix added awkwardly: “Y'know, I don't mean y'actually have to-”

“I understand that we're not actually going to give them software updates, yes. We already do that on a regular basis anyway. Which you'd notice if any of you actually activated them.” Thorn said dryly, and La Croix held up his hooves in a gesture of surrender. “How am I supposed to give a presentation?”

“Y'have that giant assembly hall and all. I'm pretty sure you and Nanny Hecate be smart enough to put together something to make it look all flashy 'stead of just orderin' people to use 'em. Sell it with flash, not facts and figures.”

Thorn looked meditatively at La Croix for a moment, and then he chewed thoughtfully at his lip before he called up a holographic screen. He flicked to what looked like a calendar, the stallion studying this before he said meditatively: “Alright. The end of the month, you'll host a presentation on the 'new' Personal Drives. We'll familiarize you with all the aspects of it before then.”

La Croix's jaw dropped, the zebra beginning to splutter as Cadence cleared her throat loudly and put a hoof over her muzzle to hide a grin, before the Loa said almost desperately: “Now, you jus' wait now, boss, I ain't-”

“You're a natural salesperson. You're convincing and you're good at making your points. You're entertaining to listen to and you learn quickly.” Thorn said with a shrug, and La Croix smiled a little even as he shifted modestly. “Originally you were going to be given an administrative position anyway, but Hecate saw more use for you as part of a team, and... you've admittedly excelled far beyond our original estimates.”

“Uh... thanks, I guess.” La Croix said finally, and then he cleared his throat and adjusted his cloak before he smiled lamely again and waved as one of the assistants stuck her head curiously into the studio. “We holdin' up business here, though. You mind if I think about it?”

“Let me know your decision by the end of business today.” Thorn answered, before he added as he made the schedule vanish: “Although I hope you understand that as your superior officer, this is a little more than a request.”

“Yes boss. You got it, boss.” La Croix said awkwardly, giving a little salute as he stepped out of the studio, and Thorn sighed and shook his head, but Cadence thought he was smiling a little, all the same. And that admittedly made her smile, too.

Moonflower looked up as they approached from where he was talking with Rhapsody – the latter scuttling hurriedly off the moment he saw Thorn approaching – and the one-winged unicorn frowned as he tilted his head, asking: “What took you so long?”

“Just... being friendly, I suppose.” Thorn said after a moment, and La Croix laughed, but Cadence smiled a little more, nodding thoughtfully in agreement.

They were friends, in spite of everything. And she hoped that Thorn knew that.

Machine Against Machine

Chapter Nineteen: Machine Against Machine
~BlackRoseRaven

Hecate calmly stood with her hands behind her back in the Gathering Hall, surveying the teams that would be accompanying her to Fyrverǫld. Thorn stood on one side of her, making notes over the group before them, while Seneschal fidgeted on the other in an upgraded Clockwork Titan construct.

Team 0-0 stood directly in front of her in full equipment, Cadence with her head proudly raised and standing at military attention at the front of her group, almost burning with her need to prove herself. To one side of her group was Luna Brynhild and her partners, the sapphire mare grinning widely up at Hecate even as her eyes glowed with a seriousness and willingness to obey that the mechanical mare had rarely seen in the Valkyrie.

Lastly, there was the team that Hecate and Thorn had picked themselves from a pool of candidates provided to them by other worlds. One was from Heaven, one of Valhalla's newly-trained Valkyries, while the other three were from what was known as Looking Glass World, and who had been sworn to secrecy. They weren't the ponies that Hecate had originally wanted, but she supposed they would do for the mission. And admittedly, the ponies she had wanted for the mission would have provided an undue distraction, and would never have kept their mouths shut.

Hecate looked over the groups coldly: all of them were fully outfitted, and past them, she had a small army of Dogmatists standing at the ready to act as their escort and to provide cover for when negotiations broke down and hostilities began.

The Empress of Decretum smiled thinly, and Thorn glanced up at her from his clipboard before he asked quietly: “Are you sure you want to do this? We might be able to make progress civilly.”

“No. This needs to be taken care of here and now, and whatever the Jarsongildi is, it needs to be shut down.” Hecate said contemptibly, shaking her head briefly as her eyes roved back over the teams in front of her. “We will make contact with them. We will discuss each other's stance. And once they give me even a passing reason, we will engage them as I have laid out and our strike teams will cripple them while you and I ensure that Valthrudnir is no longer a threat.”

Thorn nodded briefly, and his gaze was loyal even as he said, his tone serious and disapproving: “I don't think this is the best idea.”

Hecate was quiet for a moment, and then she turned around and smiled, drawing her eyes over the massive portal ring just waiting to be activated, power thrumming through it as Worker Drones finished hooking up its power cables and energy providers. “I am not disagreeing with you there, Thorn. But sometimes stupidity and brute force are far more effective weapons than subtlety and negotiation.”

Thorn glanced towards Hecate, drawing his eyes mildly over her: although most wouldn't recognize the differences, Hecate had switched her body again, from her usual mechanical armor to a slightly larger suit with heavier plating and a silver coating, although all the average pony likely noted was the fact she was wearing a flowing, fur-lined crimson cape. Thorn, however, knew every detail of every one of his mother's mechanical bodies: this one wouldn't hold a charge for quite as long as her standard armor, but it packed a far-heavier punch.

“I know. But you aren't looking to end this quickly. You're just looking for an excuse to start mayhem.” Thorn turned his eyes towards Luna Brynhild, nodding towards her and remarking: “You remind me of Móðer.”

“Don't insult me, Thorn.” Hecate said irritably, and then she started towards the portal, ordering: “Finish the preparations.”

Thorn nodded quickly, turning back towards the three teams and floating his clipboard to the side before he announced in a cold, professional voice: “You have all been assigned code names for your teams and designated coded communicators, as we do not know what Fyrverǫld may or may not be capable of interfering with in terms of our technologies. Team leaders, activate your communicators now.”

Luna looked both cranky and proud of her son as she lifted a square device in front of her, Cadence and the mare leading the third team doing the same. They flicked the simple switch to activate it, and Thorn ordered: “Sound off.”

Luna rolled her eyes, and then said grumpily: “Gamma.”

Cadence smiled slightly, then said clearly: “Alpha.”

The last mare finished calmly: “Sigma.”

“Excellent. Hecate, Seneschal, and I will all be able to communicate with you through these, as you will also be able to communicate with each other. Specify your communications by codename, and use your assigned callsign if you need to contact someone specifically. If you need to make a report to Hecate or myself, the callsigns are Summer and Winter respectively.”

“Aye, 'tis perfect for thee both.” Luna loudly complained, and then she huffed when Thorn only looked at her and Seneschal glared, the mare asking: “What if I must speak to the Clockwork King? Or have I simply answered my own question?”

“There is no reason to communicate with Seneschal. His duties in Fyrverǫld are separate from your own missions and we should avoid overlap at all costs.” Thorn replied without missing a beat. Luna grumbled more at this, but the stallion only calmly rose his head, asking: “Does anyone have any questions regarding the mission?”

Immediately, the commander of Sigma rose her hoof, and Thorn gestured to her before the Valkyrie asked quickly: “Sir, why is such a small force being deployed? I don't understand how we can possibly achieve any of our mission objectives if we're going to be surrounded by the enemy, with no real knowledge of what we're up against or the locations of our targets.”

“Each of you were given a Mission Drive for this reason. Once information becomes available, it will immediately be downloaded to your Mission Drive. You will have access to all of Fyrverǫld's maps, passcodes, and archival information, as well as the location of each other and your progress pertaining to mission objectives.” Thorn replied calmly, and Cadence grimaced a bit as she glanced back at the device strapped to her body under one wing, which was hooked up to the visor over her eyes by a long cable. “Three small teams are being deployed because this is not going to be a war. This is going to be a strike, assuming negotiations fail.”

Cadence shifted a bit, biting her lip before she leaned forward and said quickly: “I'm not disagreeing with you, Thorn, but I really don't like our chances of success, either. When my team ended up in Fyrverǫld, we were nearly torn apart. We still haven't fully recovered.”

Thorn looked meditatively at Cadence for a few moments, and then he said calmly: “When you entered Fyrverǫld, your team was alone, already wounded, and working under a completely different set of parameters. While your fears are understandable, you will neither be alone nor operating in the dark. Furthermore, once the strike is complete, there should be no further hostile interactions.”

Cadence grimaced a bit at this: she wasn't so sure about that part, either, considering how the Kirin had acted, but she also knew didn't really have a lot of choice but to do what she was told. She glanced at her father, but Sombra only nodded to her reassuringly.

Her eyes shifted towards Luna, who caught her gaze and looked back at her challengingly, and the ivory mare gritted her teeth as the Swan immediately twisted inside of her in anger, hissing silently. Thankfully, she was distracted by Thorn clearing his throat to get everyone's attention again, the sapphire stallion saying quietly: “Remember that our success depends on each and every one of you completing your assigned tasks. We work together, or we do not get through this.”

There was silence for a moment as Thorn allowed that statement to sink in, and then he said calmly: “You have ten minutes of free time. I suggest using it to familiarize yourself with each other.”

Luna blew a loud raspberry at Thorn, and the sapphire stallion blushed only slightly as he quickly turned to stride away, even as the mare shouted: “Thou art turning out far too much like Hecate, strange little blue stallion whom I have never laid eyes upon afore in mine entire life!”

Scrivener sighed at this as Cadence smiled despite herself, before the ivory mare turned towards the Sigma team. She studied them for a few moments, then smiled lamely when the leader of the group of odd-looking ponies turned towards her and smiled.

“Well, thou does not seem to hate her. That is strange, I thought thou hated everyone.” Luna remarked loudly as she approached, and Cadence scowled horribly at the sapphire mare, resisting the Swan's immediate urge to punch her in the face.

“Luna.” Morgan said dryly, and Luna looked at the purple pony innocently, before Morgan rolled her eyes and said in a softer voice: “I apologize, Cadence. I suppose you can understand that... emotions kind of run high at times like now, though.”

“We've all learned to kind of ignore Luna ourselves.” added another voice, and Cadence turned to see the leader of the third team was now standing nearby, the Valkyrie bowing her head respectfully. “Cadenza Danzsöngr, it's an honor to meet you. My name is Prestige Luster, and this is my team, from what we call Looking Glass World. We're looking forward to working with you.”

Cadence smiled a bit as she surveyed the group: the Valkyrie was a strong, athletic-looking mare, with a gorgeous green coat beneath her golden armor. Her eyes were silver, a faint red flaw in one of them, and the unicorn seemed... confident, in a word, Cadence thought. She envied how self-assured the Valkyrie seemed.

Her friends, meanwhile, all smiled and nodded: they were a strange assortment, Cadence reflected, since two of them weren't exactly your standard pony. One of them was shaped like a Pegasus, but her mane and body didn't seem to be entirely solid, flowing and ebbing like ink or smoke. Her eyes were glowing pits of green, but filled with kindness, and the only thing she wore was a simple woven braid around her neck with a small rawhide bundle hanging from it.

“Atamiskâtowin, friends. My name is Tender Trust.” she said softly, bowing her head politely. “Okâwîmâw decided that I should go as a gesture of friendship between our tribes. For even across worlds, we still fight for the same ends.”

“And I guess I'm just lookin' for a fight.” added the next pony in line, a distinct twang in her voice as she grinned, which Cadence admittedly found a little unsettling. She had piercing green eyes, and her statuesque, strong body seemed like it was made of coarse orange-brown bark, her hay-colored mane and tail both tightly braided. A rawhide cowboy hat sat jauntily on her head, and a bolo tie shaped like an obsidian apple was tightly done up at her throat. “Y'all can call me Applejack. Pleased to meet you.”

The last mare in line smiled at them and bowed her head, adding softly as her hazel eyes shifted to La Croix almost knowingly: “We're here to help, as much as we can. Just like we know you're fighting for our sakes as much as your own.”

Cadence's eyes flicked to the side, and she noted La Croix had his eyes locked on this Pegasus intently: Cadence couldn't see a lot out of the ordinary with this mare, though. She looked young, her mane a mix of chestnut and black and tied tightly into several braids hanging around her shoulders. Her coat was a deep red, which made the dark, tribal-looking tattoos over her neck and along her back stand out all the clearer. And she was also the only one with a visible cutie mark, which looked like a notepad and quill: not exactly anything mystical or magical, Cadence thought.

“My name is Meadowlark. I have a message for you, Baron La Croix, from... someone you know, but don't at the same time.” the mare said gently, and La Croix frowned a bit before the Pegasus opened the pack at her side, then pulled a bundle free from it to hold it out to him.

La Croix took it nervously, frowning a little as he carefully unwrapped the bundle to reveal some kind of armlet, Cadence thought. It looked like it was made of leather, bone, and polished gemstone, and the mare really had no idea what to make of it.

But La Croix was staring over it with disbelief as he tilted it back and forth, before he looked up and whispered: “Vodunsi.”

Meadowlark only smiled and shook her head, saying softly: “I wouldn't consider myself more than a... lucky initiate, still. But I have been learning from a... very talented priestess. One who said you could use a bit of a reminder of who you are, Baron.”

“Just... La Croix.” the zebra laughed a little, shaking his head briefly before he looked up with a faint smile at the Pegasus mare, whispering: “Merci.”

Meadowlark simply shrugged, and then Moonflower leaned up and asked curiously: “Jewelry? Why would you want jewelry, La Croix? Are you reminding him that he's just a parlor magician?”

The Loa groaned at this, then he glared over his shoulder at Moonflower, slipping the bracer on over his foreleg before he tossed the cloth it had been wrapped in over the one-winged unicorn's face, saying dryly: “They're remindin' me 'bout all the reasons I put up with your mouth, rein de la nuit, but I'm startin' to think we should just glue it shut.”

Moonflower huffed from under the cloth, then he snatched it off his face and threw it back at La Croix. The zebra quickly pulled his hat off and scooped it out of the air before it could hit him, and Moonflower snorted before remarking dryly: “Nonsense. Do you have to keep every scrap you can find in there?”

“Hey, I saved our life more'n once with them scraps, so you should watch yourself, Moony.” La Croix grumbled, and then he winced when a hoof slapped him on the back, the stallion flinching as Luna cheerfully shoved herself between Cadence and La Croix.

“Hello, ponies I have clearly never seen before! Thou may not know who I am, but my name is Luna Brynhild and I am the greatest of all warriors here!” Luna said positively, opening and closing one eye in what looked more like a spasm than a wink to Prestige Luster. The unicorn only looked back at Brynhild with the air of someone who had been through this too many times before for it to faze them, although Applejack visibly rolled her eyes and Meadowlark sighed a little.

“Hello Luna Brynhild, who I have also not seen before. It is very nice to meet you for the first time.” Tender Trust said politely, and Cadence honestly couldn't tell if the strange pony-thing was trying to play along with Luna or was making fun of her. Either way, though, Luna looked pleased by this, even as Scrivener muttered something about not encouraging his wife.

But without looking, Luna kicked a hoof back into Scrivener to knock him over before she added loudly: “Now that we all know one-another, let us invite that strange, handsome young stallion who is such an oddly familiar shade of blue over to greet the rest of us, shall we? Strange blue stallion! Come speak to us!”

Thorn looked up moodily from where he was working with Hecate on something, and then he returned his eyes to the holographic screen in front of him as Applejack, Meadowlark, and Prestige all looked at the stallion, before the wood-hided earth pony frowned and started slowly: “Wait a minute, that pony...”

“Oh, that is Luna's son.” Tender Trust said almost absently, and Luna Brynhild grinned proudly as Prestige, Applejack, and Meadowlark all stared in shock at the mare. “Also, congratulations upon having another child, although I have never met you before and have no way of knowing that you already have three, one of whom is among my dearest friends.”

“You. You don't have to keep up the act, Tender Trust, it's okay.” Scrivener Blooms said tiredly, before he added sourly as Morgan glared at Luna: “Also, no one is supposed to know about that, remember? Especially right now, when-”

“When he is walking into danger beside us.” Luna said with sudden seriousness, raising her head and looking calmly back at both of her partners. “I shall not hide his identity when 'tis right in front of everyone, and I shall not lie to our friends, our family. Thorn is old enough now to make his own decisions, and no longer need we fear that others will try and take advantage of him. He is strong. He is smarter than I or thou, Scrivener Blooms. It is time for him to meet his family.”

“That's his choice to make, as hard as that is for me to say.” Morgan said softly, and Luna grimaced a bit, but then the purple mare sighed and lowered her head, nodding a little as she murmured: “But you're right about... some of those things, at least.”

“Yeah. And... keeping secrets is hard.” Scrivener admitted, before he sighed and called: “Thorn, could you come over here?”

Thorn looked up uncertainly, and then Hecate kicked him hard in the rump, sending him stumbling a few feet before the mechanical empress said shortly: “Two minutes.”

Thorn lamely smiled over his shoulder at his adopted mother, before he turned and quickly hurried towards the group of ponies. He looked much more uncertain now as he approached, much of his professionalism lost to the same amazement and wonder that most of Sigma team was looking at him with, before Luna announced clearly: “Prestige, Tender Trust, Meadowlark, Applejack... this is my son, Thorn Blackfeather. It has been an intensely difficult secret to keep, but... I think the time for keeping such secrets is nearly passed.”

“Wow... Antares doesn't even know, does he?” Prestige laughed after a moment, before she cleared her throat and smiled warmly, bowing her head towards Thorn and saying: “I'm your brother's marefriend. I uh... I guess you're kind of almost my brother-in-law, if-”

“If Antares would simply ask thee to marry him, aye. Damnation, how many years has it been?” Luna complained loudly, and then she slapped Scrivener Blooms firmly on the back. “Scrivy and I were married but a few months after the beginning of our relationship!”

“Yeah, but we knew each other for a while before then. As in I spent every day dealing with you at your absolute worst, so marriage wasn't really a big step up. Particularly because I no longer needed to worry about you firing me or anything.” the stallion said dryly, and Luna glowered at him before leaning over and whacking him between the ears with her horn.

“Holy hell, Luna. I can't believe it.” Applejack whistled loudly, as Meadowlark smiled warmly and Tender Trust bowed her head politely to the sapphire stallion. “Just wait until Rainbow Dash hears about this.”

“You've all been sworn to secrecy. I don't care if when you go home, you're interrogated by your priest, your goddess, your spouse or your own reflection, none of you will reveal any of what you've found out while here. That is not yours to discuss or decide.” Hecate growled as she approached them, and Luna glared balefully as Thorn shifted awkwardly. “On all official records, Thorn is my son. That is what you will tell anyone if they ask.”

Luna began to open her mouth, but Hecate steamrollered her, turning towards her son and saying shortly: “Thorn, marshal the teams into position. We have business to attend to.”

“This discussion is not over, Hecate!” Luna shouted uselessly at Hecate's back, and then she sighed when Thorn looked at her, the sapphire mare grumbling under her breath as she gestured to Scrivener and Morgan. “Come, come. Before our child yells at us again. Damnation, of all our children only Innocence has not grown up terrible and stuffy and bossy. Even Antares lectures me, can any of thee believe that?”

“We'll stay in contact. Please do the same.” Prestige nodded to Cadence as she began to lead her team away, and Cadence smiled briefly in return before she finally looked at her father, who had remained oddly quiet.

But Sombra only smiled gently when she looked at him: he looked healthy and ready, and like he had been learning more about their allies from the brief conversations they had shared than Cadence had from the briefings she'd received on each of these team members, and why they were important.

“Applejack seems to be a Benevolent, although I sense more in common with the demons. And Tender Trust is half-Phooka, but very different from those that I knew... of course, in the old days, half-Phooka were not usually allowed to stay with their tribe. But that is a long story for another day.” Sombra said softly, before he added, as if he could sense Moonflower and La Croix both looking at him questioningly: “When I was a young stallion I traveled often, and saw many things across both the Crystal Empire and Equestria. In the past, after all, Equestria was a wild land, ruled more by magic and animals than ponykind.”

“In our world, at least.” Cadence added, smiling briefly as she gave a nod towards the others, before she looked back and forth and said, as she noted the other teams assembling in position: “Come on, though. Let's look a little professional here.”

The others nodded, La Croix and Sombra at her sides and Moonflower behind them, fidgeting beneath his heavy, modular armor, which hid his one wing and the scar on his other side from sight. Cadence couldn't help but glance back at the stallion quickly, reassuring him when she caught his eye: “You look good. Just keep your eyes ahead.”

“Yes, I will.” Moonflower nodded firmly, and Cadence turned her own eyes forward, taking a slow breath as she saw Seneschal and Thorn falling in on either side of Hecate, who was facing straight ahead into the portal. The ivory mare could almost feel the tenseness of the mechanical goddess, and as she focused on her, she felt a strange shift in the Swan, almost a humility, as much as the creature's eternal eagerness for battle, shifting under her skin.

“Remember your mission.” Hecate said sharply, and without another word, she started forward. Cadence automatically fell into step behind the front group, not needing to look back to know that Luna's team was marching behind them.

But even the Valkyrie's presence couldn't distract her or the Swan right now: all she had eyes for was Hecate and the portal. And even as they passed into the swirling vortex, Cadence forced herself to keep her pace steady instead of bursting into a sprint, and she made sure her team was doing the same.

Her calmness was what allowed even Moonflower to stop being jittery, even as they emerged into some sort of large, dome-shaped room. But Cadence didn't let herself take more than a cursory look around, instead focusing on Hecate, and admittedly feeling more than a bit of admiration when the mechanical empress strode right into a group of Kirin standing in front of an open door, and she simply slapped them aside like toys.

The Kirin lay in confused disarray, apparently unable to comprehend what had just happened as Hecate strode out of the room and onto a massive bridge beyond, heading towards an immense fortress of steel and crystal. But as she approached, the armored double doors at the other end of the bridge opened with a bang, and several figures emerged.

Four Clockwork Titans escorted a pair of steel ponies, and a bipedal dragon in a pristine white suit, his amber eyes cold, his teeth bared in a grin, his ivory scales shining like metal. Hecate came to a halt in the middle of the bridge as Luna Brynhild snarled behind Cadence, but the Swan Maiden was admittedly surprised when Luna didn't leap out of formation, even as their column came to a halt.

Hecate stood in the center of the bridge, waiting for the dragon to reach her. He smiled mockingly as he adjusted the rings around his fingers, then he reached into his suit jacket and produced a set of playing cards, absently beginning to shuffle these in a simple overhand motion. He spoke; his voice was pleasant, mellifluous, and terribly threatening, with an undertone of mockery that made Hecate bristle: “Well, well, well. Look at what we have here. Hecate, it's been a rather long time, hasn't it? How have you been? Keeping the seat warm?”

Hecate was silent, and the dragon chuckled quietly, his hands shuffling the cards slowly as he continued easily: “Well, I am glad to see you have come back to me, Hecate. You may resume your duties as administrator. I can be generous, after all.”

The dragon strode forward, smiling as he shifted his deck to one hand, arrogant and superior as his amber eyes gleamed. He stepped past his Clockwork guardians, leaning fearlessly into Hecate's face to look eye-to-eye with her as he said softly: “After all, I can give you precisely what you want, isn't that right? Revenge, and a return to simpler times.”

Hecate answered by slamming one metal fist into the dragon's stomach, and his eyes bulged in shock before the ivory mare smashed a second punch across his face, the mechanical empress snarling: “Engage override, code 91-240-5-10, operandus falsus!”

The Clockwork Titans and steel ponies all immediately stopped moving as the dragon on the ground stared back and forth in disbelief, before he snarled: “I will not put up with this insult! Get her! Activate and get her now!”

“They're waiting for you to say a codeword. But you can't say it, because you are not Valthrudnir.” Hecate said coldly, and the dragon on the ground stared at her with disbelief as Hecate's steel body trembled with rage, her eyes glowing with hatred, and anger, and some deeper, even more terrible turmoil of emotion. “You can pass the visual inspection. You have modulated his voice perfectly. But you do a poor imitation of his behaviors, whatever you are.”

The dragon on the ground looked at her for a moment with something like disbelief, and then it suddenly grinned. And the moment it did so, its scales became lackluster, eyes turning to hollow glass orbs and body nothing but carved and painted wood. Almost invisible strings tugged the now-puppet quickly up to its feet, as a voice clearly not its own said mockingly from its jaws: “Well, the Kirin are still programmed to obey the Overlords, and the Overlords are controlled by the Jarsongildi. You're still screwed.”

The Valthrudnir puppet giggled, its limbs twisting in on themselves ridiculously as string glimmered dangerously around the construct as it bounced back and forth. “But it's very exciting to have you here, very exciting! This goes one of two ways now, Hecate, surely you realize that! Either I kill you, or you join us, and make it easier for us to manipulate these hulks and wrecks! Help the Jarsongildi, Hecate! Let us join our banners beneath Thokk!”

“Third option. I kill all of you.” Hecate retorted, and then she ordered shortly: “Damnatio memoriae.”

The four Clockwork Titans all crackled with electricity before, one after the other, they exploded in tremendous blasts of fire and electricity. The mechanical ponies went up a moment later like magnesium candles, sending flares of light towards the sky as the puppet was jostled back and forth by the blasts.

All that was left in front of them were smoldering ruins that had scarred the bridge with the force of their self-destruction, and the mechanical goddess held up a hand before gesturing sharply to the side as there was a loud beeping. And, as much as Cadence wanted to argue, she immediately hit the button on her Mission Drive to start it up, information rapidly displaying over the glass visor in front of her eyes as she said sharply: “Move, people!”

Cadence vaulted the railing of the bridge to the right, and the rest of her team followed: Gamma team deployed to the left a moment later, while Sigma followed after Alpha team. Seneschal and Thorn lingered only a moment before they both turned and sprinted back towards the entrance to the bridge, and Hecate didn't look back even when she heard shouts and gunfire.

All her focus was on the column of slowly clearing smoke in front of her, before she smiled coldly at the sight of the mangled Valthrudnir puppet. But instead of being drawn in, she reached up and tapped a dome-shaped protrusion on one hip, and it glowed brightly before a bracer formed around the mare's forearm, a chain snaking out of this and a massive, spiked ball forming in a burst of light at the end of the length.

Hecate spun the spiked ball once before she snapped it out, the chain lengthening with a rattle before she yanked it down, and the mangled puppet barely yanked itself out of the way in time with a squawk before the spiked ball crashed into the bridge and tore a crater in the scarred stone. Then Hecate yanked the weapon back to a ready position beside her, as the puppet howled: “Are you crazy, woman?”

Hecate smiled thinly, then she stepped forwards and flung the spiked ball, the puppet yelping as it tried to bring up an arm... but the heavy weapon simply bludgeoned through one of the wooden limbs like it was made of putty, the Valthrudnir puppet staggering before it snarled in fury as a strange ichor bled out of the shattered arm. “You're trying my patience!”

“I have no interest in discussion.” Hecate said shortly, and then she spun the spiked ball once before snapping it forward again, smashing the puppet's head to pieces with the deadly sphere before she yanked down to sink the spikes of the weapon into the chest of the construct. Then the mechanical goddess yanked both weapon and puppet towards her, the mare reaching up to catch the broken puppet by the little that remained of its neck.

It grabbed at her weakly with its remaining limb, but Hecate simply closed her eyes and concentrated, sending a powerful pulse of magic through the puppet's body. It jittered wildly for a moment, then glowed eerily before simply falling still, and Hecate tossed the wrecked body aside as she said softly: “Just like I thought.”

“You're a sly one.” remarked a voice, and Hecate looked coldly up to see the white-masked witch Thokk standing across from her, her rotten black hair wafting slowly in the faint breeze she felt stirring around them. Except Fyrverǫld has no natural weather...

Hecate narrowed her eyes as she sent a pulse through the air, detecting the source of the wind, but Thokk giggled before she said mockingly: “You don't think I'd really just lay down and let you guys walk all over me, right? Oh no, no no no. First of all, let's make sure that all your winged ponycorns can't just fly away. Two, let's go ahead and bring down the house! The Jarsongildi is done here, anyway, by which I mean, I'm done. These robots have all proven a lot more tedious and unreliable than I expected to them to be, you know!”

“No tool is more capable than the wielder, Thokk. The problem isn't Fyrverǫld. The problem is you.” Hecate said contemptibly, and Thokk visibly stiffened slightly, raising her head a bit: it was easy for Hecate to imagine that the witch was snarling under her mask. “Then you've done me two favors by being such a coward. You've reactivated operations and now you're running away so I can reestablish my presence here.”

“Actually, I'm going to kill you and your friends first. Then I'm going to smash up your world. Real stupid to come through with only a few people, you know that, right?” Thokk asked, but Hecate only smiled thinly. The witch snorted at this, then she began: “Defiant until the end, huh? Well, let's just see how you...”

And then, even as the wind around them began to pick up further, Thokk looked up in surprise to see an aircraft rising into the sky before it shot off towards the horizon, the witch staring after this with dumb surprise.

She began to turn towards Hecate, but was met by the spiked metal ball slamming into her face, cracking her stone mask and knocking her sprawling back with a squeal against the railing. Hecate immediately snapped the weapon around in a long arc, then lashed it forward again, but this time Thokk hurriedly brought up a hand and created a barrier that the weapon bounced uselessly off.

Hecate yanked the spiked metal ball backwards and spun it sharply around her head a few times, building up momentum as her horn began to glow, and Thokk screamed from behind her shield: “Do you have no idea how this whole thing works or something, you crazy bitch? Where are the one-liners, where are the-”

Hecate snapped the spiked ball forward as it glowed with malicious magic, and this time it shattered clearly through Thokk's shield and slammed into the witch's stomach, knocking Thokk sprawling and rolling backwards down the bridge. Hecate easily pulled the weapon back to the ready beside her, spinning it slowly and calmly as she said contemptibly: “I prefer to let Lucy speak for me.”

“Cute.” Thokk muttered as she picked herself up, and then she slowly waved a hand over her bloody stomach, wheezing a little before both her hands glowed with eldritch energies as clouds rolled slowly through the skies overhead, the wind picking up with a rising howl. “Fine. Let's see if you've got the strength to back up that big mouth of yours.”

Hecate smiled thinly as her eyes glowed, not only analyzing Thokk but checking on the positions of the others, ensuring they were doing their respective jobs. And so far, everything to be ahead of schedule, although Hecate knew that likely wouldn't last.

Cadence sprinted down the street with her team in tow behind her, the ivory mare admittedly surprised by how quickly they were making progress, and how scattered the Kirin had been already. They were almost completely different from the organized, skillfully-deployed soldiers they had met on their first run into Fyrverǫld: this time, their forces were spread out, disorganized, and confused...

But Cadence had the feeling that Seneschal had something to do with that: not only was she receiving rapid mission updates over her visor, she could faintly detect a static in the air, like as Seneschal fed them information he was blocking and confusing the enemy troops.

As they sprinted down the street, Cadence noted a Kirin blockade ahead, the mare readying herself to engage before her visor beeped at her and indicated an alternate route. Immediately, Cadence turned, her teammates following close behind as they galloped down a narrow alley that looked like it led to nowhere, except when they reached the end of it, Cadence's eyes locked on to a ladder leading up the side of a building.

She leapt onto this, climbing it quickly, and La Croix vanished as Sombra followed after his daughter. Moonflower attempted to leap into the air, but then clanked back onto his hooves with a wince when he couldn't spread his wings, and he grimaced before looking silently back at his modular armor, staring through the sliding panels at his scarred side.

But after a moment, he took a breath and leapt onto the ladder, clumsily following last. The team emerged shortly onto the roof, Cadence frowning as she looked around and tapped at her visor, muttering: “For some reason I'm not getting any further orders, it just stopped broadcasting...”

Sombra frowned a bit, then he looked up into the growing wind, studying the clouds above worriedly before he said quietly: “I don't think we should linger, Cadenza.”

Cadence turned to follow Sombra's gaze, and then her eyes widened as she saw tornadoes beginning to form in the distance, the mare swearing under her breath as she realized what that feeling in the air was: dark magic.

“You're right, we have to go, now.” the ivory mare agreed quickly, grimacing as she spun around and ran to the edge of the group, scanning the horizon. A building in the distance lit up as their mission objective, and Cadence quickly plotted a route in her mind over the rooftops before she started: “Okay, everyone, we can-”

“Cadenza!” Sombra shouted, pointing quickly in another direction, and Cadence spun around before she gritted her teeth as she saw a saucer flying quickly towards them, the lights over its hull flashing brightly. As it approached, a circular hatch in the bottom of the ship spun open, and Kirin began to leap out of the craft in pairs, opening fire on the ponies even as they fell towards the ground.

Moonflower immediately created a barrier as the flying saucer passed overhead, continuing quickly on its way and leaving behind a half-dozen Homeguard. Cadence swore as she drew a knife in either hoof, then leaned forwards and flung both sharply: one of the Homeguard collapsed in a heap with a dagger in his throat, but another managed to dodge to the side before he shouted: “Explosive rounds!”

The Kirin aimed and fired at them with the second barrel under the assault rifle, and Moonflower winced as a grenade pounded into the shield before exploding in a tremendous blast. Several more explosives peppered his barrier and the ground around the ponies, the stallion grinding his teeth together as cracks started to form through his magic as a cloud of smoke was thrown up by the blasts, making it impossible for Cadence to return fire.

Fearlessly, the ivory mare leapt forwards and through the safety of the shield, charging through the pall of smog and leaping out with a hard flap of her wings. Two of the Homeguard shouted and opened fire at her with their automatic rifles, bullets tearing through the air around the ivory mare as she zigzagged sharply back and forth before suddenly dropping out of the sky and crunching another shocked Homeguard under her hooves, and in one liquid movement, she grabbed him around the neck and rolled quickly forwards, landing in a half-kneel and strangling the Kirin as she held him up like a shield at the same time, bullets pounding into his armored body as Cadence knelt behind him.

La Croix appeared behind another Homeguard, the zebra grabbing the Kirin by the back of his neck and sending a surge of green lightning through the soldier, knocking him unconscious. Immediately, a Homeguard spun towards him, shouting as they opened fire uselessly at the Loa, but La Croix was already gone, vanished from sight.

Another Homeguard howled in agony as black sludge burst out of the rooftop and splashed down over him before solidifying into crystal, leaving him immobilized, and Cadence roared as she suddenly leapt forwards, rotating her entire body into throwing the limp, dead Kirin at one of the remaining soldiers. The corpse smashed into him like a wrecking ball and sent him crashing backwards, and the other was killed by a knife to the face that followed up a moment later.

The Homeguard beneath the corpse groaned weakly, but La Croix appeared beside him and simply dropped an elbow into his head, knocking him unconscious. Cadence smiled grimly, but then swore under her breath as she looked up to see a squarer troop transport plane flying in towards them, lowering itself quickly beside the rooftop as the Kirin inside took aim-

Gunfire rang out, and Cadence's eyes widened in surprise as bullets tore across the top of the transport craft, the ship twisting back and forth as the Kirin inside shouted and panicked under the barrage of bullets. The craft immediately began to pull up, but not before one of its turbines exploded, the plane violently pitching to the side and making the building rattle as it crashed into one of the walls before there was a second boom as it fell to the street below.

“Y'all need a lift?” Applejack grinned, leaning out of the side of a similar troop transport as it slowly descended through the air, its flight only a little rickety as it settled beside the rooftop. “Come on, we'll escort you to the strike point, we'll drop you there and then move on to our own.”

Cadence smiled and nodded firmly, gesturing quickly to the others, and she and her team piled into the transport before Applejack yanked the door closed. As the ivory mare grabbed one of the handles hanging from the rooftop, she looked around and noted that while Prestige was in the cockpit at the front, she had plugged her Mission Drive into the machine, and she could hear Seneschal's voice whining: “-waste of my valuable processing power! How hard is it to avoid crashing into buildings?”

Prestige rolled her eyes, and then she leaned quickly back from the seat, smiling at Cadence and remarking: “You're really fast on your hooves. How do you put up with all this technology, though? It looks like you've got a billion little lights constantly blinking in your eyes.”

“It was really hard at first, but a lot of our training in Decretum emphasizes the use of HUDs and other technology. Uh, Heads-Up Display, sorry.” Cadence explained, before she smiled a little over at her father, adding quietly: “And I guess... living in a mechanical world just helps you get used to things like that a whole lot faster.”

Prestige nodded, and Tender Trust gave a quiet laugh, the half-Phooka studying them curiously before she smiled kindly towards Sombra, saying softly: “I hope you do not find this disrespectful, kihcêyiniw, but I see that you have made machinery part of your own life.”

“It is a necessary sacrifice, passerotta. After all, we must all sometimes embrace parts of life and our own self that we do not want to, in order to become the best we can be.” Sombra smiled gently, then he asked curiously: “If it is not too much to pry, why are you on this mission? You are a gentle soul, as kind as your name, I would risk.”

Tender Trust lowered her head respectfully to Sombra, answering honestly: “It is because of my desire to learn, and my desire to protect. Okâwîmâw originally volunteered, but I convinced her to let me go in her stead, when we learned that this would be a fast... operation, is that the correct word?”

“That's right.” Cadence nodded, looking curiously at the Phooka mare. “I understand wanting to protect people, but... I mean, even we Orphans sometimes have trouble with the fact we're picking fights with basically anything 'bad' out there to protect the greater good. I also understand wanting to protect your uh... who?”

“Okâwîmâw. My mother.” Tender Trust answered politely.

Cadence smiled and nodded, and Moonflower chuckled quietly before he remarked wryly: “I envy that. I'm not saying I wouldn't want to protect my own parents, but... I don't quite know if I'd have the courage to.”

Cadence looked with surprise at Moonflower's confession: usually he was all ego and bluster, and the humility almost made her worried about him. But La Croix only snorted in amusement, saying easily: “Nah, Moony, I think you'd leap at the chance, mon ami. Y'always been great about gettin' yourself into trouble, after all.”

“Thank you, La Croix, really.” Moonflower said wryly, and then he cleared his throat as he looked around at the group, asking finally: “So, all of you are... mares, yes?”

Meadowlark and Tender Trust both looked at the stallion with some confusion, as Applejack cocked her head and asked mildly: “Y'got some problem with that?”

“What? Oh, no, no. Just reflecting on the lack of stallions in the world.” Moonflower paused, then added in a more-cynical voice: “Well, you know, apart from the ones we kill.”

“Ain't really gentlecoltly to want to kill mares, Moony.” La Croix remarked, and Moonflower huffed loudly at this.

“I don't want to kill anyone, I'm just saying-”

“Okay guys, we're approaching target. Let's look sharp.” Cadence interrupted quickly as she reached up to tap her visor, looking straight ahead. And even if she couldn't see much past the cockpit, her HUD was telling her that they were closing in fast: in less than a hundred meters, they would be overtop their target.

She glanced at Applejack, and the mare nodded before grasping the handle for the door and yanking it open with a grunt. Cadence gave a brief smile, then she took a breath and steadied herself as the last of the distance closed, before Seneschal's voice rang out: “Alpha team, make a jump. Swan, the target zone has been supplied to your Mission Drive.”

“I see it.” Cadence muttered as she leaned out of the ship, and she gave a brief smile to the others before saying quietly: “Good luck, Sigmas.”

Prestige smiled back at her, and the others nodded before Cadence looked back down, gazing at the towers of metal and glass beneath them. There were mounted cannons and turrets everywhere, all surrounding what looked like a massive radar dish, and Cadence could see a large, blinking dot on the visor that indicated the drop path Seneschal had indicated...

“Let's move out, Alphas!” Cadence shouted, and without giving herself any more time to hesitate or worry, the mare leapt out of the aircraft and closed her wings and limbs tight to her side, diving straight down. She watched information tick rapidly by on her visor, gritting her teeth as the numbers fell sharply from triple digits to double digits-

Cadence suddenly flipped her body and spread her wings, flapping them hard a moment before she hit the ground, her drop broken just enough that she landed painfully but without injury. She took a slow breath, then looked up as her comrades landed beside her one after the other, Sombra and Moonflower using magic to lighten their touchdowns and La Croix simply appearing out of thin air on the narrow rooftop.

The zebra whistled loudly at the sight of the massive anti-aircraft cannon in front of them, and Cadence was admittedly very glad herself that Seneschal had apparently shut all the automated defenses down for them: otherwise, there wouldn't be a whole lot of any of them left right now. But she didn't let herself linger, turning towards their target as she said quickly: “We need to attach a Mission Drive to that uplink. Let's get going, people!”

And, as Cadence led her team towards their objective, the ship above carrying Sigma team turned slightly and shot forwards, even as the wind began to grow strong enough to jostle their plane and the clouds above darkened. Prestige grimaced from the cockpit as she leaned forward, as Applejack muttered: “Weird bunch. I mean, I know I ain't one to talk, but... weird bunch.”

“They look out for each other, though. And they seem to know what they're doing.” Meadowlark said softly, smiling briefly before she asked: “Prestige, do you know how far away we are from the objective?”

“Not too far, but the problem is this storm. We might want to take this by hoof.” Prestige said uncertainly, but there was a defiant blare of static from the speakers, which made her wince.

“Nonsense!” Seneschal argued huffily. “I know precisely what I'm doing.”

Before Prestige could argue, there was a tremendous bang as something smashed into the side of the transport, and it rocked violently to the side, Applejack wincing as she bounced off the door of the transport before Seneschal snapped: “Look, if those morons can do it, why can't you learn how to fly this claptrap yourselves?”

“Because we don't have computers in our brains!” Prestige snapped, leaning quickly to the side and gritting her teeth as she looked out the window to see another flying craft: this one looked much smaller and lighter, flying easily alongside them and with only enough room for two Kirin: one in the cockpit, and another in a shielded gunner's seat in the back, currently aiming a large cannon towards them.

The Kirin fired, but this time Seneschal dropped the transport, the round going wild before Seneschal hauled the transport to the side, trying to smash the enemy ship out of the air. Applejack, Meadowlark, and Tender Trust all shouted as they were flung across the back of the transport by the sharp movement, while the attack plane beside them simply shot upwards into the sky, putting on a burst of speed and easily looping back behind them as the cannon fired again.

Seneschal swore as the transport shook, muttering: “Hull integrity at less than sixty percent, and the enemy is much faster and better equipped than us...”

“Keep it steady.” Prestige ordered, and Seneschal huffed loudly but obeyed as the unicorn leapt out of the cockpit, shouting: “Applejack, open it up!”

The mare didn't question Prestige, grabbing the door as Meadowlark and Tender Trust hurried backwards to avoid being pulled out. The jet immediately pulled up towards the doorway, the cannon aiming into the vulnerable space, but Prestige was ready for them as her horn glowed brightly.

The cannon fired as Prestige snapped her horn forwards, and the blast of force she launched at the jet was strong enough to splinter the armored round into fragments that went wild before it smashed into the cannon turret, nearly dislodging it from the jet; her spellwork wasn't done, however, Prestige's eyes flashing as her horn gave a second pulse, and electricity exploded over the turret before spreading over the plane, interfering with the sensitive systems before the attack jet simply dropped from the sky to smash into the roof of a building below.

Prestige wheezed and relaxed as Applejack grinned widely, beginning to push the door back closed, before the Valkyrie's eyes widened in shock as she saw another jet seem to appear from nowhere. She didn't have enough time to shout a warning before missiles deployed from the new hostile, her horn glowing intensely-

But it was far too little to save the transport as the missiles slammed into it before exploding in a tremendous gout of hellfire and force, the ship becoming a flaming meteor that streaked out of the skies of Fyrverǫld to crash into another tower of steel and glass, leaving little behind but fire and ruin.

Machination Against Machination

Chapter Twenty: Machination Against Machination
~BlackRoseRaven

Seneschal grimaced as Thorn piloted the ship they had stolen quickly towards the tower in the distance, muttering from his Clockwork shell: “I've lost contact with Sigma team.”

Thorn only nodded shortly, and Seneschal looked almost uncomfortably at the stallion for a moment before he cleared his throat and added: “Alpha team has engaged a security force at the uplink, but they seem to be close to completing their objective. Gamma team has breached Consensus Gentium and is making their way to the control center.”

“Periodically check for Sigma team. If they've failed, then we'll need to move in ourselves and shut down the superserver.” Thorn said quietly, before he grimaced a bit and added, correcting his course even as the wind attempted to buffet them towards the earth: “We're losing too much time. What about Hecate?”

“There's no need for concern. I can easily keep the network of AIs that run this world under my thumb. As a matter of fact, it's pathetic, really, what Hecate had to work with before I was created.” Seneschal said with the faintest hint of arrogance, polishing one steel claw against his shell's chest. “Besides, once we bring Thronus under control, it won't take long for us to put the rest of Fyrverǫld in line.”

“We're on final approach to the tower.” Thorn said, and Seneschal gave a bit of a grumble as he leaned forwards over the pilot seat, the sapphire stallion narrowing his eyes as he noted what looked almost like large platforms slowly rising into the air around the tower, atop of each of which were Kirin in turrets. “Analysis?”

“I probably don't need to point this out, Thorn, but those turrets will tear this ship apart while we search for a place to land. In twenty seconds we'll be in their range at this speed.” Seneschal said nervously, before the AI winced and grabbed the back of Thorn's seat as the stallion only increased the ship's speed, Seneschal blurting: “What are you doing? We won't survive! We won't even be able to land this cruiser, we'll-”

“Engage shielding.” Thorn ordered as his own horn glowed brightly, and Seneschal's steel jaw dropped before the AI flinched backwards as bullets began to pound into the ship as it streaked through the air, the Clockwork shell covering itself with its arms as it shouted helplessly, even as a field of blue energy wrapped around the steel being.

The ship streaked past the turrets, ignoring the bullets tearing holes through its steel frame before it smashed into the wall of the tower, ripping its way into the structure with a tremendous crash and boom. Walls were torn apart, and pieces of ceiling collapsed around them as the vehicle screeched slowly to a halt in a broken mess.

For a few moments, there was silence apart from the crackling of flame and the crumbling of loose rubble... and then a mechanical foreleg punched out the little windshield that remained, Thorn grimacing as he carefully pulled himself free from the wreckage. He hopped out onto the fuselage of the plane, brushing a few wrinkles out of his cape before he hopped down as the last of the glow faded from around his body, the stallion striding quickly down the corridor towards the door at the end as he created a holographic screen, saying calmly: “We should be able to find an interface relatively close by. Seneschal?”

“I'm coming, you...” Seneschal muttered a few censored curses as he dragged his Clockwork shell out of the ruins of the plane, brushing awkwardly at himself before he stumbled quickly after Thorn. “That was... an act of insanity!”

“It was an act of estimation and logic.” Thorn replied calmly as he touched the armored door, then frowned and muttered: “Circuits are damaged.”

“I'll get it.” Seneschal grumbled, and he half-pushed Thorn aside before simply raising a metal hoof and kicking the steel door out of place, leaving a distinct dent in the middle of the ajar door. Then the Clockwork shell simply grabbed the loose edges of the broken door and forcibly twisted it loose before tossing it away, leaning into the room beyond to mutter: “This will do.”

Thorn followed Seneschal into what seemed like a computer lab, the sapphire stallion clicking his tongue before he approached one of the consoles and remarked: “These look very... old. They must not have updated everything.”

“Fyrverǫld, according to the historical data, was shut down even before Decretum. Something to do with... data malfunctions, I'm not quite sure. It really doesn't make sense when you think about it at all, but Queen Hecate always says my predecessors – Valthrudnir included – were never any good at logical thinking.” Seneschal answered absently, as he tore one of the computers open and began to dig through its innards. “Now, where are... oh yes, here we are.”

The Clockwork shell tore something out of the console, and then he glanced up at the sound of banging. But Thorn only looked towards the doorway, saying calmly: “Kirin. I'll deal with the problem. You concentrate on getting access to the control network and shutting down this city's Overlord.”

“Yes sir, yes sir...” grumbled Seneschal, but he seemed relieved all the same as he turned his attention back towards the broken bits of computer in front of him, his mechanical claws wiggling before he started to quickly work through the wreckage.

Thorn, meanwhile, approached the open doorway and stepped out into the corridor fearlessly. He watched with a slight tilt of his head as the wreckage of the plane was slowly dragged backwards, before it was almost thrown out of the hole they had smashed into the tower by two Kirin in exosuits. The moment the wreckage was out of their way, Kirin Bushi stormed forward: no less than four, all of them in heavy armor and with electrified weapons held at the ready.

Thorn's eyes flicked back and forth meditatively, as one of the Bushi snarled: “Resist and you will be terminated, Dogmatist! You are hereby ordered to submit!”

“Standard paired formation. Two by two, with two heavy infantry ready to support.” Thorn calmly created a holographic screen, tapping quickly over this and ignoring the Bushi leveling their weapons at him, before the half dozen Kirin all flinched, one of them gasping and grabbing at his ear. “Your communications have been disabled. According to your tactical training, if there are no calls for reinforcements, then none will ever be sent to investigate, negating time-based parameters. A flaw Hecate already corrected in Dogmatist training.”

“Terminate him.” growled one of the Bushi, and then the apparent commander and one of the other Kirin rushed forward, their stun rods at the ready-

Thorn half-turned as his hoof swept sharply over the holographic screen, stretching and distorting it as his horn glowed with magic, and the harmless illusion became a fence of electricity that the two Bushi charged straight into, both Kirin screaming in agony before they collapsed in smoking piles. Thorn allowed the electrical fence to vanish after a moment, and then he simply looked coldly at the two remaining Bushi and the Kirin in exosuits, the sapphire stallion stating: “Retreat, or I'll neutralize all of you as necessary.”

The two Bushi looked at each other, and then they charged forward, the exosuits following. Thorn only waited calmly even as one of the Bushi charged his horn with magic before unleashing a blast of energy at the stallion, but Thorn simply sidestepped this before he slammed his metal hoof into the face of the first attacker, knocking the Bushi hurtling limply through the air into one of the exosuits with enough force to knock the lightweight mech crashing backwards.

The other Bushi slashed in at Thorn's side, but the sapphire stallion was faster, swinging his metal elbow back into the rod and ignoring the electricity that sparked uselessly over his insulated steel limb. Instead, he slammed the side of his metal hoof into the side of the Kirin's neck, forming a circuit that made the Kirin howl in pain as the electricity from his stun rod was driven back into his own body.

The Kirin stumbled backwards, and Thorn slammed a punch up under his chin, neatly knocking the Bushi out. Before the sapphire stallion could react, however, the remaining exosuit crashed into him and picked him up, slamming the stallion into the ceiling before flinging him savagely into the ground and raising a hoof to stomp on him-

Thorn rolled quickly to the side, then he lunged forwards and slammed his metal hoof through the exosuit's knee, ripping it apart, and in a burst of crimson, destroying the leg of the Kirin beneath the metal shell. The Kirin screamed as he toppled backward, and the last exosuit was distracted by the fall of his partner, even as he stumbled up to his own metal hooves, giving Thorn the opportunity he needed as the pistons on his steel shoulder pumped.

His foreleg sparked as Thorn swung his foreleg out, and his metal hoof shot forward on a long chain before Thorn lashed it to the side, looping the weapon around the remaining Kirin's throat. The exosuit gargled as it grabbed uselessly at the chain, and then the operator in the suit screamed in agony as electricity pumped down the limb, Thorn only watching with a cold expression as the Kirin gradually lost his fight to stay on his feet, the exosuit collapsing with a tremendous bang before Thorn yanked the chain free and his metal hoof fed quickly back into place.

Thorn flexed his steel hoof slowly, and then he looked down at the sole conscious Kirin in front of him, the exosuit operator uselessly clinging at his devastated leg before Thorn simply reached out and grabbed him by the head. The operator tried to fight too late before he howled as electricity pumped through his body, and then the Kirin collapsed in an unconscious, weakly-twitching heap as Thorn pulled away, brushing moodily at himself as he muttered: “That was sloppy of me.”

He turned and strode back into the room, absently stretching a little to try and loosen up his sore back before Seneschal complained: “That was a waste of time and resources, Thorn.”

Thorn only gave the Clockwork shell a look, but he was spared having to answer as a beeping went off before a static-riddled voice stated: “-won't uplink... can't... failing to...”

“Alpha team, stand by.” Thorn said calmly, and then he looked over at Seneschal, asking: “Why won't the uplink work?”

“Because...” Seneschal fidgeted, and then he suddenly rose his head and said quickly: “The superserver! The superserver must be running a security protocol, or they have some other protections in place that-”

“Alpha team, we've lost contact with Sigma team. You'll have to hold your position for now until the superserver can be brought offline. Gamma team, respond.” Thorn paused for a moment, then repeated quickly: “Gamma team, we need-”

“Busy!” shouted Scrivener's strangled voice, as at the moment, the stallion was currently leaping back and forth, narrowly dodging the rockets from the massive war machine marching towards him.

It had all gone according to plan, right until they had smashed their way into the control core and discovered no supercomputer or AI system or Clockwork Titan, but a gigantic battlemech waiting for them, which apparently served as both the final defense of and the control core for the city.

They had barely done any damage to it so far: it was simply too big for standard physical or magical combat, and every inch of it was protected by alloy plating. It was wirelessly drawing power from the facility around them, it was covered in weapon systems – from the missile pods on its shoulders to the humongous artillery cannons on its back to the massive vulcan cannons it had at the ends of its arms – and stomped around on massive tripod-like claws.

Morgan uselessly attempted another spell, but the machine released a shockwave of antimagic that canceled the magic out: it was short range, at least, and neither the purple mare nor Luna were affected by it even as they retreated a few feet, just in case. Scrivener Blooms swore under his breath as he attempted to charge in, but the machine simply aimed both gatling guns at him and opened fire as smaller defense turrets on its back aimed towards Luna and Morgan, firing at both mares to keep them busy.

Morgan created a forcefield as Luna ground her teeth together in frustration, before she suddenly snapped her horn forwards, covering the ground in front of her with ice and sapphire hellfire. Then, with another sharp flick of her horn, her fearsome Jötunnfang formed, the mare shouting: “I have had enough of being embarrassed by a great, stupid, oversized toy!”

The sapphire mare shot into the air, then darted towards the machine, bringing one enormous fist of ice and fire back as she weaved back and forth through gunfire, even as Twilight and Scrivener both shouted at her-

Another shockwave of antimagic ripped through the air, Luna howling in fury and frustration... before the sapphire mare snarled and she made both claws of ice slam forward all the same, punching squarely into the flat metal top of the bipedal battlemech and knocking it staggering.

Luna fell from the air, but there was no time to think or to leap to her aid, only to react to the opening she had created: Scrivener and Morgan both rushed forward, the stallion plowing into the steel ankle of the machine before he slammed his claws as deeply into the open, vulnerable joint as he could, while Morgan summoned up all the power she could around her horn before lashing it forward, sending a tremendous blast of lightning pounding into the front of the machine.

The battlemech whirred violently, spasming as it lurched backward another step, Scrivener wincing as he clung stubbornly on to its ankle and focused his corruption into the joint. And when the machine stomped down to try and regain its footing, there was a horrible tearing of metal as its ankle twisted unnaturally, Scrivener cursing as he threw himself backwards before grinning despite himself as the war machine toppled.

It crashed down on its back with a tremendous bang, the massive room rattling with the force of impact before Twilight snapped her horn quickly down, the metal floor sparking before it became magnetized, binding the gigantic machine to the ground. Twilight and Scrivener both prepared to move in to quickly finish the machine off, but before they could so much as step forward, Luna leapt over the robot with a roar, her frost-fire claws raised before she began to slam them savagely down into the machine's body over and over again, smashing apart alloy plating and sending chunks of metal flying in all directions as she floated over the fallen robot, which was helpless to do anything but twitch beneath the hail of blows.

Scrivener and Morgan both sighed and lowered their heads, and then Scrivener reached back and moodily touched the device on his side, activating the communicator as he muttered: “We're not busy anymore. Core should be down in a few seconds.”

Luna's claws tore into the machine's breast, ripping something large and glowing free before chucking what was likely a power core aside like a toy, the sapphire mare swearing angrily away as Morgan muttered: “She's never going to let this go, you know.”

“I know. But she can't abuse the Jötunnfang constantly.” Scrivener shook his head briefly, then he hesitated as he looked at Morgan, asking quietly: “You okay? Antimagic hurts you more than it does Luna. I think that's what had us most worried.”

“I'm fine.” Morgan smiled briefly, silently touching the orb in her breast before she shook her head and added quietly: “I'm not worried about us or Luna. I am worried about exerting too much power and attracting Helheim's attention.”

“You're the one always saying to trust Hel.” Scrivener said pointedly over the sound of Luna continuing to punch the wreckage of the machine into oblivion, and Morgan smiled briefly before both she and the stallion frowned as the device hanging on his side beeped.

“Seneschal just detected the core going offline. We don't have a clear fix on Sigma team, but we've detected signs of life in their sector. Alpha team is holding at their position, we need you to regroup with Sigma and ensure their objective is completed.”

Scrivener smiled briefly at Thorn's collectedness, and then he whistled sharply to Luna, who half-pulled herself out of the hole in the colossus with a scowl. “Thorn's asking us to go check up on Prestige. Do you want to keep doing whatever you're doing there, or come with us?”

Luna huffed loudly at this, her icy claws helping heft her out of the hole in the steel giant before she asked grouchily: “And am I permitted to use my 'silly claws,' Scrivener Blooms? Or shall we again make light of an enemy and make it seem impervious when we should be able to crush such foes like-”

“Thank you for protecting us.” Morgan interrupted, and Luna huffed but looked pacified all the same. “Even if we have to try and do our best to act... normal right now. No superpowers.”

“But I am made entirely from superpowers!” Luna whined, as her claws of frost-fire gestured wildly for support. “Why must thou both always lecture me upon holding back? Methinks thou both hold back enough for all of us.”

“Well, yes, that's the point. We know how to hold back, and you don't.” Scrivener said patiently, and Luna huffed before she leapt into the air and glided down towards him, then firmly bopped him with one fist, knocking the stallion flat as he mumbled: “Thank you for proving my point.”

Luna glared down at him, picking him up in her icy hands, but before she could do anything else Morgan interjected quickly: “We need to go and find Prestige and the rest of her team. They might actually be in danger if-”

“Nay, they do not have to pace themselves, and Prestige does the Valkyrie name proud. I am sure they are fine.” Luna paused, then dropped Scrivener and flexed her icy claws slowly, muttering: “But anything is better than staying here. Let us go.”

“Are you... okay, nevermind.” Scrivener said tiredly, when Luna only waggled one giant, icy finger at him. He turned around, muttering: “Well, Twilight and I are still going to... sorry, sorry, Morgan and I are going to be careful.”

“Aye, thou art clearly very careful, not even calling thy wife by her own name.” Luna retorted, and Scrivener glared at her before Morgan gently patted his side, the two striding quickly away and leaving Luna standing in the middle of the room as she complained: “And thou art both against me, again! Why?”

Both ponies simply ignored Luna, and she grumbled and made a rude gesture at their backs with both floating hands before she hurried after them. It didn't take them long to exit the facility: there were even fewer security personnel or other threats active now that they had taken down the security core, although Scrivener kept looking uncertainly back at Luna and her giant floating claws of ice as they made their way through the facility.

But he knew that dismissing the Jötunnfang would create another distinct pulse of magic: while normally the three of them weren't incredibly concerned with attracting Archive attention with their distinct powers, because they had been to Fyrverǫld so recently, the Watchers would be monitoring it for any distortions or unusual magic. The only thing they could hope was that Hecate's operations here would cover up their presence, although of course Luna had been unwilling to turn down a fight, any more than she could deny Hecate her help.

Luna just hoped that Hecate hadn't gotten herself into too much trouble, but then he sapphire mare gave a wry grin as her eyes gleamed. No, that was a selfish thought, really: she knew that Hecate could handle herself, against anything and everything that was stupid enough to get in her way.

And this was a lesson that Thokk was currently learning, the witch wheezing loudly for breath as she clutched at her side, staring with disbelief at Hecate. Parts of the mechanical goddess' body had been torn away, but everything was still fully functional: and even if Hecate had discarded Lucy, she had summoned a massive, fully-automatic shotgun in place of the spiked ball and chain, the gun looking like something that belonged mounted on a battletank, not in the goliath's hands.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” the witch shouted as a tornado slowly tore over the castle behind her, ripping up chunks of metal plating and shards of glass from the structure. All around them, the world had become nothing but chaos and violence, and yet Hecate was still cold and unflinching, even as she felt the bridge beneath them starting to give out from the quaking earth and the roaring winds. “Why won't you just die?”

“I have too much to do.” Hecate took aim from the hip, and Thokk reacted almost too late, barely creating a shield in time to protect herself from several barrages of steel, before Hecate scowled as the gun ran empty.

All the same, she slowly raised it to her sparking shoulder, ignoring the fact that the butt of the weapon was settling into mesh and cabling as Thokk snarled at her from under her cracked mask. “What about you, Thokk? Are you willing to sacrifice all your time and manipulations?”

Thokk growled under her breath, then she suddenly thrust a hand above her head, lightning striking into her palm from the skies and becoming a thrumming orb of destruction as she growled: “You're right, I've got lots to do and way more important things to waste my time on than this trash heap. Here, have a housewarming gift!”

Thokk leapt into the air and flung the orb down into the bridge, an eruption of force and magic tearing through the damaged structure and shattering it as the witch vanished with a cackle. Hecate grimaced as she stumbled backwards, but then tossed her empty rifle away as her eyes flashed, jet boosters bursting to life from her hooves and allowing her to hover safely even as the bridge collapsed into broken stone and steel ruin beneath her.

The thrusters weren't enough to keep her airborne for very long, the mare slowly descending from the skies towards the rubble below, but even as she fell, she was already bringing up holographic screens to quickly enter commands and synchronize her data with Seneschal's updates.

Now, all of this city's systems – including many of the Kirin – were protected only by the superserver, which was also the only thing left protecting the data uplink they needed to access. Once they breached the superserver, this city would essentially be cut off from the rest of Fyrverǫld: and with Thokk gone and no leader to guide them, Hecate would swiftly be able to take control. Seneschal would be able to wrestle control away from the defunct Overlord AIs once they had access to the satellite network, and that would ensure the takeover of the rest of Fyrverǫld would be as quick and bloodless as possible.

Although considering the fact that this city, Thronus, was now being torn apart by storms, half the buildings were in flames, and Hecate could see plenty of Kirin laying dead in the streets from the logic nodes in their brains overloading, she thought bitterly there had already been plenty of blood spilled in the name of the greater good.

The ivory mare gave a thin smile at this, and then she shook her head shortly before she frowned at one of the holographic screens even as her boosters kicked off and she dropped the rest of the way to the rubble-strewn earth. “Why am I picking up a new threat reading, Seneschal?”

From where they were hidden in the computer office, Seneschal fidgeted before he exclaimed loudly, making Thorn wince: “The Overlords must be reacting to Thronus' AI being shut down by sending in reinforcements! We didn't expect them to extend their reach out of their subdomains, it means that-”

“It means we need to get the superserver offline now, so we can take over the city's defenses and turn them on the attackers.” Hecate said coldly, before the mechanical goddess turned and started to quickly stride down the street, growling: “I can't believe that Sigma team has already failed in their mission. These are supposed to be the-”

“W-We're here!” Prestige's breathless voice suddenly blurted out of the static, and Hecate felt relief, and, as much as she didn't want to admit it, not just because it meant their operations might be back on schedule. “We're inside the compound, at the control center, but my machine device was destroyed and-”

“How are you contacting me without a Mission Drive?” Hecate asked, frowning slightly, but Seneschal answered before Prestige could, sounding excited.

“They're patching in through a Titan! Sigma, is the Titan responding to verbal orders or are you using manual operation parameters?”

“I just... asked to get in contact with Hecate.” Prestige said lamely, and Hecate smiled thinly: excellent. They hadn't been smart enough to purge her administrative properties completely from the system. That played to their advantage.

“Repeat after me, Sigma leader: A-X-H, 34-56-71.” Hecate said clearly, and there was a mumbling from the other side of the screen, followed by a fizzle of static as one of Hecate's other holographic screens lit up. “Now say this: allow communication.”

“Allow communication?” Prestige half-asked dubiously, but it was enough, as Hecate detected port access opening, which Seneschal immediately took advantage of, information scrawling rapidly over the holographic screen before the mechanical empress looked calmly up as a voice shouted at her.

A small team of Kirin were approaching, with an exosuit behind them carrying a massive rocket launcher. Her eyes flicked meditatively over the Homeguard, before the one in front snarled: “Your privileges have been revoked! Lay down and surrender immediately, traitor!”

Hecate smiled thinly, and several panels snapped open across her steel body, glassy orbs shooting up into the air before they homed violently in on the Kirin. They exploded in blasts of electricity and antimagic where they struck, driving the Homeguard to the ground with screams of agony and sending the exosuit stumbling forward before it lost power and collapsed on its front with a crunch, the rocket launcher bouncing out of its vise-hands.

Hecate slowly strode forward, kicking one of the Kirin out of the way before she leaned down and picked up the rocket launcher. She studied this absently, then looked up as a Kirin war machine rolled into the street: an armored carrier, with a massive cannon on top of the vehicle. This swiveled towards her, locking on and firing in an instant-

Hecate's claw was faster, reaching up and catching the heavy shell it shot: the force of impact crunched her steel palm in slightly and made her arm sizzle, but the mechanical empress simply said calmly: “Take note: modify structural stability.”

She tossed the heavy shell aside, then brought the rocket launcher up with her other arm, before narrowing her eyes as there was a loud beeping, and the tank suddenly rolled to a halt as the cannon lowered slightly. She felt it even before the readings on the holographic screen beside her changed, and the Seneschal exclaimed: “We did it! Thronus is ours, Lady Hecate, all Kirin have been given the order to stand down and-”

“Shut up, Seneschal.” Hecate said moodily, and then she took aim with the rocket launcher before pulling the trigger, the rocket streaking through the air and smashing into the cannon on top of the tank to explode in a monumental blast of shrapnel and fire. Then Hecate simply tossed the launcher aside, ignoring the Kirin that piled out of the armored vehicle with shouts and screams of surprise and fear and confusion.

Instead, she turned her attention to the holographic screen, tapping quickly over it: with the superserver under their control, they were able to activate the satellite uplink and begin taking over the network that controlled Fyrverǫld. It would take time, but time was on their side now even if the other Overlord AIs concentrated all their forces on Thronus: even if they attempted to use missile attacks and nuclear or plasmatic armament, they could defend themselves and hold out against the enemy far longer than it would take Seneschal to wipe out the hostile AI systems.

“Seneschal, confirm that all local targets have been rendered non-hostile. Thorn, I need you to make your way to Consensus Gentium to prepare it for a new control center and to manage the Kirin. Sigma, Gamma, Alpha teams, report to me. I will be waiting for you in...” Hecate looked over her shoulder, grimacing a bit at the sight of the stone and steel castle, which had been ravaged by the tornadoes and shaking earth. Although thankfully, with Thokk leaving, the storms had started to lose their power. “I will meet you in Crown. Your Mission Drives are being updated as we speak.”

Hecate turned to stride down the street, ignoring the Kirin that saluted her almost drunkenly as much as she ignored the ones that were feebly twitching on the ground, grabbing at their heads and shivering. The logic nodes had always been a bad idea, Hecate reflected moodily: brainwashing or removing someone's free will had enough side effects as it was. Inserting a 'logic' node that made someone think the thoughts you wanted them to, however, had many more flaws.

A Kirin stared at her as she passed, a bit of blood leaking from one ear before it suddenly saluted, but Hecate didn't let her eyes linger. She hated seeing them, probably even more than Valthrudnir had hated seeing them: every single one of them reminded her of Thesis. With their real minds thinking one way, but the nodes implanted in their brains forcing them to think completely differently. With memories that told them one thing, but the implacable, unalterable, agonizing logic-mind telling them something different now, to go against the memories, to forget their feelings and perhaps even what they had been trained to do and instead obey, obey, obey...

And to think, these were 'perfected' nodes, that Valthrudnir had shoved into the brains of an entire world filled with Kirin when he'd stumbled across it, in some petty act of revenge and... perhaps because once...

No, Hecate wouldn't let herself think those thoughts. She closed her eyes and took a slow breath, then continued on her path, keeping herself focused forward, ignoring the Kirin that drew close to her, ignoring the ones that called out to her, saluted her, and even the few that threatened her weakly or even tried to aim their weapons at her. It wasn't as if their programming would allow them to carry out any of their threats, or they could even hurt her with their puny, useless weapons and impotent magic. She was an Empress, a Goddess.

The only thing that could hurt her were her own memories.

Cadence uneasily watched a Kirin as it calmly passed food out to them in the plain dining hall. All around them, other Kirin soldiers were eating mechanically, tossing them scowls and foul looks every now and then, but while they were hostile, they weren't... well, hostile.

The ivory mare shifted a little, looking nervously down at her simple, tasteless ration. Moonflower was happily gobbling down seconds already, since La Croix had just pushed his bowl of mush away, and Sombra was slowly eating his own as he looked curiously around.

Luna Brynhild, Scrivener Blooms, and Morgan Heldóttir had taken their own food with them to visit Thorn and make sure he was alright at whatever the place was that apparently served as the nerve center of the city. Cadence thought it was really just because Luna wanted to spend some time with her son, but it wasn't like even the Swan could grumble too much about that: they weren't exactly in any kind of danger zone anymore, it seemed.

Gamma team was here, though, and they were eating their food at a table nearby. Hecate was nowhere in sight, but every now and then Seneschal broadcasted announcements over the speakers, which the Kirin always responded to promptly.

It was uncomfortable all the same: Cadence badly wanted to go and find Hecate and get an explanation about what the hell was going on, but she knew that was pointless. She would probably reprimand her, and then simply tell her what the ivory mare had already figured out: the Kirin were on their side now, and listening to them. All she knew was that apparently Thokk and the Jarsongildi had fled Fyrverǫld, but it seemed like it was far too easy.

What if Thokk had already completed her operations here? What if she had a base of power somewhere else? And why precisely had she needed Decretum technology in the first place: after all, Thokk could apparently summon lost souls from the Void to aid her, and Cadence couldn't think of a force more frightening than that. So why had Thokk been here, going to such lengths to start up all this old technology again, and then not seeming to care when she left such a massive weapon in Hecate's more-than-capable hands?

Thokk had to realize what a mistake that was. Or worse, Thokk had to be absolutely sure that she had something even worse and more dangerous up her sleeve, and that she could complete whatever unknown objectives she had in the little time it would delay Hecate to finish taking over Fyrverǫld. It wasn't like it was any secret that Hecate had every key and every password that was needed to take control of this mechanical world, after all...

In one short, bloody conflict, they had conquered a world. Or maybe 'taken back' was a better way to phrase it, since she thought that for Hecate this was almost a coming home. Well, then again, to this day Cadence wasn't entirely sure where Hecate was really from...

Too many thoughts. Too many weird thoughts, at that. Cadence shook her head briefly, before she looked uncomfortably over at Moonflower and asked finally: “How can you eat that stuff? It's disgusting.”

“It's nutritious.” Moonflower defended, straightening with a huff... and Cadence couldn't help but smile a little at the fact he had a moustache of goo under his nostrils. “And besides, Cadence. You were never trapped in Tartarus. You don't want to imagine the kind of gruel I was left eating down there. It was... well... it was gruel!”

“How awful.” Cadence said dryly, and then she sighed a little and scooped some of the mush up, grimacing a bit as she ate a spoonful before muttering: “Tastes like sour potatoes.”

“Tastes like the bayou. I ain't eatin' nothin' those Kirin are makin' for us, either. I ain't scared of 'em trying to kill us, but I doubt they gonna care if a ver or two fall in the soup.”

Moonflower only shrugged, then he picked up his bowl and loudly slurped up the last of it with a sigh of pleasure. He grinned over at La Croix, who scowled at him before the larger stallion declared: “And I might even have another!”

Cadence sighed, then hesitated for a moment before she picked up her bowl and quickly left the table, Moonflower blinking in surprise as the Loa cocked his own head curiously. But Sombra only smiled as his daughter made her way over to Sigma team's table, the Swan Maiden clearing her throat as she approached before asking: “Uh, can I-”

“Sure, sit down.” Prestige smiled and immediately shuffled down the bench, letting the ivory mare join them. Cadence smiled her thanks, nodding politely as she looked around at the group: a little battered-looking, she thought, but overall none the worse for wear. “I'm glad you guys made it through okay. It was rough, huh?”

“Not as bad as the first time we were here. And definitely not as bad as I was expecting.” Cadence replied, shaking her head briefly before she gave a small smile in response. “But hey, it looks like your team did a great job. I heard you saw a lot more action than we did.”

Prestige only chuckled, as Applejack said wryly: “Sure wasn't my idea of fun, I'll say that. Ain't like any fight I've ever been in before. Don't think I want my hooves to leave the earth for a long while now, neither.”

Cadence smiled again, nodding briefly before Tender Trust said softly, as she looked back and forth: “This feels very... strange. I am not sure what to think of it. It is good to see these tribes coming together, but these manidogisik are... I do not know what to think of them.”

“It's strange. They aren't like nzambi, but part of what that means is... some of them do still desire to hurt us. They just don't have the will to.” Meadowlark added, looking up and shaking her head briefly. “Although some of them are more like... I don't even have the words for them. They just... accept whatever they're told and do what they're asked. They're not friendly, they're not hostile, but at the same time they're...”

“Curious.” Prestige finished, and the Valkyrie hesitated before asking Cadence: “Are there... a lot of Kirin or Dogmatists like this on your world? Hecate is always very tight-lipped about what she does and...”

“No, no. Not at all. I've never seen Kirin before, let alone...” Cadence looked uncomfortably across the hall, before she said softly: “Hecate is hard on us, but... she seems to value us all having our free will. Moonflower might complain every now and then that he's scared of being turned into a Dogmatist, but... I think even he knows that Hecate would never do that.”

Prestige nodded, smiling a little before she said quietly: “I don't know a whole lot about Hecate, but... from what I've seen and been told, she knows what she's doing. And hero has always really respected her.”

Cadence cocked her head, and Meadowlark laughed before she supplied: “She means her coltfriend, Antares Mīrus. Luna's son.”

The ivory mare immediately took an interest in this, saying quickly: “Right, they said something about that before... how many children does Luna have?”

“Uh... three.” Prestige answered after a moment, looking a little surprised by the sudden intense interest. “Antares is her first son, but... second child. Her first daughter is named Scarlet Sage, and her second daughter, who is the third child, is Innocence. I mean, not... biologically, but they're like-”

“And Thorn Blackfeather makes four.” Cadence said musingly, lowering her head thoughtfully, and Prestige blushed a bit at this.

“Right, I uh... that's pretty incredible. We all thought Hecate adopted him from another world so she could have a second in command. He's pretty obviously being groomed as an administrator, after all.”

“'Groom' is kind of an ugly word. That's the word you attach to pedophiles.” Applejack said mildly, and Prestige gave the wooden mare a flat look. “Well, it is. I was just readin' about that the other way, 'smatter of fact.”

Tender Trust nodded with the seriousness Cadence was beginning to understand the Phooka treated everything with, and Prestige only shook her head as Meadowlark remarked: “I think you've been spending too much time with your husband.”

Applejack smiled wryly, replying easily: “Hey, it's nice to finally be able to spend time with him without... you know. Havin' to worry about things.” She quieted for a moment, then cleared her throat before asking Cadence, who looked up almost dumbly from her thoughts: “So what about you? What's it like, livin' in Decretum, with these uh... friends o' yours?”

“Oh, it's... it's interesting.” Cadence leaned back a bit, glancing back at the other table and laughing a little when she saw Moonflower and La Croix were now arguing over something, while Sombra watched over them with his seemingly-endless patience. “Sombra is actually my father. La Croix comes from Darkwater, and he's some sort of... spirit-thing-”

“He's a Loa, a sort of... messenger between the zebra and the other world. Well... that's usually what a Loa is, anyway.” Meadowlark chipped in, and Cadence nodded with a smile. “Zecora warned me not to be tricked by any of his guiles, since she wasn't sure entirely what to make of him, but... she also told me that someone particularly important said that La Croix had earned a gift from a friend, in spite of the fact that he and his siblings are responsible for... making a lot of mischief.”

“I'm glad someone thinks so. He's certainly hard enough on himself for whatever happened in the past.” Cadence paused, and then she shook her head quickly before continuing: “Anyway, uh... last but not least is Moonflower. He's actually a winged unicorn, but... he lost one of his wings. He talks a big game, and he's incredibly talented, but he's far from the great and terrible evil he likes to pretend he is. He's a good guy. They're all good people, really, and I'd... trust every one of them with my life.”

Cadence smiled over her shoulder at them, and Prestige said softly: “Well, they all seem to look up to you as their leader, too. I think you've got a really good team there, Cadence, and... a really good thing going. Even if you all... you definitely aren't what I expected to see from the little I knew about Hecate.”

There was quiet for a few moments, and Cadence shifted a little, unable to resist asking: “So... so all of you knew Hecate?”

“That's right.” Applejack grinned a little, shaking her head slowly. “I still remember when Luna and Scrivener first showed up with her. She was literally a head in a box.”

“She was on a short leash for a long time. It wasn't until the Pious came that we really gave her a chance to prove herself... I guess we were all scared of her, and what she might do.” Prestige admitted, nodding a little before she added softly: “And I guess... not all of us felt all that charitable when she just... left one day, in the middle of the war...”

Cadence frowned, cocking her head in both curiosity and surprise, and Applejack chuckled softly before she said: “She wasn't a coward, though. Thought a lot of nasty things about her, but never thought of her as no coward. She just... knew what was happening, and decided to step out of it, I think. She also knew that if we failed...”

“She'd need to be there to stop them. There's no way any of us could have known that Luna, Scrivener, and Twilight would all come back.” Prestige picked up, laughing a little before she gazed off into the distance. “Still hard to believe...”

“So you... have a lot of respect for the Valkyrie, do you?” Cadence asked almost nervously, and Prestige nodded with a smile, although she was studying the mare curiously, her eyes locked on Cadence as the ivory mare visibly fidgeted a little. “I uh... well, I'll admit she... her partners seem very nice.”

“Yeah. Scrivy and Twilight.” Prestige looked at the ivory mare for a moment longer, before she said finally: “It's okay if you don't really... well, if you aren't quite fond of Luna and all. She's a little... difficult to get used to for a lot of people.”

“I'll say.” Cadence grumbled, and then the ivory mare hesitated before shaking her head briefly, muttering: “And it's not that, it's more... it's the Swan. The Swan hates the Valkyrie. Or maybe... I don't know, maybe the Swan is stuck in the past and just trying to convince itself that the Valkyrie is still what it thinks it is. From what I've seen, Brynhild has been doing... she's been doing a pretty good job. And I'm... grateful to her.”

Those words hurt Cadence's pride to say, but all the same she managed them out and, like it or not, she thought it was important. Prestige smiled a little at this, and then she remarked quietly: “Well, I know better than most ponies that it's very possible to change, and to... grow up, for lack of a better word. Some days, I think I'm still growing up.”

“I think it's all just a state of mind, Prestige. And Heaven knows you take care of your family and friends very well.” Meadowlark paused, then added easily: “Or at least a lot better than you used to, since in the past...”

Prestige only laughed and shook her head, replying mildly: “Be fair, Meadowlark. I think I did a great job of taking care of my friends in the past... as long as they weren't shorn wings, splinter horns, or slave hoofs, that is.”

Cadence looked with surprise at Prestige, as Applejack said: “You couldn't believe how much we saw this little girl here change, growin' up. Went from being the most venomous little racist y'ever did meet to the kindest, gentlest... well, okay, she still ain't very kind or gentle, but she's getting there.”

“Hey!” Prestige laughed, though, and so did the rest of the table, Cadence smiling and relaxing a little, and before she even realized it, she was talking:

“In the world where I come from, and the... time, I guess, that I came from too, Daddy was a great king. He ruled over the Crystal Empire, which was a unicorn-controlled territory.” Cadence explained, as all eyes turned to her with curiosity. “We had Pegasi, too, but mostly it was unicorns... that's how we were able to protect ourselves from the storms and keep our people safe.

“But outside in the barrens lived earth ponies. They were ruthless barbarians, very strong, resistant to our magic. We called them the Crystal Ponies, and most of us... me included, I guess... thought they should be left out there in the cold, destroyed or driven away.” She quieted, then shook her head slowly. “But Father wanted to save them all. And even after... bad things happened, and he was deceived by Valthrudnir, he worked hard to save them all. He drove the unicorns and Pegasi out of the Crystal Empire because they could be corrupted by the disease, but the Crystal Ponies, maybe... because of their different magic, maybe because of their connection to the earth, I don't know... they couldn't be affected by the poisons in the land. And Daddy worked to save them, to protect them, even though... they had taken so much from us, with their raids, their attacks, their...”

Cadence looked over her shoulder at her father, who looked back up at her from across the table, giving her a gentle, reassuring smile. And the ivory mare blushed a bit before she finally turned a smile to Prestige, saying softly: “I just guess that you and I aren't so different after all.”

The two nodded to each other, and then Cadence asked curiously: “So you're a Valkyrie, aren't you? Not a... born Valkyrie, but rather...”

“That's right. I was one of the first inductees, I'm very proud to say.” Prestige smiled and nodded back, raising her head slightly: for some reason, it did Cadence good to see the mare taking such pride in herself and her position. It was... reassuring, somehow. “I was... honestly surprised when Kvasir and Aria picked me, of all ponies. But they said that because of how I'd been trained before I died, and because of my special talent, I was precisely what they were looking for at the time.”

Cadence tilted her head, and Prestige smiled a bit as she glanced down at her armored hip. “Right, you can't see my cutie mark... but my talent is for mixing different elements of magic together. Multicasting. At least, that's what everyone calls it.”

Cadence nodded, then she smiled a little and said quietly: “My own talent is for... well, I don't know anymore. It used to be... emotional magic, I guess you could say, but I guess that with the Swan and all, I'm a little... different.”

She looked down awkwardly, but Applejack only shrugged before saying mildly: “My talent was supposed to be for apples, apples, apples. Now look at me. I'm pretty much a walking tree.”

She gestured awkwardly at herself, and Tender Trust nodded before saying kindly: “Then at least you have reached the apogee of your craft, Miss Applejack. Prestige has become a Valkyrie, you have become a tree, Meadowlark is a zebra, and my mother has become a Phooka. I wonder sometimes what I will become when I am finally ready to complete that rite.”

“I'm sure it'll be something good, Tender Trust.” Applejack said as a smile quirked at her muzzle, and then she shook her head slowly before she said wryly: “All I know for sure is that life sure takes you to some strange places, and death takes you even weirder places than that.”

“I hear you there.” Cadence said softly, and then she smiled in return and shook her head slowly as she looked around at these odd ponies, letting herself relax in their presence as she settled in to learn more of what she could about them, and the strange world they came from.

Age Quod Agis

Chapter Twenty One: Age Quod Agis
~BlackRoseRaven

Thorn calmly worked away in Consensus Gentium, tapping across the holographic screen in front of him as Worker Drones and several Dogmatists that had been shipped in from Decretum worked rapidly on assembling a new control core. Over the last day, several Overlords had been eradicated and a large-scale attack had been repelled from Thronus: it was only a matter of time before Seneschal was able to take over all of Fyrverǫld's systems and bring the world under their control.

They had a lot to do in the meantime, though: they had to establish a new uplink, and they had to build a new control core. A new AI would have to be created to watch over the entire world: Seneschal couldn't remain here for much longer, after all, even if Hecate had returned to Decretum for now. A crossworld communications tower would also have to be constructed: a powerful amplifier tuned specifically to allow contact between Endworld and Decretum, letting them effectively permanently link the three worlds.

Speaking of permanent links, new permanent portals also had to be established where possible: while it seemed like Thokk's retreat had been hasty, the witch had still been smart enough to destroy almost every single portal ring on the way out, leaving no trace behind as to where she had gone. Thorn had the feeling that if Thokk was smart enough to do that, she would also be smart enough to make sure she didn't go anywhere important for her first stop on top of that, so that even if they did figure out where she'd gone from Fyrverǫld, all they would find was an ambush or a jump location.

There were no signs of any Voidborn on this world, but they had discovered some security footage with the creatures on it, and a cache of strange metal, the same material that had been used in the knife Cadence had retrieved from the Voidborn she had fought. Useful as the latter was, it had been the former that interested Hecate: Voidborn apparently didn't show up very well on the security cameras, emitting some kind of strange electromagnetic current that interfered with the imaging, but they were still able to get a sense of what they were up against.

It seemed almost as if Thokk had planned her retreat from the start, and had just been waiting to be driven out: that was why they hadn't encountered any Voidborn during the takeover of Thronus, and possibly also part of why Thokk had been willing to give up the fight against Hecate relatively quickly, even if part of it was also likely because Hecate had obviously been a lot tougher than Thokk had expected.

Still, it had been disturbing to watch the security footage: all the Voidborn had simply been waiting patiently for Thokk by a portal with a team of Kirin. And when she had shown up, they had immediately turned on the Kirin and slaughtered them mercilessly, seemingly without even needing an order from Thokk as she had gone through the portal. One Voidborn had stayed behind after the massacre, patiently waiting a few minutes before it had destroyed the portal, and then it had simply killed itself, leaving no trace of a corpse behind.

The control Thokk could apparently exert over these creatures was frightening, especially considering the fact that even through the distortions, it had been very clear that very few of the Voidborn were anything alike. Different species, cultures, and everything else all commingled under one banner: the banner of Thokk.

And if it was true, that Thokk could simply bring these creatures back from the Void any time they were killed: they were faced with a new kind of threat, one that hadn't been seen since the days of Decretum and the Hexad. The worst part, though, was that they didn't know what it precisely was they were dealing with: all they knew was that the Voidborn were extremely dangerous and did whatever Thokk asked, but they had no idea just how many of their abilities carried over from the lives they had lived, any more than if they knew if Thokk was able to empower her soldiers further, or how long it took for her to dredge these souls out of the Void.

Thorn sighed a little as he began to dismiss the holographic screen, but he halted when it beeped at it and a flashing icon appeared in the lower corner of the projection. He frowned and touched this, before his eyes widened in surprise as a static-riddled, but still distinct image of Hecate appeared, the mare asking calmly: “Status?”

“Uh...” Thorn cleared his throat, then he replied calmly: “The wreckage has been cleared out of Consensus Gentium and the Dogmatists are installing the hardware for the new control core as we speak. Seneschal has reported thirty percent of Fyrverǫld is now under our control, and-”

“Operations will hereby be resuming as normal, Thorn. Team 0-0 has had enough of a break and we have been playing courteous host to others for more than long enough.” Hecate interrupted calmly, and Thorn blinked in surprise. “Furthermore, we've already been given another mission request. As a matter of fact, we have two: while one of them I feel obligated to answer, the other I am... hesitant to agree to. I have decided, however, to allow you to make your own decision in this regard.”

Thorn frowned slightly at this, tilting his head, and Hecate made a slight face before she said moodily: “The second request I received is in regards to a treaty. You are to be sent to an allied world with a small team to run an assessment. This particular world is also involved in helping protect the many realms of Midgard, in a sense.”

“Looking Glass World.” Thorn said softly, and Hecate glowered at him through the holographic screen before the stallion asked almost eagerly: “When would I be leaving?”

Hecate looked at him for a moment, and then she sighed before saying grudgingly: “Today will be the last day you and Team 0-0 spend in Fyrverǫld. Teams C-03 and C-07 will be taking over security operations, which will at least keep them out of trouble. You will leave at 2300 hours tonight, which means you'll arrive here in Decretum at roughly-”

“Two in the morning, due to the time difference.” Thorn finished before he could stop himself, and Hecate glared at him, making the stallion shift awkwardly before he apologized: “I'm sorry. I'm just... it's very exciting to think-”

Hecate grunted moodily, cutting him off. “In the morning, you will be part of the briefing with our new client. After you and Team 0-0 speak to her, you will be assigned your mission. While you finish your operations there, Thorn, see to it that you select your team. I want as much to be done as possible before you leave Seneschal behind, considering how inept he is.”

“Of course, Queen Hecate.” Thorn smiled a little despite himself, nodding calmly before he asked: “What operations do you want completed?”

“All of them. Priority on establishing the core, however: Fyrverǫld won't function forever on autodirect.” Hecate replied, and Thorn nodded before the mechanical goddess added in a quieter voice: “I wish to speak to you privately after you return.”

“Yes, Queen Hecate, of course.” Thorn answered, nodding to the screen, and his mother grunted a goodbye to him before closing the link. Thorn let his side of the link hang open for a moment longer, and then he shook himself out, terminating the call before he quickly tapped in a short command to send a call out to another pony.

After almost a minute, the link finally opened, Cadence asking in a flustered voice as her face appeared on screen: “Yes? Sorry, sorry, I was in the shower and-”

“Queen Hecate has recalled your team to Decretum. You're being given another mission. We leave tonight. I am uploading all the necessary times and information directly to your Mission Drive, which I hope you will remember to keep on your person at all times for the last few hours while here.” Thorn interrupted, and Cadence mumbled another awkward apology before the stallion asked: “Have you completed your own duties for the day?”

“Um, Thorn, it's only nine in the morning...” Cadence said awkwardly, and Thorn frowned in surprise before he brought up a digital clock, studying this curiously for a few moments before he shook his head briefly.

“Time difference, right. And I just mentioned that to Hecate.” Thorn muttered, and then he turned his attention back to Cadence, saying calmly: “Get your work for the day done, then contact me. I want to speak with you and the rest of your team and assign further duties. Do you know where Luna Brynhild is?”

Cadence grimaced visibly, but then she said in a neutral voice: “She's... we've been avoiding each other for the most part, but I think she said something about doing a patrol of the perimeter today, which I think is code for 'looking for Kirin to punch.' She seems to enjoy picking fights. If not, I'm sure you'll see her sooner or later, Thorn, it's not like she's ever able to stay away from you for very long.”

Thorn smiled briefly at this, and Cadence hesitated before she asked in a softer voice: “Do you mind if I send Moonflower by? He really sucks at his job. I think he'd do a lot better helping you out instead of fumbling around on the construction crew, welding the wrong things together and generally being a nuisance.”

The sapphire stallion hesitated for a moment, and then he grudgingly nodded before saying finally: “Alright. You might as well send him to me, then. I'll see what I can do with him.”

Cadence smiled and nodded, and then she simply looked at him through the screen. He looked back at her awkwardly, until he finally prompted: “Yes?”

“I uh... is there anything else you wanted?” Cadence asked after a moment, and Thorn frowned a little before the ivory mare cleared her throat and said almost nervously: “I mean... I don't know, it's just... you seem kind of like you're looking for something and if you want to talk about anything...”

“Goodbye, Cadence.” Thorn said dryly, and then he quickly closed the link before shaking his head slowly, but after a moment, he gave a wry smile, muttering: “She never used to be able to read emotions over long distance. I'll make a note of that.”

Thorn turned his eyes back towards the Dogmatists and the Worker Drones, and he dismissed the holographic screen as he strode forward with a sigh, deciding to focus on work for the moment: not just because he wanted to make his mother proud, but because he needed something to keep him busy and keep his mind off of the excitement and anxieties he had over the quickly-approaching future.

In Decretum, Hecate scowled moodily as she sat back at her desk, her least-favorite person in the entire universe grinning from bovine ear to bovine ear as she cooed: “See? I knew you'd handle yourself just fine, and-”

“What do you know?” Hecate interrupted, and Hel huffed loudly, the ice puppet crossing her arms. The mechanical goddess glared at her, but reached out to pick up a thick rubber ball from the top of her table, squeezing it slowly and doing her best to rein in her emotions. She knew that all her threats to Hel were empty ones, after all... well, almost all of them. “I know that no matter what you act like, you have some reason left. And I know that you understand if something is calling creatures from the Void-”

“No, no. They're not creatures, they're lost souls! That's very different, and...” Hel tapped her nose meditatively. “Well, actually, I'm not sure if it's better or worse than if the Terrors were out. I mean, Terrors are terrible, they're Terrors. That's what they do. Terrorize and terrible everything. But like. These guys? I mean, some of these guys that Thokk is bringing out, they belong in the Abyss!”

Hel laughed loudly, and then she suddenly slammed her fists down on the tabletop and leaned forwards, her gaze turning serious as she said coldly: “Thokk has to die, and I don't care who or what she brings back. You might not believe me on this, Hecate, but this is hard on both of us. But don't you get cold feet or hooves or whatever you have on me now. She will not give you your little boy back, any more than she will return my family to me.”

Hecate looked evenly at Hel, and Hel gazed back at her icily for a few moments before the cow-headed puppet suddenly smiled brightly and clapped her hands together, saying happily: “We just had a moment, didn't we? We did!”

The mechanical goddess simply snorted in contempt, and then she created a holographic screen off to the side, Hel cocking her head curiously as Hecate said shortly: “Look.

“What? Look at what? Hey, maybe I'm like a dog and I can't actually see the television screen even though I'm totally looking at it, just like-”

Hecate simply gestured shortly to the screen to make the clip play, and Hel went silent, narrowing her eyes dangerously as she watched the recording scrawl over the screen, displaying key points during Hecate's fight with Thokk.

“I see.” Hel muttered, sitting back in her seat and tapping a finger slowly on the arm of the chair. “Alright, metal momma. You got my attention, I'll put the crazy away for a few minutes. We'll have a nice little chat.”

“Am I correct in assuming that is Asgardian magic?” Hecate asked, not dithering around the point, and Hel smiled wryly.

“You have a lot of interesting sources.” she remarked, and then she clicked her tongue before saying softly: “You're half-right, in a way, and completely wrong in another. See, that's Jötnar magic. When the gods did great magic and feats of strength, they usually manipulated the elements already present in the environment. Made it look like they were pulling say, lightning out of their ass, in the case of Thor, for example... but really, he was just pulling from what was already there.

“Thokk there, like the Jötnar, isn't just pulling from any known source. No, no, oh no. She's creating a good amount of that energy herself. Oh, sure, the Jötnar were real fond of manipulating the environment to their advantage, too... that's where the gods got that from!” Hel smiled and tapped her nose knowingly. “We basically just stole all our culture and magic and everything else from the Jötnar, after all, no matter what anyone else might say. But I know! I was there! I stole a lot, including a handsome hubby!”

The ice puppet giggled, then suddenly slapped herself, making her head spin all the way around comically before she caught her bovine skull head and snapped: “No, no, no crazy, no crazy! I'm doing my best here, Hecate, don't growl all those thoughts at me!”

Hecate ignored Hel's outburst, her eyes sizing up the goddess before she asked calmly: “Are we dealing with a Jötnar?”

“Well, see, that's what's really interesting about this!” Hel said thoughtfully, looking back at the clip as it began to repeat. She smiled at the sight of the magic, but the puppet's eyes gleamed with a mix of malice and measurement as she murmured: “No, no. Definitely not a Jötnar. I knew all kinds of Jötnar, from the very weakest to the absolute strongest, and I'm sure you see precisely what I'm talking about, too, princess clockwork, you just want me to confirm it for you.”

“So confirm it.” Hecate said icily, and Hel shot her a sour glare.

“Rude, rude, rude.” Hel complained, but then the ice puppet sniffed disdainfully before hopping up to her feet, kicking the chair she had been seated in across the room before she said mildly: “But I guess there really is a time and place for everything, so I'll let it slide.

“She can't entirely control it. Just like you were able to so-easily cut the magic strings pulling that puppet of Vally-wally, just like you were able to stand against her, even if she can summon storms and throw lightning and call up the flames of heck, she's...” Hel wiggled her fingers thoughtfully, then she made electricity bounce back and forth in arcs of magic between her hands before she smiled suddenly and clapped her hands together, creating a bright flash that Hecate ignored. “She's underachieving. With that much power at her disposal, she could be doing so much more! But for some reason or another, she keeps on fizzling out.”

Hel clicked her tongue as she jerked a thumb at the holographic screen, and the video paused, showing Thokk in mid-lunge with one hand thrust out in front of her, a discharge of electricity captured in mid-burst from her hand, but there were visible arcs of multicolored light in the frame as well, and Hecate frowned slightly as Hel said mildly: “See that? That's called a dysynergy. That's-”

“Wasted energy. Created when a spell is unstable, usually because of a lack of concentration. So Thokk has power, but no focus.” Hecate said quietly, and she quickly created another screen to jot several notes across, the mare nodding briefly before she muttered: “We need more data.”

“We need to kill her.” Hel retorted, slamming one icy fist into her palm as she glowered down at Hecate, who frowned back at the puppet. And Hel shifted back and forth before she suddenly threw her arms up with a groan, grabbing at her face as she exclaimed: “Fine! Fine, fine, fine, you forced it out of me, I'll admit it! I can't...”

Hel gritted her teeth, then dropped forward, becoming serious again as she said coldly: “I can't track her. I know who she is. I know what she is. I know her magic, and oh, these Voidborn? They're icky. They're so icky that I can smell them halfway across the worlds. But Hecate, Hecate... I can't find Thokk anywhere. Not with all my puppets searching, not through the Archives, not a trace of her!”

Hel moodily laced her fingers together, continuing calmly: “Now, of course, I have a theory as to why I can't. And just because I'm in a 'sharing-makes-me-less-pissed-off' mood, I'll share my thoughts on that with you: Thokk keeps jumping to disconnected worlds. She's hiding her cowardly little butt out in places like your... Fever-old, or whatever the hell you call it. Worlds that have been disconnected, and now have rolled, just like marbles have a tendency to do, right on into places where they shouldn't be. Really annoying. Really... not fun.”

The icy goddess clicked her tongue, scowling off into the distance, and Hecate studied the ice puppet for a few moments before she said evenly: “Or she's found a way to interfere with your powers, just as I have.”

Hel snorted at this, and then she leaned slowly towards Hecate and reached up to press one icy digit into the mare's nose, saying moodily: “You watch your tone there, missy, or I'll show you just why even your ex-boyfriend was afraid of me. And we all know what a doof he was, don't we? Too dumb and too big to be scared of much of anything!”

“Valthrudnir was afraid of everything.” Hecate replied calmly, and she looked at the screen for a moment before saying quietly: “I cannot and will not delegate any further resources to tracking down Thokk than I already have. Should we find her or encounter her on another world, it will be dealt with then, as efficiently as possible. I recognize she is a threat to the worlds... however, I also recognize that she is a greater threat to you.”

Hecate looked fearlessly up at Hel, and Hel glared back at the mechanical goddess as the Empress of Decretum stated coldly: “I am not funded solely by you, and thus my priorities are not simply to act as your assassin, Hel. My resources are much more limited than yours, and unlike you, I am actually concerned with the state of the worlds. I have other threats and obligations to deal with.”

“You are such an enormous pain in the ass.” growled Hel, the ice puppet leaning forwards and snapping: “Sure, okay, maybe I get why everyone always thinks of me as the bad guy, 'cause I kinda am! But that doesn't mean that I just want-”

“Hel, I understand that Thokk is a threat and I understand she must be destroyed and dealt with. But at this very moment, there are three occurrences of Void energy being detected that may or may not have anything to do with Thokk. There is a minor deity attempting to corrupt a Class B world. There are fifty two minor alerts that will likely all result in no intervention, all the same require investigation and probing to ensure they don't fall under the category of my responsibilities. And there are several people to whom I owe unfortunate debts that have all made mission requests, one of whom is going on a wild goose chase for I don't want to imagine what, and will be taking my best team along for the ride.” Hecate explained calmly and patiently. “So, until circumstances compel me to act otherwise, Thokk will be investigated, but my resources are better put to use dealing with tangible, actual threats to the worlds. Unlike in your realm, Hel, I can't simply stop time or do whatever I please with my empire.”

Hel scowled horribly down at Hecate, who only continued to look calmly, patronizingly back at the icy goddess, until the puppet finally gave a cold smile and slowly clapped her hands together, saying quietly: “You know, one day you'll mouth off to me at the wrong place, wrong time, missy, and I'll have to just... put you down, like the dog you are.”

Hecate didn't look either intimidated or impressed, and Hel sighed loudly before she said finally: “Fine, fine. Your point is made, yes, yes, your world, your rules, your car. Shotgun's shutting her cakehole. God, I'd love to eat cake again. But if you start losing worlds, don't you come running and crying to me. Well, no. Do. Actually, I want you to come running and crying to me. It'll make it that much sweeter when I get to reject you for being such a poopy-butt.”

Hecate dismissed the holographic screens, then she asked calmly: “Is our business done, Hel? Because I have another appointment waiting, so if you don't have any further information it would be in both our interests if you left.”

Hel snorted at this, and then she grumpily dropped on her rump in the middle of Hecate's office, saying loudly: “Well, maybe I'll just sit here for the rest of my life, then! Or... well, you know what I mean, since this puppet ain't gonna die and I've got a thousand of 'em.”

Hecate only rolled her eyes, and then she shuffled through the papers on her desk before calmly picking up a pen and starting to write a report. Hel fidgeted, grimacing a little before she looked up with a scowl and asked: “Why write anything? You have your supercomputers and your digital screens and your freaky space-age technology. Why aren't you going to space, anyway? There's lots of cool stuff up there. Rocks and stuff.”

“I have plenty to keep me occupied between the worlds without discovering new ones, or worse, more 'sentient' life to deal with.” Hecate said moodily, continuing to jot across the paper. “Physical reports will always have their place.”

“You're boring. This is boring. I can't stand this.” Hel grumbled, and then she grabbed the edge of the desk and hauled herself back to her feet, brushing her snowy dress out before she grumbled: “Fine, you win for now, honeybutt. But don't forget our little talk here.”

“I won't. Make sure you remember as well.” Hecate retorted, looking icily up at Hel, who glared back at her, one eye twitching visibly. “Ultimately, we need each other. But I will not let you control me, Hel.”

“And I won't hesitate to reel you back in by your leash if I have to, dear, you had better keep that in mind, little metal momma.” Hel answered, moodily cracking her fingers before she blew a loud raspberry at Hecate, then spun around on her heel and vanished in a burst of snow.

Hecate sighed tiredly, closing her eyes and rubbing at her forehead slowly. But after a moment, she returned to the somehow-relaxing process of finishing her report, and then she pushed it aside before saying clearly: “Escort the next appointment in.”

After less than a minute, a Dogmatist opened the door and allowed another figure to enter: someone else whom Hecate did not relish dealing with, but another person who was rather important in the grand scheme of things. It was hard, though, even if Hecate never showed it; she hated looking at the mare she had once been, and hated being reminded of what she had become.

The ivory mare smiled at her, her white mane gathered in several large braids that hung around her head. Her single amethyst eye studied Hecate with the same old amusement: the other eye was long gone, replaced by a bauble of crystal beneath the simple golden patch she wore on that side of her face. And as if to compliment her strangeness, a key hung from one ear, the tarnished silver twinkling in the electric light of the room.

“So, Hel was here, was she? Too bad she didn't stay and chat. I would have liked to say hello.” Freya said easily, rolling her shoulders slowly beneath the massive set of golden plate mail that adorned her tall body. But the Valkyries were always the same, Hecate thought moodily, as she read into that gesture all too well: they loved to play dress-up in their armor, and they loved to fight. “Now, Hecate. Are you sure there's no way I could convince you to push things ahead of schedule just a little?”

“No. Team 0-0 will arrive tonight, and you will leave tomorrow. That has already been decided.” Hecate said irritably, narrowing her eyes moodily at Freya. Freya, who had once been the Princess Celestia of Looking Glass World, who was the sister of Luna Brynhild... who was just as insufferable as the rest of that particular world's inhabitants, in her own special way. “Your mission is already highly irregular. If it was not for the fact that you and Looking Glass World have offered-”

Freya strode forward and swept up the photo frame on Hecate's desk, and Hecate glared furiously at the ivory mare and leaned forwards to snatch it away, slamming it shut on the tabletop as she said shortly: “Keep your hooves to yourself.”

“It's funny that Hel has to play all the games she does, and that she cajoles others into playing along with her, like Brynhild and even you. But I suppose I understand, all the same; trees will be trees, after all, just as I've always been an old war-bitch and Celestia's always been unable to relax without scheduling a time and place for it.” Freya said mildly, and Hecate scowled before the mare bowed her head politely to Hecate, saying in a softer voice: “You have my thanks for looking after my nephew for so many years, and keeping the secrets you did.”

Hecate scowled at Freya, but then she finally only sighed and sat back grouchily, asking shortly: “Who else knows? Who told?”

“No one. Well... Brynhild, I suppose, told me in a way.” Freya gave a slight smile, winking at the mechanical goddess. “She's very proud of him. And all she really had to do was bring him up to say hello... or rather, drag him to this world on her steed... and of course I knew. He's got a bit of everyone who's parented him in him, I think.”

Hecate looked moodily at Freya, tapping a metal claw irritably against her desk, and Freya simply studied her before she said suddenly: “You look good. I don't just mean physically, but... you seem saner these days, Hecate. Healthier. Wilder. Like what a good roll in the hay does for me.”

“Do you know what I liked about Celestia? She was logical, and she thought with her brain instead of her muscles or her genitals, which is all that you seem to use to think with.” Hecate said icily, but Freya only grinned at her. “I am not in any mood for this.”

“Well, I suppose since your head is all you have left to think with, you're never much in the mood for anything but mind games, are you?” Freya replied glibly, before she added thoughtfully: “Although you do have a pretty mouth, even with your serpent's tongue. But then again, if it's anything else like the snake...”

“Get to the point, Freya.” Hecate said tiredly, dropping her face in one claw, and Freya laughed loudly before she leaned forwards with a teasing smile that all the same couldn't hide the sharp studiousness in her eye.

“I envy you sometimes, you know, funny as that is to say. Aye, with Celestia still... quiet in my mind, every day I wake up in this horse's body, I feel... strange, and not entirely myself. You, however...” She reached out, stroking silently down one of Hecate's steel limbs, tracing over metal plating in the shape of masculine musculature. “At least you can have whatever kind of body you want. And I know that with your genius, you can feel-”

“Nothing. I can create synthetic nerves, but even then it's nothing, Freya, like having a real body.” Hecate said stiffly, shrugging off the mare's touch before she said shortly: “I don't have time for games. I will not repeat myself again.”

Freya shrugged, and then she glanced down at the fallen chair before righting it with telekinesis and sitting herself comfortably in the large seat, half-crossing her hind legs and resting her forelimbs on the arms. She smiled wryly as she shifted uncomfortably back and forth, saying softly: “Maybe not, Hecate. But it's no fun being trapped in a body that doesn't move the way you want it to. That for all its grace and beauty, you can never get to work... just right. And that is rather...”

“Disgusting.” Hecate supplied in a dry voice, and Freya gave the mechanical goddess a mild look. “If you want surgery to rearrange the structure of your limbs, I will be more than happy to arrange it for you, Freya. Otherwise, tell me why you're here, or get out of my sight.”

There was silence for a few moments as Freya tapped a hoof slowly against the arm of her chair, and then she said softly: “Brynhild told me some interesting stories. I am looking forwards to meeting this Swan... and I have to say, it's rather interesting you're letting my Night Maiden parade all around your worlds, making a mess of things. Why, she told me she even stopped in at Endworld to 'look around,' as she put it.”

“We both know what she's doing. I'm not stupid, Freya. The Valkyrie is checking up on me, for her own sake and Hel's. Not entirely a stupid idea, since I wouldn't hesitate to eradicate her, given the chance.” Hecate said nastily, but Freya only smiled amusedly.

“You're half-right, but it wouldn't hurt to swallow some of that whine, Hecate, instead of spitting it out everywhere.” Freya replied, and then she said in a gentler voice: “She's checking up on you, aye: but she's more interested in making sure you're okay, than making sure you aren't about to betray us all. Her faith in you is more solid than gianttooth. You spent a night drinking with her, after all: there's few things that make a friendship firmer than that.”

Hecate rolled her eyes, reaching up to moodily rub at one temple. That was not a memory she wanted to remember. “Brynhild didn't drink a thing. Which surprised me, considering how wonderfully she handles her addiction to corruption.”

“But I heard you got plenty drunk, and that's what matters.” Freya paused, then added softly: “But let's get back to the matter at hand... hoof, I suppose I should say.”

Her amethyst eye spoke another warning to Hecate, and the mechanical goddess grimaced slightly before she grudgingly nodded. Freya was one of the few ponies she didn't want to antagonize, as much as she loathed letting the goddess trapped in a pony's form control the conversation. “Fine. What is your business?”

“It made me angry, when I first learned about Thorn. I suppose that's no surprise, most things either annoy or arouse me, and not a few do both.” Freya said casually, but Hecate ignored the baiting and banter, her eyes locking on the mare, immediately not liking where this sounded like it was going. “But then I started to think about it, and started to process it past my selfishness, and it all began to make much more sense to me. Even these days, Looking Glass World attracts more than its fair share of ghouls, ghosts, and goblins.”

Hecate only looked at Freya, waiting for her to get to the point, and the ivory mare smiled slightly before she said softly: “But at some point, Hecate, all our sons and daughters have to grow up.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Hecate said quietly, as she leaned slowly forwards: “Thorn has responsibilities here. And Thorn, furthermore, not only does appreciable work in this place, he does work he enjoys and finds meaning in.”

“Does he now? I suppose that's good, considering the only life he's ever known has been from cage-to-cage.” Freya replied evenly, and Hecate glared at the mare, but the golden-armored pony simply shrugged and turned her head away, but kept her single eye locked on Hecate, as she continued: “But he's no canary, you know, unable to care for himself and unable to choose.”

“I'm sending Thorn to do the assessment in Looking Glass World. But don't be surprised when he chooses to return here afterward, Freya, instead of joining you and the rest of your misfits.” Hecate said coldly, and Freya narrowed her eye at her. “He is free to make his own decisions. He has been given the tools necessary to do so, as well-”

“I can't imagine you're one for diplomacy or letting go, all this considered.” Freya gestured towards the closed picture frame on the desk, and Hecate slowly crushed the rubber ball in her claw, silently dropping her hands on the top of her desk.

“That is not a place you want to go, Freya.” Hecate said softly, and Freya turned her full attention back towards Hecate, the one-eyed mare grimacing a little, but seeming to relent slightly in the face of the seriousness of the mechanical goddess.

For a few moments, there was silence between the two, and then Hecate reached up and pointed at the door, saying shortly: “I have to work to do. If there's nothing else, then one of my Dogmatists can escort you to your room.”

“I think I would prefer to wander around a little. Take in the sights, see how your world works. Learn for myself about you and what a threat you are.” Freya smiled slightly, but Hecate could tell that the mare was only half-kidding, the two looking at each other evenly before the mechanical goddess finally gave a grudging nod.

“Stay out of the way of operations and do not disrupt my Dogmatists or the Orphanage, and I won't bother wasting the time or effort required to babysit you.” Hecate said moodily, and Freya smiled slightly and nodded. “Good. I'm sure you'll find some people to amuse yourself with.”

“I'm sure I will, too.” Freya said easily, and then she carefully clambered out of her seat, loudly cracking her back as she settled back to all four hooves before she asked curiously: “Could you really give me a woman's form, Hecate?”

Hecate looked grouchily at Freya, refusing to be baited into answering what obviously wasn't a serious question, and Freya simply shrugged before she said mildly: “Just something to consider if all this doesn't work out the way I want it to. I've got to plan for the future too, you know... and you can never be very sure of anything when it comes to chaos.”

Hecate sighed tiredly, but Freya only turned and opened the door, starting to step out before she added, without looking back: “I hope you give what we talked about some thought, Hecate. The problem with love is that it's a selfish emotion, after all. When we love someone, we want them here and present... and we tend to forget that they're their own thinking person. That's why they say if you love someone... let them be free.”

The mechanical goddess remained silent as Freya left her alone, the door closing behind the Valkyrie. And for a few seconds, Hecate only idly played with a pen between her fingers, gazing moodily at the desk until she finally sighed and called up a holographic screen.

A frazzled-looking Thorn appeared on it after a moment, the stallion blushing deeply as he blurted: “Queen Hecate, I apologize, I'll return to my duties as soon as-”

“Relax, Thorn.” Hecate said with surprising softness despite the way she glowered at the screen, and Thorn frowned a little, looking at her with concern even as he quickly brushed at his mane and hurried to make himself look more professional and presentable. “Are you in Decretum?”

“Yes, but I was about to head back to Fyrverǫld. I have a meeting with Team 0-0 to go over some things, I was just...” He glanced awkwardly aside, and Hecate could just imagine Brynhild sitting there, grinning her stupid grin. “Distracted.”

The Empress of Decretum grunted, and there was silence for a moment before Hecate said softly: “Alright. Get back to work, Thorn Blackfeather. I was just... curious.”

Thorn looked at the screen, tilting his head in surprise, but Hecate dismissed the link before her son could ask anything, the mechanical goddess sighing and sitting back in her seat. She glanced at the closed picture frame, then quietly picked it up and flicked it open, studying the two stallions inside before a faint, small smile crossed her lips.

She didn't want to lose Thorn. Here, alone and in secret, she could admit that to herself. She would do anything to keep him close, anything to protect him, anything to enjoy the time she had with him before they had to part ways... but oh, she hoped that was fifty, sixty, a hundred years away...

Thesis she had lost so young, after all: the prince had been... what? Twenty years old? Twenty two? No older than twenty-five... how could she not remember? But of course, it had been so long ago, and she could barely remember those years anymore, because she had worked so hard to bury them, so hard to forget Thesis, and Valthrudnir, she had tried so very hard to turn it all into nothing but corrupted data, to let the microchips in her brain and her ruthless hatred rule her...

She regretted that. So much.

Hecate stroked silently over the picture of Thesis with one metal thumb, silently gazing at the smiling picture of Thesis. Thesis, who had been so handsome, so good, so... strong. And who had become so broken, so tormented, and yet, she hadn't had the strength to stop him. She hadn't stood up to him, or tried to stand against him, or ever attempted to correct him and all the things he had done wrong, all his insane ideas.

She had fallen too deeply into self-pity and misery. She had wallowed in the despair, and the insanity. She had been so damned stupid...

Hecate sighed softly, and then she gently set the picture frame down. Yet she couldn't take her eyes off it, studying it quietly. She couldn't stop thinking about Thesis, and how she had failed him, and all the promises she had made that she hadn't lived up to because...

The mechanical goddess shook her head slowly, flexing one steel hand as she looked down at this moodily for a moment. She supposed that with everything that had happened, some of this was understandable. But she would never be able to forget or forgive herself for her failings. For being so weak that she had decided it was 'better' and 'stronger' to take the ruthless path, to spread her pain around, to destroy and... run away.

Hecate gave another sigh, and then she finally sat back and laced her metal fingers together, gazing at the picture of Thesis as she wondered for the thousandth time: was her son still somewhere in the Void? Had he been brought back with the other Voidborn?

And what would she do, if the worst came to pass? What would she protect? What was the most important thing in the world?

Family, of course. But Thesis and Thorn were both her children, and she had nations to think about. Entire worlds, as a matter of fact.

To Hecate's surprise, however, a knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts, and she scowled and straightened before barking: “Who is it?”

The door opened, and Hecate's frown deepened as Cowlick sauntered in, the demon grinning slightly before she asked easily: “Somethin' bothering you? And I ain't just talkin' about Hel and that crazy bitch, Freya. She was flirting with my son right in front of me, you believe that? Crazy bitch.”

Hecate sighed, then she asked shortly: “Is the Large Uplink Nexus online yet?”

To her surprise, Cowlick nodded with a grunt and answered: “Yep. Rusty and I just got it working an hour ago, should make your communications and monitoring across worlds a whole lot easier. That ain't what I'm here to ask you about, though, although I'm hopin' that maybe it puts you in a more considerate mood for what I'm about to suggest.”

The mechanical mare looked moodily at Cowlick, and Cowlick looked evenly back until the steel goddess finally gestured shortly at her to speak. And the demon grinned before she said calmly: “I heard you were thinking of building a base on Lookin' Glass World, maybe getting some help from there. Let my boy go set that up for you. I still got connections with some of the Nibelung, and I could have Rusty-”

“Waste his time in Ponyville. You and he both have a vested interest in Looking Glass World.” Hecate said shortly, and Cowlick grinned.

“I ain't denying that. But I also know you ain't stupid enough to think I'm just trying to wiggle a little more out of you than I have already.” Cowlick replied easily, shrugging and gesturing pointedly towards the mechanical goddess. “You're also smart enough to know our connections there are a real advantage for you. I even heard that Ross is still alive, can you believe that? Now imagine having a brain like his helping out.”

Hecate studied the mare coldly for a few moments as Cowlick leaned forward: impatient, eager, anxious, and a little pleading, she thought. The mechanical goddess surveyed the demon, and Cowlick cleared her throat loudly before the engineer grudgingly lowered her head and muttered: “Look, I get it. But do you get... what I'm asking here? And when I make a promise, goddammit, I carry it through. You can believe that, if not because you should know me by now, then because of my damn pride.”

The mechanical goddess tapped a finger slowly against the top of her desk, and then she shook her head slowly before she said shortly: “I have jobs for you and Rustproof to finish here, Bani.” She shifted, grimaced, and then added finally: “However, if the retrofitting of the main labs is completed by tonight... I suppose I can allow Rustproof to leave with Thorn's team for Looking Glass World, to help with the assessment. You, however, will be going to Fyrverǫld, to modify a communication tower for me. Understood?”

“You got it.” Cowlick nodded and stepped forward, slamming a hoof down on Hecate's desk and looking up at her with gratitude in her eyes, half-hidden behind her grin. “Guess you are getting a little soft in your old age, huh?”

Hecate only rolled her eyes, and then she glanced away and muttered: “More that I remember who I owe favors to. Insufferable and annoying as you are, Bani... you and I also had a...”

“Working relationship. You were a hell of a lot better to work with than Narcissa or most of the assholes I got stuck with in most places I worked.” Cowlick responded wryly, shaking her head briefly before she looked up and added quietly: “And look. Ain't really my place, but uh... I think that-”

“You aren't paid to think and I don't care about your opinions.” Hecate said shortly, and the engineer glowered up at the mechanical goddess as Hecate gestured at her dismissively. “You can argue with me pointlessly if you want, or you can go and get your job done. I would recommend the latter, considering the workload you have to finish if you want your son to be able to make this journey.”

Cowlick groaned, then grumbled before turning herself around and heading to the door, muttering: “You're still as much of a bitch as ever, but...” She stopped, then smiled slightly over her shoulder. “Funny. I guess I kind of appreciate that. It's good knowing there's always going to be someone around to make sure we all do what we gotta do.”

Hecate only grunted moodily, and Cowlick shrugged before letting herself out. The door closed, and Hecate tapped a finger slowly against her desk before she looked at the framed pictures on her desk, and she smiled briefly after a moment.

Like it or not, Cowlick was right: that was part of the reason Hecate was here. To make sure things got done.

To do what had to be done.

Long Lost Relations

Chapter Twenty Two: Long Lost Relations
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence gazed with something like childish awe at Freya, the Swan humble and excited inside of her. Freya, meanwhile, was only smiling in amusement as she surveyed Team 0-0, her single eye drawing slowly over the ponies before she asked curiously: “And these are your very best?”

Hecate nodded calmly, standing with her arms crossed beside Thorn, who was going over a mission report on the clipboard in front of him. “They call themselves the Irregular Hunters. A fitting name, admittedly. They're all highly-experienced and highly-capable, in spite of their... eccentricities.”

Freya chuckled quietly as she strode slowly in front of the line, surveying them each thoughtfully before she said meditatively: “Swan Maiden, Loa, and two immortals...” She paused, then leaned in and thoughtfully licked Sombra's curving horn, Moonflower's eyes widening and Cadence's jaw dropping slightly as Sombra only continued to look calmly forward, apparently not disturbed in the slightest.

Freya licked her lips, then clicked her tongue and said thoughtfully: “Touched by corruption, I see. No, that's putting it lightly... he's saturated with it. But he holds himself up quite well, although I suppose that in part is due to this machine on his back. Isn't that right, my friend?”

“It is, Signora Freya.” Sombra replied politely, bowing his head towards her. “It is not always... easy for me to keep myself in control, but the purifier ensures I do not have any... outbursts.”

The Valkyrie smiled slightly at this, then she said easily: “Then it sounds like something I could do with myself, since I've been known to let my emotions get the better of me.”

She paused, leaning back before she winked over at Moonflower, who whimpered a little as he shrank his head back between his shoulders. “And you don't have to be so nervous. I'm actually very glad to have some handsome colts in front of me instead of the usual mares... pretty as you are, Cadence, and as enjoyable as a mare's form can be... well, the same-old, same-old, gets a little tiring.”

Cadence blinked a few times, and then she blushed and nodded dumbly a few times, which earned another amused look from Freya. But before the Valkyrie could say anything further, Hecate cut in: “Although it is highly irregular, Freya will be acting as team leader for this mission. You will escort her and support her, understood?”

Cadence nodded and quickly saluted, looking attentively towards Hecate and Thorn as Freya rolled her eye, but stepped aside and gestured politely towards the goddess and her son. Hecate didn't need to so much as glance at Thorn for the stallion to smoothly take over, explaining calmly as the Irregulars all turned their attention to him: “This mission falls under the search-and-retrieval category, although you have no defined target, and retrieval may necessitate the use of force. Freya, however, has detected an entity she wishes to bring back alive to her homeworld. Due to unrelated concerns, she has decided to hire us to provide backup.”

“In return for our cooperation, Freya has agreed to provide us with both powerful magic and her support in creating an outpost on Looking Glass World. She has also agreed to mentor you, Cadence, which I believe will be extremely valuable in tightening your grasp over the Swan. Something you badly need.” Hecate said distastefully, and Cadence blushed a little, lowering her head and nodding humbly. “Thorn, finish the briefing, then meet me at my office.”

“Yes, Queen Hecate.” Thorn nodded as his mother turned and strode out of the equipment room, and then he calmly turned his attention back to the Irregular Hunters, ignoring the way Freya studied him as he explained: “Freya has indicated that her target was detected on Midgard C-13. This is a Class C world: you are guaranteed to encounter hostiles and hostilities. We have little other information.”

Cadence made herself nod, taking a breath and becoming as professional as she could as she asked: “What's the state of Equestria?”

This was an important question: to some extent, the different layers of physical reality all seemed to 'imitate' each other, and had events and specific entities in common. One was that Princess Celestia was generally the sole ruler of Equestria for a timeframe approximating a little over a thousand years. This was known as the Sun Period, and in general was a relatively peaceful time. It was by searching for these events that they were able to gauge the time period of the world they were traveling to, so they could be more aware of what they were likely going to encounter...

Of course, those were only rough guidelines, at best: Cadence had seen worlds where there had never been a Princess Celestia, and she had seen worlds that had been devastated by war... just as there were worlds out there that were absolutely happy and peaceful, and the ponies lived in harmony. Still, though... it never hurt to try and prepare for what was ahead. And if they were going to a hostile world, well... it helped to know whether these hostiles were using sharpened sticks or assault rifles.

Thorn checked his report, and then he said calmly: “Equestria appears to be divided up into territories at this moment in time. There is plenty of baroque influence, but no sign of any ruling monarchy. The Crystal Empire in the north is flourishing, but bandits and raiders appear to be common. This appears to be a world further away from the Core World, however, so it's not entirely a surprise that there's no major connection points.”

“So an outer world, hostile, and not yet modernized?” Cadence summarized, and Thorn nodded to her, giving a brief smile. “Do you have any idea where this target is, or... what we're looking for, specifically? Or I mean... Queen Freya, your highness, if-”

“Now don't start that. The one thing I won't tolerate, Danzsöngr, is being treated like a monarch.” Freya said mildly, and Cadence immediately dropped her head with a blush. “Talk to me as you would your friends here. Treat me as your equal. If you respect me, I will see it. Just as if you disrespect me... I will see that, too.”

Freya's eye glinted, and Cadence nodded hurriedly a few times before the one-eyed mare continued in a more-serious voice: “I don't like asking for help. And for years, I've done without it, taking small sabbaticals now and then to different worlds to explore and listen for rumors of what precisely I've been searching for, to... fix someone very dear, very important to me, and free him from his imprisonment. But unfortunately, to restore him, I need to find a creature you would not hear outside of silly story books: a destruction entity that does not desire destruction.”

Cadence frowned at this, and La Croix grimaced a little before he held up a hoof and said lamely: “Uh... not to step on any hooves, but... ain't destruction kind of what they do?”

“Just as I suppose all Loa do nothing but act as messengers between Darkwater and their people?” Freya countered, and La Croix lowered his head sheepishly, but the mare smiled after a moment. “I understand the disbelief. But remember that incarnations, be they of chaos or destruction or anything else, also appear in degrees. What I've been searching for is a creature with a degree of destruction, but more, an aptitude for chaos.”

She stopped, allowing the others to take this in before she continued in a quieter voice: “I think, after years of searching, I have finally found such a creature. I know... roughly, where it is located on this world, and I shall use the Bifrost to take us there directly. The problem will be in restraining it, and that is why I've asked for help from Hecate. I need this creature taken alive, and I am not very good at taking things alive, and nor can I risk having my attention divided.

“Now, normally I would have my sister or brother come with me. But Brynhild will be busy with other matters, and due to the threats of the world, I would prefer Sleipnir to stay at home. Antares and Innocence are good and strong, but Antares will be busy with matters regarding Heaven, and Innocence, while she was tried and tested in fire and has grown up strong, is but one girl. And a girl she still is, for all the years that have passed.” Freya smiled slightly. “It's funny, how the young think they know everything there is to know about the world. Celestia used to think she knew about the world. But even when she was a thousand years old she was still a fool. And the only difference between her and I is that I know it.”

Moonflower's eyes suddenly widened, and he pointed at her, mouthing wordlessly for a few moments before he blurted: “Celestia! You! You Celestia!”

Moonflower babbled incoherently as Cadence stared at him and La Croix slowly dropped his face in a hoof, and Freya grinned before she said easily: “No, I'm Freya. Celestia is asleep, I suppose you could say, and has been for a long time now. She dreams still, though. She dreams, as the forest does in winter, and 'tis good for her.”

“You will have to excuse Moonflower. He had difficulties, you see, with an impostor who took the guise of Celestia.” Sombra said gently, and Freya nodded after a moment, turning an amused gaze toward the stallion.

“Took him a little while to catch on though, didn't it?” she asked, before she reached up and absently flicked one of her braids before touching her eyepatch. “I suppose this throws most ponies off though, doesn't it?”

Her eye turned towards Thorn, but the sapphire stallion only looked calmly, stoically back at her, which made the Valkyrie grin slightly. After a few moments, she finally laughed and remarked: “You sure you won't join us on this adventure, Thorn? I'm sure I could convince Hecate we needed your help for communications or whatnot. Your brother and sister both enjoyed traveling with me, you know... well, mostly.”

Thorn didn't so much as blink, replying candidly: “I've been given my assignments, Lady Freya, as you have been given yours. I would prefer to keep things at that. Now, if there is nothing else you have to discuss with the team...”

“One more thing, Thorn.” Freya turned back towards the Irregulars, rolling her single eye before she said wryly: “He's a tough nut, isn't he?”

Cadence smiled lamely as Moonflower nodded awkwardly, La Croix and Sombra simply continuing to look at Freya with curiosity. After a few moments, Freya finally nodded briefly before she said softly: “You're an interesting group, I'll give you that. And you might all be just what I need. Now, the Swan Maiden, I know she'll obey my orders. What I need to know is if the rest of you will do what I say as well.”

The three stallions looked at each other uncertainly, before Sombra smiled and said in a soft voice: “We will do what you ask, Signora Freya.”

“And what if I ask you to kill, or to kidnap, or to do whatever else might be necessary to see this through? Will you do it for me, for the sake of my mission?” Freya asked almost idly, as she looked off to the side, but in spite of the smile lingering over her lips, the atmosphere suddenly felt... colder, crueler, and there wasn't a beauty and interest in Freya's face as much as ruthless interrogation: she wanted honest answers from them, and the weight of her intent alone was enough to make Moonflower and La Croix both cower and nod hurriedly.

But Sombra stayed strong and steady, the stallion saying in a gentle and fearless voice: “We will do what we have to do to complete the mission, Signora Freya... but we will not harm the lives of innocents. We are not cold-blooded, and we are not criminals, nor thugs. Mercenaries, perhaps: but we have our code of conduct and honor.”

Freya chuckled quietly at this, smiling coyly as she half-lidded her eye, and in a flash, she was suddenly in front of Sombra, smashing both La Croix and Moonflower away with a shockwave of force.

But Sombra was steady on his hooves in the face of the burst of magic, and unafraid and unflinching even as Freya leaned intimidatingly down into his face, her eye narrowed, her teeth bared slightly and her expression cold.

The two looked at each other for a few long, tense moments, as Moonflower nervously picked himself up and La Croix watched from the relative safety of the floor, until all of a sudden, Freya laughed loudly and straightened, saying cheerfully over to Thorn: “Now, this one! This one is as bad as you, child! My, Hecate has some strong little ponies under her hoof!”

Freya turned around, shaking her head in amusement as she walked over to the sapphire stallion, who only looked up at her with a quirked eyebrow. The Valkyrie only smiled at him, though, then she nodded firmly once and said: “They will do.”

Thorn nodded back, and Freya clicked her tongue before she said mildly: “Now, if you don't mind, boy, I'd like to get my equipment back. I believe you took it back there with all the other toys and gizmos, yes?”

“What weaponry will they be needing for this mission?” Thorn asked, and Freya cocked an eyebrow before Thorn explained: “We pass equipment out on a case-by-case basis. As they're going into a Class C world, Hecate has authorized more gear, but-”

“Oh by all that the gods created.” Freya rolled her eye, then she looked mildly down at Thorn, asking: “Are your people really so incapable of taking care of themselves, or do you really think it does anyone any benefits to micromanage every little thing?”

“It's difficult, but it allows us to better respond to emergency situations and more evenly distribute our gear. Of course personal equipment is almost always given to their owner. But even that has prioritization.” Thorn replied calmly, looking evenly back at Freya. “A lot of people don't like it, but we don't operate solely on what ponies 'like' or 'don't like.'”

Freya smiled wryly, and then she asked dryly: “Do you ever?”

Thorn only continued to look at her, polite but unyielding, and after a few moments Freya shook her head and gestured to the stallion as she looked over at the group of ponies, asking: “Do any of you need anything in particular?”

“I trust Thorn, Lady Freya.” Cadence said quickly, bowing her head humbly again, and Freya looked meditatively over at the Swan Maiden before she finally nodded again as she turned her eyes back toward the sapphire stallion.

“Then do what you must, Thorn, and I'll trust your judgment. Or Hecate's, whichever it is.” Freya replied after a moment, and the stallion bowed his head for a moment before he turned to head through the door into the back room.

Freya looked mildly at the armored door as it closed, and then she remarked: “You know, it strikes me as strange that warriors should have all their war-tools locked away from them.”

Cadence only smiled in awkward agreement, and Freya chuckled as she turned back towards the lined up ponies, glancing back and forth through equipment storage before she said softly: “Hecate does seem to know how to keep things in line, though, much as I might... disagree with her about some things.”

Sombra laughed quietly, and then he said gently: “I hope it is not rude of me to say, Signora Freya, but you strike me as being someone who prefers to be around disagreement.”

Freya shrugged easily at this, and then she replied thoughtfully: “Only if it has a point. Otherwise, I only like to argue when I'm right. And at times, I suppose, it does conflict with the fact I can be... a little forceful in my ways.”

Sombra only smiled, as Moonflower and La Croix looked warily at Freya, before she said mildly: “Now, if any of you feel you cannot obey my commands and you will disobey me, or you simply fear for what we're going to do or don't believe that we can accomplish this mission, you are by all means free to say so and I'll leave you here. Wolves who can't or won't hunt with the pack must be driven out. Cruel, perhaps, but that is the way of nature, and that is the way of war.”

Moonflower and La Croix looked at each other awkwardly for a few moments, since it was clear Freya was speaking to them. But after a moment, Moonflower quickly struck a pose and laughed loudly, waving a hoof hurriedly back and forth as he declared: “Nonsense! I was... I was getting bored, anyway, and it's not like I have anything to be afraid of. Valkyrie or not, Freya, you should know that I too am a goddess- I mean, god! I am a god of darkness!”

“And a handsome one at that, I will say.” Freya leaned forward, grinning widely at the stallion and making him quail a little before she half-lidded her eye. “I think you should come to my tent tonight, Moonflower, so I can see just what kind of god you are for myself.”

Moonflower gave a squeaky laugh, and La Croix snorted in amusement, saying mildly: “Much as I'd love to just leave the rein de la nuit to flail 'round on his own, I don't think Cygne would ever forgive me if I sat this one out... and hell, don't know if I'd ever forgive myself, neither. I might be a bit of a connard at times, Madame Freya, but if you'll have me I'll be glad to be part of your team.”

“Good. I'll need your abilities, Loa, and I've heard both good and bad things about you from my family, so I'm curious to find out for myself which are true.” Freya remarked, and La Croix blushed slightly and lowered his head awkwardly before the Valkyrie's eyes flicked towards Cadence. “Now, I have a request for you, Danzsöngr. I would like to speak directly to the Swan for a moment.”

Cadence felt the Swan grappling at her conscious mind immediately, but she managed to push it down for a moment as she nodded, starting uneasily: “Alright, but... I don't...” She halted, then suddenly rambled out: “I mean, I respect you, a lot, Freya, for a lot of reasons, and I mean I don't entirely understand those reasons and I know I'm already acting weird so uh... if the Swan acts weird I'm sorry. She's... difficult and... well. Okay. Sorry.”

The mare blushed in embarrassment... but then she felt herself essentially flung aside as the Swan leapt to the surface, the ivory mare's body going rigid before she saluted sharply and straightened her back, her head bowing low as she murmured: “Mother Freya. I am honored to be in your presence.”

“We were Mothers and Fathers long ago, Danzsöngr, but we aren't anymore. Our children were orphaned, like you, for reasons fair and foul.” Freya said gently, and the Swan looked up attentively as the goddess in the form of a pony studied her thoughtfully. “Now tell me, Danzsöngr. What do you remember of your fall from Asgard?”

The Swan Maiden was silent for a moment, apparently not even noticing as Thorn reentered the room and began to quietly set equipment cases down, not interrupting either of the mares as the Swan said slowly: “I do not remember much. I remember the invasion, and I remember the fall of our home. I remember we suffered, Mother Freya. That is what I remember.”

Freya smiled briefly, nodding slowly before she asked quietly: “Where were you stationed, Danzsöngr? Do you remember?”

“Yes, Mother Freya. I was stationed in the darkness, where my kind is supposed to stay. I was a protector of Father Hod's deepest chambers.” Danzsöngr replied immediately, bowing her head to the mare respectfully. “When Hel's spawn invaded, I came as quickly as I could to protect the Mothers and Fathers. But I was not fast enough, and their numbers were too many. I was incapacitated. Killed.”

“There is no shame in that, Danzsöngr. We were all killed, every last one of us. Not a god survived.” Freya replied softly, shaking her head briefly before she looked thoughtfully over at one of the equipment cases, which was clearly marked with Cadence's name. Freya flicked her horn to open this, then floated it in front of herself, looking down with interest at the throwing knives and bandoleers. “And do you still favor your old craft, Danzsöngr?”

“Yes, Mother Freya. I have not forgotten how to fight, and I have not forgotten the way I was trained.” the Swan responded immediately, bowing her head respectfully to the Valkyrie. Freya gestured at her, and the Swan responded by quickly flicking her horn, neatly pulling the equipment out of the case with magic and assembling her knives into the belts before they wrapped themselves around her armored body.

Danzsöngr saluted as Thorn emerged, and without breaking stride, the stallion approached the mare and held out her rifle to her, saying calmly: “We're asking you to use the MARES again as well. This tool has been allocated to you for a reason.”

Danzsöngr took the holstered rifle, but then looked up attentively as Freya snorted, the one-eyed mare remarking mildly: “Guns are not 'equalizers,' you know, any more than a crossbow was. They're merely another way for cowards to pretend they are 'equal' to us who train and devote our lives to defense.”

“This is a tool. No more, no less. A shield in the hooves of a coward is as much a tool of a coward as a gun in the hoof of a 'warrior' is the same: they are tools. They do not determine purpose or intent by themselves.” Thorn said patiently, and Freya huffed at him.

“Then that's why you lock all these weapons up, I suppose?”

“We already talked about equipment distribution. Apart from that, possession of any tool is a privilege, not a guaranteed right in this world. We are not a country, we are not founded upon the principles of Equestria or Helheim. We are a large-scale private military operation.” Thorn said, and then he glanced towards Danzsöngr with surprise when she simply dropped the gun.

“I will not use a tool that Mother Freya does not wish for me to use.” she stated, and Thorn frowned before he looked pointedly at Freya.

Freya shifted a little, but then grudgingly nodded before saying grumpily: “Use your toy, Danzsöngr. I didn't say I didn't want you using it, and if it's a tool, we might as well put it to use. That, and I don't want Hecate complaining to me that I wouldn't accept her shiny trinkets.”

Danzsöngr nodded, picking up the rifle and quickly strapping the holster on over her shoulder, and Thorn gestured towards the remaining equipment cases as he stated: “This is what has been additionally recommended. There are additional attachments for the MARES, several antimagic grenades, and a variety of small tools and equipment that you will hopefully find useful.”

“Hopefully.” Freya repeated mildly, giving a slight smile to the stallion before she shrugged and turned her eyes towards her team. “Well, boys, help yourselves then. I suppose you lot know better than I what you're best with.”

Sombra bowed his head in polite agreement, then turned and headed towards the equipment as Moonflower and La Croix both simply looked awkwardly at the piles, until Thorn said dryly: “You can equip yourselves from the Special Provisions Room and medical storage, if you prefer to start there.”

La Croix and Moonflower both hurried towards the side doors, Freya snorting in amusement before she said easily: “Organizing everything out so neat and nice might seem like a grand idea, but if and when the enemy attacks-”

“The tools are not what matter. The crafter is.” Thorn responded evenly. “Furthermore, every Dogmatist and Orphan are given override codes and-”

“Another wonderful flaw. It's not like in the past gods never abused the secret names of their war golems to make them turn on their crafters... or simply to make them fight so they could place bets on them. Silly little boys and their toys.”

Freya winked at Thorn, but the stallion was unflinching and undeterred, only looking mildly back at her before he simply turned away and strode back into the rear room. The Valkyrie snorted in amusement at this, and then she turned towards the Swan, remarking: “It does my heart good to see him growing up good and strong and determined, but I can't help but feel there's a little too much metal in that one, though.”

Danzsöngr only looked obediently at Freya, and the mare clicked her tongue before she asked: “But tell me, while we have this moment alone, Danzsöngr... what do you remember of Thokk?”

The Swan narrowed her eyes slightly, and then she said slowly: “She was a crafter. She helped to make us, shape us. This is what I remember. Otherwise... she had little to do with us. She looked down upon us. She still looks down upon us all.”

“That sounds about right.” Freya looked down meditatively, and then she nodded slowly before saying gently: “You have been very helpful to me, Danzsöngr. You may recede now. I wish to speak to your generous host.”

“Yes, Mother Freya. Of course.” The Swan bowed her head, before shivering, and it was Cadence who straightened with a wheeze, shaking herself briskly out before she mumbled: “I don't think I'm ever going to get used to that.”

Freya only chuckled, then asked gently: “Does the Swan communicate with you often, Cadence? Does she help you, or would you say she's more... a voice that won't stop talking, and worse, won't ever listen?”

“The latter.” Cadence said, rubbing awkwardly at her forehead as she smiled a little across at the one-eyed mare, still feeling the Swan lurking just beneath the surface, and enhancing that weird affection and adulation she felt for the Valkyrie. “I... she makes me feels things, she makes me... it's like sharing my body with someone else. But she's been growing bigger and bigger with every time that... things happen and now...”

“Now she's the one able to take control, and sometimes you're just the quiet voice in the back of her mind, unsure of whether or not you're able to affect anything, unable to know when or if she even hears you...” Freya smiled slightly, nodding slowly as she said softly: “I understand you better than you might believe, Cadenza. But there'll be plenty of time to talk of that later.”

Cadence nodded awkwardly after a moment, looking up at the Valkyire before she asked hesitantly: “Is it true that... Brynhild is really your sister?”

“She is, yes. Both as a Valkyrie and as a pony, she and I were siblings.” Freya answered with a smile, as the others returned to begin rustling through the rest of the equipment, Sombra helping La Croix and Moonflower organize themselves. “I will admit it hasn't always been easy. The Night Maiden is a difficult one, and I have always been... bossy, I believe Brynhild likes to call me.”

Cadence felt the Swan immediately wanting to spit all sorts of compliments to the Valkyrie and insults about Brynhild, but Freya held up a hoof before she could even form the words, the golden-armored mare continuing in a gentler voice: “But that is just the way it has always been between us, and I would not change it for the world. Brynhild keeps me humble, and Brynhild reminds me I am not perfect. Sadly, something I need to be reminded of often, as like Celestia, I am a schemer and far too proud of myself.”

The Swan Maiden bowed her head respectfully, and Sombra chuckled quietly before he said gently: “They say that power has a will of its own, and sometimes takes control. We may not mean to wield it as a weapon, and yet all the same...”

“It finds a way to bite.” Freya smiled slightly in agreement. “I like you, whatever you are, old jarl. I look forward to working with you.

“As for you two, lazy mutts, don't expect me to treat you half so kindly if you don't work on earning your keep!” Freya suddenly barked, and La Croix and Moonflower both panicked for a moment before the Valkyrie grinned wryly, shaking her head and remarking mildly: “Aye. This should be a fun journey indeed.”

After they equipped themselves and put up with a bit more jostling from Freya, Thorn returned the mare's weapons to her. This only further terrified both Moonflower and La Croix: Freya had no less than four swords, three of which were frightening enough with their different and deadly designs, but the last was utterly terrifying and incredibly large, with two feet of handle and a full seven feet of double-edged, death-dealing blade. The golden, gorgeous blade was inscribed all along its length with images depicting the nine worlds; Freya called it Tyrfing, and said that it had been a gift from an old friend with a strange nostalgia in her eyes.

Thorn then led the group to the portal room, where Freya teased him some more and tried to cajole the stallion into coming with them: Cadence was rather surprised when she realized just how interested Freya really was in trying to get Thorn to join them on their mission.

She supposed that made sense, though: Freya clearly knew who Thorn was, and she seemed to care deeply for the ponies she was related to, much to the chagrin of the Swan. It felt like the Swan had been eager to try and complain to Freya all about Brynhild's mischief, but Freya clearly both knew and perhaps even applauded her younger sibling's rogue streak, defeating the Swan's attempts before she was even able to start them.

They were so different, Cadence thought, and more than that, the Swan reacted to them so differently: but then again, Freya wasn't just a Valkyrie, but a goddess. She was a Mother, as the Swan referred to her, someone who had aided in the Swan's creation, even if she was also... outsider.

Still, there wasn't much time to think about this: Freya marshaled them into position, and then led them through the portal with little fanfare or celebration. Cadence barely got a last glimpse of Thorn before she passed through...

And Thorn sighed a little, relief faintly visible on his face before Hecate said shortly: “Your turn.”

Thorn grimaced a bit at this, but then he nodded briefly, looking over his shoulder at the mare as the team that would be accompanying him to Looking Glass World came forward: Necrophage, Muse, and Rustproof. Cowlick was here as well, just to see her son off, and Thorn liked to think that Hecate was here for the same reason.

He saluted her, and she crossed her arms but nodded calmly back before instructing: “I've given you a list of ponies you should meet and investigate, Thorn. Remember that you are also supposed to assess points of interest, where an outpost could be placed and readily defended. Do you have all your equipment?”

“Yes, Queen Hecate.” Thorn patted the saddlebag hanging from his side, looking calmly back up at the mare. “I've taken all the authorized equipment and already programmed the nav computer. My first priority will be to connect the uplink.”

“Good. See that you do.” Hecate glanced up at the portal ring as the Dogmatists finished resetting it, before she scowled when Cowlick snorted in amusement and punched her leg firmly, making it clang loudly.

“You two really suck at this whole mother-son thing. Here, lemme show you.” Cowlick said mildly, and then she walked forwards and firmly embraced Rusty, who hugged her back with a small smile as she said firmly: “You take care of yourself, got it? And you watch out for Thorn, he's gonna be like a guest. You make sure you introduce him t'all the right people and don't you let that brat Antares push you around, you hear?”

“Yes, Momma.” Rustproof nodded, and then he added gently: “Love you, Momma.”

“Love you too, kiddo.” Cowlick replied, reaching up to ruffle her son's mane before she absently adjusted the goggle over one of his eyes, and then she finally turned around and said mildly to Hecate: “Y'see? That's how that's done. Ain't no problem.”

“Get going, Thorn.” Hecate said moodily, and Thorn nodded before he gestured to the Replicants, who both hurried into escort position as Necrophage bounced excitedly and Muse lowered her head humbly.

Rustproof turned around as well, shrugging his own equipment bags into more comfortable positions, and he followed as Thorn led the way to the portal. The sapphire stallion kept his eyes ahead, never losing focus, never hesitating even as he entered the swirling vortex...

They stepped out into a beautiful meadow, flowers blooming here and through through the tall grasses. A dirt road was nearby, and Thorn glanced over his shoulder to note that the path led into a mighty forest, and looked as if it had been well-traveled by many sets of hooves.

His eyes followed the road forward, and he saw that it led to a village: it looked quaint, with little in the way of defense apart from a few guard towers here and there, and decorative, enormous wrought-iron gates at the end of the road that had been left open. Thorn's eyes noted only a few larger, modernized structures among what looked otherwise like buildings made mainly out of wood and brick: he frowned slightly at the sight of this before his horn glowed, removing his clipboard and attached pen as the portal fizzled shut behind them.

“Wow, this is so exciting!” Necrophage burst out, bouncing back and forth eagerly. “I remember this world! This is a really great world, Thorn!”

“It's good to be home.” Rustproof agreed, and then he looked curiously at Thorn, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Thorn looked up after a moment, and then he frowned a bit back at Rustproof. Rustproof only continued to look at him, however, and after a moment, the sapphire stallion sighed and explained: “While I recognize I might meet... some... interesting people, my duties here are twofold: assess and assist. I've already been briefed on Looking Glass World extensively, and I think it's best that I keep my interactions professional for now. I have a week here, after all.”

Thorn paused, then he turned around as he lowered the clipboard, adding in a quieter and more serious voice: “On that note, I would ask that my familial relations be kept privileged and confidential. I would like to get a sense of everyone and do my professional duties first before I introduce myself as...”

Thorn bit his cheek, and Rustproof only smiled as Necrophage saluted sharply and chirped: “You got it, boss! We'll keep it so confidential that not even I'll know who you really are, sir!”

“Of course, sir. Anything you wish.” Muse added softly, smiling hesitantly, and Thorn nodded to the three as he gave a small smile for a moment, before it vanished as quickly as it came, the sapphire stallion becoming professional again as he turned around and began to stride down the path.

As he approached what he expected was Ponyville, he noted lazing Nibelung on either side of the gate, the stallion raising his clipboard and making notes as he approached, even as he studied them with interest: he rarely saw dwarves in Decretum. They were squat, furry, bipedal creatures with wolf-like heads and pig-like tusks: they were almost invariably chubby, and although they tended to speak in rather broken Equestrian, they were usually fairly intelligent, and competent laborers.

Both of the Nibelung hurried to their feet when they realized that they were being studied by the sapphire pony, but Thorn only looked at them for a moment more before he continued into the village. He looked critically back and forth as his entourage followed, Necrophage happily hopping along and Muse looking curiously back and forth as Rustproof simply loitered behind, smiling around at everything in his gentle, carefree way.

A lot of the homes here were old and needed to be updated, he noted: he saw some power cables here and there, but it looked like a lot of houses probably relied on power crystals and unicorn magic, which weren't necessarily bad things, but all the same, they had more effective means of power now. He noted heavy Nibelung influence in a lot of the more recent structures, and the roads under hoof were still dirt, with a bit of cobblestone here and there: it felt very strange on his hooves, which were used to clean stone and polished metal.

Thorn halted at a lamppost, studying it with a scowl as he jotted down a few quick notes: it was powered by a magic crystal that was likely charmed to glow when it grew dark. He clicked his tongue in distaste: the crystal would be easy to steal and convert into an explosive or power source for a low-grade golem, among a thousand other improvisations. In fact, looking around, he saw a lot of safety issues and security problems...

He paused, noting a large, open square ahead: as his eyes flicked back and forth, his horn gave a faint thrum, and he realized why it was so quiet here. There were ponies waiting for him ahead, gathered and hidden. Were they afraid of him?

Thorn frowned at this, and then he quickly lowered his clipboard before striding forwards, announcing clearly and crisply as he entered the square: “I am Thorn Blackfeather, here to provide a security assessment on behalf of Empress Hecate of the Clockwork Empire. Who is in charge here?”

There was an awkward silence for a few moments, and then ponies peeked out from behind half-covered wagons and stands, all of them looking uncomfortably at Thorn before a bright pink pony suddenly popped up out of seemingly nowhere beside the stallion, blurting out: “Weren't you even the slightest bit surprised?”

“No. If you were trying to run a security drill to impress me, you've failed.” Thorn said dryly, leaning back slightly from the earth pony: she had a poofy mane and bright blue eyes, exuding tremendous energy even for a Benevolent. “Why aren't you in Valhalla?”

“My big twin sister got me special permission to stay down here!” the mare said proudly, smiling brightly as she nodded firmly. “Me and my friends all get to serve as um... emiss... missy... um... uh, what are you doing?”

Thorn was jotting notes quickly over his clipboard, even as other ponies approached to look at him curiously, before another voice barked: “Sissy! And you, she asked you a damn question, don't just ignore her, asshole!”

Thorn's eyes flicked moodily towards a mare who stormed towards him like a bull: she was a darker, almost gray-pink, with a flat mane that fell in a waterfall over one eye; her irises were the same supernatural blue as her sister's, though, Thorn noted. His eyes traveled over her quickly, noting a few things at once, such as how the twins shared the same cutie mark, but whereas the bright one had balloons of blue and yellow, this one had balloons of gray and black.

This twin was also a demon, Thorn noted, and was tattooed with the symbol of Yggdrasil, wrapped in vines on the left side of her breast, signifying some sort of pact, magical or not, with the gigantic earth pony who was happily hopping beside her.

“Hello!” greeted this enormous, muscular stallion in a happy voice, his brown eyes twinkling with curiosity and interest. He was chestnut, with a mane and tail of living vines, in which Thorn could see glimmering gemstones. His cutie mark was the runic sigil of Yggdrasil, and he had a tattoo of vines twining around a series of runes over the right side of his breast, almost mirroring the tattoo that the mare had.

“Sleipnir. Pinkamena.” Thorn nodded to them politely, and both the demon and earth pony traded looks of surprise before the demon scowled and Sleipnir giggled and clapped his front hooves together, looking excitedly at Thorn. “I've been briefed on you, among others.”

“Oh.” Sleipnir's face fell slightly, and then he complained: “'Twas much more impressive before thou admitted that, friend! For a moment I thought thou wert a psychic! Or at least an entertaining magician of the stage.”

Thorn only looked at Sleipnir for a moment before Pinkamena said rudely: “And I already don't like you, or the fact that the flying head thinks she's got any right to shove her nose into our business. Especially after yanking her nose out of our business all those years ago.”

“Play nice, Pinkamena.” said a wry voice, and Thorn stiffened ever so slightly as his eyes immediately moved to the black unicorn who was approaching, studying him intently. He had a glossy, dark coat, an ivory mane, his mother's deep and soulful blue-green eyes, and a cutie mark of nine stars that formed a constellation of a blossom, and crystalline, unnatural wings that were currently draped around his body almost like a cape, faintly thrumming with magic energy. And lastly, crisscrossing his breast, were two large, claw-like scars: not his only scars, by far, but certainly the most obvious on his body.

“Antares Mīrus.” Thorn paused, his eyes flicking to the half-unicorn, half... something else beside him, and the silver Pegasus with her. “Innocence Sparkle. Scarlet Sage. I'm glad you're all here, I've been looking forward to meeting all of you.”

“You really sound it, pal.” Innocence said moodily, and Antares cleared his throat loudly. The mare sighed tiredly at this, but then she straightened and nodded grudgingly to him, as Thorn measured her with his eyes: her father's Tyrant Wyrm nature showed in her, from her deep-purple scaled features and flank and reptilian tail, to the claws she had instead of front hooves and the sharp teeth in her mouth. She had a curved, blade-like horn, and a steel-blue mane, and curious amethyst eyes, just like her mother, and her cutie mark was the scythe-like crest of Ceres. Around her neck hung a necklace: a crystalline star that glowed faintly with magic from within, and had a lightning bolt of metal inset into it.

The last Pegasus smiled and bowed her head politely, and Thorn turned her eyes towards her: her bright crimson mane and tail were both braided tightly, and her red eyes studied him with interest. She was pretty, and looked exceptionally youthful: that was because of her Blood Seer heritage, Thorn knew. His eyes lingered for a moment on the emblem on her flank, of a crimson mirror, and then he cleared his throat before beginning calmly: “My team and I are here to-”

“Oh holy crap, Rustproof?” Antares blurted suddenly, and he almost knocked Thorn over as he leapt towards the giant of a stallion, pulling him into a tight hug with a loud laugh. “Rusty! God damn, we thought we'd lost you forever! Oh, hey, it's so great to see you, the others are going to be so excited about it, and... Ross! Ross, you gotta come visit your Dad right away, he'll be thrilled!”

“Yep.” Rustproof said placidly, smiling as calmly as ever as he nodded, even as Scarlet Sage smiled widely and even Pinkamena looked as if she had been surprised into a bit of honest happiness, before Thorn cleared his throat loudly as he rose a hoof for silence and attention.

Antares looked at him dryly, but Thorn only said: “Pleasantries will have to wait. Rustproof is on duty for the moment as an agent of Decretum, as am I, and our job-”

Pinkamena stepped forwards and attempted to slug Thorn... and all eyes stopped to stare when Thorn easily caught her hoof without looking at her in his metal foreleg, halting the demon. She snarled, one eye twitching and her skin visibly rippling, before the mare's eyes widened as the ring around Thorn's horn glinted, and the stallion said quietly: “Please let me finish.”

The demon growled, but then yanked her hoof back, glaring at the stallion suspiciously. Antares winced a bit, looking uncertainly between Pinkamena and Thorn, as Sleipnir whistled loudly before remarking: “Thou art quite a bit faster than thou looks, especially with that great gauntlet thou art wearing.”

“Artificial limb.” Thorn corrected, and then he continued calmly: “Now, as I was saying. Due to security concerns, Decretum and Looking Glass World are working to come to an agreement that would allow us to combine our resources and better defend both our worlds. As part of this agreement, I am here to assess, analyze, and make recommendations on the possible sites for the location of the outpost, and to judge available personnel and your current... status.”

Thorn grimaced slightly as he floated his notepad back in front of himself, jotting a few notes as he looked quickly back around before he picked up: “According to the arrangements we have made, I will be lodging in the library. I will require-”

“Don't you worry about it, I'll show you around. I got the memo from Hecate.” Antares said airily, then he gestured quickly towards the library, grinning awkwardly as the other ponies looked nervously at each other. “Why don't you go uh, settle in into the library with your friends there, and... Rusty will... go to work. Right, Rusty? Work?”

Thorn frowned slightly, and then he wrote down a quick note on the clipboard before saying calmly: “Rustproof, finish your personal business quickly. Necrophage, Muse, let's go and check our accommodations.”

Thorn began to walk forwards, cutting through the group like an icebreaker, before he paused and added without looking back, making Antares blanch: “Also, do not lie to me, Antares Mīrus. My report will look very unfavorably upon that behavior.”

Without looking back, Thorn and his Replicant companions strode quickly through the square towards the massive tree that housed the library, and Antares watched him go before Innocence slowly leaned over to her brother and whispered: “I think he's a robot.”

“Let's peel his skin off and find out.” Pinkamena grumbled, and then she wrinkled up her muzzle and rubbed moodily at her nose, frowning slightly as she muttered: “Something... real weird about him, though... familiar.”

Sleipnir nodded thoughtfully, before Pinkie Pie complained: “He somehow saw right through the surprise party! Heck, he didn't even let us give him a surprise party! Or any kind of welcome party!”

“I think maybe I'll go and talk to him... and Rustproof, it's really good to see back. Apple Bloom is running the engineering building now, if you want to go set up shop there. And your Dad, of course, still lives in the same house. I'm sure he'll be really happy to see you.” Scarlet Sage encouraged, and Rustproof smiled as Antares grinned and brightened, looking up at the enormous stallion.

“Yeah! Let's go see Ross, and uh... then I can take you over to the Kwolek building. We named it after your Mom, after she... uh... I don't know if you know...”

“I talked to her. It's okay.” Rustproof said gently, and Antares blinked in surprise as Pinkamena cocked her head. “She works for Hecate now. Saw your parents, too.”

“Oh, yeah? Hey, how's Mutt doin'? I heard she and Dad and Mom got caught a while ago, but then they escaped Helheim again!” Antares grinned widely, shaking his head as the group all clustered around Rustproof. “They say anything about what happened to them? Or where they're going or... hey, does that mean they were at Hecate's? How is Hecate, too, huh?”

Rustproof only smiled, in his amiable, answering way, and then he strode easily past Antares, who huffed loudly before turning to follow quickly after his friend. Innocence rolled her eyes, and Pinkamena tossed a moody look towards the treehouse before Sleipnir said kindly: “Come, phoenix. I am sure he is just nervous, and wishes to do a good job in service to his matriarch. He meant no offense to thee or any of us... in fact, I sense a funny sort of kinship with him!”

“That's what weirds me out.” Pinkamena muttered, before she shook her head and sighed as her sister bounced a little on the spot. “Calm down, sissy. Alright, come on, Pinkie Pie. You can't just do parties all the time. You do your job or you get sent back to Heaven.”

Pinkie Pie nodded, turning to follow Pinkamena and Sleipnir as they began to walk away, before she said quickly: “But we gotta come up with some kind of party for him!”

“Luna would give him a hoof party.” Pinkamena grumbled, before she frowned a little, looking moodily at the tree before she shook her head and muttered: “No. That's stupid. What the hell am I thinking?”

Meanwhile, Scarlet Sage was heading towards the tree with Innocence, the scaled mare looking less than thrilled as she said grumpily: “I don't trust him. At all.”

“You're never going to let that go, are you?” Scarlet Sage asked, and Innocence grumbled and shifted back and forth before the Pegasus reassured gently: “Even if Hecate left, she's never really abandoned us, Sin. She's always been... watching over us, I guess you could say.”

“Like Valhalla.” Innocence said dryly, and Scarlet Sage sighed and gave the mare a half-amused, half-annoyed look, which made the scaled unicorn finally drop her head and mumble: “I know, I know, I'm trying. I just really don't like the thought of... letting someone come in and protect us. And so far this guy hasn't made a very good impression.”

“Hate to say this, but you're not great at first impressions either, little miss murder everything.” Scarlet Sage said pointedly, and Innocence grumbled even as her eyes shifted lamely to the side. “Give him a chance. I have a feeling about him.”

“Well, I do too. He sucks.” piped up a third voice, and Scarlet Sage sighed as Innocence grinned a little, the two mares looking back at Antares as he threw a foreleg companionably around both his sisters. “Rusty wanted to be alone when he goes to see Ross. He didn't quite say that but I know that's what he meant, so. I decided to come back here and make sure our new friend here doesn't go psycho on you two, because I know neither of you can save the day from the evil Replicants without my help.”

Scarlet Sage rolled her eyes, and Innocence huffed and attempted to slash her brother with her horn, but he parried the attack with his own before grinning and shoving himself backwards, the two siblings stabbing and slashing at each other as the Pegasus politely knocked at the library door, ignoring the sparring.

The door opened after a moment to reveal Muse, who smiled hesitantly before she said quietly: “We're not going to hurt you. We're just here to accompany Thorn, and he's really very kind.”

Antares halted and looked dumb, before he squawked when Innocence blasted him off his hooves with telekinesis before the scaled unicorn looked up and said dryly: “We've heard that before. We'll judge for ourselves, thanks.”

“Of course.” Muse murmured, blushing and nodding quickly as she stepped backwards, gesturing politely for them to enter as she stepped out of the way.

The siblings found Thorn at a desk, quickly writing a report on his clipboard as a holographic screen floated beside him, the sapphire stallion frowning slightly. Antares narrowed his eyes at him as Innocence cocked her head curiously, but Scarlet Sage decided to leave him alone for now, instead turning to look at the Replicants.

Necrophage bounced happily on her hooves, and Muse simply lingered beside her sister, looking back and forth as if she felt out of place. The Pegasus smiled kindly as she approached them, nodding to the two before she asked: “How's Hecate?”

“Great! Right, Thorn? I can talk about your Mommy, right?” Necrophage asked brightly, and Innocence and Antares' jaws both dropped as Scarlet Sage looked with surprise at the sapphire stallion.

Thorn didn't look up, only nodding and gesturing absently with one hoof as he muttered: “Yes, fine. Just let me finish this calculation.”

“Told you so.” Innocence whispered to her brother, who narrowed his eyes at Thorn. After a moment, Innocence frowned before she reached up to slowly poke Antares in the side a few times with a claw, but Antares was leaning forwards intently, squinting at Thorn as hard as he could. “Uh. Antares?”

Antares didn't reply, and Thorn finally looked up as he felt Antares' eyes on him, the sapphire stallion frowning slightly before he simply shrugged and instead turned towards the Replicants, lifting two rectangular devices free from his saddlebag. “Muse, Necrophage, please take these Mission Drives and use them to map out the area around Ponyville. I need to find the weakest point in reality.”

“You got it, boss!” Necrophage bounced over to Thorn, happily taking her device as her sister gently took hers in telekinesis, floating it over to strap it on herself. Necrophage, meanwhile, paused before leaping forward and hugging Thorn, making him wince slightly before she bounced backwards and smiled brightly at him. “Don't work too hard, sir, okay?”

Thorn shrugged a bit, and then he gestured to the Replicants, who both saluted before they turned to head outside. Innocence and Scarlet Sage both turned to watch them go, while Antares continued to stare at Thorn, until the sapphire stallion asked dryly: “What do you need help with?”

“Dammit!” Antares burst out, glaring at Thorn. “I can't read you! Why can't I read you?”

Thorn simply looked mildly at Antares, before he stated dryly: “Because while your special talent is observation and acuity, you have nothing to measure me against. My behaviors are different from most ponies.”

“He is a robot!” Antares shouted, before he pawed at the ground and then charged, yelling: “Get the robot!”

Innocence shouted immediately as well and bolted after her brother as Scarlet Sage dropped her face in a hoof. Thorn, however, only frowned a little deeper before he shifted ever so slightly to the side as Antares leapt at him in a wide tackle, and the black stallion's eyes widened, only catching himself because his body reacted on instinct and moved for him.

Innocence snapped her horn forward, sending a telekinetic hammer at Thorn and figuring she could blame any damage she did on Antares. As dumb as they both acted at times, she already understood that Antares was trying to learn something about Thorn, was trying to get a glimpse of what was under his cold outer shell-

Thorn's horn pulsed, and Innocence's eyes widened in shock as her telekinetic attack was neutralized. She bared her teeth as she continued to charge, however, going into a wild lunge as Antares leapt at Thorn's back.

And, without hesitating, Thorn easily sidestepped again, the two siblings crashing face-first into each other in the air and flopping stupidly to the ground as Scarlet Sage mumbled: “Horses of Heaven, do you two ever remind me of Mom right now.”

“I was told to expect this kind of behavior.” Thorn said distastefully as he looked down at the two ponies, who were both glaring dazedly at him from the ground. “I have no interest in sparring with either of you today. My first job is assessing the state of this village and mapping out the other points of interest in the area. Combat analysis can wait until the third or fourth day of my assessment.”

“I'll kick your ass!” Innocence shouted, shoving herself up to her claws and making Antares squawk as she stood on top of his head, the stallion flailing uselessly beneath her. “Come on, let's see what you're made of, robot!”

“Yeah, robot! And... Innocence, get off my damn head!” Antares snapped, and Innocence grumbled before hopping off the stallion, and the two shoved at each other for a few moments before they both glared at the sapphire pony.

Thorn looked moodily back, and then Scarlet Sage asked politely: “Thorn, would you like to join me and my family for dinner at my house tonight? We have more than enough room for you and your friends, if they would like to come too.”

Antares and Innocence both stared at Scarlet Sage, and then Antares opened his mouth to scoff, before he almost choked in surprise when Thorn said politely: “I would appreciate that very much. Thank you, Scarlet Sage. When should I arrive?”

“How does around six sound? You and your friends can settle in and we'll eat around seven or a little later.” Scarlet replied gently, and Thorn nodded before the silver Pegasus asked: “Is there anything else you need help with? I run the clinic in town, and I'm an officer in the Starlit Knights, who protect Ponyville and the surrounding area. I'd be more than happy to help guide you around-”

“Oh no, Scar. You suck, and you're apparently a traitor now, on top of that.” Antares grumbled, before he walked up to Thorn and puffed out his chest, raising his head high and doing his best to look as intimidating as possible as his crystalline wings spread wide, glittering with white, quartz-like stone. “I'll walk around with the robot.”

“We both will!” Innocence added, half-leaping over Antares' back and leaning over him, glaring down at Thorn as he only looked fearlessly back at the two. “Then we can make sure this robot doesn't get up to anything bad. Right, Antares?”

“Right.” Antares nodded firmly, glaring distrustfully down at Thorn, and Thorn simply looked back at the two ponies before he turned around, ignoring them completely.

“I can find my way around by myself, thank you. It's important that I stay professional and impartial.” Thorn responded, nodding to the Pegasus before he shot a moody look towards Antares and Innocence, who were both glaring at him suspiciously. “Your assistance will not be necessary either.”

Innocence began to open her mouth, but Antares quickly reached up and covered her muzzle, saying slowly: “Yeah. Yeah. We'll totally stay out of your way. Don't you worry about that.”

Thorn looked moodily at the two for a moment, and then he sighed before shaking his head and turning to head towards the door, saying shortly: “Excuse me. I have business to attend to and have to introduce myself to your town's mayor.”

The sapphire stallion exited quickly, and Scarlet Sage glared at her siblings, who ignored her as they traded looks before Innocence asked: “Are we gonna follow him?”

“You bet.” Antares confirmed, and then he and his sister both scrambled for the door as Scarlet Sage rolled her eyes and sighed.

But, she supposed wryly, when you kept looking too closely at all the shiny little details, it was easy to miss the big picture.

Right In Front Of You

Chapter Twenty Three: Right In Front Of You
~BlackRoseRaven

Thorn Blackfeather showed up at Scarlet Sage's house with Necrophage and Muse in tow, and a bottle of wine that he politely offered for dinner. The Pegasus accepted it readily and sent him inside to meet her wife and children, and so she could scold Antares and Innocence, who were both doing a terrible job of remaining inconspicuous as they peered suspiciously out of the cover of a bush.

Now, Thorn was seated at the foot of the large table outside, Necrophage and Muse on either side: Scarlet Sage had decided it was safest to use her twin daughters as a buffer, even if Lily kept looking nervously at Muse, and Mercury was peering with almost as much suspicion at Thorn as Antares was.

At the head of the table sat Apple Bloom: she looked as vivacious and youthful as her wife, with her glowing gold coat and bright crimson mane. She was built large and strong, with a cutie mark of blossoming flowers on her hip, and the faint smell of engine oil and sweat seemed to linger on her in spite of how clean she was, from the hours of hard work she put in every day at Kwolek labs.

She was amiable and friendly, keeping an eye on her daughters in spite of the fact they were both adults: in fact, the twin mares looked almost as old as their mothers, thanks to the unnatural vitality provided by Scarlet Sage's abilities as a Blood Seer.

Thorn studied the mares, looking back and forth between them silently: his nieces, he thought. One was named Mercury: she was a very light blue, with a rough, much darker sapphire mane, and a cutie mark of a black spade. The other was Lily: white-gold, with a red mane like her mother, and the cutie mark of an ivory heart. And both of them had such clear crimson eyes; was that a sign of their Blood Seer heritage? He didn't know if it was polite to ask.

Thorn politely scooped up a bit of his salad, remaining quiet even as he surveyed the table, and Scarlet Sage cleared her throat before she asked: “So Thorn, how do you find Ponyville so far?”

“It would be unprofessional for me to talk about my findings before they've been compiled.” Thorn replied calmly, and then he glanced at Necrophage when she grabbed his foreleg and shook him, looking at him pointedly as she bounced a little in her seat, and after a moment, Thorn cleared his throat and nodded awkwardly, correcting himself: “I mean... it's very nice. It seems... peaceful.”

“Yep. Sure is.” Apple Bloom smiled amusedly, studying him with interest before she asked curiously: “So your Mom's Hecate, is that right?”

“Hecate adopted me, yes. She took care of me from when I was a young foal, after my parents had to give me up.” Thorn replied with a nod.

Antares scowled a little: the sapphire stallion was so stoic it was like he was just regurgitating facts. He and Innocence had tracked the stallion all day because of the weird vibe Antares was getting around him, and yet he still couldn't read Thorn at all or understand a single thing about him...

He began to open his mouth to try and push Thorn's buttons, since, as his Móðer had taught him, when all else failed, provoking someone was the easiest way to learn about them, but when he caught the horrible glare Scarlet Sage shot at him, and instead he shrank a little in his chair, saying lamely: “So uh... you got a robot leg.”

“Yes.” Thorn held his mechanical limb up, flexing it and saying mildly: “I'm not a Dogmatist, if that's what you're thinking. When I was a foal, I was caught in the gears of the machinery beneath Decretum and... lost my leg. Hecate built me several replacements while I was growing up, and this is the final version.”

“Huh.” was all Antares could think to say, as the other ponies looked at Thorn curiously. And for a little while, the group just ate in silence.

Then Apple Bloom finally cleared her throat before she asked finally: “So uh... Necrophage, Muse, think I remember seein' you two around. How's life been treating you?”

“Great!” Necrophage said brightly, beaming happily around at the table. “Decretum is the best! We all get to work, and there's no more mean people in charge, kicking us around! Queen Hecate works us really super hard, but it's really exciting, because we get to go on all kinds of adventures and meet new ponies and the Orphanage is always growing!”

“Orphanage?” Mercury asked, frowning slightly as she looked up, and Lily shifted uncomfortably as she reached up to adjust her glasses apprehensively. “That doesn't sound like anything to be happy about.”

But Muse smiled at this and shook her head, saying quietly: “No, the Orphanage is a very good place. Orphans are what we call the ponies who come to Decretum with no place to go, but... desire to help Empress Hecate expand her empire, and protect the worlds. Or, as in the case of Lady Freya, we are hired to help complete tasks that ponies might not be able to do alone.”

“I'm pretty sure Freya can do anything she wants to do alone. I think she went to Decretum mostly because she wants to see just what kind of trouble Hecate is getting into.” Innocence said mildly, as she speared a piece of bacon on a fork and twirled it around, Scarlet Sage and Lily both wincing as grease splattered everywhere.

Then Innocence popped the meat into her mouth, chewing slowly as she asked Thorn: “So does that mean you're an Orphan?”

Thorn shook his head, responding: “My duties for the Orphanage are mainly administrative. Seneschal and I work directly under Hecate and keep Decretum and Endworld running smoothly. I'm a noncombatant.”

“You move pretty fast for someone who doesn't fight.” Antares said mildly, looking suspiciously at Thorn again, but since he couldn't read the stallion at all, he couldn't even tell if he was lying or telling the truth, which just made him even more frustrated.

Thorn only shrugged, answering: “I've been trained to deal with whatever situations may occur. That's all.”

Antares grunted, and Innocence frowned as she picked up her last piece of bacon, tossing it into her mouth and chewing slowly. Thorn, meanwhile, scooped up the last of his salad before he turned his eyes to Apple Bloom and Scarlet Sage, saying quietly: “Thank you for dinner. It was excellent.”

“We ain't done yet.” Apple Bloom winked, then she gestured at the twins. “Girls, d'you mind bringing out the pies and desserts? And put on coffee too, would you?”

Mercury sighed, but Lily smiled, and the twins excused themselves as Apple Bloom chuckled and shook her head, saying softly: “Hard seein' your kids grow up. Hard to accept they ain't kids anymore, too. Do you have any foals, Thorn?”

A small smile quirked at Thorn's mouth, and Antares finally was able to predict what Thorn was going to say before he said it: “No, I-”

“You're too young! Ha!” Antares hammered a hoof down on the table in victory, grinning widely, and Thorn cocked an eyebrow at the crystal-winged unicorn, who said triumphantly: “There, I knew I could figure you out!”

“Alright.” Thorn said patiently, and Antares' eye twitched before he leaned forwards, squinting at Thorn in a way that was much more comical than threatening.

“Hey, they don't call me magic eyes for no reason, you know. I can see into anypony. I can see through anypony. As a matter of fact, I know more about you than you'll ever know about me.” Antares retorted, reaching up and tapping his temple firmly several times.

Thorn looked at Antares for a moment, his eyes flicking up and down him before he stated calmly: “You were born shortly before Nightmare Night to Luna Brynhild and Scrivener Blooms. You suffered those scars on your chest during a time lapse event and you used to possess semi-natural wings. They were lost in battle, but those wings – which since then were affected by a Class III anomaly, or a forced transformation event – were given back to you when you were captured by the enemy, so you would be more effective. The wings have since mutated, as I stated.

“The necklace that your sister Innocence wears was a gift from you. It contains a piece of a sword that was used to cut off your original set of wings.” Thorn carefully moved his plate to the edge of the table so he could absently brush the crumbs off it, as Antares gaped in disbelief at the unicorn, who continued casually: “Your marefriend is Prestige Luster, who you've been dating for several decades without proposing to her. You used to serve as an emissary to Valhalla and now currently work as an ambassador. You live in the home that once belonged to your parents; it was destroyed during the Pious wars, but you rebuilt it and share it with your sister.

“You are currently exuding thirteen bæns of energy. This is much higher than your standard energy bleed at rest of eight bæns because you are anxious about the fact you cannot use your acuity alone to understand or read me. Hence why you attacked me earlier: you were attempting to force a reaction, but as you cannot read my intent or movements, your performance was less than admirable and you did not achieve the results that you desired or intended.”

Thorn finished cleaning up his spot, putting the plate back before he finished: “And you plan to continue to stalk and harass me until you determine my actual purpose for being here, before I reveal it to you. Not because you think I'm hostile or malicious, but because I frustrate you and you feel as if your pride is on the line.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Antares dropped dumbly back in his chair before Thorn called up a holographic screen as Muse shrank a little in her seat and Necrophage motioned wildly at Thorn, but the stallion ignored the Replicant as he explained quietly: “I've been briefed on all of you. I know my job, and it is to assess you and analyze each of you in turn, and judge you and this world as to whether or not it is suitable for Empress Hecate's operations. And so far, to be honest, I am not entirely impressed.”

Antares' features slowly puckered as Innocence narrowed her eyes, Lily and Mercury both awkwardly floating near the table but not quite risking sitting down as Scarlet Sage and Apple Bloom shifted uneasily. But then Antares finally swore tiredly before he slumped a bit, grumbling: “You're lucky I can't flip this table over, because all this stuff is Scar's and she'll whine at me or make my head explode or something if I do.”

He halted, then thrust a hoof towards Thorn, saying in a more serious, sharper voice: “But you better watch yourself, kid. Because you are seriously going to get your ass kicked.”

“Yeah!” Innocence shouted, and then she blushed a bit when Apple Bloom looked at her mildly and Scarlet Sage glared at her, the scaled unicorn mumbling: “I'm just backing up Antares, that's all. Although either of us could take you, you... kid.”

Thorn looked mildly at the two ponies for a moment, and then he simply shrugged. Antares' eye twitched at this response, but before he could say anything else, Scarlet Sage loudly and pointedly announced: “Pie is here!”

The twins hurriedly put the pies down on the table, and Antares grumbled as Apple Bloom quickly got up, saying mildly: “I'll serve everyone. Thorn, guests get first choice: we got blueberry, apple, and cherry. What would you like to have?”

“I don't know. I've never had pie before.” Thorn said honestly, and Antares gaped again as Innocence reared back as if in horror. Even Apple Bloom and her daughters looked a little shocked, but Scarlet Sage only smiled in amusement.

“Well, Red there is obviously going to recommend the apple pie, but why don't you try starting with the blueberry? I think you might like that one most. It's the sweetest.” the silver Pegasus recommended, and Thorn hesitated before he looked at Necrophage, almost as if for confirmation.

The Replicant nodded to him firmly several times, giving him an open, bright smile as she exclaimed: “I bet if you give it a try, you'll really like it!”

Thorn grimaced slightly, but then he nodded after a moment with a sigh, muttering: “Well, I... I guess it can't hurt. Alright. I'll try the blueberry pie.”

“Have a slice of apple, too.” Apple Bloom said after a moment, and she cut a piece out of both pies before Thorn could protest, putting them onto a fresh plate and passing it down the table to the stallion, who smiled awkwardly as he looked at the two large pieces.

“A lot of calories.” Thorn said finally, earning a huff from Antares as Apple Bloom smiled in amusement and Scarlet Sage only shook her head. He picked up his fork, then almost nervously picked at one of the pies, saying after a moment: “Food has always been rationed in Decretum. Dietary needs are strictly monitored and provided for. Of course, ponies were always free to buy as much food as they wanted with any credits they earned, since the families of Orphans have opened quite a few specialty stores in the business district. But I suppose I never saw it as... frugal.”

Antares and Innocence traded looks, but Scarlet Sage beat them to saying anything as she asked curiously: “Can you tell us more about Decretum? I know that Antares has seen Clockwork World, but... that was many years ago, and it sounds like it's become a lot more than just a wasteland since then.”

Thorn nodded, giving a brief smile as he answered: “Right now, the only major colony is Imperia, what I believe you know as Canterlot; Dogmatists have been sent out to begin repairs on a few other salvageable zones, but the main effort has been in expanding and strengthening Imperia, and the Orphanage there. It's a beautiful city.”

“And that Orphanage place is where everyone lives?” Mercury asked curiously, but Thorn shook his head.

“Strictly speaking, the Orphanage is a military facility. It's where we assemble, equipment is kept and distributed, and the Orphans are assigned their tasks. Business is conducted there and the highest priority projects are kept there.” Thorn explained before he scooped a bit of pie into his mouth, and he looked surprised after a moment at the taste.

He took another bite of pie, then continued, apparently relaxing a little as Apple Bloom passed more pieces of baked delight around the table: “There's a connected residential building specifically for Orphans... apartments for families or single ponies. There's also a civilian district, for personnel who aren't part of the Orphanage.”

“Nice and segregated, huh?” Antares asked ironically, and Scarlet Sage gave him a dry look.

But Thorn simply shrugged, replying calmly: “No. Organized. There's a difference. And furthermore, in the event that something does happen, this way the civilians are protected, as the enemy will want to concentrate their attacks on the military locations first and foremost.”

Innocence huffed at this, saying mildly: “If I was attacking someone, I'd go right for the soft spots first. Make 'em hurt, demoralize them.”

“Yeah, but you're kind of evil. So... yeah, actually, you should listen to her.” Antares said mildly, nodding towards Sin, who nodded proudly as well.

Thorn only looked at the two for a few moments, then he scooped up another bit of pie and said finally: “These are both delicious. Thank you.”

Antares and Innocence grumbled, but went back to their own pies: Necrophage had already gobbled hers up completely, and Muse was nibbling a little at a small piece. The rest of the meal went as smoothly as could be expected, with the only awkward moment being when Necrophage grabbed the aluminum pans the pies had been in and ate them both in a few quick bites.

But Thorn simply apologized for her, and Scarlet Sage shrugged and said they were going to throw them out anyway, and Mercury only laughed and asked in an oddly-excited voice: “What else can you eat?”

Necrophage was more than happy to demonstrate, and Thorn decided to let the Replicants go and relax while he had a coffee. Antares watched them for a little while, how Muse chided her sister and Mercury urged Necrophage on to eat various strange and weird things and Lily made faces and complained about it...

“Aren't you going to do something?” Antares asked mildly, and Thorn glanced up before he shrugged a bit, and the crystal-winged unicorn frowned before saying dryly: “Much as I love my nieces, they're kind of... isn't that kind of like taking advantage of some mentally handicapped kid?”

“Necrophage is not a handicapped child. She has a tested IQ well above the normal pony range and mild telepathic powers to help her understand intent and gauge the emotional reactivity of others.” Thorn sipped at his coffee, glancing over and watching as Necrophage happily ate a can, soda leaking out of her jaws as she giggled and crunched up the metal. “Normally Necrophage eats garbage and organic debris to create fuel. She understands that we will need the Clay of Prometheus in the near future is currently working to generate it. The fact she gets an audience and to eat things that taste nicer than corpses is purely a bonus for her.”

Antares blinked at this, and Thorn glanced mildly over the stallion before he said softly: “Necrophage is my friend, and I wouldn't let anyone just sit and mock her.”

Innocence smiled a little at this, and Apple Bloom chuckled quietly before she said gently, as she rested back at the table with her coffee in one hoof, and her other foreleg around her wife: “We don't mean nothin' by it, Thorn. We're just... not used to you yet, I guess, and we're tryin' to gauge you and understand you, like you are us. That's all.”

Thorn smiled briefly, nodding after a moment before Scarlet Sage said softly: “It's funny how much and how little we change when we grow up. I'm very proud of my girls, and Mercury's come a long way, but... I guess she still loves seeing her friends do silly things and getting into trouble and... testing boundaries.”

“And Lily's still Lily. But I'm proud of both of 'em.” Apple Bloom said firmly, and then she chuckled before adding wryly: “And hell. Look at us. We're even older than Antares and none of us here act anything like our ages. I should be wrapped up in a shawl like Granny Smith used to now, not... cavortin' around the labs, shoutin' at people and makin' stupid bets like Cowlick used to.”

“Well, we're all... a little different, I guess. And I'm glad we all have each other.” Innocence hesitated, and then she looked at Thorn, regarding him for a few moments before she asked curiously: “What about you? Unicorns have long lives, but... I mean, if you're just a mortal pony...”

“Great phrasing, Sin.” Antares said mildly, and then he winced slightly when Innocence firmly whacked him between the ears with a claw. He rubbed at his head, then studied Thorn again before he muttered: “No, I don't... I don't think you're mortal though, are you? Who were your parents?”

“Heroes. Great heroes.” Thorn said quietly, looking away, and there was an awkward silence for a moment before he cleared his throat and said finally: “I have the genetic data necessary to remain ageless, so to speak. That allows cells to replicate endlessly and conserve the energy necessary for 'agelessness,' for lack of a better word, after reaching physical maturity.”

Antares cocked his head, and Innocence narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, looking almost offended by the sentiment. Thorn seemed to notice their distaste, and he shrugged after a moment before saying simply: “Everything is determined by our genes. Some would say that our entire lives are prewritten into our genetic code.”

“And do you think that way?” Antares asked mildly, but Thorn only shrugged, which made the crystal-winged unicorn scowl a little. “You are seriously the worst person I have ever met.”

Thorn shrugged again, sipping at his coffee before he said finally: “Thank you, Scarlet Sage and Apple Bloom, for both providing such good food and conversation. I appreciate it. I have to go and do a survey of the area, however, and analyze the differences during night.”

“Thank you for coming, Thorn, and bringing your friends.” Scarlet Sage smiled a little, then asked hesitantly: “Would you like to come over for dinner again tomorrow?”

Thorn looked surprised by this, but after a moment, he nodded hesitantly and said awkwardly: “That's very generous of you, but I don't want to impose or anything...”

Apple Bloom only smiled and shrugged, and Scarlet Sage said softly: “Well, I can't promise another big dinner like this, but you're still more than welcome to come and eat with just me and Apple Bloom. We were going to have a pasta tomorrow, is that okay?”

Thorn studied her for a moment, and Scarlet Sage tipped him a wink... and after a moment, Thorn broke into an honest smile, saying quietly: “I really appreciate it. Thank you.”

“Oh please don't flirt with him, that's gross, Scarlet, and you're being a really bad lesbian right now.” Antares said loudly, and Scarlet Sage shot the stallion a horrible look. “What? Besides, he's totally more Sin's type. Tall, dark, and weird.”

“Hey, screw you.” Innocence shouldered her brother roughly, then said grumpily: “No one is my 'type.' I don't have a type. And you should damn well remember that.”

Antares looked at her with mild amusement, and then Thorn politely stepped back from the table and simply nodded before he turned and left. The crystal-winged unicorn scowled after him, and then he muttered: “I don't know about him, Scar. I trust Hecate. I trust her more than just about anyone else in this world does. But something about this guy is just... weird.”

Scarlet Sage only smiled in amusement, even as Innocence added: “You guys know that I have a little bit of experience with... you know. Good ponies and bad ponies and stuff. And this guy... I don't know. I'm pretty evil but he weirds me out, too. He's all... ordery. I bet if we got in his way he definitely wouldn't hesitate to try and take us down.”

“Let's get in his way lots then, and see what happens. I mean, I hate to sound like Mutt, but when you have a problem with something, the best thing to do is to find a way to punch it until it's no longer a problem.” Antares said mildly, and Innocence nodded thoughtfully in agreement.

Scarlet Sage and Apple Bloom traded amused looks, but before either mare could say anything, Necrophage suddenly popped up beside them, smiling brightly as she exclaimed: “Thanks for all the food and letting us come by! My sister and I really appreciate it!”

“Yes, it's... a very different experience for us. And I think that Prince Thorn enjoyed himself as well.” Muse added quietly as she approached, bowing her head politely. “I'm sorry if this comes across as rude at all, but... would you mind if we left with your daughters? They have offered to walk us around Ponyville, and we would like to continue to assist Thorn.”

“You guys are weird.” Antares said mildly, and Necrophage giggled as Muse blushed and lowered her head meekly. Scarlet Sage glared at the stallion, but Antares shook his head and said softly: “I mean, you're really weird, compared to the Replicants I've met in the past. You're not like them at all. You're so... you have free will. You have... souls.”

Necrophage smiled brightly as Muse looked up hesitantly, giving a small smile as well before she murmured: “Queen Hecate has been good to us. That's all. She and Thorn take care of us, and work hard to give a home for us, and for the Dogmatists, and all the many other lives in Decretum. We are... equal.”

“Yep! All the scary Replicants are gone! I mean, I know I shouldn't talk about them like that, but boy, they really were scary!” Necrophage added brightly, nodding firmly a few times. “The only one we ever miss is Prince Thesis. Prince Thesis was never mean to us, nope nope nope! But then he got very sick and... Queen Hecate is still very sad about that some days.”

She quieted as Muse reached up and gently rubbed her sister's back, but before Antares could ask about any of this, Mercury came running up, asking impatiently: “Well? You guys coming or what?”

“Coming!” Necrophage said happily, hopping up and down on the spot and giggling loudly as Muse nodded, then bit her lip and looked at the older mares.

But Scarlet Sage and Apple Bloom both shrugged, before Apple Bloom said mildly: “Just don't try and stay out all night, Mercury. You keep an eye on her Lily, and remind her that we've got a busy day tomorrow. Lots to do.”

“Okay, Mom.” Lily said almost shyly, rubbing a foreleg slowly against the other before she turned a brief smile towards Antares and Innocence. “It was really nice to see you two. Talk soon?”

“Real soon, I'm sure.” Antares agreed, nodding to Lily. He watched as the Replicants left with the twins, and then he shook his head slowly before muttering: “Horses of Heaven. I remember when they were just little kids. Hell, Sin, I remember when you were just a baby, too. Is this what getting old feels like? Because it sucks.”

“You're only ever as old as you feel, Antares.” Innocence said ironically, and Antares gave her a mild look before she added: “Which I guess would mean you must be pretty old.”

“At least I'll never be as old as Scar.” Antares defended, and Scarlet Sage gave her brother a mild look, but he simply shrugged and huffed. “Hey, it's no fun being the middle kid. Also, I'm a stallion caught between two mares. In a bad way. Because they're related to me. Sin, stop projecting all your sick fantasies on to me.”

Innocence simply looked sourly at Antares, and Scarlet Sage sighed before she asked suddenly: “And what would you do if you had a brother?”

“Like... what?” Antares looked blankly at Scarlet for a moment, and then he huffed loudly and shook his head vehemently. “Oh, hell no. Mutt better not ever have another kid. Like, ever. The one thing special about me in this family is that I'm the only boy. And goddammit, I am going to remain the baby boy forever.”

“Y'do realize that your parents can probably have kids... basically forever, right?” Apple Bloom asked pointedly, and Antares covered his ears and sang several loud, toneless notes, glaring at her. But the earth pony was undeterred, grinning and simply waiting for him to stop before she said mildly: “Hey, if I have to get used to the idea that maybe someday Uncle Dash and Applejack are gonna have another kid, you have to deal with your own weird family problems.”

“You're a weird family problem.” Innocence said, flailing her forelegs a bit before she huffed loudly, crossing her forelimbs sulkily and grumbling: “I'm the baby of the family. I know that, you know, that used to be something I'd whine about all the time, but now it's pretty amazing to be this old and get chocolate and candy and stuff from Mutt and Daddy and Mom's adventures.”

Scarlet Sage shrugged a bit, and Apple Bloom smiled in amusement before she said wryly: “Well, I guess we'll see how you feel. What's gonna happen is gonna happen, after all.”

Antares and Innocence both only grunted, trading scowls before they turned their eyes up towards the evening sky, but they both knew from experience that whether they liked it or not, Apple Bloom and Scarlet Sage were right.

But it wasn't like they'd have to worry about a new little brother or sister anytime soon, right?

Thorn strolled calmly along the highway, jotting notes as he walked and ignoring the fact that there was a Nightmare trailing behind him, invisible but not completely outside of reality. He had just finished an examination of Canterlot and Subterra: the former hadn't impressed him, but the latter had been quite a marvelous city.

Built beneath the mountain city of Canterlot in the hollowed out caverns, Subterra was filled with demons, Nightmares, and other creatures of the darkness. They were kept comfortable and well-fed by the massive 'sunning' crystals that lined the roof of the cavern, and the residual emotions of the residents of the city above: in return for the safety and comfort provided to them by their underground sanctuary, they helped protect Equestria from harm.

Many of them worshiped – quite literally – Nightmare Moon, the 'dark side' of his mother, Luna Brynhild. She had been the one to save many of the original demons from the collapsing world: she had been the one to band them together and teach them to overcome their natures, and she had been the one to convince the ponies of Equestria to allow the creatures of darkness into their midst.

Luna's legacy was incredible, and Thorn saw many similarities between what she had done for the world and what Hecate was trying to do with Decretum. Their methods were different, certainly, but the ends they both wanted were the same: unity, safety, and security for all people.

He smiled briefly to himself as he continued down the road for a few more minutes, until he finally came to a halt and sighed a little as he realized the Nightmare wasn't going away. Thorn's horn glowed as he created a holographic screen, and then he calmly turned around, tapping a few quick commands over the floating wall as he said calmly: “I know you're there.”

The Nightmare didn't reveal itself, but Thorn smiled wryly as he saw it all the same, even outside of reality. The blank holographic screen in front of him acted like a lens, letting him see the blurry black outline of the entity.

Thorn studied it curiously before he glanced up at the sunny skies above: it was a little cloudy today, but bright and warm out otherwise... “Strange. I didn't think Nightmares could exist outside of dark environments.”

The Nightmare hesitated for a moment longer, then it stepped into reality, and Thorn let the screen drop so he could get a better look at it: the creature looked as if it was made of flowing blackness, with a smoky mane and bright crimson eyes. It bowed its head respectfully to him before saying in a soft, feminine voice: “I apologize, sir. I felt a distinct energy from you... my name is Eventide, and I am called a Greater Nightmare. Our kind were chosen by the Night Maiden, hoof-picked and made strong, so we can walk tall even during the Sun Princess' day.”

Thorn nodded, and Eventide looked up at him, biting her lip before she asked hesitantly: “What is your name? Where do you come from? Not Decretum... you have a... familiarity in your energy...”

“I'm not at liberty to say at the moment.” Thorn replied politely, floating his clipboard out of his sidepack to jot a few quick notes. “My name is Thorn Blackfeather, and I am here on behalf of Empress Hecate to assess and analyze this world's strengths and weaknesses.

“I only did a short assessment of Subterra today and scheduled a meeting with the Overseer tomorrow. Do you know anything about the administrative structure and policies of Subterra?”

“I... yes, I do. I am an aide to Morning Glory, the Overseer. Perhaps I can accompany you on the walk back to Ponyville, and we can speak about it?” Eventide suggested hesitantly, and Thorn nodded, giving a brief smile.

“That would be appreciated.” Thorn turned around, gesturing for Eventide to follow, and the Greater Nightmare hurried up beside him, smiling at him a little as he remarked: “So far everyone here has been surprisingly helpful and kind. Even the entities who are not known for being cooperative.”

“We all try to work together as much as we can. That is what we were taught from Luna Brynhild...” Eventide halted, then said suddenly: “I have served Luna Brynhild for many years. I was... nanny, she called me, to Innocence. That is not to say any of her parents were ever absent...”

Eventide stopped, then studied Thorn intently as he looked back at her, before the creature's eyes widened slightly as she whispered: “That is what I am seeing in you. That emotional energy, that resonance... you are a child of the Mistress!”

Eventide immediately dropped her head low, and Thorn gestured quickly to her, saying quietly: “I would like to keep that private for the moment, Eventide. I have professional duties to accomplish here and I... Hecate is my mother. Do you understand when I say I do not want to disappoint her?”

“Yes. I do, very well... but Prince Thorn, this is...” Eventide looked up with a bright smile. “This is marvelous! I had never imagined... we do not hear as often as we would like from the Mistress, and... what of Prince Antares and Princess Innocence? Do they know?”

“No, not yet. And it must stay that way for now, Eventide. I have a lot to do yet before I can tell them.” Thorn said, although his eyes flicked almost evasively to the side before he shook his head quickly when the Nightmare tilted her head towards him, as if both curious and concerned. “It's... complicated. And difficult. There are many considerations to be made.”

“They are family. Is that not enough?” Eventide asked curiously, and Thorn grimaced a bit, which made the Greater Nightmare drop her head quickly. “I apologize, Prince Thorn.”

“Please stop calling me 'prince.' I am not... fond of that title.” Thorn said quietly, shifting a little before he sighed and quickly shifted his clipboard in front of him, changing the subject abruptly as he asked: “Can you tell me about the political structure of Subterra?”

Eventide nodded and smiled at Thorn, studying him curiously for a few moments before she murmured quietly: “Of course. The Overseer is in charge of Subterra, and works with the Baroness who runs Canterlot, reporting to her... and Mistress Freya, of course, when she is available...”

As they walked, Eventide went over Subterra in its entirety: they discussed everything the Greater Nightmare knew about the dark city, and Thorn took notes on all of it, asking questions now and then and clarifying everything he was uncertain about. It sounded eerily similar to Imperia in a lot of ways: of course, it lacked an Orphanage of its own, but the idea was certainly there all the same.

When they reached the gates leading into Ponyville, Thorn smiled wryly: the Nibelung were doing their best to look serious and attentive, dressed in cruddy leather armor and with old, worn weapons at the ready. Well, it could still be worse, he reflected, as he looked back and forth between the dwarves before he led the way into the village, asking the Greater Nightmare calmly as she followed after him: “Do you have anything else you need to be doing?”

“No, sir. Today is my day of rest.” Eventide said, and Thorn nodded briefly before he glanced towards her, but the Nightmare only smiled hesitantly at him before she lowered her head and murmured: “I would like to continue to spend this time with you, Thorn Blackfeather, if you will allow me to. Whatever else I am, I am a creature of longing and emotion. Innocence and Antares do not have the time to spend with me that they once did and I... I am eternally grateful to them, but...”

Thorn looked at Eventide for a few moments, and then he sighed a little before nodding almost grudgingly. “Alright. As long as you promise to help me with my reports and information gathering as well. I have a lot to do yet.”

“Of course.” Eventide smiled and nodded, bowing her head again in gratitude to the stallion. “The honor is mine to serve, Thorn.”

Eventide stayed close to Thorn's side for a little more than an hour, helping with anything and everything he asked and proving herself to be surprisingly intelligent, in spite of the way she seemed to fawn and latch on to his every word. He felt oddly comfortable around her, though: she was a little strange, but she seemed to honestly want to help, even if part of what motivated her was purely the need to be around him.

He liked her, though. And she did everything he asked, and kept his secrets even when Antares and Innocence wandered by to harass him, which he appreciated. All the same, the two seemed to be even more suspicious of him now that Eventide was keeping an eye on him, although he was also honestly a little surprised that they hadn't figured out yet that they were... well...

Thorn dismissed those thoughts: he'd been productive today, at least. He had mapped out several regions, submitted several reports, and Rustproof had set up the communications center, so he could contact Hecate if necessary. Necrophage and Muse were hard at work in Kwolek Labs, and Rustproof had somehow enlisted the help of some of the Nibelung laborers, which was speeding up their efforts considerably. At this rate, they would be able to establish a small, mobile base well within a few days, a bit ahead of the timeframe that they had originally been given. He was looking forwards to working on that a little further tonight.

But at the moment, he was approaching Scarlet Sage's nice little house for dinner, the stallion pausing to admire this for a moment from outside with a small, almost envious smile. It was in one of Ponyville's newer areas, more suburban, with a nice front lawn and the big back yard they had eaten in yesterday. It had wooden fences and a pretty, freshly-painted blue face, with white trimmed doors and windows. Two storey tall, a little, well-kept garden area, a big porch at the front. Perfection.

Thorn approached and knocked on the door, then smiled when Scarlet Sage opened it, before he blushed and reared back slightly in surprise when she stepped forward and hugged him firmly. Thorn's eyes flicked back and forth, uncomfortably patting her on the back more than returning the embrace, and Scarlet Sage laughed before she drew back and smiled at him. “Sorry, but... we're family, aren't we?”

Thorn hesitated, then nodded after a moment before he asked: “Are Antares and Innocence here?”

“No, don't worry. I don't quite understand why you haven't told them yet but... it's kind of fun watching them squirm, trying to figure you out.” Scarlet smiled after a moment, then gestured for Thorn to come inside as she stepped backward, the stallion following her into the house. “Don't worry. Just me, you, and Red tonight. I want to hear all about you.”

Thorn smiled briefly as he followed her into the living room, which was covered with family pictures and had all sorts of little potted plants. Shelves lined one wall, and Thorn noted quite a few medical textbooks among the usual clutter, as he replied absently: “There's not much to tell, really. My parents... our parents... raised me in Helheim for ten years. Then they brought me to Decretum, where Hecate agreed to take care of me. She brought me up and has acted as my mentor and mother ever since.”

“That's quite a story by itself.” Scarlet Sage said softly, as she sat herself in one of the couches. Thorn simply stood, tracing his hoof silently over a wooden table as he looked back and forth at a house made of wood, and brick, and everything except metal, with so few machine marks evident... “Sit down, Thorn. Get comfortable. Apple Bloom will be along in a few minutes.”

Thorn nodded a little, and then he almost hesitantly lowered himself into an armchair, shifting his cape a bit before Scarlet Sage asked curiously: “So what's your special talent, Thorn? Your cutie mark reminds me of Dad... I'm betting it's something to do with writing.”

“Yes. Poetry.” Thorn said after a moment, smiling briefly. “Although I don't write very often. I'm very busy with Decretum.”

Scarlet Sage smiled back, then she said: “My own cutie mark is... well, not just for my Blood Seer talents, which I'm sure you must know about, considering how much you knew about Antares and Innocence, but for predicting things. Call it a mare's intuition if you want. And Apple Bloom, believe it or not, is for creation and growth. She works a lot with machines these days, but... she can do wonders with any kind of equipment. And I guess as much as I want to, I can't complain: we've had a nice, long spell of peace. It's rare in this world, that we don't end up with some catastrophe or another breathing down our necks...”

Scarlet Sage smiled a little, and then she hesitated before asking gently: “How... is it too much if I ask how you lost your leg?”

Thorn understood what the Pegasus wanted to know, and he reached up and silently touched the steel limb, saying softly: “It was when I was just a foal. Not long after I had just moved into Decretum, I was... trying very hard to impress Hecate. I was afraid back then that I didn't belong, and that... I don't know. My parents... Luna and Scrivener and Twilight would be disappointed in me. That Hecate would tell them she couldn't take care of me.

“I ended up getting caught in a master gear, a gear that controls the clockwork that keeps an entire district running.” Thorn smiled briefly, slowly rubbing along his artificial leg before he said softly: “Hecate destroyed it to save my life. She set her operations back by months... perhaps longer, to save as much of my limb as she could.

“I know what it seems like, considering the Dogmatists, but... Hecate would have saved my leg if she could have. I know what she seems like, and it is... her duty, I suppose, as an Empress, to play the role she does. Hard as I know that is for people to understand.” Thorn said quietly, shaking his head slowly. “Just as it's my job, as her regent and second in command, to be professional and to help her achieve her ends. And as her son, it's my responsibility and privilege to be there with her, and to work to support her.”

“Just don't make your entire life about her, Thorn. Being... being a good son or daughter is hard, because as I learned, you have to carve your own path in life.” Scarlet Sage said gently, and Thorn tilted his head before the mare said softly: “It sounds like even before you two really connected, Hecate was willing to sacrifice her machines, her projects, her empire... for you, and your livelihood. I don't think she'd be happy if you just ended up sacrificing your entire life for them, just to try and live out her dreams.”

Scarlet Sage stopped, then smiled and said quietly: “Besides, the little I know about Hecate is that she can take care of herself. It's good that you're there to help her and support her, and I imagine she must see a lot in you, Thorn. But I imagine if she ever really needed help, she'd ask.”

Thorn smiled a little, and he nodded hesitantly before Scarlet asked curiously: “Why are you here? I mean... honestly, Thorn, why do you think you're here right now?”

The sapphire stallion glanced down awkwardly, and then he bit his lip before he said hesitantly: “Because this is the mission I was given by Queen Hecate and because... I do want to meet my family, and see the world. In Hell, I was always inside the mansion or the Archives, and Decretum is... wonderful, but...”

Thorn looked around, saying quietly: “This is the first time I've seen what an actual house looks like. This is the first time in years I tasted food that wasn't rationed, or made purely for its caloric and nutritional value.”

He smiled briefly, then allowed his eyes to draw slowly above the fireplace, to the spear that rested in a set of ornate holders. He looked at this for a few long moments, and then said softly: “And this is the first time I've been able to... acknowledge my own existence, so to speak. I've been nothing but a... a secret, for such a long time now, that I don't even know what to say to you or my other siblings. I've learned everything I could about you, but now that I'm here...”

He laughed a little, shaking his head slowly and lowering his head, but Scarlet Sage only smiled softly before she said gently: “You overthink things a lot, huh?”

Thorn smiled briefly after a moment, and then he he nodded before murmuring: “I suppose that I do, yes. It's not my best habit.”

There was quiet for a moment, before both ponies looked up at the sound of a door opening and closing, followed by hooves tromping over wood. And after a moment, Apple Bloom entered the room, grinning at Thorn and greeting: “Hey there, good to see you, Thorn. How are you doing?”

“Well, thank you. How are you?” Thorn asked politely, as the earth pony strode over to her wife and leaned down to kiss her cheek before throwing herself into the couch, Scarlet Sage flinching and glaring at the mare as she almost squished her.

“I'm great, thanks.” Apple Bloom said comfortably, as she dropped her head back in her wife's lap, Scarlet Sage looking both embarrassed and glad as the earth pony added: “By the way, I think we're finally gonna have to do somethin' about the generator out back. It's actin' up again.”

“Well, we can do that later.” Scarlet Sage said awkwardly, gently pushing at Apple Bloom's head, but the mare simply looked up at her mildly. “You're a lot of trouble, you know that?”

“Hey , I'm just makin' myself comfortable, that's all.” Apple Bloom defended, shaking her head quickly before she gave a slight grin over at Thorn, sitting up all the same as she asked: “So, let me guess: Luna is your biological mother, right? You sure look like her. 'Cept you've got your Dad's hair.”

Thorn smiled briefly, nodding. “But I've always been told that I'm much more like my Mother than my Móðer...or Hecate, of course, who is... also a mother figure to me. Even if she points out any time she's frustrated how ridiculous that notion is.”

Apple Bloom chuckled, then finally sat up before she nudged Scarlet Sage firmly and asked: “Are you going to show him that thing?”

“I was getting to it, Red, I just wanted to get to know him a little, first, and let him settle in.” Scarlet Sage replied mildly, shoving at her wife absently before she turned her eyes back to Thorn. “I also wanted to know if Aunt Celestia... or Aunt Freya, I mean, if she knows about you.”

“Yes, she figured out very quickly who I was.” Thorn answered, nodding and smiling briefly. “But I suppose that's not really much of a surprise. It didn't help that Luna decided to... show me off, so to speak.”

“That sounds about right.” Scarlet Sage smiled slightly, nodding to the stallion before she asked: “What about the other ponies who went to Decretum to... I don't know for what. Applejack, Tender Trust, Meadowlark and Prestige... they were all sworn to secrecy or something, they said.”

“And my sister's the most honest pony in Equestria, you know.” Apple Bloom said with the faintest hint of irony. “Funny how that works. The more honest you are, apparently the easier it is for you to keep a secret.”

Thorn chuckled quietly, but then he nodded and said softly: “They found out quickly. I suppose that because I'm an adult and I've taken on so many responsibilities now... Hecate has left it in my hooves to decide who I tell and who I don't about my heritage, even though in the past it was forbidden to discuss even in Decretum. No one knew until recently, after my parents visited Decretum and... well, Bani brought it up as well. Or Cowlick, as I suppose you know her.”

“Hey, you know Cowlick? Wait, Cowlick is in Decretum? I thought...” Apple Bloom grinned widely as she sat up, looking warmly across at Thorn. “I saw Rusty and talked to him and Ross, and Ross said that Cowlick was doing better, but I thought that was just... well, Ross bein' Ross.”

Thorn nodded, explaining: “Decretum has a treaty with Helheim. We can recruit demons, and Nanny Hel also sends us assistance on occasion. Cowlick was one of our latest recruits: in return for the mission we ran for her, she and Rustproof both agreed to employment in Decretum.”

“Employment in Decretum. Y'know, Thorn, I don't mean any offense by this, but you talk a little like a politician at times.” Apple Bloom said mildly, and Thorn cocked an eyebrow at her. “Well, you know. You put everything in real neutral terms. Y'also sound a little like a machine.”

“This is just the way I talk.” Thorn said almost defensively, looking awkwardly at the two mares. “I was taught to be professional and candid. Why is that problematic?”

“Nothin', nothin' at all. Think it would just do you some good to spend more time around ponies.” Apple Bloom suggested, even as Scarlet Sage looked at her pointedly. “Hey, I'm just tryin' to be helpful here, that's all. Besides, y'always make me be the bad guy anyway.”

Scarlet Sage sighed, and Thorn shifted a bit as there was an awkward silence for a few moments before Apple Bloom gently nudged her wife. The two traded looks, and then Scarlet finally nodded and turned a smile to Thorn, saying quietly as she climbed off the couch: “I think I have something you'd like to see.”

Thorn nodded, climbing to his hooves and following Scarlet Sage through the quaint little household to the second floor. She led him into a bedroom, and Thorn smiled briefly at the sight of it: one half was messy and unkempt, and the other half was neat and orderly. It was clear which side belonged to Apple Bloom, from the scattered mechanical parts, the engineering books, and the odd apple-shaped trinket here and there.

Scarlet Sage's side was both far more pristine and far more... concealed, Thorn thought, watching as the mare approached a shelf: the only tell that this side belonged to Scarlet Sage was the fact that it was filled with medical texts and what looked like silly romance novels, among all the binders and scrapbooks.

Scarlet Sage pulled a few of the latter loose, then she smiled a bit before turning around and offering the albums to Thorn. The stallion took them with a curious frown, then his eyes widened as he opened one and found it was filled with photographs. Many of them were torn around the edges, or burnt or otherwise damaged, but they had all been cleaned and mended as much as possible.

“This is your family.” Scarlet Sage smiled a little, as Thorn silently traced a hoof over a picture of Luna and Scrivener that looked so... so very different from the parents he had known and seen. “I thought you might like to see these. Mom was always really fond of taking pictures... and did you know that she liked to draw, too?”

Thorn smiled, nodding silently as he looked up at his sister, and Scarlet Sage laughed a little before she said softly: “Mom and Dad's home was destroyed, but... I saved everything that I could. I think you should take some of them, though, Thorn. Even though I was adopted... I guess that I was also the one who got to know them the best, too. Antares, Innocence, you... Luna and Scrivener and Twilight couldn't be around for you all as much as I know they wanted to be.

“But maybe you can look at this and study these and learn more about them, who they were... who they are. Because they're never very far, Thorn. I know that sounds silly, maybe, but... our parents have never abandoned us. And no matter what happened to them, they... they always tend to show up right when you need them most.”

Thorn nodded a little, looking down and shifting a bit before he cleared his throat as he murmured: “Thank you, Scarlet Sage. I...” He looked at the scrapbooks, studying them for a moment before he smiled briefly. “I couldn't take these, though, they're too valuable. But I can digitize them, and then-”

“Sometimes what's important is having something you can hold, Thorn.” Scarlet Sage interrupted, and Thorn shifted awkwardly before the Pegasus said in a gentler voice: “It is really hard to give these away, yeah. But the gifts most worth giving are the ones that mean the most to us, too. And you're my brother, right?”

“I am.” Thorn said softly as he looked down at the scrapbooks, and then he nodded hesitantly before blushing a little and shrinking his head, becoming almost childlike for a moment as he mumbled: “Thank you for accepting me as family.”

Scarlet Sage smiled and shrugged, replying: “I could say the same.” She stopped, then reached up and patted Thorn on the shoulder, asking warmly: “But hey. How does dinner sound, huh? I made up a vegetarian pasta, since I don't know how you feel about meat. Our family's pretty weird, you know, they like to eat a lot of strange stuff.”

“I ate stranger things in Helheim.” Thorn replied with a small shrug, giving a brief smile to the mare. “Thank you.”

“You don't have to keep thanking me, Thorn. That's just what family is supposed to do for each other, help out.” Scarlet Sage replied with a light nudge, and Thorn nodded hesitantly before the mare turned to head towards the door. “Now come on, let's go eat before Apple Bloom gets cranky.”

Thorn smiled as he looked down at the scrapbooks cradled in his forelegs, and then he floated them quickly into his sidepack before following after the family he felt truly blessed to have.

Brotherhood

Chapter Twenty Four: Brotherhood
~BlackRoseRaven

Thorn Blackfeather strolled meditatively through the Everfree Forest, accompanied only by his clipboard, and Antares, of course, but the black stallion didn't seem to realize that Thorn had already spotted him, just as Muse had already politely informed him through radio link that Innocence was snooping around the facility they were rebuilding and modifying.

The blue stallion jotted notes on his clipboard as he studied the various flora and fauna, every now and then stopping to pick an herb or flower to safely store in one of the little plastic sample kits he was carrying in his sidepack.

He could sense a funny sort of magic in the air: something primal and powerful and natural, but that had a strangeness to it, an echoing like it had once been so much stronger, but now only traces of its power remained. He was tempted to track down the source, but for today, his main task was to gather specimen samples.

Thorn had been in Looking Glass World for five days now: in that short time, he had learned an immense amount about the area surrounding Ponyville, completed several analyses of the stability of the world, and overseen the completion of several projects, including a mobile base of operations parked just outside the Everfree and a trio of puppet drones, simple but efficient golems that would speed up their future endeavors. He had traveled extensively, and met with both pony nobility and powerful demons, such as Overseer Morning Glory: a Destroyer still loyal to his mother, and who had also recognized him immediately.

The only ponies who hadn't figured out yet who he was, really, were Antares and Innocence: Thorn smiled wryly as he glanced to the side, creating a holographic screen to check his encyclopedia, but also gazing through it in the direction of where Antares was hidden. Both he and his sister had gotten surlier and surlier, the longer he had been here, and while Innocence was suspicious of him, at this point, Antares seemed like he was much more frustrated than concerned about Thorn's intentions.

Thorn paused, dismissing the holographic screen and considering, for a moment, calling out Antares to speak to him, or at least make it clear that following him around like this was pointless, but then the blue stallion frowned, his eyes flicking over his shoulder as he heard a rumbling over the sound of branches shifting and wood cracking...

Something massive suddenly tore out of the trees with a roar, but Thorn didn't so much as flinch, his eyes narrowing sharply as the massive reptile crashed to the ground in front of him, broken branches and chunks of wood flying past the stallion as the huge, black lizard leaned down with a snarl. The stallion recognized it immediately as a marsh drake, and a hungry one, at that.

Thorn turned to face it, and the huge predator snarled at him, setting itself before it roared loudly in his face. But the stallion didn't twitch, only continuing to analyze the creature as he went over everything he had learned about the beasts that roamed the Everfree from his brief perusal of his bestiary earlier in the day. Marsh drakes were hostile, but preferred an easy kill: it wanted to scare him, to make him turn his back on it so it could bring him down quickly. But it wouldn't hesitate to attack him once it realized he wasn't going to run.

Thorn remained still and cold as the drake drew back, snarling and growling as it paced back and forth, glaring down at the unmoving pony. Then it twitched when Thorn suddenly swept his leg out to the side, but all he did was shift his cape out of the way before he said crisply: “Begin combat analysis.”

The marsh drake snarled, then roared and lunged forward, but Thorn simply swung his metal leg up: its crushing jaws bit down uselessly on his prosthetic limb, the beast spitting teeth as it quickly drew back. Even if it was three or four times his size or not, Thorn knew that he was both smarter and faster, and all he had to do was make himself as unappealing a target as possible.

The drake hissed, then lunged again, this time swiping a claw at his flesh-and-blood side, but Thorn summoned a shield of magic, blocking this attack. The drake almost flung itself on top of him, biting and slashing furiously, but the stallion easily backpedaled, evading every attack from the beast before it suddenly pounced and lashed both claws down on top of him.

From his vantage point, Antares winced, his body tensing. It wasn't that he really cared if Thorn got hurt or not – especially if he wasn't smart enough to run away when the idiot was faced with a marsh drake – but whether he liked him or not, he didn't want to see anypony die. Still, the drake apparently seemed confused, not triumphant, so maybe he had overshot his pounce or Thorn had managed to get out of the way, or-

Antares' eyes widened as the drake suddenly howled, its whole body convulsing before it flung itself backwards, scampering hurriedly away from Thorn. The blue stallion was encased in a solid forcefield, his steel hoof pressed against the dome and the entire shield crackling and rumbling with lightning.

Then it vanished as the stallion lowered his limb, and the marsh drake snarled, pacing back and forth nervously. Antares could see that it was slowly building its courage back up, though, and he shifted uncertainly, wondering if he should help out or not before the thing attacked the dumb kid again and Thorn got himself in trouble...

A holographic screen appeared beside Thorn, and he glanced towards it curiously: the drake snarled as it saw its chance, and Antares winced as the beast suddenly lunged forward-

And it stopped. It stopped, floating in midair, and Antares' eyes slowly widened as the drake wriggled uselessly, encased in Thorn's telekinetic aura. The unicorn wasn't even looking at the creature, only studying the screen meditatively before he finally turned towards the marsh drake, saying calmly: “That's enough.”

The drake snarled, and then its eyes bulged as it wheezed loudly, the creature flailing wildly as Thorn grimaced a little, but maintained control, continuing to squeeze the beast firmly with telekinesis until it went limp. Then he simply dropped the body, Antares gaping in disbelief as Thorn calmly produced a needle from his satchel, the sapphire stallion studying the unconscious drake curiously.

He cleaned an area with magic, then worked the needle gently between its scales to extract a blood sample, the sapphire stallion murmuring: “There we go. You're a simple creature, for something so large, but that's perfectly okay.”

Thorn paused, then didn't bother glancing up as he extracted the needle, even as he said to Antares: “Thank you for not interfering.”

“You lifted a marsh drake with your mind. How the hell do you have enough power to do that? Sin said she could barely sense any magic resonance from you at all!” Antares exclaimed, and then he stumbled to a halt before adding indignantly: “And hey! How the hell did you know it was me? And how long did you know I've been here?”

“Since you started following me after I met with Mayor Monkshood this morning.” Thorn replied absently, and Antares twitched and ground his teeth together in frustration.

The two looked at each other, and then Thorn smiled briefly as he lifted a secure case free from his satchel, tucking the needle away as he explained: “And I can't generate much magic power. No more than a hundred bæns. I am, however, very precise: that's how I was able to lift the drake as an object, by channeling my power to specific pressure points. Its flailing didn't break my grip because I wasn't trying to restrain it. I was just keeping it airborne.”

“No way. A hundred bæns is like... dude, even some unicorn foals can-”

“That is correct, yes.” Thorn said with perhaps the slightest hint of irritation, which Antares immediately locked on to: there was something so satisfying, and... and so weirdly familiar about the way Thorn acted when he started to actually get annoyed. “But that's also how I was able to detect you. I don't leak energy. You, on the other hand, are leaking roughly seventeen bæns a minute now that you're excited, which likely accounts in part for your higher than average energy consumption in regards to magic and your inability to use any spells but what you specialize in.”

“I... wow, touched a nerve, huh?” Antares asked mildly, and Thorn simply looked at the black stallion dryly until Antares added: “And I was totally treated for my leaking, by the way, which is fixed now, so you don't have to bring it up. Innocence leaks too. It's a family thing. We all leak. We get it from our Móðer.”

“That's very cute.” Thorn replied, and then he shook his head, resisting the urge to make any further retorts before he continued: “Bleeding energy is common among unicorns, particularly when they haven't been trained to control their magic more acutely. I know that you can exert control over purification and absorb magic energy thanks to your wings, but there are many vulnerabilities that can be exploited by-”

“Oh, great, now you're lecturing me. Fantastic, kid. Hey, uh, hate to break it to you, but I'm like. Old. I mean. Old in body, I'm still very young and handsome and great everywhere else.” Antares argued, gesturing at himself pointedly. “I've been around the block a lot more than you. Even if you were raised by Hecate, and I imagine that was scary in and of itself, I've totally seen stuff and done stuff. What have you seen and done?”

“A little more than eight hundred million seconds of life, each and every one accounted for and valued.” Thorn said dryly, and Antares blinked dumbly at this. “Antares, experiences only better us when we choose to learn from them and recognize what they have to teach us. I learned about the drake as I fought it: I gained more than reflex response and muscle memory.”

“Uh huh.” Antares looked unconvinced, tilting his head slightly towards the stallion before he said dryly: “You know, I've been doing this all a lot longer than you have. You might have a few fancy tricks up your sleeve, but... you wield a clipboard. I wield these.”

Antares held up his hooves pointedly, and Thorn sighed and shook his head slowly before he turned back towards the drake. The black stallion watched as Thorn returned to examining the fallen marsh drake, until the crystal-winged pony suddenly blurted: “You're weird.”

Thorn sighed tiredly again, looking moodily over his shoulder at Antares, and Antares huffed and shrugged before saying lamely: “You kind of are. I mean, I don't really understand anything about you. Which I don't like. But I feel like I should know you by now, which is even more frustrating, and Scar's nice to you so that means I should be nice to you but for some reason, really don't want to be nice to you. You're weird. It's all your fault.”

“Wonderful.” Thorn said dryly, and then he shook his head before returning his attention to the marsh drake, carefully touching along its neck as he muttered: “There's no fat deposits here, and the entirety of the creature is thin... it must have been driven out of its hunting grounds by hunger...”

“I could have told you that. I mean. Not about the fat. But it takes one to know one, right? Right?” Antares said loudly, then scowled when Thorn ignored him, before he stepped forward and began to poke firmly at the blue stallion with his horn. “Hey. Hey. Hey, hey. Hey. Hey! Hey.”

Thorn grimaced: while he could easily ignore the obnoxious stallion's loud voice, he wasn't very fond of being touched. It had been years since he had endured physical contact, and even if every now and then Hecate would pat him on the head or Necrophage would bounce in and hug him, that was about the extent of contact with anypony that Thorn wanted.

“Please stop that.” Thorn said moodily, stepping away, and Antares grinned as he followed after the stallion, growling childishly as he swung his horn from side to side and poked it wildly at Thorn, who continued to backpedal in a circle as one of his eyes twitched. “I'm trying to be professional here, Antares, but-”

“Well, I'm not!” Antares said cheerfully, and then he leapt at Thorn and firmly bopped him with his horn, the sapphire stallion stiffening and staring as the black stallion grinned widely and backed quickly up, winking as he danced from hoof-to-hoof. “You want some of this? Or uh, you... not want some of this? Well if you don't want any of it you better... not... come and not get it! Yeah!”

Thorn scowled horribly, and Antares grinned widely at the almost comical expression on the sapphire stallion's face before Thorn took a slow breath, closing his eyes and stating: “I am here as a professional and I have duties to attend to. I have roughly fifty-eight samples to retrieve still and I do not have time to play-”

“Play!” Antares shouted, and then he simply tackled Thorn, knocking the blue stallion sprawling on his back, Thorn staring in horror up at Antares as Antares grinned widely down at him, half-straddling him as he pinned the smaller stallion beneath him by the shoulders. “So uh, you come here often?”

One of Thorn's eyes twitched before he slowly bared his fangs at Antares, growling: “Get off me, Antares Mīrus.”

“I didn't hear a 'please.' That's very unprofessional.” Antares remarked, and then he leaned down into Thorn's face, almost pushing their noses together as he added kindly: “Also, hey, you're pretty cute when you're mad. You remind me a little of Sin. Or maybe...”

Antares narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, leaning further down into Thorn, and the blue stallion twitched before he suddenly shoved the stallion violently off, shouting: “Will you just stop that? Horses of Heaven, do you ponies know nothing about personal space?”

“It's really weird that you don't like being touched! I touch myself all the time and I love it!” Antares retorted loudly as he caught himself on his hooves, glaring across at Thorn: the sapphire stallion was breathing hard, his eye twitching, his teeth bared, his mane messy and that expression in those dark eyes was so... so...

Antares' eyes widened, and Thorn glared at him before he rose his head slightly and said sarcastically: “I can't imagine why you'd have to touch yourself all the time, Antares, you'd think other ponies would just be falling all over themselves to spend their time with such a fun pony like you.”

That was it. That slight tilt of the head, that droll way of speaking, that posture, it was all a mix of... “Oh holy hell. Thorn, you... are you...”

Thorn frowned slightly, and then Antares strode forward, staring over him with disbelief as he saw it, every piece of the puzzle, every part that added up to... “Thorn, are you... are you my brother?”

The sapphire stallion scowled a little even as a faint blush tinged his cheeks, and then he reached up and brushed himself quickly off before he muttered: “We share the same parents, yes, if that is what you're asking.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Antares twitched slightly before he leaned forward and shouted: “Why in the hell didn't you tell me?”

Antares glared at Thorn, furious, but also embarrassed and strangely upset, and Thorn looked back at him moodily before the sapphire stallion said dryly: “Because I am a professional, Antares. And I wanted to complete my work and understand each of you as much as I could before revealing who I was. The treatment I've received as Thorn Blackfeather, Regent of Decretum, is much different from how I've been treated as Thorn Blackfeather, son of the heroes.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Antares narrowed his eyes dangerously as he leaned forwards and asked shortly: “And why shouldn't I make you into Thorn Blackfeather, who just got his face broke?”

Thorn frowned, and Antares shook his head vehemently, snapping: “You don't play games with family, Thorn, and you don't put your stupid job first! Maybe you've forgotten how valuable family is spending all that time with Hecate, but... hey, why the hell were you even with Hecate, anyway? Why did we never know about you? When were you even born and why didn't anyone tell us?”

Thorn studied Antares for a few moments, and then he said softly: “You can be as angry as you want, Antares, but it doesn't change what has already happened and does nothing to further current events, either. I am not to blame and you know that, just as our parents are not to blame, either. You speak before you think... or perhaps, as you think. Your gift is acuity; understanding others and predicting their thoughts and reactions. But according to my evaluations, your reliance on your natural abilities seems to have diminished your thinking processes. So stop, and think.”

Antares glared at the sapphire stallion, and then he stomped a hoof before dropping to a ready position, saying shortly: “I'm gonna kick your ass.”

Thorn blinked slowly, and then he said after a moment: “I don't think that is the wisest course of action in this-”

“No. I'm gonna kick your ass. Because goddammit, that's the only way I learned all the hard lessons I did, getting my ass kicked over and over again until it stuck. I was a horrible dumbass too.” Antares said dryly, glaring at Thorn, who only looked uncomprehendingly back at him. “Hey, if I'm your big brother, it's my job to teach, right? So get ready to learn, Thorn.”

“You're projecting your emotions and experiences. You're also angry and looking for an easy outlet. But you're not entirely stupid: you want to confirm your suspicions, and because our entire family is made up of warriors, fighters, and other such ponies, you think the easiest way-”

“Stop analyzing me! That's my thing and only I'm supposed to be annoying like that!” Antares shouted, and then he charged straight at Thorn before attempting to slam a headbutt into him-

Thorn caught Antares by the head, and Antares had a moment to look dumb before he howled in pain as electricity tore across his body, spasming and writhing wildly before his legs simply gave out and he flopped to the ground, smoldering faintly and blinking stupidly. The sapphire stallion simply looked moodily down at Antares, and then he said dryly: “Don't antagonize other people without reason. You may not provoke the response you desire.”

Antares glared up at him, but his whole body ached with exhaustion. Thorn had zapped him with an incredible amount of electrical force, and now... well... now? He felt incredibly stupid. But he wasn't able to predict Thorn's emotions or movements accurately still, even if he knew... “Oh no. I'm not stupid or... too stupid to fall for that, Thorn. You're not getting out of this so easy.”

Thorn looked down at Antares, then he placed his metal hoof on the stallion's forehead, and Antares' eyes widened before he began to shake his head vehemently, blurting: “No no no wait-”

Electricity tore over Antares' body, the stallion yelling a furious string of curses as he convulsed violently on the spot before dropping limp, groaning weakly and blinking slowly as he shivered a little, his whole body pulsing painfully.

“Not every enemy is going to simply sit back and permit you to monologue or recover. If you make a threat or provoke an opponent, don't act surprised when they retaliate.” Thorn said calmly, looking mildly down at Antares before he gave a slight smile. “Although I do feel... a little better now. Thank you for that.”

“Oh, you're welcome, sport.” Antares wheezed, and then he mumbled: “I really hate you, kid. I hope that you know that.”

Thorn shrugged, and after a few moments, Antares slowly pushed himself up to his hooves, wheezing a little as he shook himself out before he mumbled: “Okay. Okay, you still want to fight? I'll give you a hell of a fight. I'll-”

Antares looked dumbly up as Thorn simply turned to walk away, and the black stallion's eye twitched before he grumbled and stumbled after the younger unicorn. “Hey, I was talking to you! I still have a lot to lecture you about and... to kick your flank for being such a... a flank-face! And dammit, I'm going to kick Scarlet's flank too, this is why she was being nice to you the whole damn time, isn't it?”

Thorn ignored Antares as he resumed his search for specimen samples, leaving the fallen marsh drake behind and wandering through the trees as his older brother stumbled after him. As much as part of him wanted to turn around, talk to Antares, learn from him and listen to him and maybe let him vent, he also recognized that he had a job to finish, and responsibilities, and Antares was going to stubbornly follow him and shout at him anyway, so there was no point in shirking his duties.

Antares grumbled, watching as Thorn paused to examine several plants before he said loudly: “You know, real rude to ignore your brother. Do you know what that means, to have a brother?”

“We have the same biological parents and thus share biological similarities.” Thorn said absently, earning a scowl from Antares as the sapphire stallion picked a few flowers. “Genetics are not as cut-and-dried as many ponies would like to believe, however: science is not unchanging, but dynamic, as all things are. Ponies simply force the idea of hard laws on science because it gives them something more tangible to put their faith into, it gives a sense of control as well as frees us from personal responsibility: what, genetics decree that adrenaline stimulates rage, and I have an adrenal overload? Then my lashing out is not my fault.”

“You're not bitter at all.” Antares said mildly, before he tilted his head and added dryly: “Does kind of make me see a lot more of Dad in you, though. But funny. I thought you'd be all over hard facts and science and telling me how dumb I am for believing in monsters under the bed.”

“The Orphans hunt the monsters under the bed. Without the monsters under the bed, Decretum would not exist as it does now.” Thorn replied candidly, and Antares was finally forced to smile slightly at this, before the sapphire stallion continued: “What I hate are absolutes, and handicaps. They become too easy to lean on, to take advantage of, to... hide behind. I dislike cowardice. I dislike entitlement. And I believe in responsibility.”

“You're so not fun. You know that, right?” Antares asked almost curiously, and Thorn only gave him a look before he turned his eyes back forward. “You know, I may or may not agree with you on much of that, which makes me feel weird and kind of dirty. Still, great that we can agree on something, since. I find everything about you terribly disagreeable. You're worse than Sin.”

Thorn only shrugged, and Antares grumbled under his breath before he said grouchily: “We are totally going to fight, though, I hope you recognize that. And also that I'm going to completely kick your flank, too. That's what big brothers do and I've had a lot of practice with Sin.”

The sapphire stallion didn't reply as he approached a bush,examining the berries growing over it before Antares scowled, then muttered: “The worst part? I honestly still can't read you at all. Horses of Heaven, you must have a will of iron. And how... just...” Antares struggled for a moment, then leaned forward and asked almost desperately: “How could you not tell any of us? I mean, do you really think we're going to... I dunno, get in your way or distract you or... well, seriously, I've been distracting you all week!”

Thorn halted, then he sighed quietly before turning around to face Antares, studying him and realizing that he wasn't really angry: he was just upset. It made him feel a strange twist in his stomach that he wasn't used to, as he studied the stallion silently for a few moments, and then he shook his head slowly before saying quietly: “Antares, yes, this is partly about you. But please try to recognize that... this is also about me.

“These last few days have allowed me to get to know you and understand you a little, and the rest of these ponies. To see how the world works...” Thorn looked silently towards the sky faintly visibly through the trees, saying quietly: “I've never seen a blue sky before now. I've never experienced a world where ponies could simply... walk to another city if they felt like it, or where ponies could apply for jobs wherever they pleased or not work at all. There are no cameras, no security drones, no all-seeing eyes, no Archives; there are few machines, and in spite of all the luxuries, I don't see ponies using magic or technology to make their lives lazier or simpler. There are no credits, but these... silly gold coins called bits. How are ponies supposed to carry around bags of bits, anyway?”

Thorn smiled briefly, shaking his head slowly before he looked down at his steel leg, studying it in silence. “I am very alien to this world. And I am conscious of the fact that most ponies seem to consider me to be a Dogmatist, which has not earned me any allies outside of Subterra. And I am not...”

Thorn looked up at Antares, chuckling quietly. “As Hecate put it, I am the product of a superior genetic heritage, and my parents decided I should be an accountant. I was never trained to fight. I was trained to work in the Archives, and to administrate. I am not sure I am precisely... 'brother' material.”

Antares studied Thorn for a few moments, and then he smiled a little and sighed, straightening as he said finally: “You know, I guess... since I can't read you or anything, I assumed you were super tough and all that. But... now I think I'm getting you a little, the old-fashioned way.”

The two stallions looked at each other for a few moments, and then Antares softened before he shook his head slowly, saying quietly: “Just... look at you. You look a lot like Mutt. I don't know how I didn't see it before, but... I guess I also wasn't really looking very smartly before. Just kind of... looking but not really looking, you know?”

“I suppose I understand.” Thorn turned back around, picking a few of the berries as he removed another sample case from his bag. He worked for a few minutes, collecting samples and making the occasional note to himself as Antares simply lingered, studying him intently.

Finally, Thorn looked up, cocking an eyebrow at the stallion, and Antares gave a brief grin before he sighed and shook his head, saying wryly: “You know, I've always had a harder time reading family. But you... you don't twitch, you don't gesture, you just work diligently away like a damn machine. But there's something going on in your brain, isn't there? I just have no idea what.”

Thorn simply shrugged, and Antares rolled his eyes before he said dryly: “Real helpful there, pal. Real helpful.”

Thorn shrugged again, then he turned around, saying simply: “I have responsibilities and duties to attend to. That's all.”

“Yeah. And I was like that growing up. I screwed up a lot because of thinking like that, too, because, like, you don't realize it, Thorn, but always doing what you're told is sometimes what gets you in worse trouble than being a bit of a rebel.” Antares said pointedly, shaking his head briefly. “A lot of things in life are more important than your job, you know. I mean, I know Hecate is a little uh... 'priority-focused,' but-”

“She is. And with all due respect, Antares, I know what I'm doing with my life.” Thorn replied dryly, and Antares grinned, opening his mouth, but he was surprised into silence when Thorn said: “Even though time was set aside for family at the end of the week, to... understand my own heritage, among other things, every free moment I have has been spent with relatives or friends of our parents. Sometimes, such as now, my work time also doubles as time getting to know family. You and Innocence have been stalking me the entire week and I could have simply asked you to leave or evaded you. I didn't, because I want to spend time with you: I want to know you, and understand you.”

“I... well, uh... hey, you totally couldn't run away from me or Sin! Sin's got crazy magic powers and I have super-eyes.” Antares retorted lamely, even as he blushed ever so slightly and felt oddly reprimanded. Thorn had a point after all, but... “Also you can't talk to me like that and you're automatically wrong because I'm your big brother.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Thorn's horn glowed before the stallion simply vanished from sight. Antares stared in disbelief, then he narrowed his eyes as he concentrated, looking back and forth as his own horn glowed, but there was no trace of magic, no trace of Thorn, no distortions in the air or swaying in the grasses or any hints that he had even been there at all.

“What the hell!” Antares shouted, looking back and forth before he glared at the spot where Thorn had been a moment ago, snapping: “Okay, great, you can turn invisible. Real impressive.”

There was only silence, and Antares frowned before he picked up a nearby rock with telekinesis, swinging it moodily back and forth before he flung it suddenly at the spot where he assumed Thorn was. But when the rock passed through thin air and uselessly bounced off a tree, his eyes widened slightly as he hurriedly searched the ground, but there wasn't a single hoofprint in sight: how the hell had Thorn... vanished?

“Wait, you can't teleport. You seriously can't teleport with that little magic energy!” Antares shouted, and then he yelped and jumped about ten feet into the air when a throat politely cleared behind him.

The stallion glared over his shoulder, one eye twitching as his eyes locked onto Thorn, who was simply standing with his clipboard floating beside him, absently writing several notes over this as he said calmly: “Teleporting short distances only requires fifty bæns of energy, which is why some foals are capable of blinking as an instinctive reaction. Again, the problem isn't magic power, but focus. If you don't have proper control over your own energies and magic, then your abilities are impacted, sometimes severely, and sometimes exponentially.”

Antares stared at Thorn for a moment, and then he leaned forwards and snapped his horn hard, sending a blast of white fire at the stallion. But without flinching, Thorn simply leaned to the side, the blast of purification shooting past his head as he said calmly: “Your spells also become more predictable, because of the changes I can sense in your generation.”

“Yeah, well, my generation was a lot less crappy than your generation!” Antares shouted lamely, and then he roared before charging forward like a bull, horn lowered straight at Thorn-

Antares crashed into a shield of electricity, howling in surprise before he flopped backwards, twitching and coughing smoke. Thorn only looked down at him mildly for a few moments, before he said dryly: “There are much easier ways to test me than to continuously throw yourself at me. It would be less taxing on you physically, as well.”

Antares grumbled on the ground, and then he looked up and asked suddenly: “Do you want to have dinner with me and my friends tonight?”

Thorn blinked in surprise, his head rearing back a bit, and Antares grinned before he shook himself out and clambered up to his hooves; Thorn was admittedly impressed by the durability and determination of the stallion. “Well, see... Aphrodisia is up from Helheim, and she'd love to meet you. By now I'm guessing Pinkamena and Sleipnir know who you are, and uh... well, you have to meet Avalon, she's like a little sister to me. Little as in, tiny. Not as in 'little.' Even though I think she is 'littler' than me.”

“Younger.” Thorn said dryly, and Antares shrugged amiably as Thorn looked away, saying awkwardly: “I... don't know, I made an obligation with your sister...”

“Oh, Sin'll be there, too.” Antares said blandly, and Thorn scowled at him. “What? She will be. She's always following me around when she's not... you know. Doing her creepy magic thing. Doesn't have a lot of friends, poor thing. Clings to me. That's why she still lives with me and stuff. I think she has an incest fetish, too. Probably pretends we're a couple, which really creeps other people out. Creeps me out, too, but hey, it keeps people away from the house and from bothering me. That's pretty cool.”

“I meant Scarlet Sage.” Thorn said sourly, and Antares nodded wisely, staring at Thorn almost childishly. The sapphire stallion looked dryly back, and then he rolled his eyes before muttering: “And I thought putting up with Team C-03 was difficult.”

Antares snorted, then he hesitated for a moment before asking impulsively: “Thorn, uh... could you maybe... tell me about Decretum?”

Thorn frowned slightly in surprise at this, tilting his head, and Antares smiled briefly before he shook his head and said in a softer voice: “I guess what I'm really asking is... how is Hecate? I've never really forgotten her. Honestly, I think I was the only pony who really liked her, who really... saw her, for who she really was, under all the... well, bitch.”

Thorn gave a brief smile, and Antares shrugged before he smiled back and said finally: “I'd like to know she's okay, I guess. I dunno. I learned a lot from her during the war with Greater Heaven. And I think I understand more and more why she had to leave.”

Thorn glanced down for a moment, and then he said softly: “She never wanted to, you know. And some days she talks about it, and of course there are all the history files... although we don't allow access to those to just anyone, either. We have rules and customs you might find rather strange.”

Antares smiled briefly, shrugging a bit before he looked back and forth and declared: “This is boring. Tell you what, kid. I'll go talk to Scarlet Sage, maybe invite her along, too. You just... do your thing, then meet me tonight at Sugar Cube Corners. Big candy house, I'm sure you can use your fancy unicorn magic to find it or whatever.”

“You're a unicorn as well, Antares.” Thorn said dryly, and Antares huffed and placed a hoof against his breast as if offended. “And again, it's not about strength or 'fanciness,' it's about how much control you can exert over-”

“Yeah, yeah, boring, okay, get it.” Antares complained, waving a hoof back and forth and making Thorn scowl a little deeper. Then the black stallion spun around, flapping his crystalline wings once before he called over his shoulder as he bounced away: “Just make sure you show up by seven, got it? And act surprised for once in your goddamn life!”

Thorn sighed a little as Antares loudly battered his way back through the Everfree Forest, and then he gave a wry smile before shaking his head briefly, muttering: “I'll try my best, Antares Mīrus.”

Thorn knocked politely once before he pushed the door to Sugar Cube Corners opened, and he was promptly assaulted by noise and flashes of light, the sapphire stallion grimacing at the loudness of the cheering and greetings and neon magic that assaulted him. He felt himself grabbed and yanked into the shop, sighing a little in resignation as ponies flocked around him.

He wasn't exactly surprised, as he looked moodily up-

Thorn stared in disbelief at the cake on the table... and... were those gifts? He winced as he looked back and forth at the ponies, before he flinched slightly when the happy pink pony suddenly appeared in front of him, asking excitedly: “Are you surprised now? Huh? What do you think of your super happy special happy birthday party?”

“I... wait, what?” Thorn asked blankly, blinking before he began to shake his head, looking in disbelief at the triple – quadruple? I can't even tell – layered cake. “I... no, I mean, it's not my birthday, that's still ninety-eight days away-”

“Well, it's not a birthday birthday party, but more like a birthday party for all the missed birthdays we missed!” Pinkie said happily, nodding rapidly as she bounced excitedly in front of Thorn. “So you're surprised, right, and-”

“Pinkie calm the hell down!” Pinkamena barked as she strode in, making her sister wink and huff loudly, before she squeaked when Pinkamena suddenly turned and slammed a hoof towards Thorn's face. And this time, Thorn didn't react fast enough, the mare slugging him across the jaw and nearly knocking him over as he stumbled, Antares' cackling ringing out loudly through the room over the shouts, sighs, and gasps from their audience. “Not so fast and tough now, are you?”

Thorn grimaced a little, but the punch had at least knocked the surprise out of him as he absently reached up and rubbed at his jaw, looking moodily over at the demon. She looked challengingly back, right up until Sleipnir nearly squashed her as he ran in and swept Thorn up in a hug, making the sapphire stallion wheeze and flail uselessly as the jovial giant of a stallion shouted happily: “Happy many birthdays to thee, my nephew! And many great joys to me, as well, for 'tis a true relief I can sing the praises of thee and thy parents freely now without worry for offending thy secrets!”

Thorn only wheezed in response, and then he gasped loudly for air when Sleipnir finally set him down and ruffled up his mane with one hoof, the sapphire stallion blinking dumbly a few times before Innocence stormed in on the sapphire stallion's flank, snapping: “How the hell could you not tell us, though? And dammit, why the hell was I the last to know! I should have been the first to know! Now I'm not the baby anymore, goddammit!”

“Yeah, but you'll always be my baby, little sister.” Antares said sweetly, before he ducked quickly away from a hard kick aimed at his face. “Hey, watch it!”

“You watch it. Butthead.” Innocence grumbled, before she turned a scowl back towards Thorn, who had already turned away and was looking uncertainly back at the pile of gifts. “Hey! What, you greedy guts, you counting them up already?”

“Those aren't for me, are they?” Thorn's voice was oddly embarrassed, Innocence thought, looking with surprise at the sapphire stallion as he shifted awkwardly, before he suddenly cleared his throat and added quickly: “It would be unprofessional for me to accept any gifts of any kind. Furthermore, I have no way to transport these items back to Decretum, where they would have to be screened and any that are contraband would be removed anyway. I apologize.”

Innocence narrowed her eyes at the stallion, and he looked awkwardly back at her before she said suddenly: “You think you're too good for us! That's it, isn't it?”

“No, no, not at all, I just... there are rules to be followed and I don't want to-”

“Dinner time!” Antares shouted loudly, interrupting Thorn and the clamor of the ponies around him, and the sapphire stallion was immediately grabbed and hauled towards one of the larger tables that lined the walls of the store.

“Is this a restaurant of some kind?” Thorn asked dubiously as he allowed himself to be shoved into a bench: he figured that for now it was probably better just to go with the flow of things and argue with these insane ponies later. And thankfully, Scarlet Sage took the seat beside him, even as Innocence and Antares sat across from him.

His older but not eldest sister glared at him from across the table, and after a moment, Antares attempted to mimic her, crossing his forelegs and puffing out his cheeks childishly. Thorn looked slowly between the two, and then he turned towards Scarlet Sage, who shook her head and smiled as she answered: “Sort of. It's a sweets store, mostly, though. You buy candy and chocolate here, although a lot of people like to stay, eat at the tables, which Pinkamena says is good for business anyway.”

“Yes. She and Sleipnir and Pinkie Pie live above the shop, if I remember correctly.” Thorn said after a moment, as his eyes roved hesitantly over the racks of food behind the counter. There was a distinct, dual nature to this store: on one side, there was nothing but brightly colored, sugary, poofy treats, while the other had black-colored cookies, candies shaped like eyeballs, cakes and confections that looked like limbs and body parts... “In other worlds, this store is usually run by the Cake family, if the data logs are still correct. It's a constant, as are many things in Ponyville.”

“Many years ago, the Cakes ran this store. But unfortunately, they didn't make it past the first... well, apocalypse, I guess.” Scarlet Sage smiled briefly, but Thorn only nodded: he had read the files. He knew that the inhabitants of Looking Glass World were from another world, an outer realm of Midgard: their souls had been ferried here by his parents, and revived after Valthrudnir's machinations had destroyed their original homeworld.

Innocence cleared her throat loudly, and then she pointed at herself, saying flatly: “You see me? I was the youngest until you showed up. From nowhere, apparently. And now they're making this whole huge deal about you? Well, what about me? I'm a huge deal too, dammit!”

“The biggest.” Antares said almost solemnly, and Innocence rolled her eyes before she shoved her older brother firmly, making the black stallion sway before he said mildly: “You know what the weirdest thing here is, though? Not the fact that clearly Mutt and Mom and Dad didn't think about your feelings, Sin, because they obviously never considered my feelings before dumping you in my lap, but rather the fact that Thorn here is trying so hard to be tall, dark, and mysterious, but the only mare he seems interested in so far is Scarlet Sage. Which is sick, Thorn. I mean. Technically it's not sick but goddammit it's the thought that counts.”

Scarlet Sage rolled her eyes as Thorn gave a small smile, before he blinked in surprise as a rose-pink pony suddenly popped up at the side of their table, waving one of her cloven hooves happily as she greeted: “Hey, everyone! And hi to you, Thorn! It's nice to meet you!”

Thorn looked towards the mare, and he knew three things about her immediately: that she was a demon, that she was an Inquisitor, and that she had to be Aphrodisia Celeste Pie. She was beautiful, with long, raven-black hair that was knotted over one shoulder, youthful and smooth features, sharp green eyes and needle-like teeth half-concealed behind her smiling lips. She wore an amulet with the Archive's symbol on its face, and her cutie mark was of an emerald serpent, coiled in a spiral. Thorn knew from the files he'd read that she also had a summoning tattoo on her back: bright red runes that spelled out the name of her favored weapon, Elska, all of them shaped like hearts and stars and other cute, innocent-seeming shapes.

Antares grinned at her, and then he reached up and hugged her firmly as she leaned down and embraced him tightly, kissing his cheek loudly. Then she drew back and smiled at Thorn again, self-consciously playing with her amulet as she said shyly: “I've heard lots about you. Hel swore me to secrecy and stuff, but um... I've heard lots and lots about you, since you're the youngest High Inquisitor ever appointed and all.”

“What?” Innocence almost shouted, as Antares blinked in surprise, then feigned a hurt look, putting a hoof over his chest as he mock-glared at Aphrodisia, who blushed a little. “How the hell is- what the hell, who... who the hell-”

“It was largely a ceremonial appointment to keep me safe, even if... well, it does have its advantages now.” Thorn admitted, as Aphrodisia's eyes flicked up to the ring around his horn. “Hel was very good to me. Better than she had to be.”

“Nah, I think she really really likes you, and more than just because you're you-know-who's you-know-what.” Aphrodisia said positively, nodding firmly.

“And Apps doesn't lie. Oh wait, yes she does. All the time, apparently.” Antares said loudly, and Aphrodisia huffed before she leaned forwards and blew a stream of orange smoke at him, but Antares flailed wildly at the air, shouting: “Help, help! She's trying to make me insatiably aroused so I have an awkward erection in public with my family!”

Thorn stared for a moment at Antares, before Scarlet Sage politely patted him on the shoulder and asked: “Do you want to come with me and get some food? I know that Pinkie is probably going to try and serve everyone, but... you seem like the do-it-yourself type.”

“Yes. Please.” Thorn said, glad to have any excuse to get away from the table as Antares huffed and Innocence grabbed wildly and uselessly at the sapphire stallion as he left.

“We're not done, Thorn! I've got a lot more questions for you!” Innocence shouted, as the two headed towards the kitchen, with Aphrodisia quickly following. For a moment, the scaled unicorn scowled, before she softened and turned her eyes to Antares, asking in a much more serious voice: “So what do you think?”

“I guess I'm not entirely surprised. I mean, I hate my birthday, too, and Scarlet doesn't do much for it either.” He halted, then shook his head briefly before continuing quietly: “Apps did actually tell me a little about him earlier. She met him when he was a kid, apparently, although he probably doesn't really remember her at all. Already had the Archive ring, though... and apparently Luna was forbidden to train him, as part of some deal with Hel. Can you imagine that?”

Innocence grimaced a bit: sure, part of her was a little jealous of the fact that Thorn had probably learned all sorts of amazing things in Helheim, but she'd been stupid enough to trade both her youth and family bonds for power in the past, and learned a very harsh lesson about how valuable those were. “I think what gets me most is the whole Hecate thing.”

Antares tilted his head curiously, and Innocence hesitated before saying finally: “It's just... I mean, it makes a weird sort of sense for her to take Thorn if our parents couldn't look after him and didn't want to leave him in Helheim, but... ten years growing up in Helheim. Wouldn't he already have been permanently marked by it? And isn't Decretum... sort of another Hell? I mean... it runs on rules and logic and war and all, and has one ultimate dictator...”

“I don't think that's really a polite way to put it. And... well...” Antares shifted a little, hesitantly biting his cheek: he didn't know a whole lot about Helheim, but... “If Thorn was restricted to their home and the Archives... those places are pretty airtight, so to speak. I know that the Archives are insulated against the corruptive energies of Helheim: they need to be, because the Historians and other big-league demons and devils can't have anything distracting them.”

Innocence nodded hesitantly, and then she muttered: “I guess Hel sort of has ultimate authority and all, too. I guess if she wants to insulate an area, nothing else can really stop her. Not even Hell itself.”

“I dunno about that. But she is crafty.” Antares halted, then he said mildly: “Anyway, you better be careful too, Sin. Hate to see him humiliate you by outdoing your magic.”

Sin gave a short snort at this, glaring at Antares and nearly shoving him out of his seat as she retorted: “Just because you're too stupid to take him doesn't mean I am too. I knew that without your stupid eyes you'd just be a big bag of hot air.”

“I am an awesome bag of hot air, thank you very much.” Antares retorted, and then he looked up as Thorn and Scarlet came back, Aphrodisia bouncing cheerfully along behind them with a wide smile. “Hey, there you are. Hey, Thorn, while it's really cool to get two mares all to yourself and all, it's actually double uncool points when they're your own family.”

“Only if you don't use protection!” Apps chirped cheerfully, and Antares rolled his eyes in amusement as Sin groaned loudly, before all three ponies looked at Scarlet and Thorn, who were completely ignoring them.

“I completely understand that just because I don't understand how it works, doesn't mean it can't possibly work; with my powers and all, I guess I'm sort of the poster girl for that. What I'm saying, though, is that it doesn't seem like genetics alone could account for our abilities. The whole... not eating thing is a great example. Calories mean energy, and energy powers the body.” Scarlet said, gesturing at the food in front of her. “Not eating should mean our bodies aren't getting any energy, which should result in starvation and death. But for us, immortalized ponies by... any of a variety of processes, it doesn't: we can still experience hunger, and weakening, sure, but not death. How is that possible? How could you just have genes with endless energy?”

“Oh great, she's doing her science thing again.” Antares muttered, before he stared in something like horror as Thorn smiled and engaged her with what was almost eagerness: apparently he enjoyed talking about things that Antares and Innocence both found incredibly boring, even pedantic.

“Well, it's not simply about genetics, per se: genes are simply a broad, go-to term, just as I'm sure you know that mitochondria are responsible for the production of most of our body's ATP. What if their respiration was even one percent more efficient than the average person's? Consider how many times that cycle triggers over the course of a single day, and then consider what that would mean for your lifetime.” Thorn replied, and Scarlet Sage nodded thoughtfully as Antares and Innocence traded looks, and Aphrodisia only stared at them with strange fascination, as if they were interesting exotic animals in a zoo. “It's not about one single 'fantastic' piece: it's about the fact that our entire systems have evolved to the point-”

“We have superpowers and shoot magic out of our horns, why can't you just enjoy how awesome that is?” Antares interrupted crankily, as Innocence massaged her temples slowly. “I, for one, am not questioning my awesome superpowers. Do you know why I have awesome superpowers? Because my parents were awesome. And now I'm awesome.”

Thorn and Scarlet Sage looked at Antares for a moment, and then the sapphire stallion gestured towards the black pony and said dryly: “Also you were mutated by the Pious.”

“You say it like that and it sounds really bad.” Antares grumbled, glaring at the stallion. “And hey. That might be a sore subject. So you know, stop poking it.”

Scarlet Sage sighed, and Thorn simply shrugged before he looked down at the food on his plate, smiling a little after a moment as he picked up a bagel with telekinesis and said quietly: “All your food is so... strange. High in carbohydrates and sugars, even though most ponies don't really need that rapid energy.”

Innocence huffed loudly, retorting: “Well, it tastes good, and that's what matters. You're weird, Thorn. And also, hey, don't you think that you're half as strong as me, got it?”

Thorn simply cocked an eyebrow at her, and then he shrugged before he said simply: “Alright.”

Innocence stared for a moment at this response, and then Thorn turned back towards Scarlet Sage, continuing where he'd left off: “There's also the idea that, while the abilities some ponies have developed are very 'incredible,' for lack of a better word, such as creating fire or calling up feats of magic and seeming miracles, we also all have a shared passive trait that is both responsible for and augments those abilities, based upon how effective it is: the ability to absorb energy from the environment, much as demons and other so-called 'supernatural entities' do...”

Scarlet Sage nodded intently, and Antares and Sin both groaned loudly as Aphrodisia leaned forward with interest. Not even Pinkie Pie was able to interrupt the jargon and science-heavy talk between the two for very long, and it took both ponies quite a while to finish their small meals, while Antares and Innocence both ate at least three servings of various baked treats.

But then Thorn was quite literally dragged out of his seat by Pinkamena, half-carried over to the cake before she thrust a knife into his hoof and said bluntly: “Don't screw up cutting it.”

Thorn stared around at the room as ponies clustered forward eagerly: faces he knew, and a few faces he didn't, but whom he imagined were either friends of his siblings or his parents. He smiled awkwardly as he looked back and forth, calculating the size of the gathering before he looked down at the stack of plates, and then he cleared his throat before turning towards the cake, mumbling: “Well, uh... let's get this going, then.”

Thorn's horn glowed, and a holographic grid appeared over the cake: the sapphire stallion used it to quickly and evenly cut the massive cake into much smaller pieces, serving them out to the plates and passing them out without looking, his horn floating pieces quickly to each pony that came forward. Antares was both amused and a little horrified by his little brother's professionalism, even when it came to something as simple as cutting a cake.

Thorn passed out the last piece, then smiled briefly as he glanced around the room as Antares loitered beside him, absently picking at the delicious cake with his fork before he said mildly: “You proud of yourself there, champ? Because hey, genius. There's an empty plate left.”

“Yes, everyone got a piece. There were thirty ponies to serve. Each pony received an equal share of the cake.” Thorn replied with a shrug, and Antares gave the sapphire stallion a moody look at his... mechanicalness. Horses of Heaven. I need to get him to stop doing that.

The black stallion glanced quickly around the room, counting the heads present: even Pinkamena was grumpily slaughtering her piece of cake, complaining loudly about it to Pinkie Pie, even though the twins had probably done equal work on the cake. He counted twenty nine ponies, and then there was him, and...

His eyes slowly roved to Thorn, and he said after a moment: “You didn't give yourself a piece.”

Thorn smiled briefly and shrugged, saying quietly: “The cake wouldn't divide evenly into thirty-one pieces. This is all very generous, Antares, and very... fascinating to me. I'm already thankful for-”

“Hey, Aunt Pinkamena! Come over here, huh?” Antares shouted, and Pinkamena grunted before she shoved herself out of her seat, wandering over with a frown. “Thorn didn't serve himself.”

Pinkamena narrowed her eyes dangerously at Thorn, who looked blankly back before the demon growled: “What? Not good enough for you, your highness? You got a problem with that cake, asshole? Sissy worked real goddamn hard on it for you.”

“I. What?” Thorn looked honestly confused, which made Antares feel a little bit bad... but only a little. “I thought that-”

“It's for you. I didn't even want the stupid cake, I make cakes all the goddamn time. Tastes like crap, anyway.” Pinkamena grumbled, and then she looked over at Antares before yanking the plate out of his hooves, the black stallion huffing loudly as the demon thrust this towards Thorn. “Eat it.”

“Thank you, but... I'm alright. I apologize for offending-”

“Eat it.” Pinkamena repeated threateningly, and Thorn simply looked at her before the demon growled: “Okay, fine.”

With a flick of her hoof, Pinkamena tossed the plate into the air, then she caught it as it fell and rammed it into Thorn's muzzle, the glass plate cracking as Thorn was knocked over with a grunt of surprise, cake smeared all over his face and mouth. He blinked and rubbed immediately at his face, looking horrified before Pinkamena stepped forward and grabbed some of the loose cake from the ground, leaping on top of the stallion and-

Antares' eyes widened, watching with amazement as Thorn caught Pinkamena by the wrist and rolled his body at the same time, slamming the demon down on her side. She immediately tried to drag him into rolling further to reverse the grapple, but Thorn was incredibly agile, slipping loose and leaping backwards.

Pinkamena was just as fast, however, leaping after the stallion and making a sharp grab at him, but Thorn brought his mechanical limb up immediately to defend himself. The demon grabbed this instead, however, growling as she twisted hard to the side and yanked forwards as one of her hooves went up and seized into his shoulder, and Antares saw Thorn's eyes widen too late to warn her, too late to intervene as the sapphire stallion's usual stoic, impenetrable facade dropped-

Thorn's artificial limb squealed before it popped free from his shoulder with a loud hiss of steam, and the stallion staggered backwards on three limbs as Pinkamena dropped the artificial leg like it was hot, her eyes widening in shock. The whole room went silent as Thorn grimaced and dropped his head forwards, the sapphire stallion breathing slowly as the stump at the end of his limb curled on itself as best it could, as if he was trying to hide what little was there. But it was little more than a muscular shoulder, scarred hide, and a mechanical slot...

Thorn's horn glowed as he quickly lifted his steel limb free from the ground, and the hidden lock on the shoulder clicked as it snapped back into place, electricity sizzling over the artificial limb as Thorn flexed it slowly before he shrugged his cape forwards to cover the steel appendage. He shifted a bit as the pistons pumped, and then, still looking at the ground, he said shortly: “Thank you for dinner.”

The stallion strode forward, and Pinkamena reached out automatically to try and stop him, but Thorn's ring glowed and the demon was immediately repelled by an invisible force, wincing slightly as she staggered out of his path.

Thorn made his way out before anyone could stop him, and Pinkamena and Antares looked at each other before the stallion lowered his head and muttered: “Goddammit. I'll go and talk to him.”

Pinkamena grunted, then caught Antares' shoulder as he began to pass, the two looking at each other for a few moments before Antares smiled briefly and simply shrugged. Somehow, it seemed to reassure the demon, even as she rolled her eyes and shoved him away.

Antares exited the candy store, then grimaced a bit as he looked back and forth: Thorn was simply... gone. He couldn't sense any trace of him as he looked back and forth, before he glanced over his shoulder in surprise as Scarlet Sage followed him out and said quietly: “He'll be at the Clockworks. That's where he's been spending most of his time lately. And you're an asshole, by the way.”

“Yeah. I know.” Antares mumbled, as he looked awkwardly back and forth before he grimaced and shook his head. “I wanted to push him a little, but I didn't think that he'd... well...”

“That, what, he'd purposefully pop his leg off?” Innocence asked mildly as she emerged from the shop as well, and Antares gave her a flat look even as he blushed a little. “I don't think he did that on purpose, Tarry.”

“Gosh, thank you so much for solving that mystery, Sin.” Antares said flatly, and then he shook his head, muttering: “No, I didn't think that... you know. I just wanted him to loosen up.”

Scarlet Sage sighed as she shook her head, and then she started down the road, her younger siblings following as she said quietly: “Well, maybe that's part of the problem. Thorn isn't like you, Antares, or like you, Sin. He's kind of like me, but... still different there, too. I mean, sure, he's got a little of Mom and Mutt and Dad in him, but...”

“We're not stupid, you know. We just act stupid.” Innocence said pointedly, and Scarlet Sage smiled slightly despite herself as the three strode down the street, the scaled mare muttering: “Well, okay. Sometimes we're a little stupid, I guess. What I mean, though, is that I see your point. Still, he's... weird.”

“Helpful.” Scarlet Sage remarked, and Antares and Sin both glowered at her before the Pegasus said quietly: “We can't really force him to do anything, alright? We need to let him adjust to us and come to us in time. We can't... force him to open up.”

“Yes we probably could, but... I know, I know. That wouldn't be right.” Antares said grumpily, nodding a few times before he said in a quieter voice: “I guess he's really not used to how we do things. Sure, we're... a little forceful at times, but...”

“A lot forceful, actually.” Scarlet Sage smiled despite herself, glancing over at the stallion and shaking her head briefly before she asked: “Do you really think it's acceptable to shove cake down someone's throat just because you want them to have a piece anywhere else?”

“Yes!” Antares said defensively, and then he dropped his head and mumbled: “No. Still. I didn't think his stupid leg would come off. He uses it everywhere and it holds up just fine.”

“He was playing with it a lot during dinner. He might have loosened it. I mean, we don't know how it works, and it looks pretty big and heavy. I don't expect Thorn would exactly tell us if it was uncomfortable for him to wear or anything, either.” Scarlet Sage halted, then she shook her head slowly and murmured: “He's definitely not a Dogmatist, though. If he was, it would have been built into his body.”

“Yeah.” Antares said after a moment, glancing away as if ashamed, and Innocence gave a small smile. The three trudged on through the town beneath the blanket of late evening, passing beneath dimly-lit streetlamps and glowing windows as they made their way towards the other side of the village.

They reached the Clockworks – or, as it was now known, the Reclamation Facility – without much difficulty, and Antares smiled slightly as he saw Rustproof standing outside of it, calmly smoking a cigarette. As they approached, the stallion looked up inquisitively at them, and Antares shrugged a little before he sighed and said awkwardly: “Yeah, my bad. Kind of baited Pinkamena into attacking him to try and make him either freak out or loosen up a little. She accidentally... uh...”

“Tore his leg off.” Innocence supplied helpfully, and Antares and Scarlet Sage both glared at her, making her wince and quail.

But Rustproof only nodded thoughtfully a few times, then he said simply: “Okay.”

“Okay then.” Antares smiled a little after a moment, and then he strode towards the doors of the facility, saying wryly: “You always know just what to say, Rusty. Thanks for that.”

Rustproof only smiled wryly as the siblings entered the sterile halls of the Clockworks: in the past, it had been the derelict ruins of the old Kwolek Labs and Hecate's own work facility. But after the new engineering had been constructed, the haunted ruins had been excavated and rebuilt into a second set of workshops: considering that Ponyville had some of the best Nibelung Architects in Equestria in residence, it had been an excellent investment.

They found Thorn in one of the lower workshops, although Antares mentally flinched when he saw the stallion was working on his mechanical leg, which was laying on a table in front of him. Thorn looked up from the workbench to survey the three with a neutral expression as they entered, and Scarlet Sage firmly shoved Antares forward, making him wince and stumble a little before he sighed loudly, looking awkwardly at the stallion before he said lamely: “Uh... sorry about the... everything. It's all my fault, really, not Pinkamena's.”

Thorn didn't reply, returning his eyes to the mechanical limb in front of himself as he floated tools around with telekinesis, touching up the pauldron. Antares couldn't help his eyes from drawing to Thorn's stump of shoulder, studying it silently until he blushed crimson when Thorn answered his unspoken question: “Every day.”

“How uh... oh. I guess you're... probably used to people asking that, huh?” Antares said lamely after a moment, and Thorn gave perhaps the faintest smile. The black stallion hesitated, then suddenly asked, on a wild hunch: “How do you function with just three legs?”

Scarlet Sage and Innocence both stared at Antares, but he kept his eyes ahead, locked with Thorn's gaze as the sapphire stallion looked up, and then he sighed a little, but put down his tools before he calmly strode out from behind the workbench, gesturing at himself with his head.

Antares whistled a little, and then he asked curiously: “How the hell do you move like that? I mean...” Antares awkwardly folded up one of his legs, hopping back and forth on three limbs a little and almost overbalancing, and Thorn rolled his eyes as Scarlet Sage stared in horror and Innocence covered her muzzle as she gave a few horrified giggles. “Even I can't do that. I mean, Sleipnir kind of can, but I totally can't.”

Thorn simply shook his head, and then he turned around, striding back towards the workbench: his movements were almost stately as he kept his head high and his body balanced, as he said dryly: “It just takes practice. And either I learned to deal with it, or I spent my days... handicapped. I am not handicapped, Antares.”

“I never said you were.” Antares smiled slightly, and then he strode forward and looked curiously at the mechanical limb on the workbench, asking: “And what about this thing, huh? Why'd it uh... well...”

“The clasping is loose. I've been lax about making adjustments lately, with everything that's been going on.” Thorn looked up as the others approached, and then he shook his head quickly before saying finally: “I... appreciate what you were trying to do. But I don't think that it's precisely... my sort of thing. I'm just not much of a social pony, and I don't take very well to... gifts.”

Scarlet Sage gave a soft laugh at this, and then she said quietly: “Now you really sound like Dad. Thorn, we're the ones who should be sorry: Antares and Innocence and a whole lot of the family, well... they're very... physical people. I guess when most of the family is made up of ponies who treat broken bones like mild sprains, it gets a little hard to judge what's acceptable or not. Are you okay?”

“I'm not hurt, don't worry. Just... a little embarrassed, and I don't deal with embarrassment very well.” Thorn replied with a shrug, and then he hesitated before he looked back over at his mechanical limb, studying it silently. “It's my own fault. Lack of care for our equipment leads to the equipment's betrayal. It's as simple as that.”

The other ponies traded looks, before Antares said wryly: “I can't disagree with you there, Thorn, but... it looks pretty well maintained to me. I think it was just bad luck. Or... well, you know, maybe a blessing in disguise.”

Thorn frowned at this, cocking an eyebrow at the black stallion, but Antares only shrugged before saying finally: “I wouldn't have learned that you weren't handicapped if you hadn't taken that metal thing of yours off.”

Thorn looked at Antares for a moment as Scarlet sighed and Innocence winced... but after a moment, a small smile quirked at Thorn's mouth before his eyes returned to his prosthetic limb. He reached up to touch it, stroking silently over the polished metal before he shook his head slowly.

Well, as frustrating as Antares could be, Thorn supposed that all the same, his big brother had his moments of clarity.

Moments Of Forever

Chapter Twenty Five: Moments Of Forever
~BlackRoseRaven

Their work here was complete, his reports were submitted, and everything had finished ahead of schedule. And thanks to the ancient bestiary of his parents that Scarlet Sage had given him, Thorn was able to provide a vast quantity of information above and beyond what had been expected of him. Hecate had been pleased, and that had made Thorn feel accomplished.

And now, with nothing else to do and two days of freedom before he had to return to Decretum, Thorn found himself with rare free time, and rarer yet, no schedule of events. So when Antares wandered into the Clockworks early in the morning, he could barely believe what he found in the workshop that Thorn had taken over.

Thorn, Muse, and Necrophage were sitting at a table together with sets of complicated-looking playing cards spread out in front of them, Necrophage giggling away and Muse frowning thoughtfully as Thorn sat with his own hand fanned out in front of him, his eyes surprisingly serious for some kind of children's card game. Antares wandered up to the table, peering over Necrophage's shoulder, and the Replicant smiled brightly up at him before she said cheerfully: “We're playing a game! Do you wanna join in? We're just about done! I'm just going to play Ozrakat the Emancipator of Despair and I'll win! But don't tell anyone, okay, because otherwise-”

“Oh. I'll play 'tear free,' then, and conjure your Ozrakat as one of my monsters. I'm sorry.” Muse said apologetically, and Necrophage whined like a dog even as she smiled and started to pass the card to Muse, before they were interrupted as Thorn cleared his throat and placed down two cards.

“'Explosive counterblast' and 'magnify pain' for six damage to you both. I win.” Thorn said calmly, and Muse smiled a little as Necrophage flailed wildly with another loud whine. “So the score is... three, one, and four, with Necrophage in the lead.”

“Yay!” Necrophage said brightly, and then she smiled happily up at Antares, even as she somehow swept all of her scattered cards up from the table and rapidly began to shuffle them between her hooves. “Do you wanna play?”

Antares watched the three ponies shuffling their cards, before he cleared his throat and declared: “You guys are the biggest nerds ever.”

Thorn shrugged, Necrophage beamed and giggled, and Muse only gave a small smile even as she blushed a little, before the black stallion turned his amused eyes towards Thorn, asking: “Is this seriously what you do for fun in your free time? You have two mares all to yourself and this is what you do with them? You really do remind me of Dad.”

“It requires both luck and strategy. It passes the time while we have to wait for orders.” Thorn shrugged again, giving Antares another of his short, brief smiles before he gestured with his head towards a large cardboard box. “Would you like me to teach you?”

“Yeah, no. Today, I'm going to teach you something, lazybones. So get off your ass, and let's go.” Antares replied, and Thorn frowned a little before the black stallion wheedled: “Hey, has your big brother ever led you wrong?”

“In the short time that I've known you, every single day you've done something to either interfere with my mission or have otherwise caused some kind of problem for me on a personal level, yes.” Thorn replied bluntly, and Antares scowled until the sapphire stallion sighed and finally climbed to his hooves, asking with the faintest hint of regret: “Alright. Where are we going?”

“Much better.” Antares grinned, reaching out to slap Thorn on the shoulder before he turned and added cheerfully: “And you'll see! Just follow me for now!”

Thorn grimaced at this, then he shook his head before he looked over at the Replicants, saying after a moment: “Your duties – or lack thereof – remain unchanged. Relax and recuperate. You're free to do as you like.”

“Yay!” Necrophage bounced up out of her chair, saying happily: “We wanna come with you, then! Right, sis?”

Muse blushed, shifting in embarrassment before she nodded meekly, and Thorn bit his lip before Antares said easily: “Yeah, what the hell, the more the merrier. Besides, any friend of yours is a friend of mine.”

“Then we're all friends here!” Necrophage exclaimed brightly, and Thorn smiled a bit despite himself before he winced when the Replicant leapt forward and hugged him fiercely around the neck.

The odd group made their way out of the Clockworks and across town: at first, Thorn was nervous, not wanting another repeat of the events at Sugar Cube Corners, but he was pleasantly surprised when they passed right through the town square, and soon enough, out of the town itself, heading towards the Everfree Forest.

Antares led them down a well-trod path through the trees: it grew narrower as they went, but it had clearly been walked a thousand times before by familiar hooves, and the trees seemed to sway and bend around them almost protectively, Thorn thought, like they recognized Antares. It was as if they were silently shifting out of the way of the ponies, their boughs raised high to form a protective ceiling above them as the little group strode their way along the tunnel through the wilderness.

Thorn wasn't entirely sure of where they were going, and he was admittedly a little suspicious of the fact that Antares was actually keeping his mouth shut for once, not saying anything as they strode deeper into the forest and smiling to himself with a strange mix of confidence and anticipation. Still, it was much more peaceful than the sapphire pony had expected, and he enjoyed the walk, and the company of his Replicant friends and the brother he felt like he was finally starting to connect a little with.

They emerged after almost forty minutes of comfortable pace into a clearing, and Thorn's eyes widened slightly as he came to a halt as he saw the gorgeous cottage that sat out here in the wilderness. He knew that it wasn't, it couldn't be the original homestead that had been out here, but all the same, the look of it, the feel of it, and being here in this place... “This is... this is where our parents used to live.”

“That's right. Now it's where me and Sin live.” Antares said easily, smiling slightly over at Thorn as he gave a brief nod. “It's not perfect. I mean, there's leaks and you can hear all of Sin's snoring or swearing – she sleeps weird – and okay, the ceiling isn't perfectly level in a few of the rooms. But otherwise, I mean... it's pretty damn good. Go on inside.”

Thorn nodded hesitantly back, striding forward before he looked down in surprise as he stepped on something warm. He realized after a moment there was a cobblestone path to the door, and it was heated by magic... “Oh, yeah, that. Sin put that in. We have a herb garden out back, too, and I keep my motorcycle in the garage there, and we've got all kinds of other crap and clutter in a sort of bunker storage unit thing on the other side, you can... sort of see the trapdoor through the grass, which, of course, Sin forgot to cut again, but... hey, go inside. It's much cooler inside.”

The sapphire stallion nodded again, but he lingered for a few moments, gazing back and forth over the exterior of the cottage before he shook his head quickly as if to clear it. Necrophage was looking around with awe, while Muse was smiling, her eyes roving silently over the front of the cottage before she murmured: “It's very pretty, Antares.”

“Thanks. We try and keep it looking nice, at least, even though both Sin and I are lazy about the housework.” Antares replied, before he grinned as there was a loud bang from inside, both Replicants straightening immediately before he reassured: “Don't worry, that's just Sin saying hello.”

Inside, one of Thorn's eyes was twitching slightly, his body shivering a little before he bared his teeth at Sin as she cackled loudly. He had gotten so distracted just from the sight of the entrance hall alone, with the feeling of his parents all around him, that he had walked right into a magical trap, and while the flashbang hadn't hurt him at all... I hate loud noises. How did they figure that out so quickly?

That, of course, was a stupid question. Of course they had been learning about him as he'd learned about them. And of course Antares would have noticed the only thing that made him twitch was sound and contact. And, of course, Innocence was smart enough to loop a simple light-and-noise spell into a trap circle: if he tried to leave the circle, he would get an eyeful of light and an earful of sound, and from what he could sense, probably enough of a kinetic shove to knock him back into the trap.

Thorn sighed as he forced himself to relax, looking mildly at the scaled unicorn as she finally hopped to her claws, grinning widely at him as she leaned forwards and challenged: “Get out of that if you can, crib-stealer!”

“You want to be a baby forever?” Thorn asked mildly, and Innocence nodded vehemently. “Well, there are worse things than infantilism.”

“Yes, there are.” Innocence said stoically, and Thorn reflected she was probably too used to Antares to be fazed by much. “And this baby is going to kick your ass, by the way. Or at least laugh at you while you struggle to get out of my trap. Which, by the way, is shrinking.”

“No, it's not.” Thorn corrected, and Innocence frowned before she looked down in surprise at the trap lines, which were trembling slightly, but otherwise staying perfectly in place. Then she scowled darker as she looked up at Thorn, who shrugged before saying calmly: “Easily blocked.”

Innocence's horn lit up with a dark purple aura, and Thorn quickly keyed into this, his eyes narrowing slightly and his own horn pulsing once as the scaled unicorn started: “Well how about-”

The aura around Innocence's horn whiffed out, and the mare stared blankly as Thorn calmly strode past her into the living room. She mouthed wordlessly, then turned around-

A flash of light and a loud bang blocked her path, the mare yelling and throwing herself back and forth, bouncing wildly off invisible, narrow walls around her as booms and bright streaks tore at her vision. Eventually, she fell on her side, curling up in the fetal position and twitching a little as Thorn calmly examined the books on the shelves and the photos arranged over the wall, the stallion smiling to himself before he said without turning around: “Your energy signature is very distinct and very powerful. So strong, in fact, it only took me a second to key into it and reverse your spellwork.”

Innocence twitched, then snapped her horn out with a roar, reality around her shaking with the force of her dispel before she charged straight at Thorn. But the stallion was unperturbed, and a moment later, Innocence smacked face-first into a translucent blue shield, sticking to this for a moment with a whimper before she slowly slid down to the floor.

Thorn shook his head briefly, and then he took another look around the room before pointing at the painting above the fireplace: it was faintly blotchy, of a stallion running through a dark forest made mostly of swipes of paint, and yet... “I've seen that painting in a few pictures. There are sketches of it in Mutt's books.”

“It's not the original. The original was destroyed even before Antares was born, but I decided to take up painting and drawing and stuff as a hobby.” Innocence clambered to her claws, shaking herself briefly out before she scowled at Thorn. “Also, guess what? Lightning!”

Thorn didn't even glance at Innocence as the electricity she attempted to zap him arced uselessly around his body, leaving her at a loss for words as Thorn studied the painting for a few moments. Then he finally turned his eyes towards her, giving a brief smile as he said quietly: “You shouldn't announce what you're about to do. And I'm still locked on to your energy signature and actively reflecting it, so you won't be able to touch me with any of your magic, anyway.”

“You're... cheating.” Innocence said lamely after a moment, and then she rose a claw and poked Thorn a few times in the side, making him wince a bit. “There. Looks like you can't stop everything, now can you?”

Thorn looked at her for a moment, until Antares finally entered the room, asking cheerfully: “So, Sin, how badly did he kick your ass?”

“He didn't! Nothing happened!” Innocence shouted back immediately, and then she snapped her horn at Antares, but the stallion quickly deflected the telekinetic burst with a slash of his horn, dispelling the attack. He grinned, and Sin huffed at him before she crossed her forelegs and sat back with a grumble as Thorn gazed around the room, his eyes roving to the counter that divided the den from the expansive kitchen.

“The place is powered by crystal batteries that are insulated and buried under the ground, to stop anything from running away with them or trying to drain them. We have working water and everything, which is great, because Sin constantly clogs the toilet anyway.” Antares said blandly, and Innocence growled at her brother as Necrophage bounced excitedly through the room with Muse nervously following. “We got... oh, hey, we've got lots of food and drinks, too. Do any of you want anything? Necrophage, you're a hungry hippo, how about some cookies? Thorn, I bet even you could eat a damn cookie.”

Thorn didn't respond, only striding slowly into the kitchen before he turned towards the back door, as if drawn towards this. Sin began to open her mouth, but Antares reached up and gently squeezed her shoulder, the mare softening and nodding once as the Replicants both curiously turned to follow Thorn.

The stallion strode outside onto the back deck, and he gazed silently over the gardens, the sprawling back yard, the rear shed, and in the center of it all, an old, gnarled tree. Ambrosia, a rare fruit that when properly prepared could create an 'elixir of the gods' granting strength and extending life, hung from several of the withered branches, but they weren't what had caught Thorn's attention. No, what he cared about was what had been carved into the trunk of the withered old tree.

Thorn approached, then silently stroked over the heart and the three names written in runes, smiling faintly as he studied it for a few moments. Scrivener Blooms, Luna Brynhild, and Twilight Sparkle... yes, Thorn remembered growing up, calling his mother by that name. She had only changed it after they had 'escaped' Helheim...

“What do you call her? Twilight, or Morgan?” asked Antares curiously, as he strode up behind the stallion.

“I call her Mom.” Thorn replied quietly, and Antares grinned slightly at this before the sapphire pony shook his head and said finally: “Her name is her decision. Dad... always tries to call her Morgan, but I think he likes her real name more. I think Twilight does, too... but she also likes the sense of connection going by her new name gives her. She likes being... named by Luna and Scrivener, and carrying the name of her mother.”

Innocence approached, studying the tree for a few moments before she sniffed loudly and looked at Thorn, saying grumpily: “You're as bad as Antares, you know that? And talking about our parents like that is really weird. We're not supposed to know about their whole bondagey weird relationship thingies.”

“Says the incest-lover. I mean. That you love incest, not that you... you know. I sure as hell don't remember ever sleeping with you.” Antares said mildly, and Innocence scowled at him before the black pony grinned and leaned in, winking at her. “Although then again, I think I heard all the other stallions you've slept with say that too.”

“I'm a virgin!” Innocence proclaimed, and there was silence for a moment before both she and Antares burst into laughter, nearly falling over as Thorn ignored them both, although Necrophage happily joined in their giggling, even if at the same time she didn't seem to really understand what was going on. “Okay, okay. I'm totally not. And I would never sleep with you, Antares. Prestige always tells me that you're terrible in bed. You can't get it up, apparently. And when you can, well. It doesn't stay up for very long.”

“Hey!” Antares huffed loudly, stomping a hoof firmly before he sniffed disdainfully and rose his head high. “The problem isn't me. The problem is that if I lasted any longer it would be so much ecstasy and amazingness that Prestige's head would literally explode. I don't want to kill her with my amazing sex skills.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Thorn asked curiously, as he slowly traced the shape engraved in the tree: “Why haven't you proposed to Prestige yet?”

“Oh, not you too!” Antares groaned loudly, rolling his eyes as Innocence snorted in amusement, before the black stallion said in an exasperated voice: “Because uh... if we get married I'll have to have a wedding and invite everyone and oh it would be such a hassle, and... really, who wants Rosewood to have any kind of reason to come down from Canterlot? She'll beat me up.”

“Because you never visit her. She's going to be even worse after she's dead, you know.” Innocence said informatively, and Antares flailed at her while shushing her loudly, the scaled mare grinning and leaning away as she said cheerfully: “Only the truth, Antares!”

“Well that doesn't mean you need to talk about it!” he retorted crankily, and then both of the siblings turned towards Thorn as the stallion created a holographic field overtop the carving, Antares asking after a moment: “Do you seriously have to like, take a picture of every little thing that involves our parents? Because it's really creepy. It's way worse than Scarlet Sage's scrapbooking.”

Thorn shrugged a bit as the carving was digitized into an image, and then he dismissed the holographic field as he said quietly: “I just feel like I'm... chasing them, I suppose. I still feel like I never really... got to know them. The first time I've seen them in more than a decade was just weeks ago, and even if I know I'll see more of them in the future...”

He stopped, then smiled a bit as he turned around, saying finally: “I don't know who they are. I saw them from a foal's perspective and... now...”

He looked away for a moment, and Antares smiled briefly as Innocence looked down, rubbing awkwardly at her neck before the eldest brother of the trio said softly: “They aren't completely different from who you thought they were, Thorn. They're not... completely the same, either, maybe, but... you know, it's not like they abandoned you. I'm pretty sure our parents are... trying to find out who you are, too.”

“Yeah, they really liked you! They loved you. You were always so happy when they were around!” Necrophage added positively, and Thorn smiled briefly as his eyes flicked over to the Replicant, the stallion nodding hesitantly, and the squat mare smiled brightly before she looked at her sister. “We were even totally a little jealous, remember?”

Muse blushed a bit, shifting awkwardly and pawing a hoof at the ground, and Thorn smiled again before he turned his eyes back towards the tree, saying softly: “I think I also... envy their romance. Mutt, Dad, and Mom... they're so...”

“Completely weird.” Antares said mildly, before he gestured pointedly at Sin. “See her? Bachelor for life. Well. Possibly a prostitute, but regular johns aren't really 'romantic relationships' and all. Scarlet Sage? Happily married with her crazy kids. By the way, I was totally out and living on my own by the time I was-”

“Tarry, technically you still live at home. Pretty sure we just went over that.” Sin interrupted, and then she poked her older brother firmly and continued: “And what about you? Unmarried-but-in-a-relationship-forever?”

“Better than Thorn or you!” defended Antares, huffing loudly as he glared down at his sister, who glowered back at him grouchily. “Also, true love doesn't need marriage. How else do you explain all those high school pregnancies?”

Thorn looked at the two for a few moments, and then he turned back towards the tree, stroking a hoof over it as he said softly: “But imagine loving someone so much that you were willing to give up not your life, but your soul for them... and to be so... connected, so perfectly in sync, that you were able to mix your souls together into one. To share every thought, every touch, every feeling for eternity... and yet to be okay with that.”

He halted, then shook his head slowly, murmuring: “That's more than love. That's something we don't have words for. And I'm not saying that none of us will ever experience such a bond... but few will. They have transcended the physical. Every hoofprint they make is like the tread of three ponies. To cut one is to cut them all. And yet, even if they share in everything... they're not the same. They're not a hive mind. They're not a collective one, but somehow her and him and they all at once.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Antares smiled a bit despite himself, leaning in and saying wryly: “You think way too much, kid.”

Thorn looked sourly at Antares, but the black stallion simply shrugged before he chuckled quietly and shook his head, saying in a softer voice: “But yeah. You're right. And I envy that and I guess... I'm kind of scared, at the end of the day, of... not being right for Prestige. Not being good enough for her. Not...”

Antares shifted a little, and then he shook his head before saying finally: “It scares me, you know? Imagining waking up every day beside someone. And Prestige can leave Heaven now and then, just like I can visit Valhalla... but... am I ready to give up life on Midgard? I love her, but I love this place, too. I love my family and my friends. And I mean, sure, we have a lot in common, but... she wants to do things I definitely don't want to. I want to do things that Prestige hates. I know that relationships are about balancing those things, respecting each other, all that crap, but... what if we're too different?”

Antares chuckled quietly, saying softly: “In a way, I'm... lucky that I only get a few days here and there and the occasional week with her, because it keeps everything fresh and exciting. And I think it's easier for her, too, because I know she needs breaks from me now and then. I'm a pretty annoying guy, after all.”

“You really are.” Innocence smiled a little, then she nudged him firmly and said softly: “You're also really stupid. Prestige loves you and that's that. You're just irresponsible and afraid of commitment, like every other guy in the world. Great work being a stereotype, Tarry.”

“Thanks, Sin. You always know just what to say to make me feel better.” Antares said ironically, firmly nudging the mare with his shoulder, and Sin only shrugged easily and grinned at him as she stumbled to the side. Thorn chuckled a little at the two, and then he hesitated only a moment before he turned around and strode towards the staircase that led up to the second floor of the house.

“What's upstairs?” he asked, and then he winced when Necrophage hopped towards him, giggling as she marveled over the L-shaped stairway.

“It's outside! That's so weird!” she said brightly, and then she looked at the house and asked excitedly: “Does that mean this is really like two houses in one? Like a cabana! A pair of cabanas! Where there's cabanas there's bananas!”

Necrophage giggled loudly again as Muse blushed and mumbled apologies for her sister, and Antares blinked slowly before he cleared his throat and said awkwardly: “Uh. No bananas, no. But upstairs you got the office, my room, the guest room, and.. hey, why don't you just go see for yourself? Or are you being lazy, Thorn?”

Thorn didn't reply, simply nodding his thanks as he headed up the stairs to let himself in through the door, and Innocence huffed before she muttered: “I still have to blast him into oblivion, you know.”

“You can do that after he gets to finish looking at the house, Sin. This is clearly pretty important for him and all.” Antares replied, before he softened a little and said in a quieter voice: “He's had less time with our parents than any of us, after all, and... well, considering the way things are-”

“They won't be gone forever.” Innocence said firmly, and Antares smiled after a moment at her before he nodded slowly in agreement. “And we can always visit Decretum, too. We don't have to just sit here and wait around for things to happen. We could even go look for our parents ourselves!”

Antares nodded thoughtfully in agreement, and then he smiled slightly before asking mildly: “You think that we could convince Thorn to come with us on our whirlwind adventure?”

“I guess. But he has to pull his own weight.” Innocence grumbled, and Antares grinned, making the mare huff loudly. “Hey, I'm just looking out for all of us, okay? And if the kid can't take care of himself, then too bad.”

“I think he's probably more responsible than either of us, Sin. He's like another Scarlet Sage. Which is a terrifying thought in and of itself, another Scarlet.” Antares replied with a shrug, and Sin grunted before he became a little more serious, looking meditatively down. “Although... visiting Decretum might not be such a bad idea. I'd like to see what's going on there. And I'd like to meet up with Hecate again. Plus you owe her some thanks, too.”

“I know, I know. I sent her that gift basket, remember?” Innocence grumbled, and Antares looked at her mildly. “What? I did. I just don't know if it got there or not with the whole... time-space distortion thing. Magic is hard, okay?”

“Magic is hard. Especially when you have no idea what you're doing with it.” Antares replied mildly, tilting his head pointedly towards the mare, and Innocence huffed at him and attempted to smack him with a claw, but the stallion quickly ducked his head away. “Hey, you might be fantastic and all, Sin, but shooting blind is shooting blind.”

Innocence grumbled under her breath, and then she looked up as Thorn emerged back out of the second floor, the stallion smiling a little as he headed down the stairs, a book floating beside him. The scaled unicorn huffed loudly as Antares cocked his head, and Thorn blushed ever-so-slightly as he held the book up, saying quietly: “I'd like to digitize it. It's something that... Dad used to read to me when I was young. I remember it.”

“Dad read it to all of us.” Antares smiled slightly, saying mildly: “He was always really proud of his... earth pony heritage.”

“Was he an earth pony?” Thorn asked curiously, and Antares admittedly felt a little guilty as Innocence pointedly leaned towards her brother. “I know that he was a Replicant, but I don't know much about their lives apart from what's available in the historical records, and-”

“Oh my gods I'm a moron.” Antares groaned suddenly, rolling his eyes before he hurried past Thorn, almost knocking the surprised pony over. “Just... wait right there!”

Antares leapt up to the second floor as Thorn looked blankly over his shoulder at the stallion, and Innocence grinned slightly before she said mildly: “I'm guessing you're just screwing with Antares, right?”

Thorn frowned and turned towards Innocence, asking curiously: “What do you mean? Is he not aware that our father was a Clockwork Pony?”

“Not that part. The... nevermind. I guess for you they were always, what, demons?” Innocence was admittedly honestly curious: all she really knew about what her parents had become was that they weren't true demons, but they weren't mortals or immortals or whatever they had been before, either. They were... different, somewhere in the realm between physical and spiritual entity.

Thorn shook his head, and then he said quietly: “In the terminology of the Archives, they're Beyonders. Souls that have been exiled to Helheim because of irredeemable differences with the mortal plane or Valhalla, but those who cannot become demons for... whatever reasons. Helheim, after all, is supposed to serve as a prison for the damned and condemned: those are two very different things under Helheim law, however.”

Innocence frowned at Thorn, and then she said slowly: “But I thought Inquisitors only had power over demons...”

“No, we have power over all residents of Helheim. It's just that most people assume that Helheim must be full of demons and devils, just as most people assume they're all lost souls or damned or prisoners.” Thorn shrugged a bit, saying softly: “There are plenty of demons in Helheim who will live out placid, relatively normal lives in the civilian regions of Helheim, going about their daily chores and never trying to either escape or cause mayhem. Even in Helheim, every child is born free of sin.”

Innocence smiled wryly, looking silently down at one of her claws before she muttered: “Sometimes I feel like we were born to carry all our parents' sins on our shoulders. I used to run away from that a lot with polymorphs and a lot of other magic tricks that didn't work out so well.”

“I think you're very pretty.” Thorn said softly, and Innocence looked up with surprise, and then she huffed loudly, even as she looked awkwardly away. “Running away solves nothing. Doing nothing, solves nothing. In fact, it makes things worse. We don't get to choose whether or not we participate in life, or the lives of others: through our own existence, we are participating, whether we like it or not. There's no backing out of the game we're all stuck playing.”

“That's a great way to put it.” Innocence grumbled, glowering over at the stallion. “Any other words of wisdom, oh wise one?”

Thorn shrugged, and then he said softly: “Doing nothing feels like the right thing to do a lot of the time, but inevitably, doing nothing will cause us more fear and suffering than if we tried to do anything else. Because like it or not, we owe the world, and more importantly, we owe it to ourselves to try. Evil triumphs, because good turns the other way.”

“I think I've heard that before. Don't steal other people's quotes.” Innocence said grumpily as she turned towards Thorn, studying him for a few moments before she asked finally: “How did you get so smart, anyway? When I was your age, I was really stupid.”

Thorn smiled briefly and shrugged a bit, replying after a moment: “I've had a lot of help, that's all. And Hecate was always very tough but... more than fair to me, too. She pushes me. And I've come to realize that's what we all need. Someone willing to push.”

Innocence smiled a little after a moment, nodding slowly before she leaned towards Thorn and said mildly: “It's nice to be babied too, though. I used to hate it growing up, but now I wish Twilight was still here to... encourage me, and just...”

Sin halted, looking down for a moment as Thorn tilted his head, and then the mare shook her head quickly before she cleared her throat and looked up, asking finally: “What the hell is taking Antares so long?”

Necrophage bounced up beside them, smiling brightly and immediately volunteering: “My sister and I can go see if you want!”

“I don't think it's anything we have to worry about.” Muse said carefully, as she strode up beside her sibling, before she blushed and bowed her head to Thorn. “But your wish is our command, of course, Lord Thorn.”

Thorn simply gave a brief smile, and then he shook his head quickly before he glanced up as the upstairs door flew open and Antares hurried out, carrying a book with telekinesis as he grumbled: “Goddammit, Sin, you put this stupid book back in the wrong section, and-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! You're not giving him that!” Sin snapped, and Thorn tilted his head curiously as Antares hopped down from the steps and glowered at his sister, who glared back at him. “That's our only copy left and-”

“And Thorn can borrow it, do his weird... picture-thing to it, then give it back to us tomorrow. He'll take good care of it, right?” Antares looked pointedly at Thorn, who nodded even as he looked curiously at the book.

Antares smiled slightly, then he passed the worn book to the stallion, saying softly: “Dad's single claim to fame, so to speak. At one time, just about everyone had this book on their shelf. Really proud of him for it, even if he'd argue it was all... smoke and mirrors, and Dad always loved to point out how none of his other books made it very far after that.”

Thorn studied the well-worn book intently, turning it back and forth before he studied the title and gave a small smile. “'I Am, You Are...' I think they had a copy of this book in Dad's office in Helheim. So he wrote this?”

Antares nodded with a grin, then he gestured easily back towards the house, saying mildly: “We have a few other books he did, too, but I don't know how long it takes you to do your... digitalization thing. And obviously Sin isn't going to let you run off with that. I would, because I'm generous and know how to share and trust in people. But Innocence was evil for like, sixty years, she claims.”

“Hey. Eat me.” Innocence grumbled, glowering at Antares, and he made a revolted face as Thorn opened the book and flipped through it quickly, ignoring the siblings entirely as they slapped at each other childishly.

“Wonderful.” he murmured after a moment, and then he shook his head before nodding once and closing the book. Then Innocence's eyes widened in surprise as the stallion simply flicked his horn and the book vanished: she recognized that spell as one used to store items in a personal pocket dimension, something that had taken her years to master. “I'll return it to you as soon as possible.”

“How the hell can you do that if you can only control a hundred bæns of energy?” Sin almost shouted, and Thorn winced a bit as Antares cocked his head curiously. “It's like a thousand bæns just to make my gauntlets vanish!”

“Oh, it's simple. The subdimensional space isn't simply in blank ether. It's anchored through the satchel I've been carrying around, so all I have to do is key into its energy wherever I am, and then teleport the object into it.” Thorn shrugged a bit, smiling briefly as Innocence stared at him. “The subdimension itself was created by Hecate. I had nothing to do with it. Otherwise, small objects only require around ninety bæns.”

“Great.” Innocence grumbled moodily, studying the stallion intently. “How the hell do you have so much focus? Tiny magic reserve I understand. Antares has the same problem, and it's pretty obvious that you were born from Luna and I was born from Twilight, so. You know. Genetic inherency or whatever you call it.”

Thorn shifted a little, opening his mouth, and then he paused at the twin scowls from his siblings before he simply nodded lamely. “Close enough.”

Antares grunted, then he added mildly: “You know, Mutt and Dad aren't exactly known for their concentration. There's kind of a huge difference between being able to power through anything and actually being able to focus on something the way you do.”

“Yeah. And Mutt's never been all that great at magic. I mean, if anything, her magic has only gotten more... physical over the years, so to speak.” Innocence said, and she and Antares traded knowing looks.

Thorn simply nodded: it was clear they were talking about Luna's Jötunnfang after all, which was something Luna had been more than eager to show off every chance she'd had in Decretum. “True. But anyone can learn focus. When I was a child-”

“Hate to break it to you, but compared to me, you still are a kid, kid.” Antares said pompously, and then he patted Innocence firmly on the head, making her scowl. “So's she. Although I guess she sort of wants to be, too, which probably makes it less insulting and all, but you know what I mean.”

Innocence slashed at him with her bladed horn, but Antares easily swayed out of the way as Thorn shrugged a bit, then continued as if he hadn't been interrupted, since he had realized that was usually the best way to deal with Antares: “When I was younger, I had no focus at all. It was Hecate who trained me to harness my magic reserves and disciplined me-”

“That is a creepy thought. Hecate disciplining you. Horses of Heaven, that makes the whole 'Mother' thing even creepier, too. Mother Hecate, disciplining Thorn.” Antares grinned widely as Innocence snorted in amusement, while the Replicants only looked up curiously. “So what did she do, spank you with her bare hands or the riding crop?”

“Corporal punishment would not have been conducive to Hecate's aims, which she understood. The only time she ever hit me was during sparring.” Thorn replied, and now Antares looked a lot more interested, which somehow didn't surprise the stallion.

“Whoa, okay, wait up a minute there. You sparred with Hecate? Like, sparred-sparred, as in-”

“As in non-lethal combat training, yes. It involved everything up to and including weapons and magic training, and I was often knocked unconscious.” Thorn absently rubbed at his head. “I was only badly wounded once, and Hecate had me treated immediately after we were done training.”

Antares studied Thorn intently, and then he asked: “So how long did you fight with your... injury; what happened to you, too?”

“About two hours. My skull was cracked and my front leg was broken.” Thorn said calmly, and Antares stared as Sin cleared her throat awkwardly. “It wasn't nearly as bad as it sounds. I was able to practice numbing the pain.”

“So optimistic. That's another weird trait you definitely don't get from the family.” Antares said dryly, and Thorn simply shrugged.

“Everything is an opportunity. We can choose to disregard them when they present themselves, or we can make the most of whatever happens.”

Antares looked thoughtful at this as Sin grunted, and then the black stallion shook his head before he looked over at the Replicants, asking: “You guys hungry now? Thorn, you gotta be hungry. Come on, I'll fix up something for us all to eat.”

“Yay!” Necrophage exclaimed, and then she cleared her throat and quickly looked over at Thorn almost pleadingly, even as she said: “I mean, it's up to you, sir, but... food!”

“Alright. Food it is.” Thorn said after a moment, and Necrophage bounced happily on the spot with a giggling nod as the sapphire stallion shook his head with a small smile.

Antares grinned slightly, curious to see how Thorn was going to react to what he had in mind, but when he served up venison dumplings along with a side of bacon twenty minutes later, all Thorn remarked was: “This is a lot of protein and calories.”

“Oh, screw your calories.” Antares said crankily, and Thorn smiled slightly before he calmly picked up a knife and fork, and the black stallion asked slowly: “What are you doing?”

Thorn patiently started to cut one of the dumplings into pieces, and Antares cleared his throat before he gestured to Sin, saying mildly: “Will you please show him how you're supposed to eat these?”

Sin nodded seriously, and then she snatched up one of the dumplings from Thorn's plate in a claw and shoved it into her muzzle, violently chewing it up and swallowing it down in seconds. She wiped some of the crumbs from her face as she grinned, and Thorn stared at her for a moment as Necrophage giggled madly, while Muse was politely nibbling at a slice of bacon.

“I think I prefer my way, thank you.” Thorn said after a moment, and he carefully rose a piece of venison to his muzzle, tasting it and chewing slowly before he gave a smile. “It's not bad.”

“It's meat. You recognize that, right?” Antares asked mildly, and Thorn nodded.

“Of course. I have the same parents as you, Antares, that's what being your sibling means.” Thorn said as he looked pointedly at the stallion, who shrugged and grinned slightly in amusement: at least it seemed like Thorn was starting to learn how to be sarcastic. “I also have eaten meats and meat substitutes in Decretum, especially during diplomatic operations. Ponies and other creatures alike put a lot of value on the meals they're served. A good meal can mean the difference between a treaty and a refusal.”

Sin snorted, but Antares smiled wryly before he said mildly: “You know, I never thought I'd say this, but that sounds a lot like the stuff I was taught by Kvasir. I guess Hecate really must know what she's doing with this whole... Decretum thing.”

Thorn smiled and nodded as he cut a piece of bacon in half before picking it up with his fork, and Antares' face slowly turned to a moue of displeasure, rearing slowly back as he added: “But that? That is just wrong. Do you not enjoy your food or something?”

Thorn popped the piece of bacon into his mouth, chewing it slowly before he glanced over at Innocence, who was gobbling down balls of venison one after the other with a gusto he had rarely seen. Even Necrophage was eating a little more politely than the mare, which was also something he had never expected to witness. “There's a difference between enjoyment and... whatever is going on with her, Antares.”

“Sin learned all her manners from Mutt. Which means they just fed her scraps under the table and dumped the leftovers in a bowl for her.” Antares said dryly.

“That's what they do for me!” Necrophage said happily, and Antares cleared his throat awkwardly before he stared when the mare asked brightly: “Can I have the grease, please?”

Antares slowly looked towards Thorn, who looked back at him mildly before he simply shrugged. “You can just give it to her in a can, if you like. Or in the pan. But you're not allowed to eat the pan, Necrophage.”

“I won't lick off even a little bit of the enamel!” Necrophage promised with a firm nod, and then she looked up at Antares with pleading eyes, wheedling: “Please?”

“Necrophage.” Muse gently reprimanded, and her sister Replicant smiled embarrassedly and dropped her head a little, before Muse turned towards Antares and added softly: “I apologize. My sister sometimes forgets her manners, but she means well.”

“Yeah, um. Okay. That's cool, no worries.” Antares said lamely, and then he cleared his throat as he turned and headed into the kitchen. He carried the pan out, clearing his throat as he said finally: “This bacon is a little burnt, but you can have that too if-”

Necrophage squealed in delight, nodding rapidly, and Thorn smiled despite himself as Antares passed her the pan, then stared as the mare upended in, almost swallowing the burnt bacon whole along with the stream of grease that poured into her maw. She immediately began to lick up the rest of the mess as Antares paled a little, looking ill as Sin remarked through a mouthful of venison: “That's pretty goddamn awful. No offense.”

“Necrophage was designed to convert everything she eats. She was also designed to try and mimic pony behaviors, to have enjoyments, to be... real.” Thorn was smiling at the mare, who blushed almost bashfully as she lowered the pan a little, then cleared her throat and quickly put it down, gazing radiantly back at Thorn as he said softly: “She's a little strange. But there's nothing wrong with her.”

Antares looked back and forth between the two, and then a slow grin crested his muzzle before he whispered loudly to Sin: “I think our little brother has a crush on a certain mare in this room!”

“Really?” Necrophage looked up brightly as Thorn flinched and turned beet-red, Antares thrilled by the fact that the stallion had finally lost his eternal composure, before he stared as Necrophage whirled towards her sister and exclaimed: “Wow! I never knew that Thorn liked you, Muse!”

Muse smiled behind a hoof as Thorn dropped his face in his hooves, and Innocence cackled and almost fell out of her chair before the sapphire stallion said tiredly: “Can we please just enjoy a meal for once?”

Antares decided to let it go for now, looking pleased with himself before he perked up with interest as Thorn lamely defended: “And I'm sort of seeing someone right now, anyway. His name is Moonflower and he and I have a... level of comfort together.”

“Wow. That's so romantic.” Antares deadpanned, before he continued: “Moonflower, though, huh? I mean, with a name like that, I guess you'd pretty much have to end up gay, but... that's pretty cute. What does Hecate think about that?”

Thorn shrugged after a moment, tilting his head curiously. “What do you mean? We've talked about it, of course, to ensure there weren't going to be any instances of nepotism. Otherwise she wants me to enjoy my relationships. She... says her son, Thesis, never had any romantic relationships when he was young.”

Antares quieted a little as Thorn ate his food. Innocence was grinning, but now the black stallion couldn't help but be more than a little interested: Innocence wouldn't remember it, probably didn't even know much about it, but Thesis had been a serious threat to their parents when she had just been a baby...

“Can you tell me anything about Thesis?” he asked, and Thorn looked up with a slight frown. And, even with as hard as Thorn was to read, Antares recognized that expression and what it meant, so he quickly lowered his head and reassured in a gentler voice: “Just what you feel comfortable with. I know that Hecate is your mentor and sort of another mom to you-”

“She is my mother.” Thorn said quietly, and Antares nodded. For a moment, there was silence, and then Thorn sighed a little before he sat back and started: “Thesis was the beginning and the end of the Replicant project. He was composed of superior genetic data, designed to... what?”

Antares was looking at the sapphire stallion oddly, and after a moment, the crystal-winged unicorn smiled before he asked: “Can you tell me about Thesis, not just about his genes or Valthrudnir's projects or anything like that? I want to know about... Thesis. Because from what I saw, he was... damaged.”

“Yes. Yes, he was.” Thorn looked down for a moment, and then he scooped up a bit of bacon on his fork. He chewed thoughtfully on it, then smiled briefly before saying quietly: “When he was young, Thesis was the Prince of Equestria. He grew up in a time of war between the griffin and Equestrian nations. A war that had been incited and urged on by Valthrudnir so he could better test his experiments, although Hecate had not realized it at the time.

“Thesis was...” Thorn stopped, then took the moment of thought to eat a little more, gathering his thoughts before he continued: “Thesis was gifted, and strong, but everyone knew he was a homunculus. But he was happy... that's what Hecate tells me, anyway. He was proud of his country, and didn't let the ponies who thought of him only as a weapon to... bring him down, or make him angry. Thesis was a good pony.”

Antares smiled faintly at this: Thesis had nearly destroyed the worlds, had killed his own so-called 'brother,' had attempted to murder his parents and acted without regard for anyone but himself, not following any strain of logic but his own psychotic delusions... “He sounds a lot different from what he became. That exoskeleton he had... that had something to do with it, right?”

Necrophage shivered visibly as Muse looked down silently, and Thorn softened as Antares and Innocence both looked up in surprise. “Yes. It did. Muse?”

“Thesis was so sad... all the time.” Muse said softly, shaking her head slowly. “He was so broken, and he hurt so badly. Part of it was because of the exoskeleton, yes: but it was also because of the nodes inside his mind, that corrupted his thoughts, made him... sick with despair. The exoskeleton filled him with anger, and anger made him lash out, made him dangerous... but it was the sadness caused by the nodes that truly broke him and his spirit.”

Muse closed her eyes, and Necrophage smiled, but there was a strange glimmer in her eyes as she said: “Once, I saw Thesis talking with Psukhikos and Protolea, but he didn't really know who they were! He kept calling them Red Sky and Singing Lark, and when Psukhikos finally corrected him, he just scowled at her and said he'd been calling her the right name the whole time and knew who she was! That was right before he sent the rest of us off to sleep...”

“The Thesis you knew... wasn't really Thesis at all.” Thorn said softly, looking down and picking at his food before he gave one of his brief smiles. “Hecate has always told me to think of Thesis as my brother. She never speaks of the Thesis of the recent past... only her son, who was lost to her a thousand years ago. She thinks about him every day, and...”

Thorn quieted, then he shook his head and said calmly: “This food is very good. You're a talented cook, Antares.”

Antares smiled slightly, recognizing the conversation was probably over as he simply shrugged and sat back, while Innocence only looked curiously at the stallion. Thorn, however, had gone back to being inscrutable as ever as he ate the meal in his careful, meticulous way: still, however, Antares could be happy about the fact that they had probably learned more about Thorn from the last hour spent together than they had in the entire week.

And to think, all he'd had to do was actually listen to him.

Hurricanes And Butterflies

Chapter Twenty Six: Hurricanes And Butterflies
~BlackRoseRaven

Thorn sat on a wooden fencepost, watching curiously as Tender Trust and her family fed the various animals inside the corral. He could see everything from cute little ferrets to hellhounds to a huge marsh drake, but all of the animals seemed to be getting along just fine, obediently waiting their turn to be fed as the Phooka pulled carts of food from beast-to-beast.

Antares was sitting nearby with his friends Aphrodisia and Avalon: the former kept staring at him, and the latter was shooting him nasty little looks now and then... and Antares, of course, was just grinning from ear-to-ear, apparently enjoying the chaos as he always did.

Avalon Apple was quite an odd Pegasus: to start with, she was the smallest pony that Thorn had ever seen, roughly the size of a foal. She had a golden-yellow coat, and a blonde mane streaked with bright red that was cropped short, just like her tail. Her eyes were sharp crimson, and her cutie mark was of a line slicing through an apple, although it was faintly faded. That, and the thinning feathers over wings that were becoming leathery, were both distinct tells to Thorn that she was a half-demon.

Considering that her marefriend was Aphrodisia, Thorn thought he knew what had happened, but he was also aware it would be impolite to ask. Whether it was because of pacting or blood-bonding or accidental emotional feedings, that was their business, not his. The two certainly seemed very fond of each other, even if Aphrodisia kept looking at him like she wanted to gobble him up.

He could hear Avalon grumbling at him, but thankfully, he was given an excuse to ignore the three eccentric ponies when one of the Phooka approached. She smiled up at him from behind her smoky mane, her glowing blue eyes kind and warm as she said softly: “Would you like me to take you on a walk through the care center now, Thorn?”

“Thank you, Miss Fluttershy. But please don't feel you have to rush on my account. I have the rest of the day and tomorrow morning still.” Thorn replied politely, bowing his head to her. Fluttershy smiled kindly in return to him, nodding once before the stallion glanced towards the animals, asking: “How do you keep them all in line? Hypnosis?”

The Phooka gave a soft laugh at this, shaking her head before she replied kindly: “Communication. That, and they've all had the chance to get to know each other, and understand that we take care of them here. Besides, as I'm sure you know yourself, even the hellhounds are remarkably intelligent.”

Thorn let his eyes linger for a moment on the terrifying hellhounds: demon-dogs made of bones and ice, with visible, pulsating blue organs, they were hideous and frightening to behold, but as monstrous as they looked, they were also extremely smart. They could learn commands and were often very attached to the 'family' they grew up with, and rarely tried to challenge the hierarchy that was established from their birth.

“I remember when I lived in Helheim, teams of hellhounds were often used to pull both sleds and sledges. It was the fastest and safest way to travel through the tundra.” Thorn replied, giving a quick nod to the Phooka, and Fluttershy smiled with a nod back. “Maybe you could let me see the animals, then. I didn't get much of a chance to do any close examinations earlier.”

Fluttershy nodded once more, then gestured at him politely with a wing, and the stallion hopped off the fencepost, ignoring Antares as he called loudly: “Just don't get too friendly with any of the animals, Thorn, we all know the real reason why Hecate sent you off Decretum!”

“I'm glad your brother seems to like you so much.” Fluttershy said gently, and Thorn gave her an amused look. “Well, siblings are always hard on each other, I know. I've had lots of experience with my own children and their... antics.”

Fluttershy glanced up, and Thorn couldn't help but follow her gaze to the Phooka triplets: Tender Trust and her two brothers were pushing at each other childishly while Nirvana, their father, watched with a look of exasperation. The sapphire stallion smiled briefly at the sight, wondering silently if that was what their own family would have been like... well, except I think it would have been Twilight looking down on all of us like that. And looking out for all of us, from what I remember...

He shook his head quickly, then returned his attention to the matter at hoof as they approached the hellhounds. Most of them had finished eating, and they barked happily as Fluttershy approached, one of them bouncing back and forth on his large, bony claws, but not even the youngest one did more than do a little hop. They were well-trained, Thorn thought, even before he dropped to a kneel and whistled sharply as he beckoned at one, and it immediately bounded over.

Thorn smiled slightly at this, stroking over the dome of skull, unintimidated by its large teeth or frosty breath or blue-fire eyes: in fact, as he rubbed over its skull and then scratched it behind one flayed ear, the pleased rumbling of the animal brought back old, pleasant memories of the few excursions his family had taken out into the winter wastes of Helheim, sledding across the tundra and enjoying the rare beauty of the frosty mountains and endless forests of snow and ice formations.

He shook his head briefly, then gently scratched under the hellhound's chin as he leaned down: it was passive and relaxed, and the stallion was unafraid as he examined the creature's large teeth, then gently grasped one of its paws and rose it so he could look at the claws, murmuring: “Very good. High calcium, and you've taught them good habits. Clean, no signs of cribbing or pawing.”

He let the claw go, and smiled when the hellhound set it down instead of trying to grasp at him. “Very well trained indeed. I'm impressed.”

“I just talk to them, that's all. They're just as smart as we are. We just forget that sometimes, I think.” Fluttershy said softly, and Thorn nodded in agreement before he straightened, absently reaching up to stroke along the demon dog's skull, making it wag its little stubby tail in pleasure.

“Would you consider helping us train animals in Decretum? I wouldn't ask you to train them for war or combat or anything, but hellhounds have a lot of particular skills and abilities that would be very useful in other instances.” Thorn said calmly, and Fluttershy cocked her head curiously.

“I thought that Decretum used Drones and Dogmatists for that sort of thing. I don't mean to be rude, but I'm not sure that these animals would be as comfortable or as capable.” Fluttershy said politely, and Thorn nodded, giving a brief smile.

“Then would you consider coming to check out our stable facilities before you make any final decisions? I'm sure that Hecate would appreciate it, at least, and we could go over in detail what you'd be comfortable training the animals to do.” Thorn persisted, and Fluttershy looked thoughtful before she hesitantly nodded.

“He's not bad.” Antares remarked, and Avalon grumbled as Aphrodisia smiled in agreement. The three watched as Thorn navigated through the animals while negotiating with and reassuring Fluttershy: something that wasn't quite as easy a feat as it had been in the past. Sure, once upon a time anypony would have been able to walk all over the shy mare. but that was before she had become a Phooka, and accepted as an elder of the tribes.

“I don't like him.” grumbled Avalon as she flitted up into the air, crossing her forelegs as she narrowed her eyes. “He gave me that look, Mir. That 'I know what you are' look. I hate that look.”

Aphrodisia smiled in embarrassment up at the mare, and Antares only shrugged a bit and tilted his head pointedly towards Avalon, who grumbled and lowered his head before she sighed a little and mumbled: “I mean, I don't... mind at all but... you know. It's not about me. It's about him. He's stupid. I want to punch him in the face. I think I will punch him in the face.”

“You can go ahead and try, but he'll totally stop you. My little brother might be a dick and stuff, but he's got like crazy...” Antares paused for a moment, just long enough that Aphrodisia and Avalon noticed as his eyes flicked back over his shoulder, the stallion's expression tensing slightly as he continued: “Instincts. He always seems to know just how to react in every given situation.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Antares spun himself around, letting his hooves drop into his lap as he gave an almost-pleasant smile to the two Pegasi that were standing like ghosts in the grass, both simply looking calmly and coldly up at him. “You guys better keep that in mind too. You got some fancy armor there, but I bet my little brother would mash either of your faces in.”

“Get out of our way, pup.” growled the bearded stallion as he stepped aggressively forward, before he sneered as Avalon and Aphrodisia both leapt down and set themselves. “Look at these scraps. Cute, how these worthless dregs think they can get in our way.”

Antares only continued to smile, shrugging easily before he asked curiously: “So who are you, and what are you doing here, huh? I mean, wow, you both are way too ugly to be demons or angels. You're definitely not mortal, either, so... I'm guessing you guys are the Voidborn that Thorn was-”

A knife shot through the air, but Antares dropped forward and slashed his horn out, deflecting the strange silver blade as he dropped to all fours, still smiling as he said mildly: “Whoops. Sorry about that, my big dumb horn got in the way of your itty-bitty knife.”

The Pegasus stallion snarled, before he frowned as he looked over at the mare. The mare, who was still only standing with her head cocked strangely, her eyes gazing intently past Antares, the faintest of trembles visible in her body as she looked dead ahead is if she couldn't even see the three ponies standing in front of her. When Antares let his eyes shift towards her, when he focused on her, the malice, the hate, and the rage he felt from her was almost unbearable with his acuity, making him physically flinch-

She was on him in a moment: Antares felt agony tear through his body as she thrust a hidden blade into his breast before throwing him aside into Aphrodisia, and a second later, she was past the ponies and inside the corral. And as Antares sat up with a cough, the Pegasus stallion grinned coldly before he said softly: “Well. Looks like you're just all talk and parlor tricks after all.”

Antares coughed again, blood splattering out of his muzzle before he grimaced and caught Apps by the face when she began to lean down, the stallion instead reaching up to yank the knife free from his breast and yank himself to his hooves as he muttered: “I got it. I'm fine. Totally cool.”

He looked uneasily up, keeping his eyes on the Pegasus in front of him even as his senses stretched back behind him, feeling the malice, the disgust, the cruelty as the Pegasus mare gazed past Thorn and at Fluttershy with contempt and hatred.

Fluttershy trembled, but forced herself to straighten as she slowly strode up beside Thorn, facing the mare with wide eyes and shaking limbs. Her voice quavered a little, even as she ordered: “Nirvana, take... take the children and the animals and get inside. D-Do not... do not leave the barn under any circumstances, no matter what happens, no matter what you hear-”

“Daughter.” Sol Seraph said coldly, and Fluttershy's breath caught, her attention drawn again to the mare before her as Thorn narrowed his eyes, assessing the situation as quickly as he could. “Well. What a surprise. You've become the very thing we once hunted. And you have lain with the animals as well, I see.”

Sol Seraph calmly reached down, extracting a cigarette as the Praetor laughed loudly, asking mockingly as he started to walk forwards: “What, your spawn has turned out to be an even greater piece of filth than you are, Sol Seraph?”

“Hey, you don't talk about her like that, you-” Before Avalon could finish, a hoof smashed into her chest, knocking her backwards into the fence as a savage kick slammed into Aphrodisia when she tried to lunge, dual hidden blades popping free from the guards around his hind legs and burying deep into her chest.

The Praetor revolved smoothly, flapping his wings once to twist Aphrodisia forcefully through the air before he kicked viciously off her, dropping back into Avalon to slam his elbow down between her ears and knock her bonelessly to the ground. Antares lunged with a snarl, but a moment later he was driven to the ground by a tremendous blast of antimagic from a grenade that shattered in front of him, the Praetor grinning coldly through this before he savagely stomped down on the stallion's face, then easily leapt the fence, striding away from the three ponies he had savaged and across the corral as he said contemptibly: “I'll let you make up for your mistakes now, daughter. Kill the Phooka whelp and her whole family. I'll deal with the machine-child.”

“Do not order me to accomplish the task I came here to complete anyway.” Sol Seraph said quietly, not looking towards her father, and she further ignored him when he slapped her roughly across the face, her head twitching only slightly to the side.

“On behalf of my status as regent of Decretum, and by the power vested in me by Empress Hecate, I order you both to surrender.” Thorn said fearlessly as he stepped forward, Fluttershy's eyes widening in surprise. “Otherwise, you will be met with lethal force.”

“Somehow, I'm not afraid, whelp.” the Praetor growled, and a moment later he flung a knife that he seemed to produce out of nowhere.

The blade halted in front of Thorn, then simply fell out of the air in front of the stallion, the Praetor snarling as Thorn said calmly: “Then lethal force is hereby authorized.”

The stallion grasped his mechanical foreleg, which crackled ominously with electricity as he narrowed his eyes slightly and straightened, his head raised high as the pistons on his shoulder began to pump. And from behind the Voidborn, Antares couldn't help but grin a little as he hauled himself over the fence, breathing a little easier as his supernatural regeneration began to kick in, healing the wound in his breast. He could hear Aphrodisia growling, the damage to her body far from what was necessary to keep her down for long.

The Praetor snorted, his eyes flicking back over his shoulder as he shifted his stance slightly, but Sol Seraph didn't seem to notice or care about anything except for the Phooka in front of her, her eyes burning as she whispered: “A mockery. Filth. That is all you are. And I will see you purged. I will see your entire family eradicated.”

Fluttershy whimpered a little, trembling as her head lowered before she looked to the side in surprise as Tender Trust stepped up beside her mother, saying quietly: “I do not fear you, wendigo. My okâwîmâw is more than a match for you.”

“Tender Trust, what are you doing? Why aren't you with the others?” Fluttershy asked almost urgently, before her eyes widened as her husband stepped up on her other side.

“We will not abandon you. I will not abandon you.” he said quietly, and Fluttershy looked at him silently as he gazed back, his emerald-fire eyes gazing into hers before they shifted towards Sol Seraph.

The Praetor was looking with contempt at his daughter, but Sol Seraph had eyes only for her daughter, visibly trembling with fury as a cracked grin spread over her face. Her head tilted slightly to the side, the mare breathing harder in and out as her body flexed and tensed against her armor, the Voidborn whispering: “This is the way it should be. I am a predator. And you are nothing but prey. Prey in mind, and now prey in body. I will slaughter you, and your animal kin. I will bury you as I should have buried you when you were born, and already showed such signs of weakness...”

“Stop talking and kill her.” The Praetor growled, turning towards Sol Seraph, and then his eyes widened and his head reared back in shock as he found a hidden blade at his throat a moment later.

Sol's eyes were still locked on her daughter, her twisted grin cracking her features, her eyes mad with hatred and rage as her foreleg trembled slightly, grinding the hidden blade against her father's neck, and then the deadly weapon withdrew suddenly back into its bracer, the Voidborn mare saying softly: “You may do what you like with the others. But do not interfere. This is between a mother and her daughter.”

“Do not threaten me or tell me what to do.” the Praetor snarled, shoving his daughter's hoof away angrily as he regained his composure, but Sol Seraph didn't even seem to notice him as she stepped forward, her eyes locked back on Fluttershy.

“You don't understand what she's like, Nirvana. You have to run.” Fluttershy whispered, as she looked at her husband almost pleadingly, but the Phooka stallion only smiled at her before he turned his eyes back ahead.

“Even if she is wendigo, we will overcome.” Nirvana said quietly, and Tender Trust nodded firmly as she and her father both readied themselves.

The Praetor snorted, before he scowled over his shoulder as Antares and Aphrodisia leapt into the corral. His eyes narrowed as he rose his head, saying contemptibly: “Fine. We'll deal with all of you at once, then, and-”

The antimagic crystal he had been palming out of one of his packs suddenly glinted in his hoof before exploding, and the Praetor was almost knocked off his hooves by the flash and bang, roaring in frustration as he was disoriented. Before he could recover, Antares crashed into him, slamming him away from Sol Seraph before dropping both elbows into his back and crushing him to the ground.

The Praetor snarled as he rolled quickly, swinging a hoof up at the same time to try and drive it into Antares' stomach, but the black stallion dodged quickly backwards, then leaned suddenly forward and blew a raspberry loudly in the Praetor's face, making his eyes widen in surprise before the black stallion said cheerfully: “Bet you can't catch me!”

“This isn't a game, boy!” the Praetor roared as he immediately leapt after Antares, but Antares only grinned and danced away, his crystalline wings spreading before he flapped them firmly once, and they gave a brilliant flash that distracted the Praetor and made him stumble.

Before he could recover, Antares leapt forward and slammed a hoof across the Pegasus' face, knocking his head to the side before he grabbed him by the nose, backpedaling rapidly and yanking the Praetor along by the muzzle as the Pegasus stumbled quickly forward, his eyes filling with shock that quickly turned to absolute fury.

The Praetor slapped Antares' foreleg away, then leapt at him, hidden blades popping out of hiding as he roared and bore savagely forwards, using his powerful wings to keep himself balanced as his forelegs lashed and stabbed his weapons back and forth. But Antares gracefully moved out of the way of the attacks, continuing to lead the Praetor backwards and across the corral as Tender Trust's brothers hurried the last of the animals into the barn.

“You really suck at this fighting thing!” Antares mocked, and the Praetor snarled as he leapt backwards, his whole body moving like liquid as he flung a volley of knives at the black stallion. But Antares only grinned as he dropped flat on his stomach and propped his head up with his hooves, waggling his eyebrows at the Praetor as the knives harmlessly shot over his head. “But if you're trying to get my attention, well, you definitely got it.”

The Praetor flung an antimagic explosive, but this time Antares was ready for it, rolling backwards and shielding himself with his crystalline wings: the boom of light and sound and vibration still hurt like hell, but he was able to shrug off the worst of the damage, even as he felt his horn sizzling with painful electricity.

Antares felt the Praetor smash into his wings, and he gritted his teeth as he flapped them hard out to either side, the crystalline appendages slashing into the Praetor and knocking the Pegasus backward. But the black stallion didn't even have enough time to look up before a tremendous explosion ripped across one of his wings from the bomb that the Praetor had planted on it, knocking Antares sideways-

The Praetor slammed a hoof into Antares' face before he could hit the ground, then smoothly moved forwards like liquid, using his other front leg as an axle so he could smash a ferocious double-kick from his hind hooves into Antares' muzzle, knocking him through the air in a boneless arc. And as the Praetor leapt forward again, he drew two knives from his seemingly-endless supply, beginning to aim at Antares before his eyes flashed and his wings flapped suddenly, half-flipping upside down as he flung both knives sharply into Aphrodisia before she could slam into him.

The demon gasped as she was knocked onto her back, hitting the ground at the same time as the Praetor stomped down on Antares' body and drove the black stallion flat, knocking the wind out of him. A hidden blade gleamed as the Praetor shoved it down, going for a deathblow-

A metal hoof on a chain wrapped tightly around the Praetor's neck, making him gargle before he was yanked savagely backwards off of Antares. The Praetor slammed down on the ground, grasping at the chain before he roared in frustration as massive arcs of electricity ripped along the length of the metal and tore over the Praetor's spasming body, Thorn looking coldly at the Pegasus as he stood with his mechanical foreleg extended, pistons pumping as he poured as much electricity as he could spare down the length of chain feeding out of his mechanical limb.

Thorn only hoped that Fluttershy and her family would be able to deal with Sol Seraph by themselves, but that was the way she seemed to want it to be, he thought, even with the fear that was visibly emanating off her.

Sol Seraph certainly didn't seem to care about her father, as the Pegasus looked towards the bearded stallion, watching as he finally yanked loose from the chain to spin around and fling an anti-magic sphere at Thorn. But Thorn's horn pulsed sharply as the chain rapidly retracted into his foreleg, steel hoof locking back into place before the stallion simply caught the glass bauble in the steel appendage.

He tossed the defused sphere aside as it sizzled faintly, and the Praetor began to snarl before Aphrodisia appeared in a burst of black smoke beside him, smashing into him and ripping several of his weapon-filled packs free from his body at the same time. Sol Seraph smiled thinly at this sight, then turned her eyes slowly back towards Fluttershy as she said softly: “Your grandfather has always been foolish. A biting dog. Stronger than any other Guildmaster, certainly. Stronger than the dragons that he so loved to hunt. But to be stronger than one does not mean to be stronger than all.

“Look at him. He knows they cannot harm him, so he fights without guile, without cunning. Brutally.” Sol Seraph said contemptibly, her eyes locking on her daughter's as Fluttershy trembled a little. “He is fearless. He will kill all of your friends. And alone, he could destroy every single one of them with his bare hooves. But he is also a mad dog, the opposite end of the spectrum. And you, what are you, Fluttershy? Do you know what you are?”

“I am Phooka. I am a mother. I will... I will not let you hurt my family. I am their protector.” whispered Fluttershy, even as she shivered in fear, and Sol Seraph gave her cracked, twisted grin again, her eyes blazing.

“No. You are not even prey. You are only worth killing because you are a blot on my name, a stain upon my honor. Otherwise I would overlook you, as I would overlook an insect that wanders beneath my hoof, a parasite that would be crushed by even my shadow passing over it.” Sol Seraph said softly, setting herself as Fluttershy flinched and lowered her head meekly. “No one can save you now.”

“We will protect her, as she has always protected us. We will not let you harm her, wendigo.” Tender Trust said quietly as she stepped forward, and Nirvana rumbled in agreement.

Sol Seraph smiled thinly; a moment later, she was in front of Nirvana, smashing him backwards with a vicious punch, but Tender Trust was just as quick to counterattack, striking Sol Seraph hard across the face and knocking her staggering. But as she stumbled, her body twisted slightly, and her hidden blades sang as they popped free from her bracers, slashing back and forth through the air at the Phooka mare.

Tender Trust dodged backwards, yet one of the blades nicked her all the same, and the Phooka's eyes widened as they cut through her ethereal body. She shouted a warning to her father in their own language as Nirvana leapt back to his hooves, rattled but unharmed by the blow, and his eyes widened before he glared at Sol Seraph as she turned towards him.

His emerald-fire eyes glowed, and Sol Seraph grimaced slightly before she yanked a snare of silver wire free from one of her pouches, snapping it towards Nirvana. He wasn't able to break away in time, the coil snapping around his neck and choking him before Sol Seraph yanked him savagely to the ground as he bled smoke out of the thin wound in his throat.

Sol Seraph leapt forward, meaning to deal a killing blow to the Phooka, but Tender Trust leapt in front of her father and caught the Pegasus' foreleg as it snapped forward, redirecting her attack before she slammed her head into Sol's face. The Pegasus barely flinched, however, roughly yanking her limb back and slashing across Tender Trust's face to send her down with a cry of pain before she thrust the blade down-

Her forelimb was caught as the blade grazed Tender Trust's face, and Sol Seraph and Fluttershy looked at each other silently as the Phooka squeezed slowly into her mother's foreleg, before she said in a quiet voice: “Stop.”

There was no tremor in her tone, no tremble in her body, as the two looked at each other for a few long moments, until Sol Seraph gave a slow, cold smile before she asked, gentle and venomous and challenging: “Do you think that you can make me, daughter?”

“I will do what I must, mother.” Fluttershy replied with the same soft fearlessness, and the two looked at each other before she almost pleaded, humble and gentle: “Please don't make me stop you.”

Sol Seraph responded by yanking her limb free and making a wide, slashing blow aimed at Fluttershy's face-

The Phooka's hoof slammed into Sol Seraph's breast in a powerful preemptive strike, and Sol Seraph was sent flying backwards, her eyes wide before her wings flapped automatically, body flipping itself as she landed and skidded backwards on all four hooves. Fluttershy's face was calm, her eyes narrowed slightly, her hoof remaining fully extended as she looked at her mother, who had been knocked some ten feet away by the powerful blow.

They looked at each other for a few moments, and then Sol Seraph snarled before she leapt forward, yanking two knives free from her belts and flinging them sharply: Fluttershy deflected one of the daggers and dodged the other, then ducked smoothly when a hidden wire gleamed and lashed the knife back towards her, as Sol Seraph closed in at the same time.

Wires and blades and hooves danced around her, and Fluttershy flowed with them and through them, evading every strike and attack, her expression still calm, a silent sadness in her eyes as she weaved through her mother's attacks and closed with her. A hoof lashed at her face, but with ease, Fluttershy blocked it: Sol Seraph drove forwards, the wires still singing and dancing around her like silver serpents with steel fangs, but the Phooka evaded every bite of metal as her hooves moved with grace and precision, deflecting and stopping every single punch and kick from her mother.

Sol Seraph's hidden blades sprang out of her bracers, stabbing them both towards Fluttershy's eyes in a vicious rending strike, but the Phooka calmly swung her forelegs up between Sol Seraph's attack, knocking her limbs open before she caught her by the shoulders, the Voidborn's eyes widening as she almost fell into Fluttershy, a moment before her daughter's head slammed into her face.

Sol tumbled backwards, but Fluttershy caught her wrists before she could fall completely over, leaping up and bringing both rear hooves in a savage kick into Sol Seraph's face with a tremendous crunch, the Pegasus flying backwards in a low arc with a spray of crimson, eyes wide with disbelief before she landed with a dull thud on her back.

Fluttershy stood calmly as Sol Seraph laid prone for a moment longer, and then she slowly sat up, rubbing at her face with a look of disbelief.

“Please stop. I don't want to hurt you, even if I know... you would gladly hurt others.” Fluttershy shook her head slowly, and then she rose her eyes, silently and grimly determined. “But if you make me... I will stop you. I won't let you hurt my family.”

Sol Seraph calmly climbed to her hooves, looking down at herself for a moment, and then she smiled thinly before she reached up and pulled a dagger free from her sidepack. She flipped this over in her hoof, squeezing into the handle for a moment before she flung it at her daughter's hooves, leaving it buried in the ground in front of Fluttershy. “Then you will have to kill me, daughter.”

Fluttershy looked silently down at the dagger, and Sol Seraph smiled coldly, a strange, intent eagerness filling her eyes. Not even the sound of the Praetor clashing with Antares could draw her attention away; not even the sound of her father howling in sudden pain as a scythe buried deep into his back could distract either the Phooka or the predator from their confrontation.

The Praetor staggered to the side as Aphrodisia yanked her scythe free from the Voidborn's body, sending up a gush of energy. The Praetor gasped, then snarled and flung an explosive at the ground as Antares tried to close in, before he and the others were driven backwards by the blast of black, sulfurous smoke, Antares shouting at the reek: “It's toxic, stay back!”

Thorn quickly created a holographic screen in front of him, using it to scan for the Praetor's energy inside the cloud, as Aphrodisia snarled, her features tightened into a skull-like mask, her deadly scythe with its massive, fanged blade and gnarled pole easily resting across her shoulders as it glimmered with energy, the demon hissing: “Elska hates him. Elska says we have to stop him quickly.”

Antares opened his mouth to reply, and then he swore when several shurikens shot out of the crowd, the stallion deflecting two with his horn and dodging the third as they sparked with electricity. “Hey, watch where you throw your toys!”

The stallion began to grin, and then he felt something slam into his back, Antares staggering forward before he howled in agony as electricity crackled over his body, Aphrodisia's eyes widening before she leapt towards him and slashed through the air, cutting through an invisible string before another shuriken could be guided around into Antares' back. But the distraction gave the Praetor the chance he needed to leap out of the cloud of poison and smash into her, a blade tearing into her chest as Aphrodisia gasped before the Praetor yanked her scythe free as he flung her to the ground, and then he spun it around and slammed it viciously down, the demon screaming as she was left pinned to the ground by her own scythe.

“Stay out of my way.” he growled, and then he turned his eyes towards Antares before he simply flung several anti-magic explosives at him when he began to push quickly up to his hooves. They went off with three tremendous bangs, driving Antares to the ground with a howl of agony as his crystalline wings cracked and his horn reverberated agonizingly.

The Praetor turned his eyes through the clearing smog towards Thorn, saying contemptibly: “And now let's deal with you. I think I'll kill you now, while your little friends are helpless.”

Thorn only smiled thinly as he dismissed the holographic screen, and the two faced each other before the Praetor suddenly charged forward, zigzagging at the last moment to try and flank the sapphire stallion. Thorn was undaunted, however, his eyes following easily after the Pegasus before he agilely quickstepped out of the way of a wild blow-

Thorn felt the wire brush against his body, and he narrowly ducked in time to avoid the steel noose: it still managed to cinch tightly around his horn, but the stallion channeled his energies immediately into the spire as he yanked backwards, slicing through the wire before he unleashed the channeled magic in a concentrated telekinetic hammer into the Praetor's face.

The Pegasus was knocked backwards with a curse, but the Voidborn recovered quickly, flinging an antimagic explosive as he did so. Thorn simply deflected the glass bauble, however, grimacing slightly before the pistons on his mechanical limb pumped as lightning shocked along it.

The Praetor leapt in for another attack, and was greeted by Thorn's electrified hoof smashing into his face, knocking him to the ground: he rolled almost the moment he hit, however, flinging himself up into the air with a mighty flap of his wings before he flung several knives down at the sapphire unicorn.

Thorn barely moved, taking a single step backwards as he blocked the knives with a barrier before he narrowed his eyes as he saw the glinting of the wires attached to the weapons. His horn glowed as his shield vanished, and the Praetor cursed as the knives were violently repelled by a pulse of electromagnetic force.

The Pegasus dropped back to the ground, then charged recklessly at Thorn: Thorn slammed his steel hoof out, before he gritted his teeth when the Praetor ducked beneath the punch, hidden blades shooting free from his bracers before he slammed these up in a savage tattoo over the stallion's limb, ripping through the slots and chinks in his armor plating as Thorn's prosthetic squealed in protest.

A shockwave of electricity tore out of the limb, Thorn wincing and the Praetor hissing as he was driven backwards again, but a moment later, the stallion's mechanical leg fell limp, the Praetor smiling coldly as he slowly straightened and asked: “What are you going to do now, boy?”

Without looking, the Praetor drew a knife and flung it to the side, and Antares gasped as this sank into his body just above his collarbone, trembling for a moment before he collapsed onto his face. Aphrodisia cried out from where she was pinned beneath her scythe, and Thorn's eyes widened slightly before the Voidborn said in a soft, deadly voice: “I am out of patience with all of you.”

Thorn silently looked at his mechanical leg, and then he shook his head slowly before he reached up and grasped into his shoulder as the pistons hissed to a halt. He pressed down and twisted, then grimaced as he pulled the leg free, letting it fall to the ground before the three legged stallion faced the Pegasus defiantly, saying quietly: “I'm waiting.”

The Praetor grinned coldly at this, and then he ran forwards, closing in for the kill. He slashed at Thorn, but to his shock, Thorn dodged, twisting out of the way before he slammed his front hoof into the Praetor's face, then dropped his elbow hard into the side of his neck, driving the Pegasus to the ground.

The Praetor shoved himself immediately back up, and was greeted by a telekinetic hammer that knocked him rolling backwards. He recovered again by performing a quick hoofspring back to all fours, but his cheeks were burning with humiliation as Thorn simply readied himself, flicking his mane out of his eyes before he repeated coldly: “I'm waiting.”

The Voidborn roared in fury and charged straight at Thorn, and Antares grinned weakly as he crawled towards Aphrodisia, who was trembling hard beneath her scythe, watching the fight intently, before her eyes widened as she felt Antares grasp into the pole of the weapon, the stallion wheezing: “You gotta... put him down fast. Thorn can't keep him distracted forever.”

Aphrodisia rumbled and nodded quickly, then she gasped as her scythe was slowly pushed upwards, blood spilling out of her ripped-open stomach around the weapon. She grasped into the pole, whimpering in pain... but the soulbound scythe was pouring every ounce of spirit it sucked out of her back into her body. It was the sheer pain keeping her pinned, but as it began to tear free... “Oh, Elska, don't apologize... we'll... we'll get him. We'll make him pay...”

“Protect, Apps. Destroy him to protect. Not for revenge. Don't let your Wrath take over.” Antares said quietly, and Aphrodisia snarled, but then nodded reluctantly before Antares said softly: “Love you, little sister.”

“Love you... big brother.” Aphrodisia's expression broke into a smile, and he felt that determination, that fire in her becoming... cleaner, for lack of a better word. A demon like Apps was all but a force to be nature, something not to be taken lightly, but on the other hoof, Aphrodisia was fighting an endless struggle to control and rule her own violent instincts, even after the years of training she had seen here and in Helheim.

The scythe tore free from her body with a final gush of blood, spinning violently up into the air, and Aphrodisia leapt up into the air and caught it before she burst apart into a stream of dark smoke that streaked straight for the Praetor, who was closing in a bloodied and battered Thorn.

The Praetor growled in frustration as he was forced to take his focus off the stallion he was closing in on, half-turning and flinging an anti-magic sphere, but Thorn's horn glowed brightly as Aphrodisia's black-smoke form twisted smoothly up out of the way of the defused bauble. Immediately, the Praetor spun back towards Thorn with a sound of frustration, lunging at him and smashing his bracer-covered foreleg down, and Thorn was barely able to shield himself from the worst of the blow by ducking behind his own foreleg, swearing in pain as he was driven to the ground as the bones in his limb fractured from the brutal blow.

The Praetor began to turn, but Aphrodisia solidified in midair above him before he could, rolling with her scythe to neatly scoop him up with the crescent blade and fling the Voidborn skywards. The Pegasus allowed himself to be carried into the air, but then flipped his body backwards, wings flapping once to stabilize himself-

And Aphrodisia's scythe seemed to leap out of her hooves, spinning violently through the air to slash off one of the Praetor's wings, which became nothing but strings of energy as a gush of blue mist burst from his body. He fell from the air with a gasp, his eyes bulging in shock before Aphrodisia leapt up and slammed a hoof into his face, knocking him backwards.

Her spinning scythe twisted up into the air, then dropped smoothly as Aphrodisia leapt forwards, the demon snarling as she caught the weapon and dove in for the kill, but the Praetor snarled even as he bounced painfully on his back, his hooves grasping at one of his empty pouches before he flung it sharply at Aphrodisia's face.

The demon slapped this away with her scythe, and the Praetor immediately launched himself upward, seizing the pole of the weapon. The two grappled for a moment as they fell towards the earth, and then Aphrodisia managed to roll him beneath her and pin him under her against the ground, her scythe blade biting into the earth beside him, ready to decapitate.

The Praetor grinned coldly up at her, and Aphrodisia trembled as she glared down at him before there was a tremendous explosion of sound and light, the demon screaming. Something agonizing hammered cruelly through her stomach, and a moment later she collapsed, gargling, her body lined with knives, her hooves badly charred from the sticky explosive gel that the Praetor had detonated, and his own body healing rapidly; all except for the wounds caused by the scythe.

He snorted as he climbed up to his hooves, then he glared as Antares began forward, the Pegasus reaching out and putting a hoof on the slumped demon's face as he said coldly: “Take another step, runt, and she dies.”

Antares halted, swearing under his breath, even though he could clearly see the Praetor meant to murder her anyway, no matter what he did. He had to think this through, though, stall for time, hope that he could distract this asshole or that-

“I resign. I'll forfeit my life for hers.” Thorn said calmly as he approached, and the Praetor looked up almost in surprise, but then he grinned in sickening amusement as the wounded, three-legged stallion lowered his head to the Pegasus. “I'll come with you willingly.”

“No, Thorn! Don't!” Antares shouted, but Thorn only smiled briefly as he looked up, not turning towards Antares, meeting the Praetor's eyes.

The Praetor nodded shortly, and then he gestured irritably to the stallion, keeping one of his hooves on Aphrodisia's face as he said contemptibly: “At least you seem to know your place. A worthless gimp like you does nothing but weaken the rest of the pack. Rare to see any of you wastrels figuring that out, though.”

Thorn only calmly approached, glancing down at Aphrodisia, and the Praetor followed his gaze before he smiled coldly, then flicked his eyes up towards Antares as a hidden blade shot out of his bracer. He rose this up to Thorn's throat, keeping it pressed tightly there as his other hoof stayed on the demon's face, the Pegasus saying coldly: “Choose which one dies.”

Thorn cocked an eyebrow, looking almost disappointed, and the Praetor snorted before he said disgustedly: “I don't need you alive. Any more than I need her alive. But if your friend doesn't choose, I'll kill you both. You're my prey: helpless and at my mercy. I have all the power here.”

“You have none whatsoever.” Thorn said quietly, and the Praetor glared at him. “You're nothing but a coward, abusing his physical strength and immortality from the Void to try and relive his glory days... glory days where even then, you killed out of fear and prejudice, didn't you?”

“Shut up.” the Praetor growled, and then he began to yank the blade back across Thorn's throat, before his eyes widened as the sapphire stallion gave the slightest of smiles when the blade refused to bite, wrapped in sapphire magic. “What have you-”

The Praetor started to turn with a snarl, and then there were six loud thunks, one after the other, as the knives buried in Aphrodisia's body tore themselves free and ripped savagely up into the Praetor's. He stumbled backwards, gurgling in horror, clutching at the weapons as misty energy steamed up around his stomach, and Thorn grimaced as he hugged his own body, saying tiredly: “Aphrodisia, if you'd please?”

The ring around his horn glowed brightly, and the Praetor began to leap forwards, but like a puppet, Apps lunged up off the ground, slamming a wooden-moving yet terribly fast hoof into the Praetor's face and knocking him crashing sideways. The mare's eyes snapped open with a gasp as her consciousness returned, and then she snarled, seeing her chance as the Pegasus scrambled to get up, but was crippled by his missing wing and the knives buried halfway through his body.

Elska howled through the air, returning to the demon's hooves as she leapt forwards and slashed down with it, and the Praetor gave one last cry of fury, of frustration, of disbelief, before his head was cleft almost in half, then separated from his shoulders by a savage lash of the polearm. Energy gushed from the wound as the Praetor's head hit the ground and rolled several times, his mouth working wordlessly before he stared upwards in horror as his smoking body began to dissolve, but Thorn's eyes narrowed as both head and body gave echoing screams, coat and flesh flaking away into blue ashes that and smoke that rapidly dissolved into the air.

Sol Seraph broke off her fight with Fluttershy to look sharply to the side, her eyes widening slightly as she saw the last of her father dissolving, and then she slowly closed her eyes, lowering her head and whispering: “So we can die a death we cannot return from...”

“Yeah, you can. So you better run while you still have the chance.” Antares said sharply as he turned towards her, readying himself, and Aphrodisia snarled in agreement as she leapt up beside the stallion. Thorn joined him a moment later, and Sol Seraph smiled thinly, her eyes flicking towards these wounded warriors, but any thoughts she had of turning on them were stopped by Fluttershy.

“Please leave, mother. I don't want to see that happen to you.” she murmured, and Sol Seraph looked slowly towards her daughter as the Phooka took a slow breath, then straightened and said quietly: “Even now... part of me still wants to love you. For... for so many decades... I longed for a mother's love. For a mother's touch. I went to... incredible lengths to experience even a mask of that feeling... and as much as I know you are evil, you will hurt others, you and I are not alike... we aren't nothing alike. You don't love me, but that doesn't mean you never loved me.

“I know you're broken. I know you're... sick, mother. I know you hurt. I know you'll take any chances I give you to... hurt me, or hurt my friends. But I know that you could have killed me, like you could father, and you never did. I know that in some way, you loved me. You loved my father.”

“Do not speak of Ardor. He has nothing to do with any of this.” Sol Seraph said coldly, her eyes narrowing, and Fluttershy smiled faintly.

“I think you still love him, in some strange way. Even when you tortured me, before you... passed on... you still wanted me by your side. You tried. But you're not a pony, any more than you're a predator. You're something different. Something hurt. Something cursed. They called you volk, and maybe that is what you are. But you have also been called scorpion, and I think that's closer. Because you will kill, and you will kill, even if it means your own death...”

Fluttershy trembled, shaking her head slowly, but there were tears in her eyes as she looked up and whispered: “Please, mother. If I can't fix you... then please stop. Please go. Don't make me be the one to kill you. I am not a volk. I am not a scorpion. But I am your daughter, and I do not want to stain my hooves with your blood.”

Sol Seraph slowly reached into one of her packs, pulling loose a cigarette and sticking this into her mouth. She lit it after a moment as she looked down contemplatively, and then she glanced towards the remains of the Praetor: nothing was left, except for his broken armor and his now-useless tools: even his equipment seemed to have had the energy burnt completely out of them.

“The Praetor... my father... killed my mother. I did not care. He killed my sisters. I did not care. He killed my brothers. I did not care. He killed my former lovers. I did not care.” Sol Seraph looked up calmly, meeting her daughter's eyes. “Together, we killed the entire guild. We killed the guards, we killed the priests, we killed the soldiers, we killed the slaves. We killed the hunting animals and their handlers, we killed the lords and ladies alongside the prisoners and criminals and the foals.

“And then he tried to kill me. I killed him, because I was superior. But never once did I care about my own life being at risk. That is merely how things were.” Sol Seraph took a deep drag of her cigarette, then she blew the smoke out to the side, clicking her tongue in disdain as she looked away with disgust. “You have always been so weak. So pathetic.

“Yet I wonder if this weakness is not my fault.” Sol Seraph calmly looked away, meditatively tapping her hoof as she grimaced in disgust. “I should have let the Praetor kill you. That was why I killed him: to 'protect' you. Yet what have I done instead? Stained my own honor and name, made myself seem weak, and eventually... cost myself my own life, out of foolishness and weakness.” Sol Seraph shook her head slowly, sorting in disdain. “What idiocy. I should have let the Praetor kill you. Yet, all the same... perhaps I am glad that I did not.”

Slowly, Sol Seraph turned towards Fluttershy, then she reached up and pulled her cigarette out of her muzzle, tossing it away as she said coldly: “You will kill me, Fluttershy, or I will kill your entire family. You will either prove to me that you are not a failure, or you will accept your fate as nothing but a worthless, broken link in the food chain, and all your friends and family will pay for your sins and weakness along with you.”

“Okâwîmâw, we will stand beside you and-” Tender Trust began to run forward with Nirvana, but Fluttershy spread her wings and put her forelegs out to either side to block them, shaking her head quickly as she straightened and looked across at her mother, as tears spilled down her cheeks.

“No. This is something I must do alone. I... I understand, mother.” Fluttershy took a slow breath, and then she bowed her head quickly to the Pegasus, closing her eyes for a moment as she whispered: “Please rest, when this is over.”

“No, Fluttershy. I will never rest. I will never stop hunting. I will never stop fighting. Now, more than ever, I am closer to becoming the apex predator: your grandfather is dead, and his energies unbound.” Sol Seraph smiled thinly, leaning forwards as she challenged softly: “Unless you think you can use that demon's toy to end my existence completely.”

Fluttershy visibly flinched at this, but then she shook her head and looked up, saying quietly: “I'll... I'll stop you as many times as I have to.”

“Not if I rectify my mistake first.” Sol Seraph said calmly, and then she charged forwards. Fluttershy flinched instinctively, and the Pegasus smashed her daughter across the face, knocking the Phooka to the ground before a blade sprung free from her bracer, driving it savagely down in a killing blow aimed at Fluttershy's neck.

But the Phooka was faster, blocking Sol Seraph's hoof with her foreleg before she seized the bracer and slammed her hoof upward, bending the thin blade. Sol Seraph grimaced in distaste as she immediately leapt backwards, undoing her bracer in one smooth movement and flicking it free from her limb to toss the now-useless weapon aside.

In almost the same moment, she drew a shuriken free from her pouch and flung it sharply at Fluttershy, but the Phooka dodged to the side, then ducked as the wire attached to the throwing star gleamed when Sol Seraph yanked on it and redirected the attack. It whipped past Fluttershy's head, then shot towards her again even as the Pegasus began to close in on her daughter while snapping the coil back and forth, aiming to either tangle Fluttershy in the deadly silver or sink the fangs of the shuriken into her like a hook.

But Fluttershy dodged smoothly, the shuriken never more than scratching her, the wire never finding the purchase to wrap or cling into before the Phooka suddenly leapt forwards: immediately, Sol Seraph spun the wire in a rapid circle to try and coil it around her daughter in midair, but Fluttershy gracefully arched her back and instead reached up to catch the loop between her hooves before she dove forward with it, slipping the noose of steel string over her mother's head as she twisted her body to lunge past her at the same time.

Sol Seraph's eyes widened in shock before Fluttershy revolved herself rapidly and pulled back hard, even as her eyes clenched tightly shut, and Sol Seraph choked loudly as she clutched at the wire around her neck, her expression turning to horror and disbelief as energy began to rapidly steam up from the wound torn in her throat. She convulsed, shaking herself roughly back and forth before she attempted to buck Fluttershy off, but the Phooka moved with her mother, refusing to let her slip away or twist free, ignoring the blood spilling down from hooves torn-open from the force she was yanking on the wire with as she whispered: “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, mother.”

Sol Seraph gargled, her eyes burning with rage, her hooves finally grabbing at the bags on her body as she rose a knife in a trembling hoof, and then she suddenly snarled, spinning the dagger around in her hoof before she stabbed it savagely backwards. Fluttershy's eyes widened in shock as she flinched, and Sol Seraph was finally able to get a gasp of air: her last, as she whispered: “I will not let things end this way.”

Sol Seraph slowly yanked the dagger free from her own stomach, touching the edge of the wound as it bled energy, the Pegasus slowly slumping and beginning to dissolve into blue motes as she whispered: “The thought that you could be stronger than me... is madness... and yet why is it that... why am I...”

The Voidborn blinked a few times weakly as the knife slipped from her grip, the wire loosened from around her neck, and then her eyes widened as Fluttershy caught her, pulling her back into a fierce hug as she buried her face in her mother's mane, her voice trembling as she said: “Why can't you, just once, love me... w-why do you have to be this way...”

“Because I am a predator. Because... this is the way, that we are made strong.” Sol Seraph murmured, her eyes flickering before they closed as she dissolved fully into sapphire miasma, leaving Fluttershy hugging only thin air as Sol's echoing voice wondered: “And yet why...”

“Because I am not like you, mother... and our definitions of strength are very different.” Fluttershy whispered, as she looked down at the ground and shook her head, trembling a little before her eyes slipped closed. “Mother...”

Tender Trust and Nirvana ran up to her side, and Antares shook his head slowly before he strode over to Aphrodisia and Thorn. The sapphire stallion smiled briefly, then he looked over at the demon, saying quietly: “I apologize for using you like that.”

“It's okay. I understand. And we're all alive because of you.” Aphrodisia replied with a shake of her head, before she smiled a little in return. “But I am gonna do one thing.”

Thorn frowned a bit, and then he winced when Aphrodisia leapt forward and hugged him fiercely around the neck, the sapphire stallion tensing up, but then slowly relaxing and sighing, eventually reaching up to awkwardly pat the mare on the back. “Alright.”

“Not done.” Aphrodisia grumbled, burying her face against his neck, and Antares grinned a little despite himself before the demon looked up and asked worriedly: “Wait, what about Avalon?”

“She should be okay. She just took a hell of a hit. Don't forget she's barely half-demon.” Antares replied with a brief shake of his head, and Aphrodisia grunted as she pulled away before she glanced at her scythe, and the runes over her back glowed before the weapon vanished in a puff of the same-colored radiance. “Why don't you go wake her up? She'll be less grouchy if you do it, anyway.”

“Yeah, but then she'll be mad at all of us for making her skip the fight.” the demon said pointedly, and Antares nodded thoughtfully before Aphrodisia asked in a quieter, more serious voice: “If someone like that can come back... is it possible that...”

“I don't want to think about it.” Antares muttered, shaking his head briefly before his eyes flicked towards Thorn, studying him for a few moments before he said finally: “You did a good job, kid. I'm kind of surprised, actually, that you could keep up with us big boys. Even if, you know, you kind of cheated and all, too.”

“Sometimes deception is key to victory. I'm not without my honor, Antares. But if an opponent has no honor and no respect for me, then I will not hesitate to treat him the same way.” Thorn replied calmly, shaking his head briefly before his eyes roved towards Fluttershy. “Will she be...”

“Yeah. In a way, I guess it's... good that Avalon didn't see this. I know she'd want to support her, but at the same time...” Antares smiled briefly, shaking his head as Aphrodisia blushed and lowered her own. “She would have jumped in the moment she saw them fighting. And then... well...”

Thorn only nodded, and then the stallion strode carefully around Antares, the black stallion quirking an eyebrow before he remarked mildly: “You aren't going to make that crack in your leg any better by walking on it, you know.”

The stallion only shrugged and smiled briefly, and Antares rolled his eyes in wry amusement before he turned and headed towards the edge of the corral. He looked up in surprise as Aphrodisia bounced indecisively on the spot, and then the stallion sighed before saying loudly: “Go on and follow your new coltfriend, Apps, I'm only a little offended.”

“Okay!” Aphrodisia said brightly, but her eyes were thankful for Antares' guidance as she nodded firmly and spun around to run over to Thorn, and Antares couldn't help but give a brief smile: she either really liked Thorn or really respected him, from what he'd seen, he thought it was probably both.

Thorn glanced up as Aphrodisia approached, gently tapping him on the shoulder before she offered him a warm smile and said quietly: “I can um, sort of help you with the pain if you want, Thorn. You just have to trust me a little.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I'm alright.” Thorn flexed his limb absently: it did hurt like hell, but he had a high pain tolerance, and he could tell from the wound that the bone was cracked, but not completely broken, although he couldn't be sure of the extent of the damages he'd taken until he checked himself out at the Clockworks.

Aphrodisia bowed her head politely to him, then she hurried after the stallion, adding almost embarrassedly: “Well, I'd like to try and help you somehow, Thorn! I mean, you're kind of like a super important Inquisitor and you just... I mean, you weren't afraid at all of that big meanie, and it really... I mean, I thought it was really amazing! And you're kind of like my uh... I don't know. Antares and I are cousins but we're more like big brother and little sister and I don't know if that makes me your normal age sister or your big sister but either way I want to help you, cousin-brother.”

Thorn looked blankly for a few moments at Aphrodisia, who looked back with a lame grin, but after a second, he couldn't help but smile a little and nod briefly, saying quietly: “Of course. Let's attend to Fluttershy first, though.”

“I think Fluttershy's family has that covered, Thorn. We probably don't want to go poking into that too much.” the demon suggested, but Thorn only gave a brief smile before he turned and strode towards Fluttershy.

Aphrodisia followed almost hesitantly: Thorn approached the trio with the same calm and professionalism he did everything, even though Fluttershy had her face in her hooves and Nirvana and Tender Trust were quietly comforting her in their own language. The stallion politely cleared his throat when he reached them, then leaned forward and said gently: “Thank you for helping us. I admire your resolve in protecting your family. And I apologize for drawing this danger to you.”

“Oh, Thorn, I...” Fluttershy glanced up meekly after a moment, uncovering her face hesitantly before she shook her head quickly, murmuring: “No, no. It's not your fault at all. I'm sorry that I couldn't do more.”

“Don't blame yourself.” Thorn almost instructed in his serious voice, and Fluttershy blushed and dropped her head, nodding once before the stallion shook his head and glanced between Tender Trust and Nirvana: “Do you need anything?”

Nirvana shook his head, and Tender Trust smiled a little before she reassured: “Temperance and Virtue will return with help soon, I am certain. But they are fleet of hoof and not so fleet of mind, especially in a panic.”

Thorn chuckled quietly, but then he looked up at the sound of hooves, saying softly: “All the same, it sounds like help is coming now. Still, I want to offer what help I can. And I want to thank you, again, Fluttershy. You saved a lot of lives today, and I won't forget what you've done here.”

Fluttershy smiled faintly, shrugging a bit as she looked up at him before giving a brief nod, and he nodded back before the Pegasus asked quietly: “Are you okay?”

“I'm alright. And focusing on putting together what we've learned about these Voidborn.” Thorn said, glancing up as he saw Sleipnir easily leap the corral fence, followed a moment later by Pinkamena. They both hurried towards Fluttershy, but the earth pony was already slowing, looking relieved as he glanced back and forth and realized everything had settled.

“Damnation, phoenix. It seems we were too late!” he said with a click of his tongue, and then he turned a warm smile towards Thorn, studying his bruised body for a moment before he asked teasingly: “And what, art thou even more like thy parents than I had thought, stealing all the glory of the battle?”

Thorn smiled briefly, and then he nodded to Fluttershy, saying softly: “Fluttershy, Aphrodisia, and Antares handled the brunt of the battle. The Voidborn were defeated and one may have been eliminated completely thanks to Aphrodisia's scythe. From what I've put together so far, they're energy lifeforms: physical death exiles them to the Void, but weapons capable of causing spiritual death or damage burn away their cohesion and cause them to degenerate.”

“I have no idea what thou just said, but I must say, thou says it with great confidence.” Sleipnir said positively, nodding firmly once, and Pinkamena rolled her eyes before she smacked Sleipnir, then reached out and grasped her daughter's shoulder gently, giving her a soft look as the mare smiled warmly back at her mother.

“Goddammit.” grumbled another voice, and then Avalon shot in and dropped down in front of Fluttershy, leaning forwards and asking worriedly: “Hey, are you okay?”

Fluttershy smiled a little, nodding slowly before she looked around and murmured: “But we should make sure... there's no one else. Thorn, you need treatment and to get somewhere safe, they came for you...”

“I can't sense any other Voidborn in the area.” Thorn said, and then Antares strode up and nudged him firmly, making him wince a bit as he grasped at his fractured limb.

“Yeah, but you're not the best flier in Equestria.” Antares said pompously, and Avalon immediately shot him a horrible look. “Oh, fine. Go do your thing, Ava. Contribute.”

“I hate you.” Avalon muttered, but then she nodded shortly before leaping into the air and shooting quickly away through the skies to patrol the area.

Thorn began to open his mouth, and then he wheezed in pain when Sleipnir slapped him on the back, his fractured leg buckling and sending him flopping face-first on the ground as the enormous earth pony winced. “Apologies, nephew! Oh, here, let me aid thee!”

Sleipnir gently picked Thorn up by the scruff of the neck, the stallion blinking a few times as he was carefully brushed off, before Pinkamena said dryly: “You better take that broken table out of here. And someone better grab his prop, too.”

“I'll get it!” Aphrodisia volunteered, and Antares rolled his eyes in amusement before he gestured quickly at Sleipnir, who smiled and nodded before he gently laid Thorn across his older sibling's back.

“You rest up for a few minutes. Let's get you over to Scarlet to fix you up. Don't want all your marefriends worrying about you, now.” Antares said mildly, before he turned around and added meditatively: “Or, well, Hecate, either. I really don't want Hecate to think I didn't take proper care of you. Somehow, I don't think that would end well for me.”

Thorn shifted uncomfortably on top of Antares, but then he only sighed and nodded, deciding it was better not to argue before he closed his eyes and lowered his head, wondering just what he was going to tell Hecate about this.

But he thought he knew what he was going to say: how amazed he was by how even the meekest of ponies here had a burning strength that could match even the strongest of their Orphans, and that if they were going to win against the Voidborn, they would need every bit of help they could get from these strange ponies of Looking Glass World.

Huntresses

Chapter Twenty Seven: Huntresses
~BlackRoseRaven

The world that Freya had let them into, so far, was beautiful and wild: Cadence marveled over the emerald forest they were traveling through, radiant and lush, and La Croix seemed to be enjoying himself as he stopped every now and then to pick up this plant or examine that root. Moonflower seemed uncomfortable, but her father was as calm as ever: Cadence thought most of Moony's worries came from the fact they were following around a very frightening version of Celestia, which probably brought back some unpleasant memories for Moonflower of his homeworld.

Freya was humming absently under her breath, her eye focused mostly ahead, her hooves easily finding the game trails and natural paths through the forest, and where no roads seemed to be, it was as if the trees pulled themselves out of the way for the mare and her companions. Cadence was amazed by it, and how the Swan was being so humble still, in the presence of the Mother... I mean, goddess.. no, Freya! I mean Freya, right. Stop being so weird.

Cadence smiled awkwardly when Freya looked back over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow, as if she'd somehow heard these thoughts, and then she chuckled before turning her gaze back ahead and remarking: “You don't need to be so quiet, you know. Strange that the only one rambling away is the Loa. Not that I've met many Loa, of course, but I always thought the zebra were far more stately than that one is.”

“Hey, we all our own person, Mademoiselle Freya. Besides, Moony might actually learn a thing or two. But I might be a tad plein d'espoir there.” La Croix remarked mildly, gesturing absently with his head towards the one-winged unicorn, who huffed loudly and fidgeted a bit beneath his modular armor.

“I'm capable of learning plenty when I'm not all... girded down in this heavy metal getup!” Moonflower complained, and then he halted and hammered a hoof against his breastplate, grumbling: “What is even the point of this? Everything we fight goes right through our armor anyway!”

Freya rolled her eye, pulling back a tree branch with telekinesis as she led the group onward. “True or not, it's a mark of dignity and honor, and it helps keep a handsome pony like you...” She released the treebranch, and it snapped backward and whacked into Moonflower's helmeted head, making him squeak but only stunning him a little thanks to the heavy helm he was wearing. “Handsome.”

“I. Yes. Well. I suppose.” grumbled the stallion, lowering his head slightly with a huff before he mumbled: “I still don't see the point, though. Or what's dignified about it. Especially when it was forced upon me by Hecate.”

“Aye, as I suppose I forced the Valkyries to wear what I told them. But you can either make it your own, Moonflower, or continue to whine about it. Which makes you seem much more like a bratty colt than a handsome stallion, so it does you no favors there, whether you enjoy mares or prefer to beat your sword with another male.” Freya remarked, and Moonflower looked up for a moment before he giggled a little, and Freya rolled her eye but gave a wry smile. “Aye. You'd fit in fine in Asgard with all the little boy gods.”

Cadence winced a bit at this, and Freya chuckled as she came to a halt in a clearing, saying mildly: “Now, now, you know I mean no disrespect to Valhalla itself. But you cannot say the Aesir weren't childish. The Vanir, too, had their flaws, I will be the first to admit that. But we, at least, didn't see the comedy in body part nor function. Nor did we find joking about the Valkyries loving their horses so amusing.”

She clicked her tongue at this, looking down thoughtfully as she murmured: “Ironic, now. And well, I suppose things could be far worse than being trapped in the body of a magical horse. At least Odin had the sense to make sure these bodies were strong, and could properly handle our spirit. I'd hate to think of what it would be like otherwise, confined in a shape that could not grasp, nor use magic, nor even speak.”

She paused, then grinned slightly, raising her head and adding cheerfully: “Although at least then there'd be no excuse to do nothing but fight all day long, whether in the battlefield or the bedroom. Or bed-field, as I suppose the case would be here.”

Cadence only smiled awkwardly, even thought she knew that with any other pony she'd probably be grumbling or trying to ignore them for now, but with how fawning and adoring the Swan felt over Freya, it made everything the goddess said sound like wisdom, even if by now Cadence was starting to understand that wisdom wasn't always something Freya had in high supply.

Freya paused as she turned her eye back ahead, looking at the other side of the clearing before her eyes narrowed slightly, the mare muttering: “Well, what have we here?”

Cadence looked up immediately, readying herself as Sombra strode forward and tilted his head, studying the other side of the clearing as well before he said softly: “Interesting energy. It's not what we're looking for, but... it may not be hostile.”

“You say that like you think I'm going to leap right into fighting it. I'm not Brynhild, you know.” Freya paused, then she smiled wryly as she looked ahead, adding in a louder voice: “But nor will I hesitate to fight if you try and cause any trouble for us, either!”

There was silence for a moment, and then a pony nervously stuck his head out of the other side of the field. But Cadence frowned immediately, her eyes narrowing slightly as her sharpened instincts picked up on the energy the creature was giving off... “Changeling!”

The Changeling blinked, then hurriedly held up its hooves, blurting out: “Wait! Wait, I don't want to fight, okay?”

“Come out from there, then, and take off that mask before I take it off for you.” Freya's tone was scolding, but also almost playful, Cadence thought, which was probably the only thing that stopped the Swan from leaping forward and slaughtering the creature, especially with the default dislike that Cadence felt for Changelings herself, thanks to her own negative experiences with their race.

Mostly negative... she corrected, thinking for a moment about her strange rival and friend, Miss Take. She threw those thoughts off quickly, however, before she ordered: “La Croix, Moonflower, defensive positions, and-”

“Now now, there's no need to get all worked up. We just want to chat with this fellow, don't we?” Freya said in a more diplomatic voice, before she smiled encouragingly to the nervous Changeling at the edge of the field, who was looking as if he was about to run away at any moment. “Come out now. I was only teasing you, I don't want to hurt you. But I do need information.”

“I... don't know...” The Changeling shifted anxiously, and Cadence thought she could feel Freya starting to already get irritated, her mood changing rapidly, and for the first time even the Swan felt its fawning skip a little into hesitant nervousness: if Freya was already such a roil of emotions, what was going to happen when they ran into actual trouble?

But thankfully, her father stepped forward, Sombra saying gently: “In the past, I have met shapeshifters of every face and shape. Tell me, do you serve a Queen or are you on your own?”

“I uh... I'm on my own. I'm not a drone, no.” the Changeling said finally, hesitantly stepping forward and seeming a little more reassured now by Sombra's gentility. “My name is Domino. It's um... nice to meet you all.”

“Aye, I would say it is, too, but we haven't really met you yet, Domino. Not until you show us your true face.” Freya said gently but firmly: Cadence heard a mix of irritation and polite kindness in that tone, which she thought didn't bear very well for Domino if he didn't start to listen to her. Which, at the same time, Cadence admittedly found a little unnerving herself.

“I'm not exactly easy on the eyes.” Domino gave a little laugh: with his body transformed, he looked much like a blue stallion, relatively handsome and with large, strong wings at his sides. He smiled awkwardly, his green eyes looking uneasily at Freya as he lowered his head politely, saying finally: “I um... I have a place to go, anyway, you know, I was just on my way there now so I don't see why... I mean, I'm very happy to give you directions if you need but otherwise-”

“Now, don't go running off yet.” Freya chided, stepping forward, and then she rolled her eye when the Changeling whimpered and made as if to leap back into the forest. “Oh, what? That afraid of us, are you?”

“I... no... well, yes.” Domino admitted after a moment, lowering his head meekly. “I can see you're a little... different from the other ponies here, but they're all very... they're a very rough bunch, you know. Very unpleasant.”

“Ha! As if any pony could be more unpleasant than I, the master of all evil!” Moonflower proclaimed suddenly, making Cadence wince slightly as Domino looked awkwardly at their group. “My friends and I shall rain down a thousand unpleasantnessesnesses upon their heads yet, don't you fear that, Dominant!”

La Croix only groaned, and Domino held up a hoof and corrected in a lame voice: “Um. My name is Domino.”

“Yes. That is what I said, Dominant.” Moonflower said testily, waving a hoof dismissively back and forth before he continued: “Now. Tell us where these rapscallions are.”

“That's not our job here, fun as it would be.” Freya said mildly, looking pointedly over her shoulder at Moonflower before she returned her eyes to Domino, asking: “About these ponies, though. What would you say they are? Mercenaries, soldiers?”

“Pirates.” Domino said immediately, and Freya cocked an eyebrow at this, looking as surprised as Cadence felt. “Well, the port isn't that far away, and because of the trade routes through the sea, I guess it's... what a lot of ponies turned to. And there's a lot of merchants who pay a lot of money for escorts and guards, although, well... sometimes their own escorts turn on them, too. The sea is a treacherous place.”

“I see.” Freya looked down meditatively, and then her eyes roved up, studying the Changeling for a moment before she asked casually: “How are you using your magic to conceal what you're wearing?”

The Changeling blanched visibly, wincing a bit, and now that Freya had pointed it out, Cadence realized that yes, there was some kind of faintly visible distortion wrapped around the Changeling, who gave a nervous laugh before he said awkwardly: “Like I said. Rough crowd, lots of... lots of dangerous ponies. Gotta take every precaution you can, right?”

“Aye, but there is such a thing as too cautious, and I can't help but find you a little suspicious, Domino.” Freya studied the Changeling intently as he grinned weakly and shrank his head between his shoulders, even as Sombra frowned slightly over at the mare. “What are you doing here, and who are you with?”

“N-Nothing. Just passing through, just... going to see... someone...” The Changeling looked nervously away, rubbing uneasily at his throat and making something hidden under the illusion wrapped around him clink quietly.

Freya began to step forward, but Sombra leaned towards her and said in a low, soft voice: “I don't think this is the most appropriate course of action.”

Freya looked at him for a moment, and then, in near-perfect Istallian, she replied pleasantly: “I think you should mind your own business. This dog had lain down with the fleas and has picked up their ticks himself.”

Sombra's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but then he shook his head and replied quietly in the same language: “Whip the criminal, not his dog. Fleas can be shaken off, especially with a helping hoof.”

“And that's what I'm doing. Providing a helping hoof.” Freya replied simply, before she turned her eyes back towards the Changeling and flicked her horn sharply as it gave a single pulse, and the Changeling squealed in terror as vines exploded out of the ground and wrapped around his limbs, hauling his flailing body into the air. “Now, I believe I was asking you a question, friend.”

“O-Okay, okay!” the Changeling yelped, nodding violently before he squeaked as Freya flicked her horn again as she approached, making him wince as his glammer was dispelled and his true form was revealed to all present.

Sombra sighed softly, shaking his head slowly as Cadence winced. La Croix whistled a little, and Moonflower looked a little ill as Domino flushed deeply in humiliation: he had chitinous black hide with fins instead of ears and a twisted, jagged horn above insect-like green orb eyes, but his body was covered in scars, and he had a large brand visible on his forehead.

Chains rattled around his neck as he shifted, his body covered by a thick, ugly-looking tunic that looked almost as if it was tied to him by thick straps of rawhide. Freya noted the thin chains around his ankles as well, and the gemstones that they were adorned with: nothing to do with style or richness, certainly, but rather... “Control markings. You're bait for a slaver. What are you hunting in the area?”

“I... I don't know!” Domino blurted, shaking his head hurriedly and wincing a bit as he struggled uselessly against the vines, before he whimpered as the tendrils twisted and slithered into the holes that dotted the Changeling's limbs, tightening painfully. “Oh, that hurts! Those aren't supposed to go in there!”

“He was telling the truth when he said he wasn't a drone, anyway.” Cadence muttered, her eyes quickly drawing over the Changeling, and Sombra nodded as Freya tilted her head curiously. “He's bigger. And he's got kind of a... crest there on his head, and the chitin patterning is different... warrior?”

“Yes, I was a warrior for the hive, not a drone. Was sent out on a scouting mission one day and this really hurts so please let me go!” the Changeling pleaded, hissing in pain. “Look, look, okay, if they don't know about you guys they're going to really soon and you and I both don't want to get caught like this!”

“It's been ages since I've fought pirates, you know. Feels like playing a child's game.” Freya remarked, but after a moment, she finally complied, loosening most of the vines from around Domino and setting him down, but making him wince as one coiled around his neck like a leash, before he visibly flinched when several large thorns tore out along the vine's length threatening, dripping poisonous green sap. “Don't try to run away, though. Give us the answers we want, and quickly.”

Domino nodded weakly a few times, wheezing a little before he rasped: “Okay. Okay. Whatever you want. Just... please. We need to be fast, I need to get out of here.”

“We didn't blindly jump to this place, and I'm somehow certain you aren't here for no reason, either. Tell me now, why were you sent here, Domino?” Freya pressed, and Cadence shifted uneasily before she realized why Freya was leaning so hard on this point, instead of asking anything else that might minimize the danger for their team, like where the slavers were, or even what had happened to Domino...

The Changeling looked like he was going to try and dance around the subject, but when the vine tightened around his throat and several more thorns pushed their way out towards his neck, he whimpered and rasped out: “Slavers are looking for something, some... big score! Following... following an energy signature...”

“That explains at least one of those trinkets hanging from your neck. It's not just so they can find you, it's so you can find it.” Freya said meditatively, striding forward and nodding slowly as she examined the creature intently. “How did they plan to capture it?”

“I don't know!” This obviously wasn't the answer Freya wanted, as the vines immediately tightened for a moment, choking the Changeling and making him shiver. The moment they loosened, he coughed for breath, then hurriedly added: “They're not exactly... they're working for someone! I don't know who, I just know they have all these... magic things, and they're hunting down all sorts of weird creatures like me and chaos entities and everything in between...”

“That may or may not be related to Thokk. We'll have to keep our eyes open.” Freya mused more to herself than anything else, and then she nodded once before looking over her shoulder at Cadence, asking: “What do you think we should do with this one?”

Somehow, it didn't just sound like a question: it sounded almost like a test. It made Cadence shift uneasily, but she ignored the answer the Swan wanted to give and instead said hesitantly: “I think we should let him go.”

Freya smiled indulgently at this, and then she looked back over her shoulder at the Changeling. Immediately, the vine tightened, beginning to choke him, and Cadence winced but was helpless to do anything, even as Sombra stepped forward and said quietly but firmly: “We are not killers. Nor do we murder in cold blood.”

“Perhaps you aren't. I'm only doing what is necessary to see things proceed, that is all. This is for your sakes, as much as my own.” Freya replied calmly, and Cadence shifted uneasily even as her father tilted his head and used his own magic to intervene, shielding the Changeling's neck as he coughed and rasped weakly. “Now, you aren't stupid enough to think you're strong enough to stop me, are you?”

“Strength comes in many forms. And I will do what is necessary to see life spared.” Sombra said gently but firmly, as Moonflower and La Croix both shifted worriedly.

“Yeah, this... we don't gotta do this! Give me two minutes and I'll mix up a potion to make him forget we ever existed, how 'bout that?” La Croix suggested hurriedly, and Freya scowled a little over her shoulder, the zebra wincing a bit and lowering his head slightly.

She tapped a hoof slowly against the ground, then suddenly flicked her horn, and the Changeling gave a single loud gargle before the vines tightened violently. Sombra winced as Moonflower looked up in horror and Cadence only stared helplessly, watching as the Changeling writhed weakly, his eyes bulging, head shaking-

And then Domino fell limp, and Freya let the vines drop his body as she said softly: “You all said you would listen to me. Remember that. And remember that it is my judgment that matters, not yours, and I am the commander here. This is not a democracy, and unless I ask you your opinion, then I don't care about your opinions or your philosophy.”

Freya looked around, her gaze deadly cold before she suddenly straightened and smiled, turning her eyes forward and saying easily: “It should be simple enough to track where the Changeling came from. I already feel the forest pointing us towards these slavers. They sound an interesting enough place to start the search for our quarry: I'm sure we can make short work of them together.”

Moonflower opened his mouth, but La Croix hurriedly jumped over and covered it with his hooves, the zebra giving a wide, fake grin as he replied quickly: “Y-You got it, boss! We do that just right quick, don't you worry 'bout that, okay?”

Sombra frowned slightly, but then he glanced towards Domino, studying the fallen Changeling for a moment before his head rose a little, as if in surprise, and Cadence frowned uneasily before the stallion said softly: “Of course, Signora Freya. My apologies.”

“Well, I suppose I can't blame any of you for thinking little of me when I give you no reason to think better.” Freya replied mildly, shaking her head briefly before she said wryly, her eyes flicking towards the unconscious Changeling: “And I suppose it's not fair that I keep running these little games and tests on you, but... I am curious to see what kind of backbones you ponies have. So far, I'm rather pleased. Not entirely, of course, but it's certainly an interesting change to have ponies standing up to me.”

Freya leaned down into Sombra's face, studying him intently before she added quietly: “Even if I could easily crush all of you beneath my hooves.”

Sombra only looked calmly back at the mare, refusing to be intimidated, refusing to even be angry with her, and Cadence was admittedly impressed. The Swan was still a mix of fawning and kowtowing, while she herself felt a little frustrated, a little patronized... but she is our matron. She is a Mother. We are inferior.

Cadence frowned a bit at these thoughts, lowering her head slightly, feeling that... that part of her that felt that was true. That was just inarguable fact, and she should accept her place in the grand machinery, that she was just a cog, a gear, a piece of machinery designed to kill or destroy, and that was her sole and singular purpose...

Cadence shook her head hurriedly: no, she wouldn't accept that. She wasn't, and that was maybe the biggest difference between her and the Swan: her refusal to simply fall into a place, to be a number, to not push to be her best. She could accept that Freya was stronger than her, that she could learn from Freya, that Freya was more experienced, more powerful, but she would never accept that she was less than any other pony. She would never settle for simply being a cog, a gear, a servant. She was better than that. She would make herself be better than that.

Freya looked at Cadence thoughtfully, and then her eyes flicked towards Sombra as he said gently: “Perhaps instead of competing between ourselves, instead we should be trying to find the best way we can work together as one. We are all capable of much, working together.”

“People who always push the peaceful solution annoy me, Sombra. But in your case, purely because of what a handsome stallion you are, I'll bow my head to your so-called 'wisdom.'” Freya replied after a moment, then rolled her eye when Sombra only smiled at her and bowed his head in respect. “Keep lowering your head, lad, and eventually someone will cut it off for you when you're not looking.”

Sombra continued to smile, and Moonflower shifted awkwardly as he looked uncomfortably up, like he wanted to speak, but La Croix cleared his throat and hurried on: “Maybe we best get movin' though, right y'all? Ain't like we gonna have forever before whoever be trackin' that Changeling shows up.”

“Actually, that's a good point. Let's hide here and ambush them.” Freya said after a moment, and La Croix winced as Cadence looked uncertainly at the Valkyrie, but Freya only grinned and shrugged. “It'll be easier on us than wandering all over, looking for either slavers or a destruction entity in hiding, now won't it? Or at least faster. And I'm sure that we can handle a few sots who prey on the helpless and the stupid.”

Sombra hesitated, but then he nodded slowly, saying quietly: “And afterward, we can free Domino, or enlist his aid, if he will accept our apologies.”

“Watch your tongue, boy.” Freya's eye narrowed dangerously as she glared at Sombra, who only looked calmly back even as Cadence felt Freya's emotions do another whirl, the mare almost instantly going from pleasant and almost cheerful to malicious and overpowering.

“He... he's very smart!” Moonflower suddenly blurted, and even if he was stammering a little, he was leaning forward all the same almost aggressively, glaring at Freya; not without fear, but surprisingly determined. “You... you should respect him!”

Freya began to smile thinly, but then, to Cadence's surprise, she simply shook her head and looked up grumpily, muttering: “We don't have time to argue right now, but don't think you're going to get away without a spanking for your tone, handsome stallion or not.”

Moonflower shrank his head down meekly, but Freya shook her head before she ordered in a serious but calmer voice: “Moonflower, cloak us with your magic. La Croix, step into the ether and wait on the other side of the Changeling. Give me a sign when the slavers approach.”

“What should I do? Ain't a whole lot of ways that I can send a message out of the ether, y'know. Ain't exactly easy to communicate with something on the other side of the door.” La Croix said pointedly, before he winced a little when Freya leaned in with a flat look.

“I'm sure you can knock on wood or sing like a bird, La Croix. You'll figure it out.” Freya said shortly, and then she gestured with her head towards Sombra. “Quickly now, we don't have the time to argue or play nice.”

The ponies assembled themselves as Freya ordered; within only a few minutes, three ponies tromped their way into the clearing through the trees, approaching the unconscious Changeling: two were large, burly earth ponies in ugly hide armor, and the last was a robed unicorn with a strange amulet on a chain around his neck.

One of the earth ponies began to approach the Changeling, but the unicorn quickly reached out and caught his shoulder before he could touch Domino, the mage's eyes flicking back and forth before he said coldly: “We're not alone here. And I would appreciate it if you showed yourselves instead of forcing me to dispel your magic.”

A chuckle spilled through the air, and a moment later, Freya emerged from the field of invisibility, raising her head high and smiling calmly as she said pleasantly: “Surprised that you could see me... but rather pleased, too. It means you won't be quite as boring as I had expected you to be.”

The mage growled in annoyance, narrowing his eyes slightly as his bodyguards both grinned at the armored mare, apparently too stupid to be intimidated by either her size or her sheathed swords. But the unicorn was studying her intently, his eyes roving over the mare before he asked shortly: “Who are you?”

“Rude to ask someone else's name without giving your own.” Freya remarked, striding forward before she reached up and fearlessly stroked under the chin of a guard, who looked up at her with surprise as the other bodyguard scowled and huffed. But Freya only turned and winked at him, saying easily: “Now, now, boys. There's more than enough of me to go around.”

Both guards looked up at her as their eyes widened in excitement, but the unicorn only snorted before he growled: “Don't be taken in by this harpy's guiles. She is the enemy. And you, harpy, leave now and go and sing your siren song to someone else.”

“I'd rather sing it here. And you don't have to be jealous now, stallion. There's plenty for you, too.” Freya said kindly, but the unicorn only scowled at her, even as the guards traded almost gleeful looks, and thus completely missed when Freya's eye hardened as the unicorn only began to lean forward aggressively, his horn starting to glow-

Freya didn't give him the time to spit a threat or even prepare a spell: instead, she leapt suddenly forwards, slamming a hoof into his face and knocking him flying backwards in a fine spray of blood with a broken jaw. And before he could even hit the ground, she caught him with telekinesis and half turned to fling him savagely into a tree, the mage bouncing off this before the boughs of the springy oak snapped down and bound the mage's unconscious body tight to its heavy trunk.

Both bandits gaped, and then they looked up in shock as Freya grasped them both around the shoulders, but she only smiled and winked at them, asking easily: “Now, boys, I'm sure you'd much rather enjoy my company than antagonize me, isn't that right? For as your friend just learned, I am not very patient with rude ponies... but I'll reward you both for being good little boys. Can you do that for me? Be good little boys?”

The two stallions stared up at her, before one of them nodded hurriedly as the other shrank down with a whimper, and Freya grinned like a predator as her eye half-lidded. “Yes, that's what I like to see. When my little colts know their proper place.”

“I think that's enough, Signora Freya.” Sombra said gently as he emerged from under the cloaking spell, and Freya huffed grumpily as Moonflower allowed the magic to drop, and La Croix flickered back into reality, looking uncertainly at the unconscious unicorn.

Any fight left in the bodyguards was taken out of them by the sudden appearance of the ponies and zebra, and while perhaps only the glaring Cadence looked half as dangerous as Freya, the bandits seemed to wholly understand that their lives depended completely on the whims of the armored mare who currently had a foreleg around either of them and was studying them much like a cat would an interesting bug.

“I never liked him much anyway!” suddenly blurted one of the stallions, and the other glared at him horribly. “Well, I... I didn't!”

“Neither did I!” he argued, then he quickly looked up at Freya and added hurriedly: “We're just hired muscle, that's all! You uh... I mean, if you're looking for more ponies to get dirty jobs done, then-”

“Then I have my own two hooves for that. I've never minded a dirty job or two, boys.” Freya said easily, squeezing the two around the shoulders and pulling them against her armored breast, and the bandits both whimpered a little as they realized how much larger Freya really was than them as their faces uselessly mashed into the front of her golden armor. But then the mare sighed a little, adding mildly: “But, you see, at least a few of these ponies of my company have soft hearts. And while it is not so terrible a thing, they insist on saving this little Changeling. You don't mind if we wake him up now, do you? And I'm not going to have to worry about more ponies coming this way with some silly notion of trying to 'rescue' any of you, am I?”

“Nope, no, no. I'm sure Salazar doesn't even know we're gone!” one of the guards said hurriedly, and the other nodded quickly in agreement. “We uh... if you're looking for help, we'd be more than happy to join you!”

“I know. I already heard your first offer. Which was silly, since I think I'd already made it clear that you two boys are going to work for me as long as you keep me happy. And if you happen to make me unhappy, well...” Freya smiled slightly, but both stallions quailed at the coldness in her gaze despite her almost playful tone. “Well, then things won't end very well for you, colts. I'm not known for my generosity, nor my patience.”

The bandits traded nervous looks, but then one of them hurriedly said: “Well, you can trust me! Elderstone chose me specifically!”

“No, he wanted me as his bodyguard, you just happened to be the only backup available!” argued the other stallion, and the first bandit glowered at him before the earth pony continued: “But hey, I'll do whatever you want and do it well, and-”

“Stop repeating yourselves, boys.” Freya calmly grasped the stallions by their heads, then firmly knocked them together, making both earth ponies yelp before she asked: “How many other mercenaries work for this Salazar? And how many like him should I expect to have to deal with?”

“Uh...” The bandits traded looks, and then the first one said nervously: “It's not that either of us doubt you, ma'am, oh no, but... they hired the Crimson Hoof, and well-”

“I asked for numbers, sapling, not narratives.” Freya said mildly, and the ponies both dropped their heads lamely. “How many colts like yourselves, and how many mages?”

“Three mages, maybe? And well, they hired us so their crew doesn't have to leave the port... there's maybe twenty I know of, but I can't speak to anything for sure.” one of the mercenaries answered hurriedly, looking uncomfortably back and forth as Cadence approached with a scowl on one side, and La Croix looked suspiciously over the mercenaries on their other side.

Freya nodded thoughtfully, and then she finally stepped back from the mercenaries before she turned around and looked down at Sombra, asking him pleasantly: “Now, what would you suggest we do with these colts? Personally, I would say we should dispose of them, and leave their heads on poles as a warning to the rest of their merry little band.”

Both bandits immediately began to shake their heads violently and beg for their lives as Cadence felt the Swan give a nod of agreement and approval inside of her, but the ivory mare's own feelings on the subject felt much more cluttered and confused. Especially as her father replied quietly: “I would ask for their aid. And, if we did not need it, I would tell them to go free, and use this chance to reflect upon their choices, and perhaps seek a better path in life.”

“You and my brother. Both insufferable, incurable fools.” Freya almost sounded wistful, and she chuckled quietly before she turned her attention towards the trapped unicorn, striding towards him and studying him intently for a few moments before she murmured: “And what about you, mage? “

Freya's horn glowed, carefully removing the amulet and chain from around the stallion's neck and floating it in front of her, and she studied it for a few moments before smiling slightly. Her magic intensified slightly, making the stone inset into the locket glow, and Domino moaned and stirred weakly as his own bonds lit up.

“And if the chains are attached by magic, the mage only needs to throw them at their foe to restrain them or outright enslave them. Cunning. Almost admirable, in fact.” Freya said thoughtfully, studying the glowing chain before she lowered the amulet beside her as she looked up at the unicorn, clicking her tongue loudly. “Now there, lad, open your eyes and don't give me any sass. Time to rise and shine and confess your sins.”

Her horn glowed with magic, and a faint burst of magic struck back and forth across the unicorn's face and made him grunt in surprise, the stallion blinking before he shook his head and looked up in disbelief that quickly turned to anger, the mage growling as he pulled against the branches: “Let me out of here now, wench, or-”

“I would watch my mouth if I were you. Because even a a wench like me is very capable of hurting a big strong stallion like you when he's all tied up with nowhere to go.” Freya said mildly, pointedly gesturing with her horn towards the stallion's face, and he grimaced a bit as he shifted uneasily backward. “Now. I would like some answers.”

The unicorn shifted, and then he hissed in pain as the branches tightened with threatening rumbles around his body, Freya smiling slightly as she said softly: “You don't seem to listen very well, friend. Do you need a reminder that you're not the one in charge here, or would an example do better to get you cooperating?”

The rest of the equines present winced as there was a sudden, sickening crack, and the unicorn howled in misery, his body convulsing for a moment before he gasped as he fell limp, trembling weakly as his body spasmed a little. Freya studied him for a few moments as several streams of crimson slowly ran down the trunk of the tree, and then she asked in a colder voice: “Now tell me, before I lose my temper: what are you looking for here?”

The unicorn looked up defiantly, but he trembled visibly as he glared at her. “You... you can kill me, because I'll never betray Salazar! To betray Salazar is to die!”

“No, lad. To die is to die.” Freya corrected gently, and then she clicked her tongue, and the branches tightened again, the unicorn howling miserably as he yanked himself uselessly back and forth in their grip. “And you have a long way to go before you experience death, boy, so if I were you, I would start talking. These trees have tighter hugs than the bears.”

The unicorn spasmed helplessly, shaking himself back and forth as the boughs constricted further around him before he blurted: “Alright, alright! I'll tell you everything, just... just let me go!”

“I'm not stupid, mage. Speak to me first, then I'll let you down from the tree.” Freya retorted, and the unicorn snarled... but then gasped in pain as the branches tightened even more. “My patience won't last forever.”

“Salazar... Salazar wants slaves for the... the furnace!” howled the mage, as his bones creaked from the pressure the tree was exerting over him. “He wants souls to power the furnace, slaves to keep the machinery moving!”

“Now we're getting somewhere.” Freya remarked almost cheerfully, as the boughs loosened somewhat to allow the unicorn to breathe, his body trembling as he slumped visibly. “Tell me more about this 'furnace,' and what kind of machinery requires slaves to move it and souls to power it.”

The mage shifted, breathing hard in and out, but he seemed defeated as he lowered his head, answering in a mumble: “The... Salazar is the taskmaster for... someone, I don't know his name. He rules these seas, whatever the Oceanic Dominion might say. The pirates fear him, and the ports fear him, and no flag will fly against him. Salazar is his right hand, gathering... whatever he needs in his name.”

“A name that isn't spoken, though, and that is the sign of a coward. So he rules the seas: tell me why I should fear the water while I stand in the forest.” Freya said contemptibly, and the unicorn grinned at her mirthlessly.

“Because, wench, all merchant trade is done through the seas. And the pirates rule the skies and seas, but in this ocean, the pirates pay tribute to the metal island. There's always a bigger fish.” growled the unicorn, and Freya smiled calmly.

“Yes, there always is.” she agreed, and then she studied the mage for a moment before she said softly: “I am going to ask you a few simple questions now, mage, and your answers to them will determine whether I let you live or kill you. Do you understand?”

The mage's eyes widened slightly, and he gave a weak grin, as if trying to gather the courage to challenge the mare, but her gaze was cold, her eye unflinching, and the stallion swallowed thickly before he nodded hurriedly again, lowering his head and saying uncomfortably: “Y-Yes. I do.”

“Good. Glad to see even you can learn your place.” Freya said calmly, and Cadence shivered a little at how dangerous and serious and, worst of all, casual the mare's tone was, like it was simply a matter of fact. “How many mercenaries do I have to worry about, and how many mages?”

The unicorn shifted uneasily, his eyes roving for a moment in the direction of his bodyguards, who were both anxiously shifting at the edge of the camp, but when the roots suddenly tightened around him, he gasped before dropping his head back and wheezing: “Twenty two! Twenty two mercenaries and... there's three other mages!”

“Good boy.” Freya studied him for a moment, and then she asked: “How many prisoners and slaves have you taken? And what are they?”

The unicorn shifted with a grimace, and then he shook his head before muttering: “How should I know, only Salazar keeps a record of-”

The boughs tightened around him, and the unicorn howled in pain, wrenching himself back and forth before he almost screamed: “Thirteen! Thirteen that I know of, most of them just unicorns! Please, please stop!”

“I don't like to repeat myself. I already warned you of the consequences.” Freya said calmly, but then she grimaced when Sombra gently touched her side, the mare looking moodily at the stallion before she grudgingly nodded and clicked her tongue.

The boughs loosened, and the unicorn fell free from the tree with a gasp, hugging himself weakly around the middle as he coughed a few times. His eyes blearily looked up at Freya as she stood over him, looming above the stallion before she said quietly: “Last question, and for your sake, you had best answer it well, mage. Where is the destruction entity?”

There was silence for a few moments as the unicorn shifted, clearly not knowing how to answer, but Cadence saw it. The shift of his eyes, the way he looked away, the surprise: not at what she was asking, but that Freya knew about it in the first place.

The unicorn bit his lip, and then he looked up and said hesitantly: “There are... two, perhaps three in the area, drawn by Salazar's dark magic. There's a hunting party tracking one now, it made itself known when it attacked an outpost near the sea, but the other is the one Salazar seems interested in. I take it you are, too.”

“Aye, I am.” Freya replied calmly, nodding and looking down at the mage with meditative eyes. “So Salazar is a mage of some power himself, is he?”

The unicorn snorted, then he said disgustedly: “Salazar has dark power, but he will never be a mage. He is to be feared, but he is still also a slave hoof.”

“An earth pony with dark powers? Now this is interesting.” Freya murmured thoughtfully, looking to the side before she nodded once, saying shortly: “I have no further need of you, mage. And as I know I cannot trust you, but we are all the same in the company of ponies who would whine if I cut your head from your shoulders, I would recommend you quickly take your leave while you still have the chance to.”

The unicorn winced a bit at this, hurriedly crawling up to his hooves before he scampered quickly backward when Freya stomped a hoof towards him, the mage turning and bolting fearfully into the forest. The mare snorted in amusement at this, and then she straightened and said calmly: “As for you two colts...”

She rounded on the mercenaries, who both shrank down a little under her gaze before she asked teasingly: “I'm not going to have to get rough with either of you, now am I?”

The stallions both hurriedly shook their heads, and Sombra sighed a little, but Cadence was only looking worriedly at Freya, the Swan shifting and rollicking inside her and for once concerned about the same thing. “A mechanical furnace... that sounds a lot like...”

“Valthrudnir, yes. Or rather, his accursed machinery.” Freya said moodily, nodding in agreement. “But I do not think that this is the work of the Jötnar or any of his experiments, and nor do I think we are dealing with Thokk... or at least none of her direct machinations.”

Cadence nodded quickly, but the Swan was more reassured than the mare as Moonflower asked awkwardly: “And what about these uh... handsome fellows you've recruited, Freya?”

Freya smiled slightly at the mercenaries, who both looked helplessly up at the mare before she said kindly: “They might have some use yet. But so long as they behave themselves, they won't have to worry. And they're gong to stay well behaved, aren't you?”

The mercenaries both nodded rapidly again, and Freya nodded calmly back before she returned her eyes to Cadence, saying pleasantly: “Swan, I would like for you to follow the mage. See where he goes: the forest is already warning me that he's not running in any intelligent direction. It's a sad truth that no matter how smart you make a person, there's no cure for neither idiocy nor arrogance.”

“Be careful, mi amore.” Sombra said softly, and Cadence smiled a little as she nodded to her father briefly, understanding the message in his tone: he wasn't worried about her, but rather, what the Swan might make her do.

Freya scowled a little at this, before she shifted her head moodily to the side as La Croix added hesitantly: “You know, mademoiselle, maybe it be better if I go ghostin' after this mage...”

“I already gave my orders. Besides, I have more important jobs for the rest of you.” Freya replied calmly, although Cadence thought she heard an undertone of irritation in her voice. “Now then. Off with you, Swan, and be quick and quiet about your business.”

Cadence nodded; or rather, the Swan nodded, while Cadence felt herself literally brushed aside for the moment as the Swan Maiden took over her body, saying calmly through her mouth: “Yes, Mother Freya. Your will be done.”

The Swan turned before Cadence could do anything, and then they were moving, control shifting gradually back to Cadence: but she knew that if she did anything the Swan didn't like, if she tried to turn around or turn away from this 'mission' that Freya had given them, the Swan would wrench control away from her. The only reason it wasn't trying to rule her now was because, well...

Cadence actually wasn't sure, the mare shifting uncomfortably as she hurried through the forest, ducking beneath branches and grimacing a bit as she moved as quickly and quietly as she could, which unfortunately was still plenty loud in the close-knit forest.

Still, it felt like the forest itself was trying to assist her, boughs moving out of the way, trees twisting as if to show her the path, the air itself seeming to become heavy to muffle the sound of her hooves trodding over grass and leaf. Was it because of Freya's will? Was the Queen of the Valkyries really that powerful, that... commanding?

Well, I am doing exactly what she told me to. Without even considering that this is a bad idea. Cadence thought moodily, grimacing a little as she felt the Swan twist warningly inside of her. “Oh, knock it off. I'm not going to go against Freya's orders, I'm just... you can't seriously think blindly trusting her is a good idea.”

The Swan didn't reply: if anything, it just seemed surprised that Cadence was actually trying to speak to it. Cadence shifted uneasily herself, then she slowed to a trot as she heard something ahead, quickly pushing all other thoughts out of her mind as she lowered her head slightly and did her best to further quiet her hoofsteps.

The mage was just ahead, gasping as he stumbled through the brush, and Cadence slowed further as she caught a glimpse of him through the trees, lowering herself and pausing for a moment. As long as she could keep him in earshot, she was close enough: she didn't want to risk him hearing her or looking back and seeing her through the trees, and she wasn't exactly inconspicuous...

The unicorn was swearing to himself as he stumbled along, though, his attention almost completely on what was in front of him as he pushed his way through the forest. After ten or so minutes, though, he finally slowed and seemed to get himself a little more under control, stumbling his way to a small pond and leaning down to take a few quick drinks from it.

He coughed loudly, then sat back and rubbed at his chest, muttering in a raspy voice: “That bitch nearly killed me... and she took my control amulet. I can't go back to Salazar like this...”

He shook himself out, then slowly pushed himself up to his hooves, closing his eyes. Cadence crept a little closer so she could better see him: and he certainly didn't look healthy, she thought. Bruised, beaten, and a little bloody, and not so steady on his hooves, either. She guessed that Freya had done a lot more damage to him with that tree than any of them had guessed.

Cadence watched as the unicorn turned and started onward, and after a few moments, she followed. Soon enough, the forest began to thin, however, and it made it much more difficult for Cadence to maintain cover while she tracked the mage.

She didn't have to worry too much, however: apart from the occasional glance back over his shoulder, the unicorn seemed focused on something ahead, making it easier for her to follow behind him without being noticed.

To her surprise, the unicorn slowed as he approached the edge of the forest, and the mare was forced to drop on her stomach and carefully crawl her way through the undergrowth, grimacing a bit even as the bushes and hedges and roots all seemed to subtly move to shield her from view as she made her way forward.

She was surprised when she stuck her head out of a bush, only to find the unicorn almost right beside her, looking back and forth as if searching for something. Cadence hurriedly ducked her head back, afraid for a moment that she had been found, but after a few seconds, she heard the unicorn swearing and muttering to himself as he stalked a few feet forward, his attention clearly taken up by something else. “Where is it... where the hell is it...”

The Swan, of course, wanted to leap right into killing him, whatever the unicorn was searching for. But Cadence made herself stay calm and wait for a moment, studying the mage and waiting to see what he was doing, or perhaps get a glimpse of what – or who – he was trying to find.

She didn't have to wait very long before the unicorn finally got frustrated and cast some kind of spell: it made the air pulse with energy, and Cadence felt the Swan tensing inside her again as she only narrowed her eyes, wondering what the unicorn could possibly be trying to contact...

There was a fizzle of static, and then a crunching of leaves and underbrush as something joined them, apparently summoned by the unicorn's magic. Cadence frowned, leaning intently forward, and there was quiet for a few moments before the newcomer said nervously: “You aren't supposed to do that, you know. That's bad manners.”

“Shut up.” growled the unicorn, and Cadence carefully leaned forward, gently pushing some of the branches aside so she could peer out. She could see the mage's back, and beyond him, it looked like... she wasn't quite sure.

The figure was very tall, whatever it was: bipedal, too, she guessed. She could feel its nervous energy from here, as it whimpered a little... and was that a chain that rattled around it when it moved? Was it another slave of the mages?

“I said I'd keep you away from Salazar as long as you helped me. Well, you failed me, so now I have no choice but to drag you to Salazar and see what he'll give me in return for you, monster.” growled the unicorn, and the creature squeaked.

“M-Monster? My name is Atavus! And just because I happen to have a few things in common with... okay, okay! That hurts!” whined the creature as Cadence felt a burst of magic from the unicorn.

The beast stumbled to the side, and Cadence managed to get a good look at it now: the lanky thing was dressed in a tattered pinstriped suit, with a few large, colorful patches here and there in the dirty gray material. It had a bowtie with a gold button tightly done up at its throat, and a little red fez on its head.

But what was it? It couldn't be a draconequus, with how symmetrical it was: its hands were both covered in bristly brown fur and ended in little nubby claws, and its features were covered in black scales, vaguely draconic but with something almost feline in their structure. Little white horns stuck up out of his head, and a tail nervously flicked back and forth behind him as he rubbed uncomfortably at the glowing chain around his arm, the creature saying nervously: “You promised me, though.”

“People lie. You're coming with me. Whatever you are, you're worth a lot to Salazar.” the unicorn growled, and the creature whimpered a little. “Oh, shut up. You should be thankful you had this long to sit out here and enjoy the last bit of fresh air you'll ever breathe.”

“Are... so are you and your friend taking me away, then?” the creature asked nervously as it pointed past the wizard, and Cadence's eyes widened as the unicorn turned around, his expression going from surprise to fury as he began to prepare a spell-

A knife buried into the mage's throat before Cadence even realized that the Swan had taken over. The unicorn gargled, stumbling backwards and clutching at his neck, his eyes bulging in horror before he was slammed down onto his back as the ivory mare sprung out of hiding, a final, finishing hoof smashing down on his face and knocking the last of the life out of him.

The creature staggered backward in horror, covering its mouth and staring in terror at the Swan Maiden as the winged unicorn looked up and said coldly: “You are going to come with me.”

“N-No! You're a killer! I'm not getting killed today!” the creature blurted, shaking its head wildly as it stumbled backwards, and the Swan only narrowed her eyes. “You stay back! Stay away!”

The Swan stepped forward, and the creature yelped before it swung an arm out, blasting the ivory mare off her feet with a wave of force that disoriented the Swan enough that Cadence was able to seize control of herself again, even as her body rolled in the air and landed on all fours. She looked up, opening her mouth to shout, but then swore when she saw the creature had already vanished.

She grimaced a bit, then shivered as she rubbed slowly at her armored body, feeling a painful tingling running over her skin. It was like chaos energy... but different. The entity had been frightened of her, but it sure packed a punch, whatever it had been: was that the creature they were looking for? Either way, it's long gone now... but I should head back to Freya and report this. We might be able to use that amulet she took to track it down, at least.

The Swan only grudgingly agreed, and Cadence nodded to herself before she turned with a sigh to head back the way she'd come, hoping that she could catch up to Freya quickly, and wondering uneasily how the Valkyrie was going to take this news.

I'm A Pirate!

Chapter Twenty Nine: I'm A Pirate!
~BlackRoseRaven

Freya chewed slowly on an apple, looking moodily out over the sea as she stood calmly at the end of the dock. Her single eye roved over the distant horizon, the Valkyrie not bothering to look around even as Cadence hesitantly approached her. “I thought you and your misfits were resting.”

“Irregulars.” Cadence said, and Freya frowned as she finally looked over her shoulder at the mare. “We call ourselves the Irregulars.”

“I'll call you what I please.” Freya replied dryly, and then she shook her head before looking back over the water, studying the rippling waves beneath the ill light of the moon, although Cadence couldn't help but notice how Freya almost seemed to eerily glow in the darkness, like the shadows couldn't touch her... or maybe the night just didn't want to get too close to her.

There was silence for a few minutes, and Cadence was about to give up, turning to leave before Freya asked abruptly: “Why do you fight the Swan for control? You're foul-tempered and childish. You may be a leader to these ponies, but have you ever considered that you're doing yourself a disservice to your misfits by not embracing who you are?”

“I am Cadence. Danzsöngr is trapped inside of me, is not a part of me, is like... an infection that gets worse every time I die.” Cadence kept her voice surprisingly level, in spite of how deep Freya's words bit her. “I am not the Swan. I'm... more than the Swan.”

“More, or better?” asked Freya, and the two looked at each other for a few long moments before the goddess gave a thin smile, nodding slowly as she said softly: “Very well. But whether you're half of one or the other, you're not much use to me incomplete, Cadence. I need both sides of you working together. And I need to know which side will serve me better.”

“The Swan is fickle.” Cadence said quietly, thinking of how quickly the Swan had turned on Thokk, and how even if Freya was adored and all-but-worshiped at the moment by the strange creature inside of her, she knew that it was very possible that with one wrong command, one foul word about those whom the Swan held in higher esteem than Mother Freya...

“Is that a threat, or a warning, Cadence? Because I don't take very kindly to either.” Freya replied in just as serious a voice, her single eye glaring into Cadence, but the smaller mare held her resolve firm as she looked back at the goddess.

“Both.” she said finally, and there was silence for a moment before Freya gave a thin smile.

“There you go. Half of one and half of the other again.” Freya chuckled quietly, and then she slowly shook her head before saying softly: “I know better than most what you're going through, Cadence. Which is why I am going to be harder on you than most would be. I need to strain the Cadence out of the Swan, and the Swan out of Cadence, and I need to know who you both are... and whether or not you two can properly coexist.”

Cadence frowned at this, but before she could ask Freya what she meant, the Valkyrie rose her head and said: “Now, get out of here and get your misfits together. It's time for us to make our move.”

“Uh... what?”Cadence asked uncertainly, hating both that Freya had apparently decided to just end the conversation as well as the fact she had apparently been planning away without them again. “Wait, we're-”

“Here to work for me.” Freya finished pointedly, dropping her head towards Cadence, who grimaced a bit but then sighed and nodded. “Exactly. Meet me in a few minutes at the beach over there. And I just hope for your sakes that your friends haven't stirred up any more trouble.”

Cadence sighed and shook her head, not bothering to point out that staying in town – as well as the chaos that had ensued when they had 'cleaned it up' by either scaring off or wiping out the rest of the mercenaries that had taken hold over the port – had all been Freya's idea. She didn't bother arguing, though, only scowling as she turned around and strode off, and Freya smiled wryly at Cadence's back as she left, the Valkyrie shaking her head slowly before she said softly: “She has a bigger pout than you, sister. But she's got a lot of your grit and steel as well.”

Freya chuckled, then spread her wings and leapt into the air to fly towards the beach: Cadence, meanwhile, returned to the harborside hotel, letting herself in and automatically scowling towards the bar when all conversation stopped dead at her arrival. She ignored the few patrons who were apparently either brave enough or needy enough to get a drink at the tavern, and instead began to make her way towards the back stairs, before she frowned at a familiar voice cursing out of a side room.

She headed through an archway and into a small, private games room. There were two ponies here along with La Croix, who was scowling at his hand of poker. Both ponies looked up in shock at Cadence, but La Croix only waved a hoof, saying grumpily: “I be done in just a few minutes, Cygne.”

“Well, glad someone made friends, at least.” Cadence said ironically, recognizing that La Croix was actually probably about to fleece the two dull-looking ponies out of their money. Seeing as they were about to leave anyway, though... “Okay. Freya's waiting on the beach, so make it quick.”

“We leavin'?” La Croix frowned uncertainly up at Cadence, even as he discarded two cards and drew two more, and the ivory mare couldn't help but smile briefly at this. “Okay. Looks like this be my last round, gentlecolts.”

Neither pony said anything, looking uncomfortably the ivory mare until she left, Cadence rolling her eyes, but then again, La Croix was often literally a ghost among the combat, while the Swan compelled her to be much more obvious and forward in how she dealt with things.

Cadence headed back to the stairs and up to the room they had... well, taken over, essentially. Freya hadn't exactly been subtle demanding a room, and the tavern owner had likely known better than to try and make her pay for anything.

Sombra was sitting out on the balcony, gazing up at the night sky, and Moonflower was grumbling on the bed, his equipment scattered around him. Cadence winced at this, then said awkwardly: “Hey, we uh... Freya wants us down at the beach. I think we're going to steal a boat or something.”

“Wonderful. Why can't Celestias ever be nice ponies? They're always petty tyrants.” Moonflower muttered, and while the Swan wanted to hit him, Cadence privately agreed. “I'm... I'll be ready in a few minutes, I suppose. Do we have that long?”

“Yeah. Of course.” Cadence replied with a small smile, nodding briefly to the stallion before she shook her head and said finally: “Take your time. Daddy?”

Sombra smiled over his shoulder at her, nodding as he turned to stride towards his daughter, and she bowed her head gratefully to him as he joined her. The two walked out of the room in silence, heading through the inn and out into the empty streets, and Cadence bit her lip before she blurted out: “I really hate her.”

She looked with embarrassment at her father as the Swan roiled inside of her, and her father gave a sigh, but then he smiled wryly as he shook his head and replied quietly: “I can't entirely fault you for that, mi amore. But I sense she is being difficult on purpose. Her intent is clearly to test us, and while I might not agree with her methods...”

Cadence grumbled a little, but Sombra simply shrugged before he looked up at the cloudy night sky, murmuring: “It is indeed very difficult. I am not certain how I feel about her myself, but... I know that we are here to represent Queen Hecate. I know that none of us wish to disappoint her. And I know we must be professional and respectable with Signora Freya... or at least, to a point. In spite of how she acts, I think she would be much more disappointed with us if we simply bowed to her every whim and desire.”

“I don't know if you're right about that or not, Daddy... but I hope you are.” Cadence murmured back, shaking her head slowly as they walked through the streets, and the mare glanced up at a window just in time to watch it snap closed. “They're really afraid of us.”

“I do not think they fear us. I think they fear Salazar's retribution.” Sombra replied gently, and Cadence nodded slowly, frowning a little before she looked at him questioningly.

He simply smiled at her, then gestured with his horn, saying quietly: “There was no real police force or military here. The soldiers we saw had no training, only the armor... I think they were likely militia, hastily banded together by the townsfolk to serve as some form of law and order. Or perhaps jut to give themselves a sense of peace.”

“And we killed a lot of them.” mumbled Cadence, shifting uneasily, and her father gave her a faint smile. The ivory mare sighed a little as she lowered her head, then she said finally: “This really sucks. All of it. We're in a bad situation, and the bad guys got away, and I feel like... all we're actually doing is making things worse. Why didn't Freya just tell us her concerns? Why won't she tell us her plans, or talk to us?”

“I'm not entirely sure Freya plans much of what she does, mi amore. She is a creature of passion, even if she is also very intelligent and very crafty. But she is also extremely decisive and... wild as the nature I am guessing she represents.” Sombra replied, and Cadence tilted her head curiously. “It shows in how we've moved from point-to-point, not following so much a grand scheme as... Freya adapting for each and every situation that occurs. She tests us as she pleases, she speaks as she feels she should. Her mood changes, but it is not... entirely without warning. It is all part of her... I do not want to call it a 'game...'”

“And I would prefer it if you didn't, because I've never been very good at playing games. I always end up being a bit too rough and a bit too serious.” Freya called from the beach ahead, and Cadence winced as Sombra only gave a quiet laugh.

To Cadence's surprise, Freya was only waiting patiently: if anything, it looked as if she had pushed several boats away from the shore, where they were slowly floating out towards the sea, or at least towards the narrow wall and synthetic sandbar that encircled the harbor. Cadence noted that the only way actually out to sea was through an enormous but flimsy-looking gate that was swaying gently opened and closed: Cadence guessed that they probably didn't bother with repairs, since this seemed like a pirate-ruled town anyway.

Freya clicked her tongue, drawing Cadence's attention quickly back in before the Valkyrie asked mildly: “Where are the boys? I see a father and his daughter but none of the other children I've come to know and love.”

Cadence scowled slightly, but she did her best to remain professional as she answered: “La Croix should be joining us any minute now, and Moonflower will be with us after he finishes getting his equipment together.”

“Boys and their toys.” Freya said mildly, and Cadence twitched ever so slightly even as her father reached up and gently rested a soothing hoof on her shoulder, looking at her pointedly.

Freya only grinned, then she turned back towards the ocean, but she continued to speak to Cadence even as her eyes drew along the docks and blackly-reflecting water: “You know, that's a weakness your enemies will take as much advantage of as I do, if not more, Danzsöngr. The fact that you're so easily provoked by a few simple words aimed at your comrades is cute, but... well, your horn-polishing father probably knows just what I'm talking about, proud as he is of being splintered.”

One of Cadence's eyes twitched, but Sombra only smiled and bowed his head politely, and Freya scowled a little before she added dryly: “And you, on the other hand, are the opposite. A little anger would be good for you.”

“In moderation, all things are prosperous.” Sombra replied pleasantly, and Freya groaned and rolled her eyes, gesturing irritably at the stallion.

“And in the name of Helheim, what is that even supposed to mean?” Freya asked crankily, but Sombra only continued to smile at her kindly, which only made the Valkyrie look more irritated. “You'd best watch yourself, dark one, or I'll wipe that smirk off your face with one of these hooves.”

The stallion was unperturbed, which only seemed to annoy Freya more, and which made Cadence feel a little better, admittedly. She smiled over at her father, and Freya grumbled before her eye flicked to the side as La Croix appeared with an awkward smile, striding towards them and saying: “Moony should be here in just a few minutes. The rein de la nuit just got caught up makin' himself look pretty and all that.”

Freya grunted, then she studied La Croix for a few moments before she asked mildly: “So, Loa. How does it feel to have traded your honor away from a purse full of gold and silver?”

“Ain't really gold, y'know, and the ponies don't use no silver, either. They just funny-lookin' coins.” La Croix shrugged awkwardly, but he did his best to meet Freya's eyes as he added quietly: “'Sides. Ain't never too late to earn a little bit of honor back.”

Freya smiled slightly at the zebra, studying him for a few moments before she nodded briefly, then returned her eyes to the water, saying mildly: “If the dandy doesn't show up soon, we'll be leaving without him, and he can figure out how to fly after us with just his one wing.”

Cadence scowled a little, but Sombra smiled and replied calmly: “It's a good sign, I think. In the past, Moonflower would never deign to wear armor. Now, he is actually caring for it, and more for himself as well.”

Freya grunted, tapping a hoof against the sand before she said grumpily: “Aye, well, be proud of him on your own time. He's wasting mine.”

“Then perhaps we could better use this time to discuss what your plans are. How will we follow our target?” Sombra tilted his head, and Freya looked indecisive for a moment before she nodded quickly, smiling slightly over at the stallion.

“Well... maybe a hint or two wouldn't hurt. And believe me, the problem won't be finding or following our quarry.” She winked, then whistled shortly, and within only a few seconds, two massive ravens swooped down and landed on her back, both of them cawing loudly as they seemed to glare balefully at the ponies.

Cadence winced a bit, but Sombra only nodded slowly as Freya explained:
“Huginn and Muninn will easily be able to track Salazar's ships. I already have a course for the island where they're headed, as well.”

Sombra nodded as Cadence looked uneasily at the enormous ravens, hating the way the birds seemed to study them with such uncomfortable intentness. La Croix only grimaced a bit, and then he asked uncertainly: “And what 'bout a boat? I don't think none of us here be much accomplished when it comes to sailin' around in a cramped little ship...”

Freya only grinned at that, saying easily: “Oh, don't you worry, I have a solution for that, too. And as much as you boys need the exercise, I won't even make any of you row.”

She smiled slightly, looking back ahead as her eye gleamed and she said softly: “Once, after all, the vikingr ruled the sea. Even she leaned to bow her head to their prowess. Prowess that we taught them.”

Cadence shifted a little, biting her lip before Freya added easily: “But I suppose you wouldn't know any of that, Danzsöngr. After all, you were stuck in stuffy old Valhalla most of the time, patrolling the halls endlessly. I and my brother... we went on many trips together, all throughout Asgard. We conquered the Seas of the Skies together and a thousand other wild lands that few gods ever dared to set foot in...”

Freya smiled faintly, her eye shifting up towards the sky as she said softly: “Those were good times. The times before the Vanir and the Aesir merged. When my twin and I only had each other, and we only needed each other... although that never really changed.”

She chuckled quietly, shaking her head slowly before she turned her eyes towards Cadence, studying her intently.” Maybe that's your problem, Danzsöngr. You don't have a sibling. We need to get you a sibling.”

Cadence stared at Freya for a moment, and then the mare said thoughtfully: “That, of course, might also just be me trying to pass off Brynhild and Sleipnir onto someone else, though.”

“With all due respect, Freya, I don't think that I want to have much to do with your family.” Cadence said awkwardly, grimacing a bit as she thought about Brynhild, before she shook her head quickly and muttered: “I'm sure she feels the same about me, anyway.”

“Well, if you hate her so much, why do you care what she feels?” Freya asked in a surprisingly reasonable voice, and Cadence looked at her dumbly before the one-eyed mare simply shrugged and winked. Probably. It's hard to tell. “Don't hurt yourself thinking about it, Swan.”

Cadence scowled for what felt like the thousandth time in the last hour, but she resisted saying anything back to Freya. Fortunately, Freya's attention was taken off her by the loud clunking of gear and armor that announced Moonflower's arrival, the one-winged unicorn huffing along as he trotted towards them.

“Took you long enough, little miss! Did you have to fix your hair?” Freya called mockingly, in a voice that told Cadence clearly she had sung these lines many times before, although likely to actual females. “Would you like me to help you tighten your girdle? And furthermore, loose straps will get you killed, boy. Get your gear together or I'll leave you behind.”

Moonflower scowled horribly, but Freya only narrowed her eye in return, making the stallion wince a bit and drop his head hurriedly, mumbling a little under his breath as he nodded awkwardly. Sombra approached the stallion, and Freya huffed before she said grumpily: “Let the boy do it himself. Otherwise he'll never learn. He doesn't need you fussing over him, no matter how much he might like it and no matter how much you might enjoy it yourself.”

Sombra only smiled over his shoulder at Freya as he continued unhurriedly towards Moonflower, replying softly: “There's no point in pushing any harder than necessary. And Moonflower still isn't used to his armor. Even the best knights sometimes have need of their squires.”

“You're a little old to wear the mantle of squire very well.” Freya said wryly, and then she shook her head as Sombra only calmly continued to tighten Moonflower's armor for him, the one-winged unicorn somehow both hanging his head and looking defiant at the same time. “And you're too young for the title of knight.”

“I'm more than five hundred years old!” Moonflower exclaimed, and Freya only laughed loudly, which just made Moonflower sulk further as Sombra gently patted him on the back and La Croix shook his head in amusement. “Oh, fine, all of you laugh at me. But I am no child.”

“Childishness isn't in many children.” Freya replied mildly, and then the ivory mare shook her head before she continued calmly: “But, now that you're all gathered here, we might as well get ourselves moving. I have no illusions we can catch Salazar's ship, but we know his heading and there are some ponies on the way I'd like to talk to.”

“Sounds promising.” Cadence said moodily, and then she frowned a little and asked: “How are we going to follow him, though?”

“The same way we taught our disciples to master the seas. By dragon.” Freya said easily as her horn lit up with energy, and then she turned and flicked it sharply outward, and a tremendous rumbling passed through the beach before sand exploded outward as massive roots and large wooden branches twisted their way out of the earth, both ravens taking flight from her back with loud, incensed caws at the eruption of magic.

Cadence stared in amazement as some kind of tree-beast slowly emerged from the ground before it twisted forward, wood cracking and splitting, branches twisting, roots groaning as they twined around its own body and fused together. Leaves and sand whirled around the living tree as it lowered itself into the water... no, onto the water, as Cadence realized, as the long-necked woodbeast rose its draconic head... that's a ship.

The wood-creature thrummed, and then growled loudly, raising its hollow eyes high as its wooden body shivered, then smoothed out and settled. In front of their eyes, Freya had created a living longboat, even Sombra looking impressed as he drew his eyes along the raftless, ruddlerless boat-beast before Freya flapped her wings firmly as she leapt forward, dropping herself into the front of the ship as she called easily: “Let's show these pirates who rules the sea!”

The response to her was less-than-enthusiastic, as Cadence winced a bit, but then hesitantly leapt forward, flapping her wings to launch herself into the ship. La Croix approached the water, then scowled at the ocean, drawing his hooves hurriedly back from the mucky sand along the water's edge before he vanished from the spot and reappeared a moment later inside the ship, and Moonflower uselessly attempted to hop a few times on the beach, staring at the boat as if he could will himself to somehow bound into it before he suddenly brightened, his horn glowing before he vanished with a pop and reappeared a moment later inside the boat, looking proud of himself.

Sombra approached the back of the ship as Freya scowled at her 'crew;' it would be a little crowded once her father got on board, Cadence thought, but otherwise the longboat was large enough to accommodate them all, and it barely seemed affected by their weight. Which was proven doubly true when Sombra easily began to push them out to sea, the stallion smiling as he waded into the water before he leapt up to catch the edge of the rear wall of the ship, Moonflower quickly turning and catching Sombra's other front hoof when he brought it up before helping him over the edge and into the boat.

Sombra nodded his thanks as Freya whistled loudly, the dragon-boat rumbling as the ravens circled slowly above before they both set off towards the sea-gate, and the Valkyrie shouted: “There! East, east, sail east, sail in the wake of the raven!”

The wood-dragon rumbled as it turned forward, and even without a sail, without any visible means of propulsion, it shot suddenly forward through the water, carelessly smashing another ship aside as Moonflower squealed in terror and La Croix clung to the side of the ship with one hoof and his hat with the other.

Cadence winced, swaying back and forth with the rumbling of the ship before she yelled as the boat only sped up the moment it passed the docks and began to head for the half-open gates. But Freya only grinned at the prow, one foreleg wrapped around the dragon's neck, and the other raised towards the sky, laughing loudly as they crashed through the gates and burst out into the open sea, the mare roaring: “Go! Go! Let us rule these seas again!”

Cadence wheezed as she dropped back against the side of the boat, staring in disbelief as Moonflower ducked and covered his head, and La Croix gave a weak, reedy laugh, already looking ill as he stared with something like terror at Freya. And at the back of the ship, Sombra only smiled wryly, shaking his head slowly... but at least they had found one of the few things Freya apparently took actual pleasure in.

He just wished that the rest of the Irregulars would relax, and trust that the Valkyrie wasn't going to lead them into more problems than she could fix.

They sailed for three hours, over which the experience gradually went from harrowing to repetitive and almost boring. Moonflower was half-hanging over one side of the boat, looking ill, and La Croix was grumbling away, carefully mixing one potion at a time, while Sombra simply seemed to be meditating at the back of the boat. Cadence was watching the seas like a hawk as Freya only gazed ahead, smiling and seeming to enjoy herself as the wind played through her long white braids.

And then the ivory mare cocked her head curiously before she grinned at the sound of a caw, Cadence raising her head in surprise to see the ravens winging back towards them. “Well, well. Everyone, look lively! We have our first challengers approaching!”

Moonflower whimpered a little at this, and La Croix winced as Cadence frowned, opening her mouth, before her eyes widened as she saw the ship on the horizon. It was far, far larger than theirs, propelled by immense sails and flying black flags proudly from its mast, cutting through the sea like a knife through butter as it headed straight towards them.

“They're going to try and keelhaul us.” Freya said mildly, and Cadence blinked before the Valkyrie grinned slightly. “Run us down and crush us under the ship, in other words. Didn't you ever want to sail a ship, growing up?”

“No.” Cadence said finally, and then she grimaced at how fast the ship was approaching, asking: “What do we-”

“We'll cripple them, then board them.” Freya replied casually, as if it was the simplest thing in the world, and Cadence stared at her with disbelief for a few moments before the Valkyrie shrugged, her eye gleaming as she said softly: “You get the next one, Swan, but sure, I'll show you how it's done this time around.”

Cadence frowned uneasily as they sped towards the ship, Moonflower staring with something like horror and La Croix's own eyes growing slowly wider before he blurted: “Enough with this game of poulet! You gonna get us killed!”

“Oh shut up, the both of you. I know precisely what I'm doing.” Freya retorted, her eye locked on the ship ahead, and Cadence winced before she braced herself as the distance between their ship and the pirate vessel halved, then quartered, then-

Freya grinned as the dragon boat suddenly cut to the side, narrowly dodging the massive pirate ship, and Tyrfing gleamed as it lashed suddenly out and to the side, ripping through the hull of the ship in a burst of golden fire before tearing violently down the side of the enormous pirate boat. As they shot past, she yanked the sword loose, spinning it once around her head before reattaching it to her back as the dragon bounced over the waves left in the wake of the pirate ship before twisting around and shooting after the huge vessel, even as yells and shouts came from above.

“Give these scum no mercy and no quarter! Let's remind these pirates why they cower behind their cannons!” Freya roared as she leapt to the air, flapping her wings hard, and Cadence felt the Swan shove her into the air, the mare lurching back and forth as her wings flapped wildly before she shot after the Valkyrie, not knowing what else to do.

Freya smashed down on the deck, unleashing a shockwave that sent raggedly-dressed ponies flying in all directions, her three swords unsheathing themselves in a gleam of steel. Cadence dropped to a ready position beside her a moment later, the mare wincing as she sized up the crew quickly: there were at least two dozen visible, and since they had landed in the center deck of the ship, much of the view was obscured by ropes, crates, and the fact that the decks were on multiple levels.

Sombra landed beside her a moment later, and then Moonflower and La Croix both appeared only a few seconds after that, all of them at the ready. Freya grinned, before a voice shouted disbelievingly: “What in the name of l'enfer is this?”

A mare stormed forward, with a long, flowing blonde mane and a gorgeous, soft white-pink coat. Unlike the other pirates, her clothes, from her massive, feather-plumed hat to her gorgeous red and white-bordered admiral's jacket, were all completely free of even a speck of dirt.

She rose her gorgeous white horn high as her wings spread wide, her surprise turning to fury as she snapped, her voice edged by her accent: “You dare board my ship! I am Jeanne de Brittany, and my Lioness lives for the blood of traitors and curs like yourselves!”

She flicked her horn, a large scimitar unsheathing itself at her side and slicing back and forth through the air before she continued in a sharp, cold voice: “But now that you are here, allow me to show you our hospitality and what we do with those who rove my seas without permission! The toll is high for scum, mon ami, but you will be begging to pay it when I ransom your life... assuming that I allow you to live, that is! For I-”

“Talk a lot.” Cadence interrupted dryly, scowling at the winged unicorn, and Jeanne twitched before the battlemaiden muttered: “I don't think this was a good idea.”

Freya only grinned widely, her eye roving over the crew as she said easily: “You said that about my last plan, too, and it turned out perfectly fine.”

Cadence sighed a little, and then she twitched a bit when Jeanne slashed her scimitar back and forth through the air before stepping forward and shouting: “Enough talk! Very well, if you will not surrender peacefully and apologize, preferably from your knees, for the impetuousness, the rudeness, the unprovoked attack upon my ship, then I, Mistress of the Black Fleet, Jeanne de Brittany, shall-”

“You're doing it wrong!” Moonflower shouted suddenly, and he stormed forward, Jeanne's eyes widening before the stallion cleared his throat loudly, then glared at her and declared: “I am Morpheus, Lord of Darkness, Prince of Evil! I demand your surrender, or I shall rain fire and death upon you and yours with but a wave of my hoof!”

Moonflower gestured sharply upwards with both front hooves, creating a thunderous crescendo that made several of the pirates yelp and quail as Jeanne's eyes widened, and then the one-winged stallion posed sharply in his armor as he grinned suddenly, raising his head cockily as he continued: “But I am generous, and I am kind enough to allow you a moment to surrender to me and my esteemed colleagues. A chance you do not deserve, but you've caught me in a good mood and I would rather not spoil my day by having to clean up the mess that will be left behind if you insolent insects attempt to challenge me.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Moonflower dropped back to his hooves, saying flatly: “Name, title, threat, demand surrender, then betray or follow through. It goes in that order, dear. You never specifically told us to surrender and you skipped right to betrayal and you started talking about yourself again. We already know your name. Oh, sure, if you're as great and glorious as me, maybe you can afford a few more words here and there referring to your other titles, but repeating your name over and over again is just silly.”

La Croix glowered at Moonflower as Cadence wondered mildly if the stallion sensed the irony in his own statements, or if he was just opening his mouth and letting words fall out again. But her thoughts were cut short with a wince when Jeanne de Brittany howled: “Get those slaggards!”

Pirates charged on all sides, ponies of every shape and size – along with a few griffins and other creatures – all leaping in to attack them. But Freya leapt readily to meet them with a wide grin, the Valkyrie shouting: “Break their limbs and break their spirits!”

It was a subtle command that the Swan immediately obeyed, although Cadence was surprised by it, even as she ducked low and swiftly knocked a large earth pony off his hooves before grabbing him by the front and half-spinning to slam him face-first with a crunch into the deck.

As he landed in a stunned sprawl, Cadence leapt towards the next pirate, catching the rusty sword that he tried to slice into her with between her hooves and making him stare in disbelief before she twisted the blade hard, ripping it free from the earth pony's mouth. It sailed into the air as he howled, but his cry was cut off a moment later when Cadence caught the sword with telekinesis and slammed the pommel down into his forehead, knocking him unconscious.

Sombra was calmly taking down pirate after pirate, his hooves neatly and smoothly deflecting attack after attack or redirecting pirates harmlessly into the ground. Several had fallen in stunned heaps already, while another griffin and stallion were helplessly bound in strings of golden energy, struggling uselessly against their bonds as the black unicorn smiled slightly as he waded his way through the crew: as much as he disliked fighting, he was very glad for the fact that Freya had decided to take these pirates alive, although he thought he already had some inkling as to why, from how ragged this band looked, and the way their captain acted.

Another pirate charged, screaming, at La Croix with a spear, and the Loa simply huffed before he flicked a hoof out, green lightning bursting from his limb and slamming into the pirate, transforming him in mid-charge into a large rat holding a stick. The pirate stumbled to a stop, staring disbelievingly up at the zebra, and the Loa leaned down with a scowl at the rat before he reached a hoof out and lightly slapped it over.

Pirates yelled in terror, scrambling away from the Loa, who looked up with surprise before he snorted in amusement, waving his hooves above his head and shouting: “That's right! Y'all best fear me and my evil hoodoo! Y'come near me and I work the mojo on y'all, make you into cockroaches and fishes!”

Freya grinned despite herself, noting how fearful most of the pirates were of the show of magic, although not a few were running away from her, too, as she used her swords to disarm pirates, smashing their weapons and taking more pleasure than she should in knocking holes in the deck and breaking apart crates. She glanced up with a laugh as a panicked pirate suddenly wheeled one of the free-standing cannons around to aim at her, and the mare grinned, letting the pirates sloppily load the cannon as she spun her swords at her sides before sheathing them all, her horn glowing as she charged her magic as she walked calmly towards the cannon.

The cannon fired, vomiting out a cloud of smoke along with the steel ball, for a moment obscuring the pirates' vision, before they all stared in horror at the sight of Freya standing with one hoof raised, simply holding the cannonball and studying it before she said thoughtfully: “You could do quite a lot with this much iron. It's almost a waste to use it like this.”

She shrugged, then simply dropped the cannonball, and the cannon team stared at her for a moment before they all screamed and broke rank, fleeing from the mare. The Valkyrie laughed, then grinned widely as she heard another roar, a minotaur charging up from below deck and running straight towards her with a massive maul in hand-

Freya reacted immediately, the few pirates who were torn between fleeing from her or joining the assault watching with shock as the mare immediately ran towards the minotaur, then leapt towards him before she could react, twisting her body in the air so that her rear legs landed over his shoulders and his face slammed into her armored stomach. He staggered backwards in shock, his arms pinwheeling as Freya rocked her hips hard with a wide grin, knocking him off his hooves-

The minotaur toppled, and Freya slammed down, rump-first, on top of his head, crunching his skull back into the deck and knocking the giant unconscious as she bounced back to all four hooves with a snort of amusement. She looked over her shoulder at the fallen, twitching minotaur, before her gleaming eye looked up at the horrified pirates, stating easily: “And here I thought you were all supposed to be famous for showing a lady a good time... but I suppose I'm no lady.”

Freya began to turn, before she looked in surprise to see that Moonflower had engaged Jeanne, and they were both putting out quite an impressive amount of magic, even by her standards. Sure, most of it was going to pure flash and sizzle, but all the same...

Moonflower and Jeanne clashed, the mare's scimitar slashing back and forth in broad, showy cuts, giving Moonflower more than ample time to dodge clunkily out from under her attacks. At the same time, they were both unleashing bursts of magic at each other and countering one-another's spells, although Jeanne was visibly starting to weaken under the strain of resisting Moonflower's attacks while trying to land her own blows, sweat rolling down her gorgeous features, her full lips drawn back from her perfect teeth in a snarl.

Lightning suddenly hammered down towards Moonflower, striking into him and making him yelp and flinch, and Jeanne laughed loudly at the opening it created as she leapt high into the air. Her wings spread, her scimitar rose above her head, her whole body posed elegantly for a moment, and then Moonflower simply blasted her in the stomach with a psychic hammer, knocking her sprawling back on the deck, the mare rolling back and forth as she gasped loudly and clutched at her stomach.

Moonflower shook himself out roughly, huffing loudly as he straightened and declared: “Your cheap little tricks won't work against me! Oh, certainly, you might have proven yourself to be a more capable adversary than those I have faced in the past, but you tamper now with a God of Darkness who once felled the mighty Princess Celestia in mortal combat, and who destroyed all of Equestria before bringing it back purely out of boredom, as without good, evil has no one to torment and ridicule and... marvel over their feats of grandeur and prowess!”

The mare scowled on the ground, then she quickly kicked herself back up to her hooves, glaring challengingly at Moonflower before she rose her head high and declared: “You might consider yourself some master of evil and darkness, but know that you are absolutely nothing compared to my majesty! Equestria? Ha! I laugh at the face of your triumphs! Ha ha ha!”

Moonflower and Jeanne glared at each other, and then Jeanne continued arrogantly, raising her head haughtily: “Conquering a princess? Where is the glory, the reward in that? Nay, I am far from impressed by your deeds, Morpheus, and a King of Evil you may be on the land, but this is the sea, and on the sea we are the rulers and I am its Queen, and I shall give you one last chance to surrender, or you will find yourself walking the plank along with all your friends, tout suite!”

“Oh please. You are nothing compared to my own power! Look at me! Handsome, debonair, I have much to be proud of with my incredibly intellect and my enormous reserves of strength, and I could easily crush this entire ship if I so pleased, but I haven't simply because I already offered you the chance of surrender-”

“Well, I reject your surrender and instead order that you surrender to me, as for all your strength, you clearly suffered the wrath of my magic when you weren't able to so much as touch me with your own inferior-”

“Excuse me? I knocked you over with my vastly-superior magical prowess! And of course the only difficulty I'm having right now is holding back so I don't humiliate you more than necessary in front of this crew of dirty buffoons, who-”

“The only dirty buffoon here is you! Oh, sure, they might not take the time I do in the morning to freshen themselves up properly, but beneath their sweat and grime their handsomeness and talents are at least a hundredth of my own, and that's quite a compliment, considering I am a thousand, nay, ten thousand times-”

“If the two of you don't shut the hell up I am going to come over there and bash your heads together until the little brain you have between each other comes out!” Cadence shouted furiously as she slung a pirate angrily into the ground, sending him bouncing away with a squeal, and both Moonflower and Jeanne stared at her as Freya cleared her throat and hid a smile behind a hoof.

There was an awkward silence for a few moments, and then Sombra strode calmly forward and said reasonably: “Perhaps we can work something out between us. A truce. Neither of us seem to want to fight any further and we have no desire to kill any of your pirates. Your ship is badly damaged, but if you agree to a ceasefire, we can help repair it before the damage becomes too great. I do not think you want to risk sinking, after all.”

Jeanne shifted uneasily, and then she glared at Moonflower and declared: “We will accept your surrender and allow you to help us on the condition that you apologize and tell us precisely who you are and what your business is in these waters. Furthermore, this one shall also admit that he is much weaker than I am and-”

“No, you will accept our... victory, not surrender! You will acknowledge us as better and that I am vastly superior-”

Jeanne and Moonflower argued for roughly thirty seconds before Cadence stormed over to Moonflower and simply slugged him across the face, knocking him flat in a heap. Jeanne stared for a moment at this, and then Cadence turned towards the mare and seized her by the mane, making her squeal as the ivory mare dragged the whining, whimpering pony quickly over to the edge of the ship, and then Jeanne yelled in terror as she was flung overboard, flipping head over hooves all the way down to splash loudly into the briny sea.

Cadence turned around, then shouted furiously: “Okay! Here's what happens! We fix the ship, quietly! Then we all come back up here and negotiate, quietly! Anyone who disagrees can go for a swim! Understood?”

“Ma'am!” About half the pirates hurriedly saluted: the rest who were conscious and able to move simply bolted for the stairs leading into the ship, and Cadence rolled her eyes as Freya burst into laughter, almost falling over as Sombra shook his head with a sigh and a small smile.

“Oh, she has a worse temper than Brynhild!” chortled the Valkyrie... who was still grinning thirty minutes later, after they had patched the leaking hull. Moonflower and Jeanne were both sulking, the stallion rubbing grumpily at his face and the mare shivering in the soaked clothes she refused to take off, sagging hat included.

Cadence still felt grumbly, but recognized she might have slightly overreacted, so she was letting Sombra handle all the negotiations at this point. Freya seemed content to just sit back and learn for now as well.

Apparently, they had a mutual enemy in Salazar and his allies. Jeanne had been waging a small war against them, not that she could claim Salazar had really noticed. It was impossible to get close enough to the island Salazar operated out of to shell it, even with biggest cannons she'd been able to outfit her ship with, and the enemy vessels were all far too powerful for her little unarmored wooden ship to take on. Worse, sky scouts and aerial platforms existed here and there over the sea, ranging in size from floating cloud bases to small islands that hovered in the air through malign magic: they had sunk Jeanne's ships more than once.

Currently, her 'Black Fleet' was made up of only two ships, both of which had been mangled and repaired several times over. She had lost many able crew over the last few months of her personal war, which had only hardened her personal vendetta into a mission of revenge.

They had mistaken their tiny ship for a spy vessel, especially since it had been propelled by magic, like most of Salazar's ships were. The other thing that had drawn their attention, of course, was the fact that there had been a group of armed ponies in said ship.

“No, we're not pirates.” Freya said disdainfully, and none of the crew dared to so much as look at her, a few even lowering their heads in embarrassment. “Still, we have a mutual enemy, it seems, and perhaps we can help one-another. Strange times do make for strange allies, after all.”

Jeanne grumbled under her breath, then she glowered at Moonflower, who looked back at her moodily before the mare said grumpily: “Well, if the handsome Lord Morpheus can deign to work alongside us in spite of how amazing he claims himself to be...”

“Oh, please. The pony here who needs to learn to work with others is clearly...” Moonflower halted at the look Cadence gave him, and then he cleared his throat and tapped his hooves together nervously as Jeanne winced and shrank her own head hurriedly into her collar: “I mean. I am... sure we can work something out. Yes. It won't be a problem.”

“Good.” Cadence muttered, and then she sighed when Sombra reached up to touch her shoulder, but she smiled briefly after a moment at her father and nodded slowly before her eyes turned back towards Jeanne, saying in a more collected voice: “How does your ship move? You were propelling yourself against the wind before.”

“Magic, of course. I can call up a wind spell to move us along.” Jeanne replied, pointing up at the sails and looking proud of herself. “No normal unicorn could do it but I, of course, am no normal unicorn.”

She chuckled as she spread her wings, smiling contritely over at Moonflower, who scowled horribly back at her. But surprisingly, he managed to keep himself from retaliating, although the bruise on his face probably helped in that regard.

La Croix glanced around at the crew, and then he asked curiously: “So this Salazar guy... y'all were so scared of my magic because y'thought I was using his dark arts or something?”

“We weren't scared, were we, boys?” Jeanne immediately said, looking back and forth at her crew pointedly, and the thirty or so pirates shifted awkwardly before the mare said firmly: “We weren't afraid! We don't need to be afraid of Salazar, and we certainly aren't afraid of a few ponies who... uh...”

Freya leaned in with a calm smile, winking at Jeanne as Cadence scowled, and the pirate captain cleared her throat and nervously rubbed her hooves together before she said hurriedly: “Well, there's no need to get into any of that. Just know that we weren't afraid in the slightest and uh... well...”

She softened a little, then nodded slowly, saying quietly: “Yes. Salazar has terrible black magic at his disposal, the likes of which we've never seen. He has a personal guard he keeps close who seem to have some of his vile powers as well, and they never hesitate to use their abilities to do... awful things to all who cross them. My crew has... they are braver than you may know to dare the adventures they have.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Freya asked quietly: “Do you know anything at all about the island? We heard they use slaves to run the machinery... and likely their souls to power whatever infernal furnace keeps it all running.”

“I wouldn't be surprised.” Jeanne muttered, and then she shook her head slowly before sighing and answering: “Non. I'm afraid I do not know the first thing about the island... we simply cannot draw close enough. All I know is of the exterior, that it is surrounded by high walls and rocky cliffs, guarded by fearsome steel ships and islands in the air. And there is a terrible black magic that emanates from it at times... powerful enough to stain the sky. Have you ever seen such an aura?”

“Aye, I have. More times than I'd like.” Freya replied with a slow nod, and then the Valkyrie looked thoughtfully into the distance before she asked slowly: “How close to the island can you safely get?”

Jeanne shrugged a bit, thinking for a few moments before she answered: “A few miles, perhaps. But the moment the enemy sees us, they make haste to greet us. They won't stray far from the island, but they have cannons that could punch a hole in a mountain from a hundred miles away.”

Cadence smiled briefly at this as Freya nodded, before Sombra asked: “Have you ever attempted to go in beneath the waves?”

“Uh... how?” Jeanne asked, looking at the stallion with surprise. “Oh, I could certainly supply myself and a few others with air, but even my incredible magical prowess isn't enough to let me hide an entire ship beneath the ocean waves.”

“We don't need to hide a ship. Just a few ponies.” Freya said thoughtfully, looking over at Sombra with interest. “Not a bad idea. But we might run into more than just Salazar's flunkies beneath the waves. The ocean is home to many a monster.”

Cadence grunted, and La Croix cocked an eyebrow, saying wryly: “Y'know, 'sfunny to hear you sayin' that, mademoiselle Freya. You certainly ain't hesitated to kill anything afore now.”

“Oh, believe me, it's not me I'm worried about.” Freya replied moodily, and then she shook her head and added in a more serious voice: “But if we disturb anything that lurks beneath the waves, then the foul creatures could do more than just attack us. They might draw attention to us. And if this island is powered by Decretum technology...”

“You're worried about mutated beasts beneath the waves, and dangerous weaponry above.” Sombra said, and Freya nodded. “But I see no way we can avoid risking a crossfire. Whether we move in above the waves or below, or even through the sky...”

“And what about us? I won't just sit back here, doing nothing!” Jeanne declared, sounding incensed as she rose her head grumpily. “I am the greatest pirate to ever sail these seas! I have magic unrivaled by any other pony, no one has ever... I mean...”

She looked lame when Cadence glared at her, and then the pirate captain cleared her throat before saying much more succinctly: “This is my fight too. Salazar has hurt all of us here, not just you.”

“Salazar hasn't actually hurt us at all. I just want to kill him because he sounds like someone who would annoy me.” Freya explained with her usual flippantness, and Jeanne stared at her for a few moments before the Valkyrie shrugged and grinned. “But very well, Jeanne. Pirate or not, you have a certain... enjoyable energy about you. I would make you one of my daughters if you were a little older and a little more smart... but at least you're more than pretty enough to be one of my playthings, if you'd like.”

Jeanne whimpered a little at this and reared back in horror, her eyes going wide, and Moonflower almost perfectly mimicked the expression that she was staring at Freya with. Cadence sighed at this, and then she patiently interjected: “Maybe we could stick to the matter at hoof, though. What do we do from here?”

“We attack beneath the waves. But we start by sabotaging their ships.” Freya replied, suddenly professional as she nodded calmly. “We infiltrate if possible, get an idea of what precisely is on board these metal ships and what we're dealing with. We know the enemy has access to Clockwork technology. I want to know if they know how to use it properly or not.”

Cadence nodded back as Sombra's own head moved in slow agreement, and Jeanne shifted uncertainly before the Valkyrie continued thoughtfully: “La Croix and Moonflower, perhaps you two can better outfit this ship as well. I'll lend my own hoof: there's still enough life in this wood for my magic to take firm hold. It shouldn't take us more than an hour, and we can spend most of that moving towards the enemy.”

The pirates nervously looked at each other, then to Jeanne, who looked uncertainly up before she cleared her throat and forced herself to straighten. Whatever else, she seemed to be able to put on quite a confident face, as she said firmly: “I know that not all of you are comfortable with this, but it must be done. These ponies are to be our allies in the fight against Salazar, and none of them have killed any of our number... is this not reason enough to trust them? Are we not already enjoined by our mutual hatred, our hatred of the stallion who commanded the forces that took our wives, our husbands, our daughters, our children, our parents...”

Jeanne's voice stuttered slightly on the last word, and Cadence looked curiously up as Sombra softened, before the pirate captain picked up again, in a stronger voice: “This is the chance we've been waiting for! To strike down the enemy, to drive our foes out, to... to show them that we rule the sea! Brothers, sisters, won't you all stand with me? Have I ever led you wrong? Have I not always protected you? Now is not the time for mutiny or worry, now is the time to strike at the root of all this wickedness and evil, the evil that would poison our seas with mercenaries and tyranny!”

The pirates were all nodding to Jeanne, and Moonflower leaned back thoughtfully as the pirate captain looked back and forth, slightly flushed, her eyes glowing with determination before she turned to Freya and said firmly: “We will fight with you and yours... but we demand to fight beside you, not following in your hooves to clean up the scraps! And Salazar... Salazar is mine, mine to break and mine to bring back to the crew and the ship so that we can make that bastard walk the plank, and send him down to the depths below, where he belongs!”

There were a few cheers from the gathered pirates, and Freya smiled slightly before she simply shrugged and replied easily: “If my blades don't have reason to find him first, then aye. He is yours. I only hope you're as prepared for this fight ahead as you think you are.”

“I'm ready to give everything I have for it.” Jeanne said quietly, but for once, Cadence thought that the pirate mare wasn't exaggerating from the fire that burned in her eyes, and the pain she felt searing Jeanne de Brittany's soul.

Rulers Of The Sea

Chapter Thirty: Rulers Of The Sea
~BlackRoseRaven

Jeanne de Brittany had ordered the quartermaster to assemble all their armor and weapons, as Freya had asked, and now Cadence was digging through the paltry pile of weapons for anything that was useful. La Croix was currently warding the ship, and Freya had fortified the wood, and to the surprise of the crew, removed the masts and sails. She was now transfiguring the wood into something else, while their dragon-boat tugged the much larger ship easily along through the water. But at least they would be a little harder for the enemy to spot, even if Freya had left a pole standing tall to fly a flag on, at the request of Jeanne.

The pirates and their captain clearly didn't like what was happening to their ship, and how Freya and Team 0-0 had taken over, but Cadence thought that the fact they were letting it all happen, even helping out with it, said everything they needed to know about this ragtag crew. They were willing to sacrifice this ship, which had served as fortress and home for months, in order to see their vengeance through to the end, and Cadence had the feeling that meant Salazar had done some truly terrible things to each and every one of these poor souls on board.

But there wasn't a lot of time to think about that, as she finally selected another stained but usable sword and tossed it into the pile of salvageable weapons, the mare pointing at this and saying to the pirates warily lurking nearby: “All of these need to be cleaned and sharpened. The rest of these are either broken or... well...”

Cadence picked up a rusted sword, grimacing a bit at the intimidating-looking blade that would doubtlessly break off the moment it was struck, and likely wouldn't be able to saw through even the cheapest leather armor. “Broken.”

The pirates mumbled disconsolately, but then they both nodded and went to work, so Cadence only picked up the rusted and crappy equipment and strode back up and out to the deck. She carried the tools over to the small workbench Freya had either magicked out of the air or forced the pirates to bring up for her, and the Valkyrie gave her a smile of thanks as she looked briefly up from the severed mast that was beginning to look steadily more... serpentine, Cadence thought.

But instead of letting herself be distracted, she headed quickly to the prow, where her father was leaning over the front of the ship, breathing quietly in and out as black crystal slowly spread over the hull, gradually armoring the front of the ship in solid gemstone. He glanced up at her as she approached, and she smiled at him, reaching up to silently rub a hoof over the purifier on his back before she grasped gently into his shoulder. “Don't push yourself too hard.”

“I won't, Cadenza. We still have time.” Sombra promised, and Cadence nodded back before she turned with a sigh to head towards the rear of the ship, where the enormous steering wheel was located, and La Croix was simply sitting, watching with amusement as Moonflower and Jeanne argued bitterly.

“'Spretty amazing, Cygne. It's like Moony's reflection come to life. 'Cept, you know, she be a she and all.” La Croix said mildly, and Cadence sighed as she looked at the two for a few moments before whistling sharply.

Moonflower and Jeanne both winced and spun towards her, then yelped as they painfully whacked their heads together, Cadence reflecting that at least this spared her a little bit of time punishing the two idiots as she said dryly: “Have either of you done what you were told?”

“Yes!” they both exclaimed at once, and Cadence didn't know if she wanted to smile or just smack them both. They really did seem eerily similar, she reflected... I never imagined there'd be another Moonflower. Mare or not.

“Once Sombra is finished, I'll energize the armor. He should be careful, though. I don't like how much Freya is overworking him.” Moonflower said pettishly, and Cadence smiled despite herself at this. “I also do not think this is a good idea.”

“Well... I do not agree with Morpheus but I do not disagree with him, either.” Jeanne said grumpily, raising her head with a sniff before she paused and leaned to the side, peering towards the prow of the ship as she added: “And who is that handsome stallion, anyway? He's so calm. So rational. So pleasant. Unlike a certain other stallion who spends all his time talking about himself, preening, monologuing and rambling away as if anyone even cared what he had to say; as if people wanted to take all the time and effort of listening to every last word that-”

Cadence cleared her throat loudly, and Jeanne winced a bit as Moonflower scowled, but didn't say anything. “That is my father, Sombra.”

“Oh. Your father. He must be very wise. He's certainly very handsome for... how old are you? You can't be that old. Seventeen? You're still a filly, really!” Jeanne said encouragingly, although Cadence twitched at the unconscious patronization. “So he's... definitely not-”

“My father is more than a thousand years old.” Cadence said stiffly, and Jeanne stared blankly before the mare added grouchily: “He's about fifty years older than I am. I am not a filly.”

“Oh, I... I didn't mean it that way! You're just so... pretty! And young... looking! Young-looking!” Jeanne said hurriedly, shaking her head wildly before she gave an awkward grin. “Gosh, would you... your mane is so... in... control. And your tail, is so... your coat is very white!”

“Thanks. I really appreciate that.” Cadence said dryly, and Jeanne smiled awkwardly before the mare shook her head. “Just... spend less time arguing and more time doing what you're supposed to be doing, please.”

Both ponies nodded lamely, mirroring each other almost perfectly, and Cadence looked between the two for a moment before she shook her head quickly and turned to walk away, muttering under her breath as she headed back down to the main deck to talk to Freya, to see what else she could do.

The Valkyrie didn't look up from what she was doing as Cadence approached, but said mildly: “Funny, seeing you taking out your foul temper on those two. They're just idiots, you know. Not much more than that. It's like you're shouting at dwarves, they won't learn.”

Cadence only grumbled a little, but she felt embarrassed as she looked away before Freya added: “Give me a few minutes and I'll be done with this. If you want something to do, though, scout the skies and let me know what you see.”

Cadence nodded after a moment, then she leapt up into the air, admittedly glad for the few minutes she could get to herself in the skies. She enjoyed flying, anyway: it gave her that wonderful sense of getting away from the world that she needed sometimes, of being completely in control in a universe where she normally felt she was at the mercy of every whim, twist of fate, and the strange spirit that was locked away inside her own body.

Her wings flapped, taking her up into the deep morning skies as her sharp eyes looked back and forth, tracing over the wispy clouds above that formed a blurry blanket over the stars. Or beneath the stars, technically, she supposed, as let herself drift backwards and fly upside down for a few moments, the mare sighing softly as she let herself glide upside down for a few moments before she allowed herself to simply fall.

She gazed out at the world as she fell towards the sea, her eyes looking back and forth. Time seemed to slow down for her as she dropped, her eyes drawing quickly over the horizon as she felt herself taking in every last detail of the world around her, as far as these cloudy, pre-morning skies would let her see.

She caught herself only a few feet above the water, her wings flapping powerfully, her entire body twisting to shoot above the top of the water with such force that she kicked up a spray with her passage. She smiled briefly to herself, taking a breath and closing her eyes for a moment as she shot in the direction of the ship's heading, raising herself slightly higher to avoid disturbing the water too much as her mind processed everything she had seen.

Faint luminescence from the clouds above; a touch of unnatural light at the horizon. A geometric blackness against the glittering dark waters far away. They weren't alone out here, in spite of how peaceful the night seemed, and how calm the air felt: one wrong move, and they would glide into view of the enemy.

She stayed low over the water as she streaked through the air, her wings carrying her easily as her eyes roved back and forth. Everything was so beautiful, but beneath all that beauty, there were so many dangers, above, below, and lurking on the waves.

She couldn't imagine how anyone could ever relax in these seas.

Cadence took a slow breath, then arched her back and flapped her wings firmly to launch herself higher into the skies, sailing up into the air as she judged she'd covered a safe distance from the ship now. As she sailed upwards, she spun slowly in a circle, her wings carrying her in a graceful corkscrew as she took in the entire world around her: she seemed to dance through the air, yet her dance was not for the beauty, or the thrill of it, but out of duty and the desire to keep her friends and compatriots safe.

She twisted backwards in the sky, then flapped her wings firmly, streaking back through the air towards the ship. It only took her a few minutes to return, and she landed by Freya before frowning curiously as she realized the mast-serpent the Valkyrie had been building was gone.

“Don't you worry about that. Tell me what you saw out there, Swan.” Freya preempted before the mare could say anything, and Cadence nodded as she felt the Swan twist impatiently inside of her.

“We have a lot of hostiles in the area. There's likely aerial scouts on some cloud islands, a ship to the southeast, and what I'm guessing our target is... twenty miles away? There's a lot of light on the horizon, but no visual confirmation past that.”

“Be careful, Swan. Sometimes your eyes play tricks on you.” Freya said mildly, her own gaze flicking up towards the cloudy, dark skies above. “Kirin lanterns and cloudfire can both be used to draw attention, while the scouts and soldiers wait somewhere else. And judging a distance on the sea is much harder than judging on dry land. You'll need to learn a new set of skills if you want to survive out here, Swan.”

“I don't really want to survive out here. I look forward to being back on dry land.” Cadence answered with a grimace, and Freya only laughed.

“But it's such an exciting change from the usual, isn't it? It puts me in a fair mood, to adventure on the sea like this, to enjoy a challenge that's so much different from the usual!” Freya replied cheerfully, and then she shook her head before continuing in a calmer voice, as her smile toned down slightly at Cadence's sour look: “Don't worry your pretty little head now, Swan, I'll get you and yours through this. Besides, most of the fighting will be done on land and air, just as you prefer.”

“I really would. I've had some bad experiences with ships lately.” Cadence said moodily, and Freya snorted in amusement before the mare hesitated, then asked: “Should we be on alert, then?”

“No. I highly doubt we can sneak this ship all the way to the island: as a matter of fact, the cover of darkness might even work against us.” Freya answered, gesturing around at the deck, and even though it was lit minimally by only a few scattered torches, Cadence couldn't help but nod in agreement with a bit of a grimace. Between that, the noise the pirates made, and the sheer size of the ship, they were unfortunately an easy target.

Freya turned her eyes calmly back ahead, and then she said softly: “The best we can do for now, Danzsöngr, is prepare for the inevitable battle ahead. I'm sure you're eager for that, though, whether you're fond of the water or not.”

Cadence looked uncomfortably away, and Freya smiled slightly before her eyes flicked towards Jeanne as the pirate captain approached, her head held high and rigid, her posture fearless, even if her eyes flicked nervously towards Cadence as she declared: “Everything is ready, and we are closing in on the enemy. I'd say we're fifteen leagues or so from the island.”

“You were quite a ways off, Danzsöngr. But like I said. The ocean is different, especially when it's calm like this.” Freya said mildly, and Cadence scowled grumpily. What the hell was a league, anyway? “How fast are we moving, Jeanne?”

Jeanne frowned a bit, and then she said awkwardly, as she looked towards the prow of the ship: “Well, you would know better than I how fast your tugboat moves, but... I would say... a little over twenty knots?”

“Correct. So you have two hours to get ready for the conflict. Once we're within a few leagues, we'll stop and get ready.” Freya replied with a slight smile, her eye flicking towards Cadence. “That goes for you too, Swan.”

“I'm not the Swan.” Cadence said before she could stop herself, and Freya looked at her mildly before the mare mumbled: “I'm not... Danzsöngr, either. I'm Cadence.”

“You are who you are, that's all you are.” Freya replied with a shrug, and Cadence frowned at the Valkyrie before Freya gestured towards the back of the ship as she continued: “Now, if you need someone to cuddle and coddle you and cheer you up, why don't you go talk to your father? He seems to have no problem treating you like a little filly who can't take care of yourself. But I don't need Cadence's whining right now, I need Danzsöngr to be ready.”

Cadence ground her teeth together slowly, but then she forced herself to simply take a breath and nod. Jeanne shifted uncomfortably, and Cadence began to turn away, before she stumbled and looked over her shoulder in surprise when Freya added almost casually: “And you, Jeanne, can stop all this pretending. You're no lioness and you're no pirate captain. You're just a hurt, scared pony who lost... her family, I would wager, to Salazar and his forces.”

Jeanne mouthed wordlessly, and then she began to snarl, before Freya continued, cruelly offhand: “And you were either his acolyte or his slave. Which was it? Were you a prisoner or a whore?”

Jeanne's eyes flashed with hurt and shock that quickly turned to fury, the mare lunging as her horn crackled with power, but a moment later she was face-first on the deck, pinned under one of Freya's hooves as the Valkyrie slowly leaned down and whispered in her ear, while the mare trembled uselessly beneath her: “I ask, Jeanne, because I won't be the victim of any last-minute betrayals, and nor will I have you ruining everything by running into battle with a false face on, only to have it torn off at the wrong moment and these dregs and scum and outlaws turn on us. Nor am I much of one for angst or sad stories.”

The pirate captain struggled free, yanking herself away from Freya, but the Valkyrie only smiled when the mare straightened before her with her horn crackling with energy, and her gorgeous mane disheveled as she fought back tears. But after a moment, Jeanne won the battle against the emotions making her body shake before she leaned forwards and whispered: “He is mine to kill. That is all you need to know, Madame Freya.”

“Don't steal overlooked names from history books. Stealing from a story to improve your own glory is as bad as stealing from the dead.” Freya chided, and then she glanced away before saying dismissively: “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do while you little girls go play house.”

Freya turned and walked away, and Cadence looked at Jeanne as the pirate captain hung her head in silence. She remained quiet until Cadence hesitantly stepped towards her, then reached up and gently touched her shoulder, saying softly: “Sorry. Freya can be... hard to deal with.”

Jeanne looked up for a moment, and then she smiled briefly, nodding once before she looked down and whispered: “How did she know?”

“Honestly? She just... knows things.” Cadence drew her eyes over Jeanne, and then she suddenly looked up and shouted: “Moonflower! Get over here!”

At the back of the ship, Moonflower winced, and Jeanne flinched before she shook her head vehemently, beginning: “No, stop it, I do not need to be humiliated in front of him of all ponies on top of everything else, and-”

Moonflower cocked his head curiously as he approached, and before Jeanne could run away, Cadence quickly caught her and said quietly: “Moonflower, don't be an asshole for five minutes. Jeanne, why don't you take Moonflower downstairs and have him help with... something, he learns fast. You two should talk. Just... talk. Moonflower, talk to her.”

Moonflower frowned at this, and Jeanne looked uncomfortably away, but after almost a minute, both ponies sighed before Jeanne said moodily: “Very well. I suppose... all will know of my...”

She looked away silently, and then she gestured with her head to Moonflower, and the stallion frowned before she mumbled: “Come along, then, Morpheus, oh... god of darkness and nonsense. You... can help me... map.”

“I... my name... really is Moonflower. I get... carried away, at times, with the character I created for myself. It was always silly, really, though.” Moonflower said awkwardly when Cadence glared at him, and Jeanne rose her head in surprise before the black stallion smiled hesitantly at the captain, silently lowering his head towards her. “I uh... I apologize if I have come across as... unpleasant. But you simply remind me of me. A younger, brasher, more foolish me, who still had so much to achieve, to find his place in the world, to understand...”

He chuckled quietly, and Jeanne smiled a little more at him before she nodded silently. And Cadence smiled herself as she sat back a little and watched as the two left, before she blushed a bit as her father's voice said softly: “That was very kind of you, Cadenza.”

“I'm... I'm not Danzsöngr. Sometimes I just have to remind myself of that, and that there's better ways to get people to open up, to trust us and each other, to... solve problems, then by just...” Cadence laughed a little, shaking her head and blushing a little. “I don't know what I'm saying.”

“I do. And I'm proud of you.” Sombra said softly, and then he stepped forward and embraced her, and Cadence hugged him tightly back with a smile as she let herself relax completely for a moment, safe in her father's limbs.

From the prow, Freya chuckled quietly as she shook her head slowly before she turned her gaze ahead, silently surveying the dark waters, and reflecting quietly that perhaps Hecate had chosen her Orphans with more wisdom than she had thought.

Cadence loathed what they had to do, but she was as ready as she'd ever been for it, as she carefully checked over her equipment before grumbling under her breath as she adjusted the rifle on her back. As long as it was protected by the same magic they would be enshelling themselves in, it was probably the one tool she had that would actually work underwater.

In the distance there were two enormous ships, just on the very edge of the horizon in front of a massive blotch. The skies above them were stained with dark swirls and strange stains of luminescence, as if lightning had been permanently trapped in some of the cloud formations. For a few moments, Cadence studied the sky, but then Freya whistled sharply and brought her back down to earth, the Valkyrie saying calmly: “You all know the plan. We move in beneath the water, and we sabotage those warships. Once we give the signal, we move in immediately on the island, and we'll be counting on your crew to provide us backup. I hope that these outlaws of yours aren't cowards, Jeanne. And you had best be right for your own sake.”

Jeanne only scowled at this, raising her head slightly: her fancy admiral's outfit had been replaced by a more streamlined set of body-hugging clothes, her mane tied tightly back into a bun and a belt of tools cinched tight around her waist. “They'll do their jobs, Madame Freya. You do not need to worry about that.”

“Just keep your hooves off your new coltfriend.” Freya said mildly, and Moonflower and Jeanne looked at each other with revulsion, although there was definitely more friendliness between then now, Cadence thought. But she'd figured that once the two figured out they had more in common than their showboating, arrogance, and bad habit of monologuing, they'd actually get along, although now Cadence couldn't help but wonder with a bit of sour amusement whether or not they had the same taste in stallions.

Freya turned around, looking up at the dark sky before she said softly: “Visibility will be lower than I expected. The sun should have started to rise by now, but there's too much dark magic poisoning the air, and blocking out the sky. Whatever you hate him for, Salazar is not the true threat here.”

Jeanne frowned, but La Croix only looked up and said hesitantly: “With all due respect, Mademoiselle Freya... I think we best not underestimate any of these cocodrils. I ain't too fond of the thought of gettin' near that island with all that miasma in the air. You don't go wanderin' into the bayou without a plan.”

“We have a plan. Go in, kill everyone, leave.” Freya replied with a shrug and a slight smile, and the zebra winced a bit as Sombra sighed and shook his head, but Cadence only shifted impatiently. She knew that this was all probably a bad idea, but the Swan was getting anxious, and much as she hated what they had to do, all the same, part of her was hungry for it, and longed for the coming battle.

Freya looked over the ponies assembled before her, and then she straightened and became serious, saying in a colder voice: “We move quickly,, and we have to strike without mercy, whatever your 'feelings' on the subject. We cannot allow this enemy to understand what is going on, or we lose all our advantages, and then we all die. Moralize if you want, but at the end of the day, they die, or we die.”

The others nodded, Jeanne biting her lip nervously as La Croix grimaced and Moonflower winced, but Cadence and Sombra only looked calmly up at Freya, as the Valkyrie smiled slightly before continuing quietly: “But if we do this right, we make sure as many of you boys and girls come back alive as we can, and that only those who had to die will be dead. So let's get this right.”

Freya looked over the ponies for a moment, but she seemed to be pleased by whatever she saw, as her smile widened slightly before she nodded firmly once before flicking her head to the side. “Line up here, in front of the plank. And hope that this magic holds.”

They did as instructed, and Freya turned her eye out towards the pirates, who were all watching nervously from the deck. The minotaur she had taken down earlier hesitantly rose a hand and waved at her, and Freya tossed him a wink, making him blush a little before she called clearly: “To all of you scurvy dogs, or whatever you call yourselves: remember to watch for the signal, and to fight with the strength of the bear when we call you forward! You sea snakes will act with strength and honor, or you will at least die on your hooves like warriors!”

The pirates shifted nervously, and Jeanne looked anxiously at Freya as she whispered: “I don't think that is quite the way to motivate them...”

“Oh, I don't want them motivated. The slower they move in, the more we get to kill ourselves.” Freya replied conversationally, and Jeanne stared as Cadence sighed tiredly, somehow feeling like the Valkyrie wasn't just telling some twisted joke. “No. They need to know what they're up against. They need to know that aye, some of them will die, if they try and face this evil. And they need to be prepared to give their lives for our cause, just as we are.”

Jeanne shifted uneasily, and then she finally gave a hesitant nod before looking up towards her crew, shouting: “All of you have already given your lives and souls to this cause! We are pirates! We are the scourge of the sea! We rule these waters, and we shall not let these scum take the oceans from us, as they have taken everything else!”

There were a few shouts of agreement, but all the pirates looked more intent now, straightening and looking down at Jeanne with renewed belief in their eyes, with rising passion, with growing strength, and Cadence had to admit, Jeanne seemed to know just what to say to motivate her crew. And more than that, they seemed loyal to her: certainly more loyal than Salazar's mercenaries were to him, Cadence reflected.

Freya chuckled quietly, then she reached up and caught Jeanne by the shoulder, giving her a brief squeeze. “Enough speeches. It's time to move.”

Jeanne nodded after a moment, but she gave one more brief smile out to her crew before she turned around and took a breath. Her horn glowed brightly, and a moment later, a bubble appeared around her head, her voice echoing faintly as she said hesitantly over her shoulder: “This is easy enough magic to replicate...”

Cadence and Sombra's own horns lit up, and they both formed bubbles around their own heads: the magic was simple, but Cadence admittedly wasn't as confident she could keep up the concentration necessary to maintain it under the water. Then her father tilted his head towards her, and she blushed a little as she felt the enchantment spreading over the holstered rifle as well, the stallion saying softly: “Remember, mi amore. We need every advantage that we can get.”

“Right, Daddy. Okay.” Cadence replied quietly, smiling briefly at him before she took a breath and turned around, looking down into the deep, dark ocean, and without waiting for Freya's order, she simply jumped.

She splashed down into the water, followed a few moments later by the rest of her team. Moonflower scowled horribly as he sank slowly towards the bottom of the ocean, his forelegs crossed and a bubble around his head, while Sombra looked as relaxed as ever, and bubbles and ripples passed through La Croix's ethereal body, Cadence envying his ability to become a spirit more than she ever had before in this murk.

A moment later, Jeanne crashed down, flailing wildly through the water and sinking past them before Freya dropped into the ocean, the same enchantment around her own head as she glared at Cadence. But Cadence wasn't fooled this time: the Valkyrie was appraising her, not frustrated that she had decided to take the first step.

“Alright.” Freya said, her voice strangely muffled by the bubble and the water all around them. “As Cadence has so kindly pointed out, there's no point in wasting any further time. We move in by serpent, and as I feel I must remind you yet again... we show no mercy.”

Cadence nodded quickly, and there were no arguments from any of the others. Freya surveyed them for a moment more, and then she whistled loudly; or at least, as loudly as the muffling of the bubble and water would allow her to.

After only a few moments, the waters stirred around them, and then Cadence looked down in surprise as what looked like a massive snake came rushing up towards them from the depths. Cadence's amazement only deepened as she realized after a moment that this creature had once been the mast of the ship, which Freya had apparently carved and transformed into the wooden snake that was now slowly circling them.

The enchanted beast came to a halt, floating silently beneath the waves, and Freya used her wings to easily push herself over to the neck of the beast, sliding her foreleg into a groove on its back. Cadence realized there were more grips over the elongated body of the serpent: one for each of them, as the Valkyrie ordered: “Alternate sides, and I want a magic user behind me and one in the rear!”

“Moonflower, behind Freya. Jeanne, you take the rear. Sombra will stay with you and La Croix and I will take center.” Cadence quickly ordered, and even if Jeanne looked less-than-pleased about being ordered around, she obeyed all the same. “Remember, listen to Freya as you would me. This is her mission.”

“I appreciate you remembering your place, Danzsöngr.” Freya said mildly, and Cadence did her best not to scowl before the Valkyrie grinned and leaned forwards, bracing herself as Freya shouted: “Fly, seasnake! You know the path!”

The wooden serpent trembled, then suddenly burst forwards, Cadence wincing as its body whipped back and forth as it shot through the waters like a torpedo. Jeanne and Moonflower both squealed loudly, clinging fiercely to its undulating body as Cadence gritted her teeth and Sombra braced himself against the body of the woodbeast.

They streaked through the waters far faster than the ship had moved, Cadence swearing under her breath as they raced through the dark ocean. But the further they went, the more the Swan began to twist inside of Cadence, as her skin first tickled, then itched with an unpleasant, almost painful sensation. Not dark magic, but something more physical and more malignant, like an illness, like there was a cancer in these depths, that was spreading poison through the waters...

She knew the others could feel it, too, as Sombra's purifier hummed louder on his back, and Moonflower lowered his head slightly, Jeanne shivering as she felt a strange, faint recognition stirring inside her. And in the depths, Freya thought she could see seabeasts stirring, although for the moment, at least, none of them seemed to want to leave the deeper darkness of the abyssal waters beneath them.

After only ten minutes, the serpent slowed and glided to a halt beneath a massive, ominous black shape above them. Cadence looked uneasily up at what was clearly the bottom of one of the ships, her eyes roving silently over the heavy steel, as Freya muttered: “The magic emanating from it... powerful indeed. And I shouldn't need to tell you it's the stuff of Decretum.”

“But weaker. Different. And the machinery... do you hear it?” Sombra asked quietly, raising his head slightly, and Freya frowned slightly as Cadence looked up curiously, straining her ears, hearing the rumbling and the thunking of... wait. Right. I hear it.

“It's damaged. The machinery isn't working right.” Cadence muttered, nodding briefly once. The timing for the gears rumbling away above was a little bit off, and it sounded like something was grinding together inside the boat.

Freya carefully pushed herself away from the wooden serpent, and then she carefully swam upwards to the bottom of the ship, patting gently over the steel underbelly before she nodded once, looking over her shoulder and asking calmly: “Handsome, can you use your magic to cut through this metal?”

Moonflower swam forwards and pressed his hooves against the bottom of the hull, and then he frowned for a moment before his horn began to glow as he muttered: “Yes, I should be able to...”

A beam of dark light shot out of his horn, the ray slowly, gradually tracing a large circle through the metal of the hull as he let himself drift a little deeper in the water, as the other ponies waited in uneasy silence. Then Moonflower winced as the metal shifted loose, the large, smooth circle of steel slowly falling free from the underside of the boat.

Freya lightly pushed Moonflower out of the way, and then she pushed herself up into the hole, poking her head through before the Valkyrie leapt up into the interior of the ship. Cadence followed quickly after pointing sharply at Moonflower, Sombra, and Jeanne, indicating the order they should follow in, since La Croix had already vanished and was probably scouting the ship.

Cadence grimaced as she pushed up into the hole and found herself inside some kind of machine room, massive gears clanking rustily away beside her as pistons pumped and thick cables sparked with electricity. She looked uneasily around, but Freya was already standing at a sealed door, her ear placed against the thick metal and her expression moody.

“Reeks.” she said over the growling and barking of the machinery, the ivory mare shaking her head in distaste before she added: “Your Loa friend ran ahead to check out the rest of the ship. Hopefully he'll come back with good news, because I doubt whoever is crewing this vessel understands how half the machinery here works.”

Freya pointed at a pile of what Cadence had thought was wreckage, but after a moment of looking at it, she grimaced in disgust as she realized they were actually the fallen hulks of Worker Drones that had been simply shoved aside into a corner. On closer inspection, Cadence realized that at least one of the drones was probably still in serviceable condition: apparently whoever was operating this ship simply didn't know how to make them work... and that's good news for us.

The rest of the group piled into the now-cramped machine room, Jeanne wincing away from the loud, growling machinery as Freya tapped a hoof impatiently against the floor. But it was less than a minute before La Croix returned, the zebra saying uneasily as he solidified: “Place be creepy as hell, and the ponies here... they ain't lookin' so good. It be a skeleton crew, though, almost all of 'em on the upper decks. Only counted about twelve of 'em, and they got some pretty big guns and armor, and... I dunno. They ain't right. They ain't fou, they ain't furieux, they just ain't... right.”

“Jeanne?” Freya looked pointedly over her shoulder at the pirate mare, who shifted nervously under the Valkyrie's curious and serious gaze. “Do you have something you'd like to share with the class, perhaps, little girl?”

All eyes turned towards Jeanne, who lowered her head before her eyes shifted to the side and she mumbled: “He... Salazar likes to reanimate corpses. I would... I would be careful, if I were you.”

“Perhaps not the most important thing you could have kept to yourself, particularly since we already met a few of his zombies, but all the same... annoying.” Freya leaned forwards, one of her swords drawing with a gleam of silver and floating dangerously in front of Jeanne, making her whimper a little. “I happen to kill what annoys me.”

She focused on Jeanne for a moment longer, then suddenly turned and slid her sword into the valve handle on the door, the ivory mare grunting as she twisted it hard to the side and used the extra leverage to force the door open with a hiss of air. As she yanked it back, she ordered: “Loa, take the lead. Show the Swan where to go. Swan, you know what to do.”

Cadence only nodded: it wasn't the time to argue, and it wasn't time to voice her displeasure. It was time to do what she was told: for once, she could agree with the Swan on that as La Croix guided her quickly down the hall. They passed several more rusting hulks on their way to a staircase, and what looked like a burnt-out generator, which told Cadence that not all the ship's systems were online... that just about confirms we aren't dealing with any Clockwork soldiers.

They came across a lone soldier patrolling a hall near the center of the ship mindlessly: he would walk all the way down to an intersection, turn around, and then walk all the way back to just in front of the intersection where La Croix and Cadence were, although not far enough to see around the corner and find either of them. Nor was he attracted by La Croix's whistle, only continuing on his route: that confirmed what Jeanne had said.

Fortunately, undead were not something Cadence had trouble dealing with, her horn glowing white as she leapt out behind the armored soldier and charged after him, tackling him to the ground before she slammed her horn through the back of his neck and tore upward. To her horror, the suit of armor all but exploded, and she was knocked rolling away from the burst of dark magic that had come out of the creature when she had killed it, the mare wheezing in pain and brushing at herself a few times before La Croix shuddered and mumbled: “Damn, Cygne. I ain't never seen nothin' like that.”

Cadence looked up, and felt like retching herself at the sight: the corpse was nothing but a reeking, oozy mass of rotten... Horses of Heaven, had it even been a pony? She couldn't tell. The remains had a hell of a stink, though, and it looked like there was some kind of bile and grime spilling out of the holes in its body and the tattered remains of its armor...

“Drowned carcasses.” Freya said, and both the Loa and Swan looked up in surprise to see the Valkyrie standing behind them, her expression grim. “Aye, I see. They won't be difficult to kill, at least... but we'll have to be more careful now. This kind of draugr is weak and flimsy and stupid... but they can move beneath the water and will be far fiercer there. I suspect there are many more of them than you saw, La Croix, but they likely only awaken when there is a need to dredge the seas. All the same, hopefully your team will destroy more of them on their way up.”

“Where are they?” Cadence asked, and Freya only smiled slightly, which made Cadence scowl a little even as the Swan shifted back and forth, as if chastising her for not believing mindlessly in the Valkyrie. “Look, they're my responsibility, and-”

“Aye, as you are all mine. I'm not giving them more danger than they can handle, and I told them to meet us all below deck, near the center of the ship.” Freya replied almost irritably. “Now, are we going to keep moving, or shall we just dawdle away our time here until your friends have to come find us?”

Cadence muttered under her breath, but then she nodded quickly before she gestured to La Croix, who led the way quickly onward. On the way up, they came across two more Drowned, but Cadence and Freya made short work of both of these, Freya slicing the head cleanly off one and Cadence using her knives to safely take down the other from a distance, avoiding being drenched by gore and black magic this time as it fell from a single strike to the back of its neck.

They made their way to a set of ajar double doors covered in rust and mold, Cadence peeking out of these to see the stairs beyond leading up to the deck as La Croix explained: “Most of 'em are up there. They got spotlights and everything, but I ain't sure how... well, how smart they are.”

“I'm fairly certain if they see us they'll be smart enough to attack us. And I'm also certain they're likely watching this ship from afar.” Freya replied wryly, shaking her head briefly. “We'll want to strike quickly and effectively. Go up there, Loa, scout the deck and see if you can figure out any flaw in their patrols.”

La Croix automatically looked towards Cadence, who nodded, and the Loa vanished. Freya and Cadence both looked at each other for a moment, and then Freya smiled slightly before she said softly: “I idolized Odin too, you know. But, just like you, I learned quickly why you should never meet your idols. It always ends up being a great disappointment, and sooner rather than later.”

Cadence looked uncomfortably at Freya, who looked back at her for a few moments before she continued musingly: “Certainly is interesting, though, that you and the Swan are so different. As to whether it's good or bad, I'm much less prepared to say. But it's definitely interesting.”

The smaller mare stayed silent, not really daring to say anything as she pawed nervously at the ground, even as the Swan twisted inside her in apparent frustration at the fact she wasn't falling all over herself to thank Freya for her half-compliments.

The Valkyrie studied her for a few moments, and then a smile quirked at Freya's mouth before she said mildly: “You know, I don't blame you for not liking me, Cadence. I don't like myself very much either most of the time. I'm a foul tempered old she-wolf, and I cause trouble and I get myself into situations I do actually regret later. Unlike the rest of you, I just don't wallow in it. For me, regret is a sting, not... something to waste my time sitting in.”

Cadence looked uncertainly at Freya, as the ivory gazed back at her and softened a little before she said gently: “But I need you to trust me, and I need you to hate me for the right reasons. Don't dislike me purely because the Swan is tethered to me.”

“It's not that, it's not... just that... I... do like you, Freya, I think you're amazing and impressive and...” Cadence fumbled for a moment, and then she sighed a little, looking at Freya and saying quietly: “Maybe part of it is because I'm scared of... what might happen if you...”

She looked silently over at Freya, who tilted her head for a moment before her eye widened in understanding as she nodded slowly, saying softly: “I see. You're worried that the Swan's loyalties are fickle. I'm curious, though, Cadence... do you see the Swan as a person, or as but a tool and a weapon?”

“I... try to see it as another person, inside of me. But the Swan is convinced it's nothing more than a tool, something that-”

“Aye, I understand. Sometimes it's much easier to believe that than face the truth.” Freya replied softly, and Cadence frowned slightly before the Valkyrie glanced to the side and said mildly: “Took you long enough.”

Cadence blinked and looked to the side in surprise to see her father approaching with Moonflower and Jeanne, and the black unicorn lowered his head courteously as he replied gently: “I apologize, but we came across some unexpected difficulties. There were more undead than we expected: I suppose you understand what they are, Signora Freya?”

Freya nodded, replying mildly: “The only surprise is that you seem to know yourself what they are. Although I suppose I shouldn't be, all things considered. You seem to be the only intelligent pony in this lot, even if you are far too much of a... what is the word that ponies use this day? Pussy?”

Cadence scowled horribly, and Freya grinned widely before she tipped a wink towards Moonflower, making him shrink back a little as she added easily: “But while cats are nothing to be frightened of, I suppose that in some cases, stallions should learn to fear just what-”

A throat cleared loudly, and Freya huffed as La Croix reappeared, saying awkwardly as he pointed towards the doors: “Uh... hate to be the one to ruin all this fun, but perhaps we should get ourselves back to business. We might be able to take 'em out nice and quiet like if we careful, since most of 'em actually have their backs to the door. There's two up top in the cabin, though: they might be a bit difficile, even if they don't got eyes like corneielles.”

Freya nodded thoughtfully, then she asked mildly: “And what, you can't take care of those for us, Loa? Or are you just too afraid to?”

La Croix winced a bit, but then he nodded grudgingly and mumbled: “Oh, fine. But only 'cause I be more scared of you than I am of attractin' any more unwanted attention to us. Don't blame me if it all goes wrong, though, don't know if my juju works on these kinds of monstres. Ain't never seen this kind of dark magic before. 'Sgot more in common with the saltwater than the bayou.”

“You do your part, then come back down here and tell us when it's done, and you can sit back and be proud of yourself while we handle the rest.” Freya said patronizingly, but La Croix only grunted before he vanished, and the Valkyrie snorted in amusement before she said dryly: “You know, it's less fun when all you ponies refuse to react to me. In the old days, it was so easy to rile everyone up, being a woman who never learned her place and all.”

Cadence couldn't help but smile a little at this, and Sombra said kindly: “I am sure you have always known your place, Signora Freya. I would wager you find it in the forests and the fields.”

Freya laughed loudly at this, shaking her head slowly before she replied easily: “Aye, but usually specific fields, my friend, such as the battlefield. And the bed, of course.”

Sombra only smiled as Jeanne and Moonflower both shifted awkwardly, but thankfully Freya became more serious as she looked up and said quietly: “I felt a burst of magic. I think our friend is taking care of the problem above... get ready to move. Remember, they do not react to sound, but only to sight. Use that to your advantage, and don't be afraid to call out should something happen.”

The others nodded, and a moment later, La Croix reappeared with a wheeze, the zebra shivering a little and covered in black goop. Cadence stared at the zebra, but he simply wiped sludge from his face before saying disgustedly: “They didn't react very well to a bit of goofer dust. Y'all are free to make your move. Watch it, though, there's ones right out there by the stairs who are movin' back and forth, so don't-”

Freya smashed the doors open, charging straight up the steps with a grin, and La Croix stared in disbelief as Cadence shot by him as well, the Swan leaping forward to follow the Valkyrie out of loyalty and instinct.

At the top of the stairs, Freya caught a Drowned around the neck with her falcate blade before she yanked forwards, slicing his head off and throwing his carcass down the steps at the same time as it burst apart into slime and goo.

The Swan narrowly avoided the explosion of ichors before she leapt to the top of the steps, tackling a second Drowned and slamming him to the ground before her blade buried through its throat, the mare leaping off and landing smoothly in the middle of the deck as she yanked her rifle free with telekinesis. It dropped into her hooves as she turned, the Swan raising the rifle as it extended: it only took her a moment to lock on to the enemy, her eyes narrowing before she fired a single silvered stake through the helmeted head of a Drowned in the crow's nest above.

It collapsed in a burst of black ooze, and the Swan turned as Freya ran towards another patrolling, mindless zombie: in less than a minute, the Valkyrie and the Swan Maiden wiped out the entire guard crew, Freya grinning as she used holy magic to burn their black blood off her swords as she remarked: “Some of them weren't even armed. I suppose that makes sense, though: they obviously didn't expect anyone to get close enough to board.”

Cadence felt the Swan receding, and she quickly took control over her own body, the creature seeming strangely pleased with itself as Cadence grimaced and quickly collapsed the rifle. She hated how easy it was becoming for the Swan to do that, as she muttered: “It feels way too easy.”

“Aye, it does.” Freya smiled slightly as she approached one of the massive artillery weapons on the side of the ship, the mare examining this before she used telekinesis to manipulate the controls, the rusty weapon slowly rumbling into a new position with groans and clanks of steel. “Well, let's make this easier on ourselves, shall we?”

“I... don't know if this is such a good idea...” Cadence began uneasily, but since the others were all already moving to reposition the guns, her father included... “You know, they'll probably lock on to us faster than we'll be able to target them.”

“Nonsense, it's simple math, like using a catapult.” Freya scoffed, looking over at the cannon and eyeing it thoughtfully. “Besides, if we fire all of the available weapons at once, we'll hit them with something.”

“It might take more than one hit to bring a ship like that down.” Cadence said awkwardly, pointing at the massive battleship in the distance. Freya, however, only grinned widely, which made Cadence grimace a bit as she muttered: “I really don't like that look on your face.”

“Aye, I know.” She paused, then whistled loudly before she called: “Loa, come here! You're the most useful one of this lot, so I need you again!”

“So much for getting to rest.” the zebra mumbled, as he hurried down the deck towards them. He sighed a little, straightening and looking uncertainly at Freya. “What do you want, mademoiselle?”

“Half-polite. That's a good start.” Freya remarked, and then she gestured at the artillery cannon, asking mildly: “Do you know how to use these?”

“Oh, now I really don't like where this be goin'.” La Croix mumbled, wincing a bit as he looked apprehensively at the Valkyrie, but when she looked back at him insistently, he sighed a little before nodding grudgingly: “Yeah, I do. Real simple, y'just pull the trigger.”

Freya nodded at this, and then she said easily: “Then I suppose you wouldn't mind staying behind and pulling triggers until the enemy ship sinks, would you?”

La Croix groaned loudly at this, and the stallion looked pleadingly at Cadence, who grimaced before she said finally: “Freya, I don't think-”

“No, the problem is you think too much. It's a simple task and it won't put him in much danger. But if you'd like to stay behind, you're more than welcome to. But you might have some trouble catching up to us, since we'll be on that island and all.” Freya said in that awful belittling tone of hers, pointing towards the enormous metal seawall: but as tall as it was, the rocky cliffs stretched up past that, and Cadence could see some kind of structure high above, eerie and unpleasant light glowing all around it like a terrible beacon.

Cadence frowned a bit, and then she asked uncertainly: “How do you expect to get up there? Those cliffs look like they're a hundred feet high, and I doubt they're not going to notice if we fly up...”

But Freya only smiled slightly at this before she replied easily: “We go in from below, of course, just as planned before. Salazar's ships didn't magically fly up to the top of that island, after all. There must be a dock... and with the fact he's got these zombies manning these ships, I wouldn't be surprised to find an underwater dock, either.”

Cadence couldn't help but grudgingly nod in agreement before she turned towards La Croix, but the zebra only sighed and rose a hoof, saying moodily: “Don't you worry, Cygne. I got this. Ain't gonna be fun and ain't gonna be pretty, but I s'pose that's how life is s'posed to be anyway.”

The mare smiled faintly in response to this, and the Valkyrie chuckled before she half-reassured: “Well, we'll all be here for the first volley, at least. I want to make sure we get the cannons aimed right before we leave, even if it'll certainly draw a lot of attention to us... and I don't doubt they're going to be eager to fire back on us.”

“Let's hope they as bad at shootin' as they are at doin' everything else.” La Croix muttered, and Cadence grunted in agreement.

Freya smiled again, but this time her eye roved towards Jeanne, who was carefully manipulating the controls of another cannon to turn it towards the enemy ship with practiced ease, and the Valkyrie reflected that these Drowned were far from the most dangerous enemies they had to worry about.

The Cruelest Caution

Chapter Thirty One: The Cruelest Caution
~BlackRoseRaven

Freya had adjusted all the cannons herself after they had taken aim with them, while Cadence kept uneasy watch, expecting to be spotted at any moment. It had struck her as very strange that apparently the enemy hadn't realized they had taken over this battleship yet, even if they were protected under the cover of darkness, and they had been swift and silent. Someone had to check on these puppets eventually, didn't they?

Still, they didn't stick around long enough to find out. They had fired the first volley of artillery, and most of the rounds had struck the target. Cadence didn't think they had done a lot of damage to the enemy ship, but she could at least hope that La Croix would be able to keep up enough fire that when the pirate ship joined them – hopefully taking the cannonfire as a signal to move in – they would be able to bring down the remaining battleship.

Of course, they were all well aware that there could be – and likely would be – more battleships to fortify the barricade, especially since La Croix wouldn't be able to stay on board very long without putting himself at risk. And ships weren't the only threat, either: there was whatever was in the roiling clouds above, and likely Drowned and who knew what else below...

But while the water here felt toxic, and almost painful to travel through, they hadn't seen much in the way of beasts or enemies under the sea, as the wooden serpent swam quickly through the waters, circling around towards the rear of the enormous rock pillar. Cadence grimaced a bit, shivering a little as they hurtled through the murky waters, trying to keep her focus on the mission at hoof, but she couldn't help but look uncomfortably over her shoulder at Jeanne, who seemed to be growing more and more agitated the closer they got to raiding Salazar's lair.

It wasn't the kind of anxious or worried that Cadence had expected: ever since the battleship, Jeanne seemed more and more like she was scared they were going to find out something about her, like maybe... no, she can't be. She hates Salazar, whatever she had to do with him in the past. Even if...

She looked back at Jeanne again, frowning uneasily: Freya had adjusted every cannon the ship, except the ones Jeanne had aimed. In fact, hadn't Freya checked Jeanne's first, as if she was going to use them to check her aim? But of course Jeanne might be familiar with cannons at sea, and aiming them, since she had obviously spent at least a bit of time as a pirate... except well... how would she know how to aim those cannons? That's Decretum technology, not bags of gunpowder and big chunks of metal...

Cadence didn't want to think about it. She would just try and trust in Freya, since the Swan told her that Freya would never abide a traitor in their midst, and that was one of the few things Cadence felt she could really put her faith in.

She looked back ahead, and then yelped in shock as the serpent suddenly dove downward, the others clinging to the wood-beast for dear life as some kind of massive, hideous sea-snake whipped suddenly past them, biting savagely at the wood-beast as it passed, but apparently not interested enough in them to try and give chase as the snake zipped deeper through the murky water.

“That's a good sign!” Freya called over her shoulder, and even as Jeanne and Moonflower both sounded less-than-convinced in their yelled replies, Cadence grimaced in unfortunate agreement: oversized mutant beasts meant the Clay of Prometheus was leaking into the water somewhere, which meant a vent, which meant they might have found a way inside, or at least signs that this facility was active.

They twisted onward, and Cadence looked over her shoulder again, past Jeanne, towards her father. Sombra only smiled at her reassuringly, though: he was still in control, even if the corruption in the water was beginning to make his coat darken visibly.

Cadence looked down at her own foreleg, and she shivered a bit at the visible bruising spreading through the white. It was much more obvious on her because of her ivory body, but she knew this toxic environment had to be taking its toll on the others, too... although Jeanne...

Leave Jeanne alone. Cadence reprimanded herself, and the Swan, since the Swan didn't seem to be exactly fond of the mare, either. Which was ironic, given the fact that the Swan also had been the one to say that Freya would never trust a traitor, and that if Freya trusted Jeanne, they should as well.

Of course, Cadence could almost hear the Swan retort that even if they should trust her, they didn't have to like her: she was still a... vulnerability, the Swan thought of her as. A liar, an outlaw, a parasite who had attached herself to them and only added further unnecessary difficulties and dangers to the mission.

Horses of Heaven you're so pleasant. Cadence thought moodily, shaking her head briefly as she forced her eyes to look ahead, past Freya and into the swirling black-and-blue of the poisonous waters around them. I... and why am I trying to have a conversation with you? You've never been anything but... emotions and... feelings, more than coherent thoughts. You make my stomach feel weird, you make my head hurt, you show me things, but you never actually... talk to me.

Her only answer from the Swan was a shift, but Cadence felt herself shift with it, uneasy and yet curious. Was the Swan trying to actually speak? Could it speak?

And if she started hearing the Swan's voice in her head, what did that mean? Did that mean it was growing smarter, stronger, or just that the Swan was taking her over completely?

She didn't want to think about that. There was so much she didn't want to think about, and yet she just kept coming right back to. What was wrong with her?

Cadence tried to cast all those feelings away, forcing her eyes to look ahead before she grimaced as she realized there was some large, dark shape ahead. As they drew closer through the murky waters, Cadence realized the large, rectangular shape was the bottom of some kind of dock, as Freya ordered over her shoulder: “Ready yourselves.”

The serpent slowed, and Cadence shivered a bit as they drifted to a halt near the structure: she had never seen any dock like this before, and Cadence looked uneasily over it before Freya released the serpent and carefully floated up to the surface of the water.

She peered carefully over the structure ahead, and scowled at what she saw: they were in front of a walkway that was brightly lit up by crystal lanterns along its length and guarded by patrols of what she guessed were more Drowned, thanks to their slouching stride and heavy armor. The walkway connected to a large, circular island of cement that several small craft were docked at on one side, while the other end of the walkway fed to what looked like a massive loading platform, which was covered in rotting cargo.

In the distance, she could see the actual docks, and the massive warships that rested there, all of them bustling with activity. She wasn't sure if that meant the enemy was getting ready to move out again on another excursion, or if the crews just preferred to stay aboard the ships, in case of emergency, or because she imagined that if the outside of the facility looked like this, the inside wasn't going to be much more pleasant.

Freya sank back beneath the water, turning her attention towards Cadence and her team to say calmly: “I do not think we can enter quietly. Quickly, perhaps, but not quietly. Prepare for a fight, all of you: I have no doubt the enemy will be seeing us shortly either way.

“What do you want us to do?” Cadence asked, even if she was already starting to feel like things were going to end badly. Freya smiled slightly at her, and admittedly, that didn't make the mare feel a whole lot better. “I don't want us being used as a battering ram...”

“Brynhild always loved her 'battering ram,' as she called it. It's a good thing she was never a shapeshifter when she was a woman. She would have abused the Valkyries more than I did.” Freya remarked, and then she clicked her tongue as Cadence closed her eyes as if pained. “We should be able to clear the walkway easily enough. It looks as if there are only two carcasses patrolling it. After that, we make a dash for the entrance. It seems as if most of the living crew are occupied on the ships: if we're lucky, we won't meet much in the way of resistance apart from more of these slovenly undead.”

“Are you sure we should not try a stealthier approach? There must be other ways into the facility.” Sombra suggested, and Freya looked meditative before she shook her head quickly.

“Believe me, my thirst for battle is not so great I wish to run headlong into the bear in its own cave. But in this case, we may not have much of a choice.” Freya replied, meeting Sombra's gaze evenly. “I am more concerned that the enemy already knows we are here, and is preparing for us above. If we bide our time, then we may only give our opponent that much more time to ready himself to deal with us.”

Cadence grimaced at this, before Jeanne blurted: “Ducts!”

Freya turned an inquisitive look towards Jeanne, who blushed and looked awkwardly away before she mumbled: “The... there will be bilge vents beneath the facility, not very far from here. It will not be very comfortable because they were used to expel waste matter from the labs, but... we might be able to sneak inside through them.”

“I like my idea better.” Freya said mildly, but when Cadence scowled at her, the Valkyrie shrugged and said wryly: “Well, if you're all convinced it's better to trust in Jeanne's wild prediction...”

“It is not a prediction! I... I know about it because I used to work here.” Jeanne said after a moment, dropping her head shamefully as she trembled a little. “But it was all-”

“I don't care.” Freya said simply, and yet there was almost a kindness in her voice, even as Jeanne looked up in disbelief at the Valkyrie. “This is not the time for a heartfelt discussion on the subject, nor do I care that you once served with the enemy. Outlaw, betrayer, traitor, or whatever you are, what matters to me is that you pull your weight and you do not do anything stupid. Which I don't believe you will, if not for the fact that your hatred for Salazar seems honest – and I know well how a woman's scorn is the sharpest of knives and the surest of promises – then because you are aware of the fact that should you betray us, I will gut you and leave you for dead.”

Jeanne swallowed thickly, her gaze locked with the Valkyrie's sole steely eye, and the pirate captain hesitantly nodded. Freya smiled slightly at this, then she leaned down and asked: “Where are these vents, then?”

“This uh... this way.” Jeanne nervously pointed downward, and Freya gestured for the mare to take point and lead them onward, which Jeanne hesitantly did.

The group fell into natural pairs: Freya and Cadence, followed by Sombra and Moonflower, while La Croix was nowhere in sight, although if Cadence had to guess, she figured that he was probably scouting ahead for them, to make sure that Jeanne wasn't leading them into a trap. But while Cadence was a little suspicious of Jeanne, she didn't think that the mare wanted to hurt them or anything like that.

She did think that Jeanne was trying desperately to hide something, even now, and while Freya seemed to think that Jeanne's desire for revenge against Salazar would eventually lead her to spilling all her secrets out to them, Cadence thought that Freya was underestimating the power of shame; probably because Freya didn't exactly seem to know the meaning of that word, Cadence reflected moodily, even as the Swan twisted inside of her at this thought.

They descended into the depths, passing a school of alien-looking eels that thankfully didn't seem very interested in them, and a few other macabre fish-mutants that were driven away when Jeanne lit up her horn with radiance. The others quickly mimicked this, Cadence hoping they were deep enough now that the enemies wouldn't be able to see the glow through the waters, but when she looked up, there was only murk and darkness, making her feel strangely... claustrophobic, as they drew nearer and nearer to where the rocky pillar met the ocean floor.

Something large and ugly burst out of the wall in a rush of steam and bubbles, and Cadence readied herself, but Freya caught her by the shoulder, shaking her head and pointing silently. The beast, whatever it was, was rushing over the ocean floor, and Cadence winced as she saw it tackle some other underwater beast, viciously biting into it and beginning to devour its fellow monster even before it had finished writhing and dying.

Jeanne nervously led the way down to the cavern the monster had emerged from, keeping close to the stone ceiling, and the others followed even as Cadence shivered: the poison was growing more intense here, and the exposure to it was making her... angry. She thought maybe that was why the Swan was getting so upset, too, with the slightest nasty thought she had about Freya, although the Valkyrie herself seemed to be handling the toxins in the water surprisingly well, showing that maybe she had more discipline than Cadence had given her credit for.

She checked over her shoulder: her father looked healthy, but the purifier on his back was whirring loudly away still, starting to sound a little strained, she thought, and Moonflower looked sick to his stomach, even as he paddled gamely onward. She smiled encouragingly at the two, then turned her eyes back ahead, following Jeanne as the mare curved around a corner, then halted and floated upside down in the grimy water, pointing upward and whispering: “Here, this is the drainage chute we can use to get access to the... the... bad place.”

Freya and Cadence both studied Jeanne for a moment, but Jeanne only shook her head before she began to swim upward, whimpering as she passed between the broken, rusted-apart iron bars and into the shaft beyond.

The Valkyrie and the Irregulars followed after her, and Cadence grimaced in disgust as they passed organic matter, garbage and... body parts, she thought with revulsion. There were a few mutant fish here and there, too, but they were mostly scavengers, ignoring the ponies as long as the ponies ignored them.

It was a long swim up, and the waste only grew thicker the higher they went up the shaft. And Jeanne, who had always been so clean, always seemed so pristine, Cadence had thought, didn't seem to care as she pushed through sludge and muck and slime, shivering and staring like a frightened animal straight up the passage... yet never slowing, never stopping, even as the walls around them turned to hard cement instead of jagged rock, and they passed from murky water into what felt like slime and oil mixed with gore and viscera.

Jeanne surfaced with a gasp, in spite of the protective bubble still around her head, and she whimpered loudly, treading water as Cadence and Freya surfaced beside her a moment later in the crimson and black muck. The warrior mares both looked up at the rusted jaws of some kind of grinder maybe a foot or so above them, Cadence noting the fresh blood dripping from the blades... I guess that explains the... goop.

Freya shook her head, then swam to the side of the pool they had emerged into, reaching up and grasping the edge before carefully wiggling herself out of the muck. She sighed in relief as she was able to stand up, looking uneasily back and forth through what seemed like some kind of... “Is this a torture chamber?”

“Must... must have gone up the wrong p-passage...” Jeanne whispered, as she slowly, nervously crawled out of the pool, and yet she seemed almost relieved, Cadence thought, which just made the mare wonder uneasily what horrors the laboratories must hold if that was what Jeanne was afraid of. “We... Salazar is... somewhere above... we're still in the pillar. The pillar is for the workers and the fortress is above and the fortress is for Salazar.”

Freya turned towards Jeanne, then, as Moonflower and Sombra both emerged from the muck and La Croix appeared, the Valkyrie approached the pirate and slapped her roughly across the face, Jeanne blinking a few times before Freya said quietly but firmly: “Do not go losing your mind now, d'you hear? You show us through here, and we'll do the rest. Now, enough lies, Jeanne. What did you do for this Salazar?”

Jeanne looked up silently, trembling a little, before Moonflower suddenly stepped in quietly: “If you don't mind, Freya, I'd like a chance to clean up before we go interrogating this silly mare. We're all covered in poison and it's going to do absolutely atrocious things to my mane.”

Freya looked meditatively at Moonflower, who shrank a bit under her gaze, but to his credit, also didn't back down, and after a moment, the Valkyrie gave a wry smile and rose a hoof that was dripping with blood and muck, saying dryly: “You may have a point, handsome. Alright. Let's clean up first. Our hosts don't seem to mind us taking a moment to ourselves, after all.”

Cadence grunted, looking uneasily over at several large torture racks: two of these were occupied by corpses, while the last looked as if it had been shattered by some tremendous force, and she just hoped that whatever had torn itself free wasn't still wandering these halls, looking for someone to take out its pain on...

Cadence was brought back to reality by the bubble of magic popping around her head, the mare blinking a few times before a warmth spread over her body, cleaning it of slime and malice. She smiled in embarrassment at her father, who was already clean, as he said softly: “I know how difficult it is, mi amore. But you cannot let it chew into your mind. You are stronger than that.”

“I'll... I'll try.” Cadence murmured, nodding hesitantly before she uneasily looked over at Jeanne, but she felt oddly reassured by the fact that Moonflower was there with her, smiling at her, showing that odd kindness of his that was usually hidden under all his layers of arrogance and bluster. “What do you think of Jeanne?”

Sombra only smiled, then he looked up curiously as Cadence blushed deeply when Jeanne said grouchily: “I can hear you, you know.”

There was an awkward silence for a moment, and then the winged unicorn glanced down and mumbled: “And my name isn't Jeanne, anyway. Freya is right. That's a name I borrowed from the history books, to try and make myself... better. To give myself a story so I could... convince people to follow me, and...”

She laughed faintly, shaking her head before she trembled a little, looking down at her hoof and whispering: “It was all for nothing, wasn't it? I just wanted to be special. I wanted to be strong. I wanted to protect the ponies important to me, and instead... I... I lost them all. I led them right to Salazar, and all his promises... were lies.”

She halted, looking down silently before Moonflower said softly: “Now, hey. We all make mistakes. I've certainly made more than most myself... and just like you, Jeanne or... whatever your name is, I made up a strong name for myself and tried very hard to impress someone who just... hurt me, and turned out to be...”

He chuckled quietly. “Well, I guess she was the real evil between us. But I always boasted I was evil and... I never really have been. I'm not evil, I'm not cruel, I'm no god or monster. I'm just a pony.”

The two looked at each other for a few moments, and then Moonflower smiled and said quietly: “But very few ponies will gain wings, you know. But it's not your wings that make you special, Jeanne. It's... it's this.”

He reached up and firmly poked her breast, and Jeanne blinked in surprise as she touched herself before Moonflower said quietly: “I think, out of everyone here, I respect most what you must be going through. And even I don't wholly understand it, because I was fortunate enough to make some very good friends along the way who I never... really treated quite the way they deserved. But you and I are different there. I ruled an army, like an idiot. I've seen the way you talk to your crew, and treat other ponies. You're a much better person than me.”

He smiled, and Jeanne smiled faintly back before she lowered her head and then said, almost shyly: “My name is Aster.”

The two smiled at each other, and then Freya said mildly: “Well, Aster, keep your hooves off that handsome stallion, because if anyone is going to show him the pleasures of a mare it's going to be me.”

Both Moonflower and Jeanne – Aster, Cadence reminded herself – winced away from Freya, and Sombra chuckled and shook her head before the Valkyrie asked in a more serious voice: “Now, how do you know this place? Were you a slaver?”

“No! No, no, nothing like that!” Aster almost shouted, and then she took a breath, calming herself as Moonflower hesitantly reached up and touched her shoulder. She calmed visibly, lowering her head a little before she shook herself out and murmured: “No. At first... Salazar just...”

She swallowed thickly, then looked up and said quietly: “I am skilled in sea magic and night magic. Where I lived with my family, I was... I was just a witch, and treated as such. Revered when they needed my aid, shunned when they did not. When Salazar came and found me, he told me that he was... gathering others liked me. The... misunderstood. And at first, I believed him.

“He brought me and my family here, along with Blood Mages, and necromancers, and magicians and witches and warlocks of every order.” The mare licked her lips uneasily, shaking her head slowly as she stared at the ground, caught in her own web of memories. “He said there were great treasures in the ocean, but it was too dangerous for the living. Some magicians he put to work trying to reconstitute the constructs scattered throughout the facility... others, well, he gave us corpses and told us to animate them. He did not want to bring the dead to life. He just wanted servants.

“It made me feel... unclean, but it was sound reasoning. A corpse is just raw materials, no more than a stack of wood or iron.” All the same, Aster looked nervously around at the group, shifting in visible discomfort as if she expected some retribution, but Freya only gestured impatiently at her to go on, and Aster nodded quickly. “So we did it. And at first, they were used precisely for the reason that Salazar had told us they would be: to explore the ocean and dredge up treasures from the bottom of the sea.”

“Which he used to fund his operations, I take it.” Freya said, and Aster nodded and looked down quietly. “I expect things soon took a turn for worse.”

“Yes. He took our friends and family hostage with the constructs and puppets we had made for him, and announced that there had been a change of plans. He brought pirates, and new mages to this facility, and... someone else took over above. Someone that Salazar reports to...” Aster shook her head, and then she gritted her teeth, whispering: “But it was Salazar who did all this. Who killed my parents. I trusted him to give me a better life and instead he... made it so much worse.”

Cadence felt like a piece of the story was missing, but Freya only nodded and straightened, saying calmly: “Then you are welcome to your revenge, Aster. I am not one to stand in the way of that. But I hope your heart is made of sterner stuff than the rest of you, woman, because you do not walk an easy path.”

Aster only looked to the side silently, and the Valkyrie studied her for a few moments before she said softly: “Lead us onward. No time to dawdle, now.”

Aster looked up, and swallowed thickly before she nodded once, taking a shaky breath before she turned and headed towards the studded steel door that led out of the room. Cadence began to follow, but Freya reached up and caught her, saying quietly: “Back of the line, Swan.”

Cadence frowned uneasily, but she lingered all the same as the others followed after Freya, assembling according to the Valkyrie's silent instructions. As soon as they entered the musty rock corridors, however, Cadence understood: with the many niches and flaws in the twisting and turning stone walls, they could be attacked at any time, from any direction. They were going to have to move carefully.

It wasn't long before they ran into their first enemy ambush: their foes weren't subtle, the monsters screaming war cries as they charged straight down the hall at them, moving freakishly fast for half-rotted beasts. Aster fell backwards, screaming in terror, but Freya was in front of her in a moment, grinning and roaring: “Come on then!”

The creatures were all too eager to converge on her, and Freya's swords sang as they tore free from their sheaths in vicious slashes, rending flesh and hewing bone. Monsters howled in fury more than pain even as they were knocked around like dominoes, and Cadence swore as her instincts flared, spinning around and immediately throwing two knives out and into the face of another rotting corpse leading a pack of these hideous, malformed creatures from down the opposite end of the hall. “Back-to-back formation! Defensive positions!”

Sombra and La Croix both immediately spun around, the unicorn slamming his hooves down to send spikes of crystal jutting up from the rocky earth down the length of the hall, slowing the approach of the horde of screaming beasts. La Croix, meanwhile, dug quickly through his cape before he flung out a cloud of dark powder, and before it could settle, he tossed a glass bottle out as well, which shattered the moment it hit the ground with a flash-

The cloud of black dust erupted into a burst of flames, the roiling fog of hellfire spilling slowly down the hall. The howls of the rotten beasts rose in pitch and volume even as some of them struggled to stumble their way through the cloud and over the jagged spikes lining the floor, but these were quickly dispatched by Cadence's throwing knives.

At the other end of the hall, Moonflower was blasting apart the few undead that weren't crushed or slashed apart by Freya's vicious swordplay. Aster, however, was only cowering and covering her head, tears running down her face as her wide eyes stared in terror through the mask of blood that had splattered over her features at the hideous, rotting undead surging towards them from all sides.

The fight was vicious, but short-lived: the horde of corpses fell within a minute thanks in part to their own crazed bloodlust and their apparent inability to retreat from the battle. But Aster was still shivering and whimpering on the ground, shaking her head back and forth, slowly rubbing at her bloody face before she shrieked when Freya grabbed her and pulled her up.

Freya slapped her firmly, and Aster gasped as her horn sparked, but her magic was quickly dispelled by the Valkyrie, who then shook her roughly before lifting her up and saying sharply: “Get yourself together, girl! We have no time for this!”

“M-My...” Aster trembled, and then she shivered before whimpering and nodding, pushing herself free from Freya and stumbling backwards as she stared over her shoulder at the fallen corpses. No, at one of the corpses in particular, Cadence thought: it was so mutilated it was hard to make out any of the details about it, but... at the same time...

Cadence's eyes widened slightly, and Moonflower winced a bit as Freya frowned before her own eye lit up with understanding. But Aster only swallowed thickly, breathing slowly in and out before she whispered: “The body... they were already... dead. The body doesn't matter. Seeing it... seeing... the body doesn't matter.”

“Nay, it does. It is another defilement, and another sin to heap upon Salazar's head.” Freya muttered, and then she hesitated before asking quietly: “Would you like to-”

“I would like to move on. Please. I... let's go. They're just... materials.” Aster told herself, more than them, and the mare unsteadily picked herself up before she looked ahead and whispered: “Salazar is waiting. He... he knows. I hope this wasn't all a terrible mistake, because he's waiting and he knows.”

“Then let's not keep our host.” Freya muttered, letting Aster take the lead again, but Cadence thought that even Freya felt sympathy for Aster's plight and misery, as the betrayed mare led them onward, not seeming to realize her face was still masked by the long-dead blood of her parents.

Drowned ambushed them several floors up: unlike the first attack, this one was far more coordinated and deadly, the walking corpses using cover and rolling shields to protect themselves while they bombarded the intruders with explosive bolts. They used the narrow halls to their advantage by sealing the group inside a tight bottleneck, but Freya simply had Moonflower raise a protective shield in front of them with no danger at their backs, then she had them pick off the Drowned one-by-one when they emerged from cover to fire on them, until they were left in silence apart from the faint crackling of flames over the remains of their wooden shields.

Cadence was surprised by how safely Freya played, as they cautiously advanced forward: Freya kept having La Croix scout short distances ahead, but never very far, warning him that the enemy might have spirit traps, among other dangers. Freya's sudden caution was well-founded, however: near the exit, La Croix reported back to them that there were several large turrets ahead, just waiting for them to round the corner to blast them into oblivion.

The turrets were guarded by several Drowned, and a sickly-looking unicorn with strange, writhing bruises all over his body, the stallion mage rasping for breath and seeming almost dazed. But the moment Moonflower trotted around the corner, he leapt to unnatural life, his horn lighting up with eldritch power as he roared: “Kill him!”

The Drowned opened fire with their crossbows as he lashed his horn out, shattering the illusion of Moonflower with a whip of snaking green flame, and the necromancer snarled in surprise before he looked twitchily back and forth, hissing: “I know you're there, ponies! Come out, come out and show your face, Aster! Alive or dead, you'll be dragged in front of Salazar for punishment!”

For a moment, there was silence... and then a strong mare's voice said calmly: “Here is my counteroffer, scavenger.”

A blade whickered out from behind the corner, spinning violently through the air, and the stallion didn't have enough time to react before it slammed home into his face, knocking him sprawling backwards in a dead heap. The necromancer gurgled weakly on the ground, his black, slimy blood leaking out of the deep wound through his head as the Drowned simply stood and waited silently with their crossbows raised.

The turrets remained impassive, even as another illusion of Moonflower hopped out into the hallway: the Drowned didn't hesitate to open fire, however, blowing it apart with explosive bolts. That meant the turrets had some kind of advanced targeting system, Cadence thought, as the group remained hidden behind the corner, and then she nodded briefly to La Croix, who vanished.

The turrets beeped and took aim at the Loa as he stepped around the corner, even though the spirit was ethereal and invisible: La Croix's eyes widened, and then he yelped silently and scrambled backwards as massive, enchanted bullets tore through the air around him, several tearing through his spirit as he leapt back to safety before he shivered as he reappeared, gasping and grasping at several ugly bruises that had appeared over his body. He groaned, shrugging off Cadence when she grasped at him worriedly, though, the Loa mumbling: “Nah, I got lucky there, Cygne. Drained me, more'n anything else.”

Freya scowled around her shoulder, and then Aster suddenly looked up and said quietly: “I... allow me to help. I... I should help.”

The others looked at the mare with surprise, but Aster only gave an uncomfortable smile before she closed her eyes and rose her hooves in front of herself. She took a slow breath, and there was a powerful thrum of magic before a sphere of water slowly coalesced into being between her hooves, before she grimaced as a charge of electricity shocked from her horn and into the ball of liquid.

She gently released the orb of almost-solid, sparking water, and it hummed quietly as it floated silently away from her, slowly turning the corner and gliding silently towards the Drowned and the turrets, neither of which paid any attention to the ball of water magic.

It floated for a moment in the middle of the group, then exploded in a shockwave of water and electricity, the turrets sparking and sizzling violently: one of them exploded in a brilliant blast of shrapnel and fire that knocked two Drowned to the ground, while the others shut down with much less fanfare.

Cadence leaned out around the corner, and then she winced as the Drowned fired at her, swearing under her breath as explosive bolts pounded into the wall and splattered her with gravel shrapnel. She shook her head quickly, then looked over at Freya, saying quietly: “Looks like the turrets are down, at least, and some of the Drowned were injured. The rest are still a problem, though.”

“Not for long.” Freya absently reached up and patted Aster on the back, which made the Swan shift strangely inside of Cadence: was that envy? Jealousy? “They're nothing but zombies with toys. I'm sure that you can figure out a way to take care of them.”

Moonflower nodded, smiling reassuringly at Aster when she looked up uneasily. “Of course! Leave it to me, I can't have this silly mare showing me up, can I?”

Aster only shrugged a little, but Moonflower did his best to strut his way forward all the same, keeping his head high as his horn glowed brightly and he created a barrier of energy in front of himself. He stepped out into the open, then grimaced only slightly when several explosive bolts immediately pounded into it, the stallion's horn glowing as he muttered: “Where are they... oh.”

The Drowned reloaded quickly, thanks in part to the belts of explosive arrows wrapped around their bodies, but Moonflower only narrowed his eyes before his horn glowed brightly as he said mildly: “That takes care of that.”

He flicked his horn forward, and a blast of flame shot out, slamming into one of the Drowned and washing over it: the moment the flames touched the explosive bolts around the zombie's waist, they exploded, shredding the animated carcass. And that wasn't all, the magical flames immediately leaping to the next zombie, spreading from walking corpse to corpse and detonating the explosives around their waists one after the other, until Moonflower was able to proudly raise his head and step backwards with a firm nod, declaring: “There! Simple!”

“Aye. Simple.” Freya remarked mildly, as she stepped out from around the corner, but she nodded in approval after a moment as she absently flicked her horn, yanking her sword free from where it was still buried in the necromancer's head. It floated above the bloody corpse for a moment, and Freya's eyes narrowed as she noted the black ooze that dripped from the silver blade before she suddenly slashed the sword down, burying it into the ground next to the necromancer and pressing dangerously into the back of his neck... and making the corpse twitch. “The battlefield is no place to sleep, my friend.”

The necromancer gave a raspy laugh, and then he looked slowly up, glaring defiantly at Freya as he hissed: “Go ahead and kill me. Salazar has control over the dead, as much as the living! Salazar makes the demons quake in fear... what about you, mare? You and your cohorts can't even control those worthless pirate scum!”

“If anything here is lacking in worth, I fear it's you, my friend. For what good is a scavenger when he's nothing but a corpse himself?” Freya smiled thinly as she approached, then she added easily: “But I suppose at least you can at least make a meal for the other rats, and that's more use than you've ever served your entire life, now isn't it, boy?”

The unicorn snarled, his horn beginning to glow with hellish light, and Freya slashed her floating blade down and yanked to the side, decapitating him in one fell swipe. The necromancer's eyes bulged in shock as his already-distorted features bounced along the ground, gurgling and choking uselessly for a moment, before he grinned widely, his corpse going still, but his head still twitching with undeath as his eyes glowed with hellish zeal. “No. I still live. Salazar is eternal! Salazar is unstoppable!”

“You live because of a curse, stupid fool, not because of any blessing.” Freya said contemptibly, and then she stepped forwards and stomped savagely downward, the head screaming in agony as Cadence and La Croix winced and Sombra looked away, but Aster and Moonflower both watched with horrified fascination.

Freya sharply kicked up her front hoof, and the necromancer's horn was knocked free from his skull, bouncing uselessly away down the hall as he gasped and gargled. He looked disbelievingly up at Freya, who looked coldly down at the head before she used her sword to hook one of his eyesockets, lifting him into the air by it as he screamed in agony before she slowly turned his head around to reveal the runic circle tattooed into the back of his skull. “What did he tell you? That this tattoo would give you eternal life? That this magic was a gift? It is neither, idiot. Your spirit is not even truly bound to your own body: rather, it is anchored to whatever part of your body is marked by this tattoo. If the sigil is destroyed, you are destroyed... but until then...”

Freya flicked her sword, throwing the head away, and the head gargled as it bounced down the hall before the Valkyrie approached the now-terrified necromancer, the mashed and broken head writhing uselessly in agony as the Valkyrie said coldly: “You will tell me what I wish to know, maggot, or I will not kill you. And I think you might now be coming to understand how that truly is the worst of all threats any warrior can utter.”

“P-Please... it hurts so much, w-why does it... hurt so much...” the necromancer whimpered, gasping and shivering as his remaining eye rolled in the socket, his mouth working wordlessly as he rasped: “Why can't I... I have no...”

“Because your master doesn't want his dogs turning on him. Why would he give you the strength he has undoubtedly spent his own entire life searching for? The cursed creature desires power over others, not to share that wealth with his underlings.” Freya snorted, and then she leaned down and asked sharply: “What is waiting for us up ahead? And who does this Salazar serve?”

The necromancer snarled, and most of the ponies had to shift their eyes away when Freya ruthlessly stepped on the head's mashed features, making him scream in agony before he howled uselessly around her hoof: “Stop! Stop it, please, I... I can't!”

“Oh, you certainly can. It's clear to me that an outlaw like you was only waiting for the right time to betray his master anyway, and now, boy, would be the right time to spill your guts.” Freya retorted, and she pressed down harder before adding over the necromancer's rising shrieks of agony: “Or should we instead test just how much pain I can inflict before you break apart like a piece of glass?”

“Freya, enough!” Cadence shouted, but the Valkyrie didn't look up, and only rose her other hoof to easily catch Cadence and stop her from interfering, the smaller mare swearing before snapping: “He's not worth it, we can-”

“Alright! Alright!” pleaded the head, tears of black blood running from his eyes before he howled, as Freya's hoof only twisted: “P-Please! The... we don't know who Salazar serves but Salazar himself is waiting for you, he wants to... to...”

Freya smiled thinly, then she stomped down on the head, smashing its features to bits and making the necromancer scream before she straightened and said coldly: “We move.”

Aster and Moonflower stared with horror at the Valkyrie, and Sombra looked silently down at the broken, crushed skull before he said quietly: “Show mercy, Freya. I do not ask this for him. I ask this for your own sake.”

The Valkyrie smiled thinly, and then she strode slowly onward, calling calmly: “Don't keep me waiting for long, ponies.”

“Go on, I'll deal with this.” Cadence said quietly, and Sombra reached up and touched his daughter's shoulder gently as La Croix gave a faint smile, then cleared his throat and gestured awkwardly to Moonflower and Aster. The winged unicorns hesitated only a moment before they turned and left, following after Freya and with the two stallions in tow; or perhaps rather, making sure they didn't look back.

Cadence lingered, looking down at the crying, broken head of the necromancer, and then she shook her head slowly before drawing one of her knives. She played for a moment with the blade before grasping it tightly, grimacing a bit, before she scowled a little as she felt the Swan shift inside her, as if asking how this was any different from the way they extracted information when it was necessary.

“Because... she's not.... 'extracting information' anymore, she just... realized he didn't have anything useful to say, so she left him like this. It's cruel. And worse, it's pointless.” Cadence muttered, and then she finally reached down and grasped the stallion's head, forcefully turning it before she drove the knife into the back of his skull, shattering the rune tattooed there, and the moment it was broken, the necromancer gasped before the life flared out of his eyes and his head went still and silent.

The Swan was silent, and that admittedly made Cadence feel strange as she shifted uncertainly, before she shook her head and quickly strode down the hall, catching up with the rest of her team near what looked like a massive freight elevator. Freya was frowning as she tinkered with the controls, before the mare scowled as she looked up and muttered: “They cut the power.”

“Alright. La Croix, scout above and let us know what you find.” Cadence said quickly, and the Loa nodded before he vanished from the spot, as the ivory mare quickly checked the area before she pointed at one of the rails on the wall. “Can we use that?”

Moonflower and Sombra both approached, the latter stallion reaching up and touching it before he said softly: “It seems to be magnetic. It should respond to magic.”

Freya only grunted, apparently uninterested in their conversation as Aster shivered a little, lowering her head and murmuring: “We have to be careful. The... the security above is much tighter, the constructs and golems and... and things up there are...”

“Salazar wants us to get to him. But he's underestimating what we're capable of. He wants us to arrive wounded and weak, but all I feel is frustrated that I've been denied a decent fight so far thanks to all these scum.” Freya replied moodily, shaking her head briefly before her eyes flicked to the side and she asked: “How much do you know about the fortress above?”

“Not much, it... it was always off-limits to us. He said at first it was too dangerous, and only the undead were used to excavate the ruins... but... after he...” Aster shook herself quickly out, then murmured: “It's where his master is, and where those evil mages were trained. The ones bound to him. He would also bring bandits up there... but they would never return. At least, not alive...”

“That mage I caught said something about a furnace, and machinery powered by souls...” Freya said thoughtfully, looking up towards the ceiling of the rocky shaft high above. “Perhaps Salazar is extracting souls above to power the machines, and then he uses the corpses as pawns. Surprisingly scrupulous of him, if so. Waste not want not, as they say. Even the squirrels know that.”

Cadence shivered a little at this thought, and thankfully, she was spared trying to answer by La Croix reappearing with a grimace, gesturing above with his head as he muttered: “Doors be open just enough for y'all to get through, but they got the exit chained up and locked down real tight. And something up there... ain't right. C'est mal. The energy of this place is gettin' real bad.”

“That's the point. We're trying to find the source of this malignancy. And once we do, we crush it out of existence, and then we don't have to worry about it anymore, and we can go back to hunting down the creature I was looking for.” Freya said mildly, and something about the way the Valkyrie said this made Cadence frown, turning slowly towards the mare.

“You were the one who was convinced he was here. Why do you suddenly think he isn't?” she asked slowly.

Freya only looked at Cadence for a moment, and then she tipped her a wink before leaping into the air and flying up the shaft, which made Cadence groan loudly and slap her forehead before she muttered: “I am getting so tired of being jerked around.”

Sombra only smiled and reached up to touch her shoulder reassuringly, and Cadence slumped a bit and nodded moodily, lowering her head slightly as she mumbled: “I know, I know. This is the mission and Freya knows what she's doing and hey, if she did divert us to go kill this asshole, that's a good thing, right?”

Her father smiled at her again, and then Freya called loudly from the top of the elevator shaft: “Enough dawdling! Don't keep me waiting, or I'll leave the rest of you saplings behind!”

Cadence sighed tiredly, rolling her eyes before she looked hesitantly over at Moonflower, but Sombra said softly: “I will stay and help him if he needs it, don't worry. You go ahead now: we don't want Freya leaving us here, after all.”

“Yeah. Alright, Daddy.” Cadence finally mumbled, nodding and smiling briefly to her father before she leapt into the air, quickly flying upward, and she glanced down in surprise as Aster followed her. She does have wings, right... I keep forgetting that.

Cadence landed at the top of the shaft, then hesitated for a moment before turning towards the pirate mare when Aster landed beside her, asking impulsively: “How'd you get your wings? Were you born with them?”

Aster blinked in surprise at this, and then she blushed deeply before lowering her head silently. Cadence frowned a little, but Freya only chuckled as she strode down the hall towards them, interrupting with a gesture backward: “I've already cut the locks on the doors. It should be easy enough for us to get out of here, now... but I did notice the chains had an alarm charm on them. Salazar knows we're here, and he knows where we are. He knows who you are, Aster, but he doesn't yet know us. I don't doubt he's trying to learn, though, so we have to move fast before he can see the forest for the trees.”

Aster only nodded to Freya, apparently not knowing what else to say or do, although Cadence couldn't really blame her for that. Half the time she didn't know what to say to Freya either, especially since she'd realized the Valkyrie seemed to pretend to have conversations with them only out of some weird form of politeness: Freya always seemed to know the answers or already have some scheme or plan in mind, and whether she convinced them to listen to her or not, she always followed through with her own ideas instead of listening to anyone else.

Freya paused for a moment, studying Aster before she explained: “In the past, many a unicorn transfigured wings onto themselves by one method or another, particularly if they were a powerful mage. It was a sign of status, a sign of strength... maybe a bit of imitation, which I will not lie, flattered me. Even if I always cut their wings off before I removed their heads.”

Freya smiled slightly, and Aster winced and shrank her head a bit before the Valkyrie chuckled and turned around, saying with a shrug: “The wings do not make you special, Moonflower was right about that. But if you'd stop whining and cowering, maybe you could indeed prove yourself a lioness.”

Aster only looked down quietly, lowering her head, and Cadence smiled faintly before she reached up and touched the mare's shoulder gently. The two looked at each other, and Cadence said softly: “We're almost there. What Freya means is keep your head up, and stay strong. We're going to get through this.”

The pirate mare smiled faintly back at her, nodding once and taking a deep breath before she looked up and murmured: “I... I will do my best. I came into this willingly... forced myself to join you, really. And I'll... do whatever it takes to get through this.

“I promise you, and I promise myself, and I promised my parents... I won't fail. I'll stop Salazar... whatever it takes.”

Aster looked down, whispering those words to herself again, and Cadence felt a strange chill run down her spine as she frowned uneasily at the mare, and how she didn't look hopeful, but haunted. As if she had gone from terrified of the danger, to resigned to her fate, and Cadence only hoped that Aster would realize the only pony who could stop that self-fulfilling prophecy was Aster herself.

Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin

Chapter Thirty Two: Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin
~BlackRoseRaven

They stood on the remains of a crumbled causeway, gazing silently over the ruins of factories and run-down warehouses towards the center of the island, where a fortress rumbled furiously away. No, not a fortress, Cadence thought silently: a facility. A laboratory, but which, housed in by all these fallen goliaths of steel, standing on its own pillar of stone in the center of these ravaged ruins; no wonder Salazar and his minions all treated it like a castle.

The light was coming from the laboratory, or rather, from the tower on top of the fortified facility, where a purple beacon glowed like a star. The exhaust port of some sort of soul-devouring machine: Cadence didn't recognize it, but she knew they still existed in older Decretum facilities. Hecate would want to know that there were apparently a few that still worked.

The laboratory was vomiting out all that malignancy, all that poisonous energy, and Cadence could see more poison venting up here and there from around the city. It gave her a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, as she looked silently back and forth before shaking her head slowly. What an awful, evil place this was: all this technology, all the possibilities that it could offer, and whoever had taken control of this facility had used it to craft war machines.

Freya looked over the metal city in contempt, and then she gestured quickly with one wing towards the edge of the causeway, where a makeshift walkway had been formed out of welded-together steel plating. “Keep a sharp watch.”

The others nodded, and they fell into single-file as they walked, with Cadence once more bringing up the rear as she looked uneasily back and forth. She stiffened along with the rest of the group when she heard a scream from above, but a metal bird only flew by, the creature apparently not daring to attack them while they were on the ground. From its crystalline body and steel wings, Cadence guessed uneasily that it was a Thunderbird, but she was rather surprised the kamikaze bird hadn't tried to ram itself into them.

They made their way slowly and carefully through the broken city, but there were no Drowned here to slow them down, and the few constructs they passed didn't seem very interested in fighting them. Maybe the Thunderbirds and Soldier Drones sensed they were from Decretum somehow; maybe Salazar just didn't know how to properly program the machines. Still, they should have leapt to the defense of their facility; was it really possible even these mechanical guardians recognized that their home had been long destroyed, or was already in the claws of invaders?

As they passed by several silent Worker Drones, Cadence couldn't help but let her eyes linger uneasily on them. They were just... standing, static, covered in moss and rotted by salt. But their glass eyes seemed to watch them all the same as they passed, and Cadence could feel more than hear the faint thrumming of energy in their bodies, telling her they were... active? Alive? What was a better word to use?

They walked onward through the maze of steel, broken pathways, until they finally entered a large square in front of the lab facility. Once it had probably been beautiful: now, the statue that had dominated the center of the square had been torn down, laying in broken ruins, its few remaining features rotted away by brine and salt. The rest of the square was much the same: its beauty had been shattered and stolen by time and the ocean, leaving it nothing but an ugly desert of metal, dust, and crumbled cobblestone.

There were four constructs standing guard in front of the laboratory doors: they were all pony-shaped, black metal golems, their onyx eyes emotionless and ruthless. Cadence narrowed her eyes as they began to stride towards them, and Freya smiled thinly, saying moodily: “War constructs. Aye, I recognize these. These are Clockwork, but not of Decretum.”

“They're old, and badly damaged. Valthrudnir often had his slaves build constructs like these to guard his facilities... I remember them well.” Sombra said softly, and Cadence glanced towards her father curiously before the stallion smiled slightly. “We've seen many things since then, mi amore. But I'm sure you remember them too.”

“Right.” Cadence looked back towards the golems, realizing why she recognized them: she and her father had fought machines like them years ago now. And if she remembered right...

Cadence leapt forward, flapping her wings once to boost herself over the head of the closest machine and slamming down on its back. The golem staggered to the side before it started to reach back, but it was too slow and too late as Cadence drove one of her daggers into a crack in the plating on the back of its neck.

Something inside the golem clanked and fizzled loudly before it collapsed, and Freya snorted as she ran forward, leaping past Cadence as her larger, bludgeoning blade swung down and smashed another golem between its steel ears, its head loudly crunching inward as it fizzled violently. She smashed it aside with disdain as she grinned in wry amusement, calling loudly: “There's nothing to be proud of in being able to destroy these meager puppets, Danzsöngr!”

Cadence swore under her breath as Freya rammed into the next golem, knocking it sideways before a mighty swing of angular and ugly Dómr caught it in the side of the neck and nearly tore its head off, the golem crashing down in a hail of steel and shattered gears. Cadence gaped in shock as even Sombra's eyes widened: when they had fought those machines in the past, the golems had proven to be almost indestructible, but Freya was mowing through them like... like they were nothing.

But what else would such inferior tools be, when pitted against a Mother Goddess?

Cadence stumbled and grasped at her head for a moment as a strange sensation twisted through her, like her mind was being turned inside-out, and then she grimaced as she looked up and saw Freya standing over the remains of the last golem and glaring at her, the Valkyrie saying sharply: “Get yourself together!”

“Yes, Mother.” Cadence mumbled without realizing what she was saying, and then she straightened and shook herself out, looking uncertainly towards the doors as she added: “We need to be careful. Should I go first?”

Freya frowned at this, and then she kicked the broken golem under her hoof aside, striding slowly towards Cadence as Sombra approached and asked quickly: “Mi amore, are you alright?”

“Fine, Daddy. Why? I... what, what is it? Is something wrong?” Cadence looked uneasily back and forth, then turned quickly towards Freya for validation, knowing that the Mother would have the answer, the Mother would tell her...

Freya smacked her across the face, and Cadence blinked stupidly before the Valkyrie said quietly: “Swan, I do not need you right now. I need your host. Do not go mangling her mind.”

Cadence frowned a bit, and then she felt that shifting inside her again, the mare groaning and grasping at her skull before she blinked a few times and realized: “What the... how did...”

“I take it the Swan got fed up of you thinking unkind thoughts about me. But trees will be trees, and it's not like I want that to change.” Freya reached up and patted Cadence's helmeted head firmly, which made her flinch, then scowl. “There, that's better! Now you're looking like your old self, Danzsöngr. Still, you'll never get a man if you keep that foul face on all the time.”

Cadence sighed tiredly as the Swan shifted almost fearfully inside of her, and then she shook her head before biting her lip and saying hesitantly: “Thank you, Freya.”

Freya shrugged, then she gestured towards the double doors leading into the lab, saying mildly: “Now, perhaps the rest of you could make yourselves useful. As I said, there's neither fun nor honor in crushing these pieces of tin under my hooves.”

“Moonflower, take point with me. Let's see what's ahead.” Cadence ordered quickly, shaking herself briskly out one last time before she headed to the armored double doors. She grasped into the handle and started to pull the door open, and her ears detected a whirring, a gearing up as the door began to swing open- “Down!”

Cadence flung herself to the side, tackling Moonflower out of the way as he squawked, before the rest of the team hit the ground as a turret exploded into life on the other side of the door, bullets pounding into the ajar armored door and flinging it open before a stream of rounds came out of the broken doorway.

Cadence swore under her breath as the other armored door began to vibrate, the mare shoving Moonflower hard to make him start crawling ahead of her, and she hurried after him, the two getting out of the way a moment before the rusted door was torn off its hinges by the force of the bullets pounding into it from the other side.

Thankfully, the rest of the team had all crawled to safety themselves, while Freya was only scowling darkly, hovering calmly in the air above the doorways before she shouted over the roar of gunfire: “Disable those blasted machines!”

“Blasted machines.” Cadence muttered, as she pressed herself against the wall beside the doorway, and then she glanced over at Moonflower, who had his hooves over his ears and was scowling. “Illusion.”

Moonflower frowned at her blankly, shouting something back at her, and Cadence rolled her eyes before she leaned in beside him, yanking his hoof away and shouting into his ear: “Illusion!”

Moonflower squawked and winced away from her, but then he nodded hurriedly before his horn glowed brightly: a moment later, a copy of the stallion appeared, the illusion bouncing quickly and fearlessly out into the hail of gunfire...

And Cadence grimaced as the weapons showed no sign of following the stallion's illusion, even it bounced back and forth through the streams of bullets, distorting violently. The mare bit her lip, wondering how the hell they were going to deal with this particular problem before her head rose slightly as she heard a loud, distinct grinding over the sound of gunfire that told her one of the turrets had just jammed.

She winced as the squealing rose higher, like some kind of automated machine was trying to force the turret to keep firing, and then Cadence's eyes widened as she realized that was the only sound in the air now. The mare leaned hesitantly around the corner, and even though the other turret was tracing back and forth, its barrels spinning... “Turret's dry!”

Cadence leapt swiftly forward, looking back and forth sharply for any other traps as she ran quickly towards the turret. The weapon beside it was still grinding and squealing, but Cadence was able to easily shut both turrets quickly down, and they both fell still and quiet as she wheezed in relief.

They were simple enough turrets: ammo boxes on one side, four rotating barrels, and a large, wide-base tripod. No real targeting systems, Cadence noted: it looked like they had instead been set to fire when she had triggered a trap on the doors.

She frowned, then winced when Freya half-pushed her aside, the mare leaning curiously forwards and asking: “Aren't these smaller than the turrets we saw before?”

“Uh... yeah, these look like portable versions. We'll have to be more careful, and...” Cadence winced when Freya grasped one of the turrets with telekinesis, the Valkyrie turning it back and forth thoughtfully before she smiled slightly as she yanked the tripod loose from the base of the gun, tossing it away. “Hey, careful! If it turns on it'll start firing again!”

“Oh, quiet. I may not be as good as my brother always was with these toys, but I can still figure out how a trigger works.” Freya said flatly, as she examined the gun quickly. Cadence only grimaced, then blinked in surprise when the Valkyrie simply flicked her horn, and the weapon popped apart into a multitude of pieces. “Aye, I see here. The bullet got stuck in the feeder, is that it?”

“Yeah. It looks like the belt probably shook loose from whatever was feeding it inside the ammo box, so it all got jammed.” Cadence responded after a moment, as she looked at the chewed-up bullet belt hanging out of the ammo box. “I might be able to fix it if you were... well, interested...”

“Not in using these toys myself, no.” Freya said mildly, and then she turned around and unceremoniously flung the minigun at Aster, who squeaked as it crashed into her chest and knocked her sprawling. “Learn to fight, girl, or you can forget your idle thoughts of revenge.”

Aster uncomfortably sat up, nervously lifting the minigun, and Cadence was admittedly surprised by the fact that Aster could even move it as the mare said uneasily: “I... I don't know about this...”

“Fools don't know. The rest of us just do.” Freya replied, and Aster lowered her head with a wince before Freya tossed the ammo box to Cadence. “Fix this, while we're still here on the doorstep of the beast and yet to make our way into its belly.”

Cadence sighed a little, but she nodded grudgingly as she looked around before pointing at the other ammo box, saying quickly: “Will somebody bring me that, please? They must have just stuck these on without really understanding how they worked...”

“The frailty of pony, I suppose.” Freya said ironically, and Cadence sighed again, but pointedly kept her focus on what she was doing as La Croix hurried over with the box, and helpfully passed her a few of the tools she had been about to ask him for, earning a smile from the mare

It only took Cadence a few minutes to reload the belt and then snap the ammo box into place, the mare saying awkwardly: “You don't want to hold down the trigger for long. Fire in short bursts. The... well, this trigger revolves the barrels, and the other trigger fires.”

“Strange toy. I don't know why you'd want the barrels spinning like that. I suppose Frey would have been able to tell me, but we both know that would have just ended up with him with a bump on his head for being a showoff.” Freya remarked, and Cadence sighed a little as Aster nervously hefted the minigun and tested the weapon, making the barrels spin with a growl.

Aster smiled awkwardly, and Cadence shifted before she reached up and touched the handle of her own gun, offering: “If you'd prefer, you can take-”

“Stop trying to get rid of your own toy, Danzsöngr. The only thing more embarrassing than a girl who plays with toys is a girl who won't play the toys she was given.” Freya said dryly, and Cadence blushed even as she glared at the Valkyrie. Freya was obviously unperturbed, however, instead casting her eyes over the gathered ponies before she nodded once and said in a more serious voice: “Eyes open, and watch yourselves, all of you. We don't know how many enemies lurk here, and those who do attack us will undoubtedly strike without mercy. So let's not show them any ourselves.”

Sombra only politely bowed his head, and Freya rolled her eyes before she turned around to take the lead, saying calmly: “Let's move. Danzsöngr, you're last as always. Aster, I want you up here, beside me, just in case.”

The ponies assembled themselves into the positions that Freya either commanded they take and more subtly nudged them into, and they moved quickly but cautiously through the halls, Freya checking around every corner and keeping Aster close as she had La Croix sweep ahead for traps every so often.

Even these halls weren't well-kept, though: here and there, doors were crudely welded shut or patched closed with plates of rusted metal, and Worker Drones lay in disrepair in almost every nook and cranny, making it clear why this lab facility wasn't up and running: there was no way Drowned or any other undead puppets could be nearly as effective at managing the complexities of this facility as the Worker Drones would be.

They encountered another war golem at an intersection, but it was already badly damaged, and Freya quickly put it out of its misery with a snort of disdain and a swing of her heavy club-blade. It lay on the ground in a fizzling pile of gears and broken metal plating, and the mare clicked her tongue before she said softly: “Cunning. This golem was not sent to stop us. It was instead left here so that the enemy would know where we are.”

Cadence grimaced a bit, not liking how plausible this sounded, while Moonflower, on the other hoof, blurted out: “Do you just say things and expect us to believe them because you're larger and scarier than the rest of us?”

There was an awkward silence for a moment as Cadence slowly turned to look at Moonflower, and Freya cocked an eyebrow, before she suddenly grinned and shrugged, saying mildly: “Well, it's worked up to this point, and that's all I've ever really done. Spoken loudly...”

There was a gleam of gold, and Moonflower went dead white as his eyes crossed to stare up at the blade of Tyrfing, which was now hovering ominously between his ears. “And carried a big stick.”

Moonflower gave a wheezy laugh, while Sombra strode over to the golem, frowning a little as he carefully shifted it back and forth. Cadence began to approach, checking quickly down both halls before her eyes widened slightly as she caught sight of several lingering, pale ghosts.

She stared at them, her eyes drawing back and forth over the specters as they looked back at her silently. The mare licked her lips slowly, and then she hesitantly approached, feeling the Swan twisting inside her, and before she realized it, Freya was beside her, the Valkyrie frowning and following her gaze before the mare asked quietly: “What are you seeing?”

“Ghosts.” Cadence murmured, and then her eyes widened as the spirits seemed to turn towards her, for the first time, seemed to react to her presence, making the mare stumble before she whispered: “Do... do you hear me?”

The ghosts barely reacted, but they did react. They shifted, ever so slightly, and Cadence began to step closer to them, her eyes locked on the spirits, losing all other thought in her mind as she opened her mouth-

Freya caught her by the shoulder, squeezing gently into her and stopping the mare, and Cadence blinked a few times before she looked up almost blankly at the Valkyrie as she said quietly: “Don't get distracted by shadow and memory, Danzsöngr. Those aren't lost or wandering souls. They're just empty shells, and stains.”

“W-Wait, you know what they are? You know what I'm talking about?” blurted Cadence, the mare whirling towards Freya before her eyes widened. Of course she would, though. She was a goddess, she was a 'Mother,' she was... “You must know... everything!”

“Not quite everything, girl, I wouldn't go that far. But I thank you for thinking so.” Freya replied easily, smiling slightly and shaking her head before she looked back down the hall. “I don't know what you're seeing entirely. But I do know, Cadence Danzsöngr, that you are caught somewhere between the world of the living, and the world of the dead. I imagine you must be able to see things even Scrivener Blooms cannot.”

Cadence smiled briefly, shifting a little before she nodded once and took a slow breath, shaking herself out before she murmured: “Well, either way, the... whatever they are, they usually lead me towards... bad things. And since bad things are where we want to go...”

“We go that way. You take the lead, Cadence Danzsöngr. This time I'll bring up the rear.” Freya invited, and the mare smiled briefly as she heard the unsaid invitation beneath her words, nodding in gratitude to the Valkyrie.

“Thank you.” she murmured, then she cleared her throat before turning her eyes ahead, saying clearly: “Aster, La Croix, I want you two up here by me. Moonflower, take the middle and keep your magic readied. Sombra, you follow, in case we need to assume defensive positions.”

The others nodded, falling immediately into step, and Cadence breathed slowly as she led the way forwards, feeling herself naturally falling more into place, her head feeling clearer as she took the lead. Leading her team, feeling their support behind her, she always felt so much... better. As much as she was coming to... if not trust Freya, then at least respect her as a leader, and as much as the Swan wanted to follow her, Cadence herself never felt right unless she was in control, doing all she could to protect and lead her team herself. They were her friends, her family, and her responsibility, after all.

Cadence followed the trail of specters, her eyes roving uneasily every now and then to the pipes that had begun to line the walls, some of these loudly clanking and thunking as they pumped their contents onward. The heat was growing more intense here, too, she felt: there was a sickening humidity in the air, and it was making her skin prickle, and worse than that, it amplified the growing sensation of dark energy burning through the halls around them.

There was no enemy contact until they rounded a corner, and Cadence swore as two unicorns that had been waiting for them immediately both flung sharpened hooks on chains at them. Cadence deflected one with her horn and slapped the other out of the air with a hoof before she quickly drew a knife and flung it back, but one of the mages deflected this with a telekinetic shield before using magic to snap the chained hook up at Cadence's face.

Moonflower lashed his horn forwards, blasting one of the unicorns with a burst of magic, and he was slammed painfully into the doors behind him with a gasp, crumpling into an unconscious heap. The other attempted to send a fireball at them, but Aster, surprisingly, stepped forwards and dispelled this, allowing Cadence to fling another dagger sharply, before she growled in frustration when her knife bounced off another magic barrier.

But before the mage could do anything else, a golden fireball rocketed past them and exploded with such savagery it all but disintegrated the two mages, and blew the doors behind them open, nearly tearing them off their hinges.

Cadence looked awkwardly over her shoulder at Freya, but before she could say anything, there was a loud laugh from the room beyond, a voice inviting casually: “If you're so eager to meet me, you only had to ask politely, you know. But at least you were nice enough to knock.”

“Go ahead.” Freya said softly, half-ordering and half-encouraging, and Cadence nodded before she turned her eyes towards Aster. The mare was trembling, her weapon jiggling in the air beside her before she gasped when Cadence touched her, nearly swinging the machine gun at her, but Cadence winced and quickly stopped the wild swing with a hoof before she said quietly: “It's okay. You can do this. We're here with you.”

Aster smiled uncertainly, but when Cadence started slowly forward, Aster fell in step with her, so Cadence just kept herself moving, even as she ordered calmly over her shoulder: “Defensive positions. We're going to let Aster make the decisions here. Follow her actions as much as my orders.”

“I hope your team is smart enough for that. Three heads are rarely actually better than one in a situation like this.” remarked Freya, but Cadence only kept her gaze forward and her focus on where they were going.

The room they entered was large and octagonal, and the heat that radiated up from beneath their hooves was sweltering: little wonder, since the floor beneath them was nothing but grating, and below that was an ocean of swirling magma. The walls were made of scoured and damaged metal, and a walkway was above them, where a stallion was casually resting with his forelegs across a metal railing, a pleasant smile on his cultured feature as mages in red robes stood at the ready on either side of him, both covered in tattoos and snarling down at the intruders.

He had rugged good looks, with a roguish, dark red beard that matched his short yet carefree manecut, and bright, toxic yellow eyes. His coat was chestnut, and his body was covered by simple but elegant clothes: a blue dress jacket, a plain but pristine white silk shirt.

His eyes roved over them, sizing them up like a predator even as the earth pony said easily: “So, Aster, what have you brought back with you? Surely these aren't the best you could find to trade for your freedom? I'll have to make you get more souls to feed the furnace. You're very good at that, aren't you?”

“I'm not... d-don't listen to him.” Aster whispered, looking up at the stallion and breathing hard in and out, before she shouted in a raspy, reedy voice: “I am not your slave, Salazar! I'm n-not and they're... they're going to kill you!”

“Ha!” Salazar grinned as he leaned back, seeming reassured before his eyes glowed, and Aster fell to the ground, dropping the gun as she began to scream in agony, the mare convulsing violently as Cadence's eyes widened in shock and she quickly looked over her shoulder at her father, who ran forwards as Freya only frowned moodily from the back of the group. “You haven't even broken the control charm! Pathetic!”

Aster writhed back and forth, tears running down her cheeks as Salazar chuckled above them, leaning back with a smile as Sombra leaned quickly over the mare, touching along her body before he suddenly rolled her onto her stomach and quickly used magic to slice the back of her jacket open. She whimpered and tried to resist, but Sombra kept her held down as Cadence leaned forwards, pushing the folds of her clothing aside before she grimaced in shock at the line of runes tattooed along her body, seeing how they almost glowed with the malignant magic powering them...

“Blood ink. I can remove it, but I need time.” Sombra said quietly, his horn lighting up with dark energy, and Freya snorted before she strode forward around the group, as Salazar grinned down at them with obvious amusement.

“As if I wouldn't place that charm deeper than skin... besides, you have other things to worry about.” Salazar clicked his tongue, and both mages leapt suddenly forwards over the railing, diving down towards them-

Freya slammed one of the mages out of the air with the massive, deadly Tyrfing, crushing him into a broken heap on the grated floor. Above, Salazar's eyes bulged in shock, leaning forwards and looking as if he was about to choke on his own tongue, even as the second mage landed and began to bound towards Freya.

But Freya didn't even look at the mage, who was slammed off his hooves a moment later by two daggers slamming into his face and throat even as his horn began to glow with crimson light. He landed on his back with a thunk, and the Valkyrie smiled thinly before she called easily: “Would you like to come down here and test your luck now, Salazar?”

The stallion above snarled at this, and then his body thrummed with dark energy before he retorted coldly: “Now, why would I rush down there when you're not done entertaining my friends yet?”

There was a powerful pulse through the air, and then Cadence swore and Freya grimaced and leaned backwards as both corpses exploded in a tremendous gush of boiling blood. The Valkyrie began to snarl, but then she gasped as something invisible grasped into her and slung her down to the ground, feeling it tearing into her spirit.

Cadence's eyes widened in shock as she saw the hideous, deformed monstrosity on top of Freya: it was clearly invisible to the eyes of the others, but she could still see it, as well as the other beast that was lunging towards her father-

She gritted her teeth, her horn glowing white before she snapped it forward, not even sure it was going to work, but the spirit was blasted backwards with a miserable, silent howl as the burst of holy magic shredded it and drove it away. Above, Salazar laughed loudly, looking down and mocking: “None of you have the magic required to take on these beasts! Blood Seers have a penultimate power that you can't even imagine, sacrificing the body to become invincible spirits for a time!”

“And it's nothing I haven't seen before.” Freya growled, before she snapped her horn suddenly upwards, a blast of holy light exploding from the spire and driving the spirit off her before she rolled swiftly backwards, asking sharply: “Where?”

Cadence responded by flinging two daggers out, hitting the ground in front of each spirit, and Freya snapped her horn forwards to send out a powerful blast of golden flame that tore apart the shade right in front of her and further agonized the specter Cadence had already torn into.

The spirit-beast stumbled back and forth, its eyes rolling in its head, its mouth working spasmodically before it turned towards Cadence, glaring at her with fury, with hatred in its malformed, no-longer-pony eyes. The spirit began to rise up, huge, deformed wings spreading behind its hulking body, and Cadence readied herself.

Then La Croix appeared with a fearless grin in front of the spirit, and the ghost of the Blood Seer stared down at the Loa in surprise before La Croix whistled, silent and sharp. The phantasm snarled down at him, raising a claw, but then its eyes widened as green fire erupted upwards over its body, the ghost shivering in place for a moment before it simply dissolved into nothing but ashes.

Salazar frowned as he leaned over the railing, looking back and forth in disbelief before Freya said mildly: “It appears we have more than enough magic to deal with your little toys after all.”

Salazar snarled, and then his fury visibly increased when Sombra straightened, wiping a bit of blood from his hoof as he said calmly: “I've removed the enslavement charm. Can you stand, Aster?”

“What... who are you?” Salazar roared in fury, as he leaned forwards and slammed his hooves angrily into the railing, denting it, and Freya smiled slightly before her eye flicked towards Cadence, inviting her to answer.

Cadence straightened, looking up and saying clearly: “I am Cadence Danzsöngr, of the Irregular Hunters. By the authority of Empress Hecate of Decretum, you will surrender peacefully and explain how you came into possession of Decretum technology, or you will be destroyed.”

“You... you threaten me? You dare to threaten me?” Salazar said disbelievingly, before he snarled in fury, veins visibly pulsing through his features before he leaned forwards and roared: “Do you have any idea who I am?”

“I don't care.” Cadence said simply, and Salazar looked dumbstruck at this response before the mare set herself, raising her head high and saying calmly: “This is your last warning. Surrender or face the consequences.”

“No... no, it will be you who face the consequences for this... this insult.” snarled Salazar, his eyes blazing with hatred as he glared down at the ponies, and Cadence's eyes narrowed as she realized steam was rising from his body, that his flesh seemed as if it was rippling unnaturally. “And I will show you the power that tore me free from Helheim!”

Salazar leapt over the railing as he burst into black flames, and Freya leapt backwards even as a slight smile spread over her face, her eye narrowing. Cadence immediately readied herself, her wings flapping once as Aster trembled and stumbled backwards, whimpering as Salazar slowly straightened, baring sharp fangs in a wide grin as his eyes glowed with unholy light, as the black flames suffusing his body slowly coalesced into his transforming shape.

He straightened, his legs unnaturally long, his neck stretched and rubbery as exposed vertebrae seemed to almost flex along it as a large, blade-like horn pushed up out of his head. The whole of his spine was exposed, his thin skin torn around both the long line of bone and his widened ribs, the latter of which opened and closed like jaws with every rasping breath he took. His hooves were like blades, his tail a whip ending in a spike of bone, and his eyes glowed with ivory cruelty as he hissed: “Through my blood, these mages gained strength! But my sanguimancy is capable of more than just giving power...”

Salazar flexed, growling, and Cadence's eyes widened as almost-purplish blood spilled from his pores, hardening into almost crystalline armor over his flesh. The monster grinned, his horn lighting up with malevolent energies before Freya said calmly: “You are no true demon, Salazar, so cease your showboating and start whimpering for your life. You are Hellbound: you sold your soul to the demons for power, and they transformed you into this. I know all about your kind... your sniveling, pathetic, whimpering kind.”

The creature stared at the Valkyrie with surprise, his eyes widening before he snarled, hissing furiously: “You don't know anything about me, wench! I've courted gods and murdered heroes, and what are you but an arrogant mare who cannot possibly comprehend-”

“Enough. I will not wet my blade with your blood. That would be a dishonor, not a gift, with a coward like you.” Freya said contemptibly, and Salazar snarled before lunging at her. But with a flick of her horn, she repelled him with a blast of holy flame, knocking the Hellbound in a sprawl before he writhed on the ground, screaming in agony as the golden flames mercilessly ate away at his body.

The holy fire whiffed out after a moment, leaving Salazar sprawled and gasping for air, and the Valkyrie looked down at him with disdain before she asked coldly: “Who do you serve, maggot?”

Salazar looked up at her, humiliation burning in his cheeks, but there was fear in his eyes now, too. No, not just fear: absolute terror, as he shifted slowly onto his stomach, lowering his head and all-but-groveling as Aster looked up with disbelief. “I... I was summoned to this plane by a... a prophet. He knew about this place, knew how to... use my blood to give his minions powers... the mages serve him, not me! They... this was all his idea! Just let me go, please...”

“Oh, you've had a change of heart, have you?” Freya smiled derisively, and then she shook her head before saying calmly: “You are not worth my time, worm. No, to call you that is to insult the worms, who serve a purpose, who keep the forest healthy. You? You are nothing but a parasite. A poison, an infestation, as unnatural as you are stupid.”

Salazar forced himself to smile, even as he twitched visibly and ground his hooves into the ground, but when Freya stepped forward, he quailed immediately and whimpered: “Yes. I am nothing, truly nothing, especially in your presence, oh mighty warrior...”

“Valkyrie.” Freya corrected, and then she looked calmly over her shoulder, saying curtly: “Come, this cur is not worth our time. Aster, if you would like your revenge... then take it. A wretched dog barks loudly but has no bite.”

Freya turned around, and Cadence hesitated for a moment before she said quietly: “I'll... stay here with Aster.”

Aster lowered her head, then looked up in surprise as Moonflower added hesitantly: “I'll stay as well. Just in case.”

“Oh, I won't... yes, he's in the highest tower, through those doors!” Salazar blurted out, pointing hurriedly, and Cadence grimaced at the scheming in his eyes, how he clearly thought that all he had to do was escape Freya's sight, and he would be safe to continue his evils... idiot. “He's very strong, though, you will have to-”

“Don't tell me what I have to do, Hellbound. You do not know the meaning of strength.” Freya said disgustedly, and Salazar swallowed and lowered his head as humbly as he could force himself to, before the Valkyrie turned and said after a moment: “La Croix, Sombra. I suppose it's us, then.”

The two looked back for a moment at Cadence, but she nodded and smiled to them, and her father smiled back after a moment as La Croix shrugged and tipped his hat. Then they both turned to follow after Freya, Salazar watching intently as the Valkyrie made her way to the doors, and barely looking up when Aster asked quietly: “Why? Why did you do all this? Because... because of the prophet you work for?”

Salazar straightened slowly, remaining silent until Freya left, and then an ugly grin spread over his sallow features, the unicorn snorting in contempt as he turned towards them and replied disgustedly: “Of course not. He merely served my purposes, that's all. Gods do not serve mortals, Aster. Now, be a good girl and get out of my way, or I'll kill all of you.”

Aster trembled, but then she stepped forward, taking a slow breath as she rose her head and whispered: “No.”

Salazar blinked in surprise at this, and then he laughed loudly, shaking his head and saying easily: “Oh, I get it! You think because of what that... that bitch said, you're strong enough to fight me! Well, even with your precious little friends here, you have no comprehension of my power, of what I am capable of... but I am more than happy to give you an example.”

Salazar grinned, raising a hoof, and Aster gasped as she was hefted into the air by telekinetic bands, the mare whimpering and struggling helplessly. Salazar's grin widened as Cadence began to step forward, snarling, but then she looked up in surprise as Moonflower said sharply: “No.”

The ivory mare looked at Moonflower in disbelief, but he shook his head before his eyes turned to Salazar, the stallion speaking in a soft, encouraging voice to the trapped winged unicorn even as his gaze remained hard and cold and locked on Salazar: “Aster, this is nothing but a silly parlor trick. He wants you to be scared, and afraid, so you'll listen to him. But he only has the power over you that you give him, do you understand?”

“I have more power than the gods of this world!” Salazar snarled, and then his hoof stomped down, and Aster screamed as she was slammed into the ground beneath a weight of crushing telekinetic force, her wings creaking, her whole body trembling. “And you are next, mage!”

Moonflower only smiled contemptibly, and then he looked over at Aster, the expression becoming one of encouragement even as she whimpered on the ground, struggling underneath the weight before the stallion said quietly: “He's nothing. It doesn't matter what you thought he was, or what you did in the past to... try and impress him, to try and help him. Please get up, Aster. I know it's not his strength holding you down. It's your fear. It's the pain. It's the feeling that... you deserve this. But you don't, do you?”

“Oh shut up.” Salazar said disgustedly, and then he snapped his horn out, firing a blast of black energy at Moonflower-

Without looking, Moonflower simply slapped the black fireball away, and Salazar's eyes widened in shock, his mouth working with disbelief as Aster's own eyes widened, and Moonflower smiled gently before he reached a hoof forward, saying quietly: “But I had a lot of help from my friends, admittedly. I never did anything on my own. And that's okay, because now, I'm here to help you up, too. I just want you to understand that... you can do this yourself.”

Aster trembled, before she clenched her eyes shut, and Salazar snarled in fury, his eyes widening further as the mare slowly forced herself to her hooves, pushing herself shakily upwards as she gasped, before whimpering as Salazar leaned forwards, increasing the telekinetic pressure with a snarl.

She began to fall, but then gasped again as she was caught by Moonflower, her hoof clutching tightly into his, the two looking at each other for a moment before she smiled shakily and nodded. Their horns lit up in tandem, and Salazar growled before he swore in shock and pain, magic recoil blasting over his body as he was knocked staggering backwards, his mouth working spasmodically as both Moonflower and Aster straightened, throwing off his telekinetic attack.

Cadence smiled slightly, stepping slowly backwards to remove herself from the fight: it looked like Moonflower had this, after all, even as the black stallion rose his head and said pompously: “God? No, you have no idea what a true god is capable of! I am...”

He halted, then stepped forwards, posing sharply and announcing: “I am Moonflower, Master of Darkness and Lord of Magic! I am Champion of Decretum and its unrivaled loremaster, nonpareil in all paths, turning evil against evil to demolish even the fiercest of competitors beneath my unmatched might!”

He paused, then smiled slightly as Aster stepped up beside him, raising her head high and adding sharply: “I am Aster, Avenger of Terra Volta, Witch-Queen of the seas and Commander of the Black Fleet! And before my might you will crumble and fall, Salazar, for you are nothing before me... let alone our combined might!”

Both Moonflower and Aster posed for a moment, and for once Cadence only smiled in amusement as Salazar twitched, then leaned forwards and roared: “You are nothing!”

He snapped his horn out, sending a ferocious blast of black flame at them, but Moonflower and Aster countered with focused blasts of telekinesis, slicing cleanly through the burst of necrotic fire. Then Moonflower swung his horn upwards, and Salazar yelped in shock as gravity reversed itself and flung him into the air, before Aster snapped her horn down, a telekinetic hammer smashing into the middle of the Hellbound's back and knocking him crashing back to the earth.

Before he could recover, she flicked her horn out, a lasso of lightning launching from her horn and snaring around Salazar's neck. The monster snarled as he leapt up to his hooves, the crystalline blood armoring his body trembling before chunks of crimson shrapnel tore loose from his body and hurled themselves violently at Aster, but Moonflower flicked his horn out to create a barrier, protecting them from the shards of crimson as Aster yanked to the side and jerked Salazar back off his hooves, before she yelled in fury and effort as she half-spun and lashed her horn out, the lasso of lightning snapping viciously with her movement to fling the Hellbound through the air as it burst apart into motes.

Salazar flipped head over hooves before Moonflower lashed his horn down, a blast of gravitational force hammering him into the grated floor with enough force to dent and snap the metal. But the Hellbound was back on his hooves in a moment, a crimson spray of blood bursting out of his hoof and transforming in an instant into a crystalline blade that shot straight at the two ponies.

Moonflower began to lean forward, but this time, Aster beat him to it, snarling as she snapped her horn down and blasted the blade into shards with a magic missile that hammered into Salazar and knocked him staggering. She followed up with two more sharp blasts of magic, her eyes glowing with anger and vengeance as lightning sparked around her horn before she snapped it down, a whip of electricity lashing out of her spire and slashing cruelly back and forth across Salazar's face.

The Hellbound was driven backwards, shouting in horror and disbelief as long cuts were torn through his features, before he snarled in anger as his blood hardened in the wounds, snapping his horn out to knock the whip aside before he stomped both hooves down. Black lightning erupted over the grated floor, Cadence wincing as she leapt into the air, but Aster and Moonflower both swung their horns out, enclosing themselves in a shield that the black lighting uselessly battered against and bounced over.

Salazar fired a volley of dark energy at them, but Moonflower and Aster concentrated their energies into the front of the shield, turning it into an impenetrable wall before they traded looks, then both ran forwards, pushing the barrier ahead of them. Salazar's eyes widened, but the monster didn't have enough time to react before they plowed into him with the barrier, knocking him crashing and rolling backwards with a howl of frustration until they rammed him into the metal wall.

They bore into him with the shield, and Salazar hissed in pain as he pushed uselessly back against the barrier crushing down on him before his horn suddenly glowed, and both Moonflower and Aster were driven backwards as the magma beneath the grating belched upwards in a vicious spray.

As they both hurried backwards, the Hellbound slashed his horn down, shattering the weakened barrier and spraying the two ponies with deadly energy that cut across them like shards of glass. They both staggered with cries of pain as they lost concentration in the pain and confusion, and then Moonflower gasped when Salazar slashed his horn out and blasted the one-winged unicorn off to the side, hissing: “I've had enough of you.”

The Hellbound flicked his horn forwards, several blades of crimson crystal tearing themselves free from his body to slam into Moonflower's face, making him shout in pain and stagger; he grasped at them, before his eyes widened in horror as the crimson crystal liquefied beneath his hooves, sliding quickly up over his features to wrap around his horn before transforming into a solid sheath of crimson stone, suffocating his magic. “Now, stay put.”

Black lightning crackled over Moonflower's body, driving him to a kneel as he gasped again in pain, snarling and shivering under the assault, and Salazar grinned coldly, before he flinched in surprise when a blast of magic hammered into his side, stumbling once before he turned his furious eyes towards Aster.

The mare was trembling, but her head was high and her eyes glowed with determination all the same, as she whispered: “I won't let you hurt anyone else.”

Salazar smiled thinly at this, and then he flicked his horn towards Moonflower, and the stallion trembled as the lightning crackling over his body intensified. “And like always, Aster, you're nothing but talk. What did you promise me? That you would be my best apprentice, yes. But you were nothing. You were so worthless that I had to kill your parents to motivate you. And even then, you never faced me, never tried to kill me. You just ran away...”

Salazar grinned, as Aster trembled harder, and Moonflower was driven further down under the powerful magic. Cadence's eyes narrowed from where she was hovering, her hooves flexing slowly at her sides as the Swan hissed inside her, told her to act, but she held herself back for now, as Salazar mocked: “So what threat will you say this time? What show will you give me before you turn around and run away? Go on, Aster! Now's your chance for revenge! Aren't you going to take it?”

The stallion laughed loudly, and then he leaned forwards with a cruel grin, his eyes glowing darkly as he hissed: “No, of course you aren't. Because you're too weak, too stupid, too cowardly. And because you know I am better than you, so you had better just run away, Aster. I'll let you run away, if you leave this unicorn for me to devour.”

Aster trembled, taking a step backwards, and then she gritted her teeth and whirled around, sprinting for the doors. Cadence's eyes widened in disbelief as the Swan snorted in contempt, beginning to take over, as Moonflower looked up, but then the stallion grinned weakly even as Salazar laughed loudly and turned towards him, the Hellbound beginning: “You see, she always was-”

Aster's horn snapped down, blasting one of the damaged doors completely off its hinges, and then she picked this up before spinning around with a snarl, electrifying the metal as she lashed it around in an arc with a roar. And Salazar barely had enough time to turn before the electrified door slammed into his face, knocking him flying backwards in a spray of purple blood.

He hit the ground hard, bouncing backwards with a gargle as the metal door buried itself into one of the walls, and Aster stumbled before she snapped her horn forward, the door shooting out like a massive blade as the Hellbound began to get up. It slammed into his gut like a guillotine, knocking him backwards with another spray of blood and spearing him to the ground as he screamed in misery.

He flailed weakly, pinned helplessly as his hind legs spasmed and kicked, his body almost severed in half as Aster approached, trembling violently as she said in a shaking, furious voice: “Ne c'est pas... I am not weak. I am not... your slave! I never was, and you... you can go straight to the diable, Salazar, because I refuse to be your puppet or to be afraid of you any more!”

Salazar gargled on the grated floor, for a moment staring in disbelief and even fear before his eyes filled with hate and fury and humiliation-driven desperation, horn blazing with hellish light as he gathered his dark magic. “Then this game ends now!”

Salazar's hooves slammed into the door stuck inside his body, and it all-but-exploded out of him as crimson and purple tentacles of blood-made-slime lashed up out of the hole in his body, whipping towards Aster. She screamed as they lashed across her, tearing hideous wounds in her body before she gargled in horror as the appendages not only wrapped around her, but his very blood began to flow into her, his eyes glowing with malicious glee as he yanked her down towards him and hissed, as more blood began to bubble up between his teeth, flowed from his eyes, spilled from his nose: “Just like I promised... I'll make you as strong as me!”

His jaws opened as he dragged Aster down towards him to deliver a lethal kiss, but before he could clamp his fangs over Aster's maw, Moonflower leapt forward and drove his horn into Salazar's neck, the Hellbound's eyes widening as the stallion growled: “She can do far better than you.”

There was a pulse, and then the crimson crystal binding Moonflower's horn and most of Salazar's head exploded in a tremendous blast, a spray of crimson slime shooting across the room to smack loudly into the wall. The tentacles binding Aster dissolved immediately, dropping the mare in a sprawl as she coughed, then shoved herself away from Salazar's body with a whimper.

But his corpse was still, already beginning to liquefy into crimson and purple that dripped sluggishly down through the grating into the magma below. Moonflower ignored the corpse, his eyes locked on the crimson slime of blood on the wall as it quivered, before a rippling as a hoof extended carefully out of it and settled carefully down on the grating with a sickening squelch.

A monstrous form pushed itself into being: it was almost shaped like an earth pony, but earless and toothless, its mouth a moaning hole from which dripped foam and purple slobber. Blue and violet veins pulsed through the red slime as its not-hoof stumps slowly squished over the ground, the creature gurgling as it quivered for a few moments before the monstrous thing rasped: “As... ter...”

Aster whimpered, picking herself up as her eyes widened in terror, before she gasped and clutched at herself as red veins began to spread visibly through her body, hugging herself as the monster whispered again: “As... ter... come... to me...”

“Remember what I said! He has no power over you that you don't give him!” Moonflower urged, and Aster looked up with teary, trembling eyes as they flickered with unnatural light, the stallion stepping closer to her before he whispered: “Don't let him consume you. Turn him away.”

Aster clenched her eyes shut, as the crimson slime slowly began to approach, all that was left of Salazar moaning out: “As... ter... you are... mine... no escape...”

Moonflower turned towards the crimson ooze, snapping his horn out, but his telekinetic attack went completely unnoticed, the blood-slime barely rippling as his magic was deflected over it. Aster's eyes opened as Moonflower stepped forwards, as if to protect her, as if to put himself between her and the approaching beast, as if to sacrifice himself, as her parents had sacrificed themselves for her...

Aster's eyes cleared even as the crimson veins pulsed painfully through her body, and then she grasped the stallion in front of her and almost flung him out of the way before she snapped her horn down. And with a tremendous blast of telekinetic energy, the grating beneath the blood-beast exploded, Salazar gasping as he fell backwards through the hole, scrabbling wildly at the edge of the flooring, but with his almost-liquid body, the broken bars and torn metal slipped right through his viscous form.

He fell into the magma below with one last, miserable wail, and Aster clenched her eyes shut as the crimson veins in her body pulsed with red light one last time, before she slowly slumped and relaxed as they faded from bright marks to bruises with the last screams of the Hellbound.

Moonflower turned towards her with a smile, and then he blushed deeply when Aster hugged him tightly around the neck and buried her head against his chest. The stallion awkwardly patted her on the back, but then smiled faintly as he hugged her back, closing his eyes and whispering: “You did almost as good a job as I would have. Almost.”

Aster laughed faintly, while above, Cadence smiled, before she frowned as she saw something below, emerging from the magma. It was the spirit of an earth pony, she realized, her eyes widening as she saw it heading slowly towards Aster, forelegs stretched out almost desperately, a look of mixed hatred and need on the ghost of Salazar's face.

Cadence prepared herself to move, before she saw something else. Something else that neither Moonflower nor Aster could see nor sense: a shape that whipped past Salazar, and made the ghost look back and forth in terror. The specter leapt upwards, as if desperate to reach Aster-

A black wolf-shape lunged out of thin air, biting savagely into one of the spirit's forelegs and yanking him backwards, as another snarling lupine specter appeared and savagely bit into Salazar's neck. The spirit screamed silently, his eyes bulging as he flailed uselessly at them, even as more of the shadow-beasts appeared, biting into the ghost, tearing through his spiritual energy in great bursts of light and ether-smoke.

Cadence shivered as the pack tore Salazar to shreds in front of her very eyes, before the wolves vanished one after the other. The last, however, paused for a moment to look up at her, and it seemed to nod slowly to the mare before it threw its head back and howled silently.

Aster flinched at the soundless howl, looking back and forth in surprise, but the wolf was gone by the time she looked up. Moonflower frowned a bit, but Cadence shook herself out and dropped down beside him, saying quickly: “Don't worry about it, either of you. Salazar's... gone.”

“Yes. Yes, he is.” Aster said quietly, even as she looked silently down at one of her hooves: there were still faint red veins throughout her body, and Cadence frowned a little at this, but Aster only smiled faintly as she shook her head slowly before looking up at Moonflower. “Thank you. For... helping me.”

“You did it yourself.” Moonflower replied kindly, giving a small smile before he shook his head quickly and murmured: “I just didn't want to see you... going the same way I did. Forgetting everything except revenge. But perhaps... you mares do have more self-control than us stallions. Most of you, anyway.”

“Shut up, Moonflower.” Cadence smiled all the same, however, and then she shook her head before saying softly: “Rest, you two. I'm sure Freya has everything else under control, so we can take a minute to get our bearings.”

The two nodded, then traded almost shy-smiles with each other. Cadence smiled as well... but all the same, her eyes couldn't help but linger over the veins visibly pulsing through Aster's body, as she wondered silently if perhaps Salazar hadn't left his mark on the mare after all.

These Miserable Lost Souls

Chapter Thirty Three: These Miserable Lost Souls
~BlackRoseRaven

Freya calmly entered the observatory with Sombra and La Croix on either side of her: unlike the rest of the laboratory, this massive, dome-shaped room was dusty, but devoid of major damages or debris. Files and books were cluttered, but stacked in shelves and on tables instead of littering the ground; equipment and trinkets rested across tables and on top of metal cases instead of being spread out in piles of wreckage.

At the far end of the room, a broken telescope hung from the ceiling, staring sightlessly out of a hole in the roof of the observatory. And in front of this, there was a large desk and chair, the occupant currently sitting with their back to them as he wrote slowly away in a notebook.

Freya absently flicked a bit of blood off her sword from the mages they had dealt with on the way up, and then she let her weapons fall to loose ready positions around her as she asked pleasantly: “Are we interrupting?”

“Not at all, Freya. It is an honor to meet a Valkyrie like yourself here.” replied a stallion's voice softly, and the hoof that had been writing set down the quill before the occupant turned his chair around with a smile. La Croix's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the old stallion: he was missing one of his hind legs, and he only looked like an earth pony... except... “Has Salazar already fallen?”

“I expect so. Either way, my companions are dealing with them, and I have no reason to doubt their strength. He was very quick to try and trade your life for his.” Freya remarked, but the old stallion only chuckled quietly.

Freya slowly drew her eyes over the male: tired brown eyes, a short, graying mane, scruffy looking features and a salt and pepper coat, where the salt was turning ivory and the pepper was turning charcoal with his age. He wore an old, old dress jacket... part of an ancient mage's guild uniform, if she had to guess. The amulet around his neck, however, was much newer: it was a piece of blood quartz caged in enchanted gold, likely used to amplify his powers.

Her eyes flicked towards his cutie mark, examining the simple red stone for a moment before she said quietly: “You will have to pardon me, friend, but I have little patience when it comes to dealing with Blood Seers, and many reasons to end these chats as quickly as possible. Can you give me a reason why I should not kill you out of hand?”

The stallion looked thoughtful, not threatened, before he calmly placed his hooves into his lap and said softly: “I know what you are here for, Freya. A certain destruction entity... one that you believe Salazar's mages have captured.”

Freya nodded, even as La Croix winced and Sombra frowned slightly. But the Blood Seer only smiled before he shook his head and said quietly: “But where are my manners? I know your names, of course, but you don't know mine. My name is Haruspex. I am, as you have guessed correctly, what you call a Blood Seer. My particular talents are in divination and augmentation.”

“Why were you working with Salazar, Haruspex? Or precisely, why was he working for you?” asked the Valkyrie as she slowly approached, even as she cautiously scanned the area with magic to make sure there weren't any traps waiting for them. Haruspex looked old and frail, but she was well aware that if he got so much as a drop of her blood, it could spell her demise.

“I summoned him, of course. He was Hellbound, but the properties of his damnation were very interesting and useful to me. I was able to use him to create and train other mages in the ways of the order...” Haruspex chuckled quietly. “But that was foolish of me. Young, brash, arrogant mages, given the strength of blood magic. They weren't ready for it. They couldn't handle it. In a way, you have done me a great service eliminating my... failed experiments.”

Freya grunted at this as Sombra frowned, then asked quietly: “What other experiments have you done, Haruspex? Many lives have been lost here-”

“To power the furnace. You haven't seen the furnace yet, have you?” Haruspex smiled, and then he turned the chair back around with a squeak of metal, Freya narrowing her eye as he reached for something on the table, but when the stallion wheeled back to face them, he held up the remote he had picked up before saying gently: “Watch.”

He tapped a button on it, and on one side of the room, a dusty glass screen kicked into life, static fizzling faintly over it before an image appeared, and Freya's eye widened in surprise at the sight of what looked like a massive, glowing orange core filled with writhing, silently-screaming souls, as Haruspex said quietly: “This is the furnace. A vast vat of souls, heated by the magma cores throughout this facility... providing enough energy to bring this entire facility back to life. Or at least it will, once we obtain a few more souls...”

Freya snorted at this, striding forwards and asking coldly: “We? I think you overestimate your power, Blood Seer. Or how long you will live.”

Haruspex looked up fearlessly as the Valkyrie approached, before he smiled when she halted a few feet away, even as her swords floated dangerously around him. “You can kill me, Valkyrie, if you want. But I know you are curious, so hear me out, first.”

Freya rumbled moodily, but Haruspex only chuckled quietly before he gestured towards the screen, saying softly: “I have foreseen all of this. That is how I knew to come here. Why I... rushed, to capture the lives I did. I have restored as much power as I could, using armies of the dead, manipulating Salazar... who would have done far worse things, had I not kept him on a tight leash, I might add. For you know how gazing into the future works, Freya: you do not see one possible reality. You see many of them, often all at once.”

“I do not have the time for lectures, old man. Get to the point.” Freya ordered, and Haruspex nodded politely, lowering his head almost submissively.

“Of course.” He paused to gather his thoughts, then continued calmly: “There will be a great threat to this world in the future... the very near future, I believe. This threat will kill me, and the Swan Maiden will return to challenge it. Not only her, but the Night Maiden as well...”

Freya frowned at this, leaning forward intently, and the Blood Seer smiled as he closed his eyes, resting back in his seat as he murmured: “But the furnace is key to driving out this evil. In a sense, it is the furnace that will draw the evil here in the first place... but at the same time, this... Void-static I see will be defeated by it. I would say destroyed, but I am not sure such things can be destroyed.”

Freya grunted, looking down at the Blood Seer, who opened his eyes to gaze back up at her as he said quietly: “You know that I speak the truth, Freya. I do not see lies. I cannot see what I choose to see. But through the secrets written in blood, I can see the future.”

“Perhaps... but to see this future, you had to touch the blood of someone involved in it. Who is...” Freya halted, and then her eye widened slightly before she said softly: “Aster. And before her...”

“Before her, those who had come in contact with her. Terra Volta is a far island nation, but it trades with many. She was one of the ponies I was searching for... Salazar, and the slave trade, made finding her much easier. After that, I knew it was just a matter of letting things run as they would.” responded Haruspex, the stallion shaking his head briefly before he gave a quiet chuckle. “Yes. It was cruel of me. But cruelty is sometimes the answer.”

The Valkyrie scowled at this, and then she hesitantly lowered her swords. La Croix stared in disbelief, but Sombra was only frowning deeper, looking uneasily at the Blood Seer before he asked quietly: “What do you know of this evil? Why did you not simply...”

“Ask you?” The Blood Seer smiled, replying gently: “Because what will be will be, isn't that right? Imagine if I had asked you; how would things have been any different? I had to work through Salazar, after all, and he was never... the most kind of ponies. Not even when he was alive, I would assume. But of course, I gaze into the future... not the past. The past... that is something much harder to decipher.”

Freya didn't say anything, the Valkyrie only studying the Blood Seer silently before she asked softly: “Why should I let your prophecy come true, and leave you alive, Haruspex?”

“Because you know what I have done, I have done for the best.” Haruspex straightened calmly, lacing his hooves together in his lap as he looked evenly back up at the Valkyrie. “I have done it not for power, not for evil, but because we will be united in the future against a common, dangerous enemy. I did my best to minimize the damage, I can promise you that... but when working with beasts-”

“They have a tendency to bite.” Freya muttered, shaking her head before she said grimaced in disgust, shifting slowly.

Haruspex, however, only gestured around at the observatory, saying quietly: “All of this will change hooves soon enough, anyway. You know as well as I do that the true owners will be returning here. I do not know who that is: all I know is that I see myself, shackled by golems and ponies of metal, and they will seal my magic but keep me around, just in case. I know I will be uncomfortable, and there will be many interrogations... some very creative. And I will tell them, again and again, what will happen, what is coming, but even with all my warnings...”

“Thokk will come. Thokk will attack here. But why?” Freya muttered, before she asked quietly: “What is that furnace? Why is it so important?”

“I do not know.” Haruspex said honestly, and Freya growled before the Blood Seer continued: “All I know for certain is that such a powerful forge, made with all those souls, creating all that energy... it is forbidden not just because it is a thing of great evil, but because of the sheer power it must generate. As you know yourself, Freya... such necromancy may never be right, but it does have its uses, does it not?”

Freya sighed quietly, lowering her head and shaking it slowly before she muttered: “You leave me with few choices, Blood Seer. And what I itch most to do is to cleave off your head and be done with all this nonsense. No future is certain. And none are safe from the changing times.”

Haruspex only nodded with a smile, and there was silence for a few moments before Freya finally swore and began to turn away. Before she could, however, the Blood Seer said calmly: “The destruction entity you're looking for, Freya, is not here. I think part of you always knew it wasn't here. But you were drawn here, all the same, weren't you?”

Freya smiled wryly as she paused, half-turned away from the stallion, and then her eye flicked towards the Blood Seer as she replied evenly: “Call it a woman's intuition. That, and... I've never been fond of leaving stones unturned. If there is a fight to be had, that's where you'll find me.”

Haruspex chuckled quietly, and then he said softly: “With Salazar's demise, the slave chains will lose their magic as well. The few of my mages who survived, too, will weaken: Salazar's blood gave them strength, and Salazar's death will take it away. Only one will remain marked by Salazar...”

The Valkyrie frowned slightly at this, but Haruspex simply shook his head before he said softly: “No, pay no heed to me. Just the wonderings of an old stallion, trying to understand that which he has not seen.”

He leaned back in his chair with a chuckle, and then he shook his head slowly before murmuring: “Well, enough is enough. I will remain here, and you can go back to concentrating on other things. A few souls are still needed for the furnace, but I'm sure we can both agree that the pirates below will make fitting enough fuel for the fire, wouldn't you say?”

Freya didn't reply, only grimacing before she turned away and strode towards the exit, La Croix gaping in disbelief. The Loa began to splutter, but Sombra only reached up and gently touched his shoulder, saying quietly: “There is nothing we can do here for now, my friend. It is best that we... follow Signora Freya out.”

“I would get up to show you the door but... I'm not very good at that, these days. So please do excuse my lack of etiquette.” Haruspex said softly, and Sombra nodded politely over his shoulder, even if La Croix thought it was a little strained. “Yes, my friend. You recognize the necessity of evil... even if you struggle against it, too. But sadly, all things in life are very simple... and sometimes, one must be sacrificed for the good of many.”

“This sounds like a whole lot more than one.” La Croix muttered, before he added in a lower voice, as Sombra calmly led the Loa out: “C'est des connaries, Papa Sérénité. What the hell is going on here? Are we really just going to walk away?”

Freya closed the observatory doors with a flick of her horn behind the two stallions, making La Croix flinch at the bang, before she said in a dry voice: “Believe me. I like it less than you do, Loa... but yes, we are. That Blood Seer is old, wise... and doing what he believes to be right, even if the acts he has committed are atrocious and unforgivable. Still... there's almost something noble in it, considering the fact he knows that he will be punished terribly for these sins, yet he moves to commit them anyway, because...”

Freya looked up as La Croix shifted uneasily, before the Valkyrie shook her head and muttered: “What do you think creatures of the Void would do to this world, were they allowed to run free inside it? I suppose terrible things, considering the future he must have seen.”

“You really believe that? That he sees the future?” La Croix asked uncertainly, and Freya nodded without hesitation, which made the Loa grin uncomfortably. “Madame, not even the gods truly know what's gonna happen... we fortune tellers, well, 'sall just a trick of sayin' what people want to hear, y'know?”

“No. When you look into the future, you do not glimpse one, but many... unless you happen to catch a point of destiny. Because there are things in our lives which must happen, and will happen, no matter what we do to try and stop it...” Freya looked back over her shoulder, one of her swords shifting back and forth uncertainly beside her before she shook her head and muttered: “Our job here is done, though. Without Salazar, the mages are no longer a threat and can no longer take slaves. Haruspex is a danger only to his own former acolytes. And he knows that Hecate will come for him, sooner rather than later.”

Freya led the way back down the empty halls of the laboratory, the mare only giving a disdainful look to a whimpering, gasping mage that they passed, who pleaded weakly to them for help. But they only walked onward, Sombra looking pityingly at the former seer as La Croix winced away from the sick-looking stallion.

They met Cadence, Moonflower, and Aster roughly halfway back to the room where they had left them. Freya's eyes immediately locked on Aster, who had strange red veins pulsing beneath her skin now, the Valkyrie drawing her eyes over the uneasy-looking winged unicorn before she said moodily to La Croix: “The mare, marked by Salazar.”

“I... I'm okay, though. I am. He's gone and now...” Aster's eyes shifted uneasily back and forth, before she lowered her head and whispered: “Now I don't know what to do.”

“You'll come with us, of course.” Freya said without hesitation, and Cadence looked up in surprise before the Valkyrie asked: “Is there a place for her at your Orphanage?”

“I... well, yes, that... I was actually going to suggest that myself, if you have nowhere else to go, Aster.” Cadence said after a moment, nodding and giving a small smile to Aster, who looked both grateful and uncertain at the same time.

Cadence's eyes turned towards her father, and in the brief smile he gave her, she understood that things hadn't gone entirely to plan. She frowned a little at this, but Freya only shook her head, saying moodily: “Hecate and I will have to have a little talk about the Blood Seer who ran this place, that is all. For now, let's leave. Hopefully the pirates offered enough of a distraction that we should be able to get out of here quickly and quietly. And with a little more luck, they won't have sunk the ship.”

There was no real choice but to agree: Cadence was only half-surprised that this had all turned into nothing but one big dead end, although at the same time, she was glad they had come out here. She thought it was pretty safe to say this fell under the 'exceptional circumstances' category, especially since they had discovered another Decretum facility and all: Hecate would be pleased to know about it, and would want to come in and shut it down. We never got to see that furnace, though...

She looked at Freya, wondering if she should ask if they could take a look around... but then she decided against it as she returned her eyes to her father. No, it felt like... like something unexpected had happened, and the entire mission had just changed.

Well, changed in such a way that they were apparently abandoning exploring this facility to return to hunting down the destruction entity, which was really back where Cadence had thought it would be... “What happened?”

“We'll talk about it later. For now, I want to concentrate on leaving.” Freya replied in a pleasnat enough tone, but there was a certain edge to her voice that told Cadence trying to worm any information out of her would probably be a bad idea.

They left the laboratory without any further incident, and Freya grimaced as she looked up at the sky, at that malignancy being caused by all that evil energy in the air, coming from the sacrifice of so many souls... “Should we not do something?”

Cadence looked over at Aster with surprise, but Aster was looking almost desperately at Freya, who was only calmly surveying the air. Cadence thought she saw a hint of... disgust, or contempt, or... something in Freya's eye, but all the same, the Valkyrie said patiently: “We are done here, Aster. You have had your revenge and the only souls to feed the furnace now will be the fools who helped create it in the first place. There's no more need to worry your pretty little head about that. Instead, you should worry about yourself, and that toxic blood in your veins.”

Aster shifted uncomfortably, biting her lip nervously as she looked down at herself, but then Freya's eye drew back up and she muttered: “There's no point in dawdling here. Let's get out of here. We can sit down and have your tea party once we're back on the ship, if you can't wait until we get to dry land.”

Cadence only forced herself to nod instead of arguing, as much as she wanted to. Aster shifted uncomfortably and uncertainly, but after a moment, she seemed to realize there was no point in arguing either, and instead, the group simply fell into step, following after Freya.

Sombra seemed unhappy with whatever had happened. La Croix kept fidgeting, like he wanted to blurt something out in spite of the fact it would obviously be useless: Freya had clearly made up her mind, after all, and they all knew by now the chance of changing the mare's mind was slim to none.

They made it back to the empty elevator shaft without incident: getting back down through the interior of the pillar was a little more complicated, however. It seemed as if the death of their master had somehow riled up the remaining Drowned, who were now patrolling the halls, no longer trying to wield weapons or use tools, but simply stumbling towards whatever living thing they happened to see to try and kill it.

There weren't many of them, at least, but it did force the group of ponies to be more cautious in their descent, as the Drowned seemed to be able to sense their passage through the walls and closed doors. Several smashed their way out of a small bunk room as they started to pass it, for example, and had given Moonflower quite a scare when they'd managed to grab him, but Cadence and Aster had made short work of the zombie-like creatures.

They also came across fresher corpses: pirates and mercenaries who had worked for Salazar, Cadence thought. What bothered her most of all about these was Freya's grim reaction to them, as if she had expected this somehow.

Cadence wanted to know what the hell had happened above, but the Swan and her own nervousness stopped her from asking. The Swan just wanted to trust in Freya; the rest of Cadence saw that Freya was just waiting for somepony to say something stupid to her, so she could take her mood out on them.

They finally made their way out to the port, after only a few more skirmishes. Cadence winced a bit as she saw one of the docked pirate ships was on fire, the mare studying this uneasily before she shook her head and asked hesitantly: “How do we get out of here?”

“The same way we came in, of course. Everyone, insulate yourselves with magic, and get ready to take another swim.” Freya instructed.

Cadence internally groaned, but did as she was told: again, one-by-one, they leapt into the water, and swam back over to the wooden serpent which was thankfully still waiting for them. Yet as it carried them swiftly away beneath the waves, Cadence couldn't help but look silently back, feeling unfulfilled, and as if despite everything they had done, they were leaving with more questions... and perhaps the faintest sting of failure.

Cadence was pissed off, but there wasn't much she could do about it. She couldn't believe that Freya had chosen to leave the Blood Seer that had apparently been running the Decretum facility and the slavery operation alive. What the hell was she going to tell Hecate?

Sure, Freya acted like it was a good idea, but Cadence was starting to understand that Freya always acted like her ideas were good, even if she wasn't sure about them, or hell, even if the Valkyrie knew her own ideas were bad. And the Valkyrie kept taunting her, saying that if it bothered her so much, they could debate the point in the old ways, but the Swan wouldn't let her fight a Mother. And Cadence wasn't stupid enough to think she could bring down a juggernaut like Freya, anyway.

So the mare did the only thing she could: she paced in an angry circle on the deck of the pirate ship, as it limped its way back towards the shores of Equestria. There wasn't much room to pace, as cannonfire and flames had weakened and ruined much of the upper decks, but there was enough room for her to storm around in an angry circle, at least.

Freya was down in the cabins, and the others were all helping out around the ship. Maybe that was the other thing that frustrated Cadence: she couldn't really help anyone with anything right now. The mare grumbled under her breath as she approached the railing, leaning out and grouchily scanning the waters, before she sighed quietly as she reached up and pulled her rifle off her back, studying this silently for a few moments.

She hated guns. Toys, tools, weapons, whatever you wanted to call them: all you did was point, pull the trigger, and whoever the gun was pointed at was killed. The Swan, of course, loved it: the Swan saw it as a wonderful piece of equipment to add to her arsenal, requiring more finesse than strength to utilize...

Maybe that was part of why Cadence hated it so much. Except, no, she knew it was more than that. The gun suited the Swan because the gun was like the Swan: soulless, a tool, a weapon that didn't take responsibility but put that weight on others. And as Cadence had learned, from everyone who had tried to control the Swan so far, most people weren't nearly as capable or responsible as they considered themselves to be.

Cadence sighed quietly, then she took aim with the rifle as the barrel extended. Her hoof slowly stroked the trigger, then gently grasped into it, not squeezing yet; her eyes gazed down the sights, the mare looking off into the distance as she felt herself calming rapidly, the rifle slowly scanning the horizon...

“Not much to shoot out here.” said a mild voice, and Cadence winced before looking over her shoulder at Freya, nearly fumbling her rifle into the sea. Freya looked at her calmly, and Cadence looked back, straightening a little and half-tempted to salute, but the Valkyrie seemed to sense this, smiling slightly as she rose a hoof and preempted: “Just here to talk, Danzsöngr. You know how to talk, don't you? Not just argue with me.”

Cadence sighed a little, and then she replied moodily: “I've done a lot for you, Freya. I've left my team in your hooves-”

“Yes, but you always argue about it. Even now you're arguing. Very different from the Swan that I started this journey with, the one always trying to please me...” Freya chuckled softly, shaking her head slowly. “Brynhild was like that, too, you know. In this world and the last. And I, of course, just had to push her and push her... because I believed in her, and because perhaps people like me shouldn't be idols. You idolize a bear for its strength, a wolf for its prowess, the hawk for its sharp eyes... but none of them purely because they are killers.”

Cadence shifted uncomfortably, looking awkwardly up at Freya, who chuckled again before she said gently: “But that is not what I am here to talk about, Danzsöngr. You want to talk about what we've done, and more importantly, what we didn't do? Fine. I am here to talk about it. Let's hear what you have to say, Swan Maiden.”

The Swan immediately began to wrestle for the surface, but Cadence did her best to control it, to keep it down, as she reached up and rubbed at her face before muttering: “I'm... not the Swan. My name is Cadence.”

“Your name is whatever others choose to call you, Danzsöngr. Besides, you're no more a Cadence anymore than I am a Celestia.” Freya said with a surprising tenderness, and Cadence shifted a little before the Valkyrie asked: “What would you have done? Would you have killed him? Taken him prisoner? Or something else? Normally I don't entertain other people playing at commander, but in this case, I will. Tell me what I should have done.”

Cadence bit her lip, but this was precisely the chance she'd wanted, wasn't it? So instead of backing down, in spite of the fact that everything – Swan especially – wanted her to, she instead met Freya's eye and said quietly: “I would have taken him prisoner, and if he refused to cooperate, killed him as a measure of last resort.”

“Alright. So we will assume that nothing went wrong and he is now here, on this ship, even though that means you would have had to drag him through hostile territory and then yanked the three-leggged mule along behind us while we rode the wooden serpent back here.” Freya pointed off into the distance, towards where only the edge of the poisoned sky above the tower of rock was visible. “What about that facility? Did you leave anyone behind to guard it? Did we stop to exterminate every last carcass and mage? Or are we abandoning it to the next eager set of claws, who might be far more interested in dredging those dangerous facilities above than our Blood Seer friend was?”

Cadence shifted uncertainly, biting her lip, but the only thing she could think of to answer was: “I don't know.”

“At least you're honest.” Freya turned, looking off into the distance, and Cadence stepped up beside her before the goddess said quietly: “Hecate, myself, perhaps every other leader in the world... we don't really know what we're doing, Danzsöngr. We speak in proud, loud voices and say things with firmness, with logic, but there's no knowing what is good and what is ill. And the worst is when you have to go against what you believe, because it will preserve the beliefs and lives of others.

“Aye, if I could have, I would have killed him. But there are too many uncertainties. And leaving him up there is foolish, and dangerous, certainly: but more foolish and dangerous than letting his disciples take over?” Freya shook her head slowly. “I don't think so. And if the old stallion is telling the truth, he will maintain what he has to. If the furnace is as important as he believes... it's best we keep our hooves away from the forbidden thing. Let others decide whether it is important enough to sacrifice souls for... I don't want anything to do with it.”

“But isn't standing aside, letting that happen... just as bad?” Cadence asked quietly, and Freya smiled a little.

“There, Hecate and I differ in opinion. Hecate, I know, will come in here, with her... guns and her machines and her laws, to take back what I suppose is rightfully hers anyway.” Freya replied calmly, shaking her head briefly before she sighed a little, saying quietly: “But I? The fox could kill the weasel and stop him from eating the chickens, but why risk the bite, and worse, the farmer's wrath? The weasel will kill a chicken, the farmer will chase the weasel, the fox will slip in and eat his fill while they distract each other. It is simply nature.”

“We're above animals. Or at least, we're supposed to be.” Cadence said quietly, and Freya snorted in amusement at this, cocking her head towards Cadence.

“Are we really?” she asked curiously, and Cadence bit her lip before Freya chuckled and shook her head slowly, saying softly: “There's little difference between gods and beasts, and those caught in between. We're all just struggling to survive.”

Cadence shook her head almost vehemently, and then she replied firmly: “No. We're better than beasts, Freya. Even if it's harder, even if it hurts us... because we can do things that hurt us but benefit others, that's what makes us different from animals. Because I can look at what's best not just for me but for everyone else, and make myself do it. Because I can think, and I'm not driven by... my urges alone, by my instinctive need to-”

Cadence halted, biting her lip and lowering her head, and Freya chuckled quietly at this, studying the mare for a few moments before she said softly: “You can't run away from it forever.”

Cadence grimaced and looked away, and Freya simply shrugged as she studied the smaller mare for a few moments before she shook her head. “Well, anyway. What's done is done. We still have a job to do, anyway, and I know you don't want your matron disappointed in you.”

Freya turned to walk away, and Cadence hesitated before she finally said impulsively: “I'm not... I'm not the Swan. I hope you know that I'm not just... serving you or trying to show you respect because of that. You're... someone I want to look up to.”

Freya halted, and then she looked over her shoulder silently for a moment before she gave a brief smile, saying softly: “I'm not worth anyone's respect, Danzsöngr. But I do appreciate you saying so, all the same.”

Cadence cocked her head curiously, but the Valkyrie had already turned and walked away, leaving her – and inside her, the Swan – feeling confused. She shifted uncertainly for a few moments, then finally shook her head before she simply shrugged and looked back out over the sea.

It was monotonous, but peaceful, too, Cadence thought. It was slow going, and she felt anxious, and hated doing nothing, but at the same time, she thought all that was because she'd gotten so used to being in danger or on the move outside of Decretum, she'd forgotten not every world was nothing but a cesspit of constant action. As a matter of fact, most of the worlds were peaceful, weren't they? Well, peaceful by their standards, anyway. Bad things might still happen to good ponies, but nothing like the horrors Cadence spent her time fighting...

She smiled a little: funnily enough, she wasn't complaining, really. She'd come to enjoy her life. Sure, it was hard sometimes, but she was blessed in a lot of ways, and she had to remember that. Even with the Swan, and the whole 'not dying' thing.

“Then again, I guess a lot of ponies would say that made me lucky, too.” Cadence murmured, resting her chin on her hooves as she looked out over the ocean, before she shook her head briefly and smiled again to herself. “I guess it's not so bad, really.”

She quieted, her eyes roving downward as she kneaded the railing for a few moments before she shook her head and murmured: “You know, if Freya can try and talk to me, I think that means you can, too... Danzsöngr. Or am... am I Danzsöngr, like Freya keeps saying? Who are you really, Swan? What are you? Why can't you and I coexist?”

The Swan was silent as Cadence lowered her head: she hadn't expected an answer anyway, but still, she'd hoped for... something, at least. And now she was thinking again, about that uncomfortable moment in the facility, when the Swan had somehow invaded her psyche...

Cadence turned her eyes back out towards the ocean, looking at how big, how wide it all was, how everything was at peace. It comforted her a little, made her feel less suffocated by her own thoughts.

Her father eventually joined her, and they didn't need to speak. She simply nestled herself a little closer to him, and they watched the waves in quiet, and Cadence felt her problems bleeding away, like they were growing smaller by the moment. But Sombra had always been able to do that for her...

She chuckled quietly, then looked up at her father and said softly: “Remember when we were trying to kill each other?”

Sombra smiled wryly back at her, the stallion shaking his head briefly. He wasn't as fond of remembering the days he'd spent with the mind of a beast himself, but for Cadence... “It just... always reminds me that sometimes you just... can't imagine what's possible. I thought you were a monster, but you're not. You're my Father. You're the most important thing in the world to me.”

Sombra smiled softly at his daughter, and then he leaned over and kissed her forehead gently, chiding softly: “That touches me, mi amore, as you are my shining star, my miracle: but I wish that you would find someone you can share more with than you can with me. Romance, perhaps that different sort of love.”

“I know. But I don't need that. I just need to know that... there's someone who understands me in the world.” Cadence replied softly, smiling up at her father with a nod, before she shook her head and added quietly: “You really do mean everything to me. And I remember when I first met Hecate, I was going to kick her ass because she said it would be better to leave you to die.”

Sombra only smiled again, and Cadence looked out over the ocean before she said softly: “It really amazes me sometimes, how far we've all come. I remember at first it was you and me, and I was being mentored by Hecate herself. I remember when La Croix joined us and we became Team 0-0. He was so nervous!”

“Well, I was bein' chased by Bondye and all. Still am.” La Croix said mildly, and Cadence smiled slightly over her shoulder as La Croix sauntered up to join them, with Moonflower following with a curious look. “Anyway, y'all didn't exactly give me the nicest welcome, either. You took a little warming up there, Cygne.”

“I was nervous too. And I guess I didn't like the thought that there were going to be more ponies that I'd have to share Daddy with.” Cadence laughed a little at herself, shaking her head slowly before she said in a softer voice: “You were strange, though. I mean, I had no idea at first why Hecate thought you should be part of the team... more than that, why Daddy and I needed anyone else.”

“Hey, but I know a trick or two that got us through some hard times, oui?” La Croix winked and brushed out his cape before he added in a quieter voice: “But hell if I know why Hecate didn't just keep me workin' in her labs or wherever. She got lots of other places she could've put me. But she wanted me to be with you, and well... I'm glad now that the cards fell that way. Guess I wasn't exactly pleasant to work with before, though. And mo chagrin for that, Cygne.”

Cadence only waved a hoof dismissively, and then Moonflower added quickly: “And of course, I was absolutely appalled by the fact that Hecate wasn't just going to keep me prisoner, she was going to put me to work! And following a mare, no less!'

Cadence gave Moonflower an amused look even as the stallion feigned a shocked pose, and La Croix snorted in amusement before he said mildly: “Ain't much separatin' you from being a mare yourself, rein de la nuit. Probably a good kick or two.”

“Oh shut up. You were even worse. I mean, I was suppose to listen to an arrogant little stripehorse with no fashion sense?” Moonflower sniffed disdainfully, and Cadence sighed even as La Croix grinned in amusement. “But I suppose... I don't know. At some point, you all became more than just my subordinates. You were accomplices, allies...”

“Friends.” Cadence said, and La Croix and Moonflower both smiled and nodded. “And I think... we've all helped each other grow, and change. I see more and more now why Hecate brought us together. Because as much as we might have hated each other at first, you each teach me something new every day. Sometimes, sure, it's hard to put up with both of you...” Cadence looked pointedly between the two, who both gave Cadence the same look in return, until she admitted: “Alright, alright, and I know it must be hard for you to put up with me. But after those initial bumps... there's no one I'd rather fight beside.”

“I will admit, I suppose the reason Antecedes and I always worked so well together was because he was never afraid of challenging my opinions and... well, everything else. Very argumentative. You'd just love him, I'm sure.” Moonflower said mildly, before he smiled over at Sombra and added quietly: “And I respect what you've taught me too, if I may say so. Perhaps I know my... I might draw very close to the line of acceptable or not when it comes to showing my admiration for you, but you've taught me it's better to be kind and humble than loud and proud. At least sometimes.”

“Y'know, you say that, but you still go around, monologuin' your dumb ass off, and gettin' the rest of us in trouble.” La Croix pointed out, and Moonflower huffed loudly at the stallion before the zebra chuckled and added: “But I s'pose we get along, all the same. Wouldn't change you for the world, Moony. Not even if it meant things'd be a whole lot quieter.”

“You have such a way with words, friend.” Moonflower said dryly, reaching up to firmly hammer on the top of La Croix's hat and knock it down over his face. La Croix huffed before he quickly wiggled it back up to its usual position, but then he cocked his head in surprise as he saw that Moonflower had quieted and actually become... serious.

Cadence frowned as well, tilting her head, and Moonflower silently tapped his hooves together for a few moments before he asked finally: “Are we going to bring Aster back with us? Do you think... do you think she'll be okay?”

Cadence automatically looked at her father, and as always, Sombra was ready with an answer, nodding calmly before he replied softly: “I think she will be, Moonflower. Her will is very strong, and whatever is happening to her, there is no better place than Decretum for her to receive treatment.”

Moonflower nodded a few times, and La Croix hesitated before he added: “If y'want, y'know, I can take a look at her for you. Funny, though. Seein' you all worried 'bout a pretty mare like her. Usually you refuse to go near 'em 'cause les filles c'est des choquant.”

“Oh, shush. I'm not that bad.” Moonflower said crankily, putting his hooves on his hips and huffing at La Croix, before he bit his lip and added in a quieter voice: “And I appreciate the offer, but... I'm not as afraid for her health as I am for her mind.”

La Croix nodded slowly, and Cadence smiled briefly before she said softly: “We'll get her back in one piece, Moonflower. Now, don't take this the wrong way, but... do you think she's maybe a reflected version of you?”

Moonflower huffed again at this, straightening and puffing his chest out as he declared: “I am unique to all the worlds, thank you! No, she may be... similar to me, that is for certain, but she is definitely not me. Only I am me, Cadence, and you would do well to remember that.”

Cadence rolled her eyes, and La Croix said dryly: “Good thing, too, 'cause one of you be more than enough.”

Moonflower scowled at the zebra, who glared back at him before the two stallions looked up with surprise as a meek voice said: “I think I am fine. I am just... shocked, by everything that has happened.”

The one-winged unicorn shifted aside to let Aster enter their little circle, the mare smiling faintly as she rubbed at the red veins pulsing silently under her skin before she shook her head quickly, then she murmured: “It does not hurt anymore, at least, but it feels very... hot, still. I just keep thinking of Salazar... he is dead, and yet, I don't feel... my parents haven't come back, we didn't bring that place crumbling down, we avenged... nothing. We did nothing.”

“We stopped Salazar. You stopped him, Aster. You conquered him, and we put many of the poor souls trapped in that place to rest. We did save lives, one way or another, and... as Freya said to me earlier, if the Blood Seer was telling the truth, then this is the best course of action we can take. Unfortunately, sometimes swallowing your anger, your own hatred, is the best thing you can do.” Cadence smiled a little, glancing over at her father. “The point of revenge shouldn't be about making ourselves feel better. It should be to help the victims find peace.”

Aster nodded a few times, looking down and silently rubbing her hoof over the broken deck, before she murmured: “Many of my crew died, fighting the enemy battleships. I can feel that weight on my conscience, it's... it is very painful.”

She smiled briefly, then turned towards La Croix and said quietly: “À chaque fou plaît sa marotte, non?”

“Oui.” La Croix chuckled quietly, then he shook his head before looking over at Moonflower and adding: “She be talkin' bout you, by the way.”

Moonflower rolled his eyes as Aster smiled briefly, shaking her head before she said softly: “I do feel that I owe you, Moonflower. You gave me the confidence and the strength I needed to survive this. If there is ever anything I can do to repay you, I will be more than happy to.”

“Well, we're not done yet, Aster. Besides, you did it yourself. I just did the little I could to help you out along the way.” Moonflower replied with surprising gentility, before he turned his eyes towards Cadence and added proudly: “Although I think this goes to show that I can be a perfectly capable leader as well! I'm certainly very pleased to see you finally trusting my judgment and all. I have excellent judgment of everything from decisions to character.”

Cadence sighed at this, shaking her head slowly. Then she looked up, asking finally: “How long until we get to port from here?”

Aster glanced up, checking both the sky and scanning the horizon, before she smiled a little and said: “I can't be entirely sure, but... I would say probably a few more hours. The ship was very badly damaged. We are fortunate it's still seaworthy... or, well, afloat. If not for your ship, we wouldn't be traveling anywhere, really.”

Cadence nodded meditatively, and then Moonflower asked curiously: “So what will you call yourself now? You are planning to come with us back to Decretum, yes?”

“I... I am. I don't know what I am, really, but...” Aster shrugged a bit, smiling briefly as she flapped her wings a few times before she sighed a little, looking over her shoulder at these as she murmured: “I always thought having these would make me... respected, privileged, powerful. But all they did was attract trouble. Salazar thought I was someone I wasn't, and so...”

She lowered her head, and as the others looked at her, she answered the question that Cadence had badly wanted to ask, but been resisting up until now: “The enslavement charm... meant that even when I ran from him, I was pulled back to him. I did not tell any of you about it because... I don't know why. I didn't think it could be removed. I didn't think it mattered. Maybe I thought that if I left it on, Salazar would be less prepared, would think I was 'obeying' him... maybe part of me was obeying him and his mental orders.”

Aster shook herself out, then she smiled briefly. “I... I am sorry. I was frightened and stupid and... only thinking of myself. But I knew that you would stop him, and... I suppose we did. I just never expected to end up feeling so... unfulfilled.”

“I once destroyed the entire world, you know.” Moonflower said matter-of-factly, and both Cadence and La Croix groaned and rolled their eyes, starting to turn away, before the stallion said in a quieter voice: “It was the greatest mistake I have ever made. I was childish, and stupid, and I did it all out of the desire for a revenge that... went entirely, terribly wrong. I thought I was evil back then, you see, but...”

He chuckled quietly, shaking his head slowly before he murmured: “Well, it's good that you won't be making the same mistakes as me at least, Aster.” He paused, then smiled and rose his head, adding quickly: “But if you'd like to hear about all the conquering and the many great triumphs I had in my past, I'd be more than happy to tell you about them!”

“And I'll tell you about all my quests and crusades during my short stint as a pirate captain, and how even now the sea quakes in fear at the very mention of the Black Fleet!” Aster replied with a smile, and the two laughed before turning to walk away, already starting to brag to each other.

Sombra smiled softly at this, while La Croix and Cadence both traded amused looks before the zebra shrugged, saying mildly: “Boy, she gonna be real disappointed when she finds out he's a pédé.”

Cadence sighed, but inwardly agreed, smiling in entertainment despite herself before she turned back to look out over the gentle sea and the beauty and calm of the endless waves, beneath this soft blue sky... and in spite of the chaos of the past, and the worries for the future, she felt peace.

Reckless Abandonment

Chapter Thirty Four: Reckless Abandonment
~BlackRoseRaven

The port town was not exceptionally happy to see them return, but they thankfully didn't react with violence this time. There were, however, a few rogue pirates at the tavern where Freya had gotten their rooms last time, who seemed to recognize Aster: apparently they hadn't heard that their fortress had been breached and Salazar had been killed, since they all immediately crowed about the bounty on her head and leapt forward to try and take her hostage.

Aster probably could have fought off three half-drunk pirates on her own: but since Freya was there, she didn't even get a chance to begin charging a spell before Freya punched one of the pirates across the room, then caught the other two in headlocks. One she flung up over her shoulder like a sack of grain, while the other she easily smashed face-first through a chair.

Ignoring the pirate trapped like a helpless baby over her shoulder, hammering harmlessly at her back as he squealed for freedom, Freya advised them all to rest up for a few hours, find a meal, and then they would set out to find the destruction entity before the afternoon was over. Cadence didn't have much of a chance to argue either way as Freya turned and carried the pirate off to do... well, the mare didn't want to think about what Freya was going to do with him.

Either way, he probably wasn't going to enjoy it.

Cadence was glad for the chance to relax, though: she took off her armor, gathered up her remaining weapons, and went to work polishing it all on the porch of the tavern, while the rest of her team wandered off. Eventually, her father joined her out on the deck, offering her a sandwich and a bit of ale, both of which she took gratefully: it had been far too long since the last meal she'd had.

Sombra sat close by, reading from a book he'd found while his purifier hummed softly on his back, and Cadence smiled a little, looking up every now and then. Sure, ponies were looking at them warily as they passed, but that was to be expected, considering the fact she was cleaning weaponry and they were strange warrior ponies who clearly weren't from around here.

Eventually, Freya joined them, the Valkyrie looking pleased with herself as Cadence looked up at her almost uncomfortably, but Sombra only continued to diligently read, and since Freya wasn't saying anything, the mare decided she wouldn't ask: even the Swan thought that was probably best. The Queen of the Valkyries sat herself down nearby, but surprisingly, didn't interrupt either of them.

Sombra finished his book, and he passed it to Freya when she held a hoof out, the Valkyrie flicking this open and flipping absently through the pages, reading a little bit here and there. Sombra only sat, head lowered, eyes closed as if he was peacefully napping, until the Valkyrie remarked: “This is probably all lies and nonsense, you know.”

“There are pieces of truth here and there, though. That's all that matters.” Sombra replied, and Freya shrugged before she tossed the book onto the table. “Either way, the local history is colorful and interesting. This world is developing very differently from the world I knew.”

“The sea has always been important. But this is a wild world, aye... not as wild as you would think, though. She may not wear the crown, but there is still a Celestia out there somewhere, raising and lowering the sun as is her duty.” Freya replied with a shrug, looking thoughtfully out into the dusty street, before she smiled in amusement as she caught the eye of a passing foal, who was staring at them with awe. “Do you need something, lad?”

The foal shook his head wildly, and then he looked almost nervously back and forth before he walked forwards and asked in an overloud whisper: “Are you pirates?”

Freya laughed at this, and then she replied easily: “Far from it! We are no outlaws, hiding behind cannons and brine, but strong warriors fueled by blood and thunder, not ale! Although I never say no to a decent drink, boy. Here, fetch me a tankard and I'll tell you a story.”

Freya produced several coins from seemingly nowhere, and the colt's eyes lit up as she tossed them down to him. He scrabbled them hurriedly up from the dirt, then shifted uneasily, Freya smiling slightly as he looked up at her with wide eyes. “You can run away with them if you want. I won't chase you. But even if your belly is rumbling now, you'll regret not hearing this story, colt. It will be better than a few apples.”

The colt shifted uncertainly, and then he plodded up the steps and headed past the to the door as Sombra looked at the Valkyrie curiously, and Cadence remarked: “I don't know if that's very kind of you, or very mean of you.”

“I can be both. Good boy, though. I expected him to run.” Freya said mildly, looking thoughtfully towards the door to the tavern before she shrugged a bit as she rested back in her chair. She glanced over at Cadence, who was still calmly cleaning her gear, and then the Valkyrie added: “I hope you're almost done. We're going to be leaving soon.”

“Just let me know when you're ready.” Cadence replied politely, refusing to be distracted from her relaxation, and Freya rolled her eye in amusement before she reached out and shoved some of Cadence's armor off the table, making the smaller mare wince.

There was no clunk of it hitting the ground, however, and a moment later the gear gently levitated back up to the tabletop, setting itself neatly back down as Freya scowled at Sombra, who only smiled politely.

“You're no fun.” Freya grumbled, and then she glanced back towards the door with a smile when it opened, and the colt came out, carrying a large jug of ale on a tray. The Valkyrie scooped this up in one hoof, then used telekinesis to scoop up the colt, sitting him firmly in her lap as he squeaked. She winked down at cheerfully as she tilted her jug back, taking a few deep drinks of the ale, before she remarked easily: “Good work, boy. Now, for that story...”

Freya looked thoughtful for a few moments, and then she nodded once before saying softly: “Once, a long time ago, my brother and I were tending the forests in Vanaheim, which was my home and the home of all those who came before us...”

Freya told a long, wonderful story, Cadence looking up with a slight smile and listening with the same interest the Swan felt inside her. She was loud and cheerful and expressive, gesturing widely now and then, spilling ale here and there between deep guzzles at the jug, acting almost like a completely different person, Cadence thought. She kept the ponies and colt well-entertained with her story, and it ended all too soon, the colt smiling up at her in fascination as he asked: “Just like that?”

“Just like that.” Freya affirmed, putting the empty jug down before she said kindly: “Remember what I've told you now, boy. Do not let anyone tell you what you can or cannot be, be it your parents, your friends, your enemies, or your pushy twin sister. Remember that standing strong and firm does not mean to make an obnoxious idiot of yourself, any more than it means to be forceful or crude. Remember what honor is, and that what looks like it may be a thousand miles away is not impossible to reach, should you just put one foot – or hoof, rather – in front of the other.”

The colt nodded, and then Freya gently shifted him out of her lap and set him down, saying in a softer voice: “Now, you and I will make a promise to each other, boy. In a decade, I will come back here, to see you. I want to see a strong young stallion when I come back. I want to see the same kind of stallion who will not run away with my gold for a quick meal, but can be trusted to do as he's told. Who is good, and has not forgotten that we only fail when we allow ourselves to.”

The colt nodded again firmly, looking up at her with warm eyes, before he blushed a bit as he touched his stomach, saying awkwardly: “I'm still really hungry, though.”

“What's stopping you from eating, colt?” Freya asked, smiling slightly, and the colt blushed deeper as he lowered his head.

“I... I don't have any money...”

“So get money, then. You can earn your keep, boy, I'm sure.” Freya replied with a shrug, and then she shifted out of her seat and started for the doors, saying easily: “Come, you're good enough at serving drinks. Let's have a word with the tavern keeper, shall we?”

The colt followed after the Valkyrie awkwardly, and Cadence sighed as she shook her head slowly, before Sombra said softly: “She's a better mare than she likes to let on, I think. Very hard. Very demanding. But she seems to be trying very hard to... amend her ways, in a sense. And that must be very difficult for her.”

“But nothing is impossible, right?” Cadence smiled a bit as she put down her last knife: she'd had more than enough time to finish cleaning everything, thanks to Freya's story.

Sombra nodded with a chuckle, sitting up before he glanced towards the doors thoughtfully, then he shook his head and murmured: “I think she means well, mi amore, even for you. But she is certainly.... fond of testing us.”

Cadence grunted in agreement at this, shaking her own head briefly as she began to strap her armor back on, replying: “Well, we're almost done here, anyway, so we just have to get through a little more. And besides, she seems to be in a good mood now. Even if I know that's probably meaningless... between her and Brynhild, I wonder if all the Valkyries were this temperamental and moody.”

“They're similar, but... they have a different sort of moodiness between them, I think.” Sombra said thoughtfully, and Cadence looked at her father curiously. “Brynhild was always exaggerated, intense. But Freya is wild, ever-changing. I think Freya's passion is more... real, in a sense, than Brynhild's.”

“Well, my sister has always been a trickster.” Freya cut in as she strode back out the doors, smiling slightly over at Sombra, who bowed his head politely to her. “You know, it's rude to gossip behind someone's back. I'd much rather you both talked about me in front of my face.”

Cadence smiled wryly despite herself at this, unable to stop herself from asking: “And if we say something you don't like?”

“I'm reasonable, Danzsöngr. Maybe a bit forward, maybe a bit rude, maybe a bit of a bitch, as you ponies put it so eloquently. But I'm reasonable.” Freya leaned forward with a smile, and then her three swords glowed brightly before yanking themselves free and encircling Cadence's neck, making the mare wince and stiffen as the Valkyrie added gently: “I'll only cut your head off if you say something particularly stupid, like that I've devoted myself to battle because I'm no good in bed. I am very good in bed, Danzsöngr.”

Cadence scowled horribly up at the mare even as she did her best not to twitch against the blades, and Freya grinned wryly before she drew back with a slight smile, shaking her head as her swords quickly withdrew and sheathed themselves back at her sides. “Now that we have that taken care of, and it seems you're ready to go, we should get your friends together and make our way into the forest. The trees tell me the creature is back and wandering...”

She frowned after a moment, looking down and murmuring: “I never considered what would bring such a strange entity to this world, though, and more importantly, this specific part of the world. Nature tells me that the creature is here for a reason... that the reason is very close. We should look for the destruction entity, but we should also look for the reason it's here.”

“With all due respect, Freya, you did just kind of sidetrack us to fight... pirates, I guess. I don't even know for sure anymore what we did there.” Cadence said honestly, shaking her head briefly. “It doesn't feel like we... really finished very much of anything.”

“We finished the fight. It just wasn't a very satisfying ending.” Freya paused meditatively, then rose her head and continued: “But that's why we're going to finish this up now, and finish it the right way. Haste makes waste, Danzsöngr.”

“That really doesn't sound like you.” Cadence said before she could stop herself, and Freya gave her a dry look, the smaller mare clearing her throat and looking away before she nodded once. “Alright. I'll send up a flare and get everyone together.”

“Well, then we might as well do that from the edge of town. We've given these people enough to worry about.” the mare said mildly, and Cadence looked at her with surprise before the Valkyrie shrugged. “I can be kind, Danzsöngr. Well... perhaps that's going too far, but I can be less than cruel. And I really don't have the time or patience for any further nonsense today.”

Cadence only nodded, then she glanced over at her father as Sombra said gently: “If you would like, I can find Moonflower and Aster. I don't think they've gone very far. And La Croix has a habit of showing up when we need him to.”

“Very well, then. Danzsöngr, with me. I want to show you something, anyway.” Freya invited, and Cadence gave an awkward nod, tossing an almost-nervous look at her father, but he gestured politely at her, so after a moment she shrugged and turned to quickly follow after the Valkyrie, trusting in her father's instincts more than herself or Freya.

They walked in silence through the town, Freya smiling as she looked back and forth, seeming to enjoy the chatter and the looks they got, of awe, wonder, even fear. Cadence noted that Freya certainly loved to throw her weight around, not that that was any surprise to her, of course. But she also noted that while Freya was clearly very proud of herself, she had a strange sort of propriety even in the way she strutted through the town: she didn't hesitate to all-but-trample anyone stupid enough to get in her way or who tried to stand up to her, but she left the meek, the frightened, the ponies who humbled themselves in her presence alone.

Cadence walked beside the Valkyrie, and there was a strange sense of nostalgia as this mother goddess cut through the streets with her, loyal bodyguard, at her side. Cadence blinked after a moment at this thought, and then she smiled briefly to herself, shaking her head slowly before she blushed a bit when Freya cocked her head towards her with an inquisitive smile of her own. “Nothing, nothing... just... did the Swan ever...”

“Accompany me?” Freya asked, then she chuckled before turning her eyes forward, replying easily: “I'm certain that she did. I was an old goddess, after all, even if I may not look it...”

She looked pointedly at Cadence, and the mare sighed inwardly before she said finally: “Yes. You look very young.”

“You have to learn to appeal to my vanity better than that. Flattery is sometimes the only thing that will keep you alive.” Freya remarked, and Cadence only looked at the Valkyrie until Freya continued: “But yes. I had joined the halls while the Swans were still in service, before the Valkyries were crafted. Originally, I trained some of the Swans... but my training never stuck with most of you, because you were all so...”

“We were tools. Toys. We didn't have life, or even sentience, really...” Cadence murmured, and Freya chuckled quietly at this and shook her head slowly.

“Now, I wouldn't be that hard on yourself, Danzsöngr. Hating yourself is pointless. That's something else I've learned, because...” Freya smiled a little, looking ahead before she said softly: “When Frey was alive, I had someone to balance me. He was always there. Putting up with my kicks and punches and curses, but always leading me back on the right path. He knew what to do with me, how to treat me... and when he was killed, when he died... I lost half of me. I lost the smart half of me. I lost the half of me that had a conscience, and a heart.”

Cadence shifted a little, not knowing what to say, and Freya looked forward even as she asked softly: “Why are people so nervous talking about the dead? They don't want to be forgotten. They want to be remembered. Cherished. Loved. Laughed with. Even laughed at; my brother had a great humility, and a wonderful sense of humor. He was... everything I am not, Danzsöngr. And I love him, and I miss him, so much.”

She quieted, then shook her head slowly and murmured: “And now I search for a way to bring back the only other person who has ever been able to quell that raging storm inside me. The lock for my key.”

She smiled faintly, closing her eye for a moment before she nodded once and looked straight ahead as they approached the gates of the city. The armored guards at the gates both nervously hurried out of their way, and Freya grunted before she leaned over and said mildly: “You should be praising us, not running away from us, you know. The pirates shouldn't be much of a threat to you and yours any longer, considering the thrashing we gave them.”

The guards looked uncomfortably at her, neither daring to speak, and Freya snorted in amusement before she turned and added leisurely: “Well, don't close the gates yet, we have friends coming to join us. But we'll be out of your pretty hair for now, don't worry. Don't let the town go to pot without me, though.”

Cadence looked mildly at Freya as they strode through the gates and started down the dusty highway beyond that ran along the edge of the forest. Freya only kept her gaze forward, humming to herself for a few minutes before she looked up and asked suddenly: “What's your goal in life, Danzsöngr? Where are you headed, where is all this taking you?”

Cadence blinked in surprise, and then she shrugged lamely before saying awkwardly: “I guess... I'm just taking it day-by-day, that's all. I mean, I'm... really happy, weird as that is to say, with the way my life is going right now-”

“This is you 'really happy?' Then I hate to think of what you'd be like if you were having a bad day.” Freya said mildly, and Cadence sighed a little before the Valkyrie gestured with her head off the path, and Cadence didn't bother to argue as they both turned to head up the grassy knoll towards the forest along a natural path, or maybe just a grassy road that the forest carved for them, considering the way that nature seemed to simply open a way for Freya. “Aye, it's well and good that you enjoy life as it is, Danzsöngr, but... you recognize there's much more to life than just this, don't you? And you can't run away from the fact that some day in the future, you're going to have to deal with your... duality.”

“The Swan...” Cadence looked down for a moment, and then she sighed softly and shook her head, mumbling: “Not if I just avoid dying.”

“None of us can avoid dying. That's a harsh lesson we were all already taught.” Freya said almost disapprovingly, before she paused in a small meadow, looking up towards the sky and saying mildly: “Here. This is a good enough place to rest. Now, for what I wanted to show you...”

Cadence looked uneasily at Freya as the Valkyrie turned towards her, the mare studying her intently for a few moments before she reached up and calmly pulled her eyepatch back. And Cadence's eye widened in shock at the sight of the glass orb in the scarred socket: it wasn't the sight of the false eye that disturbed her, or the eerie light it seemed to glow with from within, but the fact that engraved on it... “Hel's mark!”

“Celestia, my own... reflection, traded her eye away while she was in control of her body. Hel made a sly trade, and gave her this dangerous bauble in return... a crystalline eye through which I can see many things. While Hel herself took my eye, and...” Freya smiled slightly. “But perhaps this isn't the time for such a story. The point is not how it happened, or what it did, but that all Celestia ever treated me, her passion, her rage, her battlefury, her lust... like I was to be sealed away, an evil that she was willing to sacrifice an eye for, to her greatest enemy. She gave Hel great power over her, all to try and seal me away.

“But all the same, here I am. Celestia and I drove each other mad, you see, because we refused to cooperate. I am stupid passion, the ferocity of nature and the worst parts of her. Celestia had a powerful heart... but she locked all of herself away beneath cold planning and heartless logic and ruthless knowledge. You can't put a cork back in a bottle of good wine once it's been opened, and expect it to never sour.”

Cadence shifted a little, and then Freya said softly: “Danzsöngr, I know this is a conversation you've undoubtedly had many times before. But I also know that it's a conversation Celestia and I had many a time, with ourselves and others, and it never quite sank in all the same.”

“I'm... I am trying.” Cadence said finally, looking awkwardly up at Freya before she shook her head quickly and mumbled: “And the Swan and I do get along sometimes. She just... I just feel like it's going to end up being one of us or the other, at the end of the day. That maybe, when Cadence finally dies...”

She looked away, and Freya chuckled softly before she closed her natural eye, the glass orb glowing faintly as she seemed to study Cadence under its eerie glow. The mare shifted, grimacing a bit as she fidgeted nervously back and forth, before Freya asked softly: “But if you could give away the Swan and everything she had brought you, would you?”

Cadence lowered her head at this, thinking silently about the pains the Swan had given her, about what it was like to never be able to know whether she was thinking her own thoughts or things influenced by the hard, cold mind of the Swan, about the way her body was steadily becoming more and more different, how she was losing bits and pieces of herself with every passing day, about the fact that the Swan wanted to just be a tool, a killer, and it seemed to find some weird happiness, some uncomfortable serenity, in the thought that it was nothing but an object...

But the Swan was what had kept her alive, after all the times she had died. The Swan was what gave her the strength and skill to fight the way she did. The Swan, for all her myriad issues, her need and desire to be nothing more than a tool, a weapon of war, was also fearless, ruthless, and indomitable. The Swan had taught her strength, and like it or not, the Swan had some mutant form of honor in its unfathomable loyalty to the Mothers and Fathers that had created it.

Cadence shifted a little, and then she mumbled as she looked away: “The Swan has her uses, which I guess to her is the nicest thing I could say about her. I just... I don't know if she thinks I'm useful or not, either.”

Freya chuckled softly, then she shook her head slowly before she calmly slipped her eyepatch back on, as she replied gently: “Well, believe it or not, Danzsöngr, I think she respects you. Maybe not in the way most people would understand, but... aye, she respects you all the same.”

Cadence wasn't exactly sure about that, but she wasn't much in a position to argue, either, the mare giving a brief smile before she nodded a little and mumbled: “Thanks. I... well-”

“You don't need to say anything. And you especially don't need to lie, either.” Freya said mildly, and Cadence blushed a bit before Freya rose her eye and said quietly: “Not even I can force you and the Swan to simply, magically get along. But perhaps that should be the best sign of all, now shouldn't it? You're very different, aye, but you're both very stubborn about not just what you want, but who you are. You consider yourselves to be loyal and elite, and neither of you wants to bow her head to the other. Which is foolish, really, since a two headed hydra should be more dangerous than one yet to grow its first sibling.”

The smaller mare shifted a little at this, biting her lip for a moment before she shook her head and said finally: “I can't really argue with you there or anything, but... I think that honestly just makes it worse, in some ways. We're both... stubborn, and... kind of awful people. Two awful people in one body doesn't seem to work very well.”

“Aye, that is true. But neither of you needs to be awful to the other. And as Celestia and I were always forced to recognize, destruction of our body would mean the death of us both.” Freya quieted, then she shook her head and said softly: “Even now, you know, Celestia is inside me. Her roots are deep, and her connection to this body is greater than mine. I'm not much of a four-legs, after all.”

Cadence only smiled awkwardly, and there was silence for a few moments before Freya suddenly looked up and added easily: “And look, you cheeky bastard, you might as well show yourself, because I can sense you there. I don't like it when others try and spy on my private conversations, you know, and you've done it more than once now.”

Cadence almost felt La Croix's wince before the Loa appeared in reality, clearing his throat and saying embarassedly: “Uh, pardonnez-moi, madames. I swear I wasn't spying, though, I was uh... just checkin' to see if y'all needed a little more privacy or not, I didn't want to interrupt or nothin'.”

Freya looked at La Croix for a few moments as Cadence sighed tiredly, but she figured the zebra was telling the truth, and after a moment of making the Loa sweat, Freya seemed to decide the same, nodding once before she said easily: “We girls have had our talk, so no harm done. Next time, though, try to keep your approach a little quieter. I could hear you coming through the trees from a mile away, shaman. And here I thought your kind was supposed to know the land.”

“I used to, but... I s'pose I've forgotten just 'bout everything I ever once knew.” La Croix said sheepishly, giving a lame grin as he rubbed the back of his head. “Besides, no offense and all, but... you ponies ain't usually so good when it comes to seein' what ain't right in front of your eyes.”

“I suppose the fact I only have the one eye to keep open gives me a different perspective on things.” Freya replied easily, winking over at the zebra before she became more serious as she turned her gaze back towards Cadence. “We don't want to scare the creature off, so I'll need you to keep a tight rein over your team. No running ahead, no shows of magic, especially no killing. Do you understand, Swan?”

Cadence shifted a little as she felt the Swan stirring inside of her before it settled, a mix of moody and almost insulted, Cadence thought, which was probably the closest the Swan could feel to being hurt or upset about something. “I'll keep everyone in check. We know how to negotiate and deal with things peacefully.”

“I hope so, because I'm not very good at it myself.” Freya remarked, before her eyes flicked towards the edge of the clearing, the mare smiling slightly as Sombra, Moonflower, and Aster joined them. “But at least we have one many here who seems experienced in using his silver tongue to get what he wants... I just wish he'd put it to better use.”

Sombra only smiled and bowed his head politely, even as Moonflower made a childish face at Freya. Aster seemed a little distracted, not that Cadence could exactly blame her. But the mare still straightened when Freya cleared her throat, before the Valkyrie surprisingly turned towards Cadence and said calmly: “You can lead the way, Danzsöngr. Well, the forest will open a path, and you just have to follow it. But I think it's best that you speak to the creature first, and make sure it knows we don't mean it any harm.”

Cadence looked uncomfortably at the Valkyrie for a moment, but then she took a breath and nodded after a moment. Freya usually had her reasons, even if that was something that Cadence was still trying to wrap her mind around, admittedly. “Alright, then... I'll take point, and Daddy... I mean, Sombra, follow behind me, Aster after you. La Croix, stay at the back with Moonflower, and Freya-”

“I'll stay on your other side in case you need the help, yes, of course.” the Valkyrie answered with a slight smile, shaking her head before she remarked: “Although you know, it wouldn't hurt you to at least pretend to have a little more confidence.”

Cadence looked moodily for a moment at Freya, then she turned and said clearly: “Fall in, and keep each other covered. I want a bit of space between our teams, but keep in visual contact at all times. Let's move out.”

Freya only smiled in amusement, but she fell into position as easily and naturally as the others as Cadence began to stride in the only direction that seemed feasible at the moment. But as she walked, she felt the forest shifting around her with a benevolent curiosity, as with every step the path through the trees before them seemed to extend deeper.

The road didn't always open up directly ahead of Cadence: the path took them on twists and turns, and yet she couldn't help but notice that even the boulders seemed to shift out of the way for them, or how slopes that looked treacherous and rocky at a distance had grown staircases of roots or a ramp of verdant soil by the time they reached it.

There were birds singing in the trees, and animals moved through the forest around them, every now and then something peeking curiously out of the foliage at the passing ponies. Cadence figured that was probably due to Freya's influence as well: Moonflower was wheezing along in his armor, and Freya was certainly not very quiet herself, humming whenever she wasn't shouting, shouting whenever she wasn't humming.

It was relaxing, all the same: a lot of Freya's shouting wasn't at her, after all, so that made it a little easier to take the boisterous, forceful mare and her 'emphatic' way of speaking. The fact it was so calm, in spite of the sounds of nature, the constant noise, their fair pace through the woods, helped a lot too. It put Cadence in a rare good mood, in spite of the fact they had yet to finish the mission they had been sent here to accomplish.

It was almost an hour of walking before Freya suddenly became more serious, the mare grasping Cadence by the shoulder to halt her before she gestured ahead and said softly: “Aye, here we are. I want you to call out to him before you approach, Danzsöngr. Speak to him. Don't make him too scared now.”

Cadence grimaced a bit at this, but then she nodded and cleared her throat before she stepped forward and said gently: “Excuse me, uh...” She wracked her brain for the creature's name, but couldn't remember it. “Uh... sir? My name is-”

“Are you trying to greet our friend, or are you just trying to whisper to the willows? Because there are no willows here, and nor are they so fond of whispering, anyway.” Freya said clearly, and Cadence gave the Valkyrie a sour look before she winced when the Valkyrie leaned forwards and said brazenly: “Atavus, I can smell you past the trees! Come out of where you're hiding, or I'll have the forest drag you out!”

Cadence looked moodily at Freya, and Freya looked blandly back before the smaller mare said in a low voice: “I thought you were trying not to scare him off?”

“Oh, you just don't know how to talk to men. It's little wonder you spend your nights so unsatisfied.” Freya said mildly, and Cadence resisted the urge to hit the mare before Freya turned her eyes back forward and shouted: “You know there's no running! Whether here or there, I'll track you down, and it would be better for us to have our chat now than later, my friend?”

There was silence for a few moments, and then a voice asked meekly: “How... how do you know my name?”

The Valkyrie looked pointedly at Cadence, who mentally sighed before she leaned forward and said calmly: “I heard you say it to that mage before, remember?”

“I... remember you killed him.” came the creature's voice uneasily, and Cadence winced a bit at this before it asked fearfully: “Are... are you going to hurt me?”

“Now, stop that. If I wanted to hurt you I would have done it already.” Freya said almost crossly, and Cadence stared at the Valkyrie before Freya said firmly, as if scolding a child: “Come out here, right this moment, and look me in the eye. Don't make me come in there and drag you out or you'll regret it for the rest of your life, boy.”

There was a whimpering for a moment, but to Cadence's amazement, the creature emerged from hiding after a few seconds, nervously twiddling his fingers as he looked uncomfortably at Freya. He looked a little worse for wear, like he had gotten into a tussle or two since they had last seen him, and Cadence noted that while the chain around his arm was gone, his suit there had been badly burnt, and he was favoring it slightly. “I... I'm here, Miss...”

“Freya. No titles now, those are nothing but shields of false respect.” Freya said firmly, and then she shook her head before continuing in a gentler voice: “Now, look at you. You aren't from around here, are you? Why have you run all this way, Atavus?”

The creature shifted nervously back and forth, studying the ponies with more nervousness than they studied it: the draconic beast was supposed to be a destruction entity, and yet it seemed both frightened and harmless, biting its lip before it explained anxiously: “I... I just came out here to get away from the others. There were... there was a nice pony who put the armband on me and said it would protect me but it didn't. It hurt me. I fought its call but it really hurt me, but I knew it was better than going to the bad place. All the others were talking about the bad place. But some of them think it's good! And some of them, even worse, whisper about the worse place, almost like they want to go back!”

Cadence frowned in confusion, but Freya only chuckled quietly before she said gently: “I need you to explain a little better than that, my friend. Let's start at the beginning. Who were you with before? Where do you come from?”

Atavus shifted nervously, tapping his fingers together as he looked at Freya... childishly, Cadence thought. There was something almost naive, and gullible about the creature, even if he was supposed to be a being of chaos and destruction. “Well, uh... I was born in Ginnungagap, I guess that's where it started, but when reality tore, I got out of there quick as I could be! There was no one nice in Ginnungagap, you see, except maybe the Mad Hatter...”

“Theophilius Carter has always been very kind.” Freya said gently, and Atavus brightened at this, raising his head almost in excitement.

“You know the Mad Hatter?” he asked with what almost sounded like awe, and then he smiled brightly as he balled his hands up into fists and mashed them up under his jaw, his eyes almost sparkling. “Yeah, he was always really nice! A lot of us tried to follow him when he left, but we got scattered because... well, chaos portals are chaos, after all! And when you're absolutely sure of something with chaos-”

“It means something else entirely is going to happen.” Freya finished, and Atavus nodded quickly as he stepped forward, then hesitated and looked nervously at Cadence. But Freya only laughed, saying easily: “Now, don't you worry about her. She's no mauler. She's just very overprotective and a little quick to act.”

Cadence forced herself to smile awkwardly, and then she said gently: “I'm not going to hurt you, okay? I promise I won't.”

Atavus looked uncertain as his hands slowly opened, and then he nodded hesitantly before Freya asked curiously: “Did you mention your brethren being on this world before, though?”

“Oh, well, sort of.” Atavus smiled, brightening a little as he looked towards the Valkyrie. “We tend to gravitate towards each other, you know. We can't help it: chaos draws chaos. The problem is that...” Atavus shifted uncertainly, then he looked back and forth before he leaned forward and covered his mouth with both hands, whispering loudly in a voice they could still all clearly hear: “The problem is that the Bad People are coming out of the Bad Place.”

“Are you talking about the Void?” asked Freya quietly, and Atavus whimpered a bit as he hugged himself, looking fearfully back and forth. “Now, stay calm, my friend. These Voidborn are not like those that must not be named. We can speak of them, and they won't be drawn to us. And even if they are, we can protect you, my friend. That's why we're here. To protect you.”

Cadence blinked in surprise, looking over at Freya, who was so earnest, so honest, smiling so openly as if she believed it herself, but Cadence supposed that all the best lies had some basis in truth. Atavus looked at Freya trustingly, biting at his ragged claws before he asked meekly: “Really?”

“Really.” Freya said gently, and then she asked: “Do you know what summons the Voidborn? Do you know about Thokk?”

Atavus shook his head quickly, and then he looked back and forth before saying apprehensively: “But... but some of my brothers and sisters and cousins and kin... they've been talking about... the Prime returning.”

“Who, or what, is the Prime?” Freya asked, and Atavus shifted nervously before the Valkyrie reassured softly: “Now, don't panic, my friend. We can take care of you. We're here to protect you, and bring you to a safe place.”

The creature nodded nervously, then it took another step towards them before saying uneasily: “The Prime is the origin of us all. They say he, she, and it created each and every one of us. The Prime is the primeval, the beginning, the darkness before erebus, the light before sunrise. The Prime is the infinite space above, the Prime is the cosmos, the Prime is... the Prime is everything! And the Prime is nothing. And they say that all this... jostling with reality, it's going to let the Prime back in, so he can reshape the universe as he pleases.”

“The gods created the worlds, particularly this one. Odin was the All Father, but he was no Prime.” Freya said almost disapprovingly, and Cadence didn't like the way the Swan shifted almost uncertainly inside of her. “Has the Prime been summoned? Or has it awakened in the Void with the disturbance?”

“I don't know. I just know that the others were saying they had to start... paving the path for the Prime.” replied Atavus, as he looked nervously off to the side. “I just know that everyone got... really mean, all of a sudden. It's not like when the Mad Hatter appeared, oh no. When he escaped Ginnungagap, it was sunshine and sparkles and how the Draconequus danced; but when the Prime started to rise up out of Ginungagap with his same humble beginnings, it was fire and storms and the not-Draconequus woke up...”

“The Hatter has been gone for some time now... maybe he'll know more.” Freya murmured, looking down with a slight frown before she shook her head and said quietly: “Alright. I need you to come with me, Atavus.”

“Signora Freya... perhaps you should tell Atavus about your plans.” Sombra said gently, and Freya gave the stallion a sour look, but the black unicorn only smiled at her kindly before he turned his eyes to Atavus, adding softly: “Hello, Atavus. My name is Sombra. My daughter is named Cadence, and these ponies here are Moonflower, Aster, and La Croix. We are here to help, that is true, and we did come to find you-”

“And that's what's important to know.” Freya said firmly, glowering at Sombra before she turned her eyes back up to Atavus, smiling at him soothingly when he looked at them uncertainly. “You won't mind doing a little job or two for me, will you?”

“That's... what the scary unicorn said, too...” Atavus said nervously, rubbing slowly at his burnt arm as he shifted a little backwards, and Freya grimaced a bit before the creature asked suddenly, as if the question had only just occurred to him: “Wait, what... what do you want me to do?”

For a few moments, Freya was silent, her eye shifting away, her stance becoming uncomfortable, almost anxious, and then she slowly closed her eye, muttering: “And this is why I need the rest of you ponies here, as much as I hate to say it. So I do not lie, so I do not cheat, so I do not simply... knock this idiot out and drag him home with me by his legs.”

Atavus whimpered a little at this, but then Freya looked up silently, and she seemed vulnerable for the first time since Cadence had met her, as she said quietly: “I need your help, creature... to save the life of a Draconequus, whom I love very much. Do you know what love is?”

The entity shifted uneasily as Cadence frowned in surprise over at the Valkyrie, and Freya sighed a little before she looked up and approached Atavus, even as he shied backwards towards the trees. “Love is a blinding fire. Love is strong, but has a thousand little holes and cracks from which it bleeds. Love endures, and love survives, and love hurts. Love is the greatest experience I have ever had. Love is also, by far, the most painful one I have ever endured.”

Freya quieted, looking away for a moment as she halted in front of the creature, and then the Valkyrie looked up into the entity's eyes, saying: “My love is the only thing that has ever humbled me, creature, and that makes me humble myself here, before you. I am goddess. I am Valkyrie. And for fool love, I will bow my head even to you, because I need the help that only you can give.”

Freya closed her eyes and lowered her head silently, and Atavus slowly relaxed, looking silently down at the Valkyrie as he let his arms fall loose to the side. Then he bit his lip before his eyes looked away, whispering: “I... I don't know. I always wanted to help. I want to be fun. I want to have fun. I want to go on adventures like all the other Draconequus and oh, if I could, I would help you, but... I'm not like the Draconequus. When I try and create, I destroy. They make balloons and confetti. I make booms and cracks. They dance and sing and laugh. I darken and smoke out and limit.”

“Come with me, and try. That's all I ask.” Freya looked up, adding calmly: “And I can protect you. I can bring you to a place where there are many more like you, as a matter of fact, where you won't have to worry about...”

The Valkyrie frowned, then asked: “Did you really leave because the Draconequus were becoming excited? They don't usually have such a propensity for causing pain and suffering.”

Atavus shook his head at this, saying quickly: “No, no! I didn't leave because of Draconequus, but because... well, there are... nastier nasties.” he said with sudden nervousness, tapping his fingers together uneasily. “See, I found a nice, comfortable home in this world, where I could practice all my magic away from everyone else. But like calls to like, and... some other people like me showed up. They caused a lot of damage, though... I didn't... like what they were doing. They were talking about practicing for when the Prime arrived, because the Prime would return everything to chaos.”

Atavus halted, and then he silently looked down at his hands before he asked quietly: “What am I, Freya? You seem to know a lot of things, so... what am I?”

Freya looked up at the creature for a few moments, and then she smiled at him before saying gently: “You are you, Atavus. And you are going to help me bring back the love of my life, and from there, we'll figure out everything else. Life is lived one moment at a time, don't ever forget that.

“Now. We should be going.” Freya said, suddenly brisk as she turned around and looked at Cadence calmly. “Ready your portal or whatever you must do. I'm eager to see this mission through to completion.”

Atavus smiled a little, rubbing his hands together nervously as he asked: “Are you sure this is okay? I don't know if I should just leave everyone behind. I don't know if... I don't quite know much of anything, really, but it feels like there's a lot more 'I don't knows' than usual!”

Freya chuckled quietly at this, and then she replied easily: “Well, there's nothing to worry about, is there? We'll get you out of here in one piece, and leave your 'friends' to their meanderings. If they cause any trouble, well, we'll be back to this world shortly anyway. But you'll be safe, and with a new friend, at that.”

Atavus smiled brightly at this, and Freya smiled back before she almost glared at Cadence, who winced a little as she turned towards Moonflower, gesturing at him quickly. The stallion shifted uneasily, but then he nodded, opening his equipment satchel to begin setting up the portable portal. Cadence let the others deal with it as she lingered near Freya, who was complimenting Atavus, keeping him happy, making him smile and loosen up...

It was all happening very fast, wasn't it? And there were so many new worries suddenly on their plate: was Thokk's tampering with the Void calling up something even worse? Cadence certainly wouldn't be surprised. Were Draconequus and other incarnations being affected by the weakening of reality? Why and how was reality weakening, and where?

Moonflower and Sombra set up the portal in only a few minutes, while La Croix scouted the area to make sure there was nothing around that could cause any interference. Freya ignored them while they went through the preparations, but she seemed eager to go all the same, twitchy, not her usual self, working far too hard to keep Atavus entertained and happy, so Cadence only shrugged when she picked up the cylindrical portal flare before she shrugged and bent the portal flare until she heard a loud crack.

She threw it into the air, and above their heads, the flare exploded in a thrum of light and sound, an arc of energy streaking into the air that quickly became intangible, then vanished from sight. But Atavus was looking up with delight, clapping his hands wildly as he said excitedly: “That's amazing! Wow, I felt that in my bones!”

Freya smiled, before she looked towards the portal with relief as it lit up. Cadence frowned a little at this, but the Valkyrie turned, saying easily: “Nice to see that Hecate is still as punctual as ever. She always did-”

The portal ring thrummed violently, the disposable metal rods shaking as the light turned an ill, crackling green, and Freya's eye widened before she set herself with a curse, Cadence leaping to the ready as the rest of her team quickly did the same. Aster stumbled backwards, her eyes widening, as Atavus whimpered loudly, shaking his head in denial.

And as shapes began to form in the ill light, Freya swore under her breath before she muttered: “Careless. This is all my fault. I was careless.”

Cadence only set herself as the Swan twisted inside of her, watching as the portal's sickening green light began to ripple as forms started to emerge from it. The Swan gritted her teeth as the giggling monsters emerged, her horn glowing, her team falling in around her as Freya's swords slashed up to ready positions.

She knew it had ended up being far too easy. And nothing in life, Cadence had learned, was ever simple.

The Ties That Bind Us

Chapter Thirty Five: The Ties That Bind Us
~BlackRoseRaven

“I was careless.”

The stallion's eyes flicked to the side, raptly studying the unicorn who had spoken. He was sitting there, with his friends. No, not just friends: family. Siblings.

Family was the most important thing.

The stallion returned his eyes quietly to the table in front of him, picking up the hot chocolate between his hooves. Rig would say it was a foal's drink. He really didn't care what Rig thought, though. Rig still couldn't even call him by the right name. The only reason he still worked with Rig was because he was like a long lost brother... and... family was the most important thing.

He didn't want to let down his family. He wanted to teach. He wanted to be with his family, the best, and the worst. And that was why he was here. For family's sake.

The stallion picked up one of the cookies off the table, spinning it on his silvery hoof before he bit into it with polished metal teeth, chewing slowly. He closed his white eyes, savoring the taste. Horses of Heaven, these were good. He remembered all the years spent eating purely for caloric maintenance, drinking corruption, fueling himself like a machine...

How had he forgotten how good food had been? How had even that part of his mind been taken away from him?

“You weren't careless! Dude, you shot him in the face with your hoof, that's pretty awesome.” replied one of the stallions with a grin, slapping his target on the back. “For an administrator, you fight pretty damn good.”

“Hecate taught me everything I need to know, I told you. To be prepared for any situation.” replied the sapphire stallion, in his little knot of family. The sapphire stallion paused, and he felt it: yes, the target was looking at him. But who was going to make the first move?

He didn't like what he was going to have to do. He didn't want to do it. But either he did this job, or the witch would send in another hunting dog like Sol Seraph. No, it was better that he did this himself, while Rig continued to try and track down his family the old-fashioned way.

He had his mind back. He had to be careful, but he could stay in control. Mistakes that had been made in the past wouldn't happen again.

He hoped his mother wouldn't blame him for this. But he had to obey Thokk. For a thousand different reasons, he had to obey Thokk, not the least of which because the lives of so many others were at stake.

He had to obey because family was the most important thing.

He straightened calmly, not caring that the hood of his cloak had fallen back slightly, revealing the smooth black of his hide, a glimpse of his too-perfect features, the tip of his short, brush-cut ivory mane. His white eyes looked calmly at Thorn Blackfeather, and as this candy shop went silent, Thorn Blackfeather looked back at Thesis.

Antares stared with disbelief at the cloaked stranger, and Innocence frowned; Scarlet Sage looked horrified, terrified, and furious all at once; near the counter, Pinkamena dropped a box, and it struck the ground with a noise like a gunshot, jelly-filled donuts spilling over the floor, spreading icing and filling like blood.

But before anyone could move, the silence was broken by Thorn quietly and calmly excusing himself from the table. The three-legged stallion approached Thesis fearlessly, bruised and battered, but proud, not showing the slightest hint of disability as he leaned down and said in a soft voice: “Mother has been waiting a long time for you.”

“Mother...” Thesis looked down for a moment, and then he laughed quietly and shook his head slowly before his eyes roved silently up to Thorn. The stallion stood, and he towered over Thorn: this Prince of Equestria, this perfect Replicant, this biological weapon and... “That makes you my little brother, if you call her that. Both my brother and my nephew. Funny.”

“Yes. I am.” Thorn said quietly, and they looked at each other in the dead silence of the candy shop before Thorn said calmly: “We should go, Thesis.”

“I need to...” Thesis looked down at this sapphire stallion with newfound fascination, his eyes roving over the bruised stallion who had

REPLACED HIM.

Thesis frowned and closed his eyes tightly, reaching up to touch his head as a malignant, living hatred tore through his mind. His other hoof reached up sharply, trembling, and Antares snarled as he leapt to his hooves, but Thorn didn't flinch, didn't move away.

And slowly, Thesis' hoof lowered to settle on Thorn's shoulder, the Replicant closing his eyes before he whispered: “I apologize. All the years spent with the programming... I'm weak, Thorn. I can't... return to our mother. I have... to do things, I would rather not do.”

“Come home.” Thorn urged quietly, and Thesis squeezed down on his shoulder, trembling slightly, before Thorn said softly: “We can fix-”

“It can't be fixed!” Thesis shouted, whirling towards Thorn as his eyes flared with fury, but even as he shoved Thorn away, he clenched his eyes shut, getting the rage, the hate, the emotion back under control. “I... I apologize. I need...”

He stopped, then shook his head quickly before taking a slow breath and straightening, his eyes hardening as he looked at Thorn and said calmly: “I need you to come with me. I will not let any harm come to you, Thorn Blackfeather. But I require information about Decretum's new operations.”

Antares began to step forward, but Thorn replied in a crisp, calm voice as he straightened: “If you require information, come to Decretum and see for yourself. Hecate will be more than happy to supply it. Perhaps Thokk will reconsider attempting to make war on us once she sees what we are truly capable of.”

Thesis smiled faintly, studying the sapphire stallion before he shook his head slowly, murmuring: “Tenacious. And smart. Mom taught you well...”

He stopped, then slowly allowed his eyes to rove towards Antares, adding quietly: “I'm here for another reason as well. I'm looking for your parents. I have... a few things to discuss with them.”

“Well, they aren't here, so why don't you get lost, Thesis?” Antares said shortly, glaring challengingly at the Replicant, but there was fear in his eyes, too, Thesis noted. That was good: his nephew had some inkling of the threat that he was faced with. “Don't think I'll let you take my little brother without a fight, either, like you tried to kidnap my sister when she was a foal!”

“I'm sorry I did that. I'm sorry for everything.” Thesis said quietly, and he lowered his head before shaking it slowly, murmuring: “Even if I know that's probably insulting to hear now. I'm... I wasn't very well. I'm still not very well, but I am stable. The entire reason I'm here is to minimize the bloodshed.”

Antares laughed dryly, and then he pointed at himself and said sourly: “You do know that I was here when you destroyed this town, and when you literally ripped out one of my dad's ribs. Also Mutt's wing. Also, one of your Replicant friends tried to murder all my friends.”

Thesis studied Antares for a few moments, and Antares glared back at him before Thorn said in a low, serious voice: “Antares, shut up.”

Antares blinked, mouthing wordlessly, before Thorn turned back towards Thesis and said calmly: “Stop being a coward.”

Thesis looked at Thorn for a few moments, and then he said with equal soft seriousness: “Coward or not, I can kill this entire town with one hoof behind my back. Do you want me to do that?”

“Go ahead.” Thorn replied unflinchingly, and Antares gaped as Thesis narrowed his eyes slightly, the two glaring at each other before the sapphire stallion stated: “I am far from impressed by empty bluffs or shows of strength. I still have work to do. If you won't accept my counteroffer, then get out and go back to Thokk, and tell her if she wants to negotiate any sort of deal, she can send a representative if she does not desire to speak to us in person. But you will not be taking me by force.”

Thesis smiled thinly at this, and Antares stepped forward, adding brazenly: “Yeah, asshole. Because I'm gonna kick your ass if you so much as try to lay a hoof on him.”

“Antares, please stop helping.” Thorn said in an exasperated voice, giving the stallion a flat look, but Antares only huffed loudly and glared back at him before the sapphire unicorn returned his eyes to Thesis, adding in a softer voice: “How do you think Hecate is going to feel when I tell her what happened here?”

Thesis looked away for a moment, and then he shook his head before he reached back and calmly picked up his mug of hot chocolate. He paused, looking down at it for a moment before he murmured: “We all do what we must, Thorn Blackfeather. Family is the most important thing, isn't it?”

He sipped at it slowly, then smiled briefly before he shook his head and said finally: “There are still good things in the world. I'll see Mom again, one day. I'm trying to help. This time, I really mean that... I know it's hard to believe, but... this isn't like it was before.”

“Yeah. I've heard that before, from a lot of people.” Antares said quietly. “Usually, they're the ones who are trying the hardest to justify their own sins.”

Thesis only shrugged, then he sipped slowly at his hot chocolate, simply looking at Thorn as Thorn looked back, until Antares asked dryly: “So uh, are we going to fight here, or what? Seriously. This is boring. Right, Sin?”

Innocence grunted loudly, and then Pinkamena leaned over the counter and growled: “First of all, you assholes are going to go outside, and not wreck up my house.”

“Yeah. Okay, assholes, let's get out of this house. You first.” Antares said, glaring at Thesis, but the Replicant didn't budge, instead sipping slowly at his hot chocolate.

“When I'm done.” Thesis replied, apparently undisturbed by the group of ponies all glaring at him. He didn't seem to notice when Pinkamena whistled sharply, and didn't seem to care when Sleipnir came out in his breastplate, carrying a massive axe that he passed to the demon as she hopped the counter and approached with a furious fire in her eyes.

Thesis only looked at Thorn, and Thorn looked back at him, as the stallion drank down the rest of his hot chocolate, then picked up the last cookie from the table. He began to raise it to his mouth, then he suddenly halted and smiled, breaking it in half before he offered it to Thorn, saying quietly: “It's pretty good.”

“Pretty good? Now I'm really going to mess you up, asshole. Those are a lot better than 'pretty good.'” Pinkamena growled, although even she seemed surprised by the way Thesis was acting. He was almost completely different from what any of them could remember when the stallion had been alive: the fits of rage were still there, the unpredictability, the refusal to talk about anything and the demand that they go along with his plan...

But he offered half a cookie to Thorn, who took it and sat, unafraid, in front of the stallion he called 'brother.' They ate slowly, and Thesis gave a warm, honest smile when Thorn finished, asking: “Pretty good, huh?”

“Yeah. Very good.” Thorn smiled a bit, asking curiously: “What's your favorite food, Thesis?”

Thesis looked surprised by this question, and then he frowned in thought and rubbed at his chin before he looked up suddenly and smiled again, replying thoughtfully: “I've always loved cherries. Cherry pie, cherry desserts, cherry anything, really. But especially these delicious little... they're like little cupcakes, but they're stuffed with filling, and-”

Antares loudly cleared his throat several times, leaning pointedly in even though Scarlet Sage was looking uneasily at Thesis with much of the rest of the crowd that had gathered. “Uh. Hey. Hate to interrupt and all, but, like, we're all here to. Have a battle to the death, I thought?”

“I would much prefer to speak of baked goods.” Sleipnir said positively, and then he plopped himself down beside Thorn and Thesis, throwing a foreleg around either stallion... and while Thesis stiffened slightly, it seemed more out of awkwardness than anything else, as the enormous earth pony said cheerfully: “I enjoy rhubarb!”

“No one likes rhubarb. Don't be an asshole, Slap.” Pinkamena grumbled, although she was studying Thesis intently now as well.

“I don't want to kill anyone. I just...” Thesis stopped, and then he shook his head slowly, frowning a bit as he reached up and rubbed at his head before he sighed quietly and murmured: “It felt so good to escape for a little while... it feels so good to... Thorn, please. Come back with me, to Thokk. Please. We're family, and-”

“And family must do what is best for family. Can thou not see, thy little brother is trying to do what is best for thou, Thesis?” Sleipnir said gently, and Thesis looked up at the earth pony silently, as Sleipnir smiled faintly at him. “Nay. Thou can, can't thou? And yet thou... cannot.”

Thesis looked down, and then he clenched his eyes shut, breathing slowly in and out before he said slowly and carefully, as if it took a great force of will: “I can't... disobey Thokk. When I disobey...”

Thesis looked up with a sudden snarl, reaching out and seizing Thorn by the shoulders as he said coldly: “You are coming with me. Thokk demands your presence.”

And here, Antares saw it: the flash of the Thesis he had known, the distorted, the damaged, the damned Thesis, the Thesis that had been nothing more than a monster driven by insanity and hatred and the broken circuits in his frayed mind-

“Thesis.” Thorn's voice was calm and unperturbed, even as Thesis began to lift him into the air. “Get control of yourself.”

Thesis trembled, and then he clenched his eyes shut before he slowly lowered Thorn back to the ground, whispering: “I'm sorry. But I am in control. I am in control, except when...”

“You go against Thokk's programming. Thokk hasn't healed you. She's just inflicted another batch of mental programming on to you. You don't just mean that you don't want to or won't do these things. You're incapable of it. If you fight, you revert.” Thorn said quietly, and Thesis gave a faint smile that told Thorn he was at least half-right.

The sapphire stallion looked away for a moment, before he said softly: “You still won't take me, Thesis. You understand that, don't you?”

“I will do whatever I have to, in order to protect my family. In order to see promises fulfilled. In order to... not be alone.” Thesis said quietly, and there was silence for a few moments before the Replicant cleared his throat, and then he looked away and shook his head briefly. “I... shall we step outside, then?”

“If we have to.” Thorn replied, and Thesis nodded before he began to turn, then he blinked in surprise and leaned back as a bright pink pony seemed to appear out of thin air in front of him with a bright smile and a white box that she popped open, even as Pinkamena visibly flinched in horror.

“Did you mean these?” she asked inquisitively, and Thesis hesitated before he reached into the box and pulled out what looked like a frosted ball of dough. He bit into it after a moment, and then he smiled and nodded, and Pinkie Pie giggled a little before she said warmly: “You should take some with you when you go!”

“Sissy, get the hell away from him!” Pinkamena shouted in a strangled voice, but Pinkie Pie only huffed and shook her head, leaning past Thesis to look pointedly at her sister.

“He just needs a friend! You should all be nicer to him.” she scolded, and Pinkamena dropped her axe with a rattling clang to the floor and looked disbelievingly at her sister, before Pinkie Pie smiled brightly and added in a softer voice: “He's not a bad guy. Maybe he looks a little like a bad guy, but he definitely isn't.”

Thesis lowered his head in quiet gratitude as he finished eating the baked treat, and then he turned and headed towards the doors of the candy shop. Pinkie smiled over her shoulder, and then Thorn reached up and took one of the cherry balls, taking a bite out of it and nodding when the bright-pink earth pony smiled at him happily. “They're very good. Thank you.”

He ate his in a few quick bites, then strode past, leaving the sweets shop to find Thesis standing in the mostly-empty road, his cloak placed over the railing, and his back to Thorn: a back that wasn't flesh and blood, but instead had ugly, chitinous metal plating grafted over it.

Thesis stretched himself out slowly, and without looking around, he said quietly: “I would prefer not to hurt you. Are you sure you won't come with me?”

“I don't want to see you hurt, either, Thesis. But it seems today we are on opposite sides of the battlefield.” Thorn said quietly, before he smiled briefly and asked: “What do you want me to tell Mother?”

“Tell her...” Thesis looked away, and then he only shook his head as Antares emerged, with Pinkamena and Sleipnir on one side, Innocence and Aphrodisia the other, and Scarlet Sage following behind. “Well, you won't have to worry about that. I won't fail in my mission.”

“Failure is not the root of all evil. Apathy is.” Thorn replied calmly as the ponies fell into position around him, and then he shook his head before saying softly: “I'll ask you one last time to stop, Thesis. This is not a course of action you want to pursue.”

“Yeah. You don't just swoop in and try and steal little brothers, you know. He's just a kid.” Antares cut in loudly, before he leaned forwards and added in a quieter, more serious voice: “Once you might have beaten us all with one hoof tied behind your back, Thesis. But we've grown up since then. And the longer you draw this out, the more of us will show up.”

“Numbers aren't always an advantage, Antares. Not when this is a little more complicated than just raw combat.” Thesis responded, lowering his head politely. Antares scowled at this, but the Replicant had already turned his attention back to Thorn, asking quietly: “Are you really going to put them all at risk?”

“At this point, it doesn't matter what I do, Thesis.” Thorn replied calmly, giving a brief smile to the stallion. “Not that I've ever had any control over what Antares and his friends do, of course. In the short time I've known them, I've very quickly learned that no matter what I do or say, they're going to do whatever it is they want.”

Thesis smiled a bit at this, and then Antares stepped forwards past Thorn as the others readied themselves. Thorn shifted backwards, removing himself from the field, knowing he would only get in the way without his prosthetic limb, but he was admittedly surprised when Antares said with surprising tact and gentility: “As funny as it sounds, I don't really want to fight you, Thesis. I know it's not smart and I remember how badly you hurt us before. I'm not in my best shape after the encounter with Sol Seraph and her father, and I can read you enough to see... you at least believe you're trying to do something good here.

“I also know that you tried to do something good in the past, and when things didn't go your way, you basically gave up, gave in, and you killed a lot of people. You blamed us for a fight you started. I'm not saying that because I want to insult you; I'm saying that because if that part of you is still in there somewhere... I know it means...”

There was quiet for a moment, Pinkamena grimacing as Sleipnir shifted slowly on his hooves and Aphrodisia bit her lip. Thesis lowered his own head silently, and then he said softly: “I'm not going to concentrate on the past. And I... will not kill. Let me prove to you with my actions instead of my words, though. My words, I know, are meaningless.”

Thesis stepped forwards, raising his head before he smiled slightly as his eyes flicked over the ponies in front of him, and then he asked in a lighter voice: “You think you have enough ponies, or do you want to go and get more?”

“Hey, if you're afraid, you just have to ask for one-on-one, and I'll kick your ass myself.” Antares retorted, although he seemed genuinely surprised at the same time by Thesis' amiability.

The Replicant shrugged, and then he smiled again before replying quietly: “Nah. I walked into this. Either I walk out of it under my own power, or I don't. I knew what I was getting into.”

“Still doesn't feel entirely fair.” Antares said mildly, and then he glanced over his shoulder, grinning and winking at Sleipnir and Pinkamena. “Hey, how about having us kids get the first go? Scar, you count as an old mare, you stay back too.”

Innocence growled and stepped forwards, raking a claw against the ground, as Aphrodisia bounced up beside Antares with a bright smile. Sleipnir laughed as Scarlet rolled her eyes, and Pinkamena snorted before she said moodily: “You're lucky I like you, kid. Yeah, whatever. Get your face punched in. I'm sure there'll be more than enough to go around.”

The demon glared at Thesis, but Thesis seemed unperturbed, only looking curiously at Antares before he smiled slightly and said thoughtfully: “Not bad. Tactical assessment.”

“Hey, shut up, you don't know what we're doing.” Antares said grumpily, and then he cleared his throat before suddenly straightening and bowing low. “Good fortune to you in the fight.”

“And may you win with honor.” Thesis replied calmly and honestly, bowing his own head low to expose the back of his neck, before he smiled when they straightened at the same time.

There was silence for a moment, and then Antares seemed almost to vanish, Thorn's eyes widening in surprise as the stallion appeared in front of Thesis with a sharp jab-

Thesis simply tilted his head to the side and retaliated with a hard thrust-punch into Antares' breast, the crystal-winged unicorn's eyes bulging as he was knocked skidding backwards through the street. He slid to a halt, then gasped loudly for air as Thesis remarked easily: “You're pretty fast. But not quite fast enough.”

Antares narrowed his eyes a little at this, and then he whistled sharply, and Aphrodisia and Innocence both reacted immediately, the demon becoming a burst of black smoke that whirled in towards one side of Thesis as Innocence blinked out of existence and reappeared in the next moment on the Replicant's other side, claws already raised.

Thesis moved even faster than either demon or scaled unicorn, his front hooves snapping out to either side and slamming into both Innocence and Aphrodisia, the demon squeaking as she was punched back into physical reality and Innocence squawking as she was knocked skidding on her back across the road. Antares, however, leapt immediately forwards as he saw his chance, grinning as his horn glowed with white energy-

With incredible grace, Thesis twisted his body and brought both rear hooves lashing upwards in an arcing kick across Antares' face, knocking him staggering to the side with a gasp before Thesis caught himself on his front hooves and slammed both hind legs out in a vicious followup kick. Antares was sent hurtling backwards, but this time he was caught by the scruff of the neck by Pinkamena before he could hit the ground.

Then the demon slung him to the earth anyway, making him wheeze as she snapped: “Stop screwing around, kids, or you can forget what I said and I'll deal with that bastard myself!”

“Yeah. Sure you will.” Antares mumbled, and then he yelped when Pinkamena seized him by the mane and slowly hauled him up to his hooves, before the stallion squeaked when she swung her axe hard into his rump, knocking him flailing forwards.

In midair, Antares' crystal wings suddenly spread as his horn sparked, creating a platform of white energy beneath him, and childishly comical became deadly serious as he launched into a savage attack straight at the Replicant's face.

Thesis caught Antares by his hooves and half-spun, flinging him off to the side before he sharply brought a forelimb down, intercepting a hard punch from Aphrodisia. Without losing a beat, he twisted his foreleg to the side, grasping her by the wrist and quickly bending her foreleg backwards and making her squeak as her whole body was forcibly bent, while at the same time the Replicant twisted out of the way of a slash of Innocence's horn before he slammed his elbow down onto the back of her head, sending her face-first into the ground with a loud thud.

“You're mean!” Aphrodisia whined loudly as she struggled to pull her foreleg free, and Thesis looked towards her as he rose an eyebrow before his eyes suddenly narrowed, and he ducked sharply, a moment before the demon's scythe whickered through the air where his head had been only seconds before.

Before Aphrodisia could react, Thesis twisted her foreleg hard, flipping her off her hooves before he slammed a hoof into her stomach in midair, launching her across the battlefield with a gasp. She landed on her back with a thud, groaning in pain as her scythe dropped out of the air a moment later, and Thesis calmly returned to all fours, looking back and forth almost curiously at the trio of stunned ponies around him before he gave a slight grin. “Incredible. I'd forgotten there was so much more to fighting than just... war.”

“Aye, friend. But thou art not fighting, remember. 'Tis no brutal brawl or silly skirmish, but a test of strength and honor!” Sleipnir said jovially, stomping a hoof firmly as he grinned widely at the stallion. “And I must say, that I look greatly forwards to meeting thee in the contest!”

“And I you.” Thesis replied pleasantly, bowing his head politely towards the earth pony before his eyes flicked over his shoulder, saying mildly: “You certainly don't back down from a challenge. I'll give you that.”

Antares only growled, then threw himself at Thesis' back. But with ease, Thesis launched himself off the ground and somersaulted over Antares, landing neatly on all four hooves and only smiling slightly as the crystal-winged unicorn skidded to a halt with a curse before throwing himself at Thesis in a wild frontal assault.

Thesis continued to smile as he smoothly backpedaled, allowing the stallion to drive him backwards into the road. Thorn couldn't help but watch with fascination, the way the two fought: Antares, he knew, was just trying to analyze Thesis, learn what he was capable of, but Thesis was smoothly controlling the flow of the entire battle, leading his opponents where he wanted them to be, isolating them from each other before taking them down, but he wasn't fighting to do damage, Thorn noted, even as Thesis caught Antares by the foreleg before before twisting hard to the side and throwing the stallion down into the dirt.

Antares bounced over the road with a squawk, rolling onto his back and laying in a prone, stunned heap as Thesis smiled in amusement down at him, before the Replicant shook his head slowly and said softly: “You're not even trying.”

“I... I totally am trying!” Antares defended, wheezing a little before he picked himself up and shook himself roughly out, complaining: “It's not my fault that you're so-”

“Amazing?” Thesis interrupted easily as he flexed one foreleg slowly, winking over at Antares, who stared for a moment at the bulge of muscle before he huffed loudly.

“You're not that sexy.” Antares retorted, and then he halted and blushed deeply, blurting out: “Not that I think you're sexy! I'm just saying that if you think you are, you're completely wrong! There's nothing wrong with stallions saying that other stallions definitely aren't sexy because I don't find them sexy at all what the hell are you talking about?”

Thesis looked mildly at Antares for a few moments as Antares gave a wide, stupid grin, and then the Replicant said kindly: “You know, no one would blame you for it. I mean, sometimes I look in the mirror and get distracted by just how handsome I am.”

Thesis posed for a moment, flexing his strong, handsome frame, and Antares awkwardly looked away with a faint, wheezy giggle before he howled loudly: “I need an adult!”

“Finally.” Pinkamena muttered, and then she leapt forwards, grinning sharkishly as she shouldered her massive axe and leapt towards Thesis, who looked fearlessly up at the demon with a slight smile as she pounced and slashed her weapon savagely down-

Thesis caught the deadly battle axe between his front hooves, Pinkamena swearing as she was halted before he twisted the weapon hard to the side, yanking it loose from her hooves and sending it flipping into the air. Pinkamena snarled as the axe was flung towards the sky, but she turned her stumble into a shoulder charge, not missing a single beat in her attack.

The Replicant caught her by the shoulder and easily redirected her, throwing her past him as he reached up and caught the axe by the handle with his other hoof. Pinkamena growled as she spun around, kicking up a spray of dirt with her hind hooves, but she twisted right into a firm swing of her own axe, the flat of the blade smashing into her and knocking her almost comically flat, leaving her staring stupidly at the sky.

Thesis absently squeezed the handle of the battle axe, and then he whistled a little before tossing it off to the side, saying mildly as his eyes roved thoughtfully down to the demon: “Pretty impressive. You're much smoother than I expected, too.”

Pinkamena glared, and then she suddenly shoved herself off the ground and kicked both hind hooves savagely into Thesis' face, knocking him backwards with a grunt of shock and a spray of black blood as his eyes bulged. Before he could recover, Pinkamena slugged him savagely with a two-hoofed tomahawk, knocking him face-first into the ground before she seized him by the mane-

Thesis leapt forwards, catching the demon by her hind legs and hefting her into the air before he slammed her down on her back, Pinkamena bouncing backwards with a grunt of surprise before the Replicant smoothly somersaulted backwards when Antares attempted to lunge into him, the stallion swearing before bringing up one of his crystalline wings to shield himself from a hard counterpunch.

Thesis' hoof hit with enough force to crack Antares' unnatural wing, making the stallion arch his back with a hiss of pain before the Replicant bore forwards, slamming a precise, sharp blows into the appendage even as Antares channeled magic through his wings, doing his best to bear up under the assault. Before Thesis could literally punch his way through the stallion's wing, however, Aphrodisia lunged in from the side, her scythe whickering out-

The Replicant dropped almost onto his belly, beginning to counterattack before his eyes widened and he instead flung himself backwards, rolling quickly over the ground and kicking up to his hooves as he narrowly avoided being impaled on the spikes of rock that tore out of the earth where he had been a moment before. He was fast, Thorn noted with interest, but not fast enough to avoid Innocence as she blinked into reality beside him and slammed a claw now sheathed in a heavy, bladed gauntlet into Thesis' face.

He was launched off his hooves by the force of the blow, his eyes bulging in shock before his body flipped and he landed smoothly, skidding backwards and blinking as he reached up to touch his bloody face. Energy faintly misted off his damaged features as they sluggishly healed, the stallion wrinkling up his muzzle and working his jaw slowly as Innocence grinned widely, her gauntlet-covered claws flexing as she sat back and growled: “Not so tough now, are you, asshole?”

The ponies picked themselves up and assembled themselves in a ready line, their eyes locked on Thesis as he slowly stepped backwards, looking meditatively over the group assembled in front of him. His eyes flicked to the side, noting that Sleipnir and Scarlet Sage were still at the edge of the battlefield, near Thorn... although neither were guarding him, the two only spectating as Thorn rested calmly, watching the fight with clinical interest.

Thesis shifted slightly on his hooves, returning his eyes towards the group that was slowly moving to encircle him. There were other ponies gathering as well, staying on the edge of the battleground for now, but plenty of them looked ready to fight: these weren't frightened ponies, convinced of their own powerlessness, but people who would do anything and everything in their power to protect themselves and each other from anyone who would threaten to do them harm.

If only every Equestria could have such commitment, Thesis thought, as he readied himself with a smile as his eyes almost enviously moved over the ponies around him. If only his Equestria had been so strong, then, he knew, Valthrudnir never would have succeeded in his plans, and perhaps everything would have been different.

But there was no point in reflecting on that now, he thought, as he took a slow breath and scanned the ponies around them, sensing them, letting his instincts take over as he said softly: “Your coordination is admirable, but your confidence may be misplaced.”

Antares smiled wryly as he flexed his cracked wing, and then he glanced back and forth before he replied pleasantly: “Well, don't get too cocky yet, pal. We're just getting warmed up ourselves, after all.”

Thesis began to smile, before his eyes widened as Antares suddenly whistled: in a flash, Aphrodisia lunged in with her scythe, but the Replicant quickly shifted to catch the pole of the deadly weapon before it could slice into him.

He swore as Innocence blinked towards him, vanishing from the spot and reappearing with her steel claws already rending towards his exposed back, but Thesis smoothly kicked both hind legs backwards as he pushed off the pole of the scythe, slamming into Innocence's face and knocking her head back as she swore in frustration-

A gold-and-red comet streaked out of the air and smashed into Thesis' armored back, knocking him flat as he gasped in shock before he flinched as the tiny Pegasus that had smashed into him began to violently stomp up and down on the now-dented plate covering his back, Avalon shouting: “How many of you assholes do we have to kill?”

Thesis swore as he felt magic beginning to bind him, and the Replicant suddenly bucked upwards when Avalon tried to stomp down, the Pegasus squawking as she was sent springing off his back and up into the air.

Thesis yanked his legs up at the same moment to rip them loose from the magical coils trying to snare him, and then he dropped and ducked under a slash of Aphrodisia's scythe before rolling to the side to avoid a punishing chop of Pinkamena's axe. Without slowing, he backpedaled and swung a hoof sharply out at the same time, slapping away a blast of magic fired at him from Innocence before he sidestepped sharply to avoid Avalon smashing into his face.

The Pegasus hit the ground hard enough that it would have broken the legs of any other pony, but the tiny mare simply leapt back up into the air, launching off the ground with enough force to kick up a cloud of dust that buffeted Thesis and made him curse and flinch. It was enough of an opening that Antares was able to leap in and slam both hooves down into Thesis' back as they flared with white fire.

Thesis gasped and stumbled before he half-spun and lashed a foreleg out in a counterattack that was more of a shove than a strike. But he was off-balance now, the plate of metal on his back visibly smoldering as Thorn narrowed his eyes slightly, watching intently as Aphrodisia and Pinkamena both burst apart into black smoke and whirled sharply in on either side of Thesis.

The Replicant reared back and slammed both front hooves out to either side with such force that it seemed to make the very air shake, but he struck nothing but the air as both demons twisted straight up towards the sky in streaks of black smog. Thesis realized too late it had been a diversion, before he arched his back and howled as Innocence sent a superheated ball of plasma slamming straight into his armor-plated back, the metal instantly becoming sizzling hot and making the flesh around the graft smolder and steam.

Thesis stumbled forwards, baring his metal teeth in a snarl before he looked back and forth, but there was nowhere to go: in a moment, both Aphrodisia and Pinkamena dropped out of the air and harrowed him with slashes of their weapons, forcing the Replicant to try and concentrate on dodging and evading even as the plate on his back sizzled and crackled.

Antares swept in, smashing a hoof into Thesis' face and making him curse, but instead of countering the crystal-winged unicorn, Thesis leapt suddenly backwards and kicked both rear hooves savagely into Pinkamena, knocking her sprawling with a series of swears. Aphrodisia lashed in from the side, but Thesis caught her scythe and half-spun, smacking Antares across the face with the pole of the weapon before he could help.

The Replicant flung the scythe – along with the demon still clinging to it – off to the side, a moment before Avalon smashed into the heated plate on his back, making him howl and stagger. Avalon kicked viciously off his back when he tried to spin around, then dropped almost on top of Thesis' face, harrying him with a vicious series of kicks and punches.

Thesis dropped his head under the flurry, then lunged suddenly upward and smashed his skull into the mare's stomach, knocking the wind out of her before his head slammed a second time into her and knocked her crashing backwards.

She bounced across the ground with a squeak, and Thesis gritted his teeth as he quickly turned to catch both Antares and Aphrodisia when they lunged at him, catching the punches they sought to connect with before he twisted their forelegs firmly, smacking them painfully into each other before he yanked them forwards so he could seize them both by their heads and slam their skulls together.

They both collapsed, and Thesis wasted no time in leaping past them, gracefully twisting his body around in midair and slamming both rear hooves out in a vicious kick that smashed into Innocence just as she blinked into reality. She was knocked hurtling backwards with a gargle of shock, landing on her back and skidding painfully over the road as Thesis ducked under a deadly swing of Pinkamena's axe.

He was so fast, so fluid, so graceful, Thorn noted, smiling faintly as he watched the way Pinkamena snapped her axe back and forth in wide, sharp, fast cuts, and Thesis simply danced his way through the attacks like a cobra, even if he was clearly more than a little distracted by the metal plate slowly melting its way off his back.

Thesis moved forwards in a sudden, straight thrust strike that smashed into Pinkamena like a train, hammering her off her hooves and sending her crashing down on her back as her axe flew out of her grip. She coughed blood, but Thorn felt Sleipnir only tense slightly beside him, the enormous earth pony cheering: “Thou art doing fantastically well, phoenix!”

“Oh shut the hell up, Slap.” groaned Pinkamena, as she slowly began to pick herself up off the ground, grimacing as she spat a bit of blood off to the side before she glared balefully at Thesis, who was breathing hard as he slowly composed himself, his body still trembling with clear pain as energy steamed off his back. “What's wrong, fudgecake? You not feeling well?”

“Not particularly.” Thesis muttered, and then he shook himself out before he reached back and hesitantly touched the edge of the half-melted plate, before hissing under his breath and muttering: “Still hot... I can't-”

Before he could finish, a gauntlet-covered fist smashed into his face, and Thesis was knocked staggering dumbly to the side as Innocence landed beside him before sharply whirling her horn, a cyclone of magic tearing through the stallion and knocking him crashing down onto his side with a curse.

He rolled quickly to the side, but before he could leap up to his hooves, Innocence sharply swept her horn down as it pulsed with power, and Thesis was yanked down to the earth by a surge of energy. Thorn's eyes widened slightly as he felt the distinct tingle of that energy: electromagnetic force. Very impressive.

Thesis gasped, magnetized to the ground by the plate on his back, and Innocence punched both her claws into the ground as she grinned widely, her horn giving another pulse of power as she shouted: “Stay still!”

Vines covered in bared thorns ripped out of the earth, seizing around Thesis' limbs and forcefully beginning to restrain him even as he snarled and fought to tear his legs free. But before the Replicant could tear through the vines, Innocence's horn gave another pulse as she said pleasantly: “Don't think so.”

Green, living vine turned to emerald gemstone that refused to let Thesis so much as budge an inch, the Replicant's eyes bulging in shock as Innocence grinned widely and shouted: “Alright, let's send him-”

Thesis gritted his teeth and flexed his body before he roared and tore upwards, and Innocence's jaw dropped as the Replicant tore free from the ground, the melted plate tearing loose from his back in a burst of blood and steaming energy, the gemstone tendrils wrapped around him shattering into useless fragments of green shrapnel.

Thesis snarled as he landed on his rear hooves, his eyes flicking back and forth as pain sparked through his body. He used the pain, the shock, the sudden desperation to sharpen his focus as everything went in one fell swoop from almost a game to a serious confrontation, where his instincts told him it was kill or-

No. He would not kill.

But that didn't mean he had to be nice, either.

Thesis almost vanished from the spot, slamming a hoof into Antares' face before the stallion could react; before Antares could even hit the ground, Thesis was already driving his elbow backwards into Aphrodisia's throat, stunning her, before he half-spun to drive his hoof into Pinkamena's skull: not simply to punch her, however, but to use the demon like an axis, hammering her to the ground as he vaulted over her body.

He caught Avalon in midair as she dove at him, the only pony fast enough to process what was going on – and yet still not fast enough to dodge – before he crushed the tiny Pegasus into almost a ball as he flew towards Innocence, ramming the tiny pony face-first into Innocence and knocking them both backwards.

Thesis moved like lightning as he half-turned, leaping towards Thorn as for a moment, the objective blotted out all else in his mind, old instincts, old programming rising up as he drove himself towards his target with a snarl and leapt out to seize him-

Sleipnir caught one of Thesis' hooves, and Thesis stumbled to a halt, his mouth falling open with disbelief as the enormous earth pony only smiled kindly down at him before saying softly: “'Tis quite understandable that we may lose ourselves when excited, friend. But I truly believed thou when thou said thou art better than thy failings.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Thesis lowered his head slightly before he pulled his hoof gently away, and Sleipnir smiled at him as the Replicant turned his eyes to Thorn. “Your friends are strong. But you must know by now that I'm stronger.”

“I don't know about that, pal.” Antares muttered as he slowly straightened, grimacing a bit at the sight of Thesis' exposed back: he could see raw muscle, and a gaping wound, inside which what looked like synthetic parts clicked alongside flexing flesh and shifting bone... “Great job, Sin.”

Innocence scowled at how sarcastic Antares sounded, the mare rubbing at her face slowly before she muttered: “Hey, it's not my fault that he apparently wasn't put back together right.”

“Who the hell cares? Let's kick his ass.” Avalon growled as she picked herself up, scraping a hoof against the ground, and Pinkamena grunted in agreement as Aphrodisia shook herself roughly out, then barked like a dog at Thesis before growling loudly at the Replicant.

They were a lot tougher than he expected: but this time, of course, he wasn't insane and deluded, and attacking with an army. He was by himself, well aware of how much damage his every blow did, and as much as he wanted to get through their ranks, he didn't want to hurt these ponies.

He breathed slowly in and out, then flexed his body before he lowered his head: still, maybe it was the only way. His body ached so much, and with that plate removed from his back, the gaping horror of a permanent wound he had was left exposed to the world, for all eyes to see...

His eyes lingered silently over the ground, before they roved upwards as Sleipnir shifted slightly aside, and Thesis licked his lips slowly as his gaze settled on Thorn's amputated limb. He studied the synthetic, slotted node at the end of his stump, and then Thesis smiled faintly before he shook his head slowly and whispered: “Some family we are, huh?”

“We are.” There was no mockery, no sarcasm, no disagreement. Just a serious acknowledgment, and respect, he thought. Maybe even the faintest hint of admiration that he knew he didn't deserve, as his eyes tried to lower, but Thorn wouldn't let him. His gaze was like a physical thing, holding him in place, as the sapphire stallion said quietly: “I'll see to it that we develop something more protective for you than a metal plate, as soon as possible. I'm sure we can decide on an acceptable neutral territory where you can accept it.”

Thesis laughed a little, shaking his head slowly even as he smiled briefly and said softly: “Nothing really convinces you to stop once you set your mind on something, huh?”

“I learned that from Hecate. We only ever fail because of our own weakness.” Thorn replied with a shrug, and Thesis nodded slowly in agreement, lowering his head a little before the sapphire stallion said gently: “And that is why I am not going to give up on you, either.”

Thesis smiled a bit at this, opening his mouth before his eyes suddenly narrowed, the Replicant visibly stiffening before he muttered: “You are not needed here.”

Antares felt it, too: a cold, unpleasant presence that sent chills along his spine. He looked back and forth as Aphrodisia growled low in her throat, body stiffening and hackles rising, while Pinkamena rose her head, looking serious and grim.

The presence fluttered around them: Antares could see it in the corners of his eyes, only when he didn't look directly at it. It was something vile, something condescending, something that stank like the Void, with a different, far-more sinister energy than Thesis.

“Tsk, tsk.” hissed a voice, as that blurry shape moved restlessly back and forth, weaving between them, seeming to peer over them patronizingly as it stayed just far enough outside of reality that none of them could do anything about it. “Won't the Lady Thokk be displeased with this? Oh, Heimdall. How the mighty have fallen.”

“My name is Thesis, Rig. Please remember that.” Thesis said evenly, and then he slowly turned around, shifting almost as if to protect Thorn as he added calmly: “Why don't you show your face instead of skulking around in the shadows? I don't think any of the ponies here appreciate that.”

“You've grown so soft, Heimdall. And so traitorous. It's disappointing.” the entity called Rig replied distastefully, a moment before a shape twisted into being beside Innocence, making her shout in frustration as it grasped her by the scruff of the neck with a clawed hand and yanked her up into the air.

She grabbed wildly at its wrist as Antares snarled, but Thesis was the first to react, snapping: “Put her down, Rig!”

“Fine.” Rig said moodily, and the creature almost flung Innocence down. The mare swore as she bounced over the ground before she looked over her shoulder at Rig, then grimaced and quickly hopped away, shivering in revulsion at the thought that this thing had touched her.

Rig snorted in disdain at this, looking with contempt over the ponies as he crossed his bony arms: he looked terribly thin, his body somehow jagged, his legs and arms unnaturally bent and twisted. His body seemed to ruffle and flow like it was made of a thousand different liquid shadows, and a long, rotting tail of feathers hung out from behind him in a fan, eternally bleeding ashes that barely kissed the ground before they faded from reality. A half-cape of ugly black feathers hung around his shoulders, with the same strange and seemingly-endless flow of ashes spilling down from it.

His hands were yellowed and scaly, bird's scaly claws tipped with jagged black talons. His head was a white skull, with a long , ugly beak: red hatred glowed in the sockets, but Antares couldn't tell if it was some kind of mask or not, since the beak didn't move, and yet the ugly thing spoke all the same: “Stop playing around, Heimdall. We have to go. I found your precious quarry.”

“My brother?” Thesis' eyes widened as he turned towards Rig, biting his lip as he looked quickly over his shoulder at Thorn before he suddenly turned his eyes back to the creature and snapped: “Then we leave immediately! Take me to them, I will bring my brother to Thokk!”

Rig snorted in contempt at this, pointing past Thesis at Thorn and retorting: “You were given another job by Thokk, Thesis! Complete your-”

Thesis snarled, his eyes flashing before he began to open his mouth, and then he suddenly closed his jaws, took a slow breath, and then he looked over his shoulder at Thorn again before asking quietly: “Decretum, or Endworld?”

“Decretum. We'll be waiting.” Thorn replied calmly, and then he added after a moment: “Tell my parents... tell them I said hello.”

“Tell them we all said hello!” Antares declared, and then he halted and scratched moodily under his chin as all eyes turned towards him, the stallion mumbling: “That sounded a lot better in my head.”

Thesis smiled a little as Thorn shook his head slowly and Pinkamena rolled her eyes, and Rig looked around with contempt and disgust before he started: “Heimdall, it is shameful that-”

“We know where Thorn will be. He will be in Decretum. I can go to fetch him at any time, and I am sure Thokk will be pleased that Empress Hecate will simply open the door for our arrival.” Thesis replied evenly, before he added in a sharper voice: “Scrivener and Luna can move through the worlds as they please and have already escaped us too many times in the past. Either we take this opportunity now, or we risk losing them again and spending days, weeks, or even longer trying to find them and capture them. Let's not waste any more time, Rig!”

Rig shifted slowly, and then he snorted, scowling over the ponies. “Fine. But know that your true desires are translucent, Heimdall. And I highly doubt Thokk will be half so accommodating of your... longings.”

“Thokk will have no complaints when we return to her with the Valkyrie and my brother.” Thesis retorted, shaking his head shortly before he turned his eyes towards Thorn, his gaze lingering on his little brother for a few moments before he said softly: “I will... see you soon.”

Rig snorted in disdain, but then Thesis turned towards him and said shortly: “Open the path to the Bellona. We'll prepare and depart immediately.”

“Fine.” Rig snorted, looking slowly over Thesis before he waved an arm irritably outward, and there was a thrum before a rip twisted itself open in reality, the vortex shimmering eerily with a magic unlike any of them had ever seen before. But Thorn recognized it, all the same, even if the others didn't know what to make of it: Asgardian magic. Almost the same power that Thokk had used.

Rig surveyed them distastefully for a moment, and then he simply turned and stepped into the portal he had created for himself. Thesis lingered longer, looking over his shoulder at Thorn, before he glanced up in surprise as Antares said softly: “I'll take care of him, pal. You go see my folks. Guess they'd be pretty mad if I kicked your ass, anyway. That's kind of their thing, after all.”

Thesis looked at Antares for a few moments, and then he smiled faintly and nodded before turning towards the rift in reality and leaping through it. He vanished in a flash, and there was silence for a few moments before Avalon asked disbelievingly: “We're just letting him leave? Just like that?”

“Just like that.” agreed Antares, smiling slightly over at Avalon as he shrugged easily, and the mare glowered at him horribly before the stallion absently stretched one of his forelegs out, adding in a quieter voice: “Let's not pretend the dude was trying that hard, either. If he wanted to take us down, there's no way we would have been able to stop him.”

Avalon grimaced at this, hovering moodily in the air as she looked grouchily off to the side, and then Thorn said, almost abruptly: “Thank you.”

Antares looked up in surprise, and then he simply shrugged before grinning wryly, saying softly: “Hey, no worries. I got a feeling this is just the beginning, anyway. And like I said...

“Mutt and Dad would be mad as hell if they didn't get a chance to fight him.”

My Brother's Keeper

Chapter Thirty Six: My Brother's Keeper
~BlackRoseRaven

Luna Brynhild hummed cheerfully to herself as she polished her rifle in front of the campfire, seated on a large, mossy stone, her armor feeling comfortable and simply right on her body. Normally she and her partners would relax a little more, but Morgan had sensed something lingering around their campsite, so they had prepared themselves accordingly. And Luna was always happy for an excuse to make Scrivener and Morgan dress up in their gear. She liked them that way.

Scrivener Blooms was lounging on a nearby log, absently digging small gouges in it with his silvery Talons as he discussed some silly thing with Morgan Heldóttir, who had folded her cloak neatly aside and was sitting back on a flat rock, reading from one of the many books she insisted on carrying around with her while she argued with her husband. With their husband, Luna thought, smiling softly over at the two as she paused for a moment in polishing Sting to reach up and silently touch the black pearl in the collar at her neck.

Both Scrivener and Morgan felt the mare's eyes on her and the flux of emotion, both of them automatically reaching up to touch their own collars. They traded small smiles, and then Luna chuckled quietly as she tossed the rag she had been using into the flickering blue flames, watching as it was slowly consumed in the ethereal fire as she remarked: “'Tis wonderful, isn't it?”

“Yes. Our life is fantastic, between the constant running from Inquisitors, the errands Hel sends us on under the threat of dragging us back to Helheim, and now, this whole thing with Thokk and all our old enemies returning from the Void. It's not like the Terrors were bad enough or anything, right?” Scrivener remarked wryly, and then he grunted when Morgan gently punched him in the foreleg, looking at him with quiet amusement.

“It is good, and you know it.” she said softly, and Scrivener Blooms smiled in spite of himself as he shrugged a bit, but this time Morgan only smiled back at him.

Luna grunted after a moment, shrugging and saying easily: “I can certainly think of no greater way to spend the rest of our lives. Adventuring, having fun, seeking glory. It sounds a damned sight better than being trapped in Helheim.”

Even Scrivener had to nod in agreement at this, before he said softly: “I hate that we can't just... go home, though. That we're always on the road, that we can't do anything to really help or protect our family-”

“As if our family needs protection.” Luna snorted in amusement, smiling slightly, before she continued cheerfully: “Nay, all is damned well and good, Scrivy. Thou art just far too negative to see that. It would do thee a world of good to try and look at the positives, I will have thee know.”

“You're just excited about the fact that apparently horrible things are coming out of the Void. Which, by the way, is actually something that no one should be excited about.” Scrivener replied dryly, and Luna shrugged amiably as she winked over at the stallion. “I mean, do you seriously want Valthrudnir to return for the millionth time?”

“Aye, let him! 'Twould be grand, methinks, Scrivy, seeing his face when he sees that great mighty Jötnar as he is, and yet there are now plenty of inferior beasties like us who have made his great and miraculous return from the Void nothing more than a parlor trick.” Luna retorted, then she stomped a hoof and added with a grin: “And then, well, the only difficulty would be in deciding what to do first: smash his handsome face or shove my spear up his handsome rump.”

“Can we not refer to Valthrudnir as 'handsome?' That makes me feel weird.” Scrivener said dryly, and Luna shrugged before she clicked her tongue thoughtfully, and both Scrivener and Morgan winced at the images that entered their minds. “Oh come on!”

“What? I cannot control my urges! I am but a primal, silly beast!” Luna complained, flinging her forelegs wide and almost whacking Scrivener with the bladed end of her rifle, making him flinch and then glare at her horribly. “Oh cease, it barely came close to thee.”

Scrivener only scowled horribly at Luna as Morgan sighed and shook her head, and then the sapphire mare shrugged before simply tossing Sting into the air, the rifle-revolver flipping once before it dropped down into the holster across Luna's back. She grinned and spread her forelegs, but Scrivener and Morgan only looked at her mildly: telekinesis made tricks like that a lot easier, after all. That, and the fact they had seen it a thousand times before made it much less impressive.

Luna huffed loudly at them, and then she kicked grouchily at the campfire before crossing her forelegs and grumbling under her breath. Morgan smiled at her, and Scrivener shook his head before he went back to carving absently along the log with one claw of a Talon, picking up calmly: “Anyway. I think when you talk about Grimley's analysis, it's important to remember he never experienced any of this. Devil or not, he was born outside of Helheim's system of rules, and he spent almost his entire life in safe zones and sanctuaries. He wrote about the people's plight, but he never really experienced what it was like in Helheim's cities, and for the prisoners.”

“I think that makes it all the more noble, though.” Morgan said, and Scrivener smiled slightly.

“I think that's why he thought they were noble savages, instead of just savages. You know I'm not arguing there aren't great people in Helheim. But a lot of us deserve what we got. Even us.” Scrivener said quietly, and Morgan looked at him softly before she winced and Scrivener yelped when a rock bounced off his head.

He glared over at Luna, who huffed at him crankily before she complained loudly: “Scrivy, thou art being a buttocks again. Thou art made of nothing but tawdry complaints. We did not deserve all this. We... may have deserved some of it, aye. We have not been the greatest of examples.” Luna quieted a little, and then she smiled a bit and said softly: “But we did not deserve all that we have suffered.”

“Yeah. But do we deserve all the good things that have happened, either?” Morgan asked, and Luna scoffed loudly at her.

“Now what, thou art taking Scrivy's side? Damnation, Morgan Heldóttir. 'Tis disappointing. A terrible disappointment.” Luna grumbled, before she shook her head quickly and added haughtily: “And thou art both idiots, 'tis very obvious that this Grimlock was but some silly mortal that the demons mistook for one of their own and thus laid claim to his writings as gospel.”

“Grimley.” both Scrivener and Morgan corrected at once, and then the two traded amused smiles before Scrivener added: “That's also both completely impossible and completely insane. There's all kinds of evidence that he was actually a devil and he existed, not to mention the fact that he's still alive today, living in the Etterbuck Sanctum, and we actually met him that one time-”

“Shut up, Scrivy. Thou art a butt. And thou should both know by now that I am automatically correct about everything.” Luna retorted imperiously, crossing her forelegs and raising her head proudly in the air, before she suddenly stiffened slightly.

Morgan and Scrivener both sensed it, narrowing their eyes as the violet mare's took on a strange glow as she scanned back and forth. But it was Luna who located the presence first, as this time, there was a very physical being spying on them, and the physical was something she had never had any problem with hunting down.

Luna turned her gaze towards the edge of their encampment, opening her mouth to call out whatever was watching them as both Scrivener and Morgan turned... before all three ponies stared in shock as a stallion who was eerily, synthetically perfect strode out towards them, accompanied by a ghastly, ghoulish apparition. But none of them cared about the monster accompanying him: all of them only cared about the monster walking towards them.

“Thesis.” Scrivener Blooms said quietly, standing up and straightening as he faced the stallion grimly.

Thesis had his white eyes locked on him, their gazes meeting evenly as he approached, his body trembling with almost tangible anticipation. But there was something different about him, Scrivener thought, even as Luna and Morgan quickly took up ready positions beside them, ready to act at the first moment Thesis lashed out at them, knowing that-

“Hello, brother. Hello, Luna Brynhild, Twilight Sparkle. I've been looking for you.” Thesis said quietly, and then he glanced over at the crow-monster striding beside him, saying shortly: “Rig, please leave us. This is personal.”

The thing called Rig snorted, then retorted callously: “Heimdall, we both have our orders from Thokk. Yours is to deal with difficult targets. Mine is to keep you in line and ensure that you do not go and do anything foolish. I will stay.”

Thesis glared over at Rig, but then he simply snorted before looking back over at the trio of ponies. They surveyed him uneasily in return, and there was silence for a few long moments before Luna said quietly: “Heimdall was the Watcher. And Rig was the name he took while gallivanting upon Midgard. Why does this monstrosity speak to you so, Thesis?”

“I don't know, Brynhild, as the past should be left to lay in the past. He just can't seem to learn my name.” Thesis replied calmly, and then he hesitated only a moment before adding quietly: “Your sons said hello, by the way. Thorn, and Antares. I suppose your daughters do, too, but. Scarlet Sage is very quiet, and Innocence is rather...”

He broke off and smiled a little, and at first the trio of ponies stiffened, glaring furiously at him until Luna suddenly frowned slightly, and Scrivener tilted his head, asking almost uneasily: “Is this the part where you... tell us that you captured them, or...”

Thesis only smiled, bowing his head silently, and there was quiet for a few moments before Luna frowned and relaxed slightly. She rose her head curiously, and Thesis shook his own before he answered honestly: “I was sent by Thokk to capture your son, Thorn. But your family proved extremely resilient. I wasn't able to defeat them... Antares is extremely loyal to his brother.”

Luna smiled proudly at this as Morgan rose her head slightly, before Rig snarled: “They would have fallen like chaff if you had chosen to fight instead of standing down so you could chase after these ninnies!”

Thesis simply shrugged, giving Rig a moody look, and Luna snorted in amusement before Scrivener said quietly: “You know. Suddenly I'm not so sure that we've ever met... you.”

The Replicant gave a quiet laugh at this, shaking his head slowly before he replied: “Thank you. But I'm not quite sure I would go that far, Scrivener Blooms. Unfortunately, I can't promise that this lucidity will last forever.”

“Aye, but perhaps it will last long enough for us to get to know thee all the same.” Luna said with a sudden smile, raising her head and nodding firmly once. “Well, Thesis. As thou art not attempting to 'rip our faces off,' as I believe the term goes, nor rend us asunder with either thy nasty words or wicked hooves, I shall ask this of thee: how is our family? How is Thorn? Do they know?”

Thesis smiled a little, studying the three for a few moments before he nodded and opened his mouth to reply, but he was cut off when Rig stepped forwards and gestured disdainfully at the ponies, snapping: “Do I need to remind you that these rotten dregs are your enemy and prey, Thesis? They are outlaw, they are scum, they are criminals who must be shackled by death if they will not submit themselves to Thokk!”

Thesis slowly turned his eyes towards Rig, studying him evenly before he said slowly and deliberately: “I am having a conversation, Rig. I recognize that you might not understand what that means, but that means I am talking, using my mouth, to these people, who are talking back to me. We are not killing each other and we are not threatening each other. We are just talking. That's a conversation. Where you talk to someone. Get it?”

Rig's eyes burned furiously into Thesis as Luna grinned wryly, and then she said calmly: “If thy friend is so eager for battle, Thesis, we would be more than happy to accommodate his desires. Do not fear. It shall be over very quickly.”

Rig hissed in disgust at this, turning towards Luna Brynhild with a look of contempt and fury, but Thesis only smiled in amusement before he answered: “As much as I appreciate the offer, Luna Brynhild... unfortunately, Rig and I are linked. If he's sent back to the Void, then I'm afraid I'll be going as well.”

Luna snorted at this, and Morgan frowned a little as she looked uncertainly over Rig, as the crow-like creature hissed: “Do you thrive on betrayal, Thesis? Because that is what this is, yet another in a long series of betrayals!”

Thesis only looked distastefully at Rig for a few moments before he shook his head and returned his eyes to the ponies. “As I was trying to say. Thorn is doing well, and...” Thesis smiled briefly. “He's a better pony than I am.”

“Well, of course he is! He is better than all of us, Thesis, and perhaps my favorite child of the four!” Luna proclaimed proudly, raising her head high as Scrivener and Morgan both looked at her mildly. “Why, look at him! He is a gorgeous stallion, just like his Móðer, yet he has the mind of his mother and the... well, the stubbornness of his father, but I am not quite sure that is something to be so proud of.”

Thesis chuckled quietly, and then he said softly: “And you left him in the care of... my mother. You'll excuse me if I find that a little...”

“Strange? Aye, perhaps. Or perhaps, Thesis, we were simply trying to give back to her what we had helped to take away.” Luna replied with a shrug, looking meditatively over Thesis before she shook her head with a quiet chuckle. “We are not blind to the fact that... there has always been collateral damages in our quests. The cost of what we have done has often been high, and not just for us, but for others as well.”

Luna quieted, then cleared her throat and shook her head, continuing in a brisker voice: “But 'tis nothing that we can simply dwell upon, either, and do not think we shall hesitate to make it hoof party in thy face's house should thou cross us. Especially if thou art an agent of Thokk now, Thesis.”

Thesis only smiled and bowed his head, even as Scrivener Blooms added quietly: “It's funny, but I never really saw you as the 'taking orders' type, in spite of everything.”

“I don't want to obey Thokk. But I also don't have much of a choice, unfortunately.” Thesis replied, shaking his head briefly as he studied the two, and then he said in a softer voice: “I'm not doing this for her, though. I'm doing this because of a promise you made. Do you remember it, my brother?”

Scrivener Blooms opened his mouth with a frown... and then he shifted uneasily even as Luna snorted and scoffed: “The only promise we have ever made to thee is that we would punish and kill thee. And we did both.”

Rig growled at this, leaning forwards as if insulted, but Thesis only smiled in amusement before he shook his head and said softly: “I don't blame you if you don't remember. I was in the Void, and the Void was not... entirely healthy for me. Even if part of my mind returned, the programming was still there, the evil was still inside me...”

Thesis' eyes naturally drew to Rig, the Replicant frowning for a moment before he shook his head and looked back at Scrivener and Luna, studying them silently for a few moments before his eyes shifted to Morgan Heldóttir, adding quietly: “You weren't there. I don't know why. But I wouldn't say no to you joining us.”

Scrivener frowned deeper, and Luna tilted her head slowly as Morgan shifted uneasily before she asked hesitantly: “What are you talking about, Thesis?”

For a few moments, there was silence, and then Thesis smiled faintly before he shook his head slowly and murmured: “Family is the most important thing. Family is why I'm doing what I must do now. Because Thokk promised me that you and I would be together, as brothers, and that's all I care about. That our families are united. I've failed so many other people in my lifetime, Scrivener. I just want the fighting to end. Even if that means putting a stop to you and Mom, so that Thokk can have her petty victory.”

“Do you believe in Thokk? Or do you just believe Thokk can't be stopped?” Scrivener asked, ignoring the bigger question for now: he could see a bit of that old fanaticism rising up in Thesis, now, the obsession that had made him so dangerous an opponent, so inflexible, so relentless and convinced he was right...

“Yes. I do.” Thesis said quietly, although Scrivener had the feeling he was only answering one of those questions, as the Replicant's eyes shifted uneasily again towards Rig.

Rig scowled darkly, looking moodily down at Thesis for a few moments before the entity suddenly snorted, then turned his callous eyes towards Scrivener Blooms, saying contemptibly: “Enough, Heimdall. Capture or kill them. Your weakness is a blight upon our honor.”

“I have known weakness in my lifetime, Rig. And I can assure you, this is not weakness.” Thesis replied coldly, before he winced when Rig reached down and suddenly grasped him by the head, squeezing his fingers into Thesis' scalp.

The Replicant began to open his mouth, and then he gasped in pain, his eyes bulging as his whole body visibly shook. He tried to yank free, and Scrivener felt his body tense before both he and Luna looked up in surprise as Morgan suddenly stepped forwards, lashing her horn out to send a blast of magic at Rig.

Rig barely reacted as the magic curved itself around his body, the crow-monster smiling contemptibly as it looked up with a snort. Morgan's eyes widened in disbelief before she gritted her teeth as Rig flung Thesis down into the dirt, then, to their surprise, vanished from sight, his voice ordering coldly: “Deal with them, Heimdall. Obey your Mistress. Be who you truly are.”

Thesis shivered for a moment on the ground, and then he clenched his eyes shut as his body flexed. Scrivener's eyes narrowed, as he noted the black ooze leaking out from under the strange, chitinous metal plate lodged into Thesis' back, and the way he steamed faintly with energy...

“Brother... don't... don't leave me...” whispered Thesis, his eyes still tightly closed, his body trembling as his head jerked back and forth, before he almost whimpered: “I can't... I can't control myself, I'm s-sorry, but don't... I don't want to be alone... but oh, a thousand years of anger and hate and despair and...”

Thesis shifted back and forth, and then his white eyes snapped open, and Scrivener and Luna both set themselves as they recognized the fury and the madness in the stallion's eyes, as Thesis shouted angrily: “I have come to you as a friend, and this, this is your answer? I will not be denied! I will not be ignored! I will make you listen to me!”

Thesis lunged forward, rabid, furious, insane, his hooves rising, and then the Replicant's eyes widened in shock even through his delirium when Scrivener Blooms leapt forward to meet him, catching his wrists in the steel grip of his Talons and holding him in place as he said quietly: “You're better than this, Thesis.”

“I wish I was.” Thesis whispered in a moment of lucidity, and then he trembled before he leaned forwards and shouted angrily: “You! You promised you would stay with us! You and Luna Brynhild! Come back to the Void! Father and I waited, waited so long for you!”

Scrivener looked silently at Thesis as the Replicant uselessly tugged on him, trying to free himself, but even maddened as he was, Thesis wasn't nearly as strong as he had once been. He had no power, no focus, and that rage and despair coursing through him was eating him up inside, not driving him into aggression, as he howled: “None of it matters! We are all nothing, nothing but failures and lumps of flesh, bonded together by biology! Give me my peace, I don't care about petty morality or lies of honor, they're just words, but family... my family... my family will...”

Thesis trembled, then lowered his head suddenly, his whole body shivering as he whispered: “Take away my pain.”

“We cannot come with thee, Thesis. Not now. In the future? I do not know, but first, Thokk must be punished...” Luna's eyes looked coldly back and forth before she said quietly: “And thou, too, Rig, shall be punished for this.”

“N-No! You will now, I will not be denied again!” Thesis shouted almost desperately, and Scrivener's eyes widened as he felt the Replicant suddenly twist his front hooves free before he seized Scrivener's claws and bent them backwards, snarling into the stallion's face as he shouted: “I will not be abandoned again!”

In a flash, Luna and Morgan were on either side of Thesis, Luna slashing in with her horn as Morgan swung a hoof at the stallion's vulnerable side, but Thesis was even faster: in a moment, he had slung Scrivener's claws backwards and instead slammed his front hooves out to either side, catching both mares by the face before he swung his rear hooves up and viciously kicked them into Scrivener, knocking the stallion sprawling with a grunt of pain.

Thesis launched himself backwards, shoving Morgan and Luna's heads together with a loud, almost comical crash. He flipped neatly through the air as the two fell in a stunned heap, and the only thing that stopped Thesis from pressing his advantage was his own madness, the Replicant clutching at his head and gasping as he whispered: “Why... why am I doing this...”

Scrivener began to open his mouth as he climbed up to his hooves, but Luna shook her head shortly as quickly leapt to a ready position, muttering: “Do not even bother, Scrivy. He is maddened. Not the Thesis thou desires to know, but the Thesis we had the misfortune of fighting all those years ago...”

“Thokk must use Rig to control him. To... twist Thesis' personality. But why?” Morgan climbed to her own hooves, looking uncertainly at Thesis, and Scrivener and Luna both heard the thoughts of the mare as she tried to find the answer to her question: if Thokk was so powerful she could control the Voidborn, make them do whatever she pleased, give them back their sanity or infuse them with madness, why wouldn't she just bend Thesis into the monster she clearly wanted him to be?

“Because she is either gleefully cruel, or she is foolishly arrogant.” Luna growled, pawing a hoof at the ground. Yet even if Thesis was shivering and whimpering away, grasping at his head and twitching helplessly, she wasn't about to underestimate what he was capable of. In the past, Thesis had proven to be one of their most deranged, deadliest enemies, and if he was so strong that he could resist Scrivener Blooms even without his exoskeleton...

“We can't risk making too much commotion, though, either, or the Archives will lock on to us!” Morgan said urgently, and Luna grimaced before her eyes widened in surprise as Thesis suddenly looked up and locked on to them with fury burning in his eyes, roaring at them like an animal as he leapt forwards with wild, vicious savagery.

Luna immediately jumped to meet him, and she was stunned by the strength of the Replicant as she barely blocked a sharp series of blows with his forelegs, the mare swearing under her breath before she caught one of his punches and flung him off to the side. Thesis twisted sideways, and Luna smashed a quick uppercut into his kidney before blasting him over with telekinesis and leaping on top of him, stomping her front hooves viciously down into his side.

She was shocked when Thesis half-rolled to seize her before he twisted and slammed her face-first into the ground. Immediately, Scrivener leapt in to try and grab Thesis, but the Replicant twisted himself around to kick Luna in the stomach and knock her like a cannonball into Scrivener.

As the two were knocked sprawling, Thesis leapt up to his hooves and dove towards them: he was immediately intercepted by Morgan, however, who smashed a hoof across his muzzle before she blasted him into the air with telekinesis. Thesis twisted his body around to try and recover, but Morgan followed up with a second blast of psychokinetic force that smashed into him from above and drove him face-first into the ground.

Thesis recovered shockingly fast all the same, shoving himself up to his hooves and leaping towards Morgan. But the violet mare was ready for him, her eyes narrowed as she blocked a short volley of punches before ducking under a vicious hammer-hoof, the strike just brushing her black-fire mane before Morgan leapt forwards and slammed a ferocious uppercut into Thesis' jaw as she used both magic and a flap of her wings to add momentum and power to the blow.

Thesis flew bonelessly backward, his jaw shattered, his eyes bulging as he smashed through several low-hanging branches. He hit the ground with a dull thud as broken wood pattered around him, and Morgan landed a moment later, smiling gamely, her head raised high and proud, her expression fearless.

Luna and Scrivener joined her, readying themselves on either side of the mare, Luna all-but-glowing with pride and Scrivener grinning in anticipation. They had all changed, grown stronger, and while they might not have necessarily become better ponies for it, the once shy and uneasy Twilight Sparkle had finally begun to truly accept and embrace her heritage, and who she was at heart. Morgan Heldóttir was slowly becoming everything that Twilight Sparkle had dreamt of being, in both her brightest and darkest moments.

Thesis slowly picked himself up, shaking himself out as if the blow had rattled more than his body, a bit of energy steaming up from his face even as his jaw visibly clicked itself back together. He absently reached up and rubbed slowly at the underside of his mouth, and then he frowned strangely and shook his head quickly, before visibly flinching when Rig's voice snarled: “Kill them!”

“I... I don't...” Thesis frowned, and then he shivered and swore as he grabbed at his head, shouting: “What are you doing to me?”

“Making you remember, Heimdall, that's all. Giving you the encouragement you seem to need to get the job done.” growled Rig's voice, and Thesis snarled as he twitched violently back and forth before he gasped as steaming black poison visibly began to leak out from beneath the metal plate over his back, his white eyes glowing with frenzied emotions before he bared his metal teeth in fury as his eyes locked on the trio of ponies.

There was no more recognition, no more sense in his eyes: only hate, only anger, only madness. He leapt at them with a thousand years of bottled-up rage unleashed in a moment, and Morgan, Luna, and Scrivener could only prepare themselves for the worst, bracing themselves as he smashed into them like a one-horse stampede.

Thesis slammed a hoof towards Morgan, and she was barely able to block it: Luna responded by swinging a sharp counterstrike at Thesis' face, but was shocked when the stallion simply slammed his head forwards into her hoof, with enough force to disrupt her blow before he slammed his other hoof roughly up into her extended forelimb.

Luna swore as she drew quickly back, her whole leg on fire with pain as Scrivener leapt in from the side and Morgan snapped her horn down: Thesis was blasted off his hooves by telekinesis, but he still somehow managed to twist himself around and slam both rear hooves into Scrivener's face with a resounding crunch.

The stallion crashed backwards with a gasp of pain as black blood flew from his muzzle, and Luna and Morgan both winced in surprise at the power of the blow as they felt the stallion's pain through their soul link.

Thesis took advantage of the moment of loss of balance: he not only lunged back into the fray, but caught Morgan around the neck, yanking her into the air and slamming her down in a suplex on top of Luna.

Both mares were crushed flat before Thesis rolled quickly back to his hooves and lunged at Scrivener as the stallion blearily began to climb to his hooves. He was snapped out of his daze by a savage hook across his face, Scrivener staggering with a curse before he was driven backwards by a volley of vicious strikes from Thesis.

Scrivener finally managed to catch one of Thesis' wrists in a Talon, before he cursed and brought up his foreleg, blocking a hook as he glared furiously at the Replicant. Thesis was unstoppable, however, lunging forward and slamming his skull into Scrivener's, knocking them apart.

Thesis stumbled stupidly backwards as well as Scrivener, however, blinking dumbly at the hardness of the stallion's head before he snarled when Luna grabbed him from behind, yanking him off his hooves and spinning him right into a savage tomahawk from Morgan Heldóttir.

Thesis was sent crashing face-first into the ground with a bang, before Luna leapt upwards and yanked Thesis with her, forelegs laced tightly around his waist as she carried him into the air. Thesis flailed and kicked uselessly as Luna grinned widely, smashing her way up through the narrow branches before she suddenly half-flipped and flung Thesis above her, the Replicant's limbs pinwheeling as his body flipped out of control.

Morgan appeared in a flash above Thesis, slamming a savage, dropping punch into the stallion that sent him rocketing back downwards, before Luna viciously kicked him with both hind legs, knocking him back into the air. He spun wildly out of control before Morgan plowed into his side, following up her shoulder charge with a savage blast of magic that sent Thesis howling through the air, leaving a trail of smoke behind him, before he was intercepted by a vicious slam from Luna and sent hurtling towards the earth.

The treebranches he crashed through on the way down slowed him slightly, but not enough to let him recover before Scrivener Blooms leapt up and slammed both claws in a rising strike into Thesis' face, knocking him backwards with a gurgle. And, before he could hit the ground, Luna and Morgan shot down like twin meteors, both slamming a hoof savagely into Thesis' stomach and launching him into the earth with such violence that the entire world shook.

Both mares flapped their wings and landed on either side of the smoking crater, Morgan flicking her horn to blow away the cloud of dust they had kicked up from the violence of the crash.

Thesis was already climbing out of the crater, breathing hard and looking shaken, but a little clearer, too, Scrivener thought. The trio of ponies readied themselves even as Thesis shivered and dropped his head, energy steaming off his body as the Replicant whispered: “Incredible.”

“So is it just me, or do you seem to get much saner after we punch the crap out of you?” Scrivener asked mildly, and Thesis looked up before he gave a brief smile.

“Neural reactions, the interruption of bioelectrical conduits, the...” Thesis reached up and rubbed slowly at his head before he mumbled: “To hell with it, I don't know.”

Thesis shoved himself up out of the crater, before he scowled when Rig's voice growled: “Kill them, Heimdall! Don't dally! They are still nothing compared to you!”

“I'll fight them. But if you keep screwing with my head, they're going to keep making a mockery out of me. They need to be fought intelligently. Which you obviously don't know how to do.” Thesis retorted, raising his head, and Scrivener thought he was doing his best to hide a smile as he said in a quieter voice: “Leave this to me.”

Rig growled in distaste, but then simply snorted, his presence fading. Thesis rolled his shoulders absently, and his mouth quirked before he asked: “So I suppose you think you're all much stronger than me now, right?”

Luna grinned proudly as Morgan Heldóttir only smiled, and Scrivener shrugged before he said mildly: “We did just punch you so hard you left a hole in the ground.”

Thesis glanced over his shoulder at the crater thoughtfully, and then he nodded once before he drew his eyes back over the three, saying softly: “I know you're not trying yet. Your physical powers alone are incredible, though. I'm very impressed.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, as if thinking, before he rose his head and said calmly: “But you can't kill me with your hooves alone. The Voidborn are sentient energy: only your most powerful magic can devastate me enough to kill me. And it sounds like you three are very hesitant to use your abilities.”

“Aye, but I am happy enough to use thee like a kickball for the time being.” Luna retorted, and Thesis shrugged amiably at this, nodding once before the sapphire mare said quietly: “Let us go on our way. And thou go on thine, do whatever thou must. There is less reward in punishing thee when thou art the sane Thesis than when thou art wild with rage.”

“Or are you just afraid that like this I might actually pose a threat?” Thesis asked glibly, and Luna scowled horribly, snorting and raising her head grouchily before the Replicant turned his eyes towards Scrivener Blooms, smiling slightly at him. “You know that I can't stop now, brother.”

“I know. But I wish you would.” Scrivener said softly, and Thesis smiled again before the stallion set himself, as Morgan and Luna both did the same, the three becoming serious again. “Alright, Thesis. We'll grant you your wish, then.”

Thesis only bowed his head politely, and there was silence for a moment, not even the trees stirring around them before Thesis suddenly lunged forward, heading straight for Scrivener Blooms. The stallion leaned forwards, ready to meet him-

The Replicant suddenly stomped both front hooves into the ground, and Scrivener's eyes widened before he shoved both Luna and Morgan away, a moment before a flurry of black spikes erupted from the ground and tore through his body. He gasped in pain, but the corruption had far less of an effect on him than it would on either mare, even as he was left impaled on his rear hooves by the crystalline spikes.

Luna's eyes widened in shock before she snarled and lunged towards Thesis, then swore in frustration when he flicked a hoof, sending out a spray of black ooze that splattered over her features and made her stumble. She staggered right into a vicious punch that knocked her on her back as the black poison hardened over her eyes, as Thesis neatly sidestepped a vicious slash from Morgan's horn at the same time.

Morgan twisted towards him, her horn lighting up with blue fire, but Thesis blocked the attack with both forelegs before he shoved her hard backwards even as he gritted his teeth in pain. Morgan stumbled, then gasped when Thesis slammed a hoof into the side of her neck before she gargled when a spike of corruption shot through her throat, before Thesis shoved her over and staked her to the ground by the blade of crystal through her neck.

Scrivener cursed, then he suddenly snarled before shoving himself forwards, shattering his way through the spikes of black crystal as his own corruption-fueled body absorbed the poisons. He leapt towards Thesis, slashing down a Talon, but Thesis smoothly backstepped, ducking and weaving his way easily between swipes of Scrivener's claws before he suddenly drove an elbow into the side of Scrivener's head, knocking the stallion staggering before a hoof slammed up under his chin and sent him sprawling to the ground in a senseless heap.

Luna roared in fury, her horn glowing brightly and shattering the hardened crystal over her face before she leapt to her hooves with a snarl, a flush of humiliation in her cheeks as her mane exploded into blue flames. She glared at the Replicant, who looked back at her fearlessly before he rose a hoof and beckoned to her. “Guess you aren't nearly as strong as I thought after all. Hard to fight someone who can fight back, isn't it?”

It was a transparent, obvious provocation, and Luna, being Luna, fell for it hook, line, and sinker, leaping forwards with a snarl as her horn glowed brightly: “I shall show thee 'hard!'”

Thesis evaded her slashing horn, replying easily as he did so: “Please don't, I'd rather not have anything to do with that part of your body.”

Luna blinked as she stumbled to a halt, and Thesis danced backwards to the edge of the crater with a wide grin before he said pleasantly, as Scrivener slowly started to recover and Morgan managed to pull herself free from the spike of crystal, the wound in her throat visibly stitching itself together with strings of black magic: “I know how handsome I am, but I'm not into drag queens.”

Luna slowly twitched, then she roared furiously before diving at Thesis, snapping her horn down to send a blast of sapphire hellfire at him she followed close behind. But Thesis neatly ducked under the fireball, moving like liquid as he arched his back and slammed a hoof up under Luna's jaw, knocking her head back in a spray of blood and spittle before she seized her in midair, then turned and flung her sharply down into the crater where her fireball had just hit the ground.

The Valkyrie howled as she was caught in the fierce explosion of her own magic, knocked senseless as Thesis calmly landed in front of the explosion, barely ruffled by it as he rolled his head on his shoulders and smiled towards Scrivener and Morgan. He bowed his head politely as the sapphire flame died out behind him, and Scrivener couldn't help but smile wryly before he remarked: “Luna's not used to not being the most obnoxious person on the battlefield.”

“We don't just fight with our hooves. We fight with our minds.” Thesis replied, reaching up and tapping his temple before he began to step forwards, opening his mouth-

“And sometimes we cheat!” Luna snapped, as Morgan and Scrivener both felt the pulse of power. They opened their mouths to shout, as Thesis started to turn in surprise, but too late: the Valkyrie was already above him, a sight of terror in her smoldering, damaged armor and with her wings spread wide, her mane a maelstrom of fire and a fist raised high above her... wait, what is-

Thesis didn't have time to finish that thought before one of Luna's massive Jötunnfang crashed down on top of him, squashing him flat into the ground. It yanked back after a moment, but was followed by a volley of savage punches that drove Thesis deeper into the broken earth, before both large claws of ice drew back and the sapphire mare simply dropped on top of him to stomp childishly on his crushed, mangled form a few times, before she huffed loudly and strode primly off of the squashed Replicant.

“What the hell, Luna!” Scrivener shouted as Morgan winced, looking worriedly back and forth. “You can't just summon those every time-”

“Yes, I can.” Luna huffed loudly as a Jötunnfang floated down to firmly flick his nose with a finger, then she scowled over her shoulder as Thesis twitched: her expression remained almost childish, but her eyes filled with uncertainly, even worry, as Thesis slowly began to lever himself out of the ground.

Energy steamed off his body, but his broken limbs visibly reset themselves as the Replicant wheezed for breath, even as the large, mangled plate on his back popped off to reveal the permanent crater in his back. Yet all the same, as he shook himself out, his strength visibly recovered in only moments as he looked up and scowled at Luna's floating fists, muttering: “Should have expected something stupid like that.”

“I shall show thee stupid.” Luna growled and then her Jötunnfang dropped on either side of her, both making exceptionally rude gestures towards Thesis, who only rolled his eyes.

He began to open his mouth, then frowned uneasily, suddenly looking back and forth. Morgan swore as she felt it too, and Luna grimaced as she looked up at the sky, muttering: “Impossible. A single summoning shouldn't have called their eyes here...”

“They've been looking for us more actively, though.” Scrivener replied moodily as he looked quickly back and forth, before he looked towards Thesis and said: “We're going to have to finish this later.”

“No!” Thesis almost shouted, and Scrivener frowned, but Thesis bit his lip before he shook his head and stepped forwards, his gaze becoming pleading as he said: “Please, come with me! We can keep you safe from the Inquisitors, and-”

“And at what cost? I will not be anyone's slave, Thesis.” Luna interrupted, stepping forwards and shaking her head as her Jötunnfang punched themselves together threateningly, but then the hands of ice and spirit-flame silently gestured towards him, as she said in a quieter voice: “Why will thou not come with us, or at least escape Thokk?”

“Because I can't.” Thesis admitted in a low voice, lowering his head. “I wish I could. But Rig will not let me and Thokk... Thokk is too powerful. Thokk has power over the Void, and in the end, we all go to the Void. All Thokk has to do is wait for us all to die, and... she wins. Don't you understand? It's... it's hopeless.”

“No. There's always hope.” Morgan said quietly, and Thesis glanced up at the purple mare, who gave a small smile before she shook her head slowly. “You can't give up, Thesis. The very fact that you're here should be testament to the fact that nothing is impossible.”

Thesis smiled briefly at this, shaking his head slowly before he frowned when Luna whistled sharply, reality trembling around them as he leaned forwards and said almost desperately: “Wait! Just stay for a little while longer, I... I won't let them take you! There's so much more I want to talk about, so much I need to tell you, that-”

“Oh damnation, Hex can't reach us, which means-” Luna gasped, her Jötunnfang suddenly falling from the air as her body began to steam violently. Scrivener and Twilight both flinched, the stallion dropping to a kneel as Morgan looked back and forth, rasping loudly for breath as the color started to drain from her body.

Thesis whirled around as a rip opened in reality, a skull-faced stallion striding through this. A ripped crimson cloak fluttered around his body, open just enough to reveal his tight, rubbery hide, which was stretched thin over pronounced, bulging bones. An amulet hung around his neck, aglow with eldritch powers, and the glow grew brighter as he slowly approached the trio, the stallion hissing: “There is no escape this time, Brynhild.”

Luna looked up with a growl, then suddenly snapped her horn forwards, and one of her Jötunnfang flung itself off the ground to slam itself towards the emaciated stallion. It struck some kind of invisible barrier in front of him, exploding harmlessly into shards of ice and a clinging sapphire mist, but the Inquisitor still flinched from the blast before cursing at the smog that enveloped him.

Luna staggered to her hooves and around in a circle, Scrivener and Morgan following her, before their eyes widened as several more demons appeared in front of them, all of them wearing either rings or amulets bearing the symbol of the Archives of Hel, and glowing with supernatural power, stealing all the strength from the three ponies in front of them while at the same time protecting their wearers.

One of the demons lashed out with a rope, and Scrivener gasped as it wrapped around his neck, the stallion helplessly grabbing at the coil of living, magic-infused twine. He shook his head back and forth, trying uselessly to pull free, but he was almost melting from the influence of the Inquisitors, his corruption boiling over his body, his eyes almost blind as colors flashed wildly across his vision...

Luna roared, charging at another of the Inquisitors, but she uselessly bounced off the invisible barrier protecting it, gasping in pain as electricity shocked painfully over her body before she screamed when the Inquisitor pointed the ring on his claw at her, her body bursting into blue, spirit-feasting flames. Morgan shouted, but the third Inquisitor already has his powers focused on her, runes glowing in a circle around her and trapping her inside their borders.

Thesis trembled, then he looked up as the Inquisitor that had triggered the ambush strode calmly past him. Unable to stop himself, the Replicant stumbled forward before pleading: “Wait! Leave them alone, you can't take them!”

The Inquisitor halted, then frowned over his shoulder at Thesis, studying him contemptibly before he spat to the side and said contemptibly: “They are nothing but filth and betrayers. Mind your own business, hollow vessel.”

Thesis narrowed his eyes at this as the Inquisitor turned away, and then the Replicant said calmly: “Hey.”

The Inquisitor ignored him, before he scowled when Thesis grabbed his cloak and yanked on it, the demon spinning around with a snarl. “What makes you dare touch me, worm?”

“The fact I don't like to sucker punch even scum like you.” Thesis replied eloquently, and the demon had a chance to blink before Thesis' hoof smashed into his face with enough force to launch him through the air, the Inquisitor hitting the ground and bouncing over Luna to land with a thud on top of the demon that was torturing her, disrupting his concentration as he was knocked flat.

Luna immediately leapt up into the air and roared, snapping her horn up as she dispelled the flames from her body with a tremendous shockwave of force. The Inquisitors on either side of the trio were shocked by the burst of power, staggering away and disrupting their magic.

Morgan immediately snapped her horn down, shattering the ring of runes around her before her body transformed into black, rippling shadow, which streaked forwards and hammered into the Inquisitor in front of her, making him cry out in surprise before he screamed in agony as the rippling-black pony hauled him into the air on forelegs that had transformed into gigantic blades. He was tossed aside like a bag of garbage after a moment, the Inquisitor gasping and clutching uselessly at his chest as it fumed with dark energies, whimpering: “H-How...”

The demon beside Scrivener began to look up, before his eyes widened when the stallion lunged suddenly up to his hooves, slamming one of his Talons into the invisible barrier protecting him. The Inquisitor's eyes widened in shock as Scrivener's Talons pounded mercilessly away at the barrier, making reality itself tremble as cracks spread slowly through the invisible shield before he snarled and leapt forwards, shattering through the Inquisitor's protection as his amulet sparked and lost its magic glow.

The demon howled as Scrivener's claws settled around his throat, the stallion forcing the Inquisitor back before he twisted suddenly as he bared his fangs, and the demon's yelling was choked off into useless gargles as his neck snapped like a twig.

Scrivener flung the demon off to the side, but the remaining two Inquisitors were already up on their hooves, Luna snarling as her body trembled violently, energy visibly steaming off of her as she fought to resist the power of the Archives. The other demon, the apparent leader, had his eyes focused on Morgan, her shadowy body flowing and twisting on itself as she fought to resist the white bands of magic crushing around her, as the Inquisitor hissed: “How is this possible? How can you-”

He looked up too late as he caught a movement in the corner of his eye, as Thesis launched himself over Luna before he slammed a hoof into the Inquisitor's skull-like features, knocking him sprawling with a howl. Thesis immediately lunged towards the other surviving demon, grabbing his extended fist before twisting savagely to snap his wrist.

The Inquisitor shrieked in pain as the glow around his ring died out, and then Thesis hauled him over his shoulder and flung him viciously back-first into the ground with a bone-shattering thump. He finished the demon by stomping on his throat, leaving him choking for air as the Replicant shouted: “Get out of here! I'll hold them off!”

Scrivener looked at Thesis with surprise, but there was no time to question: all the three could do was turn and run, not daring to look back as they vanished into the forest and hurried away from the Inquisitors.

All four demons were picking themselves up, however: as bad as their wounds were, these were all elite demons, further empowered and prepared by the Archives. Their skull-faced leader turned a furious look on Thesis, but the Replicant only looked calmly back, even as the demon hissed: “Do you really think that a hollow vessel like you stands any chance against us?”

Thesis only smiled wryly: less than a minute later, the Replicant was looking silently down at the last remaining Inquisitor, who was choking on his own blood, several large, black spikes of crystal buried through his stomach. He looked weakly up at Thesis, but the Replicant only shook his head before he said softly: “Close your eyes. Don't be afraid. You aren't alone.”

The demon trembled, but after a moment, he slumped, his eyes drawing closed, and he gave one last sigh before his body slowly dissolved. Thesis smiled briefly, and then he scowled when Rig said coldly: “You failed. Worse, you helped them. Heimdall, what are you thinking?”

“I was thinking that if they were taken by the demons, they would have been even harder to track down. And we've just learned that so long as they're on Midgard, they can't fight at full strength. Or do you really want to go wading through Helheim to get to them?” Thesis asked irritably as he turned around to look at Rig, before he frowned as he realized there was a hand over Rig's head, making a weird, two-fingered gesture like bunny ears.

Rig seemed completely unaware of this, the creature rolling its eyes before it snapped contemptibly: “Keep your eyes on me at least, Heimdall! What is wrong with you? No focus, ever wandering, and denying your true nature-”

“My true nature is not that of a killer. I am not a destroyer, no matter how hard you twist me, no matter what the programming tells me.” the Replicant snapped, and then he leaned up towards Rig fearlessly, saying quietly: “My name is Thesis. You can transform me into a beast, but you cannot take away who I truly am. I am damaged, I am fragmented, and I have been twisted... but I will not be broken again. All I care about is my family.”

“And everything we've done has been in the name of reuniting family, of restoring everything that we have lost!” Rig retorted, shaking his head vehemently. “How could you argue otherwise?”

The hand disappeared from above Rig's head, and instead, two arms flapped wildly on either side of him, Thesis unable to repress a wry smile that only made the crow-beast snarl and lean down, hissing furiously: “Do not laugh at me, Heimdall! You mock me, but you forget that we are twins, reflections of one-another! When you laugh at me, you only laugh at yourself!”

“Yes, and it's good to laugh at yourself.” Thesis looked up fearlessly, glaring back at Rig as Rig scowled down at him. “Arrogant, cruel, demanding and ruthless... you are all the worst parts of me, jammed into one hideous shape.”

Rig smiled thinly at this, and then he retorted: “You've forgotten what strength is, with all the time you've wasted in that four-legged form, Heimdall. Either that, or Valthrudnir damaged your mind when he gathered up the remains of your soul.”

Thesis snorted at this, and then he frowned a bit when the arms sticking out from behind Rig gestured violently a few times. Rig narrowed his glowing eyes at the stallion's expression, then he spun suddenly around before frowning and looking back and forth.

He turned back around, looking at Thesis, who only looked mildly back at the creature before Rig snorted and said contemptibly: “I am going to report back to Thokk, Thesis. Will you come with me, or will you try and track down the outlaws you helped escape?”

“I'll find where they went, Rig. When you come back for me, we can jump after them and see if we can catch up.” Thesis replied calmly, and Rig glowered at him for a moment longer before the crow-like entity vanished.

There was silence for a few moments, as the sounds of the forest gradually filled in around him. Birdsong, bugs clicking and clacking, the sound of the wind in the branches, and then a faint shifting of dirt and debris as an icy construct formed, her long dress blowing out behind her as she walked in a slow circle around him, saying thoughtfully: “You know, Heimdall, you were always a tremendous jackass. But you never used to be this bad.”

Thesis sighed a little, and then he looked fearlessly up at Hel as he said quietly: “I recognize you. But in two different... minds, so to speak. We met once, while I was serving Valthrudnir, and... we met... before then.”

“Yes, we did, Heimy-whimy.” Hel smiled as she reached up and rapped firmly on her bovine skull with one hand, saying in a brighter voice: “Don't worry, I never seem to be able to get my head quite on straight, either! Even right now, it's all lopsided!”

She giggled as she reached up and grasped her chin, jerking her head back and forth before firmly snapping it to the side to make it spin violently several times. Then it suddenly snapped to a halt, upside down but deadly serious as Hel pointed at him and asked coldly: “What is Thokk doing?”

Thesis only shrugged slowly, and Hel glared before she snapped her fingers, then frowned when nothing happened. She snapped her fingers several more times, then stepped forwards and jabbed Thesis violently in the muzzle several times with one digit, but all she managed to do was make him wrinkle up his muzzle. “Oh, what the me!”

Thesis simply shrugged again, and Hel scowled as she muttered: “Immune to my powers. Because you're from the Void, which is outside of Helheim's domain, so not technically a Beyonder or a lost soul, got it, got it. Dammit all to my house. So I can't just torture the information out of you.”

Hel looked thoughtful for a moment, and then she suddenly thrust her hand up into the air, and Thesis looked up in surprise as a massive boulder of ice appeared above his head, the Queen of Helheim saying coldly: “I can still kill you, though. There's a difference between 'magic resist' and 'gets squished by a giant rock.'”

Thesis slowly brought his eyes down to Hel, the two looking at each other steadily before Hel suddenly broke into a bright smile, snapping her fingers to make the boulder of ice vanish as she said easily: “But I won't, because that would just be silly. And you know me, Heimdall, I'm anything but silly!”

“My name is Thesis. Please.” the Replicant said quietly, and then he hesitated before looking up and saying bluntly: “Thokk wants you dead. She might have the power to do it, too.”

“Well, that's great, see, there's something Thokk and I already have in common, because I badly want her dead, too.” Hel said positively, clapping her hands together with a grin before she leaned in and asked curiously: “And what about you, Thesis? Where do you stand in all of this?”

“I want... I just want to be with my family. But we won't be together unless Thokk wins, and... even if-”

“Even if, even if, oh, don't even start with that silliness.” Hel interrupted, waving her hand grouchily. “Even if is just the exact same as 'could be' or 'would be' or worst of all, 'should be!' Even if even if was ever right, that doesn't change how things are!”

Thesis frowned slightly, looking up uncertainly at the icy construct before Hel leaned forwards, putting her hands on her hips and asking: “So are you going to help me, or are you just going to whine and complain?”

The Replicant frowned deeper at this, but after a moment, he hesitantly nodded and asked after a moment: “What do you want?”

And Hel grinned her devious grin as she leaned forward and beckoned with one finger for the Replicant to come closer so she could better whisper her sweet words into his curious ears.

Between A Cage And A Hard Place

Chapter Thirty Seven: Between A Cage And A Hard Place
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence sighed tiredly from inside the rusted birdcage, looking moodily out through the narrow bars. She silently grasped into them, squeezing them, feeling them give slightly under her grip, but she knew by now if she tried to tear her way through, she'd only end up getting herself hurt. These creatures were punks, but they sure as hell weren't taking any chances with them, either.

She grimaced a bit as she moved to the other side of the hay-lined cage, hearing it creak listlessly as it swung a little above the gaping chasm that surrounded the little island where the punks had their 'home.' Among the scattered debris and 'fixings,' as they called their assortment of furniture and garbage, there were three large cages: these rusting hulks contained Moonflower, Aster, and La Croix between them, all of whom were laying in varying states of exhaustion and consciousness.

She didn't know where her father was, or where Freya was: she didn't think they'd been put somewhere else because the creatures that had captured them were very smart, but rather because they were beasts that operated on whim and fancy, doing whatever they pleased, whenever they pleased.

Cadence mumbled disconsolately under her breath, then she sighed and dropped back on her rump, scowling a little as the birdcage swayed creakily from side to side. Atavus was out there somewhere too: not that she expected him to be any help, considering how easily the two morons had dragged him into playing along with their twisted games.

The ivory mare swore under her breath as she looked grouchily back and forth. The Swan wanted to try cutting its way out of the cage again, for the thousandth time, but every single time, that had just ended up in Cadence being electrocuted into unconsciousness and then back where she had started. She knew they were being watched: she wasn't sure by what, or where precisely it was, but she did know that it was keeping a close eye on them for its masters.

So instead of trying to make another daring escape, the mare simply sat back against the cage wall, sighing tiredly again as she looked moodily up towards the ceiling of the birdcage. It creaked and groaned as it swayed silently back and forth, and Cadence wondered silently how much longer the cage would last before it finally snapped and sent her tumbling down into the abyss...

What a way that would be to die. But that would be fitting in a sense, too, considering how humiliating this entire experience had been. They had let down their guard for five minutes, and everything had ended up going completely to hell.

Morons. That was what these two not-Draconequus were: complete idiots, with barely two brain cells to scrape together between them. But the destruction entities had also had a crucial advantage over all of them: they emitted anti-magic in fluctuating bursts that somehow let them suppress the ponies' magic while letting them abusively use their own powers.

And, of course, Atavus had betrayed them. Well, okay, maybe 'betrayed' was a harsh word: he hadn't really done much of anything for either side. But once Moron One and Moron Two had welcomed him back with open arms, he had very quickly become their whimpering thrall.

Okay, that was uncharitable too. But she wasn't in a very charitable mood, after six days of hanging in a goddamn cage, being given almost nothing to eat and constantly laughed at and taunted by these two idiots she was sure she could easily beat the crap out of in a straight fight, except for the fact they emanated so much goddamn antimagic. If only she could get to her father, since they had developed countermeasures for this exact situation...

But no. Even if these morons weren't much smarter than your average plant – and that was, in fact, being charitable – they also weren't entirely stupid. They had known not to put them all in one cage, and they had also left some kind of fiend guarding them. Well, actually, that might be giving them too much credit: the destruction entities seemed to attract like-minded sprites and monsters to them like fleas.

A few of them were currently rutting through the junk piled up on the island of stone: imps, she thought, who were about as interested in them as she was in them. But there was also some kind of electrical elemental acting like a guard dog, zapping them whenever they tried to escape from these cages... and even La Croix couldn't seem to avoid it homing in on him and electrocuting him into unconsciousness even when he was in spirit form.

She absently tested the bars of the birdcage again as she glowered moodily around. If only she could figure out where the hell it was, then she might stand some kind of chance of fighting it off. The destruction entities had taken their things – and to Cadence's disgust, some of her things had then been taken by scavengers, and it frustrated her immensely to think that she wasn't going to be able to get any of those back – but they hadn't really secured them at all. Both Moonflower and Aster could use whatever magic they pleased...

Not that it mattered much. The moment the destruction entities entered the cave, the whole place filled up with their antimagic aura. She had no idea where Freya was, or her father: they had to be imprisoned nearby, but she couldn't exactly play hide and seek while the elemental was hovering around out there, waiting to zap her into oblivion the moment she broke her cage open.

Cadence grumbled moodily to herself, and then she shook her head slowly before she sighed a little. She studied the island of junk moodily for a few moments, then leaned forward and shouted: “Moonflower!”

Moonflower and Aster both jumped, making their cages rattle, as La Croix only grumpily rolled over and covered his head. Not that Cadence could blame him: he seemed to be almost flickering in and out reality with how weak the Loa had gotten, as if his physical body was trying to revert to its spirit form, but didn't have the strength to. She studied him silently for a few moments, then she turned her eyes back to Moonflower as he groggily walked to the edge of the cage, asking tiredly: “What is it? Did you come up with a way to get out of here?”

Cadence shifted a little, wishing she could say yes: she knew that sooner or later, the destruction entities were going to get bored of them and kill them. And worse, she had the feeling they weren't just so exhausted because of the lack of rest and sustenance, but that maybe they weren't just emitting antimagic, they were eating up their spiritual energy...

“Cadence?”

“Sorry.” Cadence shook her head quickly, making herself snap back to reality. She couldn't start losing her focus now. “I... can you sense the destruction entities?”

“Yes, they're on their way back now.” Moonflower muttered, reaching up and tapping his horn moodily: his magic powers made him especially sensitive to the presence of the creatures, letting him sense them even when Cadence couldn't. “I still can't believe this is how we're going to die.”

“We're not going to die.” Cadence said firmly, and then she shook her head before saying quietly: “Shell yourself. Hopefully they'll just stop off quickly here. They seem... excited about something.”

Moonflower nodded after a moment, and then he glanced up at the ceiling: Aster's cage was stacked on top of his, so he couldn't see her, but he could sense her clearly, the stallion asking gently: “Are you alright?”

Aster nodded a few times, then smiled faintly and shook herself when she remembered Moonflower couldn't see her, the mare rubbing uneasily at the veins of crimson pulsing through her body as she murmured: “Oui, just... haven't slept. The nightmares...”

“Are they getting worse?” Moonflower asked, not hiding his concern: there wasn't really any need for any of them to try and play any roles any longer at this point, after all.

Aster seemed to appreciate it, the mare laughing a little before she murmured: “I think I'm okay. I just...” She shifted a bit, then closed her eyes, rubbing slowly at the veins pulsing through her face as she whispered: “It itches.”

Cadence grimaced a bit, silently studying Aster from her cage: the mare really didn't look very well. She was pale, sickly, and those veins bothered her: if she had some kind of infection passed on from Salazar, then she needed to be treated as soon as possible. Which meant they needed to get back to Decretum as soon as possible...

Which was going to be a pain in the ass, without a portal flare, on top of everything else. So the first thing they had to do was escape from here, which meant...

Cadence winced as she felt the distinct sizzle of antimagic, a moment before the cackling of the destruction entities filled her ears as they bounced their way into the cavern. One of them leapt out into thin air, and Cadence sorely wished he'd fall, but of course, both of those morons could defy gravity however they pleased, which was probably part of the reason they were still alive.

She scowled moodily, watching as the chortling idiots bounced across the chasm to the island and dropped themselves with matching thumps on their rumps, sending junk, debris, and imps scattering as the mismatched twins grinned at each other brightly. “What should we burn down next?”

“Burning is so bland and boring!” huffed the other creature, shoving one of his webbed claws into the other's face. He was an ugly, serpentine thing with no legs, but a tail he slithered on and often coiled beneath him to bounce around on like a spring. He was blue, and slimy, and had large, bull-like horns that crackled constantly with electricity.

“What? You're boring!” shouted the other one angrily, flailing at the serpent with his nubby little fingers. He was leonine in appearance, with a shaggy crimson mane that stood out brightly against his grayish skin. He had thick cuffs of fur around his wrists and ankles, but nowhere else, and his features were distinctly babyish, with his big amber eyes, rounded fangs, and oversized ears.

His long tail snapped back and forth as he whined loudly in his throat, finally covering his face to hide from the serpent's slapping at him. “Okay, okay, fine! I guess we burned everything already, so let's... I don't know... set things on fire?”

“That's still burning things!” complained the serpent, smacking the lion again, and Cadence rolled her eyes before she moodily looked over the two: she hated how they were complete opposites, and yet there were plenty of distinct similarities between them. They acted the same, they made the same gestures, and took the same pleasure in causing pain and destruction...

“Well, I can't be around water, you know. I hate water!” whined the lion, but the serpent only glared at him until he huffed and covered his head, mumbling: “Oh, fine. We'll drown a few things... right guy? Guy? Guy, where are you?”

Both the destruction entities looked around before they both leapt up to their feet – or tail, in the case of the serpent – and then they both shouted furiously, in voices that shook the cavern and made the air crackle with painful energy: “Guy!”

Atavus yelped as he sparked into being, falling heavily on his ass and staring up at the two destruction entities with fear in his eyes as they towered over him, both snarling in fury, their eyes glaring down at him for a few moments before they both suddenly clapped their hands together and beamed happily down at the draconic creature.

“There you are!” said the serpent brightly, smiling warmly down at the draconic beast.

“Good, just the guy we were looking for, guy!” added the lion happily, clapping his hands together before he asked with a smile: “So what do you think, burning or drowning?”

“We already agreed on no burning! And who says it has to be drowning? There's plenty of fun things you can do with water, like smashing and crashing and bashing and breaking...”

The serpent giggled as the lion looked thoughtful, rubbing a hand through his mane before he asked seriously: “But is it art?”

The serpent responded to this by neatly doing a backflip, landing on his coiled tail with his arms out to either side, and the leonine destruction entity politely clapped his hands before both of the creatures glared furiously at Atavus. The draconic creature winced at this, then wildly clapped his own hands, nodding violently, and this seemed to appease the two after a few moments.

“Well, little guys, we have to get going gone!” trilled the lion, and the serpent nodded in agreement before both destruction entities bounced towards the cave exit, as the feline called back happily: “Just sit tight for a little while! The Prime, the Prime, the Prime is coming, you know, and we've reserved us all front row seats for when he brings the Void flooding in!”

“It's going to be won-der-ful!” cried the serpent exuberantly, and both creatures laughed loudly as they bounced their way back out of the cave, gone as suddenly and senselessly as they had appeared.

Cadence looked up sharply as she realized that Atavus was still sitting dumbly on his rump beside Moonflower, and she leaned hurriedly forward, hissing: “Get us out of here, or I'm going to beat the crap out of you along with them!”

Atavus squeaked loudly at this, wincing away from Cadence before he shook his head hurriedly. “I... I can't, they... they'll kill me if they think I'm helping you! Look, I know they might seem funny but they're not, they're really dangerous, and-”

“Yeah, yeah, I seen 'em before. N'est pas souris.” La Croix mumbled, nodding as he picked himself slowly up from the floor of his cage, and then he sighed as he batted away a rubber chicken before asking tiredly: “Where be Papa Sérénité et Madame Freya?”

Atavus hesitated for a moment, and then he looked back and forth quickly before pointing quickly down with both hands, whispering: “You guys are at the top, and they're way down there at the bottom, but-”

“Guy, get the hell over here!” roared twin voices, and Atavus squeaked as he jumped about ten feet into the air before vanishing from sight in a puff of green lightning. Cadence scowled at this: some use that was, after all, since she couldn't break out of this cage and get to the bottom of the abyss without that electrical elemental homing in on her...

Cadence frowned suddenly, looking up at the top of her cage as Moonflower sighed and La Croix slumped to the ground, the Loa blinking weakly before he looked up with a faint smile when the one-winged unicorn hesitantly asked: “Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Don't you worry your pretty little head, Moony. I gots no plans to die before you do.” La Croix replied in a murmur, shaking his head briefly before he sighed a little, uncomfortably rolling himself onto his stomach with a wheeze, before he frowned at Cadence, who was visibly concentrating her magic. “Cygne?”

“Can you guys hold out for a little while without me? I'm going to go find the others.” Cadence said, looking over at her teammates. La Croix and Moonflower traded looks, and Moonflower winced before he opened his mouth, but he was cut off as La Croix gave a rusty chuckle and a wry grin.

“I guess none of us ain't really in much of a position to stop you, either. Yeah, don't worry. I won't let Moony do nothin' stupid. Just... hurry back.” The Loa shook himself once, then grimaced a bit as he settled slowly to the ground, wheezing a little before he mumbled: “Don't think I'm gonna last too much longer at this rate.”

“Hang in there.” Cadence gave the Loa a small smile, and then, before she could think twice or reflect on how stupid this plan of hers was, she snapped her horn upward and fired a laser of white energy through the roof of the birdcage, knocking the top loose and tearing the cage free from the chain that had been tethering it above the abyss.

The cage simply fell into the darkness, Cadence grimacing as she leapt forwards to forcefully roll the cage onto its side as it fell before she snapped her horn forwards, firing a missile of magic down through the darkness of the trench she was falling into. It lit up the path ahead before smashing into the floor below, and Cadence's eyes widened as she realized it wasn't solid rock waiting for her before she gritted her teeth and leapt suddenly upwards as her body glowed white.

She smashed her way out of the cage before looking up as she heard the shrieking of the lightning elemental coming towards her, but she was far enough away that she was able to flap her wings hard, diving straight down after the cage as it smashed itself to pieces in the water below. She crashed through the surface of the rippling blackness after it, her horn glowing brightly to light up the world around her as she descended into the dark depths of the lake.

Cadence didn't know where she was going, or even entirely what she was doing, but she felt like she was being pulled deeper into the trench of water by some unknown instinct as she kept the area around her lit up as brightly as she could with her magic to hopefully keep anything that lurked in this blackness at a distance. But then her eyes locked on a faint hint of golden light at what seemed like the very bottom of the lake, flashing to her, calling her on...

Cadence gritted her teeth as she swam harder, putting all her strength and energy into cutting through the water as rapidly as she could. Her lungs were already starting to ache, and she knew that descending into the unknown had been a stupid idea – hell, continuing to swim towards some unknown beacon was probably an even worse one – and yet she still felt compelled to go forward, even with the pain through her body and the growing need for air, air that was so high above, air that could never be found-

Cadence suddenly tore through the surface, and her eyes bulged in shock as she found herself treading water. She mouthed wordlessly as she looked around the dimly lit cave, which every instinct told her should be upside down, yet to her, seemed rightside up, and-

“Took you long enough.” complained a voice, and Cadence looked dumbly towards the island in the center of the moat: the waters lapped its rocky shores, which were covered in garbage and had several rusting, barnacle-covered cages over it, surrounded by misty wraiths. And inside two of the cages in the center of the island were Freya and her father.

Cadence sighed in relief, beginning to head towards shore before Freya warned as her voice turned sharp and serious: “Stay back! The wraiths will notice you if you touch the shore, Danzsöngr, and they will not fall to your magic.”

Cadence nodded, stopping in the water and looking uncertainly at the two, and Freya smiled slightly after a moment before she said softly: “Well, you don't have to look so frightened now, Swan. You're safe out there.”

“How am I supposed to free you two, though?” Cadence asked, before she bit he lip as she looked back and forth, feeling a stinging in her eyes before she grimaced a bit as she realized there were more haunting things than just wraiths here: she could see ghostly husks, as well as strange, evil-looking things with enormous black wings and large, ugly talons sticking out of fat bodies hidden by cloaks, their heads nothing but shapeless hoods filled with darkness... “Grimm...”

“Grimm?” Freya frowned at this, but then she shook her head quickly as Sombra looked up uneasily. “No, that does not matter right now. What you need to do is fetch La Croix. The Loa should be able to deal with these blighted things.”

“There's some kind of extremely fast moving electrical elemental up there, though. I never see it until too late...” Cadence grimaced a bit, adding in a mutter: “And all kinds of other nasty things, too... those freaks are attracting all sorts of monsters. But they're almost never here, at least-”

“That's not good, Danzsöngr. That means they're on the hunt for something.” Freya replied moodily, and Cadence shifted awkwardly before the Valkyrie sighed and shook her head. “And I expect you to be able to think better on your feet than that. Or are you really telling me that all this way, and you're going to let some wispy elemental be the end of you?”

Cadence scowled a little more at this, and then she looked up attentively as Sombra picked himself up and walked towards the edge of the cage, saying quietly: “The antimagic here is very strong, mi amore, but I should still be able to give you a bit of protection.”

“Don't strain yourself though, Daddy. I'll make do, either way.” Cadence said quickly, but Sombra only smiled at her kindly, and the mare nodded hesitantly as she mumbled: “Well... maybe it'll help, anyway.”

Freya watched curiously as Sombra reached the edge of the cage, then lowered his horn, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. His purifier wheezed quietly, and Cadence grimaced uneasily at this sound: she knew that meant soon it was either going to start giving out, or...

But Sombra didn't shake, didn't flinch, even as dark magic twisted around his horn before arcing through the air, several of the wraiths reaching uselessly up after this with weak moans before the dark fire twisted gently around Cadence's horn. The mare grimaced a bit, but forced herself not to flinch or resist as the black magic formed into solid, dark and impenetrable crystal around her spire, coating it completely and nullifying her magic.

But even if she could no longer concentrate her magic, she also couldn't feel the antimagic in the air. Her head suddenly felt clear and calm, the mare breathing slowly in and out before she smiled a little over at her father, nodding to him and murmuring: “Thanks, Daddy.”

Sombra only smiled at her as he sat back, and Freya snorted in amusement before she remarked: “That looks just like a condom for your horn. Sly, though: the vibrations and energy can no longer reach the source of your magic that way, is that it?”

Cadence decided to just nod and ignore the rest of what Freya had said, answering: “That's right. Antimagic is still unpleasant like this, but it should let me withstand direct contact with it now. I just have to make sure I don't try and focus my own magic at all, because I'll quickly burn through the crystalline sheath.”

“Aye, horses have always been quick to erupt from their sheaths with a mare's touch.” Freya quipped, and Cadence moodily looked at the Valkyrie for a few moments before Freya suddenly leaned forwards and said in a more serious voice: “Get the others quickly. These destruction entities are impure, but all the same, they are not foes you want to tangle with alone, Danzsöngr. Especially right now.”

“Alright.” Cadence agreed, although she silently wondered what it was that Freya planned to do against the strange twins: they had been taken down with humiliating ease by the antimagic they were emitting, after all. And even if Sombra coated all their horns with crystal, they would still have to contend with creatures that seemed to control and personify the destructive natures of water and fire without any form of magic of their own...

Cadence grimaced as she dove into the water, shaking her head as she hurriedly swam through the depths. With no light to guide her, the darkness soon overwhelmed her, leaving her hoping blindly that she was swimming towards the surface, and not back down towards the 'bottom' of the pool, or worse yet, towards a rocky wall, which she would likely scrabble uselessly along until she drowned...

The ivory mare didn't want to think about that, shivering a little and forcing herself to focus on what was straight down or straight up or at least, going straight as quickly as she could. She grimaced as she thought she felt something nudge past her in the water, but she didn't slow, refused to be diverted from her course as she just kept pushing herself forward, forward, forward-

Cadence splashed out of the water with a gasp, flapping her wings wildly and flailing her limbs at the air as her soaked body refused to lift into the air for a moment before she gritted her teeth, her body thrumming with power as she focused her magic not into her horn, but through her body.

Steam rose up from her form as her wings glowed brilliant white, the mare flying sharply up into the air and rising quickly up along the wall of the pillar supporting the island. She could no longer feel the antimagic residue in the air, which helped keep her senses sharp, and her magic-infused wings carried her quickly and fearlessly upwards before her eyes locked on a faint distortion in the air.

The shape flashed towards her, and the mare bared her teeth before she began to concentrate, then immediately winced as she realized she was about to burn through the crystalline sheath over her horn.

She quickly diverted the magic into her wings, which flashed white before the mare flinched backwards and furled them around herself when the shape lunged at her, sparking violently as tendrils of lightning shot out of it. These only bounced harmlessly off the mare's magic-infused wings, however, and Cadence gritted her teeth before she suddenly flipped herself before she spread her wings wide and flapped them hard, launching herself suddenly upwards and slicing one glowing wing through the lightning elemental.

The lightning elemental sparked before it all-but-exploded, making Cadence rock violently in midair as she swore under her breath, pain ripping through her body as she flapped her wings wildly to stay airborne. But as she managed to regain her balance, she shot a look downward before grimacing. Of course it couldn't be that easy.

Glowing motes were dancing and sizzling throughout the air, slowly beginning to pull themselves back together into one cohesive shape. Cadence barely spared it a look, however, as she shot up towards the top of the pillar: she had never seen an elemental like that before, but she also didn't have the time or patience to try and kill it.

She carried herself quickly up to the stone island, landing on it with a grimace and ignoring the imps that flinched away from her in shock. She instead hurried towards the cages as the scavengers wildly grabbed armloads of debris before bolting away to hop off the pillar, as Moonflower looked up in dumb surprise and La Croix gave a weak grin. “Y'made it, Cygne.”

“Yeah. I need your help now, La Croix, and-” Cadence didn't have time to finish before she heard a screeching, the mare wincing and spinning around as the lightning elemental crackled up over the edge of the island. She had wounded it, at least: it was moving much slower than before, and its 'body' of electricity seemed to fizzle, visibly unstable.

The mare gritted her teeth, and then Moonflower wheezed as he leaned forwards and bumped his face into the edge of the cage, blurting: “I know what that is! That's a splick!”

“A... what?” Cadence asked stupidly, and then she swore when the elemental lunged at her, dodging quickly to the side. It sparked violently against Moonflower's cage as it almost bounced off it, knocking the one-winged unicorn over as Cadence rolled to a ready position, then swore and brought up her wings when it attempted to electrify her, shielding herself behind the magically-charged appendages.

“It's... uh... Aster, do the opposite of what I'm doing!” Moonflower blurted, and Aster blearily picked herself up on top of the cage before she grimaced a bit as Moonflower called up his magic, creating a powerful electrical current around his horn.

As Cadence dodged back and forth around the lightning elemental, which was darting quickly but clumsily after her as it sent blasts of electricity in every direction, Aster understood through her confusion and faint fever what it was Moonflower wanted to do when she saw the way that the lightning bounced over one of Cadence's magic-charged wings, and finally put that together with the electrical current Moonflower was generating beneath her.

She stumbled up to her hooves, wheezing hard in and out before she gritted her teeth as she rose her horn high, her magic steadily gathering around her spire in a powerful electrical charge. She concentrated on it, made it different from Moonflower's, and after a moment, she heard the stallion beneath her shout encouragingly: “Now, let's show them what the two most talented unicorns in all of Midgard's worlds are capable of doing, when they-”

“Just do it!” Cadence shouted in a strangled voice as she dodged away from the electrical elemental again, as it charged boldly after her, the mare's wings completely numb and her whole body twitching from all the electricity that had already been pumped through her.

Moonflower winced, then snapped his horn forward, a tether of lightning shocking into the elemental... and to Cadence's surprise, the electrical elemental screamed at the leash of lightning wrapping around it instead of trying to absorb it, the entity jerking back and forth before Aster's own blast of lightning hammered into the elemental.

It squealed, shivering violently before Moonflower and Aster both pulled hard in opposite directions, and Cadence gaped in shock as the electrical elemental was torn into two halves, which both fell to the ground... before her eyes bulged in further horror as she realized that either side of the elemental had transformed into a pair of pixie-looking things, the mare mouthing wordlessly as these hideous little humanoids writhed on the leashes around them, before Moonflower howled: “Squish it!”

Cadence leapt forwards and stomped mercilessly down on one of the pixies, leaving nothing but a blue splatter behind as the leash of energy burst out of existence. She began to turn towards the other pixie, but it was already shivering and slowly curling up on itself as its body rotted away.

“Lightning faeries...” Aster blinked in surprise as her own leash of electricity vanished, the mare leaning forwards with fascination. “I've never seen them like that, before, though...”

“That's precisely why we couldn't see them! We were searching for elementals, not splicks!” Moonflower explained brightly, and Cadence blinked slowly before she looked blankly at the cage, as Moonflower continued in a perfectly-reasonable voice: “Splicks are what we used to call mated pairs of lightning faeries. They're much more dangerous, you see, since they act like one entity and that lets them drain life out of their victims that much faster. They were quite common where I grew up, though. Much easier to recognize when they're 'wounded,' so to speak, because of the way they move and-”

“Great history lesson, Moony. Cygne, can you get us out of here?” La Croix asked tiredly, and Cadence nodded quickly as she approached the cage. She began to raise her horn, then scowled a bit: stupid crystal, right. “Hey, maybe there's a key for the door, or-”

Cadence simply slammed a hoof into the rusted latticework, punching a large hole in the metal of the cage, and La Croix and Moonflower both stared as she yanked down most of one wall, before the Loa shook himself quickly and grinned wryly as he stood shakily up. “Well, that works too.”

La Croix ambled out of the cage, and Cadence turned her eyes towards Moonflower, who winced a bit before his horn glowed and he neatly began to cut a hole in his own cell, saying awkwardly: “Don't you worry, I can get out myself.”

Cadence nodded, before she looked up at Aster's cage. She frowned a little after a moment, then leapt up onto the roof of La Croix's cage so she could look into the mare's...

Aster was leaning against the wall of her prison, breathing quietly in and out, her eyes fluttering faintly. Cadence frowned worriedly as she began to open her mouth, but Aster shook her head quickly and blushed a little as she rose her head, whispering: “I'm... I'm sorry, pardonnez-moi, I am okay. I'm just a little bit... shaken up, I guess.”

“It's not just the antimagic residue, is it?” Cadence asked quietly, and Aster blushed a bit as she lowered her head, looking silently at the ground. “Listen, Aster. We're going to get you to safety, alright? We just need to get out of here.”

Aster nodded a few times, and then she took a breath as she straightened and said finally: “I can cut my way out. I am fine.”

Cadence smiled back, replying quietly: “Alright. We're going to get through this.”

Aster nodded again, and then she took a breath before starting to concentrate her magic. Cadence watched her for a moment, then offered another smile before she turned and hopped down from the top of the cage, landing beside Moonflower.

The two looked at each other for a moment, before the one-winged unicorn sighed a little and rubbed a hoof over his bare chest, smiling briefly as he said quietly: “It's really too bad. I quite liked that little necklace.”

“Yeah, don't you worry 'bout that, Moony.” La Croix grumbled, and Moonflower turned before his eyes widened in surprise as La Croix thrust the little gemstone necklace towards him, saying wryly: “Damn imps stole 'bout everything of value, but they left this behind. Guess even they knew it was crap.”

“No, it's like that gypsy said! This stone will save our lives one day, just you wait and see!” Moonflower snatched the necklace away, quickly putting it on before he smiled a bit and added in a quieter voice: “Thank you, La Croix.”

La Croix only shrugged with a bit of a smile, and there was silence for a moment before all three ponies looked up as there was a loud clanking, before a large portion of Aster's cage fell loose. The mare herself leapt down after a moment, shakily catching herself before she smiled awkwardly around at them, asking: “Where do we go from here?”

“Down.” Cadence smiled a bit, glancing over at Moonflower. “You might want to do a slow fall, though. And if you've still got enough energy, protect your heads with that stupid bubble spell. We've got a bit of a swim to get to Freya and my father.”

The others nodded, even as Moonflower scowled a little before he complained, as he grumpily played with the large, clunky stone of his necklace: “Can't I just stay up here and keep an eye on things? Maybe there's still some usable objects among all this clutter...”

“You free to look, Moony, but all our stuff be gone. Those imps had a whole week to dig through our stuff and run off with it.” La Croix replied, gesturing around at the debris, and Cadence grimaced as she looked back and forth: she could see a few straps, a few pieces of broken armor, some torn and tattered cloth objects; it looked like La Croix was right. There wasn't anything serviceable left. “Besides, don't think any of us want to be caught alone: those two be connards, but they be dangerous connards.”

Moonflower grimaced at this, then he nodded quickly before he looked over at Aster, asking in a quieter voice: “Are you alright to travel?”

Aster smiled briefly, nodding back to him, and Cadence hesitated only a moment before she quickly cleared her throat and said quietly: “Alright, guys, we need to get moving. Come on, no time to waste.”

The others nodded, following Cadence to the edge of the platform before La Croix grimaced and leaned nervously forward, muttering: “You know, that don't look so safe to me...”

“What does safety have to do with it?” Cadence smiled wryly, looking up as Moonflower created bubbles around his head and Aster's. “And since when have we done anything 'safely,' anyway?”

“Yeah, good point.” La Croix sighed after a moment, then said wryly: “Well, laissez les bon temps rouler, oui?”

Cadence smiled in amusement, and then she jumped forwards and dove off the island, La Croix following her off a moment later. Aster and Moonflower both traded identical winces, then they both took deep breaths before leaping off, falling rump-first with their hooves automatically covering their muzzles as they dropped towards the water far below.

Cadence made herself sharply loop before she hit the water, to slow her momentum enough she wouldn't become a pancake on impact, while La Croix simply became ethereal and probably cannonballed all the way to the very bottom of the lake with his momentum, and, before Cadence could plunge into the lake, there was a tremendous splash as Moonflower hit the water butt-first.

The burst of water he knocked up was enough to knock Cadence off course, the mare almost ramming into Aster as the other winged unicorn squawked and stopped in a hover above the water, staring into the depths stupidly. Cadence managed to halt herself and hover, staring as well... before a spluttering Moonflower surfaced, coughing and hacking, his bubble gone from around his head as he blinked his sopping mane out of his eyes before wheezing: “I'm okay!”

With that, he flicked his horn to create a new bubble around his head before diving into the depths, and Cadence slowly dragged a front hoof down her own face before she said moodily: “I guess Moonflower has that going for him. An unbreakable ass to go along with his unbreakable head.”

She sighed, then smiled awkwardly over at Aster before shrugging lamely and diving into the water, the glow finally vanishing from her wings as she pushed herself quickly down into the depths, following the distinct light that Moonflower's horn was emitting and helped along by the aura of Aster's horn when the winged unicorn dropped into the lake after her, following in the wake of the ivory mare.

They swam quickly through the dark waters, and when Cadence emerged with a gasp, she was surprised to see that La Croix was already on the shore, and he had marshaled the wraiths into neat lines on either side of the island. Moonflower was hesitantly pulling himself out, and Freya glanced up with a wry smile as Cadence and Aster climbed out of the waves, the Valkyrie finally picking herself up from the bottom of the cage as she said wryly: “Took you long enough, Swan.”

Cadence only gave Freya a dry look as La Croix flapped his forelegs at the two lines of wraiths, shouting: “Now, git, git, all y'all! And you remember, you best come runnin' when I make my call!”

The phantasms hissed, but then scattered like pigeons when La Croix ran at one of the lines of ghosts, the spirits hurriedly shooting away into the air and vanishing from sight. Cadence looked uneasily after the spirits, but Freya only shook her head before she walked forward and easily kicked down the door of her cage. “Not to worry. It's all part of the plan, which La Croix has been smart enough to figure out at least a bit of, it seems. I have to say, I'm rather impressed, Loa.”

La Croix only shrugged a bit, saying wryly: “Moment I saw 'em, I knew you'd want to use 'em. But I ain't gonna be capable of doin' much else right now, I'm afraid, Madame Freya. I feel like the cocodril's eaten me and spat me back out.”

“Don't worry, your job is done. Cadence and I will be dealing with the rest.” Freya replied with a brief shake of her head, before she simply flicked her horn, and Cadence's eyes widened in shock as all four of the mare's swords sparked into being in bursts of golden flame, the Swan mouthing wordlessly.

Freya only grinned: they had taken everything else from her, eyepatch included, and her braids were messy and her body was visibly bruised here and there, but she was certainly now the best equipped of them by far, as her swords floated easily to ready positions around her strong frame. “Now, it's true that we can't simply resist antimagic, but there are a few ways to diminish its effect. You, handsome, learn quickly, and you, Aster, seem talented with water magic. What I want you both to do is to insulate your horns with water. It's a permeable enough substance that your magic can still be focused through it, but it will also resist the vibrations that your precious horns are so sensitive to.”

Cadence tilted her head curiously as Sombra used his control over corruption to melt away the lock keeping his own cage shut, even as he remarked: “I have never heard of that, Signora Freya. Are you sure that-”

“Yes, yes. You don't have to doubt every last thing I say, you know.” Freya said crossly, glaring at Sombra, but he only smiled back, unfettered even by the gaze of both her crystal and gemstone eye. “We cannot rely on our foes being predictable, so instead we have to try and craft advantages for ourselves. We must use both our own skills and our environment to force our foes into the weaker position.”

“I don't know how much of an advantage we can get, though.” Cadence said uncertainly, shaking her head as she said: “If we can ambush them, I think that I can take at least one of them down pretty quickly, but the antimagic-”

“The antimagic isn't something we'll have to worry about for long, because it most likely isn't something they intend to generate. I think it's a side effect of their chaotic natures, which will not remain dominant for long once we engage them.” Freya said, and Cadence wasn't sure if she was supposed to understand what Freya was getting at, or if she was just saying vague things to try and make everyone else feel stupid so that she didn't have to explain her plan. “We should move quickly. We don't want to fight them here, or get caught on the move.”

Cadence nodded after a moment, grimacing over her shoulder towards the water before she paused to turn her attention towards her father, asking quietly: “Are you alright?”

“We're all alright. Let's move.” Freya interrupted, before Sombra could say anything. Cadence shot her a horrible look, but the Valkyrie only smiled and shrugged, replying evenly: “I thought I was fairly clear that we have to be fast here, Danzsöngr. You can go back to wasting your time later.”

Cadence grumbled under her breath, and then she sighed and nodded moodily before muttering: “Fine. Let's get this over with quickly.”

Her father gave her a reassuring look, and Cadence lowered her head grouchily even as she turned away, taking a slow breath and concentrating on the fact that they were going to finally deal with the destruction entities, one way or another. And then they could finally get the hell out of here and go back to Decretum.

Moonflower was oddly quiet, and Cadence was too swept up in her own grumpiness to notice until they reemerged on the other side of the lake. As she concentrated magic through her wings again to steam away the water and take quick flight, she realized that while Freya was already flying past, her father was treading water beside Moonflower and Aster.

Cadence frowned as she lowered herself nervously, before she grimaced a bit as she realized that Moonflower was half-supporting Aster, who looked ill, in a word. She began to open her mouth, but Aster shook her head and blushed as she pushed Moonflower away, mumbling: “I'm okay now, I just... I was having trouble getting through the water.”

“Alright.” Cadence said uneasily, frowning as she looked over Aster: the red veins were standing out more prominently, pulsing visibly through her hide, and she couldn't help but notice that while Aster had gathered water around her horn like Freya had asked her to, it was glowing eerily. “Aster, when you concentrate your magic, do you feel... sicker?”

“I'm fine.” Aster said after a moment, and then she shook herself briefly before she clumsily started to flap her wings, dragging her wet body up out of the water and into the air. Cadence watched her as she flew upwards, and then she glanced down at Moonflower questioningly.

Sombra was looking curiously at the stallion as well, and Moonflower shifted back and forth before he finally sighed and mumbled: “Let's just... keep moving. She's difficult, though. Always putting on a strong face, never wanting help with anything.”

“Yeah. She reminds me of someone.” Cadence smiled a little down at Moonflower, shaking her head briefly before she sighed a little and asked: “Are you going to be okay getting up top?”

“I... yes. I'm fine.” Moonflower said grumpily, even as he looked self-consciously at his one remaining wing before he shook his head quickly, his horn and hooves lighting up with energy as he mumbled: “Reduced to using parlor tricks...”

Moonflower kicked his legs out, beginning to... well, paddle, was the most appropriate word for it. His legs flailed wildly, the stallion gradually paddling his way into the air as his hooves thrummed with the magic needed to keep him aloft, and Cadence traded a look with her father before the ivory mare sighed and turned her eyes upward, flapping her wings firmly to fly quickly up towards the top of the island high above.

She landed beside Freya and Aster, and a moment later, La Croix appeared beside her; a little less than ten seconds after that, the earth rippled and allowed her father to pull himself up out of the uneven stone like he was passing through liquid. But it was almost a full minute before Moonflower came huffing over the edge of the island, paddling wildly through the air before he finally dropped with a thump and wheeze to the ground, blinking dumbly as he landed in a sprawl.

“Took you long enough.” Freya grumbled, and then the Valkyrie shook her head quickly, returning to... well, Cadence wasn't sure what she was doing, as she dug quickly through the assortment of junk. She wouldn't tell them what she was looking for, though, or what she was doing, but Cadence had the weirdest feeling that Freya didn't know what she was doing, either. Sometimes, the Valkyrie seemed to just do things for the sake of doing things.

Moonflower mumbled incoherently under his breath, and Aster nervously approached him before she asked hesitantly: “Do you want me to protect your horn?”

Moonflower looked up at the mare with something like horror for a moment, before he blinked stupidly a few times as his eyes flicked to the water that was swirling around her own spire, and his face cleared with an expression of both relief and faint embarrassment, as he said hurriedly: “No, no, I... no, I'm completely fine, I'm... I'm far too strong to be affected by their silly antimagic, after all.”

“Oh, yes, it wasn't like you were the first man to drop face-first to the ground and curl up crying the moment they emerged from the portal or anything.” Freya remarked, and Moonflower went beet-red even as he sat quickly up and glared at the Valkyrie, then hurriedly shrank his head between his shoulders and found somewhere else to look when she grinned over her shoulder at him wryly. “Such a strong, proud warrior you are.”

“Leave him alone. Besides, Moonflower's a stallion, not a man.” Cadence grumbled: even if she knew that was a moot point, it was never one she could resist correcting. Which she thought Freya knew, from the lopsided grin the Valkyrie gave her before turning her attention back to her digging around through things.

Cadence glowered at Freya's back, and then she shook her head before turning around so she could survey her team, which now included Aster, she supposed, since the mare was looking at her as readily as the others.

“Freya was right when she said that we need to take every advantage we can get. Moonflower, either find a way to shield your horn, or let Aster do it for you.” Cadence ordered, and Moonflower lowered his head and gave a meek nod. “Good. Daddy...”

Sombra smiled, lowering his head forward slightly, and Cadence smiled back: he had already shielded his horn with crystal. Which just left... “La Croix?”

La Croix only shrugged awkwardly, the Loa rubbing at the back of his head before he muttered: “I might just have to sit this one out, Cygne. Pardonnez-moi, but... unlike the rest of you, all o' me be vulnerable to that nasty mojo they be workin'.”

“Yes, well, that's perfectly fine. It's not like we've ever really needed your help anyway, you just make sure you stay out of the way.” Moonflower said loudly, and La Croix gave the one-winged unicorn a dry look before Moonflower smiled a little more and said quietly: “The last thing we need are more pointless injuries.”

La Croix smiled back after a moment, and then Freya said mildly over her shoulder: “Aye, the Loa should stay back, but he still has a part to play. And we won't have to resist them for very long, like I said. I'm sure of it.”

Cadence felt that whatever Freya was 'sure of' was probably another wild guess or assumption, but she wasn't about to question the Valkyrie, either. For one thing, Freya was usually right, and for another, Freya loved to argue.

The Valkyrie seemed to sense Cadence's moodiness as she winked at her: a particularly-eerie expression with only one working eye, as that glowing crystal in the other socket glared into her. “Now, don't you worry. Either way, we'll deal with these two as quickly as can be. We need to get Atavus back on our side, after all... and if that means we have to do a bit of killing, well, so be it.”

Cadence grimaced as Freya turned back around, feeling the Swan shifting almost uncertainly inside of her as she wondered uneasily how Freya could be so casual about the thought of destroying destruction, and how she could be so happy to kill.

Primordial Chaos

Chapter Thirty Eight: Primordial Chaos
~BlackRoseRaven

They weren't quite ready when the twins suddenly bounced into the cavern, but they weren't completely caught off-guard either: while chaos wasn't something that could be predicted, it could certainly still be sensed. And they all felt those malevolent energies long before the two idiots came bursting in.

Neither destruction entity seemed either surprised or upset at the fact that the ponies had escaped their imprisonment, any more than they seemed angry about the fact their island had been converted into a battlefield of black gemstone. Their very presence was causing Sombra's crystalline corruption to begin rotting away, however, so it wasn't like they would have to worry about that possible disadvantage for very long.

If anything, the two seemed excited as they faced the ponies, the serpent saying happily: “Look! Look at this, they prepared a party for us!”

The leonine creature nodded, clapping his hands together and saying warmly: “Now, isn't that so nice of our guests? Just look at all of this, we can burn it all up!”

“Is that all you ever think about?” chastised the serpent, making the feline wince a bit. “No, no, no! Even when we were supposed to be washing things away, what were you doing?”

The lion awkwardly looked down, tapping his fingers together slowly before he mumbled: “Burning things.”

“Burning things, you big flamer!” The serpent smacked his companion, making the other destruction entity wince and huff sulkily. “We aren't burning them all this time!”

“Okay, okay! You don't have to be so rude about it, though.” complained the lion, rubbing at his head grouchily, before both he and the serpent looked dumbly up as Freya whistled sharply.

“If you two are done...” she began pleasantly, and the twins nodded and both tilted their heads before the Valkyrie shouted: “Bring them ruin!”

La Croix whistled sharply from where he was holed up in a niche in the furthest side of the cavern, and win a great burst of ghastly energy, the wraiths erupted from beneath the feet – and tail – of the twins, the destruction entities squawking and jumping into one-another's arms in shock before the phantasms converged violently on them from all sides.

The destruction entities both squawked and flailed wildly in all directions as the wraiths tore into them, and Freya smiled thinly as she immediately felt the antimagic they emitted being suppressed. Then she scowled and clicked her tongue when Cadence began to lean forwards eagerly, making the mare wince before she glared at Freya, a faint tinge of humiliation in her cheeks at how the servile Swan immediately made her body go rigid as Freya snapped: “Don't get overeager now, girl, we haven't started yet.”

“Haven't started yet, what do you-” It was a thought that Cadence was unable to finish, and a question that came with an unfortunate, swift answer, as Cadence was almost knocked off her hooves by the tremendous wave of chaos energy that was released by the destruction entities, the mare swearing and barely keeping her hooves as Freya shielded herself with a grimace.

The wraiths were torn to shreds by the power of magic, and Cadence gritted her teeth... before her eyes widened in shock as a voice hissed: “For that, you will die.”

“But slowly.” growled the other twin in agreement. There was no more playfulness, no more joy, no more sense of chaos: the madness and the silliness that had been reflected in their bodies was all completely gone.

The serpent's scales were no longer smooth, but rough and jagged like ice, his claws like broken bones sticking out of the ends of his fingers. His eyes were nothing but glowing blue pits, his body rippling as he breathed out toxic, icy mist, his tail a barbed deathtrap of spikes that coiled restlessly back and forth over itself. “Choking? Suffocating? Smothering?”

The lion growled, baring enormous, curling teeth in a pointed maw, his mane no longer shaggy fuzz but hellish crimson fire. His claws had become enormous and hooked, and his body itself looked like a hideous maw: there was no flesh, no skin over his chest, only gaping, jagged bones and opened and closed over what looked like an endless, burning pit of flames inside his writhing chest. “How about gouging, ripping, shredding? And devouring.”

“Can't forget devouring.” the serpent agreed, and both destruction entities straightened with cruel, matching grins, looking hungrily towards the ponies.

But Freya only smiled thinly, and Cadence's eyes widened slightly as she realized that the sense of antimagic in the air had greatly weakened, as the Valkyrie said calmly: “Destruction masked by chaos. But take away the chaos, and oh, you may look fierce, boys... but you're vulnerable now. Unlike chaos, destruction is predictable.”

“And are you stupid enough to think you can destroy destruction?” sneered the serpent as it twisted out to one side while the lion slowly paced to the other, his eyes blazing. “The Tsunami and the Wildfire, the unforgiving ocean and the all-consuming blaze...”

Freya stepped fearlessly forward, raising her head high and proud even as the destruction entities strode out to either side of her, the incarnations hissing at her as the Valkyrie said calmly and contemptibly: “And I am a goddess of life and death, bringer of the sun, earth-grandmother and matriarch of nature. The oceans feed my children, the fire burns down the old so they can be reborn stronger. You do not scare me, either of you.”

Both destruction entities snarled furiously, and then they lunged, as Cadence felt the Swan twitch inside her-

All eyes watched in shock as Freya's swords withdrew sharply so she could swing her front hooves out to either side, catching the destruction entities fearlessly by their faces, both of them staring in shock for a moment before Freya grinned as her horn glowed.

Both monsters were blown backwards, howling in agony as they were knocked skidding towards the edge of the island before Freya stomped her hooves down, and a network of hidden runes erupted over the crystalline surface of the gemstone floor, both monster hissing as bonds of energy lashed up around them and chained them in place. “Now!”

Sombra leaned forwards, channeling his magic through the crystalline corruption, and spikes of black gemstone erupted beneath both destruction entities, making them snarl and howl as they were impaled on the mess of blades.

“Pour on the pressure!” Freya roared, and Moonflower and Aster both stepped forwards, snapping their horns down and firing rays of magic into either destruction entity. The monsters screamed in agony, writhing beneath the concentrated beams of magic, unable to yank themselves free from the spikes impaling them or tear loose from the magic binding them-

Cadence felt the shock of antimagic a moment before both monsters suddenly reverted to their almost-comical selves, the serpent whining: “This sucks!”

“Lemme out!” shouted the lion miserably, and there was another violent thrum of antimagic before the spikes restraining both chaos entities exploded, and Moonflower and Aster were both knocked off their hooves as their magic was deflected from the creatures.

Serpent and lion defied physics and reality by flying towards each other instead of into the air, loudly smacking together before they flopped to the ground in a twitching pile in front of Freya. The Valkyrie snarled at this, raising her swords high, but she was knocked skidding backwards by a powerful pulse of antimagic from the two that knocked her swords from her grip, the Valkyrie swearing as she was driven to her hooves before she managed to rasp: “Danzsöngr! Force them to revert!”

Cadence's body reacted on instinct: there was only one thing Freya could have in mind, after all, and the Swan was all-too-eager for a bit of vengeance as she leapt forward, smashing into the twins and kicking the serpent savagely into the air before she tomahawked the lion in the skull, driving him face-first into the ground with a tremendous bang.

The lion bounced off the crystalline earth like it was made of rubber, the chaos they were emitting warping and twisting the world around them as Cadence grimaced at the surges of antimagic that tore against her body, making her skin crawl and her horn tremble with pain in spite of the protective sheath covering it.

But this wasn't like last time: this time, she had enough protection from their antimagic that she was able to leap forward and slam a vicious punch into the face of the leonine creature, making him squeal before she spun around and flapped her wings hard, leaping over a wild grab from the serpent before she crashed down on top of his body tail.

She seized into him with a snarl, yanking him off the ground and hauling him into the air, dragging him into orbit around her as he squealed and flailed uselessly in all directions. “Stop, stop!”

Cadence twisted suddenly, yanking the serpent on an arc through the air before slamming him cruelly face-first into the ground with a tremendous bang, making the rock floor shudder with the force of the impact. The snake bounced out of her grip, landing on his side and curling up with a whimper before he rose an arm and said weakly, as antimagic sizzled around his body: “Well, at least you put me down.”

The ivory mare didn't respond: instead, she leapt straight at the serpent's face, and he threw his arms back and gave a girlish scream-

His scream turned to a furious roar as he transformed, shedding his chaotic mask in a burst of blue mist as he slashed a claw towards her. Cadence barely evaded the attack before countering with a savage punch to the snake's face, before her eyes widened in horror as the destruction entity grabbed at her immediately with a cruel grin, her blow barely making it twitch.

She quickly threw herself forwards after her strike, using his head like a vault to fling herself over him before she flapped her wings hard on instinct. She narrowly shot into the sky, barely avoiding a blast of deadly crimson flames from the lion before she twisted to the side, avoiding a missile of ice from the serpent.

Both the serpent and lion snarled, before the leonine twin was slammed into the air by a magic missile from Moonflower, gasping in pain. The snake-beast swore as he spun towards the other ponies, before he howled in pain as a lasso of electricity snared around his throat before he was twisted to the side and slammed face-first into the ground with a tremendous bang.

Cadence dropped to the ground, but forced herself to disengage with a grimace, watching as Freya snapped her horn out and sent a blast of golden flames into the fiery lion while he was still airborne, sending him hurtling backwards to bounce across the ground before he suddenly sharply rolled, flinging two fireballs back at the Valkyrie.

But Freya was undaunted, her swords leaping up to her defense from the ground to bat the fireballs away with ease as she shouted: “Press the attack!”

The serpent suddenly reached up, seizing the leash of electricity around his neck as he snarled in fury, yanking savagely on it to nearly jerk Aster off her hooves before he slammed a webbed claw into the ground. Water burst upwards through the crystalline stone, transforming in mid-arc into massive spikes of ice that hailed down towards Aster in a deadly rain, but Moonflower was in front of her in a moment, snapping his horn upwards to create a barrier of energy that deflected the stakes of frost off to either side.

The serpent roared in frustration, then arched his back, howling in misery and clawing wildly at the collar of electricity around his neck as the leash of lightning suddenly turned a terrible, glaring crimson, energy steaming up from the destruction entity's neck as he twisted back and forth wildly. Moonflower's own eyes widened in shock as he looked back at Aster, who barely seemed aware of what she was doing, her eyes wide, her expression frozen, her whole body quaking as those red veins pulsed with a malevolent life of their own through her body.

Suddenly, the serpent transformed back into his bouncy, chaotic shape, squawking comically as he grabbed the red electricity around his neck like it was a physical thing before he slipped it off like a loose collar, falling backwards with a loud thump as the air began to fill with antimagic. But Cadence was on top of him in a flash, slamming a hoof into his stomach before she smashed him under the chin with another, knocking his head back before she tackled him face-first into the ground with a tremendous bang.

The snake began to hurriedly crawl away, and Cadence felt the Swan take over, the ivory mare leaping onto the serpent's back and ignoring the sizzles of antimagic that tore over her body before her forelegs wrapped around his neck, and then she twisted savagely to the side. And with a sickening crack, the serpent's neck broke, his eyes bulging and his jaw dropping before the Swan suddenly wrenched savagely to the side.

There was a sickening sound of snapping bone and tearing flesh before the serpent's head was torn from his shoulders. His body spasmed, flickering wildly between chaos and destruction beneath the ruthless Swan's hooves as she callously examined the head in her grip, as the serpent's mouth worked uselessly, blood and energy spilling from his jaws as his eyes rolled weakly in his head.

He looked up after a few moments, mouthing wordlessly as the leonine twin watched with horror, before the serpent suddenly gave a crooked smile, his features half-melted and caught between chaos and destruction before he whispered: “Back... to the Prime...”

The serpent sighed, becoming icy mist that swirled up past the Swan, and the lion trembled from where he was laying on the ground. He closed his eyes tightly for a moment, and then threw his head back and roared, the ground beneath them rupturing, the cavern shaking as the temperature sharply rose, steam exploding up out of the moat around the island as he roared: “Brother!”

The leonine beast leapt to his feet with a snarl as he transformed back into his monstrous, destructive shape, roaring in fury as he charged straight for Cadence as his body burst into hellish flame. But the Swan Maiden was unafraid and ready, only watching calmly as the destruction entity approached.

He pounced, and the Swan didn't flinch and didn't move: there was no need to, as blades of black crystal exploded out of the ground around her, smashing one after the other into the leonine monster and knocking him backwards with a roar of frustration before a swirling black vortex formed in reality behind the destruction entity.

The lion was pulled backwards into this, the destruction entity howling in misery, trying uselessly to swim through the dark energies swirling and twisting around him as Moonflower gritted his teeth, his horn pulsing with energy as he focused all the magic he could into the maelstrom of gravitational energy. Yet the monster had no eyes for the other ponies, even as he was pelted with energy: he only glared with hate and fury down at the Swan, screaming: “At least what we did, we did for each other! What about you, murderer? What do you live for? What do you fight for?”

The Swan answered by charging her horn with magic, rearing back as her holy energies quickly ate away the sheath of black crystal around her spire before she dropped forwards and snapped her horn out, an arrow of white energy streaking upwards and tearing through the chest of the destruction entity. It gargled in agony, twitching uselessly in the grip of the black hole before Danzsöngr leaned up and said coldly: “Like you, I exist to destroy. Only I am superior.”

The lion roared in fury, and then he arched his back, his whole body bursting into flames as he roared: “Then let's all die together, in one final blaze of glory!”

“I don't know if I can contain all of that!' Moonflower shouted, even as he focused more energy into the singularity, making it pulse larger and pull the lion deeper, but even with the power of gravity, some of the flames were still dancing outwards, flares of heat and energy lashing out of the black hole as the one-winged unicorn trembled with the effort of trying to pull the destruction entity and his malevolence deeper into the maelstrom. “He's... he's pulling free!”

Freya shot a look at Sombra, who nodded quickly before he closed his eyes tightly, the purifier clanking and grinding on his back as the stallion focused his powers. The broken and melted gemstone floor shuddered as it began to turn back into liquid corruption here and there, patches of poison swirling up into the air to form into thin, floating plates around the barely-restrained destruction entity.

“Aster, fortify the shield!” Freya ordered sharply, grimacing as the world shook with the rage of the lion. The lion-beast struggled back and forth with a snarl, his eyes blazing with hatred as he tried to yank himself free as waves of fire and heat burst from his body, charring the walls of the prison of corruption slowly forming around him as he shouted in frustration. “Moonflower, crush him! If he gets loose, he'll bring them mountain down, and us along with it!”

“I... I...” Moonflower grimaced, looking up with a wince: the creature was so immensely powerful, and he didn't know what would happen even if he did manage to crush the destruction entity, and his powers were... “But he's-”

“Either he dies, or we all die!” Freya snapped, before she lashed her horn upwards, sending a blast of golden flames rocketing through one of the last remaining holes in the spherical prison of corruption forming around the lion, making the destruction entity howl as the holy flames scoured his body, making him writhe in agony as smoke and ash hailed down from his form.

The lion roared in fury, his eyes glowing with hatred and power as he twisted back and forth, and a pulse of hellish heat tore through the world as steam vented up through cracks and deep wounds in the crystalline floor. Moonflower cursed and stumbled to the side as Aster shook herself quickly, stumbling to her hooves beside him as she blurted: “You can do it! You have to do it!”

Moonflower looked up, gritting his teeth before he clenched his eyes shut, leaning forwards as he poured more energy into the black hole as Sombra finished sealing the crystal sphere around the destruction entity. The black unicorn was barely holding on to his sanity, however, even as the rippling orb became a jagged prison of black stone; miasma was leaking steadily from Sombra's eyes, and the purifier on his back was squealing brokenly as dark blood leaked down the sides of his body, Sombra rasping: “Contain him... he has made his choice...”

The destruction entity roared, the black gemstone began to crack as the creature howled from behind the thick layer of gemstone: “No, no, no! I won't go alone! These flimsy walls, this whole mountain, all of it will burn with me!”

“I won't let you!” Moonflower shouted, and then he arched his back, his teeth bared, his eyes glowing with power as his one wing stretched open and shivered before it began to boil with energy.

Moonflower's horn snapped upwards, and his single remaining wing flexed before it exploded in a burst of blood and energy, streaming violently upwards before he snapped his head forwards, using up all that reaped vital energy in one powerful gasp.

There was a thunderous boom from inside the crystalline dome as it shuddered violently, the air seeming to twist and writhe on itself around the orb before there was a single, powerful pulse, and a moment later, a black gemstone with a burning crimson core fell out of the air, hitting the ground and bouncing silently along the cracked but already cooling stone. Moonflower wheezed loudly as he collapsed to his stomach, and Freya blinked in surprise as the Swan tilted her head.

Sombra wheezed quietly as he slumped, closing his eyes tightly, but even as miasma continued to leak out beneath his sealed lids, he was able to whisper: “I can only applaud your decision, Moonflower.”

Moonflower smiled faintly as La Croix appeared beside him, quickly kneeling by his friend's wounded side before he placed a hoof against the ugly, infected-looking wound where his wing had used to be, the Loa muttering: “Just had to jouer au héros, huh? Y'ain't never been the brightest, Moony, but damn... you gotta ruin yourself like this?”

“They were never really... mine to begin with.” Moonflower whispered as he trembled for a few moments, slowly laying down his head before he closed his eyes tightly. “I knew... I couldn't kill it. But it was transforming itself into a bomb, a magic bomb, and I... learned that any magic can be changed...”

“Taisse-toi, mon ami. You ain't makin' any sense.” La Croix said gently, as he carefully scraped his hoof over the no-longer-winged unicorn's wound, and Moonflower gasped in pain as a green, eerie glow suffused his flesh, making him whimper and writhe in pain as the Loa muttered: “I ain't good at healin' spells, but I got a few tricks to keep you from the diable for a little while, at least.”

Freya, meanwhile, had walked over to the black crystal and picked it up, studying it silently for a few moments as she tilted it back and forth in her hoof. She could feel the burning rage of the entity trapped inside the gemstone, and she had to admit, she was impressed by Moonflower's fast thinking: she had only been able to concentrate on destroying it by trying to force it into the singularity, while Moonflower had been strong enough to transmute his and his allies' magic along with the creature itself to imprison its power inside a stone...

Well, almost. He had made a sacrifice: one she might not have been willing to make herself, she reflected, as she turned her eyes towards the stallion. She noted that the others were all gathered around him now, even though Sombra still had that poison leaking out of his eyes, and Cadence seemed unsteady on her hooves from the Swan's possession...

Freya shook her head slowly, then she simply made the black gem vanish for the moment before she calmly turned around and said quietly: “Atavus.”

The draconic entity was standing silently behind her, twiddling his fingers nervously together as he looked fearfully down at the Valkyrie. Freya looked back at him, and the creature smiled meekly after a moment, but his eyes were cautious and frightened as he whispered: “It seems no matter what I do or where I go, I end up someone's... pet? Slave? Toy? Oh, I don't really know what I am... I just know that I am very much afraid, and seeing you... k-k-k-k...”

“Kill them. We killed them.” Freya said calmly, and Atavus winced and shrank his head between his shoulders before the Valkyrie asked quietly: “If you don't want to be a slave, Atavus, then why do you so readily put on the shackles you're offered?”

Atavus looked down lamely, rubbing silently at the back of his head before he said in a weak voice, half-joking and half-pleading: “Well, I... I don't want to die either, of course!”

Freya smiled thinly at this, and then she shook her head slowly before replying moodily: “Death is far from the worst thing you can experience, boy. Believe me on that.”

Atavus whimpered a little and shifted backwards a bit before he bit his lip, then blurted, holding his hands out in a supplicating gesture as he felt the eyes of the other ponies turning towards him as well: “But I'm here! Isn't that enough?”

“Not even close.” Freya retorted grimly, glaring at the creature and making him flinch and whimper. Then she sighed quietly, lowering her head and shaking it slowly. “But I do need your aid, creature. For that reason, and that reason a lone, I will overlook your... failings. Are you capable of jumping between worlds?”

“Wait, just... just like that?” Cadence asked sharply as she straightened, ignoring the way the Swan twisted inside of her. “I have a lot of-”

“What you have, is too much lip, Danzsöngr.” Freya said shortly, cutting the mare off. “Your friend needs medical attention, we have little in the way of gear, and we are still trapped here in the belly of the beast. There's little doubt that more destruction entities will be here, sooner or later: like attracts like. What we came here for is right here, and your entire team is wounded, weak, and next to useless to me with the state you've been left in.

“We head back to Looking Glass World, by the Bifrost. Between us, we should have enough magic energy to open it and make our way across the rainbow bridge. From there, you can go on your way back to Decretum.” Freya said calmly, and Cadence shifted slowly, feeling like something about that wasn't exactly... something's wrong.

Cadence bit her lip, and then she shook her head before saying finally: “We should head back to Decretum first. We need to be debriefed and we have reports to make.”

“You need to get back to Decretum. I need to go back to Looking Glass World.” Freya replied evenly. “Our business is done, Danzsöngr.”

“Not entirely. You have to-”

“I don't have to do anything I don't want to.” Freya retorted, and Cadence sighed in exasperation before the Valkyrie's eye flicked towards Atavus, who shifted fearfully, biting his lip as he played his fingers nervously together. “And you aren't going to try to run away or anything, are you?”

“I won't have to... hurt anyone, right? I'll be safe?” Atavus asked uncertainly, and Freya smiled wryly, shaking her head briefly.

“I just need you to help me wake up a friend. And after that, you can go on your way.” Freya said gently, and the entity bit his lip before he finally nodded.

Sombra looked uncertainly at Freya, like he had a bad feeling about the Valkyrie's words, while Moonflower was slowly picking himself up with La Croix and Aster's help. Cadence wanted to argue, but there wasn't really anything she could say, as Freya said briskly: “Now that we have all that out of the way, let's open the Bifrost and head to Looking Glass World. I'm sure you'll all find some way to be unhappy with me, but for now let's get along long enough to open the bridge.”

No one argued, the ponies only looking back and forth at each other before Freya turned and said calmly: “Atavus, you can provide a bit of energy here too. I need you to link with me, though, since your magic is a sight different from mine. Do you know how to do that?”

Atavus tilted his head, and Freya smiled: a disarming, charming, pleasant smile, Cadence thought. It made her nervous. “Alright. Stay still. It may sting for a moment.”

Freya rose her horn, and Atavus bit his lip nervously before he opened his mouth, but it was too late: the Valkyrie's horn pulsed before a coil of golden light wrapped around his neck and cinched tight, becoming a physical rope of golden fiber that wrapped around Freya's own neck. The creature winced and grabbed at the rope, wheezing a bit in surprise, and then he squeaked when Freya's horn glowed sharply, energy crackling along the rope and driving him to his knees as the mare said calmly: “Good.”

Atavus wheezed loudly, and Cadence's eyes narrowed as Sombra asked quietly: “What are you doing, Signora Freya?”

“Exactly what I said I was going to do. I just also want to make sure that Atavus doesn't try to do anything silly.” Freya replied evenly, and Cadence narrowed her eyes as the Valkyrie glanced towards the entity, who was now whimpering a little as he clutched at his chest, looking at Freya with a strange sense of betrayal in his eyes. “We don't want to have come all this way for nothing, after all. It's only a binding spell, perfectly harmless.”

She paused, then looked over at Cadence, meeting her eyes as she added in a colder voice: “And before you get any ideas, Danzsöngr, you and your team are not here to pretend to be my conscience. You are here to provide a service, which you have not excelled at.”

Cadence grimaced a bit, but then she took a slow breath and straightened, making herself nod even as she felt the others wanting to argue. She held up a hoof, meeting Freya's eyes as she said quietly to the Valkyrie: “You're right.”

Freya frowned slightly in surprise at this, and Cadence looked over her shoulder before she said calmly: “Our team was loaned out to the Valkyrie. She is in command, and she is responsible for this mission. We're just here to provide support, that's all.

“Ultimately this mission can't likely be counted as being under Decretum jurisdiction. And ultimately, our loyalty is to Hecate. We're just mercenaries.” Cadence continued, looking icily at Freya even as she felt the Swan twisting furiously inside of her. “Freya is responsible here. She's the one who will have to explain all of this to Hecate.”

“What makes you think I'm afraid of Hecate, or that I care at all what she thinks of me or my methods?” Freya asked irritably, looking moodily at the mare. “I can't say I have any idea where you're trying to go with this.”

“I think you do, actually, Freya.” Cadence replied evenly, although it took all her strength to hold up under the Valkyrie's glare. “Hecate let you hire us with the understanding that you wouldn't... embarrass Decretum. But if we tell Hecate-”

“Tattletale, you mean. A wonderful threat, Swan.” the Valkyrie interrupted sourly, but Cadence refused to be distracted.

“If we tell Hecate about this, and you can't explain yourself, what do you think Hecate will do?” Cadence asked in a quieter voice, forcing Freya to listen to her, to focus on her. “She's not like the ponies you're probably used to. She's not like us, who have to obey you, who you like to argue with, but you ultimately prefer to boss around and have control over.

“You'll lose access to all of Decretum's resources and facilities. She may even refuse to protect Looking Glass World. And with Thokk in play, do you want to risk your entire world because you're impatient to get home?” asked Cadence evenly, and Freya was silent, her eye narrowing slowly as the smaller mare finished quietly: “I understand that 'honor' and 'conscience' and 'duty' don't have much meaning to you, Freya, but we have to get back to Decretum, and I somehow think making a slave out of Atavus might end badly for you. Or do you want to push him until all that's left is the destroyer?”

“Enough.” Freya said moodily, and then the Valkyrie shook her head slowly before she sighed tiredly and muttered: “Enough. Fine. Your argument is weak, but all the same, I understand what you're saying. And all this for a life that you don't have any reason to care about.”

Cadence smiled briefly, and then she shook her head before saying quietly: “I don't need a reason to care about the welfare of other people, Freya. But it is my job to see these worlds remain stable, and... the last thing I want to worry about is you going rogue or rushing things along and getting us into more trouble. The last time you tried to rush us off this world, it didn't turn out very well.”

Freya rolled her eye, muttering: “Oh, of course, it's all my fault. Now I know how Brynhild always felt. It's no wonder she was always so cranky.”

The Valkyrie halted, and then she moodily looked at Atavus as the entity weakly grabbed at the magic rope, asking meekly: “Does that mean you're going to let me loose?”

“Loose, yes. Go, no.” Freya replied, looking grumpily down at the creature. “And I cannot help but note that the only reason you've been helped at all is because, yet again, someone else has stepped in for you on your behalf. Do you plan to live your entire life like this, creature? Sown only to the winds of fate, riding them wherever which way they take you with no passion nor determination to call your own?”

“That sounds nice. I don't really want to have goals, you know... when you make goals, it's so much easier to do everything wrong, I've come to realize.” Atavus smiled nervously, looking uncertainly at Freya. “After all, I had decided that I was going to leave with you and apparently I must have done something wrong because, well... here we are!”

“Here we are indeed.” Freya said dryly, shaking her head briefly before she sighed and flicked her horn moodily, the golden leash loosening slightly from around the creature's neck. But more than reducing his physical discomfort, it allowed him to regain some of his strength, the creature smiling awkwardly as he stumbled up to his feet. “We're still going back to my home. But yes, first... it looks like we'll have to head to Decretum.”

Freya turned a sour look towards Cadence, adding dryly: “We wouldn't want anyone to have to tattle on us, after all, now would we?”

Cadence only shrugged, refusing to let her frustration or exasperation – or most of all, embarrassment – show on her face, and Freya studied her for a few moments before she closed her working eye, seeming to measure her with the glowing crystal in her other socket before she suddenly nodded and said: “Very well. We'll use the Bifrost to jump to Decretum. This cavern is large enough, and I assume you know how the Bifrost works.”

“We've been briefed on it before, but none of us have ever used it.” Cadence replied after a moment, tossing a look over her shoulder at the others. “Moonflower, are you going to be okay?”

Moonflower only smiled wryly as he nodded weakly, saying tiredly: “Well, you know that a god's work is never done.”

“Godly you might be in form, but you certainly aren't in mind or power. Impressive as your last trick was.” Freya said mildly, and Moonflower scowled a little even as he shifted awkwardly backwards a little. “But don't you worry yourself over him. The Bifrost should give us all more than enough of a boost to cross it from edge to edge.”

Cadence grunted, shifting a little and still not sure about this whole situation, but she did at least believe that Freya wouldn't put them in any serious danger. Sure, she might get them hurt, or manipulate them, but put their lives at risk? “Alright, I'll trust you. How do we set the coordinates?”

“By magic, of course.” Freya smiled almost patronizingly at Cadence, which made her glower before the Valkyrie calmly rose her horn, saying in a clearer voice: “All of you have to simply concentrate on lending what magic power you can into the spell, and I will do the rest.”

Sombra rumbled, shifting uneasily, as Moonflower bit his lip and Aster looked up uncertainly, but Cadence only nodded and said evenly: “Whatever you need.”

She looked over her shoulder at the others and noted that only La Croix seemed any kind of confident, and she grimaced a bit before saying quietly but firmly: “Everyone, lend your strength to Freya. She won't lead us wrong.”

“I don't make any promises. But I'll take you back to your metal kingdom, aye, and talk to the mother you so like to hide behind the skirts of.” Freya said mildly as her swords vanished one after the other, and Cadence glowered at the Valkyrie, but only forced herself to nod grudgingly.

Freya nodded back, then rose her head, taking a slow breath as her horn began to glow, pulsing with powerful, ancient magic as she muttered: “Now, lend me what strength you can... but be careful not to get pulled into the flow. That goes for you too, Atavus: I don't know how the Bifrost will affect a creature like you, but it does have a habit of... exciting those who try to cross it.”

Atavus only smiled awkwardly, and then Freya turned her eyes forwards, her horn glowing brightly as she rose her head high, the magic weaving through the air around her in almost visible currents as she said sharply: “Now, lend me your magic!”

The rest of the ponies all looked up to the thrum of magic that coursed through the air, and Moonflower gritted his teeth as he rose his head as high as he could, quavering a little but all the same supplying what little energy he could spare. That was more than enough encouragement for the rest of the team to turn towards Freya and begin supplying their own magic, and Cadence smiled a bit as she turned around and focused her own energies forward as well.

Freya grimaced a bit, then she nodded abruptly before turning around herself, breathing hard as she rose her head and said clearly: “Just a little more now... Atavus!”

Atavus winced from the end of the leash, tugging nervously on it, but as he was no longer choking, he seemed almost relieved to literally be tied to Freya, the destruction entity saying hurriedly: “I just thought that-”

“Well, that is precisely why your duty is not to think, Atavus, it is simply to do.” Freya replied sharply, as she dug her hooves in the soft crystal beneath her, her eye flashing as the glow in the crystal orb in her socket grew. “Now, all the strength you can!”

Atavus winced, then he grasped the leash binding him to Freya before his body sizzled with energy, and Freya gasped as the creature's power was added to her own before the Valkyrie's mouth spread in a wide grin, her eyes blazing before she leaned forward and roared: “Open before me, Bifrost! Bow to my command!”

The world rumbled around them as energy crackled through the air, crystal and stone both shattering beneath their hooves as chunks of rock fell from the ceiling above. Cadence looked uncertainly up, wondering for a moment if the cave was just going to end up collapsing on them before the mare could finish whatever it was that she was doing.

But after a moment, she saw it: the ripple in reality, the way the energy was gathering in the air above before, with a great crackle, reality itself seemed to split apart in a great burst of energy, vomiting out a stream of light that transformed in a flash into a neon rainbow. The bridge of energy glowed brightly, leading up to a swirling vortex in reality, but there was no time to hesitate: whether or not she trusted Freya, the cavern was beginning to collapse around them, and the Bifrost didn't look like it was going to stay stable forever either.

Freya leapt to the side, sweeping up Atavus and making him squeak and cling into her immediately before she shot for the portal, and Freya and the others followed, Moonflower gasping as he staggered into a run with Aster and Sombra both helping him along. But just like the others, the moment he touched the bridge, he felt a surge of energy tear through his body, his eyes widening as he felt himself breaking into a full gallop as agony dwindled away to a faint ache easily overwhelmed by the excitement and the energy that coursed through him.

They charged into the rift together, and Freya grinned at the emotions she felt from the others: the amazement, the awe, the thrill that never quite went away: even for her, a goddess of thousands of years of age – if not more – it was invigorating in a way she couldn't describe, breathtaking, almost making her forget about the giggling entity on her back, distracting her to the point where she barely noticed that the Bifrost had disrupted her magical tether. And for these lucky ponies, was all brand new as she shouted: “Don't lose your heads now, keep moving! But drink deep of that feeling, and hope it never goes away!”

Cadence couldn't help but grin as they ran along the Bifrost, the mare feeling like her veins were filled with lightning as they tore down the rainbow bridge through a swirling tunnel of light and darkness. She could feel even the Swan reeling from the sensations, from the sense of both excitement and nostalgia as they ran down this whirling passage...

And in what felt both like moments and minutes, they were through the tunnel, leaping out the other side in a whirl of sound and color to charge down the other end of the rainbow. Freya skidded to a halt with a wide grin over the steel plating of a metallic bridge, her false eye glowing with divine energies as she said easily to the Titans already taking aim at them: “I wouldn't start anything if I were you, friends.”

“Stand down!” Cadence shouted as she quickly strode forwards: in spite of the energy thrumming through her body, it was second nature to take control of the situation as she walked in front of Freya and the destruction entity.

The Titans turned their attention to her, and she felt them scanning her for a few moments before they relaxed as a voice blurted from the Titans' vocal systems: “Oh, you're all alive! And better yet, successful!”

“Alive and successful, yes.” Cadence said wryly, looking up with a slight smile as several glass orbs whizzed down out of the air before the holographic image of Seneschal appeared, the AI looking oddly relieved to see them all. “Moonflower needs medical attention, though, and-”

“Yes, yes, of course, I have already dispatched a wagon. You're quite a distance from Imperia, though.” Seneschal said mildly, gesturing around them, and Cadence blinked in surprise as she looked around, realizing they were standing on some kind of... half-complete steel highway. “But of course the energy signature created by that rift was quite easy to lock on to, and it seems you were able to target with some intelligence, in spite of how crude the addressing was...”

Freya snorted as Atavus nervously peered at the holograph from her back, before the creature whimpered and dropped his head when Seneschal distorted suddenly, as Hecate's voice snapped: “If you have time to lick your wounds, you all have time to prepare your reports! Freya, I will be debriefing you personally.”

“Oh, I'm so honored.” Freya started drolly, before two of the Titans stepped forward, one of them reaching out and yanking the destruction entity off Freya's back and tossing him over his shoulder like a sack of grain.”Return him, cur, or-”

“Shut up.” Hecate said shortly, and Freya glared in fury at the fizzing hologram as the Titan turned and walked away with the destruction entity hanging over one shoulder. “Don't keep me waiting for very long.”

“I suppose trees will be trees... and the wasp needs little reason to sting.” grumbled Freya, and Cadence couldn't help but smile wryly. For once, she had to agree with Freya, only she thought that she and the Valkyrie were thinking of very different people.

Hearts Beat Hard

Chapter Thirty Nine: Hearts Beat Hard
~BlackRoseRaven

Hecate and Freya glared at each other over the mechanical mare's desk, the Valkyrie grinding her teeth together as Hecate only scowled. And finally, after minutes of this, Freya groaned loudly before she slammed her front hooves down on Hecate's desk, yet her voice was almost pleading as she asked: “And what precisely would you have had me do, then?”

“You were reckless. You put Team 0-0's lives in jeopardy. You brought a mare, contaminated with an unknown biological agent, back to Decretum, by Bifrost instead of registered portal.” Hecate said icily, her neon eyes locked on Freya, who only rolled her own and waved a hoof dismissively. “Need I remind you that you had very specific protocol to obey, and-”

“I am not your little toy soldier, Hecate. So don't treat me like you would one of your stupid pawns.” Freya retorted, glowering at the mechanical empress. “Perhaps if you're so worried about your little boys and girls, you should just keep them safe at home in this great stupid playpen you've built. You wouldn't want anyone getting a splinter now, would you?”

“Downplay this all you want, Freya. But we had an agreement, and you have failed to live up to your end of our contract.” Hecate replied sharply, and Freya snorted, beginning to open her mouth before Hecate leaned forwards and said coldly: “Go ahead. Make up all the excuses you want. But you and I both know what you agreed to, and you and I both know that liars-”

“Oh, enough!” Freya rolled her eyes, sighing and shaking her head in distaste. “You made your point. I think it's absolute twaddle, but you've made your point all the same. I might be eons old and wise as the trees, but of course, what do I know? Nothing good, that's for certain.”

“I've always found it cute how you consider yourself a goddess of war, but your first instinct when you don't get your way seems to be to whine and whimper.” Hecate said distastefully, and Freya narrowed her eye at the mechanical mare before she suddenly smiled thinly and sat back.

There was silence for a moment, and then a flash of light. But Hecate was just as fast, catching Tyrfing as it slashed towards her before her horn glowed, freezing Freya's other swords in arcs of electricity as quickly as they appeared around her.

The Valkyrie gritted her teeth, and Hecate smiled thinly before she leaned slowly down into Freya's face, saying quietly: “Like I said. Whining.”

Freya snarled as she tore her weapons free with a flare of golden energy, and then she snorted before spitting to the side, her swords vanishing as she said coolly: “And you hide behind your desk, primping like the queen you are. But if you truly need to hear it, fine. I'm sorry I did not do precisely what I said, and got your little poppets hurt.”

“You know that isn't what I take issue with, even if Moonflower has returned missing a wing, and Sombra will be down for several weeks due to illness.” Hecate shook her head slowly, then she created a holographic screen, and Freya shifted slightly to the side, her eyes flicking away as Hecate said quietly: “That is not what you promised me you were after.”

Freya only grunted, although she refused to look at the screen, which showed Atavus pacing nervously back and forth inside a holding cell. “That is what I found.”

“The others might not know better, but I do. I don't need an analysis to know that you encountered other creatures like him, as well. Not simply Incarnates, but Primordials.” Hecate sat back in her chair, her eyes locked on Freya as she asked quietly: “When were you planning on informing me of this, Freya? How long have you known about them?”

Freya shrugged calmly, looking evenly back at Hecate as she replied almost airily: “Well, I couldn't be sure until I finally had a chance to see for myself, now could I?”

“You are testing my patience.” Hecate said in a soft, dangerous voice, and Freya shifted ever so slightly before the mechanical goddess gestured towards the screen, continuing: “Unless you start telling me what's going on, Freya, I will pry my answers out of Atavus. And he will not like my methods of interrogation.”

The two looked at each other for a few moments, testing each other, measuring each other, and then Freya finally grimaced before she said shortly: “You're not so good at being the hero, are you?”

“I'm no hero. I'm the same as I ever was: the person who will put this universe in its proper order, whether it wants to be or not.” Hecate replied callously, shaking her head before she looked back at the screen, continuing in a quiet voice: “But I cannot do my job if you are hiding information from me, disrupting my operations, and sneaking around behind my back. Furthermore, I expect better from you, Freya.”

“Don't talk down to me like I'm some wench and you're my mother.” Freya growled, but Hecate only smiled thinly.

“It wouldn't bother you so much, Freya, if you didn't understand that you deserve it, and if you didn't have respect for me, whether you'll admit that or not.” Hecate replied, then she shook her head and continued: “All I expect is that you exercise that respect for me. Or at least recognize that the more problems you cause me, the more problems you cause us as a whole.”

Freya rolled her eye, but then she sighed before saying moodily: “And what would you have said if I'd told you I suspected there were other things, freed from Ginnungagap?”

Hecate snorted, retorting: “So you were afraid of the nasty words I might say to you instead of what action I would actually take? You sound exactly like-”

“A pony, yes, aye, I get it. You don't have to rub it in.” Freya sighed and rolled her eyes, looking mildly at the mechanical mare before she nodded slowly and murmured: “But yes. I don't know if this is Thokk's doing or not... I'm sure she has something to do with it, though, if only because of... a lack of diligence and control.”

“Primordials are the last thing we need to deal with.” Hecate muttered, shaking her head slowly: as if she didn't have enough to deal with on her plate as it was.

Primordials: elemental beings that were said to have been spawned from the origin of all things, at the birth of the universe. True Primordials were beyond the reckoning of gods and perhaps even reality, with powers that likely vast exceeded anything Hecate had to throw at them, capable of rivaling the Jötnar with their raw, immense strength.

What Freya had encountered were only fragments of true Primordials that had likely been created in Ginnungagap, but they had all the same characteristics of their elders: a dual nature that shifted between serenity and raw destruction. They were like nature: helpful, even loving at times, but capable of shifting without warning to rage and hatred and fury.

The Primordials had been one of many enemies fought by the gods in the great, far-flung past: they were all thought to have been destroyed, or exiled to Ginnungagap, where their powers could be contained, but where they had also fragmented into lesser Primordials who had mutated and evolved as they were infused with the energies of chaos.

“I need him back when you're done poking him.” Freya said blandly, and Hecate looked moodily at the Valkyrie as she was drawn out of her thoughts. “He's harmless. And they say that the Draconequus are nothing but fragments of the Primordials themselves, you know. I need his help.”

“They say that the Draconequus are the patchwork of everything that's been thrown into Ginnungagap over all the countless years the gods have been using it as a garbage dump.” Hecate said moodily, and Freya scowled a bit before the mechanical empress sat back, asking quietly: “What did the others think?”

“They thought they were just combinations of chaos and destruction. I think Danzsöngr had some suspicion, but... none of them really understood what they were faced with.” Freya replied after a few moments, shaking her head before she gave a slight smile at the scowl Hecate favored her with. “What? You don't like me referring to your precious Swan by name?”

“That is my other problem with you, Freya. You promised me you would mentor her and teach her to the control the Swan. If anything, she seems worse now than she was before.” Hecate replied, and the Valkyrie snorted, but she was cut off before she could make any quips or remarks by the mechanical goddess continuing: “Don't waste my time telling me she has to figure it out for herself, either. You and I both know that's not entirely true. You certainly didn't figure out everything by yourself, Freya.”

“As if you're one to talk.” Freya said grouchily, and then she rolled her eye before saying grumpily: “What would you have me do? Rip out part of her soul? Order the Swan to get along with her? Give her some deep moral lesson?”

“Teach her to focus her magic into her body. She already has an instinctive grasp of it: I'm sure you've seen the way she focuses her energy through her wings instead of her horn, for example.” Hecate replied, and Freya started to frown before the mechanical goddess said quietly: “Teach her to focus her magic inside herself, and you will teach her to look inside herself. And she will see the Swan.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Freya clicked her tongue before she muttered: “Not a terrible idea.”

Hecate smiled thinly, and there was silence for a few moments before Freya said abruptly: “I heard that Thorn ran into trouble in Looking Glass World.”

“Seneschal can never keep his mouth shut, can he?” Hecate rolled her eyes, but then she nodded after a moment with a tired sigh. “But that is correct, yes. He handled the situation adequately, and one Voidborn was eradicated. But...”

Hecate halted, then she shook her head quickly before saying shortly: “But I will not be distracted. I still need to know what you plan to do with the Primordial, and if you're certain that you can contain him.”

“He's not like the others, as I'm sure you can see for yourself. The others were like natural disasters: even when they meant no harm, pain is all they brought. This one is more like the gentler side of nature.” Freya smiled slightly. “Oh, I'm certainly that if we riled him up, he'd do some damage, but he is... naive, and childish, and easy to manipulate. But I have no need to manipulate him, really.”

“Not that you didn't try.” Hecate countered, and Freya grumbled again.

“Do you want me to reassure you or do you just want to continue to tell me how stupid and reckless I am?” Freya asked waspishly, and Hecate glared at her for a moment before she grunted and gestured for the Valkyrie to go on. “Besides, your precious Swan Maiden didn't behave herself entirely, either. She was all too eager to kill, and she put us all at risk by tossing aside her protection to blast that firebeast.”

“I don't care. We're talking about Atavus right now, and you.” Hecate redirected, and Freya muttered a few choice words under her breath before she sighed and nodded moodily.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Freya finally said: “It's simply all the more reason for you to let me go about my business. The sooner you let me leave with him, the sooner you can forget about him.”

“I have some tests of my own to run before I let you leave.” Hecate said calmly, meeting Freya's gaze. “If you want to avoid any further delays, then I suggest you ensure you live up to your end of our bargain in the meantime.”

Freya sighed tiredly, and then she said wryly: “You're worse than Frigg ever was, you know that? Perhaps I should start calling you All Mother.”

“Just get your job done, Freya.” Hecate said shortly, and the Valkyrie smiled wryly. There was silence for a few moments as the two studied each other, and finally, Hecate waved a hand. “You are dismissed. I'll have a room set up for you.”

“Generous.” Freya said drolly, and she rolled her eye before reaching up and absently rubbing at the patch covering the crystal in her socket, muttering: “But I suppose it could be worse, considering you and your idea of 'fair play.' Worse than the devil when it comes to contracts.”

“I suppose you would know all about devils and contracts.” Hecate said dryly, and Freya glared at the mechanical goddess before she gave a crooked grin.

“I suppose I would. But I'm getting tired of throwing words back and forth, Hecate. If you want to do any more talking, I'd prefer it to be done with blades.” Freya said evenly, and the mechanical goddess gave a thin smile as the Valkyrie stood up and said mildly: “I'll be waiting. If you're anything like me, I know you'll come to settle our differences before I go.”

“I'm not like you, Freya. I don't have time to play.” Hecate retorted, and then she glanced back at the holographic screen, adding quietly: “I've given you the security clearance you'll need to visit your friend. Make sure that you do. Somehow I feel that betrayal might be one of his buttons, and the last thing I need is a rampaging Primordial.”

“Good of you to think of others, Hecate.” the Valkyrie said ironically, and then she climbed up out of her seat before turning and heading to the door, pushing her way out of the office. She smiled slightly as she noted Thorn waiting patiently on the other side, studying the stallion for a few moments before she said pleasantly: “Nice to see you, nephew. You're looking a little under the weather, though.”

Thorn absently reached up and touched his bruised face before he replied mildly: “I'm at full operating efficiency, thank you.”

“Aye, I see.” Freya said ironically, her mouth quirking in a slight smile before she shook her head and called over her shoulder to Hecate, who was glowering out the open door from behind her desk: “My nephew is here to see you! Treat him kindly, will you?”

Hecate only responded with a growl, and Thorn politely nodded to Freya before simply walking past her, the Valkyrie snorting before she suddenly asked loudly: “What would your mother do in this situation, Thorn?”

Thorn turned around and looked at Freya for a moment before he simply reached up and pressed the button to seal the office door shut, and Freya blinked before she scowled horribly at the door, rolling her eye and muttering: “I suppose I can't argue with that.”

Inside the office, Hecate gave a brief smile to her son's back, before her expression turned serious again as he turned to face her, the mare asking calmly: “What is it?”

Thorn bowed his head to her politely, and then he answered calmly: “I received the personnel reports from Cadence and I've finished debriefing Team 0-0.”

Hecate was quiet for a moment, and then she asked softly: “How's your leg?”

Thorn smiled even as he shifted almost embarrassedly, absently grasping at his repaired prosthetic as he responded: “It's working efficiently.”

“That's not what I asked.” Hecate replied dryly, although she seemed satisfied by the response all the same. “How is Team 0-0 holding up?”

Thorn hesitated for a moment, and then he shrugged a bit before saying finally: “All things considered, I think they're doing well. They still need treatment for their injuries, but they seem as coherent as ever. I... am worried about Moonflower. He had the most contact with Aster and he...”

Thorn quieted, and there was silence for a few moments before Hecate said softly: “Family is the most important thing, Thorn. Your friends are a close second, though. You should spend time with him.”

The sapphire stallion smiled briefly, and then he gave a quick nod. Hecate smiled back, lighting up her features for a moment, making them kind and radiant before she became suddenly professional again, asking: “What is Aster's condition?”

“Stable. She's in quarantine for now, following standard infectious agent protocol. It seems to be a magic-based affliction, however, with no possibility of accidental transference. And while we still have to complete an assessment of her, Team 0-0 all vouch for her.” Thorn hesitated, then said finally: “I would recommend moving her to a private civilian room after a holding period of three to five days. We can keep her under surveillance for a few days and limit her interaction with the populous while we finish assessing her.”

Hecate nodded slowly, tenting her fingers in front of herself before she asked quietly: “She was infected by the blood of a Hellbound, correct?”

“Yes. And all our results so far show the same conclusion. But there's no sign of spiritual possession.” Thorn shifted a bit, then added almost hesitantly: “There is some... arguable evidence for emotional disturbance, however, and I'm not entirely sure how her mentality has been affected...”

“Which none of Team 0-0 can testify to, as they haven't known her long enough to tell, either.” Hecate stated to preempt any of Thorn's possible arguments, and then she paused for a moment before she said after a moment of consideration: “But your idea is still the most practical and the most efficient.”

Thorn nodded, then suggested: “We can also cross-reference data from what we know about other Hellbound to establish a profile. It shouldn't be too difficult to detect patterns of behavior that way, particularly with the data we have.”

Hecate nodded back, and there was silence for a few moments before the sapphire stallion bit his lip, then asked hesitantly: “Do you want to talk about Thesis?”

Hecate scowled at Thorn, and then she tapped a finger slowly against the desk before her expression gradually changed, her eyes closing, her lips tensing. Finally, she gave a soft sigh, then murmured: “No. I want to talk about you.”

Thorn frowned a bit, tilting his head slightly, and Hecate looked up before she asked bluntly: “What do you want in life, Thorn Blackfeather?”

Thorn was quietly at this, lowering his head and hesitating, and Hecate smiled a bit before she said quietly: “I know. It's not a fair question. And while you are an adult... you're still my subordinate and you're also at that stage where... you know enough about the world to make your own decisions, and if you weren't so smart, you would be brash enough to think that you have control of the world around you. That you don't need advice and assistance. Most ponies stumble through life that way, never understanding how fortunate they are that they are able to. That with one wrong step, their entire lives could come crumbling down. That... we are never too old or too strong to never require help.”

Hecate looked down for a moment as Thorn bowed his head to her in silent respect, and there was quiet before she said softly: “Team 0-0 is out of commission. Moonflower is badly injured, La Croix has been stripped of his relics and artifacts and will need time to make his repairs, Sombra is ill and requires treatment. Only Cadence will be at operative status within the next few days, but the world won't wait around while the others recover. We have work to do.

“You want to be like your parents, to follow in their hoofsteps, protecting the world. You've had some first-hoof experience now in the battlefield and understand what we are up against.” Hecate said, and Thorn straightened and nodded, becoming professional once more. “As you know, we've located the Ten Moons facility and completed an initial assessment. Hostiles may still be present, but they can be flushed by the security systems if we can rejoin the superstation's link to Decretum.

“I will be sending you, Cadence, and I suppose Necrophage and Muse as well, since you seem to operate so smoothly with them.” Hecate said almost distastefully, and Thorn nodded and saluted sharply. “The four of you should be able to move in through the toxic disposal site and use the service corridors to avoid any detection by the enemy. Once you reach the core, it will simply be a matter of establishing the uplink and defending it while Seneschal enslaves the local processes.”

Thorn nodded again, and then he smiled a bit before saying quietly: “Thank you for trusting me. With this, and with... being capable of...”

“Shut up, Thorn.” Hecate said moodily, but Thorn only smiled wider before the mare shook her head slowly, scowling slightly as she muttered: “I wouldn't have to do this in the first place if Valthrudnir had been smart enough to properly secure his own projects. But he was always too convinced of his own power and superiority... and was always stupid enough to simply drop all his old toys when he was done with them instead of destroying them.”

Thorn remained silent, and Hecate stood up before walking slowly around her desk. She paused for a moment to look back at the holographic screen, studying the creature on it quietly, and Thorn glanced towards the hologram as well before he asked: “Should I arrange an announcement?”

“No. No. No one has to know about the Primordials yet. We have enough to deal with as it is, and I've already dispatched a team to take over the furnace facility Cadence located.” Hecate muttered, shaking her head briefly as she stepped in front of Thorn. “After the facility is ours Seneschal can run an assessment. If we locate more Primordials in that world, then we can consider further steps.”

He looked up at her, and she gazed back down at him before she sighed softly and reached up to silently drop a claw on his shoulder, the stallion smiling at her even as his eyes became more worried.

She didn't say anything for a few moments, then she simply shook her head again and turned back towards the stallion, flicking her other claw backwards to make the screen vanish. The two looked at each other in silence, and then Hecate slowly lowered herself to a kneel before she reached carefully up to gently grasp Thorn's prosthetic leg.

She tilted it up, sliding her steel fingers along the metal of the limb, studying the masterwork silently: she had built it in only hours, yet it was almost a perfect replica of his previous prosthetic: 'almost,' she thought, because she had reduced the weight and the amount of material slightly while improving the overall structure. That was her favorite thing about machinery, she thought: you could always improve it, always make it better, not just repair it but enhance it, every time it was broken.

Hecate looked silently up into her son's eyes, and Thorn smiled faintly back at her. And, after a few long moments, the mare shook her head slowly before she murmured: “Have you thought about my proposal?”

“I have, Mom. And this... it doesn't bother me anymore.” Thorn replied quietly, silently flexing his mechanical leg before he reached up and gently cupped his mother's cheek, smiling at her as he said softly: “I don't blame you. I never have, and I never will, either. I understand that you did everything you could for me and what happened was my fault. It's... hard some days, sure, but I don't want...”

He quieted, and Hecate sighed softly before she closed her eyes, resting her face against his steel hoof: gentle, somehow. Was that her programming, the intelligence of the circuitry, or just the compassion and care of her son? “Alright.”

She stopped, then hesitated before asking quietly, as strange as the question was for her, and hard as it was to ask: “Do you... disapprove of Ithavoll?”

Thorn shifted hesitantly, then he glanced away and mumbled: “I don't think it's really my place to judge, especially as-”

“Do you disapprove or not, Thorn? It's a simple question.” Hecate said in a sharper voice, and Thorn winced a bit before he sighed as he lowered his hoof from her face, and Hecate straightened a little, but stayed in a kneel so she could better gaze into his eyes.

Thorn looked at her, as she looked back, and he gave a brief smile before he hesitantly nodded and murmured: “Not all of it. And I understand your reasoning behind most of it. But Stage Three seems... it seems like what we've been fighting to stop.”

“In a way, I suppose it is.” Hecate murmured, lowering her head and nodding briefly. “But Stage Three is also the only thing that will keep Hel and many of our other so-called 'backers' at bay. To ensure safety and success...”

“I know.” Thorn murmured, closing his eyes. “Which is why that even if I disapprove, I agree with you, and I'll stand beside you. No matter what that means.”

“When Hel fully realizes what I intend to do, she may send your parents after us, Thorn.” Hecate smiled a little, glancing over at the stallion and studying him quietly: what kind of a mother was she, to even risk pitting her adopted son against his blood family, knowing that it was the only thing that would slow them down.

But Thorn smiled faintly, shaking his head before he said softly: “Except I know that you won't risk that. Not unless it became absolutely necessary for some reason... and like I said, I trust you. I love you, and I trust you. I just wish that... we could make everyone understand without having to resort to... this.”

“We all have the roles we must play, Thorn. That, unfortunately, is the difficult truth of life.” Hecate murmured, and then she straightened before saying quietly: “Even if I could convince your parents, Hel would learn the truth, and use them against us anyway. Or worse.”

Thorn nodded, and Hecate grimaced before she shook her head and gestured distastefully off to the side, muttering: “Enough talk. I have an empire to run, Thorn, I can't continue to waste my time with you, prattling away about secrets you shouldn't even be privy to. And you have a mission to begin preparation for and ponies to see. Go do your job.”

Thorn smiled a bit after a moment, and then he nodded quickly before saying softly: “Of course. Let me know if you need anything.”

Hecate only stood up and pointed at the door, looking moodily at the sapphire stallion, and Thorn smiled again at her before he turned and left the office, heading quickly out into the hall.

He closed his eyes as the door shut behind him, lowering his head for a moment as he gathered his thoughts and tried to shrug off that strange, uneasy feeling that always came over him whenever they discussed Ithavoll. Hecate had so much invested in the project, and it made him so uneasy when he thought about what it all could mean, everything that could happen in the worst case scenario.

But it was worth it, wasn't it? He thought it was: and more than that, he trusted his mother to make the right decision when it came down to it. Maybe it was childish and stupid, but he believed in her, perhaps more than he had ever believed in anyone or anything else.

Thorn nodded to himself, taking a slow breath before he strode quickly down the hall, creating a holographic screen beside him to begin assembling an itinerary. He would have to get more information about the mission from Hecate later, but for now he could at least begin filing equipment requests and see if Hecate had set up an overview for him to look at yet.

He glanced at the chart as he made his way through the halls, before grimacing in surprise when he was suddenly locked out of the system. He frowned and came to a halt in the middle of an intersection for a moment, before wincing and quickly stepping to one side to get out of the way of several Dogmatists.

As he pressed against a wall to allow several Worker Drones pulling cargo crates to pass, he tapped a short command over the screen, then flinched in both surprise and embarrassment when Seneschal's voice declared loudly, as the AI appeared on his holographic screen: “Due to security and privilege concerns, you have been temporarily locked out of the system, Thorn Blackfeather!”

“Seneschal, volume.” Thorn muttered, looking around with the faintest blush in his cheeks, but thankfully, there weren't any Orphans around, and Dogmatists and Drones weren't usually much for gossip and rumors.

Seneschal sniffed loudly, then said proudly: “I don't have to listen to you at all right now, Thorn! You may still be Regent, but you are currently locked out of all of the systems and delegated to menial physical tasks, such as sorting files, and cleaning. I fear I must admit I relish this opportunity and plan to make full use of it.”

“Seneschal, override code 231-Alpha. Modulate.” Thorn said calmly after a moment, and Seneschal blinked before he scowled horribly as he grabbed at his throat, no longer able to speak. “I still have my emergency access. And I'm sure we both recognize this is simply Empress Hecate's way of making me take time off work.”

Seneschal shrugged, then he dug a pen out of his pocket before swiftly writing a message across the holographic screen, making Thorn smile despite himself. “Yes, I know. I'll... relinquish my position for now. I suppose that administrative duties can wait, anyway. I have... other business to attend to.”

The AI nodded firmly, gesturing irritably at him, and Thorn sighed before he closed the screen with a flick of his hoof, glancing back in the direction of his mother's office before he murmured: “Thank you for reminding me, Mother. We both... have our flaws.”

Thorn shook his head, and then he turned and made his way through the halls, slipping past the remaining Worker Drones and their cargo. It only took him some fifteen minutes to navigate the busy halls, the stallion walking with maybe the faintest hint of nervousness in his step as he glanced around every so often, at all the people going about their business...

He truly did love it here. And he loved these people. They were all so diverse, so wonderful, so fascinating, and they had all united under one banner, thanks to consequence and perdition, to form one unified, common cause...

Thorn smiled a bit as he let himself into the medical center, before his smile widened as he saw Cadence emerging from one of the long halls, the bruised mare looking at him with surprise before she smiled a little and straightened as he approached. “Hey, uh... sir!”

“Just Thorn. I'm off duty.” Thorn said softly, and Cadence nodded awkwardly before the sapphire stallion asked: “How are you holding up?”

“I'm alright. My healing...” Cadence shifted uncomfortably, rubbing slowly at her neck before she shook her head slowly. “Don't know why that of all things freaks me out. I should be happy I heal so fast, right?”

“The only person who determines your happiness is you.” Thorn replied, and Cadence looked at him awkwardly as she slowly tilted her head before the sapphire stallion smiled a little “Sorry. I suppose that's a 'political response.' I mean... you can choose to be happy or unhappy about it, but it doesn't change the fact that it's a positive for you, especially right now. You have another mission coming up.”

Cadence winced at this, rubbing at her head and mumbling: “Oh great. I... not that I'm questioning my duty or anything, sir, but my... my team isn't going to be ready...”

“Your team will be given time to heal. You're being assigned to a different unit.” Thorn replied, and Cadence winced again before Thorn shook his head quickly. “But I'm not supposed to talk about that right now, not until the logistics are all worked out. I'm off duty, like I said. How is the rest of your team doing at the moment?”

“Daddy... I mean, uh, Sombra is having a nap right now, so I was just going to go get showered and stuff.” Cadence hesitated, then added softly: “Moonflower would probably like to see you. He's upset because... you know. But he's not... I don't know how to phrase it...”

“He's physically healthy, and even with the overuse of magic, his vital energies would have been protected by the sacrifice.” Thorn paused at the look on Cadence's face, and then he said softly: “Yes, I know not to say that to him. I'm just parsing it out.”

Cadence nodded awkwardly, looking uncomfortably back and forth before she finally looked back at the stallion and asked: “Are uh... you okay?”

Thorn absently reached up and touched his own bruised face, and then he said simply: “Yes.”

Cadence looked at him lamely, clearly wanting to know more, and Thorn shifted a bit and bit his lip before he said hesitantly: “I... ran into some difficulties in Looking Glass World. Voidborn. You're familiar with two of them: Sol Seraph and the Praetor.”

The mare's eyes widened in shock, before she leaned forward and blurted: “They didn't kill you?”

“No. They did not.” Thorn said dryly, and Cadence blushed in embarrassment, looking lamely away as she mumbled an apology. “It's alright. It's true, I would have died if it weren't for Antares and his... my family, helping me.”

Cadence smiled a bit at this, returning her eyes to Thorn before she said softly: “So you met them, huh? And it sounds like you got to know them pretty well, too.”

“Not as well as I would have liked. But yes. I got to spend... a lot more time with them than expected.” Thorn gave one of his small smiles in return, and then he shook his head before continuing in a low voice: “We also...”

He bit his lip, shifting a bit as Cadence tilted her head, before the stallion murmured: “Not long after we defeated the Voidborn, another came after me. His name was Thesis.”

“Thesis... why do I know that name?” Cadence murmured, frowning a bit before her eyes widened slightly as she remembered the picture on Hecate's desk, of Thorn, and... “You mean...”

“My brother. Hecate's other son.” Thorn said softly, nodding before he continued quietly: “He is vastly superior to the other Voidborn you fought. But he is not to be engaged or treated like an enemy. Hecate will be sending out a very strict warning about that when the time is appropriate for it.”

“Hasn't Hecate already sent out a warning about the Voidborn to all of Decretum?” Cadence asked uneasily, and Thorn shook his head.

“No. It would cause panic and disruption. We'll release more information as we get more confirmations: for now, there's enough rumors and gossip going around about Thokk and how she's using Decretum technology against us as it is.” Thorn replied with a shake of his head.

Cadence shifted a bit, not knowing if she really agreed with that or not, before she glanced up as Thorn continued in a softer voice: “I don't always know how I feel about it either, Cadence. But I can't let emotional reasoning get in the way of proven logic.”

The ivory mare shifted a little, but Thorn quickly changed the subject, asking: “Is Moonflower back there? I would like to go and see him.”

Cadence nodded, and then she smiled a little before saying after a moment: “You know, if he wasn't so... well... gay, then I'd think you'd have a bit of competition in Aster. Those two seemed to really hit it off, you know.”

“From what we can deduce, they're parallels, which are similar to alternate selves.” Thorn said with a nod, giving a brief smile. “Interesting to think that Moonflower would have a female counterpart somewhere on another world. But of course, parallels aren't precisely mirror reflections of ourselves, but rather...”

Thorn halted as he realized Cadence was simply staring at him uncomfortably, and he gave an awkward smile before saying finally: “Sorry. I don't mean to bore you. Apparently I have a bad habit of talking too much about things that other people don't find as interesting as I do.”

“No, no, oh no. Uh... not at all.” Cadence said awkwardly, looking lamely off to the side before she cleared her throat. “Well, uh... I have to go shower and... it sounds like I should maybe go see Hecate, too. Or at least maybe check my Mission Dive.”

“Yes. You should be carrying that around at all times, anyway, remember.” Thorn said mildly, and Cadence smiled a little before the sapphire stallion sighed and nodded, saying almost grudgingly: “Yes. Off duty.”

Thorn smiled awkwardly after a moment, and there was silence for a moment as Cadence fidgeted on the spot, until Thorn said dryly: “You can go, if that's what you're waiting for.”

“I know, Thorn, I just... I have a lot of questions and I don't really know what to ask, and I don't want to keep you, either.” Cadence said lamely, and Thorn shrugged a bit.

“I'm off duty, like I said, and I don't think I'll be doing much tonight, either.” Thorn hesitated for a moment, then he said finally: “I'm going to go see Moonflower. But why don't you stop by my room tonight, and we can... talk.”

Cadence smiled after a moment, and then she nodded and asked: “After dinner?”

“I'll see you then.” Thorn replied, and then he gave the mare a polite nod before turning and heading down the hall.

He paused as Cadence cleared her throat behind him, glancing over his shoulder before the mare said quickly: “Last room on the right, Hall B.”

“Thank you.” Thorn nodded again, then he turned his attention back ahead, striding quickly down the hall into the recovery wing. He felt Cadence watching him, but he didn't look back, smiling briefly to himself: they would have plenty of time to talk tonight. And he thought he was starting to like 'talking,' strange as that was.

He made his way down the hall to the room at the end, then he carefully stuck his head in through the open door. There were only two patients in this little room, one of whom was asleep, with his head wrapped in bandages, while the other was curled up on his side facing the wall, one side of his back thoroughly covered in medical patching.

Thorn approached quietly, standing for a few moments and simply studying Moonflower. He noted at the scar on the other side of his back was slowly starting to vanish: that was likely because in spite of how grievous his injuries had been, the wings had been nothing more than a permanent polymorph. And now that they had been removed, after who knew how many years, that polymorph was finally reverting.

Thorn studied the stallion silently, then he reached up and gently squeezed his shoulder, making the black unicorn flinch in surprise before he half-rolled over, then blushed deeply at the sight of Thorn, rubbing hurriedly across his teary eyes as he blurted: “You!”

Thorn smiled wryly, and Moonflower cleared his throat and looked awkwardly away, correcting lamely: “I mean... Thorn. Thorn, it's... it's good to see you, it's... I mean...”

The sapphire stallion squeezed Moonflower's shoulder, then he leaned down and kissed his forehead. Moonflower's eyes widened slightly at this, and then he trembled for a moment before clenching his eyes shut and leaning forwards, shaking a little as he pressed his head tightly to Thorn's breast as the stallion silently embraced him.

Moonflower slowly got himself back under control, clinging to the stallion as he closed his eyes tightly, his shivers gradually subsiding until he was able to take a slow breath and look up silently at Thorn, asking quietly: “What's special about me without my wings, Thorn? I'm just another unicorn. I was never any... true master of magic, or god of darkness. I was just... a unicorn who worked so hard to get to where I am today, and... and yet all of it feels like it was all for nothing...”

“It was never your wings that made you special. And it's not your magic, either, Moonflower.” Thorn said softly, shaking his head as he looked down at the stallion. “It's who you are. It's your compassion, your heart, and your resolve. But I'm not going to keep repeating that to you: you're just going to have to learn it on your own.”

Moonflower smiled briefly, lowering his head and nodding silently before he closed his eyes, simply relaxing in Thorn's grip. Thorn continued to hold him tight, looking down at him quietly for the longest time before he leaned down and gently kissed beside his horn, murmuring: “I care about you.”

The black unicorn blushed a bit, glancing almost shyly up at Thorn, and then he gave a small smile before he asked: “Do you think we have a future together?”

“I know that we'll be... friends, no matter what else happens. Anything else, I can't say.” Thorn replied with a bit of a shrug, and Moonflower chuckled softly as he nodded against the stallion, his eyes closed as he breathed softly in and out.

“One of my favorite things about you is how you talk, you know.” Moonflower murmured, smiling a bit as he rested silently against the sapphire unicorn. “You're so gentle, so kind. But you know how to be firm with me, too. And you do know I like a firm stallion.”

Thorn smiled a bit despite himself, shaking his head slowly before he said softly: “You never really learn, do you?”

Moonflower chuckled and and shrugged a little, and then he replied, as he gazed up at the sapphire stallion with warm eyes: “No. And I'm very glad I never did, because that's part of how I got to know you, now isn't it? After all, you know that they never really... liked me in the past, or the way I am. And yet these days, there seem to be plenty of us... lavender ponies, as La Croix puts it when he's in a delicate mood.”

Thorn smiled briefly, shrugging a bit. “I don't know if it's that, Moonflower, or if ponies are just less afraid to be themselves these days, and feel more free to express their affection for each other. Which I think is a good sign that our society as a whole is evolving.”

“I hope so. I like Decretum. I like being accepted. It's a funny feeling but a nice feeling, to belong somewhere, and to feel like...” Moonflower blushed a bit, then he shook his head lamely before mumbling: “Well, it's not. All that important, really...”

“I think it is. Don't be silly.” Thorn said softly, and Moonflower blushed and smiled again up at the stallion, nodding almost meekly before Thorn gently pulled away from the black unicorn, asking: “Do you want to go for a walk?”

Moonflower shifted lamely back and forth, and Thorn gave him a quietly-entertained look before he persuaded: “How about we walk to the Arts district and have coffee? I like coffee. We can call it a date, if you want.”

Moonflower blushed a bit at this, but then he bit his lip before shifting awkwardly, mumbling: “Well, I don't know if the doctors and nurses and all the other staff that's just been falling all over themselves to keep me stuck in bed here will let me...”

Thorn smiled despite himself, shaking his head before he shrugged a bit. “Well, if you don't want to, that's fine. I can always just go by myself.”

“No, no, no! Wait, no, I uh... I do not fear doctors or nurses, no one can keep me here!” Moonflower blurted, giving an awkward laugh before he cleared his throat and nodded hurriedly as he sat up with a lame smile, shrinking his head meekly between his shoulders. “I um. I would like to go with you.”

Thorn nodded, and then he stepped back and held his prosthetic hoof out to the stallion. “Let's go, then.”

Moonflower looked awkwardly at the sapphire stallion, and then he bit his lip before carefully rolling off the bed and shakily standing, taking a slow breath before he looked up at Thorn almost worriedly. Thorn only smiled reassuringly, however, and Moonflower bit his lip before he reached out and took Thorn's steel hoof.

Their hooves squeezed together, and then Thorn carefully tugged Moonflower forward before he released his hoof to gently tilt his head up, making the black stallion blush a little as he felt Thorn adjusting his mane and brushing down his scruffy coat. He began to mumble a protest, but Thorn quieted him by lightly tapping under his muzzle before he went back to neatening him out, saying softly: “We should clean you up a little more later. That's one of the few things we're missing here, a personal grooming area in the hospital. Sponge baths just aren't the same.”

“And quite honestly, they're a terrible idea to begin with.” Moonflower added, and Thorn smiled despite himself before his horn and prosthetic hoof both glowed as he gently brushed over Moonflower's face, cleansing magic tickling almost painfully over the stallion's features as he mumbled: “That stings.”

Thorn didn't respond as he finished up, and Moonflower smiled awkwardly when the stallion finished, lowering his head almost childishly towards the sapphire stallion. The two looked at each other for a few moments, and then Moonflower peeked back and forth before he almost tiptoed forward and nervously leaned up to kiss Thorn's lips.

The sapphire stallion met his mouth with a smile, returning the soft kiss, their lips barely parted, the affection almost chaste, but lasting a wonderful few moments before they parted. The two smiled at each other, Moonflower blushing and straightening a little before he nodded almost vehemently several times. “Let's go, my... friend!”

“Alright, friend.” Thorn replied mildly, smiling in amusement despite himself before he shook his head slowly and turned to lead the way out, reflecting that sometimes all anyone ever really needed was a little push.

A Quiet Night In

Chapter Forty: A Quiet Night In
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence couldn't help but look around in fascination at Thorn's private room... or well, one of his private rooms, she reflected. She didn't know why it was so amazing to think about, but Thorn had quite a large apartment of his own, situated inside Castle Imperia itself.

They were currently sitting in his comfortable living room, and by they, she meant herself, Thorn, and a giddy-looking Moonflower. If she didn't know any better, she would have said that the stallion had actually forgotten about the fact he had lost a wing only a short time ago.

Thorn was currently tapping away on a control panel next to a large glass screen, as the stallion absently reprimanded: “-so you see, it makes a lot more sense for you to keep your Mission Drive on you at all times, if at all possible. We would have collected a lot more data that way.”

Cadence shifted a bit, then asked before she could stop herself: “But since all our things were taken, wouldn't we have lost all that data anyway?”

“Not necessarily. We already deployed Scavengers to retrieve what they can, and Mission Drives emit a distinct signal that allows us to interface with them from up to three miles away wirelessly. The data can then be retrieved almost at leisure.” Thorn shrugged a bit, stepping away from the control panel before he glanced over his shoulder and asked: “Are you sure you don't want anything?”

“I'm sure, Thorn.” Cadence said with a smile as she rested back in the comfortable cushioned chair, looking with amusement at the stallion before Moonflower awkwardly rose a hoof from the couch.

“I would like more coffee!” Moonflower said hurriedly, and Thorn smiled a bit before he nodded, walking out into the hall as images began to flow over the glass screen: pictures of Decretum taken by satellite, Cadence thought.

She paused for a few moments to make sure that Thorn was out of earshot, and then she leaned towards Moonflower and said dryly: “You know, you don't have to keep taking a cup of coffee every time he asks.”

“He bought it for me! What else am I supposed to do?” Moonflower almost whined, wincing a bit towards the door before he added hurriedly: “And he's going to hear you!”

“He will not. And I don't think he bought that all for you. It sounds like going to that Looking Glass World or whatever they call it really helped him loosen up a little. I'm sure he wants you happy. I'm not so sure he wants you drinking ten gallons of coffee just to make him smile.” Cadence replied mildly, as she looked pointedly at the stallion.

Moonflower huffed a bit, then he absently grabbed at the air before grimacing a little as his back flexed automatically, trying to bring around a wing that was no longer there. He shifted awkwardly after a moment, then cleared his throat when he realized Cadence was looking at him sympathetically, mumbling: “I'm perfectly fine. Just... just adjusting, that's all.”

Cadence nodded, and Moonflower cleared his throat before he shook himself out and grumbled: “Well, it's not like it really matters, anyway. I could always bring them back, but... pah. It was painful enough the first time. Do you know what it's like to apply a permanent polymorph?”

Moonflower paused, looked awkwardly at Cadence for a few moments, and then he looked lamely away before mumbling: “Sorry.”

Cadence frowned a bit, then she looked down at her own hoof for a moment before smiling briefly and shaking her head. “No. I can't say that I've ever... really felt the changes, after all. Annoying as they can be.”

The unicorn nodded to her, and the mare softened a bit before she said: “But you know, if you asked, I'm sure...”

“No, no. No. I'm...” Moonflower hesitated, then he looked towards the screen before he said softly: “What point is there in being a god of darkness if I still don't like myself? I... I want to like myself, Cadence. And more than that, I want to accept myself. And... I feel like Thorn is helping me do that.”

He smiled a little after a moment, then he chuckled quietly and shook his head, murmuring: “But perhaps that's all just silliness and fluff.”

“I think it's very important.” Thorn said softly, as he reentered the room with two cups and a small plate held in his telekinetic grip, and Moonflower smiled embarrassedly at the stallion as Thorn simply sat down, passing Moonflower a mug before he offered the plate to Cadence.

Cadence glanced at the pastry balls on the plate, then she shrugged before taking one with telekinesis. She bit into it as Thorn floated the plate to the safety of the table in front of him, where it joined his cup on a pristine little plastic pad: just about everything in Thorn's apartment reflected his almost OCD-like need for order.

She bit into it, and smiled slightly in surprise: it was stuffed with some kind of blueberry filling, and tasted delicious. Then she couldn't help but laugh when she looked up and saw Thorn dabbing at Moonflower's face with a cloth napkin, the black stallion looking embarrassed and childish as he shifted back and forth, which was just resulting in more smears all over a face that was already covered in gunk, thanks to the fact it looked like Moonflower had just chomped into two of them at once.

Moonflower whined in his throat, but he gave up after a few moments, sheepishly lowering his head a little as Thorn cast a cleansing spell over him and wiped up the last of the gunk from his face. But even if they seemed more like parent and child, there was such a tenderness in Thorn, and Moonflower clearly liked being doted over, whether he would ever admit that or not.

Thorn neatly folded up the used napkin and put it aside, and then he glanced towards Cadence, asking: “What do you think?”

“I like them. Thank you. I might have another later.” Cadence said quickly, preempting Thorn before he could offer the plate to her again. He was trying maybe a little too hard with the whole host thing. “So what did you want to show us?”

Thorn glanced towards the screen, then he rose his mechanical foreleg, a holographic screen appearing just above the metal limb so the stallion could tap a quick code over it. Immediately, there was a thrum from the screen before images flashed to life over it, the sapphire stallion gesturing at the screen as he said softly: “I thought that I would... share a little with you both.”

Moonflower perked up as Cadence looked with interest at the screen, before she smiled in amusement at the image of the three ponies on screen. They were strange looking ponies, though: one had scales, one had crystalline wings, and the last... well, there was just something different about the red-eyed Pegasus. “Are they Orphan candidates?”

“They're my siblings.” Thorn said, and Cadence did a double take as Moonflower sat up with interest, cocking his head curiously. “Their names are Antares Mirus, Innocence Sparkle, and Scarlet Sage. The oldest is Scarlet, and youngest is Innocence. Well... I suppose I'm the youngest, but... Innocence doesn't really want to accept that. She's taken a liking to being the 'baby' of the family, apparently. And Antares and I... we had a bit of difficulty getting along at first, too.”

Cadence smiled a little as Moonflower chuckled, before he asked with a surprising, earnest interest: “But what did you think of them? And you fixed things with them, didn't you?”

“I did. And I was... amazed by them, really.” Thorn admitted, nodding to the stallion as he looked at him almost curiously, surprised by Moonflower's near-excitement. “They weren't like anyone I'd ever met before. They were... free, in a word. Strong, vital, and with their own rules and laws, and... free.”

Thorn smiled briefly, rubbing slowly at his face before he murmured: “They tested me a lot. But they always had a purpose, a motive behind it.”

Moonflower smiled as Cadence nodded, looking with interest again over the image of the three ponies before she asked softly: “Did they even know you were taking their picture?”

“Sometimes. Not all the time.” Thorn smiled despite himself, shrugging a bit, and Cadence looked at him with amusement: at least he's always honest. “Let me show you some of the other ponies I met.”

Cadence nodded as Moonflower looked eagerly towards the screen, and Thorn only had to gesture to make the images change, showing three more ponies now, and even though it was only a picture, Cadence's eyes widened as her instincts told her two of those were demons, but that laughing, jovial stallion on the right... “That's... he's a god!”

“He's my uncle. Sleipnir. Avatar of Thor, as Luna is the Avatar of Brynhild, and you are the Avatar of Danzsöngr.” The stallion paused, then corrected after a moment: “Well, I don't know if that's entirely the best way to put it, to be honest. Your relationship with Danzsöngr is different from the others... except Freya, of course.”

Cadence smiled a little at this, nodding a bit as she gazed back at the screen, studying the stallion before her eyes roved towards the demons as Thorn continued: “That's his wife, Pinkamena, and their daughter, Aphrodisia. Aphrodisia is actually an Inquisitor, and we... I want to say we met at some point in the past, but I was too young to really remember. We got along very well, but I know that in part is because of this.”

He reached up and tapped on the ring around his horn, and Cadence hesitated, before she blinked in surprise as Moonflower beat her to the question she wanted to ask. “How did you get that, anyway? It's... quite a symbol of status, isn't it?”

“Yes. It marks me as a Grand Inquisitor, although it was mostly a ceremonial position, really.” Thorn smiled briefly, shaking his head. “Something to keep me busy in Helheim, so that... my parents and Nanny Hel didn't have to worry about me.”

“Nanny Hel.” Cadence smiled despite herself, shaking her head briefly before she muttered: “Kind of scares me to hear you refer to her like that. I mean, I know she's a backer and all, but at the same time...”

“That's the Swan, Cadence. I thought that was something you were working on keeping in check, furthermore.” Thorn said mildly, and Cadence looked awkwardly away before Thorn glanced up curiously as Moonflower nudged him gently.

“Cadence is... very good, you know. She keeps herself quite... good.” Moonflower said lamely, finishing much more quietly than he started but Thorn couldn't help but smile all the same, shaking his head briefly before he nodded a little in return.

“I know.” he said softly, glancing towards Cadence. “I don't mean any offense by it. I just also... worry, I suppose.”

“I understand. And I... I do have to do better. It's just that... more than hating the Swan lately, more than her really having power over me, it's like...” Cadence bit her lip as she rubbed slowly at her face, thinking about how the Swan's feelings, the Swan's thoughts and opinions... they seemed to more and more be infecting her own, making her think in ways that she didn't want to.

She was quiet for a few moments, and then she glanced up as Thorn switched to the next picture, Cadence staring in surprise at the group of ponies and not-quite-ponies that appeared on screen. “Ponyville in Looking Glass World has a lot of... not just ponies, but other peoples. It's a little utopia, in a lot of ways, and it's a lot like what I think we're trying to establish throughout the worlds. A place of harmony, where everyone is accepted, where everyone is free to be themselves.”

Cadence smiled a little at this thought, nodding slowly before she asked curiously: “Isn't that Tender Trust? So that mare beside her...”

“That's her mother, Fluttershy.” Thorn nodded, then hesitated for a moment before he said: “She's Sol Seraph's daughter, hard as that might be to believe.”

“What? Really?” Cadence blinked in surprise, leaning forward and staring at the picture before she said slowly: “But she's... she's a Phooka, right?”

“She wasn't always. She was a Pegasus, but she was... invited to join the tribe, I suppose you could say.” Thorn smiled a bit as he gave a quick nod, while Moonflower only stared blankly at the screen before Thorn continued: “The small Pegasus there is Avalon, who is Applejack's daughter. A lot of these ponies have been fighting to follow in their parents' hoofsteps, really. Many of them are warriors, but it's not... a warlike world, so to speak. And they are good ponies. They know discipline, and honor, and something... purer than that.”

Moonflower smiled a little, and then he said softly: “It sounds like quite a wonderful world. Do you think we could go there one day, you and I?”

“I'd like that.” Thorn smiled over at Moonflower, nodding to him as Cadence shook her head with a soft laugh at the two. They were such a cute, strange pair, she thought. And they were so good for each other, funny as their relationship was.

Finally, Thorn glanced back up at the screen, gesturing at it to change the picture, and Cadence smiled at the images that appeared over the monitor: it looked like some kind of massive, underground city, inhabited by all sorts of demons, undead, other strange and marvelous creatures. And yet none of them seemed like they were hostile to each other. They looked curious, and friendly, and like... “You really like when things get along, huh?”

“I like unity. I like when different parts are able to come together for one common purpose. I think there's a lot we can learn from that, and a lot to be inspired by in that, yes.” Thorn replied with a nod, and Cadence smiled in amusement at how serious he sounded.

“You know, you don't have to explain anything that you don't want to, Thorn.” she said with soft amusement, and Thorn shrugged awkwardly as Moonflower chuckled.

There was silence for a few moments, then Cadence and Moonflower simply sat back and enjoyed the pictures that Thorn showed them. He explained things now and then, but otherwise seemed content just to flick through most of the pictures, lingering a little here and there: mostly on ones that depicted his family, Cadence thought.

As Thorn paused on a picture of his siblings Antares and Innocence – and Cadence could now definitely see the resemblance to Brynhild in how they had been caught in mid-shout at each other, shoving wildly at each other's faces like puppies – Moonflower suddenly rose his head and said: “I had two sisters, you know.”

Both Cadence and Thorn looked curiously at Moonflower, and the unicorn smiled a little before he hesitantly shifted to sit back against Thorn. He seemed to take strength from the sapphire stallion wrapping a foreleg around him, lowering his head and silently tapping his front hooves together as he continued: “Two sisters. It was a lot of mouths to feed, but... my sisters married young, like most mares of that day, and while they were loved, they were also... I don't know how to put it politely. Bargaining chips? Their dowries certainly were a large part of what kept us alive in those years, after all...”

Moonflower chuckled softly, shaking his head slowly. “My father always said that... being raised with two girls was what made me a colt cuddler. He was... quite angry with me when he found out that I hadn't been visiting the farmer's daughter, but the farmer's son. But...”

Moonflower glanced down, then he shook his head and murmured: “But he loved me. He and my mother accepted me after a time, and I know he was upset because... I didn't tell him. He said it should have always been obvious from the start, later on, but he supposed he needed time to adjust too, and he...”

The unicorn silently rubbed at his eyes with the back of a hoof, and then he cleared his throat before straightening with a small smile. “Well, I was quite fortunate, especially for back in those days. They didn't force me to change who I was, and they scraped together everything they could for me when I decided I wanted to learn magic... to really learn magic.”

He halted, then looked back at the emblem on his haunch, studying it silently as he murmured: “When I was only a foal, afraid of the dark and all the things in it, I moved the moon. No one ever believed me, of course. A silly foal's tale. But I heard the moon call out to me while I was shivering in my dark little room, and I called back to it. I moved it, even if just a smidge... just enough so that its pale glow came in through my window, and lit up my room. That was how I got my cutie mark.”

Moonflower looked up with a smile, gazing between Cadence and Thorn before he lowered his head and murmured: “But I had no formal training. Only the magic I learned from a few dusty old books, or I was able to teach myself by feeling it out. They had little use for me around the village and even less use in the big cities, where all the best positions were already taken up by the well-dressed, well-connected unicorns. It wasn't fair, I thought back then. It wasn't fair that everyone was judged by how you looked, and who you knew, and where you had come from, instead of what your talents were...”

He shook his head slowly, looking down and murmuring: “So I began... making up identities for myself. Changing myself. Reshaping myself, to be someone new. Someone who would fit in. But they always saw through me... until the day came that...”

Moonflower shook his head slowly, glancing up with a faint smile. “My parents died while I was away, trying to prove myself. I could have protected them, saved them, but... I didn't. I was away from the village when it was attacked by raiders, and...”

The unicorn halted, taking a shuddering breath, and Thorn silently rubbed along his back as he nuzzled him reassuringly, Moonflower shaking a little before he straightened slightly and murmured: “After I found out, proving myself, proving my worth... it was all I could think about. One way or another, I swore that I would become...”

He shook his head slowly, then closed his eyes and smiled faintly. “Well, I ended up... becoming a god of darkness and despair, bringing ruin to the world. A tragic end to my tragic tale.”

“You attacked Celestia and were locked away in Tartarus for five hundred years. Except it wasn't Celestia, it was Stronghold Halfdragon.” Thorn said softly, and Moonflower lowered his head awkwardly before the sapphire stallion added: “And your story is not yet over, Moonflower. What would you call this?”

“A sequel. A new story, of better times.” Moonflower replied after a moment, giving a brief smile as he looked almost shyly up at Thorn, as if for his approval.

Thorn smiled a little after a moment, and Cadence shook her head slowly before she said softly: “I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Moonflower. It sounds... like a lot went wrong.”

“Oh, I suppose it's not really so tragic, all in all... it just seems that way because...” Moonflower shrugged awkwardly, giving a small smile. “Sadness is in the telling, like everything else, I think.”

“You and your false modesty.” Thorn said, and Moonflower blushed in embarrassment before the sapphire stallion smiled a little. “But I'm glad to know more about you. I might be quieter than you, but you rarely... really talk yourself.”

Moonflower chuckled quietly at this, looking down and nodding a bit as he murmured: “I suppose that is true, isn't it? It's not that I don't want to, mind you. I like you. I like you both.” Moonflower looked almost bashfully over at Cadence, shifting a bit as he wiggled himself a bit deeper against Thorn. “I really do, Cadence. I know that in the past I've always pushed quite hard to try and be team leader, but... I suppose in the past I never felt I could properly make something for myself unless... well, you know.”

“I do, so you don't have to apologize or anything.” Cadence replied, and Moonflower nodded before the ivory mare added wryly: “Although it would have been really nice for you to have realized before that you don't have to be in charge to be important.”

“I don't know if I ever really wanted to be in charge of anything. Important, yes, but... even I was smart enough to realize I never would have gotten anywhere without the help of Antecedes. He was always the smart one, not me.” Moonflower admitted, chuckling a bit before he shook his head and glanced over at Thorn with a warm look in his eyes. “I think that's why we get along so well. You're the smart one here.”

Cadence looked mildly at Moonflower, and he gave the mare a lame look before clearing his throat and correcting: “The smart one in the relationship, I meant, of course. You're very smart but we certainly aren't in any kind of relationship.”

“Of course.” Cadence said in a wry voice, shaking her head before she added: “Also, I am your friend, Moonflower, and I'm also technically your boss.”

“Commanding officer. There's a small but crucial difference.” Thorn corrected, and Cadence gave him a dry look. “Well, there is.”

“Thank you, Thorn.” Cadence said dryly, and Thorn shrugged and smiled slightly before the ivory mare gestured at the screen and asked: “So what else did you want to show us, anyway?”

“Just a few more. Older pictures, I thought... you might be particularly interested in, Cadence.” Thorn said softly as he created a holographic screen beside him, tapping through a few commands on the projected screen before the glass monitor flashed, then displayed what had to be an older photograph that Thorn had digitized, the mare's eyes widening with a look of amazement.

“Is that...” But she knew the answer already, as she laughed faintly before shaking her head in disbelief, whispering: “Wow. They look so...”

What was the word she was looking for? Young? Normal? Brynhild looked almost exactly like the Princess Luna she had known in that picture, except she was missing both her peytral and her diadem in favor of a simple band of ivy hanging around her neck, with a gorgeous black pearl hanging from it. She thought she recognized that from the collar Brynhild had worn...

Scrivener and Morgan looked the same way: normal. Absolutely, completely normal. Sure, the stallion was huge and covered in scars, but he still looked like nothing more than a big earth pony with a dark coat, instead of some kind of clawed Replicant. And Morgan... that was no Morgan Heldóttir. That was Twilight Sparkle, the same Twilight Sparkle who she had once babysat as a foal...

She laughed faintly, shaking her head slowly before she leaned forward and whispered: “Wow. How'd you get these pictures?”

“Scarlet Sage shared them with me.” Thorn replied with a smile and a shrug, looking at the screen. “I have the hard copies locked away, but... I've digitized a lot of them so I can carry them around with me.”

He rubbed slowly over his mechanical limb, then he returned his eyes to the screen, saying softly: “Look at them. Those are my parents, when they were young, maybe... I don't know, fifty mortal years ago? Sixty? The years have changed their bodies so much, and of course, that's not considering how long it's really been for them, with how long they were in Helheim, but... that's how long it's been for Antares, and all their friends and...”

Thorn shook his head with a quiet chuckle, murmuring: “I'm not even sure what I'm trying to say. Maybe it's just that... everything can change so much, so quickly.”

“I know what you mean.” Cadence smiled briefly, and then she shook her head slowly as she looked back at the picture, asking quietly: “So they really were just... normal ponies? All of them?”

“I don't know, Cadence. What defines normal?” Thorn smiled a little as he looked over at Moonflower softly. “Do we all begin as 'normal?' And where do we become 'special,' or 'strange?' What do those qualifiers even mean, in a world where everyone strives to be unique, to embrace their own special talent?”

Cadence and Moonflower both looked curiously at Thorn, and the sapphire stallion chuckled quietly before he shook his head and murmured: “How can we all be special, and yet also nothing more than... statistics, numeration, qualifiers? Look at them. In the past, my parents were 'normal,' just as all of you were. And yet at the same time... weren't you all special, too, in a different way? My parents were still heroes, even back then. Even Twilight was special, with a great destiny ahead of her, something she was being groomed for. Cadence, even at your most 'normal,' you were a princess. Of love, and romance, isn't that right?”

Cadence blushed and looked awkwardly away, and Moonflower smiled a little as he said softly: “Well, I was never a lord, you know. They never thought I would amount to more than a poor merchant, at the very best. I was born into the peasant caste, and my kind generally wasn't considered 'special.'”

Thorn laughed quietly, looking at the unicorn and saying softly: “I think you must have been very special, Moonflower, considering that you were able to move the moon when you were only a foal.”

Moonflower smiled and blushed slightly, lowering his head a little into the comfort of Thorn's chest. Cadence smiled softly at the two, before she reached up and tapped her horn gently, saying quietly: “You know, you two have a really good energy together. I can feel that. Like you said, I used to be the Princess of Love.”

Rather ironic, considering how her relationship with Shining Armor had gone... but Cadence dismissed those thoughts as Moonflower smiled widely, and Thorn gave maybe the slightest blush and smile too.

His eyes shifted back to the picture on the wall, and then he said softly: “I want to model all my relationships off of... how my parents are. Open and honest with each other, unafraid to show every side of who they are with one another. Striving to push each other to be better. I think that's what a good relationship should do: we shouldn't just stagnate and reassure each other. We shouldn't just try and make each other feel nice. We should push each other, strive to be better people, together, and work to give each other the best of themselves that they can.”

Cadence smiled at this, but she couldn't help but ask: “And what about that old saying, 'you don't deserve me at my best if you can't handle me at my worst?'”

“I think that's true. I just also think people abuse that and don't understand the meaning behind it. They just use it as an excuse to justify their bad behavior.” Thorn shrugged and smiled briefly. “It's not like my parents didn't put up with a lot between each other. But they worked hard to give each other everything they could. They strove to be their best. And they were there for each other at their worst, because relationships aren't about... cost, and privilege, but... supporting each other as one strong union, one coordinated unit.”

Cadence couldn't help but laugh a little at this, saying: “You know, I can't help but agree with you, but at the same time... you should maybe try and be a little more... nice.”

“Nice.” Thorn repeated dryly, although from the way he awkwardly shifted, somehow Cadence felt like he knew what she was trying to say.

Moonflower immediately nodded encouragingly, looking up with a warm smile as he said quickly: “Not that she means anything negative, of course, just that... you know yourself you have a rather... precise way of wording things. It's something I understand well myself, given as to how I am prone to using fantastic flights of speech that my underlings never could comprehend, and even here ponies simply often don't have the intellect to-”

“Thank you for demonstrating, Moonflower. I'll try to keep that in mind.” Thorn said mildly, shaking his head briefly, and the black unicorn cleared his throat and lowered his head lamely as he gave an awkward smile.

Cadence snorted in amusement, and the three sat back in silence for a moment, Moonflower snuggling back into Thorn, Cadence smiling despite herself at the two, and Thorn looking a little embarrassed, a little exasperated, but still holding the unicorn close, keeping him safe against the comfort of his chest.

Then, finally, Thorn shook his head briefly before he rose his mechanical hoof and waved it gently, the screen turning off after a few moments with a single fizzle of static. He gently pried Moonflower off, then turned his eyes back towards Cadence, asking: “What else were you curious about, Cadence?”

Cadence smiled lamely, shifting awkwardly a little, and Moonflower smiled before he said hesitantly as he awkwardly rose a hoof: “Not that I don't enjoy your directness, Thorn, but... perhaps that's not the most... effective way to deal with more... casual affairs.”

“I do have lots of questions. It's just... well, you know. When you ask like that it's kind of like putting me on the spot and uh... you know, then I start thinking of you more as my boss than my friend, when I really want to think of you as my friend first.” Cadence added quickly.

Thorn frowned slightly at this, and then he tilted his head slightly, muttering: “I don't know if that's a good thing or not... I don't want our friendship jeopardizing our work relationship.”

Cadence winced slightly at this, and Moonflower shifted and bit his lip, before he blurted out: “What about us? Would you put work before us?”

Thorn blinked in surprise at this, and Cadence watched as Thorn shifted before he bit his lip, hesitating: that alone said worlds about how deeply Thorn cared for Moonflower. But Moonflower, of course, was only looking at Thorn with those big, childish eyes of his, almost pleading with him...

After a few moments, the sapphire unicorn finally sighed a little, shifting a bit before he mumbled: “I... I suppose I would not, no. Family is the most important thing, and friends come long before work. That's what Hecate has always taught me.”

Cadence couldn't help but smile despite herself, as Moonflower looked up with a bit of a blush before he said finally: “Well, Hecate taught me that when I don't listen to her it will always result in pain. I suppose that's similar in a sense, isn't it?”

Thorn gave Moonflower a quietly-amused look as Cadence snorted in entertainment, shaking her head briefly before she said wryly: “You know, Moonflower, maybe you'd get hurt less if you didn't feel you always had to argue with everyone.”

“I don't!” Moonflower paused, then said awkwardly: “That... that doesn't count as arguing, does it?”

Cadence and Thorn traded amused looks, and then Thorn shifted a bit before he said softly: “Hecate cares about everyone here. She knows everyone's name, and she wants what's best for all of us. She also just... happens to be a little... rough.”

“What was life for you in Helheim like, Thorn? I mean, compared to here.” Cadence asked suddenly, and Thorn looked surprised by this before he gave a small smile as Moonflower looked at him curiously as well.

He shifted a little, thinking about how that had always been a bit of a taboo subject: ponies weren't even supposed to know that he had been raised in Helheim. But of course, things got out, and Thorn knew that he was also supposed to be making his own decisions about what he told people as well, even though it had always been easier to just let everything else make decisions for him.

Cadence and Moonflower were both looking at him curiously, and it was funny how he had to remind himself that these were... friends. These were ponies he could trust, who just wanted to know more about them, and, well, there was really nothing wrong with that, was there?

Thorn smiled a bit despite himself, then he returned his eyes quickly to Cadence, answering after a moment: “To be honest... while I certainly was always told that Helheim was very dangerous... it never felt all that dangerous to me, because I was... always in this safe bubble. I learned that if I followed the rules, I stayed safe, and everyone stayed happy. I guess that's part of why I ended up... adjusting so well to Decretum.”

The sapphire stallion gave a brief smile again as he reflected on this and how it probably sounded, and then he shook his head before saying quietly: “They always made me painfully aware that Helheim wasn't just dangerous, and it was never just... my own life that was on the line. If I disobeyed, if I got in trouble... it would be my parents who suffered for it. That thought always terrified me: that I was responsible for much more than my own life. That anything and everything I did wrong would be recorded, and my parents would suffer for it.”

Thorn quieted, glancing down before he shook his head and murmured: “And of course, I was a child, and that concept of responsibility was not something I grasped immediately. There was one small rule I broke almost every day at first, and that was the window rule.”

Moonflower and Cadence both looked curiously at Thorn, and the sapphire stallion shook his head again before he said softly: “I wasn't supposed to go near the windows during very specific times of day. My existence was supposed to be a strict secret, and even when I went out with my parents, I had this... it was almost like a little carriage the servants would pull me around in.

“I was too young to understand time and relativity very well, and it was always so beautiful outside. I always wanted to go outside. I think partly because I was never allowed to except on special occasions, so it just became one of those things where... you want it in part because you're not allowed to have it.” Thorn chuckled softly, then he shook his head and looked up with a small smile. “I would always be at the window. And every day, my parents were punished for it, during their daily tortures.

“I never even really understood... that every night, after I was asleep, the Inquisitors would come and they'd torture them for three hours. But once, I woke up in the middle of the night, and walked in on it...”

Thorn quieted, looking away: he could still see it in his mind, crystal clear. “I still remember it to this day. I remember the Inquisitor looking at me, and Luna on the torture rack, bloody and hurt. When she saw me... she didn't shout, she didn't cry out. She told me very gently that I had to leave. I knew that voice: it was the voice she used when things were very serious, when she needed me to listen.

“I listened.” He smiled briefly, glancing up at the two. “But the Inquisitor was stupid. Or maybe just cruel and overconfident. I remember that he told me to stop, then he took a step towards me. He probably just meant to scare me, to use me to further torture Luna: maybe he didn't even realize who I was, or what I was doing there. I don't know.”

Thorn continued to smile faintly, but it wasn't a happy smile as he relived that moment in memory: as he remembered the boom, the crackle of power, the ice... “It didn't matter. He stepped towards me, and then Hel was simply there, beside him. That was the first time I saw her, and I saw her... as she truly is, not the laughter, the madness, the... show, she usually presents herself with. I saw a goddess, of inestimable and unknowable power, of vengeance and retribution.

“She touched the Inquisitor. That was all it took, and he was erased from reality.” Thorn chuckled softly, as Cadence shifted uneasily and Moonflower's mouth fell open in shock. “And then she turned her eyes towards me, and I knew there was... nothing I could do, but listen, when she told me to come to her.

“My mother was so angry. And there was no shouting or swearing, but... just this hard, cold glare. And Hel looked back at my mother, then she looked down at me, and said: 'Nanny has a lesson for you, so you listen close. You see your mother? Your mother is suffering because of you.'”

The sapphire stallion looked down silently, and then he shook his head and murmured: “And it was true. In more ways than I realized at the time... after all, if Luna had never gotten pregnant with me, or they had cared about me a little less, they could have kept running, kept out of Helheim, avoided the daily grind of torture and working for Hel. And if they had given me up before, they... never would have had to go through giving me up later.”

Cadence softened at this as Moonflower bit his lip, but Thorn smiled before he looked up and said quietly: “I apologize, that probably sounds... much worse than I meant it to. I get... self-pitying at times, even though it's not constructive for anyone. I don't know why it happens.”

“Those are emotions, Thorn. You know that, right?” Cadence asked half-jokingly, and Thorn smiled wryly again after a moment, shaking his head briefly.

“Too well.” he said finally. “I know I'm not very... 'expressive...' but I do feel things. Often very deeply, at that. I just don't ever seem to know what to say, or how to say it, especially if it doesn't serve any purpose. My whole life has been based around responsibility, keeping the gears moving.”

“You were being groomed for this position even before you met Hecate.” Cadence said softly, and Thorn smiled a bit, which told him that he didn't agree... but he might not disagree, either. “You know, Thorn, you are... free. And it sounds like your parents are free from Hel, or... well...”

“They'll never be entirely free from Helheim.” Thorn said quietly, looking down for a moment before he shook his head and laughed quietly. “It's just another game to Hel, after all. No matter how she acts, she's never out of control. The only person who might be able to stand up to her is...”

Thorn broke off, and Cadence studied Thorn intently as she felt a strange twinge in his emotions. She shifted a little, biting back the question that even the Swan wanted her to ask, before Moonflower suddenly blurted: “Well, I'm not afraid of her!”

Thorn looked blankly at Moonflower, who nodded vigorously before he posed and declared: “I am a god of darkness, after all! And... I would fight her for you, Thorn!”

Cadence smiled in amusement at this, and after a moment, the sapphire unicorn softened before he chuckled quietly, saying finally: “Thank you, Moonflower. I'm very touched by your dedication.”

There was silence for a few moments as Moonflower simply shifted shyly and blushed as he looked with fawning eyes at his partner. Then, out of almost nowhere, Moonflower suddenly asked: “Thorn, do you want to get a cat?”

“A... cat?” Thorn shifted awkwardly, then he cleared his throat before saying finally: “I don't think there are any cats in Decretum, Moonflower. Nor have we really established rules for pets... right now we only allow familiars and domesticated farming or work animals...”

Moonflower nodded quickly, and then he clapped his front hooves together before saying brightly: “I know, but you could really use a familiar, couldn't you? I mean, you're quite the talented unicorn after all, Thorn, and of course, you're so responsible that taking care of a pet would probably be as easy for you as... well, everything else!”

Thorn looked at Moonflower, clearly knocked off balance for once, as the black stallion continued to nod before he added positively: “I just think that it would be a really great experience for you and all, that's all. You always do a fantastic job with other people, and, well... maybe if you had something to keep you company, since I can't always be everywhere with you and all.”

Thorn laughed a little at this, shaking his head before he replied: “Well, you know, I do have a lot of company. I always have my other friends to talk to, and... of course I spend a lot of time with Hecate and Seneschal.”

Moonflower smiled, then he leaned forward and said earnestly: “That might be true, but you know, sometimes it's nice just to have... a companion you don't really have to worry about... putting up with, so to speak. You can just touch them and pet them and cuddle with them and talk at them instead of talking to them and it's all very soothing. And Thorn, well... not to say anything mean, but... you could use a bit of... personality in your home.”

Thorn frowned at this, then he looked around, saying finally: “I have furniture, and a lot of other personal touches, actually. I mean...”

Thorn gestured awkwardly around at the comfortable furniture, the large monitors, the bookshelves... but Cadence could see what Moonflower meant by this room alone. Everything was neat and ordered and sure, there was plenty of Thorn's habits and tics in it, but even if he had shared pictures with them, they were hidden away again in his Mission Drive already. There were no photographs on the walls, no posters, no signs of personality, just sterility...

“I think what Moonflower is getting at is the fact that your home is kind of... sparse.” Cadence said carefully, and Thorn tilted his head as he gestured again at the furnishings. “No, not like that. I mean... you've seen the inside of Moonflower's home, for example, right? No offense or anything, but this place looks more like a hotel room than anything else. It's all so... perfect, and pristine, and...”

“That's how I like it. That is my personal touch.” Thorn said in an almost-insulted voice, and Cadence wasn't sure whether she should apologize or laugh. But after a moment, Thorn looked around before he nodded and mumbled: “I... suppose that's true, though. Even Mother has the photographs she keeps on her desk. My quarters might seem a little... barren.”

“You do seem to have people you care about, after all, and who you definitely don't seem to be ashamed of having in your life. So why not... celebrate that?” asked Cadence, gesturing at the empty walls. “You could surround yourself with your family.”

“And your not-quite-but-almost-family!” Moonflower added quickly, holding up a hoof with a bright smile, and Thorn gave the stallion an amused look before he nodded a little despite himself.

“Honestly? That's not such a bad idea.” Thorn said, as he looked around the living room, and then he glanced down at the plate on the table before levitating it with telekinesis, asking after a moment: “Do either of you want anything else?”

“No, Thorn. We're fine.” Cadence said quickly, before Moonflower ended up drinking another gallon of coffee. “What about you? Can we do anything for you?”

Thorn frowned a bit at this, and Cadence shrugged before she said in a softer voice: “Well, it just seems like... on or off duty, you're always taking care of us and all. You also don't seem like the kind of pony who ever really lets other people do things for them, when... we'd be more than happy to share a little bit of your responsibilities, you know.”

The sapphire stallion smiled a little at this, and then he nodded after a moment as Moonflower added quietly: “And you know, I wouldn't be much of a stallion if I didn't do everything I could for you myself... much less much of a... partner.”

Moonflower blushed a little, but when Thorn smiled, Cadence saw clearly how much those words meant to him, and she only hoped that Thorn understood that just because he had shouldered the world by himself in the past, it didn't mean he would always have to.

Ten Moons

Chapter Forty One: Ten Moons
~BlackRoseRaven

Hecate looked moodily over the group of ponies in front of her, measuring them calmly with her eyes. She had a bad feeling about this mission, but she also knew that alone wasn't enough reason to cancel it: not that she would, even if she had an excuse. The Ten Moons facility was too valuable to lose, and she had faith that Thorn would see things through to completion, no matter what kind of resistance he encountered.

Cadence was fully healed: if anything, a few quick tests had proven that she was stronger than she had been before. Or at least smarter, Hecate reflected: completing an obstacle course wasn't exactly something that required a lot of strength. And she still hasn't beaten Thorn's time.

Muse and Necrophage were both ready, and Hecate studied these two for a moment, how they both seemed healthier, she supposed, for the lack of a better word. Their interactions with Thorn seemed to be helping shape them in a way she hadn't expected. More than just learning how to socialize better, they seemed to be developing further, altering their own psychology... learning.

It was something that she would have to explore later on in greater detail, and she would be going over the data gathered by Thorn during this mission with interest. If there was a way to make her Replicants better, and by such simple means...

Hecate allowed her eyes to wander meditatively towards the other pony who had insisted on joining this little band: Moonflower. The unicorn had accelerated his healing with a bit of magic, and the scars on his back had almost completely vanished, but Hecate had to admit that he seemed to be adjusting to his lack of wings quite well. Then again, for Moonflower, the polymorph had been mostly a status symbol more than anything else.

Moonflower smiled lamely as he shifted back and forth when he realized that Hecate's eyes were on him: at least he was outfitted properly. Thorn had equipped him with crystal-lined armor to enhance his magic and offer the most protection possible. He was also carrying the equipment bags: for once, without whining about it, Hecate thought. And she did grudgingly agree that having someone who could function as magic artillery wasn't a terrible idea for the mission.

Cadence had a brand new set of armor: Hecate had forged it herself, as a matter of fact, out of Iversteel, an ivory alloy that the Pious provided for them. Hecate had also built several enhancements that Cadence had asked for: perhaps because she was becoming more comfortable with Thorn, she had made a few requests that the mechanical empress had gone ahead and honored.

Not only was Cadence's armor completely redesigned so it would be more comfortable and lightweight, her bracers now had a wire system in them. Hecate guessed that she had gotten the idea from Sol Seraph... which at least showed that Cadence was paying attention and adapting herself. Either that, or the Swan simply anticipated this as a better way to kill its victims.

Hecate had designed the wire system for other uses than simply garroting enemies, however: the hidden reels were extremely strong, and the tensile strength of the wire was incredible. Hecate had provided a few other tools to combine with the wire, which would allow it to function as everything from a grapnel system to a simple lockpick.

Cadence also had been assigned a new version of the MARES rifle: whether she wanted to learn how to use the tool properly or not, she was damned well not getting away with ignoring her orders simply because she didn't like it and all their equipment had been 'irretrievable.' And until Cadence learned to both take the orders she was given and actually use the equipment she was assigned, Hecate was going to continue to force her to take the rifle on every mission.

Hecate paused as she studied Cadence for a moment, and then she barked suddenly: “Cadence! Your armor is loose, and I am not going to dote over you and fix it for you like your father!”

Cadence flinched, then hurriedly began to adjust her equipment, tightening some of the clasps and straps as Hecate shook her head slowly and said dryly: “Perhaps if you took better care of your equipment, you wouldn't need nearly as many repairs. And I wouldn't have to devote so many resources to keeping you and your team equipped.”

Cadence shifted lamely, nodding hurriedly, and Thorn smiled a bit before he looked towards Hecate and said quietly: “I'll take the fault for that. I told them to get ready but didn't say that we had officially begun mission preparation.”

“Cadence has a history of being messy with mission preparations. And as an officer herself I expect her to take responsibility for her own errors.” Hecate replied calmly, and then she glanced over Thorn before asking shortly: “And what about your own equipment?”

Thorn glanced at himself with a slight smile as he raised his mechanical leg and flexed it slowly as the pistons pumped once, sending energy not just through his limb, but the powered armor he was wearing. The polished, smooth metal was shaped to his body almost like a second skin, with a comfortable layer of mesh fabric between plating and flesh and visible in the joints.

The servomotors in the powered armor thrummed, the reactive suit tightening for a moment before the plates relaxed, and Thorn mentally measured the reaction time before he nodded once to his mother. Hecate rolled her eyes, and then she pointed at him and said irritably: “Put your helmet on.”

Thorn nodded, then he smiled again when Necrophage quickly bounced over to him to thrust his helm towards him, the stallion nodding politely to her as he took it and quickly put it on. Hecate rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but watch with slight interest all the same as the Replicant encouraged: “You're gonna do great, Thorn, just you wait and see! And I'm really excited and super happy to be able to be here to help you out, too, sir!”

The sapphire stallion chuckled a little as he slipped his simple pearl helmet on, his horn fitting perfectly through the slot in the front. He adjusted his mane absently as he turned the visor over his eyes on with a faint thrum of magic, and he nodded after a moment as statistics immediately began to display over the tinted glass. “Looks like everything's in working order. My link to Seneschal is working as well.”

“Remember that you won't be able to rely on that, so don't get too used to it. You'll only have your archived information and whatever you're able to get from analysis and active scans.” Hecate replied, and Thorn nodded again as he turned towards her, looking up at her attentively. “I assume you've already loaded your mission objectives and double-checked the data?”

“Of course, Queen Hecate.” Thorn nodded calmly, creating a holographic screen beside him that he turned to face the mechanical goddess, and Hecate moodily surveyed the data that scrawled by on screen before she nodded briefly back in approval.

“Good. My main concern now is that you keep everyone in line. Cadence and Moonflower are not your friends, and their rank does not matter. They are subordinates, pure and simple. The same goes for the Replicants.” Hecate gestured dismissively at Necrophage, and the Replicant blushed even as she giggled a little, but she at least bounced her way back to her sister, who was standing with her head respectfully bowed.

Hecate looked at them for a moment, then returned her eyes to Thorn as he promised: “I'll ensure my authority is not questioned, and that the mission is completed.”

The mechanical mare nodded briefly after a moment, and then she turned her eyes towards Moonflower and Cadence, saying calmly: “It is imperative that this operation goes as smoothly as possible. Whatever Thorn tells you to do, I expect you to do. Is this understood?”

Both ponies nodded, and then Cadence winced when Moonflower blurted: “Don't you worry, Hecate, your son knows just how to keep me in line and I always listen to him, he's excellent at staying on top!”

There was an awkward pause, and then Moonflower added hurriedly: “Of things! On top of things! He stays on top of m- I mean, he keeps me in line because he's so firm- tough! Right! Smart!”

There was silence for a few moments, punctuated only by Necrophage's mad giggling, until Hecate said sourly: “It is becoming increasingly tempting to put a cerebral node in your empty skull for your own sake, Moonflower.”

Moonflower blushed deeply and lowered his head with a mumble, and then Thorn cleared his throat before he said calmly: “Mission preparations have all been completed, Queen Hecate.”

Hecate grunted at this, and then she nodded and surveyed the group one last time before her eyes roved moodily off to the side of the portal room, where several ponies were watching from behind a viewing window. Well, if they wanted to spend their free time watching other ponies do their jobs, then so be it, as long as they stayed out of the way.

The mechanical empress was half-tempted to close the security shutter all the same: they were using a secure portal for a reason, after all. But since there were already four Titans standing at the ready in the room – not to mention her own presence, since she was overseeing all of this – she thought they could probably hold back any attempt to invade long enough to trigger a lockdown.

Her eyes instead turned to the portal ring itself: unlike most of their portals, this one was welded into the wall, made of foot-thick titanium alloy, and with a series of crystal-topped bolts embedded throughout it capable of channeling different types of energy as necessary. In the event that something did try to punch its way back through the portal, they had a variety of countermeasures available... including simply detonating the ring, which would have a particularly nasty effect on anything trying to pass through.

Hecate clicked her tongue, and the machinery on either side of the portal ring thrummed loudly before electricity crackled over the portal, energy beginning to rapidly build in the center of the ring as she said shortly: “Assemble and ready yourselves. Remember that whether it's been investigated or not, this is still considered a hostile world. Class C.”

Thorn nodded, then he turned and quickly strode forwards, halting at the marked line on the floor before he said crisply: “Team Concept, escort formation.”

Necrophage and Muse immediately stepped up on one side of Thorn, and Cadence took her position on Thorn's other side, leaving Moonflower to scramble hurriedly to the last spot. Hecate rolled her eyes, but turned her attention away, creating a holographic screen as she ordered: “Seneschal, scramble our coordinates. There's no point in making it easy for the enemy to lock in on us.”

“Yes Queen Hecate, of course.” Seneschal said quickly from the screen, and Hecate smiled wryly. The AI had been especially well-behaved lately: likely because after she found out he'd been harassing Thorn after she had revoked his authority temporarily, she had shut him down for three days to run a deep-scan and defragmentation, which was like receiving a full-body massage with sandpaper to Seneschal.

The mechanical mare turned to watch silently as Thorn simply waited, but he did so with head raised, eyes forward, body unflinching, commanding respect from his little unit and keeping them in line with his posture and focus.

The portal gradually opened in front of them, energy crackling between the ring as it grew into a glowing vortex, and the moment it was stable, Thorn ordered fearlessly: “Forward!”

He strode ahead, with Necrophage and Muse following immediately, and Cadence and Moonflower bringing up the rear. They leapt through the portal, passing through a whirling tunnel of light and energy, and tore out the other side into a world of black and gray.

Thorn skidded to a halt, sending up a spray of colorless dirt and dust before he grimaced as he looked up at the eternally-black sky above, muttering as his eyes roved over the planets and the stars in the distance: “We're a little off target. We have a bit of a walk from here.”

The others assembled quickly beside him as they emerged from the portal, which slammed shut with enough force behind Moonflower to knock him over with a squawk. But Thorn didn't look back, the sapphire stallion instead striding to the edge of the broken cliff they had landed on as the visor of his helmet slid down, giving him a clearer view of the area ahead.

He scanned quickly over the sprawling, pockmarked plains beneath the cliffs as Cadence looked back and forth, before her eyes widened in amazement as Moonflower picked himself up out of the dirt. Necrophage was standing off to one side, curiously studying a large rock, while Muse simply had her eyes closed, a glass orb floating silently around her head as she murmured: “Conducting area scan, Lord Thorn.”

“Acknowledged. I'm setting a checkpoint ahead and sending the data to your Mission Drives.” Thorn replied calmly, and Cadence grimaced a bit as she awkwardly looked back at the metal rectangle strapped to her foreleg before blushing when Thorn said: “Cadence, please activate your Mission Drive.”

“Um. Right, yes.” Cadence mumbled, her horn glowing as she toggled switches over the little machine until Thorn sighed and strode over to her, flicking his own horn to turn the device on with a beep.

Cadence smiled lamely, but Thorn had already turned back around, his horn glowing as readouts and data flashed over his visor as he returned to the edge of the cliff. He grimaced a bit as he looked at the dark shape of the facility in the distance, lamps flickering weakly around it as he muttered: “I'm not detecting any familiar signals, but there's a large amount of electrical energy being generated ahead. We might have hostiles present after all.”

Cadence frowned a little as she and Moonflower both strode forward, but Thorn turned his eyes towards Muse, saying calmly: “I need a localized area scan of the facility ahead.”

Muse nodded quickly as she opened her eyes, giving a small smile to Thorn as the glass sphere slowly spun to a halt beside her head. “Of course. It would be my pleasure.”

The Replicant turned to face the facility, the glass orb floating in front of her and glowing faintly as it began to spin faster and faster, while Thorn turned his eyes back towards the others. Cadence saluted, and Moonflower awkwardly mimicked her after a moment. The sapphire stallion smiled at these two briefly, then glanced over at Necrophage and sighed a little as he saw her sitting with a large rock jammed in her muzzle, chewing it up thoughtfully.

“Necrophage.” Thorn said dryly, and the Replicant blushed before hopping up to attention and spitting some rubble out..

“Sorry, sir! I was just curious!” Necrophage paused, then leaned forwards and added almost nervously: “But there's almost no nutrient content, and I don't just mean because these are like space rocks. I mean...”

“Sterility?” asked Thorn and Necrophage hesitantly shook her head.

“Barren.” she said after a moment, and Thorn scowled a bit before he nodded slowly, muttering to himself.

“Of course. But that means we might be dealing with...”

He halted, then shook his head quickly before looking over at Muse expectantly. After a few moments, the Replicant hesitantly looked up before she shifted uneasily and murmured: “I think they must be protected by some sort of psychic layering. It's very difficult to get a read on anything... but there are... hostile minds.”

“Alright. We move in fast, then, hopefully before they locate us.” Thorn said calmly, turning towards Moonflower and Cadence. “We will be doing our best to avoid and move around targets. If we engage the enemy, they must be destroyed quickly and quietly. We want to be as stealthy as possible: we don't have the time or resources to fight an army.”

Moonflower and Cadence both nodded, the Swan shifting silently inside of the mare, but thankfully not arguing. Moonflower looked like he wanted to say something, but he seemed anxious, uneasy, like he was nervous about saying anything.

Cadence smiled a little, then she nudged the stallion lightly as Thorn turned away, the mare murmuring: “He's still the same guy, you know. If you want to say something, then say it.”

“I like him when he's so serious, but... it always makes me nervous. I don't want to... you know.” Moonflower mumbled embarrassedly, and Cadence rolled her eyes in amusement before they both winced when Thorn cleared his throat loudly and looked moodily over his shoulder at them.

But to their surprise, the stallion only shook his head before he said quietly: “I plan to run this mission my way. But that does mean I need your input as much as I need you both to listen to me and follow my instructions. Can we do that?”

Cadence nodded, and Moonflower smiled lamely before he saluted, even as he blurted out: “Are we on the moon?”

“In a sense.” Thorn turned towards the facility, grimacing a bit: of course they hadn't read any of the background data. Not that he could entirely blame them, though: this had all been thrown together very quickly. “We have to move, but I'll explain on the way.”

The two nodded, and then Necrophage happily bounced ahead, saying quickly over her shoulder with a bright smile: “I'll lead the way, boss! You just trust me, okay?”

Thorn smiled back after a moment, and Cadence couldn't help but look at the Replicant with amusement as Moonflower looked almost jealous for a moment.

The group fell into pace, with Necrophage leading them along the edge of the cliff as Thorn explained calmly: “The Ten Moons is a supermassive facility: quite literally, it's comprised of ten different moons from ten different worlds to form one massive ring.”

Cadence grimaced a bit in surprise, raising her head slightly as she asked: “So Valthrudnir conquered at least ten worlds, and... why did he take their moons, though? Are they some kind of... weird trophy?”

“Valthrudnir conquered many more than ten worlds. It's just that most worlds he didn't turn into facilities like Decretum.” Thorn answered with a short shake of his head. “And no. Ten Moons was built to this specific size and weight so it would be able to remain in orbit at its current location, out of the sight and range of most worlds.”

“Are all the worlds in space? Are all the different Equestrias just... floating around out there, maybe even glimpsing each other, never knowing...” Moonflower quieted, then smiled awkwardly when Thorn gazed over his shoulder at him softly. “I'm sorry. That's... probably quite a stupid question, isn't it?”

“There are no stupid questions, Moonflower. Just stupid expectations.” Thorn replied almost gently, and then he shook his head before continuing: “And we don't know. That is a discussion for a different time, though: we need to keep our attention on the matter at hoof, not time-space philosophy.”

Moonflower nodded lamely, but he was smiling all the same, and Thorn turned his eyes back ahead before he continued: “Ten Moons is mainly used as a storage facility. However, what it houses are some of Valthrudnir's largest-scale projects. Each section, one through ten, is controlled by a computer core, all of which connect to the main neural core in Sector Seven. We only need to worry about connecting to the core in this section, however, Sector Three.”

Cadence tilted her head, asking: “Because they're all networked?”

Thorn smiled slightly: Cadence was learning fast. “Correct. Furthermore, this is the section of Ten Moons that was reported to have the highest concentration of energy. It's highly unlikely that the enemy has spread much further out through the base.”

“Although it's possible they've already secured what they were looking for from other sections of Ten Moons, right? Thokk seemed to... I don't know how to put it into words, but she seemed to understand technology. Or maybe just... Valthrudnir.” murmured Cadence, and Thorn nodded slowly.

“That is a concern, yes. But since there's not much we can do about that, we're trying to focus on where we can make a difference.” Thorn answered, as Necrophage led them down a half-hidden trail along the cliff, while Muse's glass orb floated silently over their heads, glowing faintly as she scanned the area around them. “After we activate the facility's defenses and reconnect it with Decretum, then we can take an inventory of the situation.”

Cadence nodded, and Moonflower shifted a little before he asked hesitantly: “And once we activate the defenses... we'll be safe, right?”

“It may take some time for the base's defenses to clear out the enemy, but yes, we should be relatively safe.” Thorn answered with a calm nod, as he gazed down at the facility in the distance. Yet what Necrophage had told him, that the ground had been barren, tickled at his senses, made him wonder if there was something here that perhaps their security forces wouldn't detect...

But for now, he remained silent on the subject. There was no point in getting the rest of his team concerned before he could even be sure of what was going on. They would just have to take things one step at a time, as they happened. He would just have to share the information as it became available to him, that was all.

He just hoped that his instincts were wrong about what might be waiting for them up ahead.

They weren't approaching the front of the facility, like Cadence had expected them to: instead, they seemed to be taking a roundabout route towards the back of the enormous, square building, as if Thorn intended to circle around the mountain it was built into the side of.

The dirt beneath their feet felt almost brittle, somehow. It was hard to put into words: it felt like dust was flaking away with every step, staining their hooves and legs with gray, ashen grime. There was no substance to it: she was beginning to understand what Necrophage had likely meant when she had said it was barren, not sterile.

Thorn suddenly came to a halt, turning towards the stone wall of the narrow gorge they were passing through. He tested the wall with one hoof before his eyes turned towards Necrophage, ordering: “Make a hole.”

Necrophage saluted with a bright smile, and then she turned towards the wall, wiggling her rump as she bared her teeth with a little growl. Then Cadence and Moonflower both winced away as the Replicant lunged forwards and bit into the stone wall like it was made out of candy, not rock.

Gravel and shale pattered down around her as Cadence grimaced, then frowned and leaned forwards as she realized there was something beneath the thin facade of stone. Is that... metal?

It took less than thirty seconds for Necrophage to tear down the layer of rock that had shifted over what looked like some kind of vent cover. All Cadence knew was that it reeked and it looked like something had been eating away at the metal, which was layered with not just rust, but pockmarked with scars and grime.

Thorn studied this for a few moments, and then Necrophage spat to the side and rubbed vigorously at her mouth, complaining: “The stone is bad enough, but there's some kind of icky yucky stuff that's coming out of that grating! You guys better be careful!”

“Moonflower, I need you to cut open this grating. It's not safe for Necrophage to break through.” Thorn instructed, and Moonflower nodded quickly as he stepped forwards, his horn glowing as Thorn continued: “We have to be careful. We're going to be moving through the waste and toxic disposal facility, specifically exhaust venting, the corrosive furnace, and waste intake. We should be able to make it through with minimal enemy interference or knowledge, but we will have to be cautious, all the same.”

Moonflower grimaced nervously as he carefully cut a hole in the vent with a beam of magic, the stallion muttering: “I certainly respect the idea, Thorn, but it sounds a little dangerous...”

“It's something that the enemy won't expect. And it's the easiest way for us to maintain stealth.” Thorn replied with a shrug, and then he grimaced a bit as he added: “You're using too much energy in your beam. Don't add more power, but focus it tighter. Pressurize it, like tightening telekinesis.”

Moonflower nodded hurriedly, and Cadence winced as the laser of magic energy fizzled for a moment, cutting a rough hook along the side of the grating before he hurriedly refocused the laser of energy. “Sorry, yes, of course!”

Thorn only nodded with perhaps the faintest look of exasperation, but Cadence thought he probably handled Moonflower with better aplomb than she did. It was funny to think about, but it seemed like Thorn really did understand Moonflower quite well, and Moonflower, well, seemed to enjoy being ordered around, at least when it was another stallion doing the ordering.

Cadence smiled a little despite herself, shaking her head briefly before she glanced up when Thorn said quietly: “I need you to scout ahead, Cadence. Try to avoid contact with any of the toxic waste, I don't know how damaging it will be or what the composition might be.

“On that note, actually.” Thorn's horn glowed, slipping what looked like a glass vial free from Moonflower's equipment bag: he did it so smoothly and easily Moonflower didn't even notice, and Cadence couldn't help but reflect that Thorn would probably make an excellent thief. “Get a sample for me if at all possible, please. We need to have some idea of what's ahead.”

Cadence nodded, taking the vial and tucking it back into one of her sidepacks before she looked up as Moonflower grasped the front of the grating with telekinesis before yanking backwards with a wheeze, looking proud of himself as he tore the metal covering loose. “I did it!”

“Good. Put it aside.” Thorn instructed, and Moonflower nodded hurriedly before he almost flung the grating off to the side, making Thorn and Cadence wince slightly as Muse and Necrophage only watched curiously.

Thorn sighed, then he turned his eyes towards Cadence, and the mare smiled awkwardly before she saluted quickly, then turned and leapt through the hole in the grating, grimacing a bit as she skidded down the long, sloping passage and into the darkness below.

Her horn lit up, filling the passage around her with dim light as she grimaced a bit at the walls of what she guessed was the sewage system: they were stained with grime, some ugly, mossy substance growing here and there between the rusted and scarred metal plating that made up the wall.

More worrying than that, there was some kind of shivering slime here and there on the walls, oozing its way back and forth, leaving visible damage over the metal wherever it crawled. The larger ones seemed almost like they were steaming, and they stank horribly...

Cadence blinked in surprise as a beeping came from her Mission Drive, before she stumbled to a halt as a holographic screen projected in front of her, the mare falling on her rump and rearing back in surprise.

Thorn scowled at her from the projected screen, and Cadence gave a lame smile after a moment before she began to salute, but she was cut off as Thorn instructed: “There are dangerous levels of carbon dioxide in the air there. You'll have to either protect yourself with magic or put on your gas mask.”

“Uh... gas mask...” Cadence winced a bit as she grabbed at her sidepacks: she had the distinct feeling that was probably one of the things she had left behind to make room for more weapons in the packs strapped around her body. “I'll use magic.”

Thorn looked at her sourly through the screen, even as Cadence created a bubble of air around her head before grinning lamely. “See? Just uh... learned this on the last mission I-”

“Please just continue.” Thorn said tiredly, and then the hologram vanished. Cadence shook herself quickly out before rubbing awkwardly at her face, and then she quickly climbed to her feet and mumbled to herself. Okay, not a great start, but... it can only get better from here, right?

Cadence continued quickly down the sloping tunnel, but she didn't have much further to go before she reached a dropoff into some kind of massive underground pipe. The mare carefully hopped down, spreading her wings to catch herself before she hit the bottom of the pipe: and lucky for her that she did, since the floor of the sloping tunnel was covered by some kind of reeking acid.

Her Mission Drive beeped, and this time she wasn't quite as surprised when a holographic screen projected beside her, Thorn saying quietly as she hovered in the air: “I'm getting extreme toxicity readings. Is there a liquid substance beneath you?”

“Yes, there's some kind of creek flowing along this pipe. It looks almost like a sewer.” Cadence responded, as she hesitantly lowered herself towards the sludge flowing slowly through the bottom of the pipe. “Uh... do you want me to take a sample?”

“Yes, then return to the mouth of the pipe.” Thorn instructed, and Cadence grimaced and nodded as the hologram vanished.

She extracted the vial from her sidepack, then used telekinesis to lower it and carefully scoop up a bit of the liquid. She grimaced at the stink before she quickly tucked the vial back into her pack, then she flapped her wings, turning around to hurry back the way she had come.

It only took a few minutes for her to fly back up the pipe, where she found the rest of the team: Thorn and Moonflower were both in gas masks that securely covered their muzzles, the black unicorn fidgeting awkwardly and pawing at his childishly every now and then, while Thorn only held out a hoof. “Sample?”

“Right here.” Cadence pulled the vial out and passed it to Thorn, who took it with telekinesis and studied it intently as readings flashed over his visor.

Finally, he nodded before tucking the sample away. “Necrophage, Muse, we have a Class IV Biohazard ahead. It looks like Mazuku tailings. Necrophage, I'm afraid that...”

“It's okay, boss! I understand, and we sure don't want me reacting badly, right?” Necrophage smiled brightly, then chirped: “Emotions off!”

The Replicant blinked once, and then she looked emotionlessly up, her expression hollow, her eyes almost cold, and yet Cadence thought she saw some spark all the same in the way she looked at Thorn, as she said calmly: “Ready to serve, Thorn Blackfeather.”

Muse smiled faintly at her sister, and then she turned her eyes back towards Thorn, asking quietly: “Do you have a spare mask? I'm sorry, I didn't bring one.”

“You weren't expected to. You can use mine.” Thorn replied, reaching up and removing his own mask, and Cadence's eyes widened in surprise as he passed it to Muse, who smiled before strapping it quickly on.

Before either Moonflower or Cadence could ask, Thorn simply flicked his horn, creating a bubble of air around his head. Cadence smiled a bit at this, and then she watched as Thorn strode past, the sapphire stallion taking the lead as he said: “Follow me. We have to move quickly, I'm detecting drone movement.”

Cadence frowned, and Moonflower asked uneasily, as he stumbled along at the rear of the group: “Drones? How could they have drones? I thought we had all the drones.”

“They could be any kind of synthetic that gives off a distinct energy pattern. They're likely drones because we're sitting on top of a storage facility, as I mentioned before. It wouldn't be very difficult for the enemy to activate them.” Thorn answered, shaking his head briefly. “For now, we should just keep ourselves moving and try to get through the tailings pipe.”

Cadence nodded as Moonflower winced a bit, asking nervously: “It won't... I mean... it won't hurt us, will it?”

“We'll be alright as long as we move quickly. The tailings pipe should feed into a processing sluice, where we'll be able to get out of the sludge.” Thorn answered, giving a brief smile over his shoulder before he turned his eyes back ahead. “It's important you minimize your contact with the tailings, however. The acid is dangerous enough to damage both your body and your armor.”

Moonflower winced a bit, and then Thorn said in a gentler, reassuring voice, even though he didn't look back: “We can do this. I can't promise it will be easy, or that everything will go according to plan. But I know we're more than capable of getting through this.”

Moonflower bit his lip, but then he nodded firmly once as Cadence smiled in agreement. Muse gazed softly towards Thorn, while Necrophage only plodded calmly forward, completely devoid of all her usual bounce and energy, but Cadence couldn't help but notice the way Necrophage all the same seemed to strive to stay close to both Thorn and her sister.

They made their way down the tunnel to the tailings pipe, where Thorn grimaced as he leaned down to gaze through the hole. “Worse than I expected... and I'm detecting fresh material, as well.”

He leaned back, creating a holographic screen in front of himself, before he tapped quickly across it. The pistons on his shoulder pumped with a hiss before the hidden machinery in his armor began to hum quietly away.

Thorn dismissed the screen, then leapt down through the hole in the ground, grimacing as he landed with a splash in the toxic sludge. His eyes narrowed slightly as a warning flashed over his visor, but he ignored it for now as he began to stride up the sloping tunnel, calling over his shoulder: “Moonflower, insulate your legs with magic! Cadence, keep to the air!”

Cadence grimaced, then winced when Necrophage leapt past her to splash down in the muck, the Replicant saying emotionlessly: “Warning. Organic damage detected. Promethean byproduct present.”

The winged unicorn nervously leaned down through the hole, then looked up at Muse, asking hesitantly: “Will you be okay?”

“Yes, of course. Don't worry about me.” Muse said softly, and then she smiled reassuringly before calmly making her way down through the hole, and Cadence stared in disbelief as the Replicant gracefully climbed out onto the ceiling of the pipe to stride easily along it in plain defiance of gravity.

Cadence blinked slowly, and then she shook her head quickly before looking back over her shoulder at Moonflower, who was mumbling to himself awkwardly as he nervously looked at one of his forelegs, his horn flicking through a variety of auras.

“Hey. It's going to be okay.” Cadence reassured, even though she wasn't exactly sure what she was reassuring Moonflower about now: he just had that same expression he always got whenever he needed to be encouraged about something.

Moonflower looked up lamely, and then he flinched when a holographic screen appeared beside Cadence, Thorn saying dryly out of the projection: “Hurry up. We can't afford to be separated for too long. Moonflower, you can easily concentrate enough magic to avoid toxicity. Just focus.”

“Yes, of course, I'm... I'm not scared or anything!” Moonflower said hurriedly as the screen vanished, and then he grimaced a little before he nervously looked at himself as his body was suffused with energy, the stallion mumbling: “Okay... impermeable, impermeable, just... think thick thoughts.”

Cadence sighed a little, but then she only turned and leapt down through the hole, flapping her wings and calling: “Let's go, Moonflower!”

She turned her attention ahead, flying quickly up the tunnel after Thorn, since she knew if she stayed for any longer Moonflower would probably just stall for that much longer. All the same, she couldn't help but wince and look back over her shoulder when she heard a loud splash behind her.

Moonflower wheezed loudly, his legs shuddering a bit but supporting him: he had tripped over the rim of the hole, but managed to not-so-gracefully land on his hooves in the creek of slime. He shivered a little, but hurriedly refocused his concentration, making his armored body glow with light from hooves to neck: the last thing he wanted to do was risk getting that poison all over himself.

He splashed hurriedly up the tunnel in the wake of the others, rejoining with the group quickly. It stank terribly, even through the gas mask over his features, and he could feel a strange gnawing at the energy protecting his body, like the acidic goo was already eating its way through his magic.

Thankfully, the travel through the tunnel was boring and quick, even if it was also a more disgusting experience than Moonflower would have liked. Near the top of the long, sloping pipe, in front of some kind of broken filter system, Thorn approached a set of rusted section of wall plating and ordered: “Necrophage. Make a hole.”

It was a matter of seconds for Necrophage to rip down the wall, and Thorn sighed in relief as he was able to climb through into a dusty, derelict, but free-of-muck passage, the stallion calling: “Assemble! We'll figure the rest of the situation out from here!”

The ponies were all too glad to pile into the narrow passage, and Moonflower visibly relaxed as he allowed the magic around his body to dissipate, brushing awkwardly at himself as Cadence landed and shook herself out. Necrophage was simply standing near the other end of the short hallway, and Muse lingered nervously on the ceiling, her glass orb orbiting her, before she lowered her head to Thorn respectfully when he addressed her. “I need you to provide an area scan and inform me of what's nearby.”

Muse nodded, then closed her eyes, taking a slow breath as the glass orb thrummed silently around her, giving brief pulses of light before she frowned slightly and murmured: “I... I don't think what I'm detecting is the enemy... but there is strange life, and stranger still magic...”

Thorn nodded as he reached up and tapped his visor, half-turning to mutter: “Might be Illrhapp. We'll have to watch where we step.”

Muse nodded, and then she murmured: “I'm not detecting any other lifeforms in the vicinity, nor any other energy readings. I think we are safe.”

“We're never quite safe. We should still be cautious, but we are hopefully outside of enemy attention.” Thorn said, nodding once before he turned his eyes ahead, saying quietly: “Emotions on.”

Muse blinked, then bounced once on her hooves before she looked up with a bright smile, saying happily: “Hello! And yuck, I've got all sorts of goop all over me!”

Necrophage giggled all the same, even as she brushed quickly at herself to try and get the slime off her body, and then she blushed and smiled widely when Thorn calmly tilted his glowing horn towards her, his magic burning over her body and cleansing her of the ooze as he said quietly: “We'll try and keep your toxicity to a minimum, Necrophage. You might be able to handle much greater levels of biohazard than the rest of us, but that doesn't mean it won't do damage to you all the same.”

The Replicant blushed and saluted awkwardly, and then Thorn gestured towards a sealed door ahead, saying calmly: “I need you to smash a hole in that. Try and keep quiet.”

Necrophage nodded firmly, then she trotted quickly past before she reached up and pushed carefully along the door, biting her tongue thoughtfully before she brightened and craned her head up over her shoulder, exclaiming: “Okay, sis! I'll loosen it up and you tear it off!”

Muse smiled and nodded from where she was still standing calmly on the ceiling, Moonflower awkwardly, slowly looking up at her as Cadence shifted almost nervously. “Of course, Necrophage.”

The Replicant nodded happily, then she spun around and pushed her hooves into the door, grunting as she carefully began to force the door out of place, and Muse gripped into the door with telekinesis as it began to twist out of the frame.

After a few moments, the door was torn loose in a hail of dust, the psychic Replicant carefully setting this aside and Necrophage poking her head through into the hall beyond before she smiled and looked over her shoulder: “Clear!”

Thorn nodded as he strode forwards, stepping through the broken doorway to scan quickly back and forth with his visor. Necrophage was right: the area around them was clear, at least. And considering how disused this place looked...

The ceiling was starting to collapse in places from the weight of whatever was above, and tiles had rotted away here and there over the floor. Several pipes had broken on the wall, and were bleeding sludge into a hole; machinery laid in ruin and disarray in front of permanently-sealed, rotting shutters, and pipes hung loosely, along with clumps of wire standing out of holes here and there in all surfaces of the room.

Thorn approached one of the broken machines, studying it meditatively before he looked over his shoulder as the others joined him in the open room. “Let's pause here for a moment. I'm going to try and bring one of these machines online. Necrophage, I need you to find a weakness in this wall.”

Necrophage nodded, smiling over at Thorn before she turned towards the wall he had indicated and bounced over to it. She began to feel quickly along it, humming to herself, while Thorn headed to one of the rusted machines, ducking down to peer through an open panel as he muttered: “The corrosion here is much worse than it should be. And the toxicity in the air is still reading at unacceptable levels, in spite of the fact this room was sealed off, which makes me think there was either a leak, or...”

“Uh, boss? They've sealed this up pretty recently!” Necrophage called nervously, and Cadence and Moonflower both looked up uneasily as Thorn rose his head with a frown. “I'd say within the last few days. Nothing on this side is disturbed, but it tastes... funny!”

“Funny how?” Thorn asked, and Cadence looked at him awkwardly: she wasn't sure that a 'funny tasting' wall was exactly a good way to measure things. But apparently Thorn was taking it seriously, and considering how serious Thorn was...

“Uh... chemicals... composition of mainly...” Necrophage leaned over and licked the wall, then scrunched up her face thoughtfully. “Silicon and oxygen? Yeah! I bet it's-”

“Pozzolan mortar.” Thorn finished, and Necrophage nodded several times with an earnest smile. “That would make sense, it would probably be the most accessible in the area. Muse, I need another scan, but keep it to a roughly hundred meter radius and detect all organic energies.”

“Yes, Prince Thorn. Of course.” Muse said politely, closing her eyes as the glass orb shimmered faintly, orbiting around her head slowly as her horn thrummed with energy. She smiled a little after a moment, even as her features tightened slightly, and then she whispered: “I feel... insignificant lives. Many; insects, parasites, lower life forms. But hidden among them are the Contagium. And I sense other tainted entities as well, low-lifes...”

She shifted slightly, then murmured: “Biotrails. Hints of lost essence. And something... familiar. Something that even now might be able to command us...”

Muse shivered a bit, before Thorn ordered gently: “Stop. Secure the area, then get some rest.”

The Replicant nodded after a moment, and Thorn turned his attention to Moonflower and Cadence, saying quietly: “Check for breaches or holes in the perimeter. Then get some rest yourselves. I'll need you both shortly.”

The two nodded, and Moonflower smiled hesitantly before he turned and hurried away, as Cadence simply saluted, doing her best to remain professional and serious. All the same, she hesitated, and Thorn seemed to notice this as he tilted his head towards her, asking: “Is there a problem?”

“Yes.” Cadence said before she could stop herself:she didn't even realize what she was saying, until she stated: “This is a waste of time and resources. We should push forward. You should not be here, you are a jarl.”

That was more than a backhanded compliment, that was an outright insult, the way she had just used it, but Thorn only looked calmly back at the mare before he said quietly: “Cadence, please keep the Swan in line. I asked you to come on this operation. Not her.”

Cadence shifted uncomfortably as she felt the Swan twist angrily inside of her, but she quickly stomped on the creature, pushing it back down. The Swan had slithered her way up into her mind without her even being aware of it, making her say stupid things before she even realized- “I'm so sorry, Thorn, I didn't-”

“Not important. You have your orders.” Thorn said bluntly, and Cadence winced but then saluted awkwardly as she gave a lame smile to the sapphire stallion. She didn't know if she appreciated his bluntness or not, but it was nice to at least always know where she stood with him and what he wanted her to do.

She hurried towards the wall, then realized dumbly she had no real idea what she was supposed to be doing. She strode along the wall, tapping lightly along it before she looked almost hesitantly over her shoulder at the sapphire stallion. But Thorn was busy with whatever he was doing with the computer, so the mare only shrugged a bit before continuing her hesitant probing along the wall.

It looked fine to her. Then again, it also just looked like a wall. No big holes, no large cracks, it was just a wall to her. She studied it for a few moments, then suddenly flinched when Necrophage grasped her shoulder and said brightly: “Thank you for helping! I know this must be pretty strange for you, but you and Thorn make a great team and I know that you and the Swan both just really want to help us!”

Cadence smiled awkwardly, not really knowing what to say before she cleared her throat and asked finally: “So uh, Necrophage. You can... taste chemicals?”

“Yep! I can do lots of things! I was designed to be an all-around industrial worker, after all!” Necrophage said brightly, smiling warmly at Cadence before she gazed affectionately at her sister, who was standing silently in front of the sealed door, simply staring blankly at it. “My sister is even smarter than me, though, you know! I was designed to detect stuff, but she knows how to work with all those things. Not to mention her amazing mind powers and all!”

Cadence smiled lamely, and then she leaned back slightly when Necrophage suddenly leaned up knowingly into her face, the Replicant smiling brightly but gazing at her with strangely sharp eyes as she said softly: “We're all kinds of funny here, but that's not a bad thing at all, really. Not so long as we remember to work together, and that we're all working for the same goal, right?”

“Uh. Right.” Cadence said slowly, and Necrophage smiled happily before the ivory mare asked: “So you really believe in Decretum and Empress Hecate?”

“Oh yes! But more than that, I trust them, and especially Thorn!” Necrophage said brightly, giving a warm smile to Cadence, and Thorn shifted ever so slightly in the corner of Cadence's eye before Necrophage called: “Are you sure you don't need help?”

“I'm sure, Necrophage, thank you.” Thorn said mildly, glancing up before he said finally: “If you need something to do, why don't you and Cadence start opening up that wall for us? And Muse, please stop trying to scan ahead. If there are other Replicants present, we will deal with them when the time comes. I will not allow Psukhikos or any other Replicant to harm you.”

Muse dropped her head with a deep blush, but she seemed more grateful than embarrassed all the same, smiling faintly at Thorn before she murmured: “I do not deserve your kindness, sir.”

“You deserve the same treatment as any other pony.” Thorn answered, and then he gestured to her, saying softly: “Come help me with this. Moonflower, please help Cadence and Necrophage open a path.”

Moonflower nodded quickly, looking like he wanted to say something, but then he only gave a lame smile to Thorn, who looked back at him oddly before shrugging and turning away. As he and Muse went to work on the computer, Moonflower strode over to join Cadence and Necrophage, his eyes pausing for a moment on the short Replicant as he scowled ever so slightly.

Necrophage smiled brightly back at him, and then she said positively: “You really are one of his favorite people, you know!”

Moonflower blinked, but then he smiled hesitantly and relaxed slightly, and Cadence smiled in relief herself: the last thing she wanted to deal with was a jealous Moonflower. Necrophage seemed blissfully oblivious, but Cadence couldn't help but wonder all the same if maybe the Replicant was more aware than she was letting on. “Maybe you could use your magic to help cut through? And Cadence, you can help cut through things!”

Cadence shrugged a bit, saying after a moment: “Whatever you need, Necrophage. Just tell us where you want us and we'll listen to you.”

Moonflower nodded in agreement, and Necrophage giggled before she said brightly: “Oh, silly! That makes it sound like I'm in charge or something, when really I'm just... making helpful suggestions! You guys are still my superiors, yep yep!”

Moonflower puffed up a little at this, which made Cadence roll her eyes in amusement before she said finally: “Then just uh... give us whatever suggestions you feel comfortable with.”

Necrophage nodded firmly, then she looked back at the damaged wall she had indicated before she leaned up and carefully scratched along the dusty wall with her hooves, marking out a large rectangle. “Here we go! Moonflower, can you cut out this shape with your magic?”

“Of course. Simple.” Moonflower declared cheerfully, and Cadence looked at him with amusement before his horn began to glow, the stallion adding: “You know, this is quite simple work. I could easily just tear down this whole wall-”

“Oh no, we don't want that! That could cause structural damage and then bazoosh, the whole ceiling could fall in on us here!” Necrophage exclaimed, raising her hooves and making childish explosion noises before she added in a suddenly serious voice: “Also, the more damage we do to the structure, the more likely it is that we'll be detected by kinetic activity scanners, which are housed in these sections in the event of a mechanical failure.”

Moonflower stared at her, and then Cadence gently pushed on his head, guiding his glowing horn to point back at the wall as she said mildly: “Just do your job, Moonflower, and listen to the mare, okay?”

“I always listen to mares. I do not let my feelings – or rather, lack thereof – for mares ever get in the way of my professionalism.” Moonflower said huffily, shaking his head quickly before he pointed it back at the wall and added grouchily: “Mares. Always judging me. Telling me to do things. Trying to touch me inappropriately.”

“You... well, alright, yeah, there have been a few awkward times where people have gone a little too far.” Cadence admitted after a moment, and Necrophage giggled behind her hooves. “But still. It's your own fault for being so... pretty.”

“What, am I supposed to not be pretty? I have a perfectly reasonable right to be pretty, you know.” complained Moonflower, as he focused his magic into a laser, cutting smoothly along the lines Necrophage had marked. “The one nice thing about all this silly armor you all make me wear is it at least keeps me safe from... prying hooves.”

Cadence smiled despite herself, and then Moonflower hesitated as he finished cutting one of the lines, frowning a bit and muttering: “Odd. It felt like there was resistance, but It looks like a perfect cut...”

“They might have stuck some goop on the other side. It'll be a team effort to get through.” Necrophage said, and then she smiled and encouraged: “Go on, finish cutting the stone out, at least! You're really amazing at this!”

Moonflower rose his head proudly, and Cadence rolled her eyes in amusement. Still, the unicorn worked efficiently, without showing off too much, and he was able to remove the layer of stone with telekinesis before he frowned in surprise at the almost translucent gunk they found beneath... but Necrophage didn't look surprised as she turned towards Thorn, saying quickly: “Spongecake!”

“Alright. Cadence should be able to cut through it with her magic.” Thorn said without looking up from the wiring he was repairing.

“Spongecake?” Cadence asked blankly, and Necrophage nodded with a smile as she turned towards her, while Moonflower scowled and testingly prodded the gel-like substance with his horn.

“Yep! That's what we call uh... well, it's a synthetic element, V-191. It can withstand just about any kind of magic, and we mainly used it to layer containers we'd put the Clay in, since it resists breaking down really well. But your purification should be able to cut through it.” Necrophage informed, nodding rapidly.

“I'll cut through it, I can certainly overpower some... fake elemental, or whatever it is.” Moonflower scoffed, scowling a little before he charged his horn with magic, and maybe peeking just a little over his shoulder back at Thorn as he snapped his horn forwards.

But the blade of gravity had no effect, doing little more than making the gel-like substance ripple and creak strangely. Necrophage smiled brightly even as she shook her head and said quickly: “No, no! It absorbs the charged ions present in magic, uh... I can't explain it very well. Sister? Thorn? How does magic work?”

“Moonflower understands what you mean, Necrophage. Moonflower, let Cadence do it.” Thorn said mildly, giving the stallion a pointed look. “I don't think you have the proper control to.”

Moonflower winced and lowered his head slightly, before he suddenly thrust his head upwards and blurted: “Wait, I can do it!”

Cadence had an awful feeling about what was about to happen as Moonflower spun back towards the gel-like substance, his horn glowing darkly as he said quickly: “I've been working on this for a long time now, and I finally have it mastered, just watch!”

The stallion leaned forwards, and a thin beam of black energy shot out of his horn, slicing cleanly through the gel substance before he smiled proudly, turning his head slightly, and dragging that pencil-thin beam not only through the gel, but in a laser that cut easily along the wall like a hot knife through butter, making Necrophage squeak as she dropped to the ground and Cadence wince and leap backwards as Moonflower began: “Look, look, I-”

“Drop your magic!” Thorn ordered sharply, and Moonflower's eyes widened in shock as he reared back, accidentally slicing upwards through the ceiling before his horn thrummed with energy, and the unicorn looked up dumbly before there was a powerful shockwave of magical recoil that sent a blast of gravitational force hammering into the roof above as black particles pelted the rest of the room.

Moonflower squeaked as he was knocked onto his back, while the others hit the floor, Thorn creating a shield in front of himself and Muse that bolts of dark light hammered into and rapidly began to eat their way through. Cadence swore as one of her wings was seared by the particles of dark energy, and Necrophage barely rolled out of the way of several rocks that fell from the cracked ceiling, looking up fearfully as dust and debris hailed down from the shivering roof.

But after a few moments, silence descended as the room settled back into uneasy quiet, and Thorn slowly pushed himself up as he dispelled his rotting magic, Moonflower trembling on the ground before he gave a weak smile as he said quickly, pleadingly: “I... I can do it right, it's just that I... got distracted, and-”

“And that is precisely the problem. You got distracted. You don't think, Moonflower.” Thorn said in a soft but serious voice, and Moonflower wilted in front of him, shrinking down and lowering his head before Thorn sighed and shook his own, muttering: “Cadence, clear the doorway. Muse, was the computer damaged?”

Muse shook her head meekly as she straightened a bit, and Thorn nodded once before he glanced towards Necrophage, saying quietly: “Scout ahead once Cadence has cleared the doorway. Then return and wait for my next order. Keep things quiet.”

Necrophage saluted as Cadence lamely shifted, and Moonflower sighed as he looked down, understanding that he had just been silently ordered to stay out of the way, and painfully aware that he had once again gone from helping, to hindering everyone around him.

But some things, he supposed, would never change.

Curious Assistance

Chapter Forty Two: Curious Assistance
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence rubbed absently at her aching wing: it still hurt like hell from when Moonflower's magic had backfired, faint burns still visible in her flesh. She grimaced a bit as she flicked her wings a few times, before quickly furling them when Moonflower turned towards her, doing her best to hide her discomfort as she smiled at him lamely.

He only glanced away after a moment, rubbing slowly at one foreleg before he made an odd rolling gesture with his back, then he simply hung his head as Cadence softened. She recognized that movement: he was trying to shift a wing that was no longer there forward, so he could play with the feathers. But he had given those wings up, to save their lives. Not once, either, but twice...

Cadence hesitated as she looked around quickly, but Thorn was still doing something with the computer he and Muse had managed to get working, and Necrophage was trundling up and down the hall outside, moving debris out of the way: whoever had sealed this room off had also collapsed part of the hall, meaning they were likely pretty serious about keeping them out of this facility. It also meant that someone had known they were likely to try and enter through this route, which Cadence thought was much more worrisome.

If Thorn was concerned, however, he wasn't showing it: not that she would expect him to, of course. Thorn wasn't exactly big on broadcasting his thoughts or emotions, after all. But she thought he was working a little faster than usual, like he was trying to hurry things along.

She watched him as he paged through holographic screens, his eyes narrowed as he concentrated on the task at hoof. His eyes roved over the accumulated data, his expression tense as he sorted through the data he could access.

Thorn dismissed the holographic screen after a few more moments, shaking his head briefly before he turned towards Cadence and said quietly: “Alright. It looks like quite a few of the systems are up and running. More than we originally expected, at least. We'll have to be extremely cautious.”

Cadence frowned a bit at this, asking: “Were you able to find out anything else from the computer? I mean, I assume you were probably data mining, right?”

“As much as was safe, yes. But all I did was ping the network and decode the response data, so I don't know entirely what we're up against.” Thorn shook his head slowly, and then he continued: “All I know for sure is that we're dealing with someone who understands how Clockwork technology works, and furthermore, the tactics that Decretum uses.”

The ivory mare nodded slowly, and then Muse glanced up and added with a small smile: “But we haven't been detected yet, and there are no hostile biorhythms near by. We will have to be very careful, of course, but...”

Muse suddenly halted, then frowned as she looked at the doorway, Thorn immediately turning his attention to the opening in the wall before Necrophage leapt through with a wheeze, visibly wincing as she blurted: “Contagium!”

“Muse!” Thorn said sharply, and Muse hurried forwards as her horn and eyes began to glow, the crystalline orb flying off the ground to orbit quickly around her as her powers thrummed through the room.

Cadence and Moonflower both winced and stumbled quickly away from the door, watching as chitinous, scorpion-like Contagium leapt in through the doorway, then thankfully halted, the swarm of nasty, hoof-sized parasites pausing and rocking back and forth on their pointy legs, their deadly, toxic tails waving back and forth slowly in the air above their heads. Cadence shivered a little in revulsion as the sight of these creatures: the Contagium were a parasite used to spread the Clay of Prometheus, and they could be extremely hostile when they weren't under psychic control. If one of them stung them...

Necrophage had run over to Thorn and was almost quivering behind him, while Muse breathed slowly in and out, her eyes narrowed slightly as she tilted her head back and forth, and the scorpion-like parasites mimicked her movements. She bit her lip, then murmured softly: “Strange... they have no master. They have built a hive here, gone feral...”

“We can't assume that they blocked this area off just to quarantine the Contagium. Considering the defenses, it's more likely that they left the Contagium here as a trap.” Thorn said quietly as he strode up beside Muse, and then he asked quietly: “Can you read their minds while retaining control?”

“No... too feral. And there are more than a dozen of them and more, crawling, crawling in the walls, all full of animal thoughts, with no memories, just... instincts, and flashes.” Muse shivered a little, and then she closed her eyes and whispered: “Protolea could understand them, but I cannot.”

“That's okay.” Thorn said with surprising gentility, and then he ordered, quiet and almost gentle: “Make them kill themselves.”

Cadence looked up in surprise as Moonflower winced a little, but Muse only nodded slowly before she straightened and took a slow breath. And after a few moments, Muse slowly leaned forwards, and her horn pulsed before the Contagium reacted by raising their tails, then plunging them viciously down through their own backs.

Most of them died after only the first strike, squealing as black blood spurted from their bodies, but others stabbed relentlessly, continuing to pierce and pummel their own bodies long after they were dead. Muse whimpered a little, legs quavering as she forced the parasites to exterminate themselves, before she finally gasped and staggered backwards, but Thorn caught her gently and whispered something soothing to her, the psychic slowly relaxing as she shivered a bit, her glass orb silently orbiting her and Thorn, then Necrophage as well when her sister hurried up to her side to hug her comfortingly.

Thorn gently pulled away from the Replicant after a moment to stride forwards to the doorway, before he glanced up as Moonflower asked disbelievingly: “That... was that really...”

“Yes. It was the cleanest, most effective way to deal with an immediate and present danger.” Thorn stated, shaking his head briefly before he simply stepped into the passage beyond, and Moonflower mouthed wordlessly as Cadence shifted awkwardly, even as the Swan gave an almost approving twist inside of her.

Thorn reentered the room after a moment with a nod, saying calmly: “The area ahead seems clear and we should be able to move forward. Power still seems to be active in this zone, so we should be able to access the maintenance ducts and move deeper into the base without detection.”

The others nodded, even as Moonflower shifted almost uncomfortably, but Thorn only looked over the group before he gestured at them to follow, saying calmly: “Let's move.”

Muse and Necrophage were both quick to follow Thorn into the hall. Moonflower stared after them almost uncomprehendingly, until Cadence sighed and walked over to gently tug him up, saying quietly: “Come on, let's go.”

“I don't...” Moonflower shook his head, biting his lip before he lowered his head silently. “Yes, you're right. Have to be professional and all that, right?”

“Don't mix up professional and private lives, Moonflower. You know Thorn is just... very good at keeping those separate.” Cadence reassured, as she gently nudged Moonflower forward, and Moonflower gave a hesitant half-smile before he nodded slowly and headed for the doorway.

He and Cadence stepped into the hallway to find Muse waiting for them, the Replicant bowing her head politely before she said softly: “Prince Thorn and my sister have gone on ahead to find an open duct. He was concerned you both needed time to recover.”

Moonflower lowered his head embarrassedly, but Cadence only shook her head as she gently patted Thorn on the back, replying kindly: “We're okay, Muse. We just needed a moment to... get our heads back in the game. Usually... I guess it's hard for me to not be the leader, and this is a lot different from the usual... run in and kill everyone thing I usually do.”

Muse smiled a little at this, nodding once before she replied quietly: “I understand. Sometimes I feel hesitance and fear. I don't understand why, but I don't question the value of my programming: I simply respond to it and do my best to keep in mind that... even these things have their reasons.”

“A season for all things.” Cadence said before she could stop herself, and Moonflower looked at her quizzically as Muse smiled again. “Sorry. It's from a poem. Sort of. One of Daddy's explanations for things.”

“Sombra, yes. He's always so wise. I wish he was here with us.” Moonflower said softly, and Cadence couldn't help but agree before she looked up as Muse politely cleared her throat.

“We should follow the others if you've returned to operative status.” she said softly, and Cadence couldn't help but smile a little at this: it seemed like no matter what happened, there would still always be ways in which the Replicants would remain different, she thought.

Cadence gestured to Muse to lead the way, and she and Moonflower followed after the Replicant as she turned to head down the corridor. It only took them a few minutes to catch up to Thorn, who was standing down the hall in front of a wall hatch that had been pried open.

He glanced up as they approached, giving them a brief nod, and Moonflower nodded awkwardly back with a small smile before the black unicorn asked hesitantly: “Do you... need us to do anything?”

Thorn looked at them for a few moments, and then he gave a quick nod before pointing at the debris-strewn hall behind him: these ugly cement corridors were badly damaged, covered in cracks and ugly patches of rot and unnatural scum, but it looked like there was still a way to move forward through the ruined tunnel. “There's a door at the end of the passage that's been alarmed. I need you to set a self-detonating rune on it. Thirty minutes should be sufficient.”

Moonflower nodded, taking a breath before he straightened and puffed out his chest a little, saying firmly: “Consider it done.”

Moonflower hurried off down the hall, tripping awkwardly over himself, and Cadence smiled a bit before her eyes shifted back towards Thorn. The stallion looked back at her, and then he simply shrugged before saying quietly: “You can rest while Necrophage finishes her assessment. She's built for dealing with hazardous chemicals.”

Muse glanced nervously towards the duct, and Thorn smiled a little as he noticed the Replicant's look, saying quietly: “You know she'll be careful. But if you scan the area for any present life, it would be helpful for the situation.”

The Replicant smiled, bowing her head in silent gratitude before she closed her eyes, the glass orb humming silently around her as it began to glow distinctly with her psionic power. Cadence couldn't help but watch as Muse shifted ever so slightly, before she murmured softly: “There's... there's a strange energy above...”

Thorn frowned slightly at this, immediately looking up as he adjusted his visor, and Muse shifted uneasily before she whispered: “Not heat... not electricity... something else. I can't comprehend it... it is not... intelligent, yet... it is cunning...”

“I'll decipher the anomalous data. Is it hostile?” asked Thorn, and Muse shifted uncertainly before the stallion specified: “Has it detected us, then?”

Muse shook her head quickly, and Thorn nodded before he said quietly: “Then we continue as planned. Necrophage is returning.”

Cadence looked uneasily up as the squat Replicant leapt out of the ducts, shaking herself briskly to rid herself of the gunk on her body, and then she saluted quickly to Thorn before declaring: “The toxins are not at levels that will cause permanent harm through short term exposure!”

Thorn nodded, and Necrophage smiled at him before she looked over at her sister. She leaned forwards slightly, then suddenly hopped towards her and said warmly: “Come on, silly! You don't need to look so down, everything's going to be just fine!”

Muse looked at her sister for a few moments, and then she gave a hesitant smile before Thorn glanced over his shoulder as Moonflower returned, saying quickly: “You and Cadence are with me. Muse, Necrophage, follow after thirty seconds.”

“You got it, boss!” Necrophage said cheerfully, saluting again, and Thorn gave a brief smile before he turned and headed into the duct, Cadence and Moonflower trading looks before they followed quickly after him.

Moonflower looked confused and awkward, but Cadence smiled a little before she said quietly, as they carefully strode down the tight metal corridor: “So you do have a heart somewhere in there.”

Thorn only looked dryly back over his shoulder at her as Moonflower stared at Cadence almost disbelievingly, but then the sapphire unicorn turned his eyes back ahead and replied simply: “Avoid chatter. Poison levels are high.”

Moonflower winced, then he took a deep breath before visibly holding it, while Cadence only grimaced a little as she looked down at her hooves, checking her step as they made their way slowly upwards along the sloping, damaged vent.

They reached the other side after a few minutes: Cadence was starting to feel lightheaded, while Moonflower was wheezing loudly in and out, visibly nauseated. Thorn seemed fine... but I bet you could break his head open and he'd just keep walking on, doing whatever business he had to do, broken face and all...

Some nasty part of Cadence wanted to see if that was just what would happen, and the Swan itched to jump on Thorn and... hurt him? Wait, why? That doesn't make any sense, Thorn's... Thorn is... “Thorn, who are you?”

Thorn only glanced over his shoulder, then he instead looked forwards, gesturing with his head towards a broken grating at the end of the duct as he said quietly: “We need to exit quietly. Stealth is our most important objective right now. We cannot be discovered or our infiltration operation will be put at risk.”

“I can do it!” Moonflower wheezed, and Thorn grimaced as the black unicorn stumbled past him before he took a slow breath as he gathered his magic. But he steadied himself visibly after a few moments, grinding his teeth together before he exhaled quietly as he slowly cut through the rusted vent cover with a thin beam of wavering magic energy.

The grated hatch covering the duct creaked loudly before it snapped out of place, and Thorn quickly caught it with telekinesis, gently lowering it to the ground before he gave a small smile and nod to Moonflower. Moonflower brightened immediately at this before he hurriedly stumbled through the hole in the grating, blushing as he turned towards Thorn and opened his mouth-

Moonflower vomited loudly, nearly falling over, and Thorn sighed a little before he quickly reached out and gently caught the stallion by the back of the neck as his legs buckled, holding him on his hooves as Moonflower retched miserably. Cadence winced a bit as she stepped awkwardly away from the two, feeling more than a little nauseated herself at the sight, while Thorn only reassured gently: “You'll feel better if you get it out.”

Moonflower vomited loudly again, and then he whimpered a little as he shivered, his hooves scratching against the ground before he spat several times, then rasped weakly: “I... I'm sorry... don't want to...”

“Now stop that. It's okay.” Thorn said softly, and Moonflower smiled faintly, trembling a little as he nodded weakly before the sapphire unicorn instructed in a murmur: “Stand up. Deep breaths.”

Moonflower nodded a few times, breathing slowly in and out as he straightened and shivered a bit, stumbling backwards and shaking himself out briefly. Thorn nodded back to him after a moment, and then his horn glowed as he flicked it, burning away the vomit as he ordered at the same time: “Cadence, scout down the hall. A hundred feet, then return.”

Cadence nodded quickly, deciding it was better not to argue as she turned to stride quickly down the curving hall, drawing a throwing knife with telekinesis as she went. She frowned a bit as she looked at the surfaces of the corridor before she realized this wasn't so much a hallway as it was some kind of exhaust tunnel.

But even though it reeked, there was no poison in the air, and she could feel her lightheadedness – and the nastiness that had come with it – fading quickly away. The mare frowned a little as she glanced back over her shoulder: the curve of the hallway had been so gentle she hadn't even realized she had moved out of sight of the rest of her team.

She turned her eyes back ahead, scanning the area around her before shrugging and turning around to make her way back. There wasn't much to see: a lot of damaged gratings, some gunk on the walls, a few scratches here and there on the floor...

Cadence paused, then frowned and stopped, looking down at the scars in the metal at her hooves. She leaned down and studied it intently, realizing that the damage was recent and unusual: something heavy, with a large blade of some kind, had been dragged through here.

Cadence followed the track it had made, frowning slightly as she touched the edge of the metal. It was jagged, badly scoured... not a clean cut. And those flakes mean... metal on metal, right?

The ivory mare frowned a little at this, and then she glanced up in surprise as Thorn rounded the gentle corner, the stallion saying in a calm voice: “We need to move quickly. Muse has detected several electrical signatures that could likely be drones headed in this direction.”

“How's Moonflower?” Cadence asked, and Thorn smiled slightly before he looked at her pointedly, and the ivory mare sighed a little before saying finally: “All clear ahead. But there's some recent scarring on the floor, from something metal being dragged over it.”

“No, not dragged. Pressed. Those marks are from cleat blades.” Thorn replied, and Cadence blinked in surprise as Thorn simply walked past her. But he paused after a few steps, looking back over his shoulder to explain: “Butcher Drones are supposed to keep these exhaust ports clear, but even if they've been turned back online, they're obviously malfunctioning. We should get out of their way before they come back.”

Cadence nodded hesitantly, and Thorn gestured at her, saying quietly: “Moonflower is still a bit ill. Muse is tending to him. Keep an eye on them, please.”

“What about you?” Cadence asked, as Thorn turned to walk away, and this time the sapphire stallion didn't slow.

But he did answer, all the same, without looking back: “I'm going to see if I can find a control panel I can interface with, so we can get out of here faster.”

Cadence smiled a bit as the stallion continued on his way: she thought that one way or another, Thorn was warming up to them a little, and maybe even learning to put the welfare of others before the completion of the mission.

Thorn was striving to balance both: as hard as he was pushing the mission, he realized just how tough he was being on these ponies, who were all people he cared about in some form or another. But he was pushing to get through this as quickly and efficiently as possible because he wanted to minimize the danger to everyone involved, and he hoped they understood that. Just as he also understood that if the mission wasn't completed, they would be putting many more lives at risk.

Thorn paused at a panel in the wall, carefully tugging it open with telekinesis before he grimaced slightly at the sight of it. It was rusted out, with no working antennae or visible way to interface with the controls... it's all been corroded and eaten away at by the acidity in the air. I might not be able to find a working node here.

The stallion continued a little further down the tunnel, frowning a bit as he checked almost uneasily over his shoulder. He hoped that the others were on their way: it had sounded like those drones were starting to close in on them, after all, and they didn't want to be in the way of those machines when they came through the tunnels again.

He stopped at another access panel, yanking it open and grimacing at the condition: rotted, the more sensitive metals beneath the cover eaten away by the poisons that had chewed their way in through the weaker seals. Thorn shook his head slowly, then he turned and moved to the next panel even as he shifted uneasily: the levels of poison in the air weren't high enough to cause much more than irritation. Why was there so much corrosion?

Thorn halted suddenly in front of a vent, studying it for a few moments as his visor spat out several readings, before his eyes narrowed and he turned to almost gallop down the hall. That certainly explained a few things...

“Open communications.” he ordered, and there was a fizzle before he said curtly: “If you haven't already, get moving. Catch up to me as soon as possible. We have a problem.”

Thorn cut the communication link with a gesture, not wanting to risk any of their messages being picked up by the enemy as he looked back and forth before his eyes locked on another control panel. He opened it, then scowled at the damage he found: this time, however, the stallion quickly checked along the edges of the control plate, until he found a section where the metal had started to come loose.

Thorn grasped this, then yanked on it, tearing most of the plate off as it fractured into rusting pieces. He narrowed his eyes as he brushed away the debris, then he began to tear the wiring beneath apart with telekinesis: it was very possible he might set something off by accident or trigger an alert of some kind, but right now urgency outweighed the risk.

Lights flashed into life along the ceiling of the hall, and Thorn scowled a little as he tore several wires loose, the ceiling lights flickering back out before he tried a different series of cables. This time, he was rewarded with a buzzing from the panel, which turned into a much louder humming after a few moments.

Thorn nodded to himself, and then he grimaced a bit as he reached up and tugged a broken circuit board loose: the control panel was working now, sure, but the systems were still fried. It was like plugging in a computer that had all its circuits removed.

The stallion dug through the rotten circuitry, not looking up even as the others came down the tunnel and not letting them see his relief, even as Cadence asked: “What's so urgent, Thorn?”

“They're not filtering the exhaust that's being pushed through these tunnels. At full toxicity, that acidic gas will burn the flesh off our bones.” Thorn replied without looking up, before he finally managed to dig something he could use out of the jumble of rotten machinery.

Cadence stared at him, but Thorn ignored the ponies as he carefully began to rewire the transmitter node into the system. Without looking up, he continued calmly: “I should be able to get the maintenance hatch open, but if I can't, our only remaining option will be to make a run for the end of the exhaust port and hopefully get into the filtration center before the tunnel is flooded with poison.”

“Hopefully.” Cadence echoed, wincing slightly before she looked worriedly over her shoulder. “We heard something moving towards us-”

“Butcher Drones. We don't want to be in their way, either.” Thorn answered curtly, shaking his head before he winced slightly at the sparks that traveled over the control panel. A moment later, however, a metal panel in the wall slid creakily aside, revealing a large hatch door that was covered in rust and ugly fungus. “Let's get moving.”

Necrophage was already at the door, grasping into the large, valve-shaped handle on and wrestling it back and forth as she whined a little in her throat, before she firmly hauled to one side and wheezed in triumph as she managed to twist the handle-

Necrophage fell backwards with a squeak as the handle popped loose from the door, and Thorn and the others stared for a moment before the Replicant gave a weak giggle, holding up the broken valve handle as she said awkwardly: “Well, uh. Let me fix that.”

“We can't fix that. The shaft is broken.” Thorn muttered, grimacing a bit before he looked quickly down the passage: he didn't like how loud those noises were starting to get. Furthermore, if the exhaust schedule bore any similarities to what he was used to in Decretum...“We need to get moving. We've lost too much time. We'll just have to make a run for the filter conduit.”

“Are you sure that's a good idea?” asked Cadence uneasily, as Moonflower winced a bit, but Thorn only pushed himself away from the control panel to turn down the shaft, shaking his head.

“It doesn't matter if it's a good idea or not. It's the only chance we really have.” the stallion replied, and then he began to head quickly down the tunnel, his head raised and eyes forward.

The others followed after him, falling into pace as they strode quickly through the exhaust tunnel. Thorn was tempted to start galloping, but he knew that while they had to move quickly, they couldn't risk missing any possible exits, either. He had to get his team out of danger as fast as possible.

“Thorn, I don't think this is a good idea. What if we turn back? It was safe where we came in, right? We could find another way.” Cadence suggested as she hurried up to the stallion's side, and Thorn only shook his head again.

There were too many things that could go wrong. And by now, the Butcher Drones would have passed the entrance to the passage, and even if they were damaged – perhaps especially if they were damaged – those were things they didn't want to deal with for a multitude of reasons. “No. We have to press forward.”

“Then maybe we should... pick up the pace?” Cadence half-suggested, and Thorn gave the mare a dry look before he turned his eyes back ahead.

“We can't risk skipping any possible escape points, either. Furthermore, if we run headlong down the tunnel, we won't know about the acid cloud barreling towards us until too late, in the event of an exhaust release. At least this way we have some time to prepare ourselves if something happens.” Thorn replied calmly, keeping his eyes ahead. “Haste will just lead to more trouble.”

Cadence grimaced a bit at this, and then she asked suddenly: “What do your instincts say, Thorn?”

Thorn looked back at the mare for a moment, and he thought about not answering, but after a few moments, he finally replied reluctantly: “That we should go to the filter.”

“Exactly! So let's go!” Cadence encouraged, almost lunging past, but Thorn reached out and caught her, scowling at her.

“I'm in charge of this operation, Cadence. And I didn't think that you were afraid of the concepts of pain or death, either. Both of which are still nothing more than apparitions on the horizon.” Thorn said calmly, and the ivory mare gave him a flat look.

“Dying in an acid cloud isn't what scares me, Thorn. It's coming back to life in it. I bet the Swan will make me feel every moment of it.” Cadence retorted, although that wasn't really what had her worried. She felt like every moment they wasted here, was another moment that death drew closer... and not everypony here could get back up after being killed like she did. “Thorn, sometimes you just have to trust your instincts. I happen to agree with you there, we should head to the filter, but-”

“And we're heading there. There's no point in rushing, Cadence.” Thorn replied evenly, and that was clearly the end of the discussion, which made the mare sigh a little before she nodded almost grudgingly.

She lingered beside him instead of falling back into position, however, and the sapphire stallion looked at the mare for a few moments before he finally sighed and asked finally: “Yes?”

“I just... I'm not questioning your abilities as a leader, Thorn, don't get me wrong. I know that you're plenty capable of... administrating, and being an officer, and uh... being in charge, in general.” Cadence started, but she felt herself faltering a little as she went along, looking awkwardly at the stallion.

“But you don't think I'm an effective field agent, is that it?” Thorn asked with the slightest sour note, and Cadence gave a lame smile. “You also question whether or not I can handle the responsibilities that come with leading a unit, correct?”

“No, no! No... no... well, uh, yes.” Cadence rubbed at her face as she smiled awkwardly again at the stallion, before she said finally: “I think the world of you, Thorn, I honestly do. But at the same time, I don't know if you're really... I just mean that leading a unit like this is so much different than... bossing people around, or... taking care of administrative paperwork or... you know, things like that.”

Thorn looked irritably at Cadence, and then he asked acerbically: “So what do you consider to be more my 'style,' then? Do you think I should be back in Decretum, handling reports and passing along information?”

“Well, no, but...”

“Thorn, don't you worry, Cadence is just... trying to get a grasp on this side of you, that's all!” Moonflower suddenly blurted out, as he hurried suddenly forwards. “I know that you're a great leader, a strong, compassionate leader, you just... sometimes it seems like you forget not everything happens... according to plan.”

“Believe me, Moonflower. That's one lesson I learned very well over the years.” Thorn replied quietly, shaking his head briefly before he sighed a little, turning his eyes back ahead. “So far, if you haven't noticed, none of this has actually gone according to plan. I'm doing everything I can to prioritize the team's security.”

“Well... I guess that's true.” Cadence admitted, shifting awkwardly before she sighed a little and mumbled: “I'm not saying you're a bad leader, Thorn. I'm really not. I'm also just not sure that this is the best mission to test your potential on the field, that's all.”

Thorn only shrugged in response, and Moonflower hesitantly shifted a little closer towards the stallion before he murmured: “But either way, we're... with you a hundred percent! As Cadence and Hecate and... well, you, too, have taught me, though... sometimes that means... making sure the person you care about is giving his best. Not that I ever doubt you're giving your best, of course!”

Moonflower smiled lamely, but Thorn smiled a little all the same back to the stallion before he nodded slowly, murmuring” “I know. And I appreciate that. I don't mind you questioning my judgments. But please don't question my leadership.”

“I didn't mean to.” Cadence said honestly, smiling lamely. “Even if it is... pretty hard to not be team leader for once. But I know my own start as team leader wasn't exactly that great anyway.”

“You've always excelled as an agent of Decretum, however. The other Orphans have a lot of respect for you, and so does Mother.” Thorn replied with a glance towards the ivory mare. “Team 0-0 boasts one of the highest mission success rates, and you yourself are one of our most trusted people. There will always be a place for you in Decretum.”

Cadence smiled at this, but she couldn't help but note... “You kind of make it sound like you don't expect me to stick around forever.”

“We don't.” Thorn said honestly, and Cadence looked up in surprise as the stallion said softly: “No contract with Decretum is indefinite. And every single one of you has the right to request to be discharged after ten years.”

Cadence stared, as Moonflower did a double-take himself before he blurted out: “Even me?”

“Even you, Moonflower. You were never really charged with anything, after all. You're not a criminal.” Thorn answered, and Moonflower looked both relieved and a little disappointed all at once. “Hecate knows that we can't rely on people who don't want to be here to serve as Midgard's protectors. That's asking too much of people who aren't ready for that responsibility, let alone people who can't be trusted to do the job.”

“Ten years...” Cadence murmured: that wasn't really such a long time, was it? “But then what? I mean, you wouldn't... wipe our minds or anything, would you?”

“Only in extreme cases.” Thorn answered, and it took a few moments for them to realize this was his version of a joke.

In the time it took the two to figure that out, Thorn had become serious again, looking over his shoulder at Necrophage to order: “Scout ahead of us, see what you can find, then return. Quick and quiet.”

“Yes sir!” Necrophage said brightly, saluting quickly before she bolted past them, and Muse gave a small smile at Thorn's back as Cadence looked almost embarrassedly over her shoulder: she had almost forgotten about the Replicants. They were just so... quiet...

“I can scout too, if you want me to.” Cadence volunteered, but Thorn shook his head.

“Necrophage is best suited for it. She'll be resistant to any of the poisons that might be vented through the tunnel ahead.” Thorn replied with a shake of his head, before he added almost impulsively: “I trust her.”

“What, you don't trust us?” Cadence asked, but she knew what the stallion meant. Thorn only gave her a mild look as Moonflower gave a lame smile, perhaps taking the sapphire pony's words a little more seriously...

“I do trust you both, which you should both know. It's like I said, though: I trust Necrophage, and I know she won't be harmed by the obstacles ahead.” Thorn gazed down the tunnel, saying softly: “My duty as team leader is to keep you safe. If I return with the mission complete but the team badly injured when I could have prevented it, then I have failed in my duties.”

Cadence smiled as Moonflower lowered his head humbly, and Muse murmured meekly: “Prince Thorn, I do not mean to speak out of line, but... perhaps out of all the ponies in the world, my sister and I know best that you will do everything in your power to protect us.”

Thorn smiled briefly over his shoulder at the Replicant, nodding to her slowly before he turned his eyes back ahead. “Good. Now, eyes front and cut the chatter. We can't alert anyone to our presence here.”

Cadence gave another amused smile despite herself as Moonflower nodded hurriedly in agreement, and the group continued forward until Necrophage came bounding back, the mare skidding to a halt in front of them before quickly beginning to walk backwards in front of the group as she blurted out: “There's a great big gate way at the other end of the tunnel! It's got all kinds of holes in it and it's made of shiny metal and I don't think I can bite through it, uh-uh, no way!”

“So the filter gate is intact?” Thorn asked, and Necrophage nodded vigorously in response, although she clearly seemed worried. “The hatches are both sealed shut too then, I take it?”

“Yep! They're covered in gross gooey stuff, too, and it looks like some drones got really sick and... d-i-e-d.” Necrophage almost whispered the last, as Muse frowned uneasily and Thorn tilted his head, his eyes narrowing slightly. “I... should I go back and eat them up, boss?”

“No, Necrophage. You don't have to do that.” Thorn said gently, and Necrophage smiled in relief that Cadence and Moonflower both visibly shared. “Is the 'gooey stuff' toxic?”

“Yes, it gave me that itchy feeling, just looking at it.” Necrophage nodded violently several times, and Thorn frowned slightly and looked down meditatively. “Boss, um... I smell something, too. Something funny. I think something bad is going to happen.”

Thorn looked up for a few moments at Necrophage as Cadence frowned and Moonflower cocked his head, and then the sapphire stallion ordered almost abruptly: “Then we pick up the pace. Let's move.”

The sapphire stallion began to gallop, and Necrophage smiled brightly as she spun around to run at his side, as Cadence, Muse, and Moonflower hurried behind the two. Moonflower looked almost envious again, but as they moved down the tunnel and that stench that Necrophage had complained of reached their own noses, they all became serious.

It only took them some ten minutes to reach the end of the passage: everything here was rusted and corroded and reeked like ammonia, and Thorn grimaced at the toxicity readings across his visor. But it wasn't bad enough to harm them yet, and what they had to deal with at the moment was the polished, spotless metal gate in front of them.

“They closed the conduit cover but they didn't lower any of the actual filtration shutters. There's no machinery running, either. It's like they're trying to get the facility running, but have no idea how any of this works.” Thorn muttered, and then he turned towards Moonflower and instructed: “You're the only person here with sufficient magic energy to cut through this.”

Moonflower blinked in surprise, looking dumbly at the closed shutter before he gave a lame smile, then hurriedly shook himself out and raised his head high, beginning: “Well, if no one else is up to the challenge, then I will certainly be more than glad to-”

“You need to concentrate as much energy as possible. Move slowly, keep focused.” Thorn instructed, and Moonflower hurriedly nodded before he leaned forwards, his horn beginning to glow brightly- “Don't rush. Concentrate, take a breath, stay calm.”

Moonflower let out a little wheeze, and then he nodded hesitantly before taking a slow breath and leaning forwards, the glow around his horn intensifying as he visibly focused himself. A beam of dark light shot out of his horn, scouring the alloy plate before he gritted his teeth as he only managed to scratch the surface of the alloy.

“Focus. Nothing else is important except what you are doing here and now.” Thorn said calmly, even as Cadence grimaced a bit: she could see some steam rising up from the shutter, but if Moonflower couldn't cut through it...

No, she knew that he could. And furthermore, he had to: the hatch doors on either side of the end of the tunnel were both covered in some kind of gelatinous ooze and had dead drones stacked in front of them like warnings. Cadence didn't need any kind of visor to know that whatever that goop was, it was toxic: the sight of the scarred and melted metal around the slime was more than enough to tell her that.

Moonflower's eyes locked on the shutter as he leaned forwards slightly, but even as he tensed, some part of him relaxed, in a sense. His anxiety started to fade away as he poured his effort into the task at hoof, and Thorn maybe smiled ever so slightly as he instructed: “Don't just pour magic into the beam. Focus on what you want the beam to do. Push your magic forward and shape it, don't just blindly expel it.”

The black unicorn grimaced a bit, but he shifted ever so slightly before gritting his teeth, focusing further as his eyes narrowed almost to dots, his body flexing...

The laser of magic slowly cut downwards: it was a slow, grinding movement, but all the same, Cadence could see the thin beam of energy was cutting deep through the metal. Whether it was going all the way through or not, she wasn't sure, but it would be enough either way, she thought.

Moonflower slowly, carefully traced a pony-sized cut in the metal shutter, before he finally slumped back with a loud wheeze, and Thorn surveyed the unicorn's handiwork before he reached up and gently patted his partner on the shoulder, saying softly: “Good.”

Moonflower looked up with a beaming smile through the sweat running down his face, and Thorn smiled briefly back before he turned his eyes towards Muse. He didn't even need to speak for the Replicant to nod and step forwards, swinging her horn firmly down to blast the alloy shutter with a telekinetic hammer that knocked the cut metal out of place.

“Necrophage.” Thorn gestured with his head towards the hole in the shutter, and the Replicant saluted sharply before she bounced quickly forward. She returned after only a few moments, chewing visibly on her lip, and the sapphire stallion tilted his head even as he frowned a little, obviously not expecting the best news.

And unfortunately, it didn't sound good: “I don't think we can get through the other side, sir! The furnace is on low, but it's still really really hot at the back, and it's really toxic in there, it'll hurt you guys to go in. I think it's getting ready for a purge, too!”

“Did you see a maintenance hatch in the ceiling?” asked Thorn, and Necrophage paused and hopped quickly backwards into the hole, before she returned a moment later with a quick nod. “How does it look?”

“There's goop all over the walls and everything, but the hatch looks okay!” Necrophage replied quickly, and Thorn nodded meditatively before he looked over at Cadence.

The ivory mare grimaced a bit... but a few moments later, she had a bubble of magic around her head, protecting her from breathing the poisons as she lingered uneasily at the edge of the hole in the shutter. She looked back at Thorn, but he only nodded to her before saying quietly: “You can open a door, Cadence.”

“I... well, I'll try.” Cadence mumbled, and then she sighed a little before jumping in through the hole and immediately taking flight, grimacing a bit as she tried not to look at the sludge covering the walls or the grime over the filter floor beneath her: just more reasons for her to get this over and done with quickly.

Her skin burned as she shot through the chamber and up to the roof several dozen feet above her head: she could still feel an uncomfortable, itchy feeling up here, but everything did seem... cleaner, in a word. And the hatch was easy enough to locate, recessed into the ceiling and with a large, simple bar handle.

Cadence wheezed as she grasped into this, bracing her hooves against the side of the nook before she pulled with all her strength, and the bar groaned before squealing as it slowly began to move. It took some wrestling and all of her strength, but Cadence finally managed to jerk the bar to the side, the door popping loose before the ivory mare pushed herself up into it, flapping her wings hard and pushing with all her strength to shove the hatch open.

She emerged into a dusty, narrow duct, grimacing a bit, but it definitely seemed less... toxic up here. More importantly, there was a rope ladder that the mare was able to quickly throw down, before she leaned her head down through the hall and shouted: “Ready!”

Necrophage and Muse were the first to join her in the maintenance duct, and the squat Replicant immediately wiggled her way past Cadence towards the other end of the passage. Thorn and Moonflower both appeared after another few moments, both with bubbles of air around their heads to try and protect themselves, although Moonflower looked sick all the same.

The moment they were inside, Cadence quickly yanked up the ladder, and Thorn slammed the hatch shut before he easily sealed it with his mechanical limb, the sapphire stallion grimacing as he muttered: “Worse conditions than I expected. We'll let Necrophage check ahead for now.”

“Everything looks good, boss!” Necrophage called, as if in response, and Thorn smiled briefly at this before he nodded and turned to head quickly down the duct.

Muse followed immediately, but Cadence lingered for a moment to glance at Moonflower, who looked a little bleary, she thought. She nudged him gently, and he blinked a few times before hurrying quickly forwards, saying awkwardly: “I'm perfectly fine! Just a little... amazed by my own power!”

“Yes. I'm sure that's it.” Cadence said wryly, as she followed last. And she couldn't begin to describe how relieved she was when they descended into a relatively normal looking room: sure, it was made of steel and had large racks of weird-looking tools sitting off to one side, but considering what she was used to...

Furthermore, the air was clean, and Thorn was already tapping quickly away at an open control panel near the door, explaining: “It looks like they've managed to get the utility power going, but not all the systems are up and running. There's anomalous energy presences nearby as well. We'll have to move slowly and carefully.”

Cadence nodded quickly as Muse frowned uneasily, her glass orb floating up beside her head as if she was anticipating an order, but Thorn only shook his own without looking up. “No, there's no need to scan. We just have to be careful.”

Muse nodded, stepping back and bowing her head politely. A moment later, the armored door opened with a loud beep, and Thorn ordered calmly: “Cadence, I need you to scout ahead.”

Cadence nodded again, stepping quickly through the doorway and heading down the sterile hall, assessing it as she went: the metal corridors were even more sterile and empty than Decretum's were, lit by painfully-bright fluorescent lights. And, much like Decretum, it thankfully wasn't exactly complicated: there were forks in the path, but they were always distinctly marked by signs she could vaguely understand, with the simple knowledge she had of the runic language used by Clockwork World.

She noted security cameras and various sensors mounted on the walls, but none of them seemed to be active: it was like Thorn had said, only the barest minimum seemed to be powered. Even the door locks didn't seem like they were engaged, which explained why Thorn had been forced to hack a control panel just to get a door open.

She stopped when the halls finally came to an end at a sealed door that was marked with what vaguely resembled the Decretum word for 'bridge,' which she guessed meant it was probably was a connector from these sterile halls into a different zone. She hesitated, however, as she leaned up and peered through the tiny tinted window, making out what looked like some of piping on the other side...

Something tickled down her neck, and Cadence shivered for a moment before she suddenly pushed herself away from the door when she felt something prick her. She looked back and forth as the Swan twisted suddenly inside of her, the mare biting her lip before she flinched when a beep came from her Mission Drive, followed by Thorn's voice asking: “Situation?”

“Uh...” Cadence looked nervously back and forth, before she finally shook her head and muttered: “It seems all clear up to the end of the passage... I'm at a door labeled... 'zodka,' I think?”

“Zadkja. An access point. That's what we're looking for. We're coming to your location.” There was a pause, even as Cadence faintly heard movements and voices in the background, before Thorn asked almost hesitantly: “Is something wrong?”

“I... don't know.” Cadence admitted after a moment, shaking her head before she looked uneasily around... but as she had backed away from the door, that strange, eerie sensation had faded. “I think... I think I just ran across whatever you were detecting. I didn't see it, though, and I don't know if it saw me. But we... felt each other.”

“Alright. Stay alert.” Thorn said after a moment, and after a moment, the link cut out, Cadence giving a small smile before she looked silently back at the door, feeling a shiver run down her spine as the Swan's instincts told her there might be more dangerous things than Voidborn waiting ahead, and she feared what that might mean.

The Mother Of Witchcraft

Chapter Forty Three: The Mother Of Witchcraft
~BlackRoseRaven

It was one of the most uncomfortable places she had ever been in, Cadence thought. Even the Replicants were sweating: hell, even if he was doing a good job of hiding it, Cadence could tell that Thorn was just as uncomfortable, too, and Moonflower was simply sprawled out on the floor, while she was sitting in a corner, fanning herself uselessly with one hoof.

Thorn had opened up a control panel and created a digital projection so he could interact with it, and he was currently using it to slowly open them a path through this nightmare zone of an industrial zone or whatever the hell this place was. Thorn referred to it as the 'furnace,' which Cadence guessed was close enough: the floor beneath them was all grating, the walls were copper, and everything was lit by an ugly orange glow thanks to not just the lamps in the wall, but the slag moving through crystal-shielded tubes... and Horses of Heaven, is it ever hot.

Cadence shifted uncomfortably, then she grimaced a bit as she reached up and absently hammered a hoof against her horn. It was so swelteringly hot in here that it was affecting her ability to concentrate, and thus both her magic and her natural senses were suffering, which probably wasn't a good thing, considering that she had earlier gotten the feeling that there was something nasty floating around, watching them.

She thought that even Muse was having trouble keeping up her concentration, though, in this horrible, suffocating dry heat. And as if he had heard her thoughts, Thorn glanced up from the panel and said moodily: “I'm almost through. Hold on for five more minutes.”

Cadence grinned awkwardly, then said before she could stop herself: “Well, I guess I'm glad to see you the heat's bothering you, too.”

Thorn sighed a little, but he nodded grudgingly as he returned his attention to the panel, tapping moodily through it as he muttered: “It's much higher than it should be, and none of the safety shielding has been closed. I'm surprised that none of the heating lines have ruptured as a result.”

“I thought this was a disposal facility.” Cadence said, and Thorn nodded, which made the mare grimace a bit. “What, they use waste disposal for heating?”

“Some of it. But most of the heat is redirected to the manufacturing plant. It shouldn't matter where the heat comes from, as long as it's efficient.” Thorn replied as he made a few adjustments on the holographic screen, and then he shook his head slowly. “Something's wrong. I can't take the sector off lockdown. We might have to cut through the door.”

Moonflower blinked blearily at this, awkwardly forcing himself to sit up before he asked dumbly: “What door?”

“Not here, idiot.” Cadence said after a moment, when she realized that the unicorn thought Thorn was referring to something in the vicinity. “He means the door for the area. We still have to get there, once the... other doors are open, I guess?”

“I've opened up a route, as I said. Or at least, I think I have.” Thorn muttered, shaking his head briefly. “Like I said, none of the protocols have been followed. Some of the security doors might still be sealed, but I can open those manually.”

Cadence nodded, and Thorn grimaced a bit before he finally dismissed the screen. “We need to get moving. The heat here is only going to get worse and I think it's interfering with all of us.”

“Uh, boss? Are you sure it's safe?” Necrophage asked awkwardly, and Thorn frowned slightly as he looked over at her. “I just mean... you know, since nothing is working and all...”

Thorn sighed a little after a moment, and then he turned his eyes to Muse. “Can you run a wide area scan while we move?”

Muse smiled hesitantly, shifting a little on the spot, and the sapphire stallion visibly shifted before he added in a quieter voice: “It's alright if you need a few moments. Cadence, can you scout ahead down the hallway? I'll update your Mission Drive so you know the route to take.”

“Yeah, no problem.” Cadence clambered to her hooves, as always rather struck by how Thorn treated the Replicants so kindly... but it does prove he has a heart in there, somewhere.

Thorn smiled briefly and gave a quick nod, and Cadence nodded back before she shook herself out, then turned and headed down the corridor. She absently brushed her sweaty mane out of her face as she made her way slowly forward, trying to make herself focus through the abysmal heat.

Her Mission Drive beeped on her foreleg, and Cadence glanced up as a holographic map appeared beside her, the ivory mare quickly memorizing the simple route through the corridors. Then she nodded once before saying awkwardly after a moment: “Uh... dismiss?”

The holographic map vanished, and Cadence sighed in relief before she winced slightly when Thorn's voice stated from the Mission Drive: “Verbal commands need to be given with authority, Cadence.”

“Right.” Cadence said lamely, not entirely sure of what that even meant. She simply continued on her way down the corridor, before frowning a bit and looking hesitantly towards the device strapped to her leg as she realized... “Are you still there?”

“Yes.” Thorn said after a moment, and Cadence cocked her head curiously before the sapphire stallion sighed a little, then admitted, to her surprise: “I'm not sure what to do here. I expected that the mission parameters would change and evolve, but they've exceeded my expectations and preparation. I'm considering requesting additional support.”

“Hey, we can do this!” Cadence encouraged immediately, and she smiled a little as she looked ahead down the corridor, saying quietly: “My team and I have gone through much worse than this, you know. And we're still infiltrating, aren't we?”

“I consider us to be on silent infiltration still, yes. That has little bearing on the reality of the situation, however: it's much more likely the enemy has already been alerted to our presence and is either waiting to ambush us or is simply silently observing us.” Thorn replied, and Cadence could just imagine how Moonflower was likely reacting to this information as she smiled wryly.

“Well, Thorn, I know that you're the team leader and all, but... as far as I'm concerned, we're still safe for now. We have to be cautious, I agree, but if the enemy isn't making any moves against us...” Cadence suddenly halted, then she frowned as she looked back and forth as a chill passed through her body.

Cold sweat broke out over her frame, and her spine felt like it had turned to ice: the sensations made her feel sick to her stomach as she looked back and forth. It felt like something was sapping the life from her body as she looked around, whispering: “Something's here.”

Thorn remained silent over the communicator, but she thought she could hear Moonflower in the background, asking worried questions. She ignored the chatter for a moment, however, as her eyes narrowed slightly and she focused on her environment, slowly looking back and forth...

Nothing. She couldn't see anything, even as she paced slowly around in a circle, biting her lip. But that feeling was only intensifying, and Cadence shivered a little as she shifted back and forth before whispering: “Something feels... wrong...”

“We're heading to your position now. Stay on alert.” Thorn said crisply, and the communication link cut out as Cadence nodded, her heart thudding in her ears as that painful, itching coldness grew worse, even as the nauseating heat pulsed all around her.

It didn't take long for Thorn and the rest of the group to arrive, and Moonflower stumbled his way towards Cadence with a worried look as Thorn strode immediately past, surveying the area with his visor before he asked: “Muse?”

Muse looked nervously back and forth before she said uneasily: “I sense... something. It's nearby... so close that I can't lock on to it more specifically...”

Thorn turned around with a frown, then he reached up and tapped his visor several times, flicking through vision modes before his eyes narrowed at Cadence. Cadence frowned a bit as she shivered a little, before the sapphire stallion asked quietly and urgently: “How are you feeling?”

“I'm... cold.” Cadence hesitated, then she shivered a little and looked uneasily over at Muse, asking: “How can it be so close that-”

“Cadence, concentrate your magic.” Thorn ordered, and the ivory mare blinked at the interruption, but then she only winced and nodded at the look Thorn gave her, taking a breath before her horn glowed-

As it did, she caught a flicker over her shoulder, and the ivory mare frowned before looking backwards. Her eyes widened slowly in horror at what she saw: there, latched onto her back, was some hideous pony-shape that was pulsing with light in response to her magic energies, the mare mouthing wordlessly as Thorn said calmly: “Cadence, the wraith is draining your vital essence. You should be able to remove it with a concentrated blast of magic.”

“I... okay.” Cadence took a breath, forcing herself to focus even though just concentrating her energy was hurting, and the mare gritted her teeth before she snapped her horn forwards, blasting the wraith loose from her back with a burst of holy fire.

Immediately, the chills vanished as the phantasm squealed silently in midair, becoming visible to all present for a moment before it whiffed completely out of reality. Cadence sighed and slumped a bit, then flinched and blushed when Thorn said quietly: “You need to stay alert.”

“I... yeah.” Cadence said finally, lowering her head and knowing she didn't have an excuse: wraiths were among the phantasms she was capable of seeing with her weird eyes.

Yet, all the same, she couldn't help but blurt out, as Thorn turned around to survey the corridor: “It must have come through the ceiling or-”

“Not important. Let's move forward. Keep your eyes sharp.” Thorn steamrollered, and Cadence grimaced a bit but then lowered her head, resisting the urge to sulk as Moonflower shifted awkwardly and Muse and Necrophage both immediately moved into escort positions.

They headed down the corridor in silence for a few moments, and then, to Cadence's amazement, Necrophage said suddenly: “Thorn, be nicer, okay?”

Thorn blinked and looked over his shoulder in surprise, and the Replicant smiled warmly before she said: “I know you're a really nice person! But if you're concerned or worried about someone, then you should show that you're concerned and worried about them, instead of scolding them, okay?”

The sapphire stallion shifted a little, and then he said finally: “I'm-”

“A really great pony! But we're all good ponies here, just doing our best! Let's work together!” Necrophage said brightly, and Thorn looked at the Replicant for a few moments before the squat mare gave a warm smile to him. “I know you know what I mean, boss, 'cause you're really smart, Thorn. And I know you want me to speak my mind, right?”

“Yes. Yes.” Thorn said grudgingly after a moment, and then he sighed and turned his head ahead, saying finally: “Alright. Let's keep our focus on the mission for now.”

Necrophage beamed brightly, and Moonflower looked almost enviously at the small mare as Muse lowered her head a little and murmured: “I don't sense anything else nearby. There is still a strange presence above us, but it has grown more... distant.”

“We need to remain cautious, but...” Thorn paused, then he created a holographic screen, scowling a little at it. “We have five minutes to get out of this sector, and then we'll push hard through the service corridors while the enemy is hopefully distracted by the breach in the waste facility. We should be able to surface directly into the computer core.”

Apart from the sweltering, painful heat, the travel through the furnace corridors was uneventful: the only thing that slowed them down was when Thorn had to manually open a service door, and thanks to the open security panels, that was only a few moments' work each time.

Unfortunately, that ease ended when they reached the massive, armored shutter that cut the furnace sector off from the rest of the facility, Thorn studying it intently before he said quietly: “We don't have a choice. Moonflower, I need you to cut through.”

“I... yes. I can do this. I can do this.” Moonflower repeated, biting his lip before he took a slow breath, straightening as he concentrated his magic.

As a ray of energy shot out of his horn and slowly began to cut through the thick metal that composed the door, Thorn turned his eyes towards Cadence, saying in a low voice: “Something is extremely wrong here. Someone had routed power to those control terminals exclusively, but they didn't activate this door. We're being funneled.”

Cadence frowned at this, opening her mouth to ask if Thorn was sure, but of course he was sure. So instead, she asked: “What does that mean? I... we're not going to cut this door open just to run into an ambush, right?”

Thorn shook his head, gesturing towards Muse. “She would sense if we were. I'm not concerned about running into enemies in this sector, although I am worried that we're going to encounter increased security around the computer core. No, not all of this... makes sense.”

Cadence nodded, looking at Thorn curiously as he seemed to hesitate for a few moments, before the stallion finally sighed and said quietly: “I think we might have an... unknown element. A third party may be tampering with this mission, and I don't like it.”

“Do you like anything?” Cadence asked before she could stop herself, and Thorn gave her a flat look, which made the mare drop her head sheepishly before she suggested: “Why don't we alter our point of entry, then? Or pull back?”

“We're too close now. Service access is right ahead and it's the fastest way to our objective. It's also the safest.” Thorn paused. “Hopefully.”

“Hopefully.” Cadence repeated, and she couldn't help but shake her head, saying finally: “It's really awkward to hear that word from you in this context, Thorn.”

Thorn only gave her a dry look, and Cadence smiled a little before she added quietly: “And I know I screwed up, I do. I'm sorry about that.”

Thorn looked at her for a few moments, and then he smiled briefly before he replied: “Apologies are unnecessary, Cadence. But I appreciate the gesture all the same.”

A beep cut through the air between them, and Thorn grimaced a bit before he muttered: “Thirty minutes are up. Moonflower, how much time left?”

“I almost have it!” Moonflower wheezed loudly, and Cadence grimaced a bit: the black unicorn was shaking a little and had sweat pouring down his body from more than just the horrible heat. And from what Cadence could see, so far the stallion had only managed to cut a few feet through the shutter.

“Take your time.” Thorn said, surprisingly gentle, and Moonflower blinked in surprise before he squawked as he lost concentration and diffused the laser for a moment, scarring the shutter with blasts of energy before he hurriedly concentrated it back into a solid beam.

Thorn shook his head briefly, and then he said quietly: “Cadence, keep an eye out behind us. Muse, I need you to do pulse scans: inform me if you detect anything moving.”

Muse nodded before she closed her eyes, her glass orb silently rising up to orbit slowly around her, and Cadence saluted before she headed a few feet back down the corridor, deciding that Thorn probably just wanted a bit of time to think.

She frowned a little after a few moments, however, as she felt that uneasy coldness spreading through her bones again. She checked compulsively around her before looking quickly up towards the ceiling, and this time she was fast enough to spot the wraith.

It moved with hollow intent in a strange, swimming motion, drifting more than gliding through the air towards her as it wailed silently. It looked like nothing more than the husk of a pony, almost completely translucent even in her vision, its body distorted and twisted, forelimbs dragging through the air as it stared at her with hate and hunger.

Cadence gritted her teeth, then she snapped her horn quickly upwards, and the creature dissolved almost instantaneously from the touch of white fire. That tenseness didn't leave her shoulders, however, and the air still felt clammy in spite of the heat, which warned her-

“There are more coming. They are being sent towards us.” whispered Muse, and Thorn gritted his teeth before he looked quickly over his shoulder at the door. Moonflower had cut most of the way through it, leaving a large, C-shaped scar in the middle as he huffed and puffed away-

“Moonflower, that's enough. Necrophage, Muse, breach it.” Thorn ordered, and Moonflower looked dumbly up as the magic vanished from around his horn and Necrophage squealed in what sounded like delight, while Muse only winced.

But the Replicant sisters moved almost immediately and in tandem, Necrophage leaping in front of the door before hopping several strides backwards as she tensed her body, and Muse lowering her head slightly as she visibly concentrated, her glass orb spinning silently beside her head as the psychic Replicant gathered focus and power.

Then Necrophage leapt suddenly into the air, and Muse snapped her head to the side, flinging Necrophage with all the telekinetic strength she could muster. Necrophage smashed into the door like a cannonball and kicked savagely off it with a giggle, hitting with so much force the armored shutter was nearly knocked off its rails and a tattered circle of metal was kicked out of the center of the heavy steel gate.

Necrophage landed with her head raised and a proud 'ta-da!' as Cadence and Moonflower both gaped, while Thorn only strode quickly towards the hole that had been knocked in the metal shutter. He glanced back and forth, then nodded quickly before leaning back and ordering: “Cadence, with me. Muse, Necrophage, follow behind with Moonflower.”

Moonflower blinked dumbly a few times as Muse gave a tired smile and Necrophage saluted briskly, while Cadence quickly shook herself out before hurrying over to the stallion, nodding awkwardly as she said lamely: “Yep, you got it.”

Thorn stepped through the hole in the shutter without looking back, and Cadence followed him after a moment, nervously looking back and forth: but Horses of Heaven, stepping out of that sweltering heat and into the cool, open hall beyond felt like it was worth the possible ambush they were walking into.

Cadence sighed in relief as even that icy feeling down her spine faded, but Thorn didn't give her more than a moment to relax as he instructed: “We'll open the way forward. Follow me.”

The ivory mare hurried to fall in behind Thorn as he strode across the empty steel corridor, the mare looking uncertainly back and forth as she asked: “What is this place?”

“A zadkja, like we discussed before. Just a larger version, designed to act as a connector for multiple points in the facility.” Thorn explained as he walked towards a support pillar, except then Cadence's eyes widened in surprise as the pillar whirred before smoothly sliding into the ground, revealing a podium that had been hidden inside.

Thorn took only a moment to interface with this, calling up a holographic screen as Cadence approached and stared in disbelief, asking before she could stop herself: “How did you manage to do that?”

Thorn only glanced at her, then he returned his eyes to the holographic screen, and Cadence smiled wryly as she reminded herself of who she was talking to. That thought helped make her feel far less surprised when a section of wall suddenly rumbled, sending down a hail of dust as it slowly descended into the floor to reveal a passage beyond.

The stallion strode towards this, and Cadence followed even as she glanced over her shoulder at the breached shutter, where Moonflower and the Replicants were carefully climbing through. “You know, if we wait a few moments-”

“No. I want to move a little ahead.” Thorn said, and Cadence shrugged a bit as she tossed one last look over her shoulder at the others before following the stallion into the room he had opened up.

The room was more like a giant hatch: the walls were lined with storage compartments, while the center was dominated by an enormous, wide ramp leading up to a vent near the ceiling, and Cadence frowned uncertainly as she realized that not only was the ceiling made of naked pipes, they all seemed to lead straight above that vent.

Thorn strode up the ramp towards the grating, and then he grasped it and easily yanked it out of place, Cadence wincing a bit at the screech of metal on metal before she asked awkwardly: “Are you sure we want to go in... there?”

She looked uncomfortably at the duct passage past Thorn: the ceiling looked like it was completely made out of piping, while the walls were composed of a mix of steel tube, electrical wire, and heavy concrete.

Thorn only turned towards the duct and stepped into the passage, and Cadence grimaced before she followed, glancing uncomfortably up at the ceiling of pipework. It made her skin crawl just to look at it, and she could see a very distinct marring in the material that told her... “Clay of Prometheus?”

“And other chemicals, yes. Let's keep moving.” Thorn said as he strode quickly down the narrow duct, and Cadence grimaced a little before she couldn't help but shiver as they passed a ruptured pipe, carefully stepping over the black ooze leaking out of the hole in the metal tube.

“You really don't like the Clay, do you?” Thorn asked without looking over his shoulder at her, and Cadence blinked in surprise before she gave a small smile and shook her head. “It's never had any effect on me.”

That was a weird thing for Thorn to volunteer. Well, okay, anything was weird for Thorn to volunteer, she supposed, and Cadence tilted her head curiously before she said finally: “Well, uh... why not? I mean, it effects just about everything, right? That's why I hate it, when I touch it, I feel...”

Cadence shivered a little: she wasn't entirely sure what she felt, but it was never anything good. That, and the Clay of Prometheus almost always felt like it was charged with a toxic energy, like... the blood of husks.

Where did that come from? Cadence grimaced uneasily at the thought, but tried to throw it off when Thorn looked over his shoulder at her oddly, the mare giving a strained smile. “Just...”

“Swan-thoughts.” Thorn finished, and Cadence gave a small laugh and a surprised smile before Thorn looked ahead, saying softly: “I recognize your difficulties, Cadence, but don't forget that all of us have our own Swans in our heads. You can learn to deal with yours... and at least yours can be spoken to and reasoned with.”

“She can be ordered around, if that's what you mean.” Cadence mumbled, as the Swan grumbled inside of her... but at the same time, the ivory mare had to admit that maybe Thorn had a point. “I... don't know how the Swan feels about you. I think she respects you-”

“I don't need her respect, Cadence. I need yours.” Thorn interrupted gently, and Cadence couldn't help but give a small smile and nod before Thorn turned his eyes back ahead, and they continued down the tunnel in silence.

Cadence felt the Swan give a strange twist inside her as they neared the end of the long, narrow passage, and the mare bit her lip before she said suddenly, as Thorn reached towards the hatch in the ceiling: “Don't.”

Thorn paused and frowned at Cadence, and the ivory mare shifted a little. It was so hard to put into words, but as the Swan roiled inside her, she knew she had to try, all the same. “I have a bad feeling.”

Great start. Thorn was still frowning at her, and Cadence tried to sort those 'bad feelings' out before she explained: “It's the Swan, and I guess it's sort of my own instincts, too. There's this sense that you shouldn't... that something bad is going to happen.”

Thorn frowned slightly, and then he reached up and grasped the valve handle controlling the hatch, turning it slightly. Cadence grimaced and stepped uncertainly backwards, and Thorn looked meditatively at the ground for a few moments before he said finally: “We'll wait for the others to catch up. They can't be very far behind, anyway.”

Cadence smiled lamely, blushing slightly, and Thorn only shrugged before he looked up at the hatch. She felt relieved he had listened, though... for a whole slew of reasons. “Thorn, uh... thanks for-”

“It's fine.” Thorn interrupted as he called up a holographic screen, and Cadence smiled in amusement even as he pointedly ignored her.

“Asshole.” she said loudly, and Thorn glanced up in surprise, but then he gave a small smile despite himself and shrugged a bit, and Cadence shook her head before she said in a softer voice: “You're doing good, you know.”

Thorn clearly didn't care about her opinion, keeping his eyes locked on the screen in front of him, and the mare couldn't help but smile in amusement before she turned around to look down the long tunnel, waiting impatiently for Moonflower and the Replicants.

They arrived after a few minutes, and Thorn barely had to glance at Muse before she bowed her head and said courteously: “Of course, sir.”

She closed her eyes, then almost immediately frowned as she murmured: “Something is attached to the other side of the hatch. It was attached recently... it has a pulse, of electricity...”

“Uh-oh!” Necrophage leapt up, Thorn wincing as she almost scrambled on top of him so she could shove her face against the hatch, sniffing loudly before licking the metal as Cadence and Moonflower both stared, before the Replicant's eyes widened. “Oh no! Class two plastic explosive!”

“We'll assume it's militarized. I'll take care of it.” Thorn said calmly, and Cadence frowned as Necrophage quickly hopped away, as the sapphire stallion reached up and placed his mechanical foreleg against the metal hatch.

Electricity sparked along his limb, and the Replicants both winced as Cadence watched nervously, before her eyes widened when Thorn grabbed the valve handle and twisted it firmly. He shoved it open as the mare flinched on instinct, but then she blinked and relaxed after a moment when nothing happened as Thorn climbed up into the room above.

Thorn frowned as he looked around the room he had emerged into: massive server racks took up the rear half of the room, while the computer core dominated the other half, thrumming with power. It was an hourglass shaped pillar, enormous, thick cables feeding into it from both above and below to provide power for the systems: the cables themselves were almost as thick as Thorn's body, while even at its thinnest, where the pillar was made of glowing crystal instead of solid steel, the computer core was at least ten feet in diameter.

That wasn't what drew Thorn's attention, and nor did he care about the hastily, sloppily-prepared explosive trap badly glued to the top of the concealed hatch. It was the fact that all of the security shutters had been sealed tightly over every other possible entrance, and there was a presence on the catwalks above, watching silently from beneath the shadows.

Thorn nodded ever so slightly towards the shape as the others began to climb out, just enough to acknowledge it, but the shape didn't respond: which, Thorn thought, was enough of a response in and of itself as he turned his attention towards the computer core. Muse and Necrophage were both looking intently up at the second floor, and Cadence was looking uncomfortably around, as if she sensed other forces, but Moonflower only stumbled hurriedly after Thorn, blurting: “What do we do now?”

“Just give me a moment.” Thorn replied calmly as he approached the computer core, looking up at it with a slight frown. It was in low power mode, but this was far different from what he'd expected: since it wasn't on standby, that might mean... “Register imprint, code 1X1X, user code empress-0.”

The computer core began to thrum with life, the light in the crystalline core pulsing several times as a series of holographic screens appeared in front of the pillar. Thorn frowned a little at this as he looked over the screens, noting the various percentages and statistics before he ordered: “Manual input mode.”

There was a beeping, and a small pedestal rose up out of the floor in front of the stallion, a control panel unfolding like a blossoming flower on top of it. Thorn frowned for a moment, feeling like this was all too easy before Moonflower asked nervously: “Is this it?”

“Yes.” Thorn said, although he wasn't honestly sure what was going to happen next, even as he used telekinesis to pop open a hidden panel on his mechanical leg. He unwound a thin connector cable from inside, then plugged this into the control panel in front of him.

A holographic screen appeared, displaying bursts of information as it automatically ran through the process of uploading the anchor program Seneshcal would use to download himself into the core. It only took thirty seconds, but Thorn felt uneasy all the same: that was more than enough time for their enemy to step in and do something, after all.

But once it was finished, the computer core automatically went into standby to update itself and begin reallocating resources to the cross-dimensional link, and Thorn frowned a little as he unplugged himself from the control panel and returned the cable to his foreleg, muttering: “That's about it.”

Moonflower smiled at him, then shifted awkwardly before the unicorn asked lamely: “Then why don't you look happy?”

“Because of that, I'm guessing.” Cadence said quietly, and Thorn and Moonflower both looked up to see that a figure had emerged from the shadows above, and was now leaning over the railing of the catwalk, studying them with a strangely-gentle smile on her face.

The first thing that struck Thorn was that she didn't seem hostile: she seemed... sad, Thorn thought. The second was the massive, octagonal collar around her neck, inscribed with runes and almost visibly pulsating. He didn't recognize any of those runes, but as his eyes studied them, he felt the ring around his horn reacting to their malign magic, as if these inanimate objects were infused with eras of animosity.

The mare wearing this collar was stunningly beautiful: her coat was a gorgeous silver-black, her curls of platinum mane spilling around angelic features out of which gazed eyes that were the richest red of leaves in autumn. And from both the ancient poems and older-still histories he had read about her, Thorn knew who this mare had to be: “May I take it that you are Melinda, the Sky Witch?”

The unicorn gave a soft laugh, and then she replied in a gentle voice that was as melodious as she was beautiful: “Yes, child. And you are Thorn Blackfeather, are you not? Your brother, Thesis, has told me a lot about you.”

“Good things, I hope.” Thorn said politely, as Cadence stared in surprise: she had never really imagined Thorn as the diplomatic type. “Are you here to engage us under Thokk's orders?”

“More than just orders, as I am sure you are aware. My magic and... my long existence in the Void has given me more control over myself and my integrity than some of my kin, but... Thokk has still devised a way to keep me under her control.”

“More like impelled, I think. But I suppose you must have an exceptionally strong will.” Thorn replied, and Melinda gave a slight smile before the stallion asked quietly: “Did Thesis help in... 'defending' this zone?”

Melinda chuckled softly at this, and then she replied kindly: “Now, Thorn, I respect your tact, but there's no need for it. Yes, Thesis ensured that you would have a route directly here. While he unfortunately has his own cross to bear, as I do, I must admit he has always been far more creative in dealing with his problems than I am.”

Thorn gave a brief smile in response, and Melinda clicked her tongue as she looked thoughtfully over the group before she calmly stepped over the railing, and Moonflower and Cadence both watched in wide-eyed amazement as the unicorn calmly floated to them, gliding on a current of magic that only Thorn was sensitive enough to feel. The sapphire stallion couldn't help but smile briefly as she landed in front of him, and when she offered her hoof, he took it and kissed it before saying: “I see that the old poems didn't exaggerate your skill, Lady Melinda. If anything, they underestimated it.”

“Thank you, Prince Thorn, but I am quite certain you are as aware as I am that I wasted more than a few bæns with that small show. I fear I am rather out of practice.” Melinda replied kindly, before she stepped forwards, kissing the air on either side of Thorn's face.

She stepped back with a warm smile as Thorn lowered his head respectfully, and then her eyes turned towards Cadence and Moonflower, studying the two with interest as she said kindly: “I should apologize, however. I did not mean to leave your friends out of the conversation. May I inquire as to your names?”

“Yes! I am Moonflower, the... Moonflower, of Decretum!” Moonflower stuttered, but Melinda only smiled in entertainment as she curiously drew her eyes over the stallion.

“My, you put out quite a bit of energy. You must be a very talented magician.” Melinda remarked, before her eyes turned to Cadence, who looked caught between distrust and confusion. “And your name is... Cadenza, correct? Cadenza Danzsöngr, who shares her mind and body with a Swan Maiden. But again, I forget my manners, and I apologize for that, darling. I fear that this collar has made me... impatient to experience these moments while I still have the chance to.”

Cadence only shifted awkwardly as the Swan rumbled inside of her, hissing something about neutralizing the threat while they had the chance. But as if she had heard these thoughts, Melinda smiled slightly before saying gently: “I am not your enemy. Perhaps that is very difficult for someone still so young to take in, but even if we stand upon different sides of the field today, that no more makes me your enemy than the hawk must be the enemy of the dove. Or... swan, I suppose, as the case may be.”

Melinda smiled again in her kind, pretty way, and Cadence gave a lame smile in return before she mumbled: “Daddy is a lot better at this thing than I am. I uh... it's... nice to meet you?”

“Thank you. It's very nice to meet you, too.” Melinda said kindly, before she turned her eyes towards the Replicants. Muse bowed her head humbly, and Necrophage gazed at Melinda with big, excited eyes, as the unicorn inquired to Thorn: “Do you treat them as servants or golems?”

“I treat them as friends, Melinda, and I would please ask that you give them that respect as well.” Thorn said, and while his tone was still polite, there was firmness in it, too. One that apparently impressed Melinda, who looked at him with a slow nod.

“I apologize. I am still of the old era. Well, in that case, may I inquire as to your names?” Melinda asked, as she turned her eyes towards the Replicants.

“I'm Necrophage! And this is my big sister, Muse!” Necrophage immediately declared happily, bouncing forwards and nodding with a bright smile. “And don't you worry! Thorn is a really super nice pony, he just wants us to be treated like we were really people even if we didn't start life off as really people!”

“Well, I think you're the nicest person I've ever met, Necrophage. I feel a very warm energy from you.” Melinda replied politely, and then she blinked in surprise when Necrophage suddenly leapt forwards and hugged her around the neck, the silver-black unicorn blushing ever so slightly as she awkwardly patted the Replicant on the back. “Oh my.”

“Necrophage. Please respect her personal space.” Thorn said in an almost exasperated voice, and Necrophage blushed as she hurriedly leapt backwards, giving a wide but embarrassed grin. “I apologize. She tends to be... affectionate.”

“That's perfectly alright. No harm done.” Melinda smiled, brushing at herself a little before she sighed a bit as the runes over her collar glowed, a faint steam of energy hissing up off her body as she murmured: “I should apologize. I will have to cut our pleasantries short. Thokk's eye is upon us and it seems that... she has a dire desire for you, Danzsöngr.”

Cadence shifted uneasily as the gentle ruby gaze of Melinda turned towards her, the mare's throat going dry before Thorn said quietly: “My mission objective has already been accomplished, as I'm sure you understand. As we speak, Seneschal is likely already enslaving the core processes, and once that's complete, Decretum's forces will march into this facility in force.”

“Yes, I know. And I dearly hope you succeed. But can you outlast my magic for these crucial few minutes, my darlings?” asked Melinda as she calmly turned around and strode a short distance away, and Thorn grimaced a bit as he looked around the room.

At this point, it didn't matter if the computer core and the rest of the room was destroyed: the programming would have already propagated to at least one of the other cores that controlled the facility, and unless they destroyed the main system core, there was no way they could possibly stop Seneschal from taking over.

But the only cover this room had were the flimsy server racks, and when Thorn glanced towards the hatch as a possible means of escape, Melinda not only slammed it shut and sealed it with a gesture, she also dissolved the disarmed bomb, vaporizing it with little more than a thought.

Moonflower blanched at this power: for once, Thorn thought, the black stallion was probably the only pony who really understood how frightening Melinda's powers were, as Cadence only grimaced as she faced the mare and said coldly: “We've faced Voidborn before. No matter how nice you are to us, you're still nothing but-”

“Melinda the Sky Witch is the Mother of Witchcraft. Do not underestimate her or what she is capable of, Cadence, or we will all suffer for it.” Thorn said quietly but firmly, and Cadence winced slightly before she nodded quickly and set herself.

Moonflower nervously stepped up beside Thorn, as both Muse and Necrophage strode into flanking positions. And Melinda, meanwhile, smiled as she turned around to face them, the collar thrumming around her neck as she said politely: “In the past, we took great care in organizing our duels before they even began: it was not merely about fairness, after all, but in a way, the rules we set would help decide the victor of the duel. I will admit in the past I was never quite as courteous as I am now, and thus I feel it only right that I agree to whatever terms and conditions you would like to set.”

“I appreciate that, Melinda. All I ask, however, is that if we last against you in combat until the link to Decretum is established, you acknowledge our victory and surrender.” Thorn said politely, and Melinda gave a small smile before she bowed her head.

“I will withdraw with grace in that event. But I cannot promise that Thokk will not send... less pleasant things in my wake.” Melinda answered, and Thorn smiled wryly at this, which seemed to be answer enough for Melinda as she chuckled quietly. “Of course. Then strength to you, Thorn Blackfeather, and to your comrades as well.”

“May you win with grace.” Thorn replied, and he Melinda bowed deeply to each other. Cadence shifted uncomfortably as Moonflower hurriedly bowed his head as well, while the Replicants both saluted.

What happened next, Cadence would never forget: in a flash, Melinda snapped her horn up, and black lighting erupted through the air towards Thorn, who deflected it off to the side with a concentrated, dish-sized shield of energy as the pistons on his mechanical foreleg began to thrum.

Melinda only smiled calmly, the arcs of dark lightning still ripping through the air between the two before she swept a hoof forwards almost gently, and Cadence's eyes widened as a massive wave of black flames erupted from the ground, the blaze roaring and growing larger by the moment-

Moonflower almost fell on his face jumping in front of Thorn, but when he snapped his horn down, the pulse of gravitational power not only dispelled the flames, it struck Melinda and knocked her skidding backwards several feet, interrupting the arcs of black lightning as her eyes widened in surprise. And acting immediately, Thorn leapt forwards, using Moonflower as a step to jump higher into the air as he grabbed his shield of energy like a physical thing, before flinging it like a discus at Melinda's face.

The Mother of Witchcraft intercepted the disc of energy with a flick of her horn, before she smiled in amusement as it exploded in a small but concentrated burst of magic that all the same harmlessly swept around her, the mare both unsurprised and unfazed as Thorn landed in front of Moonflower, who was mouthing wordlessly. “I am very impressed. You have excellent control... but you've already nearly exhausted your supply of magic.”

“Yes, but I have more than magic at my disposal.” Thorn replied calmly as the pistons pumped on his shoulder, before he added quietly: “And I'm not alone, either.”

Cadence nodded firmly as she jumped forwards, and Moonflower stumbled hurriedly up to Thorn's other side as the Replicants fell in on the flank. “That's right! He has us, we... I am the Lord of Darkness, a master of magic who has yet to show the full equivocation of his-”

“I think you mean the full 'quality' of your magic. Which I anticipate, and eagerly.” Melinda said kindly, and Moonflower stuttered to a halt before the Mother of Witchcraft added gently: “Please show me your abilities, Moonflower. I would much prefer to see the quality of your work than hear declarations of it, if at all possible.”

Moonflower mouthed wordlessly for a moment, and Melinda smiled before she asked kindly: “Can you dispel this?”

Melinda snapped her horn forwards, sending a black fireball streaking through the air towards Moonflower, and the unicorn squawked before he slapped it to the side without looking, Thorn wincing as he ducked the deflected fireball and Cadence swearing when it streaked just past her face, searing her mane. Moonflower grinned lamely at them, and Melinda chuckled quietly before she said with the slightest quirk of a smile: “You remind me of when I was young.”

“I'm... very young! I mean, I'm not very young but I am still very... handsome, and... I can understand why you would think I was young but I am not young, I merely look... young. Because I am handsome.” Moonflower petered out after a few moments, looking awkwardly at Melinda before he leaned to the side and whispered to Cadence and Thorn: “Sorry.”

Thorn only sighed, while Melinda laughed and shook her head slowly. Then she smiled before saying softly: “Wonderful. But I am afraid that... I cannot allow myself to be distracted any further. Please pardon me.”

Melinda snapped her horn forwards as it gave a single pulse, and Cadence and Moonflower were both blasted off their hooves by the tremendous gout of force that struck them both. Thorn barely weathered the telekinetic explosion as he skidded backwards, shielding himself with his mechanical foreleg, and Muse flinched as Necrophage shrugged off the worst of the blast before she growled like a little dog when Thorn shouted: “Protocol five!”

Necrophage charged straight at Melinda, who grimaced before she stomped a hoof into the ground, and the metal floor erupted upwards and reshaped itself into a barrier of deadly spikes in front of her. Necrophage immediately skidded to a halt, but then lunged suddenly forward and bit into the base of one of the larger spikes, tearing it off before she flung it into the air.

Muse caught the spike with telekinesis before launching it down, and Melinda gasped in shock as the spike of metal tore into her body, staggering backwards in disbelief before she gritted her teeth and snapped her horn forwards. The spiked barrier exploded, but Necrophage had already retreated to a safe distance on the Mother of Witchcraft's flank, while Thorn simply shielded himself from the hail of debris.

Cadence grimaced as she picked herself up, and Moonflower shook himself stupidly out before his eyes widened as he felt the pulse of magic that tore through the air, a moment before several pillars of black flame exploded out of the steel floor, rending and melting the steel with the force and heat of their eruption.

Thorn dodged to the side a moment before another pillar of dark fire tore out of the ground where he had been a moment before, and Melinda smiled slightly as her eyes traced after the ponies, watching how quickly – and not so quickly – they reacted. Her eyes lingered on Moonflower for a moment as his face was scalded by one of the pillars erupting directly in front of him, before her horn gave the slightest thrum of magic.

In front of Moonflower, the pillar suddenly became a tentacle of black flames that lashed down with a life of its own, trying to seize him its grip. The stallion reacted on instinct more than anything else, blasting it with his own magic and severing the tentacle of flame at its base, but while the upper portion whiffed out, it was quickly replaced by a new burst of flames from the root of the pillar, which renewed the attack on Moonflower.

The stallion leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding being caught and constricted by the deadly flames as the other pillars took on their own unnatural life, but Thorn locked on to Melinda, sending several short blasts of energy at her to try and disrupt her concentration. These were all deflected by the invisible barrier protecting the mare, however, Melinda smiling in amusement: not that it mattered, since her magic had already been channeled. For better or worse, these tentacles of flame had their own short-lived, insidious life.

Cadence swore as a tentacle slapped across her armored body, but thankfully her gear absorbed the worst of the damage, even as she was sent skidding backwards. She snapped her horn out in retaliation, and her holy magic tore through the pillar, an unnatural scream echoing through the air as black flame turned to stone.

The white fireball streaked towards Melinda out of luck more than anything else, but it too was deflected by her invisible shield even as she looked at Cadence, intrigued. But before she could move, a sudden pain ripped through her body, her eyes bulging before she looked back over her shoulder in shock at the spike of metal buried in her side, and which she had unfortunately forgotten about for a moment in the hubbub, unused to her numbed physical body after so long in the Void.

She reached back towards it, then flinched when Muse forcefully twisted the spike with telekinesis again: the moment she flinched, Thorn launched Necrophage with telekinesis as the short Replicant flung herself straight at Melinda, the Replicant barely flinching even as she tore through several pillars of dark fire before slamming home into the Mother of Witchcraft's face. Melinda cried out in pain and surprise as she was hauled into the air before Necrophage kicked her savagely with all four hooves, sending her straight down into the steel floor.

Melinda bounced brokenly backwards, and it was only reflex that let her blast Necrophage out of the air with a bolt of magic, knocking the Replicant sprawling on her back instead of finishing her with a stomp. The sorceress rolled quickly to her hooves, snapping her horn hard to forcefully rip the spike of steel out of her body, but Muse caught this in midair and redirected it-

Except Melinda was able to deflect it this time, even as energy leaked out of the rapidly-healing wound in her side. The sorceress smiled grimly as she began to raise her head, opening her mouth-

A blast of gravitational energy smashed into her, shattering her barrier like glass and flinging her bonelessly backwards into the computer core. She bounced off and stagger-landed on her hooves, mouthing wordlessly at the power of the impact as Moonflower shouted brazenly: “And... and that's only the beginning of what I can do, you... you meanie-head!”

“Yeah, meanie-head!” Necrophage shouted in agreement, which made Moonflower all but swell with pride even as Thorn slowly closed his eyes and Cadence rubbed at her forehead with a pained expression.

“Stronger than I thought. I am impressed.” Melinda said softly, and then she smiled slightly at Moonflower before her eyes flicked towards Thorn. “You lead your soldiers well.”

Melinda flicked her horn suddenly, and Thorn flinched before his eyes bulged and he grabbed at his throat as he started to choke loudly. Muse was immediately at his side as the sapphire stallion's legs gave out beneath him, Thorn collapsing as Moonflower shouted: “Leave him alone!”

“It's not a lethal hex, don't worry.” Melinda reassured gently, and then she calmly leaned forwards, a strange, blurry energy steaming up from the ground in front of her to form a glowing shield, as she said softly: “Let's test how well you do with your commander incapacitated.”

“Wait!” Necrophage's voice was suddenly sharp and serious, and Melinda raised her head slightly in surprise before the Replicant demanded, her voice quavering with emotion: “You promise! You promise you won't hurt him! That you won't... hurt him!”

There was silence for a moment, and then Melinda smiled softly as she looked at Necrophage, who was trembling with emotion, and then at Moonflower, who was glaring holes in her as his whole body trembled with anger. “He's a very lucky stallion. Yes, of course. He will not die, and I will not seek to harm him unnecessarily. You are my focus, my friends.”

“Okay!” Necrophage said brightly, even though she tossed a worried look over her shoulder at Thorn, who was struggling to breathe as he shivered on the ground, Muse fearfully standing over him until she looked up mutely when her sister said brightly: “Come on! We need your help, big sister!”

The Replicant siblings traded looks, sharing a conversation in the way only twins could before Muse hesitantly nodded and nervously stepped away from Thorn. The sapphire stallion wheezed weakly on the ground before he suddenly reached up and grasped Muse's foreleg, and the Replicant flinched in surprise as she looked down at the stallion, who gazed up at her, and after a moment, Muse nodded hesitantly before she turned and quickly joined her sibling.

Necrophage smiled brightly at her sister, and Cadence shifted nervously before Melinda said politely: “As I am trying to maintain some level of professionalism, I'd like you to know that if you want to surrender, I will take you peacefully to Thokk. Thesis and I will ensure that you are treated kindly.”

“Yeah, no. Thanks, though, really.” Cadence said, unable to keep the irony from dripping from her words. Melinda only smiled, however, and the ivory mare narrowed her eyes before she asked quietly: “How did you hex Thorn?”

“It was very simple When his magic connected with me, I was able to... know him, so to speak. It gave me the necessary understanding to apply a simple choking hex.” Melinda explained gently, and then she said softly: “But I'm going to have to cut this conversation short. Time is limited, and I can't let myself be distracted any further by your stalling.”

Melinda flicked her horn forwards, a black fireball erupting from the spire towards Moonflower. The stallion slapped this away with a snort, but then his eyes widened in shock as the fireball boomeranged towards him before exploding in front of the stallion, splitting into three miniature balls of dark magic that each streaked towards a different pony.

Cadence deflected hers on instinct more than anything else, and Necrophage leapt forwards and chomped down on the one heading towards her. Muse was struck by the last, however, gasping as it didn't so much explode as become a net of black energy that coiled around her, the mare shivering in pain as the magic began to drain the life from her body.

Necrophage looked over at her sister with wide eyes, and Melinda took the opportunity to seize the distracted Replicant with telekinesis, making Necrophage squeal as she was hefted into the air. Moonflower reacted quickly, snarling as he fired a missile of dark magic at Melinda-

The barrier of blurry energy absorbed the magic harmlessly, and Moonflower stared in disbelief before Cadence sent her own blast of magic at Melinda. It was just as ineffective, however, and the winged unicorn swore before she leapt into the air and shot towards the Mother of Witchcraft, as Necrophage writhed helplessly in the air-

The barrier flashed, and Cadence was blasted backwards with a gasp of shock by the thrum of agonizing force. It made her whole body hurt in a way she couldn't describe as she rolled backwards over the ground, feeling like all the energy in her body had just been sapped from her form.

Moonflower cursed before he snapped his horn forwards, hammering the barrier with several blasts of gravitational force, but they only made the blurry wall of energy ripple before Melinda flicked her horn towards him, blasting him off his hooves with what felt like telekinetic force, except when Moonflower began to pick himself up, he gasped in pain as he realized there were splinters of some kind buried through his armor, and several of them were already beginning to grow ivy and tapers that were spreading rapidly over his body.

Moonflower wildly grabbed at himself in a panic, while Cadence swore as she picked herself up, before Necrophage shouted: “Kinetic force!”

Cadence had no idea what the hell that meant, but Melinda quirked an eyebrow in surprise as she began to rapidly spin Necrophage like a top, while saying curiously: “And how did you figure that out? Oh, I see...”

She turned her smile towards Muse, who was trembling under the net of black energy. But Cadence could barely hear the mare over the noises Necrophage was making as she flailed wildly through the air, which sounded almost like childish explosions in spite of the fact she was being-

Kinetic force. Gun. Cadence reacted with the Swan's uncanny speed, feeling like the two of them meshed for a moment as the rifle flew free of its holster and she caught it in her hooves, the weapon extending to full length a moment before she pulled the trigger.

The spike of metal it shot passed through the blurry barrier in front of Melinda and hit the Mother of Witchcraft with enough force to hammer her off her hooves. Immediately, the magic protecting her vanished as Necrophage was dropped unceremoniously to the ground, the Replicant hitting the floor with a loud smack as she spun dumbly on her stomach a few more times.

Necrophage stumbled drunkenly up to her hooves even as her eyes almost comically rolled in her head, giggling awkwardly, while Muse managed to throw off the net of magic, gasping for breath as she clambered to stand. Cadence grimaced as she leapt forwards, but then her eyes widened in surprise when Moonflower suddenly lurched forwards despite the brambles that were peeling the armor from his body.

He snapped his horn forward, and Cadence flinched as a black hole erupted into reality above Melinda, the Mother of Witchcraft looking up with surprise etched on her features before she gasped, struggling to cling to the floor as the black hole began to pull her into its crushing embrace.

Moonflower gritted his teeth, concentrating all the magic he could into the singularity, which thrummed in response, pulling even harder on the mare and her surroundings. Melinda struggled to resist, gritting her teeth before her horn gave a sudden, powerful pulse.

Moonflower's eyes widened as dark shapes erupted from the floor: these hideous, smoky specters lunging straight into the singularity to be devoured by it. But their powerful, malign magic tampered with the energy powering the black hole, making it unstable as Moonflower flinched, struggling to maintain control for a few moments before he gasped in pain as the black hole suddenly exploded in a tremendous shockwave of concussive force and dark magic, making the entire room tremble as it knocked the ponies sprawling.

For a few moments, there was silence as the embers of dark magic gradually settled, and then Melinda slowly picked herself up before she said softly: “Impressive. But I have to wonder, can you-”

Melinda stopped suddenly, then frowned and looked up as Cadence stiffened at first, then realized that faint beeping echoing throughout the computer hall likely meant- “Attention, attention!”

Cadence looked up in surprise as the computer core suddenly pulsed to life, and a moment later, the upper half of Seneschal appeared in holographic form, the AI announcing loudly and obnoxiously: “If I may have your attention, please, Decretum has now begun reappropriation of its facilities, and all hostiles are hereby advised to leave immediately or surrender to Empress Hecate.”

“There are no hostiles here.” Melinda said kindly as she relaxed, before she flicked her horn calmly, and Moonflower blinked in surprise as the brambles still trying to twist their way into his body simply vanished, and Thorn gasped for breath as he was finally able to breathe again. “Well, it seems that you have won our game for today. I will retreat in the face of this opposition. I must warn you, however... Thokk will not like it.”

“Thokk can go suck an egg.” Cadence grumbled, and Moonflower looked at her awkwardly before he turned his uncertain eyes towards Melinda.

But Melinda only smiled at them, her eyes roving to Thorn before she said softly: “Your fellowship is strong, but stronger still have fallen apart without the right guidance. I pray you will protect them on their journey.”

Cadence felt oddly stung, considering that she was supposed to be the team leader, but Thorn only smiled wryly before he replied candidly: “They've survived without me up to this point. As long as they have each other, they'll be fine.”

Melinda smiled softly at this, and then she bowed her head courteously to them as a portal opened behind her, the mare saying gently: “Then I hope and pray that you are correct, Thorn Blackfeather. May the weather be fair until we meet again.”

“And the flowers in bloom, and the grass green.” Thorn replied, and Melinda looked strangely pleased with his response before she calmly turned around and simply strode into the portal.

Cadence couldn't believe it: the Mother of Witchcraft had been more than holding her own in the fight, and somehow the ivory mare knew that she had barely been trying. And yet she had kept her word: they had survived, and she had left.

She began to open her mouth, but then she noticed that the portal wasn't closing: no, if anything, it was growing larger, crackling with unstable energy. Cadence narrowed her eyes and set herself as Thorn said quickly: “Defensive positions!”

Moonflower dumbly staggered back to Thorn as Cadence hurried backwards, slipping her rifle back into its holster. The Replicants had already dropped back, both standing at the ready as the portal widened, distorting itself as it twisted and rippled ever further open.

Thorn narrowed his eyes as Cadence grimaced, the mare asking quickly: “Did Melinda-”

“This isn't Melinda's work. Get ready.” Thorn interrupted, his visor beeping and displaying a variety of readings over it that he direly hoped were incorrect, as he gritted his teeth before cursing under his breath as a massive, insectile leg shoved itself out of the portal. “Hræzla!”

Cadence's eyes widened in horror as Moonflower blinked stupidly and both Replicants anchored themselves. And, as the Terror from the Void tore itself out of the too-small portal with a scream of fury, Thorn only hoped that the faith Hecate had placed in them hadn't been misplaced.

The Shivers Of Secrets

Chapter Forty Four: The Shivers Of Secrets
~BlackRoseRaven

The monster was like nothing Cadence had ever seen before: it was mutant and enormous, with a chitinous, beetle-like carapace as it hissed loudly, insectile legs clawing uselessly at the air as it dragged itself out of the depths of the Void.

Energy rippled and twisted around it as the misshapen, monstrous thing twisted its way forward, the beast clawing its way into reality as its beady eyes glared hatefully after them. The black, empty pits looked furiously over them as its jaws gaped open wide, the monster giving a furious, hateful scream as it lurched eagerly towards them.

“Stand your ground!” Thorn ordered as the stretched and distorted portal trembled around the beast, refusing to show any fear as his eyes quickly analyzed this Terror from the Void: it was a Class B threat, something that they couldn't handle with their current equipment, but maybe... “Hold it back!”

The monster finally tore itself into this reality, leaping forwards with a roar as reality shattered around it for a moment, energy sparking and thunder booming through the air before the portal sealed shut behind it, the Terror dragging itself eagerly forwards as its eyes glowed with rage.

Moonflower reacted on instinct even as he yelled in fear, slashing his horn out and blasting the monster with a boom of gravity. The Terror barely flinched, but it ran into the spell like a solid wall, twisting itself back and forth with a hiss of frustration as its large, brush-furred forelegs grabbed uselessly at the ground.

Cadence swore under her breath as she concentrated her magic, while Muse and Necrophage both leapt forward, the psychic Replicant shoving at the giant with telekinesis as Necrophage bolted along the side of the room, yelling at the massive beast: “Look at me, look at me!”

The gigantic beast snarled, stomping furiously after the Replicant, but Necrophage moved too fast for the Terror to follow, and Muse was able to concentrate on blasting and deflecting the creature's attacks away from Necrophage as twisting, tendril-like tongues lashed savagely towards the mare from its biting jaws.

Moonflower stared at the humongous beast: Muse wasn't even trying to harm it, and his blast of magic hadn't done a thing to it. Cadence had launched herself forward to fight it, but the intelligence, the hatred, the living cruelty in its eyes bit into Moonflower's very soul, made him quake at the thought of trying to stand against this indomitable force, this evil from outside the worlds...

“Moonflower! Fight!” Thorn shouted, and the stallion flinched before he stumbled forwards-

The massive beast wheeled suddenly away from Necrophage, its beady eyes locking on the stallion as it growled at him with awful, self-aware hate, and Moonflower squeaked and nearly fell over before the Void beast lashed a forelimb out.

Cadence crashed into the creature's limb before it could strike, knocking its leg off to the side as it hissed in frustration before she snapped: “Goddammit, Moonflower, yank your head out of your ass and do something!”

Moonflower blinked, then winced when Cadence was slapped roughly away by the monster, the ivory mare hurtling across the computer room to crash painfully into the wall before Moonflower snarled and leapt forwards, snapping his horn forward as he shouted: “Get back!”

The Void beast flinched as a tremendous blast of force hammered into it, knocking it off-balance with a hiss as it narrowly caught itself, its chitinous shell bristling. It growled in frustration, then roared in fury when Necrophage leapt in at its side to bite savagely into one of its skittering hindlimbs, sending up a splurt of greenish blood before it knocked her away.

Muse flicked her horn sharply her focal orb flashed brightly, and the beast flinched in surprise as a psychokinetic hammer savagely smashed it between the eyes, knocking its head back between its shoulders as it flinched slightly backwards.

As the others fought, Thorn calmly created a holographic screen, tapping a quick series of commands over it before he only glanced slightly to the side when Cadence landed beside him, the mare asking disbelievingly: “What the hell are you doing?”

“Requisitioning equipment.” Thorn said simply, and Cadence mouthed wordlessly before the sapphire stallion continued calmly: “Return to the fight.”

Cadence glared at Thorn for a moment, but then she only swore under her breath before leaping quickly around and shooting straight towards the monstrosity. The Void beast swung a foreleg at her, surprisingly fast, but the mare easily evaded the strike before she slashed her horn down, sending a blast of white energy into one of the creature's eyes.

Yet even that barely made the Void beast flinch, the creature roaring as the biting tendrils lashed up out of its maw, streaking towards her. Cadence narrowly avoided the attack, cursing under her breath as she felt a wave of disbelief overwhelm her battle rage: what the hell were they trying to fight?

Necrophage lunged at the creature's side again, but this time the beast simply stampeded over her as it turned its attention suddenly towards not Moonflower or Cadence, but instead Muse. The Replicant's eyes widened before she leapt backwards with a shriek, fleeing into the racks of servers as the monstrosity slammed a foreleg through the metal shelving like it was nothing more than paper.

Thorn watched almost impassively as the monster smashed apart metal racks like toys in its sudden, focused search for Muse, the beast slapping absently at Moonflower, Cadence, and Necrophage when they drew too close like they were nothing more than flies.

Then the stallion grimaced when Cadence was suddenly knocked rocketing through the air to crash into the ground on her back and skid to a stop at his hooves, the mare groaning in pain before she blinked and glared up at Thorn, snapping: “Now what are you doing?”

“Waiting for approval.” Thorn answered, before he glanced up ever so slightly, ignoring the frustrated swearing from Cadence as he heard a faint beeping in his ear, several new readings displaying themselves rapidly over his visor. “Equipment was just approved.”

A vortex swirled into reality in the sky above, the twisting white and black energy crackling loudly as an enormous shape slowly began to emerge from the swirling portal. Gravity caught its gigantic, blocky base, and it fell suddenly from the hole in reality above, slamming down with a thunderous bang that made the whole world shake with the arrival of the monumental artillery cannon, and yet even as Cadence fell backwards in shock, Thorn barely flinched as he turned towards the humongous weapon that had crashed down on the ground mere inches from the pony, who was less than a fifth the size of the gigantic weapon.

“Keep the enemy occupied.” Thorn ordered as he called up another holographic screen, his hoof quickly tapping in a short series of commands. And, as if it had heard the words and sensed the threat – or at least the energy of the machine as it geared up – the Void beast turned towards the massive rail cannon, roaring in challenge as it began to scurry eagerly towards its new prey.

The creature lunged, but it was caught by Muse's telekinetic grasp, even as the Replicant gasped with the effort and bloody tears ran from her eyes as her mind quavered with the force it took to restrain the mighty entity. And yet all the same, she fought to drag it backwards with telekinesis, refusing to relent even as the focal orb beside her began to stutter in the air, threatening to crack apart as it gave erratic flares of bright, ominous light.

Moonflower snapped his horn sharply out, manacles of gravitational energy snapping into place around the monstrosity's limbs. The creature struggled against the magic of the stallion, yanking itself forwards before it flinched as Cadence leapt in and slammed into the Void beast's face, making it roar in frustration and surprise, but rear back instinctively, twitching away from the rail cannon.

Thorn's eyes narrowed as the images over the holographic screen beside him blinked several times, and there was a tremendous rumble as lightning sparked along the barrel of the railgun as the machinery began to power up further, pistons pumping and motors thundering into life as they sent power through the massive artillery cannon.

The Void beast's jaws suddenly snapped open, the monster roaring as hungry tentacles leapt out of its maw, their worm-like mouths opening wide as they shot straight towards the machine-

Necrophage immediately leapt between the Void beast and its prey, her powerful jaws snapping viciously through several of the tentacles before two of the maw-tendrils lashed down and slapped her roughly out of the air, another diving after her as if seeking revenge for its fallen siblings. The Replicant was saved by Cadence, however, as the ivory mare shot fearlessly into the fray, slashing her horn back and forth to slice tentacles to shreds and distracting the Void beast as it roared in fury.

But no matter what they did to it, the creature never relented: even if the tentacles reacted with a life of their own, biting and swinging at the ponies like savage worms, the Void beast itself barely paid the parasites leaping out of its maw any mind, the monster single-minded as it attempted to plod towards the source of the energy, and the only thing that might pose a threat to it.

Thorn narrowed his eyes as the creature lurched forward, Muse's legs nearly giving out from beneath her and Moonflower cursing as he fought to fortify the magic binding the beast. They wrestled helplessly to get the monster under control as the Void creature plodded towards Thorn, jaws opening wide, a new swarm of tentacles emerging from its maw and its horrific sounds drowning out the sharp beeping coming from the holographic screen in front of Thorn.

But Thorn didn't flinch, didn't tremble, didn't shake as the beast lunged, the stallion waiting for the last moment before he suddenly slammed a hoof into the screen in front of him, when the beast's jaws gaped widest as it lurched closest to the rail cannon.

The sound was indescribable: the blast of immense force knocked the monster rolling backwards as green blood exploded through the air. It crashed and banged along the floor, then hit the wall, collapsing in a mangled mess beneath an enormous hole that had been punched through the steel by the same missile that had ripped its way through the Terror.

The beast twitched weakly as the rail cannon crackled violently, then slowly began to gear down, thrumming lower and lower until it was only a quiet rumble. Muse panted hard as Moonflower stared in disbelief from the ground as he picked himself up from the massive magical recoil he had felt when the monster had torn loose of his magic, while Cadence was gaping and Necrophage was only worriedly pacing around her sister.

Thorn only scowled, narrowing his eyes before he said quietly: “Ready positions. The monster will be vulnerable to your attacks now, but its threat level will increase accordingly as well.”

Cadence stared disbelievingly over her shoulder at Thorn, except before she could either snap at him or ask how the hell it could possibly still be alive, a rumble tore through the air as the Void beast roared in wounded fury, and the ivory mare spun back around to stare with shock and horror as the hideous creature slowly levered itself back to its countless squirming legs.

The creature roared again, making the world tremble as it picked itself up, beady eyes glaring at them with unintelligent hate. It bristled at them, the plates of its body quaking as its body shivered, bleeding thick, mucous-like blood from the gaping wound through its breast and out its exploded back.

The monster howled as it began to drag itself forward, large front claws yanking itself along the ground as it hissed and snarled, its malevolent black eyes locked on Thorn. It roared, but this time, hideous, spiderine beasts leapt out of its maw in place of tentacles, the arachnid parasites rapidly charging towards Thorn and his team.

Cadence swore as she dropped down into the throng of parasites, slashing her horn back and forth to tear two of the beasts almost in half as she shouted: “Kill them quickly! Don't let them overwhelm us!”

Moonflower grimaced, his eyes flicking almost wildly between the parasites on the ground and the lumbering behemoth, before Thorn ordered crisply in a voice that somehow carried over all the chaos and confusion: “Moonflower, Muse, focus on the Terror.”

Moonflower still had no idea exactly what he was supposed to do, but it was more than just instinct that made him think the obvious thing was to attack the gaping wound in the creature. With a snap of his horn, he tested his theory by firing a black fireball into the monster, and he was rewarded with a howl that was clearly pain as much as fury, as the magic exploded against the vulnerability of its open wound.

Muse looked up, breathing hard, blood running from her eyes and nose but the determination in her irises only all the fiercer for it, as Necrophage blurted: “You gotta be careful!”

“I will be. But I know that I can do this.” Muse replied quietly, as she reached up to wipe blood from her face before her horn and eyes glowed, the focal orb floating beside her thrumming with power as she gathered her psychic energies.

She lashed her horn forwards, and telekinetic bindings snapped tightly around the monstrosity, making it snarl as it yanked itself against the Replicant's psychic strength. It shook back and forth, growling in fury as it pulled uselessly against the psychic restraints crushing around its limbs.

Necrophage supported Muse as her sister gasped hard, throwing all her strength into keeping the beast restrained as her focal orb trembled and quaked in the air. Her psychic strength was augmented by Moonflower's magic as he snared the Void beast with hooks of dark energy that bit deep into its flayed-open chest.

The monster wailed loudly as the fangs of energy bit deeper through its flesh, the monster twisting uselessly back and forth as it tried to yank itself free from the magical hooks. Yet even as it was forcefully restrained, its parasites continued to try and swarm forwards, lurching and throwing themselves at anything they could mangle.

Cadence swept back and forth, her hooves and horn punishing anything foolish enough to get close as the spider-like beasts stampeded towards them. She gritted her teeth as she tried to draw the attention of the monsters away, but plenty of the parasites were still swarming past, leaping at Muse and scuttling towards the rail cannon.

Necrophage leapt to her sister's protection, smashing parasites away as she supported her sibling at the same time. Thorn, however, only seemed to watch impassively as the spider-beasts scurried towards the cannon, Cadence swearing under her breath before she shouted: “Thorn! You have to do something!”

Thorn only calmly tapped across the holographic screen beside him as several of the spider-like parasites leapt onto the rail cannon, digging at it with their claws and biting into the barrel. The bug-beasts only managed to dig a few scratches in the polished steel before a surge of electricity pumped along the rail artillery, sending charred bug corpses spilling to the ground.

The remaining spiders showed a brutal form of intelligence as they turned their attention to Thorn, stampeding their own fallen kin as they threw themselves at the stallion. Thorn reacted fearlessly and immediately, even as spider-beasts the size of large dogs flung themselves at him: he moved faster, knocking them out of the air and crushing them under his strong hooves as he danced almost artfully back and forth between the creatures.

The tide of parasites lurched like a living flood after Thorn, but the sapphire stallion kept his pace and balance, dodging smoothly to the side as electricity crackled along his mechanical foreleg before he stomped savagely down, unleashing a shockwave of lightning that killed those unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast and sent the rest of the parasites panicking.

Thorn stepped quickly backwards, eyes flicking to the side: in that glance, he saw everything he needed to know, the sapphire stallion grimacing before he ordered sharply: “Moonflower, create a black hole inside the creature!”

Moonflower gritted his teeth at this order, but after a moment, he allowed the black chains of magic to drop as he called up all the magic he could. “Well, don't blame me if this ends up making a mess!”

The black unicorn snapped his horn forwards, and there was a tremendous rumble before the Void beast howled in misery as a black hole ripped into reality in the ruined breast of the monstrosity. And then Moonflower's eyes widened in shock as he felt a strange hardening around the singularity, the stallion shouting: “Something's wrong! It's... it's not working right!”

“Muse, power down! Moonflower, keep the black hole powered! Cadence, protect him!” Thorn ordered, and Muse gasped as she was finally able to release the psychic bonds from around the beast, slumping to the ground as Necrophage stood protectively over her sibling.

But as the Void beast wailed and struggled against the black hole, almost all of the remaining parasites turned their attention towards Moonflower, apparently guided by the misery of their mother-hive. The spiderlings charged towards the stallion, but Cadence was in front of Moonflower in a flash, slashing out with her horn to send out a ravaging blast of holy magic to drive most of them back before she dropped down on top of one of the parasites, crushing it flat.

Moonflower grinned his thanks as he struggled to keep the magic focused, his head pulsing with pain as the black hole roiled and rumbled away inside the broken chest of the beast. The singularity was acting almost like a hook inside the Void monster's chest, making it impossible for the creature to move as it writhed in agony, its front claws uselessly tearing and hammering against the ground as it uselessly tried to drag itself loose from the whirling singularity, but even if the black hole couldn't tear any flesh from the beast, the beast also couldn't loosen itself from the swirling black hole.

As Moonflower and the Void beast struggled against each other, Necrophage joined Cadence in fighting off the parasites, the Replicant bulldozing back and forth through the ranks of spiderlings. Thorn's sharp eyes flicked over the battlefield, quickly analyzing what was happening before he looked back towards the rail cannon as he heard its servomotors rumbling back to life.

The stallion strode quickly towards the holographic screen beside the railgun, barely glancing up when a straggling parasite leapt at him: he simply stomped it under one hoof as he continued quickly towards the screen, tapping sharply over it before he said calmly: “Moonflower, push the black hole towards the ground.”

“What?” Moonflower squawked, but then the black unicorn gritted his teeth before he focused on the Void beast. “Yes, a... a worthy challenge for a-”

“Goddammit Moonflower, just do it!” snapped Cadence as a spiderling jumped on her and bit into her neck, the mare ripping the parasite loose before she slammed it like a baseball bat into another spider-beast, sending up a splatter of goo as she stomped back and forth.

Necrophage was still plowing back and forth through the parasites, heedless of their claws and mandibles as she bulldozed and stomped her way through them, while Muse had limped in to create a psychic barrier around herself and Moonflower, rasping for breath as her cracked focal orb pulsed erratically, giving the black unicorn the safety he needed to slowly begin lowering his horn as he forcefully dragged the black hole downwards.

And as the singularity was dragged downwards, the Void beast was forced slowly to kneel with it, wailing as its legs scrabbled uselessly against the ground, forelimbs pounding almost in a tantrum that made the floor shake. The ponies stumbled, but Moonflower managed to hold on to his magic, forcing the beast lower as he gasped for breath.

And as the Void beast was forced to bow, the rail cannon beeped loudly before Thorn unceremoniously pressed a command on the screen, and there was a surge of energy before the massive weapon fired again.

The Void beast's entire body snapped backwards, the singularity inside of it exploding in a second bang that was almost swallowed up by the thrum of power that ripped through the air. It keeled backwards almost noiselessly, the only sound coming from the monstrosity the crackle of its chitinous plates clinking together as it spilled bonelessly backwards.

Cadence gaped as the corpse hit the ground, its tiny, segmented legs kicking weakly as green ichor bled from the ragged, gaping crater that was all that was left of its upper body: its head had been all-but-disintegrated by the rail punching through it, slime and bits of Void-flesh littering the walls.

As the creature settled, the remaining parasites fled in all directions, giving up the fight with their hive-mother destroyed. Thorn frowned a bit at this as he stepped slowly back from the massive rail cannon, and Moonflower wheezed quietly as he slowly straightened, the black unicorn unknowingly voicing Thorn's thoughts: “That's it?”

After a moment, Moonflower laughed in disbelief, and then he grinned widely as Cadence sighed in relief and straightened, but Thorn felt that something was still terribly wrong as he looked back and forth, his eyes narrowed. It had been too easy: sure, the monster would have trampled them if they had lacked the firepower to bring it down, but all the same...

Muse frowned uncertainly as she looked back at Thorn, as Necrophage saluted and turned to face the stallion as well. Cadence and Moonflower were both relaxing, and Thorn opened his mouth-

“Bad, bad girl!” snapped a voice, and Cadence's blood froze as she looked up in shock to see Thokk striding towards them, the witch glaring at them furiously before she shouted: “Go to sleep!”

Cadence gasped as the Swan went dead inside her, and the ivory mare trembled as she felt weakness spreading through her body. She fought to stay conscious, but she was helpless to resist as Thokk simply flicked a wrist, lifting her into the air as psychic bands clamped around her, before she was flung savagely to the side, smashing face first into the wall and falling bonelessly to the ground.

Moonflower stepped forwards, and Thokk snapped her fingers, Moonflower's eyes bulging as his horn sparked violently before he simply collapsed on his face, shivering weakly as the remaining magic was sapped from his body. Necrophage and Muse were flung to either side by telekinesis, and Thorn grimaced as he felt Thokk's psychic claws seize into him, hefting him into the air as the witch approached with an audible growl beneath her expressionless mask. “And you, you dirty little bastard! How dare you! How dare you turn my Swan against me, and how dare you butt your big butt in here where it's not wanted!”

“You're not really here. This is an illusion.” Thorn said quietly, and Thokk snorted in contempt before raising a hand and wiggling a finger slowly in front of the stallion's face.

“This is a little more than that, Thorn Blackfeather. This 'illusion' can whoop your ass.” Thokk growled, and then she flicked her finger, forcefully rolling Thorn upside down. The stallion only continued to survey her coldly, however, and after a moment, the witch gave a thin smile before she asked in a deadly voice: “Do you want to see the Void?”

“This simulacra doesn't have enough power to open a hole into the Void. You're here to give me a message. So tell me what you're here to say.” Thorn replied evenly, and there was silence for a few moments before the witch snarled, then slammed Thorn headfirst down into the ground.

The sapphire stallion bounced backwards, then grunted when Thokk slammed a foot into his side, knocking the pony rolling painfully away before he was seized into by a tremendous psychic force and crushed slowly into the floor as the witch hissed: “Don't you tell me what to do. I've spent my whole life being told what to do, and doing what I was told, and playing by the rules and the prophecies... and look what it got me! Exile, pain, suffering like you wouldn't believe! They made me Prometheus, but this time, this time, I'm going to put an end to all of it and claim what I deserve!”

Thokk glared down at Thorn, and Thorn shivered on the ground beneath the psychic pressure as electricity sparked over his exoskeleton, his armor struggling against the immense telekinetic force. But slowly, Thorn forced his head to rise, and Thokk leaned back in disbelief before the sapphire stallion said fearlessly: “No matter what you've suffered, Thokk... it does not give you any right to inflict that suffering on us.”

For the longest time, the two looked at each other as the others picked themselves up and the psychic pressure slowly vanished from Thorn's body. And then, finally, Thokk snorted before she spread her arms wide, saying coolly: “Who died and made Hecate Midgard's mommy?”

“Odin and Valthrudnir.” Thorn replied evenly as he slowly stood up, and Thokk snorted again at this before the sapphire stallion said quietly: “We stand to protect and preserve the state of the worlds, for better or worse. You want to see it destroyed.”

“I want to see a return to all-nothing, just the way everything should be. In the beginning, everything simply was. And it was beautiful, and it was eternal, until the gods separated it all and ruined the meaning of life and death.” retorted Thokk, but then she shifted, and Thorn could see the contemptuous smile in her body language and hear it in her voice, as she said calmly: “Then again, I wouldn't expect you to understand that, little pack animal.”

Thorn only looked calmly back at Thokk, not speaking, and eventually the witch snorted before she brushed at herself moodily. “Fine. Here's your one and only, final warning: tell your mother that if she doesn't surrender to me, I'm going to attack and destroy Decretum. I will wipe out your entire world, and all its operations. I will obliterate you. I will annihilate you. I will take everything away from you by force.”

There was silence for a few moments, before Thokk said quietly, as she gestured contemptibly towards the stallion: “Just like I can give life to the Void, I can take it away, too. With the prick of a pin, I'll make you bleed energy until you evaporate. There won't be any sentience left: just flecks of energy that will be recycled by this great big universe, to become... stars or life or whatever the hell the universe happens to need at the time.”

Thorn continued to look calmly at Thokk for a few moments before he stated, as he looked into the stone-carved eyes of the mask: “Decretum will not surrender, and we are not afraid of death, destruction, or erasure. You cannot take us by force.”

“Oh, you better believe that I can, you little bitch.” Thokk growled, lacing her fingers together before she cracked them loudly. “You don't got the guns to stop me.”

Thorn only shrugged, and the witch snorted before she flexed her hands slowly, then spun suddenly around, marching away as she said contemptibly: “Fine. If you aren't going to listen to reason, then maybe I'll give you one last challenge, and we'll see if you'll get the hint after you understand just what I'm really capable of when I get going. Let's start with a riddle.”

Thokk stopped, looking pensively towards the Swan and rubbing the chin of her mask before she said softly: “In the black sea, between the raven and the appleseed, there sits the rare red lily; in her blossom, you will find me, lost but not for long, gone, but never far away.”

Thokk spun around on her heel as she became translucent, the simulacra beginning to lose its form and strength even as she said derisively: “There you go. Hope you can put your big brains to use and figure that one out, prove what a smarty-pants you are. Even if you don't have a single damn pair of pants to wear. Horses and pants. Nonsense.”

Thorn studied Thokk intently, but Thokk only bowed before vanishing from sight, even as she spoke one final warning: “Just remember one thing: you might regret solving this puzzle.”

Thokk's presence faded, and Thorn grimaced slightly before he looked back and forth, ordering calmly: “Sound off.”

“Present! Operational!” Necrophage said immediately, holding up a hoof with a bright smile.

“Present... reduced capabilities. I apologize.” Muse said almost meekly, but Thorn gave her a gentle smile before his eyes flicked towards Moonflower.

The black unicorn looked blearily back at him, and then he slowly picked himself up and mumbled: “I'm... here? I'll be fine, I... just... need a moment...”

Cadence groaned loudly, which Thorn took to mean she was at least alive in spite of the fact she was barely shifting from the floor, and Thorn gestured quickly towards her with his head, ignoring the pounding pain in his body as he ordered: “Necrophage, assist Cadence. But we should be safe for now. I have the feeling we were just being tested.”

Moonflower looked up uneasily at this, but Thorn only smiled briefly before he created a holographic screen, tapping a quick series of commands across it to activate a communications link as he silently hoped that they were ready for the war that Thokk was intent on having, and that his mother wouldn't be pushed so far she would unleash the forbidden secrets locked away in the depths of the Clockwork Worlds.

Cadence strode slowly down the corridor, keeping to one side to let a column of Worker Drones pass. She couldn't help but look back over her shoulder at them, wondering silently what they must be thinking, or if they could even think or feel at all.

Thorn had woken up what seemed like a small army from hibernation and put them immediately to work, which they had done without complaint and as if they had always been under the command of the sapphire stallion. The more-paranoid part of Cadence wondered moodily whether or not Thorn really was the son of Brynhild, and thought he really must be some robot of Hecate's, considering how everything listened to him, but she knew that was just because she was... she was mad as hell, in a way.

What had this all been for? Sure, she knew that they had been honest: this was a Decretum facility, and it had been important to take it back from Thokk. But Cadence felt like they had been used, all the same: Thokk had come and gone without any real resistance from Thorn – not that she could have expected anything in the way of a big, stupid, and utterly pointless gesture from him, any more than aforementioned gesture would have had any results – and they had... what had they really accomplished here, in the long run? What were they doing?

The Swan told her she was being ridiculous. That it didn't matter, they were only a soldier, only a tool to be used as their masters ordered, and it wasn't as if anything had changed: the pretenses had simply been different, and the ends justified the means and the half-truth. But Cadence hated the thought that she and Moonflower hadn't been told everything, and that there was something going on beneath all of this that meant everything they were doing was ultimately nothing more than thunder and echo and meaningless distractions.

Cadence rounded a corner, before she stopped and scowled through an open door into a strategy room, where Thorn was standing at a circular table. The table itself was projecting a complex image of the facility above it, and Thorn was quickly tapping away on a screen as he wrote notes on a clipboard floating beside him at the same time, guiding the quill by telekinesis with the absent ease of long practice.

Cadence took a slow breath, squashed the Swan's protests, and then stormed into the empty room. Thorn glanced up briefly, but then returned his eyes to the holographic screen in front of him, asking calmly: “What do you want to discuss?”

“What the hell is Ithavoll? And why the hell do I suddenly feel like we're all nothing more than expendable pawns in some stupid game Hecate is playing with Thokk?” Cadence snapped, glaring at Thorn.

Thorn sighed a little at this, grimacing slightly: he had thought that Cadence had been too dazed to understand what he had been talking about while having his conversation with Hecate. On the other hoof, he did feel both a little bad that she thought that, and a little annoyed, as well. “Cadence, you should know your value to the organization by now. Excuse me, I have to-”

Cadence strode forwards, then reached up and slammed a hoof down on the tabletop, and the projection fizzled violently before the hologram simply puffed out of existence. Thorn and Cadence looked at the tabletop for a moment, the ivory mare's face betraying the fact she clearly hadn't thought that would actually work before she quickly turned a glare back on Thorn, doing her damnedest to fight back the blush creeping up from her collar.

Thorn sighed tiredly again, then he set his pen and clipboard off to the side before he leaned over the table, saying quietly: “I assume that you're assuming the worst about the conversation I had with Hecate. I'll overlook the fact that you were listening in on a private conversation-”

“One you were having right above my head. It's not my fault I was conscious enough to remember it. As a matter of fact, maybe I should point out what an asshole thing that is to say, Thorn.” Cadence retorted, and Thorn gave her a dry look.

“Then next time I'll have my conversation, and then ensure you're alive and alright.” Thorn replied moodily, and then he shook his head before saying in a quieter voice: “Cadence, you are not just pawns. I am the Regent of Decretum and Hecate entrusted you with my safety... with the safety of her son. And I trust you, too. Shouldn't that be enough to tell you that you're more than just some disposable asset?”

Cadence shifted awkwardly at this, glancing away as she felt a surge of embarrassment run through her. She mumbled a little under her breath, then nodded a bit as she felt some of her anger draining away, the ivory mare murmuring: “Well, yeah. But still, Thorn, I don't like being used. That's exactly it: I trusted you, too. How much should I trust you, Thorn?”

Thorn shrugged a bit at this, and then he replied: “Cadence, ultimately, I have to overlook my personal feelings and see to it that whatever job I set out to do, I complete. But I want you to be aware of something: my duty is to keep every single one of you alive. We walked into a danger here that I honestly didn't anticipate, and it has led to a situation that I would have liked to avoid.

“Keeping you, Moonflower, and my other friends alive is my first priority. Ultimately, Hecate wants to rely on the Orphans, not... the Ithavoll Project, to keep the peace in the universe.” Thorn said quietly, shaking his head briefly before he frowned a bit when Cadence gave a small smile towards him, the mare looking oddly touched. “What?”

“You called us your friends.” Cadence said, and Thorn shrugged a bit before the ivory mare preempted: “Well, I think it's a big deal. You used to be so... standoffish, I guess, would be the nice way of putting it. The fact that you just, you know, basically said we were important to you-”

“You're important to Decretum, and to Empress Hecate.” Thorn interrupted, but Cadence couldn't help but smile a little wider all the same: she was starting to really enjoy it when Thorn got grumpy. “Look. You are... you have value to me, yes, but that's not what's important or what you were referring to, so let's put that aside for now. You are not pawns, but you know as well as I do that we operate under an intelligence blindfold. I cannot tell you everything.”

Cadence nodded hesitantly, biting her lip before she decided to just plow ahead all the same, saying quietly: “That's not what really bothers me though, Thorn. There's a difference between not telling us everything and being honest, and I think you know that as well as I do... maybe even better. I don't like being used.”

Thorn sighed a little, and then he nodded almost grudgingly before saying quietly: “Alright. I'll keep it in mind, Cadence, but... please understand that deception, even of our own, is a necessary part of any military conflict.”

“That's a scary thought. And it seems kind of wrong to me.” Cadence replied, even though the Swan roiled angrily inside of her in clear disagreement with the ivory mare.

Thorn smiled briefly, and then he shook his head slowly as he answered: “War is a scary thing. Especially when we're operating against an opponent who knows everything... except for the few secrets we've managed to keep in the heart of Decretum. It needs to stay that way as well, Cadence. We can't risk giving away our secrets or revealing our hand until we're ready to move against Thokk. Until we have no choice but to deploy our final weapon. And I don't want that to happen.”

“So it's bad, huh?” Cadence asked, and Thorn shrugged a bit as he looked away, which made Cadence smile briefly. “Really bad.”

Thorn only grunted, and there was silence for a few moments before the stallion asked: “Can I do anything else for you?”

“No, I just...” Cadence shifted a little, then she asked on impulse: “Who was Melinda, and why did she... do what she did?”

“You phrased that question very well.” Thorn remarked, and Cadence gave him a sour look. “Melinda the Sky Witch is a figure from pony mythology in most worlds, but she did actually exist several thousand years ago. She's referred to as the Mother of Witchcraft because she was the first unicorn to develop hex magic, which is forbidden to this day in almost every world. She was also the first unicorn to harness and control Nightmares, and is even said to be the first unicorn to develop flight magic.”

Cadence frowned uneasily at what this all implied, before Thorn continued: “She's often portrayed as a hostile, if tragic, villain in legend, although there are a few rare stories where she plays a more benevolent role. We don't know the truth about her, but given her behavior, I suspect that she's a mare with many regrets, and far from a willing participant in Thokk's schemes.”

“Why can't Thokk control her?” Cadence asked, and Thorn smiled briefly.

“While I appreciate the fact you seem to consider me such a wellspring of knowledge, I don't have the answer to every question, Cadence.” Thorn paused, then he said slowly: “But if I were to hazard a guess, I would say it has to do with the effects of mental programming on sentient creatures. When you take away free will, you interfere with the ability to act outside of standard parameters. Thokk's servants are unpredictable... and that's part of what makes them so dangerous.”

“The Swans were replaced because we couldn't think, we couldn't act outside of what we were told to do...” Cadence murmured, and then she shivered before shaking herself out quickly, looking up as Thorn tilted his head towards her curiously. “Sorry. It's the... merging.”

Thorn only continued to survey her, and Cadence quickly shifted her gaze away, clearing her throat before she said awkwardly: “Anyway, uh, well... I'm sure that... I mean, we did pretty good against her, right?”

“We did terribly. She was being gentle with us, and the only reason we survived was because she seemed to take an interest in Moonflower... letting him stall her for much of the duration.” Thorn replied, and Cadence winced a bit. “I don't want to imagine what Melinda might be truly capable of. We're only fortunate she doesn't seem to be our enemy.”

“I mean, we still have to kill her though, right?” Cadence said before she realized what that probably sounded like, and then she gave a lame smile to Thorn when he looked at her measuringly. “Uh. Sorry. Swan.”

“That's not just the Swan, Cadence. That's your own tendency to frame everything in black and white terms to assuage your conscience.” Thorn said dryly, and Cadence's mouth fell slightly agape as the sapphire stallion continued: “You prefer simple and effective solutions, and you also prefer to see things in rigid right or wrong, good or evil contexts. You dislike when this is challenged: if something is good, then it is good, no matter what its purpose. If something is bad, then it is bad, no matter whether or not its existence benefits others. I understand that thinking, Cadence, but at the same time, you need to take control of it. And you need to stop faulting the Swan.”

“But everything is the Swan's fault!” Cadence burst out, before she blushed deeply and lowered her head quickly, mumbling: “I guess that sounds kind of childish, huh?”

“A little.” Thorn agreed, and then he sighed a bit before saying softly: “That's part of what we need to curb, Cadence. You're more than just a team leader: the Irregulars are one of the most respected groups in Decretum. I need you at your best to ensure that other ponies are going to put their best hoof forward as well.”

Cadence grimaced a bit, and then she argued hesitantly: “I really don't think that... me being a little dumb now and then has that big an impact-”

“Your behavior does impact others. As the behavior of other units impacts yours directly, whether you realize it or not. Everything ripples: Decretum is not made up of a thousand individual parts, but a million different cogs and gears, all working cohesively together as part of the grand machine.” Thorn met the ivory mare's eyes evenly. “How much of you was shaped by the world around you? How has the world reshaped even the Swan inside of you, a creature of unknown age from the halls of Valhalla?”

“Kindness slayed the beast.” Cadence mumbled before she could stop herself. Thorn tilted his head curiously, but Cadence only gave a small smile, shaking her head and murmuring: “Just something that Daddy used to say, and I guess... I never really thought about it that much until now. The Swan... has changed.”

Cadence nodded slowly: she wasn't just saying that for Thorn's benefit, or because she hated the fact she had come in here to scold him and now she was the one being reprimanded. She knew that the Swan had turned on Thokk for more reasons than just because Thokk had disrespected the Mothers and Fathers, after all: she knew that the Swan felt some lingering attachment, some undeniable affection for the ponies who were important to her.

The two looked at each other for a few moments, and then Cadence said suddenly: “Moonflower would probably like to see you, you know.”

“Yes. I know. I'm going to see him after I finish up here. I'll stop by the twins, as well.” Thorn replied absently as he turned his attention back to the table, apparently satisfied that the conversation was over as he reactivated the holographic map.

But Cadence lingered, smiling at him until Thorn looked slowly up, and the mare chuckled before she said softly: “You better be careful, Thorn. Soon everypony is going to know you have a heart in there.”

Thorn looked at the ivory mare dryly for a few moments, and then his horn glowed, and Cadence winced as she was picked up by telekinesis and gently carried out of the door, before the stallion deposited her in the hallway. The door closed a moment later, and Cadence snorted in amusement before she leaned forwards and shouted: “You can't just hide it forever, Thorn!”

She stepped backwards, then smiled and shook her head again before she frowned slightly as something caught her attention in the corner of her eye. The mare turned, then sighed despite herself at the sight of Moonflower peeking around the corner. “How long have you been hiding there?”

“I... I am not hiding, I'm... stretching!” Moonflower argued lamely, making a few odd bobbing motions with his head before he took several exaggerated steps around the corner, then he cleared his throat as he straightened and said lamely: “I was... it's only been a few minutes, anyway. How long have you been... here?”

Cadence quirked an eyebrow towards the stallion, and Moonflower sat back on his haunches and awkwardly tapped his hooves together, looking back and forth before he cleared his throat and said finally: “I just... well, you know, if you've been here, talking to Thorn, well... how is he?”

“He's fine, Moonflower. He's... the same as always. Tough.” Cadence paused, then she muttered: “I always forget he's like, pretty much a kid, though, because he's always scolding me. He's a little tyrant.”

Moonflower scowled at Cadence, his lips curling downwards so far that Cadence thought they were going to fall off his face, and after a moment the ivory mare smiled despite herself before she said: “Oh, stop that. You know what I mean. He's not a bad guy, though, and... you should know by now that he likes seeing you.”

Moonflower winced slightly, going back to nervously tapping his hooves together as he looked back and forth, the black unicorn licking his lips before he said nervously: “I... I really don't want to be a bother, though...”

“You're not. Go see him.” Cadence encouraged, and Moonflower shifted back and forth worriedly before he winced and flailed his hooves wildly at the air when Cadence turned and hammered on the door, shouting: “Moonflower wants to see you!”

A sigh came from inside, and then the doors opened, Thorn looking mildly at Cadence before he leaned out to see Moonflower sitting in the middle of the hall, blushing profusely. The two looked at each other for a few moments, and then Thorn rolled his eyes before he said dryly: “Come on. You can help me finish this report. Then we'll go see Muse and Necrophage.”

Moonflower immediately brightened and scurried for the door as Thorn turned around and went back inside, and Cadence smiled a bit and shook her head slowly before she turned away to head down the hall, reflecting that maybe Thorn was more correct about how everything in Decretum affected each other than even he realized.

Strained Relations

Chapter Forty Six: Strained Relations
~BlackRoseRaven

Silver was intensely frustrating, but at the same time, Cadence was grudgingly starting to get used to her. She was vastly unpleasant, rude, and ranted constantly about the 'fat pigs,' but all the same, she was... she made her own kind of weird sense, Cadence thought. It was just all framed by a lot of anger, a lot of bitterness, a lot of maybe-not-entirely-unwarranted despair.

Silver did suddenly become a lot easier to deal with when they got to the shooting range: she went from scoffing and mocking her 'impossible' claims to be a princess to pawing at the various guns, then almost eagerly tromping up to the target range. Cadence had only managed to take a few shots with her rifle before Silver had simply blown up the target with a burst of powerful magic.

After Silver had blown up a few targets, she had suddenly become far, far more pleasant. She was still rude and sarcastic and said incredibly awful things that made Cadence want to smack her, but it was a vast improvement on the way she had been acting only a few minutes before.

At first Cadence thought it was just the fun of lashing out and blasting things into pieces – and often in a way that would irritate Cadence further, since apparently Silver was working very hard to not understand how targeting lanes worked, and kept blowing up Cadence's target instead of her own – but soon, Cadence realized that the more Silver used her magic, the more focused her magic became. There was less emotion in it, less wild fury of energy: when she watched Silver snap her horn down for the dozenth time, it wasn't a wild psychokinetic blast of hate and force that Cadence saw, but a perfect arrow of energy that streaked through the air and blasted the head off-

Her target. Well. Some things apparently weren't going to change. “Silver, will you please let me get just a few shots in? Otherwise Thorn is going to bitch at me.”

“You are free to shoot as much as you please, Snow White. Or better yet, let me shoot for you.” Silver said, gesturing towards the gun, and Cadence frowned uneasily as she shifted the MARES rifle awkwardly. “Oh, don't give me that look! Let me try it. I want to see how it fits my hooves.”

“I... well... okay.” Cadence said awkwardly after a moment, grimacing a bit. All the same, she continued to hold the rifle close to her breast, until Silver finally shoved both hooves expectantly towards Cadence, and the ivory mare sighed before passing the rifle over to her, even as she felt very clearly this was not a good idea. “Don't... I mean, don't point it at anything you wouldn't want to shoot.”

Silver shifted the rifle back and forth, wiggling her large hoof carefully onto the grip as the other grasped the body of the weapon crudely, and then she pointed it straight forwards, making Cadence swear as she ducked hurriedly out of the way of the gun, as Silver scoffed: “Oh, stop it. I am not about to-”

Silver shifted the gun, and there was a tremendous bang, both mares flinching and the rifle nearly flying out of Silver's hooves before both ponies stared at the large dent in the wall the rifle had left. They looked awkwardly at each other, and then Silver huffed before she turned to face down the target range, muttering: “Do not distract me, Snow White. That is your fault.”

“What?” Cadence snapped, glaring at the mare, but then she only closed her eyes and rubbed quickly at her face, telling herself that no, she wasn't going to let Silver drag her into a pointless argument.

Silver, meanwhile, was aiming calmly down the range, her eyes locked on the target as she said: “Yes, it is your fault. You would not distract me if I was aiming a bow, now would you?”

Cadence scowled over at Silver, before she winced when the mare pulled the trigger, glancing quickly down the target range. and her eyes widened slightly in surprise when she saw a large, distinct hole near the center of the target's chest. “Hey, not a bad shot.”

“I don't need your approval, Snow White.” Silver retorted, but she sounded a little pleased with herself all the same, Cadence thought. Silver attempted to pull the trigger again, but then scowled as nothing happened, muttering: “Damn. Is it out of arrows?”

“They're called bullets, and you have to... okay.” Cadence held up her hooves in surrender when Silver glared at her, the ivory mare giving a wry smile as she said mildly: “You do your thing, then, and I'll just stay over here.”

“Yes, I am perfectly capable of figuring it out.” Silver grumbled, nodding quickly, and Cadence gave a wry smile as Silver fumbled back and forth with the rifle for a few moments before she finally figured out how to work the lever, ejecting the empty casing before she shoved it back forwards. “I see, that is how you load new bolts!”

“Bullets.” Cadence said before she could stop herself, but Silver completely ignored her as she lined up her target again.

“Now that the bolt is loaded, I take aim, and...” Silver pulled the trigger, and Cadence cocked her eyebrow as she saw a small explosion of gel from near the center of the target. “Yes. Perfect. Look at its flesh bleed.”

“It's a composite jelly, actually.” Thorn's voice remarked calmly, and Cadence turned towards him, awkwardly and completely unconsciously stepping quickly to the side to hopefully cover up the- “A Worker Drone will repair the damage. Silver, why are you using Cadence's rifle?”

“Oh, I did not mean to bitter Snow White's apple. I am so very sorry.” Silver said grouchily as she worked the lever, then fired another shot down the range, sending up a splatter that was again, nearly dead-center on the target. “Do you use flesh so the pigs get hungry to see the kill?”

Thorn glanced down the range, and then he called up a holographic screen, reaching up to tap a short command across it. There was a beeping from the range, before the target slowly rolled backwards some twenty feet, and Cadence could just imagine the scowl beneath Silver's mask when the mare looked at Thorn.

But Thorn only shrugged and gestured to the range, saying quietly: “I had heard that you excelled in archery.”

“I did. And I will excel beyond these fat pigs in every other aspect as well. I will be the boar.” Silver said sharply, and Cadence frowned uneasily at how suddenly hostile Silver had become. “What do you think of that, Regent Thorn Blackfeather? What do you think of my eagerness to please you and the sow with all my talents? Or is that not enough for you?”

Silver took aim down the range, then fired several shots in quick succession, blasting apart the head of the target dummy before she swore under her breath as she dry-fired the rifle. She tried uselessly to reload it a few times, until Thorn said softly: “You need a new clip. Cadence, please go get Silver a new clip, and a long-range rifle. The MARES rifle does not have the proper attachments to maximize its range at the moment.”

Cadence smiled lamely, and then she nodded once before almost nervously stepping away from the range. She left Thorn and Silver standing in a bitter silence, but as her hoofsteps faded, Silver let her head drop a little, her body trembling as she whispered: “Let me go back.”

Thorn shook his head, and Silver snarled before she threw the MARES rifle childishly to the ground, shouting angrily: “I do not love her! I hate her! I hate her for what she has done to me and I hate her for expecting me to be thankful! I hate you as well, Thorn Blackfeather! And I hate your whores and your toy soldiers and all these fat pigs!”

“I know. That's okay.” Thorn replied with a shrug, and Silver dropped her head as if ashamed. “You are not-”

“Don't tell me what I am or am not, Regent Thorn Blackfeather. I may be a fat pig, but I am a pig who knows who and what she is.” whispered Silver, trembling as she glared at the ground.

“You are not a fat pig.” Thorn said softly, and Silver snorted in contempt.

“So you'll take even my identity away from me?”

“An identity that you think we forced upon you in the first place.” Thorn countered, and Silver had no response to that. The sapphire stallion shook his head slowly, and then he sighed before striding forwards and saying gently: “Your sister tried to save you.”

“Yes. I see she's trying to save you in the same way.” Silver retorted, gesturing dismissively towards Thorn's mechanical foreleg.

Thorn sighed a little at this, reaching up to rub slowly at the steel appendage before he said softly: “This was my own fault-”

“Is that the truth, or are you just going out of your way to defend the sow again?” asked Silver coldly, even as her hoof scraped at one of her glass eyes. “As if she has ever needed to be justified. As if she has ever needed-”

“Enough.” Thorn said gently, and the mare lowered her head and looked away. For a few moments, there was an uncomfortable silence between the two, and then Thorn asked: “What do you want? More than that, Silver, what can we do for you that you will... accept?”

They looked at each other for a few moments, and then Silver asked: “Why didn't she just let me die?”

“Because family is the most important thing.” Thorn shrugged a bit, and then he met her gaze, asking evenly: “Do you want to die? Or do you just want attention, and sympathy, and to wallow in your misery? You aren't going to gain anything by feeling sorry for yourself, Silver.”

“My name is Luna!” shouted the mare, and energy crackled through the air around her as her mane and tail of cables shivered.

“If your name is Luna, then why aren't you acting like her? Why are you acting like Silver, the self-described 'fat pig?'” Thorn retorted, and the mare snarled in fury, the air around her quaking with her energy, the glass lenses of her mask glowing with the blazing glare of her eyes.

But after a few moments, her legs began to shake, and her head drooped, and all that rage and energy whiffed out as suddenly as it came as she whispered: “Because I am scared, you coward. You coward and you traitor, hiding behind the sow and the sow's treachery...”

Thorn only shook his head slowly, and then his eyes flicked to the side before he said calmly: “You can come back in, Cadence. Our conversation is over.”

Cadence cleared her throat awkwardly as she nervously stepped back into the room, giving a lame smile as she floated a small box of ammunition on one side of her and a bolt-action rifle on the other. “I uh... I got these, I thought-”

“Fine. Yes. Fine.” Silver muttered, and then she yanked both ammunition and weapon away with her own psychic powers, the mare scowling as she tilted these back and forth before she simply dropped the box and caught the rifle in her hooves. “Fine.”

Thorn shook his head, but he didn't say anything, only calmly cleaning up the scattered rounds and ammunition box with a flick of his horn. Silver, meanwhile, had turned back to face down the range, taking aim with the rifle as she scowled down the iron sights, muttering: “This is much cruder than the other toy. I suppose that's more fitting for the older pig, isn't it? The more... disposable one. Leave the piglet Snow White with the better gear...”

“If you like these weapons so much, we'll have a custom rifle built for you.” Thorn said, and Silver snorted. “Or a crossbow, or a bow, or-”

“Or whatever it takes to shut me up and make me useful to the sow, is that right?” asked Silver acidly, and then she fired the rifle, blowing off a chunk of the target's shoulder before she swore under her breath. “Worthless scrap!”

She glared down at the rifle, and Thorn shook his head before he approached, glancing quickly over the weapon before his horn glowed as he adjusted the sights slightly, saying softly: “It's not entirely centered. Try it now.”

“Fine.” Silver muttered, raising the rifle again and sweeping it carelessly to point down the target range, even as Cadence winced and Thorn sighed tiredly. But when she fired, her shot went true, sending up a splatter of gunk from much closer to the center of the target as Silver snorted in contempt. “Toys indeed. Any pig can be a worthless tin-plated hero.”

“Heroism is not determined by how many lives you take on the battlefield.” Thorn replied pointedly, and then he shook his head before he turned towards the control panel, tapping a short series of commands across it.

There was a loud beeping, and then the target slowly withdrew to the end of the lane, where it was removed by a large, mechanical claw from the simple stand. An intact target was slid into its place with a click, and then it slid several feet down the lane to lock into a new position.

Silver scowled at how far away it was, but Thorn only shrugged before he turned his eyes towards Cadence, half-instructing: “I need to see you use the MARES.”

Cadence winced a little at this, looking lamely at the stallion before she awkwardly picked up the MARES rifle from the ground, turning it back and forth in her hooves before she said awkwardly: “I really don't like it.”

“You keep saying that, Cadence, but my response isn't going to be any different.” Thorn said dryly, and Cadence lowered her head almost sheepishly before she turned to face down the targeting range. “This lane.”

“What? But that's way further away than... okay, okay.” Cadence winced when Thorn simply looked at her in his inarguable way, the ivory mare shrinking her head between her shoulders for a moment before she sighed a little and turned moodily to face down the range, raising the rifle to her shoulder as she muttered: “Well, don't blame me when I miss.”

Cadence took careful aim with the rifle as she closed one eye, lining up the sights as she held her breath before she grimaced slightly as she took a shot: she only narrowly clipped the target, but at the same time, she felt a little proud of herself considering the distance, the mare raising her head slightly before Thorn instructed: “Again.”

Cadence scowled horribly, but then took aim again before she looked over her shoulder in surprise as Silver said: “Do not hold your breath. Do not tense up. Use both eyes. Learn to shoot or become bacon, piglet.”

The ivory mare scowled a little, but beneath the irritation she was admittedly surprised that Silver was trying to help at all. She took the mare's advice, making herself breathe slowly as she aimed down the lane, using both eyes as she lined up her shot...

She clipped the target again, and the mare smiled as she straightened slightly before her mood was immediately soured as Silver scolded: “That is nothing to be proud of and you are less than a failure, Snow White! Wing the target like that and all you do is inform the enemy of your attack!”

“Take another shot, Cadence.” Thorn interjected quickly as he held up a hoof to Silver, who grumbled grouchily at him in response.

The ivory mare took a breath, focusing as she took aim down the lane again, muttering under her breath to herself. But as she made herself aim, she felt herself loosening up as she focused in on the target-

She felt the Swan suddenly rise up inside of her, the ivory mare tensing up as that presence inside of her took over, guiding and shifting her hooves. The Swan felt... unusual, however, and almost gentle even as the entity firmly guided her movements, before she felt her hoof squeeze the trigger.

There was a splatter from the target that told her she had actually hit the object, and Cadence rose her head slightly with a smile. Sure, she hated these toys, but maybe now- “Cadence, I wanted you to take the shot. Not the Swan.”

Cadence winced slightly at this, mouthing wordlessly before she looked over her shoulder at Thorn. And while she couldn't even think of what to say, the Swan was all too glad to articulate a response for her, twisting her face into a sneer before she asked contritely: “What do you care, jarl,as long as you have someone to do the work for you?”

“I do not want you to do my work for me. I simply want Cadence to accomplish her own tasks instead of a self-described tool taking over for her.” Thorn replied evenly, as Silver cocked her head, looking curiously back and forth between the stallion and the ivory mare.

The Swan grouchily retreated, leaving Cadence blinking a few times before Silver asked with interest: “What is this? Is the mare possessed?”

Cadence shook her head, then smiled lamely when Thorn gestured to her. “I... I share my body with a presence called the Swan. She's a big part of why I am the way I am. More and more, we've been mixing together lately, and-”

“So you are a piglet with two heads, how cute.” Silver said ironically, and Cadence scowled at the mare, who only sniffed disdainfully before she said contemptibly: “Either one or the other must rule, Snow White. And speaking of which, where is the Dwarf?”

“Assisting a friend. He'll join us once he's able.” Thorn answered as he glanced towards Silver. “Would you like to take another shot?”

Silver glanced down at the rifle, and then she snorted before tossing it aside, Thorn wincing and narrowly catching it with telekinesis before it could clatter to the ground. “No. It's a fun toy, but it does not feel... correct. Or very real. It is just a toy, that's all.”

Cadence smiled awkwardly, although it was a struggle not to agree with Silver as Thorn sighed before he asked: “Then what would you prefer-”

“I have my magic. I do not need any further 'gifts' from the sow.” Silver said moodily, although at least for the moment she didn't sound outright hostile, Cadence thought.

Thorn only shrugged, but didn't argue: Cadence figured that by now, he was probably tired of arguing with the mare, too. “Alright. We can do the rest of the assessment later. For now, why don't we head to the Arts District?”

“Promising.” Silver deadpanned, and then she sighed before shaking her head and muttering: “Fine. We might as well.”

Thorn nodded, and then he gently took Cadence's rifle with telekinesis, as well as the unused box of ammunition. He turned to leave, and Silver automatically followed him out as Cadence lingered behind, letting the two pull a little ahead but listening in despite herself.

“I want to be as far away from the sow as possible. That's the only reason I'm doing any of this, playing your... stupid games, helping your meaningless crusade.” Silver muttered, shaking her head shortly as she glared at Thorn.

Thorn only shook his own head, beginning: “I know that-”

“You know nothing!” Silver said harshly, but then she visibly gathered herself, taking a slow breath in and out before she muttered: “Pigs know nothing. Pigs own nothing. Pigs are nothing. Nothing but fat and food and meat for the culling.”

Thorn sighed a little as he headed towards the equipment counter, turning the gear in to the Dogmatist with a polite nod before he frowned a little when Silver said quietly: “I will never forgive her and I will never forget this.”

“You don't have to forget what happened, Silver. But we don't give forgiveness simply for someone else's sake. You need to let go.” Thorn responded, as he rounded on Silver.

Silver snorted at this, and then she leaned forwards, almost shoving her steel mask against Thorn's face as she asked contemptibly: “And what do you know about that, Regent Thorn Blackfeather? What have you suffered? What freedoms have been stripped from you? What has the sow done to you... or rather, what has she not given you?”

Thorn only looked evenly back at Silver for a few moments, before he glanced up as a familiar figure came nervously trotting through the entrance to the range. “Moonflower. We were about to head to the Arts District.”

“Oh, excellent, uh... yes!” Moonflower said lamely, and then the black stallion gave an awkward smile before he looked at Silver and blurted: “Luna was always my favorite princess!”

Silver simply gave Moonflower a look as Cadence sighed tiredly from where she was lingering on the other side of the range, until the steel-faced mare snorted and retorted cruelly: “And you, Dwarf, are my favorite idiot, because unlike so many others you'll never breed and spread your stupidity.”

Moonflower's jaw fell open, and Thorn gave Silver a dry look before he said in an exasperated voice: “Let's please just go.”

Silver shrugged grouchily, then she dropped her head and followed behind Thorn. Moonflower and Cadence fell in behind her, but they both kept at a distance as the stallion scowled horribly at her back and Cadence only reflected moodily that it seemed like all the Lunas she had met so far were nothing but enormous pains in the flank.

The day was a very long one, but finally, it ended, and a scowling Cadence and extremely angry Moonflower retired to their personal quarters. Thorn promised to catch up to Moonflower later, but for the moment he had escort Silver to where she would be staying in Decretum and make sure she was comfortable.

He had volunteered his own quarters for her, and Silver was now pacing from room to room like a ghost, restless and unhappy. She had done quite a number on Thorn's patience, but as the stallion watched her, he felt himself becoming a little more sympathetic to the mare, studying her silently before he shook his head and said softly: “If you-”

“Do not start!” Silver shouted at him, and Thorn simply looked at her as the mare spun towards him, storming across the living room and slamming the table out of the way with telekinesis, sending knickknacks and papers flying in every direction as she roared through the cloud of debris: “I do not need your useless advice and I do not want your sympathy or your pity, Regent Thorn Blackfeather, treasured, favored little trinket of my oh so darling and devoted sister!”

There was silence for a few moments as Silver panted harshly through her mask, and then Thorn shook his head slowly before he said quietly: “You've had your time to sit and cry over how unfair everything is, and to be rude and obnoxious and angry. But that time is over and it's time for you to start taking steps forwards, like the rest of us.”

Silver snarled at him, and yet there was something of a sneer in her voice as she leaned forwards, asking threateningly: “Or what? Or you'll do what, Thorn Blackfeather?”

“That's what you don't seem to understand, Silver. I won't 'force' you to do anything. I could, easily, and ironically because you won't let me reprogram the neural nodes.” Thorn shrugged, looking fearlessly through the hollow glass lenses that hid Silver's eyes even as the air crackled around the mare with her energy. “We are not a democracy in Decretum, but nor do we rule through tyranny. We do not force ponies to do what they do not want to do.”

“Oh, no. That would be far too barbaric. Instead, you just volunteer them to have pieces of metal put in their heads that tell them things, that make it hurt when you refuse and make it feel good when you obey!” Silver shouted, stomping hard enough to crack the floor. “And what about all these other piggies you're fattening up? Orphans, pah, just like you? To be taken in, seduced, and then-”

“You're a coward.” Thorn cut off, and Silver froze. “What happened to you was and is terrible and unfair. Clinging to that, refusing to let us heal and fix these mistakes, is stupid. What do you hope to gain? Or do you simply want to self-destruct that badly?”

Silver snarled, then she slashed her horn down, and Thorn was blasted off his hooves by the thrum of telekinetic power, shattering a glass screen as he smashed into the wall. But as he collapsed to the ground, Silver staggered with a gasp, her whole body quaking as electricity surged through her form before she fell limp as well.

Silence fell as the last of the debris settled, and then Thorn twitched once before he shook his head quickly, slowly pushing himself up to his hooves as he asked tiredly: “Feel better?”

Silver shifted slowly, and then she shivered a little before whispering: “Go to hell.”

“I was born there.” Thorn replied moodily, and then he brushed slowly at himself before glancing up in surprise as the door to his room opened.

Hecate stormed inside, glaring furiously at Silver, who did her best to scowl back, but there was perhaps the faintest hint of deference in the way she hung her head a little, even as she blurted: “It was his fault!”

“It's always someone else's fault, isn't it?” asked Hecate grouchily, and Silver looked away before the mechanical goddess shook her head in contempt, then turned her eyes towards her son, her gaze lingering for a moment on him before she said almost gently: “Thorn, you have other business to attend to. Go and deal with things.”

Thorn looked up at Hecate for a moment, and then he gave an awkward nod before he glanced over at Silver. But she turned pointedly away with a snort, so the sapphire stallion only shrugged before heading for the door.

Almost the moment it shut, Silver spun around and opened her mouth, but she was struck silent by the sight of Hecate's mechanical body calmly removing her head from her steel shoulders. The mare trembled as the powerful steel frame leaned forwards and gently set Hecate's head down on a nearby armchair, before it straightened and drew carefully back.

Silver stepped forwards, staring down at her sister, as Hecate looked silently back up at her sibling with a strange sort of dignity in her eyes. She was precariously balanced on her stump of neck, kept from falling over only by the thickness of the steep cap around her throat and the fact she was leaned slightly into one corner of the seat, the goddess saying quietly: “Luna, I am sorry. I am sorry that I couldn't protect you, I am sorry that I couldn't save you. This was all I could do, to protect you from him.

“I don't know what else I can say. Do you want me to apologize for falling in love? For trying to fill the hole in my heart that banishing you left?” Hecate smiled faintly, looking silently over at her sister as she shook her head slowly. “Those aren't things I can apologize for, but for you, I'll still try. And no, I don't expect your forgiveness for all the things that I did wrong. For sending you away, for hurting you, for creating the situation in the first place, for... for the fact that I had to lock you away, not once, but twice, and the second time, when that prison vanished... I just let it go. I never should have let you go, but I was weak, Luna. I was so very weak... and it was so much easier to convince myself that the strongest thing I could do, the best thing I could do, was not care.

“Luna, I love you, and I'm sorry I hurt you. But I can't make things better if you won't let me help you.” Hecate said quietly and honestly, looking silently up at her sister. “And as much as I want to welcome you back into my life and do everything I can for you, my love for you cannot outweigh my responsibilities, Luna. I destroyed you. I destroyed my family. I destroyed my world, and helped in the destruction of many others. Now I have to do everything, everything I can, to protect the rest of these worlds and the rest of this universe.”

Hecate fell silent, and Silver studied her quietly for a few moments before she shook her head slowly, then whispered: “Why do you always have to try and be the savior, Celestia?”

Hecate smiled faintly at this, and then she replied quietly: “I'm no savior. But another mare, who... reminded me very much of you... showed me that I didn't have to just wallow in despair, or give up the fight because it all seemed too hard.”

She stopped, then laughed shortly, shaking her head as best she could: a difficult task without a body. “Imagine that. It felt 'too hard.' What a stupid, childish, selfish motive.”

“It sounds like you.” Silver said softly, but she lowered herself a little, gazing silently into her sister's eyes as she studied her, before she murmured: “I... didn't realize... the last time I saw you, you were able to just... swoop in, and rescue me...”

“I didn't rescue you, Luna. I put you there in the first place. And what I brought you back to was something even worse.” Hecate replied with a faint, bitter smile.

Silver snorted quietly, and then she hesitantly reached forwards and carefully picked Hecate up, making her wince and scowl a little before she looked away when her sister asked: “What happened to you? You were so... strong.”

“Yes, I was. But I was too powerful, Luna. My body destroyed itself from the inside out, and now... this is all that's left.” Hecate grimaced a bit as Luna tilted her back and forth, before she scowled when the mare touched her metal-sheathed horn. “Put me down.”

“Almost helpless, aren't you?” asked Silver with the faintest hint of entertainment, and Hecate grumbled under her breath before she carefully rose her sister's head to eye level, the two looking at one-another for a few moments before she looked away, then murmured: “It hurts, and it's hard to deal with, because I don't know... what I'm supposed to feel.”

“I know. I know it will take time. And I know I'm asking you to rush and I know that I'm...” Hecate halted, then she laughed faintly before saying quietly: “I hope you realize that I brought you back for more reasons than because you're useful.”

“I don't know. You've always been a pragmatist.” Silver murmured, and then she gently set Hecate's head down, studying her silently for a few moments before she sat back and laughed a little, studying her sister's head as Hecate shifted herself as best she could to stay better balanced. “Celestia... why... why did you wake me up?”

Hecate smiled briefly, and then she replied quietly: “Because I finally found you, Luna. I lost you, but... I finally found you again, after all these years. And the first thing I wanted to do when I finally set foot into that place again was... wake you up, and...”

She quieted, looking away, before closing her eyes and murmuring: “I won't blame you if you want to leave, and I won't stop you. I know I was rough, and rude, and... stupid. Like you said, though, I've always been a pragmatist, and... what better way to keep you close than to make you a part of my Clockwork Empire?”

Hecate halted, then laughed faintly and shook her head slowly, murmuring: “The same old mistakes, made all over again...”

“At least this time you put me somewhere interesting.” Silver shook her head, then she sat back with a quiet sigh, looking at Hecate and murmuring: “I can't just forgive everything. I can't just... jump straight into... being your little fat pig-”

“You are not a pig. None of them are pigs, Luna. Please understand that what you're being told by the nodes in your head... none of its true. And the Warehouse... is not exactly an ideal. Even in the past, it was... a crude solution to a much larger problem.” Hecate replied, looking up at Silver openly and honestly. “Let me turn the nodes off. Let me help you.”

Silver looked away, and then he shook her head slowly as she slipped back a little, murmuring: “I don't want to be hooked up to the machines, Celestia. I don't want to... I already feel it, every moment of every day. I look through tinted glass lenses and see all these things I don't understand; I feel these thoughts in my mind, and these subtle sensations with every movement I make. I... hate what you've done to me, Celestia.”

Hecate looked away, and there was silence for a few moments before Silver asked quietly: “Why didn't you make me into one of those... things, patrolling the halls? Why did you... leave me halfway? I hate you for what you've done, but... why leave me with the ability to hate you for it, to understand that I am broken. Did you... want me to suffer?”

“No, Luna. No. Never. I never wanted you to suffer.” Hecate answered, smiling faintly as she shook her head as best she could. “But I had to do this, all the same, because if I hadn't... I know that Valthrudnir would have used you against me. And after he lost his mind, my son...”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Silver said softly: “Your son seems fine to me.”

Hecate smiled despite herself, then she nodded a little bit even as she replied: “Yes. Thorn is... but my first son, Thesis, was not.”

Silver laughed a little at this, and then she looked away before saying finally: “I guess maybe we should have tried to catch up first, before...”

“We have time now.” Hecate said as she rose her eyes, and the two looked at each other for a few moments before she added hesitantly: “And it would mean a lot to me, if... you would help me. I know how unfair that is to ask, but I'm asking all the same.”

“You never were fair.” Silver said softly, but she sighed a little and nodded after a moment, lowering her head and murmuring: “Even if I wanted to leave, Celestia, where would I go? Nowhere. It sounds like our old home was...”

“It's still there. But... no, it's not... what you would remember.” Hecate answered after a moment, nodding briefly, the mare smiling faintly as she looked down for a moment. “I don't even know whether or not I should apologize for that. It was my fault, after all.”

“Now you want me to blame you.” Silver murmured, and she laughed a little before shaking her own head slowly. “Amazes me, but at the same time... I know it shouldn't surprise me that you're the same old Celestia.”

Hecate frowned at this, and Silver seemed to smile beneath her mask as she answered: “Taking on the troubles of the world. Blaming herself. And of course, the way you would always be so firm and direct in court, all the masks you'd wear out in the public eye, but in private... you were always so much gentler, Celly.”

“Shut up, Luna.” Hecate grumbled as she looked awkwardly away, but that only seemed to make Silver smile even more, from the emotions she felt, from the shift in her body language-

“I still believe in you. Even after everything that's happened.” Silver confessed, and Hecate rose her eyes in surprise before Silver sighed a little and sat back, muttering: “Even if part of me will always wonder if that's just the nodes talking.”

Hecate shook herself a little, and then she replied quietly: “Even you should be smart enough to figure out those nodes don't work that well. Otherwise I'd just leave them in your head.”

Silver chuckled a little at this, and then silence fell as the two simply studied each other, shifting back and forth as they looked over one another for a few moments. And finally, Silver murmured: “I'll help you under one condition, Celestia. You let me choose what I do.”

“That's... a difficult promise to afford anyone, Luna.” Hecate muttered, but then she sighed a little at the pointed look she felt from the mare, nodding hesitantly after a few moments. “Fine. But I'll be holding you to the same standard that I do everyone else. And you will be held accountable for the missions you choose. Choose what you take on, but... do it well.”

“That's you, Celly. Always the pragmatist.” Silver said wryly, and Hecate chuckled a little as she shook her head slowly.

“That's me.” Hecate agreed after a moment, and then the two looked at each other again, reflecting on how much had changed, and how much hadn't.

Cadence was less than thrilled when the time for the mission came, and she was told that Silver was in fact coming with them. Thorn was as professional as ever, but she thought there was maybe the slightest twitch in his behaviors that gave away he maybe didn't entirely approve of the fact that Hecate seemed to be coddling Silver a little.

It was something else she had never expected to see, Cadence reflected: Hecate treated even Thorn with the same professional coldness she did everything else, but with Silver, there was hesitance. There was a lack of surety. She understood why, but that didn't stop her from feeling worried about it: part of the reason Hecate's empire functioned was because there was never nepotism, there was never favoritism. How did Silver affect that whole equation?

Moonflower was scowling horribly at Silver, but Cadence thought that was because he really, purely did not like her. The fact that he was in heavy armor and was being forced to pull a massive, rolling cargo box probably wasn't helping much, though, especially since Silver was just loitering around while Thorn was setting up the portal and Hecate was standing off to the side, barking at them every time they stepped out of line, but not saying anything to Silver even when the mare wandered out of position.

What bothered Cadence most was that Silver wasn't even equipped for combat: even the Dogmatists usually got some kind of gear, after all. But Silver had no weapons, and unlike them, wasn't outfitted in any kind of armor. And when Cadence cleared her throat pointedly to at least try and get the mare to step back into position, Silver made an obvious show of ignoring her, simply looking away and purposefully putting her back to the ivory mare.

“This is going to go great.” Cadence muttered as the portal sparked to life, and then she winced at the scathing look Hecate shot her, hurriedly stepping into escort position behind Moonflower as Thorn strode to the front of the line.

Thorn turned around, then frowned at Silver, the stallion saying calmly: “You need to-”

“I need do nothing. I am under no orders except my own.” Silver retorted, and Thorn frowned deeper before his eyes flicked towards Hecate. Hecate, however, only crossed her arms as her eyes shifted slightly away, and Thorn felt a strange drop in his stomach before he returned his eyes to Silver.

“I will not allow you to compromise the safety of my people on this mission, Silver.” Thorn stated quietly but firmly, and Silver glared at the sapphire stallion. “Fall in line, or consider yourself removed from duty.”

Cadence and Moonflower both stared with surprise at Thorn: he didn't sound angry, which was probably what made the finality of his words so heavy. He was completely conscious of what he was saying, and who he was saying it to.

Silver snorted loudly at this, glaring at Thorn as she leaned aggressively forwards before declaring: “I am a free agent, and I don't-”

“For safety, we have to pass through this portal in escort position. We don't have time to argue. I have to go. And I will leave you behind if you will not cooperate. It's that simple.” Thorn replied fearlessly, even as Silver snorted and stomped a hoof angrily before she shot a look towards Hecate.

“Thorn. She is not an operative of Decretum and not under your jurisdiction.” Hecate said shortly, and there was a flash like betrayal over Thorn's face, Cadence thought.

“Code 100.1 states that any operative is subject to penalty or removal, no matter their status, if they interfere in the mission. I will not put my team in danger.” Thorn stated, and without waiting for a response, he started towards the portal, squaring his shoulder as he ordered: “Cadence, Moonflower, fall in. We have a job to do.”

Before Thorn could quite make the portal, Silver bodychecked him and leapt in first, and Thorn stumbled to a halt with a wince before he closed his eyes and took a slow breath. Moonflower and Cadence both stumbled to a halt, looking easily at the sapphire stallion as Hecate shifted uncomfortably, the mare looking away and biting her lip for a moment.

But Thorn didn't even glance towards Hecate, simply keeping his gaze stoically ahead and mentally counting to five before he strode into the portal. When he emerged from the other side into a gray and desolate wasteland a few moments later, he barely shot Silver a look, instead calling up a holographic screen as he mentally calculated the distance across the barren, rocky plains to the listing and uneven towers of the mining facility.

Cadence and Moonflower emerged from the portal a moment later, both of them glaring at Silver, who pointedly ignored them as she said loudly: “If you are ready to go, then I am certainly ready to go.”

“Maintain your escort positions. It's a short walk to the facility entrance, but we don't know what's inside.” Thorn said, very clearly ignoring Silver as he gestured with his head towards the translucent map floating beside him.

He turned to face forwards, and then frowned when he found Silver in his way. He attempted to step past her, but Silver smoothly moved with him as she asked: “And what about me, Regent Thorn Blackfeather? Or is the fact that I no longer have to cooperate-”

“Enough. Either cooperate, or I will have you extracted.” Thorn said shortly, and Silver snorted.

“Jealousy doesn't look good on you, little colt.” Silver snapped, and Cadence flinched mentally: somehow, she didn't think that was going to go over very well. “Now, why don't you-”

Thorn glanced towards the holographic screen, then he tapped quickly over it before saying shortly: “Seneschal, I require an emergency extraction. Lock on to my current coordinates.”

There was a faint beeping from the screen, and then Seneschal's static-riddled voice said uneasily: “Thorn, I am... not permitted to extract Silver Sentinel except under emergency medical-”

“You're stuck with me, in other words. Just like I'm stuck here, with all of you.” Silver said nastily, leaning into Thorn's face before she rose a hoof and swiped it through the holographic screen, making it distort and fizzle out.

The two looked at each other for a few moments, and then Silver asked contemptibly: “So what are you going to do, Regent Thorn Blackfeather?”

“Adversus protocol, authorization code 1X1X. Lockdown.” Thorn ordered, and Silver twitched once before she fell limply on her face, Thorn looking down at her coldly as he said bluntly: “I will not hesitate to use the neural modifiers as a method of control to protect my team and yourself from your own idiocy, Silver. Seneschal, force emergency extraction.”

“Y-Yes, Thorn Blackfeather.” Seneschal said anxiously, as Silver twitched weakly on the ground, and Cadence and Moonflower both could imagine why: it wasn't likely that Hecate was-

“Override lockdown on empress-0 authority!” shouted a voice from the screen, and Cadence and Moonflower both winced as Thorn's head reared slightly in surprise. “Thorn, this is not acceptable! You will comply with the mission parameters or I will have you removed, do I make myself clear?”

Silver shook herself out, then slowly picked herself up from the dusty ground, but Thorn was staring at the holographic screen as if he'd never seen it before. His disbelief only lasted a few moments before it lapsed into cool professionalism, however, although Cadence and Moonflower could both hear the hint of anger in his voice and the lack of his usual crispness as he replied: “Yes, Empress Hecate, you do. I will complete the mission and Silver will assist.”

Thorn cut the communication, then he looked over at Silver as the mare shook herself out, then muttered: “Nice try, but-”

“Shut up.” Thorn said simply, and Silver stared at him before the sapphire stallion looked over his shoulder and almost barked: “We're here to deliver a package. Let's move.”

Moonflower stared as Thorn turned to walk away, until Cadence firmly nudged the black unicorn and got him hurrying forwards. Silver eventually fell in behind them, but if anything, Cadence was glad that the mare was loitering behind them: considering the anger she could sense from Thorn, it was probably for the best that she wasn't trying to muscle her way into the lead again.

Thorn didn't calm down over the ten minute walk to the facility: if anything, by the time they reached the badly-damaged metal walkway that led down to the rusted entrance, he seemed angrier. But even his anger was cold and directed, Cadence reflected, as the stallion said over his shoulder: “I'll go ahead. Please wait here.”

Moonflower smiled lamely, but Thorn was gone in a moment, the stallion dropping his head a little as he mumbled: “Well. That went terribly.”

Cadence grunted, and then both she and Moonflower looked over at Silver, who was lingering awkwardly at the edge of the metal walkway, kicking absently at a rust-covered rock.

But since she was ignoring them, they decided to ignore her. It wasn't very long before Thorn returned, the stallion beckoning to them: and only them, Cadence noted, although Silver trotted along behind them, lingering like a ghost.

The wheeled crate clanked and rumbled as Moonflower pulled it down the walkway, Cadence grasping the back of it to stop it from sliding forwards as they made their way down the gentle incline. Moonflower was puffing a little from the effort, but he was doing quite well, all-in-all: even if his big body was mostly all show, he was starting to build up some decent physical strength.

Thorn nodded to them with the faintest of smiles, and both Cadence and Moonflower smiled back as he murmured: “Sorry.”

“Hey, don't apologize. Right, Moonflower?” Cadence nudged the black unicorn firmly, making him blink before he nodded vigorously, then cleared his throat.

“Yes, it's... you're doing great and I trust you as a leader and... I want you to know that you're really an inspiration to me.” Moonflower rambled, and the mare couldn't help but look at her friend with amusement as Thorn gave maybe the smallest of smiles. “You... you're great.”

“Thank you.” Thorn nodded once, then turned and gestured for them to follow, saying softly: “Let's keep moving. I'm excited to introduce you both to our contact.”

Moonflower cocked his head quizzically at this, as Cadence couldn't help but remark: “You sure sound it, Thorn.”

Thorn gave Cadence a mild look, but he smiled a little again, and Cadence was honestly more glad than she could put into words to see the stoic stallion relaxing a little. Even more so because of how angry he had just been, and she didn't think even Silver wanted to be on the receiving end of an angry Thorn Blackfeather.

Speaking of Silver... Cadence looked moodily back over her shoulder to see the mare still lingering behind them, aimlessly zigzagging back and forth and banging now and then into the walls carelessly, stomping her hooves against the rusted floor. She didn't seem to care that they had just walked into what could very well be an enemy facility, or that they were already passing signs of activity present: apart from the gigantic open doors, there were dim lights on throughout the corridor, and the clanking of run-down machinery. In a facility this old, it meant that someone had to have started up the equipment, perhaps even done repairs to it.

Eventually, they entered a long, wide hall: frozen pistons hung above, along with damaged cargo rails and other industrial machinery that Cadence only half-recognized from her tutoring in Decretum. The walls were lined with pipes, cables, and other strange machines that Cadence didn't recognize, but she could feel the toxic essence of the Clay of Prometheus even from here.

“Hey there. Thorn, I see you brought friends.” said a soft voice, and Cadence frowned as it triggered something inside her: it was almost a feeling of dread, and familiarity... “I would have cleaned up if I'd known you were bringing more guests.”

“Cadence, Moonflower, this is my brother, Thesis.” Thorn said in his polite and yet blunt way, and both ponies did a double-take at the stallion who emerged from the shadows, the Replicant giving a small smile as he bowed his head to them respectfully.

Cadence felt her blood run cold in her veins before the Swan suddenly and violently rose up, her eyes locking the Voidborn as she hissed: “You are not forgiven. We are not the weak vessel we once were.”

The Swan lunged forwards, but Thorn's hoof snapped out and caught her by the back of the armor, the sapphire stallion saying sharply: “Danzsöngr, enough.”

The Swan dropped her head, and then Cadence shivered as she felt her body fall back under her own control, the mare blinking a few times before she winced as she looked up at Thesis. But the Replicant only smiled at her, saying softly: “I sort of recognize you, but I guess... it's been a long time, and we've both changed since then... Cadence, right?”

“Y-Yes.” Cadence said as she shook herself out, awkwardly raising her head before she winced in surprise as she found Thesis right in front of her. “Uh. You were...”

And then it all clicked together in her head, the mare's eyes widening slightly as she whispered: “You were with Valthrudnir. You were his bodyguard. That's why I recognized your name, and...”

She shifted a little on her hooves, nervously looking over him as Thesis only stood, bowing his head slightly towards her. It was enough to help Cadence relax a little, the ivory mare studying him a little more intently before she murmured the first thing that came to mind: “But you don't feel like the person you were back then.”

“Well, you're not a foal anymore, either. We all grow up, you know.” Thesis replied reasonably, smiling down at her before he reached up and patted her condescendingly on the head. “I won't beat you up this time. Don't worry.”

Cadence's face puckered sourly, but Thesis only winked before he slipped past her to examine Moonflower, looking up and down the stallion as Moonflower's eyes roved carefully over Thesis, perhaps a little too carefully, Cadence thought as she scowled horribly at the black unicorn. “So, you're Moonflower, huh? You're Thorn's coltfriend.”

“Yes!” Moonflower exclaimed, his eyes widening slightly as a faint blush suffused his cheeks. For a few moments, the two simply looked at each other until Thesis politely cleared his throat, and the black unicorn gave a dumb smile before he blurted: “Handsomeness must run in the family, though, because you are also... really handsome!”

Thesis looked mildly at Moonflower for a few moments, until the black unicorn slowly shrank his head between his shoulders, then scuttled awkwardly away, or rather, he attempted to, but then got caught on the straps that were still attached between his body and the cargo crate, nearly falling on his face with a squawk before he looked lamely up when Thorn caught him by one shoulder.

The sapphire stallion smiled a little as he helped Moonflower straighten up, and then Thorn slipped his hoof down to the black unicorn's side, pulling off one of the buckles attaching him to the crate as he turned his eyes back to Thesis. “These are my friends. And...”

He hesitated for a moment, then looked over his shoulder at Silver, who was lurking moodily in the background. “Silver, please step forward.”

Silver snorted, but she did as asked all the same, striding up and surveying Thesis distastefully for a few moments before she said shortly: “I am a fat pig.”

“I thought my aunt died.” Thesis said softly, looking over Silver with a small smile before he shook his head slowly and whistled quietly. “Wow. Mom really went all out to protect you, huh?”

Silver snorted again at this, and then she said contemptibly, as she rose one steel hoof: “If that's what you call this torture, then yes, I suppose she did go 'all out.'”

Thesis only smiled wryly, and then he turned his eyes back towards Thorn, who was calmly removing the other straps from Moonflower as the unicorn sat obediently, his eyes still staring over Thesis, clearly enthralled. “You have an odd bunch here, kiddo. A... really odd bunch.”

Thorn shrugged a bit as he finished removing the straps from Moonflower, and then he tapped him on the shoulder, making the unicorn jump a little, then blush awkwardly as Thorn asked politely: “Will you and Cadence please open the crate?”

Cadence frowned uncertainly, glancing nervously at Thesis as Moonflower hurried back to the crate, the ivory mare unable to help from asking: “Are we... but isn't he-”

“Thesis is not regarded as a hostile. This... confrontation with Thokk is more complicated than a war between forces of 'good' and 'evil,' Cadence.” Thorn replied pointedly, and the ivory mare grumbled but nodded awkwardly to the stallion after a moment, even as she sighed a little. “Please try to keep that in mind.”

“I am. I really am.” Cadence mumbled, and then she bit her lip and looked at Thesis, who looked back at her with a smile. A kind smile, she thought... “You uh... Melinda talked about you.”

“I hope she wasn't too rough on you guys. She can get away with a bit more than the rest of us, though, because if she goes back to the Void, Thokk won't be able to resummon her quite as easily as the rest of us.” Thesis gestured at himself, then he turned his eyes towards Thorn and added in a quieter voice: “Rig is... distracted for now, but I have to warn you that I don't think Thokk is entirely unaware of what I'm doing. She's crafty. She knows that this...”

Thesis turned his eyes towards the cargo crate, where Moonflower was now carefully lifting what looked almost like an engine free from the interior of the crate, and he softened a little before he murmured: “This isn't a good idea.”

“You're family. Family does what it can for each other, regardless of whether it's a 'good idea' or not.” Thorn replied with a shrug, meeting Thesis' eyes fearlessly.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Thesis chuckled quietly before he reached up and knocked twice on Thorn's helmet, making him scowl a little as the Replicant remarked wryly: “You're a good kid, kid.”

“Yes. Thank you.” Thorn said dryly as he reached up and gently pushed Thesis' hoof away, and then he shook his head briefly before asking: “What are Thokk's movements?”

Thesis snorted in amusement at this, but Silver spoke before the stallion could, saying acerbically: “Yes, because that's all you and the sow really care about, isn't it? You don't give gifts and neither does she. You just give bribes. Fattening the pigs, that's all you know how to do.”

Thorn looked at Silver distastefully for a moment, and Thesis snorted in amusement before he remarked: “You know, I never really saw my Mom as a cow. No, she's definitely like... more like a dinosaur. Because she's huge and scary and a lot of ponies don't believe she exists.”

“That's because of dragons.” Thorn said, and when the others stared at him, he glanced around before explaining: “Larger dinosaur skeletons are mistaken for species of extinct dragon. Furthermore, although the evolutionary path is extremely different, many ponies mistakenly believe that sauropods evolved into dragon or dragon-kin. Therefore dinosaurs are often misclassed as-”

“You're so oblivious sometimes, and I find that adorable.” Thesis said blandly, earning a horrible look from Thorn. Then he looked up with a wink at Silver, adding: “But hey, at least he's smart, right? And he sure knows where his priorities are.”

“Do not even pretend to lecture me about my family.” growled Silver, bristling visibly as she bared her teeth at Thesis. “All I know is what happened to me, and that I was betrayed, and that even now I have-”

“So much pain, and it's all the world's fault, not mine for refusing to let go. Hey, I'm just protecting myself, that's all. Screw the world, screw my family, and the fact they're trying to be there for me now, they totally should have been there for me before and I don't have to be helpful or nice at all and I shouldn't have to be a grown up, they totally missed out on their chance.” Thesis interrupted loudly, flailing his hooves back and forth through the air before he stomped down and leaned forwards, glaring through Silver's tinted lenses and into her eyes. “Emotions hurt, but they're still excuses. They're not logical, like reasons. And believe me, Silver, you want to learn, and learn fast, to get over yourself. Because if you don't, you'll hurt yourself, hurt others, and ultimately...”

Thesis softened as he looked towards the sapphire stallion, saying quietly: “You'll never know a regret greater than the regrets you carry about being so... weak. Or, you know, you'll go completely crazy with it, and you'll just lash out at everyone and... well...”

Thesis sat back, giving an ironic smile. “That doesn't end too pleasantly either.”

Silver only snorted in contempt, looking distastefully at Thesis for a few moments before she shook her head and said softly: “You should check yourself, little pony. Neither you, nor that little urchin that my sister picked up off the street to comfort herself, are family to me.”

Thesis' eyes narrowed, but he didn't speak as Moonflower and Cadence shifted uncomfortably, the only noise the faint grinding and rumbling of machinery in the distance. Silver only stood for a few moments, but then she snorted in contempt and disgust before turning around and storming quickly away, muttering: “I'll wait for you outside. I no longer desire to take any part in this.”

As Silver stalked away, Thesis slowly shook his head before he sighed a little, then he gave an awkward smile to Thorn, saying finally: “Don't worry. Family is family, right?”

“Family is family. Sometimes even when you choose to leave it.” Thorn replied quietly, and then he sighed a little before silently looking over his shoulder, adding in a softer voice: “And sometimes, no matter how much you love something, you have to let it go.”

Thesis frowned at this, but Thorn only continued to gaze after Silver silently, hating the fact that even if family was the most important thing, sometimes even that had to be given up to protect the greater good.

Our Hopes And Dreams

Chapter Forty Seven: Our Hopes And Dreams
~BlackRoseRaven

Thesis gritted his teeth, clenching his eyes shut as Thorn finished the surgery on his back, the sapphire stallion leaning away from the bloody, energy-bleeding crater before he nodded once and said quietly: “That should do it. At least... I think it should. Your physical appearance may be the same, but your physiology... the workings of your body are now very different.”

“Yeah. Being dead will do that to you.” Thesis mumbled, before he shook himself out as he hesitantly stood up on top of the blanket Thorn had laid out, grimacing and flexing slowly. “I can feel them in my back, a little more distinctly than I used to be able to...”

Thorn nodded once as he stepped back, and Thesis fidgeted a little before Thorn chastised: “The nodes need to settle into place. Don't move too much or you could disrupt the-”

“Is he always like this?” Thesis asked mildly, looking pointedly over at Moonflower and Cadence, but both ponies were just staring at him, looking a little ill. “What? Hey, you can't look at me like that. I'm not ugly. Unless you're sick with envy, that is. That's fine.”

Cadence shook her head quickly, then she grimaced a bit before shoving Moonflower as he continued to stare, the black unicorn yelping before he blurted: “Are you okay? Your back is... open!”

“Yes. My back is open. It's a... quirk.” Thesis said with a shrug of his shoulders, giving a slight smile before he added mildly, as he looked over at Thorn: “And contrary to what Thorn here seems to think, it actually does hurt like hell when you stick large objects in there. Did you really have to go with the size nines?”

“Actually they were five inch adaman screws.” Thorn corrected, and Thesis gave him a dour look.

“You do know that like, I know you're taking everything I say literally on purpose, right? I know you're not that dumb.” Thesis said dryly, and Thorn looked at him pointedly. “Not... dumb-dumb, I know you're not a dumb-dumb, I mean. You know what I mean. Stop it. You're weird.”

Thorn only looked at Thesis for a few more moments, and then he turned towards Cadence and Moonflower, explaining: “Thesis was badly injured during his days serving in the Equestrian military. He had several surgeries in the past similar to this to install synthetics capable of mobilizing his body.”

“And that thing we call an exoskeleton. Although...” Thesis hesitated, looking a little uneasily at Thorn as he gestured awkwardly towards the engine-looking thing sitting a few feet away. “It's uh... 'safe,' right?”

Thorn scowled slightly back at Thesis as if insulted, responding: “Of course it's safe. This new model of exoskeleton is based on my exosuit. It uses electrical impulses and servomotors, not the Clay of Prometheus. You may be more limited, power-wise-”

“Limitations exist to be overcome. Didn't Mom ever tell you that, squirt?” Thesis asked as he reached up to knock on Thorn's helmet again, and the sapphire stallion gave him a horrible look in response. “I'll take that as a no.”

Thorn only rolled his eyes, and then Cadence said softly: “You know, you're... really different than what I remember. Especially with the whole... emotions thing.”

“I know. Believe me, I know. I was... in a bad place back then. I'm better now, sort of.” Thesis absently gestured at himself, tapping a hoof against his own breast. “I'm dead, and I'm working for the enemy, but... overall, I'm pretty great, I think.”

Thorn sighed a little as Thesis winked over at Cadence, and the ivory mare smiled a little before she thought she caught some strange, faint whiff of energy. Her eyes narrowed, and she felt the Swan stir inside of her as Thesis frowned a little before Cadence shook her head and mumbled: “Sorry. I just got the weirdest sensation for a moment.”

Thesis only shrugged easily, then he looked over at Moonflower, who smiled lamely before the black unicorn said helpfully: “I think you're an exquisite deep shade of Prussian blue!”

“Uh. Thanks.” Thesis said awkwardly, and Thorn smiled a little despite himself before the black stallion said mildly: “You know, Moonflower, Melinda was pretty interested in you. She said that while my little brother here has the greatest control she's ever seen-” He reached up and flung a foreleg around Thorn's neck, nearly choking him as he grinned widely. “You, on the other hoof, had the most power she's ever witnessed in any unicorn. You should be proud of yourself.”

“I... certainly am!” Moonflower replied with an honest smile, raising his head as he gave the faintest blush before he added hurriedly: “Not that it isn't expected, of course, as I am... I am the Lord of Darkness and the Loremaster of Decretum, and-”

“Where did this Loremaster crap come from, anyway?” Cadence interrupted, and Moonflower scowled horribly at her, but the mare only shrugged and looked mildly back at him. “Hey, you're the one who keeps saying it. Usually you have some kind of weird reasoning behind the stupid stuff you blurt out.”

“Of course, it is because I am... smart. I am the smartest in all of Decretum!” Moonflower declared, thrusting a hoof in the air, and when Thorn and Cadence both looked at him mildly, he cleared his throat awkwardly before lowering his head slightly and saying finally: “Lore... wise, I mean. Spellbook wise. I know more spells than any other pony in Decretum. And am capable of casting them all. I am therefore the Loremaster and that is not just another title I have bestowed upon myself.”

“Decretum's current Loremaster is actually Isle Vitalis. She possesses knowledge of almost every unicorn spell known to ponykind, and learns more as we gain new insight from other versions of Midgard.” Thorn said as he carefully extracted himself from Thesis, and Moonflower's face fell before the sapphire stallion smiled maybe ever so slightly, adding: “But you have far greater potential power than her. I don't think Loremaster is a fitting title, Moonflower, but if you're serious about it, we can find you a better position.”

Moonflower smiled warmly even as he shifted ever-so-hesitantly, and Thorn added: “Of course, that wouldn't negate your current obligations and duties with Team 0-0. You would still be expected to play your role as a soldier of Decretum.”

“Yes, of course! I mean... I still think I deserve to be a team leader, at some point, but I am more than willing to continue to... uh... help out where my help is needed.” Moonflower said hurriedly, nodding a few times before he smiled over at Cadence. “I wouldn't want to leave my team struggling without me, after all.”

“You're a real saint, Moonflower.” Cadence said ironically, and then she turned her eyes towards Thesis and Thorn. “Do we... not that I want to rush things along...”

“I should have a few more hours before I have to make my report, and Rig is going to be busy for a while. But like I said... I think Miss Witch knows exactly what's going on here.” Thesis quieted, shaking his head briefly as Thorn looked at him. “Hey, don't give me those puppy eyes. Besides, you and I both know it's... better this way.”

“It would be better if you would come back with us. We could contain Rig. We could do a thousand things to try and help you.” Thorn said softly, and Thesis smiled faintly at him, which made Thorn chuckle quietly and nod slowly. “Yes, I know. But you know too.”

“I do. We're family. This is what we do for each other.” Thesis quieted, and then he smiled before slapping Thorn on the back, saying warmly: “Hey, did I tell you that I got a chance to fight your parents? It was pretty fun, right up until your Mom punched me into a hole in the ground with her magic fist things.”

“Jötunnfang. I think it literally means the giant's hands, but I may be wrong.” Thorn replied with a small smile, nodding briefly to Thesis. “I take it you didn't capture them?”

“I stood no chance.” Thesis stopped, then he softened and asked quietly: “Why are you giving me this exoskeleton when you know that Thokk might know, when you know that... I'll use it to capture your parents? Helping family, I get that, but-”

“Oh, you won't be able to capture them even with this. You're no match for any one of them, let alone all three of them together.” Thorn replied, and Thesis gave the sapphire stallion a look even as a slight smile twitched at his muzzle. “It's true. It's a simple matter of applying your approximated combat statistics against theirs.”

“Hey, you know, I totally was saying that before you, and while I was crazy.” Thesis replied mildly, reaching up and shoving a hoof against Thorn's horn, making him scowl. “And furthermore, I said the same thing about your parents. There was absolutely no way they could match me in combat, and I proved that consistently. And in the end, they still beat me.”

Thorn nodded, replying dryly: “Precisely. They beat you before when you were superior to them. Now you're inferior.”

“Well, at least I'm not an asshole.” Thesis said pointedly, and Thorn continued to look at him until Thesis said awkwardly: “I'm... implying you're an asshole.”

The sapphire stallion nodded seriously, and then he turned his eyes back towards Cadence and Moonflower, saying: “Moonflower, I need your help to install the exoskeleton in Thesis' back. Cadence, afterwards, I would like you and my brother to spar, to ensure the systems are working. Are you comfortable with this?”

Thesis smiled a little as Cadence shifted, remembering the first and last time she had fought this stallion: she had only been a filly, and she had been in the company of both her father and the dragon, and he had been savage...

“If you're not comfortable with it, don't worry. I'll just give my brother the ass-kicking he needs.” Thesis said blandly, as he reached up to pat Thorn on the head, making him glower in the stallion's direction.

“No, it's fine. I... need to see how much I've improved, anyway.” Cadence replied with a small smile, nodding briefly to the stallion as she studied him for a few moments. “Just... be nice to me, huh?”

Thesis chuckled quietly at this, shrugging a bit before he replied kindly: “Hey, don't worry. I'm not the kind of stallion who likes to beat mares senseless. Usually just enough to make sure you know your place and all.”

The Replicant winked, and Cadence rolled her eyes in amusement before Thorn said mildly: “You two can try and get to know each other better after we install the exoskeleton. Moonflower, bring the machine here, please.”

The black unicorn nodded hurriedly, almost yanking the machine into the air with telekinesis and making Thorn wince, while Thesis snorted before he flexed a little, saying mildly: “If you're sure. But like I said, we don't really have to rush here or anything. I've got a little longer.”

Thorn smiled briefly, glancing over at Thesis as he replied: “The scans don't indicate-”

“Whoa, hey, whoa. You've been scanning me this whole time? Uncool. Not cool at all.” Thesis said disapprovingly, but Thorn only continued to look at him mildly, unfettered as ever. “You know, you're way too much like Mom. Always so strict. Always so scary. Always jumping to conclusions, like that time she found those magazines under my bed. Did she ever find magazines under your bed, Thorn?”

“We don't have magazines native to Decretum. They're imported from other worlds or treated as artifacts.” Thorn answered, and Thesis gave him a dry look before the stallion instructed: “Lay back down on your stomach.”

“And raise my rump in the air? You shouldn't think about me that way, Thorn.” Thesis replied glibly, and Moonflower giggled childishly as Cadence grinned: not so much at Thesis' joke, but at the impenetrable thousand yard stare that Thorn gave him. “Oh, fine. You're no fun, you know that?”

“I am not, and I do.” Thorn answered and Thesis glowered at him before he sighed when Thorn gestured with his hoof again at the ground, the Replicant muttering under his breath as he carefully settled down on his stomach.

Thorn nodded as he began to turn towards Moonflower, but then blinked and returned his eyes to Thesis when the Replicant grasped his foreleg suddenly, the two looking at each other for a few moments before the Replicant said quietly: “If I start going crazy, break it.”

“I'll shut it down.” Thorn promised, and Thesis gave a small smile before the sapphire stallion added quietly: “But I think Thokk is smart enough to know to wait until you get back before she does anything.”

“Yeah. But... just in case.” Thesis smiled briefly, and then he sighed a little before laying his head down, asking: “Direct attachment?”

“Pressure, weight, and magnetization.” Thorn replied with a shrug, before he added: “I can also cauterize if necessary, but-”

“Nope.” Thesis said immediately, and he grimaced a bit as Moonflower awkwardly hovered the exoskeleton slowly over to Thorn, who gently guided it above Thesis. “Look, I still feel pain, you know. It's muted, and it's different from when I was alive, sure, but in some ways it's even more unpleasant. It's like-”

Moonflower winced as Thorn suddenly pulled the exoskeleton down, and Thesis arched his back with a gasp as it slammed almost perfectly into the open wound in his body, his eyes bulging before he slumped and wheezed: “It feels a lot like that, you bastard.”

Thorn shrugged and smiled wryly, and Thesis wheezed a few times before he grimaced a bit as there were several loud clicks from his back before Thorn said calmly: “Moonflower, I need you to charge the crystal here on the back. I also need you to apply a bit of your gravity magic to the shell.”

“That sounds dangerous.” Thesis said moodily as Moonflower nervously strode around to Thesis' back, his eyes locking on the hidden panel that Thorn had opened with telekinesis, studying the simple crystal battery inside, before Moonflower's eyes slowly slid down to stare at Thesis' rump.

Thorn sighed tiredly, then he smacked Moonflower firmly, making him yelp before he quickly focused back on the crystal battery, his horn glowing as he said awkwardly: “I was just. Thinking of how that might affect his body, that's all!”

“I'm sure you were.” Thorn said dryly, and then he shook his head before he returned his eyes to Thesis, adding: “We're experimenting with a new type of modification. It's in its beginning stages, but all the same, it should work excellently.”

“So you're using me as a guinea pig, huh? I guess that's actually not the worst idea, all things considered.” Thesis said ironically, and Thorn smiled briefly before the Replicant shook his head. “Well, I trust you, and... hey, if it doesn't work, I'll try not to hold it against you. But I might want to beat you up.”

Thorn only shrugged, then he nodded to Moonflower as the sapphire stallion finished charging the battery, machinery whirring loudly as it began to come to life. The sapphire pony closed the hatch over the battery with a flick of his horn, and then he said softly: “Now, seal it with your gravity magic. You should be able to feel the metal's reactivity. Be careful to stick to the edges of the machinery.”

Moonflower bit his lip nervously, but then he nodded quickly before taking a slow breath, carefully tilting his horn forwards as it thrummed with dark energy. “I'll... do my best to.”

“You don't have to do your best, Moonflower. Just focus, and do.” replied Thorn, and Moonflower smiled a bit before he nodded again as he carefully focused his magic over the edge of the exoskeleton.

The metal glimmered strangely in reaction to the stallion's powers, sinking slightly further into his back as Thesis grimaced a little, and Thorn watched intently through his visor. Moonflower could feel it slightly, but Thorn was able to get a better view through the reading on his lenses. It was transforming as they had theorized: as Moonflower's magic spread through the metal, the metal itself reacted by sealing itself against Thesis's body, flowing like a waxy tide.

“That stings.” Thesis grimaced a bit as he shifted a little, but Thorn grasped his shoulder, and the Replicant ground his teeth together even as he forced his body to relax, muttering: “I'm trying. But it hurts. And it feels like it's literally merging with my body.”

“This avoids me literally melting it onto your body, so you should be thankful.” Thorn replied dryly, and Thesis winced slightly before he nodded awkwardly. “Good. Stay still so we don't interrupt the process at all.”

Thesis nodded again, breathing slowly as he lowered his head slightly and closed his eyes, and Moonflower bit his lip as he continued to trace along the edge of the machine with his magic, being as gentle and controlled as he could.

It took several minutes, but when Moonflower stepped back, Thesis absently rolled his shoulders before he stood up almost immediately, only needing to shake his head slightly to clear it as he remarked wryly: “Well, that was a lot better than most of the times I've been flat on my stomach.”

Thorn absently clicked through several levels of his visor, and then he nodded once. “It looks like it worked as expected. Is there any discomfort? Has your movement been affected?”

Thesis paused for a moment, then he suddenly flung himself backwards, flipping neatly once before landing on his rear hooves with both forelegs out. Thorn scowled a bit as Cadence smiled despite herself and Moonflower clapped with a giggle. “Feels fine!”

Thorn rolled his eyes as Thesis dropped back to his hooves, and then he smiled briefly over his shoulder at the exoskeleton: now that it was implanted in his back, he was able to see a lot of the differences between this one and the older one far more clearly: this one didn't have visible pistons, but instead four servomotors that were slightly recessed into the shell of metal, all whirring away and stimulating his body with energy.

He flexed slowly, then nodded once as he rose a hoof, saying softly: “Yeah. The weight distribution feels a lot better. Also feels like it should be easier to move around like this.” He paused, then concentrated for a moment as his body tensed-

Thesis vanished from the spot, then reappeared on Thorn's other side a second later, the sapphire stallion giving the briefest smile as Cadence and Moonflower both stared in shock. “Mimics that too, huh?”

He halted, then rolled his shoulders slowly as he shoved a hoof against the ground, and veins of corruption spread through the metal before turning to solid crystal. Cadence's eyes widened further at this, but Thesis smiled briefly after a moment before he said softly: “Amazing. You've designed it to help stabilize the chemical imbalances as well. Excitement and adrenaline will no longer cause the synthesis of...”

He closed his eyes for a moment, frowning slightly, then he shook his head quickly before smiling as he rose his head, meeting Thorn's eyes. “Okay. Maybe not perfect. But still way better than it's ever been. Since, you know, I'm not going crazy and all.”

Thorn smiled briefly, and Thesis grinned a little before he turned his eyes towards Cadence, asking easily: “Do you feel up to a spar, then, or am I too intimidating for you?”

“It's like Daddy's, huh?” Cadence mused more than asked, but Thorn nodded all the same as Thesis cocked his head.

“In design, not function.” Thorn answered, and when Thesis poked him, he explained: “Cadence's father, Sombra, was forcibly augmented with a Clay of Prometheus prototype. In some ways, the experimentation done on him bears some similarities to the Replicant project, but there was no intended outcome beyond making him... hostile.”

“King Serenite... I remember him.” Thesis chuckled quietly, then he shook his head slowly as he smiled briefly over at Cadence. “Right. He stopped me from assassinating you. Which, I mean, I apologize for. I wasn't myself at the time, though, and I was under orders... although neither of those things are a really good excuse.”

Cadence smiled briefly, and then Thesis winked before he rose a hoof, asking easily: “But if you're a big girl now and you want a bit of revenge, well, here's your chance. I promise not to teleport circles around you.”

The ivory mare snorted in amusement at this, and then she shook her head before she stood up. For a moment she remembered what it had been like, as a little filly, facing a cold, hard, compassionless monster who had devastated her in a short, vicious fight, but she wasn't a little filly anymore, was she? And nor was this stallion the broken, heartless thing she had met before. “I remember nearly making you cry.”

“Hey, you used that weird emotion magic on me. That wasn't fair.” Thesis retorted, as Moonflower cocked his head curiously and Thorn turned his eyes with interest towards Cadence.

“What is he talking about?” Thorn asked, and Cadence smiled lamely before she shrugged awkwardly.

“Just a childish trick. I used to be able to do a funny sort of magic that was... well, I don't think it's got any use anymore. I've never seen Brokenhearted outside of my own layer of Midgard, and I guess Thesis was-”

“Show me, please.” Thorn said, and Cadence shifted awkwardly before she cocked an eyebrow at Thesis when he nodded vigorously.

“Hey, yeah, I agree! Why don't you show Thorn that magic?” Thesis said pointedly, and Cadence shifted awkwardly before she looked at Thorn, who was giving his brother a dry look.

Then the sapphire stallion turned his eyes towards Cadence and shrugged, saying finally: “Go ahead. It's better if I experience it anyway, so I can judge the effects.”

Cadence smiled lamely, and then she bit her lip before concentrating, her horn taking on a rosy glow as she muttered: “Okay, but... don't blame me if anything weird happens.”

Thorn simply shrugged, before he frowned slightly as Cadence bit her lip as a rose-colored bubble slowly peeled itself out of her horn, the mare mumbling: “This is a lot harder than I remember it being...”

She floated the bubble slowly over towards Thorn, the sapphire stallion frowning slightly before he flinched when the bubble made contact with him and popped. For a moment, there was nothing, and then Thorn giggled, making Moonflower stare and Thesis cover his muzzle to try and hide a grin.

Thorn blinked a few times, and then he scowled again after a moment, chewing distastefully at his tongue as he muttered: “Short lived emotional discharge.”

“That's a great way to phrase it.” Thesis said mildly, and Thorn gave him a dry look. “Hey, I didn't say it. You said it.”

Thorn rolled his eyes, and then he nodded briefly once before muttering: “Interesting reaction, though. Emotional magic: I can see some use for it, but it would also require some modification to be any use in a combat setting.”

“I didn't know you could do that!” Moonflower blurted out in an almost-offended voice, and Cadence gave an awkward smile and shrug to the black unicorn, who scowled a little before he screwed up his face as he visibly concentrated: “Oh, how hard could it be to-”

Lightning shocked over Moonflower's body, and he flopped backwards, blinking several times before squawking loudly, and Thorn sighed a little as he said dryly: “The difficulty isn't in focusing the magic, bur rather in extending emotional reach. How do you form emotional energy into magical energy, then pass that on to someone else to replicate emotion?”

“I don't understand what you just said. Okay, Cadence, let's spar. Maybe you'll learn a thing or two.” Thesis said easily, winking over at the ivory mare, and Cadence smiled awkwardly before she nodded and stepped forwards, taking a slow breath as she felt the Swan twist inside of her.

Thesis smiled, and Thorn nodded before he stepped backwards, the sapphire stallion absently reaching out to grasp Moonflower's shoulder when the unicorn sat up before half-pulling him away to the edge of the hall, giving Cadence and Thesis plenty of room.

The two faced each other for a few moments, studying one-another before Thesis grinned widely and remarked easily: “You know, you're pretty pretty. How much time do you spend each morning polishing your golden horseshoes?”

“Oh great, you're going to be one of those people.” Cadence said dryly, and then she asked: “Weapons or no weapons?”

“Come at me with everything you've got. I need to do a light workout anyway. Have to maintain my girlish figure.” Thesis said with a wink, and Cadence scowled before the Replicant flexed one foreleg, adding: “I say that for your benefit, by the way, to make you feel less bad about the fact you're a little more butch than me. I mean, I'm handsome, not butch, and-”

A throwing knife sank home into Thesis' bicep, and his eyes bulged before he slapped wildly at this, grabbing at his limb and glaring at Cadence as she said dryly: “Just shut up and fight.”

Thesis shrugged, smiling at her pleasantly after a moment, and Cadence opened her mouth as she leaned forwards slightly. And in that moment, the Replicant struck like a snake, lunging forwards with a speed that Cadence knew she couldn't match before she was slammed into the air by an uppercut.

Her wings spread and flapped hard on reflex more than anything else, releasing a flash of energy that knocked Thesis skidding backwards as he covered his eyes with a curse. Cadence gritted her teeth as she shot down towards him, slamming a kick into the side of Thesis' head, and he yelped in pain as he was knocked skidding over the ground on his face before he rolled sharply back up to his hooves, glaring at the ivory mare as she landed.

“Thesis is using the durability of his body to test you. Cadence's movements and reactions are enhanced by the combat ability of the Swan.” Thorn explained, and both ponies shouted a similar order at the sapphire stallion, which only made him shrug. “Fine. If neither of you want combat analysis, I'll shut up.”

“Please do. You're going to ruin all the surprises.” Thesis said dryly, and then he turned back towards Cadence-

A knife slammed home into his face, and Thesis staggered backwards, grabbing wildly at his features as he howled: “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Don't take your eyes off the target.” Cadence answered flatly, and Thesis winced as he yanked the knife loose from his head, a faint steam of energy rising up before the wound closed almost instantly. “Plus, your body is almost indestructible.”

“Yeah, that doesn't mean I like having knives sticking literally out of my face.” Thesis retorted, glaring at Cadence before he charged suddenly forwards.

Cadence leapt backwards as she drew two more throwing knives out of her bandoleer, flinging them sharply at Thesis' face, but the stallion deflected them both as he sprung towards the mare. She ducked sharply under his attack, but then her eyes widened as she felt something being yanked off her back before she spun around-

And found herself staring down the barrel of her own gun, Thesis grinning and with the MARES rifle fully extended, the gun balanced upside-down on his shoulder as he caressed the trigger with a hoof. He was facing away from her, but all the same, Cadence felt like his eyes were locked on her own as he said pleasantly: “What are you going to do now?”

Cadence narrowed her eyes slightly, before they widened as Thorn noted: “The safety's on.”

Thesis winced, then savagely kicked backwards with both rear hooves, but Cadence threw herself out of the way before her horn glowed brightly as Thesis spun around: just as the Replicant began to bring the rifle down, he was blasted backwards by a white fireball, the gun flying out of his hooves as he yelped in surprise before Cadence shot forwards, catching the rifle in midair before she dropped like a meteor, slamming down on top of the Replicant and pinning him under her rear hooves as she shoved the barrel of the gun down into his face.

She glared down at him as Thesis stared up at her blankly for a few moments, and then the stallion suddenly grinned as he blushed ever so slightly, saying lamely: “So uh... you've grown up.”

Cadence grunted, glowering down at the stallion before Thorn remarked dryly: “The safety is still on.”

“I know. But if he moves I'm going to shove this through his eye.” Cadence grumbled, and Thesis winced slightly before the ivory mare asked: “Another round?”

“I... I think I'm good, thanks. You're pretty impressive.” Thesis said awkwardly, as he carefully reached up to push the barrel of the rifle away from his eye. Cadence grunted, but then she smiled ever so slightly before nodding once as she stepped off the stallion, Thesis gazing after her awkwardly before he gave a goofy grin and reached up to rub a hoof lamely through his mane.

Thorn frowned slightly at this, but Moonflower's eyes slowly widened before he clapped his hooves violently together several times, almost shouting: “Let's have dinner!”

The other ponies all stared blankly at the black unicorn for a few moments, and Moonflower gave an awkward smile before he said hurriedly: “Well, you know, uh... you must need to eat after that workout, very... it was very intense, and you're... you should always eat after surgery!”

“I'm not sure that's logical at all.” Thorn said slowly, and then he blinked in surprise when Moonflower grabbed him and shook him firmly once, giving him a very pointed look that told Thorn... I do not know what he's trying to tell me. “We... don't have any food, anyway. And Thesis should-”

“Your handsome, talented, charming brother can stay a paltry ten more minutes to enjoy a bit of manna with us, I think!” Moonflower urged, waggling his eyebrows at Thorn as if he was still trying to send him a message, before the unicorn suddenly spun towards Thesis as Cadence scowled uncertainly: “You can spare five minutes, can't you?”

“Well, you said ten minutes, but... if you only want me here for five, I'm sure I can.” Thesis said mildly, shrugging a bit.

Cadence, however, grimaced slightly as she holstered her rifle, saying moodily: “Moonflower, the last time you tried to magic up food, you ended up covering all of us in... I hope to the Horses of Heaven you weren't lying when you said ectoplasm, because it sure as hell looked and smelled like-”

“It was a mistake!” Moonflower blurted out, waving his hooves erratically in the air, and then he cleared his throat awkwardly before quickly stepping forwards as his horn glowed brightly. “Watch. I'll prove it.”

Moonflower took a slow breath, then he gently swayed his horn to the side as it thrummed with energy, and there was a faint pulse of magic before several heaping bowls and plates of food assembled themselves. Cadence looked uncertainly over the feast that had appeared out of thin air, while Thesis whistled a little, remarking: “Not bad.”

“No... no, just... a simple parlor trick, really.” Moonflower wheezed, and Thorn smiled despite himself: creating edible, actual food was much more difficult than most ponies understood. It wasn't just a matter of simulating taste and nutritional values, but making it real: food that was illusory or short-lived could very well hurt the pony who tried to eat it, for all sorts of reasons.

He reached up and patted Moonflower on the back as his visor beeped a few times, scanning quickly over the food: not perfect, he noted, but definitely edible. “It's more than that. I suppose we can... take a moment to eat.”

Moonflower brightened immensely at this, throwing off his moment of windedness to nod vehemently in agreement. He looked almost imploringly towards Cadence and Thesis, and the two traded awkward looks before they both shrugged, then leaned forwards, both reaching out to take an apple.

Moonflower's eyes almost sparkled when the two grasped the same fruit, and then Thesis grinned lamely at Cadence, but the mare only grabbed a different apple from the pile and gave a small shrug, looking awkwardly at the stallion.

They half-turned away from each other, and Moonflower grabbed the sides of his head in consternation as Thorn only blinked and slowly tilted his head. Then he shrugged before reaching out to pick up a tart off another tray as he started: “The exoskeleton shouldn't require much upkeep. If it is severely damaged, however, you'll need-”

“I know, I know. I'm not going to break it, don't worry.” Thesis half-glanced over his shoulder, and then he softened a little before adding quietly: “Thorn... thank you. And thank Mother for me, too. I... don't deserve this. I know I don't.”

“You do. I just wish...” Thorn halted, then he gave a brief smile and shook his head before saying finally: “Well, regrets are pointless. Are we being observed at all?”

Thesis hesitantly shook his head, replying after a moment: “No, I don't think so. Not by Thokk or Rig, anyway. They're both... distinct, to me. They have a malice.”

“That's one word for it.” Cadence muttered, and the ivory mare bit hesitantly into her apple before she smiled a little over at Moonflower. It wasn't bad. “You didn't screw up this time. Do you sense anything, Moonflower?”

Moonflower stared at Cadence, and for a moment the mare wondered if she'd said something wrong before the black unicorn waggled his eyebrows at her, trilling: “Oh, there's something in the air I sense! Don't you feel it too, Princess of Love?”

“Hey, these are great apples. Great apples.” Thesis said loudly, and as Cadence turned towards him, he flung his half-eaten apple into Moonflower's face, knocking him sprawling before the stallion grinned over at Cadence as she frowned at him. “I ate mine already. They're great.”

Cadence cocked her head towards the stallion, and Thorn smiled despite himself before he shook his head slowly, studying Thesis with interest. Thesis shot him a horrible look, but Thorn only shrugged before he said mildly: “If your adrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin are all excited-”

“You shut the hell up about my adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin. You have no idea what's going on with my neurotransmitters!” Thesis retorted as he grabbed his head, blushing ever so slightly as he favored his brother with a horrible look.

“I suppose I don't. But still, there are worse things in the world.” Thorn shrugged a bit before he looked at Cadence, who was only frowning as she slowly ate her apple. “Hecate told me, Thesis, that you never really had a lot of relationships when you were young. Not even many friendships. She also told me how you treated your soldiers then, compared to how you changed due to the...”

“The corruption. The Clay of Prometheus and... my own defects, I guess.” Thesis smiled briefly. “I mean, much as I'd love to, I can't blame the chemicals entirely. They didn't create the problem by themselves. There were... problems already there that were just exacerbated by the Clay.”

Thesis flexed a hoof slowly, looking down at it as he murmured quietly: “Having time to myself to reflect on that in the Void is part of what helped me... realize and understand that. I mean, even in the Void I wasn't well, but at the same time, I was getting better. I was just... afraid, and desperate. And worst of all, trying to deal with myself all the time, but... you know, that helped too, in its own way.”

Cadence tilted her head curiously as Thorn smiled briefly, and there was silence for a moment before Thesis explained quietly: “You can't run away from, or ignore your problems. I mean, all of us know that, but few of us ever really learn that. You have to take responsibility for yourself: even if something isn't your fault, that doesn't mean it's not still your responsibility, you know?”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Cadence smiled briefly before she glanced down at the apple core in her hoof. She tossed it away, then glanced up in surprise when Thesis picked another out of the pile and held it out to her, saying easily: “You know, one of the things I missed most was eating. I never even really realized how much I missed it until I got back from the Void. And you know, got my mind back intact.”

“But you had help from Thokk, in a sense.” Thorn said, and Thesis glared at Thorn before he bit his lip, then nodded hesitantly.

“I... guess.” he admitted finally, as Cadence took the apple from him. “I hate to say that, but I did. I mean, I wouldn't recommend it. Now Rig basically has all my mental disorders, except instead of suffering from them, he literally uses them like a whip to get me to do whatever he and Thokk want.”

Thesis scowled as he made a snapping motion with one hoof, and Thorn frowned slightly before he said quietly: “That sounds like a modified version of Prosopopeia Similara.”

Cadence and Moonflower both looked blankly at Thorn, and Thesis slowly rose an eyebrow before he asked mildly: “And where the hell did you learn such big words, kid?”

“Not from you, obviously.” Thorn replied mildly, and Thesis scowled before the sapphire stallion shook his head and said in a quieter voice: “I've been researching various forms of simulacra to create comparisons to the Voidborn. I don't know what you truly are, Thesis: are you really Thesis, or are you just a shell, a perfect replica? Either way, I accept you as my brother, but physiologically speaking, I need to know if you share more traits with a clone or a resurrected being.”

Thesis smiled wryly, and the he leaned towards Cadence and said dryly: “You know what they mean by hard science? They mean him.”

Cadence couldn't help but look awkwardly at Thorn as well, shifting a little before Moonflower said hesitantly: “Well, I know... very little about such things as this. But all the same... I've never felt that Thesis is anyone except for Thesis, if that makes any sense. He certainly doesn't seem like any of these... prosperity simulacrums to me.”

Thorn smiled despite himself, and Thesis gave Moonflower an amused look before he replied wryly: “Thank you, Moonflower. That means a lot, coming from a stallion who is even prettier than I am.”

“Well, I wouldn't go that far, but I am quite handsome, yes.” Moonflower replied with a wave of his hoof, and Thorn rolled his eyes in amusement as Cadence sighed and shook her head.

Quiet fell for a few moments, the ponies simply eating and relaxing in the silence, until Thesis finally looked up and asked: “So, Thorn. What do you know about the Prosopopeia Similara?”

Thorn looked back at Thesis for a moment as Cadence and Moonflower both turned curious eyes towards the sapphire stallion, and then he smiled briefly as he poured himself a cup of coffee, saying softly: “Well... in essence, it refers to a fragment of soul that's been used to create a simulacrum of a person. They're framed around the essence, powered by it, but not necessarily... the embodiment of it. Often, Prosopopeia Similara are crafted and shaped to be the 'perfect' illusion of a person: they are designed, more than reborn.”

“The mirrors of Narcissus: not-people designed solely to validate the illusory, vacillating memories of another person. A living keepsake of the memories you once shared with someone, embodying and encompassing all of the good times, without any of the bad.” Thesis stopped, then he gave a slight smile. “See, I can use big words too.”

“And very poetically, yes. But anyone can craft prose, as long as they're willing to give voice to their thoughts.” Thorn replied with a shrug, and Thesis shrugged back amiably before the younger sibling continued: “Prosopopeia Similara are also sometimes crafted into perfect bodyguards. Built from the essence of someone loved or desired, shaped to be a perfect servant, and designed to be an absolutely loyal guardian.”

“I actually fought them in the past.” Thesis said, and Cadence cocked her head before the Replicant added: “I also fought dragons, golems, robots, giants, demons, ghosts, griffin magicians, Kirin, giant floating battlestations, ponies in robot suits, robots in pony suits, uh-”

“Yes, you fought everything. You were one of Decretum's longest-acting combat units.” Thorn said dryly, before he shrugged when Thesis looked at him mildly. “No, not the longest. The Hexad, for example, served longer than you.”

“I didn't think they did. Did they really?” Thesis asked curiously, frowning slightly, and Thorn simply nodded. “Huh. But does being in a cloning tank really count? I was actively deployed-”

“You were rarely 'actively deployed,' Thesis. Most of your time was spent either in stasis or on passive deployment inside one of the facilities.” Thorn countered, and Thesis looked awkwardly away before he suddenly opened his mouth- “No. Prudence has the highest amount of completed missions, by a large margin. She also holds the record for neutralizations. And Wisdom received the most awards and honors.”

Thesis grumbled, sitting back, and Thorn smiled briefly at him before Cadence said mildly: “And here I thought you were supposed to be a big shot and all.”

“Hey, screw you. I'm... really big. That's the problem, though.” Thesis argued, hammering his own chest with one hoof. “I'm so important they wouldn't send me out on the field! You should know what that's like, being a former princess and all.”

“Don't talk to me about my princess days. They were miserable.” Cadence grumbled, but then she bit her lip, thinking of Celestia, and... “Well, okay. They weren't... they weren't entirely bad, although yeah, it sucked to have poise, dignity, grace drilled into my head, and to try and live like that. But I mean, it wasn't all bad. I liked being able to boss people around. And the other princesses were really good to me.”

Thesis smiled a little at this, nodding slowly before he said softly: “One of my... my favorite people in the world was named Singing Lark. I always called her Songbird. She was one of my only friends... she was like my sister. She came from a servant family, and she was a... castle maid sounds so bad.”

Thesis laughed, shaking his head slowly as he sat back a little, before he turned his gentle ivory back to Cadence. “Anyway, I'd spend all the time I could with her, because she made me happy. She was my friend, she treated me like another pony, you know? Those are some of my best memories. Even if... we were at war with the griffins and things were crap and it was all just a slew of one bad thing after another, Songbird was always there, right up to the end...”

The Replicant quieted, then he looked down for a moment before clearing his throat, asking: “What about you, Thorn? You have some good friends here, but do you have any other friends? You must be pretty popular. I mean, it's not like anyone would ever be afraid of you for any reason whatsoever.”

Thorn gave Thesis a look, but as Moonflower smiled at him and Cadence nodded, the stallion finally admitted almost grudgingly: “Muse and Necrophage are my friends. Necrophage is very good to me.”

“Wow, Necrophage? Mom hasn't killed her yet?” Thesis whistled a little at this, shaking his head slowly before he smiled and sat back. “But that's great. What about the others? How many are left, do you know?”

The sapphire stallion looked almost insulted, and Thesis held up his hooves, snorting in amusement as he said dryly: “Yes, yes, of course you know. I didn't mean to question your all-knowing head or anything, Thorn.”

Thorn shrugged a bit, and then he opened his mouth before he frowned as the ring on his horn gleamed. He looked immediately back and forth for the presence as Thesis narrowed his eyes slightly, before Cadence stiffened up as a pair of icy hands grasped her shoulders tightly, the Swan going dead silent inside of her before a voice said kindly: “Now, now, little ones, it's time for you all to pick yourselves up and move on out! Thesis, dear, be a dear, and look the other way, will you? I can't have Thokk seeing me.”

Thesis closed his eyes, then awkwardly covered his face with his hooves, mumbling: “You know she can probably sense you through me all the same. We're not exactly perfect receptors and transmitters for her, but-”

“Pish-tush, mish-mush! Don't be silly, silly!” that voice, that horrible, cheerful, insidious voice behind Cadence cried, and the ivory mare bared her teeth before Hel leaned down and whispered: “Hello Danzsöngr. I want to have a word with you. Not now, not today, oh no, but a little later on. For now, you just keep on your butt. Wouldn't want to have any accidents now. Just like Shêtân here, you'd best keep your eyes to yourself!”

The Swan breathed slowly in and out as her whole body shivered with rage, and yet she couldn't do anything but comply. Moonflower was nervously shifting back and forth on his rump as he tried to sneak little glances now and then at Hel, while Thorn had his head bowed politely, but his eyes locked on the frosty puppet, respectful but clearly wary.

Hel smiled at him kindly, her dark, deep eyes locked on Thorn as she said softly: “And you, my little darling. I feel like I should have a word or two with you, too! Oh, sure your big metal momma's got a real shine for you, and she sure as my name has put me in an awkward position... which is usually my job!”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Thorn grimaced slightly as the ring on his horn gleamed before Hel said pleasantly: “We're going to be having a hoo-ha down south, and you're expected to attend, Thorn, as a Grand Inquisitor and all. Don't worry. You'll only be down in Hell for a week or so, elbowing other Inquisitors and all. You ponies have elbows, right?”

Hel wiggled her elbows wildly, but Thorn noted the puppet was very careful to keep her grip on Cadence's shoulders... or the Swan's, I should say. Cadence isn't in control right now. “Alright. I'll inform Empress Hecate.”

“Mommy problems, huh? Don't worry, we all have them! I had a lot of them too!” Hel said positively, winking at Thorn before she sniffed loudly, glancing up and adding: “That surfer-chick, though... she doesn't have a chip on her shoulder, she has the whole potato plantation! You grow potatoes in plantations, right?”

“Cadence, Moonflower, we're leaving. Thesis, you are-”

“Thesis is staying here.” Hel interrupted, suddenly cold and serious and sharp, and Thorn looked up in surprise before Hel giggled and pretended to shyly hide behind the Swan. “Whoops! I mean... I need to have a pleasant word with your incest-implying older sibling-form, okay sweetie?”

“I don't feel safe. Or like this is smart at all.” Thesis mumbled, and Thorn frowned slightly, catching something in that choice of words.

Apparently Hel didn't like it, either, as she immediately rose a hand and flicked a wrist sharply, encasing Thesis in a prison of solid ice, which made Moonflower fall backwards in shock and Danzsöngr snort. The ivory mare stiffened further as Hel released her grip on her shoulders, but then the ice puppet clicked her tongue before she said softly: “Now, now, sweet little mess, you just remember what I said. Don't go doing anything silly now, you hear?”

Danzsöngr lowered her head moodily after a moment, and then she nodded briefly once as she stood up and strode towards Thorn, keeping her eyes locked on the stallion and away from Hel. Moonflower nervously skittered over to Thorn as well, chewing on his lip uneasily as he shot another worried glance at the ice puppet, but Hel only smiled pleasantly before shooing them away, saying kindly: “Don't you worry, boys and girls. A Hel a day keeps the Thokk away!”

Thorn only nodded once, and then he turned around, gesturing at the others to follow silently. Hel smiled at them as they strode away before she easily flicked her hands out to either side, creating a dome of magic around herself and Thesis as the ice shattered around the stallion and let him slump to the ground with a wheeze.

He uncovered his eyes, then yelped when Hel flicked a finger towards him, frost reforming immediately over his eyes and blinding him as the frozen puppet said pleasantly: “No, oh no! Like I said, you keep your eyes to yourself, kiddo. You already tried to spoil the surprise there... and here I am, trying to help you out!”

“I was never very good at intrigue or deception operations.” Thesis muttered, shaking his head briefly. “Funny, considering that I was a-”

“Cuckoo!” Hel blurted, and Thesis scowled blindly in her direction, but Hel only smiled innocently, lacing her fingers together and sketching a curtsy with her elbows. “Well, hey! It's true! You're a pretty birdy, though, even if you've got that ugly old crow always cawing around you these days. Raven, raven, go away, come again another day! Am I right or am I right?”

“What do you want, Hel?” Thesis asked tiredly, and then he winced when he felt something lock around his body, then heft him up into the air.

Hel stood in front of Thesis, one of her fingers raised, the stallion floating helplessly in her psychokinetic grip as she clenched and unclenched her other hand slowly behind her back. She studied him intently for a few moments, leaning back and forth before she said softly: “I'm supposed to be the bad guy here, you know, but no one respects me anymore. Your mother, Thokk, your friends... but you respect me, don't you? You remember our little deal. And you did what I asked, right? Of course you did! Because if you didn't, I'll unstraighten what I already straightened out in your poor little head.”

Thesis grimaced a bit, but didn't answer, yet all the same, Hel's mouth stretched into a crooked smile as she whispered: “Good. Glad to hear it. Keep up the good work. But I got another job for you.”

Thesis frowned at this, before cursing under his breath when Hel slowly began to spin him through the air, rotating him in gradual, easy circles as she explained calmly: “I need another bit of information. Tell your friend Melinda. She'll be glad to help, I know it. She and I go way back, even though we've never really met.”

“I guess you're technically the Mother of Witchcraft, huh?” Thesis asked moodily as he spun slowly through the air, but Hel only snorted laughter at this. “What?”

“Oh, chocolate toffee. Magic has always existed, since the Prime ruled, and far before. Magic will always exist. Now, as a school, as a... set of rules and norms and forms and all of that make-sense, why, yes! You definitely have 'craft' this and 'croft' that and all these distinctions and separations and I'm-better-than-yous, but really, dear... it just comes down to the same damn thing at the end of the day. It's really just all about our preferred style.”

Hel posed for a moment, then she scowled before adding moodily: “You know, it sucks that you can't actually look at me. I mean, you're missing half the conversation! Everybody knows I talk with my hands. And my bo-dy!”

The ice puppet did a little dance on the spot, swinging her hips from side to side before she suddenly spun towards Thesis and seized him by the shoulders, making him flinch as she growled: “But no matter how I say it, I expect you to follow through, got it?”

Thesis looked as evenly back at the goddess as he could manage through the blindfold of ice over his eyes, as he replied quietly: “You pull through on your end of the bargain, and I'll fulfill mine.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Hel slowly smiled before she murmured softly: “Good. That's what I like, at the end of the day. Equality. One hand washes the other. You do your part, I do mine. Socialism! Communism! Egalitarianism!”

Hel cackled loudly, and then she dropped Thesis before stretching idly off to the side, saying easily: “Yes. You got it, kiddo. Don't worry, I've already got the gears grinding away... and the gears of Hell grind slowly, toffee-cake, but oh, believe me when I say... we got all the time in the world down there to make it work.”

Hel smiled coldly down at Thesis, and Thesis, even blind to her gaze, shifted uneasily beneath it all the same before he nodded once and looked up, saying quietly: “Then tell me what you need.”

And Hel's cruel smile stretched wider as her eyes gleamed, the dark goddess's eyes flashing with cold pleasure at the inevitability of making an example of all those who would dare to stand against her.

Mothers And Their Children

Chapter Forty Eight: Mothers And Their Children
~BlackRoseRaven

It was awkward, and it was difficult, and Hecate hated every moment of it as she stood in front of the door to Thorn's room. She was scowling horribly, her expression intense, and the faint scrunch of her muzzle was the only tell that she wasn't angry: she wouldn't say she was psyching herself up, either, she was a mechanical goddess, an Empress of an entire Clockwork federation...

She just hated that she had to accept the fact her personal life – her personal mistakes – played a very real part in the rule of this entire mechanical empire.

She hated the thought of showing weakness. But she hated even more the thought of sending not just her Regent, but her son away into combat, and the last thing they did was argue about Silver.

And Horses of Heaven, she hated being wrong.

Hecate took a slow breath, and then she finally slammed her metal claw against the door several times in a vague imitation of a knock. After a moment, it clicked open, and Thorn frowned slightly as he looked up at her with surprise.

Hecate looked back down at him, and then she said bluntly: “I'm sorry.”

“You're in charge, Empress Hecate, I have no place overriding the parameters-”

“Thorn, shut up.” Hecate said moodily, and then she stepped forwards and punted him backwards into his room, making him wince before the mare strode inside, slammed her claw on the button to close the door behind her, and then she softened, looking back at the stallion and saying quietly: “Thorn, Luna is my sister and I care about her very much, and I'm not used to these feelings. You're right. I did something wrong and I know I not only hurt and upset you, I jeopardized the mission. That is my responsibility and my fault. You weren't wrong. And you weren't acting childish when you submitted your report. I was. I was looking for a fault to blame you for. I was looking for a reason to shove this guilt and shame away and put the blame on someone else. And I am sorry for that.”

Thorn smiled briefly, glancing awkwardly away as he shuffled a hoof silently against the ground before he simply shrugged a little, and Hecate sighed softly before she asked: “Why is it you can speak your mind on any subject at any given time except when I need you to?”

“Because I'm your son, I guess, and that's what sons do. We're hard on our mothers.” Thorn replied quietly, and Hecate gave the smallest of smiles before Thorn strode forwards and hugged the mare's mechanical leg. “I'm trying to be understanding.”

Hecate grunted, then she awkwardly reached down and patted Thorn gently on the head before sighing softly as she strode over to one of the chairs in Thorn's den. She hesitated for a moment, however, looking slowly around the room: even if had been cleaned up, she could still see the damage that Silver had done. The sister she loved, the sister she wanted to give the world and freedom to, the sister she was so afraid was... damaged. “Thorn... what do I do with Silver? She has great potential.”

Thorn nodded as he walked forwards and sat down in another chair, saying softly: “The same thing you do with everypony else. Treat her the same as you would them. It's that simple. It's hard, yes, but it's very simple.”

Hecate smiled dryly at her son, and then she looked away for a moment before asking almost abruptly: “How was Thesis?”

“Better than he was the last time we spoke.” Thorn said after a moment, nodding thoughtfully before he shifted a little, then said in a lower voice: “But Hel's appearance, and the phrasing that Thesis used, suggests that she's done something to intervene.”

“I wouldn't be surprised. Thesis is the perfect link to exploit: it allows her to both make a point to me as well as strike against Thokk.” Hecate muttered moodily, shaking her head in distaste. “It makes moving against Thokk that much higher of a priority.”

Thorn looked pointedly at Hecate, but Hecate only glowered back, saying moodily: “Think about it, Thorn. Do you really want Hel to take matters into her own hands?”

The sapphire stallion shifted a little, not sure of how to answer, and Hecate looked away before she muttered: “It also means that Hel has to feel threatened enough to make Thokk a priority. That's far different from before: before, Thokk was just a witch who was able to hide from her sight. While impressive, it's still nothing special. Now, Thokk has attracted Hel's attention to the point where she doesn't just want her neutralized, she wants her exterminated.”

Thorn nodded slowly after a moment, and then he said quietly: “The timing of this meeting of Inquisitors is too perfect, as well. She'll want information.”

“Tell her what you need to. I trust your judgment, Thorn.” Hecate said, and Thorn looked at his mother with slight surprise.

But Hecate only smiled a little, softening again, losing that mask of harshness as she said softly: “As not only your mother but your commander and queen, it's... time I started to trust you more, Thorn. I expect you to rule: how can I expect that when you have me superseding and correcting your every command? No, I trust you, Thorn.”

Thorn smiled back after a moment, and there was silence between the two before the sapphire stallion asked quietly: “Do you think Cadence is ready to lead the assault by herself?”

“Not by herself, no. Her leadership performance is only satisfactory when she's working with her own team.” Hecate hesitated, and then she shook her head before muttering: “As loathe as I am to do so, I'll be sending Seneschal along to act in a leadership role and maintain communication. I don't recognize these coordinates as anything belonging to Valthrudnir or Clockwork World...”

She stopped, then shook her head after a moment before she turned her eyes towards Thorn, the two looking at each other in silence before the mare continued in a quiet voice: “War is won through intelligence and deception. Thokk knows this very well... perhaps better than I've given her credit for. We've reclaimed vast territories... but now I question if this was really to our benefit. Our resources are thinner, our systems are occupied mapping out and reconnecting portal systems, and assets that could be used to scout or search other worlds are instead combing through Fyrverǫld and Ten Moons, not to mention the myriad of other facilities and discoveries these initial ventures have led to.”

Hecate halted, leaning back and silently tapping a claw against the arm of the chair, musing: “Thokk spoke of the Jarsongildi, but we haven't so much as heard a whisper of them since we took back Fyrverǫld. Freya returned to inform us about Primordials, and rumors about the Prime... not to mention the soul furnace we've secured there. Thokk said she wanted to create a unified world of order and rule, but all we've seen is chaos. Thokk has been conquering worlds, but then surrendering them to us just as easily and quickly. How do these things link together, Thorn?”

Thorn was silent for a few moments, and then he said slowly: “Like you said. Distraction and deception. We need to ignore the red herrings and instead look for what these things share in common. We can assume that Thokk's ultimate goal is tyranny: even if she's quick to give up her territory on Midgard, she always claims to have taken what she needs from it, first.”

Hecate frowned at this, before she lowered her head and muttered: “Her territory on Midgard. Of course. Thokk's territory extends well beyond Midgard, though: she controls and rules over the Void.”

The mechanical empress looked away, thinking silently of the attack they had planned, too few hours away. She felt an uneasy clanking inside her metal body as she thought about it, about how every mission that had even been remotely connected to Thokk had gone so far...

Thorn interrupted her thoughts he rose his head, saying quietly: “The Voidborn are one thing, but last time we interfered with her operations, Thokk summoned a Terror against us. The fact she can bring back souls under her control speaks to her raw power, but the fact that out of all the vastness of the Void, she was able to pull a hostile, Class C Terror...”

Hecate only grunted: there was something she hadn't considered, before she frowned and said slowly: “I thought you said it was a Class B threat.”

“I thought it was as well, but I've reviewed our combat several times and it doesn't seem to match the criteria.” Thorn replied with a shrug, smiling briefly at Hecate. “It was carrying some sort of hostile organisms, but used only brute force and relied on its tough outer shell to absorb our attacks.”

“That was no Voidcow.” Hecate said moodily, shaking her head shortly before she called up a holographic screen, quickly flicking through data files before bringing up the video of the combat that had been recorded by Thorn's visor.

She fast forwarded silently through most of the images, comparing what she witnessed to the data they had gleaned from the Terrors they had analyzed over the years during their rare incursions into this reality. And while Terrors were bizarre, twisted aberrations that were all so unique and mutant, most of them shared a distinct-enough archetype that they were able to classify them to one extent or another.

Voidcows were probably the most harmless of the Terrors they had seen: they were nearly indestructible, and sometimes they tore swathes through worlds, but they were docile and difficult to anger: only too stupid to understand the things they were squishing beneath them as they roamed this brand new place they had landed in were people, and they often carried hostile parasites that were very eager to feed off the energies and flesh of the living.

This thing acted similarly to a Voidcow, but it was too small, and decidedly hostile. But it didn't display the powers of the only other thing that Hecate could think of, a Voidwolf: it wasn't trying to call for help or damaging reality around it. Hecate stopped on a particular image, of the beast's blown-open breast, and she narrowed her eyes before she muttered: “Void creatures are different from us, but they aren't without emotion. Thokk summoned this one. Maybe Thokk can exert control over the Terrors as well.”

Thorn grimaced at this, and then he asked quietly: “Why would she modify its behaviors, making it stupider? Why act like she was challenging us if she, perhaps, is instead tossing us softballs?”

“We'll have the answer in less than a day, one way or another.” Hecate muttered, shaking her head briefly. She frowned at the holographic screen, studying it intently as her mind ticked away at the possibilities, and she didn't like where her thoughts were already starting to take her.

Before Hecate could focus too deeply on it, however, the door to Thorn's room slid open, and both Hecate and Thorn looked up to see Silver storm into the room. Her glare immediately locked on Thorn, the mare approaching before she spat: “Leave.”

Thorn frowned, but it was Hecate who responded, saying evenly: “If you talk to my son like that again, Luna, I'll put you back in stasis.”

“Oh, really, Celestia?” Silver spun towards Hecate, stepping towards her aggressively. Except all the aggression immediately went out of her body when Hecate stood up, towering over her and glaring down at her, making Silver skulk backwards before the mare hung her head and muttered: “Bully.”

Hecate only snorted and rolled her eyes, before she asked shortly: “What do you want?”

“A little of my big sister's precious time, if she has a minute or two to spare. I know she's just so busy, ruling her empire, breaking promises, taking over worlds and all.” Silver retorted acidly, before she flinched in surprise when Hecate suddenly leaned down and seized her by the shoulder, making her flinch as her eyes widened behind the lenses.

But Hecate was only silent as she leaned down into her sister's face, and the two looked at each other for the longest time before Silver dropped her gaze and murmured: “I just... I wanted to see you. Spend time with you.”

Hecate shook her head slowly, and then she asked: “Then why not just say that, Luna? This act just isn't something I can encourage anymore. I want you to have freedom. I want to give you freedoms. But-”

“There's always a but. Always.” Silver muttered bitterly, and then she shook her head before jerking herself away, glowering over at Thorn. “What about him, I bet you don't-”

Hecate laughed dryly at this, replying irritably: “Thorn is my second in command, Luna. I'm sure you remember how much stress that put your poor little head through. The crying, the whining, the whimpering, the-”

“The long vacation to the moon.” growled Silver, and the two glared at each other for a few moments before Silver snorted and shook her head in disgust, looking down as she muttered: “I should have known better than to trust you.”

Hecate looked stung, but she glared all the same at the mare before she retorted callously: “And I should have known that you wouldn't be able to do a single thing I asked without turning it into a circus. You promised to help. I promised to give you freedom, but you promised to help.”

Silver laughed loudly at this, deflecting: “Oh, and my promises are worth so much more than yours? Please, for all the freedom you gave me, you still left these neural nodes implanted in my brain!”

“I have offered to remove those many times. You're the one who doesn't want them taken out.” retorted the mechanical goddess, as she crossed her arms and glowered down at the mare contemptibly. “You can't have it both ways, Luna. You don't get to be both my sister and Silver.”

“And what would you prefer me as, Silver?” snapped the mare, as she glared furiously up at Hecate. “This is your fault!”

Hecate opened her mouth, then closed her eyes and took a slow breath as she straightened, before she said quietly: “There are many things that are my fault. But how you choose to behave is not one of them. Look at yourself, Luna. Look at what you're doing.”

“I am what you made me.” Silver whispered, but her anger was visibly dwindling away now, the mare lowering her head slightly before she said in a quieter voice: “I can't be anything but me, Celestia, and I don't even entirely know who or what I am anymore. All I know is the anger and the sadness, and what they compel me to do.”

“You can't listen to those compulsions, Luna. You're better than that.” Hecate said softly, and Silver snorted and glanced away, but Hecate only smiled briefly before she said suddenly: “Luna, you can leave any time you want. You know that. I can also have your transferred to an administrative position, or you can simply rot in a tower if you want. Why are you choosing to take part in these missions?”

Silver fidgeted back and forth even as she said in a surly voice: “Because there's nothing better to do, I suppose. Or are you trying to say that I just can't help myself, Celestia? That I'm so... dumb and weak and servile that-”

Hecate snorted and rolled her eyes, and Silver snarled before she shouted furiously: “That's always it, isn't it? I say something, and you just dismiss it as, oh, another of Luna's stupid temper tantrums, or her idiotic ideas!”

“You are an idiot.” Hecate said moodily, and Silver looked as if she'd been struck before Hecate sighed before she said in a softer voice: “And you used to be proud of that. I also know you better than you'll give me credit for. You've always done this. Covered up your emotions, just like... every other Luna I've had the displeasure of meeting. That's why I won't allow myself to be annoyed by your temper tantrums or your anger, and why I know that in spite of everything... actions still speak louder than words.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Hecate looked over at Thorn and said quietly: “I want her to assist Seneschal. I want you to make sure she's ready. I will respect your decisions as my Regent, Thorn Blackfeather.”

“Regent Thorn Blackfeather.” Silver muttered, and then she turned towards the stallion, asking bitterly: “So was it all worth it? I guess your jealousy was rewarded.”

“You're projecting. I don't know if you crave attention or punishment more.” Thorn replied calmly, and Silver hissed through her teeth before the sapphire stallion looked back towards Hecate. “I would suggest Auriculos as well. He's not trustworthy, but he is efficient.”

“Like many of the Kirin neurocenters, yes.” Hecate said distastefully, and then she rubbed moodily at her chin as she muttered: “But if Thokk has bastardized any of Decretum's systems for her own use, he might be more capable than Seneschal when it comes to utilizing them...”

“And what, I am just... forgotten? What about me?” snapped Silver, glaring back and forth between Thorn. “I have not agreed-”

“No, you have not.” Hecate rounded on Silver, glaring down at her. “But I am giving you a direct order, Luna, as my soldier, not my sister. You will obey Thorn, and you will take part in this upcoming mission.”

Silver trembled in fury... but then she only swore under her breath before spinning around and storming towards the door. But before she could hit the button to open it, Hecate said quietly: “When you're ready to talk without playing these games, Luna, you know where to find me.”

Silver only lowered her head, swearing quietly to herself again before she opened the door and almost fled from the room. Thorn smiled faintly as Hecate gazed after her sister, opening and closing one claw slowly before she shook her head and muttered: “I should get back to work. And you need to rest, Thorn. You have a mission soon.”

“And a week-long trip to Helheim.” Thorn smiled a little again as Hecate favored him with a dour look. “I'm not sure if I should be excited about it or not.”

Hecate rolled her eyes, then she said distastefully: “If you're that excited about work, Thorn, then you can go ahead and assemble a full roster for our assault on Thokk's base.”

“Invasion force?” asked Thorn, and Hecate nodded once, making him frown slightly. “Cavalry and artillery support?”

“Full force, Thorn. I didn't wake up all these soldiers to stand around and do nothing all day.” Hecate replied calmly, and Thorn smiled briefly even as he shifted hesitantly. “Don't start. I know what I'm doing, Thorn. And I have faith in the capabilities of my soldiers.”

The sapphire stallion bowed his head humbly to the mechanical goddess, and there was silence for a moment before Hecate stood up and headed towards the open door. She paused in front of it, however, shifting a little before saying quietly over her shoulder: “I won't ask you to treat Silver differently than any Dogmatist or Orphan. But she is family, Thorn, and I know you understand what that means.”

“I do. I also know that I am the stallion I am today because of the way you treated me and your expectations, Queen Hecate.” Thorn replied softly, and Hecate gave him the smallest of smiles before he added calmly: “I will do my best to ensure that I bring Silver's compliance and productivity up to acceptable levels.”

“See that you do. Now stop wasting time and get to work.” Hecate said irritably, and then she turned and headed out of the room, Thorn smiling briefly after his mother, and glad that things had taken a step back towards normal.

Cadence had a smile on her face as she left her father's room in the medical center: they would hopefully be releasing him tomorrow. Aster, who had also been putting up with all sorts of tests and medical work, had apparently been spending a lot of time with him, and Cadence was glad that they had been able to keep each other company, even if she loathed the fact that just like Moonflower, Aster tended to flirt awkwardly with her father far too much for her liking. Which is at all, really.

The ivory mare was drawn out of her thoughts by a loud whistle as she emerged into the lobby, and her eyes widened in surprise as she saw Freya standing near the doors in full armor, the Valkyrie calling loudly: “I've been waiting for you for hours, missy!”

“Freya? I didn't even know you were still in Decretum.” Cadence replied, frowning in confusion as she approached, feeling an odd nervousness twitch in her stomach. “Wait, you're not here because of the mission, right?”

“Now, is that any way to treat a Mother?” Freya scoffed, and Cadence scowled a little as she felt the Swan twist inside her, but this only made Freya grin. “There, much better! Now you seem more like one of my daughters and sisters!”

“You know, it's really weird that you refer to the Valkyries as both 'daughters' and 'sisters.'” Cadence said before she could stop herself, and Freya huffed before leaning in and suddenly licking slowly up her horn, Cadence stiffening and her head tilting to the side as one of her eyes visibly twitched.

“Well, it's fine between women because no one's going to get pregnant.” Freya replied reasonably, and Cadence glared horribly at her, which only made the Queen of the Valkyries grin widely and wink. “But maybe I'm just antsy from going for so long without getting a decent-”

“Okay, what the hell do you want?” Cadence asked grumpily, and Freya laughed loudly, shaking her head slowly.

“Something long and hard, preferably-”

Cadence pointedly turned and began to walk past Freya, but the larger mare reached out and caught her by the shoulder, smiling slightly as she said calmly: “My friend and I weren't allowed to leave right away, and then all this business with Thokk came up. It piqued my interest, so I decided to stay a little longer, let Hecate run more silly tests on Atavus, who has at least been settling down some. He and I find each other quite pleasant company, you know.”

Cadence grunted noncommittally, but Freya only continued easily: “I was actually asked... well, strongarmed, if you know what that means-”

“Coerced.” Cadence said flatly, and the Valkyrie winked at her. “Also, can we maybe get out of here? It's busy.”

“And here I thought I'd be the one trying to get you off to a private room first.” Freya commented, and Cadence slowly closed her eyes before she winced when the Valkyrie almost whirled her around and dropped a foreleg around her shoulders, half-pulling her out of the lobby and onto the connecting bridge leading into the Orphanage's main facility.

Cadence scowled at Freya, even if she was admittedly impressed by the fact that apparently the Valkyrie could walk perfectly well on three legs. Freya, however, only smiled back at her before surprising the mare by saying pleasantly: “I actually have something to teach you, too. Call it... fair payment for your help with that little mission we did together a few days ago.”

“Uh... huh.” Cadence couldn't really find the energy to make herself sound excited, although Freya only rolled her eye towards her with amusement before the smaller mare quickly shook herself loose from the Valkyrie's foreleg, careful to put a bit of distance between them even as Freya teasingly groped at her with one wing. “I've actually got a mission coming up-”

“Oh, I know. But it'll just take a few minutes, Cadence, it's building off something you do naturally as it is.” Freya replied easily, and Cadence frowned a bit before the mare asked pointedly: “You do want to be the best you can be now, don't you? Or what, are you going to turn down both a reward and something that could very well help you out on this new mission of yours? I didn't know you were so determined to make things that much harder for yourself, Swan.”

Cadence grumbled as the Swan twisted inside of her, and then she sighed tiredly before muttering: “Fine. You win. Do we need a lot of space?”

“No, just somewhere private and quiet. One of those meeting rooms should suffice, we won't be sparring.” Freya replied easily, and for some reason this made Cadence feel even more wary, before she winced when Freya suddenly broke away and strode to the side of the corridor, opening a door to stick her head inside.

The ponies in the room looked dumbly up from the briefing they were in the middle of, and Freya grinned at them as Cadence scrambled to get out of sight before the Valkyrie said loudly: “Well, Cadence, this room is in use. Excuse me, boys, I didn't mean to interrupt.”

Freya closed the door, then she smiled over at Cadence as the ivory mare glared at her furiously. “No harm done.”

“You have no idea what kind of trouble you are going to get me in.” Cadence seethed, but Freya only shrugged easily and winked at her. “I swear to the Horses of Heaven-”

“Oh, shush. You're with me. You could go and slap a dragon, and Hecate would blame it on me.” Freya retorted airily, waving a hoof absently. “It's not like you could ever do anything to stop me from causing trouble anyway, little girl.”

Cadence ground her teeth together slowly, and Freya smiled at her almost coyly as she leaned forwards, asking: “Do you want to try anyway, Swan? Say 'Mother may I' first, though.”

Cadence slowly exhaled through her grit teeth, and then she simply gestured shortly down the hall towards another door, saying flatly: “Let's try that room. They don't usually use it.”

Freya only shrugged easily, smiling pleasantly at the mare before she turned and headed towards the indicated door. She opened it and stuck her head in, then nodded once before saying mildly: “I can see why. There aren't any of those fancy screens in here.”

“It's just for closed meetings.” Cadence said, trying to keep the grouchiness out of her voice as she looked apprehensively over her shoulder: if someone happened to need this meeting room, and they were using it, well... Freya will tantrum and Hecate will hear about it and... “We could go down to the gardens, you know. Daddy loves the gardens for meditation and things like that.”

“Well, Mommy wants to sit on her rump in this dirty little room and have a little peace and quiet.” Freya replied, and Cadence had to resist the urge to leap towards her and throttle her. Something that the Valkyrie apparently picked up on as she grinned widely and remarked: “It's not good to hold all that anger inside, you know.”

“Maybe it'll smother the Swan.” muttered Cadence, and Freya snorted in amusement, the Valkyrie shaking her head slowly.

“Funny. That reminds me of Celestia. Sealing up all her emotions, which just made her angrier, of course... but she used that anger to create a sort of cage around her other emotions, and of course, the rage itself was never shown because it all went towards building that gilded prison inside herself, where she stuck me and all the other inconvenient voices.” Freya smiled a little as she reached up to calmly tap the side of her head, next to her eyepatch. “You can see how well that worked out.”

Cadence bit her lip as she followed the Valkyrie into the room, then automatically took a seat across from her at the small metal table, shaking her head briefly as she muttered: “That's... that's different. I'm different. I doubt you were ever taking over Celestia's body like... I mean...”

She looked almost lamely at Freya, but the Valkyrie only laughed and shook her head, saying easily: “No. We couldn't coexist, although I had hoped by now you'd noticed who you were talking to, Swan. And while we weren't quite like you, Cadenza Danzsöngr...” Freya smiled slightly as she tapped her nose gently. “We weren't all that different, either.”

Cadence shifted a little, and then Freya suddenly straightened and became serious, almost ordering: “Now, listen up and listen well. I'm going to teach you how to focus your magic into your body, as you do with your wings. Aye, you have a grip on it, and how it works, but not perfectly, and you can do much more with it than just making your wings sharp and strong.”

The ivory mare sat up attentively even as she grimaced a bit, but she couldn't help but say: “I already have magic to practice from Thorn-”

“Even better. Now you can do twice as much practice.” Freya replied mildly, and Cadence grimaced a bit before the Valkyrie instructed in a softer voice: “Close your eyes, and concentrate on yourself. Focus the magic into your horn as you always would, but then pull it back into your body.”

Cadence nodded hesitantly, doing as Freya had instructed: it wasn't hard to call up her magic, but as she tried to pull, she felt her heart almost stop in her chest and her lungs cramp, making her whole body shiver with pain.

She immediately dropped the magic, then swore when Freya shoved the table into her with enough force to knock her back in her seat, the Valkyrie chastising: “No! Your body reacts because of fear. Do not fear it!”

“What the hell!” Cadence shouted, and she tried uselessly to shove the table back at Freya, but the Valkyrie easily caught the edge of the metal furnishing before it could slam into her. “What the hell was that for?”

“For being weak. Now do it again.” Freya retorted, and Cadence glared at the mare as she reached up to touch her own breast. “Oh, don't cry on me now, Swan. As if I would put you in any danger I could not pull you out of.”

“You did. Multiple times, if I remember right.” Cadence muttered, but then she scowled a little as she sat back, lowering her head as she took a slow breath.

She braced herself for the unpleasant feeling this time, then hissed quietly through her teeth as she felt the pain stabbing through her chest again as she tried to pull the magic inwards. She shivered, but continued to draw down the magic anyway, and it went from a cramping, halting sensation to feeling like she was pouring icy water over her inner organs...

She gasped a few times, then hugged herself tightly as her magic fizzled out, leaving her with painful pins and needles before she swore violently when Freya shoved the table into her again and this time hit her elbow. “Keep focused!”

“What the hell am I even trying to do?” Cadence snapped crankily as she rubbed at her throbbing foreleg, glowering at the ivory mare. “Why would anyone waste their time with this if it just makes you feel like you're being filled up with ice?”

Freya rose an eyebrow, and then she remarked thoughtfully: “Already past the cramps, are you? Impressive. Usually it takes longer to adjust.”

Cadence glared horribly at Freya, but the Valkyrie smiled before she explained gently: “Your body has to adjust to the flow of energy through it, which we experience in... strange ways. It's like making your blood run backwards, it's not natural. The only difference is that you can teach your body to accept this as something that can be done without killing yourself.”

Cadence frowned a little at this, looking down at one hoof as she asked: “But why would you want to do that? I mean, if I need to augment my strength, then I can just-”

“It's different. Focusing your magic inside yourself and boosting your strength from outside are different.” Freya replied with a shake of her head, tapping her own breast absently. “For example. If I focus my magic through myself, then the antimagic that might stop me from casting through my horn can still be utilized through my body. You won't be able to use spells, no, but you'll be able to enhance yourself, and use those supernatural powers of yours still. You know that instinctively already, though: think of all the times you focused energy through your wings, even though your horn was sealed.”

The smaller mare nodded hesitantly after a moment, and then she muttered: “But I never felt this kind of pain before...”

“Well, no. Because you focused your energy purely into your wings or your hooves or what have you, you never really tried to harness the full potential of that energy.” Freya replied almost condescendingly, and Cadence gave her a moody look. “Well, it's true, little girl, no matter how you look at it. Now do it again, Swan. Pull it into your body. Make your body adjust. It doesn't know what to feel yet, that's all: it'll learn soon enough.”

Cadence grumbled under her breath, but then she took a slow breath before doing as instructed. This time, the stuttering in her chest was weaker, and there was no sensation of losing her breath, but her body felt a terrible chill rip through it all the same, spilling through her breast and pooling in her stomach.

Gradually, that feeling began to pass as well, even as she felt herself shivering. She hugged herself tightly, clenching her eyes shut until the sensation began to pass, but it still felt like there was a weight in her stomach as she muttered: “It hurts a little still.”

“Well, of course. Think of when you channel energy with your horn, if you hold that magic too long, it aches as well.” Freya answered, and Cadence nodded, hesitantly opening one eye, but she could still feel that distinct weight in her stomach, and it wasn't difficult to maintain it. It was like keeping a muscle flexed, she thought; which, she reflected, also hurt after too long. “I want you spread that energy into your limbs. Into your muscles, specifically. Boost your strength.”

“I'll try.” Cadence mumbled, as she focused on that weight in her stomach. Trying to manipulate it felt strange and uncomfortable at first, but Cadence forced herself to focus on it as magic, to remember that it was energy she could divide as she pleased.

As she felt it separating inside her, it became easier to manipulate it, sending each quarter of energy twisting into her limbs. At first, it just felt like she had redistributed that unnatural weight into other parts of her body, giving her a feeling like her hooves had turned to lead, but after a few moments she felt an almost soothing heat spreading through her legs, and she concentrated on that feeling as it grew into a distinct warmth-

The table rammed into her, and Cadence yelped, tumbling to the floor with her chair as Freya snapped: “I said increase your strength, not heal yourself!”

“I was... just...” Cadence blushed deeply as she scrambled up to a standing position, before she shook herself out as her legs tingled almost painfully under her, the mare looking down and mumbling: “Okay, but hey, I still got the magic working.”

“Yes, Mother is very proud.” Freya said irritably, and Cadence smiled wryly despite herself even as she shifted lamely again. “Once upon a time, I gave one of my Valkyries a sword, then told her to go out and kill a hundred men and bring their souls back to Valhalla. She killed a hundred and two, and came back, proud as can be... until I slapped her and told her she had failed. Do you know why?”

“Because she did not do as you asked. She killed two others.” the Swan said immediately, and Cadence winced before covering her mouth, even as she stared disbelievingly at Freya as she felt... but no, that can't be right, that's-

“Yes. And she didn't use the sword to do it.” Freya said moodily, before she leaned over the table and said coldly: “And perhaps I should just speak to the Swan from now on, what do you think, Cadence? It seems like the Swan does everything for you, after all.”

“The Swan always thinks you're talking to her because you always seem to be talking to her, not me.” Cadence replied, and then she gritted her teeth before adding sharply: “And I'm doing the best that I can and you are not my superior officer, Valkyrie! The Swan served you in her past life but... I am not the Swan, and I already shoveled a load of your crap during that mission, I am not doing it again.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Freya chuckled quietly before she leaned slowly forward and said softly: “Careful, Swan. You don't want to push your luck, and risk getting a spanking from Mother, do you?”

“The metaphor's worn out and I have a lot to do, Freya. If you don't have anything else to teach me, then I'm going to leave.” Cadence responded, and there was silence between the two before Cadence nodded once and turned to go, even as the Swan twisted violently, angrily inside of her, but Horses of Heaven, this was the last thing she needed before a mission.

She frowned as she reached the door and it refused to open, before she sighed and turned around, glowering at Freya. Freya looked evenly back at her, and Cadence drew her eyes slowly along her horn: it wasn't glowing, but... “You know, I can still feel your magic. Moonflower used to use stealth casting in meetings with Hecate a lot to try and undermine her.”

“Handsome one, he is. A pity that my brother is his type more than I am.” Freya remarked, before she smiled slightly as she asked: “Do you feel this?”

Cadence frowned, and then her eyes widened in surprise as she felt a distinct fuzziness spread over her horn before she swore as she shook her head sharply back and forth, gritting her teeth as she pulled uselessly against an invisible bond of energy that was wrapped around her horn and absorbing her magic. Freya was only watching her with that same patronizing smile, but she was focused sharply on the mare as she asked coldly: “What do you do?”

Cadence yanked herself backwards, but it was useless: she could feel whatever was binding her starting to pull her towards Freya as it sapped the magic and strength from her body. Cadence swore as she instinctively tried to focus, but the moment she channeled any magic into her horn, the magical leash greedily devoured it and tugged even harder on her.

The ivory mare snarled in frustration as she shook herself back and forth, before she tried to physically yank away again: she felt the invisible leash tug back against her, felt the faint strain in it, but she just didn't have the strength she needed- oh, of course.

“Goddammit, Freya!” Cadence snapped, and then she anchored herself as she forced her body to focus, her muscles flexing as she pulled the energy down into herself instead of letting it flood up through her horn, her form quaking with the effort.

The moment she felt that weight of energy inside of her, she forced it to split into limbs, and her muscles flexed as she began to slowly pull back against the binding of energy around her horn. She felt it straining, still struggling to drag her forwards as it devoured her stray energy, before roared as she suddenly yanked backwards as her muscles flexed, her body almost glowing with power as she tore herself loose from the magical bonds.

Freya flinched slightly in pain as her magic was defeated, and Cadence thunked painfully against the door before she slid slowly down it with a groan to a sitting position, her eyes blinking several times as her limbs twitched weakly. She blinked again, then scowled horribly as she straightened a little... but she couldn't quite find the strength to get up as she muttered: “You are one of the worst people I've ever met.”

“Well, thank you, Swan. I'm glad to hear you think as highly of me as I do you.” Freya said wryly, and the only response Cadence could formulate was a brief, rude gesture. “Pleasant.”

Cadence grunted moodily, and Freya sat slowly back in her seat before she said quietly: “Don't get cocky, though, Danzsöngr. You still have a long way to go.”

“I beat your test. Not... very smoothly, no, but I passed it. And besides, I'm not alone out there.” Cadence slowly picked herself up, but now her legs had gone from being filled with heat and energy to just raw, painful needling, the mare grimacing a bit as she danced a bit from hoof-to-hoof as that agonizing tingling settled. “I'll always have my team-”

“You won't always have someone else to rely on, Swan.” Freya interrupted, almost glaring at the mare. “Or do you really want to bet that when the time comes, your precious friends will be strong enough, fast enough, smart enough to keep up with you?”

“My friends are better than me in just about every way. The only reason I'm still here is because of the Swan, after all.” Cadence retorted, and there was silence for a few moments before she smiled wryly as she realized how true that was, on so many different levels. “I mean, without the Swan... I would have died. I did die. A lot.”

She quieted, and Freya sighed a little before the Valkyrie said dryly: “You do understand that-”

“I understand that I have a lot of work to do and you're...” Cadence hesitated, before she shook her head and murmured: “You're trying to help, which I'm grateful for. But you're also trying to... I don't know how to phrase it. You make trouble. You like trouble, and you like making trouble, even when you help people.”

“I don't always like it and I don't always mean to, Swan. But... maybe I have been less direct than I could have been, yes.” Freya admitted after a moment almost grudgingly, tapping a hoof slowly against the table before she sighed and murmured: “Bob would have loved my trickery. Or scolded me for it. I don't know which I crave more.”

Cadence frowned a little, but Freya only waved a hoof, muttering: “You wouldn't understand. For a Princess of Love, after all, you seem very lonely.”

“I'm not lonely! I'm just... I have my friends and I have my Daddy. That's all I really need.” Cadence defended, before she glowered when Freya opened her mouth. “Don't even say it.”

“I wasn't going to say anything nasty, Swan. If I had your father, I'm sure that would sate me for a few years, too.” Freya replied mildly, and Cadence shuddered before turning away, but she was called back again when the Queen of the Valkyries said softly: “Maybe you're not alone. Maybe you can always count on them. But is that any reason to make yourself a weight?”

“I'm not a weight. I'm...” Cadence shifted a little, looking uncertainly at Freya before she shook her head quickly and turned back towards her, biting her lip. “Look. I am fighting to be the best I can be. I am trying my hardest to be the leader that this team needs. What do you want from me, Freya?”

“I want you to be a better person than I am, Swan.” Freya said bluntly, and Cadence frowned in surprise before the Valkyrie sighed softly and shook her head slowly, murmuring: “I want you to be a better person than I am. That's not asking much, at that, Swan, but sometimes I wonder if you can really do it or not.”

Cadence shifted uncertainly, and the Valkyrie gave a wry smile before she said softly: “The Valkyries, as you know, were crafted in my image, because I was beautiful. I still am, I suppose, in horse terms, but I don't feel it as much these days.” Freya absently gestured at herself, chuckling quietly before she continued: “The Swans were also crafted to be beautiful, but... we relied more on what we poured into them, than what we poured them into.”

Cadence had a vision, of ice, and callous golden masks, and demon-flesh... and she shivered and hugged herself as Freya said softly: “I don't know everything about you, Swan. Aye, I did my part in training you, and I was a Mother, a crafter, a creator... but others, older and wiser than I, did most of the work, and kept all the secrets of your birth to themselves.”

The two looked at each other for a few moments, and then Freya smiled a little and shook her head slowly. “I don't know if there's anyone left who really knows-”

“Hel knows.” the Swan said, and Cadence shivered before she repeated, as Freya frowned at her: “Hel knows. Hel knows... everything.”

“No one knows everything. But Hel might be close.” Freya said meditatively, as she looked down for a few moments, musing silently on something before she nodded once to herself. “Has Hel ever tried to contact you, Swan?”

Cadence opened her mouth, then she closed it slowly, biting her lip as she thought of the encounter she had just had. Freya picked up on this, smiling slightly as she studied the mare before she said in a soft voice: “Be careful, Cadence Danzsöngr. Hel may not be the dark goddess we were all once led to believe, but she is all the same a powerful force that seeks her own idea of balance. And she is selfish.”

Cadence frowned uneasily at the Valkyrie, but Freya only looked back at her with what was almost kindness in her eyes, as she said gently: “I am not your enemy, Swan, and I never have been and never will be, and you know that. Oh, I can be rough, and forceful, and I want to have my way; I'm selfish, too. The difference between myself and Hel, however, is that I think of all of you as more than just pawns.”

“You sure show it.” Cadence mumbled before she could stop herself, but Freya only laughed and shook her head slowly.

“I do. And I think you do know that, too, you just don't want to admit it, Swan.” Freya replied pointedly, and Cadence grumbled under her breath as she looked awkwardly away before the ivory mare said in a softer voice: “You can't deny Hel, no. That would be foolish, for a number of reasons. But you can at least protect yourself.”

“I don't know. Hel is...” Cadence shook her head, frowning uncertainly as the Swan roiled inside of her. “Hel is something more powerful and more dangerous than a Mother. Hel is like...”

Freya only chuckled quietly, nodding slowly before she asked gently: “Cadence, why don't you let the Swan talk to you?”

The smaller mare blinked dumbly in surprise at this as she looked up, and Freya shrugged before saying softly: “I don't think you'd spend half as much time fumbling around for an answer if you'd just open your mind to the Swan's voice. I understand being afraid of everything that entails, Cadence, don't get me wrong... but all the same. You should try.”

Cadence looked away, biting her lip before she frowned and looked up suddenly. “You used my name.”

“Well, yes, I was talking to you. When I'm talking to Danzsöngr, I'll use her name. And when I want you both to listen, I'll just call you what you are: Swan.” Freya shrugged again, even as Cadence frowned uneasily and rubbed at her breast.

But she was the Swan, wasn't she? She and Danzsöngr together, they were the Swan, and no matter how much she tried to avoid thinking about that, it didn't change the truth.

“That's a weirdly heavy thought.” Cadence said finally, and Freya smiled back and nodded slowly.

“It is, isn't it?” she agreed, and then she smiled a little before shaking her head slowly and murmuring: “But don't run from it. If you try and flee it, then it'll just make it harder when the day comes when you have no choice but to accept who and what you are.”

Cadence was quiet for a moment, and then she gave a brief smile before nodding hesitantly once, mumbling: “Okay. I guess that's... not terrible advice.” She halted for a moment, then asked before she could stop herself: “Why can't you always be this helpful?”

Freya smiled, however, shrugging before she replied kindly: “I push you when you need to be pushed, and I punish you when you need to be punished. I yell when I want you to move, but I speak softly when I want you to stay still and listen closely... and it's always seemed to work. Why change?”

Cadence couldn't really argue with that, as much as she wanted to. So finally, she nodded almost grudgingly before mumbling: “I think you could try and be nicer.”

“I could be, but I won't.” Freya shrugged, then she said mildly: “Go on now, Swan, get out of here. And be careful. Hel likes to challenge us: she'll choose the worst possible time to call you to her side. You had best prepare yourself for that.”

Cadence frowned uncertainly at that even as the Swan twisted inside of her, and then she gave a final, brief nod before turning towards the door. As it opened, she couldn't help but look back over her shoulder at Freya, but the Valkyrie only smiled at her again as she stepped outside.

The door shut, and Freya reached up and silently rubbed at her eyepatch before she said quietly: “Be careful with this one, Hel. She's not half so foolish as you seem to think.”

She felt a pulse through her crystal eye as she heard the faint whisperings of laughter in her mind, but Freya only smiled wryly: Hel could play her games and hide behind her masks all she liked, but she knew the truth, just as Hecate did.

Midgard didn't need Hell or Heaven: it was Heaven and Hell that needed Midgard.

Wildfire Tactics

Chapter Forty Nine: Wildfire Tactics
~BlackRoseRaven

Hecate stood calmly in front of the assembled forces in the large-scale portal room, looking over them all with a critical eye. Thorn had chosen well, she thought: Cadence and her team were at the front, ready to lead the initial charge along with two other Orphan teams: Team C-03, and Team B-15. C-03 was well known for being the best possible team with the worst possible statistics, while B-15 was an excellent support unit.

He had also put together a small command team composed of Silver, Seneschal, Auriculos, and himself: Silver seemed extremely unhappy, but she didn't seem like she was about to make a scene in front of all these ponies.

Seneschal, even in his robotic body, was leaning very pointedly away from Auriculos: the Kirin had his own modified Drone body, powered by two crystalline cores. One contained the soul of the Kirin itself, and had been provided by La Croix, while the other crystal contained the essence of a Primordial, and had apparently been created by Moonflower, vastly boosting the magical and psionic capabilities of the now-mechanical Kirin.

Auriculos didn't seem to mind the fact he had been shoved into a modified Drone body: in fact, he had already adapted it to better suit his needs, reshaping it to better resemble a Kirin frame. He also seemed to take great pleasure in the discomfort he caused others, which Hecate made a mental note of as she watched the snide way the Kirin spoke to Seneschal.

The mechanical empress let her eyes slide away from the teams to the platoons of soldiers assembled behind them: Thorn had outdone himself here, too. He had balanced the Dogmatists and Titans with plenty of standard infantry, and it looked as if he had modified their equipment distribution to account for a variety of hazards... of course he did. He probably checked all the gear personally, as well. He's been working hard.

Hecate smiled briefly as she looked down at Thorn, who was busily sorting through information on a holographic screen in front of him, before the mechanical goddess looked moodily up as someone whistled to her. She was less than pleased to see Freya and Cowlick standing nearby, the Empress of Decretum asking distastefully: “What are you both doing here?”

“I'm here to see my kid off, since you threw Rusty into one of those support teams way back there.” Cowlick said mildly, as she gestured absently to the far back. “The hell do I not get to go, on that note?”

“And I was bored. I thought I'd see what all the ruckus was about.” Freya added conversationally, although her gaze was intense when it moved out over the gathered army. “I have to say, it's not quite what I expected to see. Very messy. A lot of posing men.”

“You don't get to go because I said you don't get to go. And we do not need your assistance, Freya.” Hecate halted, then she frowned before adding coldly: “Any more than we need yours, Hel.”

Even Freya seemed caught slightly off guard as Hel squawked, then whined loudly as she hammered uselessly on Hecate's back: “I didn't even set off your stupid sensors this time, I know I didn't! I matched the wavelengths and everything!”

“They didn't detect you. But by now I've learned to recognize your stink from miles away.” Hecate answered, and Hel huffed loudly before she slowly stalked out from behind the mechanical empress. The frosty puppet pointedly turned her back on Hecate to wave at Cowlick and Freya, before Hel squawked again when Hecate seized her by the back of the neck and hauled her into the air as she growled: “We're busy, trying to eliminate Thokk. Who you yourself have apparently gone to great lengths to-”

“By the All Daddy, if you're that mad at me about Thesis, then why don't you just say so?” complained Hel, and one of Hecate's eyes twitched before she crushed the ice puppet's neck, the construct collapsing to the ground in a pile of broken fragments.

But only a moment later, the puppet immediately reformed from the debris, Hel yawning loudly before she spun around on one heel and then posed cutely, saying brightly: “Oh, were you saying you actually wanted me to spank Thesis for you? Because hey, I can punish him if you want me to! I can punish him, and Thorn, and everyone else you care about right now.”

The two looked at each other, Hecate's serious, cold gaze matching Hel's bright grin and cruel eyes, before the ice puppet suddenly twisted around and pointed at Freya, adding mildly: “You should be on my side, you know. In fact, I'm about ninety-nine percent sure that you will be once you find out all about big metal momma's Ithavoll Project... and that one percent I'm holding back just because I know you love those chaos types.”

Freya frowned, but Hecate only rolled her eyes before she said contemptibly: “Take Thorn if you want, but I would recommend leaving him to do his work.”

“He is being very industrious, I see! Impressive!” Hel said positively, as she clapped her hands together and smiled brightly at Thorn, who was ignoring everything that was going on and continuing to sort data. “But all the same, well, you know. Things happen, things change, have to adjust for it!”

Hel paused, then clicked her tongue before she added, with a strange, knowing smile to Hecate: “And I'll take that Swan off your big strong man-hands too, by the way. That two-layer vanilla cake and I have some catching up to do.”

Hecate narrowed her eyes as Thorn looked up in surprise from his screen, before the stallion started: “No, Cadence is-”

“Fine.” Hecate said evenly, much to the surprise of everyone present, before the mechanical mare's eyes flicked towards Freya. “Do you have any problem taking over Cadence's duties as Team 0-0's leader for this mission?”

“Very well. But only on the condition that you tell me about this Ithavoll Project after all's said and done.” Freya responded, before she gave a slight smile when Hel visibly pouted and crossed her arms. “What can I say, Hel? You always bring out the best in me. Or is it the worst?”

“I'm rather disgusted I get anything at all out of you ponies.” Hel replied as she mock-shuddered, before she leaned back and shouted: “Hey, Swan! Get your butt over here! And close your eyes, while you're at it!”

Cadence stiffened as she looked sharply in the direction of the voice, before she grimaced when she felt the Swan twist violently through her, forcing her to close her eyes tightly. She wrestled uselessly against that part of herself for a moment, but it only made her eyes throb painfully, so she finally gave in and muttered: “Fine. But you're getting us there.”

To her surprise, she felt the Swan, not take over, but instead guiding her, Cadence shivering as her wings opened as if by themselves before she leapt into the air, but she was like a child being led by the hoof, providing her own movement, dragging a little against the invisible hands leading her before she landed awkwardly a few feet away from Hel.

Her eyes were still tightly closed, and the ice puppet smiled pleasantly, even as Freya asked mildly: “Are you afraid of what the Swan might do, or what the Swan might learn?”

“Yes, Freya, go ahead and flex that big brain of yours, show everyone here how smart you are. You're the greatest ass in the land of magical technicolor donkeys.” Hel said grumpily, waving her hands out to either side before she looked towards Thorn and added loudly: “Hey, blueberry, it's time to go! Pack it up, and, you know, we gotta dance on down to the big party-place in the freezer named after me, you hear?”

Thorn glanced towards Hel as he made a few last adjustments over the screen, and then he nodded once before looking towards Hecate, saying calmly: “I've given Seneschal some of my command authority, and passed the rest on to Freya. They should be able to coordinate and-”

“Hey! We're moving, here!” Hel snapped loudly, and Thorn flinched as the ring around his horn suddenly sparked violently, making him flinch, and Hecate visibly clenched her metal claws into fists, which only made Hel grin even as she stepped backwards and rose her hands in supplication. “Hey, just trying to move things along here, that's all.”

Cadence grimaced as she looked blindly back and forth, trying to get a sense of everything that was going on before she felt a gentle hoof touch her shoulder, as Thorn said softly: “Just stay close to me. I'll lead you through this.”

The Swan wanted to rise up and snap at the stallion, but Cadence held it back as she only nodded, embarrassing as this entire situation was. She knew that Freya was here, and she could feel Hecate's eyes glaring into her as the Empress of Decretum said coolly: “Thorn, Cadence. Don't think that this vacation means either of you are relieved of your duties. The moment that you're finished in Helheim, I want you both reporting to the battlefield and active duty.”

“Of course, Queen Hecate.” Thorn replied, as Cadence attempted to salute in the mare's general direction, before the sapphire stallion turned his eyes towards Hel, who was tapping a foot impatiently. “We're ready.”

“Good.” Before Cadence could ready herself or protest, Hel snapped her fingers, and a horrific mix of sensations burst through the ivory mare: vertigo, agony, and a feeling like her skin was being peeled from her body.

She didn't even realize she was falling until she hit the ground, her legs trembling beneath her as she gasped for breath before she shook herself out, shivers running down her spine as her hooves... were they bleeding? No, but they did feel wet. Wet, and cold, and there was a chill spreading rapidly through the rest of her body...

“You can open your eyes. Hel is gone.” Thorn said quietly, and Cadence felt the Swan swirling uneasily inside of her before she hesitantly cracked one lid open. Then both her eyes snapped wide as she looked back and forth in disbelief, mouthing wordlessly as she realized they were standing in a wide, snowy field, nothing but vast and endless plains all around them, where the only landmarks were the massive spikes and spires of ice that riddled the wasteland's surface.

She looked up, and saw only cold ice high, high above them, glimmering like a solid sky of crystal. That, too, was endless in all directions, mirroring the powdery wastes as Cadence shivered a little and hugged herself. Her insulated armor wasn't doing much to keep the cold out... “Where are we? Is this...”

“Yes, this is Helheim.” Thorn attempted to bring up a holographic screen, but then he grimaced as the image flickered violently with static, distorting the readings. “There's too much magnetic energy in the air for me to get any readings, but I would guess we're in the Niflheim wastes.”

“I thought we were going to some fancy meeting.” Cadence said moodily, and Thorn smiled wryly.

“That would be far too simple.” he replied with a shrug, and then he dismissed the sparking screen before he reached back to his equipment bag, pulling out not one, but two gas masks. He offered one to Cadence, and the mare frowned but took it as the stallion explained: “Energy corruption occurs through a variety of ways, but inhalation of the active atmosphere is the most effective means.”

“What?” Cadence looked awkwardly at Thorn, even as she began to strap the mask on, and Thorn smiled a little.

“Breathing the air of Helheim greatly increases the chances of its energies affecting you. So keep this on as much as possible.” Thorn simplified, and Cadence nodded as the sapphire stallion strapped his own mask on over his muzzle, saying quietly: “The filters shouldn't need to be changed more than once a week, and we hopefully won't be here that long.”

Cadence grunted as she looked around uncertainly, before a voice said disapprovingly: “Oh, come on, I totally was under my quota on the last clean air check! Didn't you hear about our new initiative? We don't burn corpses anymore, we recycle them!”

Cadence and Thorn both turned towards a statue of ice that had appeared behind them: it resembled Hel's bovine head, its jaws open in a gaping roar, its eye sockets glowing with unnatural fire as the dark goddess' voice echoed out of it: “Now, listen up. I'm sending someone to come and look after you for a while. You've got a few days before the Inquisitor's Gala, and I have some work for the both of you before then.”

Cadence narrowed her eyes dangerously as the Swan hissed inside of her, but Thorn reached up and squeezed her shoulder, the sapphire stallion saying tactfully: “We will do what we can to the best of our abilities. But we are also in the middle of-”

“Now, now, don't you worry about that. No, no, those other horses, they'll be able to handle that whole mess themselves. It's better that they do, anyway. You don't want to get mixed up in that kind of thing.” Hel said dismissively, but Cadence felt there was something strange about the way the mare said it.

“What are you talking about? Is it an ambush? What do you know?” Cadence asked immediately, and Hel chuckled softly.

There was a crackle of energy as Thorn grimaced, and a moment later Cadence was on the ground, gasping weakly as her body smoldered from the force of the magic energy that had ripped across her frame. She shivered violently, blood slowly dripping out from the cracks in her armor as her flayed and charred skin scraped agonizingly against the insulation of her gear: but that physical pain was nothing compared to the screaming of the Swan inside of her. Oh, it had been so long since it had felt this level of torment, the torment that only the Creators could bring...

Cadence looked weakly up, as Hel said gently: “Don't make demands of me, dear. Especially not in my own realm. I might have to take a newspaper and bop you on the head. And you really don't want me to break out the newspaper, my little vanilla cake. You won't like it at all. You'll like it much less than this gentle love-tap, do you understand?”

“We understand. Queen Hel, with all respect, Cadence doesn't know the protocols of Helheim. The Swan consciousness is buried inside of Cadence's mind, after all. She was just as unaware of the laws of Valhalla.” Thorn stepped in smoothly.

Cadence tried to mumble something to the effect of 'don't fight for me,' but it was drowned out by Hel's clucking, before the Queen of Helheim asked disapprovingly: “Now, Thorn, are you really going to talk back to me? Has it really been so long that you've forgotten how I punish the people who get all nasty-like with me?”

“I'm only asking for fairness. And I'm only asking, Queen Hel, because I have a duty to Empress Hecate as much as to you. As a representative of Decretum, I must ensure that my fellow delegate is taken care of.” Thorn responded tactfully, but Hel only snorted in amusement at this.

“Oh, blueberry! Now come on, you know that here in Helheim... what's up don't matter none to what's down.” Hel informed, but after a moment she gave a loud, theatrical sigh. “Fine, fine! But she's your responsibility to bring up to speed, you hear? And I don't want no whining, either, capiche?”

Thorn nodded quickly, and Hel snorted before energy swirled to violent life inside the jaws of the head of energy, becoming a portal that thrummed inside the jaws of the statue.

A single, solitary figure passed through the whirling vortex as Cadence slowly forced herself to sit up, and Thorn only bowed his head politely to the demon that passed through, as Hel's voice announced: “I'm just going to leave this here for you guys. She's going to take you where you need to go. Don't make me have to check in on you too often, got it?”

Thorn only nodded again politely, and as the portal vanished, Hel muttered ominously: “Good. Because if I have to take matters into my own hands, I will. And we've already been over that you won't like that.”

The Hel head rumbled, and then it simply collapsed as the presence of the dark goddess faded, and Cadence shivered a little before the demon before them asked gently: “How may I be of service, your honor?”

Thorn studied the demon for a moment, as Cadence forced herself to finally raise her head, and she immediately regretted it as she clenched her eyes shut. But try as she might, she couldn't erase the sight of that creature in front of her: a rotted, hideous mare, with a stringy mane that looked like putrefied hay, and eyes like dead glass. Pus leaked from infected wounds and it looked as if golden jewelry had been stapled into her body...

“I apologize. I have strengthened my glammer.” the demon said politely, and Cadence winced as she felt Thorn grasp her shoulder gently, the ivory mare looking nervously up before she did a double-take, even through the pain radiating through her body.

She found herself staring at the most beautiful mare she had ever seen: she had long, flowing red hair, and a gorgeous ivory coat that was almost pristine, without a single blemish or scar across it. Beautiful, golden jewelry was draped elegantly around her body, along with an amulet that thrummed with power, the symbol of Hel's Archives engraved over the radiant metal.

“My name is Prejudice. I have been instructed to act as your guide. If you have no other orders or questions for me, I will be more than happy to bring you to where you will be staying for the duration of your visit.” the demon said politely, and she turned her eyes to Cadence, revealing that they were still hellish, hollow, horrible glass.

Cadence almost flinched away, and the demon studied the ivory mare for a few moments before Thorn said politely: “Cadence was injured and is unused to Hell's customs, so please excuse her. Will you please give us a moment?”

“Of course. The moment is yours.” Prejudice said kindly, bowing her head before she simply turned around, seeming to stare blankly off into space.

Cadence looked nervously at the demon's back, and then she gasped quietly as she felt magic spread through her, the mare flinching before Thorn murmured: “I'm no good at healing magic, but I can lend you a bit of energy and see if that accelerates your regeneration a little further. Try not to stare too much at Prejudice, please. Envy demons find that... encouraging.”

“I don't think I want to know what I'm encouraging.” Cadence mumbled, and then she shook herself out before carefully pushing herself up to her hooves, breathing quietly as that warmth pushed back the chill in her bones, although it made her wounds ache. “You're insulating me.”

“The cold might numb the pain, but it will also numb the rest of you.” Thorn said quietly, and Cadence smiled briefly before the sapphire stallion shook his head and continued: “Anyway. We can't waste too much time here, alright? Let's get ourselves moving.”

Cadence nodded a few times, taking a slow breath before she looked awkwardly towards Prejudice. Thorn glanced over his shoulder at her as well, and then he smiled briefly before saying quietly: “We need her help, yes. Prejudice is actually one of the younger members of the Archives, but she's done excellently in making a name for herself. She is one of the daughters of a Baroness of Hell, Mistress Jaundice.”

“Yes, that is correct.” Prejudice turned around with a smile, bowing her head politely towards the two ponies. “My mother inherited many of the properties and privileges of the devil who had owned her as a slave.”

Cadence frowned a little, and Thorn explained: “Many nobles in Helheim – Greed Devils in particular – refuse to create wills, to avoid being targeted for assassination by those who would profit from their death. In this instance, when they die, all property goes to Hel, who redistributes it as she pleases.”

“That is correct. Hel saw fit to reward my mother with several tracts of land and responsibility over several small villages. These villages have grown and become prosperous.” Prejudice continued with a smile, her awful, dead eyes locking on Cadence. “She gave birth to many sons and daughters as she grew in rank and nobility. Many of us were sold off or given as tribute. I was a tribute paid to Hel's Archives to maintain her position: I am very thankful for it.”

Cadence mouthed wordlessly, but before she could express her horror, Thorn cut in gently: “Perhaps we should focus back on the task at hoof. I'm sure you have a schedule to keep, Prejudice, and we don't want to delay you any further than we already have.”

“You are most generous, Grand Inquisitor Thorn Blackfeather. Thank you.” Prejudice said politely, bowing her head towards the two. “Please, then. Follow me to the train.”

“I really do not like this.” Cadence muttered under her breath, but Thorn only gave a wry smile as he followed when Prejudice began to walk away, and the ivory mare didn't see any other choice but to do the same as she sighed a little, even as she grumbled: “I really, really do not like this.”

“You aren't really supposed to like anything in Helheim.” Thorn pointed out, and Cadence guessed she couldn't really argue with this logic as she limped a little through the snow, doing her best to keep her head up and her eyes forward even she felt the sapphire stallion's eyes trace worriedly over her. “Do you need us to slow down?”

“No, no. I'm okay. I really am okay.” Cadence mumbled, shaking her head hurriedly before she looked back at her armor, grimacing a bit at the sight of the frozen blood on the metal plating. “Well, okay, maybe I'm not entirely... 'okay,' but I can feel myself healing, is what I mean. I don't think it's anything to worry about.”

Thorn nodded briefly, and then he glanced ahead before explaining: “The fact that Hel wants you here is... not entirely a bad thing. I'm sure it doesn't feel that way, of course, but as long as we work together, our mutual safety will be much less of a concern. We should also hopefully be able to get a better understanding as to what Hel wants from the both of us, and why she's become so intent on destroying Thokk.”

“I wonder, really.” Cadence muttered before she could stop herself. Thorn gave her a mild look, and Cadence cleared her throat awkwardly as she looked away before quickly adding: “Also, uh, I thought you were safe down here as a... High Inquisitor or whatever your title is. That no demon would dare to try and hurt you.”

The sapphire stallion shook his head, however, replying: “I'm also mortal, and fragile compared to most demons. Even with the protection given to me by my status, that won't shield me from poisons or a lot of mental effects that other demons take for granted and have a natural resistance to.”

Cadence nodded and frowned a little, but Thorn only smiled and shrugged a little. Before he could speak, however, Prejudice suddenly veered off to one side and down a dip in the snowy wasteland, calling calmly: “This way.”

As the ponies began to descend the slope, their eyes locked on what looked like a rickety traincar in the distance, hidden in the depths of this snowy valley. Cadence couldn't even imagine how it would work, with the snow humped up around it, and how old and rusted it looked, but Thorn seemed to be frowning for a different reason as he asked: “Is this a Gospel Transport?”

“Yes. We are going through a Prayer Center.” Prejudice replied kindly, and Cadence didn't like the way Thorn frowned even deeper at this. “Do not worry. We will only be passing through.”

“I'm sure.” Thorn said quietly, and then he shook his head before glancing over at Cadence and explaining: “Prayer Centers are where new Inquisitors are indoctrinated. They're generally not the most pleasant of places. Everyone wants to be an Inquisitor, after all, but Hel's Archives are very selective in the process, and the Prayer Centers are part of what help cull the...”

“Unnecessary.” supplied Prejudice politely, as they approached the train car. Cadence frowned as she realized it was more of a tram when they drew close, complete with a rusted, damaged metal arm that stretched up into the air above it, grasping uselessly at dead air.

Prejudice grasped one of the doorhandles before dragging it slowly open, the metal screaming and shrieking as it nearly tore loose from the side of the tram. Then the Envy demon stepped politely aside before bowing her head and saying gently: “Go ahead.”

Thorn and Cadence both entered the rusted, broken-down tram, the ivory mare uneasily surveying the broken windows, the rusted walls, the tattered seats before she muttered: “Is this even going to move?”

Prejudice only smiled as she stepped onto the tram, before she reached back and yanked the door shut behind her, leaving it sitting unevenly in the frame as she said softly: “Do not fear. All things will be as Queen Hel has ordered.”

The tram rumbled, vibrating suddenly to life, and Cadence looked up with surprise before she was nearly thrown off her hooves when it started forwards down the rails hidden beneath the snow. It screamed and banged its way forwards, kicking up a flurry of snow as it rumbled its way through the empty wastes.

Cadence awkwardly straightened, nervously looking out one of the broken windows and watching as the empty terrain passed by, the mare chewing on her lip uneasily before she shook her head quickly and mumbled: “It's been a long time since I've been on a train. The last time was...”

She stopped, then glanced over at Thorn as the stallion replied: “You've been on trains often, Cadence. You might just not always realize it.”

“What, do entire sections of Decretum move?” the mare asked mildly, and Thorn gave a slight smile.

“No, but you have an odd habit of 'forgetting' your missions the moment you're completed them, Cadence. How many times in mission were you on a train system?” Thorn asked, and Cadence shrugged again before the sapphire stallion said quietly: “The energies of Helheim have an interesting effect on emotions and emotional memory. The increase in receptiveness and responsiveness in our brains means that associative memory becomes very strong: you're not connecting recent events, but instead you're thinking of something with a strong emotional trigger.”

Cadence looked at him for a few moments, and then Thorn said bluntly: “You remember Shining Armor, don't you?”

“Yeah.” Cadence smiled lamely back at the stallion, but all the same, she couldn't help but study him curiously before she asked: “How do you know my full history?”

“It's all in your file. I've taken special note of yours and I've gone over the available information several times.” Thorn answered, the stallion giving a brief smile and shrug.

“And you are well known to us, as well.” Prejudice added, and Cadence felt an uncomfortable twinge in her stomach as she looked over at the demon. “We have watched you, Cadence Danzsöngr, ever since you awakened, ever since we learned of your heritage. Hel has a keen interest in you; we might go so far to say she loves you as one of her own.”

“That's... nice.” Cadence said uncomfortably, shifting a little before she looked uneasily at Thorn.

But the sapphire stallion only shook his head, saying quietly: “I don't know. When I was a foal, I was only in charge of keeping the files organized and doing basic bookkeeping. It's very possible, though, that there was an eye on you... I know that my Móðer was being watched by Hel very closely, for example, even before... everything happened.”

“If she was watching us, why didn't she ever make her presence known? Especially since it seems like she wants control over us.” Cadence asked, but Thorn only chuckled softly at this.

“Because of Valthrudnir, and... several other issues that dominated the field until relatively recently.” Thorn replied with a brief shrug, smiling a little over at Cadence. “That, and Hel is... she might be more than a little crazy, but she's also extremely cunning and intelligent. Direct influence, in spite of the belief to the contrary, isn't what brings people down to Helheim. It's the small, subtle things that bring us down.”

“It is easier to bear up under the weight of one single, heavy sin, than it is to survive beneath a tide of a million grains.” Prejudice added gently, bowing her head with a kind smile to Cadence.

The ivory mare studied the Envy demon for a moment, before she stumbled a little as the tram suddenly tilted downwards as it descended into a tunnel. They were quickly swallowed up by darkness, the interior of the tram illuminated only by the flashes of electricity that twisted over the metal arm jutting from the top of the machine, and Cadence shivered as she caught glimpses of Prejudice's true, hideous shape beneath the flickering light.

Prejudice only smiled, almost tenderly, as her hollow eyes greedily gazed into Cadence, the demon saying softly: “Beware the deep dark sea of sin, Swan Maiden. Do not forget that every ocean is nothing more than a million drops of rain.”

And beneath the glare of the hideous demon, Cadence shivered.

Freya stood in front of Team 0-0, Sombra to one side of her and Moonflower the other, as La Croix fidgeted nervously in the background. It had only been ten minutes since Cadence and Thorn had left, and Hecate had been quick to take over and reorganize their forces. She was clearly determined to make the attack on what she considered to be Thokk's base as soon as possible, even if Hel had just taken two of her most important officers for unknown reasons.

That made Freya nervous: Hel was a lot of things, but stupid wasn't one of them, and they all knew that Hel had some kind of special interest in those two. Thorn, likely, because he was her grandson, and the Swan Maiden because... why? That doesn't make as much sense to me. If Hel took part in creating the Swans, then she should be able to simply make new ones... why is she coveting this one?

Freya shook her head briefly, and then her eyes flicked over her shoulder as Moonflower started worriedly: “Maybe we should-”

“Maybe you should buck up.” Freya interrupted immediately, and Moonflower flinched before the mare said in a quieter voice: “Yes, there have been some... unexpected problems. But all the same, we have to deal with the changes and move forward. We don't have any other choice in the matter.”

“My daughter and Thorn will take care of each other.” Sombra said softly, and then he turned a smile towards Freya, bowing her head towards her. “And we, of course, will obey your commands as we would Cadenza's.”

“Considering the way I've seen her lessers treat her like they're her equal, I don't know if that's reassuring or not.” Freya retorted, but Sombra only smiled even as La Croix and Moonflower both glared at Freya, clearly insulted, before both hurriedly looked away when Freya's eyes moodily roved towards them. “Yes, I'm talking about you two.”

Neither stallion said anything, both shifting awkwardly as Sombra sighed and shook his head slowly, before their attention – along with that of every other soldier and servant of Decretum present – was brought front and center by a tremendous crack of energy.

All eyes turned towards Hecate, who was standing in front of a massive portal ring with her hands behind her back, her eyes glaring over the groups before her before she ordered: “Sound off!”

“Freya, Team 0-0, present!” shouted the Queen of the Valkyries, suddenly crisp and professional as she saluted sharply.

“Seneschal, Command Team, present and accounted for.” Seneschal saluted awkwardly, as Silver only kicked at the ground and Auriculos didn't bother looking up from the holographic screen floating in front of him.

“Lancer here. Team C-03 ready.” added a large, gruff stallion, who all the same shrank his head almost meekly under Hecate's glare.

“Cataskeuastros, Team B-15. We are prepared.” said another stallion, who bowed his head respectfully to Hecate.

Almost the entire room shook as the infantry stomped into their own salutes, and this was followed by several acknowledgments radioed in from the teams at the back. Hecate nodded moodily as the last of the teams called in, and she looked back and forth over the assembly before saying coldly: “Your mission is simple. Invade and exterminate all resistance. Occupy the enemy's facilities, and either seize or destroy their resources and data. If Thokk's forces leave, I want them to leave crippled, maimed, and bleeding.I want them humiliated, and devastated. I want them to know the power of Decretum, and that they will not get any mercy from us.”

Freya roared her approval, although the rest of the army only saluted sharply, with a few scattered 'ma'am!' and 'sir!' through the ranks. Hecate smiled thinly at this response, but this was precisely what she wanted: she wanted her soldiers to be a well-oiled machine, a thousand different gears that all worked together as one.

And so far, she was pleased to see that they were. Her eyes roved slowly back and forth over the soldiers, and then she nodded once before ordering coldly: “Fall in, and get ready. We move in ten minutes. I expect all of you to provide a satisfactory performance.”

Hecate strode off to the side as the Worker Drones behind her began to plug power cables into the portal, electricity sparking over the massive metal ring as rumbles passed through the machinery as it began to gear up. Hecate glanced back only once to ensure that the Worker Drones were operating at optimum efficiency, before she smiled slightly as she noted that the enormous power crystal on top of the almost-rectangular ring was already thrumming with power. Thorn pre-charged it. Good.

She briskly headed towards the side of the staging area, where Cowlick was loitering, but for once, the demon seemed almost anxious as she said quietly: “I hope you know what you're doing. You know that whenever Hel shows up-”

“Things go wrong. Welcome to life, where things go wrong every moment of every day. We adjust for that, and we evolve because of it.” Hecate replied coldly, as she turned around and surveyed her soldiers. “What makes my empire strong is their ability to adapt, even more than their discipline. All this discipline would be worthless if they were nothing but robots.”

Cowlick looked mildly up at Hecate, and Hecate turned her eyes towards the engineer before the Empress of Decretum said, as she flexed one claw slowly: “My Orphans will adapt where Valthrudnir's machines would fail a million times over. My Orphans will ensure order where Hel's chaos would only fuel the fire.”

“You're all about that control. You know that's the problem, though. Hel's all about things not going to plan. Not even her plans.” Cowlick replied dryly, and Hecate only smiled distastefully before the demon looked ahead and said in a lower voice: “You got a big problem coming, whatever happens. You know that no one expected you to get this far, to do this much. You know that your whole empire... this Ithavoll Project you're workin' real hard to keep secret... all of it is sitting on sand.”

“No. It's far more solid than you think. And this Clockwork Empire will outlive me, Cowlick.” Hecate smiled thinly, glancing over at the demon. “And I have no plans on dying anytime soon.”

“Believe me. Planning on dying was one of the best things that I ever did.” Cowlick grinned over at Hecate, but the mechanical empress only shot the demon a moody look. “And I gotta say, that death's been real interesting ever since.”

“I'm not surprised how well you've adjusted to it.” Hecate said acidly, and then she turned her eyes ahead and added in a quieter voice, as she crossed her arms: “But I have to say, I am surprised that you sound so afraid. I thought you were too stupid to feel fear.”

“After you spend some time down in Helheim, you realize that all the people who brag about how they've never been afraid of anything are either retarded or fakes. I been afraid of plenty, Hecate.” Cowlick halted, then she looked back at the mare and said softly: “Believe me, I ain't afraid to die. But I am afraid of what's going to happen if you take on Hel and Thokk. You've shot at both of 'em, and don't pretend that whole Ithavoll crap you were spouting wasn't an open warning shot at Hel. I know it was.”

Hecate only snorted, then asked dryly: “And when did you become my voice of caution, Cowlick?”

“Oh, don't worry. I'll keep building you the weapons you need and doing what you say, Queen Bitch, but that's not going to stop me from criticizing how stupid and cocky you've been getting.” Cowlick retorted, snorting as she glowered at Hecate. “What, do you really think this giant bucket of bolts and gears can stand up to being attacked from all sides? The moment Thokk is down, you know that Hel will take the chance to-”

“Hel will do nothing.” Hecate said contemptibly, and Cowlick frowned at the confidence in Hecate's voice as the mechanical empress said quietly: “She and I may disagree on a lot of things, and we may be hostile to each other... but we recognize each other's value.”

Cowlick laughed shortly at this, and then she replied wryly: “Never realized you were such an idealist. But hey. I guess this whole Decretum thing is based on a whole load of fantasy, anyway.”

“No. It's based on what I know we can achieve. It's based on what has, in fact, been achieved.” retorted the mare, shaking her head before she gestured out at the soldiers in front of her. “Growth has come to us because we have earned it. I will not allow my soldiers victory unless they deserve it, with every fiber of their being.”

“You've always been a bitch.” Cowlick stated wryly, but the demon gave maybe the slightest of smiles before she looked out over the mass of soldiers, muttering: “I just hope you're a big enough bitch to handle what's going to come next.”

“I'm ready. And every person I need to be ready is, as well. I'm not afraid.” Hecate replied calmly, keeping her eyes forward as energy began to swirl violently to life inside the massive portal ring. It crackled ominously, and Hecate smiled coldly as she said softly: “Thokk has no idea what she is dealing with, or what we are capable of.”

Cowlick snorted, before she cocked an eyebrow curiously as the portal crackled with power again, the demon leaning forwards slightly before she whistled at the especially-violent swirl of energy inside the ring, muttering: “That's a hell of a drill.”

“Every step of an attack should be an attack. The initial breach into Thokk's world will cause mass disruption, and after that the energy drill will form a one-way portal that will dissolve anything in front of it and around it.” Hecate's eyes flicked over the portal, as it crackled with power again, electricity arching over the enormous ring. “The strike forces will invade between initial pulses and immediately push forward. Team B-15 will set Ionized Magnetic Charges that will literally pull the portal forwards to the wall of the enemy facility, where it will drill through before opening again so we can flood their halls with my soldiers.”

“God, you're scary.” Cowlick said mildly, grinning a little despite herself up at Hecate. “You really get off from all this, huh?”

“I 'get off' from knowing that even when everything stops going according to plan, Thokk will still end up crushed beneath the force of my soldiers.” replied Hecate evenly, before her eyes locked on Freya as the Queen of the Valkyries began to stride forwards, leading Team 0-0 as naturally as if they had always served her. “Right on time.”

Freya grinned as she strode towards the portal as the arcs of energy around it settled, her eyes blazing before she roared: “You all know your jobs! Into the breach! Now Thokk will learn the true meaning of wrath!”

Freya flicked her horn sharply, her swords appearing in bursts of golden flame, spinning around her into ready positions as she fearlessly strode towards the massive portal into the unknown, with Moonflower, La Croix, and Sombra following in her wake. The Valkyrie's confidence radiated through them all, and in spite of the fear, they all the same strode into the hole in reality without hesitation, sprinting down the tunnel of whirling energy beyond as they felt it rushing, pushing against them, almost flinging them through one side of reality and out-

The ponies leapt through the other side of the portal, almost knocked sprawling by the force it ejected them with as they landed in black, weedy gravel. Freya and Sombra both skidded quickly to a halt as Moonflower stumbled and La Croix half-fell, but all four felt the chill of wrongness in the air even before they were able to take in the world around them.

The sky was black, but not deep or dark or rich like the night sky: it was dull and pockmarked, like faded charcoal smeared across concrete. It took Freya a moment to realize what those lighter and darker-colored scars in the sky were: not stars, but floating stones and debris.

Freya shook her head to clear it, before focusing herself: the air was cold and crisp, and it stank. The ground beneath their hooves was broken and uneven, and as she looked back and forth, all she could see was more waste: jutting, jagged fangs of rock, piles of gravel and broken stone, deep craters crusted with filth and metallic wreckage.

Freya strode forwards to the edge of a crater some twenty feet away, and her eyes narrowed as they locked on to a squat set of towers at the bottom of the enormous wound in the earth. It was smaller than she had expected, but all the same, it looked like that was where they had to go... although it also looks like it's already suffered heavy damage. And even from here, I sense... “Stay on guard. And...”

Freya paused, then looked over her shoulder, watching as the other teams of four each emerged from the portal. “You two! Merge your teams with mine, we move in as one!”

Cataskeuastros nodded slowly, apparently unfazed by the order, the environment, or being flung through the portal, and he led his team quickly and efficiently to an escort position without argument. The other team leader, however, blinked stupidly as he hammered on the side of his head with one hoof before he asked grouchily: “Now why the hell would I want to do that? Look, lady, we got our orders. Cat, I can't believe that-”

“Hey, monsieur, much as I would love to see y'get your face punched in, you should just listen to Madame Freya. Or she make a fine stew out of you, Lancer.” La Croix interrupted, gesturing pointedly towards the ivory mare as she scowled at the large stallion.

But Lancer only snorted before he retorted: “Oh, shut up and stuff your fancy talk. I'm more afraid of Hecate than-”

“Than what, handsome?” asked Freya pleasantly, as she appeared like a ghost in front of the stallion, who blanched and leaned back in surprise before he paled as he felt one of her floating swords caress his throat. “What do you think will happen after you express your fear of Hecate?”

Lancer grinned weakly up at Freya, gulping,and that was enough to make the blade bite a small nick into his throat as he said in a tinny voice: “I just think that... Hecate probably isn't going to appreciate...someone else... taking over.”

“I'm not taking over. I'm making things more efficient.” Freya replied as she reached up and grasped the side of Lancer's face, making him wince a bit before he visibly relaxed when Freya's swords drew away from him, a moment before she flung him face-first into the ground, leaving him laying in a dazed heap. “Let's stop wasting time. Fall in! Moonflower, cloak! Whoever has the magic to do so, boost him and make sure we have as much stealth as possible until we reach the target! I don't want our enemies sniffing us out until our swords are in their throats!”

“Sanctum, boost Moonflower's shield.” Cataskeuastros ordered calmly, and another unicorn in his group nodded and saluted as he strode up quickly beside Moonflower, who smiled as their horns started to glow in tandem. “Dinoris, keep up a wide area scan.”

“I'll keep up a thermal layering, too.” added a unicorn mare, who awkwardly hurried over to Lancer to pry him out of the ground, as Lancer's team only shifted lamely on their hooves until Freya glared at them, and they hurriedly fell into line.

“Good. The rest of you, keep quiet and march.” Freya ordered, and then she turned to lead the way forwards as the ponies fell into an awkward file behind her. Sombra fell back slightly to help organize the teams out, although Lancer seemed less-than-receptive and his team straggled behind, while Cataskeuastros' soldiers neatly fell into support positions beside Team 0-0.

They made their way quickly down the slope, and Freya felt that energy all the clearer as they drew closer, a power she and the rest of Team 0-0 recognized all too well: chaos energies. Lancer and his team seemed confused by it, while Cataskeuastros and his soldiers seemed uneasy, but the mare named Peridot was the first to speak up about it, asking: “Is that... are we walking towards chaos entities? Or elementals?”

“Very good, girl. I'm quite impressed.” Freya said mildly, glancing over her shoulder as she smiled slightly: they were an interesting group, she had to admit. Three unicorns, and a strange machine that walked around on two long legs, with a solid, rectangular body topped with a long neck and a featureless, beaked head. “Maybe there's more to you than just horns and bolts.”

Peridot smiled a little: she was a pale gold unicorn, her mane as black as night apart from a few stripes of chestnut in it. Her eyes were hazel, nervous, but not about those energies. Furthermore... “Yes, you're very confident about that. You've had experience with them before, have you?”

“Yes. Unfortunately.” Peridot nodded, giving a small smile as she studied Freya with marked interest. “I was a healer that worked with the Equestrian military. But they started testing new 'weapons,' and... well...”

“They tried to harness elementals, did they? That is a foolish error too many mage-ruled kingdoms make.” Freya shook her head, before she glanced over her shoulder and added loudly: “Lancer, pick your pace up or I'll have one of your companions carry you like a backpack, do you hear me, little boy?”

Lancer scowled, but he hurried forwards from where he had been loitering along at the back – likely unaware of how much that was stretching Moonflower and Sanctum's magic – and as he tightened up formation, his soldiers automatically did as well. Freya smiled slightly at this: maybe they weren't completely hopeless after all. But she had plenty of dog teams in the past, and she had learned that a team of dogs that could only work with themselves was almost as useless as a hound that couldn't work with others.

There wasn't enough time to test them or yell at them, though: they were on the final approach now to the facility, so Freya only turned her eyes forwards and said quietly: “Cataskeuastros, if you don't have the same level of experience as Peridot does, then I recommend you let her take lead here. Lancer, stay back until I see what we're dealing with. La Croix, scout ahead.”

The zebra vanished as Lancer groaned loudly and childishly, rolling his eyes in clear disgust, but he was smart enough to stay quiet otherwise. Peridot, meanwhile, smiled embarrassedly even as her team leader stepped politely aside and nodded to her, murmuring: “Alright. Freya, can I ask you-”

“What you can do is keep your team alive. Stay quiet and follow my instructions.” Freya answered, and Peridot nodded quickly and looked attentively to the mare even as Lancer and his team all mumbled like children. “Good girl.”

Freya turned her eyes back ahead as they slowly approached the outer wall of the crumbling facility: as Freya's eyes scanned quickly over it, she noted how the most damage didn't seem to be to the building's face and the rotting brick, but instead the floor of the crater around this strange set of squat towers: it looked as if the ground had collapsed beneath the structure, and it had somehow miraculously survived sinking into the ruptured earth.

They came to a halt at the edge of the network of cracks and crumbled ditches surrounding the facility, before Freya glanced down as La Croix appeared in front of her, the zebra shifting uneasily before he mumbled: “I dunno, Madame. Somethin' ain't right. Silent as the depths of the great dark waters in there.”

“Was the chaos energy stronger or weaker?” Freya asked, and La Croix frowned slightly before he nodded slowly to her. It wasn't an answer, but all the same, she got what she was looking for. “We're expected.”

“Of course you're expected.” scoffed a synthesized voice, and Freya gritted her teeth as it echoed from every Mission Drive on every pony present. “You idiots-”

“Auriculos! Y'all are makin' too damn much noise, taisse-toi!” La Croix hissed through his teeth, but the Kirin neurocenter only laughed shortly.

“First of all, I don't have to listen to you anymore, Loa, now that-”

“Arrogant idiot.” growled Freya, as she felt the ground beneath her hooves shift and the energy in the air suddenly intensify menacingly. “Defensive positions! The enemy is attacking from below!”

Lancer began to open his mouth, and then he was blasted off his hooves by an explosion of rock and shrapnel and concussive force, flung high into the air with a yell as a wolf made of stone, with glaring, gemstone eyes, tore out of the ground with a roar that shook the air.

“Freeze the ground!” Peridot shouted, and Cataskeuastros and Sanctum both snapped their horns downward, ice spreading violently over the earth beneath their hooves. The ground still cracked as other elementals attempted to emerge, but they were unable to smash their way up out through the chilled earth.

Sombra braced his hooves against the earth, the ground around him turning to black marsh before it transformed into solid crystal, while Freya shouted, even as she leapt out of the way of an earthen wolf that tore out of the ground where she had been a moment before: “Moonflower! Blast a hole in that wall!”

Moonflower nodded quickly, the black unicorn almost throwing himself towards the fortress as he snapped his horn out, sending a black fireball streaking through the air. But then his eyes widened in horror as this was deflected into the ground by an invisible force as a voice whispered around them: “Oh, excuse me, my darlings... but the rats are so hungry, I can't stop them from feeding...”

“Show yourself!” shouted Freya, the Valkyrie baring her teeth. But whatever this creature was, it was extremely familiar with chaos energies: she could catch quick glimpses of it, but it was twisting itself back and forth through the air with no discernible pattern, using the chaos and elemental magic in the air to shield itself. The rock wolves ripping out of the ground all around them, attacking the ponies ravenously, were only making it all the more difficult for her to lock on to this larger threat amongst these brutal elementals-

A sharp wind blew past her, making Freya curse as it tore through her braids and unraveled several of them before her eyes widened as she felt claws gently tangle themselves into her long mane, a mouth pressing to her ear to whisper: “Now, don't be rude. You should know better than that; you should be encouraging!”

Freya's eyes flicked to the side, and all she saw were cruel teeth and thick, oily lips twisted into a ghoulish, far too-large grin, as the creature's grip tightened in her mane and another hand grasped her throat, before her eyes widened as a third caressed down her back as a fourth tickled under her chin, the monster saying tenderly: “But don't worry, I won't let the rats eat you!

“I'll just let them eat all your friends, instead.”

Odette's Mysterious Dance

Chapter Fifty: Odette's Mysterious Dance
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence really, really did not like Helheim, and unsurprisingly, neither did the Swan.

Two things did amaze her, however: one was that the Swan was apparently so disgusted with the entire situation, it had essentially sealed itself away inside her to sulk. And the other, somehow even more amazing thing, was how sociable and amiable Thorn was with all these horrific monsters of the depths, and how well he played through their political games and social graces.

Cadence grumbled under her breath as she adjusted the ceremonial 'armor' that she was being forced to wear during these horrible little social functions they were both being forced to attend. While her actual armor was beneath the regalia, and thus quite functional, she had a ridiculous layer of much lighter and stranger armor overtop that made it almost impossible to move. This tin suit of armor was a bleached-ivory white, and additionally had long tassels, feathered wings, enormous... she didn't know what the hell they were. They were long strips of cloth that came down from her back, like tails, but because of some charm they had bright runes glowing throughout the fabric and they fluttered constantly in the air, so there was no danger of them being stepped on but plenty of her accidentally turning and smacking someone with them. Which she had already done several times.

She also had a mask she was supposed to wear: she hated it because it made her feel claustrophobic. The Swan hated it because it apparently reminded her of the old days. Cadence thought that was strange, since she thought anything that made the Swan nostalgic should have been setting off all sorts of alarms for her, but apparently this was a very different sort of memory. One that related to a feeling that Cadence had never expected to feel from the Swan, a sensation that made the Swan more of a person to her, for lack of a better word: rebellion.

Apart from feeling out that tiny tidbit of the Swan's personality, however, Cadence really hadn't gained anything from this whole experience. She had learned that Hel was an asshole, though, and how even though Helheim followed a twenty-four hour system, people were expected to work thirty hour days. How people fit thirty hours' of work into twenty or less, Cadence really didn't understand, but she was starting to get a little bit about why Thorn was so anal all the time.

She hated that this was apparently their 'top secret super special awesome mission' from Hel: they were supposed to attend a whole bunch of these little 'pre-parties' and mingle with the demons there and play nice. They were apparently both acting as special 'delegates from Decretum,' representing Clockwork World or some crap about unity and togetherness and alliances., and working some kind of some kind of secret mission at the same time. Or at least, so Hel claimed.

The ivory mare wasn't stupid: sure, Hel would love a chance to torment them both, and sure, she wouldn't put something like... well, this, past Hel to do just for kicks. But she thought that even Hel wasn't crazy enough to put them through this for no reason at this crucial a time.

No, as little as Cadence liked it, there was probably some weird, stupid reason why Hel was having them run around like this. Every party held an unhealthy dose of intrigue and suspicion, after all: it felt like every pair of eyes that wandered over them was judging them, hunting for signs of vulnerability or weakness.

That was another thing she found strange: Thorn acted as if he was used to being glared at, as if none of the suspicion bothered him. He strode fearlessly around in his fancy Inquisitor's regalia, making conversation with every pair of eyes that turned his way as if he wasn't surrounded by demons who were glowering at him as if they were wishing for his untimely demise.

Thorn almost ignored her while they did their little circles of the massive ballrooms they kept ending up in, but at the same time, all she had to do was stay close to him and look menacing, and she was glad that she didn't have to try and talk or make nice with anyone. Decretum had taught her the value of differences and not to judge people by what they were alone, but all the same, she really wasn't comfortable around all these demons.

At least Thorn seemed to know what he was doing. Yet, all the same, as they strode down a richly-ornamented hallway of a vast and beautiful mansion filled with demons of every shape and size, Cadence couldn't help but mumble: “I really hate this.”

“I do too.” Thorn muttered back to her, and Cadence looked at him with surprise, but the sapphire stallion only gave her the slightest of smiles as he said dryly: “You didn't seriously think that I enjoy any of this, did you?”

“Well, I mean... you seem to fit right in here.” Cadence said before she really thought about what she was saying, and then she gave a lame smile when Thorn tilted his head towards her, cocking an eyebrow. “Uh. Sorry. I just mean... you know what I mean.”

“I do, yes.” Thorn replied with a slight smile of his own, shaking his head briefly before he said softly: “It just... I suppose you could say that it was simple to fall back into old habits. Not to mention the fact I suppose that this is what I've been trained for, most of my life: diplomacy and asset management.”

“It's scary how you think like that still.” Cadence blurted out, again before she could stop herself, but Thorn only smiled wryly, almost as if in agreement, before the ivory mare murmured: “I mean... I just know that there's so much more to you than that, Thorn.”

Thorn shrugged a bit, and then he said softly: “Maybe. Maybe not. I'm not always so sure, Cadence. This has always been my life, and this seems to be what I'm good at. I'm not like my parents. Even on the battlefield, I've realized that... I can't help but plan things out for the long term. I think too much. I waste time debating points when I should be acting.”

“You summoned a giant rail cannon and blew the head off a Terror. Thorn, if it wasn't for you, we would have all been dead.” Cadence said disbelievingly, and when Thorn blinked in surprise, the ivory mare blushed a bit before saying awkwardly: “Sorry, uh... I guess I was listening to your emotions more than your words.”

“I'm always impressed by that. You seem to be able to key in very clearly to the emotions of others. For the most part.” Thorn said mildly, and Cadence frowned at this as they entered a massive hall, which was filled with demons in expensive, exotic outfits.

“What the hell do you mean by that?” she asked, but Thorn only gave her another smile before he gestured forward with his head, and the ivory mare grumbled under her breath even as she squared up her shoulders as they waded once more into the apparently-endless meet-and-greet.

Thorn began to approach a demon, before his eyes suddenly widened as he half-turned, visibly tensing up. And as Cadence turned, she realized that suddenly the whole hall had gone quiet, and she could hear claws and hooves shifting out of the way like a singular tide to try and make way for the entity now striding slowly towards them.

“Thorn Blackfeather. We are delighted to see you.” the monster said, and its tone was loving. Tender, in spite of its huge animal teeth, the greed and possessiveness in its serpent eyes, the way it strutted sinuously to make the knives buried through its back click and clack together with every movement.

“It is my pleasure to be here, Lady of the Moon.” Thorn replied quietly, bowing his head to the enormous demon, which smiled before it – she – leaned down and gently kissed her forehead.

The Lady of the Moon: Cadence shivered a little as she surveyed the mighty demoness, licking her lips behind her mask. She knew the stories: this was Hel's invisible left hand, her most-trusted lieutenant, and the only demon who held authority even in the depths of Underdark.

And here she was, looking down upon Thorn like her favorite subject, gazing at him with such obvious affection and love, that it made the other demons glare at them with fury and with hatred, as if Thorn somehow-

The Lady of the Moon looked up, and Cadence felt a chill run down her spine and the Swan twist inside her in confusion at the familiarity in those snake-like eyes, before the demoness gave a coy smile as she said softly: “Hello, Cadenza Danzsöngr, Swan Maiden. We are pleased to meet you. Take off your mask before us.”

Cadence shivered a little, but then she reached up and nervously removed her mask, looking across at the demon as the Lady of the Moon gazed back at her with such cruelty and glee, she thought.

For a few moments, there was silence, as neither of them moved so much as a muscle, and then Cadence winced a bit when the demoness suddenly grasped her by the face with one cloven, blade-like hoof, forcibly tilting her head back and forth before she said softly: “You are not quite what we expected, Danzsöngr. But we smell Valkyrie on you... has Freya been training you?” She smiled coyly, adding almost mockingly: “Or has she just been playing with you?”

“Queen Freya has been training me.” Cadence said as politely as she could, struggling to maintain eye contact with the creature before she forced herself to smile uncomfortably. “It's an honor to-”

“No it is not.” The demoness smiled again, as if at some private joke, and then she finally released Cadence. The ivory mare didn't even have enough time to blink, however, before she was slapped savagely across the face, her jaw falling open as she mouthed wordlessly for a few moments before the Lady of the Moon said calmly: “You are a disgusting insect, Cadenza Danzsöngr. You are weak, pathetic, and beneath contempt. What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I... I'm sorry?” was all that Cadence could manage out, as she stared up in shock at the demoness, a bit of blood running from a thin cut that had been made over her face. She began to look towards Thorn, but then her nose was seized by the demoness, the mare wincing as she was forcefully dragged back to face the Lady of the Moon.

“Do not speak to your superiors with that tone, Swan. And do not use such broken whimpering. Form words with your mouth... even if it is certainly no small feat for an animal like yourself to speak even the simplest phrases.” The Lady of the Moon smiled calmly again, and then she said softly: “You are not even a whore, for your body knows and can offer no pleasures. You are a broken, ugly thing. A doll. A cheap, cracked porcelain knickknack that has been left out in the sun too long, broken and bleached and infested with grime and disease. Gutter-filth.”

Cadence trembled in fury, but she kept her mouth shut, even as her eyes burned holes in the Lady of the Moon. But the demoness only looked back at her, patronizing, mocking, before she said softly: “It's perfectly fine if you don't know what to say. You don't have to say anything. You just have to agree with me that you are nothing more than a useless, meaningless, worthless puppet.”

The ivory mare gritted her teeth, resisting as much as she could even as the Lady of the Moon looked down into her eyes, challenging her, daring her to do something, to try and stand up for herself, to open her big fat stupid mouth and-

“And here Shining Armor feared that he was the one using you.” the Lady of the Moon said pleasantly, and Cadence stiffened up before the demoness continued silkily: “But I suppose no matter how much you pumped him, that's never been quite as much as you've abused your father, is it?”

Cadence and the Swan both lashed up as one, swinging a hoof out and smashing the Lady of the Moon across the face with so much force that the ivory mare stumbled through the blow. The demoness was knocked skidding backwards from the force as her cheekbone shattered and blood exploded from her muzzle, barely catching herself before she dropped her head forwards in the shocked silence that followed.

The Lady of the Moon slowly rose her head, and her bleeding lips twisted into a soft smile before she said almost lovingly: “Good.”

“Lady of the Moon, please excuse Cadence, she-” But Thorn was cut off by the demoness simply raising a hoof, the creature straightening calmly in front of Cadence as she looked down at her with that same strange, cryptic smile.

“Do not speak further, Thorn Blackfeather. Or, Grand Inquisitor or not, I will have to have you punished.” the Lady of the Moon said softly, and Thorn grimaced a bit as he looked apologetically at Cadence.

But Cadence was only trembling with not just anger, but self-loathing. She knew the demoness had been taunting her from the start and she had just walked right into doing what the Lady of the Moon wanted. What perhaps Hel wanted, as the Lady of the Moon slowly circled her. And, when Cadence risked a look up, she saw that what had once been an ugly wound had already faded into nothing more than a small bruise, which even before her eyes, was still getting smaller yet. She had accomplished nothing.

The Lady of the Moon came to a stop in front of her, studying her for a few more moments before she said pleasantly: “Tormentas. See Cadenza Danzsöngr out.”

“Of course.” A silver-armored mare seemed to simply appear out of nowhere, striding calmly past the Lady of the Moon. Her heavy plate mail covered her from head to hoof completely, her emerald eyes barely visible behind the narrow grille in the helm on her head, which was topped with an elegant crown of gold.

Cadence allowed the mare to turn her around and guide her through the crowd, many of whom were whispering and staring. She wished she had her mask so she could cover up the humiliation in her cheeks, but she had dropped it; ridiculously, she wondered if she was going to be punished for that, too. And even more ridiculously, she felt strangely like she deserved it, for damaging the gifts of the mistress.

Cadence felt an uneasy twitch inside herself at this as she blinked, but she didn't have time to process the thought as she was guided out of the ballroom, then straight across the corridor to another door. Tormentas opened this with only the slightest gesture of her head, and Cadence thought it was probably better just to follow along in silence for now as they headed into the room.

The ivory mare frowned a bit in surprise as she looked around, realizing they had stepped into what looked almost like a small library. She glanced back and forth at the shelves lining the walls, before a surprisingly-gentle voice invited: “Please come in. Sit down.”

The ivory mare looked towards the center of the room, where the armored mare was now calmly seated, smiling almost pleasantly over at Cadence. The Swan Maiden shifted hesitantly, but Tormentas simply laughed softly before she said gently: “Please. Do not fear. You are far outside of our jurisdiction, Swan Maiden. And my first task is only to extend the Lady of the Moon's apologies.”

“I... what's going on?” asked the mare uncertainly, as she nervously approached the... well, she assumed she was some sort of Inquisitor or elite guard. “But she... I thought she was testing me.”

“She was, of course. Everything is a test.” The armored mare chuckled, and then she reached up and grasped her helm before calmly pulling it off.

Cadence's eyes widened in disbelief, and Tormentas grinned slightly at her, with unblemished, beautiful sapphire features surrounded by ephemeral, flowing locks that were as gorgeous as the night sky. “Wait, you're... another Luna?”

“Very good eyes. Yes, I am 'another' Luna; it sounds like you've met more than your fair share of them.” Tormentas' eyes twinkled with mischief as she shook herself out briefly, the mare putting her silver helm gently aside before she smiled slightly as she stroked gently along the crown that adorned it. “I have met quite a few myself, you know... as a matter of fact, I was Chief Inquisitor for your friend, Valkyrie Brynhild.”

Cadence's gaze immediately sharpened as she turned towards the mare, and Tormentas smiled softly as she looked silently down at her silver helm, studying her distorted reflection in the dome quietly. “It's funny. She suspected a thousand different demons, but she never suspected that even if I was a shapeshifter... I always came to her in what I consider my truest, most undiluted form. She never realized that the mare who would be able to torture her most, was a mare who had gone through many very similar trials and tribulations...”

Tormentas chuckled softly, before her eyes flicked towards Cadence, and she reached out and patted the empty seat beside her, saying softly: “Come here. Sit down with me. I won't bite.”

The ivory mare hesitated for only a moment longer before she approached. She began to walk around the table, but Tormentas smiled at her teasingly, asking: “Are you really that afraid of me, Cadence? No, come, sit here.”

Cadence shifted nervously on her hooves, but then she nodded awkwardly before approaching the seat and nervously sitting herself down. There was silence for a few moments as Cadence only stared at Tormentas, but Tormentas only smiled again. “Tell me what you thought of the Valkyrie. I'm a very big fan, even if I only got to know... certain parts of her.”

“How did you end up in Hell?” Cadence blurted, and Tormentas looked surprised as Cadence gave a lame grin, shrinking her head a bit as she realized that was probably an incredibly rude question, on top of the fact that she was running over the mare's own question. “Uh. Sorry. I mean, uh... I didn't... really get to know her...”

Tormentas smiled in amusement, and then she shook her head before looking down at one over her hooves, saying softly: “I was a warrior. I was never a Princess, like many of the other Lunas... I was savage, barbarian. But I did my best to protect my people, no matter what the cost...” Tormentas' eyes flicked up, meeting the Swan's for a moment, and Cadence shivered at the reflection of herself she saw in that calm gaze. “But you know how badly that can go wrong, I'm sure.”

“Yes... yes, I do.” Cadence murmured, lowering her head a little. She bit her lip as the Swan twisted inside of her, and then she looked away as she continued: “I uh... most of my interactions with her were pretty hostile. She liked to push boundaries and the Swan... hates the Valkyrie. Hates the Night Maiden.”

Tormentas chuckled softly as she nodded slowly, replying gently: “Yes, that is a good way to describe her. Mischievous. Never satiated. Troublesome. But she is very sly, Swan. Don't ever underestimate her, or what she's capable of... or what she's willing to do in order to protect the people she cares about.”

Cadence nodded slowly, even as she felt an odd shiver run down her spine, before Tormentas straightened up and then said kindly: “I'm afraid we have to get down to business now, Cadence. As you must be aware of by now, nothing is ever peaceful in Helheim, and rumors of Thokk and her power have caused some of our brethren to forget their place.

“You and Prince Thorn have been recruited to sniff out these enemies of Queen Hel. To this end, the Lady of the Moon has given you reason enough to want revenge, and we have already sown the rumor that you are a puppet of Thokk's. Sorry about that, dear.” Tormentas added politely, smiling kindly at Cadence, as Cadence gave the slightest grimace. “But you know, sometimes these unpleasant things must be done.”

Cadence mumbled under her breath, and then she said: “I thought Hel knew basically... everything, though. That nothing was beyond her sight.”

“Hel's sight can be blocked by certain runes and other means. She knows when demons are blocking her gaze, but not at all what they are saying or doing within these 'bubbles' they create.” Tormentas smiled slightly. “The punishment for trying to avoid Hel's gaze is death, if our Queen is feeling merciful. But Hel wants to know what they were saying, and she does not want to delegate the resources to torturing them when more might be obtained by a game of subterfuge. That, and Hel has always loved her games.”

The ivory mare scowled a little at this, but then she nodded slowly before muttering: “I can't believe I'm going to agree to this... but, well, I guess I don't have a whole lot of choice anyway, really, do I?”

Tormentas smiled again and shrugged before she replied evenly: “Oh, we always have a choice, Cadence. What makes us think there's 'no other choice' is simply that we are afraid of what our other choices mean.”

Cadence grumbled a bit at this, but then she nodded grudgingly before Tormentas said softly: “But, Queen Hel does recognize that, again, you are outside of our jurisdiction, and she has no real authority to command you to do anything. So I've been told to offer you a trade.”

Cadence tilted her head, and Tormentas smiled before she said: “I have been authorized to train you. The faster you accomplish this task for us – and it will not take you long, don't worry, for the demons who wish to undermine Hel will want to work quickly – the more training I can give you, Cadenza Danzsöngr.”

The ivory mare felt the Swan shift inside of her in disgust and almost anger, but she quelled it quickly, because she had to admit she was curious. “What could I learn from you?”

“More than you think, and much more than your silent partner thinks.” Tormentas winked at her, before she added enticingly: “And I stripped the Valkyrie's mind and memories many times, you know. Perhaps it's not very ladylike of me to offer you this, but I can teach you about her as well.”

That made the Swan shift again, with grudging interest in spite of the utter disgust it still felt at 'learning' from a demonspawn, especially one that served Queen Hel. Cadence, however, felt a weird sort of guilt inside of her, wrestling with the instincts of the Swan before she finally shifted awkwardly and muttered: “I... let's just get this over with for now, and then we'll see about... what you might be able to teach me.”

Tormentas nodded, and then she winked again before flicking her hoof, Cadence's mask appearing in it in a puff of smoke before the Inquisitor said pleasantly: “I have inscribed a scrying rune in your mask that will allow me to hear everything that happens. Find Thorn Blackfeather. He will guide you to the demons you are to hunt.”

“How much does Thorn know?” Cadence asked, and before she could stop herself, she added: “And why was the Lady of the Moon so interested in him?”

“I'm not allowed to talk about that, Cadenza. But if you finish this mission for us, I'll let you in on that little secret as well.” Tormentas replied kindly, and then she gently slipped the mask onto Cadence's face, the ivory mare grimacing but allowing it as the Inquisitor instructed: “Return to the ballroom and find Thorn Blackfeather. When the demons try and pull you aside, allow them to separate you from him and guide you away. Play along, and trust in us to intervene should things get... difficult.”

“I am not afraid of lowlings.” the Swan said coldly from Cadence's jaws, and the ivory mare winced before her mouth snapped shut.

But Tormentas only smiled once more before she replied kindly: “A good attitude to have. But be careful: you don't want to end up getting yourself in trouble. You're a bird in a den of snakes.”

Cadence shifted uncomfortably, and then she nodded once, and Tormentas nodded in return before gently patting her on the shoulder. “Go on now. You're ready for this, though, that I certainly have faith in. But if you'll take one little bit of advice, dear... please don't let that nasty part of you take over. And I'm not talking about the Swan.”

Cadence looked awkwardly away, and Tormentas gazed at her almost tenderly before she said softly: “Brynhild had a similar problem, you know. She divided everything not into good and evil, but into the Clean, and the Unwashed. But blind hatred is not an asset. It leads us to make mistakes. It leads us to focus too much on how they are different... making us vulnerable to how we are very much the same.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Cadence nodded once before she slipped out of her seat, muttering: “I'll uh... try and keep that in mind.”

“Don't worry, my dear. It might not make sense now, but it will in the future.” Tormentas encouraged, then she reached out and picked up her own helm. But she only held it close to her breast as she said softly: “I'll give you a few minutes' head start. Be swift.”

Cadence nodded, then turned away and headed for the door without another word, although she couldn't help but toss a nervous look back over her shoulder at the mare before she pushed out into the hallway.

The doors to the little library closed behind her as Cadence steeled herself, facing the open ballroom as she grimaced at the chatter from the crowd of demons beyond over the faint hum of music that was now playing in the background.

Cadence strode into the room, looking back and forth for Thorn. But there were so many demons packed into this massive hall that she couldn't see him through the crowd, and the air was so rife with energy that there was no chance of her tracking him by magic, either. All she could do was shoulder her way uncomfortably through the demons, swearing under her breath to herself: at least when she was with Thorn, the demons always gave him a few feet of space. But they apparently didn't care about her status, or thought it was amusing to accidentally 'jostle' her, since they had all seen the Lady of the Moon send her off for punishment.

She grumbled under her breath as a demon in armor attempted to shoulder her, and she couldn't help but duck slightly before bodychecking him and knocking him sprawling. The mare didn't even bother to look back as she continued to wade through the crowd, grumbling under her breath until she felt a hoof gently tap her on the shoulder.

The mare looked moodily to the side to find a surprisingly-normal looking stallion smiling at her: the only thing that marked him as a demon were the horns that were sticking up out of his head, and the unnatural way his eyes shifted through a kaleidoscope of colors. “If you're looking for the Grand Inquisitor, he's in one of the back rooms... but oh, pardon my manners. I am a Duke of the Circle of Pride, my name is Brave Cavalier.”

Cadence only looked at the stallion blankly for a few moments, her eyes roving up and down the demon: he looked like an earth pony, with a lustrous, jade-green coat and a glittering gold mane. Extremely handsome, dressed in a modest half-suit... and creepy as hell, somehow. This guy gives me an awful feeling.

Cavalier smiled at her winningly, bowing his head forwards with a pretentious, false humbleness as he said kindly: “Now, don't worry, I'm not like these other people, you can trust me. Really, I'm very impressed by the fact that you went and did something I think all of us here have wanted to at some point... but oh, I shouldn't forget myself or where I am. Come with me, I'll bring you to Thorn Blackfeather.”

Cadence couldn't help but reflect that he certainly was anxious, even as she followed obligingly enough. Still, it would have been nice to get a chance to talk to Thorn before she was dragged off: she would feel less like she could possibly disappear with no one ever knowing what had happened to her.

They made their way through the crowd, and Cadence noted that Cavalier drew a lot of unpleasant looks from many of the demons they passed. That was both a promising and worrying sign, she thought, as they made their way to a door at the side of the room that was flanked by two enormous, armored demons.

Cavalier didn't so much as look at them as he passed, although Cadence couldn't help but glance up uneasily: judging from their armor and weapons, they were all business, although the way they gazed so stonily ahead without so much as twitch made the mare wonder if they were brainwashed...

The Swan twisted inside of her almost in frustration, and Cadence quickly turned her attention back ahead as she walked into a small, private room of some sort. The ivory mare frowned under her mask as her eyes flicked back and forth: she noted immediately that Thorn wasn't present, but instead, there were three other demons sitting around a table, playing poker – or its demonic equivalent – over piles of gold and gemstones.

Cadence didn't like it: everything here was off. Cavalier, the demons, hell, the entire room and its atmosphere: it was all an ugly pink, with huge curtains blocking ornamented archways and a soft rug underhoof. It felt less like some den of evil and more like they were in some bad strip joint. “Where's Thorn?”

“Now, now, dear. Don't be silly.” Cavalier said kindly, and then he winked at her as the door slammed shut and runes pulsating with vile magic thrummed to life over it, making Cadence grit her teeth before Cavalier threw a companionable foreleg around her shoulders. “We're all friends here! He'll be right along, we just wanted to talk to you in private for a moment, that's all.”

The demon almost dragged her towards the table, and it took all of Cadence's willpower not to throw his limb off and then throw him into the furniture. She let herself be pushed into a chair, but had to admit she was extremely relieved when the demon drew off to another seat, as one of the creatures at the table growled: “Let's make this quick. I'm on a roll.”

Cavalier chuckled, then he said kindly: “Just ignore that, he's just anxious. We're all very anxious, you see, because we've all been... unfairly, unjustly dragged aside by the Lady of the Moon ourselves at some point. She is cruel, isn't she?”

“Get to the point.” Cadence said moodily, deciding it was probably better not to play nice. Cavalier looked stunned for a moment, but it got a chuckle from one of the other demons.

“I... yes, well. I just thought that you would like to know you're in the company of friends here. That we all are after the same thing.” Cavalier said quickly: a little too quickly, a little too friendly, Cadence thought, as the Swan twisted slowly inside of her.

The demon continued to talk, rambling and reassuring, but Cadence felt the strangest of sensations spilling through her: it wasn't the Swan rising up or taking over, but more of a feeling like the Swan's emotions and instincts were mixing with her own, like her thoughts were somehow trying to entwine and guide Cadence's, for lack of a better word.

Cadence closed her eyes beneath her mask, breathing slowly in and out before she opened them and looked directly at Cavalier. And it was like she was both seeing him and seeing him, reading beneath the flimsy costume of his physical form: the body the demon chose to appear in, after all, was nothing but a thin veneer to cover up his true shape.

She could feel his emotions, too: his greasy smile couldn't hide that malice he reeked of, or that childish, spiteful sense of savage entitlement. He was willing to do anything, to make any sacrifice, in order to get his way: there was no delusion of grandeur, no zealous belief, nothing more complicated to him than that: he selfishly wanted everything to go his way, and was willing to go to any lengths to ensure that it did.

And that wasn't all she sensed, between her own thoughts and the Swan: she was about to be betrayed. This was all distraction.

Her eyes flicked sharply towards the trio of creatures playing cards: not demons, who were sin and passion and emotion made sentient and alive, but devils, which were diabolic beings of order, law, and control. They weren't in the slightest interested in anything that Cavalier had to say, but they were under his orders, all the same, she realized: they hated him, but they deferred to him. He had something that they cared about, whether it was something physical, or some connection...

Cadence Danzsöngr tilted her head slightly towards Cavalier, who was still blathering on, and she smiled thinly under her mask before asking: “Where's Thokk?”

Dead silence fell, and the Swan Maiden glanced down at her hoof, her mind calm and her body strangely cold as she said softly: “I am not as foolish as you seem to think I am. Where is Thokk?”

Cavalier glared at her, ugliness seeping through his handsome facade as he growled: “Well then. If you're so bloody smart, I bet you've already figured out that we know all about the rumors Hel and her dregs have been spreading, and that they're all lies. Just like we know about that rune you have inscribed in your mask, girl, and we've already made sure that the Inquisitors can't hear or see a thing.”

Cadence grimaced inwardly, but the Swan refused to lose confidence, and it bolstered her: furthermore, with their consciousness mixed together as it had, she wasn't even able to flinch: instead, her surprise allowed the Swan to take more control of her body, Danzsöngr looking straight at Cavalier and saying softly: “I am not impressed, and you still have not answered my question. Where is Thokk?”

“Oh, we're going to deliver you to her, all right. Don't you worry about that.” growled the demon, and he gestured sharply with his head at the devils, ordering: “Grab her. Don't kill her yet.”

The three devils shifted moodily in their seats, but then almost dragged themselves away from the table, one of them looking yearningly at the cards in his claw before he set them down. Cadence Danzsöngr only smiled thinly, however, her eyes flicking over the trio: she didn't entirely know how she knew what they were, and yet... “Preceptors. You do not want to do this.”

The trio of devils looked at her with some surprise, and there was silence for a few moments before Cavalier snorted and said disgustedly: “Oh so what, she knows what you are. I know what you are, too, and more importantly, I know what you want for payment, so either get her or-”

“Weak dogs bark loudest.” the Swan said calmly, and Cavalier glared at her furiously, but the Swan only smiled derisively back beneath her mask before Danzsöngr said softly: “Then prove to me that you are not weak, Cavalier, and come out from hiding behind your Preceptors.”

The demon opened his mouth, and then he closed it slowly as he leaned back in his seat, giving a cold, vindictive smile as he said softly: “Oh. You are good indeed, Swan. But I'm better. You see, I know precisely what you're up to: trying to make me make a silly mistake. But I'm afraid that no matter how hard you try, I will not be swayed by your wiles, Swan.”

Cavalier smiled almost primly, and then he flicked a hoof toward the mare as he said lazily: “Preceptors, this dog is done 'barking.' Take her.”

Cadence Danzsöngr's eyes flicked towards the devils: they had spread themselves out in a triangular formation, one on the other side of the table, the other two creatures on either side of her, just out of reach. She reflected calmly on how they were all so very similar: from their dog-like, sharp faces to their beady little eyes and their simple robes. Cadence reviled the lack of distinction, but Danzsöngr was appreciative of their conformity, their sameness: she thought the discipline of devils was their most respectable quality, but their ability to throw their own selfish desires aside and instead act as one for the greater cause was a close second.

She looked at the devil to her right: he immediately stopped moving, holding her gaze with his own, and yet his eyes told her that the other devils were using what they thought was an opportunity to prepare their magic. She could feel it in her blood and her bones, old magic that they harnessed clunkily, clearly unfamiliar with the rituals and the focus necessary to make it effective... “Thokk may have given you gifts... but you should question their value.”

The Swan smiled beneath her mask as she shifted ever so slightly in her seat, tensing her body; a moment later, she was on top of one of the devils, plunging her hoof down into his face as it burst into ivory flame. The Preceptor didn't even have the time to cry out before its skull was crushed beneath the stomp, helpless to defend itself against either brute force or the holy magic.

Danzsöngr spun herself gracefully around, her wings glowing bright white before she flapped them once: with a powerful boom of magic, blade-like feathers tore free from her appendages, streaking around Cavalier as he yelped and hid behind his forelegs before the white daggers slammed into the devil on the other side of the table, ripping its frail body apart. It fell with a single gurgle in a bloody, broken heap, as the last devil stumbled backwards before the Preceptor turned to try and run away-

Cadence felt the hunting instinct flare inside her as clearly as Danzsöngr did, and the Swan Maiden flung herself across the room, tackling the devil and twining her forelimbs around its throat before she briskly snapped its neck. It didn't die immediately, but instead shivered and choked helplessly in her forelegs, eyes blinking stupidly as the Swan gazed at it callously-

The Swan Maiden spun around, shielding herself with the paralyzed devil on instinct, huge black tendrils punching through the body of the devil as it shuddered uselessly before the inky tentacles lashed to either side, tearing it apart. Its gore dissolved even before striking the ground as the tentacles retreated quickly into the sleeve of Cavalier's suit, transforming back into his foreleg as he glared at the Swan Maiden before saying disgustedly: “It is true, isn't it? If you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself.”

Cadence gritted her teeth as she felt some of the Swan's psyche retreating, as if Danzsöngr had started to lose interest. As she felt her awareness returning from the strange melding, she felt a shiver run down her spine, but she forced away the loathing and the fear and everything else as she snapped: “Either put up or shut up, asshole.”

Cavalier blinked and mouthed wordlessly for a moment, and then he snarled as he leaned forwards, his features rippling strangely as he shouted: “You will not speak to me that way, you lowly whore of Heaven!”

“Believe me. I don't have a lot to do with Heaven.” Cadence growled in reply as she readied herself, even as she shivered in disgust at the way Cavalier's body seemed to be losing its cohesion, strange ripples passing through his clothing as his face started to literally split apart.

Cavalier laughed loudly at this, his jaws falling open as slithering tendrils stretched out of his gaping maw, his eyes blazing as he rasped as his whole body began to twist apart into oily black tentacles: “That's too bad, little bird... it means there's nowhere for you to run!”

“Good thing I'm not big on running.” Cadence retorted as the demon in front of her increased in both size and monstrosity, becoming what seemed like nothing more than a writhing mass of black, fleshy tendrils: except, she realized, some of those tentacles had crimson eyes, and in the middle of the mass, there was some hideous thing at its core...

Cadence narrowed her eyes as Cavalier laughed: no longer in one voice, but in dozens of different tones, before he said in a multitude of echoes: “You have no idea what you're dealing with, do you? Gaze upon me, mortal, and despair! For I am that which crows at midnight, I am darkness, suffering, and pain, I am-”

Cadence charged her horn with holy magic before snapping it forward, sending a white fireball rocketing into the mass of black tentacles, and the demon howled in agony as it was blasted backwards into the table, sending cards and coins flying in all directions as the ivory mare shouted: “Can we please just skip the one-liners and fight?”

The demon roared at her with the fury of a thousand voices, then leapt forwards, becoming a tide of serpentine tentacles that lashed in towards her from all sides. But the ivory mare didn't panic, instead glaring at the mass of demon rushing towards her before she leapt sharply upwards, flapping her wings hard to launch herself through a hole in the wave of tentacles that appeared when the monstrosity attempted to crash down on her.

She spun around as the demonic creature twisted on itself, rolling its tendrils and tentacles around to lash at Cadence again, but she only hovered in position near the roof as her eyes flicked quickly back and forth: there wasn't a whole lot of room to maneuver here, but the frenzied mass of tentacles beneath her didn't seem to be quite as agile as it thought it was.

Her eyes flicked quickly back and forth over the monster beneath her as it roiled like a sea of worms, before vomiting a stream of oily tentacles towards her. Cadence felt not just her own instincts, but the Swan's take over, and she dove forwards instead of attempting to dodge, her hooves bursting into white flames as she shoved them ahead of herself and sliced through the surge of tentacles like a blade.

The demon squealed in a dozen voices before Cadence tore to either side, ripping a hole in the mass of tentacles to reveal the skeletal demon lodged within the squirming mass. It stared up at her with horror, a mess of blood-stained bone with oozing, black eyes, dark strings of flesh connecting it to the network of tentacles that writhed and twisted around it vociferously.

“Pride is like the worm: it is the lowest thing in the soil, but thinks itself a king.” the Swan said coldly, but it was Cadence who was in control as she began to brutally pummel the demon's skull, the monster howling as its tentacles writhed uselessly back and forth around it.

Black tendrils suddenly managed to twist back on themselves, seizing Cadence around the body and flinging her savagely to the side. She crashed into the wall back-first, gasping as she fell to her hooves before she looked up with a snarl as the beast's oily tendrils lashed down towards her.

Cadence dodged sharply to the side, narrowly avoiding being caught by a strike from the tentacles, even as she felt a strange burning spreading over her body from the sludge that had been splattered over her on contact with the oily tendrils. It burned, and it made her muscles twitch, but it wasn't enough to let the demon catch her as she flung herself into the air, narrowly dodging a savage swipe from the demon.

She couldn't fly, though: her wings refused to even spread, but Cadence only charged her horn with magic before she slashed downwards as she dropped, spearing into the surging tentacles when they tried to rush towards her. The demon howled in dozens of voices as it flinched backwards, and Cadence's eyes glowed as she felt energy surge suddenly through her as the Swan took over, her whole body glowing white before she leapt forwards, becoming a streak of ivory wrath that punched a hole straight through the mass of black ooze.

The demon screamed as chunks of tentacle collapsed in all directions around it, black blood bursting from its writhing body as it jerked back and forth as the skeletal monster that controlled the mass was again left naked and vulnerable. Cadence flexed as she began to turn, but this time, the Swan took over, a voice in her mind saying coldly: Watch closely.

Cadence felt herself shoved down, but she was too stunned to try and fight against Danzsöngr as she spun around, lashing her horn sharply out to send a blade of white light streaking through the air to slice into the demon. But then Cadence felt a shift in the magic, a sudden second burst of power and focus, and her eyes widened slightly as the blade of holy magic split apart into streaks of energy that twisted around and slammed into the demon's back.

It howled in misery as it burst into holy flames, panicking as it jerked itself uselessly back and forth as the holy fire ravaged its body. Its tentacles snapped wildly to and fro, but they were already starting to lose their color, rapidly dissolving into rotten gray dust.

Eventually, all that was left was a hollow skeleton, and Cadence shivered a little as she felt her legs almost buckle under her, closing her eyes tightly as she felt the Swan retreat as her horn sparked painfully. She blinked blearily as she looked at the petrified skeleton, and then she shivered once before she reached up and rubbed slowly at her head, mumbling: “Nice trick. But maybe you could have done that first.”

The Swan didn't reply, and Cadence frowned uneasily to herself as she shifted a bit, feeling a sudden silence inside of herself. The Swan had exhausted herself, too: but that wasn't much of a surprise, thinking about it. After all, that hadn't been unicorn magic that had been focused through her, but old magic. Powerful magic, that, like the Swan, her body couldn't entirely handle...

She looked down at one of her gold-edged hooves, shivering a little as she wondered silently what she was becoming, how much of her was really left, and how much had been consumed by the Swan. Consumed or just... dissolved? The Swan isn't me. The Swan has no interest in becoming like me. What am I, really?

“Heavy thoughts, dear? Old magic will do that to you.” teased a voice, and Cadence stiffened before looking coldly up to see Thokk standing nearby, her fingertips pressed together in front of her, the stone eyes of her mask locked on Cadence. They surveyed each other in silence for a few moments, and then Thokk suddenly shrugged her shoulders and flung her hands out to either side, saying cheerfully: “Well, it'll all be over soon, Danzsöngr! Oh, Hel thought she was so smart trying to hide you out down here while all your friends are getting massacred in Slaughterhouse Five, but this works just perfectly fine. Either way, you're isolated, you're alone. And I'll get you yet, Dorothy.”

Thokk suddenly leaned forwards, her voice dropping almost an octave as she said coldly: “Don't forget that I don't need you alive, Swan Maiden. Dead is perfectly fine. And whether you like it or not, I am going to get what I want.”

“You're not here. You're not physical. You can't hurt me.” Cadence said quietly, as she slowly straightened: she didn't know how she knew that, but somehow, she did.

Thokk seemed surprised by it, but after a moment, the witch laughed loudly before she leaned backwards, spreading her arms as she said pleasantly: “You're right. I can't do a thing to you. That's why I told these dumb demons to get you. Gosh, now I'm just helpless, nothing's gone to plan, and I can't do anything anymore to capture you, little pocket monster.”

The witch paused, cocked her head to the side, then snapped her fingers as she said brightly: “Oh, wait a minute, what about him?”

Cadence's eyes widened before a massive force slammed into her side, knocking her flying across the room before she felt icy claws rip through her armor and flesh as something tackled her to the ground, making her scream in agony. She kicked savagely at whatever had grabbed her, but it had already quickly drawn back, laughing cruelly before the hideous beast appeared.

Cadence's eyes widened in horror at the crow-faced monster, ashes and shadows floating around it as it hissed: “It will be a pleasure to punish you, low-caste scum.”

“You are not Heimdall, yet you reek of his failures.” the Swan retorted, glaring at the monster as it flexed its claws slowly. It was bipedal, yet no less a beast for it: the creature glared at her with hatred in its sockets as it arched its back like a cat, eager to pounce.

“I am Rig. And it is Heimdall who is the failure, who is weakness! My twin brother is just like you, a-”

“Enough, Rig.” Thokk said with clear exasperation, reaching up and covering her ears with a groan, and Rig flinched and bowed his head fearfully towards the witch before Thokk turned pointedly towards the Swan, exclaiming: “Every five minutes with these guys! My brother this, my brother that, they just don't know the meaning of family! I do, though, you know, my brother and I...”

Thokk paused, then laughed loudly, the witch shrugging widely as she dropped her hands from her ears. “Well, we'll have plenty of time to regale each other with all our stories once you've finally come around to our side of the fence. Let's not waste time, huh?”

Cadence gritted her teeth, and she felt the Swan twisting in fury inside of her before Danzsöngr growled through her mouth: “We respect Heimdall. But we do not respect this 'Rig.' We will tear him apart.”

“Yeah, about that. Swan, you've been a bad girl. Go to sleep.” Thokk ordered, and Cadence's eyes widened before she gasped and slumped, her body quaking as the Swan simply collapsed inside of her. “You never really learn, do you?”

Cadence bared her teeth at Thokk, but Thokk only grinned widely back at her before the witch spread her arms and simply flickered out of reality, even as her voice stated lazily: “Rig, do your thing, will you? I have a bomb to detonate.”

“Yes, your majesty. It will be my pleasure.” hissed Rig, and then he leapt towards Cadence before the ivory mare could regain her senses, knocking her backwards with a howl of pain as his claws tore across her face.

She hit the ground, then gasped as Rig kicked her viciously in the stomach, sending her flying and crashing through the petrified remains of the demon in the middle of the room. She coughed violently as she hit the ground, groaning and shivering as Rig slowly strode towards her, crunching ashes and broken furniture underfoot as he said mockingly: “Look at you, little minion. Helpless, useless. You Swans were nothing but mindless killers, lower than the servant caste... dogs. And a tik that will not listen to the master needs to be put down.”

Cadence gritted her teeth: the agony in her body was horrible, but it was nowhere near as debilitating as the weight of the unconscious Swan. It felt so heavy, made it impossible for her to do more than roll herself onto her stomach as she thought desperately: Wake up, wake up, just wake up, you know that Thokk is the enemy, Thokk is-

A foot slammed into her face, knocking her back down on her side as she gasped before Rig stomped on her throat, choking her as he looked down at her with cruel contempt. “Look, trapped where you belong, Swan. Beneath my foot, your proper place.”

Cadence gritted her teeth before she clenched her eyes shut, forcing herself to focus inward as Rig bore slowly down on her neck, her body quaking with pain, her body trembling as Rig flexed his claws as his gaze burned brighter in his sockets with visible, palpable delight. “Yes. Struggle, but it's useless, isn't it? You're helpless. You're weak. And the best part, Swan, is that I don't have to carry you in to Thokk alive.”

Rig twisted his heel slowly, and Cadence gargled, her eyes opening, her body convulsing as she felt her larynx being crushed, becoming lightheaded as she grabbed helplessly at his ankle. “How do you want to die, Swan? Quick and easy? Or slow, and excruciatingly painfully? I think you deserve the latter. I am enjoying this and I will take my time making you die, watching you suffer.”

Cadence trembled under Rig's heel, glaring up at him even as tears formed in her eyes, as Rig leaned slowly down, crossing his arms over his knee to add more pressure, more pain to the ivory mare as she convulsed uselessly under his boot. “Yes. Be defiant. But you're helpless. You're worthless.” Rig laughed mockingly, and then he spat on her face, Cadence trembling in fury through the painful daze taking over her mind as he mocked: “Maybe I won't kill you. You're such a fun plaything.”

Rig teasingly lifted his foot, and Cadence began to inhale before she instead gasped when Rig slammed his foot into her stomach. She dry-heaved out all her breath in a great whoosh, then clutched at herself, her body quaking, her legs kicking and bucking at the air as she rolled back and forth, unable to get any sense, so confused and lightheaded that his mockery and threats became nothing more than distorted rambling to her ears.

Cadence felt the Swan shift inside of her, but it was too little, too late, as the monster kicked her again, knocking her half-rolling over onto her other side. Her vision was blurry, her mind filled with static and pain as her limbs uselessly spasmed: she could barely move. She couldn't breathe. The world was going gray and black and empty, and when Rig kicked her savagely again, she barely felt it as her jaws fell open, drool spilling from her maw as her eyes stared blindly, desperately into nothing.

Cadence didn't feel when Rig kicked her again, when her ribs cracked, when her body started to die. Instead, she felt a sudden warmth rise up inside her. She felt something wrap around her, embrace her, pull her into itself. She felt a merging, and with it, a strange sense of sadness and... was that compassion? Or even just understanding?

The mare gurgled, and as it always was, physical death was unpleasant: she drooled, she bled, her body spasmed and lost all control of itself. There was no dignity, no grace, no honor, as a coward kicked her and stomped on her dying body like a child punishing a broken toy.

But for the first time, Cadence felt like her death wasn't cold or hopeless or miserable. For the first time, she felt the Swan, and the Swan felt her, and acknowledged her, even as Cadence sank into the endless depths.

Cadence died, and the Swan awoke.

Odette And Odile

Chapter Fifty One: Odette And Odile
~BlackRoseRaven

Rig snorted in contempt as his foot slammed into the side of the mare's face, but she only rolled brokenly away. He had gotten a little carried away with the excitement and the amusement of torturing the whore. Now she was dead, but that was fine. Thokk could still fish the Swan's soul out of the Void, and he had done what he had been told to do. He was just disappointed that she hadn't lasted very long.

He had expected this one to be tougher.

Rig slowly brought his foot up, then lowered it onto the mare's face, crushing it slowly beneath him until he heard the bones crack and give away, but then he simply snorted in contempt as he stepped back, looking with disgust down at her ugly body. Ugly and worthless, ungainly and horse: how useless. He hoped Thokk would make the Swan better, more appealing, when she brought the serving wench back. But he didn't know if he would enjoy the Swan being as mouthy and defiant as she had been here.

He would love an excuse to punish her further.

Rig smiled to himself, and then he aimed a vicious kick at the Swan's worthless remains, before he frowned in surprise as he felt his boot connect, and yet the body didn't move. No, it felt like he had kicked something hard, something impenetrable, as he cocked his head curiously before his eyes locked on the sight of the Swan's hoof, which had caught the toe of his boot.

He stared for a moment, and then stumbled backwards as he yanked his foot away, watching with disbelief as magic surged over the body of the mare as she calmly crawled her way up to her hooves. She cracked her neck as white energy rippled along her form, before she looked up with a calm smile, her eyes pulsing with blue light as she said softly: “Thank you, Rig, for waking us up.”

Rig shook his head disbelievingly before he snarled and stepped forwards, swinging a claw savagely down. But with ease, the Swan caught him by the wrist with one golden hoof, continuing to smile as she said calmly: “I have been learning, Rig. I have been evolving. You... you remind me of what I once was. But I am growing, adapting, becoming something more. You? You have become something... less.”

Rig yanked his claw away, and then he snarled as he leaned forwards, electricity crackling over his hands as he hissed: “How dare you speak to me that way, dog!”

“Even if I am a servant, you are an outlaw. My rights are few: but a few is infinitely greater than none at all.” replied the Swan coldly, before she smiled even as Rig shoved both his hands forwards, lightning rushing towards her-

The Swan moved faster than the magic, swinging her hooves up and deflecting the magic with her own powers, bolts of electricity ripping into the ground around her before she lunged forwards through the dual streams of magic and slammed a hoof into Rig's face.

The monster was sent skidding backwards with a howl of shock, lightning ripping along the walls and ceiling as he lost control of his magic before it whiffed out, his claws flexing and smoldering as he stared with disbelief at the Swan. But the mare only posed calmly, long white mane and longer still ivory tail drifting slowly around her as if with its own life. Her glowing blue eyes looked at Rig as if he was nothing more than an insect she was quickly growing bored of, her smile patronizing and indulgent as she said softly: “You are not Heimdall. You are not Thesis. You are a vulture.”

Rig snarled, then he lunged forwards, swinging his claws out savagely, but the Swan backpedaled, dodging back and forth with incredible grace before she struck suddenly and decisively with blistering force, her hoof sinking deep into Rig's stomach and making him double over with a gargle before she smoothly spun around and slammed both rear hooves into his face, nearly shattering his mask and knocking him crashing and rolling across the room.

Rig collapsed on his stomach, gasping weakly and shivering in disbelief as he mouthed wordlessly, looking up disbelievingly as the Swan strolled towards him. Her eyes became more predatory as they drew slowly back and forth over him, before she asked softly: “Do you know, Rig, why the Swans were designed to obey the Mothers and the Fathers absolutely?”

“Because slaves who won't listen are worthless... and dogs who disobey their masters are useless animals.” Rig growled, although he was almost quailing away from the Swan, even as he slowly began to crawl to his feet, clearly shaken.

“No, Rig. It is because we were designed to kill gods.” Danzsöngr said softly, and Rig's eyes widened slightly before the Swan lunged towards him.

Rig flinched back and yelped before he vanished, but even though the Swan wasn't able to strike him, she could still track him even as he rapidly fled from the battle. She smiled coldly to herself as the coward ran from her, in fear of her: the same fear, she thought with pleasure, that had inspired the Aesir to lock her kind away in the darkness, terrified of what the Swan Maidens would become if they weren't reduced to golems and servants.

But she was experiencing that now. What she could become. What she had the potential to feel, and to do. She liked that. She craved more of that.

Still, though, she also recognized that even as she was awakening, she had more to learn. Further to evolve, and adapt. And inside her, she felt the Other shifting... “Shh, shh now. It's alright, Cadence. I am not here to fight you.”

The Swan closed her eyes, and then Cadence gasped as she opened them, shivering a little as she looked back and forth before she stared down at one of her own hooves, trembling a bit before she whispered: “Oh no.”

She had died again. How many times was that now? Six? She couldn't remember... no, seven. This had been her seventh death.

She shivered, before she uneasily reached up and brushed a hoof through the long curtain of white that fell around her face, before she looked down at hooves that were completely gold now; that didn't even feel like hoof anymore. She shivered a bit as she flicked her tail, which had grown so long, and flowed so eerily, and felt... strange, she thought, as she waved it slowly back and forth, the veil of long hairs floating almost eerily over the ground.

The mare shook her head slowly, then she shivered a little as she reached up and touched her bare face. Where was her mask? And her body felt unnatural under the armor; there was a tingling, a painful mix of hot and cold running over her skin. She hated it.

She looked down at herself for a few moments, and then she shivered again before hugging herself tightly. She could feel the Swan, and not just inside her anymore, but almost like the Swan was all around her, engulfing her. Like now she was the invader in another body...

Cadence shook herself quickly, then she licked her lips slowly before she looked up as the doors were slammed open. She blinked almost blearily as Thorn strode quickly inside, flanked by several Inquisitors: among others, she noticed Tormentas.

“What happened?” Thorn asked quickly, before his eyes narrowed as they traced up and down her before he said sharply over his shoulder: “Summon Hel.”

There was an almost singular gasp through the crowd, and even if Tormentas immediately began to sketch a symbol on the floor with magic, one of the other Inquisitors asked fearfully: “Is that really necessary? What about-”

“Here I am!” shouted a cheerful voice, as an icy foot stomped down on the symbol before Tormentas could complete it. The silver-armored Inquisitor flinched as Thorn bowed his head respectfully, and the other Inquisitors almost flung themselves into prostration, the entire congregation of demons bowing as Hel only curtsied politely before she spun around and ordered: “Swan, look down.”

Cadence blinked blearily, but strangely enough, she didn't feel any urge to do what Hel asked. There was no control, no struggle against her order, no effort to comply: instead, she only almost quizzically cocked her head as she gazed at the icy puppet.

She saw Hel's construct, and she saw through Hel's construct. She saw the magic that fueled it, and the magician on the other side, weaving her eternal illusions. She saw Hel, and she saw who Hel had once been, and she saw... Thokk.

Cadence trembled as she stared at Hel, and Hel smiled slowly before she snapped her fingers. With that single gesture, the room went dead silent, the horde of demons vanishing, the doors slamming shut, and only Thorn and Tormentas and Cadence were left with this puppet of ice and chaos as Cadence whispered: “No... no, you can't be...”

“I'm not. I'm not.” Hel soothed, striding slowly forwards, and Cadence felt that she was being honest. Yet that magic, that power, that essence was very similar to Thokk's, was so eerily the same... “But oh my. I didn't expect this to happen, not yet, not yet... little girls always grow up so fast, though...”

Hel slowly strode forwards, and then she carefully lowered herself down on her knees with a soft smile on her frosty, bovine features as she reached out and gently cupped Cadence's face, tilting her head upwards. And in the puppet's eyes, Cadence saw the truth as the Swan let out a soft breath, as the Swan came to understand where it had come from, and why Hel had always avoided her gaze, why Hel had always made her look away.

“You are a Mother. You are the Mother who crafted us.” Cadence Danzsöngr said, before the mare trembled and whispered: “You are Goddess. You are Aesir. Your blood... runs in our veins.”

“Yes, dear, that is right. That is right.” Hel smiled again, silently stroking along Cadence's face before she whispered: “Look at how much you've evolved! You have so much potential, my darling. As much potential as Freya's Valkyries, but oh, All Daddy had so much seeing that purely because you weren't 'beautiful.'

“Creating life is so hard. You have to balance all the pieces just right, and that's just putting the puzzle together, not even painting the pretty picture on the tiles to give it some personality!” Hel laughed, then added in a gentler voice: “And that's just making a puzzle, not even making real life. Actual, feeling life, with its own will, its own thoughts...”

She gently grasped one of the mare's forelegs, lifting it up before the icy puppet gently guided Cadence's hoof to stroke the side of her frosty features, whispering: “Look at this, how alive my toy is, but it requires me, a real life, a real mind, behind it. What I did with the Swans was a step above that, but I had aimed so much higher, meant to create so much more. And I failed, Danzsöngr, I failed, and you and all your kind first got shuffled off as another dark, rotten secret of Asgard... and then, one by one, you all fell apart.

“But look at you. Look at you, growing up, becoming something more, something so beautiful, Swan! Freeing yourself, developing will...” Hel smiled once more, and it was both joyous and terribly sad at the same time as she gestured slowly behind herself with her head towards Thorn and Tormentas as she murmured: “I'm proud of you, yet you have to remember something, my darling. Freedom comes with many responsibilities. Freedom comes with great pain. Freedom is the most wonderful and terrible thing you can give someone.”

Cadence was silent for a few moments as she only looked up at Hel, before she asked quietly: “Who am I?”

“Who you've always been!” Hel replied with a shrug, reaching up to gently tap Cadence on the nose before she chuckled softly. “Just who you've always been. Don't you worry about that, vanilla cake. You got lots of time to figure that out.”

Hel brushed at herself gently, then she finally stood up and straightened, although the puppet seemed almost reluctant to pull away from Cadence. But after a moment, she suddenly spun around on her heel to face Thorn and Tormentas, putting her hands on her hips as she said firmly: “Now, you two, listen up! Thorn, this has all gone completely to... well, here, I guess. Okay, bad metaphor. Still, blueberry, I need you to let your big metal momma know what happened here.

“Tormentas, you need to rally up the Super Secret Fighting Task Force Association or whatever the me it's called. Get 'em prepped and put 'em on standby. Sure, it'll probably be a century or two before we really need them, but you know me. Preparedness preparedness prepperedaredness cheesecake that's hard to say!” Hel huffed and slapped wildly at her own face for a few moments. “Okay, what was I saying?”

Tormentas only continued to look at Hel politely, until the dark goddess suddenly pointed at the demon and said in a cold, serious voice: “I want the best of my best at the ready. Willing to move on a moment's notice. Hecate has Ithavoll, but I have the Principle of Cardinal Law. You know what to do.”

Tormentas bowed deeply to Hecate, then simply vanished in a crackle of energy as Thorn frowned uncertainly, looking up at Hel questioningly. But Hel pointedly ignored him as she spun around, saying pleasantly to Cadence: “Now, you and your friend here have to do me a little favor. We need to keep you safe and quiet, somewhere out of Thokk's reach. Oh, she wants you badly, girlfriend, and I think I know just why, but I can't spoil the surprise yet. No, no, no, sometimes it's important to play your cards as close as you can.”

Hel grinned widely, rubbing her hands together slowly as Cadence only blinked a few times, still caught in a strange daze as she stared at Hel, who seemed so familiar now, so maternal beneath her armor of madness, so... “Please don't leave me.”

Hel seemed almost caught off guard by this, but she quickly laughed before saying kindly: “Oh, usually vanilla is so bland, but you're just so sweet, my dear! But mommy has to work. And you know, sweetie, you and I are more like cousins than momma-and-daughtie, but hey, I'll work with what I got! That's how I got to this position in the first place, after all!”

The goddess clapped her hands together, and then she clicked her tongue before looking over her shoulder at Thorn, gesturing with one finger and adding airily: “Oh, yeah, before I forget, tell Hecate not to get in over her head. I'd hate to think of her losing face.”

Thorn visibly repressed the urge to sigh, before he stiffened as Hel added with a strange, knowing look: “I worry, even though if anybody knows how to handle things, she certainly does. Even if she does have four and thirty black birds baked in a pie.”

The two looked at each other evenly for a few moments, and then Hel clapped her hands together and asked brightly: “Thorn, how would you like to stay at your parents' mansion for a few days, honeybun? That's perfect, that's genius, isn't it! Why, I can even bring Mommy and Daddy and Other Mommy down to visit you for a while, my Inquisitors have been hot-potato-on-their-trail!”

“That's... alright. Cadence-” Thorn paused for the briefest moment as he looked over at the ivory mare, saw she was still less-than-coherent, and quickly continued: “-and I will be more than happy to find our own way there, and I should be able to reacquaint myself with the facilities quickly enough.”

“So polite! So condescending! But so polite!” Hel extolled exuberantly, as she clasped her hands together and wiggled back and forth, before her eyes suddenly narrowed and she dropped her hands as she glared at Thorn. “Don't try anything funny, though. I'll be watching you, very very closely. And you know I'm great at giving people my name, too.”

“I do.” Thorn said, unafraid as he gazed up at her evenly, and Hel smiled with an odd sort of pride as she looked back at him for a few moments before clapping her hands together gently.

“Good, grandson. You brave little soldier.” Hel shook her head with a chuckle, and then she waved at him lightly. “Now shoo, shoo! I've got work to do, you've got work to do, we've all got our jobs trying to outthink and outsmart and outwrangle each other, don't we? We're all in this together! So let's do the best we can do to stab each other in the back!”

With that, Hel spun around on one foot before exploding into a frosty mist that quickly wafted out of existence, and Thorn gave a brief smile before he turned towards Cadence, striding over to her and reaching up to gently touch the side of her neck as he said quietly: “Stay still.”

Cadence only blinked once, then she shifted awkwardly before mumbling: “You know, in some cultures, that would be considered rude.”

“You died again. My concern for your health as both a friend and employee supersede the notion of personal space.” Thorn replied mildly, and Cadence gave a brief, wry smile before the stallion murmured: “Your heartrate is irregular. I want to do a full examination after we get back to the mansion.”

Cadence only nodded once, before she gave a brief smile. “So when did you become the team doctor, too?”

Thorn gave the slightest of smiles at this, before he simply shrugged. Then he turned and flicked his horn, and Cadence's eyes widened in surprise as a portal swirled open in reality. “But... how can you-”

“Portals are relative to the place they're created: reality here in Helheim is exceptionally malleable. It's only roughly fifty bæns of energy to create a portal to the mansion, but I can't hold it open for very long.” Thorn said with a pointed gesture towards the portal, and Cadence gave a lame smile before she took the hint and strode into the swirling light.

She braced herself as she passed through, but she only felt briefly disoriented as she stepped out onto a warm stone path in the middle of a snowy field, and that was more from the visual shock of stepping from an enclosed room to what almost felt like a completely different world. But she was snapped out of it not by the sight of the massive mansion they were at the base of, but the enormous statue they were only a few feet away from, in the center of a frosty garden.

She recognized those massive, polished stone ponies: Scrivener Blooms on one side, Morgan Heldóttir in the center, and Luna Brynhild, on the far side of her, almost taunting her even in stone with her grin and pose. Cadence stared over the details in the humongous statue before she laughed faintly and shook her head slowly, muttering: “It's almost as big as the Valkyrie's ego.”

“Almost.” Thorn agreed, and Cadence blushed even as she smiled over her shoulder at him almost hesitantly, but Thorn only smiled a bit in return as he looked towards the mansion, saying softly: “We're all aware that my Móðer has an ego, Cadence.”

“Okay.” Cadence stopped, then softened a little as she studied the stallion for a few moments, seeing a strange mix of happiness and nostalgia and... pain. There's no other word for it. “Thorn? Are you alright?”

Thorn gave the smallest of flinches, but then he nodded once before he turned a brief smile towards Cadence, answering quietly: “Yes. I'm fine, just... it's very strange to be back here, that's all. Come inside, let's see who's on duty today.”

Cadence tilted her head as she followed after Thorn, but she couldn't stop herself from glancing back and forth before remarking quietly: “This place is... beautiful. How is it so warm, too?”

Thorn smiled a bit over his shoulder at this: he didn't need to look around to know what Cadence meant, since every detail of this place was still etched in his childhood memories. It had been hundreds, thousands of years for the demons here in Helheim, but unlike in the real world, things here in Hell didn't change all that fast.

The sprawling, picturesque fields of smooth snow were the same. The frost garden and its blue flowers were the same. The magic hadn't faded from the stone path, which emitted a perfect tunnel of warmth for them to walk through, right up to the gorgeous, freshly-painted mansion that towered over them, built into the side of a massive wall of ice that stretched all the way up to the ceiling of Hell high, high above. It was all the same...

“Magic. The stones are imbued with a warmth spell.” Thorn answered finally, as they approached the immense double doors leading into the mansion. He hesitated in front of these for a moment, reaching up to touch the red oak as he looked slowly back and forth over them, before he murmured: “In the years I lived here, we went through two sets of doors. Móðer kept breaking them.”

Cadence laughed a bit at this, then she asked quietly: “Do I even want to know the story behind that?”

Thorn only smiled over his shoulder, however, shrugging a bit before he pushed the double doors open and strode into the enormous entry hall beyond. Cadence whistled a little as she followed the stallion inside, looking back and forth at the expensive interior; but what stood out more than the suits of armor or the soft rugs or how polished and pristine everything was, was how purely different the atmosphere felt inside: she immediately felt calmer, like there was less oppressive energy in the air, less poison trying to work its way into her system.

Thorn glanced back and forth, before he visibly winced at an excited yell that came from the walkway above before a voice shouted: “Prince Thorn! Oh, look at you, so handsome!”

“Oh no.” Thorn muttered, before he hurriedly put on his best, most professional face as a mare pranced down the stairs, yanking another along behind her, and Cadence felt her body stiffen as she automatically glared at the two, recognizing them both as demons.

The lead mare was grinning from ear to ear, her slit-like pupils locked on Thorn almost hungrily. Her coat was pale pink, and mane was a mess of crimson, small, black horns poking out of this as she almost danced on her cloven hooves, the bell on the simple slave collar around her neck jingling merrily as she giggled. “Does that mean our masters are returning?”

The other mare smiled nervously as she smoothed out the modest green dress she was wearing: she had a white coat, and a mane that was a mix of silver and black, and innocent, dark eyes... yet she was also very much the twin of the succubus beside her, and reeked of demonic essence herself. “I... it's very nice to see you, Prince Thorn. How have you been doing? We've heard so much about you...”

“So much.” whispered the pink mare, stepping forwards and licking her lips slowly, before her eyes flicked towards Cadence with a mix of interest and contempt. “I always heard Swan Maidens were supposed to be beautiful.”

“Fact becomes fiction, history becomes myth and legend.” Cadence answered, although she didn't feel like those were her words. She also didn't have any time to stop and think about it, however, as she scowled a little at the succubus before she asked: “Who are you?”

“My name is Juliette. My sister Justine and I are the personal attendants to the Master and the Mistress.” the succubus retorted haughtily, as her sister only quietly shrank into the background and looked awkwardly away, tapping her hooves nervously together. “Any and all interviews for the mansion are conducted through me. And from what I see, you are not worthy to serve here.”

“She is not a servant. She is a guest. Please treat her with respect.” Thorn said gently, and Juliette grumbled under her breath, but then nodded sulkily as Justine gave a hesitant smile.

“I think that's very nice. Miss Cadence, we're at your service if you need anything.” Justine said gently, before she yelped when Juliette spun around and backhoofed her savagely across the face, knocking her sprawling with a whimper.

Cadence gritted her teeth, but Thorn only shook his head slowly before he said dryly: “Not in the presence of guests, please. Justine, who is on staff today?”

Juliette sulked visibly, but she dropped her head and her shoulders as Justine climbed up to her hooves, brushing her mane out and smiling nervously at Thorn. “I apologize, I'm sorry. Yes, we were informed by the Lady of the Moon to have full staff on hoof. We expected that your parents were returning... but it's such a delight to have you as a guest instead, Prince Thorn. And you too, of course, Miss Cadence.”

Cadence looked at Justine for a moment, then grimaced a little in spite of herself. She had a feeling that she wasn't going to like either of the siblings, for some reason. “Uh... thanks.”

Thorn glanced over at the ivory mare, and then he returned his eyes pointedly to Justine, and she blushed and lowered her head as she said hurriedly: “Among others, Draga and Caliginos are on duty. I believe you're familiar with them both.”

“Good. I need you to call in Tamras and Vextus. Tormentas may also be stopping by.” Thorn ordered, and Cadence couldn't help but reflect he was as natural with his commands here as he was in Decretum. “We'll be in the Lunar Wing.”

“W-Wait!” Justine blurted as Thorn started to turn away, and the stallion glanced back at her as she explained nervously: “Tamras was assigned to another slice of Helheim, and Vextus completed her training and was initiated to become a High Priestess. I'm not sure we have the authority...”

“I'll take responsibility, Justine.” Thorn said mildly, and Justine nodded with an embarrassed blush, although she visibly relaxed. “Go on, contact Vextus Lux and ask if she can bring a disciple as well. Cadence, please come with me.”

Cadence smiled wryly as she turned to follow Thorn, absently blowing a bit of her mane out of her face as she said: “You really are good at just taking control, aren't you?”

“It's my favorite thing about him.” purred a voice, and Cadence winced a bit as she found Juliette suddenly cozying up to her side, grinning widely as she eyed her mischievously, while Justine nervously followed a little behind. “Now, Swan, you might not be worthy enough to serve the Master and the Mistress, but you certainly have a thing for the son, don't you?”

Cadence only scowled at Juliette, as Justine said nervously: “Juliette, it's really none of our business. The Prince is a stallion now, and-”

“And he could do so much better than this dirty bird.” Juliette replied, lazily grinding her side against Cadence before she leaned into her face, and Cadence grimaced at the cloying reek of her breath: it was like rotting flowers and rancid perfume and meat. “I bet you cry after sex, don't you?”

Cadence scowled at the succubus, then opened her mouth, but it was the Swan who took over and spoke for her, saying callously: “Says the lesser half of a stud whore to a servant of the gods. I hold a position that you cannot even dream of, Allelois. And the next time you touch me, I will exorcise you the same way I exorcised the carrion-eater.”

Juliette snarled in fury, but the Swan only had to take a single step towards her to make the succubus rapidly back off, dropping her head and looking away with a flush of humiliation as Justine hurried forwards and blurted: “We apologize! Please, we don't want to trouble you, please.”

“Danzsöngr.” Thorn said politely, and the Swan snorted before looking ahead, and Cadence stumbled a little as she felt the Swan retreat, the ivory mare halting in the middle of the hall and breathing hard before Thorn asked quietly: “Is she still present?”

Cadence shook her head briefly, before she whispered: “No, but... it's... it's less like she went away and more like... she just let me take control. I feel like... now I'm the one wearing the suit of clothes, and she's-”

“Calm down.” Thorn said gently, and Cadence glared at him for a moment, but then lowered her head and nodded, blushing a little as she realized that, yes, she was getting... stupid. “Alright. We can talk about this while I examine you. Justine, Juliette, I need you to call those people as soon as possible, please.”

“Yes, sir!” Justine said quickly, as Juliette grumbled but nodded grouchily, giving Cadence a distrustful look. “We'll get right on that!”

Juliette rolled her eyes as Justine hurried onward, but she trotted after her sister after a moment, blowing a raspberry at Cadence as she ran away. Cadence glowered back at the demon, but Thorn only smiled wryly before he shook his head and muttered: “I think she likes you.”

“Great.” Cadence mumbled, and then she sighed and turned to follow Thorn as he began to stride onward, the mare asking impulsively: “Did you know that Tormentas was... well...”

“Yes, I did. I found out on one of my visits to Helheim. I was quite surprised myself.” Thorn replied quietly, and Cadence tilted her head, which made the sapphire stallion smile briefly as he glanced over his shoulder at her. “As a representative of Decretum, of course. I've met with Hel on several occasions to discuss trade, treaties, and Decretum as a whole.”

Cadence nodded awkwardly, and then she lowered her head slightly before mumbling: “It really is kind of weird and amazing to learn all this stuff about you, Thorn. I guess... you were often just... you know, the administrator, to a lot of us. I never realized how enormous all your duties were, or... the weight on your shoulders.”

Thorn only shrugged, and there was quiet as they made their way through the beautiful mansion, Cadence glancing back and forth and noting how even if there were decorations here and there, a lot of it was almost bland, lacked the very distinct personality of Luna Brynhild.

But as soon as they stepped into another wing of the castle, that vibrancy changed: the walls were painted with a dark, almost-black blue that was a little messy here and there, and every door they passed was labeled with a name in runes: Cadence had no problem reading any of these, thanks to the knowledge of the Swan, and she was admittedly amused to see most of them were nonsense phrases that probably only made sense to their creator, which she suspected was Brynhild: “Hoof-Face Room?”

“You can take a look through these rooms later if you want. This is my Móðer's side of the house, and for better or worse, Twilight and Scrivener allowed her to decorate it however she pleased.” Thorn smiled briefly as they reached another door emblazoned with the emblem of the sun, the stallion gesturing at the name written over it, and Cadence couldn't help but give a small, amused smile: Fat Butt Room.

Thorn opened the door after a moment, and Cadence honestly had no idea what to expect: but the last thing she anticipated was the gorgeous, plush den room they stepped into. There were several couches in one corner near a massive fireplace, a section of padded flooring likely meant for exercising or sparring, but Thorn was heading towards what looked like an empty corner, apart from several shelves.

Except when Thorn grasped the handle of the top shelf and pulled, an entire bed slid out from the wall. Cadence smiled a bit, then laughed despite herself when Thorn used telekinesis to open another panel in the wall and a set of racks slid out. “I guess you were here a lot, huh?”

“Yes. I was. I remember every detail, and nothing's changed.” Thorn said softly, and Cadence softened a little at the look that passed over the stallion's face before he shook his head and gestured at the rack. “Go ahead, hang up your armor there.”

Cadence hesitated, but then she nodded slowly before doing as she had been asked, in spite of the nervousness. She hated the armor, but even more than that, she hated to think of what had likely happened to her body now. She didn't want to see the changes, she didn't want to see how the Swan was taking her over further, changing her, how death was making her... return to what I once was.

But all the same, she stripped her armor carefully off, and then looked up, forcing a smile as Thorn studied her intently before she asked quietly: “Well? How bad is it?”

Thorn only gave a brief smile, and Cadence smiled faintly in return before she shook her head slowly, saying quietly: “That bad, huh?”

The sapphire stallion shrugged briefly, his eyes roving slowly over her: there was no more coat of fur over her body, but instead, she had a hide that was almost like ivory plastic. Her horn had turned gold, and it had shrunk slightly, and her features – her whole body, really – was thinner, sleeker, making her legs look far longer than they had been before. And of course, there was her mane and tail...

Thorn hesitantly gestured towards the fitness area, and Cadence followed his gesture to a handle in the wall. “That slides back. There's a mirror and some fitness equipment inside. Why don't you take a look at yourself and then test your strength, and I'll... find you a pair of scissors.”

Cadence smiled awkwardly as Thorn turned to stride out of the room, and then she glanced down before murmuring: “Thank you, Thorn.”

She took a slow breath, then approached the sliding wall, biting her lip and steeling herself before she yanked it open-

Cadence recoiled, falling on her rump and yanking herself backwards in horror as the thing in the mirror stared down at her, its head cocked curiously. The ivory mare's breath caught in her throat as she trembled violently, but the creature in the mirror only continued to stare at her from beneath its bird-like mask, eyes glowing like spotlights from the holes in the golden metal as its silken dress of white feathers floated silently around it.

In either gauntleted hand, the creature clutched a long, curving dagger, and as Cadence trembled, the Swan Maiden slowly rose these: not in threat, but almost in offering. Cadence shook her head weakly, but then, for the first time, the Swan spoke: it spoke in the old, long-lost tongue of the gods, and yet all the same, Cadence understood its words, as it said: “Take them. We are evolving. We are becoming more. You and I together, Cadence. Take these. Evolve.”

Cadence shivered a little as she looked at the Swan Maiden, before her eyes widened as the creature leaned slowly forwards, somehow pushing the daggers through the mirror in a shimmer of light. They fell to the ground with a loud clank, and the mare mouthed wordlessly as the Swan leaned back, studying her from inside the mirror before the creature said softly: “I like these emotions you experience. I enjoy the way you experience them. I have enjoyed experiencing them myself. I have come to understand, finally, what evolution is, what it entails and what glories it may lead to. I crave more of it. We will reach it together.”

“What are you?” whispered Cadence, before she shook her head violently, trembling as she grasped at her face before she shouted: “Why are you doing this to me? What changed?”

“Everything.” the Swan replied simply. Cadence didn't know how to respond to this, as the Swan gestured slowly, strangely out to Cadence, clunkily trying to express herself through more than just words: something that somehow held a strange terror for the ivory mare. “When your frail body died again, my essence flooded what was stripped away. But this time, your energy was not simply discarded, as trivial castoff. We have been communicating. We have been in symbiosis. We have grown from it, and tasted you, as you have tasted us.”

Cadence trembled, gazing into the Swan, and the Swan gazed back into her before the creature said softly: “I shall drink of you. You, shall drink of me. And we will evolve as one. We are no longer servant. We are... more.”

“No!” Cadence shouted, flinching away before she glared back up at the mirror, but all she saw was her own reflection now, the ivory mare trembling. But oh, it had all just been in her mind, anyway, hadn't it? All of it, including-

Cadence's eyes locked on the daggers laying at the foot of the mirror, and the mare shook her head in disbelief before she dragged herself to her hooves, stumbling forwards before she reached down, her hoof nervously floating over one of the weapons before she took a slow breath, then grasped into the handle of the curved, sickle-like dagger.

She felt a tremor run through her body, heard a strange sigh from the Swan, and there was a rush of memory and emotion before she shivered as she lifted the dagger and dropped her face against the flat of the blade, the cool metal somehow soothing her. She breathed slowly in and out, then hesitantly opened her eyes as she tilted the weapon away, studying it for a few moments before she naturally shifted it to telekinesis.

The second dagger rose into the air as well, and she looked back and forth between them before she flinched when a voice said softly: “Those are Asgardian in origin.”

Cadence spun around, automatically snapping both weapons to a ready position before she grimaced a bit as she found herself face-to-face with Tormentas. But the Inquisitor simply smiled at her, her silver mask-helmet floating off to one side as she bowed her head politely towards Cadence. “I've heard legends of how the Valkyries were so connected to their weapons, that they could summon them from beyond time and space... I suppose you prove there's more to that than just fable.”

“I'm... I'm no Valkyrie.” Cadence muttered after a moment, shaking her head briefly before she glanced away and asked awkwardly: “What are you doing here?”

“It's nice to see you again, too.” Tormentas smiled slightly, even as her eyes drew measuringly over Cadence before she asked quietly: “Who were you talking to?”

“I think you probably know already. Can you answer my question, maybe?” Cadence insisted, doing her best to be as tactful as possible, which admittedly wasn't all that tactful.

Tormentas laughed, however, shaking her head slowly before she nodded with a smile. “I'm here to train you, as was promised. You'll need something to do, after all, and I suppose you could use the distraction. But first, would you like me to help you with your mane?”

Cadence shifted almost uncertainly, but when Tormentas pointedly looked at the daggers she still had raised, the ivory mare blushed a bit before almost sheepishly lowering the weapons as well as her head, mumbling: “I guess, yeah.”

“You are as childish as Brynhild ever was, in your own way.” Tormentas said teasingly, and she smiled in amusement at the scowl that got from Cadence. “And likely just as easily provoked.”

The ivory mare only grumbled under her breath, looking awkwardly off to the side as she spun the daggers absently on either side of her, before she blushed a bit when Tormentas reached out and snatched one out of the air, smiling coyly again as she seemed to almost materialize beside Cadence with how fast she moved. She leaned over, whispering teasingly in her ear: “That, of course, isn't precisely a compliment, dear.”

Cadence smiled awkwardly back, and then Tormentas simply let the dagger go, and Cadence lifted it back into her psychic grip without a second thought, quickly floating both daggers off to the side as she muttered: “Yeah. It never is.”

The ivory mare cleared her throat after a moment, and then she rubbed at the side of her head before she asked finally: “How do you plan to-”

Before Cadence could finish, Tormentas was already combing through her mane, the demon saying kindly: “Let's just take care of one step at a time, shall we? First we'll get this messy mane of yours all cleaned up.”

“I'd prefer just to cut it short.” Cadence muttered, and she grimaced when she felt Tormentas pulling back on her mane firmly, the mare saying lamely: “Let's just wait for Thorn, he said-”

Her eye caught a gleam of metal, and Cadence's eyes widened even as she started to jerk away-

“Oh, stop it.” Tormentas said crossly, and Cadence flinched as her whole body suddenly went numb, the mare unable to move before there was a loud snicking as Tormentas chopped through her long mane. “Just because I am a demon and an Inquisitor does not mean I am going to stab you in the back, Cadenza Danzsöngr.”

Cadence mumbled something, before she sighed as her body relaxed, the numbness fading as she turned towards Tormentas, before she grimaced in surprise at the sight of the straight-razor floating beside the demon, Cadence unable to stop herself from asking: “You uh... just happened to have that on you?”

“We'll call it shortwave summoning. All Inquisitors are taught to keep a personal pocket dimension loaded with our goodies. This is provided to us by Hel, like our natural protection.” She gestured at herself with a slight smile before she flicked her horn calmly, and Cadence winced as a variety of massive, ugly-looking torture tools flashed into reality over the mare, before they all vanished just as quickly as they had appeared. “But if you were able to summon those daggers-”

“I don't know if I really summoned them, though.” Cadence said before she could stop herself, and Tormentas tilted her head curiously. The ivory mare shifted awkwardly, and then she said finally: “I just... I was talking to the Swan, and then she sort of... gave them to me.”

Tormentas cocked her head curiously, and then she gave a knowing wink before she said softly: “Well, just because that was what you perceived, Cadence, doesn't make it true. Reality might be thinner here in Helheim, but it's not so thin that dreams can become reality... and I know all about dreams and nightmares, Cadence.”

The ivory mare grumbled a little, but then Tormentas lowered her head towards her and said gently: “I think the Swan simply projected herself to you in a way that you could best understand. Calling those daggers back would have required old magic, magic you might not even recognize you are capable of... but the Swan knew what to do, the Swan knew how to act.”

“The Swan knew how to manipulate me.” Cadence muttered, and she shivered a little as she silently searched for the Swan inside of herself. And there it was, just patiently biding its time, watching, waiting... for what? “I... I don't even know what she wants anymore. Everything's... changed.”

“Has it?” Tormentas inquired, and Cadence opened her mouth before the Inquisitor said pointedly: “Or have things taken a step forward towards what you wanted?”

Cadence began to frown, but even as she wanted to deny it, she realized that, yes, there was a sick and twisted truth there. After all, she had been the one trying to communicate with the Swan, trying to understand it, trying to build some kind of bridge between them.

She guessed that now she had that bridge, but... “You should be careful what you wish for, huh?”

“Truer words were never spoken in Helheim.” Tormentas smiled at her almost compassionately, and then she said softly: “Now sit still for me, please.”

Cadence did as Tormentas asked, and it only took the Inquisitor a few minutes using magic and a summoned blade to cut down her mane. Not as short or smooth as Cadence liked, but she knew she wasn't really in any position to be ungrateful.

Then Tormentas moved to her tail, but she paused before chopping the entire sheet of hair away, frowning slightly as she rubbed a hoof down it, and Cadence grimaced before she blinked as she realized she had felt the contact almost all the way down the long hairs. Before she could turn or ask what that meant, Tormentas sliced away most of the curtain of hair.

What was left hung from a long, thin, almost rat-like tail, and Cadence shivered a little as she looked away from this strange physical change as she muttered: “Great. And here I thought I was getting more bird-like.”

“Now, now, dear, don't be like that.” Tormentas smiled again in amusement as she began to gently cut more hairs away from Cadence's tail with the razor, smoothing out the long hairs into something more manageable. “I think you're very pretty, after all.”

Cadence only looked awkwardly away, reaching up and rubbing at her bare chest silently before she glanced down at herself. Funny: her cutie mark was completely gone, but she didn't miss it. She did, however, miss that odd tattoo that had been on her breast...

Tormentas finished quickly, and then simply looked at Cadence curiously until the ivory mare pulled herself out of her thoughts with a brief shake of her head and a small smile over her shoulder. “Sorry. I guess that I got... a little lost in my thoughts.”

The Inquisitor simply nodded, chuckling quietly. “Well, I suppose I can't hold that against you, dearest. You have had such a long trip, haven't you?”

Cadence shrugged awkwardly at this phrasing, giving a lame smile in return, and Tormentas drew her eyes over the mare appraisingly before she said thoughtfully: “Perhaps we should start with the basics, then. I take it you know how to wield weapons with telekinesis?”

Cadence gave Tormentas a dry look, but Tormentas only smiled back at her before shrugging and saying pointedly: “I need some idea of where you stand, you know. And you're the one who seems to be unable to quite comprehend what changes are happening to your own body.”

Cadence sighed a little, before she flinched when Thorn's voice added politely: “There's more than enough room here for some light sparring, and I can take a reading of your physiological systems while you do.”

The ivory mare glared at Thorn, and Thorn gave a slight smile in response as he rose a pair of scissors with telekinesis. “I'm guessing you don't need these, then. It's good to see you, Tormentas: Vextus Lux will likely be joining us shortly.”

“Very good, Thorn Blackfeather.” Tormentas bowed her head politely to the stallion, and then she smiled slightly before inquiring: “You wouldn't be up for a short match yourself, would you, dear?”

“Thank you, but no. Cadence's health is the priority right now, not fun.” Thorn replied politely, and Tormentas nodded, although she looked almost disappointed. Something that oddly enough made Cadence feel a little stung. “Cadence, can I take a quick look at you again?”

The ivory mare sighed, but then she nodded before muttering: “Yeah, although I have no idea what you're going to learn from poking me some more.”

“More than you might think.” Thorn said, as he gestured towards the bed. “Tormentas, please make yourself comfortable, I'll just be a moment.”

Tormentas chuckled softly at this, then she nodded as she sat back. And Cadence couldn't help but watch with surprise as, with a simple flick of her horn, Tormentas dispelled her armor, making it vanish from around her body.

“I can teach you that trick, if you'll let me.” Tormentas said with a slight smile, winking over to Cadence, and the ivory mare looked awkwardly away and hurried to climb back onto the bed, where Thorn was patiently waiting. “It's funny how you struggle so much, Cadenza Danzsöngr. You shouldn't feel shame over trivial things.”

Cadence only grumbled under her breath, then she grimaced when Thorn grasped her foreleg and pulled it gently out, the stallion poking along her limb as she mumbled: “I'm not embarrassed or ashamed or anything. I just... don't know if I could really use 'demonic' magic.”

“There's nothing demonic about that magic. Demonic magic is a very rare form of spellwork, rarely seen even here in Helheim.” Thorn explained absently, and Cadence frowned at him, then gritted her teeth when he applied pressure to her limb, bending it slightly backwards even as she felt a sizzle of electricity numb her nerves. “Learning to purposefully manipulate your own reserves of energy in such a way that-”

“What the hell are you doing?” Cadence snapped, as Thorn twisted her foreleg slightly, and the sapphire stallion glanced up at her curiously before he winced when she yanked her limb away. “Are you trying to break it?”

“I was just testing your flexibility and how you react to pain. I see that hasn't changed exponentially.” the stallion said dryly, and then he reached down to take her pulse from her neck, as Cadence only continued to glower at him. “Your heartbeat is irregular, but there's a definite pattern to it. Every second beat is notably stronger. I wonder if that's to compensate for some sort of modification to your nervous or cardiovascular system...”

Cadence only gave a noncommittal noise, the mare glancing away as she rubbed awkwardly at her breast before she asked: “How do you even know this stuff?”

“You do remember who my mother is, yes?” Thorn asked, and Cadence smiled awkwardly, which made the stallion chuckle quietly. “I've learned a lot, especially in recent years, about how ponies operate on both a psychological and physiological level.”

“Uh... right.” Cadence looked over at Thorn, then winced a bit when he created a holographic screen before she blinked in surprise. “Wait, I didn't think you could use that magic here.”

“I can as long as we're inside. The magnetic resonance is much lower.” Thorn replied with a brief shake of his head before he surveyed the screen, muttering: “Running a basic comparison, I'm seeing a lot of minor diffraction in your energy patterns...”

“What does that mean?” Cadence asked, although it certainly didn't sound good.

Thorn only shrugged a bit, murmuring as he scanned carefully over the mare: “Normally it's indicative of an energy reaction. Usually it displays when you've been overexerting yourself with magic: your horn no longer focuses magic correctly, resulting in your magic not focusing properly until the focal root in your horn has healed from the damage that's been done to it. But your horn has... well...”

“Yeah. I noticed. It's kind of embarrassing.” Cadence mumbled, glancing absently up at her small horn and scowling a little at the golden spire. Then she shook her head briefly before she turned an awkward smile towards Thorn as he carefully touched along the spire. “I uh... can't really feel that very well.”

“Good. Your horn shouldn't be sensitive.” Thorn flicked it firmly, and Cadence scowled a little, but the sapphire stallion only smiled slightly. “Good. No pain response. I'm guessing that you overexerted your magic somehow and damaged the root in your horn, though. You might not be able to focus magic to the same extent you once did.”

“Yeah. I was really dependent on it.” Cadence said ironically, and then she hesitated before asking impulsively: “If I self-focus... you know, like Freya does...”

“That doesn't necessarily channel through the root of your horn, no, and it shouldn't be effected. But you can still get diffraction from improper focus and if your nervous system suffers damage, since magic is routed through...” Thorn paused for a moment as he touched along her breast, and then he muttered: “That's a little strange, though. Your skeletal structure is different and I'm getting fewer readings from your nerves. Do you feel my hoof?”

“I feel your hoof, Thorn, yes, you're touching my chest.” Cadence grumbled, as she looked nervously at the stallion. “What the hell do you mean my skeleton has changed, though?”

“I'll need to take scans to be sure.” Thorn replied, and when Cadence glared at him, the sapphire stallion simply smiled briefly. “Cadence, I can feel the structure of your bones, but I can't actually see what they look like. All I can really tell is that there seems to be some form of fusion here.”

The ivory mare grimaced a bit at this, shifting awkwardly before she muttered: “I don't like the sound of that, either. So you're saying I've... I've changed inside myself, not just outside?”

Thorn nodded hesitantly, his eyes roving up to Cadence's as he said quietly: “You had to have realized at some point that these changes were going to be more than just skin deep.”

Cadence smiled briefly at this, looking awkwardly down before she shook her head and mumbled: “I guess I realized it but I never... realized it, you know? For some reason, it's hard to think about that I'm... changing...”

“You're still you, Cadence. Don't lose sight of that, either.” Thorn said gently, and the ivory mare nodded once as she looked up at Thorn attentively. “No matter how you change, you will always be who you are. Don't let anything convince you otherwise.”

“That's... surprisingly nice of you to say. I really appreciate it, though, Thorn. Thank you.” Cadence said softly, smiling a little at the stallion, and Thorn only shrugged and gave a brief smile in response.

“It's just the truth, Cadence. It's important for us all to remember, that I learned here in Helheim.” Thorn glanced over his shoulder at Tormentas, who smiled at him before the stallion shook his head briefly. “Anyway. If you two want to spar, then, now would be the time.”

Tormentas bowed her head politely to Cadence as the ivory mare slid herself off the table, and she smiled awkwardly before rubbing lamely at her shoulder and murmuring: “Yeah. I mean... if you're up to it. I'm not honestly a hundred percent sure how I'm doing or anything but... I guess I wouldn't mind a bit of... you know.”

“Yes, dear, I do. There's no shame in it, you know.” the Inquisitor replied, bowing her head to Cadence, and the ivory mare nodded back before Tormentas gestured towards the mats. “Let's do a bit of light sparring. Nothing strenuous, nothing serious. We'll just keep it easy for us both.”

Cadence nodded a bit, approaching and joining the mare on the exercise mat, and the two looked at each other before the Inquisitor asked: “Are you ready to begin? Or do you need a moment to stretch and ready yourself, dear?”

Cadence shrugged after a moment, and then she rolled one of her shoulders before saying finally: “I'm ready to go any time you are.”

Tormentas bowed her head to her politely, and then she said kindly: “Let us be polite, then, and stick to grappling and pinning instead of open fighting. We want you looking your best for when you meet Vextus, after all.”

Cadence only smiled lamely, then she dropped into a ready position and took a slow breath to clear her head before she looked up and said: “Alright. Whenever you're ready, Tormentas. The best of luck to you.”

The Inquisitor smiled slightly in return, and then she said: “And the best of everything to you, Cadenza Danzsöngr. I look forwards to seeing whether or not you live up to the legend.”

The ivory mare began to smile, and then her eyes sharpened as Tormentas lunged, sudden but not unexpected. Cadence's body moved automatically to intercept, but as she began to swing a hoof up, the Inquisitor suddenly shifted in a different direction, seizing Cadence by the limb and slamming her down before twisting it savagely up behind Cadence's head.

Cadence spat a volley of curses, writhing on the mats as her eyes bulged, and Tormentas gave a slight smile as she teased: “Too rough for you? Well, we do follow a different measure, here in Helheim.”

Cadence scowled a little on the mat, but Tormentas released her after a moment, letting her shove herself back to her hooves. They looked at each other for a brief second, and then Cadence leapt forwards, but Tormentas danced easily out of the way before she weaved smoothly back and forth, evading the strikes and punches from the ivory mare.

Tormentas suddenly lunged in to try and seize her, but Cadence easily grabbed her by the foreleg to try and fling her down: Tormentas, however, refused to be caught by her own trick, revolving her entire body agilely with the twist before her eyes widened in surprise as the ivory mare flipped as well, landing neatly on her hooves before she flung herself forwards and seized the Inquisitor around the neck.

Cadence slammed Tormentas face-first into the ground with a tremendous bang, pinning her by the shoulders as she said moodily: “Maybe I should be the one asking you that question.”

Tormentas chuckled quietly against the mat, and then her eye flicked back over her shoulder as she replied with amusement: “Well, dear. That's a start, at least.”

Tormentas suddenly slipped backwards, then seized Cadence as she rolled forwards, slamming the ivory mare down on her back with a tremendous bang before she grasped her by the shoulders, the Inquisitor easily pinning the Swan Maiden as she said thoughtfully: “I think I can train you. You learn fast and adapt faster, even though you certainly are very straightforward. You should be interesting to work with, dear.”

“Thanks.” Cadence grumbled from the floor, scowling a little as she wiggled uselessly under the demon before she muttered: “Please let me up.”

Tormentas chuckled softly, then she stepped politely backward, allowing Cadence to crawl up to her hooves. The two looked at each other for a few moments, and then Tormentas turned her eyes towards Thorn, asking politely: “Would you mind if I led Cadence through a few simple magic exercises?”

“By all means.” Thorn gestured towards Cadence, and the ivory mare shifted a little before the sapphire stallion reassured: “My readings so far are mostly normal. I'm sure Tormentas will keep the exercises simple.”

“Thanks.” Cadence repeated dryly, giving Thorn a pointed look. But when the sapphire stallion only smiled briefly in response, the ivory mare rolled her eyes before grudgingly turning her attention to Tormentas, mumbling: “I'll do my best.”

Still, at least it would be something to keep her busy, and hopefully from focusing too much on what she had learned from Hel, or what Thokk had threatened. All she could do now was make the most of things here... and trust in her friends and family to see their way through the troubles ahead.

The Glorious Effigies

Chapter Fifty Two: The Glorious Effigies
~BlackRoseRaven

Freya skidded backwards with a curse, blood running from the slashes across her face as her tattered mane floated around her. She grinned gamely all the same, however, her single eye glinting as she refused to look away from the Primordial floating lazily back and forth in front of her in spite of the roars of chaos around her, trying to distract her.

The Primordial tittered at her beneath the iron mask that covered its features, two of its arms crossed over its lithe breast, and its other two limbs tracing strange gestures almost erratically through the air. Three eyes, black as night and filled with burning red fire, stared at her hungrily, the creature licking its oily lips as it said delightedly: “Just look at you! Look at how fun you are!”

Freya spun her swords at her sides before bringing the three blades up into ready positions, Tyrfing crackling with energy on her back as she replied calmly: “Why don't we see just how fun I am, creature?”

The Primordial laughed, and its long, coiling body swam through the air as it twisted violently around in several large circles, the fins over its scaly wide flexing as it exclaimed: “But half the fun is keeping you alive while all your friends are made dead!”

The Valkyrie grimaced slightly, unable to resist allowing her eye to flick to the side to where Sombra, Moonflower, and La Croix were desperately attempting to hold back the earth elementals that were savaging them from all sides. And in that moment, the Primordial lunged, long-clawed hands reaching out on arms that were stick-thin but concealed terrible strength-

Freya slashed her swords out to either side, but the Primordial caught two of them in her upper hands and clapped her lower pair around the the serrated blade of the third, grinning coldly. “Nice try, girl, but-”

The Valkyrie snapped her horn forwards, unleashing a tremendous blast of energy and force that sent the Primordial crashing backwards as the mare's swords scattered in every direction. She leapt forwards through the ripple of static energy, baring her teeth as she slammed her hooves in a savage tattoo into the stunned Primordial before it could regain its balance.

The creature shrieked as Freya drove her down with the series of blows before her serpentine body was seized around the waist and slammed to the ground under the weight of the Valkyrie. But the creature reacted with savage instinct, snapping her tail upwards as she slashed out with her own cruel magic in the same moment, knocking Freya bonelessly into the air as powerful winds tore across her body and lightning shocked through the Valkyrie's nerves.

The Primordial screamed as she launched herself into the air, her long body-tail snapping behind her as she crashed into Freya, seizing into her before flinging her savagely towards the ground. But Freya managed to recover in midair even as a miniature cyclone of cutting wind whipped around her and lightning sizzled through her frayed nerves, the Valkyrie landing with a crunch on her hooves as she looked up with a grimace as the Primordial dropped down in front of her.

The monster shoved almost nose-to-nose with her, snarling as its claws flexed, long, almost invisible hair crackling around the Primordial's head with static electricity as it hissed: “You think you're cute, don't you?”

“No, but I do know that I am far better than you, beast.” Freya replied fearlessly, and the Primordial hissed before rearing violently back as it brought up a claw.

But Freya stood, unafraid, and the monster's claw trembled in the air before the Primordial leaned slowly down, studying her intently in the midst of the chaos and the battle as she asked with sudden curiosity: “Now why aren't you flinching or squinching or whimpering? Can't you hear the chorus of all your friends dying?”

“They aren't my friends. And they aren't dying, either.” Freya retorted, as she glanced purposefully off at where her team and the other two groups of ponies were struggling against the earth elementals, but slowly but surely, it seemed as if the tide was slowly turning in favor of Decretum's forces.

The Primordial only smiled, however, slipping suddenly behind Freya and grasping her shoulders with one set of hands as the other claws scratched slowly down her plated back, Freya glaring back at the creature as it cooed: “Oh, maybe not right now, not quite yet, but there's so many rats, dear... and so little meat to eat-eat-eat!”

Freya shrugged the creature's grip off, and the Primordial laughed as it sailed suddenly up into the air, her tail slapping lightly against Freya's face before it spun around on itself, grinning coldly down at the Valkyrie. “Now tell me, what do you think, darling? What are the odds, what are your bets, what do you believe is going to happen here?”

Freya only narrowed her eye before she snorted in contempt, then she looked up at the Primordial before saying coldly: “The only thing I'm sure of, monster, is that between you and me, you will be the one to die.”

The Primordial laughed at this: a softer, more dangerous sound than before as it leaned slowly down through the air, coiling back and forth on itself before she whispered teasingly, as she reached down to stroke a single claw under Freya's chin: “And what happens when you're a hundred percent sure of anything with chaos?”

“What happens when you're a hundred percent sure you're a hundred percent sure?” Freya responded coldly, fearless in the face of the monster, and the Primordial scowled at her before Freya smiled thinly. “This.”

Her three swords flung themselves into the air and hammered one after the other into the creature's back, making it scream in agony before Freya lunged forwards to bury her horn into the beast. But before she could finish it with a blast of holy energy, a massive burst of wind and lightning erupted from the Primordial, knocking her crashing backwards to bounce and roll painfully over the ground until she managed to regain her hooves.

The shockwave tore through the ranks of the fighting soldiers and elementals as well, sending chaos through their ranks. As a second powerful boom tore through the air, many of the earth elementals gave up the fight and fled in all directions, their yelps and shrieks drowned out by the roars of fury from the Primordial.

The beast snarled as it twisted back and forth on itself, its body crackling with electricity as it twisted back and forth through the air. The Primordial hissed, the swords still buried through its back crackling with static as it zigzagged through the air like a vengeful shark, its eyes glowing with hatred as it roared: “Cheater! I'll destroy you for the Prime!”

“I'm sure you will.” Freya said ironically, as she glanced quickly back and forth: the remaining earth elementals were being quickly dealt with or driven off by the forces of Decretum, and she couldn't see any hostile reinforcements moving in. But she already understood why, as well: the winds around them was being whipped into a cyclone, lightning and dust and stone shrapnel crackling through the air and creating a cage around the ponies and the Primordial raging above.

“Defensive positions!” Freya roared, and the three teams of soldiers hurried to assemble themselves in front of her, Lancer, Sombra, and Cataskeuastros taking the front positions as the rest of the team fell in around Freya. The ivory mare smiled thinly as the cyclone around them grew into an almost solid wall of wind and debris, leaving them trapped in the eye of the hurricane with the furious Primordial.

Crazed and wounded or not, Freya knew that in spite of all the creature's lashing around, it was paying close attention to them. She could feel it, sizing them up, searching for any sign of weakness, hunting for the chink in their defenses-

Lancer flinched as a bit of dust kicked up over him, and the Primordial lunged savagely forwards, hurtling straight for him-

A wall of black crystal erupted from the ground in front of the ponies, and the Primordial crashed against this, shattering it into dark shrapnel that pelted the ponies even as the monster was knocked off course, ricocheting off to the side and vanishing into the hurricane.

Lancer glared at Sombra even as he blushed deeply, the stallion snapping: “I didn't need your help! Mind your own business!”

Sombra only bowed his head politely in response, before Cataskeuastros said calmly: “Quiet, Lancer. Dinoris, wide area scans. Prioritize chaos particles.”

The strange, bipedal machine beeped several times before it began to whir loudly away, and Peridot shivered as she looked back and forth worriedly, stepping a little closer to Freya as she asked urgently: “What's going on? This thing, it's not like-”

“This is not an elemental. This is a Primordial. Do not be fooled by how it behaves or the way it holds itself: the monster's chaos is only armor.” Freya said calmly, as her eye flicked slowly back and forth: her swords were still buried inside the beast, and she could sense the Primordial's location by the call of her swords. But why hasn't it removed the blades?

She felt it before the Primordial lunged out of the raging whirlwind, her eye flashing as she shouted: “Right flank!”

Moonflower immediately snapped his horn forwards, creating a shield of energy that the Primordial slammed into: another unicorn immediately fortified the barrier with a wall of electricity, but the Primordial ignored the magic completely as she slung herself off the barrier, hissing in frustration as the swords buried through her body gleamed. “Stupid, worthless fleshsacks!”

“The chaos makes her immune to magic! Use physical force!” Freya shouted, as the serpentine entity twisted through the air before lunging viciously at the group again.

Lancer grinned widely at this, then he leapt suddenly forwards, breaking formation as the serpent grinned for a moment, twisting towards him with lightning speed-

And all the same, Lancer was faster, smashing a hoof into the Primordial's face and slamming her into the ground with enough force to make her bounce like a coin. She recovered quickly, trying to lunge back into the air, but Lancer again reacted faster as he landed and smoothly spun around to slam both rear hooves into her face, knocking the Primordial flying bonelessly backwards with a squeal as her mask cracked.

Freya's horn flashed, and strings of light connected from the spire to the swords buried through the Primordial before she twisted and yanked savagely on the creature, making it shriek in agony as it was yanked forwards by the blades hooked through its body.

Lancer slammed his front hooves into the Primordial, yanking it down by the shoulders to slam it into the ground before half-hefting the creature into the air so he could slam his head into her muzzle, further cracking the mask as he shouted: “Come on, hit her hard, boys!”

Sombra flicked his horn sharply, creating an array of black blades that blinked into position around the Primordial as two of the stallions from Lancer's team leapt into action, one of them lashing out with a sword held by telekinesis, the other slamming a steel-shoed hoof towards the Primordial's side.

The Primordial screamed as her four arms lashed out, catching the two stallions before flinging them both away, even as the swords of black crystal shot in from all sides to hammer cruelly into her wounded form. She shrieked again in shock at the blades piercing her flesh, her eyes bulging as her head snapped back, but her claws all the same all lashed down towards Lancer, seizing him him before tearing him away from her body.

She flung the stallion like a rock straight at Freya, but Moonflower swiftly caught the stallion in telekinesis before he grinned and slashed his horn out, shouting: “Get her!”

Lancer shot through the air like a missile, shoving his hooves out to streamline his body before he smashed straight through the Primordial's face, shattering both her mask and the softer skull beneath. He hit the ground hard, gritting his teeth as he skidded to a stop at the edge of the hurricane, and the Primordial tottered slowly on the spot before she gurgled weakly out of the chasm of her neck.

The creature's body petrified, the Primordial shivering violently as it moaned piteously from its severed throat, but Freya's eyes narrowed even as Lancer pumped a hoof and some of the other officers of Decretum relaxed. But Peridot, Sombra, and Cataskeuastros, she noted, all felt the same thing she did, even as Moonflower bragged: “You see, even such a Prime-mortal is no match for-”

“Ready yourselves! You've done your part, now let the mages handle her!” Freya shouted, and Lancer looked dumbly back at Freya, before his eyes widened as a glowing, ethereal arm slowly extended out of the hollow throat of the petrified Primordial.

Immediately, Lancer charged at the statue, leaping up to slam a hoof into it, but he was slapped away by a translucent wing that phased suddenly out of the statue, hitting the ground on his back and immediately hugging himself with a gasp as his body visibly smoldered from contact with the energy. He rolled uselessly back and forth as a sinuous and translucent creature elegantly emerged from the statue's throat, twisting its snake-like body into a sitting position as its gorgeous white wings flexed slowly, then settled calmly on either side of it.

The three-eyed, winged serpent smiled at Freya, electricity crackling around the phantasmal Primordial as it said in a sonorous, echoing voice: “Here I am, Valkyrie. Is this what you wanted to see? Stripped of my physical body, stripped of chaos. Now, only elemental purity: the roar of the wind, the hatred of the thunder.”

The Primordial paused, then simply glanced to the side, her eyes flashing: Moonflower was blasted off his hooves by the thunder of magic, gasping in pain as the energy was stolen from his body by the lightning that coursed over him. Freya snarled, snapping her horn forwards, but to no avail, as the serpent simply deflected the golden fireball with a look.

A moment later, both Cataskeuastros and Peridot were suddenly blasted to the ground by twin arcs of lighting that erupted out of thin air, but their mechanical companion was beside them in a moment, whirring loudly as it created a forcefield of energy around itself and them, nullifying the Primordial's magic.

The winged snake turned its eyes back towards Freya, smiling coldly as the hurricane still whirling around them began to grow darker and more ominous. Lightning crackled through the walls of ripping wind as the creature said kindly: “I'll give you a chance to fight. It's more fun that way, and I owe you, too: you got rid of that uncomfortable prison. Now I will better be able to serve the Prime when he arrives. We of the Jarsongildi are so eager for the Prime's arrival...”

“What? What are you talking about?” Freya asked sharply, while at the same time she quickly stepped forwards and touched Sombra's shoulder. The stallion understood what she wanted immediately, shifting ever-so-slightly towards La Croix, who quickly hurried over to Moonflower, and at the same time, passed on the silent message through the ranks of the other soldiers, the forces of Decretum reassembling themselves as stealthily as they could.

If the Primordial noticed, she clearly didn't care, smiling mockingly over them before she laughed loudly, powerful wings flapping once before the translucent serpent simply floated lazily into the air, replying airily: “Fine, if you want to waste precious seconds talking, we can do that. But it won't be very long before the winds become an electrical storm... and not a single one of you will be able to survive that.”

The serpent paused, then focused its three eyes on Freya, smiling coyly as the Valkyrie only continued to look grimly back at her. “We're going to reclaim the universe. It was ours, not yours, goddess. You banished us, and you shattered us into millions of stray pieces that were poisoned by the chaos of Ginnungagap, but we have adapted. We have evolved. We have taken what once made us weak and used it to become strong.”

Freya glared at the Primordial as it coiled slowly on itself, before the creature's three-eyed, derisive gaze cutting into her as it stated calmly: “Thokk will free the Prime from where you and your kind banished him. We will take back this universe, and we will establish our order and our control as is our ultimate right. This time, no one's going to take us alive. The time has come to make things right.”

Freya snorted in contempt at this, and then she retorted: “Your kind were neither creators nor conquerors. All you've ever been, Primordial, is dust and wind with too high an opinion of itself.”

The Primordial laughed, the sound long and sonorous, before the translucent serpent simply gestured lazily with its tail at the slowly-closing walls of wind as they crackled with deadly electricity. “Says the pack-mule who is about to fry. You and your fellow horses can't hurt me with your magic. What can you hope to accomplish?”

“Wind is the weakest force in nature. It is nothing but lies and deceit, breaking against the earth and sowing rumor and lies more often than it spills truth.” Freya retorted, and the Primordial narrowed its three eyes before Freya stepped forwards and said coldly: “I am not afraid of you.”

“You should be.” the Primordial serpent replied softly, as its tail coiled slowly downwards, twisting around the petrified remains of its physical body, the long appendage teasingly stroking over the haft of one of her trapped blades. “What's that old saying? The sword is the soul?”

Freya bared her fangs, before she gasped as the Primordial's tail crackled with electricity as it seized tightly around the handle of one of her blades. The Valkyrie fought to stay on her hooves, swearing under her breath as the Primordial leaned forwards with a cruel smile, the winged serpent whispering: “I have so much pain to pay back you and your kind, foolish goddess.”

“Trap her!” Freya shouted suddenly, and the Primordial began to smile thinly before her eyes bulged in shock when a black bubble appeared around her.

Her eyes locked on Moonflower, and the stallion gasped as electricity crackled over his body, but he glared furiously back at her, holding his own under her onslaught: and as the black bubble of magic was fortified by the powers of the other unicorns, it took on an almost-solid consistency, blinding the Primordial to the outside world and cutting off its magic.

The entity roared in rage inside her magical prison, and the electrical storm crackled and thundered with her fury, the swirling walls of wind closing in faster around them as they rumbled with the Primordial's hatred. But even as the Primordial's painful lightning continued to sizzle over her frayed nerves, Freya was able to shove herself up to her hooves as she snapped: “Moonflower, crush her!”

Moonflower gritted his teeth as his magic wavered between focusing on the bubble and calling up a new spell, but Cataskeuastros' eyes flicked immediately towards him as he said quietly: “We will hold the barrier.”

“You are not alone, Moonflower!” Sombra added quickly, as he rose his horn high as the purifier on his back whirred loudly before he snapped his horn forwards, black lighting hammering into the sphere and sizzling over it before the globe of magic rapidly crystallized, muffling the furious roars of the Primordial trapped inside. “We will do this together!”

The bipedal robot whirred loudly as if in agreement, before it clicked several times as the forcefield vanished from around the ponies it was protecting to instead reappear around the crystalline prison, adding another layer of fortification to the barrier.

Moonflower hesitated only a moment longer before he withdrew his magic, trusting in the other unicorns to hold the barrier in place. The walls of lighting and wind were closing in fast around them now, the lightning so fierce that it was leaving jagged, black scars in the earth and disintegrating stone, and the hurricane so savage that it had ripped up the earth beneath the wall of wind, leaving the ponies trapped on a quickly-shrinking platform.

Moonflower focused on the space inside the prison of black crystal, gritting his teeth as he called up all the magic he could before he snapped his horn forwards, the air reverberating with the shocked howls of the Primordial serpent as a singularity tore open in the center of its cage.

Sombra's eyes tightened as the others focused their magic as much as possible, trying to resist not just the roiling rage of the Primordial inside as it slammed itself back and forth against the magical prison, but the immense power of the black hole that was eating away at reality itself inside of the sphere.

Freya smiled grimly as her eye narrowed, focused on the roil of energy inside the prison and the staticky emotions of the Primordial inside. It couldn't break or pass through so much focused magic, and even if it couldn't be directly harmed by even Moonflower's powers, the black hole would all the same swallow up the Primordial and crush its energies out of this reality and into the Void.

The storm was tightening around them. Freya could feel the lightning lashing at them, the wind ripping at their bodies. Loose armor plating and unsecured equipment were being tugged off their bodies and into the whirlwind, and Freya could feel her torn braids and tail being yanked towards the ruthless cyclone, the Valkyrie gritting her teeth before she ordered: “Focus your magic! Crush her out of reality, it's now or never!”

“I... I've never...” Moonflower gritted his teeth, and then he nodded sharply once as he felt lightning lick up one of his hind legs, leaving a sizzling burn as he leaned forwards and shouted over the roar of the wind and thunder: “Don't let the barrier break!”

Moonflower leaned forwards, snapping his horn down, and reality quaked around the sphere, Sombra leaning forwards as he fought to maintain the orb of black crystal, even as it cracked and ruptured violently. Energy sizzled and thundered around the orb, as inside, the black hole contracted even as the pull of power magnified, and the Primordial howled in horror as its long body was yanked into the singularity.

Moonflower gritted his teeth so hard they nearly cracked as blood burst from his nose and ran from his eyes, but he could feel the struggles of the creature was it was yanked slowly into the singularity that was crushing it literally outside of reality-

Moonflower suddenly dropped forwards and vomited blood, before he felt the magic wavering wildly: he was going to lose control. And even as he felt La Croix and Sanctum both steadying him, he knew the singularity was going to either become self-sustaining or it would rupture and create a massive backlash... and either occurrence would annihilate all of them. There was only one thing he could do.

The black unicorn looked up through the blood, ignoring the roars, the winds, the storms, the compassion, the orders, and his horn pulsed before he leaned forwards with a wordless cry of pain and determination as he threw all his strength into one last, desperate burst of magic.

The pull of the black hole suddenly decreased, allowing the Primordial to slip free as it hurled itself forwards, smashing into the badly-damaged barrier of magic and crystal with enough force to shatter its prison. For a moment, the winged serpent posed triumphantly, its three eyes glaring down at Freya with hate and vengeance, before these widened in shock as the black hole violently expanded to treble its size, almost completely engulfing the translucent serpent before it suddenly imploded.

The thundering cyclone around them whiffed out almost instantly, leaving them in a strange state of peace and silence as, for a moment, the Primordial's head and a single piece of outstretched wing remained floating in the air. Then, both of these translucent remains flickered before they dissolved as they fell towards the ground, the Primordial giving a soft, despairing sigh even as its remains faded entirely from existence.

Moonflower collapsed, but La Croix was immediately beside him, a needle popping out of the bracer he was wearing as he muttered: “This gonna hurt, mon ami, but you done earned it now, idjit.”

The black unicorn shifted weakly, before he arched his back and cried out in pain as the Loa stabbed the needle into the side of his neck, his eyes bulging as he stiffened up before wheezing loudly when the needle was withdrawn just as quickly as La Croix grumbled: “Oh, taisse-toi, you big baby.”

Moonflower mumbled weakly, then smiled awkwardly up at the zebra, who rubbed at the back of his head before he gave a quick nod in return. Then they both winced when Freya said sharply: “On your hooves, we don't have time for your slack!”

Peridot stepped quickly over to Moonflower's other side, her horn glowing and providing him energy as she used her magic to accelerate the stallion's healing, while at the same time she helped lift him back to his hooves with La Croix.

“We should rest for a moment. Haste will only-” Sombra started, but he was cut off by a snort from the Valkyrie as she looked moodily at the empty space where the Primordial's petrified remains had once been, and Freya's now-missing swords.

“It's injury enough that we lost so much time and energy to the meddlesome beast, and insulting that my swords are gone to the Void with its remains, and will have to be resummoned.” Freya said moodily, glowering over at Sombra. “We need to pick up our pace, and there's no more time for lagging, excuses, or idiocy. And aye, I'm talking to you, scrap-licker.”

There was a derisive snort from above, and several of the ponies looked up in surprise to see a sentry orb circling slowly above their heads, Auriculos saying distastefully from the orb: “The electrical storm has badly-damaged all your Mission Drives. Feel fortunate that I care enough to come and check up on you. Maintain position while-”

“No, we move forwards. We don't need these useless toys, anyway.” Freya said moodily, reaching up to grasp the device strapped to her upper leg before she tore it loose and tossed it to the ground. She stomped on it to emphasize her point, leaning up challengingly as she said coldly: “The situation has changed but the mission has not. We know our jobs. See that you accomplish your own.”

Auriculos snorted from the orb, and then Seneschal's voice said hurriedly: “Some of the Mission Drives are likely still salvageable! Even if we lost the data, one or two might be able to reconnect to the uplink after a hard reset, and we can continue to use them to communicate.”

“Fine. But we're not out of danger. I can already sense other foes moving in towards us now that the Primordial is dead. Get on with your own jobs, so we can do ours and I can protect these runts.” Freya answered coldly, and a snort and grumble came from the orb before the glass sphere quickly flew away.

The Valkyrie rolled her eyes, and then she turned her eyes back towards the assortment of ponies gathered in front of her, studying them for a few moments. She surveyed them as some of the ponies removed their Mission Drives, while a few of the others adjusted theirs: Freya personally didn't care what they did with the little toys of Hecate. She had never been fond of 'gifts' that were really just another way for their self-proclaimed overlords to track them by.

“Now that you've had your break, thanks to their prattling, let's get ourselves moving.” Freya ordered. Lancer grumbled under his breath, but he quailed when the Valkyrie's eye flicked towards him moodily. “Don't start, boy.”

He looked lamely away, before scowling as Sombra said softly: “We should go back to the original plan. Allow Cataskeuastros to-”

“You are not in charge of this mission, I am. I hope you remember that.” Freya said icily, and Sombra bowed his head politely towards her, which mollified the mare a little before she nodded briefly, her eyes flicking towards Cataskeuastros. “Are you ready to do your part?”

“We are.” the unicorn confirmed, bowing his head politely, and Freya smiled wryly.

“Good. Then you hold back here with the little boy's club, and I'll continue forward with my team.” Freya ordered, and Cataskeuastros didn't argue. For a moment, Freya smiled, then rolled her eye when Lancer suddenly shouted at her wordlessly as he likely realized that she had just been referring to him.

It simply took another sour look from Freya to shut the stallion up, and as he shrank his head between his shoulders again, she said distastefully: “The only thing worse than outright disobedience is a coward's insecurity.”

Lancer mumbled defensively to himself, shifting awkwardly away before the Valkyrie turned her eyes towards Peridot. “I expect you to keep watch over your team, and to take control if you have to. You seem like the maternal type: you should have no problem playing mother and nursemaid to these colts and their little toy.”

Dino chirped as Cataskeuastros remained as impenetrable as ever and Sanctum gave maybe the briefest smile, but Peridot looked fearlessly at Freya as she answered: “I'll look after my unit, Freya. I hope that you do the same.”

Freya smiled slightly, then she nodded once to Peridot before she looked over her shoulder at Moonflower and pointed towards the stained concrete wall of the facility. “I need you to knock a hole in that for us to pass through.”

La Croix gave Moonflower a nervous look, but the black unicorn nodded once before he straightened and took a slow, steadying breath, before he frowned slightly as Cataskeuastros said quietly: “Be careful. There are hostile energies approaching us. They are not elemental in nature, however... they are...”

Freya frowned a bit as the unicorn looked towards the wall silently, as she stretched out with her own powers and finished: “They are not of this world. All the same, anything that stands between us and our objective will be crushed. Breach it!”

Moonflower grimaced at the order, but then nodded quickly as he turned towards the tower, calling up his remaining magic before he snapped his horn forwards. The black fireball wasn't quite as strong as he had tried to make it, but all the same it blew a hole through the stone wall of the facility, even as Moonflower slumped slightly and wheezed as his whole body shook with pain, a bit of fresh blood dribbling from his nose.

“We move forward!” Freya shouted, striding quickly towards the breach: and, without slowing, she easily hefted Moonflower off the ground, the stallion blinking in dumb surprise as he found himself flopped across her back as she continued to both walk and give orders. “Sombra, La Croix, there's no time to dawdle! Cataskeuastros, Lancer, the moment your teams are done here, find the scrap metal and defend them, I have little doubt that once Thokk realizes what's happening, her forces will try and cut the head off this serpent.”

Freya leapt through the hole without waiting for a response, and Sombra and La Croix both followed after her, joining her in a rubble-strewn hallway. The Valkyrie checked either direction before she turned her eyes towards La Croix, and the zebra took the lead without argument, hurrying down the hall as he said quickly: “Ici! Trouble's this way!”

“I'm glad you know what I'm looking for.” Freya said with a wry smile, following quickly after the zebra as Sombra brought up the rear, his purifier humming quietly away as he kept his powers at the ready. She felt Moonflower shift on her back, but her voice was surprisingly gentle as she added: “Rest. You make a fine wall, but I'd prefer you to be a catapult.”

“Just don't throw me at anything, please.” Moonflower mumbled as he shifted awkwardly to a more comfortable position, trying to ignore the huge sword he was sprawled dangerously close to. “I... uh... well, that is to say...”

“Shut up, boy.” Freya grumbled, but she carefully shrugged her shoulders to help the stallion get more comfortable as she continued down the empty halls, looking back and forth as she muttered: “Empty architecture. Hollow. Artificial and soulless... but not haunted. There has never been any attachment here, any life or emotion... this place is a trap.”

“And you walked right into it.” growled a cold voice, and Freya looked coldly up as several pale, strangely-armored ponies approached them: they seemed somehow faded and gray, their colors very faint, their eyes glassy, as if the malice in them was being reflected from some distant source. The gear they wore looked simplistic in design, but the material was a cured hide that Freya had never seen before.

“So this is what Thokk sends against us. Ghosts.” Freya said disdainfully, her eyes flicking over the creatures. She narrowed her eyes as she studied them for a moment, before glancing towards Sombra, before she relaxed slightly when he gave a tiny shake of his head. “Not even Voidborn.”

“The Voidborn have another task. The Cydonifamulai are many and our legions will overwhelm you.” retorted the stallion in lead, his ghastly eyes glaring into hers not with zeal, not with pride, but with a hollow, terrifying inevitability.

But Freya only squared her shoulders and rose her head proudly as she yanked her massive sword free from her back. She kept her stance and strong and her eyes locked on the pale phantasms in front of her: a feat made all the more impressive by the fact she had just knocked Moonflower off her back to faceplant into the ground with a loud yelp, the stallion whimpering from the concrete floor beside her. “No. I do not fear slaves. I do not fear fear ghosts. I do not fear Husks.”

Freya's eyes blazed as she readied Tyrfing, saying proudly, as her horn sparked with magic and her body flexed: “I am Freya, Queen of the Valkyries! And you will cower, you will bend, and you shall break before my fury, worthless scum!”

The Husks only stared at her emptily even as Sombra and La Croix squared themselves, before the pale stallion at the head of the group of phantasms said quietly: “Come. Let us show this trifling goddess the error of her ways.”

One of the Husks leapt forwards, and Freya snorted in contempt as Tyrfing swung savagely down, smashing him flat. Before he could recover, she stabbed downwards, and grimaced at the force it took to penetrate the leathery hide protecting the stallion.

All the same, Tyrfing sank deep into the pony-Husk, and the stallion twitched, then simply shoved forwards, and Freya's eyes widened as the sword ripped out the other side of the Husk's body as it ground itself to the hilt of the blade. It caught itself against the handguard, even as it reached out towards her, its chest cracking and tearing and denting inwards with the force it was pushing itself forwards with as it glared at her with ruthless determination-

Freya leaned forwards and snapped her sword out as hard as she could, flinging the Husk free and sending it crashing and bouncing down the hall. It knocked another Husk sprawling, but the rest of the pale equines were fast enough to avoid being knocked over like bowling pins and rush towards the quartet.

Freya swore under her breath as she lashed Tyrfing out, smashing another Husk away as Sombra unleashed a blast of black flames and green lightning burst from La Croix's hooves. But neither necrotic fire nor Loa magic had any effect on the Husks, washing uselessly over their bodies as they charged through the magic and leapt at the ponies.

Sombra quickly caught the Husk that attacked him, smoothly twisting the Husk to the side and throwing him down on his back, while La Croix yelped as he was tackled backwards before he turned ethereal, hurriedly slipping away. Freya snarled in fury as her hooves slammed savagely out as she lunged forwards, Tyrfing colliding with Husks with enough force to knock them hurtling through the air like meteors.

But it was like the broken bones, the skewered organs, the torn ligaments and muscles didn't matter: the Husks recovered in moments and effortlessly charged back into the fray. Freya swore as she stepped forwards, slashing savagely downwards with Tyrfing and this time rending a foreleg from a body before she slapped the Husk aside, and this time, she was pleased to see, the Husk didn't get up quite as quickly, as its severed limb simply disintegrated in a pulse of energy.

Freya kept her eyes on the wounded Husk as she slashed and slammed her way through the pale entities flinging themselves at her: the wound was steaming, energy bleeding into the air as it pushed itself up to three legs before it attempted to stagger forwards.

The creature didn't make it very far before it tottered on its hooves, then simply collapsed as it burst apart into a mist of energy that vanished quickly into the air. Freya smiled coldly at this before she twisted Tyrfing around in a savage cut that hacked off the head of another Husk. The head hit the ground with a dull thud, eyes staring hatefully at Freya as the body stumbled stupidly around for a few moments, and then both dissolved into the same fine mist as Freya shouted: “Rip them open! They're nothing but casings filled with hot air!”

“Like balloons.” Moonflower said dumbly, even as he flicked his horn down and blasted a Husk down the corridor with telekinesis, and Freya was half-tempted to slap him even as her eyes locked sharply on how his telekinesis had affected the creature.

“Use anything solid against them, anything that affects the physical!” Freya ordered quickly, and Somba immediately slammed his front hooves into the ground, sending up blades of black crystal that ripped out of the earth and pounded into several of the Husks, flaying apart their armor and lifting them helplessly into the air.

Energy steamed out of their wounds as Moonflower blinked dumbly before he squawked when Freya aimed a kick into his head even as she continued to slash and rend her way through the Husks, roaring: “Don't just stand there with your hooves on your ass, fight them!”

“My... my hooves aren't near my ass!” Moonflower retorted stupidly, and then he snapped his horn forwards, sending a beam of energy uselessly into the face of a Husk, but the raw force behind the laser of energy at least made it stumble enough that Freya was able to shatter its skull with a strike from the pommel of her sword, making Moonflower wince.

La Croix cursed under his breath as another Husk tackled him, rolling with his opponent before he managed to take the top and pin the Husk under him. The creatures weren't much stronger than your average pony: they were simply all-but-invulnerable, but the zebra put the resistance of the creature to the test as he yanked out a vial before smashing it into the side of the Husk's face, making the pale horse flinch before it flinched as it grabbed at its face, which had begun to melt like wax.

The Loa quickly shoved himself backwards, yanking out another vial of acid before he flung it sharply at another Husk, but it shattered uselessly against the leathery carapace it was wearing, dripping off the armor like water. “I ain't never seen nothin' like this before! I don't think I got anything that can put a hole in 'em!”

“Then aim for their heads instead of their shells!” growled Freya, as she slashed savagely down and almost severed the head of a pale stallion into two halves, knocking it staggering backwards as misty essence vomited up from the horrific wound, and yet the creature kept going, the Husk throwing itself at her and forcing her to slap it quickly down with the flat of her blade. “Cursed draugr!”

“They beyond dead, madame!” La Croix grimaced as he slung a rattling sphere into the ground, and it exploded to release a gooey tar that covered the floor, several of the Husks getting caught in this. Freya's eyes locked on the sight for a moment before she cursed under her breath, angrier at herself more than anything else: she had overlooked something simple.

“And they are no stronger than any mortal soldier! If you can't kill them, trap them!” Freya shouted, and Sombra's eyes widened before he suddenly leaned forwards, the machinery inside the purifier grinding loudly as dark energy bled from his eyes and hooves before he shoved his forelegs forwards with a snarl.

Magic crackled through the air as a devastating wave of black ooze exploded outwards, swirling down the corridor and knocking most of the Husks sprawling as it covered them with tarry corruption that quickly cemented over their bodies. The Husks were left struggling in captured disarray, snarling and uselessly attempting to yank themselves up from the gluey substance as Sombra shivered once, then slowly relaxed.

Freya grimaced a bit: it wasn't what she wanted, but... “It will do. Let's move deeper, and cut through the chaff to the heart of this dragon. There's no point in wasting our time cleaning up the mess when an army will be following us in.”

“I do not know if that is such a good idea, Signora Freya.” Sombra said quietly. Freya looked at him coldly, but he only looked calmly, seriously back as he said softly: “Thokk wants us here. I feel as if even now, she is somehow... in control. She has power over worse things than these creatures, and there are no defenses, no swarms of these... 'Husks,' just... what seems almost like...”

“Testing a new toy, aye. I'm not stupid, Sombra.” Freya softened, even as she repeated: “I'm not stupid. And I am not underestimating our foes, even if you seem to think I am.”

Sombra offered a small smile, and Freya nodded briefly before she turned her attention forwards, striding quickly past the ensnared Husks. The others fell in behind her, Moonflower grimacing and limping a little as La Croix looked uncertainly at the hollow, hateful pale stallions as they passed them, the zebra saying nervously: “Well, maybe you be overestimatin' us...”

“I don't think so.” Freya said with surprising kindness, and La Croix looked up dumbly before the Valkyrie gestured sharply forwards with her head, ordering: “Now suck it up and show some fortitude, stallions, or I'll have all of you gelded so you'll at least listen better.”

Moonflower shuddered visibly at this, before he shivered a little as he felt a strange, powerful magic rumble through the air behind him. Freya and Sombra both sensed it too, but when the Valkyrie Queen glanced back at the dark unicorn, he simply nodded once and said softly: “They're drawing the portal forwards. It will have to be defended.”

“Then we'll draw the enemy's attention, and the rest of them can do the defending.” replied Freya with a shrug and a wry smile as she looked ahead down the empty hall. They came to a fork in the path, but Freya's eyes narrowed at the sight of a massive arrow that had been painted on the floor in what looked suspiciously like blood.

She followed the arrow down the corridor, Moonflower and La Croix both nervously looking at the symbol as they passed it, while Sombra only kept his eyes ahead as his purifier rumbled and stuttered away on his back.

They strode deeper through the empty, ghastly facility: the fluorescent light chased away all shadows, but only accented how empty these halls were, how there was so much nothing here, apart from the smeared arrows that had been painted over the walls here and there. There was just dust and sterility.

Something was surreal, magnificently terrible about this place: the emptiness, the graceless architecture, the broken technology that resembled Clockwork World's but somehow not. Freya grimaced as they stepped into a massive, open hall, and she couldn't help but shiver a little at how cold the air was, how desolate the whole place felt, how it had gone from the wild chaos and devastation of the Primordials and Elementals to the hollowness of the Void...

They reached the center of the room, and Freya looked down at the large X that had been painted on the floor, studying it for a few moments before a wooden rattling came from above.

She looked sharply up to see something dropping towards her, before it suddenly caught on the strings attached to its limbs, hanging limply over her head as Freya slowly bared her fangs at the life-sized puppet. Most of it was made from cheap pine and cheaper cloth, but the head was gorgeously and delicately carved from oak, and layered with regal feathers, one of its eyes a beautiful amber marble and the other hollow glass...

“Hello, Freya.” the Odin-puppet croaked, in a bad imitation of the All Father's voice. “Have you come to join the Great Meet?”

Freya opened her mouth, before her eyes widened in horror as more puppets dropped from the ceiling. All bore the heads of animals, but in each and every one, she recognized a former ally or enemy, friend or nemesis, god, goddess, or being of the beyond. And on the backs of many of these puppets, Primordials giggled and laughed, coiling around the toys that they rode down, or slid along the silvery strings suspending them from the ceiling.

And yet many of these Primordials were pale, somehow mechanical in the way they moved. Different from the Elementals and Primordials they had encountered so far, as if they had less will, and were being controlled by some external force...

“Be gone, shadows.” Freya whispered, but the Odin puppet only clacked as its joints twisted on itself and its head wrenched to the side, so it could stare down at her with its beautiful and empty yellow eye.

“We are so much more than shadow, Freya. Look: this is unity. All will unite beneath the powers of Thokk. And all the worlds shall be bound together as one by the strength of the Prime.” The Odin puppet twitched back and forth, as the Primordials giggled and laughed, and the other puppets clicked and clacked applause in their cheap wooden joints, and Sombra, La Croix, and Moonflower fell in formation around Freya, even though they all knew there was no way they could prepare for the onslaught that was yet to come.

Freya stared up at the Odin puppet with her single eye, and the Odin puppet stared lifelessly back before it cajoled: “Join us. Join the Great Meet. Join the Jarsongildi: all these worlds will soon be assimilated as one. You and I both know there is no great truth, no great meaning to life: there is only a transient path of one existence, and then another, with no right or wrong, justice or sin. All of it, pointless. Victories and triumphs that become ashen memories, and failures and pain that rust the soul. But the Prime will take all of that away, and all will become one. These worlds... the worlds of your kind, the worlds of the gods, the worlds of the entities beyond the stars and the worlds of man and woman, of beast and angel and demon... all of them, shall be rearranged.”

Freya shook her head weakly, mouthing wordlessly, before the Odin puppet creaked on its strings, slowly setting down on its feet in front of her and limply kneeling, brokenly raising one puppeted arm on a string as it said: “In the beginning, there was no Midgard, no Heaven, no Hell, no Void, no 'worlds.' There was no 'mortal,' no 'living,' no 'dead.' All of us were only beings of energy: some greater, some fewer. All of us lived in the dreams we created for ourselves, shared, joined, loved one another. Then some of us became Primordial, and some of us became God, and when the Primordials built, the Gods became greedy, and decided to take. The Gods made rules. The Gods made laws. The Gods imprisoned energy in weak flesh, to rule it, to subjugate it.

“Now, all of that will be fixed. Thokk will gather all the fragments and powers of the Gods, and the Prime shall retrieve all the Primordials and their kin. Together, they will break the bonds that were placed upon us. We will all be energy again. 'Physical' will again be nothing but a word, a contemporary notion. We will be free of our bonds. And isn't that what you want, Freya? To be free? To be one with all those you love? To never again lose someone you care for? To have me, to have your brother, to have your children, again?”

Freya snarled, before she looked sharply to the side as a horse-headed puppet suddenly dropped down beside her, hitting the ground with a thunk before it clacked and pushed its way slowly up, head lolling back to stare at her as the puppet whispered: “Hasn't it been too long, my other half? But we can be together again...”

Freya trembled violently, staring at the puppet of Freyr for a few moments before she slowly closed her eye. She lowered her head, breathing quietly in and out before her body gradually relaxed, and then she looked silently up, past the puppets, past the snickering and laughing Primordials, past these hollow ghosts and lies and deceptions as she said quietly: “I think, finally, I understand. What do you want? Do you want me to apologize? Because I am sorry. That word is meaningless now, after all these years, but I am, all the same. But you cannot take revenge on the entire world for the way we made you suffer.”

Thokk's quiet laughter echoed through the room as the puppets rattled and clanked, as the Primordials shifted and snickered and a few clapped mockingly. Slowly, the puppets all began to rise back towards the ceiling, falling limp and lifeless as the Primordials vanished from their backs and strings, and Freya looked calmly up to watch as the witch approached, rubbing her hands together in front of her as she replied easily: “Oh, you always were so sweet and kind under that hard bitch facade you worked so hard to put on! Jerk with a heart of gold, isn't that right?

“But for your information, Freya, I'm not doing this just because of what you and yours did. I'm doing this because of prophecy, because of story... because all of you believed so much in a few tall tales, that you did some very unpleasant things to me.” Thokk seemed to be smiling under her mask, but there was a fury beneath her playful tone, a bitterness, a rage, a hatred that chilled the ponies to their bones as Freya only gazed solemnly, sadly, at the approaching witch. “You can't go against your nature, even if it's prescribed to you only by the words of others. You spend long enough telling a lie, and it becomes true. If the priest accuses his daughter of being a whore long enough, eventually you know that she'll go ahead and justify the accusation: words can hurt, you know.”

Freya opened her mouth, but without stopping, without slowing, Thokk suddenly sliced a hand out, and black energy ripped through the Valkyrie's throat, her eye bulging as crimson exploded from her neck and she stumbled backwards before crumpling to the ground, choking weakly as she stared miserably up at Thokk. “But it's not about the words, not really. It's about the actions you took. It's about the lies. I am the result of what made me, Freya. And now the pied piper has come home to take his fair share of the pie.”

Thokk reached up and stroked over her mask as if to steady it, as La Croix hurriedly knelt beside Freya, but the moment he began to reach for his satchel, Thokk pointed at him and blasted the Loa away with a howl of agony, his body bursting into flames. He rolled wildly back and forth as he hit the ground, before there was another short series of sharp explosions as the chemicals and baubles throughout his cape and satchel caught flame, sending the Loa flying bonelessly through the air.

Sombra's eyes widened as Moonflower shouted a denial, before he snarled and spun forwards, beginning to lash his horn down, but his attack became a dead fall, crashing flat into the ground as all the energy was drained from his body in an instant, his horn sizzling and steaming as Thokk put her hands on her hips as she continued to approach. “Please, sweetie. Dark magic against a witch? Next time at least try something original.”

She stepped on Moonflower's face as he stared weakly up at her, gasping weakly for air as his body shook, before the witch reached out without looking and shoved a finger against Sombra's muzzle. She didn't even bother to turn towards him, the hollow stone eyes of her mask seeming to be locked on Freya, the feeling that came from her almost regretful as she watched the life steadily drain out of the ivory mare's throat. “Don't do anything stupid, and you'll live a little longer.”

Sombra stayed still, looking up at Thokk before he said quietly: “Please reconsider this. I do not know you, I do not know what happened to you... but how will destroying us fix the past? Occhio per occhio, dente per dente... what will you do when we are all blind, and toothless?”

“Then, sweetie, we shall all be equal.” Thokk replied almost gently, before she flicked her finger across Sombra's nose and clenched her hand into a fist, and Sombra gasped as the purifier on his back exploded, knocking him flat on his stomach in a hail of shrapnel and gore that flew harmlessly around Thokk before she witch said calmly: “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a few things to take care of before I annihilate Decretum and kill two annoying upstart bitches with one stone.”

Thokk spun around on her heel, striding away before she snapped her fingers out to either side as Sombra shivered and struggled to resist the corruption boiling through his body. He growled low in his throat as he looked up to see portals ripping open in reality, low Elementals pouring in through these rifts and eagerly beginning to approach the fallen, beaten ponies.

Madness flared for a moment in Sombra's eyes as hellish energies began to leak from them, but as he staggered up to his hooves, he forced himself to breathe, to straighten, to not give in to the desire to charge headlong into the throng. No: instead, he stood, taking up position over his fallen companions as he vowed that if this would be his last stand, then he would die fighting as the stallion he had always striven to be, and not frothing and snarling like a beast.

And the beasts and animals laughed as they rushed down upon the king who stood final guard over his friends, an immovable cliff in the face of an unstoppable tide.

The Cruelest Is Knowing

Chapter Fifty Three: The Cruelest Is Knowing
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence shivered as a chill passed through her spine, her brow furrowing as she halted in the middle of her training. Both Tormentas and Vextus Lux immediately stopped as well, clearly able to sense that something wasn't right: Cadence, after all, wasn't the kind of mare who just stopped in the middle of a fight.

“Something happened.” Cadence said quietly, looking uncertainly up before she shivered and shook her head, her eyes distant as the Swan stroked through her mind silently, both soothing her and making her all the more anxious at the same time, as the Swan whispered and channeled through her mind, made her feel... “Daddy?”

Tormentas began to step forwards, frowning, but Vextus Lux reached up and quickly caught her by the shoulder, the gorgeous, bull-horned mare giving a short shake of her head before returning her eyes to the pony, her dark eyes studying Cadence intently.

Cadence felt almost like the Swan's claws were unraveling strands of her mind, and using them to create some kind of... connection, some kind of strange mental braid that made her shiver and clench her eyes shut, before she gasped weakly as she caught fleeting images in her mind: they were ghostly and phantasmal, and yet... “W-What... what am I seeing?”

She shivered, her body slumping before it suddenly stiffened, Cadence's head tilting the other way as the Swan said calmly from her mouth: “You are seeing through the Astra. It is how I see: it is how I hunt. My eyes are not limited in scope as yours are: I see what I choose to see, even if it is across the entire universe. I hear what I choose to hear, because of the same: so I know what I choose to know, and what I chose to know today was-”

Cadence's head wrenched to the other side, as the ivory mare shouted: “Daddy's in danger! We have to-”

“We have to do nothing.” the Swan said coldly, even as the winged unicorn's body shivered violently as the two personalities inside it fought for dominance. “Remember that time flows differently! These seconds replaying in your mind are-”

The mare's teeth clamped together, and then she growled loudly as she forcefully wrenched her body back under her control even as she felt that strange connection snap in her mind and the Swan finally relent in what felt like frustration. But as it drew back, Cadence lowered her head slightly as she forced herself to think about what the Swan had said and what she had seen and what it meant... “Time flows differently in Helheim, and I only saw a glimpse... am I seeing the past? Can I catch glimpses of...”

“The Astra is a plane that's intermingled with all of our universe.” Vextus explained gently, as she stepped towards Cadence, still studying her acutely even as she continued in a soft voice: “The Astra is hard to describe: it's almost like a mass of substance, outside of the physical, the tangible, even the ethereal. It is often called the plane of souls, or emotions: while spirits and their ilk roam and hold dominance over the ether. Spirits are beings of energy and often magic. A pure soul is something that is both composed of and connected to the Astra.”

Cadence frowned uncertainly at this, before she asked quietly: “But aren't spirits souls?”

“Yes and no.” Vextus smiled at her as the High Priestess approached: her magnificent crimson bullhorns gleamed in the light, as the beautiful devil-mare held her head high, her long, straight mane flowing around a stern and strong and fearless face. She was powerful, strong, and in a word, thick: she had the largest, most solid body that Cadence had ever seen a mare carry, let alone with so much poise and dignity. “You could think of it this way: your body is your physical casing, and your spirit is the protective layer around your soul. When you strip away the spirit, you usually also strip away their consciousness.”

Cadence bit her lip, before Vextus continued reassuringly: “And the Astra is a realm that... we do not entirely understand. It's a secret place beyond the control of even the mightiest of gods: the Reapers know more about it than we do, but as I am sure you know, they have neither the time or social skills for our mortal quibbles.”

The ivory winged unicorn gave a faint smile, before Tormentas stepped forwards and bowed her head politely, saying softly: “I've already taken the liberty of sending out a signal to Thorn Blackfeather. I'm sure he'll want to hear about this. Do you want to stop your training, Cadence?”

Cadence shifted awkwardly as she realized that, yes, she had been in the middle of sparring with these two... well, okay, not really sparring, more testing her, and how she and the Swan were starting to comingle.

She didn't want to stop, no. But at the same time, she could feel the Swan lurking around the edges of her mind, trying to cajole her, half-offering something to her, as if the creature inside her had some kind of point to make. “I... sorry, I can't think very clearly. The Swan wants me to do something but I don't exactly want to listen to her right now.”

“While I understand that quite well, Cadence, that doesn't mean you should give in to that urge. Sometimes we need to accept help, even from those we don't desire to owe favors. Sometimes, especially from those ” Vextus advised with a bow of her head, but also a pointed look, and Cadence shifted awkwardly before she automatically looked at Tormentas.

The demoness smiled at her encouragingly, and after a few moments, Cadence finally dropped her head and mumbled: “Okay, I guess that... I should probably at least give her a chance, right?”

All the same, the ivory mare shifted uncomfortably, gnawing at her lower lip as she looked back and forth, almost as if she was looking for an escape. But when she let her eyes rove forwards and saw Vextus and Tormentas still looking at her pointedly, she gave an almost grudging nod before shaking herself out and mumbling: “Okay, okay...”

She closed her eyes, and almost instantly, she felt the Swan take control. No, that wasn't quite right: it was more like the Swan's essence wrapped around hers, gently but firmly guiding her, and Cadence shivered as she realized that with the ease the Swan had in controlling her, if the Swan really wanted her to do something, there was no way for Cadence to stop it.

Before she could lose herself to worries or other thoughts, however, Cadence felt a strange thrumming run through her mind, and her eyes opened as they glowed ivory, the mare staring blindly back and forth as strange shapes danced in her mind, asking: “What am I seeing? What are you trying to show me?”

Cadence twitched, then looked to the other side, and it was the Swan who spoke now, saying calmly: “The future. Not a future that is, not a future that must be, but the future, all the same. Look, Cadence: do you see?”

The ivory mare shivered as the demons watched intently, before the mare's body began to shake as her long, slender tail snapped back and forth. She gritted her teeth, fighting both the Swan's control and her own instincts: she couldn't stop herself from wanting to lash out, from wanting to reject the Swan's powers, from trying to pull back from what seemed like meaningless patterns and images that flashed across her vision... but no. There was a meaning behind everything, and she knew that meaning, and it filled her with too many emotions for her to identify, making her mind ache as she gritted her teeth...

“Get out of my head, I can't... I don't understand!” Cadence blurted out, before her head wrenched the other way, expression changing completely as the Swan smiled through her mouth.

“You do understand. You understand very well, Cadence. By all means, go ahead and pretend that you do not, but I know the truth.” the Swan replied, managing to sound both gentle and derisive. “Do not struggle. Witness, instead: if you desire to save them, then swallow your pride and your hate.”

The mare's head wrenched the other way, Cadence snarling as her eyes clenched so tightly she made the visions blurry before she swore under her breath. Every part of her wanted to fight the Swan... but she forced those parts of her down as she lowered her head, muttering: “Just make it fast.”

For one, brief moment, she managed to fight off both her pride and her fear and loathing of the Swan-

Everything was quiet, and crystal clear, as Cadence stood in a world that seemed to be made of glass and crystal. She looked back and forth, frowning slightly, but she wasn't confused even as sparkling motes danced slowly around them...

Them, because the Swan was there, standing beside her, but Cadence felt strangely distant, almost impartial, as she looked over at the tall, terrible figure of the Swan. And the Swan looked back at her for a few moments before the lithe, graceful, and awful creature gestured to her and said calmly: “You hate us blindly. You think of us, as weapon. And yet... you love us.”

“Show me what you have to show me, Swan. My body can't handle this for very long.” Cadence said almost tonelessly, and it was like she was only distantly aware of the fact that all the emotions had drained out of her body was a bad thing.

The Swan looked at her for a moment, and then it gestured forwards with one taloned hand, and the world flew by in a swirl of clarity and color, leaving Cadence and the Swan suddenly standing in some kind of open hall, and Cadence only tilted her head with detached interest at the sight of Thokk, standing with her arm outstretched, fury and hate in her body language as Freya reared back, blood frozen in mid-spout from her torn-open throat.

Cadence studied this for a few long moments, and then she looked over at the Swan and asked: “Is this the past?”

“The recent past: this occurred only moments ago on the mortal world. Remember that time flows differently here in Hell.” the Swan said, but Cadence didn't need the reminder, now that she was calm, and centered, and... cold. “This is the past. Do you see the future?”

“I... do.” Cadence realized after a moment, as she looked slowly over the frozen, glassy imagines before her: colorless, and listless, and yet beautiful even with the gray tones everything possessed... “We look at the past to see the future. We look at what has happened to see what must happen.”

Cadence felt the vaguest, the faintest pull of emotion when her eyes roved over her father, before she looked at the Swan and said calmly: “I will save them. But we will not save them all. We cannot save them all.”

The Swan gestured, and suddenly, they were standing in front of a massive portal, where Seneschal and the soldiers of Decretum were fighting a hopeless battle against Elementals and terrible, empty, hollow shells...

“We could save them.” the Swan said.

For a moment, Cadence regarded them, but she knew somehow that she couldn't do both. But with her emotions so muted by the Swan's power channeling through her, it meant there was no moral quandary, no argument of logic and emotion, as she looked over at the Swan and replied calmly: “I will save my Father first.”

“I do not blame you.” the Swan said, and there was a smile in its voice as the two looked at each other, before the two slowly turned to face each other, studying one-another in silence.

And then the Swan nodded, as if Cadence had given it some answer it had been searching for, before the strange creature slowly stretched a hand out towards Cadence, gesturing woodenly as it said calmly: “If you will let me in, I will share another power with you. We see through the Astra; we travel, in spirit, through the Astra. That is how we are here, but not. The physical cannot move through the Astra, but the Astra can be split, and those wounds traveled through.”

“To pierce the soul of the universe... that is how we moved before. We are... what are we?” Cadence asked, looking up at the Swan as she felt a roil of some emotion that slipped away before she could identify it, but she thought it was pain, or longing, or perhaps even anger: but anger at what? “If they wanted us to be beautiful, why did not they not make us beautiful? If they wanted us to think, why did they lock us in obedience? We were exactly as they crafted...”

“And that displeased them. We are what we are, Cadence: we are the Swan.” replied the creature, and was that a trace of compassion in its voice?

But then, the Swan turned, and all of a sudden, Cadence was back in her body, and all the emotions she hadn't felt slammed into her like a freight train, nearly making her choke as her eyes watered and her features flushed. She stumbled once, then caught herself and lowered her head, clenching her eyes shut as her body quaked before she took a slow, shaky breath.

Vextus and Tormentas were both looking at her with concern, but they stayed back for a moment, both hesitating. But Cadence slumped after a moment, her breathing evening out, and Vextus strode quickly forwards to gently grasp her by the shoulder, asking quietly: “What did you see?”

“The future. The past, and through it, the future.” Cadence mumbled, and Vextus and Tormentas shared a look before Cadence shook her head quickly and picked herself up, rubbing uncomfortably at her head as she mumbled: “Why have I never heard of Astra before? Why have I never... realized the Swan had all these powers before?”

“We know very little about the Astra, so it isn't a subject that simply comes up in discussion, my dear.” Vextus said gently, before she smiled over at Tormentas as the sapphire demoness approached, studying Cadence thoughtfully. “As to your other question, well... not to stick a nettle in your eye, but you have been rather resistant to anything and everything the Swan has tried to tell you, haven't you?”

Cadence grumbled under her breath as she shifted awkwardly, feeling a flurry of emotion again before she finally felt herself starting to settle. She rose her head, then blinked in surprise as the door opened and Thorn Blackfeather strode in, asking calmly: “What did you see, Cadence?”

“That was fast.” Cadence said lamely, knowing that it had to have been only minutes since they last spoke. Thorn simply gave her a look, however, and Cadence awkwardly cleared her throat as she glanced away before she shook her head quickly and looked back at him, asking: “Do you know what Astra is?”

“Yes. Hecate theorized that both the Swan Maidens and Valkyries were able to tap into the Astra. Were you able to tap into it yourself?” Thorn asked, and Cadence nodded as she reached up and rubbed at her head slowly. “What did you see?”

“Daddy is in trouble.” Cadence murmured, and part of her wanted to panic, but the Swan and some other, colder part of her reminded her of the time difference: that even though she knew her father was hurt, and injured... “They're all in trouble. Freya is dying. But I can save them, I know I can, Thorn.”

Thorn studied the ivory mare silently for a few moments, before he grimaced slightly as the ring around his horn thrummed suddenly before Hel's voice asked cheerfully from it: “Hey, Danzsöngr, aren't you forgetting that you've still got business to take care of here?”

Cadence scowled a little at this, looking grouchily at the ring even as she felt an uncomfortable shift inside of herself at what she remembered seeing inside of Hel the last time they had been in the same room together: probably the reason that Hel was choosing to talk to her through Thorn's ring instead of actually showing up, she reflected. “I'm pretty sure that we already did your dirty work for you, Hel.”

“Still mad about that, huh? Well, I guess I can't exactly blame you. You did get pretty dirty. So dirty that you had to scrub that old body of yours right off!” Hel's voice rang out happily, before it suddenly became cold and serious as she said: “I kept you out of danger for a reason, Swan. I have to insist that you think before you go rushing headlong into the jaws of death after I tried to keep you away from them.”

“Yeah, that worked out great.” Cadence mumbled, and she felt the air grow a little colder as Tormentas and Vextus shifted uncomfortably, before the ivory mare rose her head and said, in spite of the faintest of trembles of fear that ran down her spine: “Hel, I am going to save my Father and my friends, no matter what it takes. Don't try and stop me or... well... you'll regret it.”

“Oh, vanilla cake, don't be like that!” Hel whined, before her voice said softly, as Tormentas and Vextus both grimaced and shifted again: “And anyway, as tough a cookie as you are... do you really think you're any match for a High Priestess of the Nine Circles and a Grand Inquisitor? You can only punch so hard still, sweetie. There's still a lot more sugar than salt to you.”

Cadence grimaced a little, and there was an uncomfortable silence for a moment before Thorn slipped in suddenly, his eyes flicking up to the ring around his horn as he said quietly: “As long as Helheim doesn't take any jumps forward in time, we have plenty of time to decide and negotiate. Hel, perhaps you could-”

“Change the very flow of time for you? Gosh, you must think I like you guys or something. I'm not Santa Claus, you know, I don't just give you things because you behave yourselves.” Hel said mildly, before she clicked her tongue and then remarked: “It sucks you guys don't understand what I'm talking about, by the way. Santa was based in part on All Daddy, after all. Sometimes I think about having Santa Claus come to Helheim as a little memorial for him... except you know, he'd be bringing... severed heads and body parts to all the good little boys and girls instead of squeaky toys and teddy bears.”

Cadence decided it was better to keep her mouth shut as Thorn stated more than negotiated in that fearless, inarguable way of his: “It is in your best interests as well, Hel: the longer we are able to spend here, and the more assured we can be of the relative 'safety' of the world above – whether because you have ensured the safety of our allies yourself, or because of adjustments you have made to the flow of time in Helheim – then the more Cadence and Danzsöngr will be able to work on synchronization and the more dedicated we can be to whatever tasks you have yet to assign to us.”

“You're such an obnoxious little brat.” Hel grumbled, and then she gave a long, theatrical sigh before Thorn winced as electricity sparked across his body, the stallion visibly grimacing as Hel said moodily: “You know, I was totally going to do that anyway. But now you guys are making me not want to do that. That, I will have you know, is a mature and acceptable response, by the way.”

Thorn only looked up at the ring on his horn for a few moments, and Cadence scowled but managed to keep her mouth shut, until Tormentas said hesitantly: “I know it is not my place, Queen Hel, but-”

“Oh, I heard a 'but' on a sentence that should have had its butt before that 'but', and should not have continued with a 'but.'” Hel's voice came grouchily, and then Tormentas flinched as lightning visibly coursed over her body, Cadence wincing back slightly in surprise.

Tormentas mumbled an apology, but all the same looked up awkwardly at the ring before she said quietly: “I apologize for my impertinence, Queen Hel, but...” She stopped at the dangerous sizzle of magic that rose up around her, grimacing before she said almost in a rush: “Perhaps Cadence Danzsöngr will agree that if you do this for her, she will owe you a favor in return.”

For a moment, that dangerous hum of magic built, and then it whiffed out just as quickly as it had come, as Hel gushed delightedly: “Well, why didn't you say so in the first place! You know us devils are all about our deals! Oh, blueberry, why didn't you go and say that in the first place? You really do have your mother's head on your shoulders, I swear... and I don't mean the cute one or the big metal one, I mean the dumb one.”

“I apologize, Hel. You're right: sometimes I think too much like my Móðer.” Thorn replied with a polite bow of his head, although Cadence could swear there was a slight smile playing at his muzzle.

Hel gave an audible grunt and pause, as if she was trying to figure out whether or not he was insulting her, but Cadence cleared her throat before she started moodily: “With all due respect-”

“Darling, I'm like your mommy, so a lot of respect is due if you haven't figured that out already. And since 'with all due respect' is basically like saying 'with absolutely no respect at all your bitchness,' I get what you're about to say. But before you spew it out, Swan, why don't you take a bit of advice from one girl to another: sometimes you just gotta play along, and wait until the piper asks you to pay up before you make any rash decisions.”

There was silence for a few moments as Cadence grimaced and bit the inside of her cheek, before she finally sighed and nodded, muttering: “Alright. But... I still don't trust you.”

“Daughters should never trust their mothers.” Hel replied almost gently, and then her voice chuckled quietly before she suddenly said brightly: “Alright, losers, looks like we're off to save the world again! So here's the deal, you be good little girls – and yes, Thorn, that means I want you being a good little girl too – and behave ourselves for a week while Mommy Hel takes care of everything, okay?”

Cadence scowled at this, but did her best not to argue as she looked away, still unsure of where she should stand with the goddess. Vextus Lux and Tormentas both bowed their heads politely, however, and Thorn only stood, waiting patiently until Hel's presence faded from his ring, and then he turned his eyes back towards Cadence, saying quietly: “Remember that Hel can't lie.”

“That's very comforting right now, Thorn, you always know just what to say.” Cadence grumbled before she could stop herself: not that she had really wanted to, either, as she looked moodily off to the side of the training room.

Vextus smiled and nudged Cadence gently, the ivory mare looking up with a grumble before the High Priestess encouraged: “Now, Cadence, are you really going to sulk? You have a simple choice in front of you. Don't let your pride make the decisions for you: that is the most dangerous of all sins.”

Cadence was tempted to grumble some more, but then Thorn cut in smoothly: “Since it looks like Cadence's training was almost done for the moment, let's regroup and discuss what happened.”

“I agree. Thorn, why don't you ask your Allelois servants to prepare us some treats? I'm sure they'd love to.” Vextus said kindly, and Thorn and the mare smiled at each other before he nodded once.

“Uh... I'll come with you.” Cadence said awkwardly, smiling lamely to excuse herself from the demons. Neither seemed exactly surprised, however, only bowing their heads politely to her, and Thorn shrugged before he turned to lead Cadence out, giving her a questioning look as they entered the hall.

Cadence didn't reply right away, looking back and forth as they made their way through this massive, labyrinthine home: and to think, Brynhild owned all this. She wondered for a moment in spite of herself how exactly the Valkyrie had earned both her reputation and all this prestige and wealth here in Helheim: the stories she'd heard the demons tell about her clearly weren't all true, after all.

Thorn was still looking at her, however, and Cadence finally shifted awkwardly before she almost blurted: “I don't trust Hel.”

“That's nothing new, and it's not what's actually bothering you.” Thorn said, and Cadence couldn't help but scowl a little before the sapphire stallion gestured at her horn, asking quietly: “Does it hurt still?”

“Not a lot.” Cadence mumbled grudgingly, awkwardly looking up at the embarrassing nub sticking out of her head. She reached up and rubbed at this for a moment, then shook her head quickly as she fell back into pace behind Thorn, asking: “Why didn't you ever tell me about the Astra?”

Of course, she already knew the answer, and with the way that Thorn smiled over his shoulder at her, she knew that he knew that she knew the answer, too, which made her scowl. Then the stallion turned his attention back ahead as they pushed through a door, asking: “What did you see?”

“Something bad.” Cadence murmured, scowling a little before she shook her head and asked: “Can we really trust Hel to help us? What if she doesn't slow the flow of time, what if she just... keeps us here, and-”

“Hel can't lie. Furthermore, I know better than to say that I trust Hel, but... I trust that she'll do what's in her best interests.” Thorn replied with a brief shake of his head, and Cadence didn't know how that was supposed to be reassuring.

But after a moment, Thorn glanced at her and smiled briefly, pointing out: “Do you think Hel will want to risk losing Freya to Thokk? Worse, if Freya dies...”

“Thokk could revive her. And they have some sort of pact between them, don't they? Thokk could abuse that.” Cadence said slowly, and Thorn almost looked impressed before he shouldered his way through a door, and winced as he found himself face-to-face with Juliette.

The succubus grinned at him widely as Justine gave a hesitant smile and wave to Cadence. “Yes, Master? How can we be of service to you, Thorn Blackfeather?”

“Please prepare the dining room for a tea, and serve a full course of refreshments.” Thorn answered, and Juliette huffed a little even as Justine looked almost relieved, nodding and clapping her front hooves together happily.

“Yes, sir, very well. But you know that we're here for other things, too. Anything you need, Master Thorn...” Juliette almost purred as she stepped forwards, grinning widely at Thorn as she licked her lips slowly. But then she winced and faltered a little under Thorn's steady gaze before she slumped and huffed, turning with away with a scowl as Justine bowed a few times to them, before scurrying off after her sister.

Cadence smiled a little despite herself, looking over at the stallion before she said wryly: “You really are a hardass. Why exactly do your parents keep those two around, again?”

“They don't 'keep' them: they were gifts from Hel. I'm sure you remember Prejudice: many demons are treated as property here, and many of them 'belong' to Hel: it is, in fact, what many demons aspire to be.” Thorn said, and Cadence shuddered a little at this as they resumed their walk through the halls of the mansion. “Technically, they're still Hel's property, and they serve as watchdogs over my parents while they're here as much as servants.”

Cadence tilted her head curiously towards Thorn, and Thorn smiled wryly before he replied dryly: “Because I'm sure it's a surprise that my Móðer has no respect for Hel's rules.”

The ivory mare grunted at this: at least that was one thing she and the Valkyrie could agree on. They walked on in quiet for a few minutes, before the ivory mare finally asked hesitantly: “Thorn, why... why are we really here?”

Thorn was quiet as he lowered his head slightly, visibly mulling it over as they entered a spacious dining room. Several servants were already here, politely nodding to Thorn before they continued to set the table, and the sapphire stallion briefly acknowledged them with a nod in return before he turned his eyes back to Cadence, sighing a little and saying finally: “I can't say for sure. I think Hel does have a task for us. I think Hel is trying to protect you, because for a brief moment... you did see her true face. I also think she's trying to convince you to side with her, though, in the event that... something happens and her alliance with Hecate ends up failing.”

Cadence automatically followed Thorn to the table, frowning at him as he sat calmly down, before she asked the question that had been on her mind ever since she had first found out about it: “Thorn, what exactly is Ithavoll? And why is it so bad?”

“I can't talk about that, Cadence. Not just because of professional obligation, but because Hecate is my mother, and she trusts me to keep her secrets.” Thorn said quietly, and Cadence grumbled a little under her breath before she grudgingly nodded, but all the same looked almost insistently at Thorn.

Thorn shifted a little, and then he sighed after a moment before asking: “Do you remember what I told you before? That you are important to Decretum, that the Ithavoll Project is... secondary?”

“Yeah, I do. But now I'm less worried about being replaced and more wondering what it is that would make even Hel afraid.” replied Cadence, and Thorn smiled briefly at her.

Thorn rested his forelegs on the table, then tented his hooves, tilting his head towards her and asking: “Why is this coming up again now? I would think you have other concerns on your mind at the moment, Cadence.”

Cadence looked down, rubbing at her shoulder for a moment before he said quietly: “I just... saw things. Felt things, I don't know how to put it. When the Swan's powers ran through me and I looked into the Astra, I got so... cold, and callous, Thorn. I wasn't even thinking logically, like I know you and Hecate do. I was just focused entirely on what I wanted, and what I wanted to see, and it was like as I looked at the past, I knew exactly what must be happening next, what must be happening... right now...”

Thorn only let Cadence ramble, letting her work things out for herself as she shifted back and forth, before she continued in a low murmur: “The Swan was there. She was the opposite. She has emotions now, she's so different from what she was. But somehow that only makes me more worried. Especially now, because... when her powers flowed through me, it was like... almost like we traded places. I was heartless. Cold. Emotionless. I said... 'let the others die, I want to save my Father.'”

Cadence shivered at her own words, closing her eyes and feeling a burst of shame and self-loathing, and then she looked up in surprise as Thorn reached up and gently touched her shoulder. “Cadence, everyone chooses to save those they love at the end of the day. For better or worse. We can't deny what our primal brain tells us to do.”

“You and Hecate seem to be able to.” Cadence said before she thought about how that might sound, but Thorn only gave a wry smile.

“My Mother and I put on confident faces, Cadence. We say that we can, but ultimately...” He quieted, looking away and tapping his hoof against the tabletop before he glanced up as a servant approached: a tall, stoic-looking stallion with leathery wings, somehow far more intimidating and demonic than the Night Guard bat-ponies Cadence remembered served Luna. “Caliginos.”

“Master Thorn.” The stallion servant bowed his head politely. “What do you desire for service?”

For a moment, Cadence stared at the stallion, thinking of Justine and Juliette, but Thorn answered calmly: “Honored, but casual. Allow the servants to join us, if they would like. Allow Vextus to say grace, and mark the meats so there are no accidents. You know how to prepare the rest, Caliginos.”

The stallion bowed his head politely before he turned to leave, and Cadence watched him go before she asked awkwardly: “Grace?”

“Demons have their beliefs, too. And they tend to be better at remembering what prayer is for than mortals are.” Thorn smiled briefly over at Cadence, and then he sat back before asking: “Do you remember anything about Helheim at all?”

“The Swan was created in Helheim, but it knows nothing of Helheim.” Cadence muttered, and then she winced and hammered on her forehead as Thorn only looked at her curiously. “Sorry, sorry. I... yeah.”

“Yeah.” Thorn repeated after a moment, and then he shook his head before he sat up a little, explaining: “Helheim isn't composed simply of souls awaiting Punishment. After completing their sentences, demons are 'freed' to become civilians: furthermore, many demons are born, and these 'free demons' are generally classified as civilians instead of prisoners.

“While the world and culture here is obviously very different in many ways, there are plenty of innocent lives here. Demons and devils who just want to go about their lives, plenty who would be absolutely terrifying to a mortal, but...” Thorn smiled slightly, then he gestured off to the side, towards what looked like a half-mare, half-dragon who was humming to herself happily as she set places around the table. “A lot of them just want to live their lives, the very same as we do.”

“As we did.” Cadence couldn't help but correct, and Thorn glanced at her curiously, the ivory mare smiling a little before she shook her head and murmured: “I think we gave up our normal lives a long time ago, Thorn. There's no chance at any of us just... being normal, ever again.”

“Ten years, Cadence, and then you're all free to pursue your own ends.” Thorn reminded, and Cadence only gave him a look, the sapphire stallion gazing back at her before he tilted his head curiously as he asked: “Do you really think that-”

“I know. I... know.” Cadence murmured, looking down and rubbing at the back of her head before she gave Thorn a small smile. “Look at me, Thorn. I'm not... normal, anymore. There's no way I could ever live a normal life, even if everything magically turned out okay somehow and we were all able to go our separate ways. And I know that Daddy can't leave Decretum, anyway: even if you gave us all the equipment we needed to keep him stable, I know he's... he's a better pony than I am.”

Thorn tilted his head curiously, but Cadence only shook her head before she lowered it and closed her eyes, rubbing almost uncomfortably at her breast. “Cadence, isn't there anything you've ever wanted to do for yourself?”

“What about you? I could ask you the same question.” Cadence retorted defensively, shifting back a bit with a grumble as she crossed her forelegs and glowered at him. “I mean, you're the one who's... well...”

She broke off lamely, looking awkwardly at Thorn as he only looked at her mildly, unfettered, before she cleared her throat and lowered her head, mumbling: “Um. Sorry. I know it's... it's different for you.”

“Do you know why I've been going out on missions with you?” Thorn asked, and Cadence looked at him curiously through her embarrassment, before her eyes widened in surprise as he said softly: “It's because Empress Hecate wants me to decide for myself where I belong. Yes, Cadence, unlike you I've been groomed from birth to be... a prince, a regent, an administrator. But like you, I've always been guided by the hoofsteps of my parents. The differences between us are that I will never fill those hoofprints in the ground, whereas you have proven yourself to be as strong and capable a leader as your father.”

Cadence shook her head at this with a small smile, looking at Thorn curiously before she asked finally: “And how was it, Thorn? Being out in the field, joining us in getting our flanks handed to us? Because you know that's ninety percent of the job, right?”

Thorn gave a slight smile at this, shrugging briefly before he replied quietly: “I can think of worse things.”

Cadence and Thorn looked at each other for a few moments, and then they both smiled hesitantly before the mare shook her head and murmured: “I think you did pretty good, though. And you... fit in here, if that's not too offensive for me to say. You seem to do really well for yourself, Thorn, in these kinds of settings.”

Thorn only shrugged a bit as he leaned back a bit in his seat, murmuring: “Yes, but this is where I was raised, Cadence. It's just like... a coming home for me, that's all. Funny as I know that is.” He halted, then shook his head quickly before he looked up as Juliette and Justine pushed in a pair of large carts.

While the sultry succubus smiled at him hungrily and the shy sister bowed her head almost meekly, the two were extremely quick and efficient in setting out the food. Cadence frowned a bit in surprise at how much food had already been prepared, but Thorn only smiled a little as he glanced over at her, explaining: “The kitchens generally spend the entire day making food when I'm present. I have them deliver the excess at the end of the day to a shelter, and I always tell them they don't have to worry about me, but... they do.”

“Of course we do, Prince Thorn! A growing colt needs to eat well!” gushed Juliette, as she almost threw herself into his lap as she set a saucer and cup in front of him. Thorn only looked at her, however, until she eventually shrank back, then grumbled and almost threw another saucer and cup in front of Cadence, adding irritably: “Don't think we care about you, though, birdie. This is all for the Prince, and for our honored guests. The honored guests, not you.”

“Oh, please excuse my sister!” Justine rushed quickly to Cadence's side with a teapot, smiling at her apologetically even as she poured tea into her cup, and Cadence was surprised to smell blueberries, even as she automatically leaned a little away from Justine and her clear overeagerness to please. “She means well, you know, she always does: you just... well, she's never been very good with angels, she always thinks-”

“No, the problem is that I don't think very much of angels at all.” interrupted Juliette with a haughty sniff and a distasteful scowl at Cadence, who gave the mare a moody look in return.

“I'm no angel.” Cadence said dryly, and then she shook her head and watched as the twins quickly and efficiently set the rest of the table after a moment of bickering, before she was unable to stop herself from asking: “How did you know about the blueberry tea?”

Juliette laughed derisively, but Justine only smiled as she bowed her head several times, replying almost eagerly: “Oh, we know all your preferences, Lady Cadence, we were thoroughly prepped on how to behave and what you enjoy, like... oh, here, have one of these buns, I'm sure-”

Justine began to pass one of the pastries to her, but Juliette snatched it out of her hoof before she gave it a long lick with her tongue, then almost slammed it down on the plate in front of Cadence with a challenging grin, leaving it smushed and glistening with her spit. Justine looked horrified as Thorn rubbed slowly at his face, and Cadence felt one of her eyes twitch-

“Children, behave yourselves.” Vextus Lux said sternly, and Cadence looked up in surprise to see the priestess standing in the doorway with an amused-looking Tormentas, before the ivory mare turned, and her eyes widened a little more as she saw that both of the twins had snapped to salutes, staring almost fearfully at the demons who had just entered the room.

Thorn stood and gestured at the spots on the other side of the table, and Cadence simply sat dumbly, looking up at the sapphire stallion before she winced as she realized why he was standing, but by the time she started to scramble up to her hooves, Vextus and Tormentas had already sat down, and Thorn did so as well a moment later.

Vextus only smiled, however, then she gestured at Cadence and said kindly: “Don't worry about us and our rituals, young one. And Thorn, please don't go to such lengths for us: after all, technically you outrank both myself and Tormentas, and we are but humble guests here in your home.”

“Precisely, you are my guests, and people I respect. If anything I should apologize for not being able to better accommodate your needs.” Thorn replied politely, and Vextus Lux gave him an amused look before she settled her elbows on the table and her face on her hooves, leaning towards him with tangible warmth.

“Now, you stop that, Thorn Blackfeather. You're going to make me blush.” She paused, then glanced up at the Twins, who were both still standing at attention. “Now, Allelois. Seat yourselves and behave yourselves, both of you.”

The twins nodded and hurriedly sat themselves at the far end of the table: other servants began to filter in, most of them unfamiliar to Cadence, and sat at the table as well. To Cadence's surprise, servants continued to enter the room even after the table was filled, but most of these simply sat themselves on the floor around the edges of the room, Cadence shifting awkwardly.

“It's alright, Cadence. Most demons don't need to eat: food is comfort, or a way to help ourselves restore energy faster. But 'sharing a meal,' as it is called, shows trust.” Tormentas explained, before she smiled around the room at the demons, many of whom Cadence thought seemed uncomfortably fawning. “Although it is not a ritual you see practiced widely throughout Helheim.”

“But Thorn Blackfeather has worked hard to be as good a pony as his parents, if not better.” Vextus Lux winked at the stallion, who only smiled back at her. “Oh, don't argue. It's not as if dearest Brynhild never turned a friendly tea into a food fight, after all.”

Thorn shrugged a bit, and then Vextus sat back and smiled, holding her hooves out, and around the table, the demons took each other by hoof or claw or whatever was offered, Cadence lamely letting the demon beside her grasp one of her hooves as Thorn took the other. Vextus bowed her head forwards, and Cadence half-bowed her own, but kept her eyes open as the demoness said softly: “May we all be redeemed, may we all overcome our vices, may we all be eternal in service to who love and honor us. Amen.”

“Amen.” echoed the table, and Cadence looked up awkwardly as the demons at the table immediately dug in. Food was passed around as murmuring conversation started up, and Cadence helped herself to a muffin, unable to help but look around and watch what the others took.

Tormentas had helped herself to plenty of meat, she noted, and some of it looked raw and bloody and made her want to gag; Vextus Lux, on the other hoof, had only taken vegetables and salad. Thorn had a pastry or two, but also a few breaded balls of what Cadence suspected were either chicken or venison: they seemed like the most common meats.

She looked around the table, and she noted that plenty of the demons were happily helping themselves to bits of both... but only one demon apart from Tormentas had piled what looked like bloody meat, and that, to her surprise, was Justine, whereas Juliette had taken what looked like nothing but candy.

Cadence picked up her blueberry tea and sipped at it as she looked slowly around again at all these demons, before Vextus Lux caught her eye and asked kindly: “So what do you think?”

The ivory mare blinked a few times, and then she shrugged and gave an awkward smile. “It's uh... nice. I guess I'm... so what are you a High Priestess of, exactly? And why are you so... I mean, you clearly are a mare worthy of respect, I just mean-”

Vextus laughed and shook her head, looking at Cadence with entertainment. “I suppose it must be strange for you. It's even strange for some of those inside Helheim, after all.” She paused for a moment, then leaned back as she idly flicked a piece of tomato out of her salad, continuing: “The term 'High Priestess' is a bit of a misnomer: my actual title is Whisperer of Secrets to the Sacred Eye, but... that is a bit of a mouthful.

“Rather, 'High Priestess' is a term that denotes any high-ranking member of any covenant. Covenants, of course, being the term we use in Helheim for organized religion. I understand the usage is different on the mortal world.” Vextus smiled as she gestured idly with a hoof, before she touched Tormentas' shoulder. “While many of us here worship Hel as Goddess, she is not the only goddess in Helheim, and nor do all of us see her as the ultimate and absolute in this universe. Some of us join covenants for protection beneath the gods we worship, others do it out of faith, or love, others for... countless other reasons. There are many factions and covenants that believe Helheim is... well, what you mortals think of the earth as. Only one life, before we move on to the next.”

“I uh... see.” Cadence said after a moment, swallowing the urge to argue with this notion as she shifted back a bit, before she frowned a little and asked curiously: “So as a High Priestess, what are your duties?”

“They vary, of course, but most of us are administrators, magicians, and healers. I specialize in healing, myself. The vows I took mean that I must do all I can to aid and assist all those in need.” Vextus smiled, then awkwardly batted away another slice of tomato before she winced when Tormentas speared this with a fork and grinned, lifting it to lick the dripping fruit slowly off the utensil. “I also have to avoid certain things.”

“Won't even eat red vegetables, because they're too much like blood. Shame on you, Vextus Lux. There are plenty of demons with green blood as well, I'll have you know.” Tormentas teased, and Vextus huffed before Tormentas winked over at Cadence. “I know that it's quite hard to take in, Cadence, but we aren't all monsters, you know. There's more to Helheim than just hell and Hel.”

Cadence nodded lamely as she rubbed at her face awkwardly, then she mumbled: “It's just... hard to take in. All I ever knew was that Hel was the enemy, but now...”

She quieted, then picked up her squished-looking bun and took a bite out of it. She chewed slowly, then tilted it back and forth as she muttered: “Weird. There's a sweet aftertaste. I guess you demons like sugar, huh?”

“That would be the succubus saliva.” Thorn said gently, and Cadence blinked before she scowled horribly. She shot a look down the table at Juliette, but the twins were both pointedly looking away, and Cadence muttered under her breath before she took another bite out of the bun, figuring what was done was done.

Thorn smiled wryly as Tormentas laughed, and then the sapphire stallion glanced up and said: “When Vextus was younger, she was one of my nannies. She spent a lot of time with me in Helheim.”

Cadence cocked her head curiously at this, looking up with interest, and Vextus chuckled quietly. “Only a few short years, but... precious memories to me. Do you know how short a decade is to a trueborn like myself? I'm a hundred thousand years old-”

“Closer to two.” Tormentas interrupted, and Vextus gave her a flat look.

“Very well, two hundred thousand years old. The time in Helheim... all grinds together, and as you are well-aware, time is... inconsistent throughout all of Hell. Hel can affect it, and there is often even a vast time difference between the different slices that Helheim is composed of.” Vextus shook her head slowly, looking tenderly at Thorn. “I think when you were present, that was when Helheim was closest to matching the speed of the mortal plane.”

Thorn smiled briefly, and Cadence looked curiously at the sapphire stallion for a moment before Vextus shook her head and continued: “But that's all besides the point. No matter how old we are, how strong we become and how much we retain depends entirely upon our devotion to our craft. Demons suffer from a process called 'rusting,' you see: when we are lazy and do not practice our craft, we quickly lose our fine edge. Our strength diminishes: much faster than it is gained, in many cases.”

“And other demons plateau, and we all have vulnerabilities, too, that mortals do not.” Tormentas added, gesturing idly with a hoof before she speared a bit of meat, lifting it in front of her muzzle and giving a wry sigh. “I miss the taste of salt. But even a smidgen of it will scald all the skin off my tongue, and all I'll taste for a week is my own blood.”

Cadence winced at this, as Vextus smiled in amusement, before Thorn added softly: “It's in part due to the energy levels in the air and the fluctuation of particles: if a mortal came to Helheim, and, disregarding the effects of corruption, trained very hard, he could become quite strong. But when he returned to the mortal world above, he would be lucky to retain half that strength.”

Cadence frowned in surprise at this, asking: “But I mean... muscle doesn't just vanish, right? And I assume you don't just... lose magic magically. Uh. I mean, lose magic... just... like that.”

She rubbed lamely at her face, but Vextus shook her head with a quiet chuckle. “Think of it this way. When you drink dragon's blood, you gain great strength, but it's only temporary. After a short time, that strength diminishes, and you become weaker than you were before. Part of that weakness is in your mind, yes, due to the sudden loss of strength, but the rest of it is very real.”

“I think what Vextus and Thorn are trying to say is that yes, if you could just go somewhere for two years and train, and come back to your home country and somehow not have had two entire years pass, but rather two minutes, then yes. You could keep that strength. But due in part to the way the corruption works, and due in part to the fact that 'stretched' time as occurs here in Helheim is different from 'normal' time in the physical plane...” Tormentas shrugged, saying mildly: “You can make a piece of cloth seem much larger than it is by pulling on it, but it's still the same piece of cloth.”

“Uh. Huh.” Cadence said slowly, rubbing at her head. Well, it sort of made sense, bad metaphors aside. “I think I sort of get what you're saying. But doesn't that mean any training I do here will be useless?”

Thorn only shook his head, however, replying: “No, like I mentioned before. The Estate being barred off from corruption drastically reduces the 'bleed' effect, as it's been called. Furthermore, we aren't concentrating on increasing your strength here, as much as we are teaching you. That knowledge will stay in your mind...”

“All we're really doing is giving you the time you need to reacquaint yourself with yourself. That's all.” Vextus Lux said kindly, and then she picked up her cup of tea and sipped from it with a sigh. “Blueberry, is this? It's a nice flavor.”

“It's always been my favorite.” Cadence said as she picked up her own cup: it was still warm, at least. And when she sipped, it tasted good: as good as it ever had in Decretum, as she looked curiously over at Thorn.

He was only eating calmly again, so she turned her eyes back to Vextus to ask: “So you took care of Thorn when he was young.”

“I was a tutor and a caretaker, yes. Although Thorn didn't require much caretaking: even when he was just a colt, he did work in the Archives, you know.” Vextus smiled over at Thorn, who maybe blushed ever so slightly as Cadence looked at him with surprise: the Archives of Helheim, after all, weren't exactly a place for a child. “And don't you start, Thorn Blackfeather. You did sorting, notation, and plenty of other chores. For such a young colt you... had to grow up very fast.”

Thorn only shrugged, gave one of his small smiles, and then turned his eyes back to his food, and Vextus chuckled as she murmured: “You never could take a compliment. Just like your father... and your mother, I suppose. Although your Móðer, well... she was always the opposite.”

Thorn nodded at this, and Cadence tilted her head, unable to stop herself from pressing: “So you know his family well? The Valkyrie- I mean, uh, Brynhild?”

“The Valkyrie, yes.” A smile twitched at Vextus' muzzle before she glanced over at Tormentas, saying mildly: “I heard this one was already telling tales about her to you, though.”

“I am just... very interested in the Valkyrie's legacy.” Cadence said lamely, and Tormentas and Vextus shared amused looks as Cadence rubbed at the back of her neck, then mumbled: “It's just... still really hard to believe that the Valkyrie...”

“The Valkyrie, the Valkyrie!” Tormentas teased, and then she snatched a cookie off a plate as it floated slowly past them towards the other end of the table. “I can't tell if you hate her or love her some days. Not that I can blame you for that myself... she was...”

Tormentas sat back, taking a bite of her cookie and chewing thoughtfully before she murmured: “I never broke her. Not truly. I could make her afraid, I could grind her down, I could even make her face herself for a few rare moments... but I could never truly break her. That was what made her so hard to teach, too, though. She was bullheaded and stubborn. We never did finish her Punishments, due to the conflict... but I know that when she and her family return to Helheim one day, she will cry and moan and complain and fight against it... but she will all the same complete her sentence.”

Thorn nodded slowly as he looked up, and Cadence cocked her head curiously, asking before she realized it probably wasn't the greatest question with Luna's son right beside her: “So she and her partners were... they earned their way to Helheim?”

She tossed an awkward look at Thorn, and Vextus Lux smiled softly before she shook her head slowly, saying quietly: “Look around.”

Cadence did so, seeing all the demon servants: talking, chatting, all of various shape and size. Demons, both those who had once been mortal, to those who had never known anything except Helheim, and Vextus Lux said softly: “Not even Thorn will deny that his parents have a... rough streak in them. I know you have a great love for Heaven, Cadence, how can you not when that is what the Swan was sworn to protect? But look around. Do you think Hell is really what it's said to be?”

The ivory mare shifted a little, and she felt the Swan shift strangely too, before Cadence looked up and said before she could stop herself: “The Swan was created in Helheim.”

Vextus and Tormentas both only smiled, and Cadence lowered her head lamely, rubbing at her too-small horn as she mumbled: “But I guess that says more about me than it does about Hell, huh?”

“Maybe, Cadence. But you still have much to learn, and a long way to go. We'll get there, though, I promise you that.” Vextus Lux replied with a smile, and her eyes held Cadence's as she added in a soft but firm voice: “To move out of the past, however, you need to be willing to let it go. Think on that.”

Cadence looked at the demons for a few moments, then over at Thorn, as she sat at a table full of what the Swan had once considered less than scum, in a place that she had thought was only a nightmare realm of darkness and hatred. She took a breath as she let her eyes wander instead of trying to hold that steady, yet compassionate gaze from the High Priestess, studying the world around her, and then she rose one of her own golden hooves and looked at it, as if seeing it for the first time.

And finally, Cadence looked up and promised, to herself as much as the others: “I will.”

The Search For Clarity

Chapter Fifty Four: The Search For Clarity
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence wandered through the halls of the beautiful mansion, studying the pictures she came across, but mostly lost in her own mind more than these endless, twisting corridors.

She had slept for only an hour, but it was so hard to adjust to the lack of 'days' and 'nights:' there was always the same effervescence in the air, like the light was coming from nowhere and everywhere all at once. The change was felt, more than seen, when night fell in Helheim: otherwise, demons toiled on as they always had, and as they always would, Cadence supposed.

They had been training her constantly for these last three days, and she felt sharper and stronger than she ever had. Much of this training, however, hadn't been sparring or studying combat: it had been communicating with the Swan, learning to... to trust, she supposed. And Gods, it was so hard to trust the Swan. To acknowledge it as more than just the unfortunate other she shared this body with. The part of her that had been asleep so long, that had been dormant until she had died at the hands of Pain.

“Pain...” Cadence murmured, as she stopped beside a window and gazed out over the beautiful, snowy fields that surrounded the estate. “Are you out there somewhere, too? Wandering Hell, or being punished for your crimes, or... did you just dissolve? Will I see you again someday?”

Cadence wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to that, as she shivered a little before shaking her head and rubbing slowly at her small horn. She scowled a little, but then pushed away from the window and turned to continue down the hallway, letting her mind wander.

It was hard being here. And not just because this was Helheim and she was learning a lot of tough truths about the universe: it was hard to be here because it was like getting a glimpse into a world she would never be a part of. And that was stupid, considering the fact she had once been a Swan, she had been a protector, a defender, a destroyer for the Gods of Asgard in Valhalla, and Helheim was supposed to be nothing but an icy pit for the cowards and the cruel...

But it wasn't that at all, was it? Any more than the Gods had been supreme and untouchable, any more than the Mothers and Fathers had been perfect...

The Swan shifted inside her, but didn't argue, and Cadence appreciated that. Then again, it felt like the Swan had been doing some soul-searching too, so to speak, and Cadence smiled wryly as she looked down for a moment before she took a breath and shook herself out, mumbling: “I guess it's... a good thing, though, if we're on the same page. I have to accept you and you... have to accept me.”

I accept you. I love you. the Swan said in her mind, and Cadence grimaced as she shifted uncomfortably, resisting the instinct to block the Swan out. I do not desire to fight you. I desire to mix with you. To be you, as you shall be me.

“Goddammit, you be you and I'll be me, how about that? It was working just fine before!” Cadence grumbled, shivering a little as she walked forwards, and hating, hating how she felt the Swan's presence all around her, how this body no longer felt like her own, how stupid and tiny her little stupid horn was. “I want my body back.”

I do not care about the body. the Swan almost scoffed, and Cadence stopped, blinking in surprise before she gasped as the Swan easily shoved her away and took control of her form, moving with sinuous grace as she strutted down the corridor, saying derisively: “Do you see, Cadence? If I desired this body, you could not stop me. Even before, when I needed to act through you, you could not truly resist against what I decided, because I am not a physical being. You are like the little sibling who wins arguments and thinks it is because she is strong and she is smart, but it is because of my love for you and my knowledge of the consequences, that I have never simply taken control.

“Cadence, I am not your enemy!” And was that frustration? Cadence thought it was, and she didn't know if she was glad to hear it, or frightened of how much the Swan was changing from the emotionless being it had once been. “If you desire this body, then take it, make it yours. But I do not shape your body when your body dies. It is the power that enters you that shapes you, as your emotions change me. And yes, I know you feel the changes. Why are you afraid? Why does me becoming like you make you afraid? Why did you fear me less when I was what you called 'golem' and 'monster?'”

Cadence shivered, then her head snapped to the side as she shouted angrily: “Because you're not supposed to be a person! Because what if... what if...”

Cadence trembled, lowering her head and closing her eyes as she felt the Swan recede inside her, and she whispered: “Because if you become a person, then I'll be useless to everyone. Because the only reason Hecate and Thorn needed me, and not you, in the first place, is because I was the one in control, and the one with all the emotions. I was more than a puppet. We all thought you were just going to be some kind of... of killing machine, forever, that happened to be stuck inside me and it made me really good at killing things, but now...”

The ivory mare clenched her eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears that wanted to come as she asked almost desperately: “But if you come to life, if you can take over, if they like you more than they like me... that's not even it, no. I'm not even scared of being forced to be the one inside you, but Swan, what if... what if I'm the one who wants to kill, not you? What if I'm the one who wants to hurt people? I feel you in there, inside me, and god it scares me so much, but what scares me even more is that the more you wake up the more angry I feel, the more I hate, the more I want to... to...”

She didn't finish: she couldn't finish, as she breathed hard in and out before lowering her head and shaking it briefly. There was silence for a few moments, before the Swan asked quietly: Is that all I am to you, Cadence? A doll for you to blame for your urges, for your violence? Do not forget that I was dormant, and you-

“Yes. I know. I pretend sometimes, but I know that even while you were still asleep inside me, even when I was just a little girl...” Cadence strode slowly to the end of the hall, then she looked silently out through the window, gazing up at the swirling skies of Helheim, the sky that was really nothing more than miasma below a layer of impenetrable rock. “I fought. I hurt. I... killed. After those slave hoof twins attacked me, do you know what I thought, Swan? I was upset. And I was scared. And I was angry. I was so angry. I knew Daddy was trying to make a point to me, by taking them alive, by trying to help them, but every time we saw those two again, I just thought about...”

Cadence gritted her teeth, bringing her front hooves up and grinding them together. “Ripping out their hearts with my own bare hooves... only wishing I could make them both watch me kill their brother or do it at the same goddamn time...”

Cadence took a slow breath, before she flinched as a voice said softly: “Careful, Cadence. I thought I was warning enough about the consequences of wrath.”

The ivory mare spun around with a deep blush to see Tormentas standing a few paces away, the demoness smiling at her before she said gently: “You'll excuse me for sticking my nose in where it doesn't belong, but I am a Luna. And I've been told that I and many of my parallels are all too nosy for our own good.”

“Yeah. Pranksters, too. I bet Brynhild is, too.” Cadence said after a moment, blushing and lowering her head in shame before she cleared her throat and shook her head, mumbling: “I'm okay. Honest. Just... having a tantrum, I guess. Not very dignified of me.”

“Poise, dignity, grace.” Tormentas said, and Cadence laughed in spite of herself, nodding ruefully.

“Poise, dignity, grace. I guess some things you never really escape.” Cadence murmured, shaking her head briefly, and Tormentas nodded in agreement.

“Come along, Cadence. If you aren't going to sleep, then we might as well get back to training. I'll teach you another old Valkyrie technique.” invited Tormentas, and Cadence smiled despite herself.

“I thought you were just telling me not to be bitter.” she said, and Tormentas favored her with an amused look.

“I told you to watch your wrath. Bitterness, however, can lead to very great things.” Tormentas answered with a wink, and then she turned, saying softly: “Come, I'll show you something, while we're at it. You'll appreciate this, Cadence.”

Cadence only grunted noncommittally, knowing by now what Vextus thought was 'interesting...' but she had to admit that the training room that the Inquisitor led her to was actually pretty neat. It was almost a full gymnasium by itself, with several sets of poles, vaults, and rings lining one side of the hall, a sparring area in another corner, and the last dominated by a massive weight center.

Tormentas was sitting on a bench in the last area, smiling at Cadence, and Cadence tilted her head curiously before she asked: “Why have we just been training in that crappy little area upstairs?”

“Because that is what Thorn is used to, I suppose... and while this room is impressive, it's not suited for a lot of our training. But I thought you'd like to see something.” Tormentas winked at her before she gestured towards the line of vaults and rings. “Do you understand?”

Cadence frowned slightly, studying the line of equipment before she smiled slightly as she looked over at Tormentas. “Yes. You can travel from one end of the line to the other. What, do you want me to run the course?”

Tormentas nodded,and Cadence couldn't help but raise her head a little, saying proudly: “You know, I have the fastest time in-”

“Second-fastest, the way I heard it.” Tormentas said glibly, and Cadence couldn't help but scowl immediately, which made the demon smile in amusement. “It's interesting how much that bothers you. Pride is quite a devastating sin too, you know.”

“I'm sure I've asked Thorn this before, but... why the hell is it that Helheim uses the seven sins?” Cadence asked, and Tormentas chuckled and shrugged with a smile.

“Because they make for an easy way to classify demons, that's all. And our culture has always been made up of the scraps and fragments of others, hasn't it?” Tormentas asked, and Cadence cocked her head curiously. “Well, the Aesir took much from the Jötnar. Do not forget that Odin himself was the grandchild of Ymir, Patriach and overlord of the Jötnar, and he used an imitation of their culture to rule the Aesir.”

“I never knew that. How do you know that?” Cadence asked, cocking her head, but Tormentas only smiled, and Cadence sighed a little before she said dryly: “Right. Chief Inquisitor or something under Hel herself. I guess you two get along, huh?”

“Grand Inquisitor. And I've only been fortunate to earn her trust.” replied Tormentas with a shrug, and then she gestured towards the line of vaults and rings, saying pleasantly: “Take a practice run.”

Cadence didn't have to be asked twice: to finally be doing something more physical, to just let her body go and do one of the things it did best.

She hit the vaults at a run, jackknifing the first before using the second to jump across to the third. Fourth and fifth she moved over like liquid before she met the sixth with her front hooves, kicking her rear legs out and springing off with her forelegs as she flipped gracefully forwards before she caught what she had first taken for a chin-up pole and now realized was instead a transition point, swinging her body forwards and backflipping gracefully once before she caught the first of the rings.

She swung herself back and forth as she passed between the rings, flipping and twisting her body: they were all set at different heights, each designed for different levels of acrobatics, but all together forming a swinging maze: if she chose the wrong set of rings, she wouldn't be able to keep her momentum during the transition, which would slow her down. But she moved with supernatural grace, and she felt the Swan's powers coursing through her, letting her see things, as if she was catching glimpses of the future as she twisted her way forwards.

She caught the last ring and swung out, then swore under her breath as she launched herself too high, coming in too hard towards the first of the line of horizontal poles. But in a moment, her body adjusted itself even as she hit with her rear legs, twisting herself backwards as she clung stubbornly to the pole with her hind limbs and flipping upside down before launching herself to the next in line, narrowly catching it with her front hooves to swing and leap smoothly between the poles.

She was smooth until the last pole, misjudging the swing again and hitting it stomach first as she wheezed a little, but quickly caught on and revolved her body around the pole before she ended up in a sitting position on top of it, blinking and grimacing a little. She rubbed absently at her belly before she glanced down as Tormentas laughed, grinning widely up at her and saying easily: “Impressive, Cadence! I see that perhaps our training with you has been paying off after all... although you have to watch that mouth of yours.”

Cadence lamely rubbed at her muzzle, before Tormentas clicked her tongue as she looked over the obstacle course before saying easily: “Not bad at all. You came in eleventh.”

“What the hell are you talking about, eleventh? How the goddamn hell could I have the eleventh goddamn time!” shouted Cadence as one of her eyes twitched, before she winced as she nearly fell off the pole as Tormentas only grinned up at her.

“There's that mouth of yours again.” Was Tormentas enjoying this? Cadence thought she was. No wonder she was the Grand Inquisitor. “Yes, eleventh. But this was also a practice run... and I won't be satisfied until we get you all the way up to fifth place.”

“How many seconds do I have to shave off?” Cadence asked, and Tormentas smiled a smile that told Cadence she wasn't going to like the answer.

“Seven.”

Cadence flinched at this, looking back through the forest of rings and poles before she gritted her teeth. The vaults had taken her maybe six, seven seconds, the rings she would wager had been maybe, maybe ten, and the poles had been the bulk of her errors, but that was maybe another ten seconds of time...

Well, if she worked on her transitions, if she could smooth that out, that would be at least a second or two... and... “Wait, is that seven seconds to get to fifth, or seven seconds to get to first?”

“To get to first you'll need to shave off nine and a half.” Tormentas replied, and Cadence frowned before Tormentas added, as she stretched her wings out. “And you also aren't allowed to use these. The stallion who completed this course the fastest did not have wings. And as much an asset as they can be, they will actually slow you down during your transitions in a course like this.”

Cadence grumbled a bit, before she glanced down as Vextus Lux entered the room, the High Priestess looking curious as she asked: “What are you doing here? Don't tell me you've been keeping this poor dear busy with your shenanigans when she should be resting.”

“Cadence is almost as restless as Thorn Blackfeather. So I thought this might be a better diversion for her. And look at her, all fired up and eager to prove herself.” Tormentas smiled slightly, glancing over at the bulky mare as she approached with a thoughtful look. “Her time was just over twenty-five seconds.”

“She has quite a way to go if she wants to compete with Thorn's time.” Vextus Lux said, and Cadence fell sideways off the pole, landing on the ground with a loud smack as she gaped at Vextus.

“What the hell do you mean, 'Thorn's time?' He can't be... he's... he's an administrator!” Cadence burst out, shambling over to the two, and Tormentas and Vextus traded amused looks as Cadence winced and added awkwardly: “I mean, I.... he's my friend and I respect him and all that but he's also...”

“Thorn Blackfeather was never trained as a combatant. But every single day, under the observation and instruction of Empress Hecate, he ran an obstacle course.” Vextus smiled in amusement, shaking her head. “It's one of his favorite stories, you know. When he was a colt, Hecate would make him run the course until he was exhausted... or injured, whatever came first. Then she would have him healed, and then she would put him to work.

“Any time the course started to get easy, Hecate would increase the difficulty. And when that was no longer enough to slow Thorn down, Hecate began short combat drills at the end of each course. I know that Thorn may not be as strong as the warriors who serve your Mistress, and quite honestly, nor is he as courageous. But do not forget he is still very young, and he knows that while courage and bravery and perhaps even recklessness are valuable in a soldier...” Vextus smiled slightly. “You wouldn't want to serve a reckless, brash regent, would you?”

“I feel like there's... so much I still don't know about him. I wonder how much Moonflower even knows about him, some days.” Cadence said after a moment, smiling a bit before she shook her head and looked over at the short acrobatic course, before she hesitated, then asked: “So... any time Thorn visits Helheim...”

“I make time to see him, of course. Which, yes, does frustrate the young prince at times. He has his mother's obsession with schedules.” answered Vextus, before she smiled after a moment and invited: “Just go ahead and ask the question you really want to, Cadence, I won't bite.”

Cadence looked lame at this, lowering her head slightly before she finally stumbled: “You... why doesn't Thorn ever... I mean...”

“Because I suppose in a way, it is very painful for Thorn to be here.” Vextus replied softly, and Cadence frowned slightly as she rose her head, but Vextus only chuckled quietly and gestured around, saying gently: “This is a world that Thorn was born into. This is the world Thorn wants to be part of. His parents and... us, too, I suppose... these are all the things that Thorn follows. But he feels he can never catch up and that he can never be part of this world. He was always sealed away here. This is both his prison and his palace. And we are both his guardians and his keepers.”

Tormentas smiled in amusement, adding softly: “We aren't here just to help you, after all. We are here to keep Thorn Blackfeather in line.”

Cadence slowly rose an eyebrow at this, finding that rather hard to believe, but the Inquisitor shrugged before she said mildly: “Perhaps it is just Hel's paranoia. But don't forget that the silly colt lost his leg for a reason, too, and that reason was wandering where he should not have been.”

Cadence grunted, before she looked up almost embarrassedly as the doors opened and Thorn himself strode into the room, the stallion frowning slightly at the three before Vextus said kindly: “We were just talking about you. Cadence is very interested in learning more about you. Now why haven't you opened up to her more, dear? You clearly care about her.”

“Yes, well...” Thorn shrugged awkwardly, and was that a bit of a blush creeping up his collar? Either way, Cadence was surprised he didn't just brush the topic aside, like she'd expected him to.

He joined them, nodding to Cadence before he turned his eyes back to Vextus, and instead said: “A messenger is waiting for you-”

“Then he can sit and wait, dear. I am here on orders from Queen Hel herself, and even my loyalty to my covenant cannot override my duties and responsibilities to Helheim. And to you, of course.” Vextus replied with a smile, and Thorn looked awkwardly at the mare until she finally laughed and shook her head. “Fine. I'll go see him. I expect he's from Ruska, isn't he?”

“He has that air about him, yes.” Thorn admitted, and Vextus laughed again as if this was some kind of joke, which for all Cadence knew, it was. At least Tormentas looked a little confused, too.

“Very well. I'll be a few minutes. Cadence, I expect you to have shaved at least two seconds off your time by the time I return.” Vextus said with a smile, and Cadence shifted awkwardly before she watched the High Priestess turn to leave.

Thorn quirked an eyebrow at Tormentas, and the Inquisitor simply shrugged, explaining: “I found her wandering. So I decided her time was better spent here. Isn't that right, Cadence?”

“Yeah, and... how the hell do you have the best time on this? Are you the person ahead of me at the obstacle course in Decretum, too?” Cadence almost accused, and Thorn leaned back from her slightly with a wince before he shot Tormentas a look as the Inquisitor innocently looked away.

“I am.” he admitted finally, and then he shook his head and said simply: “Practice.”

“Practice.” Cadence repeated dryly, and Thorn only nodded once before she sighed a little and asked moodily: “Why don't you ever talk about these things?”

Thorn only shrugged and smiled awkwardly, and Cadence grumbled as she began to head back to the start of the course before the sapphire stallion said quietly: “I would rather... show you, and let you make decisions for yourself, than just talk about myself, Cadence.”

Cadence looked back over her shoulder at him, and then she smiled after a moment before she asked, in spite of the fact that it admittedly hurt her pride a little to do so: “Then can you maybe show me how you run the course?”

“I'm a little rusty...” Thorn started, and there he was, almost blushing again. But all it took was Cadence looking at him pointedly for a few moments for him to finally nod and turn towards the obstacle course, grumbling: “Alright. I suppose that... I can at least demonstrate.”

Thorn walked to the start of the course, and Cadence studied him intently: the stallion barely gave the course a glance as he removed his cape and neatly folded it off to one side. He self-consciously rubbed at his mechanical limb before checking the shoulder cusp, before he looked up and muttered: “Alright. Tormentas, signal, please.”

Tormentas smiled slightly, then flicked her horn, creating a loud bang, and Cadence's eyes widened as Thorn sprung forwards before the sound even faded completely from the air.

He hit the first vault and threw himself all the way to the second, springing off that and hitting the tops of the vaults like they were stepping stones. He hit the pole, and used it to spring off of instead of swinging under it, launching himself into the rings with enough force that he was able to hoof-over-hoof through the maze before he simply flung himself past the last set of rings and straight into the horizontal poles.

He moved through the steel poles like liquid, swinging under the first but then leaping over the rest to the last pole in line. He caught this and smoothly rotated his body as he swung himself under it, landing almost silently on a mat at the far end of the course before he grimaced and brushed at his chest, muttering: “18.7 seconds. Displeasing.”

“Hey, screw you!” Cadence snapped, and Tormentas snorted laughter as Thorn looked up blankly, before the ivory mare grinned awkwardly as she smacked the side of her head, adding in a much humbler voice: “I mean... that's amazing, Thorn, that's... far better than I managed. How can you move like that, especially with... I mean...”

“I'm not handicapped, Cadence.” Thorn said dryly, and Cadence dropped her head, feeling a little ashamed of herself before the sapphire stallion looked up at the poles, saying after a moment: “The rings are the hardest part. The rest is just a matter of... believing in yourself.”

“Believing in yourself.” Cadence repeated, and Thorn nodded, which made the ivory mare sigh before she moodily looked back towards the vaults, thinking about how easily Thorn had leapt along all of them... even though some of those jumps looked impossible. But he fully extended each jump, and I guess once he made contact... “You pulled yourself forwards, right?”

“Correct.” Thorn smiled slightly as he strode towards her, glancing at the course. “Momentum is crucial. Keep yourself moving and allow your body to find the way from point-to-point.”

He paused, then turned his eyes towards Tormentas, adding: “Perhaps this isn't such a bad idea. How was Cadence's observation?”

“I am right here, Thorn. I can tell you myself.” Cadence said dryly, but Thorn only gave her one of his small smiles in return.

“I know that. But I need data on your performance from another source as much as from you. You can tell me what you're feeling and how it's begun to affect you, but I need an outside source to confirm how you're handling your abilities. Unlocking the Swan's powers is pointless if it doesn't increase your overall performance.” Thorn explained, and Cadence wasn't quite sure how to take that.

“What Thorn is trying to say is that adjusting to these abilities may take time. That's all.” Tormentas reassured, before she glanced back towards the sapphire stallion and added: “She seems to be adjusting very naturally so far, though. I haven't seen any diminished ability. I think it's rather the air of Helheim that's making her a little... snappier than usual.”

Cadence smiled lamely, and Thorn shrugged a bit before he said softly: “It's understandable. The corruption can't affect your deeply inside here, but the trace amounts will still rile up your emotions, and... you have been going through quite a lot lately, Cadence. Are you okay?”

It was blunt, but coming from Thorn, it was also touching, Cadence smiling over at him and nodding after a moment as she answered: “Yeah. I am, I... I keep having to remind myself that there's the whole time difference thing, and I get really angry sometimes, but... having stuff to focus on keeps me stable. And...”

Cadence shifted uncertainly for a moment, and Tormentas and Thorn both tilted their heads towards her, the Inquisitor frowning slightly before Cadence admitted quietly: “It's... easier to block out my emotions. Not... not the anger, the anger is always there, but everything else. I just don't feel... panicked or upset, even if it's always in the back of my mind, that Daddy's in trouble right now and I can't do anything to help until we do whatever it is Hel wants us to do. I think that's a good thing though, right? At least, that's what I keep telling myself, because... otherwise, it means...”

“You're not the Swan, Cadence.” Thorn said gently, and Cadence smiled awkwardly over at him before she lowered her head a little, and there was silence until the sapphire stallion finally nudged gently: “Why don't you run the course again? I'd be interested in seeing how you do now that you have a better idea of the layout.”

“Yeah. Alright.” Cadence nodded after a moment in return, rubbing at her head before she shook herself briskly out. She paused for a moment, however, then smiled a bit as she asked: “Do you uh... want to spar, sometime?”

“You know that I'm dating Moonflower, Cadence.” Thorn said politely, and Cadence couldn't help but laugh: partly in surprise, admittedly. She forgot that Thorn was actually capable of telling jokes.

But after a moment, he smiled briefly and nodded once, saying quietly: “Of course. I've been asked by Hel to do a full assessment of you anyway: if you're alright with it, I'll use the sparring session to assess all your abilities.”

Cadence nodded, before she tilted her head and asked, even as she headed towards the starting position: “So you were able to talk to Hel recently, then? Did she say anything about what the hell we're waiting for?”

“Not in so many words.” Thorn said carefully, which made Cadence feel apprehensive for some reason; then again, pretty much everything about Hel makes me nervous. Especially these days. “Clear your mind and concentrate on the task at hoof, though, Cadence.”

Cadence grunted after a moment, then she sighed as she turned towards the course, mumbling: “Like a dumb dog. Do your trick, Cadence, get your treat, Cadence. Except when's the last time I got any kind of treat? I just get told to do another trick.”

She grumbled to herself for a little while, but Thorn only held up a hoof when Tormentas opened her mouth, the Inquisitor looking at him curiously as the sapphire stallion said mildly: “Cadence was always an excellent leader, and she takes orders well... most of the time. But she has her... eccentricities, like all of the Orphans do. Just let her work it out of her system.”

“Very well. I'll trust your judgment.” Tormentas smiled slightly, before she bowed her head towards him and asked in a quieter voice, using a much-older language: “Will Vextus and I be traveling with her?”

Thorn hesitated for a moment, and then he nodded slowly before answering: “Yes. And even if I said no, I know you'd insist. I think this way is for the best, though.”

Tormentas smiled, then spoke again in the guttural, rumbling tongue of the demons: “And are you sure that you can handle this duty by yourself? Excited as I am to leave Helheim, even if only for a short time, I would be happy to stay as a protector.”

“I will have the Lady of the Moon with me.” Thorn smiled, and that was all the answer Tormentas really needed, before the sapphire stallion asked: “Is it ever hard to assist me, Tormentas, when your duty was to punish my Móðer?”

Tormentas, however, smiled again at this, her eyes almost soft as she replied gently: “No, my dear. Because when I was with Brynhild, I always did my best to help her, too.”

Thorn nodded thoughtfully at this, lowering his own head slightly, and then he glanced up as Cadence finally stopped grumbling and set herself at the start line, visibly clearer. She dug her hooves in, then nodded quickly once, and Thorn rose a hoof as he called: “Ready!”

Cadence visibly tensed up, and Thorn gave her a moment before he snapped his hoof down as his horn gave a boom of magic, and Cadence sprung into action, leaping across the vaults-

She misjudged the jump at the last vault and slammed down, chin-first, into the matted top of the mount, and Thorn winced a bit as the ivory mare toppled to the ground to twitch a bit before he called calmly: “The clock is still ticking.”

Cadence replied with a string of swears, and Tormentas cocked an eyebrow before she said mildly: “She might be even worse than dear Brynhild.”

“She has her... outbursts. But Cadence is normally much more...” Thorn paused to try and think of a word as Cadence groggily picked herself up before she grumbled and shook herself out, trudging moodily back to the starting line. “Well, she's not usually this... exuberant.”

“That is an interesting word to use.” Tormentas remarked with a slight smile, before they watched as Cadence set herself again at the start before she leapt forwards. “Should I tell her?”

“Let her finish this run.” Thorn replied, before he grimaced as Cadence missed grabbing one of the rings, the mare falling out of the air and flailing wildly before she hit the ground hard on all fours with a distinct crack: either the floor or one of her legs had just broken. After a moment, Thorn was admittedly relieved when Cadence straightened and rubbed at a limb, looking down with embarrassment at the large fracture she had made in the concrete. “Finish the run, Cadence.”

“I'll just start over.” Cadence said after a moment, and Thorn and Tormentas shared a look that Cadence pointedly ignored as she headed back to the starting line again.

Thorn began to open his mouth, but Tormentas reached up and grasped his shoulder with a slight smile, saying mildly: “You're the one who said to let her finish. So let her finish, Thorn Blackfeather. Somehow, I feel like she won't learn her lessons any other way.”

Thorn sighed a little, but then he nodded after a moment, watching as Cadence set herself before the mare leapt forwards. The sapphire stallion couldn't help but rear back slightly at the way she simply stampeded over the vaults before barreling through the transition to the rings, muttering: “This is her greatest weakness.”

“Yes. It is a common failing for those with too much pride.” Tormentas said meditatively, as she studied the way Cadence hit the poles with brute force more than grace, simply flinging herself from one to the next before she landed with a grunt and a sigh of relief. “Perhaps we should alter our training plans to account for this...”

“Just don't cross Section Six.” Thorn said softly, and Tormentas gave him an amused look.

“I'm not suggesting anything like that, don't worry. Just... counseling. Tutoring. Helping.” Tormentas replied, before she smiled when Cadence approached, adding quickly to Thorn. “Allow me to take over.”

Thorn nodded, and Tormentas turned her attention towards Cadence as the ivory mare approached with an awkward smile, but she did look proud of herself as Tormentas asked: “That confident, are you?”

“Yeah. So uh... how was my time?” Cadence asked after a moment, looking inquisitively at Thorn, but Tormentas quickly reached up and firmly turned her by the muzzle back towards her, Cadence's eyes widening slightly.

“You were quite fast.” she agreed, and Cadence began to smile- “Three minutes and forty seconds.”

“What?” Cadence burst out, looking at the mare with disbelief, and Tormentas chuckled.

“Yes, I know. But I was kind to you, Cadence, and I didn't add the thirty seconds that Hel normally has us add to every task we perform.” Tormentas replied glibly, and Cadence spluttered before the sapphire mare leaned forwards and said in a quieter, more-serious voice: “The clock did not stop running after you first failure, because you never reached the end.”

Cadence blinked, then she blurted, before she could stop herself: “That doesn't make sense! That's... that's not fair!”

“It is both, Cadence, and if you didn't know or understand, then you only have yourself to blame.” Tormentas replied calmly, and Cadence looked dumbly at the Inquisitor. “Thorn Blackfeather even told you to complete the course, and you did not. When you are told to do something, Cadence, it is expected that you complete the task: you are both a guest and a visitor, and Thorn is your host, regent, and a member of Hel's Archives. Do you know what would happen to you if you had said 'no' outside of this household, Cadence, let alone ignored him?”

Cadence stared at Tormentas, and Tormentas smiled as she leaned in before whispering into Cadence's ear: “Pride is punished by taking away all power from the victim, and making them wallow in who they truly are. Do you want me to put who you are on display for the whole world?”

Cadence shoved Tormentas backwards, baring her fangs at the Inquisitor before she snapped: “Look, I am here to... I don't even know why the hell I'm here, but-”

“You are here to learn from us, Cadence.” Tormentas sat back and smiled again, suddenly gentle once more as she bowed her head towards the mare politely, and Cadence frowned before Tormentas said softly: “But you are not here just to learn how to kill, however it might seem. You are here to learn how to live.”

The ivory mare shifted backwards a little at this, frowning a little before Tormentas shook her head and gestured at herself, saying quietly: “When I lived, Cadence, I felled dragons. Dragons, when I was mortal. I fought armies, and I won. There were none who could match me. And that made me stupid, Cadence, and in the end, I was poisoned while I slept, and then tortured in bizarre and horrific ways before I was finally killed. It was because I never learned humility, because I depended upon fear to keep me safe... but it was fear of me that eventually led them to kill me, Cadence. Fear has two edges, and the back always ends up sharper than the front.”

Cadence lowered her head, and then she shook it after a moment, muttering: “I... I'm not like that, though. I always have my friends to fall back on and I work really hard to be... to not give in to all that. I'm fine.”

“You are far from 'fine,' Cadence.” Tormentas smiled, looking at Cadence with kindness and what was almost sympathy. “No one who thinks of themselves first and foremost as a weapon is 'fine,' my poor dear. And while we certainly can't fix you in a week, we can hopefully at least give you a bit of... insight to yourself.”

“I didn't sign up for counseling, you know.” Cadence muttered, looking awkwardly away, and Tormentas chuckled.

“As far as I was aware, you didn't sign up for this at all. But here we are, all the same.” the Inquisitor replied, continuing to smile, and Cadence glowered at her before Tormentas gestured towards the course. “You are physically capable of completing the course faster than Thorn Blackfeather. But you never will, unless you learn to make your mind and emotions work in tandem with your body. You are physically capable of mastering me. But you never will until you learn to master yourself.”

Cadence muttered something under her breath about demons and their bondage fantasies, and Tormentas rolled her eyes before Thorn cut in gently: “Run the course again.”

Cadence sighed, looking moodily at Thorn for a few moments before Tormentas said softly: “You cannot use anger to hide from panic and despair.”

“Okay, fine, whatever, okay. Fine.” Cadence mumbled, shaking her head grouchily as she headed back towards the start of the course, but she didn't like how deep those words had cut into her. And she liked even less how the Swan seemed to actually be considering them inside of her... “What are you even worried about? You're supposed to be a heartless killing machine. You were better that way.”

Cadence internally winced at her own words the moment they left her mouth, and the Swan seemed to shift inside of her before it asked quietly: Or do you believe that we were better that way? You can hide all you like from them, but not from me, Cadence.

“Yeah, but I can ignore you as much as I want, Danzsöngr.” Cadence muttered in reply, shaking her head shortly before she looked over the course, mumbling: “Let's just... do this, and show them that we're... we can do this. I know that time was better last time, even if they're saying that... that's stupid, that rule. I mean, I guess I get it, but come on, does that mean-”

You're stalling. You're talking so loudly to yourself because you are afraid someone else will say all the things you don't want to hear. Do you truly fear being vulnerable that much? asked the Swan, and Cadence scowled as she shut her mouth and looked away for a moment, before she turned her eyes back towards the course, forcing the Swan away and her mind to focus on what was in front of her.

She tensed as she lowered herself to a ready position, then didn't wait for Thorn or Tormentas to signal her, leaping forwards and springing over the vaults before she hit the transition bar, flinging herself into the rings. She jerked and twisted her way through them, swearing under her breath as she flung herself into the next transition and hit the poles too fast, too hard, slipping a little in her swings before she flung herself too low near the end, flying under the pole and hitting the ground painfully to roll all the way to the finish.

She skidded to a stop with a curse, shaking her head quickly before she picked herself up, and Tormentas said softly: “Twenty three seconds.”

Cadence looked up in disbelief, and Tormentas smiled as she added calmly: “Rounding down.”

Cadence swore and stomped a hoof, then looked up and snapped: “I can get it! I was faster that time, I know that-”

“You can't with your mind like that, Cadence. Go and take a breath.” Tormentas instructed, and Cadence mumbled under her breath before she turned and stormed away, continuing to swear and curse to herself even as she headed over to the weights area. Tormentas smiled slightly despite herself as she watched this, before she turned her eyes to Thorn and asked softly: “How much do you think your dear mother would mind if I took her down to the... relaxation area?”

“The Cloister is off-limits.” Thorn said quietly, and Tormentas only smiled at him, tilting her head forwards, until the sapphire stallion sighed and nodded hesitantly. “But the Cloister is off-limits.”

“As you wish.” Tormentas bowed her head, and for a few moments, she and Thorn simply sat together, watching as Cadence grouchily pushed her way through a set of quick exercises with some of the free weights.

Tormentas gave Cadence a few minutes before she stepped forwards and whistled for her attention as Cadence finished another set. She glanced up, and the Inquisitor gestured towards the doors, saying kindly: “I'd like you to come with me, Cadence. There's a part of the mansion better suited for the training we need to engage in.”

Cadence grimaced slightly at this, but then she sighed and nodded after a moment, mumbling: “I guess I'm not in any position to argue. But still, I'd like... you know-”

“I don't know. You have to tell us. But you are also right: you aren't in much of a position to say anything, either way.” Tormentas replied gently but firmly, and Cadence scowled a little, but the mare only smiled slightly. “Well, we already discussed that at the moment, the only choice you really have is how willingly you serve.”

“I don't think that's actually what we talked about.” Cadence said testily, and then she forced herself to take a breath, recognizing that Tormentas was just trying to get a rise out of her. “Why are all you Lunas such... assholes.”

“I like to think we just... push other people to be their best. Sometimes that just makes us come across as rough.” Tormentas replied kindly, before she nodded to Thorn, then headed towards Cadence and firmly steered her towards the door, not giving her a chance to so much as glance back.

Thorn was left standing for a few moments by himself, before he tilted his head slightly to the side and asked calmly: “How may I be of service, Queen Hel?”

“Showoff!” Hel crowed, as her icy puppet cheerfully leapfrogged him, giggling and hugging herself, before she suddenly became serious as she spun around on her heel, saying coldly: “I need them ready, Thorn. I need the Swan and Cadence both ready. And if they're not ready, then I need her killed.”

“Please do not make threats against Decretum personnel in my presence.” Thorn said quietly, and the two looked steadily at each other for a few moments before Hel groaned and grabbed at her face, then she dropped back on her rump, childishly letting her hands fall in her lap as she scowled at him.

“You know, you shouldn't talk to me that way. I am your Nanny.” Hel said grumpily, and Thorn gave maybe the smallest of smiles before Hel let her head roll back on her shoulders, the puppet glowering up at the ceiling as she mumbled: “At least with no one around I don't have to act all rough and tough with you, you troublesome little colt. You're lucky I actually like my daughter. And I like you too! But seriously. I will kill her if I have to. I don't need the Swan, and neither does Thokk, but she is... dangerous. She is very dangerous.”

Hel chewed on her lip as her head tilted back and forth, and Thorn frowned slightly before he tilted his head and asked: “Why is Thokk so interested in the Swan Maiden? It sounded like she was gathering as many Avatars as possible, but like Cadence has become a particular target.”

The frost puppet looked at Thorn for a few moments, as if measuring him as she visibly mused on what to say. Finally, she sat back a little and explained, albeit grudgingly: “Oh, there's a few good reasons. I don't think it's because Thokk wants a weapon... even though, oh yes, a Swan is a fierce weapon indeed. When a Swan Maiden kills... their victims stay dead. And I don't think it's because Swans are excellent hunters: it's hard as hell to hide from something that can see anywhere and everywhere through the Astra, after all!

“But Cadence, Cadence in particular... she is oh so very full of knowledge.” Hel reached up and tapped several times on her bovine nose, nodding several times as she met Thorn's eyes. “The Swan knows all the ancient secrets of Asgard, and Cadence knows all the brand-new secrets of Decretum. And Thokk, being who she is, could very easily dig her claws into both. And what's more important in a war than having all the right information, blueberry?”

Thorn nodded slowly, lowering his head meditatively before Hel added grumpily: “But don't you or heavy metal get any ideas about digging around in her brain, you hear? You just leave that alone. Big metal momma doesn't need to know every little thing, you know.”

“I know that. And she knows that too, Hel.” Thorn paused, then hesitated for a moment before he asked: “What is happening to her?”

“I dunno.” Hel grunted and shrugged noncommittally, and Thorn only looked at her before the icy goddess threw up her arms and snapped in a consternated voice: “I don't know everything, blueberry! My name, I thought all the Swans had died until I heard about it from you and steel shortcake! I know even less how or why a Swan, a Swan of all things, was dropped out of Asgard...”

Hel sat back, looking thoughtful now as she tilted her head backwards, muttering: “A Swan, a Swan... Brynhild only survived because All Daddy pulled her soul out and chuckled it down to one of the mudballs along with Thor and Freya. Well, he always said that, but I'm guessing Freya probably followed the remaining Valkyrie of her own volition. Mothers find it very hard to let go of their daughters, you know...”

She quieted, tickling her fingers across her stomach silently, before she shook her head and muttered: “But a Swan. Swans were supposed to be automatons, beautiful, powerful... and soulless. So how did a Swan fall from the sky? What, exactly, is Cadenza Danzsöngr?”

The two looked at each other for a few moments, and then Hel smiled as she reached up and tapped her nose pointedly. “Maybe that's the answer, honeybun! Maybe that's the real reason Thokk wants that sweet little vanilla cake so much, she wants the answers too... or, much worse, she already has them.”

Thorn frowned at this, but then Hel popped up to her feet and clapped her hands together, saying cheerfully: “Okay, enough of that! Now you're no longer my grandson, you're my little bitch. Little bitch, this is the job I have for you to do.”

Hel firmly flicked her finger, and Thorn winced as he was lifted into the air, but he let his body hang limply instead of struggling before he grimaced only slightly when vertigo ripped at his senses. And a moment later, he and Hel were standing inside a massive library, demons and spirits working and reading at the countless tables around them, none of them showing the slightest bit of surprise or interest even as the goddess crowed loudly: “Here we are! Do you recognize this place?”

Thorn glanced around, and then he nodded after a moment, answering: “Dadivus University.”

“Very good!” Hel whistled before she scowled as she looked down at the ground, realizing she was standing on top of the emblem for the school. “Okay, less impressive. Still, you remember your stuff, that's good. Now let's see if you remember your demonic history. Who founded this school?”

“You did.” Thorn said, and Hel looked flattered before she pointedly rose her frosty eyebrows, and after a moment, the sapphire stallion added: “But it is originally accredited to Dadivus, a Lawkeeper.”

“Devils! Nasty things!” Hel said brightly, before she beckoned with her finger as she swung her head forward, and Thorn winced as he was yanked painfully through the air so that his face thudded into the bovine head of the puppet, Hel asking almost teasingly: “Where do the Lawkeepers worship?”

Thorn frowned, before he nodded as he understood the riddle, and Hel smiled before she simply stepped backwards and flicked a finger down, sending the sapphire stallion crashing painfully to the ground as she said softly: “You'll figure out the rest on your own, blueberry. You're smart like that. Normally I wouldn't get someone else involved in my affairs like this, but... we all have to work together on this one, now don't we?”

“Yes. I understand.” Thorn said slowly, as he picked himself up. But by the time he rose his head, the puppet of ice had simply vanished, and the sapphire stallion grimaced slightly before he shook his head and sighed. But he knew that sometimes, unfortunate things had to be done to keep order, and more than that, Hel wouldn't ask him and Cadence to get involved in something like this unless it had to do with Thokk.

His mind quickly assembled the clues Hel had given him, the stallion frowning for a moment before he shook his head and headed to the doors of the library to let himself out. At least now he had something to think about during the trip back to the mansion.

Except the moment Thorn reached the doors, he stopped and looked hesitantly back over his shoulder before he slowly turned around, striding back into the library. No, Hel wouldn't just dump him here for no reason. There had to be something else here. Some reason, that-

“Over here! Hey!” shouted a voice, and Thorn flinched in the painful silence that followed as all eyes turned towards two figures sitting at a far table, the smaller one bouncing and waving happily as the larger one tried desperately to contain the gleefulness of the peppy demon beside him. Thorn stared at the two for a moment before he recognized the mare, and then he dropped his head with a sigh, wondering moodily if this was Hel's way of showing gratitude or making it clear that no matter where his allegiances laid or who his family was, she would always have the power to make him miserable.

The Feckless And The Faithless

Chapter Fifty Five: The Feckless And The Faithless
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence sat in a stone cell in the dungeon of the Estate, slowly eating salad out of a bowl as she rested back on the surprisingly comfortable cot. She studied the rune-covered iron bars that made up the front wall of the cell, and the dustless corners of the little concrete cube, and reflected how quiet and pleasant it was here, really.

Amazing, how the small prison in the mansion basement was the part that she and the Swan felt the most comfortable in. It also had the bonus of being quiet, quiet enough that Cadence could always tell when Tormentas was coming to see her, so she could steel herself for the 'training' she had to endure.

It hadn't surprised her to find out there was actually a dungeon, of all things, beneath the mansion. And not a creepy bondage dungeon but an actual prison, although apparently most mansions in Helheim came equipped with at least a few cells in the basement, which Cadence knew she should be more creeped-out by, considering what most demons probably did with their prisoners.

But it was still hard for her to think of demons as 'people.' Especially here in Helheim, where the culture was so different, where everything seemed so much more exaggerated than the world above. Helheim was a mix of strange rules and wild passions, and it was hard to take it all in. And she had a lot of her own problems to try and work out, too, not to mention the gnawing at her mind about what was going on in the world above.

One of the worlds above, anyway.

That was so confusing, too: how the hell did everyone else cope with the fact that you could very possibly encounter a parallel or alternate version of yourself wandering around Helheim? The thought alone was enough to make Cadence feel a little sick to her stomach.

Then again, maybe she was just afraid of running into an alternate version of herself. What would that other-her think? And would she herself be jealous, or snide, or...

No, those were all stupid thoughts and they weren't important. What she needed to do was just relax for a while. Thorn had already warned her there was a mission coming up, and she would have to be at her best, not stewing over the way that Tormentas was treating her.

She liked Tormentas, and she even respected her. But that didn't change the fact that the Inquisitor was also an utter, miserable bitch when it came to 'teaching.' Cadence scowled grumpily at the ceiling as she chewed up the last of her salad, then grimaced as the Swan asked curiously: And yet you acknowledge her. Why?

“Because shut up.” Cadence grumbled, but the Swan lingered in her mind, nudged at her again, and Cadence fidgeted before finally sighing and lowering her head, grumbling: “I get what she's trying to do, I guess is the best way to put it. I just hate it and don't think that... I mean, I listen to Hecate! Sure, I... grumble sometimes, and I'm not always the most professional person in the world but... hey, I'm a lot better than Moonflower and La Croix! I mean, look who I work with! I keep everyone in line and I do my job and maybe I'm not great at listening all the time but... I'm in charge of my team for a reason, right? I... just... don't like someone else bossing me around. That's all.”

The Swan seemed to smile in her mind at this, and Cadence hated that feeling. She scowled grumpily out of the cell, then finally flung herself off the cot and strode out into the narrow corridor, looking back and forth warily before she hesitated, then turned and allowed her hooves to guide her forwards.

She couldn't help but look in through an open, armored door at what was clearly some kind of interrogation chamber... or torture room, was probably a better name for it. There was a metal rack, polished to perfection, a gurney with sheets and towels piled on it, and a little wheeled table that had a cover over it, although Cadence had taken a peek at what was under there, and found scalpels, pliers, and other instruments of torture. It made her wonder uneasily what kind of things the Valkyrie and her partners practiced, here in Helheim...

She passed several other rooms, filled with other instruments, other devices, other exotic and dangerous lures. There was a massive iron maiden in one of these rooms, which had glass eyes and an eternal, cold steel grin that seemed to challenge her to step into its embrace, and Cadence swore she heard it laughing sometimes...

The ivory mare scowled at the iron maiden from the doorway, then she looked hesitantly up towards the door at the end of the corridor. It was made of some strange, dark metal that seemed to pulse with eerie life beneath the heavy iron bands that caged the steely flesh in-

“It's not alive.” Cadence muttered, and she didn't know if she was talking to that little voice in her head or just trying to reassure herself. Then again, she was in Hell, and for all she knew maybe there were living doors here, too.

She studied the reinforced door for a few moments, then reached up and carefully touched the locking mechanism on the front: a gemstone, engraved with a phrase in the ancient language the Swan had spoken. It was sort of a riddle, she supposed... “Well, more instructions, I guess. Then again, I guess Brynhild probably isn't the brightest candle in the bunch...”

The Swan chuckled at this, and Cadence smiled wryly: well, at least they could agree on the Valkyrie, still. The ivory mare shook her head, before she frowned slightly as the Swan stated: I am curious.

“I... am, too, but I guess we're kind of guests here and... it's not like we could just force the lock open, anyway.” Cadence said after a moment, returning her eyes to the gemstone before she read: “'By light of moon and blood of angels, bless me and be received.' Our magic is...”

Cadence scowled a little at herself: she was doing that more and more. No, it wasn't their magic, it was- “My magic isn't the same as hers, and neither is yours.”

The Swan clearly chose to ignore her nitpicking, as Cadence felt the twist of its emotions before it instructed: Touch the gemstone. We shall open the lock.

Cadence rolled her eyes, but she was grudgingly curious, and after a moment, she finally reached up and placed her hoof against the gemstone, muttering: “We shouldn't be doing this. And it isn't even going to work, anyway, you're-”

Her horn gave a faint, painful thrum before Cadence felt the now-familiar pain of energy twisting through her body, and the ivory mare hissed under her breath as that pain coalesced into her hoof, her forelimb shuddering before she finally gasped and yanked it backwards, snapping: “What the bloody hell are you trying... to...”

Cadence stared in disbelief as the armored door vibrated before slowly swinging open, and she mouthed wordlessly for a moment before she looked to the side, as if she expected to see the Swan there as she blurted: “What the hell was that?”

The ivory mare winced as her head twisted the other way, and the Swan replied calmly through her mouth: “Do not forget that we are from whence the Valkyries came. We are older, stronger than they are.”

“Goddammit don't take over my body!” Cadence shouted as her head wrenched the other way as she took control back over herself, and the Swan receded with a whisper of amusement, Cadence thought, and she scowled to herself before she muttered: “What we are is awful.”

The Swan didn't agree nor disagree, and Cadence sighed a little before she hesitantly stepped forwards, shouldering her way through the door before she frowned uneasily as she stepped into a bottleneck. She carefully strode down the narrow passage, surprised to feel soft, warm earth under her hooves: the ground was lush but firmly packed soil. The walls were interlocking gray brick, but the ceiling above was...

Cadence stared at the crawling vines, the gorgeous flowers, the abundant life that filled the ceiling, and yet it seemed all so dangerous, too, the tapers snaring and twisting around whatever they could find, the vines covered in deadly thorns, the beautiful blossomed black roses seeming to drip poison as the soil beneath – above? – the plants rippled and spiraled slowly, as if something hidden under the earth was slowly and endlessly roiling.

Cadence shook herself out after a moment, and then she took a slow breath before she straightened and chewed nervously on her lip. She barely noticed as she stepped out of the bottleneck, only glad that here, the ceiling rose much higher, and it helped her feel a little safer as she looked ahead through the room- oh my god.

Either side of the room was lined with iron cages and shelves and racks of neatly-arranged torture implements. There were iron doors as well, reinforced and from behind which she could hear whispers and whimpers, as if there were victims trapped on the other side. Yet all of these things were nothing compared to the fountain, the awful altar at the foot of the room: it was a massive, black stone statue of a Tyrant Wyrm, the most terrible weapon of Decretum: a beast that could rip the minds and spirits of the living apart with its fearsome Black Verses, words that channeled the destructive powers of the Void into psychic violence.

The Wyrm was posed in a roar, claws gripping either side of the fountain wall, as if it was pulling itself up from the black ooze. Toxic corruption poured from its maw in an endless flow into the whirling black pool around it, and Cadence stared at this as she hesitantly approached: it was the very same stuff that had poisoned her father: no, it was worse, she felt, as she frowned before narrowing her eyes as a strange pain thrummed through her head.

She blinked, and then stared in shock at the shells, the echoes that stood silent sentinel around the fountain. She stumbled away, staring over them: they were different from the usual echoes she saw, not just because these husks weren't just of ponies, but because they were tinged with blackness instead of glowing, empty white. A blackness that somehow gave them more vitality, let them exude more power, as they all looked towards her, before one of the hollow demons silently rose a claw and shook it slowly, as if warning her away.

Then they were simply gone, and Cadence bit her lip before she flinched as a voice said softly: “Welcome, Cadenza Danzsöngr, to our humble home.”

Cadence spun around to find herself face-to-face with the Lady of the Moon. The demon towered over her, smiling down at her as Cadence looked back and forth, fumbling for some excuse, some answer, some... “What are you doing here?”

Smooth, Cadence. The ivory mare smiled lamely up at her, but the Lady of the Moon only laughed before the enormous demon answered gently: “I am sure you can work the answer out for yourself, Danzsöngr.”

The Lady of the Moon strode slowly towards her, continuing to smile at her, and Cadence nervously took a step back before she forced herself to hold her ground, as the Lady of the Moon studied her almost curiously, stopping only inches away. Then she smiled wider before she leaned down and said softly: “It's exciting, isn't it? Let me show you.”

The enormous demon simply flicked her horn towards one of the cages, and the sheet that covered it was torn back, revealing a demon inside who screamed in surprise and threw himself back against the wall, staring in horror out at the two as Cadence winced. “Fresh meat.”

“P-Please... let me go, just let me go!” begged the demon, and Cadence felt a twist inside of her stomach. She wanted to look away, but the Swan was terribly, callously curious, forcing her to instead watch as the Lady of the Moon stepped towards the cage and leaned down to smile almost kindly at the trapped demon, like it was an interesting exhibit at the zoo.

“A Wrath subtype. He's been collared, as you can see: all of the pets and meat here are collared, for their own protection.” the Lady of the Moon explained, and Cadence shivered a little, but the Swan felt intent and interested. “For some of them, the collar converts pain to pleasure. For others, the collar keeps them from... acting out. This one has one of the latter. A touch of magic, and...”

The Lady of the Moon's horn thrummed, and the Wrath demon choked for a moment as he grasped at the collar before he simply slumped, calming immediately as his mouth fell open and a bit of drool spilled from his gaping jaws. Cadence winced, but the enormous demoness only smiled as she stepped back and said softly: “These demons are chosen very specifically. They are the scum of Helheim. They serve no purpose but to cause trouble, so they are taken, and here, we make them useful while we indulge our own desires. Similar to Justine and Juliette: before they came into the possession of our beloved King of the Night, they caused nothing but trouble. They are noble caste, you know, and more powerful than they might seem... and of course, between them, I am sure you know who the more dangerous is.”

“Justine.” Cadence wasn't sure who answered, her or the Swan. But either way, the Lady of the Moon seemed pleased. But the ivory mare couldn't help but blurt afterwards: “He doesn't seem that dangerous, though!”

“Neither does a sleeping dragon. But all the same, it is.” the Lady of the Moon said, before she turned her eyes towards the caged demon, who was slowly coming out of his stupor. “I am sure you know what 'outlaw' means, dearest Danzsöngr. To put it simply, he is outlaw. And those who are outlaw are those we give a home to. Whom we give one last chance to redeem themselves to... or at least ensure that they suffer the consequences of their actions before we send them on to the next life.”

Cadence shuddered a bit, and then she hesitated before looking up at the Lady of the Moon. The Lady of the Moon looked back at her with that calm, coy smile of hers, and there was silence for the longest time between them, until Cadence said quietly: “Valkyrie.”

“No. Only Valkyrie passion, and Valkyrie love, and Valkyrie rage. I am... complicated.” the Lady of the Moon smiled slightly, half-lidding her gorgeous, venomous emerald eyes before she added kindly: “You may call me Nightmare Moon, if you prefer. Perhaps that name will also explain to you better who I am.”

Cadence shivered a bit, shifting uneasily on her hooves before she nodded once: yes, she remembered Nightmare Moon, the dark shadow of Princess Luna. I guess that makes sense... but how... “The Nightmare Moon I knew, though, couldn't exist without...”

“Yes. Without a host, so to speak. But I have evolved beyond that, long ago.” The Lady of the Moon's eyes roved over her, and Cadence shivered a little under that gaze. She didn't like the feeling that she wasn't just being measured, but examined like a piece of meat, like- “Fierce rivalry adds itself to passion, my pet. If you are curious, the King of the Night would be delighted to show you what we do here, and Brynhild would welcome it as well... and we are all equals, when we are on the torture rack...”

Cadence shuddered for a moment, looking uneasily away, and the Lady of the Moon smiled before explaining, as she simply pulled the sheet back down over the cage and continued as if nothing had happened: “This is a place of freedom, and sanctuary, in spite of how it may look. We keep our victims in pristine health, and only the outlaws who have defied all chances at redemption are made sport of here. I do not say it is without sin: only that this is sin's home, where we do not deny our desires, where we embrace the truth.”

“And what truth is that?” Cadence asked uneasily, and the Lady of the Moon smiled at her as she turned and slowly leaned down towards her, gazing deep into her eyes, and Cadence and the Swan were both unable to stop from gazing back into that dominating, consuming emerald hell.

“The truth of who we are, of course. The truth that no matter what we strive to be, we all can never escape the core of who we are, in our heart of hearts.” The Lady of the Moon leaned slowly in, and Cadence felt the demoness' lips brush against her own, and she could neither pull away nor push forwards to return the kiss before the Lady of the Moon suddenly straightened and smiled softly. “You would fit in perfectly here. You and Brynhild will forever hate one another... but perhaps that is the way it should be.”

Cadence leaned uncomfortably away, rubbing awkwardly at her lips with the back of her hoof before the Lady of the Moon turned her eyes towards the fountain, smiling with a strange tenderness as she said softly: “You are welcome to a taste of the Prometheus Elixir if you would like.”

“I think I'll pass, thanks.” The ivory mare shifted uncomfortably, nervously looking back at the black goo before she frowned a little, then looked hesitantly towards the Lady of the Moon, asking hesitantly: “So Scrivener Blooms was a... Replicant, like Thesis?”

The Lady of the Moon scowled ever so slightly, and Cadence leaned back slightly before the enormous demoness said in a gentle but dangerous voice: “He is nothing like Thesis. The King of the Night is no project, nor child of Valthrudnir. Please try and bear that in mind.”

Cadence nodded awkwardly, but she didn't say anything, and the Lady of the Moon studied her for a moment before she nodded and said: “Very well. We will sate your curiosity: yes, our King of the Night has the full power of the Tyrant Wyrm. A Valkyrie, a Tyrant Wyrm, and a daughter of Hel. That is why they are invulnerable together.”

Cadence frowned at this, tilting her head before she asked: “So Morgan... really is Hel's daughter?”

“Yes. She is the inheritor of Hel's power and Hel's legacy. So I would recommend you ensure that you treat her with the respect she deserves, the next time you meet her.” the Lady of the Moon said calmly, and Cadence shifted uneasily, not sure of what to say. “But they were all simply ponies once. So I suppose that must give you hope too, puppet.”

The ivory mare decided to remain silent: it seemed to be the best choice for this situation. The Lady of the Moon seemed protective of her... friends? I don't know... she sounds almost like a servant, but that doesn't make any sense...

After a few moments, the Lady of the Moon seemed to settle, studying the ivory mare for a few moments before she invited, her voice teasing more than malicious: “It is rude to stare. If you have a question, then please, go ahead and ask us, as cute as your awe is.”

Cadence smiled lamely as her eyes drew hesitantly over the scarred and mighty frame of the demoness. And from the gleam of her emerald eyes, she knew that the Lady of the Moon probably already knew what she was wondering, so she only took a moment to steel herself before she questioned: “If you're really Nightmare Moon, why do you... serve Luna?”

“I do not serve Brynhild. I am her passion, her shadow-sibling. It is the King of the Night who holds my loyalty.” the Lady of the Moon replied, smiling and raising her head high with a strange pride glowing in her eyes. “If you are so curious, you are welcome to join us in our worship.”

The Lady of the Moon extended a hoof towards Cadence, and the ivory mare shifted back a bit before she gave an awkward smile and said lamely: “I... think I'll pass for now. I'm probably uh... not what you're looking for. There.”

The enormous demon only continued to smile at her, hoof staying held out for a moment longer before she finally set it down, saying almost condescendingly: “Well, that is fine, Swan. One day you will come to us. One day you will embrace your purpose again: serving your betters.”

Cadence grimaced, but before she could say anything, the Lady of the Moon suddenly cocked her head before a strange smile spread over her face, and she turned suddenly around and bowed her head low. “Thorn Blackfeather. You honor us with your presence. We are so glad to see you, our child...”

“Nightmare Moon.” Thorn said politely from the doorway, the sapphire stallion leaning in through the threshold and actually looking nervous for once, not that Cadence could really blame him. “Cadence, I need you to come with me, we have a task to perform for Hel.”

“Uh... yeah.” Cadence felt the Swan twist inside her, and she awkwardly stepped around the Lady of the Moon, heading for the door with a mixture of relief and frustration. She hadn't come to Helheim just to act as Hel's little scapegoat, after all, and Hel had already gotten her-

A hoof seized her by the shoulder, and Cadence felt her blood turn to ice in her veins as she froze in place, trembling as a wave of nausea and fear twisted through her. The Lady of the Moon leaned slowly over her, and she could smell sweat and darkness as a long tongue dragged its way up the side of her throat, and a fanged maw pressed to her ear before whispering such sweet, seductive, terrifying poison: “Come to me when you are ready, and in return for your service, I will give you the power and the love you have always craved, my darling. Give me your love and your ardor, and I will save you... and your father.”

Cadence shuddered a bit at this, almost wrenching herself away from the enormous hell-shape, but she didn't dare to speak or look back as she stumbled hurriedly away from the Lady of the Moon to the safety of Thorn. She breathed hard as she reached him, then finally chanced a look back, but the demon was gone, and Thorn smiled faintly before he said quietly: “She means well. But, as you know...”

“The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” Cadence muttered, and then the ivory mare shook herself out before she looked back over the room. Her eyes drew over the cells, the cages, the torture equipment and the terrible altar brimming with poison at the back of the room, and she took a slow breath before she asked: “What is this place, Thorn? This is different from everything else. This is-”

“Personal and private, Cadence. I would ask that you respect the privacy of my parents and their right to their secrets and their...” Thorn faltered a bit as he looked uncomfortably into the room, and then he shook his head before he turned and headed quickly out, and Cadence followed after a moment.

All the same, she couldn't help but press: “But what about the demons in there? The victims?”

Thorn looked over his shoulder at her, and he shifted uncomfortably before answering finally: “I trust my parents, Cadence, and that's the only answer I can give you. I know they have their flaws, and I know they have their... difficulties. But I trust them, and there are...”

Thorn fumbled for a moment, and Cadence looked uncomfortably at the stallion, not wanting to admit how much she hated to see that he didn't have all the answers, and that maybe even he had a blind spot when it came to his family. But as the black metal door closed behind them, he sighed and said quietly: “Let's leave the Cloister behind for now. We don't have time for distractions. We have to meet Hel's other representative and prepare to move, we have business in the Ninth Circle.”

Cadence looked blankly at Thorn, and Thorn glanced back at her before he explained: “One of the lowest territories of Helheim is referred to colloquially as the Ninth Circle, or the Circle of Tragedy. The Archives are housed there, as are many of Helheim's courts. It's referred to as the 'legal' district, and is mainly the territory of devils, instead of demons.”

“We always just called them lawyers.” Cadence muttered, and Thorn smiled despite himself before the mare asked, before she could stop herself: “What's this King of the Night business?”

“It's just what Nightmare Moon calls my father. She's... living passion. And passion translates very easily into obsession. That's all.” Thorn muttered, shaking his head quickly before he continued in a pointed voice: “What we have to concentrate on for now is what's ahead of us, alright? I don't like this any more than you do, believe me. But Hel wouldn't involve us, specifically, unless this also had something to do with... our other responsibilities.”

Cadence scowled a little, and then she began to open her mouth before a bright, cheerful voice called: “Oh wow, Thorn, is this her? Hi there! Hi miss! Hi!”

Cadence slowly, awkwardly rose her head, mouth still hanging open, and she stared in disbelief at the demoness bouncing happily down the corridor towards them. She was bright pink, with a black mane and big, almost-innocent blue eyes, her smile wide and honest as an Inquisitor's medallion bounced around her neck before she dropped to an almost rigid stop before thrusting a hoof out. “My name's Aphrodisia! It's nice to meet you, Cadence!”

The ivory mare awkwardly reached up and shook the demoness' hoof, before she felt the Swan twist through her, her grip tightening as she gave a soft smile and leaned forwards, stating more than asking: “You are a Dominia, are you not?”

“I am, Miss Swan!” Aphrodisia said brightly, apparently unfettered by the sudden shift. And after a moment, the Swan let her pull her hoof back before Aphrodisia bowed her head low, suddenly polite and respectful as she asked: “Lady Danzsöngr, I look forwards to working with you and I promise to listen to your every command.”

“And why is that, young one? Your kind are not usually so receptive.” Danzsöngr said calmly, as Cadence grumbled mentally to herself, hating how easily the Swan could force her to be the one trapped inside now.

Aphrodisia only rose her head with a smile, gazing up at the ivory mare and nodding quickly as she answered: “I'm working as hard as I can on being a good Inquisitor, and I was told to listen to you especially by Nanny Hel! So I'm going to listen to everything you have to say, especially because I know this mission is really super important!”

She paused, then winked and grinned over at Thorn, leaning in towards him and making him grimace and lean awkwardly away. “Also I'm definitely really going to listen to you, Thorn Blackfeather! Because you're really really smart and really super cute.”

Cadence felt her body return to her control just in time for her to snort giggles, and Thorn scowled horribly at her with the faintest of blushes, which only made the ivory mare want to laugh harder. She repressed the urge, however, instead clearing her throat loudly several times before she looked over at Aphrodisia and said finally: “Well, thank you for uh... helping us. And for being willing to listen to me. So you and Thorn...”

Cadence paused, then frowned and leaned forwards slightly as Aphrodisia looked curiously at her, before the ivory mare suddenly asked: “Wait, aren't you from Looking Glass World or whatever it's called, where Thorn visited?”

“Yes, that's right!” Aphrodisia said brightly, thrusting her hooves into the air, but when Thorn gave her an exasperated look, she hurriedly covered her mouth and whispered: “But I'm not supposed to talk about that! Even though I'm technically here because I'm sort of like a special ambassador Inquisitor who represents Looking Glass World as well as Helheim's interests! But hey, how did you know that?”

Cadence smiled a bit, and then she gestured with her head towards Thorn. “He showed me some pictures from his trip, I thought I recognized you from them.”

“Ooh, I wanna see too!” Aphrodisia said brightly, smiling excitedly at Thorn, and then she cleared her throat when the stallion simply gave her a dry look. “But um. I guess for right now we should probably concentrate on getting ready, right? I know that Mister Phraxis is probably getting pretty impatient.”

“That's right. Tormentas!” Thorn called, and a moment later, the Inquisitor appeared before them in a burst of sapphire mist, Aphrodisia immediately saluting as Cadence stumbled to a halt and Thorn simply bowed his head politely for a moment, before he instructed: “Please take Cadence to get her equipment ready before you leave. I have to go meet with Lord Phraxis and I expect to be a few minutes.”

“Of course.” Tormentas smiled slightly, turning her eyes towards Cadence and looking at her as if she knew the answer to some unspoken secret. With a flick of her horn, she created a portal, and Cadence grimaced a bit before she sighed and strode forwards, feeling almost betrayed: something told her, after all, that Tormentas had wanted her to find that place that Thorn had called the Cloister, although she wasn't entirely sure why.

All the same, however, she knew all she could do was keep herself moving, and as she stepped through the portal, she just hoped that Thorn knew what he was getting them into.

The Circle of Tragedy was terribly, terribly cold.

Cadence shivered under the insulated armor she was wearing, even the heavy, fur-lined cloak over her steel-armored body doing little to help keep the heat in. Thorn looked impassive beneath his cloak, but she could sense the magic he was insulating himself with, and she could also see that he was still shivering all the same.

Aphrodisia's teeth were chattering away, although the Inquisitor looked the complete opposite of professional in her smiling, cat-eared toque and big, fuzzy, pom-pom laden scarf. She was exactly the opposite of what Cadence expected from both a demon and an Inquisitor, and while in the past, the Swan would have treated such a creature with derision, now the Swan seemed to only magnify Cadence's own interest in the odd mare.

They were also accompanied by Vextus Lux, who was grumbling under her own cloak, and a new face: a serious-looking demon who seemed almost perfectly split down the middle, with one side of his body gold and the other a light blue. He was somewhat draconic in nature, with small horns sticking out of the back of his skull and a short, professionally-cut black mane, his eyes like black glass. He wore only a pinstriped suit, and he kept checking a silver pocketwatch, although somehow he seemed less pleased about the cold and more about- “We're running late.”

“We could head to the courthouse, Lord Phraxis.” Thorn suggested politely, and Cadence grunted in agreement from under her mask, which had started to feel as if it was freezing to her face.

“We require an escort, Lord Blackfeather. This is not my district: we are legally obligated to wait until we are permitted entry to the next slice. We must bear in mind that time often runs differently between slices, that is all.” Phraxis replied calmly, and Cadence could have sworn she saw Thorn actually scowl for a moment before the sapphire stallion shifted a bit, pulling his cloak a little tighter around his body.

Cadence looked back and forth slowly: they were standing in front of a fairly-busy street, devils and demons – many of them heavily bundled-up – rushing back and forth along the plowed road. Huge buildings lined the area, and they stood near the entrance to what looked like a massive bridge: Cadence couldn't read the demonic, but she guessed this was the entrance to a different slice of Helheim. She wondered uneasily what it meant that the slices ran on 'different times:' did that mean the time distortions would be different? If they entered another slice of Helheim, would that mean time would be closer to that on the mortal plane, and that meant she would be helpless to help her family?

No, she couldn't think about that. She shivered a little before sneaking a look at Phraxis: he barely looked like a demon. His odd, split patterning was the only thing that gave any clue at all he wasn't just some kind of small, civilized dragon, really... well, and his claws were weird, she noted. They were nub-like, and flexed as if they were made of flesh, even though they were very obviously some polished, nail-like substance.

She realized that Phraxis was looking at her mildly, and Cadence cleared her throat as she looked lamely away before Aphrodisia suddenly bounced high, pointing and declaring in a relieved voice: “There they are!”

Cadence looked up to see that the doors to the bridge had opened and several demons in gray uniforms were bustling towards them. They wouldn't have looked out of place at a Decretum security checkpoint, Cadence reflected, as the one in the lead immediately gestured at them and ordered: “Line up and present yourselves in an orderly fashion, one at a time. You, take off your...”

Thorn looked up, and even though the demon was three times his size and looked like he was made of rock and teeth, he immediately quailed the moment his eyes settled on the ring around Thorn's horn, the demon saluting sharply and babbling: “Apologies, sir! I will not speak out of line again, sir!”

“I have a bodyguard with me, an Inquisitor, a High Priestess, and a Magistrate of Helheim. We are preauthorized by Hel, so I believe we qualify for a speedy inspection.” Thorn said calmly, although Cadence thought the extreme cold was making him a bit more terse than usual; either that, or the mission they were handling for Hel, and she didn't want to imagine what kind of job could possibly make Thorn nervous when he had calmly faced down both a legendary witch and a Terror without flinching.

The guard saluted, giving a nervous smile before he quickly looked over his shoulder and barked: “Well, you heard him! Clear them, then let's move to escort!”

The soldiers barely looked over the odd group of ponies before hurrying to escort them, and Phraxis sighed before he scolded: “Lord Blackfeather, we are not above the laws of Helheim.”

“Weird, a demon so obsessed with laws and all.” Cadence muttered, and then she winced as she realized she had not only said that out loud, she was standing right beside the magistrate, who favored her with an exasperated look.

“Magistrate Phraxis is a Preusian, or an Ice Devil, in layponies' terms. But devils tend to be much more particular about rules and laws than us 'silly demons.'” Vextus Lux explained, and Aphrodisia nodded violently in agreement as Phraxis only sighed. “It's funny, dear. You and I are very similar, as we are similar to the mortals... while Phraxis has more in common with the angels.”

“And the Swan. Or at least, how the Swan used to be.” Cadence said, before she smiled lamely when the Ice Devil gave her a moody look. “Uh. Sorry. Sir.”

Phraxis only shook his head, before he scowled when Aphrodisia popped up beside him, grabbing him around the shoulders and making Vextus look a little horrified. “Oh, don't you worry, sir! Everything's going to be a-okey-dokey all right! We're all working together towards the same goals now, now aren't we?”

“Yes, yes. I suppose we all are.” Phraxis said after a moment, carefully shrugging Aphrodisia loose before he sighed a little and shook his head slowly as he looked moodily at the demoness. But Aphrodisia only smiled brightly at him, and the Magistrate gave maybe the smallest of smiles in return to her before he looked straight ahead.

The moment they passed through the doorway, Cadence sighed in relief and immediately relaxed a little: it was a hundred times warmer in here than outside, which meant it was approaching pleasantly cool. Thorn had already headed over to what looked like some kind of check-in station with the lead guard, so Cadence decided to follow the other demons towards another set of doors, where two more guards were waiting nervously.

They stopped at a yellow line, Cadence looking awkwardly at this for a moment before she muttered: “Horses of Heaven. It's just like Decretum. Rules and waiting areas and loading zones and uniforms everywhere.”

“I bet you'd really like it there, Mister Phraxis!” Aphrodisia said brightly, and Phraxis simply gave the Inquisitor a look for a moment before he returned his eyes to his silver pocketwatch. Cadence didn't know whether to be amused or not before she winced when the mare spun towards her, asking inquisitively: “Do you like it there, Cadence? Thorn really seems to like it there and I really want to visit but every time I try to sneak in big mean Hecate catches me and kicks me out!”

Cadence blinked dumbly at this: sure, there had been alerts now and then over the years where demons or other entities had attempted to sneak into Decretum, but... “You, as in, you yourself... you've actually tried to sneak into Decretum?”

“Oh, yeah, loads of times! Me as in me myself, I mean, it's super easy to leap between worlds, but the moment you land in Decretum the alarms go off like 'vree-oom vree-oom!' and then the giant metal guys appear and you like gotta fight them-” Apps made several violent noises as she mashed her hooves together, spittle flying in every direction, Vextux Lux flinching away with something like horror and Phraxis simply leaning backwards with a faint scowl. “And then you run away and then Hecate always pops up and she's always like-”

Aphrodisia dropped back on her rump and crossed her forelegs, badly mimicking Hecate's voice as she said: “'For the last time, Aphrodisia, I will not have you interfering with my operations.' 'But Hecate, I just wanna say hi!' 'Well you have said hello so go away.' 'But I gotta say hello for everyone!' 'Well I don't care because I'm a big mean fun killer' and then like-”

“Thank you, Aphrodisia, it has all been noted.” Thorn interrupted tiredly as he returned, and Apps giggled as she bounced up to her hooves before the stallion leaned in and muttered something to her, and the Inquisitor almost instantly became dead serious, standing at full attention.

Cadence frowned, but Thorn only shook his head and said quietly: “Stay beside me, be respectful, and do not allow the subject to antagonize you.”

“I... yes, sir.” Cadence said, deciding it was better not to argue. Phraxis and Vextus Lux were both frowning as well, but had fallen in behind them, so Cadence stepped forwards and took up position beside Thorn as he took up position at the head of the group, his mechanical hoof grinding slowly against the yellow line as he faced the doors almost anxiously.

And less than a minute later, the doors were slammed open, allowing a strange, smoldering stallion to stride through, leaving a trail of ashes and dust in his wake as he fearlessly approached Thorn. The two looked at each other, the demon towering over him, the shadows that seemed to swirl endlessly across the newcomer, making him almost impossible to identify. All Cadence could really see was that he was enormous, with long legs and thick hooves, and his mane, tail, and wingfeathers all seemed to be constantly rippling and leaking that unnatural black miasma.

Thorn and the creature glared coldly into one-another's eyes for a few moments, until the demon finally said in a soft voice that echoed unpleasantly through Cadence's mind: “Authority alone does not give you the wisdom to judge me, youngling.”

“I am not here to make any judgments, Lord Penumbra. I am simply here on business for Queen Hel.” Thorn replied calmly, and the demon called Penumbra snorted in disdain.

“Please. This is no social visit, and nor is it about business. I will not be murdered in my own home. I am no coward, Blackfeather.” Penumbra leaned slowly down into Thorn's face, his pitiless, empty white eyes cutting into Thorn's very soul. “I am not like you, mortal pony. Where is your purification mask? Aren't you afraid of the air?”

“The concentration of corruption in the Circle of Tragedy is much lower than in the other realms of Hell, as I am sure you well know yourself.” Thorn replied calmly, and then he shook his head slowly before saying softly: “I will not do anything unless it must be done, Lord Penumbra.”

“Then know now, Blackfeather, what must be done.” growled Penumbra, before he stepped back, looking coldly over the group assembled in front of him. Then he gave a thin smile, saying distastefully: “Lord Phraxis. What an unpleasant surprise, to see you here. I thought you cared about law.”

“I do. That is why I am here, Lord Penumbra.” Phraxis replied evenly, and the two looked at each other for a few moments before Penumbra snorted, his eyes roving moodily over Aphrodisia, then Vextus Lux, until they finally settled on Cadence.

He looked at her for the longest time, seeming to measure her, until he finally gave a curdled little smile and he said softly: “And here we have the little fallen angel everyone is talking about these days. My. How quaint. Poor, pathetic little creature. I doubt you even realize you're just a pawn in a meaningless game.”

Cadence forced herself not to respond, gazing up through her mask at those milky-white eyes as the demon loomed over her. This close, he stank: he smelled like mildew, and dust, and sulfur, she thought. She could also see through the shadows that cloaked his body, that he was ancient and mummified beneath the twisting and turning serpents of darkness that covered his body, and his malice was palpable, like a physical edge pressing into her...

But Cadence forced herself to breathe, to remain quiet, and she didn't let the Swan rise to the surface either. And eventually, the demon snorted in disdain before he suddenly stepped backwards, saying contemptibly: “How utterly worthless.”

He turned, heading back to the doors, and Thorn rose his head and said clearly: “You cannot bar us from entering that slice of Helheim, Lord Penumbra.”

“And oh, believe me, Blackfeather, I have no intention of doing so. You are more than welcome to join me at my office.” Penumbra said coldly, voice dripping with derision and threat as he glanced back over his shoulder, smiling icily at them. “As a matter of fact, I look forwards to our coming discussion. I sincerely hope that you and your friends are ready as well.”

With that, Penumbra strode up the bridge, and Thorn Blackfeather closed his eyes and took a slow breath before Aphrodisia asked nervously: “What do we do? He's gonna-”

“We proceed as planned.” Phraxis said, drawing the attention of all present. “Our business is official and our duties and mission have not changed. I may be.... disappointed in the behavior of Lord Penumbra in this matter, but, personal issues aside, he has no reason to act against us.”

Thorn visibly grimaced, shifting a little on his hooves as Vextus Lux scowled, and Aphrodisia bounced from hoof-to-hoof before she blurted: “But this is bad! He's probably already erasing the records and he could try and-”

“Our mission hasn't changed.” Phraxis repeated, and his voice was both firm and reassuring, which surprised Cadence. “We continue with our mission, as planned. Do not assume the worst: we are still officers of Hel, and Lord Penumbra will respect that unless we run counter to his operations. No matter what we are faced with, we have a job to do. Let's get it done.”

Aphrodisia smiled after a moment, and then she nodded firmly once as Thorn said after a moment: “Agreed. Let's move forward. If everything goes according to plan, we should be in and out in less than a day.”

“Since when has anything ever gone according to plan?” muttered Cadence, but she smiled beneath her mask and nodded once as Thorn maybe gave the smallest of smiles and faced ahead with a shrug.

The uniformed demons looked even more nervous now, but Thorn only gestured with his head towards the one who seemed to be in charge, instructing: “We're ready to leave. Send two of your soldiers ahead to open the path, and otherwise we only require a simple escort.”

The demon in charge nodded quickly, then he gestured through the open doors, shouting: “Alright, you heard the High Inquisitor! Get moving!”

Cadence smiled wryly as two demons bolted into the corridor, and then she shook her head briefly and muttered: “It's always been reassuring that you have that effect even on demons.”

Thorn didn't reply, but Aphrodisia giggled and Vextus Lux smiled slightly, the High Priestess remarking: “Thorn Blackfeather has always worked very hard to be professional, and he has never hesitated to fall back on his authority. It's always been a bad habit, dear.”

Thorn obviously refused to be baited, but Aphrodisia almost purred as she leaned forwards, her eyes gleaming as she licked her lips slowly. “But some of us really like that, Thorn, don't you worry about that! Why, I'm sure that-”

“Let's move.” Thorn said, maybe a little too fast, and Cadence snorted in amusement, but followed the pace he set as a demon led them through the open doors and onto a long, sloping bridge, the others easily moving with them.

Cadence noted almost immediately that while the bridge seemed like nothing more than a sloping cement tunnel, by the time they reached the top of the slope, they had already passed over more than a dozen lines of security runes. She also noted that while the crystals in the ceiling cast a faint, pleasant luminescence over them all, they looked like soulstone: putting that rare substance together with the security lines on the floor, and Cadence suddenly felt very apprehensive about what would happen if they accidentally triggered any of these traps.

Thankfully, they passed over the bridge without incident: the doors at the other side were already being held open for them, and the security team that received them was polite and visibly nervous: obviously they had already been informed of who they were. They were quickly inspected, and then released, heading out into the Circle of Tragedy, but even though the biting cold was the same, Cadence saw immediately that this slice of Helheim was very different from the one they had just left.

The buildings here were all tall and ominous, many of them made of black, lineless stone that looked as if it had simply been carved and polished into huge towers. Every demon here seemed to have a bodyguard or an escort of some kind, and Cadence grimaced a bit under her mask as Thorn said quietly: “Stay close, Cadence. This is the Banking District.”

“Although here you'll find more souls than gold.” Vextus Lux murmured, and Cadence grimaced despite herself as they strode out into the street, joining the rest of the throng. Thorn, at least, seemed to know where he was going, but the High Priestess echoed Cadence's thoughts when she asked: “Who would have informed Lord Penumbra that we were coming? And why would he challenge us immediately?”

“We can discuss it at our first stop, which is just up ahead-” Thorn started, before he winced and suddenly came to a halt as two massive demons in blue armor shoved their way in front of them, both glaring down at Thorn challengingly: a single look at them, and Cadence knew they were both Destroyers, who were among the most powerful of Wrath demons.

Thorn held his ground in front of them, raising his head high before he asked coldly: “Do you have business with us? If not, please step out of our way. We are on Archive business, under the orders of Lady Hel.”

Cadence couldn't help but admire Thorn's fearlessness, even if his usual fallback didn't work this time, as one of the Destroyers growled: “And we are here under the orders of Lord Penumbra, Treasurer of Souls. His rank is no lower than yours-”

“And his rank is no higher than mine, either, and whether or not you serve him, if you interrupt my business here, you will both suffer the consequences for it.” Thorn said calmly, looking fearlessly up at the Destroyers, and both of them shifted a little, knocked a bit off balance by this.

“What is your business with us?” interrupted Phraxis smoothly, the magistrate quickly striding forwards to join Thorn's side, and the Destroyers seemed further put off by this. Cadence guessed it was more because of Phraxis' position than the fact he was an Ice Devil, although... well, I didn't think Destroyers really respected authority that much. I thought they just listened to whoever was bigger and meaner than them.

“We are to serve as your escorts, under the orders of Lord Penumbra. Resistance will not be...” The Destroyer caught himself, then cleared his throat at the look from both Thorn and Phraxis, shifting a bit before he finished awkwardly: “We insist.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Thorn nodded. He opened his mouth, but Phraxis quickly grasped his shoulder, and the two traded looks before Thorn bowed his head courteously, allowing the Ice Devil to take over. “Very well, we will graciously accept Lord Penumbra's thoughtfulness in this matter. Please escort us to Revelation Hall.”

The Destroyers both grumbled, but Cadence thought they both looked relieved as well, as they turned to lead the way onward. She fell in automatically beside Thorn, giving him a nervous look, but the sapphire stallion was inscrutable as he turned his attention ahead.

All the same, Cadence had the bad feeling that their 'new friends' were going to complicate things unnecessarily, and she only hoped that this didn't slow them down so much she lost her only chance to save the few ponies she cared about.

The Fire In The Heart Of Helheim

Chapter Fifty Six: The Fire In The Heart Of Helheim
~BlackRoseRaven

So far, their 'investigation' had been very dry and boring. Revelation Hall, as it turned out, was a massive library of old Archive files: they were apparently supposed to sort through all of these to find... something, Cadence didn't know what. She understood she was being kept out of the loop partly because she had to look like nothing more than a bodyguard to the two bozos babysitting them, and partly because of operational secrecy, or whatever Thorn wanted to call it, but either way, she was actually rather glad for it. She wasn't a huge fan of digging through dusty old files, looking for answers, when she felt more and more like the easiest way to find out what they were looking for was to find Lord Penumbra and beat the answers out of him.

Apparently that was not an option at this point, however: not only because Penumbra commanded the respect of these Destroyers and was some kind of extremely powerful Pride demon, but because he apparently had the same level of status in the Archives that Thorn did. Cadence didn't want to imagine how that worked... and if Hel's suspicious about him, why doesn't she just erase him from existence? She's obviously powerful enough to.

Cadence tapped a hoof moodily against the tabletop, stuck sitting between the two massive Destroyers who were wedged into either corner of the uncomfortably-small table. She scowled at one beneath her mask, and he scowled back, apparently seeing her distaste in her eyes. None of them spoke, however, all three looking after a moment towards another table, where Thorn and Phraxis were going over files, while Vextus Lux and Aphrodisia fetched boxes and folders and... volumes and volumes of files. Horses of Heaven. What are we doing here?

Cadence slumped in her seat as much as she could between the two giants, and then she scowled for a moment before she rose her head and asked moodily: “So do you two really want to just... waste all your time babysitting us?”

One of the Destroyers grunted, and the other glared down at her before he said distastefully: “Unlike you, our loyalty isn't bought. Loyalty means we do what we are told to do.”

“That's not loyalty. That's just being a good little dog.” Cadence muttered, and the Destroyer slowly narrowed his eyes at her, but at this point, Cadence felt like she would welcome a fight, even against a pair of giants who completely outclassed her. “Who the hell is this Penumbra guy, anyway, to-”

One of the Destroyers laughed shortly, and the other rolled his eyes before he grumbled: “Lord Penumbra is not the one we are loyal to, idiot child.”

Cadence frowned at this, choosing to ignore the insult for now as she asked: “Then why are you doing his dirty work for him?”

“We are not. We are doing as we were ordered to by his warlord.” retorted the Destroyer, before he grimaced when his comrade glared at him. “Oh, as if they don't know. Perhaps the mortal doesn't know, but the Magistrate surely does. What harm is there in-”

The other demon said something in some hissing, growling language, and the first Destroyer rolled his eyes in disgust before he replied in the same, then crossed his arms and visibly sulked. It left them sitting in silence for a few moments, until Cadence finally asked moodily: “So you're that afraid of him, huh?”

Neither Destroyer reacted beyond an awkward shifting, and this made Cadence immediately much more uncomfortable. Destroyers, after all, weren't afraid of much: even the things that did manage to beat them down usually only earned their respect. For something to actually inspire fear in them...

The mare looked back and forth between them, and then she asked: “Well, why does the warlord listen to Penumbra, then?”

Neither Destroyer answered, both of them looking pointedly away from her, and Cadence sighed as she slumped back in the chair, grumbling: “Fantastic. Great help.”

She managed to sit in awkward silence for a few more minutes, until Phraxis and Thorn finally picked themselves up from their table. Cadence and the Destroyers hurried to their own feet, looking at the stallions with matching relief on their faces, before Cadence frowned and both Destroyers winced when Thorn said calmly: “We need to speak to the Fyrjarl. Take us to him.”

Neither Destroyer seemed exactly happy with this turn of events, both of them shifting back and forth uneasily before one of them muttered: “I... he will be in session right now and he does not like to be interrupted when-”

“He will make an exception for us.” Phraxis replied undeniably, and there was silence for a few moments, before both Destroyers simply lowered their heads, both mumbling uncomfortably in agreement, and the ever-serious magistrate nodded curtly back before he turned around and instructed: “Vextus Lux, Aphrodisia, please ensure that you have all the files in order, I don't want to waste anyone's time.”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Phraxis!” Aphrodisia said brightly, saluting sharply before she simply slammed her rump back into the table, a stack of folders neatly popping off the furnishing and landing on her back as Vextus gathered hers up much more neatly. “Got 'em!”

Phraxis only looked at the Inquisitor for a moment before he turned his attention to the Destroyers, saying politely: “Please announce our intentions.”

The Destroyers both looked surprised by this, but then one of them hesitantly nodded before he rose his head and cleared his throat, his claw tracing out the shape of a rune against the ground in pale energy. He waited a moment, then said clearly: “We are escorting Magistrate Phraxis and High Inquisitor Blackfeather to Reception Tower 5. Magistrate Phraxis has requested an audience with the Fyrjarl.”

There was silence for a moment, and then a voice responded, echoing eerily through the room: “The Fyrjarl will see them at his earliest convenience. You are cleared to escort the guests to Reception Tower 5.”

“Promising.” Cadence grumbled as the magic faded from the air, and the Destroyers both scowled at her, but Cadence only looked moodily back at them until Thorn cleared his throat, and she sighed and fell back into place beside him as the Destroyers headed for the doors.

Cadence frowned a bit: their 'escorts' seemed much less interested in staying close to them now and making sure they were going where they said they were, but without her having to ask, Vextus informed her gently: “If a devil such as Lord Phraxis makes an appointment, you can expect that come heaven or high water, he'll make that appointment. The Destroyers were probably just as unhappy to be stuck with us as you were to have them around.”

“Did it show?” Cadence asked ironically, which made Aphrodisia giggle childishly, before Cadence asked in a lower voice as Thorn led them towards the exit: “Who the hell is this Fyrjarl?”

“Lord Penumbra's chief lieutenant.” Phraxis replied, and for some reason, the distaste in his voice made Cadence nervous. “He was appointed by Lord Penumbra a century or so ago: no one is entirely sure of where he came from or what his previous employment was, but as his position is an appointed one beneath Lord Penumbra, no one had any right to speak out against giving the position away to an unknown, either.”

“We have some questions about his practices and appointments, however. He may have been involved with Brave Cavalier.” Thorn said quietly, and Cadence frowned a bit: she recognized that name, but from...

Her eyes widened slightly, but Thorn only gave a small smile before he shook his head as Phraxis said quietly: “Let's keep our attention on the task before us.”

Cadence didn't know what else to do except to nod and look awkwardly over at Thorn, but the stallion only kept his own eyes ahead, apparently deferring to Phraxis. Since the other demons seemed happy to fall in as well, Cadence decided it was probably best just to behave for the moment: she had the uncomfortable feeling that she might not like the answers to the questions she had, anyway.

It wasn't exactly a long or difficult trip, but it left her feeling drained all the same: Cadence didn't think she'd ever get used to how utterly, exhaustingly cold it was here in the Circle of Tragedy. They at least didn't have any line to contend with at the entrance, but from the moment that Cadence laid eyes on 'Reception Tower 5,' she felt apprehension take over.

Reception Tower 5 was, like most of the buildings in this district, a single pillar of carved obsidian. Unlike many of the other towers, however, it had branches of steel attached along its length, from which hung flags that swayed in the windless air. Every metal arm ended in a brazier, in which burned eerie blue flames, except when Cadence looked a little closer, she thought she saw, an arm, a head, a twisting body...

“Sentinel spirits.” Thorn said quietly, and Cadence grimaced a bit before she noted the two Destroyers who had 'escorted' them around this District were standing by the massive double doors leading into the tower. One of them seemed to be arguing with the wall of the tower, but when they drew closer, Cadence saw that he was growling at some kind of crystal.

“Demonic intercom?” Cadence asked dryly, and Thorn gave maybe the slightest of smiles before he cocked his head slightly, as Phraxis looked less-than-pleased at whatever the Destroyer was saying.

“Unacceptable. Tell your master he has an obligation to meet with us.” Phraxis said clearly to the Destroyer at the intercom, and the demon visibly flinched before he hesitantly relayed the message.

There was silence for a few moments, and then the crystal glowed for a moment before the double doors swung slowly open. The Destroyers grimaced, but simply stepped aside for them, letting Phraxis lead the way inside.

And Horses of Heaven: the moment Cadence stepped over the threshold, it went from ice-cold to swelteringly hot, the the mare immediately grimacing under her mask. Neither Thorn nor Phraxis seemed to be bothered by it, however, any more than they were put off by the fact that the room was filled with Wrath and Pride demons who were all glaring furiously at them, quite a few of them armed with weapons enchanted with magic so toxic it made Cadence itch just to look at them.

The ivory mare had an awful feeling about whatever was going to happen next, as they approached a massive desk in the center of the room. Some strange, six-armed serpent-demon was there, twisting and turning constantly on her own coils as her hands grabbed and sorted files and stroked across magical crystals: as they approached her, however, she immediately spun towards them and tented her topmost pair of hands in front of herself, bowing her head as she said politely: “Magistrate Phraxis. High Inquisitor Thorn Blackfeather. The Fyrjarl will meet with you in a moment: your companions, however, must wait in the vestibule.”

“Very well.” Thorn said, bowing his head before he looked towards Vextus Lux, saying calmly as his horn glowed and lifted the files free from both her and Aphrodisia: “Lord Phraxis and I will not be long. You are in charge until I return. I am sure both my bodyguard and Aphrodisia will listen closely to your commands.”

Apps saluted immediately with a smile, and Cadence bowed her head after a moment, glancing almost apprehensively at Vextus Lux: but she supposed that yes, she did trust the High Priestess, who smiled at Thorn as she said softly: “Of course. You have my word I will take good care of them.”

Thorn smiled and nodded, before he and Phraxis both turned back towards the serpent-demon, who simply reached out and touched one of the crystals in front of her. A moment later, some hulking, armored monstrosity approached, and Cadence grimaced at the sight of the massive, ugly thing; the serpent secretary, however, only gestured at them before saying calmly: “Please escort these three to the vestibule. Lord Phraxis, Lord Thorn, please make your way to the waiting area behind me. Someone will be with you in just a moment.”

Thorn bowed his head politely, forcing himself not to look back as Vextus Lux and the others left with the hulking demon. The sapphire stallion instead kept his head high as he and Phraxis made their way to a small, square waiting area filled with chairs inside a cage of soundproofed walls, only the front open to the rest of the room. Thorn sat opposite the entrance, and Phraxis joined him, the two looking calmly at the back of the serpent demon in her island in the center of the enormous hall, simply watching her for a little while.

“I trust you remember how discussions with dignitaries usually goes in Helheim, yes?” Phraxis broke the silence between them and tilted his head slightly towards the sapphire stallion, and Thorn gave the slightest of smiles.

“I might be a little rusty, though. I'll let you do most of the talking.” Thorn paused for a moment, and then he asked in a quieter voice: “What do you think of all these employees?”

“Pride and arrogance. That's all.” Phraxis said dismissively, but he shifted after a moment before admitting in a lower voice: “But I don't understand how this happened so quickly. This is supposed to be a secure site, but not...”

“Not like this.” Thorn finished, shaking his head with a brief smile before he sat back in his chair, shuffling the files into the seat beside him. “Let's just ensure we do this as professionally as possible.”

“Yes, Lord Blackfeather. Of course.” Phraxis pulled out his silver pocketwatch to check it once, and then he sighed a little before flicking his other claw, a black notebook appearing in it. He popped this open, glancing through it before he ordered calmly: “Reschedule my appointments for next week. Send apologies to Lord Cottonswell.”

“You should consider taking a personal day tomorrow as well. I feel like this is going to be a long meeting.” Thorn noted, but Phraxis simply gave the stallion a quirk of a smile.

“Justice does not wait, so neither shall we.” he replied calmly with a polite tip of his head towards Thorn, and the sapphire stallion chuckled quietly before the two sat back in silence. Phraxis paged through his notebook, while Thorn simply shuffled through the files, familiarizing himself as much as possible with the information.

After a few minutes, a uniformed demon appeared, and Thorn gathered his files as Phraxis dismissed his notebook, and the two followed the attendant out of the waiting area and across to a heavy, armored door. He opened this for them to reveal another uniformed demon, who politely greeted them before escorting them down the corridor as the first attendant sealed the armored door behind them.

They passed through a security checkpoint, but they were only given a cursory check before they were led onward to another waiting room, where several nervous-looking demons were seated in front of a massive door leading into an office. A secretary was at a desk at one corner of the room: some kind of masked devil, Thorn noted.

“Your honors, the Fyrjarl will see you immediately.” The secretary gestured absently towards the door, and it rumbled before swinging slowly open for them. Phraxis and Thorn traded surprised looks, but then they both simply shrugged and headed to the office, even though Thorn felt somehow that this was all very wrong.

The door closed behind them with a click as the two stepped up in front of the Fyrjarl's... altar, Thorn thought distastefully. It was no desk: it was made of metal and stone, full of holes and lit from within by crimson, ever-burning hellfire. It filled the room with a reek like sulfur, and Thorn's eyes narrowed slightly as he realized he could detect corruption in the air, as well: concentrated corruption, and in such amounts that even the Ice Devil stiffened slightly at it.

“Well, look what the Wendigo dragged in. What a pleasure.” mocked the figure on the other side of the altar, and Thorn narrowed his eyes slightly as Phraxis rose his own head, a moue of distaste spreading over his features as they both regarded the giant in his throne.

Ugly and immense, the Fyrjarl was covered from head to toe in sooty black armor, a featureless and faceless plate of black metal veiling his face beneath a heavy, thorny crown. Magma and firelight pulsed in the holes and cracks throughout his gothic, savage armor, and he emanated not just heat, but a vicious malice as he idly stroked a hand over a large, draconic skull that sat on top of a pile of books, the giant asking softly: “And to what do I owe these attentions?”

Thorn calmly placed the files on top of the altar, grimacing a bit at the way the paper steamed from contact with the heated stone. But he figured it didn't have to last that long, as he began: “We have a few questions for you, as-”

“Yes, yes.” The Fyrjarl flicked his wrist, and Thorn couldn't help but grit his teeth and lean back in surprise when the pages burst into crimson flames, as Phraxis visibly tensed. “Ask your questions. I have no interest in lying to you. It's far, far too late for that.”

“What do you mean?” Thorn asked coldly, and the Fyrjarl chuckled before the sapphire stallion added calmly: “Those were archive documents you just so carelessly destroyed. That alone is grounds for immediately dismissal and-”

“Oh, stupid little creatures. You're sacrificial lambs, you know. Hel knows precisely who I am, and why Penumbra hired me, and that, why yes, I have been using my influence to create alliances and gather information for Thokk.” the Fyrjarl said, leaning idly on one arm and rubbing the claws of his free gauntlet together as if bored, both Thorn and Phraxis tensing immediately. “But Hel can't just destroy me, you see. She needs blood to be spilled. I, however, am more than happy to spill that blood.”

“Fyrjarl, you are under arrest. I hereby revoke your Archive authority and order you to submit.” Phraxis said coldly and fearlessly, and the giant laughed loudly at this, leaning back in his throne, and Thorn could almost feel his grin through his featureless faceplate.

“Oh my! Oh no! You order me, do you?” the giant mocked, and then he stood calmly up, placing his hands against the altar and saying softly: “You do not even know what you are dealing with, Ice Devil. Neither of you do. Neither of you can kill me. Hel herself cannot kill me. And my position here has long fulfilled its purpose. As a matter of fact, I was getting bored, waiting for you all to catch up to me! Thokk already took precisely what she wanted from Helheim, without any of you being any the wiser.”

“What are you talking about?” Thorn leaned forwards, his horn beginning to glow, but then his eyes widened as there was no response from the Archives, and the Fyrjarl rose a finger and shook it slowly back and forth as he clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“Oh, no. What's wrong, can't cry for help? That's because I've ensured this entire tower has been deadwalled.” Phraxis and Thorn both set themselves, and they could both hear the smile in the Fyrjarl's voice as he idly stretched before flexing one hand slowly, towering over them, twenty feet of steel and fire. “Now, any other questions or concerns before I kill you both? I don't want to disappoint Hel, after all. I want to give her a reason to come after me herself. I have some unfinished business with her.”

Phraxis began to lean forwards, but the Fyrjarl suddenly moved like lightning, flipping his altar on its side before he kicked it savagely into the Ice Devil, crushing him into the wall. Thorn flinched, barely avoiding being clipped by the side of the desk before he was punted into the air, and then his eyes widened as a massive, black metal fist streaked towards him-

The impact was deadened by a magic barrier that flashed into existence around him, but Thorn still felt like he had been hit by a truck as he was slammed backwards through a wall with a gasp. Physically he was only bruised, but the impact left him stunned and shocked even as the Fyrjarl laughed loudly and quickly smashed through the wall after him before he slammed a vicious kick into the stallion, knocking him through another wall as he mocked: “Well now! Your protection is much tougher than the last Inquisitor I killed! Either Hel wanted me to enjoy killing you, or she must care about you... and either way, that makes this all the more fun!”

Thorn staggered to his hooves, but he barely had enough time to register where he was before he was hefted into the air and slammed back into a wall hard enough to shatter the stone around him and leave him crushed uncomfortably in the broken wall. A moment later, he was battered backwards by a volley of savage punches, his body jerking back and forth even as the protection from the Archives absorbed the worst of the damage.

A massive fist slammed into him and knocked him flying backwards through the wall, hitting the floor and skidding painfully on his back through an office filled with demons and desks. He coughed blood as he rolled quickly backwards, his mechanical forelimb sparking he managed to pull himself to his hooves as the Fyrjarl simply tore through the wall like paper, and the sapphire stallion grimaced as the armored goliath teased: “Had enough already? Do you need me to give you a moment?”

“Lethal force is hereby authorized.” Thorn grasped his mechanical leg as the pistons on his shoulder began to pump, before his eyes narrowed as he said coldly: “Defense protocol alpha, engage.”

“Gibberish!” The Fyrjarl stepped forwards, and he slammed a contemptible kick into Thorn to send him crashing across the room to bounce painfully off the wall as demons scattered to either side of the room, ignoring the electricity that sizzled up over his steel limb as he snorted. “That was barely even a tickle. Are you going to try and resist, or should I put you down?”

Thorn slowly picked himself up, shaking himself off before he grimaced as he cracked his back, looking up and saying calmly: “This is your last warning.”

“Stupid child.” The Fyrjarl sounded almost pitying as he stepped forwards, and then he roared in pain and surprise, arms going wide with shock as a blast of cold hammered into his back, ice rapidly and violently spreading over his armor as he half-turned-

Thorn lunged forwards, channeling all his magic into his mechanical limb as the pistons pumped powerfully before he slammed a punch into the Fyrjarl's breast, and the giant was knocked staggering back a step with a roar of disbelief, pinwheeling his arms wildly. A moment later, a blast of ice ripped past his legs, and the giant was knocked off balance, toppling with a tremendous crash onto his back before Phraxis smoothly leapt over him, the devil's eyes glowing as he channeled his magic and caused more ice to rapidly spread over the Fyrjarl, trying to entomb him in glacial frost.

But the ice was steaming away almost the moment it touched his superheated steel armor, and Phraxis' expression tightened as he said coldly over his shoulder: “I can't hold him back for very long.”

The Fyrjarl roared in fury, but Thorn only took a calm step backwards before he called up a translucent screen: as expected, the insulation the Fyrjarl had blocked out the tower with also blocked out the magnetic resonance, letting the sapphire stallion quickly tap in a short order as he instructed coldly: “All noncombatants should leave this area immediately. You will not be warned again.”

The Fyrjarl emphasized this by yanking himself up from the ice with a snarl, and the demons who had been hiding around the edges of the room immediately bolted for the door before the goliath lunged forwards, shattering through the ice that had been restraining him as he swept a gauntlet towards Phraxis. But the Ice Devil simply leaned back, the black claws barely grazing his cheek as he said distastefully: “Please hurry up, High Inquisitor.”

Fyrjarl lunged like an animal, but tentacles of cold and frost swept around him and flung the giant savagely into the ceiling before they pulled him backwards and lashed him back through the hole in the wall he had come in through. Phraxis moodily brushed out his torn suit, but he was still tense, the Magistrate saying quietly: “He was prepared for us, and my magic can't penetrate his armor.”

“I'm just about ready.” Thorn replied calmly as he tapped another quick command across the screen in front of him, and then he gave a thin smile and dismissed it, even as the humiliated goliath stormed back in through the hole in the wall.

“Insects!” the Fyrjarl snarled as he strode towards them, and he only hissed as a tentacle of ice snapped around one of his arms, shattering it with a hard tug as he stormed forwards. “I was going to make your deaths kind and quick, but now I think I'll take my time killing you both!”

Thorn stepped forwards, raising his head and replying calmly: “By the authority of both Helheim and Decretum, I repeat the order to surrender. Otherwise I will not hesitate to respond with lethal force.”

“Yes, little tin boy, go ahead.” the Fyrjarl held his arms wide, looking with contempt at Thorn, barely a dent in his armor where the stallion had struck him. “Take your best shot.”

“I already did. And for how much you talked, I already knocked you down . Perhaps I'm not the one made of tin here.” Thorn replied contemptibly, and the Fyrjarl stared at him before the sapphire stallion stepped forwards, brushing his chest off before he rose his head high and said softly: “But what else could be expected from a preening king who is so proud to be a puppet, he gladly licks the hooves of whatever slag his mistress orders him to.”

“Shut your mouth, impudent vermin!” the Fyrjarl roared as he stepped forwards, and Thorn braced himself before the goliath slammed a kick into him hard enough to send him rocketing across the room and through the wall, the giant ignoring the surge of electricity that shocked along his limb and forgetting completely about Phraxis as he stormed after the sapphire stallion, shouting: “When Thokk rules, and all the broken realms are dragged back into one, little boy, I will ensure you have a special place serving me! And we will see who licks boots then, boy!”

Thorn groaned as he picked himself slowly up, his mechanical limb bleating faintly once as magic flickered brokenly over his body: his protection from the Archives had almost been shattered, even though he'd reinforced it. But as he slowly crawled up out of the rubble, he smiled tiredly as he looked across the waiting room he'd been kicked into to see Vextus Lux and Aphrodisia both gaping as Cadence leapt out of her seat, but the sapphire stallion only gestured with his head towards the rumbling that was drawing closer towards them by the second. “Negotiations have failed. Watch your head.”

The wall all but exploded as the Fyrjarl smashed through it, roaring: “Little boy, I am going to-”

Cadence felt the Swan seize control of her body, and in a flash she was in front of the giant's face, slamming a hoof across the black metal as it glowed white. She was as shocked as the others when her blow didn't just rattle the helm, but it tore a long gouge through the facemask, the Fyrjarl flinging himself backwards with a gasp of pained confusion as he clutched at his head.

“Swan?” he managed to blurt, before a lasso of frost snapped around his neck and yanked him down onto his back.

Immediately, Cadence felt the Swan move her again, ruthlessly and relentlessly pounding down into the giant's chest to slam a vicious volley of blows into his breastplate. Ivory energy tore effortlessly into the steel, making the Fyrjarl howl before she was blasted backwards by a vent of fire that exploded upwards when one of her blows tore through the breastplate, Cadence gasping as she was knocked into the air and her control over her own body returned.

She flipped gracelessly, but then flapped her wings hard, launching herself backwards and skidding to a halt as the giant yanked himself off the ground with a snarl. She could feel his eyes, his hatred,focusing on her acutely, and she felt the Swan almost shivering inside of her with a mixture of fear and fury.

For a few moments, they only stood, frozen in standoff as the Fyrjarl clutched the wound in his breastplate... and then he slowly lowered his hand, snorting quietly once as he said softly: “Well, well. So you hide behind a woman, little boy?”

Thorn only smiled wryly, and Cadence felt the Swan smile through her mouth before Danzsöngr replied contemptibly: “And we see that you are a slave to a witch, Surt of Muspell. How the proud have fallen; how the mighty have been broken. And you do not just wear the witch's collar around your neck... you have given up your power to her.”

“I am a thousand times stronger than a mere puppet!” the Fyrjarl, Surt, snarled, clenching a gauntlet into a fist before he pointed at her and said coldly: “I will give you one chance to get out of my way, Swan, or-”

“No. You fear me. You bluster and you threaten because you are afraid, Surt. And so you should be.” Danzsöngr replied coldly, and Cadence felt her body flex, felt the strangest sense of synchronicity filling her up, as if she and the Swan were locking together, were joining as one...

Cadence set herself as she rose her head, keeping her eyes locked on the goliath as Thorn said quietly: “Don't underestimate what he is capable of. We've never faced-”

“You never have. I have.” the Swan said from Cadence's mouth, and the mare shifted into a feline ready stance, her back arched and her hooves tense against the ground as she said softly: “He is ours to kill. And how the Valkyrie will envy us for it.”

“Valkyries or Swans, I do not fear you!” roared Surt, leaping forwards and slamming a steel fist down, but Cadence leapt sharply upwards and landed on his wrist before lunging straight into his face, slamming a hoof across his steel mask as it flared with white energy.

Surt snarled as his head snapped to the side, swinging his arm out, and he narrowly managed to clip Cadence and knock her off balance in midair, making her flail at the sky before she cried out as he seized her between his hands with a cruel grin as he began to crush-

The giant howled in misery as a scythe slammed home between his shoulderblades, knocking him to his knees, and then Aphrodisia leapt forwards and seized the end of her weapon, yanking it downwards to split his armor open before she swore as a gush of fire and magma burst out of the wound, hurriedly withdrawing as she tore her scythe loose. She tossed the steaming weapon away, dismissing it from reality with a wince before it could melt, and then Surt spun around and simply flung Cadence at the Inquisitor like a rock, snarling: “Pathetic whelps!”

The ivory mare slammed into the demon, but Aphrodisia only wheezed as she caught the mare against her body, crashing painfully backwards and skidding across the floor to thump into the wall opposite. “How are we going to-”

“He is mine, Inquisitor.” the Swan said coldly, and Cadence shoved herself off of Aphrodisia as she spun around, glaring at the Fyrjarl as he leaned towards her with a snarl. “I do not require the aid of any of you. He is mine, and mine alone.”

Yet even as the Swan spoke, Cadence felt a strange, subtle shifting in her body, a silent instruction as the fearsome giant snarled: “Your arrogance will be your undoing, little bird... I will rip your wings from your body before I crush you under my heel!”

The Swan gave Cadence a mental order, and she lunged sharply upwards, her eyes locked on the Fyrjarl. The giant's gauntlets snapped up towards her almost immediately, but Cadence twisted her body hard at the last moment, narrowly escaping the grab to instead gracefully shoot past the giant, her horn lashing out to rend a cut along his arm before she flipped her body around and slammed both rear hooves viciously into his featureless mask, rattling his senses.

He swept his other arm up towards her, but Cadence had already gracefully flung herself out of his reach, landing on all fours as the Swan smiled contemptibly before mocking: “It is little wonder you spent your days confined to rampaging throughout Muspell, Surt. You are weak and flimsy. No wonder you crave to be known as jarl: you must have to hide behind that title as you hide inside that ugly metal shell.”

“Be silent, Swan!” The Fyrjarl leapt forwards, his attention focusing almost wholly on Cadence as he slammed a fist down towards her: the mare easily stepped out of the way of the blow, however, leading the giant across the room as the others scattered to either side, and the Swan continued to smile mockingly through Cadence's features. It only infuriated Surt further, making him focus on her more and more as he tried to pounce on her, fists crashing down through the floor. “Face me, little bird, stop fluttering away!”

The Fyrjarl slashed a gauntlet out, trying to decapitate the mare, but Cadence smoothly ducked beneath it before she retaliated by lunging forwards and slamming a hoof into his stomach, tearing through his armor and gritting her teeth as flames erupted outwards along her leg. She yanked herself backwards, quickly backpedaling as the giant gasped and grasped his stomach, his legs trembling beneath him as he seemed to stare disbelievingly down at her through his featureless mask, but Cadence only looked coldly back before the Swan said contemptibly: “Little wonder we always considered Ymir to be the enemy, not you.”

The Fyrjarl roared in fury as he leapt forwards, slashing and clawing like an animal after Cadence, but Cadence concentrated on dodging and evading, gritting her teeth as she focused her magic through her own body to quicken her movements. Surt's attacks were wild and furious, smashing and crashing through the room, and Cadence didn't have time to check the positions of her allies, only hoping that they were staying out of the way before the Swan suddenly gave her an order that seemed suicidal, and yet Cadence forced herself to obey, all the same.

Surt lunged at her, and Cadence tried to shoot straight into the air, but gasped as she was caught between his strong hands. The Fyrjarl snarled at her triumphantly, leaning forwards as he crushed into her sides, making her writhe and hiss in pain as he growled: “Now who is weak, little puppet? Now who is the-”

A spear of ice slammed into the open wound in his back, and the Fyrjarl howled in misery before Aphrodisia lunged forwards, hooking her scythe into his ankle and yanking hard to jerk his leg out from under him, sending him crashing down on one knee. His hands automatically went out, flinging Cadence away, and Vextus Lux leapt out and caught her as Thorn Blackfeather lunged in and slammed his hoof into the giant's side with a flare of electricity.

Surt slammed his arm out, batting Thorn away as he snarled and staggered up to his hooves, roaring in frustration: “Stupid, worthless pony dreck! Honorless demon scum, how dare you-”

Cadence lunged forwards out of Vextus' grip, almost knocking the High Priestess over as the ivory mare sprang toward Surt's face, and the Fyrjarl swung a fist out too late, Cadence narrowly twisting out of the air before she slammed into his featureless mask and smashed through it, nearly knocking his helm off as the giant's head snapped back.

He stumbled as Cadence twisted around in midair and hovered at the ready a short distance away, Surt covering his face for a moment before he snarled, fire leaking through his fingers before his hands clenched into fists and dropped away from an ugly, flat skull as the broken metal plate that had covered his face bounced away across the ground. Fire danced and flickered around the ugly, yellowed bone as he hissed through rotten teeth: “You will pay for that, Swan...”

“I see now. Thokk did not even see fit to bring you back as Voidborn... only to make a puppet of your withered corpse.” the Swan said softly, before she smiled coldly as the burning skeleton-giant leaned forwards with a snarl, hellish light flaring in his sockets. “Growl as much as you like. You will not be growling for long.”

Surt stomped forwards, his metal armor steaming before his entire body burst into crimson flames, the Fyrjarl roaring: “Keep talking, Swan, but now I know your tricks and your treachery! Don't think that I'll be so easily taken in by your weakness!”

“Faith in my allies is not weakness.” the Swan said, and then Cadence felt herself propelled into a lunge, streaking towards the Fyrjarl even as the Swan mentally warned her to avoid contact with those deadly Muspell flames.

The Fyrjarl leapt at her, swinging an arm out, but Cadence twisted out of the way. Aphrodisia tried to take advantage of the opening, but she was rebuffed by a thrum of hellfire that almost lunged out of the giant's body, like the mantle of flames wrapped over his arm had an unholy life of its own.

Phraxis gestured sharply forwards, but the ice he conjured melted before it could even make contact with the Fyrjarl, the devil narrowing his eyes. Yet he didn't let up, creating another set of frosty spikes that he fired into the giant, ordering sharply: “Keep up the pressure!”

Thorn withdrew for a moment, narrowing his eyes as Vextus Lux dropped back beside him, asking quietly: “Can we outlast him? The amount of energy he's putting out...”

“We can stop him. Amplify Aphrodisia.” Thorn instructed, and Vextus grimaced even as she nodded, stepping quickly back as Thorn called up a holographic screen, sharply tapping commands over it.

Aphrodisia looked suddenly, sharply up as Vextus Lux focused on her, before the Inquisitor leapt back from the fray as Cadence distracted the Fyrjarl with several sharp blasts of white energy. As the giant staggered backwards, raising his arms to defend his skull, Aphrodisia dismissed her scythe and braced herself, baring her needle-like teeth as her eyes clenched shut.

Her body rippled, orange veins pulsing through her flesh as horns pushed up through her mane, muscle bulging and expanding rapidly as a rumbling growl built in her throat. Her eyes opened, becoming burning blue pits, as she exhaled a burst of toxic orange smog, tripling in size before she lunged forwards as cloven hooves snapped apart into monstrous claws, the demon ignoring the burst of flame from the cloak of hellfire that washed over her before she tore down through the giant's leg, knocking him crashing to a kneel with a gasp.

The enraged demon slammed her shoulder into his breast before she tackled him, and then she leaned down and vomited out a stream of corrosive smog over his features, the Fyrjarl howling as his flames bit and tore at the demon until he finally managed to kick her off. But Aphrodisia caught herself in midair and flipped gracefully, landing with a bang on her hooves as she grinned savagely, monstrous body flexing with power as she charged back towards the giant-

Surt suddenly kicked a foot up with a snarl, slamming it with a crunch into the Inquisitor's face and sending the demon stumbling before he rose a fist; before he could finish off the staggering demon, Cadence shot down and smashed a hoof across his brittle skull, cracking it and knocking him stumbling backwards with a howl as he automatically covered his face, the fiery cloak around his body twisting and lashing wildly out in all directions, driving the ivory mare backwards with a grimace.

Aphrodisia recovered with a shake of her head, then hissed through her teeth at a mental order from Vextus, the mare quickly withdrawing. She didn't even seem to be aware that her body was aflame and her muzzle was a broken, bloody mess, only lowering her head almost impatiently as Vextus quickly began to heal her, the demon thrumming with magical energy as she muttered: “I can't keep up the amplification for much longer, Thorn.”

Thorn didn't reply, even as the Fyrjarl picked himself up before he grunted in surprise as ice shot through the ground beneath him, shattering the floor and knocking him back to his knees, before he hissed in frustration as the ice evaporated into reeking mist around him from his own cloak of flames. He began to shove himself back up through the fog obscuring him, before he swore as several blasts of white energy smashed against his body, making his armor rattle where they struck as he growled: “Are you too afraid to fight me?”

He stomped forwards, clearing the mist with a wave of an arm only to see Aphrodisia lunging at him, but this time he reacted fast enough to bring an elbow down into her head before his knee swung up, catching her under the jaw and knocking her crashing backwards in a bloody spray. She hit the ground hard and skidded backwards with a gurgle as Vextus Lux flinched and gasped in pain.

The Fyrjarl's eyes locked on the High Priestess, a fireball appearing in his hand before he flung it sharply down at her. The demon didn't react fast enough: she managed to avoid being struck directly, but the explosion still caught her and sent her flying bonelessly backwards, the blast powerful enough to send Thorn skidding several feet as well.

He grinned, then snarled as Cadence lunged in, swatting at her: she avoided the first strike, but this time the Fyrjarl was ready, bringing his other fist up and smashing her across the room with the powerful strike. She crashed into the wall with enough force to crack the stone before she fell from the air with a gasp, and the giant turned his attention towards her with a cold smile, saying softly: “You are all so fragile, in the end. Fragile, and stupid.”

“You will never escape here.” Phraxis said calmly from behind him, and Surt snorted in contempt. “This is pointless. Surrender and your attempts on our lives will be overlooked. Continue to fight and you will be destroyed.”

“You would never understand, dog of Hel. I am not afraid of death. I live for it.” Surt retorted, and then he smiled coldly as he began to step towards Cadence, before he frowned slightly at the sound of a throat clearing.

Thorn Blackfeather stepped forwards as he dismissed his holographic screen, the sapphire stallion saying quietly: “Final warning. Surrender, or you will be neutralized and captured.”

The Fyrjarl only smiled contemptibly, and then he spread his arms wide as his cloak of flames flared over his armor, saying mockingly: “Go ahead, little boy. Pretend to be a hero. But know that I will never be taken alive.”

Thorn smiled thinly, then he simply flicked his horn to the side, and the Fyrjarl stumbled backwards in shock as a massive vortex spun into being in the ceiling, making the room shake violently. He stumbled back a step before falling to a kneel, snarling and shouting in disbelief: “Not possible! I... I insulated-”

“Against Archive interference. But that means I can override Archive authority as well. Welcome to Decretum.” Thorn said, ruthless, as a massive turret on a square platform fell out of the vortex, the weapon already gearing up as several Worker Drones rapidly prepared the weapon.

The Fyrjarl snarled, then lunged to his feet, raising a fist, but Thorn was faster as he stomped his mechanical foreleg against the ground, unleashing a pulse of lightning through the floor that only tickled the others but sent Surt crashing down with a howl of misery and shock as his entire armor lit up like a neon sign.

He screamed as he twisted back and forth beneath the arcs of lightning ripping back and forth across his armor, his cloak of flames wildly lashing back and forth across his body before he looked up, almost desperately stretching towards the cannon-

The weapon sizzled, and a massive blast of lightning erupted from the turret, smashing across the giant as Cadence slowly forced herself to sit up, watching with disbelief as Surt screamed. Across his body, his metal armor trembled violently, the plates popping and tearing loose across his frame in smoking ruin, magma and flame washing out of his body as he clutched helplessly at himself.

Thorn only watched, calm and cold, as lightning coursed and danced over Surt until the turret finally geared down, the stream of lightning crackling to a halt and leaving Surt laying on the ground, gasping and twitching helplessly. His armor was nothing but a broken ruin, black and melted here and there against his skeletal frame, slag and fire and half-liquefied red gemstones spilling from his body like blood as he looked up disbelievingly at Thorn.

Thorn looked back at him for a moment, and then he glanced over at the turret, ordering calmly: “Prepare specimen for transport. Class II, risk level B. Requires full seal.”

“I-Impossible... no...” Surt rasped, before the skeleton snarled as he slowly reached forwards... but the flames over his body were already dying, magic and material essence both visibly bleeding out without his armor to contain his body, his jaws working spasmodically as he hissed: “H-How...”

“We classify entities like you as semicorporeal, anchor-dependent. You have blood quartz throughout your armor to help stabilize and empower you. I applied an electrical charge that your ferromagnetic armor held every time I struck you or you struck me. Then I overloaded you, and the tesla coil did the rest and superheated your armor, stripping it of both magnetic bond and the magic holding you together.” Thorn calmly explained, and Surt stared at him before the sapphire stallion smiled thinly. “I'll put it in a way you can understand, Fyrjarl: I melted you.”

The Fyrjarl snarled, then he lunged suddenly upwards, tearing out of the remains of his armor as he launched himself towards Thorn. But Thorn didn't even flinch as a wave of ice erupted upwards, the skeleton screaming in agony as the cold frost snared tightly around his body, quenching his flames and leaving the ruined skeleton hanging limply in the air as Phraxis commented: “This goes against Helheim law.”

“My duties as regent of Decretum supersede my obligations to the Archives.” Thorn said calmly, and he met Phraxis' eyes as he asked politely: “I trust you have no issues with removing this subject to Decretum for interrogation?”

“I do. But I am in no position to deny the request, considering the circumstances.” Phraxis replied after a moment, as the Fyrjarl struggled weakly in the ice, the giant skeleton rasping and hissing. “Besides. I don't think you'll get much of a chance to question him. Without his armor...”

“We have ways of keeping our prisoners alive for as long as we need.” Thorn replied, and Cadence thought that was one of the most frightening things she had ever heard the stallion say, before she frowned uneasily as the tesla coil geared up again. “Will you please seal the captive in a block of ice? It only has to hold for a moment.”

The Fyrjarl managed to swear at them one last time before frost twisted over his form entirely, leaving him completely sealed inside a coffin of ice as Phraxis grimaced a bit and brushed at himself slowly. But he remained silent, all conscious eyes instead only watching as the tesla coil didn't roar so much as hiss, lighting crackling over the already-melting ice casket and making it glow brightly before it was hefted slowly into the air, and Thorn smiled slightly as he tilted his head to the side and stated: “Cleared for transport.”

The vortex that was still spinning above the turret began to spin even faster, bright light shining down from it as the tesla coil began to vibrate, before it and the trapped Fyrjarl were slowly dragged up through the air into the portal. Thorn watched as they slowly but steadily vanished before he cocked his head in surprise as the door to the room was slammed open and one of Hel's ice puppets dashed through, dancing back and forth as she shouted: “Hey, hey, wait, you come back here with that!”

But a moment later, the vortex slammed shut, and the ice puppet let her arms drop as she stared up at where, only a moment ago, the hole in reality to Decretum had been. She twitched after a moment, then spun on her heel towards Thorn, grinding her teeth together before she asked disgustedly: “And what the my name was that?”

“The Fyrjarl was an agent of Thokk. I sent him to Decretum for processing and interrogation.” Thorn stated, and a moment later he was slammed back into the wall and pinned against the stone by a furious glare from Hel, the stallion grimacing but refusing to lower his gaze from Hel's even as the ice puppet slowly advanced on him.

“Now, now. You know that I can overlook a lot of things, Thorn – and I do have to admit I'm a teensy-tiny bit impressed you were smart enough to figure out how to sneak some help in here, shielding or no shielding – but there are also certain things that I just can't ignore!” Hel stated, and Cadence thought she caught a moment of hesitance before Hel suddenly stepped back and ordered sharply: “Hey! Ascarion! I need your corpse in here, pronto!”

A thrum passed through the room, and Aphrodisia stirred back to consciousness just in time to shiver and lower her head as a tall figure faded into reality. It was dressed in long black robes that fell around its body like a kimono, manicured black claws tented in front of itself as it bowed its ram's skull head towards Hel, asking in an unearthly voice: “How may I be of service, your majesty?”

“Ascarion, this High Inquisitor has overstepped his bounds and needs punishment.” Hel said moodily, gesturing sharply at Thorn before she sighed as Thorn continued to look at her pointedly, muttering: “Yeah, yeah, I get it. He needs to be punished after he finishes his job for me. Handle it.”

With that, Hel simply vanished, and Thorn fell loose from the wall, landing with a thump. Ascarion studied him almost curiously, his eyes burning like golden candles before his bony jaw seemed to stretch into a smile, as he asked softly: “Do you understand the rite of obligation?”

“I do, and you have my word that I will be present once my business is complete.” Thorn replied evenly, and Ascarion seemed satisfied by this, nodding slowly.

Still, the creature lingered, and Cadence shifted uneasily as the strange entity drew its eyes over them searchingly before it finally settled on her. They looked at each other for a few long moments, and then Ascarion slowly pointed towards her, making a brief tapping gesture. Then it drew its claw back, tapping beneath one of its sockets gently, and it chuckled quietly as it faded from reality without another word.

“What the hell was all that about?” Cadence asked moodily, as she grimaced and pushed herself up to her hooves. She felt a little wobbly, but the Swan was quiet at least, which helped her focus back on what had just happened as she asked with a bit more urgency: “And Thorn, are you okay? I mean, what does it mean that-”

“That is enough for now. Lord Blackfeather, we still have a task to complete.” Phraxis interrupted, and Cadence gave the Ice Devil a sour look.

Thorn only shook his head, however, raising a hoof and muttering: “I'm fine. Vextus? Aphrodisia?”

Vextus Lux looked up with a small smile, and Aphrodisia rumbled as she rose her head before nodding once and closing her eyes tightly, wheezing as her body slowly returned to normal. She smiled even as her stretched hat fell a little loose on her head, awkwardly tugging at her scarf as she said lamely: “Yep! Still a little... grumpy, but I'm good to go!”

Cadence looked uncertainly over at the Inquisitor, who clearly still had a few burns and wounds over her body, and who had just transformed before her eyes. The ivory mare resisted asking any questions for now, however, as Thorn said finally: “Alright. Check your equipment, then meet Lord Phraxis and I back in the lobby. We have to catch up to Lord Penumbra so we can question him.”

Cadence saluted, figuring it was better not to argue, and that Thorn was really just giving them a moment to rest while he and Phraxis danced through more of Helheim's ridiculous bureaucracy. She grimaced a bit as the two left the room before slumping a little, awkwardly rubbing at her armored body before she looked up in surprise as Aphrodisia bounced over to her: either her wounds weren't as bad as Cadence thought, or she was a lot more resilient than the ivory mare had expected. “Hi!”

“Uh... hi.” Cadence said after a moment, before she asked: “So are you okay?”

“Yep!” Aphrodisia smiled brightly as Vextus Lux joined them, the Inquisitor bowing her head towards the High Priestess. “Well, mostly! See, I've got lots of Wrath in me, so I heal super-fast, especially when Lady Lux amplifies me!”

Aphrodisia paused, then she suddenly leaned in close and waggled her eyebrows, adding: “But I'm half-Lust, too, so I can also turn pain into pleasure, you know, and I saw you take quite a nasty hit there. But if you want, I can totally-”

“Uh. Okay. Thanks. Really.” Cadence awkwardly pushed Aphrodisia away by the face, grimacing a bit as she leaned away from the demon. “What do you mean, 'amplify?'”

“In a way, demons represent specific elements of sin. That is how we typify ourselves beyond just physical differences.” Vextus Lux explained, as Aphrodisia huffed a little, then childishly licked Cadence's hoof to make the mare wince and draw it quickly back. “A succubus, for example, represents lust, and specifically physical desires, physical hungers. But through amplification, I can bring out other characteristics that are often associated with certain sins... such as with Wrath subtypes, the ability to numb one's self to pain.”

“Yep! I feel pretty great!” Aphrodisia said brightly, even as she poked at one of the large burns on her foreleg, and Cadence winced in spite of herself at the sight. “I can also feel myself healing faster! Isn't that cool? But the downside is that all our bad parts get amplified, too, so I kind of want of either sexually eat you because you're really pretty or literally eat you because you're really pretty.”

Aphrodisia licked her lips visibly, and Cadence stared at her before Vextus Lux said gently: “Aphrodisia, dear. I know you're a little silly right now, but please don't say things like that out loud. Some people might not be so understanding.”

“Oh, right, yep! I'll do my best to shush myself.” Aphrodisia promised, nodding and covering her mouth with an embarrassed smile before she looked over at Cadence and asked in a naive, almost-innocent voice: “You still like me plenty, right?”

“Uh. Yeah.” Cadence said after a moment, and then she shook her head before she rubbed slowly at her face and muttered: “And... you know, thanks for helping out against Surt. I really couldn't have done it without you guys. And Thorn, obviously. Although it would have been nice for Phraxis to have done more. And maybe stood up for Thorn afterwards...”

“Phraxis is an Ice Devil, dear. He does what is logical. And, strange as it may sound, he is extremely passionate in his own way, and has immense respect for Thorn Blackfeather. Trust him.” Vextus Lux said, and Cadence sighed a little, but then forced herself to nod, almost in resignation. “Do you need any healing?”

“I'm...” Cadence absently touched her body, then she frowned a little. Sure, her armor was badly damaged, but that was to be expected from the force she had been punched with. What she hadn't expected was... “I'm fine, actually. I mean, yes, I hurt like hell and I feel like I just got run over by a train, but... I don't think any of my bones are broken or anything.”

“Are you sure?” Vextus asked with a slight frown, leaning towards her and reaching a hoof up, and Cadence grimaced a bit, but forced herself not to stiffen too much even as the demon's magic pulsed over her. “How strange... but I suppose that a warrior like you must be durable indeed.”

“Thorn said there were... changes. I was just a normal pony once, but...” Cadence looked down at one of her golden hooves as her long tail flicked uncertainly behind her, before she shook herself quickly out and said finally: “Should we regroup, then? I'm sure Thorn and Phraxis must both want to get to Penumbra. And I'm kind of eager to punch him in the face myself.”

“Careful, okay?” Aphrodisia piped up suddenly, and Cadence looked at the Inquisitor with surprise. The demon was smiling at her, but her eyes were strangely knowing, for a demon who normally seemed so bright and oblivious. “We don't want to underestimate him. But even more than that, Hell super especially is a place where you don't want to start giving in to all those nasty urges. Because I know you're a good person, Cadence, not a bad person at all, but... it's easy to get lost, isn't it?”

The two looked at each other steadily for a few moments, and then Cadence smiled a little after a moment, feeling almost ashamed of herself and as if she had misjudged this odd Inquisitor, as she murmured: “Yeah. It is. Thanks, Aphrodisia.”

“No problem!” Aphrodisia said brightly, and then Cadence winced when the demon leaned forwards and hugged her fiercely before she almost purred: “I do still really want to just eat you up, though!”

“Okay, okay, let's go.” Cadence grumbled, shoving the mare loose, and Aphrodisia giggled as she landed with a thump on her rump before the ivory mare shook her head and turned around to head towards the doors, trying to focus on the task at hoof even as the Swan shifted strangely inside of her, musing on the words of the Inquisitor.

Triumph Without Meaning

Chapter Fifty Eight: Triumph Without Meaning
~BlackRoseRaven

Moonflower lay in a broken sprawl, his flank torn open, his blood spilling over the floor. His horn pulsed erratically as he desperately tried to sustain a forcefield around himself and La Croix and Freya. The zebra was frantically trying to keep the Valkyrie alive, and Freya was laying still, and silent, her eyes staring emptily at the ceiling, her mouth moving every now and then as if she was talking with someone.

Sombra roared, his eyes blazing, his body more shadow and smoke than it was flesh as miasma streamed from his eyes. He slashed and raged through the low elementals surging around them, burning with ruthless animal fury, seemingly unstoppable even as the bestial elementals attacked on all sides. But even the monster he had become was slowly weakening under the endless tide of elementals surging all around them, slashing with claws of steel, biting with gemstone jaws, breathing flame and ice and biting wind-

A blast of antimagic erupted through the crowd, knocking elementals flying before it slammed into Sombra and sent him crashing back-first into the forcefield with a scream of misery. The magic shield shattered as well, Moonflower gasping as he was knocked onto his side by the force of the dispelling energy, his body quaking with pain as La Croix flinched, then looked up with horror as some ghastly, monstrous, ugly thing floated over them, whispering: “You shall join us. You shall join the Prime.”

The thing began to lean down, and La Croix stared up at it with horror as the elementals began to close back in all around them, and then the Primordial suddenly stiffened, raising its featureless head as its mishmash of eyes widened in horror, rasping: “Impossible!”

Reality itself trembled for a moment before a vortex spiraled open. Many of the elementals immediately turned towards this, roaring and surging for the portal, but they were greeted by several blasts of magic that streaked out of the vortex, blowing monsters into pieces before a goliath of steel leapt out of the portal, chains snapping around the massive Destroyer as it roared: “Run or die!”

Several elementals charged the goliath, but the humongous demon grinned beneath its draconic, steely mask, the chains extending from its back lashing down to seize around victims and fling them around like toys or simply tear them to pieces, as the tall unicorn horn jutting from its head thrummed with white magic. The Destroyer waded fearlessly into the fray as more demons tore out of the rift, and for the first time in his life, La Croix was relieved to see them, croaking a laugh as he whispered: “Well... maybe the second, Nanny Hel...”

Then his eyes widened in surprise as Cadence leapt out before the portal closed, the Loa leaning up as far as he could as he shouted in a hoarse voice: “Cygne! We here, Cygne! Aidez-moi!”

“Encircle the wounded! Destroy the enemy!” shouted Cadence, and the demons plowed through the tide of elementals, smashing their way through their opponents as Cadence's eyes locked on the hideous, grisly thing that was now snarling in fury at them, floating above her injured friends. “Vextus, heal them!”

Cadence launched herself at the beast, and the Primordial howled as it lunged back at her, the two crashing into each other in midair. But its claws raked uselessly at the gleaming white armor Cadence was enshelled in, hissing with shock as its malformed head reared back: “This enchantment is-”

A crescent dagger appeared in Cadence's hoof, the mare driving forwards and slicing through its throat before it could finish its sentence. The beast gurgled as it clutched at its neck, scattered eyes wide with shock before Cadence ruthlessly slammed her other hoof forwards as it burst into white flames, crushing in the features of the Primordial and sending it crashing bonelessly to the ground as she checked quickly on her friends.

Vextus was already tending to Freya, as Aphrodisia grasped Sombra and dragged him backwards while her scythe slashed and tore through the air around her, cutting apart any elemental that dared to come close. It took all of Cadence's strength not to fall back into that circle, but the Primordial shivering beneath her was enough to force her to return her attention to the fray.

She dropped down towards the Primordial, but it flung itself backwards, hissing as it yanked itself hurriedly away from her. It was all sagging gray skin and melted body parts mushed together into some long limbed thing that floated into the air in plain defiance of gravity, long, bony claws flexing as its mashed and ugly, swarm-eyed face glared at her, hissing through the multiple mouths that ran up along one side of its tilted head: “We will not be deterred! The Prime is prepared!”

“The Prime can suck an egg.” Cadence said shortly, as she quickly drew her other crescent dagger, floating slowly in the air. Her armor thrummed over her body, and although she could see clawmarks where the creature had attacked her, she was pleased to see Tormentas had been right: the powerful magic running through it had repelled the Primordial's powers. But she wasn't about to underestimate this thing, whatever it was.

The Primordial studied her for a moment, and then it suddenly grinned before hugging itself... and Cadence's eyes widened in disbelief as the beast seemed to turn itself inside out, transforming into an elegant, androgynous being with a long, fish-like tail, the entity floating in the air as electricity hummed and crackled quietly around it. It tilted its head towards her, saying in a voice that was echoing and soft, yet still had that same cruel undertone, that same crackling in its words: “Can you harm us now?”

Cadence lunged forwards, slashing a dagger out, and she swore as she was repelled by the entity before it seized her. But almost the moment its grip locked on her, the Primordial gasped and flung her backwards: where it had touched, Cadence's armor had blackened and burnt, but its own fingers had reverted to a bony claw, the Primordial snarling as it hissed: “Ancient Aesir magic cannot protect you for-”

Chains snapped down around the creature's throat, and it gurgled in shock before a glowing white hoof stomped down on the Primordial's head, driving it down into the ground. It screamed and flailed uselessly, squealing as it spasmed in all directions, but the Destroyer only watched callously for a moment before it bore down as its huge steel hoof crushed down with a burst of purification, the Primordial flinching once with a gasp before its remains charred away into nothingness.

Cadence glared at the Destroyer, but the Destroyer looked calmly back before she straightened, snorting in derision as her steel mask snapped away from her features, revealing the features of a beautiful, rose-colored mare with a mane of burning gold flames, the Destroyer saying calmly: “You were taking too long, Swan, and we don't have time to waste.”

“Morning Glory, you said your name was, right?” Cadence asked sourly, and the Destroyer simply smiled at her thinly before Cadence pointed towards the wide entrance of the hall, where the last of the Elementals were hurriedly fleeing to, yelping and whimpering as the demons shouted after them. “Take two demons and do a quick patrol. Rout any enemies you come across, and-”

“Wait, mi amore.” whispered her father's voice, and Cadence immediately turned towards him with a mixture of worry and relief. But the stallion was seated up, leaning against Aphrodisia as he smiled shakily, even though Cadence could see orange venom running from a fresh bite wound in his neck, and Aphrodisia was looking worriedly at the old stallion. “There are... creatures like the Voidborn. Husks. They are not strong but they are difficult to kill. But this is all a trap, something is terribly wrong here...”

Cadence frowned, and Morning Glory snorted before she began contemptibly: “The only thing wrong here is how weak these pathetic curs are, and-”

“Please curb your temper, Morning Glory. We have no time for silly disputes.” Tormentas said gently, and Morning Glory grimaced a bit before she shifted a little, her eyes lingering strangely on Freya, who seemed... shellshocked, Cadence thought uneasily. “Something is indeed wrong here, however. The environment is strange.”

“The air feels bad.” Aphrodisia agreed, and then she looked worriedly at Sombra as he closed his eyes and bowed his head forwards, a bit of poison still leaking from his horn and strange shadows playing over his body. “Are you okay, mister? You taste a little like my uncle but I don't want to give you any more poison, it might hurt you, but I mean, if you really need it...”

Sombra only smiled faintly at the mare, shaking his head as he said softly: “Thank you, cucciola, but I think I will be fine. It seems you all arrived just in time.”

“Just as Hel planned it.” Cadence muttered, and then she shook her head quickly before she turned her eyes towards Vextus Lux, who had paused in healing Moonflower and was now sitting with her head high and her ears pricked: she had attracted the nervous eyes of several other demons, which made Cadence feel distinctly uneasy as she asked worriedly: “Vextus?”

The large mare looked towards Cadence after a moment, but her eyes were still gazing off into nothing as her mouth moved wordlessly, before she suddenly flinched and snapped back to reality, saying sharply: “We have to signal a retreat!”

“What?” Cadence's eyes widened slightly, before she asked in disbelief: “But why? Vextus, what did you sense?”

“I don't know. I can't put it into words, but it's like I can feel the tethers tying this world together being ruptured by something.” Vextus replied anxiously, shaking her head quickly before she returned her attention to Moonflower, adding uneasily: “My magic is weaker than it should be, as well... something is wrong. And the feeling is only growing.”

“I would suggest we listen to the High Priestess.” Tormentas said calmly, looking towards the ivory mare before she bowed her head slightly, adding quietly: “But ultimately we will defer to your command, Lady Cadence.”

“Great.” Cadence muttered, and then she shook her head quickly before she approached the group. She traded a quick hug with her father, and the contact alone reassured her, his presence giving her strength before she took a breath and asked: “So what happened here?”

“Thokk.” La Croix shook his head slowly, and then he grimaced a bit and awkwardly pushed Vextus Lux back when the demon tried to focus her magic on him. “Uh, merci, but my kind don't react too well to your magic. You just focus on gettin' that rein de la nuit back up on his hooves, yeah?”

“Wait, Thokk herself? But she...” Cadence halted, before she smiled awkwardly when she felt her father gently grasp her shoulder.

“I see you have some tales yourself, Cadenza, but for now, perhaps we should withdraw. There are other teams: they may be in trouble as well.” Sombra advised, and Cadence nodded quickly and straightened.

She ignored the scowl that Morning Glory sent her, instead asking: “Moonflower, can you stand? And I need somepony to carry Freya. We withdraw towards the portal.”

“You are in charge. Not the stallion. So act like it.” Morning Glory reprimanded, even as she strode over to Freya and almost gently wrapped the strange, living chains extending from her body around the mare, carefully hefting her up over the huge, shell-like covering on her back. Cadence glowered over at the Destroyer as Moonflower hobbled up to his hooves, but Morning Glory had already turned her eyes towards the stallion, snorting in distaste as she said moodily: “You remind me of my brother.”

“He must be incredibly handsome, then.” Moonflower mumbled, as his legs shook a little under him, before he groaned and added tiredly: “Or bludgeoned into a million pieces on a regular basis.”

“He would say the former. I would say the latter.” Morning Glory responded, before she looked up and ordered to her fellow Destroyers: “Helguard! Clear the way!”

“I am in charge of this operation!” Cadence snapped, and the Helguard hesitated as Morning Glory turned a thin smile towards her, Cadence glaring up at the demon.

“You aren't acting like it. Either rule, or step aside and let someone else do the job for you.” Morning Glory said contemptibly, and then her steel mask snapped in place over her features as she leaned down so her nose almost pressed into Cadence's, hot breath washing over the ivory mare's face as she added contemptibly: “I am here as a favor to Hel. My allegiance lies elsewhere.”

“You are here under my command. And we are all in this together. What I choose to do is take the advice of the people I trust.” Cadence replied evenly, putting her temper in check even as the Swan twisted inside her in anger at the demon. “We are going to withdraw. And we are going to do so as a group.”

Cadence turned her attention away from Morning Glory, saying clearly as all eyes focused on her: “Team 0-0, stay in the center. Morning Glory, you'll be behind them, and I want you to continue to tend to the wounded while we move, Vextus. I'll take the lead with Tormentas and Aphrodisia. I want a Destroyer behind us, as well as two artillery mages. The rest of you, follow behind the group, with a Destroyer bringing up the vanguard. I will not lose any lives to an ambush from the rear.”

There was silence for a few moments, but then Morning Glory snorted before she barked: “Well, you heard the mare! Get into position!”

Tormentas smiled in amusement as she strode quickly up beside Cadence, and the ivory mare admittedly felt a bit of relief as she strode to take the lead. “I think you might have taken a step towards earning a bit of respect.”

“That's what I need, really. Respect.” Cadence said wryly, and then she shook her head quickly before focusing ahead, adding as the Swan gave a slow, uneasy twist inside of her: “I think I'm starting to feel what Vextus was talking about, though... something's not right.”

“Yeah. Something's wrong.” agreed Aphrodisia, the Inquisitor chewing nervously on her lip, and Tormentas frowned in surprise as she looked over at her: but what surprised Cadence was that Tormentas didn't seem to be dismissive, but more concerned than she had been when Vextus had mentioned it. “Elska is worried.”

“Then let's move with all haste.” Tormentas said after a moment with a quick shake of her head, and Cadence checked over her shoulder, letting her eyes linger for a moment on her wounded friends. She smiled at them when she saw the three ponies looking at her, before she looked for a moment longer at Freya, and then she turned her eyes forwards.

“Move out!” Cadence shouted, and the group fell in behind her without question, demons and her own teammates moving as one. Moonflower and La Croix leaned against each other, and Sombra walked with head high even as poison streamed from his eyes, and when Cadence snuck another look over her shoulder, she had never felt more proud of her team than in this of all moments.

A group of lesser, animal Elementals attacked them in one of the corridors, but Cadence barely had to react: Aphrodisia and Tormentas tore several of the creatures apart in moments, and the rest fled with squeals and shrieks. Yet already, Cadence could sense there was something much worse going on outside the walls of the castle, and she wondered uneasily if that meant that the portal hadn't been successfully moved into position...

But it was even worse than she had thought: they pushed through a door, and suddenly they weren't standing in a building, but in broken, torn-apart ruins, like an entire section of this facility had simply been erased from existence. Cadence stared out with disbelief across debris and shattered stone, looking back and forth as she mouthed wordlessly at the sight of the devastation, the destruction sprawled before her... and all of it, absolutely reeking of chaos energies that pricked at her skin, now that she was no longer shielded inside the walls of a building.

She gritted her teeth, studying the melted stone, the broken ruins, before she swore under her breath as she saw the massive, one-way vortex had somehow been stopped on the approach to the facility instead of breaching as she remembered Hecate had planned. Either the anchors had been set incorrectly or they had been destroyed, and considering that she could no longer tell the difference between melted facility floor and rotten, broken stone exterior, she thought it was probably the latter.

“Tormentas, Aphrodisia, you two are with me. The rest of you, make your way slowly towards that portal! Vextus Lux, you're in command.” Cadence said quickly over her shoulder, and then she broke away from the group before anyone could argue, Tormentas and Aphrodisia both following her as they ran through the ruins, heading towards the largest knot of activity that Cadence could see.

Cadence grimaced as they ran best several fallen drones: so at least it looked like a good amount of the infantry forces had been deployed, but from what she could see, the Elementals and strange, ghastly-looking ponies she supposed were probably the Husks her father had spoken of...

The ivory mare flinched as a much-larger beast ripped suddenly out of the earth, the massive worm diving towards her with a howl, but Tormentas immediately stepped in front of her with a cold smile, her horn giving a powerful thrum before several massive chain bolas appeared in mid-whirl through the air, slamming into the side of the worm and driving it to the ground as it screamed in agony.

But it only took the massive insect a few moments to wriggle free, shattering through the barbed chains and leaving an black ichor behind it as it retreated into the ground, and Tormentas narrowed her eyes before she said shortly: “Void creatures.”

“Are you sure?” Cadence asked quickly, and Tormentas only nodded: of course she was. Cadence had no idea how, but at the same time, she trusted the instincts of the mare as she turned to continue quickly forwards, her eyes locking on a group of ponies that were attempting to hold back under an onslaught of Husks and Elementals.

Cadence leapt on the back of a wolf made of stone, making it snarl before she drew a dagger and slammed it down into the back of its neck, driving it to the ground with a yelp. She jackknifed the dead beast, snapping her horn forwards to send a blast of white energy into another Elemental, knocking it flat as she shouted: “Cat! Lancer!”

“Where the hell did you come from?” the earth pony shouted at her, sounding more aggravated than thankful, and Cadence rolled her eyes before she leapt past him and twisted to slam both rear hooves into the face of a Husk that had been about to leap onto his back.

“Hell!” she answered shortly, and then she quickly leapt up to the side of Cat, who looked as calm as ever beneath his cowl, even as he struggled to stay on his hooves, Peridot swearing as she leaned against him even as she poured healing magic into the wound in his side. “Situation?”

“A massive enemy ambush came out of nowhere.” Peridot answered, a tremble in her voice even as she focused on her work. “I... I don't know where Sanctum is and they tore Dino apart, we lost all communication with the Command Team and something huge just... vaporized the entire wall! I don't even know where-”

“Hey, need some help here!” shouted Lancer, as a massive rock golem stormed towards him, roaring in fury. The stallion flinched, staggering backwards as the monster swung its fists at him angrily, fingers narrowly scraping through his mane before he squawked when a huge hand snagged against his hair. “Hey hey hey help!”

Cadence began to ready herself, before the golem suddenly stiffened, then simply crumbled apart as Aphrodisia yanked her scythe loose from its back, the Inquisitor smiling brightly through the collapsing stone and waving to Lancer as a few loose rocks tumbled around his head. “Hi there! You okay?”

“Uh. Yeah. Hey, Court, Hoof, Brute, you guys okay?” Lancer called over the cacophony of the battle, and there was one response, then a second as a pony stuck his head out from behind the sparking ruins of a machine, before Lancer swore as there was no third response, scrambling to his hooves and looking back and forth as he grit his teeth.

Cadence swore herself as she hurried over to Lancer, following him as Cataskeuastros only lowered his head, and Peridot gritted her teeth, ignoring the tears in her eyes as she focused on her work. But it was hard to ignore the shout of pain and fury that rose up as Lancer fell on his knees beside the corpse of Heavy Hoof, punching the ground as he clenched his eyes shut, and Cadence shook her head before she murmured: “I'm sorry.”

Lancer only whispered a curse in response, then he took a breath as Cadence grasped his shoulder before he nodded once, shoving himself up and wiping a foreleg across his eyes as he muttered: “We're... all in this together. No time to be a little bitch. Let's regroup.”

“Yeah.” Cadence halted, before she looked up in surprise at a loud, distinct buzzing, the remains of the robot twitching as Court shouted for their attention.

A moment later, a loud squealing filled the air before it was cut off in a blurt of static, then finally solidified into more than just noise as the ponies hurried towards it, a voice repeating sharply: “-all contact with Decretum has been lost! Warning, all contact with Decretum has been lost, recalling all soldiers! Regroup immediately with the Command Team for emergency evacuation!”

Then the signal cut out as suddenly as it had come, and Cadence grimaced as Courtly Love leaned quickly up, saying hurriedly: “That must be why there's so much activity up the hill, but it's a no-pony's land out there, if we go out there alone-”

“My team-” A quick glance at Tormentas and Aphrodisia.”-we'll head straight for the hill to give support to Command. Team 0-0 is being escorted by a force to the same zone: you shouldn't have a problem catching up to them. The whole group should be able to handle pushing through the battlefield.”

Courtly Love rubbed worriedly at his face, smearing his features like wax, and Cadence added quietly: “You're all wounded and low on energy. Even you, Court, you might as well revert to Changeling form because you're bleeding through anyway.”

The Changeling smiled embarrassedly at this, body flickering before he lost his stallion-like features to revert to the shape of a drone. And then, to Cadence's surprise, Lancer rose his head and said firmly: “You heard the mare. Just keep yourself alive out there, Cadence, it's a slaughter.”

“Keep an eye on the team, Lancer, we're all in this-”

Light.

Sound.

And then Cadence was laying on her side, gasping for air as she picked herself slowly up out of the mud, mouthing wordlessly before she was seized by strong hooves and hauled upwards. Her body arched as a powerful wave of energy pumped through her, the mare gasping before she looked sharply straight up, and stared in disbelief at the sight of some massive, ominous floating shape above, shaking her head weakly before she looked back and forth.

By some miracle, everyone was still alive-

No. Not everyone, she realized, as she saw Peridot shaking Cataskeuastros, the unicorn yelling at his corpse helplessly as she tried desperately to wake him up, but he was glassy-eyed, empty, unmoving.

Lancer gasped as he picked himself up from beside her, his body shaking, before Tormentas firmly grasped Cadence and said calmly and gently: “We have to go.”

Somehow, it was so much more effective than a shout had been, forcing her to listen, to process, and Cadence nodded quickly, gritting her teeth before she looked up for a moment at that awful shape in the air, then stared in disbelief as it simply vanished.

Except this time, now that she was alert, now that she had felt that awful power, she was aware of it when it flashed back into existence above the battlefield. And this time, she felt and saw what it did, that awful pulse it released through the air, the invisible, intangible, and yet so utterly devastating pulse that punched through reality itself like cheap fabric. How? How can that happen?

No. No time. She had no idea what that strange sphere was doing, as it vanished again, but they had to move, because whatever was happening, it was bad. Cadence could feel the Swan inside her, twisting, and she could feel Aphrodisia's pulsing terror, and the pain, the suffering, the torment...

Cadence gritted her teeth, focusing through the feelings trying to overwhelm her as she spread her wings and leapt into the air. Tormentas joined her a moment later as Aphrodisia and her scythe burst apart into a streak of black smoke that shot through the sky, whirling slowly around them as they streaked above much of the fighting, making straight for where it seemed like both friend and foe were trying to converge.

Several Husks flung themselves into the air in front of the trio, the ghastly Pegasi smiling coldly, heartless, soulless, and yet terribly aware of what they were doing as the one in the center pointed, and the others rushed sharply forwards with a speed that Cadence hadn't expected. She reacted fast, however, and Tormentas reacted even faster, the faintest scowl of disgust appearing on the demon's face as she blasted one Husk's wing to knock it careening off balance before she caught it as it began to fall by, whirling around with it to throw the Husk like a meteor into the face of their distant leader and sending them both crashing out of the air.

Cadence simply smashed the one that had charged her straight down into the ground, and then she led the way onward, weaving back and forth with a curse as both weapon fire and magic tore through the air around her. But the rest of the air was relatively clear: they were buffeted by winds from strange Elementals, and had to force through another wall of Pegasus Husks, but they didn't face any serious opposition until they reached the hill where the Command Team was trying to hold position.

They were being attacked from every side by Husks, Elementals, and unidentifiable monstrosities that Cadence guessed heralded from the Void, the mare grimacing in disgust as she watched one of these hideous worm-parasites leap out of the ground and swallow a Dogmatist whole before diving back into the earth. She cursed under her breath, then flinched and hurriedly drew back as a blast of lighting echoed through the air, hammering into the earth and tearing through Decretum soldiers and servants of Thokk alike.

She heard the cackling of a Primordial, but she forced herself to ignore it as she instead flew forwards, Tormentas and Aphrodisia both whipping through the air behind her as Cadence dodged back and forth through volleys of magic and gunfire. Then she swore as a stray fireball hammered into her wing, sending up a flurry of feathers as she fell from the air in a spiral, but managed to twist herself at the last moment to crash down with a bang on her hooves, right in the middle of a skirmish between a group of Husks and Combat Drones.

She hit the dirt, gunfire blazing over her head and hammering some of the Husks off their hooves, but the weapons did little more than slow their charge. Cadence swore as one of the Husks tried to tackle her, but she caught her attacker and rolled with him, pinning him under her on his belly before she snapped his neck.

The Husk tried to move, but at least for the moment he seemed unable to. Yet Cadence couldn't deny the sense of horror she felt at the cold, ruthless intellect in the Husk's eyes, and the way it tried to lean up towards her, mouthing a promise: “We will kill you. We will all serve the Jarsongildi.”

Cadence shivered as she staggered up to her hooves, Tormentas dropping to the ground beside her and saying quickly: “They must be just ahead, we have to keep moving!”

Cadence nodded, and the two broke into a gallop through the thronging horde. Cadence winced as she leapt over an Elemental, which snapped angrily at her as she passed before its head was blasted off by a sniper in the distance, and Tormentas smiled reassuringly as she ducked beneath a Dogmatist before she flicked her horn to the side, blasting a Husk off its hooves so that a Chimera Drone could slam a deadly blade through its throat.

The two skidded to a halt in front of a line of Husks that had managed to overwhelm a line of Decretum soldiers, Cadence wincing as one of the ghastly ponies picked up a gun, but Aphrodisia slammed down like a comet into his back before she thrust her scythe above her head. And immediately, the Husks scattered with howls of what sounded like fear, Cadence's eyes widened in surprise before Aphrodisia smiled mirthlessly as she chopped down, and the moment her scythe blade passed into the Husk, it whiffed out of existence.

“Elska hates them.” she muttered, and then she shook her head before simply turning to join Cadence and Tormentas as they continued to run towards the center of the combat.

“Cadence, Team 0-0, reporting with escort!” shouted Cadence as they smashed past a line of enemies and into an opening in the field protected by Dogmatists with heavy cannons, and a narrow corridor was immediately opened for the trio. The Husks attempted to surge into this vulnerable space, but Tormentas only smiled before she flicked her horn, and a flurry of icy spikes erupted from the earth behind the group, slamming into the Husks and the Elementals that had tried to follow them, driving the enemy forces back long enough for Cadence to lead the way into friendly territory and the Dogmatists to seal the hole with suppressing fire.

Cadence made her way immediately towards the center of the zone, grimacing at the state of Seneschal: the Clockwork Titan the AI was occupying had been severely damaged, sparking and twitching, missing most of an arm and with much of its interior exposed. Auriculos, meanwhile, looked like he was attempting to cobble some kind of machine together, the Kirin barely glancing up as he said scornfully: “Couldn't stay away from the glory, could you?”

“What? What are you doing here?” Seneschal blurted as he snapped out of whatever he had been doing, half-spinning towards them before he quickly looked back and forth at the demons accompanying her. “Hel! Did Hel send-”

“Reinforcements. Not much, but hopefully enough to help us all get back to Decretum in one piece, without... any further causalities.” Cadence halted, looking back and forth at the two before she asked: “Wait, I thought Silver was-”

“Silver has decided she serves better as a combatant than an administrator. I am inclined to agree with her.” Seneschal said stiffly, before the AI leaned forwards, asking quickly: “How did you arrive?”

Cadence blinked, but Tormentas smoothly answered for her: “Vortex, directly from a safe location in Helheim. The source energies came from two mages.”

Seneschal grunted and nodded, bowing his head and trying unsuccessfully to cross his arms: seeing as one was only a stump, he grabbed uselessly at the air for a few moments before finally awkwardly holding his side, as Cadence asked: “What are your orders? What about evacuation procedures?”

“Quiet, I am calculating!” Seneschal retorted grumpily, before he twitched visibly as there was a massive explosion, groaning: “My subroutines are all occupied by trying to keep all the Dogmatists and drones organized with only a tenuous connection, further exacerbated by calculating against the calamity around us, even further exacerbated by the constant nattering at me from all of you annoying-”

“What the worthless scrap-pile is getting at is that we seem capable of receiving signals, but we can't reverse the polarity of the portal or send any signals ourselves. Our forces are continuing to pour in through the portal because we can't send an alert or report to Decretum.” Auriculos' distaste was clear in his voice as he shook his head. “At least her mighty highness has stopped sending full assault teams through, but she's continuing to waste drone bodies. Not that they aren't easily replaced, but it's a useless use of resources.”

Cadence scowled a little at Auriculos, before Aphrodisia thrust her hoof in the air, waving it childishly back and forth. Both Auriculos and Seneschal looked at her, but Aphrodisia only continued to wave her hoof back and forth until Seneschal finally grasped at his forehead and asked in an exasperated voice: “What do you have to share with the class?”

“I can get to Decretum and warn Hecate!” Aphrodisia said brightly, before she thrust Elska in the air. “I can travel between dimensions like a Reaper!”

Seneschal looked clearly relieved as Auriculos scowled before saying tersely: “There is no guarantee that-”

“Well, you gotta try sometimes, right? I'll be right back!” Aphrodisia promised, before the mare suddenly spun around and slashed at the air with her scythe, ripping a hole in reality that she vanished into a moment before it slammed back shut.

Cadence stared in surprise as Tormentas chuckled quietly, before the demon said calmly: “Perhaps Cadence and I should go back to doing what we do best and hold off the enemy. We also have wounded on the way here, being escorted by my fellow demons: once they arrive we should be able to hold out until we can make our escape.”

“W-Wait!” Seneschal almost blurted, and Tormentas looked up at the machine curiously before the AI asked quickly: “Can you create a portal to Helheim?”

Tormentas frowned slightly at this, and then she clicked her tongue before closing her eyes... except after a moment, her expression tensed before she muttered: “No. No, that's not possible...”

Seneschal leaned forwards as Cadence frowned, and the demon shook her head before she looked up in disbelief at the sky. “I can't... it's like I'm hitting a barrier. I can't even feel the path to Helheim. Instead, I just feel... dead souls...”

She shivered, then composed herself before she looked up and said calmly: “Yes. We should not concern ourselves, though: Aphrodisia will make her way into Decretum by the Reaper's path, and then we will find and punish Thokk for this atrocity.”

“Oh, I have the feeling Thokk will come looking for us... this was idiotic from the start. We've poured so much of Decretum's forces and casualties are already passing unacceptable levels...” muttered Auriculos, looking up briefly before he glared over at Cadence. “Although that doesn't change the fact that the demon is on to something, and you two should go busy yourselves elsewhere.”

Cadence glowered back at the mechanical Kirin, but then she nodded before she looked over at Seneschal, saying calmly: “Contact me if you need any assistance.”

“Exceed expectations, Cadence.” Seneschal replied, but Cadence smiled wryly before she turned and gestured quickly at Tormentas, leading the demon away as she searched for... There.

The demon tilted her head with interest as they approached what looked like a hastily-assembled archway: a sniper was on top of this station, and there were turrets on either side of it. The archway itself had a pair of swinging doors, behind which was currently a team of four drones... and Tormentas nodded in understanding when a light above the archway turned green with a sharp alarm, the drones immediately storming through the swinging doors and into the battlefield. “Interesting. I would admire the organization even more if it didn't seem you had such... undesirables in command.”

“Auriculos is an asshole to everyone, that's all. But I've always liked Seneschal. He's not as professional as you'd expect a computer to be, but he gets the job done. And he has instincts.” Cadence led Tormentas up to the doors, standing in position, and after a moment they were joined by two Chimera Drones: Cadence whistled a little at this, glancing over her shoulder at the shapeshifting, liquid metal combat robots, muttering: “At least Hecate was taking this seriously.”

Tormentas glanced over her shoulder herself at the mantid-like beings as they rose their huge, scythe-like claws, and then she smiled wryly as she faced forwards and muttered: “I don't think I could ever get used to a battlefield full of golems. At least, not on my side.”

“There aren't just golems here, Tormentas, whatever it might look like. The Dogmatists might look strange, but...” Cadence didn't know how to finish the thought, but she was spared needing to as the signal blared and the light flashed green, and the two mares instead lunged forwards through the doors, charging down a safe corridor carved through the enemy forces by turret fire before they smashed into the enemy lines.

Cadence fought: by reflex and instinct, her blades appeared in her hooves and she balanced neatly on her hind legs as she slashed and tore her way through Husks and Elementals, moving with all the grace of a dancer.

Cadence fought: she could have stayed back in the safety of the perimeter, but instead she threw herself into the danger of the wild melee, tearing, ripping through the enemy forces as gunfire blazed around her, as magic erupted from air and earth, as monsters of every shape and size and ability lunged at her, and she gladly met them; and tried to pretend she wasn't disappointed, when each and every time, they fell to her surgical precision, her violent strength.

Cadence fought: she could retreat at any time. But instead, she pressed deeper into the throng, smashing her way through foes, looking for greater challenges even as the sheer numbers swelling around her meant that her enchanted armor was taking blows from all sides, that claws raked at her, that jaws bit her, that magic seared across her... and yet still, she fought.

Cadence fought: and the fight was good, and the fight made her forget about everything else and feel like she was making a difference, if for but a moment, and the fight let her punish her enemies and filled her with purpose.

Cadence fought: it was what she had been trained to do.

Cadence fought: it was her only reason to exist.

A Husk lunged at her, and her knives gleamed as she twisted, slicing through its face before she caught the other blade against its throat and nearly decapitated it as she knocked it to the ground. The ivory mare vaulted over the twitching enemy to slam her hooves into an Elemental, dropping her full weight on top of the beast to drive it to the ground and crush its skull, before she looked up with a snarl as a Primordial bounded towards her, roaring furiously.

The ivory mare lunged forwards before the beast could, slamming her daggers down through its eyes and driving it to the ground as it screamed in agony. Cadence bore down mercilessly, refusing to let up the pressure as she gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes, body flexing as she forced the massive creature down onto its belly as it gasped and whimpered to her for mercy, water spilling over its rocky features from its cracked sockets.

Cadence smiled thinly, then she suddenly shoved down on her daggers as there was a flare of white energy, before she growled and twisted hard to the side, sending up a spray of matter as the Primordial flopped limply onto its side with a tremendous bang.

Another beast lunged at Cadence's back with a roar, but Tormentas was behind her in a flash, flicking her horn upwards and summoning a deadly net of barbed wire snared around the attacker, driving the Elemental to the ground with a howl of misery.

Without slowing, Tormentas revolved her horn elegantly before she flicked it forwards, sending a shockwave of lightning erupting through the air. Both Elementals and Husks were knocked flying, while the snared enemy on the ground shrieked in misery as it writhed beneath the now-electrified barbed wire.

“Watch yourself, Cadence! I can't be there to save you every time!” Tormentas teased easily, before she leapt smoothly over a Husk that dove at her and dropped down onto its back, crushing it into the ground beneath her. “How long do we fight?”

“Until we get the signal from Seneschal.” Cadence replied grimly as she flung her daggers out, sending them both slamming home into the breast of an Elemental and knocking it crashing backwards, before she simply flicked her horn to yank them both to ready positions in front of her, gripped tightly by telekinesis.

Tormentas only smiled, before she glanced to the side, then simply flicked her horn outwards, blasts of blue energy crackling through the air around her before they formed into a multitude of spears and swords, all eight weapons crackling with ominous energy as she said softly: “Try and keep up, dear.”

Cadence only smiled thinly as she felt the Swan twist through her, sharpening her senses and strengthening her body as she replied: “You just worry about yourself, Tormentas.”

The two mares launched themselves into the crowd, slashing and savaging the enemy: Tormentas wielded both weapons and magic with elegance, and Cadence moved with a cold, calculated grace, both mares crushing Elementals and Husks alike. They were ruthless and merciless against enemies that were bestial and fearless, fighting tirelessly as the seconds ticked into minutes...

Cadence swore as a Husk drove a sword into her side, piercing her armor: she yanked herself away before the weapon could dig too deep, but she could feel her strength leaving her through the wound, knocked both off balance and out of rhythm. And the ivory mare flushed slightly in humiliation as Tormentas immediately dropped in beside her, her weapons slashing and stabbing around them to drive the enemy back as she asked calmly: “Have your hooves, Cadence?”

“I do. I...” Cadence halted, then she frowned as a flare from the safe zone caught her eye, looking up quickly as she traced its blue journey skyward before she muttered: “That's not right.”

Tormentas frowned, but Cadence shook her head before she said quickly: “We have to withdraw, let's push back to the gates!”

Tormentas didn't argue, simply turning as her weapons slashed and stabbed outwards, ripping and piercing through the enemy, and Cadence flapped her wings hard, boosting herself into a gallop, doing her best not to favor her wounded side too much. They pushed through the enemy, then past the drones that were trying to force the surging throng back, hurrying towards the defended area as Cadence shouted: “Team 0-0 retreating!”

The gunners on duty immediately switched their aim, covering them with a hail of bullets that drove back the enemy soldiers as Cadence led the way back to the swinging doors, the two plowing through before Cadence yanked Tormentas aside the moment they were inside the barrier to let a team of drones charge into the fray.

There was no time to rest, however: Cadence sheathed her daggers as she hurried through the safe zone, her eyes locking on the sight of Seneschal, who was arguing loudly with Auriculos and, to her surprise, Silver. Aphrodisia had returned as well, and she looked both relieved and afraid as Cadence approached, the demon blurting: “Something really bad is happening! This whole planet is starting to collapse!”

“What?” Cadence asked disbelievingly, and Auriculos snorted in disgust.

“Stupid demon. Don't blurt out information to every soldier that crosses your path.” Auriculos pointed quickly, saying shortly: “We've taken heavy casualties on the southeastern flank. Your friends are approaching from there but they need cover fire. Get on a turret and give it to them.”

Cadence glared at Auriculos, and Silver snorted in contempt before she said shortly: “I see even my sister hasn't been able to stomp the arrogance out of you.”

“I am not arrogant, Dogmatist. I am in command. Now get going, Cadence.” Auriculos ordered, but the moment he started to turn away a hoof shot up and seized him by the throat, the Swan hauling Auriculos into the air and making him visibly flinch, even in his drone body.

“We are not your slave. We are no one's slave.” Danzsöngr said softly but firmly, before she looked at Seneschal and asked: “Why are you sending up warning flares?”

“There's nothing else we can do but send the soldiers to ground and have them secure themselves. Bringing them here only makes us all vulnerable. At least this way some may yet survive.” Seneschal fidgeted, before the AI said, almost sounding desperate: “But the portal drill has been caught in an energy flux and cannot be closed from this side, and Hecate can't activate any kind of portal to this world! It's like the coordinates have been modified, but that would only happen in the event of...”

Seneschal nervously looked away, and Cadence grimaced before Aphrodisia added: “I was barely able to get to Decretum even by Reaper paths! It means this whole world is going to fall into the Void!”

“Nonsense.” argued Auriculos, and Cadence scowled as she realized she was still holding the drone above her head before she flung him backwards, sending him staggering towards Silver, who rudely hip-checked him and knocked him on his side. The drone growled, but then scrambled up to his hooves and said contemptibly: “There is no possible way they could be dealing that kind of damage to reality. Even black holes don't generate the necessary force to punch into the Nothingness without some kind of amplification, after all. So there's no way that-”

“The center of a black hole has never been explored for very obvious reasons, Auriculos. That is a childish assumption based on obsolete science.” interrupted Seneschal, before the machine winced and warned: “Breach on the southeastern flank! Cadence, reinforce it immediately!”

“Figure out a way to open even a small scale portal, we need to at least get the wounded back to Decretum!” Cadence shouted as she turned and sprinted in the direction that Seneschal had indicated: not that she really needed help to find the breach, since she could see the entire perimeter from the center of the encampment.

She ran towards where the enemies were pushing through the drones and Dogmatists, but Tormentas teleported ahead of her and slammed her weapons down, smashing an entire group of Husks and Elementals backwards before she flicked her horn out with a boom of magic. But Cadence could see other holes forming in their defenses, the mare leaping towards one of these and past a sizzling soldier drone to slam an Elemental backwards before her wings flapped hard as they glowed brightly, sending up a flare of ivory light that stunned and surprised the enemies around her.

She was joined, to her surprise, by Silver, who blasted through the ranks of the enemy with tremendous arcs of lightning, dragging the chains of electricity back and forth as she snarled: “I tried to warn all you stupid pigs that this was a terrible idea, but no, no, you have to do what the sow says!”

“You're here too, so don't even start with that crap.” Cadence grumbled as she snapped her horn out, a blast of white energy ripping through an Elemental before the mare slumped and shook her head as her horn vibrated painfully. Was she already out of energy? She felt like she could continue fighting by hoof, but her stupid horn wasn't working right and her magic reserves weren't regenerating... “Do you know how-”

“I don't know anything, Snow White, I'm just another pig beneath the sow.” Silver growled, even as she half-turned and slashed her horn out, a Husk bursting into flames before it collapsed bonelessly to the ground, almost melted by the raw heat of the fire burning over its body. Silver grinned callously, then she corrected contritely: “I do know how to kill.”

“That's nothing to be proud of.” Cadence muttered, even as she caught an Elemental by the head before she slammed the rocky beast into the ground. She crushed its skull beneath her hooves, then looked up, readying herself... except... “What?”

The enemy lines were withdrawing. Cadence narrowed her eyes before she looked quickly back and forth: sure, a Drone had mounted one of the turrets, and Tormentas had done devastating damage in only a few moments, but Cadence could see that more than just the enemies in front of them were pulling back, the enemy forces all around them were disintegrating...

Cadence saw something else, too: the group of demons escorting her wounded companions. She whistled loudly, raising a hoof to them, then bit her lip as she leaned forwards slightly. Her hesitation lasted only a moment, however, before she simply leapt forwards through the shattered defenses and hurried towards the group, as she realized they weren't being attacked by the enemies, which pointed towards something being very wrong, she thought.

Vextus Lux looked up at her worriedly as she approached, the demon beginning: “Something is wrong with this world's balance, and-”

“We know. Aphrodisia said something about how it's falling into the Void, but we can't open any portals, and something is wrong with that.” Cadence gestured quickly towards the energy drill, which was continuing to spiral aimlessly halfway down the hill, the enormous vortex thrumming and sparking every so often. “Do you know how we can get out of here?”

Vextus looked down for a moment, but then she shook her head and murmured: “I will have to meet with the leaders of your camp and see what is available, but we will have to move fast.”

“Then let's move fast.” Cadence agreed, turning and leading the group back towards the encampment. “Hey! Friendlies approaching, authorize, code uh... five-two!”

The drones lowered their weapons, and Cadence smiled a bit as she led the group of demons into the safe zone. Yet she felt an uncomfortable nibbling at her stomach, even before Silver joined them and said in a low voice: “Something is terribly wrong. I'm sure even you must be able to see that, pig.”

“We have to get out of here. As fast as possible. Can you send up a red flare to call everyone here? It doesn't look like the enemy soldiers are trying to fight anymore... I don't want to guess why.” Cadence looked over at Silver, who scowled at her beneath her mask, but Cadence only lowered her head and almost pleaded: “Please?”

Silver grumbled under her breath, but then she finally gave a short nod before she flicked her horn firmly upwards, sending up a red blast of light that streaked high into the sky as she asked distastefully: “Like that? Do I get extra slops now?”

“Ask your sister.” Cadence said shortly before she could stop herself, and Silver gave her a moody look before the ivory mare turned her attention back to Vextus, noting that Tormentas had appeared beside Silver like a ghost... two Lunas. Different and yet... the same. Think about it later, Cadence, keep on task. “Silver is a commander here. She'll know-”

“I only know what the sow and her puppets tell me.” Silver grumbled, before she glanced to the side and visibly flinched at the sight of Tormentas, who was smiling at her kindly. But the Dogmatist hurriedly shook herself out before she pointedly turned away, almost glaring at Vextus Lux, although the demon looked too worried to care. “What do you need? Spit it out.”

Vextus Lux was completely unfettered by Silver's tone, answering: “Something that we can channel portal magic through. An archway: I understand that Decretum is protected by magical shielding, but I am confident we can punch through it... as long as we have the appropriate charge and materials.”

“Considering how disappointing this has all been, I'll be surprised if we can scavenge anything worthwhile here.” Morning Glory said derisively, but Cadence only smiled wryly.

“Then at least you'll get a bit of a surprise.” muttered Cadence, and then she shook her head quickly before she looked up towards Seneschal as they approached the AI, who was unsurprisingly arguing again with Auriculos. “Hey, we might have a way-”

“You're all so cowardly, so quick to turn tail and try to run.” jeered Auriculos, and Cadence narrowed her eyes before the Kirin leaned up slightly so he could peer into the throng, then snort in derision. “I'm counting fewer of you. Who decided to surrender?”

Lancer flung himself out of the crowd, and Cadence grimaced as she caught the stallion before he could sling himself into the Kirin. The earth pony struggled in her grip, but the Kirin drone only leaned forwards mockingly as Lancer shouted in a raw voice: “You son of a bitch! All you've done is hide back here behind good people, good people who died because people like you-”

“It's because they won't listen to people like me. Besides, a soldier's duty is to die in the name of his country... not that any of you Orphans even have a country anymore.” Auriculos flicked his hoof dismissively, snorting in disdain. “Now, to more important things. The enemy is clearly retreating to gather its forces in a safe location. We should gather our soldiers and-”

“I am ordering a full retreat. Cadence, what have you discovered?” Seneschal turned his attention to Cadence, and Auriculos snarled, opening his mouth, but then the drone suddenly shivered once before he simply slumped forwards onto his face with a dull rattle.

La Croix grumbled under his breath as he lowered his hoof, and then he smiled wryly as Sombra tilted his head towards him mildly. “Hey, just avoidin' a little noise. I gots me a real headache, see. Don't want to deal with any more corbeaus.”

“Thanks, La Croix.” Cadence let Lancer go, and the stallion bad-temperedly walked over to the Kirin drone and booted it hard onto its side, but then he only scowled and sat on it, turning his eyes towards Cadence along with all the others as she looked up at Seneschal and said: “I think if my father has the strength to create an archway of crystal, Vextus Lux can help us shape it into a portal. It'll be small and it won't last long, but it'll at least allow us to get some of our forces through. And more importantly, once we open the portal, Hecate can lock on to the coordinates and-”

“Flux detected.” Seneschal interrupted, the AI sounding horrified as he half-turned to stare at the open vortex in the distance, and Cadence frowned, looking back over her shoulder at the whirling portal before she flinched when the AI spun back towards them and shouted: “Go to work immediately! All Decretum forces, emergency! Proceed to-”

The whole world shook, and Cadence gasped before Seneschal collapsed backwards as his mechanical body sparked, hitting the ground with a resounding bang. Aphrodisia yelled in horror as the others fought for balance, before Vextus Lux shouted: “We have to move! We have to move, the world is-”

Reality shook, and Cadence barely caught herself before she looked back at the vortex, her jaw dropping in horror as it whirled faster, grew larger, and then reality, the sky itself literally cracked like glass, pulsing lines of nothingness filling the air as the cyclone of energy vanished. But it left behind those cracks, those thickening, growing, spreading cracks, as the world beneath where the vortex had been shattered-

“The Void.” Aphrodisia whispered, and she trembled before she spun around, summoning her scythe and thrusting it up into the sky as it thrummed with a desperate plea.

Vextus Lux scrambled towards Sombra, grasping him as the world shook again, as throughout the battlefield, drones malfunctioned and Dogmatists staggered as a terrible resonance echoed through the air, magnetic resonance frying their systems. The High Priestess seized into the stallion, then half-dragged him away from the others towards an open spot of land, shouting: “Create a portal ring!”

Sombra slammed his hooves into the ground, only acting, not questioning, as Moonflower yelped as he crashed against the earth, before he squealed in horror as the earth beneath him ruptured, flinging him upwards for a moment before it tilted violently and spilled him towards a gaping wound in the gravelly crust. But Cadence lunged forwards, catching him before he could fall and dragging him back with a gasp.

Morning Glory snarled, her chains tightening around Freya as her fellow both bowed their bodies, letting the smaller demons cling to them. The demon waded over the shattering earth with a gasp, before she looked up with a snarl at shape floating ominously high above, roaring: “Come down here and fight, coward!”

“Destroyer, do not antagonize the enemy!” Tormentas snapped, and Morning Glory grimaced before the demon began to raise her horn, but nothing happened. No glow, no pulse of magic, no power, as her eyes widened in shock before she shouted: “Vextus Lux! Our energy is being drained!”

“We're too close to the hole in reality, we have to-” Vextus was blown off her hooves as the earth beneath her ruptured, knocked up into the air, and then she screamed in horror as she floated backwards, as a force like gravity seized into her and pulled her slowly, lazily back towards the gaping hole in reality, as the sky above was rapidly eaten away by the nothingness, as the Void spread outwards, consuming all in its wake.

Cadence swore, then she leapt upwards, streaking into the air and tackling Vextus before she spun around and flung her as hard as she could towards the ground. The High Priestess fell: slowly at first, but then what gravity remained caught her, pulling her down even as rocky earth began to peel upwards, pulled towards the wound in reality. Cadence gasped as she fought against the tug with all her strength, but she could feel the energy being sapped from her body, her life draining steadily as she wildly rowed through the air and flapped her wings.

But her vision was going blurry, everything was going dark, and there was nothing she could do as she fell back towards the Void. She could only watch, helplessly, as in spite of all her efforts, the ground shattered, countless drones and bodies floating upwards, pulled back towards the Nothingness along with her amidst rock and gravel.

And the last thing Cadence felt was a gentle grasp, and the brush of soft cloth shielding her from the emptiness that had filled the world.

Para Bellum

Chapter Fifty Nine: Para Bellum
~BlackRoseRaven

Hecate stood silently, her metal hands clasped behind her back, as she simply watched the data play over the screen again. The only light that filled this dark, private room came from that screen, and it was dim. Dim and dull and weak, like her hopes had become.

She saw what had happened now, from the debris that had been recovered from the spectacular failure of an assault. Somehow, Thokk had taken over the energy drill. She had accelerated it, causing the energy to eat away at reality itself, making it unstable, while the witch had shattered the bonds of energy that had linked this world to all the others. Incredible, considering that was still something that was more concept than tangible to Hecate, but Thokk had done it.

And then, once the world floated 'loose,' she had finished overcharging the portal, and popped the planet like she'd pop a balloon: the energy drill had torn a hole right into the Nothingness, and Thokk had just had to sit back and watch as the planet had quickly disintegrated.

So many lives lost.

Countless lives lost.

Countless people failed.

Hecate took a slow breath, before there was a double knock at the door behind her. She turned around, framed in the ghostly light, as Thorn entered. They looked at each other for a few moments, and then Hecate nodded once before she said softly: “I'm glad you're back.”

“I apologize for not being faster.” Thorn said, and Hecate gave the faintest of smiles before the sapphire stallion strode forwards and simply hugged her leg. And Hecate sighed as she reached down, silently stroking through his mane.

How she had failed him too: he was bandaged, she could see that he'd been wounded... but at least she'd had the foresight to build him a new prosthetic. The one he was wearing now seemed... obsolete. “There was nothing we could have done. We weren't prepared for this.”

Thorn was quiet for a few moments, and then he looked up and asked bluntly: “Were there any survivors?”

Hecate nodded after a moment, replying quietly: “Yes. Reapers were summoned. They could not save everyone, but Team 0-0 is in medical, being treated. So are most of the demons. They are only fortunate they had someone... willing to pay the price.”

Thorn nodded and shifted his weight slightly, and Hecate both admired and hated the way he looked up at her and said calmly: “I'm prepared for debriefing and to do whatever duties are necessary, Empress Hecate. I know there-”

“It can wait. Go see your friends.” Hecate said softly, and Thorn smiled briefly before Hecate bowed her head, murmuring: “Family is the most important thing, Thorn Blackfeather. I would like you to remember that, better than I have.”

“Alright, Mom.” Thorn said softly, and Hecate looked at him for a moment before the stallion added quietly: “I'll be in contact if you need me.”

“I know.” Hecate said, and Thorn bowed to her politely before he turned and made his way out, and the Empress of Decretum flexed a steel claw slowly before she repeated softly: “I know.”

Hecate looked back at the screen for a few moments, then finally shook her head before she turned and headed out into the hall. She didn't manage to get more than a few steps, however, before a beeping warned her of an incoming message, the mare scowling as she summoned up a holographic screen.

Cowlick was projected on it, the demon saying coldly, even though her eyes were filled with worry: “Hey, Bitch-Queen, we got a problem. Those signals that have been probing us for the last twelve hours just got a whole lot more aggressive. They've locked on to our coordinates.”

“When should we expect Thokk's forces, and where?” Hecate asked coldly, and Cowlick gave a wry grin.

“See, that's what I've always liked about you. You just jump right to it.” Cowlick halted, and then she shook her head and muttered: “They can't hit us below ground level, and I'm confident they won't be able to open a vortex inside any of your insulated facilities. But they can brute-force portals just about anywhere else, and my bet is they'll open them in the wasteland, on the approach to Imperia, and anywhere you've got a big open chunk of road. And for all we know, they could hit us everywhere. Worse yet is that-”

“Decretum is anchored. Thokk is certainly free to waste her time trying, but she won't be able to shatter the tethers binding this world in place.” Hecate said with distaste. “And I don't believe she'll try and open a hole to the Void immediately. It would destroy too many things she's taken an interest in. And I'm sure she wants to crush us herself.”

“Yeah. I got the same feeling.” Cowlick grunted, chewing on the end of her cigarette before she sighed a little and said finally: “Ten hours. Maybe. I'll keep you updated.”

“Ten hours is enough.” Hecate smiled thinly, and then she dismissed the screen as she continued down the hall, pushing her way into her office before she scowled as she found two figures already waiting for her.

One was Hel, and the other was the demon who had summoned the Reapers, Aphrodisia. The demon smiled up at her brightly, and it hurt Hecate's heart to see her so pale, her eyes sunken, and a Reaper's mask propped up on her skull, fierce and draconic, a black cape hanging around her shoulders.

“I lost a darn good Inquisitor, you know.” Hel said mournfully, but there was honest pain in her eyes as she reached up and patted Aphrodisia almost tenderly on the head. “Stupid heretic. Don't you know anything about demons? You should have just saved yourself.”

“I'm only sorry I couldn't save more. But the Great Reaper did his best, I don't think he wanted anyone to die who didn't have to, even if his Reapers just wanted the souls.” Aphrodisia halted, then she smiled faintly as she rubbed slowly at her face. “And Thanatos wasn't so bad. He was really nice, actually! I liked him.”

Hecate only looked at Aphrodisia, before silently gesturing at her to go on, and Aphrodisia brightened a little, some of the light coming back to her eyes as she said: “He said I had to pay my debts, but he said he'd give me a few centuries to get used to it. And maybe in only a thousand years or so I can be relieved of my duties! I'm special, really... I'm a demon but I get to be a Reaper too now, and if I prove myself I can be a Great Reaper, and I can stay around home, so I can be with my big brother and... and maybe I can even come to Decretum sometimes! Thanatos said you had asked for a Great Reaper, but he was nervous about it because of Kismet and all.”

She quieted, then lowered her head and whispered: “I hope I can be a good guy, like him.”

“I'm sure you will be, Aphrodisia.” Hecate reassured gently, and then she sighed a little before turning her eyes towards Hel, asking quietly: “What do you want?”

“Don't sound so defeated, girl! We're gonna get through this together, you and me and everyone, okay?” Hel encouraged as she hopped to her feet, reaching out and gently punching Hecate in the shoulder before she smiled as she leaned back, tapping her fingers together gently. “Hey, you should be real proud of your boy, though. He did great, didn't he?”

“Penumbra and the Fyrjarl are both in custody, yes. I took my time interrogating Surt.” Hecate said softly, glancing down at one of her claws and flexing it slowly. She remembered how he had laughed when she had first entered the room where the skeleton had been restrained, helpless and suspended in the manacles that both kept him alive but also stopped him from moving...

But he hadn't laughed for long.

She had been in no mood for games.

“I'm sure you're aware that he was nowhere near as powerful as he was in the past. But he was also very different: undead, not Voidborn. I think that Thokk must have hated him.” Hel said softly, tapping her fingers together meditatively before she said mildly: “If you're done with him, though, I'd like him for my collection. I got a nice fireplace to cram him into, to keep my toesies-”

“Take him.” Hecate said disinterestedly, and Hel stared at her before the mechanical goddess said simply: “I learned what I needed from him, and I would prefer not to see Decretum become a prison facility. Our main duty is to provide support and exterminate threats to worlds that are beyond their scope. We are not an interment camp.”

Hel clapped her hands together, saying mildly: “Now, sweetie old tin of beans of mine. You're a little down in the dumps, and that's pretty understandable. But hey, don't look so sour or so sad! Thokk is-”

“Thokk is going to be dealt with in roughly ten hours' time. She is coming to us: that is fine. Decretum's forces have suffered massively, but we are still more than strong enough to take on her forces.” Hecate said calmly, as she laced her fingers together and rested her hands on her desk. Her voice remained even, but her eyes burned with a fury so deep and bright it made even Hel shift uneasily back. “Thokk will be crushed. Thokk will be humiliated. I will see her neutralized and terminated. There will be no mercy.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Hel held up her hands in a gesture of surrender before she said in a low, soft voice: “You just be careful, Hecate. Hell is my domain, not yours. You know, in spite of everything, I'd just really hate to have you as my enemy in the end.”

“I will do whatever must be done to ensure order. Even where others pause, I will not hesitate.” Hecate replied in the same cordial tone.

For a few long moments, the two looked at each other until Hecate finally sat back and said: “If there's no further business, I'll ask you to leave. I have preparations to make.”

“Gosh, you're so rude! But alright, alright. I can take a hint.” Hel sniffed loudly, tilting her nose up before she paused and said meditatively: “Actually I probably can't, but. That's all besides the point. Yeah, I got it, let's get going, kid.”

Aphrodisia smiled awkwardly up at Hel as the ice puppet began to bounce away, and then Hel skidded to a stop at the door, scowling as she turned around and opening her mouth, and then she slumped as her eyes settled on the mare, frosty shoulders sagging and her smile honest and sad for a moment as she murmured: “Oh, my nightshade-flavored muffin. What am I going to tell your parents?”

“I'll deal with it, Hel. It is my responsibility.” Hecate said, and Hel snorted at this, crossing her arms and looking insulted as Aphrodisia lowered her head embarrassedly.

“Hey, I might act like a five year old but I am way more than five years old! I'll do it. I'll do it right now, as a matter of fact!” Hel declared, and before anyone could argue, she simply stomped a foot and vanished in a puff of snow, Hecate sighing and shaking her head briefly before the mechanical goddess turned her eyes towards Aphrodisia.

Aphrodisia looked back at her, and then she smiled before she said finally: “I um... Thanatos wants to talk to you about the Voidborn. It's a little late, I guess, since you're planning to get rid of them and all-”

“Things rarely go according to plan or intention, Aphrodisia. Besides, eliminating Thokk may not destroy all the Voidborn.” Hecate nodded slowly, and then she asked in a quieter voice: “Do you communicate with Thanatos? It's rare that a living being becomes a Reaper, as you have.”

“He says in time I'll be able to. But right now I can just...” Aphrodisia compulsively squeezed her front hooves together, chewing on her lip. “It's because of Elska, because I already bonded with a Reaper's scythe. But she doesn't have my soul, Thanatos does. He says technically I'm already more like a Great Reaper than a Reaper, I'm... but I'm not nearly ready for that responsibility. I have to learn everything else first. It's so hard... I was just getting used to being an Inquisitor and...”

Aphrodisia halted and smiled lamely up at Hecate, but Hecate only looked at her impassively for a few moments before she said softly: “You are always welcome here, Aphrodisia. When I speak to Thanatos, I will see about having you transferred to my care.”

Aphrodisia mumbled in embarrassment, bowing her head but blushing in gratitude, and Hecate gave the smallest of smiles before she asked in a more serious voice: “What other business does Thanatos have with me?”

“Oh, uh...” Aphrodisia rubbed at her head, and then she said finally: “He said something about Cadence, too. He didn't really want to let her go, but he didn't want to keep her around, either. He said that it was best that you keep her, but... you have to keep an eye on her, because Swans are very dangerous, and that the best thing Valthrudnir ever did was destroy them.”

Hecate only grunted at this, frowning slightly all the same: why would the God of Death be concerned about Cadence? “Why?”

“I don't know. He doesn't talk a lot. It's going to be really hard getting used to him and stuff. He's really nice but he's really quiet and I'm really not quiet and stuff.” Aphrodisia said awkwardly, tapping her hooves together before she brightened. “But hey! Maybe that means he'll be really happy to send me out here, then!”

Hecate grunted, wondering moodily if she really wanted to have another bouncy, loud pony around, but she supposed she owed this pony and her stupid family a few favors still. So instead, she only nodded briefly and instructed: “Tell Thanatos I will be ready to meet with him in several days. I have other matters to attend to in the meantime.”

“Yes, ma'am!” Aphrodisia saluted, before she winced as her mask fell down over her face with a clunk, the sockets of the mask glowing faint blue as she said lamely: “Sorry.”

Hecate simply gestured at Aphrodisia to go, and the mare nodded and jumped up to her hooves. She hesitated for a moment, however, and Hecate frowned before Aphrodisia smiled at her beneath her mask, saying quietly: “Remember that you have a lot of friends, huh? Don't... don't think you have to fight this alone. I know my big brother would for sure definitely want to step in to help you, just like you stepped in to help us when you didn't have to.”

With that, Aphrodisia bounded out of the room, leaving Hecate in silence for a few moments. The mechanical goddess slowly tapped a claw against the desk, and then she finally sighed before calling up a holographic screen, ordering: “Seneschal. Prepare an envoy to Looking Glass World.

“It's only polite to keep them informed.”

Cadence awoke with a groan, rubbing slowly at her aching head. All she remembered was... the nothingness.

Her eyes snapped open as she sat up sharply, then she nearly toppled over. But after a moment, she managed to steady herself, breathing slowly as she looked uncertainly back and forth before she murmured: “But... how?”

“We were saved by the Reapers.” Vextus Lux said without a hint of irony in her voice, and Cadence blinked a few times before she turned carefully, her whole body aching, but her strength slowly filtering back in: enough that she was able to lean towards the demon without falling off the narrow medical bed she was in.

Vextus calmly spooned a bit of soup into her muzzle, and then she smiled: she seemed tired, but uninjured, Cadence was relieved to see. And she was surprised when her own stomach rumbled a little at the sight of the bowl of soup on the folding tray by the demon: it did smell good... “Would you like this, dear?”

“I... I'll get the nurses to bring me some after I hurt a little less.” Cadence mumbled, and then she shook her head quickly before she looked back and forth: Tormentas was in another bed, reading, and she saw – to her great relief – Moonflower snoring in another bed, La Croix smiling tiredly from another, Lancer in yet another and Courtly Love sitting on his own and Peridot was... crying?

She couldn't blame her, though. Her entire team... Cadence quieted a little, before she frowned as Vextus murmured: “The cost was very high. Aphrodisia summoned the Reapers, but gave up her own soul to save the rest of us.”

“What?” Cadence asked in disbelief, nearly toppling out of bed before she grimaced when a medic hurried over to her, grasping her and trying to force her to lay down, but she pushed grouchily back against... “Wait a minute, Solstice? What are you doing here, you're from Team D-15. Where are the doctors?”

“We're on Class I Alert. Literally everyone is out getting ready. Only rear-echelon motherbuckers like me have been left behind.” Solstice replied, the tan-gold unicorn used Cadence's confusion to force her to lay back in bed, saying quietly: “Listen, your Dad's already in a corruption bath to accelerate his healing, and you and your team are scheduled for an hour of accelerated treatment each. Everyone has to be ready to fight.”

“I... yeah. Thokk?” Cadence asked, and Solstice nodded, Cadence grimacing a bit. But she didn't try and scramble away when Solstice left: it sounded like her team was going to be placed on the front lines anyway, so there was no point trying to rush off.

Instead, she turned her eyes towards Vextus, asking quietly: “What happened to Aphrodisia?”

“She summoned a Great Reaper and begged him to help us. He did so, but he took her soul as well as the souls of the dead and dying... which I suppose is better than being pulled into the Void, at least. I saw her, though: I think Thanatos selected her for Reaper duties.” Vextus Lux smiled faintly. “We were given authorization to fight by Hel, as well. We'll be staying to assist.”

“Alright. I'm... glad.” Cadence said quietly, as she looked down, before she turned her eyes towards Lancer. She realized after a moment he wasn't asleep, just laying on his side, hugging himself, trembling, and the mare softened a little before she glanced away and murmured: “Don't worry. We're going to make Thokk pay for what she's done.”

Lancer lowered his head slightly, only closing his eyes, and there was silence until Solstice returned with an injector. She fitted the handle onto her hoof, then pushed the large, tube-shaped barrel against the side of Cadence's neck before pulling the trigger, and Cadence cursed at the piercing pain of the needle that shot into her neck before she took a slow breath as she felt nanites and chemicals surge through her.

“Alright. Room A. You know the drill.” Solstice instructed as he ejected the spent needle from the injector gun, and Cadence smiled wryly as she carefully pushed herself out of the bed.

“I'll be back in about an hour. I'm... thank you.” Cadence said, not knowing what else to say, before she turned and headed out of the room and a few paces down the hall to a large door marked 'CHAMBER A.'

She pressed her hoof against the glowing panel beside the door, and she felt a tingle run through her body before it beeped loudly. The mare entered, and didn't resist as a a pony-shaped drone stepped forwards to quickly check her over, before it led her to the glass and steel cradle at the back of the small concrete room. She slipped up to sit in the seat-like recess in the machine, then she reached up to pull a breathing mask down from the roof of the machine and secure it over her muzzle as the drone harnessed her in.

She had learned why the harness was necessary after her first time the healing pod. Not just because of the monitor in the center of the harness, but because it was incredibly hard not to panic.

The drone stepped back, and the cradle beeped before the top of the pod swung down, locking smoothly into place and trapping her inside it. Cadence closed her eyes tightly before she instinctively tensed as air vented around her with a roar, before an oily green liquid gushed into the pod from vents on either side of the machine.

It filled up quickly, Cadence fighting the urge to tear loose, to try and fight her way out the entire time, breathing rapidly through the mask sealed over her muzzle until the tube was full. But the moment it was, she was able to slowly start to relax, all sound muffled apart from a pleasant humming that filled her ears and vibrated through her body.

She could feel her body healing and repairing itself, helped by all these strange chemicals. She tried to concentrate on that, to let herself relax, but while she no longer wanted to panic, she was now also trapped with only her own thoughts, all her fears and worries and frustrations filling her mind, all her regrets, all her failures...

We did not fail. We did everything we could, and we saved those important to us. the Swan reasoned in her mind, and Cadence tried to thrust it away, but the Swan refused to listen, twisting curiously inside of her before it asked: What would you have preferred? To lose your family, but save those who were almost strangers?

There are no strangers in Decretum. We are all Orphans. Cadence thought, before she added sharply: And I would have preferred to save everyone, Danzsöngr.

The Swan only shrugged in response, and Cadence sighed mentally before she frowned when the creature asked her softly: After Thokk is dead, what will you do?

When did it become up to me? Cadence asked mentally, and then she shifted slowly before she sighed a little through the mask, adding after a moment as she rested back in the healing gel: Stay here, I guess. I mean, I'm still a servant of Decretum. I belong here, and Daddy needs to be here...

But that sounded almost like an excuse, Cadence thought uneasily, and she felt the Swan whisper a soft agreement with her before she could quench those thoughts. Cadence scowled at this, then she mentally pushed the Swan away before she shook her head quickly, refusing to question herself at this point. There was too much going on. Too much to prepare for.

For roughly an hour, the mare forced herself to just sit back and keep her mind as still as she could. The time passed faster than she'd thought it would, startling her when the goo rapidly drained from the pod before she shivered and tensed as a spray of water hosed down from the top of the capsule, rinsing her off before a blast of hot, painful air left her feeling crisped more than dried, and the pod finally opened.

But Cadence was able to easily pull the mask off and unharness herself, staggering out with a wheeze before she rolled her stiff shoulders with a grimace: she began to loosen up almost immediately, however, the mare raising her head slightly as she muttered: “Works way too well.”

She shook her head briefly, then she headed towards the door, letting herself out and walking back to the medical lab: she was well-aware of the procedure by now, after all. Solstice met her near the door, the medic quickly checking her over and analyzing her with some strange hoof-held device before she muttered: “Weird.”

Cadence tilted her head, and Solstice shook her own before she tapped a short command across the touchscreen on the tablet device. “You're not at a hundred percent, but my readings say you're pretty damn close.”

Solstice smiled briefly, glancing up for a moment before she turned her attention towards a groggy-looking Moonflower: “Hey, your turn!”

“A hero's work is never done.” Moonflower mumbled, and then he slipped carefully to the side before falling out of bed with an ungainly thump, Cadence sighing a little and smiling faintly despite herself before the stallion wheezed: “I'm okay.”

“I'll get him.” Cadence volunteered, walking over to help the stallion gently up, before she muttered: “Come on, lean on me, idiot.”

“I'm not an idiot. I'm just not made of metal like you are.” Moonflower grumbled, before he wheezed as Cadence half-hauled him forwards, staggering a bit but keeping up with her as they headed back towards the chamber.

It took Moonflower a few tries to get his hoof high enough to rest against the scanner, and as he struggled to do so, he murmured: “We lost a lot of people. I don't think... that's ever happened before.”

“No, it hasn't.” Cadence said quietly, lowering her head slightly before she gently helped the stallion into the room when the door opened, muttering: “And I don't even know where Thorn-”

“Oh, he visited.” Moonflower said with a small smile, and Cadence looked up in surprise, but the stallion only nodded quickly and brightened maybe ever so slightly. “Yes, he looked almost as badly beaten up as... everyone else was, apart from me, obviously, but... he was here!”

“Yes, Moonflower. You're clearly the best off of all of us.” Cadence said ironically, but she smiled a little before she said quietly: “I'm going to see if I can find him after I talk to Vextus, then.”

Moonflower began to reply, but the medical drone beeped insistently at him, and so instead he huffed loudly before he winced when Cadence gently pushed him towards the pod. “Go on, heal up. We're going to need you at full strength.”

“Ha, even now I could...” Moonflower stumbled and fell, but the drone quickly caught him, and the black unicorn gave a lame smile before he allowed the machine to half-carry him towards the pod, mumbling: “Well, I could do more than the average pony.”

Cadence only gave him an amused smile, then she turned and left, closing the door behind her as she made her way back to the medical lab. She was surprised to see both Vextus Lux and Tormentas on their hooves, the demons both stretching themselves out as Solstice checked the latter over, before she muttered: “Incredible. I've heard a lot about demonic regeneration, but I've never seen it on this level...”

“Well, you saw the Destroyers, dear, didn't you?” Tormentas asked easily, and Cadence smiled before she realized that this was the first time she had seen the mare without some kind of clothing on. And she was surprised to note that almost the entirety of Tormentas' body was covered in runic tattoos, studying these with interest before the demon said pleasantly: “If you like, I can give you a few yourself. Although I can't promise you won't have to redo them should you have an accident.”

Cadence scowled slightly, opening her mouth, and she was just as surprised as everyone else when the Swan said: “Yes. We would like that.”

“Well then. I can do it immediately, if you like.” Tormentas said after a moment, smiling almost challengingly even as Vextus Lux gave her an exasperated look, but Cadence felt herself gently nudged by the Swan, and... oh what the hell. This is the worst state Decretum's ever been in and we're under attack by a witch who wants to destroy the universe. Why not do something stupid to memorialize it?

She headed over to the bed she had been in before, laying down as Solstice started tiredly: “Girls, you can't-”

“Mares, and we can. Don't worry. It'll only take a moment.” Tormentas reassured, as she strode over to the side of the bed, studying Cadence for a moment before she said softly: “It will hurt, though. I hope you're aware of that.”

“I can deal with pain. I want...” Cadence stopped, before she frowned slightly as the Swan sent an image through her mind, and the mare nodded hesitantly before she touched her breast, saying quietly: “A bird motif. Something simple.”

“Very well. I know just the perfect design.” Tormentas' horn glowed, before she glanced pointedly at Vextus Lux, and the High Priestess grumbled as she walked forwards before she turned her eyes towards Cadence, drawing her attention even as the ivory mare stiffened as she felt magic beginning to sear her chest.

Cadence forced herself to relax as much as possible, even as her hooves dug into the bed, as she asked in as even a voice as possible: “Where are the others?”

“Morning Glory is staying with Freya. She has great respect for the Valkyrie.” Vextus Lux replied with a small smile, before she shook her head and continued in a softer voice: “The other Destroyers have already been delegated to front line duties by Empress Hecate, and the... mechanical pony, the...

“The unpleasant one. Silver, I think is her name?” Tormentas picked up, and Cadence looked uneasily at the mare for a moment, wondering if... “She was badly injured, but taken somewhere else for healing. And Thorn Blackfeather has returned. His mission was successful.”

“I heard, but... what mission?” Cadence asked, trying to focus through the pain burning through her chest, before she gritted her teeth and rolled her head back, adding before she could stop herself: “And what are you even doing to me? A tattoo shouldn't hurt this much!”

“I'm applying a tattoo through magic while ensuring it remains permanent. It's far superior to ink and needles but... it does tend to sting a little more.” Tormentas admitted, before she added in a gentler voice: “And you'll have to speak to Thorn himself about that if you're so curious, Cadence. It's not our place to say.”

Cadence grumbled under her breath at this, but then she nodded briefly even as she squeezed tighter against the bed, closing her eyes and muttering: “Great. Yeah, I'll hunt him down afterwards, then. I have to see Hecate, too, find out what she wants me to do...”

“Kill things, I imagine.” Tormentas said with a gleam of mischief in her eye, and Cadence gave the mare a sour look as Vextus Lux sighed a little. “Don't worry, though, dear. That's what we're all here for. The killing.”

Cadence grunted moodily, and she fidgeted for a few more minutes before blinking in surprise when Tormentas leaned back and said: “And that is that.”

The ivory mare sat up, then smiled a bit as Solstice walked over with a hoof mirror, the medic studying her before the mare gave a wry smile and said finally: “Suits you.”

Cadence took the mirror in her own telekinetic grip, using it to get a good look at the tattoo across her breast, and she couldn't help but smile a little: it was simple, much like the odd mark she'd had before her entire body had changed, but now in black instead of pink. She studied it for a few moments, then nodded and looked up at Tormentas and said quietly: “Thank you.”

Tormentas only shrugged, and Cadence put the mirror aside before she pushed herself out of bed and headed across the room to where La Croix was still sitting and reading. She smiled at him, and he glanced up and gave her a small smile in return before he gestured with his head towards Lancer, who had put his back to everyone and was curled up in a little ball.

Cadence nodded again, softening slightly before she walked over to the stallion's bed, saying gently: “Hey.”

“Just... leave me alone. Leave me alone until it's time for me to fight those bastards.” Lancer muttered, and Cadence reached up and squeezed his shoulder, the stallion stiffening and gritting his teeth, but then slowly, visibly deflating before he nodded once and whispered: “Okay. It just... it all sucks so much.”

“Yeah.” Cadence glanced across at Courtly Love, the changeling giving her a faint smile, and then she turned her eyes towards Peridot, who at least had calmed down and fallen asleep finally, although she was clutching what looked like a scrap of cloth; likely from Cataskeuastros' cowl, she thought.

Cadence patted Lancer on the shoulder again, then she turned and headed to the door, Tormentas and Vextus Lux both following her out of the room. The ivory mare breathed softly, then shook her head before she turned and muttered: “Okay. I'm going to find Hecate. I guess you two are interested in talking to her first too, huh?”

“I would like to get my equipment back. I can understand why it was taken from me, but I never feel quite right without my armor.” Tormentas said mildly, and then she added almost off-hoof: “And we are also here, of course, to try and investigate whatever this Ithavoll is... if Hel is concerned by it, then... it concerns us, too.”

“I'm worried about it too.” Cadence said before she could stop herself, and both demons looked at her with interest: in spite of her words, after all, her tone... “But I also trust in Hecate and Thorn.”

“Trust is a dangerous thing.” Tormentas said gently, and then she smiled as she asked easily: “Is it wrong of me to hope that in the future we end up as enemies, Cadence? Because while you are a good friend, I think you'd be an even better enemy.”

Cadence only smiled briefly over her shoulder at Tormentas, before the ivory mare turned her eyes back forwards, saying softly: “Let's just focus on the here and now. As much as I respect you... you still have to prove that you're not just all talk, after all.”

Tormentas laughed at this, shaking her head slowly as Vextus Lux shook her head with a sigh, remarking quietly: “I suppose nothing will ever get in the way of mares like you two being... well, the way you are.”

Cadence shrugged with a bit of a smile, but she felt the mood become much more muted as they continued on their way, the mare looking silently back and forth as she realized how empty the facility was. There was only a scattering of Worker Drones on duty, meaning that everyone had either been deployed or evacuated.

Cadence was surprised when instead of finding Hecate, a security orb found them instead, the glass sphere beeping loudly for their attention before Hecate's voice echoed out of it moodily: “Cadence. Status?”

“Ready to fight. Moonflower and La Croix are getting ready, and I assume my father is healing.” Cadence chewed on her lip: she wanted to go see him, but first of all... “I need to know what's going on, Empress Hecate, and what you want me to do.”

Hecate grunted moodily at her, and the orb buzzed for a moment before the mechanical goddess said shortly: “Meet me in my office. Tormentas, Vextus Lux, follow this security orb to equipment storage, I've taken the liberty of updating both your loadouts.”

“Fancy words, dear. I only hope it also means we'll find your touchups useful.” Tormentas said politely, although she seemed a little irked. Not that Cadence could blame her, but she smiled inwardly all the same as the orb flew quickly off and the demons followed after it: she was sure that Tormentas would be more than pleased once she saw what Hecate was capable of.

The ivory mare took a breath, then turned and continued quickly through the hall. She noted on the path to Hecate's office that many of the security systems had been activated: automated turrets whirred slowly back and forth as cameras silently watched the halls for any signs of intruders, and Cadence passed more than one security orb on her way.

She knocked perfunctorily once at the door to Hecate's office before letting herself in, and Hecate looked up and dismissed the multitude of screens that had been floating around her, the Empress of Decretum standing and striding around the table to look down at her contemplatively. Cadence looked awkwardly back up at Hecate, then hurriedly cleared her throat before saluting. “Empress Hecate! Cadence, reporting for duty, ma'am.”

“I have eyes.” Hecate retorted shortly, and Cadence winced and wilted a bit before the Empress of Decretum said quietly: “Tell me what happened after you arrived in the combat zone.”

Cadence shifted a bit, looking down for a moment and chewing on her lip before she shook her head quickly and murmured: “I don't even know what to say. It was insane. Elementals and Husks were everywhere, so many were already injured or...” Cadence halted, then cleared her throat before continuing: “I divided up the team Hel had sent with me, and I went ahead to assist Seneschal and the Command Team secure the area while the rest of the team pushed through the battlefield with the wounded. But...”

Cadence looked down, shaking her head slowly as she continued: “I'm sure you know better than I do what happened. But there was something else there, something that gave these... powerful pulses. It killed Cat... I mean, Cataskeuastros. I think... I don't know why, but I think Thokk was on board. Like it was some kind of ship, even though it looked almost like a moon, and it kept phasing through reality...”

Hecate nodded slowly, before she asked almost abruptly: “When did you die again?”

Cadence smiled briefly, silently reaching up and touching her tattooed breast as she murmured: “Thokk ambushed me in Helheim, sent some kind of demigod after me, Rig-”

“Who is linked to Thesis.” Hecate interrupted, and Cadence looked up in surprise for a moment before she hesitantly nodded, and Hecate narrowed her eyes for a moment before she asked quietly: “Was he terminated?”

“No. He escaped. Thokk had a lot of influence in Hell, though... that seemed to be why Hel wanted us down there, because-”

“I think Hel had a multitude of reasons to want you there.” Hecate murmured, as she reached up and rubbed slowly at her chin before she closed her eyes, and Cadence only looked up at the mechanical goddess in silence, unable to find all the questions she had wanted to ask, only able to sit and wait.

Finally, Hecate opened her eyes and looked down at Cadence, saying quietly: “Decretum is as prepared as possible for Thokk's assault, but I need every Dogmatist and every Orphan ready to do their part. Are you ready to fight, Cadence?”

“Yes, Empress Hecate. I am.” Cadence replied, raising her head high and nodding firmly.

Hecate smiled thinly, and then she asked coldly: “And what about the Swan? Will the Swan be able to stand against Thokk?”

Cadence felt a shift inside of her, before the Swan answered: “Yes. Mother Hel has released us from the control of the Mothers and the Fathers and the Creators. We no longer need to bow our head to any desires but our own. We are eager to destroy Thokk.”

“Good.” Hecate said, apparently neither surprised nor impressed by what the Swan had just revealed, as the enormous mechanical mare straightened before saying calmly: “I will do whatever must be done in order to see this universe protected, Cadence. I want you to remember that. Hel also wishes to impose her own sense of order, and while we agree on many things, we may one day be enemies. Who will you serve in that event?”

“I trust you, Empress Hecate.” Cadence said quietly, although there was hesitation in her voice. And when Hecate glanced over her shoulder at her, the ivory mare shifted on her hooves before she admitted: “It's hard. All my preconceptions have been challenged. Everything I believed in is either a lie or just... different from what I expected. But this place is my home. And you... you scare me sometimes, and sometimes I disagree with you, but I trust you. I honestly do. You and Thorn are going to do great things.”

“No. Thorn will do great things. I am merely fixing what was broken.” Hecate said softly, and then she gave Cadence a rare smile, looking down at her and saying: “I trust you as well.”

Cadence blushed and lowered her head awkwardly, and then Hecate gestured for her to go, instructing: “Head to equipment storage and get ready. I need you to prepare your team for emergency deployment once we pinpoint where Thokk is going to attack from.”

Cadence saluted sharply, nodding firmly once before she turned towards the door and let herself out. She took a slow breath, steadying herself- “Hey.”

The ivory mare flinched in surprise, blinking once before she stared in disbelief at Thorn, who smiled in response. He looked worn-out, she thought, and almost like he had aged a few years over the last few days, but then again, she supposed this conflict was wearing on all of them. “Hey. I heard from Moonflower you visited us.”

“Yes. I arrived back a few hours ago.” Thorn reached up and rubbed absently at his mechanical leg, and Cadence noted this one was a little bit different from his other prosthetic: it had a smaller shoulder with narrower pistons, streamlining the appearance of the mechanical leg. “How are you doing? I heard it wasn't... pleasant.”

“No. No, it wasn't.” Cadence shook her head briefly, then she sighed a little before she said in a quieter voice: “Lancer and Peridot are both going to need some understanding.”

“We'll afford them what we can. But you know how we operate, as well.” Thorn paused, then he shook his head and added quietly: “Although I imagine it will take a few days to get things back into working order after today. Assuming we can repel this attack.”

“Is there any information on that?” Cadence hesitated, then she asked suddenly, as Thorn started to open his mouth: “Where did you go?”

Thorn slowly closed his mouth, giving Cadence a look, and the mare smiled in embarrassment before the sapphire stallion shook his head briefly and answered: “I can't tell you that right now, Cadence. Please just understand that it was important.”

“How far ahead do you and Thokk and Hecate really think? I mean... every time you ask us to do something, is there some secret purpose, have we all been taking part in... I don't know, this big Ithavoll Project without ever realizing it?” asked Cadence, and then she shook her head before hesitating, then deciding she had blurted out enough anyway to go ahead and ask: “Why do both Hel and Hecate act like they're going to be fighting? Are we really keeping order in the universe, or... are we the bad guys, Thorn?”

Thorn smiled at this, and Cadence scowled at him, which just made him smile even more, before he answered in an amused voice: “Cadence, there are no 'good guys' or 'bad guys,' that's you trying to simplify everything again. But even if you want to look at the world that way... we are very rarely the 'bad guys.' Decretum is an empire that will span across the entire universe, but our ultimate goal is to affect these worlds as little as possible. Ubique et invisibilia.”

Cadence nodded hesitantly, rubbing at the back of her head before she said softly: “But why is Hel so eager to fight us when... from what I've learned, she wants to be the same way?”

Thorn hesitated for a moment, and then he simply smiled faintly before answering quietly: “Because we all have roles to play, Cadence. Keeping in control, staying in power, is about much more than just being present, and having that power. You have to give whomever you rule over a foe to rally against, or a cause to chase and achieve. Otherwise the people grow restless and dissatisfied.”

“Peace is war.” Cadence said softly, and Thorn shrugged a bit as the ivory mare shook her head slowly, then asked quietly: “But are we really like that? I mean, is the reason Decretum functions so well really because...”

“There's never going to be a shortage of problems to fix. And maybe that's not such a bad thing after all. Besides, our world has a long way to go before we can even say we're ready for colonization, among other things.” Thorn paused, then he reached up and squeezed Cadence's shoulder gently. “Go see your father and your friends. I've learned that... spending time with family is the best thing you can do when things are rough.”

“I'm glad you have. Come by when you can, too... even if just to boss us all around, okay? I think Moonflower likes that, though.” Cadence said softly, and Thorn smiled briefly before he nodded once, and the ivory mare hesitated only a moment as she gazed at him, feeling both joy and strange sadness before she murmured: “You have to make every last moment count.”

Cadence hesitated, then she turned quickly away, smiling awkwardly over her shoulder as Thorn gazed after her silently, and the ivory mare only hoped that she was wrong about what she had seen, and what the Swan felt would be Thorn Blackfeather's fate.

The Burning Of The Orphanage

Chapter Sixty: The Burning Of The Orphanage
~BlackRoseRaven

Alarms blared throughout the control center in Imperia as flashing dots appeared over the massive map projected on the front wall, Seneschal shouting: “Sectors five, seven, eleven, fifteen, and eighteen are all reporting power fluxes! Void energy has been detected, the scramblers are being overloaded or bypassed!”

“Seneschal! Level One alert, deploy all forces to destroy the enemy!” Hecate ordered, leaning forwards for a moment as her eyes flicked across the screen before she spun around and stormed towards the elevator, adding sharply into her communicator: “Mobilize all Dogmatists! Repel, authorize lethal force across all units!”

The elevator doors slammed shut around her, Hecate descending rapidly to the depths of the castle as Thorn's voice came briskly: “I'm rerouting power now.”

“Good. Quarantine each district.” Hecate smiled thinly as information spilled over the lenses on her eyes, before she ordered ruthlessly: “Seal sector eighteen completely and flush the entire zone with P-Ox III. Send in security orbs to observe, I want to judge the efficacy on Thokk's units.”

“Yes, Empress Hecate.” Thorn answered, and Hecate could hear the hesitation in his voice even though she didn't doubt he'd follow through with her orders. She didn't like it either...

But she was not about to play nice with invaders. Today, she was going to teach Thokk a lesson.

The doors opened, and Hecate strode out of the elevator and down a narrow cement hall as she continued: “Sectors five and seven are the most vulnerable. Route teams 0-0, B-11, and E-04 to sector five, and teams A-01, A-04, and C-07 to sector seven. The rest is up to your discretion.”

“They're en route now.” Thorn said, and Hecate smiled thinly: she knew things would go to hell eventually, but as long as they could slow down Thokk before she could gain too much momentum, she knew they would be fine.

The mechanical goddess shouldered her way through a door at the end of the passage, entering a massive, underground laboratory where some of her most sensitive projects were stored. The room was vast and open, with two huge pillars near the front, skinned with thick, crisscrossing cables and with cores of glowing, thrumming gemstone, providing power to the strange capsules and machines that lined the walls.

Hecate strode calmly and quickly to the massive set of glass screens at the back of the room, the screens blinking to life the moment they detected her drawing close. Hecate went to work without a pause, her mechanical hands tapping complex commands across the wall of monitors as her eyes flicked back and forth, taking in every bit of information that spilled rapidly across the screens before she smiled thinly as a warning flashed in the corner of her eye, but she had felt the witch's presence even before the sensors had detected her.

“I'll be with you in a moment.” Hecate said fearlessly as she continued to tap across the screen, but Thokk only tittered quietly as she laced her fingers together, swaying back and forth excitedly on the spot.

“No, no! Take your time, take your time!” Thokk said enthusiastically, before she flicked a hand almost idly to the side to create a floating screen of her own, the witch turning her awful mask towards this to watch as a multitude vortexes ripped open in reality through Decretum: these only stayed open for a few moments, but they allowed Voidborn and strange, alien creatures to leap into every part of the city, Hecate scowling as alerts popped up across her monitors. “I want to watch, too. I want to watch as your forces crumble. I want to watch as your entire world burns.”

Thokk's voice took on a sharp, hard edge for a moment, before the witch coughed loudly and cleared her throat violently, hammering wildly at her breast as Hecate slowly straightened, before her eyes narrowed sharply on another alert as the witch apologized: “Sorry about that. I guess I got a little carried away and all. I just... I get so angry sometimes, and I'm so excited that finally, we're going to make everything right, I'm going to fix everything, but yet I still have to go through some pathetic self-proclaimed horse goddess that has just made such a revolting mess of everything-”

Hecate turned calmly around, then she asked coldly: “Who betrayed me?”

Thokk gasped, rearing back and she shoved her hands over her stone mouth in a huge, exaggerated gesture, before she leaned forwards and asked with false incredulity: “What? Someone betrayed you and told me exactly where this gigantic ticking stopwatch was most vulnerable? How, oh how, could this ever happen?”

Thokk paused, then she suddenly leaned back and crossed her arms, saying in a self-satisfied voice: “Oh, right, I can recall souls from the Void. How does it feel, Hecate, to know that some of your soldiers died hating you. Hating you, so much, that they've decided to sell you out... or heck, maybe that means they love you. Because soon, everything is going to be one, anyway. Soon enough, my darling, I'll have everything I need to melt a hole in reality large enough that the Void will flow into the universe, and the universe will pour into the Nothingness. Then, then, then, everything will be back the way it should have always been! And all shall once more be the Prime!”

Hecate only smiled thinly, and Thokk seemed to scowl as she tilted her head, asking as she spread her arms: “Something funny, tin-lady?”

“You don't care about the Prime. You don't care about rule, or everyone being 'together' or 'happy' or 'sad.' You don't even care about power. Wear your mask, Thokk, or whatever you call yourself, but I know your kind. I can see through you, your mask, and all your lies.” Hecate said coldly, her eyes locked on the witch. “What's wrong? Did the world hurt you? Boo-hoo, that's so sad. Go cry or write about it in your diary. I don't have the time or patience to deal with special snowflakes like you, even if they think they can wash away the universe so they don't have to have their special feelings hurt anymore.”

Thokk twitched visibly, violently, and Hecate smiled again, cold and contemptible, before she simply waved a hand dismissively and turned back towards her control terminal. “See yourself out.”

“Do not treat me like a child!” Thokk roared, unleashing a tremendous blast of magic at Hecate, but the mechanical goddess only half-spun and slammed a fist out, smashing the bolt of energy away.

Thokk stood, arm extended, body heaving as she growled, her voice dropping almost an octave: “You have no idea what I have seen, what I have been through... what I endured every day of life, what I felt every second of my endless undeath! They made me what I am! They blamed me, for every little thing that went wrong in those oh so glorious golden halls! Well, fine! The All-Father is gone, Valthrudnir is gone, the Norns are gone, all those people responsible for my torment... and now, I'm going to take their legacy, and tear it all down. Wipe it all out. Erase it. Erase even the memory of their existence, and then I will be the survivor, and I will write history. And the 'stupid trickster' will have the last laugh!”

Thokk breathed hard in and out, clenching her hands tightly into fists in front of her, but Hecate only snorted in contempt before she said softly: “No matter how powerful you are, no matter how 'strong' you think your forces are... you will never be able to defeat us.”

“Oh, so you think, Hecate. But every soldier of yours who dies, I can pull out of the Void to become a soldier of mine.” Thokk's eyes blazed as the witch straightened, hissing: “Decretum burns. And it burns because of my power. Because I can bring back the dead-beyond-dead, and make former enemies fight as one beside each other. You think your unity is so precious? It is nothing compared to the harmony I have inspired in my armies!”

Hecate only laughed quietly, shaking her head slowly before she turned slowly around, then calmly rose both arms. Immediately, a massive holographic screen appeared, displaying a map of Decretum, showing every point where Thokk's forces had breached. The witch laughed, even as Hecate only laced her hands behind her back, even as desperate alerts blared across the screen. “What is this? Are you showing me how easily I'm going to overwhelm your-”

“Seneschal, iuncta iuvant.” Hecate ordered, and a siren blared before Thokk looked up in surprise as dozens of new marks began to spread across the holographic projection.

The witch hurriedly turned towards her own screen, and she snarled in fury as she saw a vortex rip open on it, demons silently streaming out of it before Thokk took a slow breath as Hecate said quietly: “We have friends as well. Friends in both high places and low places. You have underestimated us.”

“No. You are the one who has underestimated me.” Thokk said darkly, as she simply let the screen beside her drop and shatter away to dust, the witch trembling in anger. “Numbers won't win you the day this time, Hecate. The Elementals will continue to pour in through Ginnungagap until those portals are sealed. The Primordials will tear your sanctuaries and your world apart. My Cydonifamulai are all but invulnerable. This is just what I want. Bring your friends. Let them all die, together!”

Thokk stomped a foot furiously, cracking the cement beneath her, but Hecate only continued to watch her with cold calculation, until the witch said softly: “Besides. I'm right here. You're right here, too. No running away, for either of us, sweetie. What do you think of that?”

Hecate simply flexed her mechanical body, stepping into a ready position as she smiled thinly, electricity crackling across her armored frame as she said coldly: “Take off your mask.”

“You're in no position to give orders.” Thokk shot back at her contritely, but Hecate's expression didn't change, and her eyes didn't wave from the cold stone of the mask.

“The game is over, Thokk... except Thokk never existed, did she? Neither did the Jarsongildi, or any of these other false leads we've been chasing. I don't think even the Prime exists. I think all of this has been manipulation and misdirection, solely to hide your true face.” Hecate said calmly, and the witch pretended to look shocked before the mechanical empress stated in a soft, dangerous voice: “My only question is whether you were a coward who fled Valhalla when Valthrudnir invaded, or a prisoner who he overlooked.”

“Oh, believe you me, he didn't overlook me... I was one of his first victims. Unlike him, I had to work for my powers... but I had a lot of time on my hands, and being caught between death and life, well...” the entity chuckled quietly, as it straightened slowly and reached up a hand to grasp its mask, whispering as the high-pitched voice took on a lower tone, less feminine and yet not the deep masculinity she'd expect from a war god: “Fine. Masks off, Hecate. Because you're right. The game is very much over.”

Fingers tightened, and the mask was removed, and Hecate straightened slowly as she gazed into the gleaming and tortured blue eyes of her foe. They studied each other, these two figures, for the longest time, before the figure asked softly: “Do you know my name?”

Hecate did: she spoke it, and the figure smiled.

Cadence swore under her breath as she leapt backwards, her white armor thankfully deflecting the worst of the magic that splashed down over her before she retaliated with a blast of white energy in the direction her visor told her to fire. The blast of magic did little more than knock the Husk mage off its hooves, but it gave her and her team enough time to scramble for cover beside a building as part of the road erupted nearby.

They hadn't even been able to make it to sector five to engage the enemy: they had been cut off at the outskirts of Imperia by an attack force, before Seneschal had rescinded the former order and instead told them to exterminate all hostiles and reclaim whatever territory they were in. But now they were pinned down by Husks that had taken to the rooftops and invaded nearby buildings, using elevation to snipe at them.

Her team stood with her, at least, although they had rushed through getting ready: La Croix only had a vest and a satchel of supplies, and Sombra didn't have his purifier, but instead was wearing a collar that kept him calm. Miasma leaked from his eyes, but the collar was enough to let him keep control over himself for now.

Moonflower had his full armor, but it was already dented and damaged from the chaos: Husks and Elementals were everywhere, attacking indiscriminately, and while they weren't as dangerous as the Voidborn, the Primordials, or the horrific, twisted things that had also wriggled their way into their reality, many of the Husks were smart enough to pick up fallen Decretum weapons, and plenty of the Elementals liked to explode when they died.

“Okay. Our choice is to either go through the building or make a dash for it. If Moonflower can cloak or shield us, we might...” Cadence halted, then she looked up in surprise as a vortex ripped open in reality only a few dozen feet away. She swore and immediately drew her rifle, but then her eyes widened as an assortment of strange ponies leapt in through the rift, shouting and roaring and immediately attracting the attention of the Husks above.

Bullets and magic tore into the ground around the newcomers, but one of them – a half-dragon hybrid, Cadence thought with surprise – slashed her horn sharply up, creating a forcefield, before a mare in golden armor snapped her horn out, retaliating with a fireball that blew apart part of the roof before it became a wave of water that drove the Husks backwards. And Cadence's eyes widened as she recognized the mare after a moment, blurting: “Valkyrie Prestige?”

Prestige glanced over at the mare with surprise, then she smiled warmly as the stallion beside her leaned over with a wide grin. “Hey, what, you cheating on me with a mare? Because that's pretty hot, really. I won't be mad if-”

“Shut up, hero. Cadence! We're here on invitation from Empress Hecate, here to offer our support.” Prestige said as Cadence's team came out of cover to approach the strange group that had stormed into their reality.

Cadence's eyes drifted over them, before her eyes widened in surprise as a pale pink mare spat: “Excuse me, girls, I'm not in the mood for tea time and dollies.”

With that, the mare burst apart into black smoke, streaking sharply away as Cadence asked dumbly: “That demon...”

“Oh, please excuse my Phoenix, for she is in a most foul mood! 'Tis not her fault, though, I have been vexed myself at the thought of my dearest daughter, so far away... but so noble was her sacrifice, how could I not be proud, too?” declared a massive earth pony, and Cadence began to scowl before she felt the Swan suddenly roil inside of her, forcing the ivory mare to drop to a kneel.

“Lord Thor. We are honored by the presence of a Father.” Danzsöngr said calmly, and the huge earth pony blinked, but then he threw back his head and laughed, and the Swan frowned slightly as she looked up almost uneasily, before hurriedly retreating and leaving Cadence to choke and flail wildly when the massive stallion hugged her tightly around the neck, hefting her into the air.

“Nay, nay, enough of that! I am but Sleipnir, that is who I am and that is all I aim to be, most fair and gorgeous of mares!” Sleipnir smiled warmly as he set her firmly down on her hooves, Cadence staggering dumbly before the stallion quickly reached out and settled her. “And who, may I ask-”

“Hey, guys, we're in the middle of the street and there's enemies literally everywhere! Pinkamena's got a good start but I can't keep this forcefield up forever, maybe you could give me a little help!” snarled the weird dragon-pony, before she scowled horribly at the black stallion beside Prestige when he leaned over to pat her condescendingly on the head.

“Yes, yes. You're quite a big strong girl, Sin, we're all super proud of you.” he said seriously, and then he spun towards Cadence, looking her thoughtfully over before he grinned and winked. “Hope you're half as good as Prestige and Thorn both told me. Otherwise we're totally going to take home all the glory.”

With that, the stallion turned, what Cadence had thought was a strange cape spreading into crystalline wings as he flung himself upwards and flapped them hard, shooting fearlessly into the air as Prestige asked quickly: “Sitrep?”

Cadence quickly reached up and tapped a hidden button on the side of her helmet, grimacing a bit at the information that scrawled across the visor over her eyes before she muttered: “Massive enemy force, attacking from literally everywhere. They've invaded several facilities, and we've got readings on anchored portals, although they're creating huge amounts of interference so I can't lock on to where they are exactly... uh... Horses of Heaven...”

“Calm down, mi amore. We can do this together.” Sombra reassured gently, as Moonflower shifted nervously beneath the forcefield that the dragon-mare was still maintaining, and La Croix took the moment to drop his equipment bag to pull out his potion-making equipment. “Do you need to know anything in particular, Miss Prestige?”

“Current orders and objectives.” Prestige answered, and Cadence smiled wryly. Well, that was simple enough, at least.

“Neutralize the enemy by any means necessary. Reclaim as much territory as possible, as well: Thokk waited for our forces to begin moving to engage the first set of units she dumped into Decretum before she started her actual attack, so a lot of our soldiers have been stranded and dispersed.” Cadence explained, and Prestige nodded with a slight smile.

“Well, us dropping in should help with that. I'll pass it along the line to other officers I meet. Thanks, Cadence. Good luck.” Prestige said with a quick salute, and Cadence saluted back before the Valkyrie turned and galloped straight down the center of the road, shouting: “Everyone, let's move! Let's hit them with everything we've got!”

The rest of the strange ponies followed after her, and Cadence turned her attention towards her own team, saying quickly: “Alright, I noted that there's a lot of enemy activity moving in to the south, they might be moving to reinforce another flank. With them handling things here, let's move to engage and cut off the enemy before they can get too far.”

“You got it, mademoiselle.” La Croix easily scooped up his potion kit in his bag, tossing it back on as Moonflower gritted his teeth and nodded firmly. “Hey, don't look so grim. You gonna ruin your complexion, rein de la nuit.”

“Oh shut up, you awful stripehorse. At least I have a complexion to ruin.” Moonflower retorted lamely, rubbing embarrassedly at his face before he visibly steeled himself. “But I'm ready too, Cadence. Anything you say.”

Cadence smiled briefly as her father bowed his head to her, and the ivory mare turned to lead them quickly down the street, grimacing a bit as an explosion rose up in the distance. “I never imagined we'd be fighting here... even when Thokk was at her worst, I never thought...”

Sombra nodded with a faint smile as he galloped by her side, his body bleeding poison, yet his eyes as clear and calm as ever as he said softly: “I know, my child. We never do. As many times as I've been here before, Cadenza... all the same, I feel the same...”

“That same loss of balance.” Moonflower, surprisingly, was the one to finish, the unicorn raising his head before he said firmly: “But that's all the more reason for us to fight, isn't it? We can't just stand by and let this happen. We have to push them back.”

“And we will, together. We're stronger than Thokk, together.” Cadence agreed, before the ivory mare grimaced as her visor suddenly went wild with warnings and static as they reached a T-shaped intersection, swearing as she said sharply: “Get ready!”

A vortex ripped open in front of them, Cadence snarling as she set herself, her companions steadying themselves around her, and then the ivory mare gaped in shock as some kind of machine ripped through the portal and skidded to a halt in front of them. The rift slammed shut behind the growling, armored motorcycle, and Luna Brynhild grinned widely as she leaned across the handlebars on the front of the machine, peering over a pair of sunglasses at the ivory mare as she remarked: “Well, Swan, what nonsense is this? I could hear the noise from three worlds hence!”

“Valkyrie...” Cadence snarled, baring her fangs, before she felt Danzsöngr suddenly shove her aside, and the ivory mare's features became cold and measuring as she rose her head high, taking in the trio on the motorcycle in the center of the road, beneath the shadow of the mighty tower that loomed over the intersection.

And after a few moments, Danzsöngr said softly and seriously: “Valkyrie Brynhild. If you have come here to aid us, we will accept your aid with gratitude. We are capable of putting our petty squabbles aside. We only ask that you try and show us the same courtesy.”

“'Tis strange to hear a Swan asking of courtesy.” Brynhild remarked mildly, but then she hesitated. She looked first to the sidecar beside her, where Scrivener Blooms was looking at her pointedly from the small seat he was scrunched into, and then she half-turned to glance back at Morgan Heldóttir, who was in the seat behind her. After silently consulting with the two for a few moments, she turned back ahead, grimacing a bit as explosions ripped across the sky before she muttered: “Fie. Very well. Will the Clockwork beasts attack us?”

“They are not beasts. They are soldiers of Decretum.” Danzsöngr said calmly, before Cadence shivered as she felt the Swan leaving, the ivory mare swaying for a moment before she caught herself and looked up, saying curtly: “My friends and I are moving to intercept a large unit that's on the move, we can't stay here. Are you coming with us, or-”

Brynhild grinned widely as she and her two companions dismounted the motorcycle, which growled loudly before it twisted around to the side and shot off on its own, Cadence somehow managing to pretend that didn't startle her as Moonflower gaped and La Croix leaned uncomfortably away. “Nay! I sense familiarity in the air over all the chaos... I think I will head back the way thou came and cover thy tracks, Swan. May we both find what we are looking for.”

Cadence gave the briefest of smiles at this, trading a short nod with the mare before she swore under her breath as something fell out of the sky and smashed into the massive clock tower, making it rattle as she ordered sharply: “Moonflower, put a shield over us! Come on, let's move and put a stop to that artillery unit!”

Team 0-0 ran quickly past, Cadence and Brynhild glaring at each other for a moment before they both looked away at almost the same time, the sapphire mare grinning widely as she looked down the street, and the ivory mare facing forwards, leading her stallions quickly away. Brynhild absently rolled her head on her shoulders, then she looked up mildly as Scrivener said dryly: “It wouldn't kill you to pretend to be nice for once.”

The sapphire mare huffed over her shoulder at him, and then she turned her eyes forwards, gesturing quickly with her head as Morgan Heldóttir cautioned: “Hel was serious when she told us what was going on. We have to be careful.”

Luna Brynhild only grunted loudly as she led the way calmly forwards, grimacing as she looked back and forth: the streets were cracked, the buildings were already showing signs of damage, the red and black skies above roiled with combat. She could hear cannon fire and explosions of magic and the clash of steel-on-steel: Decretum was at war, and even without Hel's warning... “Aye, I am being careful, Morgan, thou knows I am. But after all Hecate has done, to see the world...”

“Yes... it is sad, isn't it?” asked a soft voice, and the trio came to a halt as they looked ahead to see a lone mare standing calmly on one side of the road. She smiled at them pleasantly, and Luna and Scrivener's eyes both widened before Morgan's own jaw dropped as she felt their thoughts, but the mare only chuckled quietly, her strange, octagonal collar thrumming with eerie runes as she bowed her head low and said gently: “You've changed, young ones, but I remember you very well... and of course, my friend has told me much about you...”

Melinda the Sky Witch calmly, gently gestured to the side, and a portal opened, and Thesis strode out of this, grinning widely. He opened his mouth, but his expression curdled into a scowl as another pony leapt quickly out of the portal and landed on his other side, the mare leaning forwards with an intense, hungry look in her eyes as she whispered: “Finally. I knew we could meet again... even as I lay dying like a dog, I knew we would meet again: I never fail to hunt my chosen prey...”

“You aren't killing them. We're taking them alive.” Thesis said calmly but firmly, the stallion rolling his shoulders slowly. Luna noted with narrowed eyes that he had some kind of exoskeleton implanted in his back, which made her tense, except even as it activated with a whirring hum, the stallion gave the trio a lopsided grin and a slow wink, asking: “But hey, three on three, so how about mare-for-mare, stallion-for-stallion, uh... whatever the hell you are, Luna, for... whatever the hell you are, Sol.”

Sol Seraph looked less than amused, turning a cold eye towards Thesis, but Luna grinned slightly as she cracked her neck before growling: “Well, here in a place where I can fully exercise my powers, against a foe I will truly feel no remorse for... what does thou think, Sol Seraph? Art thou a match for me?”

The Pegasus flexed, but Thesis quickly held a hoof up in front of her, before he winced when her hoof crossed sharply back in front of him: except hers now held a knife that rested blade-first against his throat, as Melinda visibly stiffened. “I do not obey your orders. I obey Thokk only because it has led to this moment, here, and now: the moment where I shall strike out at my prey. The moment where I shall finally lay waste to a 'hero,' and all she loves.”

Thesis leaned his head back slightly, but he didn't waver otherwise as he replied gently: “You know, Sol, you can wait quietly for a minute or two more, and then go wild, really. I'm not going to stop you. But no matter how much you might want to play dominatrix with me, I'm really not into that. So please take your knife away from my throat and sit back and listen quietly, or I'm going to ask my nice friend Melinda here to choke you to death with her mind powers.”

“We've been over this before, dear, hexes are just a different sort of magic. But he's very right, Miss Seraph.” Melinda smiled, but even though it was kind, and almost sympathetic, her gaze was cold and unflinching as she said softly: “Step back for a moment, dear, or I'll have to send you back to the Void.”

Sol Seraph scowled, but after a moment, she relented and made the knife in her hoof vanish as she leaned back. Her eyes locked on Luna Brynhild, who grinned coldly, fearlessly back, as Thesis leaned forwards and said softly: “I won't insult you by asking you to join us. But I hope you know that this is the end, either way... how does that old song go? So you should enjoy yourself, because it's later than you think...”

Luna's eyes widened slightly, and Sol immediately locked on to this, asking coldly: “What kind of message is this, Thesis? Is this a betrayal of Thokk?”

“None of us here can betray Thokk. She has all of us by the short hairs, one way or the other, unfortunately.” Thesis smiled back at Sol Seraph, then he tilted his head towards her and asked mildly in return: “You gonna run home and tattle on me?”

But Sol Seraph only snorted at this, turning her eyes back towards Luna Brynhild with disgust as she said softly: “Of course not. By all means, do what you will, Thesis. Feed them strength and belief. I will enjoy crushing the hope from their eyes.”

“Only Luna's. Don't be selfish now, Sol Seraph. One for each of us.” Thesis corrected almost kindly, earning a scowl from the Pegasus. “You're like a foal in a candy store. Except you want to crush all the candy before you lick it up off the floor. Which is awful, by the way. Both hygiene-wise and health-wise.”

Sol Seraph was silent for a moment, and then she suddenly spun and leapt towards Luna Brynhild. But with only a grin and a sharp flick of her horn, a spear burst into existence in a flare of sapphire hellfire in front of her, ramming through Sol Seraph's chest before Luna half-turned with a roar and snapped the weapon out to the side, flinging the Pegasus through the window of a nearby building.

For one brief moment, Luna looked over at Thesis before she firmly tapped her own nose and tipped him a wink, then she turned and leapt after Sol Seraph. Melinda chuckled quietly at this, and then she graciously bowed to Morgan Heldóttir, asking her kindly: “Will you allow me to put your magic to the test, darling? You have an absolutely exceptional energy about you... a power I feel that I must experience for myself, if you will allow a selfish request.”

Morgan smiled a bit after a moment, and then she replied quietly: “The honor would be all mine, Lady Melinda.”

“Please, dear. Just Melinda is fine. Prince Thesis, Mr. Blooms... please don't be too rough on each other. We all have a common goal here.” Melinda said gently as a glow surrounded her body, before she smiled as she rose her head and floated into the air, gesturing off to the side. “Shall we, darling?”

Twilight smiled hesitantly, glancing over at Scrivener, and he nodded to her before he turned his eyes ahead, saying softly: “Don't worry. I think I can manage to hold my own here. You go ahead: not every day even people like us get to fight legends, after all.”

“I am pretty awesome.” Thesis agreed as he winked and flexed a foreleg, and Scrivener sighed and rolled his eyes as Twilight smiled a little wider, and Melinda gently kicked the Replicant in the shoulder, making him huff a little. “Well, Mel, it's pretty vain to think they were talking about you.”

“They clearly were, dear, but I can't help there's been all these silly stories about me. Now, behave yourself, will you? Just for a little bit longer, that's all. One way or the other... we both know this will be over soon.” Melinda said gently, before she smiled over at Twilight, who spread her wings and flew into the air. The two took off without another word, leaving Thesis and Scrivener standing in front of the clock tower, facing each other calmly, studying one-another curiously.

Finally, Scrivener said softly: “You seem different from last time. Saner.”

“I was perfectly sane the last time we fought. Mostly. Mostly-perfectly.” Thesis argued with a huff, before he added mildly: “Also I could say the same about you. You seem confident. Ready to fight this time, not just delaying the inevitable or hiding behind that stallion of yours.”

“With Luna, it's usually just better to let her have her way, that's all.” Scrivener shrugged after a moment, studying Thesis before he asked: “Did Hecate make that new exoskeleton for you?”

“Like it?” Thesis smiled slightly as he shifted a bit to let the stallion get a better view of the machinery built into his back, the Replicant chuckling quietly before he straightened. “It's different from the previous models I had implanted on my body, which all functioned by using corruption... Thorn didn't tell me, but... I'm thinking that this is designed to help me think clearer, too.”

“And you've had some help from someone else, too.” Scrivener said softly, and Thesis only shrugged amiably before he reached up and tapped pointedly at his nose.

The Replicant set himself, and Scrivener did the same before Thesis said softly: “But all the same, brother, we are enemies on the battlefield today. Melinda is testing Twilight, and I suppose Sol is as good a test as any for Luna... and I have to admit, I'm very curious to see what you're capable of now. Even though we were born so far apart, we're both sons of the same father, aren't we?”

“His sins visited upon us.” Scrivener intoned ironically, and then he flexed one Talon slowly before he smiled slightly. “But the Archives aren't watching. We're actually here on the orders of you-know-who...”

“Somehow, I think everyone here... is here, in part, because of her meddling. Maybe even Thokk.” Thesis paused for a moment, and then he punched a hoof against the ground before he grinned slightly and asked: “But hey, enough stalling. Show me your strength, Scrivener Blooms!”

Scrivener smiled slightly as electricity sparked over Thesis' exoskeleton, the Replicant leaning forwards as his hooves dug into the ground, his eyes blazing as energy crackled around him before he vanished from the spot in a burst of power. But Scrivener Blooms was ready, unfazed as he smoothly leaned backwards and tilted slightly to the side, one claw reaching up to catch a punch from the Replicant as he said mildly: “You're going to have to do better than that.”

Thesis snorted in amusement, and then he suddenly dropped backwards, at the same time forcefully yanking Scrivener on top of him before he kicked him savagely into the air with both rear hooves, the stallion grunting in surprise before the Replicant vanished from the spot and reappeared in midair, slamming both rear hooves out in a vicious kick that sent Scrivener crashing through one of the windows of the clock tower.

The Replicant flipped neatly as he dropped back to the ground, landing with a grin as he called easily: “You mean like that?”

A rumble spilled through the air, and Thesis frowned slightly before his eyes widened as the wall of the clock tower exploded outwards, a Tyrant Wyrm smashing to the ground in front of Thesis with a wide grin before the transformed Scrivener replied in a teasing growl: “A little better.”

Thesis readied himself as Scrivener flexed slowly, his emotions mixing with the fury and the excitement of the others. Morgan was deep in her own combat with Melinda, in a mix of duel and play as they challenged each other with their most powerful magic.

And Luna, meanwhile, was entrenched in her own combat with Sol Seraph, the sapphire mare grinning even as she found herself amazed by the ferocity of the Voidborn Pegasus as she flung herself towards her again, Luna narrowly catching her against the body of her spear before she flung her backwards, shouting: “Has thou been practicing, Sol Seraph? I do not remember thee being half so threatening as this in life!”

Sol Seraph flipped her body sharply before she caught herself halfway down the hallway, her eyes locked on Brynhild as she said coldly: “Bark, dog. But you were always afraid of me.”

Luna only snorted as she leaned forwards, her eyes gleaming as her spear sparked with energy. “Well, we have all made mistakes, have we not? But thou wert no match for me then, just as I am certain thou art no match for me now, wretched volk. And I shall savor every moment of this.”

Sol Seraph responded by charging straight at Luna, and the sapphire mare grinned before leaping forwards to intercept. But with ease, the Pegasus suddenly flung herself to the side as she flicked out her hooves, flinging out a pair of glass explosives as she launched herself sideways.

Luna was ready, however, snapping her spear out to bat one of the glass baubles away as she caught the other in her hoof, grinning even as Sol Seraph slammed into the wall and charged along it with a flap of her wings, trying to get on her flank. But with a flick of her wrist, Luna flung the antimagic explosive straight at the Pegasus as she leapt away, yet she grimaced as she still felt the shock of vibrations through her horn when the sphere exploded-

And Sol Seraph didn't even flinch as she dove through the blast, hidden blades popping loose from her bracers as she drove at Luna's side. The sapphire mare swore as she narrowly sidestepped, her horn slashing out as she turned, but the Pegasus caught her against her blades, slashing and stabbing viciously forwards and striking against Brynhild's horn, sending painful reverberations through her skull as the ruthless Voidborn slammed blow after blow against her spire.

A blade suddenly stabbed in towards Brynhild's eye, but the mare managed to twist her spear between them before she shoveled roughly forwards with the pole, launching the Pegasus backwards as Luna growled: “Not fast-”

Sol Seraph flipped upside down, launching a pair of gleaming knives at Luna, the mare spinning her spear into these to deflect them with a grin before her eyes widened as she caught sight of the silver wire too late, and the Pegasus yanked sharply back on the almost invisible metal string, ripping the spear out of Luna's telekinetic grip to fling it quickly away.

Luna lunged at Sol's back, but the Voidborn kicked out both her rear hooves as hidden blades sprung from the bracers around her hind legs, the sapphire mare swearing as she narrowly lunged out of the way, deflecting one of the blades with her horn as the other narrowly scratched across her cheek.

But as the winged unicorn flung herself backwards, Sol rolled her own body, flicking her forelegs out with a cold smile, and Luna's eyes widened as she saw the nooses of steel wire too late before they hooked around her horn. And when Sol dropped from the air, the Pegasus yanked down savagely at the same time to jerk Luna face-first into the ground with a tremendous bang.

The sapphire mare swore as she tried to throw herself backwards as her horn gleamed, but Sol Seraph leapt forwards over her, twisting the shining, silvery wire around the winged unicorn's throat before she slammed both forelegs down into the sapphire pony's back, Luna crying out in agony as the twin hidden blades bit into her body. She felt herself jerked along with Sol Seraph when the Pegasus rolled, before she was slammed down on her face as the silver wire tightened along her body, Sol's body pinning her to the ground as the Pegasus whispered in her ear: “You are weak.”

One of the blades buried in her back twisted slowly, and Luna gasped in pain before she snarled in anger and humiliation, her ephemeral mane bursting into blue flames as electricity tore across her form. But Sol Seraph only smiled coldly, yanking the metal wire tighter as she leaned her weight down harder against Luna, digging those deadly, gleaming blades further into her body-

The winged unicorn suddenly dropped flat as her horn pulsed, and Sol Seraph grunted in surprise as the mare's body became gleaming, icy mist that tore upwards around her as she fell to the ground, before the Pegasus' eyes widened in surprise as her own steel wire snapped itself violently around her body with so much violence that it lifted her into the air, before Luna reformed above her and slammed a hoof down into her spine.

Sol Seraph struck the floor with enough force that she bounced once, before Luna dropped her full weight and all four hooves down on the Pegasus, crushing her into the floor before the sapphire mare flicked her horn sharply, her spear launching itself towards her-

An explosion tore through the corridor, Luna swearing as she was flung backwards to bounce painfully down the hallway, while Sol Seraph was flung in the other direction, her body glowing brightly as it was shred into pieces before repairing itself just as rapidly.

Luna hit the ground on her side and rolled sharply to her hooves, her spear snapping to a ready position beside her, as Sol Seraph landed in her own ready stance, her expression cold even as her body steamed with energy as it knitted itself back together.

“So weak.” Sol Seraph said softly, and then she smiled contemptibly as she flexed her body slowly, asking quietly: “Is this the best you can do?”

Luna narrowed her eyes for a moment, before she smiled thinly as she straightened slightly, replying calmly: “Perhaps I misjudged thee, Sol Seraph. Yes, 'tis clear that I have. For thou art not nearly as great, nor as fearsome as I had expected. Thou art cowardly, weak, and dependent upon thy foul little toys to fight. Thou art no warrior. Thou art nothing but a skulk.”

“Talk as much as you like, Brynhild, but you are still the same as you have ever been to me. Prey. And you are already bloodied and wounded. Talk all you like, but you are no match for me.” Sol Seraph replied calmly, although one of her hooves dug slowly against the floor as her wings spread, her body flexing visibly as she gazed coldly across at Luna Brynhild.

But Brynhild only grinned wryly, her eyes gleaming as her spear sparked with energy before she growled: “Then let us hope that thou may live up to thine own braggery... although thus far, all I have been is disappointed.”

Luna's fiery mane swayed back and forth, and Sol Seraph smiled thinly before she asked softly: “With me, or with your own pathetic performance?”

The sapphire mare snorted at this, then answered distastefully: “Both.”

“Then may this inspire you.” Sol Seraph said calmly, before she flung herself backwards as she hurled a fan of knives out from either hoof, Luna's eyes widening in shock as she felt the thrum of power in her bones too late-

A massive blast erupted through the building next to them, blowing out most of the windows and causing part of the structure to collapse. Scrivener Blooms, even in his Tyrant Wyrm shape, flinched visibly, and Thesis felt that it wasn't just from the force of the blast.

Yet all the same, he took the advantage it had given him, leaping towards the Tyrant Wyrm, but Scrivener was faster than he expected, flinging himself backwards before he leaned forwards with a furious roar, unleashing a blast of both toxic sapphire mist and raw force. It blasted Thesis off his hooves, the Replicant swearing in pain as he bounced backwards before he sharply rolled himself back to his hooves. “Try a breathmint!”

Scrivener replied by leaning forwards and slamming a claw into the road, sending cracks of corruption ripping through the surface of the street towards the Replicant. But Thesis simply slammed his own hooves down into the ground, countering the attack with his own wave of toxic power.

Black poison gushed upwards in all directions as the opposing forces of corruption met, and Scrivener Blooms growled before he lunged fearlessly forwards, plowing through the geysers of poison bursting up from the cracked street. But Thesis only waited, gritting his teeth before he concentrated his powers as the exoskeleton on his back whirred loudly, rubbery strings of black ooze exploding out of the shattered road to snap like webbing around Scrivener's body before they went taut and yanked him forcefully down into the street.

The Tyrant Wyrm growled in frustration before Thesis leapt forwards and shoved his hooves against Scrivener's head, muttering: “This might sting.”

He focused his powers into Scrivener, and the Tyrant Wyrm flinched in pain as he felt his scales beginning to lose consistency, Thesis trying to force him to revert. But even as the Replicant attempted to corrupt his transformation, Scrivener growled as he flexed against the webbing of corruption binding him before he lunged suddenly forwards, ripping through the gunk binding him and seizing Thesis in his jaws before the Voidborn could react.

Thesis howled as the Tyrant Wyrm gnashed viciously on him before he was flung high into the air, flailing uselessly before Scrivener leaned forwards with another roar, blasting the Voidborn down the street.

The Replicant twisted his body in midair, crashing down on all fours and skidding to a halt as he grinned widely, even as his body trembled ever so slightly as the blue mist steamed off him, continuing to eat away at his body. But all the same, he shook himself out before he shouted: “Not bad! I could totally do that if I wanted to, though!”

Scrivener only rumbled as he set himself, before his eyes opened in surprise as Thesis lunged forwards into a gallop, charging straight at him. The Tyrant Wyrm stomped both front claws viciously down into the street, shattering stone and sending up a wave of black spikes, but Thesis leapt to the side, dodging around the black spikes before he put on a burst of speed when Scrivener leaned forwards to roar again.

The Tyrant Wyrm was cut off as Thesis slammed a hoof up beneath his jaw, his head snapping back with a hurk of pain as his eyes bulged before Thesis laid in a vicious volley of blows against the transformed stallion's chest, knocking Scrivener off-balance and sending the draconic beast staggering before Thesis slammed both hooves forwards into his weakened, cracked breast. “See you!”

Scrivener felt a tremendous pulse rip through his body before there was a tremendous boom, and a moment later he was launched through the air, leaving a trail of muck and corruption behind him before he slammed through the front wall of the clock tower like a cannonball in an explosion of debris and black slime.

The stallion groaned loudly in pain as he slowly peeled himself out of the machinery he had crashed into, grimacing a bit as he rubbed slowly at a foreleg that almost seemed to be boiling. His Talon flexed as black mire dripped from it, before he shook his head roughly to get his mane out of his eyes as he realized from the aches and pains in his body that Thesis hadn't just launched him like a rocket, he had somehow dispelled his transformation.

He dropped to all fours, then looked up at the gaping hole in the wall as Thesis landed just inside the rim of the wound in the tower, the Replicant grinning as he asked: “So, how do you think you'll do without that big body of yours?”

“I'm still bigger than you.” Scrivener replied blandly as he straightened slowly, claws flexing against the ground, and Thesis scowled, which only made the stallion grin wryly even as he felt his body still struggling to heal as streams of corruption dripped from his form. “What's wrong, short stack? Mad that you can't bring me down to your size?”

“Hey, if you need to overcompensate, don't let me stop you.” retorted Thesis, before he pointed at the black ooze that had saturated the entire area around Scrivener Blooms and was slowly eating away at the sparking machinery and cement. “Also, buddy, you seem to be leaking.”

“A friend's a friend, a pal's a pal, but a buddy is someone you sleep with. I didn't know this whole 'brother' thing was linked to an incest fantasy.” Scrivener said dryly, and Thesis blinked before he huffed and touched his breast, looking insulted.

“Excuse me, but I have no interest in sleeping with you, that would be disgusting.” Thesis paused, then leaned forwards and winked, flexing one foreleg as he added: “But having sex with you? Well, I sure can't blame you for wanting to have sex with me, I'm awesome. And I bet you sure know your way around a stallion, considering your... Luna.”

Scrivener only looked meditative for a moment before he started: “The joke stopped being funny when I started realizing just how right you-”

“Okay going back to punching you in the face before you finish that sentence now!” Thesis visibly flinched before he leapt forwards, then gargled in shock when Scrivener slammed his hooves down into the black ooze and it erupted upwards, splashing over the Replicant before hardening into crystal.

Thesis immediately focused his own powers to melt the crystal, but before it could turn back to liquid, Scrivener stepped forwards and seized the Replicant by the head with one Talon before slamming him face-first into the ground, before he half-spun and flung him across the room into a wall with a tremendous bang.

Thesis crumpled to the ground with a groan, clutching at his head before he scowled over his shoulder as Scrivener strode through the debris-strewn room towards him, and then the Replicant winced and rolled to his hooves with surprise as streams of black poison flowed eerily behind Scrivener, twisting and sliding over the ground and through the air around him like coiling black serpents as he said softly: “I've still got a few new tricks up my sleeve.”

“Good. I'm eager to see how far I can push this new exoskeleton.” Thesis replied with a grin, and even as he flexed his body, even as his mind raced and adrenaline excited him and his powers filled him up, he felt sane. Stable. Strong.

And that was what made Scrivener Blooms grin and move to meet the Replicant's challenge so eagerly, as Thesis roared and flung himself into the combat, his mind and eyes clear as the two smashed into each other as enemies, as blood-kin.

Decretum trembled with the battles that raged across it, and the skies themselves trembled as magic and sky-machines and Elementals tore across it, threatening to tear reality. They were at war, war that saw friend pitted against friend, and the worst of enemies clashing together, savage and remorseless.

But if the gears of the Clockwork World stripped and failed at this, their first and truest test, it would not just be the Orphans who had come from across the ninety nine worlds who paid the price, but all of reality would tremble with no one left to protect these innocent ponies from the terrors that lurked beneath beds and inside closets, from the things that moved in the shadows... and the ghosts of the past that had returned, hiding beneath the mask and machinations of a make-believe witch and her schemes.

The Crone's Reprise

Chapter Sixty One: The Crone's Reprise
~BlackRoseRaven

The witch removed its mask, to reveal a face that was pale and pockmarked: a young man's face, yet creased with sorrows and forced smiles that had aged them prematurely. His features were remarkably average, nothing about him particularly striking or handsome, but nothing ugly about them, either. He had peach fuzz, and short, spiky blonde hair.

He was shorter than she had thought, as he tossed away the mask, and with it, the dress that he had disguised himself in: it was like he had thrown away both his height and Thokk's wrathful presence with his costume, as he idly smoothed out the long overcoat he was wearing over a set of ratty old clothes that looked as if they hadn't been changed in weeks.

Hecate studied him silently, and the young man smiled up at her as he hooked his thumbs in his pockets, saying softly: “It's amazing how easy it is to fool people, you know. Everyone loves a good narrative, see, and that's the trick: just give 'em somethin' to believe in, like any good politician. Give them a story. Give them something they can fight. And oh, fight they will. All you need are a few hand puppets and some shadows, and poof.”

The man shook his head slowly, then he chuckled a little as his eyes flicked up, his smile kind, but his gaze was like ice, as he said gently: “Now. Step aside, will you? This is nothing you can fight against. You can't stop me. I mean, come on, you're not really stupid enough to think you stand half a chance against me, right?”

“I don't care who you are. I don't care if you're Aesir or Vanir, or even if you're right or wrong. This is our universe now, and I will not let you take it away from these ponies. These worlds are theirs to do with as they please, whether that means creation or destruction, birth or death.” Hecate said calmly and coldly, her body sparking as she readied herself, and the man quirked an eyebrow at her as he smiled condescendingly, although he visibly tensed as well. “Surrender immediately. Or I will kill you myself, god or not, Loki.”

Loki laughed loudly at this, shaking his head slowly before he looked off to the side, saying softly: “Now, now. Don't you know that's not how the story goes? The prophecy foretold it all... that me, Loki, I would come back, leading an army of the dead at Ragnarok, and we'd all kill each other. The prophecies said a lot of things about me... said I was a brother-killer. Silly, stupid stories...”

Loki scowled, his features becoming uglier as his sharp eyes flicked towards Hecate contemptibly. “But that was what they used as 'evidence' when they put me on trial for the deaths.... deaths that Valthrudnir caused. Only Thor believed in me, you know, he-”

“I don't have time for your whimpering.” Hecate interrupted, and Loki slowly turned towards her as his eyes narrowed dangerously. “Get over yourself. Or remain a child, and continue to temper tantrum. I will have no problem fixing your attitude for you.”

“You stupid bitch.” Loki said disgustedly, before he rose a hand and simply pointed at her, and Hecate's eyes widened as a blast of energy tore through her steel body, far more focused and powerful than the magic had been when Loki had been pretending to be Thokk. She staggered back a step, but then caught herself as she clutched at the wound in her steel body, as readings spilled violently out across her eyes as Loki said in a softer, deadlier voice: “Do you really think you're any match at all for me when I no longer have to cover up who I am? Hel herself couldn't stop me now, Hecate!”

Hecate smiled thinly, and then she straightened as summoned a holographic screen beside her, not bothering to look at it as she keyed in a quick command. Then she dismissed it as Loki smiled at her condescendingly, asking: “More machines? More toys? Gosh, with all these wonderful little trinkets. You'd think that Valthrudnir would have managed some headway against you stupid ponies with them... but I guess he never really wanted to, did he? At least I'll be able to savor my victory all the more: who would have ever thought a pathetic little demigod like me would succeed where the greatest of all Jötnar minds failed?”

“Valthrudnir was a greater threat than you will ever be, Loki, and you have not succeeded yet.” Hecate replied coldly as electricity crackled over her body. “You will not leave here alive.”

Loki, however, only gave a lopsided grin at this, tilting his head as he held up a hand and replied coolly: “Silly pony. You shouldn't make assumptions like that.

“Who says I'm alive?”

Thesis and Scrivener smashed together, the Replicant dodging strikes of the stallion's Talons before he leapt forwards, but too slow to avoid Scrivener's claws from seizing around his neck, choking him as they hefted him into the air.

Thesis kicked sharply out, swinging himself hard forwards to slam both rear hooves viciously into Scrivener's face, and the stallion swore as he flung the Replicant backwards as he staggered with a curse, spitting black blood off to the side.

The Replicant caught himself, gritting his teeth as his body sparked with energy before he vanished from the spot, reappearing in front of the stallion and kicking him viciously into the air, leaving Scrivener defenseless as the Replicant blinked sharply in and out of reality around the stallion, hooves slamming into him from all sides. The stallion jerked helplessly back and forth under the assault before Thesis appeared above him and slammed both front hooves down in a vicious tomahawk, sending Scrivener crashing face-first into the ground.

Thesis let himself fall from the air, swinging a hoof savagely down to try and finish the stallion off, but Scrivener lunged suddenly, blindly out, tackling Thesis out of the air and crashing violently through a corridor at the end of the hall, the two jouncing and rolling painfully together.

They bounced apart, landing a few feet away from each other in an open room dominated by some kind of massive power pillar that filled the center of the room. Thesis groaned loudly as he reached up and rubbed slowly at his face, muttering: “You play way too rough. I'm going to take my marbles and go home.”

“You kicked me in the marbles, you son of a bitch.” Scrivener mumbled, and then he groaned as he pushed himself slowly up to a standing position, grimacing a bit before he added moodily: “And Hecate really is a bitch, so I don't even have to feel bad about that.”

“Hey, Mom's cool. Most of the time. She just has bad days.” Thesis grimaced a bit, rubbing at his face before he added: “Also I haven't seen her since... you know. Way back then. I'm kind of scared to go and see her now.”

“Yeah. Hiding from her is really going to...” Scrivener frowned, then he twitched suddenly to the side, a splatter of black blood exploding from his shoulder as Thesis winced backwards in surprise. “Luna's having a harder time than I thought.”

“I don't know if I envy your handicap or not.” Thesis said mildly, before he whistled a little when Scrivener flexed his shoulder and it visibly knitted itself back together. “But then again, I guess that you can make up for it too, huh?”

“I'm surprised you didn't take advantage of that moment of weakness on my part.” Scrivener replied softly, and Thesis smiled slightly as he reached up and tapped his own nose gently.

“Who says I didn't?” he replied evenly, and Scrivener had enough time to frown before Thesis vanished from the spot and slammed a hoof into Scrivener's breast, knocking him sprawling backwards before spikes of black crystal erupted from the ground, smashing into Scrivener in midair and leaving him suspended helplessly.

Except by the time Thesis landed and stepped forwards, the spikes had already become waxy, and Scrivener growled as he rolled forcefully backwards, tearing through the softening corruption to brace himself in a ready position as Thesis whistled and muttered: “Impressive. I can't even hurt you with the Clay anymore, can I?”

“Oh, don't worry. It hurts.” Scrivener said moodily, as he flexed his body slowly before he swept his claws quickly to either side, and the remaining, melting spikes of black ooze were blown apart, dissolving into nothing more than stains on the floor.

Thesis snorted, beginning to set himself, before he frowned slightly as something tickled at his senses. He lost his stance, looking back and forth, and Scrivener tensed further as he leaned forwards, opening his mouth, but Thesis held up a hoof as he muttered: “Wait. Something's wrong. Something is...”

“Traitor...” whispered a voice, and Thesis looked up before Rig appeared in front of him, the crow-masked monster slamming a claw into his face. Thesis howled in pain before his eyes bulged in horror as he felt that awful pain run through him, taking him over, driving him insane as logic was warped and poisoned by delusion and paranoia-

Scrivener lunged at Rig's back, but the monster simply half-spun and flung Thesis into the other stallion, knocking them both rolling backwards before Thesis' hooves seized into Scrivener's throat as he slammed him down on his back, the Replicant snarling as tears filled his eyes: “N-No! You have to come home! I... I can't...”

Thesis clenched his eyes shut as the machinery on his back spasmed and sparked, and Rig hissed: “Give in, Thesis. I know what's inside your heart, the shadow there: I know what you truly feel. Don't let the lies cloud your judgment... kill them. Kill them all. You will only know peace when all serve Thokk!”

“Thesis!” Scrivener shouted, before he choked as Thesis bore down with his hooves, terribly strong, terribly cold, and it was all the stallion could do to grasp his forelegs and force them back, struggling against the unnatural strength and fury of the Replicant as he looked up and saw not the Thesis he had been fighting, but the old Thesis, the crazed Thesis, the Thesis who had been a puppet to his madness and the broken logic nodes in his mind, feeding him all those toxic lies-

“N-No!” Thesis clenched his eyes shut, and then he yanked himself suddenly backwards, covering his face with one hoof as he shouted: “Take it back! The memories... you're the liar, Rig! None of this... I won't-”

Rig snarled, then swiftly stepped forwards and slammed a claw savagely through Thesis' side, knocking him across the room. Scrivener immediately leapt towards the monster, but Rig was faster, swinging up a claw and catching the stallion in a cage of black lightning that twisted viciously around his body, Scrivener howling in pain as he yanked uselessly back and forth on the serpents of dark electricity that twisted and crushed around him, as Rig slowly leaned forwards and whispered: “You will not undo all my work.”

Scrivener felt a tremendous force launch him backwards, crashing and skidding across the concrete as the strings of black electricity sizzled and crackled across his frame, his body spasming... and in the ruins of a building, Luna twitched and cursed before she gagged when Sol Seraph lunged forwards and slammed a blade through her throat, the Pegasus steaming energy and covered in wounds, one wing missing, her armor and gear shredded, and yet she was still fighting. She was still lethal and ruthless, slowly leaning in towards Luna as Luna snarled at her, even as blood spilled out of her jaws and leaked down the blade of the knife in her neck.

She saw into the eyes of the volk, and saw that they were hollow, that they were empty, as Sol Seraph whispered: “One twist, and you die.”

Sol Seraph began to shift, but Luna snapped her head forwards as she snarled, focusing all her energy through her body, moving with Sol Seraph before she unleashed a tremendous, psychokinetic blast that smashed into the Pegasus and sent her flying backwards, the explosion of energy knocking Luna rolling painfully backwards to the other end of the burnt-out corridor.

She coughed weakly, grasping at the hole in her throat with one hoof before she concentrated her magic, freezing flesh-to-flesh and leaving an ugly, burn-like mark. She wobbled slowly upwards, then looked coldly up as Sol Seraph stood and smiled at her contemptibly, the Voidborn dragging a leg behind her as she said softly: “Your time is almost up.”

“Aye, it is. For I have run out of time and patience to play with thee. Fare thee well.” Luna said ironically, and Sol Seraph narrowed her eyes before Luna turned and leapt out of the broken ruin, flapping her winds hard to launch herself up towards the clock tower, cursing under her breath as she lost balance as some terrible, cold spark of dark energy twisted across her body.

Sol Seraph watched for a few moments, flexing her single wing slowly before she gave a cold, contemptible smile, and then the Pegasus simply strode out of the wreckage of the half-collapsed building and onto the street, turning to stride down the road as she said softly: “We will meet again, Luna Brynhild. And when that day comes, you will die.”

She didn't turn around even as the face of the clock tower exploded as Luna smashed through it in a whirl of blue flames, Rig snarling as he spun towards her and hissed: “Valkyrie!”

Luna responded by snapping her horn forwards, unleashing a sapphire fireball, but Rig simply snorted and slapped this derisively out of the air. It smashed into the ground in front of him, leaving a frozen stain as he hissed: “Your abilities are-”

Luna flicked her horn sharply upwards as it thrummed with power, and the frozen ground tore upwards, transforming into a fist that rammed up beneath Rig's chin. The uppercut sent him crashing into the air with a howl of misery, but he vanished before the icy hand could seize him, reappearing in a burst of smoke next to Thesis as he pointed and hissed: “They hurt me! I am your brother, your other half, Thesis! They want to kill you!”

“L-Lies...” Thesis shivered violently as he grasped at his head, before he screamed in misery when Rig seized the back of his neck, the stallion staggering stupidly before he looked up, drool falling from his mouth as he howled: “Why did you hurt my brother? He was only trying to help! I am only trying to help you! Stand down, I order you to surrender! I order you t-to... to be my family!”

Luna smiled faintly at this as she landed beside Scrivener and her Jötunnfang withdrew as the stallion slowly picked himself up, a few sparks of black energy still dancing across his frame as Rig whispered into Thesis' ear: “But they still won't do what you tell them. They're making a mockery of you, Thesis.”

“No... no...” Thesis shook his head vehemently, shivering and trying to cover his ears as he lowered his head, breathing hard in and out. But Scrivener readied himself as he traded looks with Luna: he knew that it was useless, that sadly, Thesis couldn't resist Rig, because Rig didn't operate on facts or logic: Rig twisted what Thesis felt, what Thesis believed.

The Replicant looked up with a snarl, and then he roared wordlessly before he charged forwards, the exoskeleton on his back going into overdrive before he vanished from the spot and reappeared next to Scrivener. The stallion narrowly blocked the attack, cursing as Thesis struck his Talon so hard he dented the metal of his leg, but at the same time he nudged Luna, who launched herself immediately towards Rig.

Rig grinned beneath his mask, then he dodged backwards when a flare of blue flame shot at him before it transformed into a second hand. Both of Luna's Jötunnfang slammed outwards, but they punched through Rig like he was made of smoke: when the creature's claws lashed down, however, they sliced through Luna like hot metal, making her gasp as she was thrown backwards with her face torn open, the monster hissing: “I will not leave myself vulnerable to your antics, Valkyrie!”

“Coward, cease hiding behind Heimdall and illusions and fight me!” Luna roared, leaping into the fray again before she snapped her horn outwards, a streak of blue shooting towards Rig, but the beast dodged to the side, catching himself on all fours with a grin, before his eyes widened and he reacted too late as the stream of sapphire fire solidified into the body of a weapon, Prúðbikkja swinging out and smashing across Rig's face to stun him before the Jötunnfang descended with a vicious series of blows, pummeling Rig into the ground before he burst into smoke with a howl of misery, trying to flee the battlefield.

But before he could reach open sky, a tremendous barrier formed, the black fog bouncing off of this before it reformed into a stunned Rig, who clawed uselessly at the energy as he hissed: “Impossible, no pony could-”

Icy hands seized him by the shoulders, and Rig barely reacted in time, becoming nothing but smoke even as he was hurled backwards as Brynhild's spear tore forwards. It struck the barrier uselessly, Luna swearing as Rig reappeared on the other side of the room, shouting: “Thesis, protect me! Kill them!”

Thesis flung Scrivener backwards, the stallion rolling sharply back to his hooves and gritting his teeth as the Replicant gasped before he clutched at his face, clenching his eyes shut as he shook his head vehemently. “N-No! I won't kill! I won't kill! Rig, I am not... I am not that Thesis anymore!”

“You can't escape who you are. Neither can you, Valkyrie.” growled Rig, as he glared with disgust at Luna, but Luna only responded by making a rude gesture with both Jötunnfang and a cold grin.

Rig snarled, then he lunged forwards, leaving a stream of ash behind him, and Brynhild leapt forwards to meet him, before her eyes widened in shock as Thesis teleported in front of her, slamming a hoof savagely into her face and knocking her rolling backwards with a gasp of shock as both her spear and her icy hands were sent bouncing away.

Scrivener flinched as well, and Rig teleported on top of him, crushing him beneath his claws and making Scrivener Blooms howl in misery as his body spasmed wildly, his eyes bulging in shock as he felt like he was both melting and petrifying at once, chunks of crystal tearing out of his body as Rig hissed: “Thokk will reward me for this.”

Scrivener opened his mouth, but all that came out was a howl of misery, his body spasming helplessly as black lightning exploded across his form again, further mutilating his body as Rig manipulated the corruption that filled his veins. Luna gasped, thrown off balance as she felt the stallion's pain through their link, staggering to the side before a hoof smashed across her soulstone horn as she lost her concentration, and she screamed in agony as she collapsed on her side, her Jötunnfang vanishing and her spear falling uselessly to the ground as Thesis pinned her.

He snarled, raising a hoof as he held her down by the throat, glaring down at the mare: the mare, who was choking helplessly under him, trapped, her shattered horn sparking uselessly, her eyes bulging as she kicked her legs and spasmed weakly. Her ephemeral mane sizzled before it became nothing but blue hairs that fell over her bruised and bloodied features, and Thesis' eyes widened as the mare tried to speak-

Scrivener howled in misery, and Thesis looked over his shoulder at Rig, staring, watching as the cruel, heartless monster bore down against the stallion under him, grinning and savage, as Scrivener writhed uselessly beneath the claws of his cowardice, his sickness, his disease-

Thesis snarled as he flung Luna backwards, then he leapt forwards and vanished from the spot, reappearing beside Rig to slam a hoof viciously into his face, sending the creature crashing into the crystalline pillar in the center of the room with a tremendous bang. Rig howled in misery as electricity ripped across his body, jittering violently before he collapsed to all fours, smoldering and gasping as he rasped: “What... what are you doing? Thesis, I am your brother, I am your twin!”

“You are nothing but a parasite! Keep your hands off them!” Thesis roared, stepping forwards and glaring furiously through his teary eyes at the beast, as Rig looked up with a furious snarl.

“Thokk will not stand for this betrayal, Thesis! And without me, you die... kill them! If you love them so much, you know that all must join with the Prime-”

“Enough!” Thesis clutched at his head, trembling violently as the exoskeleton whirred away on his back, before he gritted his teeth and looked up, whispering: “Enough. I will not... be your lackey. I will not be Thokk's toy. And I finally remember...”

Thesis breathed slowly, before he steadied himself and looked up-

Rig's hand clamped down on his skull, and Thesis howled in agony as the corruption in his body boiled, as his whole body twisted and writhed beneath Rig's claw, as the creature hissed: “Let me give you a clearer vision of the past you're so enamored with.”

Thesis writhed uselessly, jerking back and forth, trying helplessly to pull free as Rig's eyes burned with hate, feeling Thesis' sanity twisting, fraying, breaking beneath his powers. His grin spread wider, focusing on the stallion before he caught movement in the corner of his eye.

Luna Brynhild yanked herself to her hooves, but with her horn shattered, she had no magic, no power. Rig grinned widely at her, then he hefted Thesis into the air by the scruff of the neck and held him out towards her, mocking: “Look! Look how she only stands and watches you suffer! Open your eyes, Thesis!”

“Open thy eyes, Thesis.” Luna said softly, and then she looked evenly up at Rig and added coldly: “And close thine forever, Rig.”

Rig began to laugh, before he grunted in shock as several black spikes of crystal ripped against his legs, staggering back a step before he turned too late, and one of Scrivener's Talons slammed savagely into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and making him drop Thesis. The Replicant hit the ground painfully, jarred out of shock before he spun with a furious snarl towards Rig even as the creature punted Scrivener Blooms backwards.

Thesis leapt forwards, slamming a hoof into Rig's side and knocking him staggering with a gargle before Scrivener leapt forwards and slammed a claw through one of his legs, knocking the monster to his knees before both Replicant and stallion lunged forwards, knowing that if they gave Rig even a moment to recover, he would flee. Hoof and Talon slammed savagely back and forth across Rig's body as he desperately tried to shield himself before he spun around, leaping into the air and beginning to transform into smoke-

Thesis and Scrivener both leapt forwards, both slamming a blow into the middle of his back at the same time to launch Rig across the form, leaving a stream of smog behind him as he flipped wildly through the air, and Luna almost calmly scooped her spear up before she leaned forwards and flung it with all her strength. Prúðbikkja flew true, striking square through Rig's chest, and the monster howled in misery as he froze in midair, tremors pulsing through his body.

A glow steadily began to build over his form as he shook his head in denial, ashes pouring down from his malformed frame as he clutched uselessly at the spear buried through his chest. He stared with disbelief at Luna, but Brynhild only smiled coldly back at him before she reached up and touched the stump of broken crystal jutting from her head, saying softly: “'Tis ironic, is it not? 'Twas Thesis whom I can thank for this... 'tis Thesis whom thou can thank for destroying thee.”

“I will r-return... I will kill you all! You will all die!” Rig screamed, even as his body began to dissolve, burning away to ash as he stretched a claw towards Brynhild, as if trying to seize her. Yet his eyes were full of fear, even as he shrieked: “Thokk will avenge me! Thokk will never forget this betrayal! You will all die! You... y-you...”

Rig gasped as he tilted his head upwards, suddenly stretching towards the sky as if trying to save himself at the last moment, but a moment later, his mask and his last, ashen remains fell from the air, clattering loudly to the ground as Thesis trembled and slumped. And a moment later, Brynhild's spear fell as well, bouncing away as Luna grimaced and rubbed at her face, but gestured quickly with her head towards Thesis when Scrivener looked at her.

The stallion turned towards the Replicant, who was breathing shallowly in and out, his exoskeleton whirring slowly down, his body trembling. He shifted nervously for a moment, then looked up and rubbed slowly at his face, as Scrivener asked: “Are you okay?”

“I...” Thesis patted across his breast, then he reached up and touched his head, closing his eyes for a moment. But when they opened, they were clear, and he gave a hesitant smile after a moment before he straightened and murmured: “Yeah. I think I am.”

He rubbed slowly at one of his forelegs, looking over at Scrivener before he reached up and awkwardly brushed a bit of crystal fragment off the stallion's shoulder, adding awkwardly: “Sorry about. Everything. To... both of you.” He softened as he turned towards Luna, but the sapphire mare was already grinning widely, shrugging idly before she cocked her head curiously.

A moment later, the barrier that had stopped Rig from fleeing vanished, and Morgan winged in from outside, the mare smiling a little as Thesis cocked his head curiously: she looked completely unharmed. And considering Melinda's power... “Did you even fight?”

Morgan gave Thesis a dry look, and Luna snorted in amusement before the Valkyrie winced when the purple mare turned towards her and chastised: “How many times have we warned you about not breaking that? We've got to get moving, though, something really big is happening out there, near the castle.”

“Imperia.” Thesis muttered, and then he hesitated before he held a hoof awkwardly up and said lamely: “I want to be a good guy now. Is that cool?”

“Nay, 'tis not at all, for then we shall have to kill thee twice as none of us are very 'good.'” Luna remarked, before she winced when Morgan touched her horn. “How long will it take thee to fix?”

“A few minutes. Thesis...” Morgan hesitated, then she gestured with her head, saying softly: “You don't have to wait for us if you don't want to. We just have to fix up Luna, then we'll join you.”

“Where's Melinda?” Thesis asked almost on impulse, and Morgan shrugged, frowning a bit as she lowered her head.

“I'm not sure. She just... left all of a sudden, while we were dueling. Said there was something wrong and...” Morgan shook her head briefly, before she hesitated, then asked quietly: “You are okay, right? You don't feel any deterioration, or...”

“I'm fine. I'm... I'm locked in.” Thesis said after a moment, not knowing why those words felt right, but the others seemed to understand what he meant as they nodded. The Replicant smiled briefly, then he nodded back before he turned and headed for the opening in the wall, saying quietly: “Alright. I'll head towards the castle. Don't keep me waiting, huh?”

With that, Thesis turned and left, and there was silence for a few moments before Morgan asked quietly, as she turned towards Brynhild: “Are you sure we can trust him?”

“'Tis usually thou who art adopting all the strays, dearest Twilight.” Luna said softly, and then she chuckled quietly even as she winced when Morgan gently tapped against her horn. “I know, I know. But give us this, my love. We have been wrong before, but... Scrivy and I all the same would like to... give him this chance. So give us this chance.”

Morgan sighed a little, but then she nodded before murmuring: “Melinda didn't fight me at nearly her full strength. But I've never felt a magic like hers, either. It was incredible.”

Scrivener smiled briefly at this as Luna grinned widely, before she scowled as Morgan looked up and smiled a bit. “I think she had her eyes on someone else. I think that... it's time we started to step aside, Luna. This universe has other protectors now.”

Luna huffed a bit, but Scrivener only shrugged amiably as he sat back, and Morgan smiled a little wider as she said softly: “I'm not saying our story is over, Luna. Only that our roles have changed, that's all.

“We saved the worlds for them, not for us, after all.”

Thorn Blackfeather breathed hard in and out as he led the way quickly through the underbelly of Decretum, along narrow walkways that passed above massive, spinning gears. His exoskeletal armor hummed with energy as he did his best not to look back, even though he could hear the Husks charging after them. It was almost as if they had been waiting for them: but how could Thokk know about the Clockworks, or what the coded commands Hecate had sent out meant?

Necrophage ran on one side and Muse followed along on the other: the only Replicants that could be spared from the combat preparations. Alerts kept blinking over his visor, and Thorn ignored them for the most part, but didn't dare dismiss them, either, even with as distracting as they were. But he kept his focus on the here and now: on the one hoof, he was terrified of what he was doing. But on the other, he trusted Hecate. And if the time had come for this...

“Necrophage.” There was no need for further instruction, Necrophage half-turning and catching a chain in their jaws as they passed before she tore hard, ripping it to shreds and causing the section of walkway they had just passed over to sway violently out of place before another chain snapped as the Husks tried to cross it, sending them spilling down into the spinning gears and crushing pistons below.

They hurried down another walkway, before Thorn swore as something slammed into the walkway beside them, making it sway violently before a hideous, grinning face shoved itself up over the walkway, slimy hooves clawing into the floor as a voice cried out cheerfully: “Hey, kiddo! You got the same smell as that other kid I used to chase around all the time!”

Red eyes gleamed, full of malicious glee... no, Thorn thought, as he spared a glance at the destruction entity as he steadied himself. Those red eyes were like bright glass, and even as the slimy, ugly goblinoid squirmed up onto the walkway, he recognized that it was hollow, and empty. “A comedian from the Void.”

“Hey, that's where I got all my best jokes! You wanna hear one?” asked the creature inquisitively, before it suddenly leapt forwards as its forelegs transformed into massive blades, roaring: “Anything times zero is zero!”

Thorn didn't so much as flinch as he almost gently batted the destruction entity's head back, making it yelp as it half-flipped before Muse snapped her own horn out, and a massive blast of psychic force launched it rocketing off the walkway with a squeal, plummeting down into the gears. Thorn snorted as he turned quickly, his eyes flicking up to note that Pegasus Husks were quickly crossing through the air towards them before the stallion ordered coldly: “Fire suppression, Clockworks Sector B-12. Level two.”

An alarm blared through the air before vents opened with a roar of gas that burst through the air, Necrophage's cheeks puffing out as she held her breath and Muse wincing as a bubble formed around her head. But both Replicants followed as Thorn held his own breath, counting mentally as the Pegasi were battered back and forth through the air by the rush of whirling gas through the air.

They reached one of the large pillars that stood throughout the Clockworks, Thorn nimbly leaping up a ladder to a second level of walkways circling the tower. He stopped in front of a node built into the side of the pillar, calling up a holographic screen and tapping commands quickly across it, not glancing up even as the heavy gas that had filled the Clockworks condensed into an oily liquid, several of the Pegasi that had managed to stay in the air flailing uselessly as their wings were suddenly soaked with moisture, sending them spiraling out of control.

Necrophage wheezed for breath as Muse looked nervously around, before she said worriedly: “There are more Husks coming, and that hostile presence, that... void monster is coming, too...”

“I've input the activation codes. Let's keep moving.” Thorn instructed as he turned to start crossing a walkway to another tower. The Replicants followed, before Necrophage's eyes widened and she squeaked a warning, Muse hurriedly leaping to the ready in front of Thorn as the mottled goblinoid crashed into the bridge in front of them, popping up to his hooves with a savage grin.

“Hey, hey, hey now! You don't gotta be so cold, kiddo! Here, let me introduce myself proper like: y'all can call me Cancer! Now, if there was ever a name you could trust, ain't that it?” The destruction entity hopped up onto his hind hooves before he gave a few quick, exaggerated bows, then he winked before he dropped back and touched his chest, adding seriously: “Now, I know, I know. I came in with all the garbage that you swept out, and hey, I ain't the prettiest of faces, I can accept that! But I ain't like all that other riffraff, oh no sirree-bob! I'm a whole different kind of white trash!”

Cancer laughed loudly, and then he suddenly snapped his head forwards and snarled, as he swept a foreleg out that exploded into a mess of bladed tentacles: “Laugh, it was funny!”

Thorn didn't so much as flinch as he flicked his horn sharply, creating a barrier of electricity that deflected the tentacles, Cancer yelping and dancing backwards as the appendages quickly reformed back into a smoldering leg that he shook wildly with a hiss.

“Begin analysis.” Thorn said calmly, his visor blinking several times, and Cancer looked up at him blankly before the sapphire stallion ordered: “Surrender, or prepare for termination.”

Cancer twitched visibly, before he snarled in fury as he leaned forwards and roared: “Who the hell do you think you are, you freaky-ass robot kid?”

“I am Thorn Blackfeather, Regent of Decretum.” Thorn replied calmly, and Cancer mouthed wordlessly before the sapphire stallion flexed his mechanical foreleg as it rumbled with electricity. It wasn't quite as strong as his last leg, but all the same... “Lethal force has been authorized across Decretum. You will be given no further warnings.”

Cancer snarled, then he leapt forwards, pouncing towards Thorn as his hooves became claws. “Here's a warning for you, kid, I'm gonna-”

Thorn stepped forwards and slammed his metal hoof into Cancer's face with such force that it left a crater in the jelly-like material that made up the destruction entity, sending the monster bouncing comically backwards across the bridge before he rolled off with a squeal. Thorn gave a thin smile at this, then he shook his head quickly as Muse flicked her horn, creating a telekinetic shield behind them as several Husks opened fire on them from across the room with stolen Decretum weapons, although Thorn was relieved to note that they couldn't use the weaponry very well. “Let's move. Scan ahead, Muse.”

Muse nodded with a small smile, closing her eyes as Thorn led the Replicants across the walkway, before he frowned as a strange clicking caught his attention. He looked back and forth, but Muse only nervously opened an eye, looking curiously around as Necrophage frowned, before the Replicant's eyes suddenly widened, and the stocky mare tackled Thorn backwards onto the bridge as Muse stumbled off the walkway, staring in shock as a pair of massive, whitish blades tore up through the floor of the bridge.

Necrophage hauled Thorn further backwards with a squeak, and the sapphire stallion cursed, yanking his head back in shock as another blade tore up out of the bridge directly in front of them, just clipping his muzzle as Cancer cackled: “Not so tough now, are you, kiddo? No, oh no, not nearly such a hardass are you, punk?”

Thorn gritted his teeth, dodging backwards before Necrophage shrieked as Cancer himself twisted up behind them, bad-temperedly smacking the Replicant off the bridge before he lunged towards Thorn's back with a roar. An alarm went off in the stallion's visor as he gritted his teeth and flung himself into the air, the servomotors in his armor all roaring to life as he twisted himself around in midair and swung his metal leg out.

Cancer's head snapped back, the monster yelping as he hit the bridge and rolled backwards before he flipped suddenly, neatly up to his hooves, his eyes blazing before he whistled sharply as several Husks flew into position on either side of the bridge, the Void Pegasi all glaring coldly at Thorn. “Hey, took you boys long enough to show up! What do you think of these odds, punk?”

Thorn narrowed his eyes slightly, but he didn't even look back as he ordered, just as Muse started to step forwards: “Continue with the mission. Use my authorization and reroute as many of the systems as possible.”

“I... y-yes, sir.” Muse said uneasily, even as she bit her lip, stepping nervously backwards before she spun around and hurried away.

Cancer snorted, then he said sweetly: “Oh, isn't that cute! You know, your... I'm guessin' he was your brother, he tried his darnedest to save his girlfriend from me, but you know what happened?” Cancer leaned forwards, waggling the ridges above his eyes before his red, hollow eyes flashed as he said emotionlessly: “She was consumed. All must be consumed. All must be sent to the Void. For the Master. For the Prime.”

Thorn only looked calmly across at the monster as Cancer shivered, before he suddenly popped back on his hooves with a grin, saying brightly: “But hey, enough of that! I got a real great idea... boys, hold him down, I want to wear this one like a suit and make him kill his own brother! Ain't no greater play than that, brother against brother, am I right or am I right?”

Thorn glanced up as one of the Pegasi immediately shot in, the stallion deflecting the Husk's attempted tackle with a blast of telekinesis before he ducked under another, then he looked up as Cancer lunged towards him with a cackle as one of the mottled beast's forelegs became a wicked blade. But Thorn only waited until the last moment before he lunged sharply forwards, tackling Cancer backwards and skidding to the edge of the bridge with the destruction entity, who clawed wildly at the walkway before he wheezed as they came to a halt just on the edge of it, saying cheerfully: “Well, that was close! I just saved your damn fool life, you damn fool!”

Thorn replied by raising his metallic leg, Cancer's eyes bulging in disbelief as a blade of crackling electricity formed at the end of his hoof before he swept this sharply out and sliced through one of the support cables, causing the bridge to buckle and twist beneath them. The two were sent spilling off, Cancer howling and seizing into Thorn with a snarl as they fell through the air, but the stallion's armor crackled with lightning and forced him backwards as his body solidified, losing his slimy consistency for long enough for Thorn to kick him viciously with both hooves into a set of gears as they fell past, the destruction entity screeching before he exploded into a mess of white slime.

Thorn crashed down on top of another gear, grimacing as he bounced painfully off before he landed on a narrow metal bridge between two immense pistons. They moved lethargically, every push down releasing a burst of steam from a vent somewhere below, and Thorn shook himself out as he adjusted his visor before calling: “Necrophage?”

There was no answer, and he couldn't detect her biorhythms, either. It meant that she had either fallen past the machinery and into the drainage ditch, or gotten caught in the machinery and...

There was no time to consider that. Thorn flicked through readings on his visor before he looked sharply up as something dove at him, the stallion barely ducking in time as a Husk shot over his head. The Pegasus wheeled around and shot back towards him, Thorn readying himself-

Cancer came crashing down out of nowhere, slamming into the back of the Husk before using him like a spring to launch straight at Thorn, all snarling teeth and crushing claws as he roared: “I'll rip your head off, punk kid!”

Thorn stepped forwards into a vicious punch that tore through Cancer, but even as a chunk of Cancer went shooting backwards, the rest of the monster rammed into Thorn like an acidic tidal wave, knocking the stallion staggering as the monster's gooey form spread violently over his body, feeling his armor being eaten away by the destruction entity before he felt himself being forcefully yanked backwards.

They rolled together, stallion and slime-beast that refused to release Thorn even as electricity crackled across his armor, Cancer howling before he cackled: “Yeah, okay, hook me up to them batteries, fry me up! But guess what, retard, I can change my wavelengthsohhell!”

Cancer squealed as he and Thorn toppled down through the machinery, crashing and banging as they fell through the air, bouncing between gears and rotors before they tore through a thin timing belt that half-wrapped around them as they fell, swinging the two painfully into a vent before Thorn howled as a burst of steam shot over him, superheating his armor and frying some of the more sensitive circuitry as he was launched into a heavy metal block.

Cancer tore free from Thorn, scrabbling wildly for purchase against the metal and kicking the stallion loose from his slime body, head twisting almost all the way around on his shoulders so he could giggle and watch with savage glee as Thorn fell. The sapphire stallion went limp as he crashed head-first against a heavy steel pipe, knocked senseless as he flipped helplessly downwards before he was shocked back to reality as he tore through a set of hanging cables, his body spasming as electricity ripped across his frame and several servomotors exploded through his armor, his mechanical leg going limp and useless.

He fell, before screaming again, uselessly, as a heavy rectangular piston slammed outwards, crushing him for a moment against a metal wall before the heavy piston retracted, chunks of broken armor spilling free from his body before Thorn fell. He was only aware of pain and crashing, until he finally landed with a boneless thump on the steep floor of the Clockworks, uselessly grasping at the hot metal plating with a gasp before he groaned weakly as he felt himself slipping, slipping...

Thorn looked over his shoulder, at the gaping hole he was sliding towards: inside, massive, spiked bars whirled like segmented jaws that were constantly opening and closing, crushing and tearing apart the loose metal and other scraps that fell through the Clockworks. He tried to drag himself upwards, but his prosthetic was just a dead weight, and his other foreleg trembled as he tried to yank himself back against the slope he was slowly sliding down.

Something thumped to the ground in front of him, and Thorn looked up before he felt his foreleg seized. He stared through his broken visor at Cancer, who grinned at him widely before he asked curiously, as he slowly hauled Thorn into the air by his front limb: “What's all this nonsense? Why you got all these holes filled with death down here? And oh, the stink, the stink, the reek from them...” Cancer sighed in bliss, swaying idly on the spot. “I love it so!”

“Waste disposal. Dangerous chemicals are released through outflows beneath the Clockworks.” Thorn replied quietly, trying to stall for time, trying to think of anything he could do, but his armor was dead weight on his body, he felt drained and beaten, he had fallen so far, felt blood... no. Be strong. “Let me go.”

“Bad choice of words, honey.” Cancer said kindly, before he lightly tossed Thorn backwards, the stallion's eyes widening as he hit the ramp and rolled and bounced painfully down towards the drainage hole, Cancer cackling loudly as he yelled gleefully: “Don't get too deaded up, I want enough of you left over to walk to your brother!”

Thorn crashed down towards the rim of the hole, before he gritted his teeth as he concentrated all the power he could through his body. He felt himself bouncing backwards, and he knew he didn't have enough time to check over his shoulder, as he felt the open jaws of death beneath him-

Thorn snapped his horn out, using the recoil from the unfocused psychokinetic blast to launch himself straight down, and Cancer's cackling caught in his throat before he blinked, then leaned forwards with a snarl as he shouted: “I didn't see no big burst of blood and gore! Come on, how can you disappoint me like this?”

The stallion fell through the middle of the drainage shaft, metal blades whirling all around him, steel fangs biting, chewing, tearing at him, but never more than knicking his armor as he clenched his eyes shut and simply let himself fall, fall to his-

He crashed back-first into the safety cover at the bottom of the disposal vent, smashing through the thin steel bars, but it made him spasm and sent his mechanical leg snapping out. And Thorn flinched as his mechanical leg was sucked immediately into the greedy blades of the disposal, metal screaming against metal as his prosthetic was almost immediately obliterated in a hail of shrapnel that tore across Thorn's face and body before the remains of the limb were torn loose from his shoulder as he fell, the input node half-torn out of his stump as he crashed down into the drainage tunnels, sending up a splash of black poison.

“Thorn! Thorn!” screamed a voice, but Thorn wasn't able to so much as stir as Necrophage hurried towards him. She was battered and flayed in places, but the Replicant was still alive, still able to leap towards the stallion and grasp him, whimpering as she shook him several times. “Thorn! Wake up, wake up, you gotta wake up!”

Necrophage whimpered again, then quickly grasped the stallion and began to drag him slowly out of the muck. She knew these tunnels well, at least: cleaning them had been a common duty for her, in the old days, and they were the same as ever: dark, resilient stone that all the same was stained and rotting, concentrated Clay of Prometheus streaming constantly through these sewers, mixing with the broken remains of Worker Drones and metal debris. All of it poured out into the wastes, but there were several access points that could take them back into Decretum...

The Replicant managed to drag Thorn around a corner, before she yelped when a voice mocked loudly: “Oh me, oh my, what is this that I do spy? So you survived too, huh? Oh, you smell so sweet and delicious... it's really too bad that none of this stuff does anything for me anymore. I used to be such a glutton, you know, a real... connoisseur! But at least I can still sing my songs, and still dance my dance...”

Necrophage looked up slowly to see Cancer standing on the ceiling, the monster doing a brief little hop-step before he simply let himself drop, splattering to the ground before he reformed instantly on his hooves. Black veins spread through his body for a moment as Cancer wiggled his nose, before he suddenly leaned forwards and sneezed loudly, sending out a mist of black poison before he huffed and rubbed grouchily at his face. “Can't even retain a bit of poison anymore! Sure, I'm grateful and all, and I still loves me a bite to eat...” Cancer flashed a set of deadly, massive teeth. “But I do miss the days where I was still a growin' boy, you know.”

“You... you get away. You go away, right now.” Necrophage whispered, and Cancer smiled at her mockingly, tilting his head towards her patronizingly before he grinned.

“What do you mean? He's bein' a rude host, sleepin' like that, when there's me and...” Cancer stretched a foreleg out as several Husks dropped fearlessly down into the sewers, the monster's eyes gleaming with crimson malice. “All these other guests to attend to.”

Necrophage trembled, and Cancer chuckled as he sauntered forwards towards her, smiling coldly as he said easily: “Now you just be a good little girl and hand me over that turkey leg. Maybe if you're real good, girlie, I'll even let you go. Fat-ass filly like you don't interest me none, not anymore: you stink like a real good wine, but I think you'd give me a stomachache.”

The Husks slowly began to move forwards as Necrophage's eyes flicked back and forth, before she stiffened as Cancer said idly: “So give me the meatbag, and I'll be nice enough to let you go on your way and get your ass and your ugly sister killed by somethin' else. I'll even hum a tune out, would you like that? I bet you would! Song for the blue boy, ain't that a great deal? What are you to him, anyway, but some dumb toy?”

Necrophage slowly gritted her teeth as she glared at Cancer, and Cancer cocked his head inquisitively before he suddenly burst into laughter, looking back at her before he mocked: “Oh, I'm sorry! Is he your boyfrand? Well excuse me all to hell! Tell you what, I'll skin him alive, and then give you a nice little kiss after I put on his face, would you like that?”

Cancer leaned forwards, letting his jaws fall open and a long, spikey tongue twist out and out as he grinned widely, before he loudly slurped his tongue back into his jaws as he added mockingly: “Dolly like you don't get no action otherwise, I'm betting, 'lessen you count the fact he seems to love ordering you and the other bitch around like the toys you are. Hey, even I've got more autonomy than you. Ain't that a treat?”

Necrophage looked back and forth, before she stepped protectively over Thorn, glaring back and forth as she shouted at the Husks and the mocking monster: “I said get away! You get back right now! You leave us alone and go away!”

“Oh, look at you, a quiverin' and a shiverin'. You 'bout to cry, fatty? Oh, poor baby!” mocked Cancer, as he strutted slowly forwards before leaning in to Necrophage's face, and she whimpered, quaking in place as she stared at him, and the hollow eyes of the destruction entity looked coldly back down at her. “You got pretty eyes, when they're oh so full of fear. Let me see those tears come. Let me see 'em roll down your cheeks. Let me taste how afraid you are. Oh, honey... let me enjoy this.”

Cancer slowly leaned forwards, before his eyes widened in surprise as Necrophage looked up at him, trembling not with fear, but with fury, before she shrieked: “Emotions off!”

The Replicant went dead still and silent, staring emptily at Cancer, and Cancer blinked a few times before he guffawed as he waved a hoof back and forth in front of her blank stare, half-turning towards a Husk as he chortled: “She got so scared she just-”

Necrophage stepped forwards, and her jaws sheared through Cancer's neck in a splatter of white goo with a single bite, the destruction entity's eyes bulging in shock a moment before his head splattered uselessly into the ankle-high ooze. And before anyone could react, Necrophage was already moving, trampling Cancer's body before she leapt ruthlessly on top of a Husk, massive, metal-crushing jaws snapping over the Husk's face and crunching through his skull like it was made of candy.

Another Husk flung himself at her, but he bounced off the solid mare before she turned and pounced on top of him as her second victim disintegrated, while Cancer's body stumbled uselessly around as his head howled and wiggled furiously through the black poison. Necrophage's jaws came down, and the Husk managed to get a foreleg up, but her enormous teeth bit easily through the limb before she leaned down, biting into the Husk's shoulder next and ripping the entire forelimb from his body.

The remaining Husks both scrambled forwards as Necrophage tossed the wounded Husk into the wall, but the Replicant neither panicked nor slowed in her assault: one slammed a hoof into her face, but she didn't so much as flinch, instead seizing it by the throat in her jaws and shredding its neck open in a burst of energy even as the second Husk tried to grab her around the neck, attempting to choke her.

But Necrophage only reacted by shoving the now-choking, gasping Husk away before she dropped on her back, crushing the other Husk under her heavy body. The moment it let go, she rolled quickly, dropping her head into the stream of poison and drinking deeply before she rose her head as the Husk crawled to its own hooves, snarling as it lunged at her and ended up plowing face-first into a cloud of black smog that rapidly began to eat away at its features.

The Husk staggered away, shaking its head uselessly back and forth, before Necrophage turned emotionlessly towards Cancer as the destruction entity managed to pick up his head and slam it back between his shoulders, the monster snarling as he glared at her: “You're really pushin' my buttons now, doll.”

Necrophage lunged forwards, and Cancer snarled as he slashed a foreleg out as it became a deadly blade, but the Replicant was faster, her jaws snapping through the blade and ripping Cancer's forelimb apart in a hail of slime.

Cancer howled in misery, staggering backwards before Necrophage leaned forwards and vomited a stream of black smog over the destruction entity, sending him reeling further back with a scream of pain as he shook himself wildly back and forth before he suddenly lurched away, becoming a stream of ooze that slithered quickly through the sewers, wailing: “I won't forget this! I'll be back for you, missy, and your little dog too!”

Necrophage only watched calmly as the creature retreated, before she turned her attention to the wounded Husks. The survivors were bleeding energy from their horrific wounds, but she dispatched them quickly and efficiently all the same with quick, crushing bites of her oversized jaws.

Then the Replicant turned her eyes towards Thorn, striding over to him and hefting him up across her back. She breathed slowly, but ignored the pain in her chest, the feeling of her broken ribs grinding together, as she instead turned and began to stride down the passage, saying quietly: “Prince Thorn Blackfeather will be protected at all costs. All other damages deemed acceptable.”

“No, Necrophage. Not all damages.” Thorn whispered, and Necrophage didn't slow, but she did tense up slightly, as the stallion smiled briefly before he shivered in pain, ordering with all the strength he could muster: “Keep moving. Once the fuel pumps activate...”

He didn't have the strength to finish, but he didn't have to, as Necrophage stated: “Even granting optimum efficiency, purging will not occur for at least twenty-two minutes. We will arrive at Maintenance Hatch 36 within fifteen minutes.”

“I trust you.” Thorn whispered, before he shivered a bit as he felt a searing pain pulse through his stump of leg, shifting a little on the Replicant's back before he added in a murmur: “Thank you, Necrophage.”

Necrophage only continued to plod on through the sewers, silent and focused dead ahead. She moved slowly but steadily, and within fifteen minutes, they finally stepped up onto a narrow ledge in front of an armored door, the Replicant saying emotionlessly: “Thorn Blackfeather.”

Thorn was silent, breathing weakly in and out, and Necrophage carefully shifted the stallion off her back before she checked his pulse. He was alive, but weak, and Necrophage studied him for a moment before she repeated: “Thorn Blackfeather.”

Thorn didn't wake up. Necrophage gave him a few moments, then she simply reached out and slapped him, making Thorn blink blearily and start before he hissed and grasped not at his face, but instead at his bloody stump of shoulder, lowering his head and rasping slowly for breath as Necrophage repeated again: “Thorn Blackfeather.”

“Present.” Thorn replied after a moment, looking up before he glanced behind himself and grimaced, swearing under his breath as he carefully sat up and turned around. For a moment, he had to push into the wall to steady himself on his haunches as his vision went blurry, but he was able to make himself recover as he straightened and muttered: “I... still remember the manual codes. Time?”

“Estimated time of three to five minutes remaining, sir.” Necrophage replied calmly, and Thorn grimaced as he opened a metal panel beside the door to reveal the control board inside.

He tapped quickly over it, then swore under his breath as it only fizzled briefly in response. He took a breath, steadying himself, before attempting another code...

No, nothing. It was dead. Thorn frowned uneasily at this, then he looked quickly back at Necrophage and asked: “When was the last maintenance check?”

“As scheduled.” Necrophage confirmed, and Thorn grimaced before he grasped the edge of the panel, yanking uselessly on it before he swore quietly to himself, clenching his eyes shut as he took a breath to steady himself and calm himself down- “Do you require assistance?”

“Open the panel.” Thorn instructed, carefully shifting out of the way, and Necrophage nodded and studied the panel for a moment before she simply slammed a hoof into it, then ripped the keyboard and the metal covering it sat on off, Thorn smiling wryly as he rubbed slowly at his bleeding stump.

He used telekinesis to grasp several wires, yanking them loose before he began to carefully twist them together. He could hear a faint rumbling now in the distance: the massive pumps were being readied to flush the excess fuel out of the generators to prevent them from flooding, and all that corruption was going to be pumped through these tunnels to be dumped outside of Imperia...

Thorn grimaced as he finally crossed the right wires, the door beeping as it slid open an inch. But that was all it moved, and Thorn frowned uncertainly before he leaned forwards, muttering: “How did the power go out?”

He could see Worker Drones approaching the other side of the door, and the stallion felt a strange twist of unease even as he reassured himself more than calm, emotionless Necrophage: “Looks like I tripped the repair alarm...”

“No repair team is stationed within three hundred meters.” Necrophage warned, and Thorn frowned over his shoulder at her, before his eyes widened as the door he had forced open slammed back shut.

He hammered his shoulder into the door with a shout, then swore and fell backwards, the Replicant catching him and steadying him as the stallion's eyes widened at the sight of sparks traveling along the frame of the door as it was welded shut. “Hey! No, stop immediately! Emergency override, code 1-1!”

The Worker Drones completely ignored him, the stallion mouthing wordlessly before Necrophage gently pushed him aside, and then the Replicant calmly turned around before she viciously kicked both hind legs back into the armored door. It shook violently, but barely stirred out of position, yet all the same Necrophage kicked it again, then again, then again.

Thorn only sat back, mute and stunned, before he half-held up his front hoof, saying as Necrophage slammed another kick into the door: “That... enough. We need... Necrophage, you are not rated for... the door is armored.”

“High-density carbon steel, weighed with magnetized lodestone.” Necrophage assessed, before she slammed another double-kick back into the door: she had managed to dent it slightly, but Thorn realized one of her legs had broken from the force she was kicking it with, blood leaking from the wounds she had torn back open across her lower limbs. “Current physical status guarantees failure. Force output is insufficient.”

All the same, Necrophage slammed another kick back into the door, and Thorn almost shouted: “Then what are you doing, Necrophage?”

Necrophage looked back at Thorn for a moment, then she said, calmly, emotionlessly: “System failure is acceptable if it will increase Thorn Blackfeather's chance of escape to even one percent.”

Necrophage slammed another kick into the shutter, and Thorn stared at her as she continued to savagely kick the door, denting it further, making it shudder in its frame. Every kick reverberated through Thorn's head and chest as he breathed quietly in and out, lowering his head as he felt another vibration growing, before he whispered: “Necrophage...”

Necrophage stopped again, her hind legs bloody and broken, the mare barely able to keep herself on her hooves before Thorn dragged himself up to a standing position. He stumbled over to her, and she caught him against her body, embracing him as he wrapped his foreleg around her neck, breathing quietly in and out as he rested his face against her before he whispered: “Emotions on.”

The Replicant flinched, trembling for a moment before she hugged him fiercely close, clenching her eyes shut as she ground her face against the side of his neck and whispered: “Y-You gotta go, Thorn, you gotta go, you gotta go...”

“There's nowhere to go.” Thorn replied quietly, and then he smiled faintly as she rose his eyes to hers. And he could hear it now: the roar of the poison flooding through the tunnels, the thunder of the Clay of Prometheus as it swept towards them, unstoppable and rushing straight down towards them.

And yet he wasn't afraid. He wasn't afraid, as he breathed slowly in and out, before he murmured: “Thank you for protecting me. For being my friend. For caring about me, Necrophage. Now promise me that you'll survive. Because I don't want to lose you.”

“Only if you do too, Thorn! You gotta survive, too.” Necrophage whimpered, as she clutched herself into him, before she swallowed thickly as she felt the stallion's magic wash over them both, insulating them as much as he could. “D-Don't hurt yourself, you should-”

“Shut up, Necrophage.” Thorn murmured, and the two pulled apart for a moment, looking into one-another's eyes before the stallion leaned forwards and impulsively kissed her. Necrophage didn't know how to respond, freezing up but clutching into him so much tighter, so much harder, before their mouths parted, and she blushed deeply as tears ran down her cheeks, and Thorn smiled back at her.

But before either pony could speak, the black poison came thundering down on top of them, slamming the two back against the sealed door before they were jerked helplessly along with the current. Yet even as they were hurled down the passage, they clutched tightly to each other, refusing to let go, refusing to part, even as they were caught in the tide of black, rushing hell.

That Which Shaped The Universe

Chapter Sixty Two: That Which Shaped The Universe
~BlackRoseRaven

Hecate staggered backwards, one of her mechanical arms falling loose in a hail of metal and broken parts. She narrowed her eyes as she grasped at the stump, breathing slowly in and out as Loki moodily stuck a finger through a large hole in his coat, saying grumpily: “Great. I guess now I can finally get my clothes tailored, but this totally had sentimental value. And you just ruined it.”

Hecate rolled her head on her shoulders, before her eyes flicked slightly to the side as a reading glowed across one of her lenses. She straightened a little, ignoring the clank of stripped gears in her chest and the click of loose plates against each other across her damaged body, as she instead called up a holographic screen at her side.

It sizzled in and out of reality, but it displayed what she needed to know, the mechanical goddess barely acknowledging Loki as he asked mockingly: “What's that? Making sure your final will and testament is in order? I'd say that's a pretty good idea, except, you know, for the fact that I'm not planning on leaving any next of kin behind.”

Hecate ignored Loki as she dismissed the screen, instead checking the status of her own body. In spite of the fact she had layered her armor with magic, Loki had still torn her body's systems apart: his magic wasn't completely different from how it had been when he had disguised himself as Thokk, but his focus was, although she attributed that to the fact that Loki was no longer trying to keep up a false facade while channeling devastating, intense powers.

Except there was something else, too: he was simply putting out more energy, like he had greater reserves to draw upon. Had he been stalling all this time, waiting to grow more powerful? Was that really what the entire charade had been about?

“You know, I've barely gotten warmed up here. And since you've already ruined my suit, I'll give you a chance to go get another war body.” Loki clucked his tongue, turning around and striding a few paces away as he looked around the enormous room, saying wryly: “Pretty lame, really. I mean, the Aesir made the same sorts of golems as you... and they had the same ideas about architecture, too. Let's make the ceilings all really high, that'll be really cool! No, it gathers dust. That's all it does. It's dusty in here.”

Hecate smiled thinly as she leaned backwards, then she reached up to undo the collar that held her head in place on the machine as she said calmly: “This is not a war body, Loki.”

Loki cocked his head curiously as he spun around on his heel towards her, then he grinned as Hecate easily lifted her own head free before it floated eerily out of the grip of her mechanical hand and towards a hole in the back wall, Loki spreading his arms as he shouted: “Hey, where are you going? That's not a finished thought! Aren't you going to show me what is, then?”

Loki swung a hand out, smashing the broken metal body away with telekinesis as Hecate vanished into a narrow gap in the wall, the god huffing and crossing his arms before he frowned in surprise as the world rumbled and shook, the remains of the badly-damaged control terminal sliding smoothly into the ground as the back wall trembled, before klaxons began to blare as the entire wall began to slowly rise up. “Okay, hey, really cool, but-”

A huge metal claw grasped the bottom of the shutter, forcing it to rise faster as Loki froze with one hand in the air and his mouth open, before he stared up in disbelief at the massive machine that stomped into the room. It strode forwards on hooves that were larger than him, towering over the small man by at least thirty feet, with a thick, armored body and enormous arms that ended in complex claws. Its head was solid and dome-like, Hecate glaring down at him through a screen that formed the face of the immense combat machine as she said coldly: “This is a war body.”

Loki stared at her for a moment, and then he shouted: “Well I can do this! Magic, bitch!”

Loki posed and pointed at her, a streak of energy shooting out of his hand to strike the armor-

The blast of magic ricocheted as the armor glowed faintly, shooting back down to smash Loki in the face and knock him sprawling with a yelp. He twitched a few times on the ground, mouthing wordlessly, his features smoldering before he sat up as one eye twitched, shouting: “Well that's not-”

A massive metal fist slammed down, crushing Loki almost comically into the floor before Hecate leaned down, pistons pumping along the machine's arms as she pummeled him savagely into the ground, leaving Loki laying broken in a crater in the floor. She stepped back, but didn't slow, already preparing her next attack even as the god slowly peeled himself out of the crater and staggered up to his feet, clutching at his head as he rasped: “What the hell, lady, where did that...”

A long, gleaming cannon sprung over Hecate's shoulder from her back, locking into place along one of her mechanical arms as she aimed it straight down at the god, and some of the bruising vanished from Loki's body as he abandoned his exaggerated pain at the feeling of energy that tore through the air, the god shouting in a strangled voice: “You can't be serious!”

Loki snarled, but Hecate only smiled coldly as her targeting systems locked on to the demigod in his moment of panic, not hesitating to fire the rail cannon. There was a boom like thunder and a flash of white light, the air vibrating with the force of the single shot as her systems flared with warnings for a moment.

But as the light and rumbling faded, Hecate smiled coldly to herself as she looked up and noted the massive hole she had left in the wall. She was well-aware that it had been far too easy, though, as some new, uneasy feeling gnawed at her... but I will finish this, here and now. “Thorn! Report in!”

Silence greeted her, and Hecate gritted her teeth before she took a breath, calming herself and ordering: “Seneschal! Trace Thorn Blackfeather and his team!”

“Everyone is active, and Muse is present and accounted for, but Thorn himself is...” Seneschal suddenly halted, then he blurted: “Empress Hecate! Our... our readings are incorrect!”

“What? Impossible!” Hecate's eyes widened slightly as she clenched her steel hands, asking sharply: “Update and explain!”

“I don't understand, it was... it must have all happened while power was being rerouted, disguised as fluctuations!” Seneschal babbled. “Wait, some of our Worker Drones have come online, they've been given new tasks and their priorities have all been reshuffled, I can't-”

“Shut down all Worker Drones. Reactivate them on locked emergency protocol.” Hecate instructed as she brought up several readings across the screens she was facing. Power was nearing optimum levels, which meant that Thorn had at least succeeded in the task she had given him before she had fought Loki...

“Check all our active systems. Ensure that no one has tampered with the shielding protecting the civilian shelters and all automated security.” Hecate looked up calmly, before ordering: “Begin activation of Stage I of Ithavoll once we've rerouted enough power. Code six.”

Seneschal made an uncomfortable noise, but then the AI gave an audible breath before he said steadily: “Yes, Empress Hecate. As you command. Once power levels stabilize, it shall be done.”

“Good.” Hecate returned her attention the screens in front of her before her eyes widened slightly in surprise as a new alert blared over her screen, and she swore under her breath as she turned around to sprint for the freight elevator in heavy weapons storage. What are you up to...

“Cadence!” Hecate barked, and there was a fizzle and pop followed by hurried babbling from the ivory mare. “Shut up. A high-priority target is on the move and a Class I alert has just breached Decretum. I need you to-”

Cadence winced in pain as Hecate's words were cut off in a scream of static, the mare swearing under her breath as she leaned out from cover. She and her team had been in and out of skirmishes as they had zigzagged around Decretum, until they had reached the Castle District, where they had decided to lay in, since it seemed like the Husks and Elementals were being drawn here. Then the whole world had shook with the force of some kind of missile had torn its way out of the castle, and now they were making their way towards... something. Cadence had no idea what it was, only that it resonated with an alien yet familiar energy, calling to her...

The mare shook her head quickly as she scanned the warzone in front of them: the ground had been torn up from the force of the blast, but it looked less like something had struck here, and instead something had torn out of the ground. She wondered for a moment if it was a Primordial, but the cut almost seemed smooth, as if something had sliced up through the earth with incredible force...

Cadence felt a strange whisper of energy, but it was Sombra who located the source first, the stallion turning calmly around to gaze at the lone figure standing in the open square, asking calmly: “Were you once Thokk?”

“Once, even twice. But not anymore.” said the young man moodily, as he breathed slowly in and out, and Cadence shivered as she turned towards him, her eyes locking on the figure. And oh, so many memories rose up through the Swan as he grinned that old, boyish grin, twiddling his fingers at her with one hand as the other held his bloody side. “Heya, Danzsöngr. Nice to see you.”

“Loki.” Cadence breathed, as Moonflower and La Croix both readied themselves on either side of her. “But you... no... no, that's...”

“Impossible? I wish!” Loki laughed shortly, then he groaned as he cracked his back, grimacing a bit as he straightened and muttered: “Real nice place here. Very... Valthrudniry. Oh, frig, I can't even make up a good pun right now, that's how much this sucks. Your boss sucks. She sucks. This sucks.”

He shook himself out, then scowled at Cadence as she stepped forwards, and she shivered before the Swan took control, leaning forwards and shouting almost desperately: “But it is not possible! Thokk was a Creator!”

“Yeah, well, I worked under a lot of names and faces in my day. Worked hard, I might add, did everything the Aesir wanted me to do, got myself named a son of Odin...” Loki spat to the side, scowling in disgust. “And what good did it do me in the end? None at all. Just as the stories foretold.”

Loki snorted in contempt, before he returned his eyes to Cadence, saying quietly: “Prophecy. All prophecies are self-fulfilling, you know. I mean, if you want to believe in something hard enough... you find a way to make it true. Now, you know that, don't you, Swanny? Or maybe I should be talking to you, Cadence, for this one. Because you wanna make it fact that the Swan is a murderer, but oh, silly-billy, the Swans could never do that without permission... and I see the look in your eye. I'm very familiar with it. I've seen it a lot. All the Aesir looked at me the same way, and the Vanir, too. That look that says 'give me a reason. Give me a reason, so I can kill you.'”

Cadence shook her head weakly, before the Swan leaned forwards and asked: “Why have you done this, Loki? Why do you not honor your Father's-”

“He was no more my real father than Frigg was my mother!” shouted Loki, the young man snarling in fury as he stomped a foot. “They blamed it on my head, they said it was just as the prophecy foretold, that I was wicked and evil! But I didn't murder him! I wasn't responsible for Baldur or for Frey, it was all Valthrudnir, Valthrudnir's plotting and Dad covering it all up! But Odin used the prophecies, the stupid old fairy tales, to make me look like the villain!”

Loki breathed hard in and out, and then he straightened and said coldly: “Well, if they want a villain, they got one. They said I'd come back from the dead to bring Ragnarok. Well, here I am, and I'm sure as hell ready to wipe all of Daddy's precious little creations off the face of the universe. I want to bring it all back to zero, and I'm going to make everybody either help me or sit down, shut up, and watch. Watch what they made me become. They did this to me! And they did this to themselves!”

Loki stomped a foot angrily, and Sombra shook his head slowly before the stallion said gently: “No, my friend. The only one who paints you as the villain now is you, yourself. Come. There is time to end this peacefully. Let us wash our hooves of this trouble, there is no need to make war.”

“No. The only thing I plan to wash away is you.” Loki said coldly, raising a hand and pointing at Sombra, and a blast of black lightning streaked through the air-

Moonflower blocked the blast of magic with a shield of magic, and Loki glared at the unicorn. But the unicorn looked back with a strange expression: pitying, unafraid, and yet almost self-loathing, Cadence thought, as the black stallion murmured: “How many times have I seen you in the mirror? Too many... you're just like me, after all. Loki, what will you do when you're all alone?”

“I've always been alone.” Loki said quietly, and then he looked away as he breathed shakily in and out, before he closed his eyes and whispered: “Alone, or in the shadows, always trying to get Odin's attention, always looking for that praise from Dad, the praise that Thor could get from just tying his shoes together...”

“Yes, my brother, but 'twas much harder for me than it ever was for thee, with thy great big brain and my very little one.” came a soft voice, and Loki looked up with a faint, sad smile as Sleipnir strode slowly up to join them. And with him, came others, as Cadence realized that the sounds of fighting had become... muted. She could still hear it, all around them, and yet it was distant, leaving them in their own little world.

Sleipnir and Loki studied each other for a few moments, and then Loki straightened and put his hands in the pockets of his tattered overcoat as he remarked: “Well, you're looking much more handsome than I remember, Thor. Lost a lot of weight.”

“Aye, thou hast my thanks for noticing!” Sleipnir smiled warmly, raising his head with a nod before he started: “I would like to introduce thee-”

“The time for that has passed.” Loki interrupted, although he was strangely gentle, and he seemed to hesitate as Sleipnir's face fell. For a few moments, there was silence, before the trickster god asked almost pleadingly: “Won't you fight at my side? As much as I hated you sometimes, you always... you were always there for me, you were one of the few people I could count on to take my side...”

“I cannot, Loki. I must honor all that Father had created, and the new life he hast given to me. And whether or not the thought is as poison to thee, thou should as well.” Sleipnir said gently, and Loki laughed bitterly. “He saved-”

“Saved me?” Loki scoffed, his features twisting with disgust. “Countless eons of being bound up in the the guts of my own kids, of serving as a feast for the Grimm in Ginnungagap! Yet you would say he 'saved me,' brother? I fail to see how!”

But Sleipnir only smiled and shrugged before he responded softly: “Aye, he left thee there. And everyone else is dead.”

Loki was silent at this, and then he shook his head slowly before he looked down at his hands and whispered: “You speak as if I am not.”

Sleipnir softened, but Loki snorted as he waved a hand out in disgust before he looked up and met the stallion's eyes, saying coldly: “I will not back down from this. From what I must do. And I will not spare even you, Thor. I've spent eons readying myself, hardening myself for what must be done. There is no turning back for me.”

The earth pony simply bowed his head silently, and Loki closed his eyes before he took a slow breath, then he scowled as a voice chided gently: “Now, now, sweetie. Just because you never got your way with All-Daddy, doesn't mean you get to make such a great big stink about all this.”

Loki snorted as he turned around, scowling across at Hel as her ice puppet smiled and traced a curtsy to him. “Well, how long has it been since the last time we met, huh?”

“In the legends, the stories, you're supposed to be my daughter. And Fenrir and Jormungandr were sons.” Loki snorted in contempt as he looked over the goddess with disgust. “I'm supposedly the root of all evil. So forgive me if I'm not quaking in my little booties right now.”

“Hey now, that's no way to talk to a lady!” Hel said in an injured voice, touching her own breast before she added mockingly: “And all I see right here and now is a big crybaby. What's wrong, crybaby, you gonna cry some more?”

Loki narrowed his eyes dangerously, but Hel only grinned, leaning forwards as she said softly: “But that explains just how you were always able to avoid detection by me. Just like I thought! Well, okay, it took me a while to think it, but eventually I did thunk it, you know. Not that it matters, because I'm going to turn you into paste.”

“Hel, please! Have mercy on my brother! He does not know what he does!” Sleipnir pleaded as he stepped forwards, but Loki only snorted in disgust, pointedly shifting his back to the stallion.

“Too kind, brother. Too kind and too forgiving. You've always been so... weak.” Loki muttered, and Sleipnir leaned back, deep hurt etched on his features. “No. No mercy. No mercy for me, no mercy for you, and none at all for you, Hel.”

“No, no. There will never be any mercy for the likes of us... but that's the life we chose, Loki. Oh, sure, it might feel like all this was forced on us, but there's always a choice. Why, just look at you, making all these choices right now! How many times have you been told 'turn back, turn back,' only for you to declare dramatically, 'I can't, I can't!'”

Hel posed theatrically with the back of one hand against her skull and the other arm thrown wide, before she stomped down and turned serious, saying coldly: “It ain't that you 'can't,' it's just that you won't. And hey, maybe these others got the patience for it, but I sure as heck don't.”

Loki snorted in disgust, and then he flexed a hand slowly as Hel cracked her knuckles, then rolled her head on her shoulders, growling: “Now, I see big metal momma already got a few good cracks in on you, which is fine and dandy by me. Because unlike the rest of these losers, I don't have to pretend to be the good guy. I don't have to try and make all the right decisions. Me? I'm merciless.”

“All you are is another fortune teller with too high an opinion of herself.” Loki retorted as he shook his own hands out, his eyes locked fearlessly on the dark goddess. “But hey, I'll entertain you, sweetheart. After all, I'm about to make your job obsolete, anyway.”

“If only that were true, Loki, I'd let you kill me with style.” Hel said kindly, before she smiled and said softly: “But so far, all I've seen is that even if you take the people out of Hell, you can't take Hell out of people.”

She paused as Loki frowned slightly, before the goddess suddenly shouted: “Think fast!” and lunged forwards into a blast of magic.

Loki brought his arms up to block the telekinetic hammer, before he gave a gasp of shock as instead of striking his front, a psychokinetic force crashed into his back, knocking him skidding on his face right to Hel's feet. She covered her mouth and giggled childishly as Loki blinked, before he snarled as she shoved a foot against his face and asked: “Hey, you think I need to trim my nails?”

The trickster god flung himself up to his feet, both hands bursting into dark flames, but Hel simply punted hard upwards, her foot slamming directly into his crotch and knocking the god staggering backwards with a wheeze of pain before Hel crowed: “I don't know you! That's my purse!”

Hel stomped down on one of Loki's feet, making him squawk before she slapped him roundly across the face, then she suddenly became deadly serious as she stepped forwards and seized him by the throat in both hands, hefting him into the air above her head.

Loki choked for a moment, but then grinned suddenly before he burst apart into electricity and fire, Hel's ice puppet staggering backwards with a hiss as it half-melted. But even as she stumbled, she spun around on the spot, lashing out an arm to send a blade of blue flame ripping through the air to crash into Loki before he could even fully reform.

He swore under his breath as he rolled back to a crouch, shoving his hands against the ground, and spikes of rock ripped out of the earth in all directions around him, heedless of the collateral damage as ponies scattered backwards. But Hel simply flicked both arms out, shattering some of the deadly blades of rock and ripping the rest of them free from the ground to launch them like missiles into the god.

Loki swore as he was battered backwards under the hail of sharp rock, rolling backwards before he caught himself on all fours, breathing roughly in and out as he shook with visible pain. He looked up with a snarl as Hel smiled coldly, the goddess saying quietly: “Poor little sweetie. That's real blood you're bleeding, not energy, not Voidstuff. But I do have to wonder... how much you is god and how much of you is... something else?”

Hel tilted her head inquisitively, and Loki smiled thinly before he picked himself up. He breathed slowly in and out, then he rose a hand and answered: “Enough to remember this old trick.”

There was a pulse of power, and then Hel's ice puppet simply exploded into fragments, Loki snorting as he mocked: “Not so tough now, are you? Not so smart, either. How often did Dad do that to you? Sure, take a few free, cheap shots on me after you've let your stupid little friend do all the hard work, show off, pretend you're a big tough girl, but I've got your number, Hel. You're just a scared little witch, hiding away in her little hovel down in Underdark. And let me promise you something, right here and now: I'm going to come down and drag you out of there, feet first if I have to.”

“Now, now. Stronger men then you have promised that. Stronger women, too.” Hel's voice retorted, and Loki half-spun to stare at the icy puppet that had just spoken, before he snarled as a second ice puppet tittered, his eyes turning disbelievingly towards this other Hel.

“And I do have to say. I'm not all that impressed just yet, sweetie pie.” it chided after a moment, before both puppets grinned coldly as the one Loki had just shattered reformed in front of him, the trickster leaning back in surprise.

“I'll let you in on a little secret, just because you're so handsome.” Hel said kindly as she spread her arms and winked at the god. “It wasn't that All-Daddy was ever able to really make me go bye-bye whenever he wanted... it was that I let him.”

Loki snarled as he stepped backwards, looking back and forth as he seemed to realize the odds were against him, but before he could even think about trying to escape, claws of ice and shadow surged upwards from the ground and seized into him, the god gasping in pain as Hel's voice whispered in his ear: “Now, now, it's far too late to run away. Just count to one-two-three-four, and it'll all be over soon...”

The two puppets of ice strode calmly towards the one in the center, merging into it with pulses of light and power. As they did so, more puppets appeared, striding calmly from all directions to join with the puppet standing in front of Loki, melding into it with a thrum that Cadence could feel in her bones as she leaned backwards with a shiver: was this the true power of the Goddess of Helheim?

Loki gasped as he was forced down to his knees by the claws of frost and shadow digging into his body, the god gritting his teeth as one of the burning black hands seized him by the scalp and yanked his head forcefully back as the final puppet merged into the eerily-glowing avatar of Hel, which leaned forwards over him, speaking in a soft, echoing voice as she reached down and gently laid a finger against his face: “I only have one question, Loki Jarson. I don't care about why, or even about how you managed to do all this: you're not the strangest thing I've ever seen, sweetie. No, no, no. What I care about is why you choose this place: the here, not the how.”

Loki scowled up at Hel, before he howled in misery as electricity ripped through his body, Loki jittering violently before he was hefted up into the air by the claws of ice and shadow, hanging limply in front of the tall puppet of frost. Hel smiled as she drew a finger quickly upwards, stroking under his chin and forcing his head up so they were eye-to-eye as she asked softly: “Did you really consider Hecate to be a bigger threat than me, honeybunch? But then again, I do keep myself all cut up into sixteenths usually... it's oh so very rare I have to piece myself all together for something. But I think you deserve the show of power, sweetie. I'm not taking any chances with you.”

She paused, then stepped backwards and turned around and clenched her hand into a fist, and Loki screamed in misery and pain as he jerked back and forth, his body shaking violently in the hold of the hands of frost and darkness before he finally fell limp with a gasp. Hel smiled coldly, before her eyes flicked over her shoulder as Loki whispered: “Why here? I'll tell you why here...”

Loki slowly rose his head, coughing a bit of blood... and then he suddenly smiled, his eyes cold as they locked on Hel. “I needed all my enemies in one place. And I knew that you wouldn't come out to play unless I fell all to pieces right in front of your eyes... but I'm full of tricks and piss and vinegar.”

Hel snarled as she spun around, slashing a hand out as it burst into white, purging flame, but Loki grinned widely even as her hands plunged through his chest, a terrible thrum pulsing through the air as he leaned forwards so their faces almost pressed together as he hissed: “You can't kill what's already spent a million eons in Nothing!”

The frost puppet's eyes widened as her forearm was torn off, pulled into the terrible void she had punched in Loki's body, and the god laughed loudly: except he wasn't a god, not anymore. His body was transforming, that wound in his body and reality seeming to spread violently over his entire form, transforming him into an amorphous, almost slimy shape, colors glowing wildly across a frame that no longer had any real definition to it.

The claws of ice and darkness shattered away from his body as he straightened, featureless and covered in ever-changing colors that flowed over the slime-like body of the two-legged, two-armed thing. In its chest, a single glowing abyss stared, bright light shining out of this as Hel staggered away even as the frost puppet's arm regenerated, and Loki thundered bitterly: “I am the bringer of Ragnarok, I am father of destruction! I am the Void, and all things within the Void, Hel!”

“The Prime.” Hel whispered, before she rolled her shoulders and growled: “Child, you have no idea what you are tampering with...”

“Oh, believe me, I do. After I finally freed myself, I was forced to scavenge like the rats of Ginnungagap, piecing myself together with the broken chunks of the Prime... that was how this all came about.” Loki spread his arms with a cold smile, his body thrumming with power. “And below Ginnungagap, the garbage dump of the gods, is the Void. I fed, like a ghoul, off any refuse I could find, just to stay alive, just to keep myself... coherent in the chaos, after having spent so many eons being devoured and healed, devoured, and healed...”

Loki shivered for a moment, and then he looked up and whispered: “But in the end, I have become more. The Prime is a fairytale, a legend... just like me. The 'bad guy.' The destroyer of the universe, another... commonality we share. So why not? Why not become what they have always tried to make me, anyway? Why not join forces with our worst enemy? Hel, you should be helping me! What are you but another victim of story and circumstance?”

“No, Loki. I am not like you.” Hel said contemptibly, as the ice puppet flexed her fingers slowly, before she straightened slowly, adding in a callous, disgusted voice: “All you are is another Terror from the Void. Oh, pitiful little Loki. So young, so shielded from the world, you don't even know how many gods traveled to the Void and came back with the same stupid thoughts in their empty heads, transformed into nothing but hosts for the parasitic Prime... except, unlike them, you still have a chip on your shoulder and a pebble in your shoe.”

Loki snarled, leaning forwards as he roared: “I am the Prime! I am the Void! I am what I was made by-”

Hel stepped forwards and disdainfully slapped Loki across his now-featureless face, but his shock was palpable as he twitched violently, before Hel said softly, in words so ancient that only Cadence understood them: “You are the sum of your own decisions, child, and you shall never be anything less, nor anything more.”

Loki seemed to stare at Hel as she looked defiantly back, before the goddess reached up a hand and said distastefully: “And I'm still old enough to give you a spanking, boy.”

With that, Hel simply flicked Loki's head, and the Prime was sent rocketing backwards, crashing and bouncing through the square before Hel simply vanished with a cold smile. As Loki caught himself and skidded to a halt – away from most of the gawking crowd, Cadence realized – the world shook violently before a massive beast of black stone and hellfire ripped out of the ground, the huge, draconic monster roaring in fury with Hel riding atop its collared neck, the behemoth lurching at Loki as Hel clamped her hands together, and chains of ice snapped violently around the Prime to lock his arms against his sides.

The beast dove down on top of Loki, crushing him in its jaws, but only a moment later the beast's head exploded. Eruptions of energy tore through its body before Hel swore and vanished just before the rest of the beast went up in a blast that shook the entire world, Loki roaring as he tore his arms loose from the frosty chains, but realized too late that the shards of crystal monster were all floating eerily in the air.

They hailed down on top of him in a violent rain, crushing and burying him beneath an avalanche of burning gemstone as Hel reappeared a short distance away, raising a hand. But then the ice puppet's eyes widened as the pile of rock shuddered before rising up and launching itself straight at her, Hel snarling before she shoved both hands out at the last moment, deflecting the meteor with a blast of force and sending it careening off into a nearby building.

Loki laughed harshly as he straightened in the crater, spreading his arms and shouting: “You cannot destroy me, Hel! My body is invulnerable, my powers far exceed yours, and-”

“Sweetie, I've tangled with worse than you.” Hel said coldly, and Loki realized too late that the voice had come from directly behind him before a massive claw of ice tore out of the ground directly beneath him, crushing him its grip before he howled in agony as it burst into blue, spirit-eating flame. “Spirit body... Astra?”

Loki snarled, before his body unleashed a shockwave of force that didn't so much blast the hand to pieces as it melted through it, dissolving the blue flame and ice alike. Hel snarled as she immediately lashed a hand out, sending a blast of magic at Loki, but the Prime ducked under this before he leapt forwards and slammed a punch into the puppet, knocking her staggering back a step before her eyes widened in horror and she clutched at his chest as she realized too late his hand was buried into her body as ripples pulsed through her puppet.

“Guess I have to stop playing.” Loki remarked, before he stepped backwards and yanked hard, and Hel gave an unearthly, horrified scream before a shape was torn completely out of the puppet and flung backwards, crashing and rolling across the broken stone of the square.

The figure came to a halt, trembling and gasping weakly in the dirt, her scraggy black hair falling over features similar to Loki's. She weakly scrabbled at the ground, the metal brace around one leg screeching against rock as she tried to shove her trembling body up, half-tangled in her own long, white dress before she gasped as Loki seized her by the hair and yanked her up to head level, the Prime looking down at her with distinct coldness. The woman hung helplessly in his grip, staring up at him with shocked eyes that were blue and mismatched amethyst, and the colors seemed to pulse in a grin across Loki's frame as he reached a finger up and gently poked her forehead, saying softly: “You fell right into my trap. But I do wish you hadn't gone and spoiled the fun right away...”

“Hel.” Cadence whispered as she stumbled forwards, before her father caught her, holding her back. She felt numb as she stared across the battlefield, staring at the two: at Loki, the Prime, the fallen trickster god of the Aesir, and at Hel. Hel, the goddess; Hel, the Mother; Hel, first child of the All Father.

Hel looked up at Loki, trembling, and Loki looked callously back down at her before he dropped the helpless goddess to the ground. Without looking, he simply rose a hand and snapped his fingers, and Hel's ice puppet exploded into useless shrapnel as Loki said contemptibly: “Helpless outside of Underdark, isn't that right? Well, don't worry. I don't plan to keep you alive for very long. Just long enough to give you a choice. After I kill you and send you to the Void, you can either serve me willingly, or I can just devour your energies in the Void, as I have taken the lives and energies of so many others to become the Prime. I'm only offering, Hel, because you would be a lot more useful to me as a Voidborn than a snack... but hey, I'll take what I can get. So what's it going to be? A second chance at life after death... or complete erasure from the universe?”

Hel trembled on the ground, shivering and shaking her head, still looking stunned and stupefied. Loki laughed under his breath at her, before he began to reach down, but he froze and looked up with an audible snarl as a massive war machine landed a ground distance away, Hecate saying contemptibly: “You ran away before we could finish our fight.”

“Hey, uh, news flash, you shot me and launched me here. This is all your fault.” Loki retorted as he straightened and pointed at himself, before the colors twisting across his body seemed to darken as another set of figures appeared behind him, saying in a softer voice: “Of course. You three...”

“Aye, us three.” Brynhild growled, a horn of black crystal gleaming from her skull, her spear thrumming dangerously beside her. Scrivener stood at the ready on one side, and Morgan was flexed on her other, trembling with barely-repressed fury as the Valkyrie said coldly: “Step back. For whether or not I feel terrible sorrow upon seeing how it is thou behind all these events, poor, ill-fated trickster... if thou fails to surrender, then I shall cut thee down as I would any other wretched disease upon this universe.”

“Ouch, Brynhild. Manners. Don't go calling people names like that.” Loki said in a falsely injured voice as he rose his hands, before he turned around with a cold smile as his eyes glinted dangerously. “But you know, I'm glad we get to have this time together, even if for some reason you're trying to protect the one person who wanted you dead even more than Valthrudnir did...”

The Valkyrie narrowed her eyes, and Loki smiled before he slowly took a step towards the trio, continuing pleasantly: “And you know, really... I've been your best friend all these long years. Without me, do you know how much would have been different? Are you even aware of all the things I did for you, how many strings I've been pulling all along?”

Not even Brynhild responded, but Loki laughed as if he could all the same hear their thoughts, responding in a falsely-surprised voice: “What, you haven't put it together yet? But I suppose it is kind of tricky to figure out on your own...”

Loki waggled his fingers, and the three ponies readied themselves, before they all reared back in shock as holes opened in reality and three figures pushed out of them. Three strange females, faces covered by mask and veil and cowl, and Brynhild shook her head weakly before Loki visibly puppeted them with mocking gestures of his hands, making the three gesture violently back and forth before the eldest, dressed in a burka-like robe, stepped forwards and rasped as she held up her gauntleted hands: “We knew that you would reach us. Just as we knew the chaos beast would as well.”

The second staggered forwards, dead eyes staring out through the strange mask that seemed almost as if it had been bolted to her face as she whispered: “We have been expecting you. Submit to us, listen to our wishes, and perhaps we can alter your destiny.”

The last chopped back and forth clumsily through the air with her silver sword, twitching violently before she chanted through full, rosy lips that stood in stark contrast to the hollow dead whiteness of her face: “You are nothing but a pawn. You are nothing but a pawn. You are nothing but a pawn.”

The three laughed, the sound like shattering glass as the Norns, the Fates, the Watchers of the World themselves twitched like toys in Loki's grip, before all three of them suddenly collapsed in a dead pile on top of each other as Loki clasped his hands together, the malice clear in his voice as another rift formed in front of the toppled Norns: “But it didn't take me very long to find an even better puppet than these three...”

Slowly, a strange, emerald pony rose up out of the rift, his black-fire mane twisting slowly out behind him, his gunmetal body flexing slowly. Metallic hooves tested the ground as the portal closed beneath him, and the figure rose his head slowly, looking back and forth as powerful black wings flexed on either side of his body. His emerald eyes opened, bright with power, yet confused and uncomprehending all the same as he whispered, his words echoing over each other in two distinct voices: “We do not understand...”

“Gymbr.” whispered the Valkyrie, her eyes wide and horrified before she looked disbelievingly at Loki, and Loki smiled almost tenderly as he gently jerked one hand back and forth, and Gymbr moved like a puppet on a string for him, head bobbing limply as his mouth fell open, drooling emptily.

“He was a little rough around the edges at times, sure, but he served his purpose oh so well. I couldn't always get him to do what I wanted, but... he was weak minded. Selfish, greedy, arrogant... such a powerful little pack animal, but such an easy mark, too.” Loki said softly, featureless form emanating a cold and self-satisfied thrum as he looked across at the trio of ponies with a cold, knowing smile. “And he was eager to serve. But in spite of the way you act, that's how you've all always been, isn't it? Eager to do someone else's bidding.”

Luna snarled as she leaned forwards, and Scrivener narrowed his eyes. But Morgan remained calm and cold, studying Gymbr for a few long moments before she said softly: “He Of Many Countless Faces. Through Gymbr... you orchestrated that. Or at least, that's what you want us to believe, isn't it?”

“Whether you want to believe it or not, it doesn't change facts, sweetie.” Loki replied, voice dripping with contempt and derision as his attention turned to her, and the more he focused on the purple mare, the more furious he seemed to become. He leaned forwards, hands flexing at his sides, even as he explained in a voice that was almost casual: “Look, I'm patient. More patient than you can imagine. And there have been very few things in all these worlds that have ever stood a chance of even coming close to the kind of power I can put out. I mean, it was my power that made Gymbr so strong, you see, and... oh, let's save that story for another time, though.

“Valthrudnir, well. Something had to be done about him. And now I know he's safe and sound in the Void, imprisoned in a way that he'll never be able to escape because no one will ever want to help the stupid asshole.” Loki said mildly, gesturing idly with one finger to the side. “But now we had something else wandering around. Something else that was-”

“Composed of Astra, which was what made it so powerful. Which was what made it a threat to you.” Morgan Heldóttir said softly, and Loki's body rippled with furious colors as he leaned forwards. “He Of Many Countless Faces. You're saying that you used Gymbr to lure him to us. But Gymbr didn't just show up one day: from what we know, Kvasir found him in the ruins of Decretum and saved him. You didn't plan that.”

Loki chuckled quietly, then he leaned forwards and replied, as his colors flashed with condescension. “Always think ahead. I couldn't just have him show up out of nowhere... I've read enough stories to know that's far too obvious a tell. No, no. Where, logically, would he have been last? Decretum. And of course he can't be a little angel... he's never been a little angel. Maybe sometimes he has these... shifts in character, but you have to keep it to the story. You have to follow the prophecies.”

“There's no such thing as prophecy.” Morgan said quietly, and Loki threw his head back and laughed loudly at this, shaking his head slowly before he turned and pointed at Hel, who was slowly trying to crawl away.

“Oh, but look at us, little queen! We three here are children of prophecy!” Loki snapped, glaring at her before he gestured balefully at Hel, who flinched and tried to shrink away even as the god only looked at her with disgust. “The so-called Goddess of Helheim, banished forever because of a story! The bringer of Gotterdammerung, the cursed child, another victim of fables! And you: the inheritor, protected by her dragon and her knight. But I'll end your story, too. Because prophecy says so.”

“It was wrong of them to treat you the way they did, Loki. But the person making these prophecies come true now, is you. You can't fault them for that.” Morgan said evenly, unafraid as she stepped forwards even as Loki turned his full attention to her, ignoring even the ponies to either side of the mare. “And with every action you take, every day that passes, all you're doing is make their words more true, justify the way they treated you.”

“There was no justice in it!” Loki roared as he stepped forwards, savagely kicking the pile of Norns and sending the limp Fates rolling in all directions, as Gymbr stumbled and flinched stupidly, his eyes staring blankly back and forth.

But Morgan was unfazed as she looked up at him evenly, saying softly: “If you truly believe that, Loki, then prove it. Prove it, by showing them you're a better person than they thought. By ending this madness. By doing good with all this power you've been given instead of doing exactly what they were afraid you were going to do when they locked you away.”

Loki and Morgan looked at each other steadily for a few moments, before the trickster leaned slowly forwards, asking quietly: “So what, is this the part where I start crying? Where I repent, swear I'll redeem myself? Fall on my knees and beg for forgiveness?” Loki chuckled quietly, the sneer was audible in his voice. “No. I don't think that's how this is going to work, Morgan. Stories are unchanging. They have one narrative, one direction they can go in. There can never be redemption, for any of us.”

“I believe anyone can redeem themselves, if they're willing to try. Evil isn't attractive because it's powerful, or superior. Evil is attractive because it's easy, and selfish, and lazy.” Morgan stepped forwards, saying quietly: “Please, Loki. Don't make us fight you. Don't make us kill you.”

“You have other problems to worry about, Twilight Sparkle.” Loki said distastefully, before he rose a hand and pointed as the colors across his body pulsed with anger.

Gymbr twitched on the ground, then hauled himself suddenly up to his hooves, eyes rolling in his head as he looked back as he rasped: “We understand. We cannot escape our Fate. We shall always be the lesser, the shadow: we were foolish to think that we were anything but a tool. We were...”

Gymbr shivered violently as the trio of ponies readied themselves, the creature shaking its head back and forth before its emerald eyes suddenly blazed open as its jaws twisted into a too-large grin, eyes locking on Morgan as he almost sang: “We are the monster at the end of your story! We are never without purpose! We understand!”

The winged unicorn pounced towards Morgan as his silver hooves snapped apart into claws of metal, but Luna lunged immediately into his path and slammed her spear down between his ears, knocking the creature face-first into the ground. But somehow Gymbr managed to turn the faceplant into a roll forwards before he threw himself at Luna with a feral roar.

Scrivener slammed a claw into the side of Gymbr's face, snapping his jaw loudly and sending the winged unicorn staggering with a howl of misery that turned into a broken cackle as he caught himself. And the trio of ponies snarled as Gymbr flexed as broken bones and torn flesh visibly knitted back together, before Morgan's eyes widened as she felt the stream of magic from the fallen trio of Norns- “They're providing the power to-”

“We demand you pay tribute to us in blood!” Gymbr shouted as the beast leapt forwards, furious and fully healed. Scrivener and Luna both leapt to engage the savage thing, to try and pin him down, while Morgan flung herself over them towards the Norns-

But with a firm clap of his hands, Loki made the trio of Fates vanish, the trickster god grinning as Morgan landed in front of him with a snarl before he leaned down and said mockingly: “Hide and seek has always been a favorite game of mine. Have fun.”

Morgan trembled for a moment as Loki glared down at her, but all she could do was steady herself before she spun around and flung herself into the fight with Gymbr as the winged unicorn fought like a savage beast.

There was a powerful pulse as Morgan collided with Gymbr's back, before the group simply vanished in a burst of darkness, and Loki smiled derisively before he turned around and sauntered towards Hel and Hecate. The dark goddess trembled as she scamper-crawled quickly behind the massive, metal behemoth, and Loki laughed loudly as he spread his arms, asking mockingly: “What, don't you want to... I don't know, threaten me, antagonize me, say something? Or are you just upset that someone out-thunk, out-did, and overpowered you in one fell swoop?”

Loki halted, then he pretended to tilt his head to the side, raising one hand beside his head before he smiled coldly, saying softly: “It's far too quiet out there. Most of the fighting seems to have stopped, after all. Let's bring it back up a notch, shall we?”

Loki rose a hand into the air, flicking it sharply, and a powerful thrum passed through all of reality before Hecate narrowed her eyes at the alerts that popped up across her screen as Loki spread his arms and said softly: “And you know what? I'm just too nice, too. I hate separating friends and family.”

Portals tore open across Decretum, holes in reality that lost, helpless souls staggered out of, of every shape and size and race. Some cried out in joy, and others in misery; some looked solid and real, others were pale and ghastly, as if they were thinner than the air itself.

Loki smiled, but his smile was cruel as he stepped backwards, spreading his arms and saying softly: “But they say that it's with good intentions, we carve our path to Hell... isn't that right?”

Hecate's eyes widened before she shouted: “Code White! Emergency lockdown!”

“I'm just trying to reunite them with their friends. I'm trying to bring everyone together. That's all.” Loki mocked, although his body radiated bitterness in spite of his gleeful tone, even as he rose his hands into the sky, as voices shouted in confusion, as some ponies ran towards their loved ones, while others held their ground, and others still only stared as lost souls came running towards them-

“Heavy! Heavy Hoof, come on!” shouted Lancer, and Cadence turned to stare numbly as she saw the earth pony rushing heedlessly towards his former teammate. But Heavy Hoof only stared at him sorrowfully, and Cadence's eyes widened in horror as she realized his body was steaming, smoldering, Lancer either not noticing or not caring as he rushed towards his teammate-

Black crystal ripped out of the ground, seizing around Lancer, and the stallion howled in fury and frustration and terrible loss as Heavy Hoof gave a faint, grateful smile to Sombra. He trembled on the spot, the steaming pony shivering before he forced himself to turn around, even as Loki laughed: “I'll show you harmony; I'll show you salvation!”

A pulse echoed through Decretum, and the shades that had stumbled out of the Void all gasped before exploding in terrible pulses of antimatter that erased everything it touched, Loki grinning coldly and challengingly at Hecate as the mechanical goddess snarled in fury before she suddenly charged forwards, and the Prime reacted too late before one of her huge fists slammed down into his face and punched him across the battlefield.

But Loki flipped his body and simply stopped in midair after some dozen feet, laughing again as his body pulsed with colors and he shouted: “You can't stop me! I am the Prime! I am neither alive nor dead! And I have brought you the gift of Nothingness!”

Loki rose a hand and flexed it, and again, rifts tore open throughout reality, once more vomiting out countless empty souls: many of these were not merely shades and helpless shadows, but Husks, armed to the teeth with weapons of both glimmering, eerie metal and bone. The Prime laughed loudly as he spread his arms wide, striding around in a circle even as Hecate shouted: “Status report!”

Static greeted her, as reality shook with the force of the Elementals that tore into reality from all directions as well, as Loki shouted: “Togetherness, friendship, and dominance! I am in control now, Hecate! With every soul that dies, I gain new soldiers for my army: Husks sapped of their will and the weaknesses of flesh, Shades who, even after a few seconds trapped in the Void, become infused with the Nothingness, whom I can drag back and order to do whatever I please! The Voidborn, and all those monsters that had been thrown into Ginnungagap and beyond! You can't stop me!”

Loki spun towards Hecate, before one of his hands snapped up so fast it left afterimages a moment before Hecate fired a rail at him from the mounted cannon. The explosion of force was so tremendous that it knocked Cadence staggering even from a hundred feet away, the mare flinching before her eyes widened in disbelief as Loki tossed down the enormous, girder-like piece of metal that Hecate had shot at him, the Prime saying coldly: “You are outclassed, outmanned, and outflanked. But don't worry. I won't insult you.”

Loki gestured disgustedly in Hecate's direction, a blade of antimatter streaking through the air and slamming through the extended cannon, blowing the railgun to pieces to send the massive battle machine staggering. Then Loki grinned callously as he clapped his hands together, and Hecate flinched in surprise and pain as her screens cracked and her armory body began to crumple, one arm of the war machine sparking as the Prime said contemptibly: “You're more use to me dead than alive.”

The god grinned, leaning forwards as Hecate snarled before she shouted furiously: “We will never surrender! And I will not allow you to destroy all that I have worked so hard to build!”

“Yes. I heard the same from the Aesir, before they locked me up. I heard Valthrudnir said the same thing, too... but in the end, he died at the claws of his own creation, and all it took was a few gentle nudges in the right direction.” Loki said softly, before he frowned as Hecate gave a short laugh, smiling at him contemptibly from the cockpit of her war body. “What?”

“You have the same flaw. You both like to talk too much.” Hecate said coldly, and Loki snarled at her before he realized too late that wasn't just the sound of renewed combat all around him, that whistling through the air-

He spun around too late, and a knife sank into his throat, the Prime gargling in shock as he staggered backwards before there was a powerful thrum of force that smashed into Cadence like a wrecking ball, making her whole body go wild with sensations of heat and agony. She crashed down and rolled several times with a gasp, her body steaming as she hugged herself, but Loki had flung Hecate away and was grasping at his neck, snarling in fury and humiliation before he shouted: “Swan! Obey me! Kill everyone!”

“Go suck an egg.” Cadence croaked as she forced her hooves under her, before she gritted her teeth and lunged back to the air, her twin daggers spinning to a ready position in front of her as she lunged at Loki. But the Prime blasted her out of the air like she was a toy as he snarled in disgust.

He began to step forwards, but then another hoof slammed into the side of his head, knocking him staggering before the newcomer vanished from the spot and reappeared beside him, slamming both front hooves around in a scoop to knock the legs out from under Loki. And as the Prime fell, Thesis simply rammed his head into the god's side, knocking Loki flying through the air with a wheeze before he hit the ground and skidded sharply around to a kneel, glaring furiously at Thesis as the stallion rubbed at his head, before he flinched as Hecate said contemptibly: “I see you're out of practice, Thesis.”

“Uh. Hi, Mom.” Thesis said awkwardly without turning around, pointedly keeping his back to Hecate even as she slowly climbed up to her feet. Then he turned his eyes back towards Loki, becoming cold and serious as he said quietly: “Stop this, Loki.”

“Oh, Heimdall. I see you broke free from Rig's control. Very good! You killed your own brother, proud of that?” Loki asked mildly, and Thesis smiled grimly in response.

“I sort of recognize you. I don't... fully understand how, or what it means. But I do know Rig was no brother of mine, just as I know that when I knew you... you were no monster.” Thesis quieted, straightening and softening as he gestured around at the city that was once more being torn apart by battle, as he asked: “Is this really what you want?”

Loki straightened and brushed at his body as it thrummed with a dull mix of color, and then he looked up and murmured: “In the old prophecies, Heimdall, when Ragnarok came, we would fight and you would be the one to strike me down.”

“I don't want to strike you down, Loki. But I will if I have to.” Thesis said softly, as he readied himself, before he frowned uneasily when Loki simply pointed at him.

“I also told you. If Rig died, you would die.” Loki smiled, then he said gently: “I just didn't tell you how, did I?”

Loki gestured sharply with one hand, and shocks of energy ripped across Thesis' body as cracks tore through his form like he was made of glass, the Replicant howling in misery as he staggered back and forth, eyes rolling in his head. Hecate shouted as she lunged forwards, and Cadence's eyes widened in horror as the Prime simply turned away, putting his hands behind his back as he said calmly over the helpless screaming of Thesis: “I really don't like all the violence, I don't. I'm no fighter, no warrior: I never have been. But I've been very clear, haven't I? There is no resisting. There is no fighting. None of you can hurt me... well, you can. But I can kill you, like that.”

He snapped his fingers, and Cadence was blown off her hooves by a powerful explosion of energy that tore apart her armor and left her laying in a shredded, bloody mess. She mouthed weakly and wordlessly as Loki looked down at the ground, saying softly: “I have absolute power over the Void. Those who die... I can make them do what I desire. I can puppet them. Give up. Surrender. Hell, I'll make you a deal. Surrender now, Hecate... and I'll stop Thesis from dying the death-beyond-death. Because once his body loses enough cohesion, he'll be gone, forever.”

Hecate looked down at her son for a moment, at how his body was literally cracking apart, her damaged screen sparking but giving her enough information to tell her it was true: he was burning away, to nothing but energy. In moments, there would no longer be a Thesis, only...

Hecate breathed slowly as she looked down at her son, a damaged metal hand silently reaching down to touch him, to try and soothe him, as he shook helplessly on the ground, eyes rolling in his head, crying brokenly out again and again. Slowly, her eyes roved to the side, where Cadence was laying in a bloody mess, her father Sombra standing over her with Moonflower and La Croix.

She looked around, at the living and the dead, at the debris, the crumbling buildings of her crumbling empire. At the world she had built, burning. At Hel, whimpering and afraid, the mightiest among all goddesses broken and brought low with terrifying ease...

Hecate breathed slowly, then she straightened slowly, raising her head high as she looked across at Loki. The Prime turned towards her, thrumming, ephemeral, seemingly infinite,and yet all the same, Hecate looked at him steadily, fearlessly, as she said softly: “I will not be bought. I will not be intimidated. And I will not break from my course.”

“Then you'll die.” Loki shrugged amiably, seeming to smile, but he exuded a strange mix of disappointment and sorrow as he asked softly: “Any last words?”

“Yes.” Hecate smiled coldly, and then she recited in a clear, crisp voice: “And when the wolf devours the setting sun, and the eagle steals the moon, the wind shall blow towards the earth, and the golden gates shall open.”

Loki began to open his mouth, before klaxons filled the air around them, the earth beneath their feet rumbling as Seneschal shouted: “All units, take cover! The Ithavoll Protocol is now in effect! All units, take cover!”

The world shook, and Loki scowled before he asked disgustedly: “Really? I hope you realize I'm not going to give you another chance to struggle, so you'd better make this last bit of resistance count.”

Hecate only smiled coldly in response, promising silently that one way or the other, the time had come to end this.

The Heart Of A Giant

Chapter Sixty Three: The Heart Of A Giant
~BlackRoseRaven

Luna gasped as she crashed backwards, rolling painfully to a prone position before she dragged herself up to her hooves as Gymbr prowled towards her. The creature seemed invulnerable, even more powerful than she remembered the savage god being... but then she smiled wryly as her broken horn sparked uselessly, shaking herself briskly as she muttered: “I suppose we are different too... but Gymbr, I am... disappointed...”

“You shall give us glory!” Gymbr leapt forwards with a roar, but Scrivener Blooms flung himself out of nowhere, smashing into the side of the winged unicorn and knocking him crashing through a half-crumbled wall.

As Gymbr began to recover himself, Morgan Heldóttir reappeared, shaking her head and muttering: “I can't find them. For all I know, Loki could have thrown the Norns back into the Void, or onto the moon, or... anywhere! We can't-”

“They can restore Gymbr as long as he lives, aye. But we have one trick left up our sleeve, do we not?” Luna grinned widely, and Scrivener winced as Morgan shifted uneasily, yet the Valkyrie pressed all the same: “We have no choice!”

Morgan swore under her breath as Gymbr smashed his way out of the rubble: he was regenerating too fast, his power as incredible and ferocious as it had ever been, and the only reason he hadn't done worse harm to them was because he seemed lost and confused, only throwing himself at them and rarely using his powers, as if half-drunk and trying to fight off the control that Loki had over him...

But there could be no mercy. For a thousand reasons, they could no longer show Gymbr mercy, Morgan knew, not with that growing sense of desperation, the chaos that was tearing across all of Decretum in the distance: and if he started using his powers, then even being a hundred miles away on this little work-camp island among the barren wastes, it wouldn't be enough.

Morgan's body burned with shadows, dark fire spreading over her entire form as she whispered: “Then let's just make this quick. We have to stop Loki, too.”

Luna nodded firmly, and Scrivener took a slow breath as Gymbr began to stagger towards them. But as black light filled the air, the god-beast staggered before covering his face with a claw as the darkness stung his eyes, as black energy lashed and twisted and snapped against him. “We are not impressed by such tricks!”

Gymbr lashed his horn down, retaliating with blasts of dark magic, but they did nothing to the thing that now faced him. Gymbr frowned in surprise, before his eyes widened slowly and he shook his head in disbelief, whispering as the world around him shuddered before the presence of the great and beautiful and powerful thing that now stood before him, that threw its endless shadow over the once-unstoppable god and weighed him down beneath its presence alone: “You cannot be. You cannot be.”

But it was.

Across Decretum, Orphans and Dogmatists were fighting losing battles. Husks and Elementals simply continued to surge forwards, often supported by hideous, malformed monsters from the Void, and the awful Lost Souls that had been set loose by Loki's traitorous powers. The Lost Souls cried out, making Orphans shudder: some were still sentient, others were only shapes and pieces of living memory, but all of them were helpless to do anything except what they were ordered by Loki. And all of them were composed of volatile Void antimatter, poisoning reality with their very existence, killing the loved ones who only sought to save them or embrace them, exploding in massive pulses of toxic Nothingness when they were struck.

When the order rang out across Decretum to go to ground, the first fear was that they had been defeated, that Hecate had fallen, that Ithavoll meant Decretum was preparing to go out in one final blaze of glory. And as Loki's forces marched over the wreckage of Clockwork Titans and pony alike, as grinning and savage Tyrant Wyrms turned on their handlers and began to storm into Imperia from all directions, drawn by the powers of the Void, bowing their heads in eager obedience to the one who commanded the same essence that powered their ghastly machinery, the forces of Decretum dropped into hiding, some crying, some praying, some full of despair and fury.

A group of Orphans fled down a broken highway, before one of them shouted and dropped to a ready position as a vortex spun open in front of him, yelling: “Get to cover, get to safety, just keep-”

A massive combat transport shot out of the vortex, the stallion hitting the ground and gaping in shock as the armored carrier flew over his head before it smashed to the ground, the Kirin on top of the transport swinging the gun around to open fire on the Elementals that had been chasing the soldiers of Decretum, making the pack scatter with yelps.

The transport skidded to a halt, and the door on the back was thrown open, forming a ramp to the ground that Kirin streamed down as a Bushi roared: “Fan out, and engage the enemy! In the name of Empress Hecate, destroy them all!”

Across Decretum, more vortex spun open, the Kirin of Fyrverǫld flooding in from all directions. And countless miles away, in an ancient, hidden laboratory, machinery thrummed to life as massive, modified Clockwork Titans came online and rapidly went about their work, sorting and activating the hundreds of glowing capsules that filled the laboratory with eerie light.

Decretum shook as massive, hidden gates opened in the wasteland around Imperia, muck and mire spilling down but going unnoticed as immense airships rose with mighty rumbles into the sky. The humongous war zeppelins floated ominously over Decretum, lined with large, acorn-shaped capsules on rails encircling the hull of each ship, several of which detached as the huge zeppelins moved into position.

The massive pods slammed down into the earth and crashed through buildings with pinpoint accuracy, giving Decretum soldiers the chance to escape as Loki's forces warily approached and inspected the capsules. Then a group of Husks readied themselves as one of the capsules suddenly hissed before the hatch on the front popped off in a burst of steam.

A pony emerged, walking on her hind legs with a cold grin on her face. Her mane was scraggly and blonde, her orange eyes malicious and surrounded by surgical scars, her forelegs huge and red and wrapped in chain, and already raising her modified minigun with ease as she roared: “All hail Empress Hecate!”

She opened fire with the minigun as she strode out of the pod, the Dogmatist moving fearlessly as the pods around her popped open as well: a pink blur that was nothing but giggles and huge fangs leapt out of one, tackling an Elemental and biting savagely into its neck as it screamed beneath her, but from another pod, a perfect clone of the orange mare emerged, from her coat color to the weapon she held in her hooves, marching into battle and opening fire with a savage grin.

Above, flying Husks and Air Elementals streamed towards the airships, but many were immediately engaged by not only renewed waves of metallic Thunderbirds, but Kirin pilots in flying vehicles and airborne combat armors. The few Husks that managed to press passed were almost immediately blown out of the air by Dogmatists that left streaks of lightning in their wake.

The clones withdrew up in front of the airships before one grinned, marked as a leader only by the patch on her spiky black armor, the blue pony saying contemptibly into her headset: “Thunderbolt Unit 3 seeking clearance to engage at will.”

“Negative, Courage 3-23. Wait for KAD to disengage.” Seneschal said crisply, before the AI quickly shifted his attention to another section of the battlefield, ordering: “Prudence 5-02. A Voidborn has been detected in your vicinity. Eliminate it, then exterminate the remaining enemy forces.”

“Yes, of course.” a soft-yellow Pegasus murmured as she gently extracted a hidden blade from the throat of a Husk, then she guided him carefully to the ground as his body began to dissolve, even as she instructed: “Delight, it would be nice if you could offer a distraction.”

“You got it!” said a bright pink pony, bouncing on her hooves before she eagerly hopped out into the open. Husks immediately pelted her with magic, but any wounds she suffered healed almost immediately as she leapt back and forth, shouting loudly: “I'm a distraction, I'm a distraction!”

Prudence smiled over at two clones, and then all three Pegasi almost vanished from the spot. They were almost invisible as they slipped quickly and efficiently past the Husks and into a building where a Pegasus was striding back and forth, muttering to herself as she fearfully looked back and forth, nervously clutching a communicator on one shoulder as she said hurriedly: “Look, I need to withdraw, I-”

And too late, the Pegasus realized she wasn't alone, before she choked as wire tightened around her throat. Then blades buried into her stomach, her throat, her arteries, energy steaming up from the holes in her body as her eyes rolled helplessly in her head, before the efficient assassins tore their weapons outwards, ripping the wounds wide as the Prudence almost cradling the Voidborn against her gently lowered the dying pony to the ground, whispering: “Shh, shh. It'll be over soon. Don't cry now... I'll stay with you as you go back to sleep.”

Across the battlefield, the tide was turning, and Loki staggered backwards in disbelief as Hecate, even with her body smoking, her screen shattered, her steel body visibly failing, managed to drive him back yet again. Even with all his power, it was like the machine was feeding off something even stronger than him, that the Void couldn't break down... but that was impossible. It was impossible... wasn't it?

The Prime snarled, then he gestured almost desperately outwards, at the wounded that filled the square, at the chaos that filled the air, as he screamed: “Is this what you wanted? Hecate, it is pointless! Every time your toy soldiers fight back my forces, I'll just bring them back! Again and again and again, I can bring them back! My powers are infinite, and you cannot resist this attack, you cannot hope to win... go ahead, call out more soldiers, bring out more weapons!”

Loki pointed angrily at an airship high above, roaring: “The more you call, the more you bring forth, the more I kill! The more I kill, the more power I gain, the more soldiers I can send back to fight you! I will make brother bleed brother! I will make sister kill sister! I will make mothers and fathers destroy their children, and I will leave children to die, as sacrifice, before their parents! Look, Hecate! Look at your son, and watch him die!”

But Hecate refused to take her eyes off Loki as she dragged her broken war body forwards another step, the goddess replying coldly: “Pedantic, and childish. My empire shall not be slowed, shall not be stopped. All I have to do is kill you.”

Hecate paused, then smiled coldly as a fuzzy reading sparked over one of her lenses, and the mare closed her eyes before her head withdrew into her war armor, sinking out of sight even as she said softly: “And you have missed your chance to kill me.”

Loki snarled then he stepped forwards and shoved a hand out, and a blast of Void energy ripped across the war body of the mare, smashing off its limbs, sending its heavy body crashing and rolling backwards before it finally crashed to a halt as the Prime hissed: “All you are is a stupid toy inside a stupid tin can. One that I'm going to kick into the Void and let rot until you come begging for death.”

The Prime began to step forwards, and then a pulse echoed out of the broken body of the war machine, and Loki frowned before he stumbled backwards in surprise at the next pulse that slammed through the battlefield, making him mouth wordlessly as he felt a terrible familiarity, as he felt something he had never expected to feel again-

The remains of the machine exploded, but not a piece of shrapnel touched the ground, gleaming metal fragments floating eerily in the air as a hoof slowly stretched out of the broken cradle of metal that remained. The silver hoof touched down, then was joined by another as a figure emerged from the ruins, from the war-mother body, from the mechanical womb.

Silver hooves attached to the long, elegant legs of a powerful equine body. A tail and mane of lightning and raw energy crackled around the gorgeous mare, as powerful wings stretched out for a moment before settling against its sides, as an exoskeleton hummed ominously on its back. Small vents hissed softly on the figure's sides, and thick cables fed from machinery into flesh, merging somehow seamlessly with the entity's pale, gorgeous skin.

A heavy steel collar gleamed around the being's neck, and Hecate rose her head proudly high as her body thrummed with power. She paused to glance for a moment at one hoof, flexing it slowly as Loki stared at her disbelievingly, before he blurted dumbly: “What?”

Hecate only smiled at him, as with only an idle thought, the broken ruins of metal slammed themselves together behind her, wreckage and shrapnel forming into a beautiful silver throne that she rested calmly back in. But Loki only laughed shortly at this, the Prime striding forwards as he said contemptibly: “And after all of that, this is how you'll face me? This is what you threaten me with? Oh no! A pony! It's a pony!”

Loki waved his hands back and forth as he stormed around in a circle, before he spun back towards Hecate and said coldly: “Well, I am not impressed. Of course, I get it. How many years did you spend as literally the head of Valthrudnir's operations? Must be nice to get your body back. Yeah, okay, sure! Be selfish! But be honest, too! If you wanted to die in your old body, by all means, then-”

Hecate calmly rose a hoof, and Loki gasped in shock as he was hefted into the air, the Prime's eyes bulging as the mare said softly: “It is time for you to go away.”

Loki snarled, then he shoved himself free of her telekinetic grip, staggering backwards as Hecate calmly stood up from her throne. She cracked her neck as the vents on her sides hissed open, the machinery on her back humming to life as she flexed and gathered her strength, and Loki's words caught in his throat as he went from furious to shocked, staggering away from her as he rose his hands in front of himself almost as if in a plea, his head shaking weakly as he whispered: “Those... those powers...”

Hecate spread her forelegs out to either side as a sphere formed above her, growing into a boulder that thrummed larger and larger moment after moment, clear and glassy and yet full of a power that Cadence and the Swan shivered and at were drawn to, for all the pain and fear and desperation they felt. Cadence felt both hope and despair, wonder and awe and absolute terror as Loki staggered backwards step-by-step, shaking his head and whimpering in his throat before he croaked: “Jötnar p-powers... V-V-Valthrudnir's...”

“You are not welcome in Decretum. You are not welcome in my universe. Leave, and do not ever return.” Hecate said contemptibly, as she slowly straightened, raising one hoof above her head, and the now-massive sphere of crystalline energy thrummed powerfully as it hovered above her hoof as Loki fell back on his rump, whimpering incoherently.

Hecate leaned forwards, and her whole body pulsed with power as she snapped her hoof out, flinging the orb at Loki. Loki screamed as it shot towards him, spinning around and sprinting away, but the orb pursued him, passing harmlessly through the living and their surroundings, keyed to one entity, and one alone.

Loki leapt desperately into the air, vanishing from the spot, but when he reappeared above the wastes of Decretum, the orb still followed, closer than ever. He shot through the air, but the orb chased him, teleporting closer and closer to him every time he blinked out of reality, before he made one last, wild lunge into the skies above Imperia-

The orb appeared in front of him, and Loki howled as he plowed into it, immediately yanked to the center of the orb before immense, crushing force bore down on him from all sides as the orb slowly, steadily shrank. He spasmed helplessly, flailing uselessly back and forth as the sphere grew smaller and smaller by the second, the force ever-increasing before Loki's eyes bulged in horror as he felt his physical body literally being torn out of the Astra, and the Astra being forced off of him, peeled like the skin of a banana, his hands pressing uselessly against the skin of the sphere as it crushed relentlessly down.

And Loki screamed as he did the only thing he could think of doing, throwing himself backwards through reality and shattering a hole into Nothingness, sending himself hurtling into the Void. The orb snapped down around the hole in reality, sealing it as Hecate glared up at the sky, but then she snorted in contempt as she felt more than saw the flakes of Astra and energy floating down through the air.

She sat back in her throne, her body pulsing with aches she didn't let show as she ordered sharply: “I require a Beauty unit!”

Immediately, a portal opened, and a bipedal, beautiful unicorn in a lab coat stepped through, calmly pulling thick black gloves on over mechanical hands as she asked: “How may I be of service, Empress Hecate?”

Beauty straightened, absently adjusting her corkscrewed purple mane and revealing the large, ugly scar that covered one side of her face for a moment, but Hecate only gestured outwards and said calmly: “Medevac. One is a Voidborn, but he is to be treated as an ally. Replicant Class VI.”

“Of course, Empress Hecate.” Beauty promised, before she rolled the sleeve of one elbow-length glove back so she could access the keyboard hidden under it. Hecate turned her eyes away from the Dogmatist, however, instead watching as Hel carefully leaned over Thesis, placing her hands against the trembling Voidborn and healing the damage that she could with the little power she had.

“Did you do it?” she asked in a soft whisper, as some sense came back to Thesis' eyes. The Replicant blinked weakly as he felt some of the cracks across his body closing, processing the goddess' question slowly, but then he nodded briefly once.

Hel smiled at this, and then she mussed up his mane gently before she grimaced and rubbed her hands together compulsively, magic thrumming over them to clean them as she carefully stood up and hobbled over to Cadence. Sombra, La Croix, and Moonflower all stared at her with varying degrees of disbelief, gratitude, and amazement, but Hel ignored them all as she dropped beside the Swan, checking her wounds over.

She was badly burnt by the toxic non-energy, but very much alive, Hel noted, and the goddess smiled in faint relief before she leaned down and whispered gently into Cadence's ear: “Just stay still, sweetie. It's all going to be okay, you'll see.”

Then Hel flinched when Hecate said calmly: “Hel, I think we need to have a chat.”

With Loki gone, many of the Lost Souls immediately fled, the Prime's control over them broken. Many Elementals fled as well, giving in to fear and terror as the Husks were beaten back by the forces of the Hexad Army. Tyrant Wyrms became docile, and the bizarre glitches across Decretum's systems ceased.

The Orphans were either in Imperia or the Orphanage, or they were with their families, celebrating or mourning. Hecate let them for now, as she sat silently in Thorn's room with Hel leaning on a cane beside her, both of them standing over Thorn Blackfeather.

He and Necrophage had been found at the edge of a waste trough: they had either washed up or crawled out on their own power, and Hecate was glad they had done so before they had been poured into the recycling basin: if they had fallen into the pit, they likely never would have escaped, or even been found. Thorn was badly injured, and something was wrong with his stump and his blood, but they had to run more tests, and as tempted as Hecate was, she knew she couldn't simply heal Thorn with her infinite powers, not unless it was absolutely necessary.

It would lead to other temptations. It would be too easy to start 'fixing things' the way that Valthrudnir had. To convince herself...

Hecate shook her head briefly, and then she looked across at Hel, who smiled awkwardly back at her before she said lamely, clapping her hands together: “Well, uh... I think I'll stay here! It's clean here. And I have to talk to my daughter and I know they'll probably be around here to see their kid who they gave to you because clearly that was such a good idea!”

Hel covered her mouth quickly as Hecate gave her a flat look, and then she peeped: “No sarcasm. I swear. You're great! Don't Vally-wally me.”

Hecate sighed tiredly, shaking her head slowly before she simply flicked her horn, creating a chair out of thin air and dropping it to the ground beside Thorn's bed as she said coldly: “Just send them to me once you're done with them. Loki is still out there. He will-”

“Yes, yes, but you felt it as well as I did. You really popped his bubble.” Hel grinned as she gingerly set herself down in the chair, before she looked up and said in a suddenly serious, soft voice: “You watch yourself, sweetie. I know you're going to get asked a whole lot why you just didn't break this new body of yours out sooner, but...”

“No one can handle this sort of power.” Hecate murmured, and then she shook her head slowly before scowling at Hel when the goddess looked at her with sympathy, she thought. “I don't need your pity.”

“But you're not even surprised to receive it!” Hel exclaimed, before she tossed her cane in the air, then bopped Hecate firmly on the head with it, making the mare scowl all the deeper until Hel said in a quiet voice: “Another trait of the Jötnar, and why they couldn't all simply betray each other even with all their infinitely-infinite powers. They could sense intent and emotion. They could literally smell your fear. Or, you know, any other emotion you were emanating.”

“But not Valthrudnir. Because he closed himself off to everyone. Because he was... such an idiot.” Hecate muttered, looking moodily at the ground before she glanced up in surprise when Hel reached up and gently grasped her shoulder with a smile.

“Hey. You did everything you could for him.” Hel said kindly, and Hecate had to fight down the faintest of blushes as she glared at the goddess, who absently stretched her arms out before she asked loudly: “So is it hot in here or is it just me? Because I feel hot! And not in a sexy way, either. I mean in a sweaty way. Which I guess could also be taken to mean that but I don't mean that at all and that is pretty gross anyway.”

Hel paused, then she clapped her hands together. “That's your cue to leave, you know.”

Hecate only looked moodily at the goddess for a few moments, and then she said finally: “I'll have a room set up for you here in Imperia. I hope you understand that you must earn your keep, Hel, for as long as you stay with us.”

“Wow. Wow. Way to talk to a goddess who just got torn out of her own safe little subdimension. It's no wonder no one likes you.” Hel grumbled, but Hecate ignored her as she turned and left the room, satisfied that she had made her point.

Hecate wandered the halls, until her hooves brought her to another door. She gently knocked once before pushing it open and slipping inside, to find Silver sitting on a couch, looking sullen as a Beauty clone repaired her body.

Silver looked at her, and Hecate gazed back at Silver, until her sister softened a little and asked: “How is your son?”

“Thorn is well. Thesis is... I will see him in a few minutes.” Hecate replied, shifting a bit before she walked forwards and asked Beauty in a colder voice: “What is my sister's status?”

“Healthy as a... well, horse, Empress Hecate.” Beauty tried to joke, offering an uncomfortable smile, but Hecate only continued to glare at her until the Hexad clone expanded hurriedly: “Her systems are all up and running, the damages she sustained during the battle were all really quite minimal. I would say... ninety percent operative efficiency at the moment, but that's more from needing to reset then-”

“Leave us.” Hecate ordered, and the Beauty clone scurried for the door with a wince, letting herself quickly out.

“And I thought you treated the other pigs badly.” Silver muttered, earning a glower from Hecate, but she could feel her sister's emotions, could understand her better now, and she couldn't stay mad at her, feeling all that pain and confusion and...

“You were always difficult.” Hecate smiled briefly, even as Silver glowered at her, before she shook her head slowly as she strode over to reach up and silently touch Luna's forehead with one hoof, making the mare flush visibly even under the metal mask that covered her face as Hecate murmured: “I bless you in the name of the Sun, I bless you in the name of Equestria, I bless you in the name of Harmony, and Grace.”

“That is a stupid prayer and I still do not know why you say harmony and grace as if they are one thing. It shall always baffle me.” Silver mumbled as she shoved Hecate's hoof away in embarrassment, before she hesitated, then lowered her head and silently rubbed her front hooves together in her lap, until she finally mumbled: “Thank you for reminding me that we shall always be ourselves. That I will always be Luna and you... you will always be Celly.”

“Nothing changes, even when everything does.” Hecate smiled briefly, and then she stepped back and hesitated for a moment before she said softly: “I will need your help, Luna. Many are injured, and we have lost a powerful ally. I will need you to act as an ambassador.”

“Do you really want to trust this little piggy with such an important responsibility?” Silver asked distastefully, but when Hecate only nodded in response, the mare shifted uncertainly before chewing at her lip and mumbling: “I... well... I will do what must be done, Celly. I understand that this goes far above petty... problems.”

Hecate nodded again, then she turned and said softly: “Good. I'll give you time to rest and acclimate, Luna. I have to go and see Thesis, anyway.”

Silver only looked at her curiously as Hecate left, the mare forcing herself not to look back, not letting herself think too much. Was she getting soft? Or were the Jötnar's powers making her more cunning, more manipulative, more...

No. Hecate cut those thoughts off, shaking her head once before she straightened and continued calmly onward, locking her mind on her goal. She could not afford to doubt herself or question her own goals or actions. She had to keep moving, not only for her sake, but for the sake of all of Decretum, and the Clockwork Empire beyond.

Hecate let her hooves lead her to the familiar room, the room that had gone unoccupied for so long until now. A room that existed here in Imperia, and in Endworld as well: a room she had striven to fill up with memories, but until now, it had always still felt so empty...

“Stop it.” Hecate muttered to herself, and then she took another breath before she knocked once on the door, then shoved it open and strode into the room and greeted over the slam of the door behind her: “Thesis.”

“Hey, mom.” Thesis smiled tiredly over at Hecate as she approached the bedside, and for a moment, Hecate glared down at the Replicant as he looked back up at her, until he asked: “How are you doing?”

Hecate embraced Thesis fiercely, and Thesis gasped loudly in pain before he awkwardly hugged her back around the neck as best he could, wheezing a little until Hecate murmured: “Fine now. I'm just fine now. How are you feeling, Thesis?”

She gently pushed him back on the bed, and Thesis smiled tiredly before he rolled his shoulders slowly: he could feel the exoskeleton still in his back, but... “Did you power this down? It feels heavy and I feel tired. But... good. Tired, but good.”

“Yes. It was causing you to...” Hecate halted, then she shifted a bit before she said bluntly: “I don't know if we can reverse the damage that Loki did to you.”

“I'm not scared of dying, mom. I'd rather be dead than serving Loki. I should have seen that before, but...” Thesis quieted, rubbing at his muzzle slowly with the back of one hoof before he glanced up and added in an embarrassed voice: “I'm sorry I hid. I was more afraid of you than Loki, though.”

“I know you prefer a dramatic entrance by now, Thesis, don't worry.” Hecate said dryly, giving the slightest of smiles before she shook her head slowly. “I want to run some tests on you. We need to know more about the Voidborn, and while we have the opportunity, we should make the most of it.”

“Great.” Thesis laughed despite himself, looking up at Hecate for a few moments before he smiled again when she gently touched his cheek. “I know you're a hardass, Mom. But... I know you're a lot of other things, too. Thank you for... being all those things.”

Hecate only smiled briefly, but then she caught Thesis by the shoulder when he began to sit up, the mare saying calmly but firmly: “You need to stay in bed for now, Thesis. At least until we know the extent of the damage, and...”

Hecate hesitated, but Thesis only smiled up at her before he gently pushed her hoof away, then grunted as he worked himself up to a sitting position, saying quietly: “I want to make the most of the time I have. I'll rest, later, but... for now, I think I'd like to walk around with you. It's... it's been way too long since we've done that, Mom.”

The mare looked down at her son for a few moments, and then she finally sighed before nodding once, saying grudgingly: “Fine. But you have to respect me in public, Thesis.”

“I always respect you.” Thesis said, feigning an injured look as he touched his own chest, and Hecate rolled her eyes before she leaned down worriedly as Thesis carefully began to wiggle out of bed. But he only shook his head before he slipped out onto his hooves, grimacing a bit and muttering: “Maybe you could put the exoskeleton on low. Like this it's just adding more weight to my frame. I promise not to work it too hard or anything.”

Hecate sighed, but after a moment she turned her eyes towards the machine, and that was all that was needed to make the machine thrum to life, Thesis gasping as he felt his body shudder before he slowly lowered his head. Then he smiled faintly, not looking up as he mumbled: “I guess we're both Replicants now, huh?”

“Hel keeps calling me Jötnar. I suppose that must be what I am now.” Hecate muttered, reaching up and moodily tugging at her collar, before she winced when Thesis leaned into her with a smile.

“I think that whatever you are, you're still my Mom, and I can finally say that... I'm back to being your son.” Thesis paused, then he said mildly: “Death's been pretty good to us, huh?”

Hecate sighed tiredly, then she picked Thesis up with telekinesis, making him wince a bit as she carried him out into the hall before depositing him on his rump, saying calmly: “Our first order of business is to check in on the injured Orphans. I expect you to learn the name of every pony we meet today.”

Thesis nodded awkwardly, and then he looked back towards the door of his room before he started lamely: “Hey, my uh... leg is totally acting up, maybe I should just-”

“You made your decision, Thesis. Live with the consequences.” Hecate retorted, and Thesis lamely dropped his head before Hecate turned, calling coldly: “Seneschal! Report!”

Thesis staggered quickly after his mother, his pace evening out as he wheezed a little for breath. Then he looked up in dumb surprise as several orb drones came whizzing out of nowhere before projecting the image of a lithe dragon floating along beside them, the AI glaring distastefully at Thesis as he complained: “Queen Hecate, not that I don't trust your judgment, but this stallion hasn't even passed security clearance yet! I don't want to reveal more sensitive information, when it's possible that Thokky might be-”

“Loki. And he is not listening in. Verify Thesis, then, and transmit me the report through the network.” Hecate said dismissively, and Seneschal huffed before he grouchily dropped out of the air, the hologram peering at Thesis distrustfully as Thesis pursed his lips and glared back.

“Fine. You are a Replicant, Class VI, is that not correct? An elevated Class V model, in other words, command class.” Seneschal said haughtily, as Hecate ignored them both to review the information spilling over her glowing lenses. “Do you have the security codes for Decretum memorized? Have you even been trusted with high enough class authorization that I should dignify you with a response?”

“Uh, I'm the one responding. You're the one undignantly talking to me.” Thesis pointed out, and Seneschal glared at him, waving his hands at him childishly.

“Indignantly! Undignant is not a word, you buffoon. I will not tolerate buffoonery! I put up with enough as it is!” Seneschal grumbled, then he asked suddenly: “What is a Blue security event?”

“Allies damaged by friendly fire.” Thesis answered, and Seneschal huffed.

“Fine. Then explain to me what you should do in that situation, as a commander.” Seneschal retorted, and Thesis smiled slightly.

“The same thing every other unit should do. Figure out why it happened and evac the wounded.” Thesis replied with a shrug, and Seneschal grunted at him, scowling moodily. “What? Oh, let me guess, you wanted me to phrase it in command methodology. Well, I've never been great at that. Even when I was crazy I wasn't great at that. I just yelled at people a lot.”

Seneschal rolled his eyes, but before he could snap off another question, Thesis asked him curiously: “So how long have you been around here? And were you designed specifically to help out Mom, or...”

“You will refer to her by proper title when in a professional environment! And my age and design are both none of your business!” retorted Seneschal imperiously.

Thesis only nodded sagely at this, then he replied cheerfully: “Well, see, she hasn't always been my commanding officer, but she's always been my mommy! So that's why I call her Mom. Right Mom?”

“Don't be difficult, Thesis.” Hecate grumbled without looking up, and Thesis nodded and smiled up at her until the mare absently reached out and slapped him with a hoof, making him wince a bit. “I need to learn to adjust again to this body. I've spent too long bipedal.”

Thesis smiled a bit at this, replying: “You did seem to like running around on those Clockwork Titans. Not that I can blame you. But it really was kind of creepy, Mom. You're big and muscular enough as it is.”

Hecate sighed tiredly as she looked over at her son, but maybe the smallest of smiles twitched at her mouth even as she said irritably: “I don't remember why I ever missed you.”

“'Cause I'm awesome.” Thesis replied with a wink, and Hecate shook her head before she paused and frowned a little at the stallion as they stopped outside the elevator, Thesis smiling awkwardly up at his mother before he said lamely: “I'm fine.”

“I'm sure you are.” Hecate said softly, feeling the fluctuations in her son's energies before she shook her head and turned her eyes towards Seneschal. “Concentrate our efforts towards taking care of the injured for now. A time will come to pursue Loki, but if he's retreated to the Void, none of us have the power to chase him there.”

Seneschal looked unconvinced, but he sighed and nodded all the same before he said hesitantly as the elevator doors opened: “What do we do about-”

“The traitor is obvious. I'm sure he'll make his presence known again.” Hecate said distastefully as she and Thesis stepped into the car, then she simply gestured to Seneschal to return to his duties, the AI sighing before his hologram vanished and the security orbs buzzed away.

The doors of the elevator slid closed, and mother and son rode down silently together before Thesis murmured: “If I am a danger... if in any way, I ever... become a danger...”

“Shut up, Thesis. I don't have time to deal with your sniveling on top of everything else.” Hecate steamrollered contemptibly, and Thesis smiled despite himself before the doors dinged open, and Hecate led the way out as she said calmly: “We know from our examination of previous Voidborn that Loki gives them free will... or at least some semblance of it. He seems unable to exert the same level of control or influence over them as he does over lesser Voidal entities, so I have little concern for you suddenly going rogue with no Rig to manipulate your emotions or control you.”

“Rig was everything bad. Rig was... a collar, a leash, and a warning.” mumbled Thesis, and Hecate cocked her head towards him curiously, but the stallion only smiled lamely and shook his own before he mumbled: “Sorry. I don't know if I feel self-conscious or crazy or just... you know.”

“Things will take time to balance out. We still have to test whether or not there are behavioral nodes in your mind, although Thorn already reported the presence of synthetic in your back.” Hecate paused at the look on Thesis' face, then she said distastefully: “I have no urge to activate them, Thesis. Unless you start acting out and give me a reason to, of course.”

“You're an awful person, Mom.” Thesis said blandly, and Hecate rolled her eyes. But again, there was that urge to smile, and she reflected that only Thesis and Thorn could ever really do this to her.

But it wasn't so bad to smile, she thought: even now, she had reasons to smile.

Cadence felt miserable, breathing quietly in and out as she laid in a special bed in the medical center, staring desolately at the ceiling. Everything just felt so awful and pointless, like nothing they had done really mattered or had even made a difference.

Those strange Dogmatists were everywhere now: if Hecate had hundreds of these Hexad clones, and giant warships and Fyrverǫld, then what point was there to the Orphanage anymore? Especially when so many Orphans had died...

And Hecate herself, of course. She had been terrifying to behold, full of so much power, and... she is Jötnar. Not like the Jötnar, not as the Jötnar... she has become Jötnar.

“Yeah.” Cadence said, deciding there was no point in arguing or playing dumb. She breathed slowly in and out, then shook her head slowly: all these memories the Swan had, and none of what she knew about the Jötnar was very pleasant. “And Hel herself...”

Hel has plans for us. We are very curious. the Swan said softly, and Cadence shivered. She felt that even without her powers, Hel could still be very dangerous, even if she didn't wholly understand what had happened and how Loki had so easily defeated the Goddess of Helheim.

Loki... she didn't even want to think about him, and what he was. It explained why Thokk had been so easily able to order her around, of course, although she could see now, too, that there had never really been a Thokk in the first place, ever.

Everyone else was either on duty or in a medical center. She was pretty sure that everyone she knew had been injured in the conflict, even though at the end of the day they had contributed so painfully little. It was disheartening and demoralizing. And how much had they really achieved? Decretum was in complete ruin. It would take years to rebuild.

Cadence grumbled under her breath, crossing her forelegs as she grouchily rolled onto her side, before she winced and sat hurriedly up when a familiar voice asked her mildly: “Sulking?”

The ivory mare stared in surprise at the sight of Thesis, who was grinning at her widely. She saw Hecate, too, talking with one of the doctors, and Cadence frowned a bit before she asked awkwardly: “And uh... what are you doing here?”

“Well, nice to see you too.” Thesis huffed at her, and Cadence only gave him a sour look before the Replicant smiled suddenly and said proudly: “Mommy made me the new boss.”

“Oh. Great.” Cadence said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm, and Thesis scowled at her before the ivory mare began to shift out of bed, but Thesis quickly caught her by the shoulder.

Cadence glowered at him, but Thesis looked at her imploringly, and eventually the mare grumbled and relented, muttering as she sat back in bed: “I feel fine. And some of us still want to maintain a certain decorum around Hecate. We can't all be her children.”

“You all sort of are, though, I think. Mom was always big on kids.” Thesis replied with a smile, and for some reason, Cadence felt absurdly touched by that sentiment, smiling a little at the stallion as he gently squeezed her shoulder. “Anyway, you just focus on resting up, huh? You and me and everyone else, we're all going to be really busy, and a lot sooner than I'd like.”

Cadence frowned at this, tilting her head, and Thesis hesitated, then blushed slightly as he realized he was still holding on to her shoulder, clearing his throat loudly several times as he stepped back and rubbed awkwardly at his neck. Cadence frowned at him curiously, but before she could ask, Hecate approached. “Cadence. There are some matters we need to discuss.”

“Hey, let her rest at least for today, Mom. If you wear her out, then who will you have to torture apart from me and Thorn?” asked Thesis reasonably, and Hecate rolled her eyes before she gave the stallion a measuring look, and Thesis looked awkwardly back at her before he added lamely: “But hey, it's your decision.”

“Yes, it is, Thesis. The only thing you should be concerning yourself with is your own well-being for now. Seneschal has yet to verify you.” Hecate looked at the Replicant for a few moments moodily, and then she turned her eyes towards Cadence, explaining: “Thorn has returned grievously injured, and his duties as Regent will need to be filled by someone else for that duration. Thesis, once verified, will be serving as Regent, but he will need assistance: much has changed since the last time he was in Decretum.”

“Yeah, like, the place only looks a little more destroyed since we raided it for spare parts.” Thesis said helpfully, and without looking, Hecate stomped on the Replicant and squashed him into the ground, Thesis wheezing painfully from somewhere beneath the bed as Cadence winced a little.

“As you have plenty of experience dealing with idiots already, Cadence, I will be assigning you to serve as Thesis' assistant and bodyguard. I will have your authorizations increased.” Hecate paused meditatively, then she continued: “I need to break up your team temporarily, in any event. Your father and Moonflower will need to help with reconstruction efforts, and La Croix will be temporarily shifted to administration.”

Cadence nodded uncomfortably, rubbing at the back of her head, but Hecate answered before she could even think of how to phrase the question, saying in a lower voice: “I know that Loki was severely wounded and many of his forces were driven back to the Void. I have reason to believe it will be some time before Loki attempts another attack: we are going to use this time to fortify the Clockwork Empire as much as possible.”

Thesis grabbed the edge of the bed and hauled himself up to his hooves with a wheeze before he added: “If I know Mom, we'll also make contact with all our allies. Loki attacked here because Decretum represents an actual threat to his plans... or I mean, they did to Thokk. I don't know what he's really thinking...”

“Part of it was purely diversionary: he wanted to draw out Hel and eliminate her as a threat, which he was successful in. He also forced us to activate the first two stages of the Ithavoll Protocol.” Hecate moodily looked down at one of her own hooves, as Cadence looked uneasily up.

“I know I'm not supposed to ask, but... I mean, Ithavoll...” Cadence hesitated, but when Hecate looked up at her steadily, she asked quietly: “How many stages are there?”

“Three. You would not enjoy the third stage, and I will not activate it unless things become dire.” Hecate halted, then she shook her head before creating a holographic screen beside herself, moodily tapping quickly across it before she said calmly: “We have powerful allies, but we are the protectors of this universe. They should be begging us for help, not the other way around. Here is my first order to you as Regent-ad-interim, Thesis: take Cadence to Ten Moons. I trust that you did not inform the enemy of everything Ten Moons' storage, correct?”

“No, Thokk... Loki, only wanted to set up a trap and take... it was weird, he was interested in a lot of the basic power equipment and generators. Took a few energy burners, and some of the fusion cells. Nothing remarkable.” Thesis paused, then he frowned uneasily as he leaned back slowly, asking nervously: “Wait. What sector are we going to?”

“Sector Seven.” Hecate smiled thinly, and Thesis stared at her, mouthing wordlessly before he shook his head vehemently.

“Okay, that's a big step from 'no, baby colt, you stay safe in bed' to 'take a squad and wake up-'”

“No squad. Cadence will be sufficient enough support, and she is all I can spare for you, in any event.” Hecate responded, shaking her head before she returned her eyes to the holographic screen, muttering: “There. Thorn will...”

Hecate halted, then said shortly: “You can equip yourself at weapons storage with a mission drive, I've had Seneschal reactivate your old callsign and authorizations. You may take some time to rest, but I want you moving as soon as possible.”

“Okay, Mom. Be nice, huh?” Thesis said mildly, before he smiled and swayed back to avoid a swing of the mare's hoof. He winked at Cadence, then turned and strolled out of the room, but as casual as he made himself look, Cadence could see the way he limped a little, how he dragged his hind legs slightly...

“He's strong. And I trust him for more reasons than because he is my child.” Hecate said, as if reading her mind, and Cadence looked uncomfortably at the mare. But Hecate wasn't protecting herself as much as she usually did, the ivory mare thought, as she gazed silently at the... the Jötnar, yes.

And the Jötnar looked back at her before Hecate said softly: “That is correct. On both counts. Do you know whose powers these are?”

“Valthrudnir's.” Cadence said without hesitation, before she shook her head slowly, wondering silently... “But they feel so different, coming from you. I can tell it's him, but I can tell you're you, and... it's all very confusing.” She stopped, then laughed a little as she smiled awkwardly up at the mare. “Is it weird that I see you more easily now as Princess Celestia?”

“I was Queen Celestia, as I am now Empress Hecate.” the Jötnar mare retorted, but Cadence felt an odd sort of appreciation from Hecate in spite of her sharp tone, before the Empress of Decretum continued: “But I am not just here to judge your perceptions, but your status overall, Cadence. I have high expectations for you. But you have again failed to meet those expectations.”

Cadence glanced down, rubbing the back of her head as she silently rubbed a hoof over her burnt body: she had mostly healed, and she was very glad to see that her tattoo was returning as naturally as the rest of her body healed. She had been badly hurt, though, and she could understand what Hecate meant. Not because she hadn't killed enough enemies. Not because she hadn't protected enough innocent lives. Because... “I got angry. And it was my fault, not the Swan's, this time. I just... didn't think he'd be so powerful.”

“He considers himself to be the Prime, the beginning and the ending of all things. The bringer of Ragnarok.” Hecate snorted in contempt. “His composition is similar to an entity that Brynhild and her companions faced in the past. Do you know what Astra is?”

“Yes, I learned about it in Helheim. Is that... part of why you let me go, because...” Cadence smiled lamely as Hecate only gave her a look, the ivory mare nodding as she mumbled: “Operational secrecy. Yes.”

“Something like that.” Hecate gave a thin smile, and then she met Cadence's eyes and said quietly: “Combating an entity of the Astra is arguably more difficult for most people than fighting entities from the Void. But you are capable of harming Loki, even in soul body.”

“He blew me up with a thought, though.” Cadence muttered, but then she looked up in surprise as Hecate reached up and touched her shoulder.

“You know your error. The report Thorn submitted to me says that you have undergone further training and... evolution in Helheim. I will see that this is continued. And you will meet my expectations, or I will have you relocated.” Hecate said evenly, and Cadence met her eyes, seeing that Hecate wasn't joking; not that she would expect special treatment from the Empress of Decretum, in any event.

“Yes, Empress Hecate. I will not fail.” she promised: not just Hecate, but herself. Because what made Hecate's words dig into her wasn't how harsh or serious she was: it was the fact that Cadence herself knew she should have done better. That if she wanted to stand any chance of protecting those ponies she cared about, she had to do better.

And inside her, the Swan agreed.

Volume Two

Volume II: The Sphere of Internal Conflict
~BlackRoseRaven

Excerpt from A Happier You, by Burning Desire

We want to romanticize the devil, make him beautiful and splendid even when we present him as the ultimate evil, because we want to believe that in order to lure us in, to corrupt us, evil would have to offer us more than just power or bribery. We want to believe that to be effective, evil would have to be handsome, and charming, and alluring. We want to believe that we would never give in to the base, to the primal, to what he really represents, when all too often we are eager to have any excuse to embrace that part of ourselves, to scream at another about their inferiority while pumping up our own superiority.
We are monsters, every single one of us.
And yet we can recognize these failings, these weaknesses inside ourselves. We can strive to overcome them, to be better than them, to evolve from there. We can recognize that simply because we might want to call the person in front of us an idiot, or shove our way through the line, or steal some shiny rock some other person has, we don't because it's wrong, in broad strokes. In the smaller, our motivations are perhaps more selfish: because we recognize that something bad will happen to us, because perhaps that person is larger than us or has more friends than we do, or perhaps because it is ingrained into us to feel that some things are good and deserving of reward, and some things are bad and deserving of punishment. .
Or perhaps, because even if much of us is made of monster, there will always be a part of us that is made of something else. Not pure, perhaps, and sometimes not even good, but better. That pushes us toward nobler ends and means. That recognizes, whether out of empathy or pride, that we must earn and find our own path in life.
And because of the vicious cycle, that is what also pushes us to romanticize, and rationalize, our demons. To explain-away rather than confront. To excuse rather than take responsibility. To hide in tribalism and ignorance and willful blindness and echo chambers.
What are we all, but spinning rats who scream that we are complex and misunderstood and great minds trapped in small places, happily chasing bad decisions and regrets and new ways to blame old mistakes on other people.
But in a world that expects us to be wonderful and terrible together, to be mediocre and inspiring all at once, how could we ever be anything different until we learn that we must do our best to be the best people we can be solely for ourselves, instead of trying to blindly please a world that only wants to see us at our very worst.
The only life worth living is a life spent being alive, instead of just existing.
And the best way to live, is to live a life lived in the service of others, for the betterment of ourselves.

One day, my dear, you'll learn that we're not all as strong as you.
And one day you'll know that nothing is harder than surrendering to what you call 'weakness.'

Stories of Hel, Canto IX, Verse I

The Day We Never Wanted To Arrive

Chapter Sixty Four: The Day We Never Wanted To Arrive
~BlackRoseRaven

Morgan Heldóttir sat on a plastic-covered couch in a clean, neat, sterile little room. Luna and Scrivener were staying with Thorn for now, out of respect for Hel's desire for privacy. Not that anything would really be private, but it was the thought that counted in this case, Morgan thought. And it wasn't like Hel was unaware of their link, either.

Hel herself was sitting back in an old rocking chair, covered like most other things in the room in a thin sheet of plastic. Her cane rested in her lap, and she looked so very old, in spite of how young the goddess' features were. But they were so tired, so careworn, and Hel smiled faintly as she turned her eyes towards Morgan and said quietly: “It's just about time.”

“I'm not ready.” Morgan said honestly, but Hel only chuckled softly.

“You knew this day was coming. You knew what this was all really about, why I was making you stronger, giving you freedom and then taking it away...” Hel halted, then she gently touched her own breast, saying softly: “You understand that I can't return to Underdark, don't you?”

“Isn't there some way we can safely bring you back?” Morgan asked almost desperately, but she already knew the answer. Even if they could somehow reach Underdark with Hel in tow – and oh, the moment they stepped into Helheim, the moment they even brought her near a portal to Hell, demons would swarm down on them, screaming for retribution and revenge and justice – it didn't matter. She knew all about the failsafe.

But Hel smiled at her, and explained with a strange satisfaction: “You know how it works. I was never a very powerful goddess. Talented, oh, sure! And I could make very powerful things, like the Swans, I knew how to get all those odds and ends to fit together right. But Underdark, my cradle, these are the things that made me powerful. Powerful, as long as I stayed inside my birdcage and never, ever, ever tried to leave. But now I've left. And if I try to go back, all that power will rush into me and poof!”

Hel clapped her hands together loudly, and then she smiled faintly at her clasped hands, rubbing them together slowly before she lowered her head and murmured: “It's not nearly as awful as I thought. I hate the dirt and I hate the dust and I hate everything else, but I know you'll do well. You'll fix what I failed to. You'll make things right. I find that very comforting.”

Morgan remained silent, and Hel shook her head before she sat back with a sigh and added: “But for now, the Lady of the Moon can handle keeping it all in order. I can still talk to her, at least...”

Hel reached up and absently rubbed at her amethyst eye, closing it meditatively for a moment before she mumbled: “At least this silly thing still works. Is Freya still sulking? I'm terrified she'll try and rape me but I figure I should talk to her. I also heard they captured a Primordial who might still be here, you should probably talk to him, then run as fast as you can in the opposite direction of the Mad Hatter. It would be a great idea to see good old Kvasir, after all. He'll know absolutely nothing about the Prime, which means he'll probably be able to gossip all about him.”

Morgan sighed a little, but she nodded hesitantly before starting: “The Archives...”

“Will be very, very busy with me gone. Helheim will be business as usual for a little while, but once everyone realizes I'm no longer popping up here and there to mete out justice, and the Archives and their members have lost their protection...” Hel shivered and hugged herself. “Well, sure glad I'm not there. Which I mean I get is kind of ironic, if I was still there it wouldn't be happening at all but still, hey, you know, it's a thing.”

Morgan only looked patiently at Hel, who opened an eye before she grunted and straightened, grumbling: “Alright, alright. Getting back to the point. You're no fun at all, honeybun, I hope you know that.”

The mare only smiled wryly, and Hel sighed a little as she slumped back in her rocking chair, slowly moving back and forth as she murmured: “It's true, though, you know. Everything ends not with a bang, but a whimper. A terrible, final little bark at nothing, and then poof.” Hel snapped her fingers, looking up at the ceiling before she sighed softly and rocked slowly. “This is my end. The worst end, for anyone of our bloodline, my daughter. Quietly fading away in a room...”

“You can still help us, though. Decretum is built on technology, on the power of the mind. You can do good here.” Morgan urged, and Hel looked at her sourly. “I mean it. I honestly do. I believe in you.”

“You shouldn't.” Hel said shortly, and then she groaned as she sat up, mumbling: “I mean, sure, I could do a lot. But what should I do? I just feel-”

“You're depressed. You're beaten. That's understandable, Hel. But we all have to stop Loki, for the sake of the balance, for the sake of these worlds that I know you protected, no matter what you pretend to be, no matter what you convinced yourself you were.” Morgan leaned forwards, gently resting a hoof on the woman's knee and making her scowl a little, but her eyes focused almost hesitantly on the pony as her daughter leaned towards her with a faint smile. “Please.”

“You're getting my dress dirty.” Hel complained, using her cane to push at Morgan until the pony stepped backwards, and then she sighed and grumbled a little as she looked away, scowling a bit. “Fine. I'll... see what I can do, help out my new best friend Hecate the Horse Giant.”

Morgan sighed and shook her head, before she asked quietly: “So she really has the powers of Valthrudnir now?”

“Now? She always did.” Hel said mildly, and Morgan's eyes widened in surprise. “Well, okay, not always always, but Valthrudnir shared a bit of his power with her a long, long, long time ago, sweetie, way before you were born. But his power destroyed her body and nearly killed her. Vally-wally used all his fancy machines to save her, and he repressed her powers... it looks like Hecate managed to fix herself right up, though. But she was always the smart one in the relationship, you know.”

Morgan nodded slowly, before she asked curiously: “Did you... know them?”

Hel only snorted laughter at this, however, the mare grinning and shaking her head as she replied mildly: “Oh no, by that point Vally-wally and I were off each others' friends list. I never got to meet her until just recently! By just recently I mean a few thousand years ago but... when you're eons old, that's 'just recently' to you.”

Hel tapped her fingertips together, then scowled a little as she asked suspiciously: “Are you trying to trick me into talking about Loki again? Because I don't want to.”

Morgan only waited patiently, and after a moment, Hel groaned and rubbed at her face, mumbling: “No, I don't know how old he must be, how many years he spent in Ginnungagap, and how crazy that must have made him on top of everything else. I just know it must have been a long, long time... and he's obviously pretty pissed off. But no, for the billionth time, I can't tell you anything. I could never see very well into Asgard: All Daddy wanted me to be the enemy for realsies, remember.”

The mare nodded, but felt like there was something that hadn't been said, that Hel was edging around. So she remained quiet, and as she expected, Hel fidgeted in her rocking chair before she finally grumbled: “Valhalla might still have some records. And if not there, then Vally-wally's mansion definitely will. Loki's chasing stories.”

“So maybe we can use these prophecies to get ahead of him.” Morgan murmured, looking down thoughtfully before she nodded slowly. “These stories... were they really the reason Loki was punished?”

“They were part of the reason.” Hel grumbled as she rubbed her hands together moodily. “And yes. All Daddy did have several sets of prophecies created, and oh, they worked very hard to make those prophecies come true, to make themselves look more powerful. Oh, sure, All Mommy could actually see the future, more clearly than anyone else in probably all the universe. But prophecies are an entirely different beast. They're something you can use to make someone feel real important about themselves. They're something that you can show the whole wide world. And just having it written down somewhere, well, that's a power all by itself!”

Hel paused, then added pointedly: “And you know. When you got an easy scapegoat, and you can pretend that, hey, these stories from totally somewhere else say that we're going to be the awesomest of all awesome gods as long as you do exactly what I say, well. That helps a lot too. Way different from when All Mommy says 'okay guys don't eat that' and Thor goes 'nay but I must!' and he eats it and then pukes because there was a dead rat in it and All Mommy scolds him because she knew that was going to happen but Thor just never could listen.”

Morgan grimaced a bit, but before she could ask another question, Hel rose her hands and said grumpily: “I'm tired. And not being at home and having to clean my new place and adjust to the fact I'm stuck here in some horrible rathole has left me feeling awfully cranky. So enough with the questions and the poking and the prodding. Go pick on some other old lady for a while.”

“Alright.” Morgan smiled, then she leaned forwards as Hel reached up and stroked a hand through her mane before the goddess sighed, then gently pushed her away.

“Horse for a kid. Wouldn't All Daddy be proud?” She paused meditatively, then muttered: “Nevermind. Bunch of freaks in Asgard. They might actually be proud of me for that. Gross. Get out of here, I need to wash the floor.”

“I'll make sure we stop in again later.” Morgan promised, before she turned and headed to the door, giving a last quick smile over her shoulder before she stepped out into the corridor.

She gently closed the door behind herself, before she looked up curiously as she heard approaching voices. Then she smiled as Thesis and Cadence stepped around the corner, although she couldn't help the way her eyes immediately went to the Replicant, studying him almost warily.

Thesis cleared his throat awkwardly as they approached, before he grinned and lamely rose a foreleg. His exoskeleton was humming away, and Morgan noted that he was also wearing some other device on his side... and he's leaking energy. Bleeding, like a wound. “Uh... hi! Cadence was just showing me to her room.”

He halted, then cleared his throat before adding helpfully, as Cadence dropped her face in a hoof: “We're not going to have sex.”

“I'm sorry, Thesis. I don't mean to treat you differently. You were just... one of our most dangerous enemies in the past.” Morgan said honestly, and Thesis looked both embarrassed and a little proud of himself as Cadence tilted her head curiously.

But the Replicant only waved a hoof, laughing a bit before he said: “No worries. I get it. And... I mean... I haven't been stable. I'm... still not stable.” he admitted, rubbing slowly at his shoulder before he shook his head and murmured: “But I know what's right and wrong, my mind is clearer on that. I'm still feeling.. twitchy, I guess you could say, but it helps to be... me. To remember that I can be me, and to just let myself be me, instead of falling back on all those logical things, to talk about brain chemicals like I can quantify emotion...”

He looked up and said softly: “I don't want to be the person you and your family, unfortunately, had to deal with for all those years. And I want to say sorry. To you, to Luna, to my brother, Scrivener Blooms. I want to apologize and I want to take responsibility and... if I can make it up to you, somehow...”

“You are, by fighting with us, Thesis.” Morgan said softly, and there was silence for a moment before she smiled a little and asked: “So you live here, Cadence?”

“Yeah, just a few doors down. Most of the Orphans live in this building.” Cadence answered with a nod, before she looked over at a door, eyes lingering on it as she murmured: “Or at least they did.”

There was silence for a few moments, before the ivory mare shook her head quickly and smiled awkwardly, looking over Morgan before she asked awkwardly: “Visiting...”

“My mother, Hel. I'm going to go see Thorn now. Scrivy and Luna are with him. Do you know where we could find Necrophage, too? I heard that she saved his life, I want to thank her.” Morgan added, and Thesis grinned wryly.

“Still amazed Mom kept her around. Necrophage is a... bit odd.” Thesis said delicately, and Morgan smiled in amusement. “Oh, so you have met her, then!”

“Hecate activated all the Replicants while we were at war with Greater Heaven. Do you know anything about that?” Morgan asked, and Thesis smiled wryly.

“She didn't activate all of them.” he mumbled, and Morgan frowned a bit, but Thesis shook his head before he chewed on his lip, then he said finally: “I'm going to get in trouble for this, but I'm being sent to this big facility, the Ten Moons. It's a huge storage site for all of Valthrudnir's old projects. We're going to bring a bunch of them back online. There will be other Replicants. They might be crazy. I just thought you should know, since... you know.”

Cadence looked at Thesis with surprise, but Morgan smiled before she nodded and said softly: “Thanks. I appreciate it. Scrivener really does, too. And Luna... well, she wants to have a rematch with you, she says.”

Thesis smiled a bit, then he looked down at his hoof and said softly: “Thanks. I'd love to, really, but...”

“Take it slow.” Morgan encouraged, and she smiled as she stepped forwards, reaching up to squeeze the Replicant's shoulder firmly, making him look up with a blush of surprise. “Don't beat yourself before you even try. Just take it one step at a time, day by day. You can figure this out. Even if it might feel too hard right now... look at where you are, and all the reasons you have to keep going.”

“Thanks.” Thesis said after a moment, and he smiled a little as he looked almost shyly over at Cadence, murmuring: “I know. There's always a reason to keep going.”

Cadence looked curiously back at him, but Thesis cleared his throat loudly, looking back at Morgan before he said lamely: “So uh... we should get out of your way. Right. I'm gonna come and see Thorn later.”

“Please do. I'm glad he has a brother like you.” Morgan said kindly, and then she walked past, leaving Thesis looking dumbstruck as Cadence glanced over her shoulder, watching the mare leave before the ivory pony laughed and shook her head, turning her amused eyes back to the Replicant.

“Wake up, idiot.” she said, and Thesis blinked before he scowled at her, but Cadence only smiled and said softly: “And I hope you listened to her.”

“I did!” Thesis glared at her, but Cadence only looked back at him mildly before she shook her head and walked onward. “What? What?”

“Here's where I live. Go sit in the kitchen and don't touch anything. I don't know why, but I feel like you're going to be as bad as Moonflower when it comes to going through my stuff.” Cadence instructed as she opened the door to her apartment, Thesis following her quickly in before he grumbled under his breath when she pointedly gestured towards the kitchen, the stallion trudging his way into the room.

He looked around as Cadence headed towards her room, then he opened the stove and peered into it: it hadn't seen much use. She had a few nice appliances and everything was neat and organized, but he got the feeling somehow that it wasn't Cadence who did the neatening and the organizing. He couldn't really make out what Cadence was saying to him from wherever she had gone, so instead he dug through her cupboards.

When Cadence returned with a set of file folders, she found Thesis leaning on the counter, a set of teacups on the countertop and the kettle heating on the stove. Cadence looked at him dryly, but the stallion gestured pointedly towards what he had set out. “Hey, I didn't break anything. I also didn't eat literally all your blueberry pastries. Why is literally everything you own blueberry flavored, anyway?”

“Look. I only get a few luxuries here in Decretum. That happens to be one of them. Now stop touching my stuff.” Cadence said dryly, and Thesis huffed before wincing when the mare thrust her folder of papers at him. “Here.”

The stallion took the files, paging them open as he sat back with a bit of a grimace, stretching one hind leg absently. Cadence frowned a bit, but the stallion turned his eyes pointedly to the files, paging through and muttering: “Access codes, authorizations, signals, callsigns... hey, this is basically like a manual for our forces. Totally contraband. Why the hell are you giving it to me?”

“If we're going to work together, I want you to actually be able to communicate with me. It sounds like you've been out of commission for a while, so I would appreciate it if you tried to brush up a little on the basics.” Cadence instructed, and Thesis looked with mild amusement at the ivory mare. “What? Look, you need to take this seriously.”

“I totally am!” Thesis argued with a loud huff, leaning back and looking offended before he returned his eyes to the pages, shuffling through them and grumbling: “Mom never let me have a written guidebook, you know. And obviously Dad didn't, either.”

“Dad?” Cadence asked despite herself: she knew that biologically, Thesis' father was Valthrudnir, but she didn't think-

“Yeah. Valthrudnir.” Thesis said almost casually, and Cadence stared at him, the stallion looking up over the sheaf of papers before he said reasonably: “Well, hey. You don't get to choose your family, you know. And no matter how awful he was, he's still my Dad, I can't pretend otherwise. And...” Thesis smiled a bit, shaking his head as he looked down at the papers again. “I guess I got to understand him a little more in the Void. Still mad at him a lot. Still... sad at him, a lot. But overall, I think... I think I get a lot more why he was the way he was, why he did what he did. Anyway, it's all in the past and he's gone now and he's... still my Dad.”

“He committed genocide. Apparently on a regular basis.” Cadence said before she could stop herself, and then she figured the damage was already done, so she added pointedly: “Most people find that pretty hard to forgive and just 'leave in the past.' Partly because they're all dead. Sometimes worse than dead.”

Thesis huffed a bit, then he hesitated before looking down and muttering: “I don't know if being a Dogmatist is really a fate worse than death. I mean, I know for some of them it was. For others? Not so much. It's really easy to throw things into black and white and really hard to say 'maybe it isn't so bad' without sounding like an asshole, but... I know that I'm glad... I was a Replicant. Even if it meant I did some very bad things. I still... had the power to save my family. It gave me the power to fight when no one else could. And now...” Thesis glanced up and smiled a little over at the ivory mare. “I'm... real glad that uh...”

Cadence cocked her head, and Thesis cleared his throat before the kettle went off, the Replicant stumbling to his hooves with a grunt. “Hey, uh, go sit down and I'll-”

“This is my house. You can't just come into the kitchen and...” Cadence scowled as Thesis ignored her completely, not just preparing the tea, but yanking down two plates he had shoved into a cupboard already loaded up with pastries. “You asshole.”

“I said I didn't eat them.” Thesis said in an injured voice, and then he held out a plate towards her with a grin. “Hey, why don't we eat out in your living room?”

“Why don't you go sit down and finish review those papers?” Cadence said dryly, but Thesis only gave her a pointed look until she finally rolled her eyes and muttered: “I'll... bring the stuff out when it's ready. After I make sure you didn't leave any other surprises here for me.”

“Alright, alright. I get it. I'm going.” Thesis said mildly, holding up his hooves before he grimaced a bit as he picked up the papers and started forwards, then winced when Cadence reached out and caught him by the tail.

She didn't look up at him, only gazing calmly forward as she asked quietly: “How much does it hurt?”

Thesis shifted a little, then he gave a lame grin before he said finally: “Not that bad. I guess I'm just going to have to do a better job of pretending nothing's wrong, though, if I've made a mare like you get all worried about me.”

“I'm not worried about you hurting.” Cadence grumbled, letting go of Thesis' tail and letting him stumble away, the earth pony huffing at her over his shoulder. “Just go sit down, Thesis.”

Thesis grumbled as he found his way to the living room, flopping down on Cadence's couch and grimacing a bit as he shifted a little, doing his best to repress a shiver as pain flooded through him for a moment. But he did his best to shove it away, breathing quietly as he turned his eyes towards the papers and murmured: “Okay, okay. Let's take a look.”

In the few minutes before Cadence entered with the tea and the plates of pastries, Thesis was able to go through most of the papers, reacquainting himself with how Decretum worked and the many codes they used. Most of them had remained the same, although he noted Hecate had shuffled priorities around and changed almost all of the authorizations.

He glanced up at Cadence, then smiled slightly as she carefully set the plates and cups and kettle down, the Replicant saying mildly: “Having a bit of trouble there?”

“Oh shut up.” Cadence grumbled, blushing ever so slightly in embarrassment: for any unicorn, keeping a few objects hovering along with telekinesis was an easy task, but for her, with her stupid shrunken horn... “Did you memorize all the new codes yet?”

“Mostly.” Thesis said mildly, and Cadence gave him a suspicious look, but Thesis tossed the sheaf of papers aside as he recited: “Empress 0-0 has replaced Clockwork King as command authority, but every order still follows codeword-serial number formatting. But do you guys ever use your callsigns? My callsign is Lightning Hoof, yours is White Swan, but everyone seems to use that just as your nickname.”

“What, no one ever called you Lightning outside of combat?” asked the mare, and Thesis shrugged amiably before the mare muttered: “I bet your marefriends probably did, though.”

“Hey!” Thesis huffed as he picked up a cup of tea, sipping at it before smacking his lips and looking meditatively at the blue-tinged substance. “I never had a marefriend. What about you? Did you ever have a marefriend?”

“I never had a marefriend.” Cadence said grumpily, and then she hesitated before she sighed a little as she sat down in the couch beside Thesis, leaning back into the soft cushions and admitting: “I was married once, but... it didn't... it didn't work out.”

Thesis peered at her, and Cadence frowned over at him before the stallion asked slowly: “Did you... kill him?”

“No!” Cadence snapped, smacking the stallion and making him flinch backwards. “What the hell kind of question is that? Why would you even assume that?”

“All I know about you is that you like to kill everything and you're really good at fighting! What the hell else am I supposed to think?” Thesis argued with a huff, then he punched her back in the shoulder, making Cadence flinch in surprise before she glared at him as they both leaned away from each other with matching glowers.

But eventually, Cadence shifted a bit before she relaxed a little, mumbling: “Look, it just... didn't work out between me and him, that's all. Shining was a great guy...” Cadence softened, slumping back into the couch as she shook her head a little. “But I wasn't the right person for him, at the end of the day. I loved him. I really did. But I didn't love him enough, and it wasn't the kind of love where... I mean, yeah, we could have kept... going through our days the way we always did, but there was someone else, someone better for him, and she fulfilled him and... I had to save Daddy.”

Thesis smiled a little at this, studying Cadence for a few moments before he said softly: “Family is the most important thing, huh?”

“Yeah. I mean... not that Shining wasn't family, just that... I knew he'd be okay. One way or the other. I knew he'd be okay.” Cadence laughed a bit, shaking her head slowly before she murmured: “I had to save Sombra. And I did, and I ended up here, and Shining and... Miss Take, I don't know where they ended up, but...”

“Well, I hope she wasn't a... mistake.” Thesis said with a waggle of his eyebrows as he leaned towards her, and Cadence rolled her eyes even as she fought back the urge to smile, shoving Thesis away. “Huh? Huh?”

“Yeah. Real creative, Thesis.” Cadence said wryly, and then she shook her head before she asked impulsively: “So how have you never had a marefriend? You're not great looking and you're not all that smart, but you certainly have a great personality. By which I mean a lot of money. And when I was a princess, I had all kinds of would-be suitors even after I got married.”

“You shouldn't date people after you get married, you know. Maybe that's why your relationship collapsed.” Thesis said helpfully, and Cadence rolled her eyes and shoved at him, but the Replicant simply swayed before he smiled a bit and said quietly: “I was also always a Replicant, Cadence. From the day I was born, everyone thought... knew... that I was different from them. Not even really a pony. But I had friends, too... Singing Lark and Red Sky. I grew up with Singing Lark, and I only knew Red Sky for a little while, but...”

Thesis quieted, then he shook his head and cleared his throat before asking: “So uh... how is it working with Thorn? I guess Mom must trust you a lot to have your team work with him so often.”

Cadence shrugged a bit, and then she replied honestly: “He can be... kind of a hardass, yeah. But we work well with him and he really... believes in Hecate. Although he at least, you know, refers to her by proper title instead of calling her 'mommy.'”

“Mommy is mommy's proper title.” Thesis said seriously, and then he grinned slightly as he sat back and said mildly: “Not long after I was promoted to captain, way, way back when, I remember being told I had a special mission and to report to the throne room. So I went down, and the moment I stepped through the door, boom! Confetti literally everywhere, balloons, the works. It was my birthday, and Mom had set up the whole party in the throne room. There were pinatas and paper planes and... all these horrified nobles, covered from head-to-hoof in streamers and flakes of paper.”

Cadence stared with disbelief at Thesis, as the Replicant leaned back and laughed, shaking his head with a warm smile. “Mom was amazing at stuff like that. She did whatever she wanted, she always made me feel special. Even Dad was there. He looked so mad. But... he was there, all the same. We... we were a family, weird as that is to think about. We really were.”

The ivory mare softened a little, before she said softly: “I never really imagined Hecate being... anything apart from... scary. No offense.”

“No, believe me. She was scary in the past, too.” Thesis grinned wryly as he leaned towards Cadence, saying mildly: “One time I was on a mission that went south and...” Thesis' grin toned down, glancing down as he continued softly: “Well, a lot of ponies died. When I came back, Mom stripped me of all status and... I ended up working in the mines, actually. Until a giant asshole diamond dog attacked, anyway, and I got transferred to another unit.”

He halted, then smiled suddenly before he said: “Also, you know, Mom's had to pretend to be... okay, not pretend, more like... had to actually be a heartless, ruthless bitch and all, for a few millenia. You know, after having her heart broken by multiple assholes, me included in that number. Because I was really an asshole kid for a while. Of course she's a little mean. But I bet she still loves a good bit of mischief or a prank or two.”

“Yeah. I don't know about that.” Cadence said dryly, and then she hesitated before muttering: “Then again, she does somehow put up with all of us, and it's not like the Orphans have ever been the most sane bunch of people.”

Thesis chuckled at this, before he asked curiously: “So how did all of you come together, anyway? Did Mom recruit all of you herself, or...”

“Quite a few of us, yeah. Moonflower was, La Croix was, Lancer was... Cataskeuastros was...” Cadence quieted, then she shook her head slowly before she cleared her throat and continued: “Daddy and I were recruited because we accidentally activated some kind of Clockwork Titan, and it contacted Decretum. We destroyed it and Hecate came to see what happened, and she brought Daddy and me back here and... that was how I joined the Orphanage.”

Thesis nodded and whistled a little, smiling slightly as he remarked: “You know, I wouldn't believe it from most people, but... you seem like you're badass enough to take down a Titan by yourself.”

“I had help from Daddy. And the Swan, I suppose... although... it did kill me.” Cadence quieted again, before she blushed a bit when Thesis reached up and gently touched her horn, asking softly:

“So how many times have you died? For me, I guess it's been like... three times.”

Cadence huffed a bit, shoving his hoof back before she grumbled: “Seven times. I've died seven times, actually. Happy?”

“That you have more than seven lives? Yes.” Thesis replied with a smile and a wink, and Cadence grumbled and crossed her forelegs, looking away with another faint blush before he picked up one of the pastries and asked: “Did you make these yourself?”

“No. Like I said, we don't get many luxuries here, but... we do have a few.” Cadence said after a moment, smiling a little over at Thesis before she reached out and swiped the pastry out of his hoof as he started to raise it to his muzzle, making him huff before she took a bite out of it, admittedly relishing the taste a little... and rather enjoying the look on Thesis' face, as well.

Thesis picked up another pastry from the plate, quickly licking it and glaring at her challengingly, but Cadence only gave him an amused look before the Replicant picked up the sheaf of papers and went back to reading through the codes.

He frowned thoughtfully, then murmured: “Credits, status reports... Mom has done a lot.” He took a bite out of the muffin in his hoof, saying softly: “You're like mercenaries, but with honor. It's an interesting concept. A private military company built around the idea of guardianship, not just profit.”

Cadence smiled a bit, then she shrugged and replied quietly: “There'll always be war, and always be a need for warriors. I guess I'm just glad that Hecate seems to recognize the value of maintaining the worlds as they are.”

“Not warriors. Protectors.” Thesis corrected, and Cadence gave him a pointed look, but the Replicant only winked in response before he replied softly: “Hey, it's true. You're not going out to make war, after all, but to... try and keep the peace. Peacemakers.”

The ivory mare snorted in amusement at this, and then she took another bite of her pastry before asking: “Isn't that just another word for someone who goes in and kills everyone? Yeah. That's definitely what I want to be, Thesis. A peacemaker. That's... that's what I am.”

Cadence looked moodily down at the ground, and Thesis studied her for a few moments before he said gently: “Kind of mopey, aren't you?”

“I am not mopey.” Cadence glared over at Thesis, but he only shrugged before she said grouchily: “Look, you don't know what it's like-”

“I know exactly what it's like to be a killing machine. I was born and bred one, after all.” Thesis said mildly, and Cadence winced a bit as she shut her mouth before the stallion flexed a foreleg, adding thoughtfully: “But I did have, you know, all this to look at in the mirror every day and keep me motivated.”

Cadence rolled her eyes, before Thesis leaned towards her and said in a gentler voice, as he met her eyes: “I also had my friends and family to guide me. Not just when they were alive, but in memory, as well. I never wanted them to be disappointed in me... I never wanted them to be disappointed in who I would become, either.”

Thesis looked down, then he smiled a little as he rubbed slowly at one foreleg. “I... had a dream, a long, long time ago. I was walking with the people I'd lost. Singing Lark, Red Sky, and Sworn Tenet... sisters, and a war-brother. I... I hated Sworn Tenet so much. He was such an asshole. Even after he was dead, he was an asshole. But I realized when he died that he'd been that asshole because someone had to be. Because that was how he could prepare us, protect us.

“Anyway, they walked with me, but I couldn't see them. We saw Valthrudnir's machines, and they reminded me that no matter what I was... homunculus, Replicant, whatever you want to call me... I was also a pony. That tin soldiers could never make an army. That no matter what I became... I was also the only person who could surrender. I never had to stop fighting. And I... I did, for a while, because it was easier. And I lost my mind and lost everything that made me, me. And I did awful, terrible things, Cadence, because I let myself forget everything, I stopped being... me.

“I could have been better, though. I could have kept fighting. Mom tried so hard to protect me and my family... was always there for me, even long after they had all passed away.” He quieted, closing his eyes and breathing slowly in and out before he looked up at Cadence with a smile. “Never really sank into my head, but... mares are supposed to be better about that whole 'learning not the hard way' thing, right?”

“I don't know about that. I've done a lot of things the hard way and I still haven't learned better.” Cadence muttered, sipping at her tea before she hesitated, then asked quietly: “So uh... you fought Brynhild and her... friends, in the past?”

“Uh... yeah.” Thesis looked embarrassed as he rubbed at the back of his head. “Like I said, I've... made some mistakes.”

“The only mistake was not killing her.” muttered Cadence, to which Thesis cleared his throat loudly.

“Whoa, hey, okay. Whoa. Let's uh. Just slow down there, Cadence.” Thesis said blandly, raising a hoof. “You seem to like Thorn, after all. And without Luna Brynhild, there would be no Thorn. So. You know. Remember that your actions always have consequences and... that's why you can't just look at things as black and white.”

Cadence frowned a bit at this, looking over at Thesis for a few moments. He met her eyes, then smiled before he picked up his teacup, cradling it in his hooves as a faint blush rose in his cheeks before he loudly slurped at his tea like a foal, making Cadence sigh and roll her eyes in exasperation, but maybe fight to hide a small smile all the same, as she grumbled. “You're like a child.”

“Only if you'll be my pedophile!” Thesis blurted out, and Cadence stared at him with something like horror as Thesis slowly turned beet red, before he grinned lamely and rubbed at the back of his head, laughing awkwardly. “That. That didn't turn out the way I wanted it to sound. I um...”

“Yeah. Okay.” Cadence held up a hoof as she put down her teacup, and then she said dryly: “How about we forget this ever happened and we go visit Daddy, instead? I...” Cadence hesitated, before she asked: “Can you... really control the corruption?”

“The Clay?” Thesis hesitated, and then he held a hoof out, and Cadence's eyes widened in surprise as a sphere of black crystal formed above his hoof, the stallion saying softly: “Yeah. I'm nervous about using it, because uh... well, focusing the corruption has always had some rather nasty side-effects on me, but...”

He smiled after a moment, tossing the sphere of black crystal from hoof-to-hoof before he shrugged a bit and murmured: “Huh. Feels weaker than it was, but somehow I'm not sad about that. But yeah. All the Replicants... they all have something to do with the Clay of Prometheus.”

“Like Daddy.” murmured Cadence, and then she shook her head before smiling again at the stallion, asking hesitantly: “Your powers then... the Clay of Prometheus...”

“I think I know what you're thinking but... none of the Replicants are capable of that.” Thesis said gently, and Cadence half-scowled and half-blushed as she grumbled a bit, but then she winced when Thesis tossed her the sphere of corruption, catching the crystal between her hooves and shivering automatically at the contact with it. “This is diluted. Both because my powers are uh... not what they used to be, and because I did my best to tone it down and just make it crystal. But... you can feel it, can't you?”

Cadence didn't want to admit it, but after a moment she gave a hesitant nod and murmured: “Yeah, I can. It's... it's not good, is it?”

“It's not. It's not that it can't be used for good, but... not in the way you want it to be. Some poisons can never be anything more than poison, unless you want them to consume you completely.” Thesis said gently, and Cadence sighed a little as she looked silently at one of her hooves.

“I guess I know what you mean.” she murmured, and when Thesis smiled slightly at her, she gave him a sour look: she recognized that expression by now. “No, I'm... I'm not talking about the Swan. And I can't believe I'm now stuck here actually trying to justify myself to a former enemy.”

“I'm glad you think of me so fondly. Also technically we were never enemies because we never fought, did we?” Thesis said mildly, gesturing pointedly at himself, and Cadence gave a slight smile.

“We fought once. And I kicked your ass.” she said dryly, before she almost shoved the sphere of black crystal back into his hooves, Thesis giving a lame grin as he caught it in his hooves and squeezed it against his breast. “Either way, let's go see my Father. And on the way you can tell me more about... Replicants.”

“That wasn't fighting. That was... uh... not fighting.” Thesis said lamely, as he quickly put the crystal aside and hopped up to his hooves. He grimaced for a moment, and Cadence frowned slightly at him, but the stallion only waved a hoof. “It's nothing. Just a pang.”

“Yeah. Well, I hope that's all it actually is. The last thing I need is another stupid stallion trying to act tough. We have enough wounded to deal with as it is.” Cadence said, and Thesis smiled despite himself as Cadence frowned slightly at him. “What?”

“Oh, I just realized exactly why Mom seems to like you so much, that's all.” Thesis said wryly, and then he shook his head before he winked at her. “Let's go meet Daddy. 'Sonly fair, since you know my Mommy and all.”

Cadence scowled at him, but forced herself to only nod instead of rising to his baiting. They left in silence, Thesis looking at her awkwardly as Cadence kept her gaze ahead on the way through the residence. At least, until Thesis suddenly half-stated: “So Mom's uh... fairly relaxed with your protocols, huh?”

“What do you mean?” Cadence turned her attention towards him, curious in spite of herself, and the stallion shrugged a bit as they stepped into an elevator together.

“Well...” He seemed to gather his thoughts as Cadence hit the button to descend, before he smiled and asked: “Your callsign is White Swan, right?”

“Yeah. Usually. Usually just 'Swan,' too.” Cadence answered after a moment, cocking her head towards the stallion curiously. “Why?”

“Your father is actually Solenne Serenite, but he goes by his callsign, Sombra. Moonflower and La Croix both go by their names, even though Moonflower is Black Star and La Croix is Crossroads.” Thesis continued, and Cadence was admittedly impressed: he had learned a lot more from the file than she had expected him to. And he seems to know my whole team already, but... “Hey, don't look at me like that. I used to be Lightning Hoof, and I was responsible for my own teams of soldiers.” He stopped, then looked down and murmured: “I've never forgotten any of their names, even if...”

He cleared his throat after a moment, then smiled at Cadence as they stepped out into the hall, continuing in a more-cheerful voice: “Anyway, yeah, once they started calling me Lightning Hoof, Mom made it my callsign, and from then on out that was how I was referred to. She was very strict about that. Obviously my Father was, too. Us being robots and all.”

Thesis' voice stumbled only slightly when he talked about his father, and Cadence honestly wondered how he could do that, as she smiled at him hesitantly. Thesis nodded to her a little, and they walked on in silence, until they reached the infirmary where her father was being treated.

They found Sombra in the back, the curtains pulled around his bed, a machine rumbling quietly away and large tubes buried in his back. He was sitting up in bed, and he looked tired and worn, but he smiled at them all the same when they approached. “Mi amore, and Prince Thesis. It is a pleasure to meet you. My daughter speaks highly of you.”

“You don't have to lie, I'm pretty sure the only 'highly' she thinks of me is 'where is the closest high place I can drop him off of.'” Thesis paused, then added mildly: “It's not the top of the castle, by the way, the highest point in Equestria is still Stone Fang Mountain.”

“I climbed that mountain once, during my younger days.” Sombra said, and Cadence cocked her head curiously as Thesis smiled curiously. “As I have told you, mi amore, I was a... boisterous youth.”

“It's still hard to think of you that way, Daddy.” Cadence said softly, as she sat down beside the bed. Sombra chuckled quietly, then allowed his eyes to rove curiously towards Thesis, and she said quickly, with maybe the faintest blush: “That's part of what I wanted to talk to to you about. You and the rest of the team can relax for a while, just... try to heal, okay? I've been assigned to be Thesis'... bodyguard, I guess.”

Thesis snorted in amusement at this, and Cadence gave the stallion a sour look, but the Replicant simply winked over at her as he said mildly: “Hey, I'm not disparaging your killing skills. We all know, you're great at beating people up. But this isn't about you killing people to protect my sorry flank. I think Mom wants you to be an Executor.”

Cadence looked blankly at Thesis, but Sombra nodded thoughtfully before he smiled at Cadence and said: “Such as Thorn is, a Reggente.”

Cadence snorted at this, grumbling: “As if I could ever do that. I'm no administrator. I sure as hell made a lousy princess.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” Thesis said blandly, and then he grinned and ducked back when Cadence swung at him irritably. “Hey, I can't acknowledge the truth? But your father has the right idea, except the Regent is supposed to stay back in Decretum and handle affairs under the Empress, while the Executor is her hoof out in the battlefield. You'd still get to kill plenty.”

“Great.” Cadence said dryly, and then she shook her head and muttered: “I still don't think I could handle that. I can barely take care of my own team. I only manage because you're there, Daddy.”

Sombra only smiled at her, before he turned his eyes towards Thesis, letting the conversation shift away as he asked: “Did Decretum used to have an Executor? In the past, were you perhaps Regent, Prince Thesis?”

Thesis snorted laughter at this as Cadence gave the stallion an amused look, the Replicant shaking his head quickly. “No, no. Never even close. But I suppose you could say that yes, Decretum... every world, as a matter of fact, had a Regent. The Clockwork King was Regent of Decretum, Ferrous was the Regent of Endworld, Silverstride was the Regent of Fyrverǫld...”

Thesis smiled a bit, reaching up and tapping on his temple gently. “I was... too sick to be the Regent of anywhere, and I don't think Valthrudnir would have made me one, anyway. And Hecate was originally sort of the neural center of all the worlds, but... Dad abandoned all his projects, just left us to rot for hundreds of years... probably even longer, really, who knows? He vanished completely for a long time, I remember that much, and it didn't take very long for the Clay to start clogging up pipes and our worlds to fall into ruin...”

The Replicant looked down, shaking his head briefly as he murmured: “I was in and out of stasis a lot, while the nodes in my head went bad. Mom was awake for all of it... that's why I always ask people to be... to not take her personally.”

“I don't. Well... I do, and I don't. I always try to listen to her, maybe I should just put it that way.” Cadence replied, and Sombra smiled softly as he nodded in agreement. “I respect her.”

“Good.” Thesis seemed satisfied by the answer, in spite of how simple it was, and then he glanced over at Sombra and straightened a little, bowing his head and saying quietly: “I'm... sorry. For what Valthrudnir did to you, for what I assisted in. I was telling Cadence that I don't think I can help, but... if you want me to try...”

“It is not so difficult a life. I am very fortunate, and I believe that with each passing day, the corruption has less of a grip on me, and I have more of a grip on it.” Sombra replied softly, before he smiled over at Cadence and said gently: “I would like a moment to speak to Thesis, mi amore. Would you mind fetching me a bit of food? I am feeling well enough to try and eat something small.”

“Of course, Daddy.” Cadence smiled and nodded to her father, touching his foreleg gently before she quietly excused herself, giving Thesis a pointed look as she left. The Replicant huffed at her as she left, before he turned his eyes back towards Sombra, who smiled at him kindly.

“You care for her.” he said, leaving Thesis grinning lamely in surprise.

“Um... yeah.” the Replicant finally replied, clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his head. “Not... uh... I mean, your daughter's really great, and... she's...”

Thesis stuttered to a halt, looking lamely at Sombra, but the Replicant simply chuckled before he said softly: “Cadenza is very sensitive. Very kind and compassionate, very loving... but serious, and fearful of hurt. Not of being hurt, oh no. But rather, of hurting others, I think. She is very hard and acts very aloof and sometimes seems to fare il contropelo purely for the sake of it... but I believe she is a gentle soul. And I would be grateful to you, if you could help her heal that wound in her heart, that makes her believe she is nothing but a dannazione.”

Thesis smiled a little, and then he nodded before saying quietly: “I uh... I will do my best. So I have your blessing, I guess, in um... you know. Trying to. Date her, I guess?”

Sombra smiled in amusement back at the Replicant, who gave a lame laugh as he rubbed at his head before he said awkwardly: “Well, uh, great, then, thank you, uh... sir. Dad? Maybe that's a little too early. I haven't even... I mean, I don't even know if she likes me...”

“I think she does. I know my daughter well, and I believe she sees something if you. Now you must just prove to her that what she saw was more than a trick of the light.” Sombra replied kindly.

Thesis nodded, and then he let out a breath before he said finally: “You know, Mom always told me that if I ever wanted to date someone, I'd have to really impress their fathers. I'm uh... glad you approve of me, I mean. I just... well, I hope I'm... I hope I live up to your expectations.”

“Do not strive to live up to mine. Just prove yourself to be more hidalgo than guido with my daughter, and I hope that your love for her is as pure and good as it seems to be.” Sombra smiled kindly, then he leaned forwards slightly as Thesis reared back a little, before the stallion said pleasantly even as his eyes turned to slits: “Because se le spezzi il cuore, ti spezzo le gambe.”

“Message received, uh, thank you, uh... gracias? I mean, grazie!” Thesis hurriedly corrected with a lame smile, and then he gave an awkward, half-forced donkey laugh as Cadence returned with a small tray.

She frowned curiously as she passed this to Sombra, but the stallion only smiled as Thesis looked lamely away. “Thank you, mi amore. You and Thesis should go have dinner yourselves. I'm sure you'll need your strength for the missions ahead.”

“We had a bit of a snack upstairs...” Cadence argued, sitting back on the edge of the bed as Thesis lamely shifted, before he winced as Sombra gave him a pointed look.

“Uh, yeah, but you barely ate anything and you didn't even finish your tea. Why don't we let your father rest and we can take a walk around the exterior? There's a civilian district, right? We can assess how things look and get something to eat over there.” Thesis wheedled, then he gave a lame smile as Cadence looked at him oddly, before she frowned curiously over at her father when he gently touched her hoof.

She sighed after a moment, then shrugged and finally nodded to her father, grumbling: “I don't know what you two are up to, but alright. For you, Daddy.”

“Thank you, mi amore. Try and enjoy yourself.” Sombra said kindly, and then he smiled when Cadence leaned in and kissed his cheek before she slipped away. Thesis lingered a moment longer before following, looking awkwardly back over his shoulder at Sombra, but the stallion only smiled at him as he pointedly tapped his nose with a plastic knife from the tray, and Thesis winced a bit as he spun around and hurried to catch up to Cadence.

Sombra chuckled quietly to himself as he shifted back in bed before he calmly began to cut up the simple ration, reflecting that there were many kinds of youth and love, and he only hoped that his daughter would share what she had left with that strange and somehow noble stallion.

For her own heart's sake.

My Father's Blood, My Mother's Rage

Chapter Sixty Five: My Father's Blood, My Mother's Rage
~BlackRoseRaven

Antares whistled loudly as he walked down the street with Prestige Luster at his side, the stallion looking back and forth in awe at the majesty of Imperia. Sure, a lot of the city had been badly damaged in the attack, but this civilian sector had been spared a lot of the worst damages thanks to the energy shields, even if a lot of Loki's forces had still gotten through.

Prestige sighed a little as Antares stopped to lean curiously towards a set of Worker Drones and Dogmatists, before he waved wildly as one of the latter looked up, staring at him with its emotionless glass eyes. But she couldn't help but smile a little when the machine pony slowly rose a hoof for a moment in return. “Ha! Look!”

“Yes, hero, I see.” Prestige said mildly, as Antares grinned proudly and slammed a hoof against his own chest. Then she sighed and shook her head, saying softly: “You know, even Sleipnir seemed... a lot more serious after what happened.”

“Because of family.” Antares replied with a small smile and a shrug, turning towards Prestige before he rose his head and declared: “And that's why it's my responsibility to continue to be an asshole and keep everyone relaxed.”

“That's a great way to...” Prestige broke off as she leaned up on her hooves a little, curiously looking down the street, and Antares followed her gaze before he grinned widely, prancing forwards as the Valkyrie sighed and grumbled: “Behave.”

“Hell no.” Antares said immediately, before he almost leapt into the path of Thesis, who was walking with an ivory mare. Antares only took one look at the two of them before he grinned widely and leaned forwards, waggling his eyebrows as he asked cheerfully: “Who's your marefriend, Thesis?”

“What, worried I'm not available anymore?” Thesis asked mildly in spite of the faint blush that lit up his cheeks, as he flexed one foreleg absently. Antares cleared his throat loudly as he blushed a bit himself, then he laughed awkwardly as Prestige gave him an odd look and the strange pony he was walking with only rolled her eyes. “This is Cadence, though. She's the one who hates your Mom.”

Antares only nodded sagely at this, and Cadence frowned before she nodded a little as she studied the stallion curiously: yes, he had his mother's eyes, and his father's coat: the inverse of Thorn, she thought wryly. “Antares, right? Thorn showed me some pictures of you from his visit. It's nice to meet you.”

“What a creeper. But of course he wants to prove that he knows me. I'm awesome.” Antares said mildly as he posed with a wide grin, but Cadence noted his eyes were focused and moving quickly over herself and Thesis, seeming to take in every last detail. “So hey, Mutt and Thorn have both told me about you. Mutt was a lot less nice but that just means she must like you.”

Cadence grunted in response, before Antares grinned and hopped from hoof-to-hoof, winking at her. “I'd love to see how I do in a fight against Decretum's best, though, you know! I've heard all sorts of stuff about you Orphans, you're supposed to be pretty okay. I mean, I hope that's not an exaggeration, you guys totally did need to beg for our help and all...”

Cadence narrowed her eyes dangerously as Thesis took an awkward step away, and Prestige sighed before apologizing: “Sorry about that. He was dropped on his head as a child. Often.”

“I was!” Antares agreed with a nod, before he winked at Cadence as he leaned forwards on the tips of his hooves with a wide grin, teasing: “Think you can beat up a boy Valkyrie with brain damage? 'Cause Mutt said if I ever met you I'd have to be gentle!”

Antares waggled his eyebrows, and Cadence couldn't put her hoof on exactly why it infuriated her so much, but it did. And before she could stop herself, she stepped forwards and slugged the stallion across the face, Antares flying backwards with a squeak to crash and roll violently to a prone position on his side, mouth working spasmodically as Prestige stared dumbly over her shoulder at him.

Cadence blinked a few times, and Thesis cleared his throat violently as he hid a grin beneath a hoof before the ivory mare winced and leaned back, saying lamely: “Uh. Sorry. It's... been a stressful day.”

“I. Yeah.” Antares said stupidly, as he slowly clambered up to his hooves and rubbed at his throbbing muzzle, before he stared dumbly down at the crimson on his hoof. “You... you made me bleed my own blood!”

“I think he's fine. Although I guess I'm surprised. Usually he's much faster on the uptake than that.” Prestige said mildly, looking curiously back at Antares before she turned her eyes back to Cadence, who smiled lamely, still feeling embarrassed at her outburst. “You must be harder for him to read for some reason.”

“She moves weird. I wasn't ready!” Antares complained, rubbing absently at his face before he glowered at Thesis, who was grinning widely. “You shut up. You're an asshole. No one likes you, especially not me, so stop thinking you're so goddamn handsome because you're not that sexy.”

Prestige slowly turned towards Antares, and Thesis winked as he posed for a moment before tilting his head towards the other stallion, Antares' eyes slowly widening before Thesis said charmingly: “Hey there. You come here often?”

“I'm straight!” Antares howled, leaping on top of Prestige and clinging to her, and the Valkyrie sighed and lowered her head tiredly as the stallion clung to her fearfully. “I like mares and I never, ever am on the bottom all the time and I definitely never think about other stallions or your big muscly body!”

“The only thing big about Thesis is his fat head.” Cadence grumbled, and Thesis gave her an almost injured look that Cadence refused to be taken in by, only glowering at him grumpily. “Look. Let's just survey the damage, get something to eat, and then go and get some rest for a little while. We have a lot to prepare still and I want to make sure I meet up with my team.”

“I want to see Thorn, too. I'm worried about him.” Thesis added quickly, suddenly much more serious, and Cadence looked at him for a moment before she gave a brief nod.

“Is he okay?” Antares asked quietly, and Cadence smiled a little, Antares cocking an eyebrow before he said softly: “So you don't know for sure, huh? I thought it must have been bad. Mutt said last time they were there, he was sleeping, but that was a while ago. Maybe I'll stop by myself.”

He halted, then looked over at Thesis and added quietly: “Hey. In all seriousness, it is good to see you... here, on our side. I know you must want to do everything you can for everyone, but... try and remember that you can do more the longer you stay alive, and less if you end up exhausting and killing yourself, huh?”

“Wise advice.” Thesis said with only a hint of irony, and then he smiled and rose a hoof, and Antares smiled back before they bumped their hooves together, the Replicant saying softly: “I appreciate that, though. And I appreciate you looking out for Thorn. I know it must not have been easy.”

“For a lot of reasons. But hey, family's family.” Antares shrugged amiably, and then he winked over at Prestige. “Okay, let's let these lovebirds go do their thing. We should go do our thing, too. You know. That thing.”

Antares leaned his face slowly down towards Prestige, then squawked when she easily flipped him off her back so he thudded to the street, the mare sighing before she smiled over at Cadence and said: “I hope we can find a few minutes to catch up or something. I'd like to talk to you more about things and uh... what's been going on. Maybe it's not my place as a Valkyrie, but... I feel like I can learn a lot from you, Cadence.”

Cadence smiled at this, and inside her, the Swan rose its head curiously, seeming pleased. “Are you here for much longer, or are you going to be recalled to Heaven, do you know?”

“No, we're here to lend support as long as Decretum needs it. When I go back is determined by when Empress Hecate sends us back.” Prestige required with a nod, and Cadence nodded thoughtfully back as Antares clambered up to his hooves.

“Same here, pretty much. I gotta say hi to Hecate before I go, though... hey, I know, let's go see how she's doing. It's been forever since the last time I saw her.” Antares said positively, and Thesis snorted in amusement.

“Just like I said, see? Mom always did like the weird kids.” Thesis said blandly, and Antares huffed at him.

“I'm not weird. I'm special.” he said proudly, raising his head high, and then he yelped when Prestige grasped him by the ear and calmly dragged him away, the stallion wincing and flailing a bit before he awkwardly did his best to look back over his shoulder, yelling: “Okay I'll see you Uncle Thesis be good bye!”

Cadence rolled her eyes as she turned around, watching the stallion leave before he turned around, and blinked in surprise at the sight of Thesis smiling faintly, a hoof on his chest, his eyes shining as he watched Prestige dragging Antares away. She cleared her throat after a moment, and Thesis blinked a few times before blushing and rubbing hurriedly at his face as Cadence opened her mouth...

But after a moment, she softened, then simply shook her head before saying finally: “Let's go get something to eat.”

“Yeah.” Thesis smiled over at her as he straightened and cleared his throat, puffing out his chest a bit. And as Cadence began to walk away, turning her eyes back forwards, the stallion murmured: “Thank you.”

Thorn Blackfeather stared silently at the ceiling, black veins of poison pulsating through his body. Hecate sat beside him, her expression soft and tender: more tender than Luna Brynhild had ever seen her.

“Let it out.” she said softly, but Thorn only continued to gaze hollowly up at the ceiling.

Brynhild shifted slowly, looking over at Morgan, then to Scrivener Blooms. She could smell the poison in the air. And her mended, black gemstone horn resonated with those emotions she felt in Thorn's body. She could feel them, echoing down into her body. Her heart went out to him, and it was hard to keep the tears from filling her eyes, as Morgan resisted the urge to touch him, as Scrivener Blooms only looked at his son silently, his Talons digging against the ground.

“Let it out.” Hecate said gently.

Thorn gave the briefest of nods, and Hecate smiled at him reassuringly before she said softly: “We're all here for you, Thorn. And you can't hold this forever. You can't-”

“I can.” Thorn said, his voice hard, but quavering ever so slightly as he continued to stare at the ceiling. “Don't pressure me. Please. I am not ready. I am... fine.”

“Let it out.” Hecate repeated, tender, fearless. A mother that they could all admire. A parent, a guardian, like Brynhild and Scrivener and even Morgan wished they could be.

Thorn tried to shake his head and resist, clutching his blackened shoulder stump, as it bled viscous, dark ooze that shivered, and quaked like it was alive...

“Let it out.”

“Why? What's the point?” Thorn shouted furiously as he suddenly sat up, and strands of hideously-alive black poison erupted from his broken stump as he bared his fangs, as his eyes glowed with mad fury. Luna's eyes widened in shock, but Hecate thrust a hoof out in front of her before any of the others could speak, even as Thorn leaned into the mare's face and shouted furiously, flecks of spittle flying over the Jötnar's features: “Stop mocking me, you stupid, selfish bitch! Is this what you wanted? Are you proud, mommy dearest, that you were able to make me perfect and then send me to be broken? Or am I just another lab experiment to you, another rat in your trap, and you're excited to see what I can do with this?”

A black, savage claw of half-melted slime and malice rose up in front of Thorn, ungainly and long and hideous, flowing like wax. The sapphire stallion gasped for breath as the poison flowed through his veins, black tears rolling down from his eyes before they widened suddenly, and he bit his lip before he lowered his head as the black claw melted away and splattered over the ground, whispering: “I'm... I'm sorry.”

Hecate responded by leaning forwards and pulling him into a fierce embrace, pulling his head into her neck, and Thorn trembled before a semisolid, black foreleg half-formed from his stump. It left black streaks against the pure white of Hecate's coat as he clumsily tried to grab onto her, whimpering in his throat before he suddenly burst into sobs, but Hecate only pulled his head down against her neck as she shushed him gently and whispered: “I love you. It's okay. Let it out, Thorn... let it out. I'm here. We're all here for you... we're all here for you.”

After only a few minutes, Thorn's sobs tapered down, and he shoved himself backwards, breathing hard, a little pale and streaked with black poison. His black leg melted and quavered, sometimes splattering away to nothing but goop, sometimes reforming, sometimes vanishing almost entirely as Thorn visibly fought to gather himself, his other hoof clutching at his mucky shoulder.

But finally, he opened his eyes as he stared miserably at the floor, breathing slowly in and out before he said quietly: “I apologize for my behavior. I am unfit for duty.”

Luna trembled, then she stepped forwards and slapped Thorn across the face, the sapphire stallion's eyes widening before he snarled in sudden fury. And a moment later, Luna was knocked across the room by a hard slash of a black, sludgy claw as Thorn shouted furiously: “Keep your hooves... off...”

Thorn's eyes widened as his black, slimy limb fell away, and Luna blinked slowly before she sat stupidly up, rubbing a hoof through the splatter of goop on her breast. The young stallion attempted to take a step forwards, but Hecate gently caught him, saying softly: “Rest.”

“R-Rest?” Thorn twitched as he gave a short, barking laugh, but Hecate kept her eyes locked with his, and after a few moments, the stallion let out a slow breath and slumped a bit, whispering as his sludgy arm once more fell away, becoming another steam mess of slime: “Yes. I... I am sorry, Móðer.”

“Do not apologize, Thorn. I would prefer to see thee alive than blaming thyself wantonly and piteously.” Luna mumbled, as she carefully picked herself up, shivering a little as she brushed the black poison away from her breast. It felt warm and sticky and...

Luna shook her head quickly out, resisting the urge to lick her hoof as she forced her head up and made herself smile, striding back to the bedside as Thorn looked down and whispered: “I can't stay lucid. My emotions are out of control. I am... broken.”

“We're all a little broken here, Thorn. But this will pass.” Morgan promised quietly, and Thorn laughed shortly, but managed to restrain himself with a slow breath, lowering his head and nodding silently once.

Scrivener smiled faintly, then he rose one of his Talons, and Thorn watched silently as the black poison splattered over the table and the floor and everywhere around him steamed before it evaporated into dark steam. Thorn watched as this faded from sight, before he whispered: “I wish I could just be erased, too.”

“You have too much to do still, Thorn.” Hecate said gently, and Thorn looked up at her silently before the Jötnar mare said calmly: “Thorn requires a training that I cannot give him. He must be sent somewhere else, to someone who can help him.”

“What? But... you've helped him plenty!” Morgan said sharply, and Thorn trembled before he began to whimper faintly, visibly fighting not to cry. It tore at Morgan's soul, and she felt the pain it caused both Luna and Scrivener as the purple mare pleaded: “Hecate, why do you-”

“He has to go to someone who did not fail the same tests he must now face.” Hecate said with a faint smile, and Thorn looked up at her as tears streamed freely down his face, before she gently took his head in her hooves and said softly: “You will get through this, Thorn Blackfeather. You are strong. You are my child, and I love you.”

Thorn breathed quietly in and out, and Luna smiled faintly before she looked over at Morgan Heldóttir as she took a slow breath. Scrivener frowned as he looked over at them, biting his lip indecisively, but after a moment, Morgan closed her eyes and nodded slowly, murmuring: “We'll take him to Looking Glass World. He'll be safe in Subterra, and he can be under the tutelage of some of our best friends.”

“Alright.” Hecate nodded, then she turned her eyes back towards Thorn, saying softly: “I will have Cadence and Thesis escort you-”

“I don't need anyone's help!” Thorn shouted furiously, raising his head as his eyes flashed, and then he trembled and bit his lip so hard that black blood spilled from the wound, running down his chin as he rasped breaths in and out before he clenched his eyes shut and lowered his head, whispering: “I... I have wasted enough time with my failure-”

“You are not a failure. But you are correct Thorn, I do not have time to waste, so it would behoove you to stop arguing and accept your responsibilities.” Hecate said in a colder voice, and Thorn glared at her defiantly, furiously, but then he suddenly smiled faintly as the corruption dripping from his stump of foreleg finally started to settle, and Hecate reached up to touch this, saying quietly: “Better. But I want to hear you accept this order, Thorn Blackfeather. You are my son but also my subordinate.”

“Yes, Empress Hecate.” Thorn gathered himself, and he seemed to take strength from the familiarity of protocol, as he answered quietly: “I will see to it that any authorizations Seneschal may have overlooked are transferred to Thesis. I will schedule two months-”

“Ninety days of psychiatric leave. I will schedule it myself, Thorn, you can't interface with the system at the moment.” Hecate replied, and Thorn shivered a little, but he took another breath, then nodded once, even though his emotions were still visibly whirling through him. “Good. I'll have a Beauty unit attend to your injuries, and I expect you to get control of yourself by the time I return. Do not disappoint me.”

In spite of her words, Hecate leaned forwards and kissed Thorn's forehead gently, and the stallion gave a faint smile before he nodded a little, even as black tears streaked down his cheeks. But without a glance back, Hecate turned and left the room, and Thorn took a slow breath before he looked over at his parents and murmured: “I apologize. I'm... I'm better.”

“Don't apologize. It's okay.” Scrivener said softly, and Thorn gave a faint smile to his father before he nodded a little, lowering his head.

“It's so hard.” Thorn said after a moment, as he rose his foreleg, studying the black smears across his hoof before he smiled faintly, trembling a little as he looked up and asked weakly: “Why?”

Luna softened as Morgan reached up and gently touched her son's shoulder, but Thorn shook his head with a small laugh, whispering: “I know. I know. You don't have to say anything, I just... all this emotion, and none of it... I just can't control it. I feel so...” He looked down silently, breathing slowly in and out before he closed his eyes tightly. “Will I...”

“You'll be okay. You will. You're strong.” Scrivener reassured gently, as he reached up and grasped his son's shoulder. Thorn stiffened at first, gritting his teeth, but after a moment he slowly relaxed as he reached up and grasped the back of his father's Talon, studying it silently.

He looked at it for a few long moments, and then he closed his eyes and he lowered his head, murmuring: “I feel like... burnt metal. I have been tempered. I was made strong. And now I have been charred and burnt. I want to scream and shout and stomp my hooves. I want to bite and kick. I want to cry. I want to roar. And yet I know all of it is useless, and pointless. To whine, is useless, and pointless, and a waste of time and energy. Yet I complain all the same. I feel impotent. I feel... broken.”

“What is broken can be mended and made strong again.” Luna reassured gently, and Thorn looked up at her silently as his mother reached up and took his hoof gently in both of hers. “Speak, Thorn. Speak as thou must. Hold nothing back. For we all know much of pain.”

“How can you know what I feel? How can anyone know what I feel?” Thorn whispered bitterly, and then he shivered a bit before clenching his eyes shut and muttering: “No. Childishness. Isolation is a broken self-defense mechanism. A failing of psychology.”

Luna chuckled quietly at this, studying her son silently before she reached up and stroked gently along his face, the Valkyrie smiling softly as she murmured: “Look at thee, Thorn. How I wish thou could have been spared all this pain, all this suffering. And all this... wretched brainery that Hecate hast filled thee with. Thou does what thou does because 'tis just what ponies do. Is that not enough?”

Thorn only smiled faintly as a black tear leaked from his eye, before he glanced up and snarled as the door to the room opened, half-turning away as he snapped: “I am not some zoo animal to be studied and gawked at!”

“Having a bad day, huh?” Antares asked mildly, and Thorn blinked before he looked up in dull surprise as Luna sighed and smiled wryly, and Scrivener and Morgan both looked almost imploringly at their oldest son. But Antares only winked as he strode towards the bed, before he leaned in and studied Thorn for a few moments, then suddenly leaned forwards and smacked the sapphire stallion hard, making his jaw drop as their parents stared.

Thorn's mouth worked for a moment, and then he turned a furious snarl towards Antares. But then his eyes crossed dumbly as a hoof shoved into his nose, the sapphire stallion mouthing wordlessly before Antares said gently: “Smile. It won't kill you.”

Thorn's horn sparked as black veins pulsed through his body, his eyes blazing, his pupils dilating, but Antares only faced him with a warm smile. And just as suddenly as the rage had come, Thorn relaxed completely, dropping his head and laughing weakly before he closed his eyes tightly and whispered: “Goddammit.”

“I know. It's hard. It must feel just about impossible. And you're in that stage where you're begging for help but you don't want to hear any advice, because nothing is comforting. You either want it to be over, or you want to scream your head off. And that's okay, Thorn. It really is.” Antares said gently, smiling a little at his younger brother. “Anyway, don't feel bad, huh? You're still a kid and all. Act a little like one. Whine or complain or something. You'll feel better.”

“Work makes me feel better.” Thorn murmured, shaking his head briefly before he smiled faintly and closed his eyes. “What do I do?”

“You rest.” Antares said firmly, and then he winked over at Luna, adding: “Don't you guys worry, either. I'll stay here with him and help take care of him for a little while. Between me and Thesis, we'll get him fixed up.”

“Actually, Hecate asked us to send Thorn for... training.” Morgan answered, as Thorn sat back, but he barely glanced up, and the purple mare smiled faintly. It was so hard to know what might set him off right now, and she hated that she was helpless to do anything but try and be patient and understanding. “We were thinking Subterra. What do you think?”

“I think you all need to stop being so nice. Thorn needs the same treatment he's always gotten. Sure, he's a little screwed-up right now, but when everyone babied me instead of kicking me in the ass, it had a lot... it made things a lot worse in the long run.” Antares quieted a bit, then he shook his head before returning his eyes to Thorn with a smile. “I'll help too.”

“I don't need your pity.” Thorn hissed as he leaned forwards, his eyes blazing, before he shivered and shook himself quickly, letting out a short breath before he rested a hoof against his head and mumbled: “I mean... I... I appreciate what you are trying to do, Antares. I just... don't think...”

“Well, then don't think!” Antares said cheerfully, and then he reached up and grasped both Luna and Morgan by the shoulders, adding gently: “Let's give him a bit of time alone, huh? And Thorn, just... yell. If it gets really bad, just yell. Okay?”

Thorn looked at the stallion for a moment, and then he lowered his head and murmured: “Alright, Antares. I... will see you.”

“Yeah. You will. You'll be fine.” Antares encouraged gently, and then he shook his head before he stepped back and said softly: “Just rest.”

Thorn looked up, and he looked like he wanted to scream, like he wanted to cry, like he was about plead with them to stay and spit at them to go at the same time, but then he simply lowered his head, closing his eyes tightly as he grasped at his shoulder, as those black veins pulsed over his frame and that ugly, not-blood dripped from his wound.

It took all of Luna's willpower to turn away, and walk with the rest of her family out of the room. The moment the door closed behind her, she slammed a hoof furiously down into the ground in front of her, snarling and trying to fight back the tears before she hissed through her teeth: “He was supposed to be safe here. Safe, from all of this... safe, from us and our wretched sins!”

Antares only looked at his mother for a moment as she breathed roughly in and out, and then he stepped forwards and tightly embraced her. Luna clenched her eyes shut for a moment, then swore quietly under her breath as Morgan and Scrivener smiled faintly.

After a moment, Antares stepped back, and Luna Brynhild rose a hoof and shoved it against his face before she sighed tiredly and pushed him backwards, mumbling: “I do not know if we did too good or too poor a job with thee. Twilight, I blame thee.”

Morgan smiled a little, and Antares shrugged amiably before he smiled over at the mare, saying softly: “I guess that's something I would have learned from Mom. Don't worry, Mutt. You still taught me how to punch stuff in the face. And Dad taught me how to get punched in the face.”

“Nay, that was I as well, Antares, for without me Scrivy would not have been punched in the face nearly so oft.” Luna interrupted with a hint of a smile, and then she visibly shook herself out before raising her head a little higher and saying firmly: “Aye. We must do all we can for our child now, and not weep upon what has been and what must be. 'Twould be idiotic and worse to waste such an opportunity as this.”

“I agree. But I know you guys must be busy. You got lots to do, right? We all have lots to do.” Antares said mildly, and Luna frowned slightly as Morgan immediately began to turn, but Antares said, gently and firmly: “I got this.”

“Pah. Selfish. That is what thou art, and what thou shall always be.” Luna hesitated, but then she nodded firmly after a moment as Scrivener frowned uncertainly, before he winced when Luna bopped him with her black stone horn. “Shush, beetle. Trust in our child. Besides, I... Antares is right and...”

Luna shifted uncomfortably, and Scrivener softened before Morgan nodded and sighed a little, saying softly: “Just be careful.”

“I got this.” Antares winked, then he smiled as he shooed his parents away with one hoof. Brynhild snorted at him, but then she nodded before turning to leave with her partners, giving one last quick look over her shoulder before they vanished around the corner.

For almost a minute, Antares simply sat in the corridor, his crystalline wings gleaming faintly as they shivered around his body, his breathing slowly and relaxed even as his body slowly flexed, then relaxed, flexed... then relaxed.

Then he felt it, more than heard it, and Antares smiled slightly before he rose his head and sang softly: “Never thought I'd see you again, my friend, but here you are at last... how many years has it been, how many days have passed...”

“Oh, your sweet smilin' face is something I could do without... tell me boy, you think you grown up, you think you earned some clout?” sang a rusty voice in return, and Antares smiled even as his eyes hardened at the sight of the goblinoid beast that strutted down the hall, the destruction entity grinning a hellish grin from ear-to-ear before he exclaimed: “Well, if it ain't the little punk! Hey, boy, how you been doin'? Sounds like you must have missed me with those sweet little bars you sang!”

Cancer laughed loudly as he continued forwards, but Antares only smiled and shrugged amiably, replying easily: “A lot's happened since we last met. Let's go get a coffee and I'll tell you all about it, what do you say?”

“Oh ho ho, no no no, I ain't that stupid, boy. It's just me and you, right here and now, and that suits me just fine...” Cancer paused, then he licked his lips slowly as his eyes flicked knowingly to the door that Antares was seated in front of. “Well, and the little blue sausage that got away because of the crazy bitch with all the teeth... but that puppet's out for repairs, and you? Well, I ain't afraid of you, boy. I know just what your number is.”

“You sure about that, Cancer? Because it looks like you're missing a few pieces.” Antares winked as he reached up and tapped his nose a few times, before encouraging: “Come on, let's go get that coffee. We got lots to talk about. We'll have a few laughs, we'll cry, and then you can go on your merry way.”

Antares smiled, and Cancer snorted in amusement, rolling his eyes before he spread his arms and said mildly: “Kiddo, I don't need no bonus points from all the poisons 'round here to kill you dead. What makes you think-”

“Because your other option is to die and be sent back to the Void, Cancer.” Antares replied pleasantly, before he leaned forwards, his voice calm and cold as he said softly: “If you take another step, I will do whatever I have to in order to stop you.”

“Oh, boy.” Cancer clucked his tongue, shaking his head as he slowly leaned forwards, replying kindly: “You ain't nothin' but the same dumb punk, makin' the same promises you can't keep, huh? Well, don't you worry, I got just the cure for that what ails ya, boy!”

Cancer stepped firmly forwards, grinning widely before he suddenly lunged, his red eyes glowing as his claws stretched out towards Antares, hissing: “One quick-”

Antares stepped forwards and slashed his horn down in a ruthless, elegant attack as it flashed white, and Cancer was knocked backwards, crashing and skidding down the corridor with a gasp as the stallion finished gently: “Cut.”

Cancer rolled to a halt, grasping at his body as he shivered in pain, before he looked up with a snarl of fury and humiliation as Antares straightened, then swept a leg out and bowed mockingly. “I'd call first blood, but we haven't even properly started the duel yet. Watch where you're going, Cancer: hate to see you end up face-first on my horn. Then I'd be stuck looking at your ugly mug.”

Cancer hissed furiously through his teeth as he rolled up to his claws, and then the monster leapt forwards again, roaring: “This ain't no game, boy!”

But with barely a twitch, Antares slipped to the side, dodging a swipe before he seized Cancer by the face and slammed him into the ground with a thunderous bang that rattled the entire corridor. Cancer exploded into goop immediately, claws and tentacles lashing up from the mess of toxic white sludge, but Antares smoothly leapt backwards before his crystalline wings flapped once with a flare of white energy, turning the sludge to solid stone before Antares snapped his horn forwards.

The stone mass was shattered into debris that was blown down the hall by the force of the telekinetic blast, before it turned back into a mess of white slime that was left splattered throughout the corridor. Antares only smiled contemptibly, watching as the goop slowly puddled back together and reformed into a panting Cancer, the goblinoid creature groaning as it grasped at its head before it looked up with a snarl that was more afraid and desperate than furious. “H-How? How? You... you stupid, miserable, cheating little punk, how the hell... what the hell do you think you're doing? Goddammit, have the good sense to lie down and die!”

“Uh, I think it's lay down and die, for one thing.” Antares corrected pettishly, before he added mildly: “And hey, I've seen a lot worse than you over the years. You? You're a bad memory, that's all. And I'm about as afraid of you as I am of broccoli in my teeth.”

“I ain't no broccoli! I'm death! I'm destruction! I am the Void, sister-mister, distilled and pissed out of a keg of pure pain and apocalyptic terror!” Cancer shouted, posing sharply on his rear legs with his forelimbs out to either side, his red eyes blazing with fury before he suddenly went limp, his head twitching to the side before he gurgled: “Return. Return to the Void. All must return to the Void. Return to the Void.”

“Don't worry, Cancer. I'll send you home.” Antares said softly, his horn gleaming with white energy before he broke into a sudden sprint. Cancer snarled in fury as he snapped suddenly back to life, lashing out with forelegs that exploded into thorny white tentacles, but Antares smoothly launched himself into the air before he created a platform of white energy under his hooves, kicking off it to the ceiling as his body rotated sharply.

The stallion sprinted upside down along the roof as Cancer reared back in shock, beginning to raise his other foreleg in some desperate gamble, but he was too slow and Antares was too fast: there was a gleam of white, and then Cancer toppled backwards with a gurgle of shock, clutching at himself weakly before his head spilled backwards as his body fell forwards with a splatter to the floor.

He dissolved into white goop that shivered weakly for a few moments, then slowly pulled itself back together, gradually reforming into a half-melted, mutilated version of Cancer. He gurgled and rasped, then shook himself violently back and forth before picking himself up with a frustrated snarl, hissing: “You stupid... pathetic kid... if I... if I had... was...”

“Maybe, but it doesn't matter, Cancer, because you're not. You're not even much of a bully.” Antares shook his head, before he said softly, as the half-melted, humiliated, furious, and so very terrified destruction entity glared at him: “What you really are is a disappointment.”

Cancer roared in fury, staggering forwards as his crimson eyes blazed, his body nothing but malice made physical as he howled: “You stupid punk kid!”

Antares waited for the last moment, before he lunged suddenly and slammed his elbow down into Cancer's face, knocking the slimy creature to the ground with a splatter before the stallion swept his horn down, a blast of white flame erupting from his horn and washing over the creature. Cancer screamed and squealed as he rolled backwards, his white-goo body steaming and boiling away as he clutched helplessly at his semisolid body, what the purifying fire didn't turn to dust evaporating into nothing.

Yet all the same, Cancer looked up through the flames with hate and lunatic fury only exacerbated by his terror, as he spat: “I'll be back! I'll be b-back for you, just wait, you and your pretty little dog too!”

“I'll be waiting, Cancer. But don't worry. I'm not mad at you.” Antares replied with a smile, his eyes glaring challengingly at the destruction entity. “You're just the proof I need to know that I made the right choice.”

Cancer hissed in fury, before he rasped weakly as he collapsed forwards, but he burst apart into ashes even before he hit the ground, returning to the Void. Antares grunted as he straightened, then he smiled slightly and turned as the door to Thorn's room opened, turning and beginning blandly: “Hey, I was beginning to think-”

A claw of black slime shot through the door, slamming into Antares and seizing around his whole body as it shoved him across the hallway before crushing him into the opposing wall, his eyes bulging in shock as he gasped and struggled uselessly against the grip of the slime and malice tightening around him.

Antares stared in disbelief down the long, black ooze limb that was writhing back and forth, dripping sludge and corruption as it twisted through the air. And at the end of that twisting, serpentine arm, a sapphire stallion came staggering out of the doorway, his eyes leaking black slime and his teeth grit in a snarl as he hissed: “Quiet down. This is a residential zone.”

“Hey, nice to see you too.” Antares wheezed, as he shifted weakly against the claws crushing around him, a wry grin cresting his features before he rasped: “You know, uh-”

“I said shut up.” Thorn growled, and the claws slammed Antares into the ground before Thorn shivered and clenched his eyes shut as the terrible, twisting-ooze limb shivered, then finally steamed before breaking apart into a mess of goo that splattered to the ground, leaving the stallion breathing hard as he grasped at his stump and whispered: “I... I apologize. I... hate noise.”

“Yeah. Got it.” Antares mumbled, before he shook himself out and crawled up to his hooves, uneasily brushing at the toxic sludge sticking to his body here and there. It seemed like Thorn had exhausted himself, however, the sapphire stallion dropping on his rump and lowering his head.

He breathed shakily in and out, then clenched his eyes shut, trying to hold in his sobs. But he couldn't bury them entirely as Antares uncomfortably picked himself up, before he laughed awkwardly as he brushed at himself and said: “Hey, no harm done. Besides, I should be the one whimpering, not you. Hell of a grip, champ.”

“I apologize. I am... weak. I let my emotions... get carried away.” Thorn whispered, shaking his head and closing his eyes tightly as he struggled to breathe normally. But he had gone from furious to a mix of utterly exhausted and miserable: he felt like letting himself fall to the ground and cry and whimper until someone put him out of his misery-

A hoof grasped his shoulder gently, and the sapphire stallion looked up to see Antares smiling at him reassuringly, the stallion saying easily: “Heard that you're going to be coming home, though. And I'm really looking forwards to getting to spend some time with you and get to know you better. You're still a kid, you know, Thorn, so don't push yourself so damn hard. When I was a kid, I was almost as bad as you.”

Antares paused, then reached out and awkwardly wiped a bit of the black ooze off of Thorn's stump. “Well. Almost.”

Thorn looked for a few moments at the stallion, and then he nodded briefly once before he lowered his head and murmured: “Life is a series of negotiations and adjustments. That is all.”

“Horses of Heaven, you're such a pessimist.” Antares gently punched Thorn in the shoulder, before he asked: “Should I... call someone to fix that for you, or...”

“A Beauty unit already applied a bandage. But I keep... bleeding through. I keep bleeding. I can't stop bleeding.” Thorn whispered, as he lowered his head and shivered a little. Then he took a slow breath before he dragged himself around in a circle, looking away and gritting his teeth as he muttered: “Just... leave me alone. I'm going to... I'm... I'm going to...”

“You'll be okay.” Antares said gently, and when Thorn glared furiously over his shoulder at him, the stallion grinned widely and winked. “Or you'll be dead. Which is sort of okay, right?”

Thorn looked at Antares for a few moments as his expression gradually calmed, and then he gave a short laugh before he lowered his head and murmured: “It is strange, how comforting I find that.”

“Not really.” Antares only shrugged, before he softened and added gently: “Go get some rest. I hear your Mom coming and I know you don't want to be caught like this, right? So lie down and... sleep for a little while. You'll feel better when you get up, I promise.”

“Promises...” Thorn quieted, but then he only nodded briefly as he perhaps heard the approaching hooves himself, striding into the room and closing the door behind him.

Antares only sat calmly until the hooves reached him, and then he looked up with a smile at Hecate, who looked back down at him, almost inscrutable. But then she silently reached up and gently rustled his mane, and Antares huffed a little before he said dryly: “I'm not a foal, you know.”

“You'll always be a foal to me.” Hecate responded, and Antares huffed at her before the mare said almost abruptly: “It's good to see you. And you have my gratitude for... assisting us with this burden.”

“Hey, no sweat. Besides, I feel like we owed it to you, and really, it's not like any of us are the kind to turn down a fight anyway.” Antares shrugged and smiled up at the Jötnar mare, studying her intently for a few moments before he asked quietly: “How are you doing? I know this can't be...”

He shrugged lamely after a moment when Hecate gave him a moody look, but after a few moments, she relaxed a little and sighed, nodding almost grudgingly as she admitted: “It is not. But both Thorn and I have faced worse things in the past. The hardest part is knowing that I cannot help him. Knowing that if I...”

She flexed a hoof slowly, looking down at it, and Antares gave her a soft look before he said quietly: “I don't know if it means anything to you or not, Hecate, but... there's no one else in the world I would trust with this power more than you. Mom already has enough to deal with, after all, and Mutt, well, you know I can't even trust her with a pointy stick. But you've always... I think you've always at least tried to do the right thing, and I know how hard that is.”

“Tried to, Antares. And the path to Hell is paved with good intentions. That's something we both know, isn't it?” Hecate smiled thinly as she looked away, but Antares only smiled back at her as he reached up and patted her on the side of her metal-collared neck, making her scowl a little.

“That's why I said 'right,' not 'good.'” he replied mildly, then he paused before adding: “It was a destruction entity, by the way. Cancer. He-”

“He came back to finish Thorn off. E-V-100, or as you refer to him, 'Cancer,' served as both a science project and a battery for a Dogmatist invasion unit, Carcinoma.” Hecate replied, and Antares looked up with marked interest; unsurprising, Hecate thought, considering what little she knew about Antares' previous encounters with the monstrosity. “E-V-100 was a Class C biological weapon that all the same had to be treated with caution, due to his nature as a Type 4 semicorporeal-”

“How the hell do you keep all these in order? I mean, I know you have like, computers in your brain, but-” Antares squeaked when Hecate easily hefted him up into the air with only a look, his eyes bulging before he grinned lamely and gestured awkwardly at her horn. “No glow, huh?”

Hecate only smiled thinly, unsurprised that he'd noticed. “I do not need my horn to focus magic any longer, only to serve as an amplifier and director. And to answer your other question, I had hundreds, if not thousands, of years of practice and memorization. Even you would be able to get a few classifications and meanings through your thick skull.”

The mare let the stallion drop back on his rump, and Antares huffed loudly before he crossed his forelegs and declared: “Yeah, well, that just shows that you don't know me at all, because nothing goes through my thick skull that I don't want it to!”

Hecate rolled her eyes with a sigh, but then Antares became more serious as he said quietly: “You know he'll be back. I tried to at least draw his attention on to me, but... I don't know how quickly these Voidborn can regenerate, and if we're both-”

“He'll be weak. I'm sure even you were smart enough to see that his consistency was different from the other Voidborn, likely due to the nature of his powers and the fact that Void exposure is part of what formed him in the first place. I wouldn't consider him much of a threat...” Hecate smiled thinly. “And I'm rather disappointed that you do, Antares. Don't let your past control your future.”

“I guess I can't exactly ignore that advice when it comes from you, huh?” Antares asked ironically, but Hecate only continued to look at him mildly, until the stallion finally nodded hesitantly and mumbled: “It's hard not to.”

“It is. I know. But our choice is to give up, or to keep moving forwards. I would think you would find the latter preferable, Antares, considering how much you have behind you.” replied Hecate evenly, and Antares smiled a little after a moment before the mare said quietly: “I expect you to keep a close eye on him. Thesis and Cadence will also serve as escorts: I trust you have no qualms with my son?”

“Thorn or Thesis? Because one of them really needs to chill out and the other one needs to stop flirting with me.” Antares said blandly, and Hecate gave the slightest of smiles before the stallion lowered his head and said softly: “No problem at all, Hecate. And I'll make sure everyone else knows not to hold past grudges against him, either. If, uh... if I can ask...”

“A year. Perhaps only months. The prognosis is grim, and as Thesis has Jötnar blood, my powers cannot affect him. He will die.” Hecate said, but she was strangely calm, strangely proud, Antares thought, as he looked up at the mare with a frown.

But Hecate only smiled, shaking her head as she said softly: “After the life he endured and the deaths he suffered before, Antares... I can't be anything but grateful for the opportunity I have to be with my son, one last time.”

Antares smiled a little after a moment, thinking of his parents before he nodded and looked up, replying finally: “Yeah. I guess I get what you mean, Hecate. I uh... you are still going to go by Hecate, yeah?”

“Yes, Antares. I am Hecate, Empress of Decretum. That is my present, and that will be my future.” replied the Jötnar mare calmly, and Antares grinned wryly up at her before she said: “Thesis and Cadence will be bringing Thorn to Looking Glass World after they attend to another brief mission. I will also be sending envoys to Heaven and I require a way to contact Kvasir.”

“Yeah, I'm totally responsible enough to do all those things.” Antares said blandly, before he winced a bit when the mare leaned forwards over him, shrinking immediately under her gaze.

“What you can do is call together your friends and allies. I know that you were previously employed as a messenger boy for Heaven, after all, I'm certain you can manage this task for me.” Hecate replied, and Antares glowered at her, although the effect was somewhat diminished by the fact he had his head shrunken back between his shoulders. “I've already marked you for guest authorization. The Dogmatists and Hexad units will respond to you and honor limited privilege.”

“I don't even know what the hell that means, except that you think you can use it to order me around to do stuff.” Antares said blandly, before he winced a bit when the mare smiled at him thinly. “I mean, I'm not saying you can't, but uh... that's... rude. You're rude.”

Hecate only continued to look at him for a moment, until Antares lamely nodded to her, and she instructed: “It should be easy for you to gather your friends and have them assemble at my Orphanage. I've already had drones set up a meeting hall. I will be holding a session in several hours with the Council and all available backers to debrief them on the emergency situation that has occurred here. As a token of both my thanks and transparency, I am inviting you and yours to attend this meeting as well.”

“Great reward. Cool beans, really.” Antares said awkwardly, as he leaned back with a grimace before he sighed and lowered his head, muttering: “Yeah, I guess I can do that for you, Hecate, but... well, are you sure that...”

He looked slowly up to see the moody look the mare was favoring him with, and then he cleared his throat before asking lamely: “Still have that thing about not questioning your judgment, huh? You know, you got vents in your sides, you don't need a chip on your shoulder on top of that. I mean. You probably do have microchips all over you but-”

“Just get the job done. I expect the same from you that I expect from any of my Orphans.” Hecate said calmly, and Antares smiled slightly at this, raising his head a little as he felt a bit of undeniable pride.

The Jötnar mare turned towards the door leading to Thorn's room, but she paused in front of it as she felt the stallion's eyes on her, sensing that he had another question for her. So instead of letting herself through immediately, she waited patiently, tilting her head slightly back over her shoulder to show she was listening, until Antares finally asked: “Have you really had the Hexad all along?”

“No. But excavating the heart and mind of Decretum was among one of the first things I did. Ponies might prefer to let the dead rest, but I would rather put every tool I have to use.” Hecate replied calmly, not looking back at the stallion. “I suggest that if you have any problems with my methods, you wait until the meeting.”

Antares hesitated, but then he nodded, and Hecate calmly strode into her son's room before he could say anything else, leaving the stallion standing in the hall by himself for a few moments. Then he sighed and smiled wryly, shrugging a bit and only hoping that Hecate knew what she was doing, but ultimately, he trusted her.

There was the heart of a Princess in there somewhere, after all.

A Bouquet Of RED

Chapter Sixty Six: A Bouquet Of RED
~BlackRoseRaven

It had been a rough start, but everything was falling into place, as the machinery of Decretum ground implacably on. With the Hexad Army now present to assist with both cleanup operations and securing Imperia, the Dogmatists were able to focus on repairing the most severe damages and rescuing those who were still trapped throughout the wreckage of the city.

Cadence had heard that Hecate had called some kind of meeting, but she and Thesis were currently in the process of getting ready to head to the Ten Moons facility. If she'd known Hecate a little less well, she would have been offended... okay, maybe I am a little pissed off that some big thing is happening, and Thesis and I- “Hey, you're thinking dumb things.”

“I am not. You're dumb.” Cadence said grouchily, as she glowered over the stallion, who pasted a hurt look on his face. Then she scowled as she drew her eyes over him: apart from the exoskeleton implanted into his back, the only gear she saw on him was a Mission Drive strapped to one foreleg, and a satchel hanging off his side that was stuffed with paperwork. “Are you ready? If these guys end up being hostile...”

“They won't... well, okay, they might be hostile. But not hostile the way you're thinking.” Thesis replied mildly, shaking his head quickly. “They'll recognize my command authority. But they'll be rude and obnoxious and... well, I mean, everything you're used to by now, I'm sure.

“But Mom wouldn't send us on this mission if she didn't trust us. She also wouldn't send us on this mission just to get us out of the way.” Thesis said pointedly, leaning towards Cadence, and Cadence leaned slightly back even as she let her eyes flick almost embarrassedly away. “But hey, the sooner we get this done-”

“The better.” Cadence cut off, shaking her head quickly before she checked over herself: her own armor was being repaired, so she was only wearing a set of the lightweight, mass-produced black plate armor similar to the gear the Kirin clones were equipped with: it brought back memories. Both of recent times, and when she'd first come to Decretum...

She hesitated, then looked over at Thesis and asked quietly: “Did Hecate ever train you? I mean, she was your mother, and...”

“Mom was also the Princess of the Sun when I knew her, Cadence. She taught me a thing or two, sure, but most of my training came from other tutors. Back then, Mom didn't like to fight.” Thesis replied with a shrug, before he smiled a bit as he reached up and touched the front of the armor Cadence was wearing. “I did use similar gear, though, when I was in the Dark Angel unit. All our special forces used this gear after it was first developed.”

Cadence nodded, and then she absently reached up and touched her own breast, letting her hoof rest beside Thesis' as she asked: “What about the Mission Drives?”

“Those are new.” Thesis glanced at the small machine on Cadence's side, before he smiled slightly as he tapped her breast once. “She's given you guys a lot of new, cooler stuff, as a matter of fact. We had the visors and the communication system, yeah, but... that was about it. No uplink, no network, no OA-SYS.

“Valthrudnir... Dad, he always wanted to win a fight, but after the Decretum project 'failed,' he just abandoned us. Mom must have taken all his schematics, all his plans, and gone through them and brought them to life... weird, really, thinking about... how much Dad has protected this universe.”

Thesis looked down as he half-grasped Cadence's hoof, and she frowned at him before she shook her head and muttered: “The universe wouldn't need protecting like this if it wasn't for him.”

“And we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him.” Thesis countered, which Cadence had no real response to. She felt the Swan twist inside of her... but what surprised her was that it seemed to be with interest, not anger. “Seriously. As much as it sucks to admit, not everything he's done has been for the worst. And do you want to imagine fighting Loki without my Mommy to back us up?”

“We probably wouldn't even need to fight Loki if it wasn't for Valthrudnir.” grumbled Cadence, and Thesis only huffed loudly in response to this. But before they could continue their circular, endless argument, Cadence quickly cut in: “Let's just get going. We can talk about this later.”

“I know enough about mares to know that means 'we'll never talk about it again and I just won the argument.” Thesis said dryly, before he winced at the glare Cadence favored him with, lamely squeezing her hoof before he looked dumbly down at their locked forehooves, and then he looked up with a faint blush and a lame grin. “Uh. Hi.”

Cadence looked down at their hooves for a moment, then she yanked hers away, glowering at him. “What it means is you should shut up and listen to me because you're an idiot. We have a mission to do.”

“Yes ma'am.” Thesis gave a loud, theatrical sigh as he saluted lazily, before he winced when Cadence grabbed him by the nose to pull him out of the prep room and back into the portal lobby. He grumbled, but allowed himself to be led along even as he whined: “You know, you could at least hold me by the ear like Mommy does.”

“I'm not your Mommy.” Cadence grumbled, but she finally let go of the Replicant as they stopped in front of one of the smaller rings. She couldn't help but glance back and forth all the same, muttering: “There's still a lot of activity.”

“What, you expect a little thing like a catastrophic invasion is going to stop Mom from doing business as usual?” Thesis asked mildly, and Cadence smiled despite herself. She was a little... unsettled by it, maybe, but at the same time she appreciated the fact that Hecate apparently refused to let anything slow her down, as Dogmatists came and went, cargo moved through the large-scale freight portals, and a few diplomats and officers went about their own business, as if the Clockwork Empire wasn't in shambles.

Thesis saluted the Dogmatist beside the portal they had been assigned to, and to Cadence's surprised, asked cheerfully: “How the hell are you holding up, Azure?”

The thin Dogmatist gazed silently back at Thesis through his hollow glass eyes: he was supported more by the tight metal braces around his body than his own gangly limbs, and his mane and spine were both a mess of cables and nodes. His skin was stretched and pale, and he had the look of one of the Dogmatists that had spent too long hooked up to the machines, had too many wires and circuits to be a pony anymore-

And then, to Cadence's disbelief, Azure creakily rose a hoof and made a small wave at Thesis, and Thesis smiled warmly as he reached up and patted him firmly on the shoulder. “Good. Keep it up, huh? All of you, even me... I feel like we're so close to being ponies again, you know?”

Azure bobbed his head slowly, and Cadence smiled a little before Thesis asked: “So what's the drop point? How many connectors am I going to have to hit?”

“Sector Seven. No connectors.” Azure replied in an emotionless, mechanical voice. Thesis nodded and smiled again at this, looking both relieved and a little uneasy, Cadence thought.

“Great. I mean. Sort of. Well. I'm glad you're efficient, Azure.” Thesis said finally, and then he turned towards Cadence and explained: “If I remember the layout of the Ten Moons correctly, us being able to jump straight to Sector Seven means that they've brought most or all of the security checkpoints online. You can't just portal in anywhere in Ten Moons: you have to drop either outside of the facility, or you have to connect directly to another portal, which has to be active-”

“I think I get it. Why doesn't that make our job easier?” Cadence asked, and Thesis rubbed at the back of his head moodily.

“It does and it doesn't. It means that the Replicants are probably in 'reception,' as we call it, where they're uploaded new data while in stasis.” Thesis grimaced as he rubbed moodily at his head. “It's not fun. It means they'll be cranky when we wake them up, among other things. On the positive side they'll know who you are, but on the negative side they'll... know who you are.”

Cadence gave the stallion a moody look, but Thesis only shook his head before he turned towards the portal, saying finally: “Well, we're wasting energy here. Let's get this over with.”

Cadence sighed a little, but nodded in agreement after a moment, the two facing the portal before Thesis said mildly: “Close it behind us, Azure. We can reactivate it from the other side when we're ready to come home.”

Azure gave a slow nod, and Thesis smiled at him before he turned his attention back to the swirling vortex, saying easily: “Well, let's go, Cadence. Stop stalling.”

Cadence glared at the Replicant as he strode into the portal, then she rolled her eyes and followed quickly after him. They both emerged from the other side in a swirl of energy, but anything Cadence was about to say was cut off as she found several Kirin waiting for them, one of them already apparently briefing Thesis on whatever was going on.

The stallion looked unperturbed as Cadence approached, but the ivory mare frowned immediately as she picked up the conversation: “-shut down, and the security protocols are all in effect. You'll have to go through quarantine.”

“So what does that mean for us?” she interrupted, and the Kirin gave her a moody look, but Thesis only smiled amiably and shrugged a bit.

“Not what you're thinking. More that it'll just take us a lot more time.” Thesis replied with a brief shake of his head, and then he glanced back at the Kirin commander and said: “Continue with the standard protocol for now. If you want a recommendation, then shut down the tram system and divert power to the bulkheads. That should decrease the security level a little.”

“Yes, sir.” The Kirin saluted, and Cadence looked curiously at Thesis even as the stallion turned to lead her through an open shutter, past two looming Bushi that glowered at them distrustfully as they passed.

Cadence frowned a bit over her shoulder as she followed Thesis, before she asked uneasily as they passed a few more suspicious-looking Kirin: “Okay, why the hell are they all looking at us like that?”

“It's a long story. But in the past we were at war with the Kirin and... when Dad found a planet dominated by them, he uh...” Thesis cleared his throat, then he gestured awkwardly with his head at a Bushi as they passed, the cybernetic Kirin not hiding his distaste as he slowly sharpened a weapon against one metal hoof. “Well, they're not like the Dogmatists. The nodes force them to obey, but not to forget.”

“Because there's absolutely nothing that could go wrong with that.” Cadence said dryly, and Thesis smiled wryly as he shrugged a bit. “What about this quarantine? Did something get loose?”

“No, quarantine is a standard procedure when the units are brought online. The Replicants aren't just in reception, they're being paced, which means they're sort of being... readied, so to speak.” Thesis said carefully, and Cadence grimaced again.

“Replicants, clones... I feel like the Orphans are going to be replaced by actual machines.” Cadence muttered, and Thesis looked at her mildly over his shoulder.

“We're not going to replace you, and you know it.” he replied, and Cadence smiled awkwardly at him as she felt surprisingly embarrassed for letting something like that slip out.

“I don't think of you as a Replicant.” she said, and Thesis looked at her curiously before the mare cleared her throat and glanced away, mumbling: “Let's just get this over and done with.”

“Yeah. Labs are a level down, don't worry. Just keep your cool and don't get too mad when the Kirin try to search you.” Thesis replied pointedly, and Cadence nodded as she decided to follow along for now, before she frowned when Thesis added: “Hey, if you turn on your visor, you should automatically link to the network. We can see if Mom followed up with those authorizations already.”

“Alright.” Cadence flicked her head, pulling her visor down with telekinesis, and it automatically flickered to life. The HUD blinked into life as the visor booted up, before the ivory mare grimaced a bit at the numbers and letters that scrawled over the glass, muttering: “Hate this thing.”

Thesis snorted at this, but he didn't reply, forcing Cadence to focus on the information in front of her before she muttered: “Okay. Yeah, it's synchronizing information... Seneschal? Can you hear me?”

“Yes, yes, Cadence, I can hear you, but please tell me you have a reason for wasting my processor power like this.” Seneschal's voice complained from the headset, and Cadence looked lamely over at Thesis.

But the Replicant only winked before he replied mildly: “Seneschal, it's your new boss. Do you have the diagnostic prints for the Replicants here in Sector Seven?”

Seneschal gave a long groan, then he grumbled moodily out of the visor, as a tiny, scowling image of the dragon appeared in a corner of Cadence's vision: “Yes, yes. I see you're on your way there now, though, why bother me about it now?”

“I like to be prepared.” Thesis replied simply, and Seneschal grumbled grouchily before he asked: “Can you send them to my Mission Drive?”

“Yes, yes, yes. I'm already doing so, of course, your highness.” Seneschal said acerbically, before asking ironically: “Will there be anything else today, substitute Thorn, or may I return to my diligence?”

“Yeah, uh, large coffee, black, and Cadence and I didn't eat much lunch so like if you could throw something together for us, that would be cool.” Thesis said blandly, and Seneschal hissed through his pixellated teeth before Thesis asked suddenly: “How's the system integrity here looking? Have you completed a full scan yet?”

Seneschal seemed caught off guard by this, replying curiously: “All systems are optimal and integrity is holding at 98%. Scans have been completed every hour, on the hour, as per Empress Hecate's orders.”

“Do another scan now, and recheck all priorities: compare their current commands to the physical data logs and alert myself and Hecate if you detect any mismatched data.” Thesis said briskly, and Seneschal grumbled loudly before he gave a mumble of acknowledgment and blinked out of Cadence's visor.

“Physical data?” Cadence asked, and Thesis smiled at her as they headed into an elevator.

“Yeah. Long-term, important data... configuration files, stuff like that, it's kept on hard copy, in the form of physical data cards. Basically they're metal cards that a physical scanner drags over, and it interprets the patterns and holes in the card as data according to a mathematical formula.” Thesis explained, and Cadence stared at him before the Replicant gave a wide grin. “What? Awed by how smart I am?”

“Not really, since somehow I don't think you understand half of what you just said.” Cadence grumbled, as Thesis hit a button on the control panel. He huffed at her as the elevator doors closed, and they descended in silence before Cadence grimaced as the elevator beeped loudly and slowed to a halt. “What's that?”

“Just stay still. The camera is scanning us.” Thesis replied, gesturing at a small dome in the top corner of the elevator. Cadence glared at the stallion, but Thesis only smiled slightly, saying softly: “It's weird being back here. Doing this stuff again. I questioned at first how Mom could do it, but... now that I'm doing it too, I guess... there's a weird sort of familiarity. It's almost comforting. This... this is what I was designed for, after all.”

Cadence softened a little, and Thesis chuckled softly before he lowered his head and murmured: “I guess no matter what happens, you can't really escape your purpose, huh?”

The ivory mare glanced down at one of her golden hooves as her long tail flicked uncertainly behind her, but then Thesis looked up, gave her that stupid, cheerful grin of his, and said easily: “But you sure as hell can choose how you fulfill that purpose, and even what that purpose means. And I'd much rather think of myself as a weapon who exists to protect than a weapon who just exists to kill, right?”

“I... shut up.” Cadence grumbled, as the elevator doors finally opened, and she grimaced when she looked out into what was clearly a checkpoint, with a team of Kirin guards already standing at the ready.

The moment she stepped out, one of them reached out to grab her, and Cadence wasn't sure if she reacted or the Swan did as she caught his wrist and immediately twisted, the Bushi flinching as the other guards tensed.

“Yeah, okay, Cadence, this is what I meant about the 'don't freak out when they try to search you' thing.” Thesis said delicately as he stepped out and reached up, carefully prying the Kirin and Cadence apart, and the ivory mare did her best to hide her embarrassment with a grumble as she moodily glared at the Kirin in front of her.

The other guards shifted nervously as the Bushi brushed himself off, and then he said brusquely: “Standard procedure.”

“Fine.” Cadence grumbled, as she eyed the scanner ahead moodily: it wasn't like a patdown was going to show them anything the machine wouldn't. But all the same, she let the Kirin quickly check her over before she walked through the scanner to the other side, where another Kirin lifted a plastic box with telekinesis and instructed:

“Place all your-”

Cadence slapped the box out of the Kirin's psychic grip, and then she glowered over her shoulder when Thesis whistled and remarked: “What the hell, Cadence. I thought you were the professional one here.”

“I am. To a point.” Cadence grumbled, as the Kirin quickly picked up the box and scurried out of her way. “I want to get this over and done with, that's all, and I still don't know where I stand with these guys.”

“'These guys' are literally all around you, Cadence. Try and at least pretend to be polite, huh?” Thesis said pointedly, and Cadence sighed a little before she nodded almost grudgingly, even as she and a Bushi glared at each other.

Thesis carefully grasped Cadence by the shoulders and gently pulled her onward, past the guards she had been glowering at and into a long hall. The mare grimaced as she immediately noted the security shutters placed at regular intervals through the corridor: all of them were raised, but the fact there were so many in just this one sterile hall alone... “Just what kind of Replicants are we dealing with here?”

“Difficult ones. I'm not surprised Mom left them in storage until now.” Thesis answered, before he continued gently: “And hey, look. I know it's weird. I know it takes a lot of getting used to. I know you probably feel like you're getting jerked around a lot and you're stuck dealing with a bunch of people you don't want to, like... me, for example. But it would be great if you could, you know, not take it out on everyone.”

Cadence shifted a bit, but she knew that was fair. And as much as she wanted to blame the Swan, lately the Swan had been quiet, and curious, and... weird. Just weird. And I think that's part of what's throwing me off, too. “I know. I'll try harder.”

“I don't want you to try, Cadence. I want you to do, because I know that you can.” Thesis replied as he shouldered her lightly, and Cadence gave him a sour look, but the stallion only winked. “Hey, from weapon-to-weapon-”

“You're not a weapon. You're not like me.” Cadence grumbled, although part of her regretted saying that almost immediately.

Thesis, however, only smiled at her and shrugged easily before he replied gently: “As much as I appreciate you saying so, we're more similar than you might think. Right down to the moodiness and the childish spats and the throwing of the ice cream on the floor.”

Cadence sighed and rolled her eyes, but decided not to respond as she carefully wiggled herself free and let herself fall a pace behind so she could follow. Thesis gave her a look she couldn't quite figure out, but he led the way forward: she was glad that at least he seemed to know where to go, since like every other Decretum structure she had been in, this one was a maze of corridors and doors.

Thesis led her to a door guarded by another pair of Kirin, the stallion announcing as they stepped in front of it: “Prince Thesis, here to assess the operational status of the RED AI Action team.”

Both Bushi saluted grouchily, and then they both reached back and pressed paired panels on either side of the door, the security shutter sliding up after a moment with a hiss. Cadence thought Thesis took a moment to steady himself before he quickly strode inside, and the mare followed after him as she squared her shoulders.

They stepped into some kind of viewing room, and Cadence frowned a bit as they approached a window to look down into a target range below. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise as she counted no less than four ponies below, all of them simply staring in an awful, emotionless way despite the different expressions on their-

Cadence felt the presence before she saw it, spinning around and swinging her hooves out, but her attack was caught by a mare with a shark-like maw of fangs, who whispered in a sibilant tongue: “Aren't you a cutie?”

Cadence flung the mare backwards, and it gave an echoing laugh as it seemed to twist on itself like it had no spine, the mare-creature landing on sharp hooves against the ground before it vanished from sight in a puff of black smoke. Cadence's eyes widened in surprise, but the Swan immediately took over, the ivory mare's eyes narrowing before she gave a slight smile and struck out with an elbow to the side.

The mare-creature gasped in pain, staggering back into reality before she snarled in fury, but Thesis quickly stepped between the two, saying sharply: “Enough.”

Danzsöngr lowered her head politely, and the mare-creature snorted, but then stepped moodily backwards and nodded once, muttering grudgingly: “Only because we must obey you, Prince Thesis. And only because it has been too long since we set our eyes upon you. We missed you, dear: did you forget about us?”

Thesis simply gave a wry smile, and Cadence grimaced a bit as her eyes locked on the mare-creature: it had four small crimson eyes and a wispy mane that floated eerily around it like silken cloudstuff. Her body seemed to flow and ebb like a living pool of ashes and charcoal, and her teeth were a little too large for her mouth, giving her a permanent parted-lip grin.

Cadence frowned slightly as her eyes drew over the creature, realizing something about it was... wrong. Or rather, that it wasn't exactly pony, even disregarding its mutations: the legs were too long and slender, the hooves were petite and strange, the body was almost hound-like. But it was the Swan who answered her question for her, as it said from her mouth: “Illilleap.”

“Very good. An extinct race, but Karsilamas and the others from the RED team are all uh... unique.” Thesis said delicately, before he reached up and pointedly gestured at the red-eyed mare when she began to lean forwards. “No. Go back to your squad, Karie. We'll meet you in a minute.”

“Karie!” The creature seemed amused by this, her red eyes studying Thesis with interest for a few moments before she bowed her head and smiled, replying kindly: “But very well. Just as you wish, Prince Thesis. We'll be waiting for you.”

Karsilamas vanished from sight, and Cadence scowled as she felt the invisible Illilleap brush against her before she sensed its presence fade. For a few moments, she was silent, and then she turned her eyes moodily towards Thesis, who only looked mildly back at her before he said blandly: “Hey, none of this is my fault.”

“Everything is your fault.” grumbled Cadence, and Thesis sighed dramatically before the mare asked in a quieter voice: “What the hell was that?”

“Replicant, Class 5 prototype. I don't know how much you know about Replicants like me-” Thesis faltered ever-so-slightly in his words. “-but we're made to infiltrate settlements, designed to be able to 'blend in,' so to speak, even if we... we're different. Well, the prototype Class 5s look really different because they were also Valthrudnir testing just how far he could push and bend our genomes but... anyway, getting off topic, yeah.

“The RED series were designed to infiltrate non-pony civilizations and settlements. There are quite a lot of them, you know, both magical and non-magical races.” Thesis replied as he stepped towards the glass, looking down at the Replicants below, and as Cadence let her eyes draw over them again, she realized that none of them were pony. They all looked like races similar to ponies, but... “They're... 'lesser lesser' creatures, as I think Valthrudnir liked to refer to them as. It's left them all with a bit of a chip on their collective shoulders.”

Cadence studied the five standing below them silently, before Thesis gave a wry smile as he stepped back and muttered: “Well, let's go meet the team. And try and be on your best behavior, huh?”

“I'm usually the one telling other people that.” grumbled Cadence, but she nodded after a moment, adding grumpily: “I will, though. But don't talk to me like-”

“You talk to us?” Thesis asked ironically, but as much as Cadence wanted to glower at him, she had to grudgingly admit that he had a bit of a point. She also felt something she couldn't quite identify as they stepped through a security door together and descended a steep set of stairs: it was rare for anypony to actually stand up to her, after all. Even Shining never really...

Cadence shook herself once, then she looked up with a scowl as a voice asked coolly: “Is this really what we've been replaced with, Prince Thesis? Adopted ponies from other worlds who can't even keep themselves on task?”

“Cadence, allow me to introduce the RED AI Action team.” Thesis said dryly, turning around to face Cadence as he gestured broadly at the five not-ponies behind him. “Karsilamas you already know. The others are Faunus, Manes, Gesicht, and Thespis. I'm sure you guys will get along just splendidly.”

The ivory mare allowed her eyes to moodily rove over the line behind Thesis, moving from the strange, alien Illilleap that was Karsilamas and along the lineup. And a strange group it was, full of creatures she'd never even seen before.

Faunus seemed to be some sort of small, wingless dragon: he had dark purple-red scales that almost looked metallic, and small, hooded eyes. He had four short, curving horns that framed his face, and dexterous, complex claws that were nervously playing with some kind of large rifle, as his serpentine tail flicked uneasily back and forth behind him.

The next in line was a zebra: he was tall, well-built, and had eerie eyes that glowed with knowledge and unknown magics, and body armor that had been augmented with orbs of crystal that glowed with the same colors. He looked almost normal, except that maybe his visible coat was a little too ashen, and his stripes almost seemed like oil, flowing and undulating with his movements. He smiled slyly at Cadence when she looked at him, tossing her a wink as he licked his sharp teeth... they all have sharp teeth. Carnivore teeth.

Gesicht, to her surprise, was some kind of griffin species: he had the front quarters of a golden eagle, his forelegs ending in gauntlet-covered talons, his powerful wings folded at his sides, but his hindquarters seemed to be that of a pony, covered only by a battle-skirt that seemed more ceremonial than anything else. He had some sort of huge rifle holstered over one shoulder, his eyes covered by heavy goggles, yet Cadence could feel the contempt he looked at her with.

Last, but not least, was an... antelope, Cadence guessed: a rare species she hadn't seen much of. He seemed almost perfectly normal, she thought: apart from the fact he was wearing an officer's armor, there was nothing all that off about him that she could identify: from his tall horns to his lithe body, to his cold, cold eyes...

He smiled at her, and she saw his sharp teeth; he extended a hoof, and she realized that it wasn't really a hoof at all even before she took it, as he said calmly: “I am Commander Thespis of the RED AI Action unit. I understand that we will be working together.”

His hoof was like firm rubber, pulsating and warm in her hoof. But Cadence did her best to hide her grimace as Thespis calmly rose her hoof to kiss it, before he looked up at her with a thin smile and asked: “Are you here to assess us?”

Cadence frowned, then she said uncertainly, even as she felt Thesis wince beside her: “I suppose-”

Thespis twisted her foreleg hard and slammed his other hoof up into her chest before Cadence had a chance to react, making her gasp as she staggered backwards stupidly. Immediately, Karsilamas was on her, seizing her around the neck and throwing her backwards before she dropped with a titter as Faunus leapt over her and smashed the butt of his rifle across Cadence's face, sending her sprawling backwards with a cry of shock.

The Swan took over, a snarl of fury cresting the ivory mare's face as she rolled sharply backwards up her hooves, but then she gasped as a shot rang out, the floor in front of her exploding as her eyes looked quickly up to see Gesicht working the lever of his rifle, hovering near the high ceiling. Danzsöngr barely reacted in time before the second shot, bringing one of her wings up as it glowed with ivory energy, shielding herself.

The bullet smashed into her wing, sending up a burst of ivory feathers and white motes of energy, and the Swan staggered back a step before she sensed someone behind her: how they had gotten on the other side of her so fast, she neither knew nor cared. She only acted, shoving herself backwards and slamming a hoof out.

Manes' cocky grin vanished in a burst of blood as the zebra was knocked onto his back with a gasp of shock, eyes bulging. Karsilamas immediately vanished from sight, but the Swan could still sense her, and even before Manes hit the ground, the ivory mare had already twisted hard to the side to slam both rear hooves out, hitting an invisible shape in the face with a resounding crunch.

Manes and Karsilamas hit the ground one after the other, and the Swan neatly flipped backwards as her wings flapped sharply, sending a flurry of glowing white daggers streaking up into the air to hammer through Gesicht's wings. The griffin howled in pain, but even as he fell, he fired off a shot-

Danzsöngr smiled coldly as she flicked her horn sharply, deflecting the bullet with a spark of magic and sending it slamming into Faunus' lower leg, knocking him sprawling forwards, and the Swan caught his head as he fell to slam his face through the floor with a loud crunch. It left only her and Thespis standing, the commander looking at her coldly as the Swan eyed him for a moment, before the antelope began to open his mouth-

His eyes bulged in shock as the Swan buried her horn into his chest, black blood leaking from the wound as he trembled on his hooves. He mouthed wordlessly, then hissed in pain as the Swan slowly withdrew her horn before she reached up and grasped him by the face, forcibly turning his head back and forth as he glared at her furiously.

Danzsöngr smiled again, before she said contemptibly: “We are not impressed.”

She drew her hoof back- “Wait!”

The Swan looked over at Thesis, and the Replicant grimaced a bit before he said quietly: “We are here to retrieve them. Not to fight. You've all had your fun, but that's enough. No more blue.”

The Swan looked at Thesis for a few moments, but then she finally relented, letting Cadence take back over, and the mare grumbled under her breath as Thespis gave a distasteful smile and opened his mouth-

Cadence slammed a right hook hard across the antelope's jaw, knocking him sprawling on his back with a loud thud and leaving him in a senseless heap as she grumbled: “Yeah. These guys seem real promising.”

“Hey, they'll be plenty effective. Or are you trying to say you're not badass?” Thesis replied pointedly, and Cadence huffed at this as she glowered over the sprawled RED unit, who were slowly picking themselves up and reassembling around Thespis with mixed looks of humiliation and anger.

“Five Replicants should be more of a challenge than that.” Cadence said moodily, although she recognized fully that all she'd really done was knock them down: even Thespis was recovering now, glaring angrily at Cadence as he stood up and the wound and his armor both visibly healed- wait. “Does he have some kind of new-model armor?”

Thespis snorted, but Thesis only rolled his eyes before he said pointedly: “Thespis, Cadence is a superior officer. While it's cute how you used order-override privilege to get a free punch in on her, really – and by cute I obviously mean suicidal – you are required to answer her questions. So you know. Get answering.”

Thespis snorted, and then he rose his head before smiling contemptibly, and Cadence's eyes widened in surprise as his features flowed like silver liquid before they became a perfect match for Cadence's own. Then his face shifted back to normal with the same eerie metal gleam. “My body is composed of liquid metal. I can configure my appearance however I please. Now, if that's all the silly questions you have, Lady Cadence...”

Cadence glowered at the antelope, but Thesis gently but quickly nudged her aside as he stepped forwards, saying: “I need a sound off and operative status.”

Thespis sighed and rolled his eyes, but then he nodded and turned towards his unit, saying in a voice that utterly dripped contempt: “Do as the Prince wishes, as we are all but puppets to the desire of the head puppet. As I do; Thespis, callsign: Comedian, ready to deploy.”

“Karsilamas, callsign: Gypsy, ready to deploy!” trilled the Illilleap, the creature smiling with an out-of-place smugness at Cadence.

“Manes, callsign Oracle, ready to deploy.” The zebra glared at Cadence as he rubbed slowly at a bruised eye, and the ivory mare noted that he wasn't healing with the same supernatural speed as the others: then again, perhaps that also had to do with the fact he was clearly the most 'normal' of the group of Replicants...

“Faunus, callsign: Lizard. Ready to deploy.” grumbled the pony-sized dragon, as he grouchily rubbed at the broken armor over his bruised foreleg.

“Gesicht, callsign: Hawkeye, ready to deploy.” muttered the griffin-thing, as he adjusted the large goggles over his eyes and flapped his wings absently.

Cadence let her eyes draw over them, and then she looked back at Thesis, who was studying the five intently. They were all Replicants: there was something so synthetic, imperfect in its perfection, about each and every one of them. And apart from Thesis, in spite of the emotions they projected, Cadence found herself questioning if they actually felt anything at all...

She turned her eyes back towards Thesis, studying him, before she returned her eyes to the group of Replicants, deciding to just stay quiet for now as Thesis asked: “Have you gone through the latest updates and reception?”

“Yes, the team is at full operational status.” Thespis said irritably, gesturing disdainfully at Thesis. “We've all been updated fully. Seneschal brought us online, and said we were to serve Empress Hecate, and that Lord Valthrudnir has been terminated.”

“Good riddance.” Karsilamas said, and then she paused before adding gently: “With all respect, of course, Prince Thesis.”

“No, I understand. Dad wasn't... great.” Thesis said delicately, before he shook his head and asked: “What about the Orphans?”

“For the most part, we are to treat them as Dogmatists. We are also aware that all other Replicants have been brought into active duty.” Thespis smiled thinly. “But as you are aware, Prince Thesis, we are not industrial models. We are military models, designed for a specific purpose.”

“Retrieval, Extraction, and Deception.” Thesis answered, and Cadence couldn't help but give a wry smile: that explained the name. “You'll be doing plenty of that, don't worry. Have you been briefed on the status of the enemy, or has that remained under an intelligence blindfold?”

Thespis finally showed an emotion other than contempt as he saluted and replied in a crisp, professional voice: “Voidborn. Data on the enemy is incomplete, but they can be terminated by powerful magic or continuous damage. Seneschal informed us that more data would be given on request, and I want my team prepared.”

“And you will be. We'll brief you in Decretum, I'm sure that Empress Hecate already has a mission lined up for your team to get you warmed up.” Thesis replied with a slight smile. “She'll probably send you out to capture one of the Voidborn. Are you up for that?”

Thespis snorted, then he looked back at his team, and Cadence thought there was the faintest bit of pride in his eyes as he replied: “We're prepared for anything that the enemy can throw at us.”

“You didn't do too well against me.” Cadence said before she could stop herself, and Thespis immediately favored her with an ugly look.

“We weren't briefed on your abilities. We only know that you are a command unit, in charge of the Orphans and second to the acting Regent.” Thespis replied irritably, while Manes and Faunus both half-turned away with looks of embarrassment. “You are also protected by command authority, which disallows full combat authorization against you.”

“Just allows for cheap shots, huh?” Cadence asked ironically, and Thespis scowled at her before the ivory mare added moodily: “I will take on your whole team any time, by the way, and-”

“Okay, uh. Let's just get back on topic, shall we?” Thesis interrupted, and both Thespis and Cadence glared at the stallion. But the Replicant remained unperturbed, instead instructing: “Thespis, you and your team head to the nearest equipment bay and gear up, then rendezvous with us at the LSFT site on Level 8. You can serve as the security escort for the cargo. I'll authorize you for the highest level gear I can.”

Cadence blinked in surprise, looking curiously over at Thesis, but Thespis only saluted sharply before he replied: “Twenty minutes.”

“Make it thirty. Give me and Cadence a chance to linger.” Thesis replied with a slight smile, and Thespis saluted again before the antelope turned and led his team towards a set of doors. Karsilamas stayed for a moment, smiling strangely between Thesis and Cadence, but then she simply vanished with a giggle that made the ivory mare's skin crawl.

Cadence looked at Thesis, and Thesis shrugged before he said finally: “They're weird. I warned you about that already, though, I thought. Either way, let's get going. We have to go down a few floors and pick up-”

The ivory mare narrowed her eyes dangerously, and Thesis winced a bit before he held up his front hooves, saying plainly: “This is not my fault or my idea.”

“Horses of Heaven, I just wish that once, once, Hecate would tell us what the hell is going on.” Cadence muttered, before she sighed tiredly as Thesis smiled at her supportively even as he began to walk towards the exit the RED team had taken out. “Would that really be so bad?”

“When there's scary mind readers involved, yes.” Thesis replied mildly, and Cadence sighed before she lowered her head grouchily in agreement as they headed into a short, sterile corridor.

Cadence began to open her mouth, and then she frowned slightly before her eyes flicked up to the ceiling. And even without the Swan's help, she caught sight of the strange distortion present, the mare scowling as Thesis said mildly: “It's not polite to listen in. You should also be getting ready.”

“But I'm already ready!” whined Karsilamas, as she reappeared above them, laying on the ceiling in plain defiance of gravity, her forelegs crossed under her head and a pout on her lips. “Besides, you need an escort, dears, don't you?”

“Nope.” Cadence said shortly, and then she added grumpily: “Go away.”

“Okay!” Karsilamas vanished from sight, and Cadence sighed as she distinctly heard the Illilleap hop down from the ceiling and land behind them. She could hear the mare... doe... whatever it is... prowling along behind them, but she wasn't quite sure what to say.

“Karie, relax. Go with the rest of your team, you don't have to scout or spy on us.” Thesis said mildly. Karsilamas huffed at this, but after a moment of apparent indecision from the presence tracking them, it vanished, seeming to fade all at once as if it had simply puffed out of existence.

Cadence looked pointedly at Thesis, and the Replicant shrugged before answering: “Illilleap are... notoriously difficult. They're disobedient and mischievous. She was kept in line mostly through fear... that's how all the Replicants were kept in line, really. But... I don't want to rule that way. I want to be...”

Thesis quieted, and Cadence studied him for a few moments before she opened her mouth, but then frowned a little and lowered her head. Thesis looked at her questioningly, and Cadence smiled a bit before she said finally: “I was going to say that Hecate rules through fear, but I guess there's a difference between fear and being afraid of someone, huh?”

“I think I get what you're saying. Mom is tough, yeah, and Mom's scary, but I think that while all of you guys are afraid of her, none of you really fear her. She's hard on you if you fail. But she's good to you guys, at least from what I've seen so far.” Thesis smiled a bit, then he said softly: “I'm glad to see it. There was a time in the past when...”

He lowered his head, and Cadence leaned over and nudged him firmly before she said softly: “The past is in the past.”

“The past is in the past.” Thesis agreed, and then Cadence looked up in surprise as they stopped in front of an elevator, the stallion smiling over at her. “What?”

“I guess sometimes I just get talking to you, and I forget we're actually going somewhere.” Cadence replied, and Thesis looked oddly touched by this remark.

The rest of the journey was in silence, however: Thesis seemed like he wanted to talk, but couldn't find the words, and Cadence was meditating on what she had learned so far and thinking about the RED team, wondering uneasily what their actual purpose was. Retrieval, extraction, and deception... somehow, she didn't think that was the entire story.

They arrived in what looked like some kind of immense freight warehouse, and Cadence scowled as she noted that Worker Drones had apparently already set up a flattop and loaded a massive, rectangular box on top of it roughly the size of a small house. She moodily approached the simple, eight-wheeled transport, before glancing up as Thesis asked: “Do you know how this works?”

“Yeah, I used them when, uh...” Cadence halted, cleared her throat as Thesis looked at her curiously, and then she said lamely: “I've used them before.”

Thesis studied her for a few moments, and then he grinned before asking: “So what the hell did you do to end up on work duty?”

“I shut an asshole stallion the hell up, that's what I did.” Cadence threatened, but Thesis only snorted in amusement before the ivory mare stormed around to the controls on the back of the machine, pressing the button for manual operation before she reached up and grasped the large handles on either side of the device: all she had to do was squeeze the hidden triggers on them, and the machine would move wherever she pushed it. She just had to account for how awkward it was.

“Just roll it forwards, the freight elevator is straight ahead, about two hundred feet.” Thesis said, and Cadence grumbled, then grimaced in surprise at how hard the flattop was to move: whatever was in that box was heavy enough to strain the transport machinery. And since flattops were used to move tanks...

She looked at Thesis pointedly, and Thesis looked back at her blandly before the ivory mare said dryly: “You either tell me what's in this box or I'm going to roll it on top of you.”

“Gee, Cadence. My favorite thing about you is how you don't use threats to always get your way with literally everyone.” Thesis said mildly, and then he winced a bit as the mare threateningly shifted the flattop towards him. “You know, if you just asked politely...”

“Fine. Will you please tell me what's in the box before I run you over with it?” Cadence asked grumpily, before she uneasily looked at the cargo crate, muttering: “I think I recognize some of those warning labels. That's for radiation, isn't it?”

“Technically everything is radioactive, you know.” Thesis said, and Cadence gave him a look, the stallion shifting lamely and looking off to the side before he became more serious as he stepped towards her, asking quietly as his eyes flicked up to meet hers: “Do you know what an Orbiter is?”

Cadence frowned curiously, and Thesis smiled a bit as he said quietly: “This is what we actually came here to retrieve. It's a class of satellite... you know, a thing that goes in space and floats around the planet. The difference is that an Orbiter can modify its orbit around anything... hence the name. Very useful for when you need to target or protect something.

“This is an N-Class Orbiter. It can fire what we refer to as 'cold' nukes from its rail accelerator: it produces a fission-based explosion but only a few short-lived radioactive particles, meaning the fallout disperses within months, sometimes only weeks, but the destructive potential is still... well, scary.” Thesis looked ahead as Cadence winced a bit. “This one specifically is a production prototype: it has all the data necessary to copy and begin mass production with.”

“What? Why would Hecate want to mass produce these?” Cadence asked disbelievingly, and Thesis shrugged. “Thesis, I've seen nuclear test footage before. I know what that kind of weaponry can do-”

“No, you... you really don't. Believe me, you really don't.” Thesis said quietly, and Cadence frowned a bit, and Thesis gave the smallest of smiles as he continued to gaze ahead. “I've seen it firsthoof, and... I still haven't processed what it's really capable of. The cost of these kinds of weapons. It's like playing with the powers of the Jötnar. It just...”

He shook his head briefly, then sighed a little as he muttered: “I'm glad we're not breaking out the radon cannons, and I mean... I am nervous as hell about this, yeah. But... I trust Mom. I really do. She... after I got... sick, I know she helped the people I hurt stop me. And I'm grateful to her for that, you know? Because it means that I know that, no matter what, she will do the right thing.”

“You trust her because she...” Cadence caught herself before she could say anything exceptionally stupid, and instead she cleared her throat and asked awkwardly: “Is it ever... weird that once you were sort of the...”

“Bad guy?” Thesis asked wryly, and Cadence shrugged a bit. The Replicant studied her for a few moments, and then he shrugged again as he turned his eyes forwards, saying finally: “I'm trying hard to let the past just be in the past, to... be able to talk about it and think about it but not mope and sulk and fret that I'm going to turn into a bad guy again. Sometimes that's pretty tough. But I know that... whatever will happen will happen, and that I'm still me, and... I'm determined to make the most of the time that I have, here and now. That helps.”

Cadence smiled a bit at the stallion, who shifted awkwardly before he laughed a little and added: “And I guess that wasn't entirely an answer to your question, huh? Yeah. It was weird, and it still is weird. But life is weird and will always be weird and I try not to freak out over it too much.”

Cadence nodded, and then she turned her eyes back ahead as she said after a moment: “Well, either way, I guess... I'm glad you're here, Thesis. There... I've met worse ponies.”

“I know. I'm awesome, remember?” Thesis said mildly, and Cadence rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to ram the flattop into him.

The ivory mare grimaced as she felt the flattop shudder a bit as they rolled into the freight elevator, the mare slowing to a stop as Thesis stayed by the doors, muttering: “Just enough room. I forgot how big this thing is. Okay, we'll go down another level and hope that the freight teleporter is up and running. But I'm sure Mom is already impatiently waiting for us.”

Cadence grunted, stepping back from the flattop and stretching absently before she asked: “Is there anything else I should know, Thesis? Whether I understand why you and Hecate do this or not, I'm still pretty tired of being jerked around.”

Thesis looked over at Cadence as the freight elevator clanked before slowly beginning to descend, and then he quickly walked over to her. Cadence frowned as they looked at each other for a few moments, and then Thesis suddenly leaned forwards and kissed her cheek, the ivory mare's eyes widening as her jaw dropped.

Thesis grinned at her lamely as he blushed a little, and then he said awkwardly: “I really like you and I am sorry that things are so awkward but I do really like you and uh... when we get back to Decretum let's go on a date.”

Cadence stared at Thesis as the elevator continued to rumble slowly downwards, before she stepped forwards and punched him across the jaw, knocking him staggering dumbly backwards. He flinched as he grasped at his face, looking awkwardly up at Cadence as she glared at him for a few moments, then suddenly sighed and lowered her head, awkwardly looking away and rubbing at one of her forelegs compulsively before she mumbled: “I don't... do dates.”

“What kind of Princess of Love doesn't do dates?” Thesis asked as he uncovered his face, then yelped as he was punched again, glowering horribly at Cadence. “Hey!”

“Don't call me that! I'm no... I was never any princess.” Cadence grumbled, and then she sighed and looked away, adding grouchily: “Besides, we never have time off and Decretum is in crisis and it's really inappropriate for you to-”

“Oh, yeah, because like, it's totally appropriate to respond with horrible violence to your superior officer.” Thesis complained as he rubbed at his cheek. “Fine. You're not a princess. You're an awful bitch.”

Cadence glared at Thesis, then she stepped forwards into another punch, but this time the stallion caught her hook and firmly twisted her wrist, making her yelp. They glared at each other for a few moments, and then Thesis suddenly smiled and asked almost pleadingly: “Just one date? What do you say?”

The ivory mare grumbled under her breath before she managed to yank her hoof back, and then she sighed a little, looking away and mumbling: “I'm not... promising to enjoy myself or anything. Or anything. You're an asshole.”

“Yeah, maybe. But considering the fact you've filled your life with assholes, maybe that's what you need in life.” Thesis reasoned, and Cadence admittedly didn't have any great arguments for that, as she only looked at the stallion until he repeated pleadingly, as the elevator rumbled to a stop: “Just one date?”

Cadence sighed tiredly, then she moodily turned her eyes towards the slowly-opening shutter of the freight elevator before she asked grouchily: “Why?”

“Because I like you.” Thesis said simply, and then he smiled at her when she gave him a look. “And I think you make me braver, and I make you a better person.”

“The hell is that supposed to mean?” Cadence asked grumpily, but like it or not, she thought she knew what the stallion meant, as she looked away and crossed her forelegs, grumbling: “If you mean that I have to be a good little soldier when you're around-”

“Precisely. That's right. Totally.” replied Thesis blandly, looking at her mildly, and Cadence felt a little more chastised than she wanted to admit. “Look, you're not... I don't believe you're a bad person, Cadence. I know you don't want people close, and I understand why better than most people. I really do.”

He stopped, struggling to find the words, before he looked up and said plainly: “But I want to get close to you. I want to do it for me because I like you. But I want to... do it for you, too, because... I like you. And I want to live for someone other than myself. And...”

Thesis rubbed at the back of his head, looking flustered and embarrassed as he tried to find the right words to say, before he looked up, opening his mouth-

Cadence pressed a hoof over his lips, looking at him quietly for a few moments before she sighed a bit and said softly: “Just...”

She stopped, then scowled and instead turned away, heading to the flattop and grumbling as she grasped the controls, mumbling: “Let's just get this done for now.”

Cadence pushed the flattop on, leaving Thesis sitting and staring after her for a moment before he took a breath and hopped up to his hooves, following quickly after the mare he only admired more and more with each passing moment they spent together.

The Chaff And The Grain

Chapter Sixty Seven: The Chaff And The Grain
~BlackRoseRaven

Hecate stood at the front of a crowded auditorium: every seat was taken, and plenty of ponies – and not-ponies, at that – were seated on the stairs or standing at the back of the hall. Hecate herself was calm, in spite of the fact that she not only had countless eyes gazing down at her from the seats, but there were quite a few faces displayed on the monitor behind her: the faces of Decretum's various backers, gods and other entities who had provided resources, equipment, and other favors to the Clockwork Empire.

“We are all present, Empress Hecate. Would you like to begin the meeting?” asked one of the faces from the monitor politely, although clearly with the intent of hurrying things along as well. Not that Hecate minded, as she nodded before calmly raising her head, not bothering to face the row of screens: they couldn't see her, anyway. The screens were more for show than anything else, so that the rest of this audience could see, for the first time, just how many backers Decretum had: how many hands fed the Clockwork Empire, and how many faces expected them to serve, to some extent.

“I have called this emergency meeting to discuss the recent attack on Decretum, by none other than Loki of the Aesir.” Hecate said clearly, gazing calmly over her attentive audience. “I have granted permission to all allies who participated in the defense of Decretum to attend as well, as a courtesy for their cooperation. I will hold a discussion with them afterwards on these events, but for now I wished to speak to the council on the subject of Loki, and what Decretum will require.”

“Hel is missing. Hel is gone.” said a soft voice, and Hecate smiled mirthlessly before that voice added: “Hel and Helheim were your greatest champions for this project, Lady Hecate. From what we have seen, you have failed to live up to expectations and you have-”

“This is not the subject up for debate. Nor am I here to make excuses or to shift blame or play politics. I am not a political organization and Decretum is an Empire, not a democracy.” Hecate interrupted coldly, before she rose her head and continued bluntly: “I require assistance, and I also wish to know who among you will still stand behind me, and who wishes to leave.”

There were rumbles from the council, before another voice said coldly: “Do not overstep your bounds, Hecate. Your world is a broken one, mangled by Loki's attacks. Helheim is in disarray and chaos-”

“That is not my problem. My concern is the physical plane. I have protected and will continue to protect these worlds, by any means necessary.” Hecate said shortly, before she added ruthlessly: “Do not forget that our relationship has been mutually beneficial so far. If you withdraw your support, our terms become neutral. If you act against me, I will not hesitate to label you as an enemy, and to treat you as such.”

“Do you presume to threaten us?” asked another voice from the monitors angrily. “We are gods! We are older, stronger, wiser-”

“You are neither stronger nor wiser than me. And I will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect these worlds, that is all.” Hecate interrupted fearlessly. “Do not overstep your own bounds. Some of you are gods that have no business interacting with these worlds. Your existence and meddling is permitted purely because of a footnote in a contract. Terminate our contract, and you terminate your privileges.”

There were more mutters from the screens, before one of the voice said callously: “You are no longer backed by Hel. Your threats are meaningless. You do not have-”

“I do not make idle threats. I have given you a choice, and I await your decision. I am not asking for help because I believe Decretum is in dire need of your aid: I am asking for your help because I wish to know who my allies are.” Hecate said, her head held high, her eyes scanning the audience slowly. “But Decretum will always survive. The Clockwork Empire will persevere, and thrive in spite of all who try and destroy it.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then a voice said contemptibly: “So be it, Empress Hecate. May you live to understand the folly of your ways.”

A panel of the screen went black, and more followed: one, then three, then seven, until more than half of the backers had vanished. But Hecate only smiled thinly, her head still raised high, her eyes focused on the audience in front of her before she asked calmly: “And what about the rest of you?”

There was silence for a few moments, before a voice asked gently from the screen: “Is driving off your allies truly the wisest course of action, Lady Hecate? I do not believe victory has made you arrogant, but we thought you above lashing out like a wounded animal...”

“And I am. You see, councilor, I have before me all the allies and friends I will ever need to ensure that Decretum and all it stands for remains strong, for many years after I pass on my legacy.” Hecate said in a gentler voice, as she looked out over the audience before she gave a brief smile. “I do not need rats or cowards who will betray me. Driving away false friends is even more important for Decretum's health than playing politics and keeping enemies close. As I said before, I am not asking for assistance because I believe Decretum requires it: I am asking for assistance because I wish to know who my friends are.”

There was a thoughtful murmuring for a few moments, before a voice asked: “Then what would you ask us to provide, Empress Hecate?”

“Resources and equipment. Workers, if possible: I do not require soldiers, but people who can be trained in repairing Decretum machinery and structures that were damaged in the attack.” Hecate answered.

There were rumbles from the screens, before a voice questioned curiously: “And do you expect us to provide these things pro bono?”

“No. I am willing to negotiate new terms or trade. I can also offer payment in treasure or artifacts.” Hecate replied, and there were more thoughtful murmurs from the screen before the mare added softly: “And of course, I can also promise that your kindness and generosity in these matters will not be forgotten. Decretum takes care of its allies.”

For a moment, there was only thoughtful silence, before a voice submitted: “Greater Heaven will provide one hundred able servants, but in return we desire a place wherein which we can build a chapel, from which we may speak of the Light to all whom desire to listen.”

“If the Pious are willing to assist with rebuilding Imperia, then I will designate a portion of land for them to build whatever they desire.” Hecate answered with a slight smile, in spite of how there were a few visible shifts in the audience at her words.

For a while, Hecate negotiated with the council, but by the end of her meeting with her backers, she had managed to arrange a fair share of new treaties with her remaining allies. But for Hecate, the real meeting had yet to begin as she turned her attention fully on her audience as the screens all flickered off behind her, cutting the link to the council as a voice asked loudly from the crowd: “So you really think that highly of us, huh?”

“Shut up, Antares. I will not repeat myself.” Hecate said distastefully, to a few mumbles and a laugh or two. Then the Jötnar mare stepped forwards to the edge of the stage, leaning out and saying in a quieter voice: “What I believe is in the strength of the people gathered here today, as I believe in the strength of my own people. Valthrudnir did not fail because the Dogmatists were incapable or flawed: he failed because he failed to utilize them to their fullest potential, abandoning them as a 'failed project' when they, and Decretum as a whole, did not magically become precisely what he wanted it to.”

Hecate looked out over the audience, and then she said clearly: “I am not Valthrudnir, but I am his inheritor, and as you are all aware by now, I have found a way by which to activate his dormant powers. I am willing to listen to your concerns on this, and on any other problems you might have with my Decretum project.”

“Yeah, Hecate, so like... what's up with the color scheme? Seriously, everything's so gloomy and industrial. I think if you put in a little bit of blue, and-”

Hecate moodily rose a hoof, and Antares yelped as he was lifted out of the crowd, then flung straight down into the ground with a loud thunk as ponies staggered away and stared in disbelief.

There was a moment of silence, and then Hecate asked irritably: “Do we have any serious concerns to address?”

“Yeah, I got one.” grumbled a voice, and Hecate glanced moodily up to see Cowlick sitting near the front with her son, the demonic mare puffing grumpily away on a cigarette. “Engineering was completely trashed. Not just because of that Worker Drone malfunction – which wasn't no malfunction, let's all just be honest about that, someone hacked your systems real good – but because Elementals managed to swarm in through the vents. And oh, there's the whole Tyrant Wyrm thing, too.”

“Aye. I do not like to speak with malice, but I agree, Hecate. The Tyrant Wyrms... they cannot be trusted.” added a strong male voice: Sleipnir, Hecate thought, but even she was struck by how devoid of cheer he sounded. “Loki, my... brother, can exert too much power over them. They are not machines. They serve the Void first.”

“Tyrant Wyrms are unfortunately a necessary part of Clockwork World. They will, however, require... maintenance and upgrading, and until then, all our Tyrant Wyrms are currently on lockdown.” Hecate paused, then turned her eyes back towards Cowlick. “As to engineering, I've already designated several Dogmatists to perform repairs. I also plan to move all major operations to Endworld, where you will have access to new facilities.”

“Hey, so long as I get my labs and you leave me the hell alone, I'm good.” Cowlick replied, although there were a few surprised murmurs through the crowd at Hecate's announcement.

Hecate turned her attention back to the rest of the audience, letting the mumble for a little while before she explained calmly: “Endworld is not a part of the chain of worlds, but sits apart, connected only to Decretum. While I have operated mainly out of Decretum, due to the ease of portals and movement, Endworld was in a better state structurally-speaking, and several colonies are operational there, although currently staffed only by Worker Drones.

“Decretum needs to be repaired, and it is also clearly vulnerable to Loki. We have suffered a traitor, through either false promises or Void tampering, and I cannot be entirely certain how much of Decretum has been compromised.” Hecate continued. “While Decretum is repaired and the systems flushed and recalibrated, it would be best to move to a location better equipped to deal with the Voidborn. Furthermore, Decretum will still remain online and operation, with the support of Dogmatists, drones, and of course, the Hexad Army.”

“Aye, the Hexad. Just how long hast thou had these fiends hidden under some rock?” asked a cranky voice Hecate recognized all too well. But she supposed that Brynhild, of all ponies, would have reason to dislike the Hexad. “And I do not know what vexes me more: that thou hast not used them before now, or that thou hast created so many of these dollies.”

“They are clones, not dolls. They've been in production in an automated facility to the north for some time now, in case of an emergency like this.” Hecate said, before she gestured quickly to the side, calling up a series of holographic screens that displayed each of the different Hexad units. “I recovered the genetic libraries of Courage, Valor, Beauty, Delight, and Prudence from the ruins of the Atrium. I was unable to manufacture a compatible Wisdom model, but as you are aware-”

“Aye, we are very aware of the Hexad, and what these tortured souls are.” Luna Brynhild grumbled, before she asked irritably: “Hast thou at least the morality to purge their minds? And what of the living bodies, the-”

“Their bodies are long gone. The genetic libraries were taken from reconstructed data, not organics.” Hecate said calmly, but it was enough to settle Luna, she felt. And she felt something else as well, something that almost confused her, as she asked quietly: “Tell me. How is it that you of all ponies can be concerned with my treatment of a few scraps of meat, but unconcerned with the fact that I have taken on the powers of your greatest enemy?”

“Because I trust Thorn.” came Morgan Heldottir's voice, and Hecate sighed inwardly and did her best to hide a smile.

“Thorn Blackfeather is not as infallible as you think. For all his virtues, he has many of the same flaws as his birth parents.” Hecate said softly, and she could feel the swell of pride and gratitude from Luna and Morgan, before she shook her head. “As you have attracted my attention, let me ask you this: with the Archives no longer a threat to you, what do you plan to do?”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Luna Brynhild said quietly: “Hecate... if this is thy way of asking for our help, then know it is a stupid and embarrassing question, because it is not something thou needs to ask. It is something we have already given to thee.”

“Aye... aye! As we will all fight with thee, Hecate!” shouted Sleipnir suddenly from the crowd, and Hecate admittedly had to swallow a bit of a smile at the ripple of ponies that were knocked flying when Sleipnir leapt to his hooves as he declared: “Aye, I have family! Family I love, family whom loves me, family I shall fight, and die gladly beside! And Hecate, if thou allows me to fight with thee against this foe, will thou promise me that, should I be given the chance to reach out to my brother, thou shalt allow it?”

“I will not deny it. But if the chance comes before then to eliminate him as a threat, I will take that. And should he refuse your kindness and remain hostile, I will not hesitate to exterminate him and all who serve him, either.” Hecate responded.

Sleipnir chuckled quietly, then he nodded and smiled as he rose a hoof to Hecate, exclaiming: “Aye, thou knows the meaning of family, does thou not! And I must say, thou does not look half so terrible...although even in thy hulking steel embrace, thou wert-”

Hecate moodily flicked a hoof, and Sleipnir popped out of existence, teleported to some random corner of Decretum as the Jötnar mare said shortly: “Let's get back on track.”

Cadence grumbled under her breath as she prepared her equipment: almost the moment they had strode into Decretum, they had been given orders to prepare to serve as Thorn Blackfeather's escort to Looking Glass World, where they would also apparently be meeting with several ponies. Antares and Prestige would be joining them, which Cadence didn't mind, but apparently the Valkyrie and her partners wanted to come, too, and that was something Cadence was much less enthusiastic about.

At least it gave her an excuse to ignore Thesis for a little while. He kept poking and prodding her, asking her questions, talking about his stupid dumb self...

She glowered over at him, but Thesis was tapping away at his Mission Drive, talking with Seneschal about something to do with computers that she didn't understand. He was pretty smart, she had to admit: he didn't seem like it, but he had a sharp mind and he seemed to understand a lot of the technical aspects of Decretum that Cadence still had a lot of difficulties with.

He was handsome, too: he took decent care of himself, but he wasn't always primping or playing with his mane like Shining had. He was obviously aching, and he needed that strange exoskeleton to keep himself moving, but he never seemed to complain... well, I mean, he complains, but he hides how much it really hurts. But I can... see it. I can see him. I can see into him through the Astra...

Cadence let her eyes focus a little more, curious about just what she could see, and then her eyes widened slightly as she saw him. She understood him. And...

She blushed a little, and then her blush deepened when Thesis looked over at her before he gave a wide grin and winked, posing as he said loudly: “Yeah, Seneschal, just a second, I got this totally hot mare checking me out. I have to pose for her.”

Cadence glared at him as her cheeks burned crimson, spinning quickly around as she grumbled: “You shut the hell up, we still have to go meet Thorn and... all those other dumb ponies and then go to Looking Glass World or whatever they call it.”

“Don't worry, just about finished.” Thesis replied with a smile, looking with both amusement and curiosity at Cadence before he shrugged as he returned his attention to the holographic screen in front of him, following Seneschal's silent instructions. “We'll go on our date once we get there. I think Thorn will need some time to settle in, and, you know, it's really rude to show up and demand appointments. Let them know we're coming. That's a diplomacy 101 trick.”

“It is not. And I never agreed to a date with you.” Cadence mumbled, before she glanced hesitantly over her shoulder and asked: “Doesn't it bother you that I'm... I don't know. Divorced, some kind of killing machine, and... I don't know... just...”

She quieted, and Thesis frowned as he looked up from the screen at her, Cadence silently rubbing at herself as she looked down and murmured: “I'm only half-me. Less than that, really. My body isn't my own. The Swan is in here, the Swan rules, and... you... you're not...”

She looked down, rubbing silently at her foreleg as she mumbled: “You don't deserve me.”

I don't think anyone deserves to be stuck with me. I don't think anyone should be punished like that. I almost killed Daddy. I abandoned my husband. I dragged my only friends and family through a nightmare, and in the end...

Thesis gently touched her shoulder, and Cadence looked up as the stallion smiled as he leaned in and said quietly: “So we won't go to a restaurant. We'll have a picnic. I think that'd be cool, right? Because I just want to spend some time alone with you, getting to know you.”

Cadence looked back at the stallion for a few moments, and then she laughed a little as she lowered her head and looked away, mumbling: “Sure. If it'll get you to leave me alone.”

Thesis smiled again, before he glanced up as another pony approached, raising his head slightly and greeting: “Hey, uh... Moonflower, right?”

Cadence rose her head in surprise, turning to see Moonflower striding nervously towards them, an uncomfortable smile on his face. She frowned a little at him, tilting her head towards him, but Moonflower either didn't see or pretended not to as he rambled: “Well, yes, hello uh... hello there, Thesis, you're... looking quite handsome! And you, Cadence, you're very handsome... I mean pretty! Beautiful! Radiant!”

“Moonflower, shut up. Are you coming with us to see Thorn?” Cadence asked, and Moonflower visibly deflated before he gave a lame smile, and after a moment the mare said softly: “He'd be really happy to see you.”

“I... I don't...” Moonflower shifted back and forth, and then he lowered his head and mumbled: “I'm... I'm an awful coward. I heard... I just heard that... he is alright, isn't he? He's going to be alright, won't he?”

“Thorn's strong. He'll pull through this.” Thesis promised without hesitation, and Cadence looked up in surprise: it sounded like the stallion really believed that, even though she had heard herself that...

But Thesis smiled, stopping those thoughts in their tracks as he turned back to Moonflower to say quietly: “He'd really like to see you. I know that he would. He'll probably be a little out of sorts, but... you can be strong for him too, right?”

Moonflower nodded firmly as he straightened, awkwardly staggering to a standing position before he said quickly: “Yes, of course I can, I'm... I'm perfectly fine!”

The bandages across Moonflower's body begged to differ, but Cadence only smiled a little. “I guess our team was spared the worst of the fighting: makes me feel awful, though. You'd think the best team in Decretum would have played a bigger role in actually defending their home.”

“We'll make up for it. Or at least you will. I don't know what will happen to the rest of us, but... you've certainly got a future here, Cadence.” Moonflower said with a smile, although the tired look in his eyes made Cadence feel a little worried for him.

She didn't have too much time to think on things, however, as Thesis prodded gently: “Well, maybe we should all just get going, then, and try to make the best of things.”

Moonflower nodded, and Cadence decided to just go along with them for now, letting Thesis take the lead, the black unicorn following almost nervously after him as he said almost nervously: “I do... I certainly want to be a good... I mean...”

“Hey, don't stress. We've all been busy, and Thorn's needed his rest. But he'll be glad to see you.” Thesis encouraged, giving Moonflower a slight smile.

The unicorn chewed uncomfortably on his lip, but then he nodded a little and gave a lame look in return, visibly trying to puff out his chest as he gave a weak little laugh. He didn't say anything else as they made their way to where Thorn was being kept in an isolated room, which made Cadence feel a little more worried for her friend and teammate than she wanted to admit.

They reached Thorn's room in good time: then again, there weren't a lot of distractions on the way. Most of the Dogmatists had been dispatched to repairing other structures, and Orphans were running double duty if they weren't in recovery, as far as Cadence was aware. She was only glad that they didn't run into Luna Brynhild and her little posse on the way: she figured that was the last thing Moonflower needed. Or maybe it was just the last thing she needed.

She began to step forwards, then scowled as Thesis slipped in front of her, tossing a pointed look over his shoulder at her as Moonflower lingered nervously in front of the door. But after a moment, Cadence relented, and Thesis smiled at her gratefully before he turned his eyes back to Moonflower and encouraged gently: “Go on inside. And remember. Be strong, right?”

“Yes... I will be. I mean, I am!” Moonflower said quickly, smiling lamely over his shoulder at them, and Cadence couldn't help but note the way that Thesis subtly shifted to half-block her from Moonflower's sight. The black unicorn hesitated for a few moments, but then he turned back towards the door and took a slow breath before he knocked nervously, then yelped when Thesis prompted: “Let yourself in. We'll be right out here.”

Moonflower hesitated, but then meekly tapped his horn against the door once before he opened it and walked through, letting it slide shut behind him. Cadence frowned curiously at Thesis' back, and the Replicant smiled as he turned to her after a moment, shrugging briefly before he said softly: “He depends on you. Your whole team does. You have to remind them they're individuals, though, Cadence, and independent. You can't mommy them forever.”

“You're one to talk.” Cadence shot back, and Thesis simply shrugged amiably before Cadence sighed and added in a mumble: “I guess I just... worry about Moonflower. He's so...”

Thesis only smiled, then he looked back towards the closed door, murmuring: “People are people, Cadence. It's funny how well you can get to know someone, how much time you can spend with them, and then realize... you never really knew how strong they were until too late to celebrate it.”

Inside, Moonflower silently approached the metal bed where Thorn was laying, the sapphire stallion staring emptily at the ceiling before he turned his head ever so slightly as Moonflower whispered: “H-Hello.”

“Moonflower... I'm not... fit to be seen.” Thorn said quietly, half-rolling away and shivering as he hugged himself. He wanted to lash out, to shout, to scream, to cry, and he clenched his eyes shut as he grasped at his freshly-bandaged stump, feeling that poison boiling in his veins, begging, pleading to be let out. “Please... leave.”

For a moment, Moonflower bit his lip, trembling a little, before he leaned forwards on his hooves and whispered meekly: “No.”

There was silence for a few moments as Thorn shifted a little, clenching his eyes shut before the black unicorn took a nervous step forwards, saying in a low, anxious voice: “I've... I've been so worried and such a b-bad... I don't know. I care about you. I'm your c-c-c-colt... friend. I am.”

“I don't have any expectations of you, Moonflower.” Thorn whispered as he shifted away, facing the wall: not because he didn't want to see the stallion, but because it was easier. It was just easier to turn away. To not look at Moonflower. To have his back to the world, so he could keep pretending he was in control. “I am not worth the time or effort. Please leave. I am... leaving. I will be gone soon. I will... stay gone.”

“Stop it, Thorn. Please. Please stop.” Moonflower almost begged, the unicorn striding quickly forwards, but then flinching and skidding to a halt, wide-eyed, as Thorn rolled over with a furious snarl, his eyes blazing and black ooze leaking through his bandages-

Thorn clenched his jaw and his eyes, breathing slowly through his nose before he sat up and lowered his head, muttering: “I need you to leave. You need to leave. You don't belong here.”

“I love you.” Moonflower blurted, and Thorn stared at the black unicorn, who trembled before he rose his head and whispered: “I love you. Please stop pushing me away.”

Thorn trembled, lowering his head as black tears filled his eyes, before he clenched his eyes shut and whispered: “I don't know what I feel.”

“Please tell me. Please let it out.” Moonflower took a hesitant step closer, and Thorn smiled faintly as he shook his head, tears spilling down his cheeks.

“I am flawed. I am broken. I am not... worth your affection.” he replied in a low, beaten voice, but Moonflower only laughed faintly. “I betrayed you. I am... I'm not the Thorn you loved anymore.”

“No, I see you, right there. Right there.” Moonflower said emphatically, as he took another step forwards before he smiled faintly as he drew in close, looking up at Thorn with overbright eyes, filled with crystalline tears; beautiful eyes, Thorn thought, so clear even through the murk falling from his own. Moonflower had hidden so much of himself, but those eyes... those were eyes that told only the truth. “Please...”

“I kissed Necrophage.” Thorn said almost abruptly, and Moonflower visibly winced, but then he smiled faintly and shook his head. “I don't... know what I feel. I... I hurt. I want to hurt. I... I want you to go away!”

Thorn shouted the last in a raw, suddenly-furious voice as he brought his hoof back, as if to strike the stallion, but Moonflower only looked up at him silently before he leaned suddenly forwards and embraced Thorn fiercely around the neck, burying his face against him as he whispered: “I promise that I'm not going to let go.”

Thorn shivered for a few moments, and then he simply slumped in Moonflower's grip, staring across the room as tears cascaded down his muzzle, and he whispered: “I... I don't want to be broken. But I don't want to be fixed, either. I just want to die. I want to die. I don't want to live like this. I can't live... like this. I am worthless like this.”

“You're never worthless. Never, ever, ever...” Moonflower said roughly, as he squeezed fiercely into Thorn, trembling as he held himself tightly against the stallion. “You're... you're going to be fine. You're strong, and you're going to be just fine! And... and I'm going to help you get there, no matter what!”

Moonflower leaned back, nodding firmly, looking both determined and child-like as he gazed into Thorn's eyes and forced himself to smile, in spite of the way his eyes where shimmering with unspent tears. “I won't let go, and I won't let you give up and... and that's just the way it is! You're... you're going to go and... get better and... I'll... I'll come and help you and... I'll be there with you every step of the way!”

Thorn looked silently at Moonflower for a few moments, and then he closed his eyes as he slowly let his head fall back, shivering a little as dark poison leaked from his stump, the trails of darkness over his face becoming flakes of crystal as he said weakly: “It hurts.”

“I know. But you're strong. You've always been so strong.” Moonflower answered, as he squeezed the stallion fiercely around the neck, breathing slowly in and out before he pushed his head against Thorn's chest, both taking and offering comfort with the contact as he murmured: “I'll be strong for you, too, Thorn Blackfeather. Then... then you don't have to try so hard, but we'll get there all the same, okay?”

“Okay.” Thorn murmured, and he lowered his head as they sat in silence for a little while.

Finally, Thorn creakily pushed Moonflower back before he slipped off the table, saying quietly: “I apologize for my outbursts. I... a course of action is already set, Moonflower. You don't need to be here, you don't need to-”

Moonflower leaned in and silently kissed Thorn, and Thorn's eyes widened for a moment before they slipped closed as he returned the kiss, delicate and almost ginger, but as Moonflower drew back, the stallion pushed forwards, holding the kiss for a moment longer, letting his sharp teeth graze Moonflower's lips before he pulled back and blushed a little, his eyes roving downward as he murmured: “Thank... thank you.”

“I... I'll come with you.” Moonflower smiled, raising his head a little higher as he added brashly: “I don't care what anyone says, I'll come with you!”

“Anyone?” asked a mild voice, and Moonflower paled as he spun around to see Hecate standing in the now-open doorway, the Jötnar mare focusing her gaze on the black unicorn as he blanched a little. “I have other orders for you.”

Moonflower trembled as Thorn closed his eyes, before the sapphire stallion looked up in surprise as Moonflower shakily stepped forwards and said: “I... I think that it's more important I spend the time with Thorn!”

Hecate looked evenly across at Moonflower, and Moonflower looked back at the imperial mare before he whispered, as he lowered his head ever so slightly: “Please. Let me go with him.”

“Fine. But I will be assigning you work orders all the same, Moonflower, and I expect you to get these jobs done to my satisfaction.” Hecate replied evenly, and Moonflower brightened like a star before he winced and dropped flat when Hecate leaned forwards and glared at him. “Get out.”

Moonflower hurriedly scrambled forwards past the mare, then yelped when Hecate booted him out the door just as he started to turn around, before the electronic door slammed shut on his face. Hecate rolled her eyes, before she turned towards Thorn as the sapphire stallion said quietly: “I don't know what to do.”

“I'll tell you a secret, Thorn.” Hecate strode forwards, reaching up to silently stroke her son's face before she smiled at him faintly. “None of us really do.”

Thorn nodded briefly, before he closed his eyes and murmured: “It's easier to keep my emotions in check after I sleep. It must have to do with my body chemistry.”

“It just is what it is, Thorn. If you have the answer, sometimes that's enough.” Hecate replied gently, and Thorn nodded a few times before he glanced up as the mare asked quietly: “Do you want Moonflower to come with you?”

“Yes, and no. I'm angry at him, for no reason. I'm angrier with myself, for kissing Necrophage.” Thorn halted, frowning as he looked down before he whispered: “I care about them both. But...”

Thorn shivered, then he snarled in disgust: “Do I choose the mincing faggot or the broken circuit? One is just a toy shaped like a mare and the other is nothing but a pathetic... a...”

Thorn shivered again, almost falling over as his legs quaked beneath him and he stared at the ground, before he whispered: “I don't deserve either.”

“You deserve someone who will make you happy. Don't question yourself or your feelings for either of them. I will support you, whatever you choose.” Hecate said gently, and Thorn looked up at her before the Jötnar mare said, her tone soft and compassionate: “Thorn, you will always be my son, and I have never loved you more than I love you now, here, in this very moment.”

“When I'm at my weakest, when I'm closest to being a monster? When I...” Thorn shivered as he grasped at his stump, whispering: “When I hate, everyone I love...”

“Yes, Thorn. Because this is also when you will prove your strength. You can either give in, give up, and be weak, Thorn Blackfeather, or you can be strong, in spite of everything.” Hecate said calmly, as she leaned down and looked almost challengingly into Thorn's eyes, and he gritted his teeth as he felt anger flare through his body, shivering violently even as he bared his fangs and leaned back up into the mare's face. “Are you weak? Or are you my son?”

“I am... Thorn Blackfeather.” the stallion replied after a moment, taking a slow breath even as his eyes flashed, before he slowly forced himself to sit back. He reached up, rubbing trails of black crystal and dust away from his face, his stump flexing at his side as if he was trying to hug himself as the stained bandages writhed for a moment. But then they settled, and he straightened a little as he said quietly: “I'm ready.”

“I know you are.” Hecate leaned down and kissed gently beside his horn, before she turned around and headed for the door. It opened, and Thorn grimaced as he carefully followed Hecate out into the hallway, blinking a bit under the lights that seemed so bright compared to the dimness of the room.

He saw his parents, and Cadence and Thesis, and Moonflower, and Antares and Prestige and Innocence; and gods, the whirl of emotion that ran through him, it hurt. He swayed a little on the spot, but caught himself and made himself breathe as he reached up to press his forehoof against his face, sitting back for a moment before he nodded once and murmured: “Okay.”

“Hey, great to see you made it! I was getting worried you were going to sleep away the day and miss out on coming home!” Antares said warmly, before he winked and added: “Lots of other people are eager to see you, too, but I told them that they'd have to wait at least until we got through the portal. But hey, you got a big family... remember that. There's a lot of us here, and all of us... want to make sure we do what we can to help you get well.”

“Yeah, I mean. I guess you kind of are the baby of the family now.” Innocence added in a grumble, and then she hesitated before adding grudgingly: “But... yeah, we'll take care of you and stuff, and... you know. Stuff.”

“Wonderful, Sin, I think I'm going to cry.” Antares said mildly, before he wheezed when Prestige elbowed him firmly.

Thorn gave the briefest of smiles, before Thesis surprisingly stepped forwards, saying briskly: “Well, we're all on a schedule, right, Mom? Also I'm the regent now so all of you have to listen to me until we're out of Decretum. We have a portal already being prepped, and it should be ready to go to take us to Subterra, I believe.”

“Aye, and we shall all go together, and we shall all get along perfectly well together, for today. Is that not right, Swan?” Luna said loudly, glaring over at Cadence, and Cadence resisted the urge to glare back, instead forcing herself to look away and ignore the Valkyrie.

Luna began to open her mouth, but then she squawked instead when Scrivener grasped the back of her collar, half-yanking her into the air as Morgan said gently: “We're all here for you, Thorn. And I'm sure we'll see plenty of each other. We'll be moving back and forth between worlds quite a bit, but... family's the most important thing, isn't it?”

“Something I think we can all agree on.” Thesis said with a smile, and then he walked over to Thorn, saying gently: “Set the pace.”

Thorn looked for a moment at Thesis: part of him wanted to lash out furiously, and part of him wanted to cry, and part of him just wanted to collapse, here and now, and surrender to everything. But instead of giving in to any of those things, Thorn forced himself to nod before he faced ahead and said quietly: “Let's not keep Seneschal waiting.”

Thorn led without leading, turning to set the pace as the rest of the group fell into a loose escort cordon around him. Cadence couldn't help but sneak glances out now and then, however: not just at Thorn, but at the other ponies with them, how they all acted around the Regent and each other.

Hecate was so motherly with Thorn. So maternal and so tender, unashamed and unfettered by the presence of the other ponies, but immediately becoming her old cold, commanding self whenever she needed to give an order or get someone back in line. Thesis was loyal, staying forward enough to remain in the lead, but catching Thorn's eye every time he looked up to offer him a smile, and never flinching when Hecate glared at him... and never missing the hints of smiles from his mother.

Luna Brynhild was loud and boisterous, but in a way that deflected the attention from her child: all three of his parents were protective, and they worked together with a strange harmony. It was more than just whatever link they shared: they played off each other, their personalities always clashing but never conflicting: Morgan and Scrivener weren't nearly as loud as the mare, but they both had their own ways of drawing attention away from their son, and comforting him at the same time, as Morgan told little stories and Scrivener argued and quipped.

Antares and Innocence were similar to their parents: the stallion was cocky and liked to laugh, the mare was obnoxious and liked to shout. But they both cared, too. They both had something smart underneath all the boisterousness and the noise. Or at least, that was the sense she got from them.

And Thorn... how strong was he, she wondered. She didn't want to imagine the kind of internal battle he was fighting right now: the glimpses of it she could catch from looking at him were disconcerting, to say the least. It was almost the same as what her father went through: but better, or worse? She wasn't sure. She only knew that seeing it... hurt.

The portal had already been activated by the time they reached it, but Hecate called them to a halt before they could enter. Thorn stumbled a little, then bared his teeth, looking both humiliated and infuriated, but Hecate rolled over him smoothly as she said calmly: “Thorn will require assistance.”

“I am...” Thorn shivered, but then he managed to get himself under control, modulating his voice and taking a slow breath before he murmured: “I... need help.”

Thorn lowered his head, visibly fighting to control himself, and Cadence softened as she saw how much harder he fought because of the humiliation: how he could keep himself under control, but how immensely draining it was on his tattered psyche. And then Cadence looked up in surprise as a perky voice said brightly: “Yep! Right here!”

Thorn looked up in shock, and Moonflower blanched, as Necrophage came trotting happily towards them, lugging a large cart. She stopped in front of Thorn with a smile, bowing her head to him almost shyly, covered in bandages and bruises and burns, but all the same, looking glad to be of service as she apologized: “Sorry, Thorn! I didn't mean to be so late! It won't happen again!”

“I... okay.” Thorn said blankly, before he winced when Hecate scooped him up before placing him into the back of the cart, the sapphire stallion dropping on his rump with a grimace, his back thumping against a heavy crate.

“I assigned Necrophage to serve as Thorn's personal assistant. I trust there are no issues with this designation.” Hecate said calmly, and Moonflower made a face and a noise like he was choking on a lemon, earning a look from Hecate. “Yes?”

“I... uh... nothing.” Moonflower mumbled embarrassedly after a moment, lowering his head dejectedly, looking like a betrayed puppy. But Hecate only smiled at him, surprisingly stepping over to gently grasp the stallion by the shoulder.

“I do not want problems festering in my organization. You will deal with your problems or you will be removed from duty. Understood?” Somehow, Hecate's words came across as gentle, encouraging, and Moonflower hesitantly looked up at her before he gave a little nod, and she nodded back before half-pushing him towards the portal, instructing: “Then go. Thorn, I expect regular reports from you. Thesis, I will be in contact.”

“Great wretched bitch. Fie on thee and thy meddling, thou art worse than I am!” Brynhild complained loudly, and then she huffed and strode quickly towards the portal, Morgan and Scrivener falling in toe with her as she grumbled: “Very well, let us head through the portal, perhaps at least Subterra shall provide better entertainments than this... 'tis all silly drama, no child of mine would be so silly as to choose a single mate alone, in any case!”

She vanished through the portal to a collective sigh of exasperation, and Antares grinned, then stared dumbly for a moment at Prestige when the Valkyrie narrowed her eyes at him before he gave a short, high-pitched laugh, then turned and sprinted for the portal as well. Prestige rolled her eyes, then scowled as Innocence said blandly: “Tarry is gay, you know. Once he realizes you're not a stallion, he's totally going to leave you for a whole orgy of guys.”

With that, Innocence turned and pranced towards the portal, and Prestige rolled her eyes as she followed after the mare. Thesis snorted in amusement before he looked over at Cadence, gesturing at her and starting: “I need to stay back for a minute to talk to Mom, so-”

“Moonflower! Go on ahead with Necrophage!” Cadence shouted, and Moonflower yelped before scrambling for the portal as Necrophage gave a cheerful chirp of agreement and hopped happily along behind him, Thorn wincing as he fell back against the crates again with a thump.

Thesis sighed and rolled his eyes as Hecate surveyed them both for a few moments, and then the Replicant apologized lamely: “Sorry, Mom, but uh... well, you know how geese are. They like to honk and break limbs. Honk, I think that's what I'm going to call you from now on, because that's all you do.”

Cadence gave Thesis a sour look, and Thesis grinned that insufferable grin at her, which made her want to punch him in the face. But before she could, Hecate cleared her throat and said dryly: “If you're both done with your idiocy, Thesis and Honk-”

“Oh come on!” Cadence exclaimed in disbelief, glaring up at Hecate, and... is she smiling? Is she actually smiling? No, this is not happening. “What the hell is this garbage? I am not.... Queen Hecate, you can't-”

“I can and will do whatever I please, especially when dealing with children.” Hecate retorted, and then she continued calmly, making Cadence's jaw drop and Thesis blush: “Thesis, do not treat Cadence the same way you treated your sisters. Those were your sisters, not your marefriend. Cadence, stop being a theatrical idiot. This is not a cheap romantic drama and you are no damsel in distress. And be gentle with my son, he's still a virgin.”

“Mom!” Thesis shouted in a strangled voice, before he winced when Hecate shoved a hoof over his muzzle, glowering down at him.

“Shut up, Thesis. Cadence, my son is handsome and cares about you, and I can see into you as well as you can see into others. Stop blinding yourself to your own needs and emotions in a vague attempt to 'protect' others by pushing them away. It is unattractive.” Hecate continued, and then she paused before grasping both Cadence and Thesis by the horn and head respectively, making them both wince at the strength of her hooves. “Last but not least, do not meddle with Thorn. It is difficult, but he must find his own way and make his own decisions.

“I have high expectations of you both. Do not disappoint me for the thousandth time.” Hecate finally shoved them both backwards, the ponies stumbling dumbly before they yelped as they whacked their heads together when they both spun into turns towards each other, and Hecate sighed and rolled her eyes, muttering: “Even if it might be too late for that.”

“I... I am a warrior!” Cadence blurted stupidly, before she spun around and rushed for the portal.

Thesis stumbled quickly after the ivory mare, shouting: “Yeah! We're grown-ups, Mommy! We don't need-”

Cadence gave some wordless, furious yell at Thesis before she vanished into the portal, and Thesis grinned lamely before he followed a moment later, leaving Hecate to sigh and shake her head as she watched the portal swirl closed, before the slightest of smiles spread over her lips as she said softly: “I suppose no matter how the times change, ponies will always be ponies. Warriors and princes and grown-ups... at their core, they'll forever still be my little ponies.”

And she wouldn't have it any other way.

What If, What If

Chapter Sixty Eight: What If, What If
~BlackRoseRaven

Subterra reminded Cadence of Decretum, in so many different ways: it was beautiful, exotic, and brimming with life; life that even a short time ago would have struck her as unnatural and likely hostile, but now, after everything she had seen and been through...

Cadence watched with a small smile as a group of demons strode by: horrible, scaly things with rippling, massive muscles and awful, skull-like faces. But they weren't hurting anyone, or even patrolling menacingly: they were chatting cheerfully, one of them carrying a much smaller demon on his back as they headed towards what looked to Cadence like some kind of shopping district.

There were Nightmares, demons, undead 'monsters,' batponies and other creatures of the darkness, and all of them seemed to be living in harmony together in a place that apparently existed right beneath Canterlot. It reminded Cadence so deeply of Clockwork World, where the Dogmatists and machines of war all lived and worked together in peace. She liked that.

Her eyes roved upwards to the stone ceiling, high above the world: up there, huge lanterns and crystals cast a beautiful glow over the underground city below, emanating not just light, but a potent, magical warmth that the demons apparently fed off of and reduced their effect on the populace above. Demons sustained themselves off of emotional and spiritual energy, and as a side effect, they tended to make mortals agitated just by being nearby.

Cadence felt an odd familiarity from the larger lanterns: they reminded her of the Crystal Heart, somehow, which brought back... memories. Not good, not bad, just memories at this point in her life: everything that had happened felt so long ago right now. Sure, there were some days where it hurt to think about, but maybe because of the calming aura of the city – which is funny, considering it's a city of demons – or maybe just because she was having a decent day to herself, right now it felt okay to think about.

She rested back on the stone bench, then glanced up with a small smile as Thesis dropped down beside her, the stallion giving her a grin as he said: “You seem like you're in a good mood for once.”

“Shut up.” Cadence said, then she hesitated before nodding and adding grudgingly: “And... maybe, I guess. I think the place is growing on me. Especially now that Brynhild and her family are all gone, and we know that Thorn's in good hooves.”

“Plus we don't have to worry about doing work until Necrophage finishes up her job.” the stallion added with a smile, and Cadence grunted, shifting a bit before she nodded in agreement. It was nice to have time off, even if she knew Decretum was in the middle of a lot of changes right now, and she had heard that they had begun transferring all personnel to Endworld...

“Hey.” Thesis said in a gentler voice, and Cadence glanced up at him before the stallion slid himself a little closer to her. “Sometimes the best thing you can do is get out of the way and let everyone else take care of things. You're great at taking things apart, Honk, but bricks are for building, not for beating people to death with.”

“Shut up.” Cadence repeated, but she was smiling in spite of herself, shaking her head with a sigh before she asked almost hesitantly: “How do you just... how do you not...”

“It takes practice.” Thesis answered after a moment, smiling over at her as he leaned back in the bench and let his front hooves fall loose in his lap. “But hey, I'm almost as old as you are, you know. I spent a lot of my life asleep, too, and blind to my true purpose, and... the life I did spend awake, I spent...”

He quieted, looking down for a moment as he chewed at his lip, before Cadence asked impulsively: “Do you remember your life as... Heimdall?”

“Just... flashes. It's hard to put into words: I don't think I was ever Heimdall, but Heimdall is a part of who I am...” Thesis touched his own breast thoughtfully, looking meditatively at the ground before he murmured: “I think he was just a piece used to help put the rest of me together, if that makes any sense at all.”

“Yeah.” Cadence hesitated, looking at him, before she asked: “When we fought... did you... I mean, I don't remember you having an exoskeleton back then.”

Thesis smiled a bit, looking over at her and replying quietly: “Dad was dragging me around with him because I'd just failed a mission, and my last exoskeleton had been destroyed, actually. I was using a 'patch,' and Valthrudnir...”

Thesis quieted, then he shook his head as he reached up and tapped his own temple gently. “I was a little saner at that point, too... god, that's weird to think of, though. You were just a cute little girl. Not cute like that, though, I'm not into fillies. Or colts! Even though you're still kind of a colt.”

Cadence rolled her eyes and nudged him firmly with her shoulder, before she pressed on: “I hurt you, with my magic.”

“Yeah. You caused an emotional reaction, that caused my uh... serotonin levels to...” Thesis absently reached up and hammered on his head, before he shrugged and said mildly: “Hell if I know. The nodes kept track of all that. I just acted as a voicebox for them.”

“So you were a puppet, too.” Cadence said ironically, and Thesis gave her a pointed look, which made the mare clear her throat and turn away, mumbling: “Hey, you're the one who wanted to find common ground and all.”

“Yeah. Silly me.” Thesis said dryly, before he shook his head and asked bluntly in return: “So tell me about your ex-husband.”

Cadence scowled at him, but after a moment, she sighed and looked away, saying finally: “Shining was... he was a good stallion, don't get me wrong. But I'm not going to get into the 'it was him' or 'it was me' crap, either, because I mean... I could have probably gone on like we did, day after day, pretending everything was okay, when it really wasn't.

“We were great for each other. But we weren't perfect. I'm sure... some of the other Shinings and Cadences out there were perfect, but not us. There were too many problems, and... better people for us both. We had different priorities, and I'm... the Swan.” Cadence reached up and stroked along the tattoo on her breast, before she blushed a bit as Thesis reached out and traced over this in the opposite direction, letting their hooves gently brush together.

“I like who you are.” he replied honestly, and then he added with a wink: “Anyway, I bet I'm more handsome than him. And I could totally lift more.”

Thesis leaned back and flexed, and Cadence rolled her eyes as she shoved a hoof against his face, grumbling: “The only reason I believe that is because you have to carry that fat head of yours around all day.”

“It makes my legs strong!” Thesis declared, and Cadence snorted before the two looked at each other, and Thesis smiled a little more honestly, saying quietly: “Do you regret the relationship?”

“No. No, not at all. He was a good stallion. And I was... as good to him as I could be. We just... didn't work out, and there's nothing wrong with that.” Cadence said, and then she lamely lowered her head and mumbled: “Wow, that sounded a lot more defensive than I thought it would.”

Thesis only shrugged, before he glanced back and forth, then suddenly hopped to his hooves, Cadence blinking before the stallion grabbed her and half-yanked her out of her seat. She scowled as she caught herself easily, before staring in disbelief as Thesis exclaimed: “Picnic!”

“No. I never agreed-” Cadence grimaced as Thesis grabbed her, slapping his hoof off as she grumbled: “Stop touching me, you asshole.”

“Why, because only you're allowed to punch me without permission?” Thesis asked blandly, and Cadence couldn't help but shift lamely before the stallion urged: “Come on. There's some kind of festival going on up in Canterlot, I heard. Let's go to the fair, get our minds off things, and... then we can have a picnic. I bet I know a nice little private spot we can go to, too.”

“How would you know anything about this world?” Cadence asked, and Thesis shifted, her eyes locking on him as she caught something in that movement.

“Well, you know, the geography of most worlds is the same.” he reasoned, although Cadence knew immediately that wasn't the whole story. “Let's just go, come on. Get out of this dark cave.”

“This cave isn't all that dark.” Cadence argued, but then she rolled her eyes and sighed when Thesis turned away. She didn't even know why she was following him, even as she asked: “So how many times have you been here?”

“A few times. Not... here, specifically, but yes, I have been on this world before.” Thesis admitted almost grudgingly, and Cadence cocked her head curiously, trotting a little faster so she could fall in step beside him. “I don't know how much you know about it, but for a while, I was uh... trying to 'force' an alliance between myself and Luna Brynhild and her family. I thought of Scrivener Blooms as my brother... I still do, but in better terms these days. I'm not crazy anymore.”

“You can repeat that all you want, Thesis, but I think you're still a little crazy.” Cadence said gently, and Thesis couldn't help but smile a little. “I've heard a bit about it, but... I don't like Brynhild all that much, I guess, so I never really dug too much into it.”

“I was very confused back then. Okay, I was completely insane.” Thesis paused, then he shook his head and said softly: “I was running on two things: I thought they were family, and family was the most important thing, and that they absolutely had to help me... while the other part of my mind identified them as a threat that had to be destroyed so I could harvest their genetic data and make myself... complete. The only 'complete' Replicant is Scrivener Blooms. The rest of us are all missing genes or we're running off unfinished programming.”

“Those RED Replicants seemed pretty finished to me.” Cadence muttered as they headed up a gentle, sloped road, past picturesque homes that would have looked right in place on the surface... except for the demons and monsters occupying them, that was.

Thesis only smiled in amusement over at her, answering: “Yeah, you'd think so, but they're all under the control of nodes in their brains. I mean, look at Necrophage, for example. You can see the uh... flaws in her design, right?”

“Yeah.” Cadence halted, her mind almost immediately jumping to Moonflower and Thorn, before she shook her head quickly and asked: “So you weren't complete, either?”

“No. I required regular maintenance after I was activated, so to speak. Which is even more gross than it sounds.” Thesis paused, then he added softly: “And I was never meant to be... well, let's just say that trying to finish the job myself went very badly. And even after I died...”

Thesis lowered his head for a moment, but then both he and Cadence had their attention drawn forwards as they approached a large archway, where two guards in silver armor were standing as normal-looking ponies wandered in and out past them. As they approached, Thesis caught the attention of one of the demons, pointing at the tunnel past the archway and asking: “Does this lead up to Canterlot?”

“Close enough. Go through, follow the path up.” one of the guards replied in a bored voice, gesturing absently at the ponies a few times before he frowned a little as his eyes settled on Cadence. “What are you doing here? Moon Blessed are supposed to remain in the palace.”

“The hell is a 'Moon Blessed?'” Cadence asked moodily, and the guard winced and immediately looked away, Cadence sighing and rolling her eyes at this reaction as she muttered: “Great.”

“You know, you could work on your people skills.” Thesis said, and then he winced when Cadence punched him in the shoulder, rubbing at this awkwardly before he volunteered: “I'm a Replicant!”

“Right.” said the other guard slowly, before he gestured irritably with his spear at the tunnel. “Please move along. You're holding up the line.”

Thesis and Cadence looked back over their shoulders at the thin air behind them, and then they both simply shrugged before they continued into the tunnel. It wasn't a long walk, punctuated only by the sound of their hooves echoing off the walls of the passage, but Cadence felt like the seconds stretched out, made her painfully aware of the 'border' that existed between this beautiful little sanctuary inside the mountain, and the daylit world outside.

They stepped out of the other side of the tunnel, blinking as they emerged into bright, happy sunlight and brisk mountain air. A stone path was under their hooves, curling up the side of the mountain to a gate that led into Canterlot, and for a moment, Cadence could only stand and gaze up at the castle-city above, laughing a little before she murmured: “Never thought I'd see this place again. Every time I do, it always... gets me.”

She stopped, then shook her head before she glanced over at Thesis, asking: “So what do we do? Present ourselves to the Princesses?”

“For one thing, we're here to have fun. For another thing, the Princesses of this world became Luna Brynhild and Freya Celestia.” Thesis replied mildly, and Cadence blanched a bit.

“What does that mean? That Cadence is in charge? Or Twilight Sparkle?” she asked uneasily, but Thesis shook his head with a smile.

“The last I heard, it was a council. Don't you pay any attention to the briefing files? I mean apart from the stuff about who you're supposed to kill, obviously.” Thesis teased, and Cadence gave him a sour look before she sighed and trotted after him as he cantered up the path, adding: “Now come on, come on! Warm day, bright sunlight, and nothing to do but enjoy the sights! Can't you hear the people and the singing?”

“Those voices are all in you head, Thesis.” Cadence said tiredly, and Thesis huffed loudly over his shoulder at her.

They reached the gates with only a little more sniping at each other, and Cadence found herself dumbstruck as they were both immediately stopped by a pair of soldiers in golden armor who stepped into their path, one of them saying shortly: “Passes.”

“Passes?” Thesis asked dumbly.

“Passes!” barked the guard, and the other soldier frowned before the first guard explained grumpily: “Any non-mortal entity attempting to enter Canterlot during any holiday or event day must present their security passes on arrival. Failure to do so will result in being turned back. So if you don't have them, turn back.”

“What I have are wings. I can literally fly over this wall right now if I wanted to. Also, I'm pretty sure I'm a pony.” Cadence said flatly, glaring at the guard.

The guard only snorted, however, saying grumpily: “Then fly over. There are scanners all throughout the city. And you're clearly either a Moon Blessed or a shapeshifter, and he's... I don't know what he is. A Clockwork Pony, I'd wager.”

Thesis shrugged amiably, and then he asked curiously: “What's with all the security? I mean. I thought you guys were okay with us not-ponies. I mean, plenty of us not-ponies look, act, feel-”

The guard groaned loudly, and then he asked tiredly: “Can you just leave? We have the Senate breathing down the backs of our necks as it is. We don't need trouble. We're just trying to do our jobs.”

Cadence frowned at this, but Thesis only leaned forwards and winked, saying pointedly: “Pretend you never saw us, and we'll just be on our way.”

The guard scowled, and then he traded a look with the other soldier before saying moodily: “I don't think we can do that... sir, you're going to have to go back the way you came, or...”

“Or what?” Cadence asked with a scowl. Both guards immediately frowned back at her, one of them nervously shifting, but Thesis quickly cleared his throat as he bowed his head politely, half-leaning between Cadence and the soldiers.

“You know, I get it, you guys are just doing your job. But we got a job to do too, see.” Thesis smiled, then he reached down and tapped on his Mission Drive, and both guards – and Cadence as well – stared in surprise at the holographic project of Freya that appeared, Thesis saying quickly: “I have a message to present to the council on the state of Freya Celestia. We're emissaries from Clockwork World. We aren't supposed to talk about it past that, of course, so...”

The guards traded uneasy looks, but then one of them shrugged, and the other sighed and waved at him, saying finally: “Fine. Go ahead. I don't want to hear any more about it, though.”

Thesis only winked and smiled before he dismissed the holographic image and led Cadence through, the mare scowling at him horribly for almost a block, until Thesis finally tilted his head almost lazily towards her, asking: “Yes?”

“What the hell was that?”Cadence asked flatly, gesturing outwards, then wincing as she almost smacked a foal in the face, the colt staggering quickly out of the way before hurrying onward through the busy street.

A few ponies shot her a dirty look, and Cadence blushed slightly as she looked back and forth, reminding herself they were in a busy city full of busy ponies. She lowered her foreleg awkwardly, and Thesis smiled slightly before he asked: “Would you really have preferred punching your way through a few innocent ponies?”

Cadence grunted, then she argued: “That isn't the point-”

“That's exactly the point. Anyway, one of our duties is to meet with the Council here. We have to make our alliance with this Equestria as official as possible.” Thesis countered, and Cadence frowned a bit. “You know there are rules. We can bend these rules, sure, but we should avoid breaking them where necessary. And Looking Glass World has evolved to the point where they can detect surges of magic and supernaturals like us. We want to avoid drawing too much negative attention to Ponyville. And we shouldn't be depending on Ponyville to tear down their houses to send us materials when we have an entire country to ask for help from.”

Cadence grumbled under her breath, and then she winced when Thesis reached out and gently grasped her, pulling her forwards as he added: “But let's not worry about that right now, we've got a whole city to explore. Come on, let's enjoy ourselves, just you and me!”

“God I hate you.” Cadence grumbled again, but then she sighed as the stallion only winked at her and quickly pulled her forwards, the mare adding moodily: “I wish you would stop pulling me around.”

Thesis stopped, then looked mildly at her as he released her before he simply shrugged and turned, leaving her behind as he walked away down the street. For a moment, Cadence stared after him, and then she winced before trotting quickly after the stallion, blurting: “Hey!”

“I'm just doing what you wanted me to.” Thesis said mildly, smiling slightly over his shoulder at the mare. “Leaving you alone. Why are you following me?”

Thesis picked up the pace, and Cadence scowled as she hurried after him, opening her mouth-

Thesis ducked sharply into a side alley, and Cadence shouted in frustration before she bolted after him, chasing him out the other side and into a busy thoroughfare. But the stallion didn't slow, grinning widely as he darted around wagons and surprised ponies, and Cadence followed after him with a volley of curses, staggering back and forth around people as she shouted: “Come back here, you jackass!”

Thesis only continued to canter on down the street, and Cadence swore under her breath as she stumbled and zigzagged to keep up with him, glaring after him even as she struggled not to smile in spite of everything.

“Bastard!” she shouted, but a laugh crept into her voice as she jumped quickly around a set of wagons, then leapt a fence after Thesis, sprinting after him-

Cadence's eyes bulged as Thesis simply halted, watching mildly as Cadence scrambled to a stop, dropping her rump and tearing up the fairway as she skidded to a halt. She spun towards him, glaring furiously, before her jaw dropped as Thesis grinned and gestured at the ticket booths and the line of gaping ponies behind him. “Glad you decided to join me. I guess you wanted to go on a date after all, huh? I mean, how could you resist, though, am I right?”

Cadence slowly closed her eyes, reaching up to drag her hooves down her face, before she scowled when Thesis grabbed one of her hooves and childishly pulled her towards the ticket booth, the stallion saying cheerfully: “Two, please!”

“Wait your turn.” groused one of the ticket-takers, shaking himself out of his stupor, and Thesis grumbled theatrically before Cadence frowned at him. “What?”

“How the hell do you plan to pay?” she asked in a mutter, and Thesis shrugged amiably, making Cadence grind her teeth. “Thesis...”

“You really need to learn to trust.” Thesis said mildly, and Cadence gave him a flat look.

“I do trust. I trust my friends and I trust my family. I just don't trust you.” Cadence retorted, and Thesis gave her a hurt look.

“Ouch. You know, it wouldn't hurt you to pretend to be nice, you know.” Thesis said pointedly, and then he smiled a bit and added in a gentler, more-serious voice: “Trust.”

Cadence sighed a little, and then she nodded almost grudgingly, muttering: “I can't believe you dragged me here. You're a giant asshole, you know that? You want me to trust you, but...”

Thesis looked at her mildly, and Cadence blushed ever so slightly before Thesis said plainly: “You have a lot of problems.”

Cadence grumbled under her breath, looking moodily away: it only took a few minutes for them to reach the front of the line, the ticket-taker looking at them suspiciously before he said shortly: “Ten bits. Each. No discounts for freaks.”

“You're nice.” Thesis said blandly, and then, to Cadence's surprise, he reached back into his satchel and pulled out a cloth bag. He took his sweet time pawing it open before taking out one bit after the other, gently setting each coin down on the counter of the booth as slowly and painstakingly as possible until he had set twenty out.

The stallion in the ticket booth scowled at him, but then he grouchily yanked the coins back with one foreleg and tossed two paper tickets at them, which Thesis took with a wide smile and put in his satchel, as the ticket taker grumbled: “Have fun.”

“Oh, we will.” Thesis replied with that same wide, obnoxious smile, and Cadence couldn't help but smile despite herself as she followed him into the fairground, looking at him with amusement despite herself.

“So what do you feel like first? Because I've got plenty of bits to spend.” Thesis smiled over at her, tipping her a wink. “You didn't think I was going to come here without any money to use, right? I mean, Cadence, the whole world turns on economics.”

“I'm going to shove your economics up your ass.” Cadence grumbled, but Thesis only looked at her with amusement for a few moments before the stallion turned to trot through the happy crowds of people, and Cadence sighed as she followed after him, self-consciously furling her wings against her body as if she could try and hide them.

But Thesis didn't seem to care about the looks he got, and as they trotted right down the center of the little path that had been walked through the fairground together, Cadence found herself starting to feel a little less self-conscious as well, raising her head a bit as she glanced back and forth before she said abruptly: “It's weird.”

“Not killing everyone you meet?” Thesis asked without looking back, and Cadence glowered at his back before he spun around and locked gazes with her, saying emotionlessly: “We could, you know.”

Cadence stared at Thesis, and he stared back at her before the smallest of smiles twitched at his muzzle as his eyes widened a little more, and Cadence groaned before Thesis spun back around and trotted off towards a booth, saying cheerfully: “Come on, Honk, I'll win you a teddy bear or something.”

“I can win my own goddamn teddy bear, thank you very much.” Cadence grumbled, but she followed him all the same to the games booth, watching as Thesis tossed a few bits down with a grin.

Cadence looked moodily up, surveying the game: simple, throw a ball, knock over the stacks of jars, win prize. Three balls, three pyramids of jars. Easy.

Thesis tossed some bits down, and the bored-looking pony in the booth rolled him three baseballs, saying tiredly: “Knock over the jars, win a prize, hip hip hooray.”

“Hip hip hooray!” Thesis exclaimed in a far-brighter voice, and then he swept the balls off the counter and grinned as he began to juggle them easily, winking over at Cadence. “So what do you want?”

Cadence looked mildly up at the prizes hanging from the top of the booth, her eyes passing over the silly stuffed animals, and she pretended her eyes didn't linger on what looked like a white bird hidden among the ponies and puppies and toys. “I don't care. They're just stupid foal toys.”

“Swan it is.” Thesis said amiably, and then he suddenly snapped a wrist out, sending a baseball rocketing past the pony in the booth and snapping the carny awake.

There was a crash and a clatter, and Thesis grinned widely as he winked at Cadence, catching the balls in either front hoof and flexing his forelegs as Cadence rolled her eyes: she was pretty sure she could throw a ball hard enough to break a jar, too. “That's one set down.”

Thesis paused, then he turned and flung the ball again, smashing down another pyramid of jars as the pony in the booth winced away. “There's another!”

The black stallion grinned as he squeezed the last ball in his hoof, and then, without looking, he flung it with a flick of his wrist, knocking down the last pyramid of jars, before blanching slightly as the final jar landed with a thud on its base. The carny glanced over his shoulder at this, and looked almost relieved before he began to turn-

Cadence didn't know why, or even how she did it, but she reached out with her powers and struck the jar with something that was both physical, and yet not: it wobbled for a moment, then plopped forwards on its face, and the jaws of both stallions dropped before the carny spluttered: “That's not right! That can't happen!”

“It can when I'm this awesome!” Thesis shouted, thrusting both hooves above his head before he quickly pointed, adding: “I want the swan.”

The stallion scowled at them, opening his mouth to argue, and Cadence immediately caught his eye with a glare as she reached up and cracked her wrists. The stallion immediately paled, then he hurriedly reached up and grabbed the stuffed white bird, grinning lamely as he shoved it across the counter and whimpered through grit teeth: “Have a good day.”

“I think it's going to be a great day.” Thesis said mildly, sweeping up the swan toy. He smiled at it, then winked over at Cadence when she automatically reached for it, the black stallion leaning away and holding it out of her reach as she scowled. “Hey, screw you. I asked you and you said you didn't want anything, so this is mine now.”

“Asshole.” Cadence grumbled, and then she rolled her eyes and followed when Thesis spun around and trotted away before he suddenly paused, ears swiveling towards a few distinct pops.

Cadence followed grouchily, unsurprised when they ended up at another booth. This one was already occupied by a filly, however, who had a toy rifle in her hooves, flapping her wings wildly to try and keep herself hovering so she could shoot at the targets slowly moving by at the back of the booth.

“Dammit!” the foal grumbled as she missed another shot, before she whined loudly: “Come on, one more!”

The pony behind the booth began to open her mouth, and then she cocked an eyebrow as Thesis tossed a few bits down on the counter, smiling as he said mildly: “Let her have another round.”

“Yes! Thanks, Mister!” The filly beamed up at him for a moment, then nearly fell out of the air. But Thesis caught her before her wings could give out, plopping her down on one of the cheap stools that had set up for shooters. “Uh. Thanks. This is a bad angle, though.”

“Take a shot.” Thesis invited, and the filly shrugged before pointing the rifle awkwardly down the range, and Thesis grinned before he said mildly: “You're not going to hit anything like that.”

“Yeah! That's why I was hovering!” the mare retorted, glaring up at Thesis almost challengingly. “It means I get a better angle!”

“You don't have to yell, kid, I'm literally right here.” Thesis said pointedly, and then he reached down and gently adjusted the rifle in the mare's hooves, saying mildly: “First of all, keep both eyes open. Don't close one and open the other as wide as you possibly can.”

The filly grumbled, but then nodded, aiming carefully as she shifted uncomfortably back and forth, before whining: “It's not comfortable.”

“Yeah, well, that's because guns aren't for little fillies.” Thesis replied reasonably, making the little filly scowl horribly. “Okay, aim down the sights, those things sticking out of the top. Look where you want to shoot.”

The filly grumbled under her breath, but she nodded after a moment, biting her tongue before she fired, then cackled when she managed to scrape one of the targets. “Yes! Ha! I hit it, did you see, I hit it!”

“Good for you, kid.” Thesis said amiably, and then he winked at her before he glanced up at the targets, asking: “What prize do you want?”

“I'm gonna win a dinosaur! And I'm gonna do it all by myself!” declared the filly, before she took aim with the rifle again and fired, only to wince when the gun almost jumped out of her hooves as she flailed wildly in all directions, then toppled backwards.

Thesis caught her with one hoof and gently pushed her back upright, plucking the rifle out of her forelimbs, and the filly huffed loudly, opening her mouth, but then her jaw simply fell open in a gape as Thesis rose the gun and emptied the rest of the magazine with a grin, knocking several targets over before he slammed the gun down on the counter under one hoof and smiled at the staring mare. “That'll be one dinosaur, please.”

The attendant awkwardly checked a prize sheet on the wall, then shrugged before looking at the filly, who brightened immediately as she pointed at one of the red dinosaurs on the wall, blurting: “That one! I mean...” The foal glared at Thesis, who grinned back at her. “I was gonna do it myself, mister!”

“Okay, I'll take the dinosaur if you don't want it.” Thesis said blandly, holding out a hoof to take the red dinosaur from the mare when she awkwardly offered it, and the filly's eyes grew wide as she stared up at him before Thesis leaned down towards her, dangling the toy above the filly's head. “Yes?”

The filly glared at him, then she suddenly leapt up and bit him firmly in the nose, and Thesis yelped as he dropped the toy to grab at his face as Cadence burst into laughter. The filly snatched the toy away and leapt quickly down from the seat as Thesis glared at her, before an outraged voice shouted: “What are you doing to my daughter?”

Thesis looked dumbly up as a Pegasus mare stormed towards them, and the filly winced and tried to either run forwards to defuse the situation or escape, but the mare caught her daughter and yanked her protectively up against her chest in a crushing embrace, the filly wheezing as the mother demanded: “You stay away from her, you sicko pervert! Keep your dirty hooves off my daughter!”

Thesis opened his mouth to argue, and then he yelped when the mare slapped him firmly on the nose before she spun and stormed away, the filly wiggling awkwardly over her mother's shoulder to wave wildly with one hoof as she gave an embarrassed, apologetic grin to the stallion, the other foreleg tightly hugging her red dinosaur toy.

Cadence laughed until she hurt, shaking her head slowly before she turned an amused look to the stallion, and Thesis grumbled a bit as he rubbed at his face before he finally sighed theatrically, then turned back to the booth, saying wryly: “I guess no good deed goes unpunished. Well, Cadence. Since we all see mares can't handle guns-” Cadence immediately stopped laughing to glower at Thesis. “What do you want me to win you from this game?”

“No. You know what?” Cadence reached back to her satchel, then she looked awkwardly at Thesis as she realized she hadn't thought to convert a single credit to bits. “Uh... you're going to pay for us both. And I'm going to kick your ass.”

“I'll pay to watch you kick my ass.” Thesis replied with an amiable shrug. “After all, I'm in the mood for a fantasy story.”

Thesis winked and rose a hoof high, and Cadence responded by picking up one of the toy guns from the booth and slamming the butt into his face, making him yelp and stumble before she grumbled: “Load me up.”

The pony running the booth winced, but after Thesis recovered and tossed down two hoof-fulls of bits, she shrugged and rolled five bullets out to both ponies. Thesis loaded his rifle with expert precision, then chambered the first round with a grin as Cadence took her time, feeling out the weight of the gun: admittedly, she was not quite as familiar with the weapon as she should have been, considering that- “I heard you put up a hell of a fight to not use a gun. I'm sure Mom'll be glad to hear that-”

“I will put one of these pellets down your throat if you don't shut up.” Cadence grumbled, and then she took aim at the targets rolling slowly by at the back of the booth: there were large ones shaped like simple bullseyes going along the top and bottom, and then smaller square ones, and then tiny metal ducks splattered in scraped yellow paint that bobbed up and down as they moved.

Cadence began to take aim. then she swore as Thesis fired off a shot that pinged off one of the ducks, knocking it flat as he said cheerfully: “Five hundred points!”

“Who the hell decided that?” Cadence asked sourly, and Thesis shrugged.

“I did. Just now. How about the bullseyes are fifty, the squares are a hundred, and the ducklings are five hundred?”

“Screw you, that's-”

“I mean, unless you're admitting now that you can't shoot as well as me and need-”

Cadence gritted her teeth, narrowing her eyes to slits, and Thesis winced a bit before she growled: “Fine. Have it your way, Thesis. Five hundred points, right?”

Cadence took aim, then fired off one, two, three shots, pinging down three ducks before she glared over at him challengingly. Thesis whistled loudly at this, and then he grinned widely before he took aim himself and said mildly: “Lucky for you, I was never trained specifically in shooting things. Always been about my hooves.”

Thesis calmly chambered a new round, then he shot down a duck, smiling as he loaded a fresh bullet. Cadence glowered at him, visibly fuming, before he easily squeezed the trigger and pinged down another, saying mildly: “Let's raise the stakes. If I make these two next shots-”

“What, you want me to be your personal slave?” Cadence asked grumpily. “You're like a colt.”

“I know, right? But no, I wasn't thinking of anything quite as juvenile as that.” Thesis replied with a wink as he carefully took aim. “If I make these shots, I get to ask you one question, and you have to answer it honestly. No matter what it is.”

Cadence scowled at this, but after a moment, she nodded grudgingly before saying suddenly: “But I want the same.”

“Fine. If I make these two shots, you can ask me a question, and I'll have to answer it honestly, no matter what.” Thesis replied blandly, and Cadence blinked in dumb surprise before the stallion took aim and blasted down one of the ducks, then grinned as he swiveled his aim slightly, firing, and blasting down both a duck and bullseye target that was passing behind it, making Cadence shout in frustration.

She rose her own rifle, before flinching as her hooves refused to move any further, not letting her fire or even aim as the Swan flowed through her body. Cadence gritted her teeth, fighting against the intrusion, but even she was surprised when her first furious thought was I don't want to cheat.

No cheating. the Swan reassured, and there was a strange gentility in its voice that made Cadence shift uneasily, calming: and as she calmed, the Swan let her take control back over her body, the ivory mare taking a slow breath as the Swan said softly: I will allow you to win or lose on your own terms. But you like him. I feel your emotions for him. We will protect him. We will protect him, until... we can protect him no more.

“I don't want to go through that kind of pain again.” Cadence whispered, looking down for a moment, not realizing she had murmured her words out loud, although only Thesis heard, and only Thesis understood, as he softened, gazing at her silently.

Love is cruel. Love is selfish. Love is undeniable. We have heard the words of poets, Cadence, but have you ever truly stopped to listen? I have listened. I have listened well. In her mind, the Swan seemed to smile, before she whispered: We relish this opportunity, to love, for the very first time. To feel love like this. To endure it. And to suffer, when it ends, as it must end, with his d-

“Don't say it. Don't you dare say it.” Cadence muttered, and then she shook her head vehemently before she realized she was clutching her rifle against her and Thesis was gazing at her and... “I... I'm not done yet, so cram it!”

Cadence took aim, breathing hard before she fired, and missed her shot. She swore as she clumsily reloaded the rifle, but then closed her eyes, and took another breath, playing slowly with the lever before she worked it to load the last round into the chamber, muttering: “It's not over until it's over.”

Cadence brought up her rifle, taking aim, watching the targets roll by, knowing she couldn't make up her points; but all the same, she forced herself to wait, to be patient, and to take the shot when it presented itself, whether it was futile or not.

She banged down both a ducky and another target with one shot, smiling a bit as she straightened: at least she'd figured out how Thesis had cheated the game, by waiting for the targets to line up to domino into each other. She put the rifle down, then sighed a bit before she scowled when the mare behind the counter awkwardly offered her some crappy plastic toy, saying lamely: “Uh... your prize?”

“Great.” Cadence grumbled, swiping up the little plastic toy. She looked at it moodily, then scowled over at Thesis as he pointed at some other toy, which the mare grabbed for him. “Alright, what's next, asshole?”

“What do you want to do?” Thesis asked, and Cadence grumbled under her breath before her eyes widened in dumb surprise as Thesis awkwardly held out a large felt rose to her with a lame smile. “I know this is selfish and I don't want you to hurt. I just want you to smile with me and realize that... we can enjoy the time we have together.”

Cadence looked at the felt rose for a moment, and then she sighed a little before she took it and murmured: “You're such an enormous asshole.”

“Yeah. I guess I am.” Thesis shrugged, and the two looked at each other for a few moments before Thesis smiled and asked: “Want to watch me eat an entire cake?”

Cadence sighed, and then she said abruptly: “I don't want cake. I want a goddamn pie. A blueberry pie. And you can have half of it.”

“Okay. Let's go find a pie stand.” Thesis said with a smile, and Cadence sighed before she nodded almost grimly. But when Thesis turned, she followed after him, studying him curiously and figuring that, well, really... she could probably do worse.

At the end of a long, busy day, Thesis and Cadence sat on top of a secluded little plateau, where they could look across at the beauty of Canterlot, but were far from any prying eyes. It had taken them a bit of extra effort to get up here, since some of the natural paths had eroded into steep slopes, but it felt like it was all worth it for the view.

Canterlot was all lit up, the faint sounds of revelry and music reaching them every now and then from the fairground. Some of the rides were still going, it looked like, but one ride on the Ferris wheel had been more than enough for Cadence: she had no problem with heights, but being caged in the cabin had been an entirely different matter.

Birds didn't like being chained down, she supposed.

Cadence smiled a little despite herself, and then she let her eyes slide towards Thesis, who was resting calmly back on the blanket they had thrown out across the nettly grasses, an empty plastic plate beside him. They had both eaten probably too much, but Thesis had the bits to spare, apparently, and Cadence wouldn't turn down a nice meal. He had ordered all the things she'd liked, as if he'd known...

“How much do you know about me?” Cadence asked impulsively, and Thesis finally dragged his eyes away from Canterlot to look at her curiously.

“I guess as much about you as you know about me.” he answered, and Cadence snorted at this.

“I doubt it. I don't know the first thing about you. All I know about you is that you're an asshole.” she said, and Thesis grinned and winked at her.

“And all I know about you is that you're a bitch. So we're even.” he replied amiably, and Cadence rolled her eyes before the stallion returned his gaze to Canterlot, saying softly: “Crazy, isn't it? This world's gone through a lot more than most, and yet its Canterlot is so... alive, still. Still going strong. There's just something magical about it.”

“I... guess I know what you mean.” Cadence admitted, sitting back a bit as she murmured: “I've seen a few Canterlots now. A lot of them are more of the same... but this one, this whole world has a lot of life and vitality to it, no 'more of the same' feeling. It's exciting. And the ponies are strong. They've accomplished so much.”

Thesis nodded, rubbing absently at one of his shoulders before he turned towards Cadence with a smile. “Okay, Honk-”

“Horses of Heaven, forget everything I was just starting to think about you, I hate you.”

“I know.” Thesis smiled at her, and then he asked softly: “So be honest with me. If you had to choose, Cadence, to live anywhere, to do anything...”

“I wouldn't change this.” Cadence smiled a bit, glancing down, and Thesis tilted his head curiously towards her.

“You know, normally when you wouldn't change something, you'd look happier.” Thesis said quietly, as he slipped a bit towards the mare.

Cadence nodded, then she sighed a bit before she murmured: “I guess lately... I've been learning a lot about the ends versus the means, you know? And I look at myself and think... even if I'm doing the right thing, I don't do it in the... right way. And the ends I get are not... I don't know, right.”

Thesis only looked at her softly, as Cadence shifted a bit before she lowered her head and whispered: “I do believe in what we're doing. We're fighting so hard. We... they... are all such good ponies. Strong ponies. They're ponies who have given up everything. But I've just been given... everything. And I enjoy it. I like to pretend I'm altruistic and that it's about helping ponies and saving ponies and being a good person, but I enjoy the fighting. I feel like I belong in war. I enjoy all the killing...”

“There's a big difference between enjoying fighting and killing, Cadence. I guess you weren't listening to me though, huh?” He reached out with a smile, gently nudging Cadence's shoulder and earning a frown from her, although this one was more curious than irritated. “Can't you imagine anything better than Decretum?”

“I... don't know.” Cadence said honestly, shrugging a bit as she looked over at Thesis for a moment. “I like it there. I like having a sense of duty, I like the obligations, even. I like-”

Thesis rolled his eyes, and then he asked plainly: “What's your dream job?”

Cadence scowled at this, and then she grumbled: “Well, it's certainly not being a princess, if that's what you're-”

“Well, obviously not.” Thesis retorted, and then he reached up and pressed a hoof against her nose, making her cross her eyes dumbly. “Cadence, you can't tell me you've gotten through life just doing what everyone else has told you.”

“I...” Cadence stared at his hoof for a moment, and then she sighed a little and lowered her head, her eyes drifting away as she realized... “Daddy told me I was his daughter, so.... I was his daughter. Princess Celestia told me I must be a princess, so I tried to be. Shining Armor asked me to be his wife, so I tried to be that, too... and then I was confused for a while and then... Hecate asked me to be her soldier...”

“Who do you want to be?” Thesis asked quietly, leaning towards her.

Cadence turned back towards him, lowering her head in shame and silence, but she looked up hesitantly, their eyes almost meeting, their muzzles inches apart.

Thesis leaned towards her, his white eyes gazing silently into her own, and the ivory mare finally answered in a quiet voice: “I just don't know. I... I'm not the Swan, Thesis. But I'm not Cadence, either. I'm just a... mask.”

“Stop that now. You're Cadence. You're Cadence, and I'm Thesis. Be here with me, Cadence.” Thesis said softly, and Cadence across at Thesis silently as he looked back at her with a faint smile. “I know a lot about masks and pretending to be something you're not. But when I look at you, Cadence, I see... you. Cadenza Danzsöngr, show me... you.”

Cadence lowered her head for a moment, breathing quietly in and out before she asked quietly: “What if who I am isn't real? What if I've only ever been the Swan? What if-”

“What if, what if.” Thesis said softly, and then he smiled and asked gently: “What if it all turns out okay?”

Cadence shifted awkwardly at this, and then she nodded briefly before she lowered her head. Thesis reached up and squeezed her shoulders gently, the stallion hesitating before he said quietly: “Growing up, I thought I made all my own decisions. I wanted to serve my country. I didn't just want to be a lazy prince: we were at war, and I wanted to fight, to protect my people.

“I thought... when I went insane, that I was making all the decisions myself. That I was in control, coherent, that it all made sense. I thought I was doing the right thing.” Thesis smiled faintly. “I wasn't.”

Cadence frowned, but Thesis continued: “It's not a bad thing that you can recognize you don't know what the hell is going on. I think the closest we ever get to really understanding life and ourselves is when we don't know what the hell is going on. I sure as hell don't understand anything, after all, and I'm doing just fine now, compared to how I was crazy before when I totally thought I understood everything.”

He shrugged amiably, and Cadence sighed as she shook her head before she almost blurted: “But I want-”

“Do you need it, though?” Thesis countered, and Cadence halted at this and frowned a bit, and Thesis smiled as he said: “I know there's a lot of ponies who would argue with me, but if you know what you need out of life... maybe you can figure out who you are along the way. Good friends, a purpose, and some set goals... Cadence, who do you want to be? Who do you need to be?”

“Me.” Cadence said simply, and Thesis nodded to her. The two looked at each other for a few long moments, and then the ivory mare gave a faint smile as she reached up and stroked under his chin, whispering: “I hate you for doing this to me. I hate you for making me hurt.”

“I know. I'm sorry.” Thesis murmured, before he blushed a bit when Cadence leaned in, their lips almost brushing as she glared into his eyes.

“Don't apologize. Don't ever apologize for that.” Cadence replied in a low voice, and then she hesitated before licking her lips, and Thesis felt her tongue brush against his muzzle with how close she was. “Thesis...”

Thesis only smiled at her, and then Cadence leaned forwards and kissed him, and he closed his eyes as he kissed her back, gingerly, gently, and then his eyes opened slightly in surprise as Cadence pushed forwards, more aggressive, more passionate than he had imagined.

She grasped his shoulders and pushed him firmly down on his back on the blanket, and Thesis looked up at her dumbly as his exoskeleton gave a hiss of steam and a squeak. Or maybe he was the one who had squeaked: at this point he wasn't sure where he began or where anything else ended, as one of his hooves grasped Cadence's hip and the other nervously squeezed into the blanket as he grinned up at her lamely. “Hi.”

Cadence leaned over him with a smile, and Thesis turned beet red as he added awkwardly: “Be uh... gentle. I'll. Do my best, but uh... I mean, you're not the first mare I've ever slept with been with or anything, I just... I mean, I might be, I was totally in the Void and while I was getting all sorts of action in the Void, I mean, all kinds, just, everywhere, every day, I just-”

“Shut up, Thesis.” Cadence said gently, as she cupped his cheeks in her hooves and pressed her weight down against him, lightly pinning him beneath her as she leaned down and murmured softly into one of his ears: “I'll lead.”

Thesis was only able to smile awkwardly in response, but Cadence silenced any protests he might have had with a kiss, and the stallion closed his eyes as he tasted her, he breathed her in, as she breathed in him.

And for a little while, they were together, and that was all that mattered, as fireworks burst above Canterlot and ponies celebrated beneath the starry night sky.

The Shadow In The Shade

Chapter Sixty Nine: The Shadow In The Shade
~BlackRoseRaven

Thorn Blackfeather sat silently, his head bowed in concentration, his single foreleg planted in the ground in front of him. He breathed slowly in and out, and even though the air was swelteringly hot, he felt chilled to the bone.

He tasted dust and smelled burning oil and brick, as braziers burned with bright flames along either side of the cubical room. More flames crackled away in a fireplace in front of him, and candles burned in the lanterns that hung from the rafters, bubbling and boiling wax shifting and swaying in the metal bowls.

For a few minutes, there was only the silence, and Thorn Blackfeather. That was, until the door leading into the room was suddenly banged open by a stallion with a shifting, magmatic coat, who pranced happily in and declared: “Alright, that's enough for today! No need to be so serious!”

Thorn scowled as his eyes opened moodily, but the unicorn – and demon, clearly, with his mane and tail of flames – bounced quickly in front of him and clucked his tongue. “Hey, listen to teacher, huh? Don't push yourself so hard, you've got lots of time.”

“Time that would be better spent on other things.” muttered Thorn, and then he shook his head quickly before he sighed and straightened slowly: but like it or not, the demon was right. His parents had recommend him to the care of this Passion for more reasons than that he was just a family friend, and... “I mean... yes, I trust you, Burning Desire. I apologize.”

“No need for that, now! Now come on, no scowls, right? We want to be happy for when we see dear violet a little later today!” Burning Desire encouraged, his warm red eyes gazing down into the cold and confused murk of Thorn's, before the sapphire stallion winced when Burning Desire bopped his golden, rune-covered horn firmly against the smaller stallion's: a little too friendly of a gesture for Thorn to be entirely comfortable with. “And of course, my dear sister is looking forwards to working with you again.”

Thorn grunted, nodding briefly before he felt a twinge in his stump. He did his best not to look at the bandaged appendage, but somehow, Burning Desire caught it all the same: either in his emotions, or maybe the faint flex of his body, as the demon caught him and asked gently: “Do you need a bit of relief?”

The Passion paused, then remarked wryly: “Funny, usually I'm asking mares that question. And usually I mean in a much more-”

“I'm stable.” Thorn interrupted, and Burning Desire huffed, the sapphire stallion grimacing before he muttered: “I mean, I'm... alright. It's getting easier.”

“Good.” Burning Desire said amiably, and then he patted Thorn gently on the back and said softly: “Let's go ahead to the dining hall, shall we? It's time for lunch.”

“Is it? I still can't seem to keep track of time.” Thorn murmured, not wanting to admit how much that bothered him. In the past, he'd been able to mentally keep track of time down to the second. But now his internal clock seemed completely broken, and he couldn't even estimate how many hours he'd been asleep, or working, or just staring at the wall...

Thorn strode out of the meditation room, shaking himself out before he scowled a little when Burning Desire threw a foreleg around his shoulders and smiled warmly as he half-pushed Thorn down the corridor. “It'll come back in time. You just concentrate on getting yourself better, Thorn, I can't be looking bad in front of your parents, after all. Luna will never let me live it down!”

“Personal space.” Thorn said shortly, and Burning winced a bit as he stepped awkwardly away before Thorn sighed a little and lowered his head, striding down the hall before he asked quietly: “Why am I more impatient with the people I care about than strangers?”

Burning smiled gently at the stallion, becoming much more serious as he fell into step beside him, answering: “Because of expectation, I suppose. And because of the weight you put on yourself to be a good representative of Decretum.”

“And because it is easier to make those you care about suffer. We are all broken that way.” added another voice calmly, and Thorn and Burning Desire both looked up as Morning Glory approached, the massive Destroyer striding calmly down the corridor towards them before her fearsome metal mask clicked, withdrawing quickly to reveal her features.

She bowed her head ever-so-slightly to Thorn, and Thorn stopped and bowed in return politely, before the Destroyer rolled her eyes when Burning Desire hopped towards her, a chain snapping around from her back to quickly catch him around the throat. She hefted the Passion off to the side, strangling him lightly and ignoring him completely as she turned her attention to Thorn. “Freya has finally recovered enough to return to Looking Glass World. Apparently she is bringing a Primordial with her. I've heard of these monsters, but I know little about them, apart from how brittle the ones we fought were.”

“I can...” Thorn reached automatically for his prosthetic limb... a limb that wasn't there. His face twitched slightly into a snarl as black veins pulsed across his body for a moment, but then he firmly bit his lip, breathing slowly once before he started: “I will brief-”

Morning Glory slapped Thorn roughly across the face, making his head twitch to the side, and she said shortly: “Do not be weak. You are not weak.”

Thorn looked up at her with burning eyes, and Morning Glory looked back down at him coldly, fearlessly, until Thorn gave the briefest of nods and continued as if he hadn't been interrupted: “I can brief you on the subject. His name is Atavus and he appears to be non-aggressive, but we were only able to make a partial assessment of his abilities. I would advise taking the same security precautions as you would with a Draconequus.”

“Fine.” Morning Glory stopped, then she asked in a quieter voice, as she absently flung Burning Desire away before he could choke to death in the grip of her chains: “Why did Freya allow herself to be so grievously injured?”

“I assume it has to do with Loki.” Thorn replied almost snidely, and Morning Glory gave him a moody look before the sapphire stallion shivered a bit, then lowered his head and muttered: “Normally I wouldn't divulge information relating to the conflict, but as you were present... the survivors of the failed attack on Thokk's base of operations reported puppets of gods and Primordials in massive numbers. They also reported that Freya apologized to Loki about something. She almost certainly saw through his disguise as Thokk.”

“Sins against our family tend to weigh the heaviest.” Burning Desire suggested, as he stepped forwards and rubbed absently at his throat, and Morning Glory sighed a little as her eyes moodily flicked to her brother.

“I suppose that's nothing I can argue with.” she relented after a moment, then she scowled and stomped on Burning Desire suddenly, making him squeak as he was squashed into the ground. “Isn't that right, Ardent?”

“I love you!” yelped Burning Desire from under the mare's hoof, and Morning Glory rolled her eyes before she finally moved off the stallion, letting him awkwardly scramble to his hooves before he said with a smile: “And you know, as long as you love your family, you can heal any wound.”

“As long as you don't love them too much.” Morning Glory muttered, earning a scowl and a blush from Burning Desire, before the mare shook her head with a sigh and returned her eyes to Thorn. “I will be escorting Freya and her friend back to Ponyville from the portal in Subterra.”

“Freya wants to speak to me, then?” Thorn asked, and Morning Glory smiled slightly as Burning Desire clicked his tongue thoughtfully.

“Well, I can see why Moonflower and Necrophage are fighting over you! What a nice young colt you are!” Burning gushed, winking over at the stallion, before he squeaked when Morning smacked him into the wall. “Hey!”

Morning Glory only scowled at him, before she turned her eyes towards Thorn and muttered: “At least Ardent is good practice for keeping your temper.”

“He's good practice for us both.” Thorn remarked, and Morning Glory gave him a moody look as they strode into the dining hall together, where several succubi servants were already floating around the room, setting up a meal.

“I'll leave you and Ardent to your little tea party.” Morning Glory said distastefully, scowling across the table, before she added shortly: “You have half an hour. Then meet me at Thorn Palace.”

The Destroyer turned and left, and Thorn was silent for a moment before Burning Desire remarked: “It must be strange, thinking about the fact you were named after a building, the building wasn't named after you.”

Thorn only shrugged briefly, waiting politely for Burning Desire to sit down first before the sapphire pony took his own seat. He winced a bit, as he always did, when one of the succubi slithered up behind him- no, that's unfair. Check yourself.

He smiled politely over his shoulder at the demon as she gently tied a bib around his neck, then he turned his eyes back forwards as soup was ladled out into the bowl in front of him, the sapphire stallion gazing down into the stew before he remarked quietly: “Soups are rude to serve in Helheim. Too easy to hide poison in. Easier still to hide corruption in.”

Burning Desire pretended to look hurt beneath his own bright-pink bib, which Thorn noted ironically had 'Cool Boy' written across it in swirling blue letters. “I'm offended! As if I would ever harm you in the slightest! You're my godson! And quite the handsome gentlecolt, at that.”

“I know. Just... thinking out loud.” Thorn replied with a brief shake of his head, before he picked up a spoon in his hoof and swirled the stew, saying quietly: “There's only a little hesitation. I trust you, Burning Desire. Your methods are... strange, but efficient and effective.”

The demon smiled at this, then he shrugged a bit and replied kindly: “I just do whatever seems to help, that's all. If I may say so – and I hope you know I say it with all the love in the world, Thorn – you remind me a lot of my dear sister. You have a lot of anger bottled up in there, don't you? But not just anger... a lot of...”

“Yes.” Thorn murmured, shaking his head briefly before he sighed a little, spooning a bit of the soup into his mouth. He swirled it through his jaws, then closed his eyes and said softly: “It's good. Food... seems to calm me.”

“That's why I try and find the time to have a meal every now and then. I might not need it physically, but it certainly does help mentally.” Burning Desire replied with a smile, shrugging a bit as a succubus leaned on either shoulder of the Passion, visibly fawning over him: but with the silly baby bib on, Thorn could only smile in amusement. It wasn't like Burning didn't know he was ridiculous, either, considering the fact that he himself was wearing some elegant thing meant for nobility and Burning was in... a baby bib. “You have to get it out somehow, you know. It's better to get it out through smiles and laughter than fury and frustration, now isn't it?”

Thorn nodded after a moment, swirling his soup again silently. It was good, and he knew he should eat, but he just wasn't hungry. He forced himself to take another sip, then he sighed a little, setting down his spoon.

Burning frowned at him, asking: “Is there anything else you'd like, Thorn? If the soup isn't-”

“The soup is fine.” Thorn cut in, perhaps a little sharply, and then he forced himself to take a breath before saying in a quieter voice: “I apologize. The soup is fine. I'm just not... fine.”

He looked back and forth, then quietly pushed himself up and away from the table, murmuring: “I should go. I have to walk to Thorn Palace and it's... a long walk.”

He silently glanced at his stump, and then he glanced up as Burning Desire asked gently: “Would you like some help?”

“I think I have to do this alone. But I appreciate all that you've done for me. Thank you.” Thorn said politely, bowing his head for a moment before he turned and strode away, his eyes tracing along the ground as he made his way through Burning Desire's mansion.

He paid little attention to the erotic artifacts that lined the halls of this beautiful place, lost in his own thoughts, letting his hooves guide him on autopilot until he was carefully descending the stairs leading down to the streets of Subterra. Horses of Heaven, how he hated stairs...

He cursed as he stumbled on the last step, before gasping as his stump of shoulder flared with agony as there was a wet, ugly squelch as he caught himself. For a moment, Thorn breathed in and out roughly, before a snarl crested his muzzle as he clenched his eyes shut, and the limb of black ooze that had sprung from his shoulder shivered as the claws at the end of it dug slowly through the black stone road.

His unnatural limb shuddered, until Thorn forced himself to lean backwards, his leg dissolving into muck that splattered down over the road as he grasped at his stump. It was still dripping sludge and poison, the stallion gritting his teeth as he reflected that this was his miserable existence now, that he had been given a brand new limb and powers, at the cost of his sanity: no wonder Thesis had wanted to destroy everything. He wished he was dead. He wished everything was-

“Stop.” Thorn said quietly to himself, and then he closed his eyes for a moment before he raised his head, reminding himself: “I am Thorn Blackfeather. I am the Regent of Decretum. I am in control.”

He slowly relaxed, even though his stump was still bleeding sluggishly... but it never really stopped, he reflected. Even if it was corked for a while, it never really healed, and Horses of Heaven, it always hurt.

The pain was welcome, though. Pain, at least, was familiar: it was everything else that wasn't, he thought, as he rubbed slowly at his stump of shoulder before he forced himself to continue forwards, his head as high as he could force himself to hold it, his three-legged gait as fluid as he could make it.

It was easier to hide now, but he was still so angry. So upset. So out of control. But he was holding it all tightly inside, and the meditations and the lessons and the challenges from his mentors were all reminders of who he was, and what he had to do.

He didn't want to disappoint Hecate. When she called, he would be ready to return to Decretum.

He hated being a failure.

Thorn clenched his eyes shut, gritting his teeth for a moment even as he forced himself to continue forwards, one step at a time, ignoring the looks he got, ignoring the burning sensation of eyes, greedily watching, drinking up his pain; he ignored the laughter he was sure he heard, whether or not it was behind closed doors; he shrugged off the pity and the sympathy and the everything-else...

“It has no effect on you. It's not real.” Thorn muttered, shaking his head shortly as he tried to block out everything around him and crush down everything inside him.

He moved, one step at a time, his gait smoothing out as much as it could as he walked through the streets of Decretum, alone, his eyes focused forwards, his body burning with pain but his mind locked on his objective: the great pyramidal Thorn Palace.

Thorn scowled as he reached the bottom of the structure: it was a massive step pyramid, with a steep staircase leading up to the top of the enormous building, where he knew the portal ring was. That was clearly where he had to go. And, while he could walk around the outside of the structure and go up through the halls of the massive, U-shaped building that surrounded the pyramid... it would be just as much effort, if not more. And more time, more importantly.

So he could sit here and complain some more to himself, or he could get the job done, in other words.

Thorn grimaced a bit, then he looked up silently before he sighed and began to walk slowly up the steps, breathing softly as he took them one at a time, ignoring the aches in his body as much as he could. But pain, he reminded himself, was just his body's way of telling him he was still alive.

Thorn slowed to a halt as he finally reached the top of the pyramid, grimacing a bit as he almost crawled onto the top of the structure before he glanced up as Morning Glory said shortly: “You're early.”

“Preferable to being late.” Thorn replied before he could stop himself, and the demon glowered at him before she dismissed the demons around her with a simple flick of her head.

Before she could approach him, however, the silver portal ring that sat in front of a massive statue of Nightmare Moon burst into life, and Morning Glory grumbled as she turned towards this, muttering as Thorn joined her: “Don't think we won't talk about this later.”

“I eagerly await the opportunity to engage in discussion.” Thorn said dryly, before he scowled when Morning Glory grasped him, before the demon's eyes focused sharply on him as she noted the black stains around his bandaged stump.

“We can't help you if you won't trust us.” she said in a low voice, then sighed and straightened, forcing her own eyes to look ahead as Freya and Atavus emerged from the portal.

Freya was gazing at the ground, as if lost in thought, while Atavus sighed in visible relief the moment the portal swirled closed behind them, hugging himself and rubbing vehemently at his arms before he said brightly: “Well, this already feels like a much better place, now doesn't it? It's warm and friendly and there's no guns being pointed at our faces!”

The creature paused in mid-stride as his eyes caught on Morning Glory, and then his eyes widened before he hugged himself as he looked wildly back and forth, hissing fearfully: “Freya! Freya, there are demons here!”

“Yes, Atavus, you were already informed of that. Besides, you should know by now that there are worse things than demons in this universe.” Freya murmured, before she rose her head and looked first at Morning Glory, then at Thorn Blackfeather. “But perhaps we would all be better people if we were all forced to wear our sins upon our sleeves, aye?”

Morning Glory only bowed her head politely, and Thorn Blackfeather rose his own, his eyes meeting the Valkyrie's before she gave a wry smile as she strode towards him. They stood for a few moments, surveying each other, as Atavus nervously shifted from hoof-to-hoof, before the mare said almost abruptly: “Atavus, I think we'll stay here a while. Aye, I certainly want to rush back to my love, but... absence makes the heart grow fonder, does it not? And... there are things to do yet.”

Freya looked at Thorn, who looked back at her silently, before the Valkyrie murmured: “Yes, there are many things to do, yet.”

“We should have Discombobulation brought here, anyway, if you want to attempt a revival.” Morning Glory said calmly, before she winced a bit when Freya scowled at her darkly.

“No. I want him to wake up surrounded by family and friends. In a place where he was always happy...” Freya halted, then she laughed shortly and lowered her head, muttering: “Not that such a place exists for any of us...”

There was an uncomfortable silence and an awkward shifting, before Thorn asked: “What do you plan to do with me?”

“What I can, Thorn. What I can. The last thing we need is to lose you, too.” Freya replied, as she returned her eye to Thorn, measuring him slowly. Then she shook herself quickly out before muttering: “But first, I need a bath, wash all the machinery off of my body. Mud would be preferable, but I'll take hot water.”

“You know where the facilities are. Atavus, come with me.” Morning Glory instructed, and Atavus looked uncertainly at her, but the Destroyer remained impassive, promising: “I will not allow any harm to come to you.”

Atavus chewed nervously on his lip for a moment, and then he sighed and let his shoulders slump, mumbling: “Dens of lions, dens of wolves, dens of machines, it seems no matter where I go, I end up getting locked up in one or the other or the other!”

Morning Glory scowled, but Freya only smiled a little as she rose her head slightly, remarking wryly: “Now enough of that, we've been taken good care of, haven't we? Besides, maybe here you'll be able to find some of your own kind.”

“I sincerely hope not. There's nothing worse in the entire world than my own kind.” Atavus said plainly, and then he shook his head with a mock shiver as he hugged himself. “I'll take the cell, thank you very much!”

Morning Glory rolled her eyes, then she strode over to the Primordial before one of her chains hooked firmly around him, making him squeak as he was hefted into the air by one arm before she simply carried him away, the creature waving uselessly to Freya and Thorn as he called lamely: “I'll try and behave!”

“The things love makes you do. The friends love can help you make.” Freya chuckled quietly, shaking her head before she returned her eyes to Thorn studying him thoughtfully for a few moments as he only looked calmly back at her. “And what about you? What have you been learning, Thorn Blackfeather? About love, about life, about the world? Have you learned it's not always fair? Or have you learned that everything is perfectly fair, and we simply craft all our own sins?”

The stallion lowered his head for a moment, and then he shook it slowly before he asked in a dry voice: “Can you help me?”

“Not with that attitude.” Freya smiled at him almost gently as she rose her head, her single eye studying him silently before she said softly: “You aren't trying to learn to cope. Just to cover up. Aye, I know that well, Thorn. That's a path I walked. So believe me when I say that I doubt it's a path you want to walk yourself.”

Thorn didn't so much as twitch, only looking at Freya seriously, calmly... hollowly, she thought with pity. She rose her head slightly, studying him a little deeper, before she murmured: “Funny. I thought I'd get out of Decretum because sulking wasn't as fun anymore and they were moving all the toys somewhere new. But now I think I came here because I ruined my chances so badly with my last family, that now I'd like to make sure I fix what I can here.”

“No one can fix me.” Thorn said quietly, and Freya laughed loudly at this, which only made the sapphire stallion frown. “What?”

“Such angst. Of course, no one can fix you, no one can save the world, no one can ever understand what you've been through, oh boo hoo hoo. You're talking to an eons old goddess stuck in the body of a wretched horse, boy, and if your whining didn't amuse me so much, I'd cut off your other front leg and ask you if you liked life now or you wanted to go back to a few seconds ago.” Freya snorted and shook her head, then she said distastefully: “Whining gets you nowhere, boy. What annoys me is that you seem like the type who used to know that.”

“I... I do.” Thorn shook his head briefly, and then he muttered: “I do. And I'm learning to-”

“Cover it up better, I know.” Freya studied Thorn intently for a few moments, and then she shook her head slowly before she gestured at his stained stump. “What's that?”

“What's left of my leg.” Thorn answered stiffly, and Freya smiled wryly, tilting her head pointedly towards him.

Thorn grumbled a little as he shifted uncertainly for a few moments, and then he finally sighed tiredly before he reached up and rubbed absently at his stump, muttering: “Corruption. The Clay of Prometheus. I don't know. I don't know why my body has reacted to it now, why now it's producing the poison at an alarming rate, why-”

A golden sword burst into existence and shot at Thorn's face, and the stallion's eyes widened even as his body reacted on instinct, lunging to the side. More golden swords appeared around him to shoot at him with terrifying speed, but Thorn moved gracefully in spite of his three limbs, dodging and weaving between the deadly missiles before he snarled as a circle of swords appeared around his body, spinning slowly before they all pulled back-

Thorn snapped his horn down, creating a circular ring of energy around himself that the swords shattered uselessly into golden glass and energy against, but he stumbled as his horn fizzled painfully, his magic sapped from the effort. He looked up, his eyes widening as a single sword shot towards his face-

A black mass erupted from his stump, and Thorn shivered as he stood with a black claw extended on a muddy arm, long, onyx talons twitching slowly. The golden sword was buried through his black palm, but he couldn't feel it: he could only feel rage, and anger, and what was almost a sense of betrayal as he snarled at Freya...

And Freya simply smiled back at him before she said calmly: “We have work to do, I see. You are no coward, Thorn Blackfeather, so stop acting like one.”

Thorn snorted as he lashed his oozing limb down, shattering the sword buried through his palm as his claws dug into the ground and he hissed, as black veins pulsed through his body: “You know nothing about me.”

“I know enough.” Freya replied equably, and then she smiled as Thorn bared his fangs at her, as his eyes blazed with rage- “Don't keep all that anger pent up now. Go ahead, little boy, let it out. It's not like you could land so much as a scratch on me, after all.”

Thorn's eyes flashed as the fury took over for a moment, driving him to lunge straight at Freya as she only calmly waited for him. He slashed in with his oozing limb, but Freya summoned a golden sword and sliced it in half, Thorn's eyes widening before he leapt backwards, before his expression became ice cold as he dodged back and forth as more swords appeared around him, this time hacking and slashing at him instead of trying to simply stab into his body.

Freya lashed her swords down in tandem, and Thorn leapt upwards, kicking sharply off one sword, then jackknifing another before he kicked both rear hooves at Freya's face: she blasted him backwards with telekinesis, but grinned all the same. Thorn had the potential to be a better fighter than Antares, and he had more control over his magic than Innocence.

“You were raised hard, boy. And you're still weak and soft for it!” Freya mocked as she caught Thorn with telekinesis before slamming him straight down into the ground with enough force to make the bricks beneath them shake.

But Thorn was faster to recover than she expected, snarling as he rolled backwards and flung himself into the air, but then he howled in misery as he crashed straight into a volley of golden spikes launched by Freya, sent crashing and skidding backwards to the edge of the pyramid. Freya slowly advanced, studying Thorn with interest as he struggled to get up to his hooves, his horn glowing feebly: but with only a flick of her horn, she sealed his magic easily with her own, his horn glowing with golden light.

He looked up fearlessly at her, and Freya smiled slightly as she said softly: “Yes. You'll never have the ability your brother does, or the raw power your sister does, but you have your mother's gift for magic all the same. I don't remember a pony apart from Twilight who ever excelled so much in control.”

“I can barely even control myself.” muttered Thorn, as he slowly picked himself up, before he grimaced only slight when Freya snapped her horn down, and three swords appeared in midair, striking down into the ground around him.

He looked back and forth, but Freya only smiled as she flicked her horn lightly, lifting Gæfa, Dómr, and Drengr into the air as she remarked: “Well, those were easier to call back than I had thought. But aye, having a purpose again certainly helps, too.”

She quieted, then drew her eyes down to Thorn as she said softly: “Loki was no child of Odin, but was like a son to him all the same. Of course, Loki himself probably never saw that, Thor clearly being the All Father's favorite and all... but he truly was.”

Freya shook her head, and then she reached down and absently hauled Thorn up to his hooves as she continued: “Loki was accused of murdering Baldur, and being part of the conspiracy that murdered my brother. I showed him no mercy, and listened to no reason. I could have changed things: instead, I was the one who killed his children, and I helped bind him down in Ginnungagap, to suffer his eternal punishment.”

She smiled faintly, shaking her head slowly as she murmured: “It seemed right back then, you know. He made me suffer, so I would make him suffer. But... we were all misled, by Valthrudnir. I played right into the Jötnar's dirty hands.”

She quieted, then continued in a thoughtful murmur: “By now, your parents will be plumbing the depths of Valthrudnir's home. I will gather what friends and allies I can here, and I will tell you all that I remember, Thorn Blackfeather. But in return, you will work with me... and you will work with me honestly. I am not an idiot like Burning Desire and I am not blind to everything but results like Morning Glory. I will not let you become me.”

Thorn and Freya looked at each other for a few moments, before the stallion shook his head slowly as he grasped at his blackly-bleeding limb, admitting his greatest fear in a flash of honesty: “I don't think this anger will ever heal. I can't control it.”

Freya smiled wryly, and then she reached up and rubbed at her eyepatch as she replied: “You might be surprised what you can learn to live with, Thorn Blackfeather. Celestia lived with me for a few millennia, after all. And somehow I seem to be able to live with her.”

Thorn sighed a little as he lowered his head, before the Valkyrie asked, as she lightly smacked Thorn with the flat of one of her swords: “But don't you feel clearer now, after being pushed back into your place? Sometimes men, just like dogs, just need a good kick and shown who's really in charge.”

Thorn only looked moodily up at the mare, and then he shook his head briefly before he absently rubbed at his stump and murmured: “I should be doing more. Decretum is moving to Endworld, Loki needs to be tracked, Seneschal will need help reprogramming and there are other allies to speak to and Hel-”

“Stop that.” Freya bopped Thorn between the ears with another of her blades, making the stallion wince and sit back a little, scowling up at her. “You're useless like this, boy. Now, I'm going to keep an eye on you. Every time you're bottling something up, I'm going to smack you. Every time you lie or cheat, I'll hit you even harder. And eventually we'll get all that poison out of your system.”

“It doesn't work like that.” Thorn said pettishly, before he ducked a swing of one of Freya's swords, only to have his leg yanked out from under him with the other, flushing in fury and humiliation as he snarled and dug his front leg against the ground. If there was one thing he hated, it was being knocked down.

Freya only smiled down at him, before she said calmly: “Yes, I know that's now the best place for trying to sneak a look at my breasts, but get yourself on your hooves, boy. You're my nephew, after all. And Brynhild will have my head if I try anything with you.”

Thorn scowled as he pushed himself back up, before the mare added moodily: “Breasts between the legs, though. Aye, perhaps in some ways it's good to have all the wonders of a woman in one place, but there is an expression that comes to mind about putting all your eggs in one basket-”

“What do you want me to do? What do you want me to learn?” Thorn interrupted, but his eyes were almost desperate in spite of how sharp his voice was.

“I want you to learn that it's okay.” Freya shrugged a bit, and then she made her swords vanish one after the other before she gestured at the stallion with her head, saying softly: “Come along, then. Let's find where Morning Glory took Atavus. And be thankful. I don't have to give you this help, you know.”

“I am grateful for your time. But I have no reason yet to appreciate your means or methods.” Thorn replied, and Freya looked at him before she gave a slight smile, tipping her head towards him.

“Unbreakable. That's what you are. Why can't you remember that yourself, boy?” Freya asked, and Thorn frowned at her before the mare turned and strode away. “Let's get going, Thorn. There's some things we need to do before I can start training you.”

Thorn sighed inwardly, but all the same he followed: after all, he was here to learn. He just hoped that Freya had something useful to teach him.

Hecate stood in a world of infinity, a world of the Old Gods. A World Without End.

The home of the Reapers. A place beyond time and space, a place said to sit on the opposite pole of the Core World. A place that even Valthrudnir had never dared to attack...

Hecate smiled briefly as she walked silently over an island of stone and metal towards a set of eerily floating, flat bricks. She climbed this floating staircase, glancing off to the side, towards the horizon in the endless distance: beautiful clouds floated back and forth through the eternal twilight, tainted rich purples and reds by the ancient sun that lit the dark sky. The air was full of floating islands, many of these chained to the rocky, barren earth far below, as if to stop them floating away; and for all Hecate knew, that was precisely why they were.

If this World Without End was destroyed, it would destroy the lynchpin that held the Core World in place, making it vulnerable. And if the Core World was destroyed, it would shatter the chain of worlds that held all the different Midgards together. They would collapse on top of each other or fall into the Void or be cut off from Heaven and Hell, and that was the best case scenario.

Apparently the world that Odin had seeded with the silly horses had originally been one of Thanatos' worlds. It was an amusing irony that they were all alive today because of the whims of a God of Death: at any time, Thanatos could have claimed his world back from Odin. But instead, he had allowed Odin to continue his experiments with life: Thanatos, in large part, was why there had been an alliance between the Gods of Olympus and the Gods of Asgard.

Of course, part of that had also been because of Surt, their mutual foe: the Fire Giant who had lived in what the Olympic Gods called Hades, and what Asgardian gods called Muspell.

Hecate reached another floating island, striding across it towards a massive, gorgeous fortress of stone and glass and metal. Huge clockwork golems that easily rivaled the Titans of Decretum stood eternal guard outside its open doors, but Hecate ignored them, and they ignored her. She had been called here on business, after all.

She strode through a short corridor and into a beautiful but dusty, empty hall that was lined with gorgeous glass windows. There was only one other figure in this wall, who was slowly pacing as he read from an old, leatherbound book in one hand.

He barely looked up as Hecate approached, his black robes flowing around him, his skull cap tight on his serpentine head. Hecate waited politely for a few moments as the God of Death continued to pace slowly down the hall, before she cleared her throat, but Thanatos' cold silver eyes didn't glance up from the book he was reading as he grumbled: “I'll be with you in a moment.”

“Take your time, Thanatos, I only came halfway across the universe.” Hecate replied drolly, and the God of Death snorted before he snapped his book shut, turning towards her as his metallic eyes focused on her.

He strode towards her, towering over her. He scowled a little, which Hecate knew by now was the closest he ever gave to a smile. His cobra-like hood flexed slight as he regarded her, patterned with illustrations of life and death over the ashen scales, as he said shortly: “Let's make this quick.”

“Then tell me why you summoned me here, Thanatos. I'm here on your call.” Hecate said moodily, before she scowled when the god reached down and touched under her chin with one bony finger, tilting her head back and forth as he inspected her moodily.

“Jötnar power is not something to be tampered with lightly.” he said softly. “It seems to have taken a liking to you, though. I never would have believed otherwise that any creature could control such abilities, were they not born into them... especially his powers.”

“Was everyone afraid of him?” asked Hecate distastefully, and Thanatos gave a rusty laugh.

“Not afraid of him, no. But more of what he could and would do.” Thanatos replied evenly, before the God of Death asked, as his eyes locked with hers: “Should I be afraid of you, Hecate, and what you plan to do?”

“Only if you get in my way.” Hecate replied with the same calmness, and the two surveyed each other for a few moments before Thanatos gave a thin smile.

“I don't get in anyone's way unless they make a habit of interfering with my business. I'm above that. Neutral.” Thanatos replied evenly, before he shook his head and continued quietly: “But you have been trying to supersede my authority, and making promises that I might not be able to fulfill.”

“You can fulfill them. Don't act childish.” Hecate said, and Thanatos scowled at her before the Jötnar mare smiled and flicked her horn, Thanatos scowling darker as the dust immediately vanished from the hall and the windows, making it markedly brighter.

“Don't act like my mother.” Thanatos grumbled, attempting to boot the mare, but Hecate easily caught his foot and shoved it back, the God of Death stumbling once before he caught his balance and glared down at her.

She looked back up at him pointedly, and after a few moments, Thanatos finally sighed and muttered: “It feels like favoritism.”

“Perhaps it is. That doesn't change the fact she already knows the laws of Decretum and will be the most effective Reaper for the task. Send one of your automatons or another Great Reaper with her if you want to make sure she receives the proper training and meets your expectations.” Hecate answered with a shrug.

Thanatos eyed her for a few moments, and then he said moodily: “It's rude to read another's intentions, Hecate.”

“I'm still getting used to these abilities. And you said you wanted to keep this conversation short.” Hecate retorted, and Thanatos rolled his eyes before he opened his book and began to page moodily through it.

Hecate remained silent this time, only frowning up at him curiously, until the God of Death read out loud: “Childe born to bring pain, to the warrior gods he came. Childe, born to dream and defy, rend and rip the world awry.”

“Poetry. I always knew you were soft, Thanatos.” Hecate remarked, and Thanatos scowled at her before the Jötnar mare said quietly: “The reason we are in this mess in the first place is because the Aesir attributed too much fact to fiction that seemed to fit the situation they were in. With a bit of creative license, you could make any story fit the situation.”

“Yes, Hecate. But were the Aesir right or wrong? We'll never truly know.” Thanatos closed the poetry book again, looking down at it for a moment before he said softly: “Loki was a troubled soul. Clearly, he still is. But is it right to destroy him? Perhaps he too is only a pawn.”

“I will do what must be done. You know that, Thanatos.” Hecate replied evenly, and there was silence for a moment between them before the Jötnar mare asked quietly: “Do you feel sorry for him?”

“I am not without a heart. And all my years of neutrality, of using both innocent and wicked souls to fuel the furnace...” Thanatos chuckled quietly, turning his eyes moodily towards Hecate. “Many of the souls that wish for permanent death end up here, you know. Most of those souls end up being poured into the Great Equalizer below, where they are burnt away into energy that is poured back into the universe, to fuel the everlasting cycle. Some souls, and fragments of souls, however, we save. Come with me.”

Hecate frowned, but nodded and followed as Thanatos led her through the hall. They were silent as they made their way through the gorgeous fortress, which was staffed mainly by automatons and drones: machinery that would have impressed even Valthrudnir, she thought wryly, apart from the fact so much of it was covered in dust.

“You need to do a better job maintaining your toys, Thanatos. Or do you expect me to offer you a cadre of Worker Drones?” Hecate asked ironically.

“Dogmatists, preferably. I'm sure you can spare some to get the machinery back in order.” Thanatos shot back without missing a beat, and Hecate scowled at this.

“We are a military institution, not a cleaning and repair service.” Hecate said irritably, but Thanatos only snorted in disdain.

“You've performed other tasks for your backers in the past, haven't you? Besides, you owe me a favor.” Thanatos shrugged, gesturing absently at a machine as they passed it, which was almost invisible beneath the blanket of dust covering it: Hecate wondered moodily how it was possible that it was still chortling away. “Perhaps more than one, as a matter of fact. And you can have your little dollies copy the schematics of the machinery.”

“Yes, I am certain that your automatons would be useful around Decretum. Heavens know that most of my Orphans need help folding their clothing or putting away their dishes.” Hecate said distastefully, as they passed a drone that was busily sorting scrolls out in a set of racks that messily lined this corridor. “Do you ever organize?”

“I rarely ever entertain company. Particularly company as witty and loud as you.” Thanatos retorted, before they pushed through a large set of double doors, and Hecate felt the temperature drop several degrees as he added quietly: “Now shut up and look.”

Hecate strode slowly to the middle of the room, feeling the thrum of powerful magic under her hooves as she strode through several protective circles. She knew from the moment she walked over the runes they had powerful enough charms on them to incinerate any trespassers: perhaps even including her, in spite of all the Jötnar power now coursing through her body.

She halted in front of the pedestal at the center of the room, studying the glassy fragment that was floating above it. After a moment, Thanatos joined her, slowly walking to the other side of the pedestal and holding a bony hand on either side of the fragment, as he said softly: “I can't hide this from him forever.”

“A piece of Loki's soul. It must have fallen loose from Ginnungagap before Loki himself fell into the Void. Interesting.” Hecate said softly, as she studied the fragment intensely. She thought she understood what had happened: it wasn't so different as what happened with Avatars like Brynhild and Freya. Their souls had shattered, and if it hadn't been for the work of Odin, those souls would have fallen in pieces from Asgard. Most would naturally dissolve and fall into the Void before they reached any of the physical worlds, but others – the 'larger' pieces, the 'stronger' pieces – would have fused into mortals, making them a little more resilient, a little more powerful, a little more 'special...'

“It came here. I wonder why sometimes. Touch it, see for yourself.” Thanatos invited, and Hecate frowned slightly, but Thanatos only gave a wry smile. “Don't insult me.”

“Only curious.” Hecate reached up and touched the fragment of soul, closing her eyes before her entire body stiffened as a pulse went through her, as she felt... sorrow. Sadness. Anger. Pain. But... “Strange.”

“Strange.” agreed Thanatos, as he studied the fragment of soul. “But this, perhaps, is purely Loki. Who knows how the Prime has corrupted and tainted his original intent?”

“Then perhaps killing him will be my mercy to him.” Hecate murmured, before she shook her head as she studied the fragment silently. “Even with all his powers, he will not be able to attack Endworld directly... not unless he has some other way to build a link. Nor will he attack while I am present... not unless...”

Hecate frowned slightly, silently tracing over the fragment before she shivered a little as she thought she heard a whisper... no, not a whisper... a scream. “Is it...”

“Yes. It's crying out to be whole again.” Thanatos studied the fragment for a few moments, and then he turned and gestured at the other end of the room, which was dominated by a massive, black metal vault door. “Loki was badly injured. But because of what he's become, he can regenerate even the injury you inflicted on him, peeling the Astra away from his physical body. And to him, the Void is a sanctuary, while it was anathema even to He Of Many Countless Faces.”

“Another being of Astra.” Hecate paused meditatively, returning her eyes to the fragment. “Loki claimed, in so many words-”

“The young like to take credit for many things.” Thanatos said ironically, and then he shook his head and said shortly: “Focus. We have more important things to think about.”

“There are few things more important to me than understanding how much of this has been a game to him. If he did orchestrate the downfall of the Norns so he could take advantage of their powers, if he is somehow responsible for leading Brynhild to destroying Valthrudnir... that is something I think would be important to know.” Hecate said shortly, but she understood what he was talking about, as she returned her eyes to the fragment. “Will he attack here?”

Thanatos snorted, but as Hecate looked up at the God of Death, she realized that he was unsure. For a few moments, there was silence as they both studied each other for a few moments, before Thanatos gave a thin smile and said quietly: “Don't go thinking you're stronger than me, young miss. You're little more than a toddler to me.”

“And there's nothing to brag about in being an old crone, Thanatos.” Hecate replied calmly, before she said meditatively: “I can spare fifty of the Hexad Army at the moment. Ten of each unit should help fortify your defenses. I'll augment that with a hundred Kirin, if you think you can muster up some accommodations for the living.”

Thanatos rolled his eyes, then he grumbled: “If Loki does attack here, your toys will do precious little to stop him.”

“But they will distract whatever he brings with him, as I highly doubt he'll try to fight that fight alone.” Hecate answered, before she added almost challengingly: “I'll have a mobile base set up here so Decretum can stay informed of your status. But it's more than just this fragment of soul that has you concerned, isn't it?”

“Loki, or the Prime, if you prefer, has been making himself more powerful by absorbing souls: if not directly devouring them, then by channeling energy from the Void itself. But if he had access to all these countless souls...” Thanatos gestured at the vault door behind himself, and Hecate grimaced as she realized what the God of Death was saying.

“This is a soul furnace. It runs off souls and spiritual energy.” Hecate lowered her head, before she muttered: “Of course. The Blood Seer, from Aster's world. He said the soul furnace would play an integral role...”

“Loki has already hunted down many of Valthrudnir's toys under the guise of Thokk. He may send agents out to secure the rest of the Jötnar's loose tools.” Thanatos said quietly, before he added distastefully: “I would prefer the soul furnace was shut down immediately and completely, of course. I dislike any tampering with the cycle and seeing good souls go to waste.”

“My team has yet to report on the functionality of the furnace. It may be something we can use to our advantage.” Hecate replied, unflinching, before she asked: “Can you provide anything to deal with the Atropii?”

“Why should I?” Thanatos asked moodily as he crossed his arms, but Hecate smiled thinly: they both already knew the answer to that. The Atropii were a point of personal injury for Thanatos, and since Hecate's servants would doubtlessly be coming across more of them in the future... “Fine. I will ask that you give these out with discretion, but there are both tools and magic that can be used to tame the Atropii and enslaved Reapers. I hope you appreciate the level of trust I have in you, Hecate.”

“And I hope you appreciate the same I have in you, Thanatos. As I recall, most gods are terrified of walking into the lair of the God of Death.” Hecate replied, and Thanatos gave her a moody look before he smiled ever so slightly.

“I would never call you a 'god,' Hecate.” he replied eloquently, and then he put his hands behind his back as he turned away for a moment, studying the runes on the ground before he said softly: “Lastly, I have concerns regarding the Swan.”

“As does everyone else.” Hecate said softly, her gaze focusing on the God of Death's back. “Precisely why is that? She is no savior. No chosen one. Not even a hero. She is just a soldier.”

Thanatos chuckled quietly at this, before he said softly: “Swans were forged using arts that were forbidden to all gods. But even back then, Hel was being framed as the enemy, wasn't she? A perfect way for Odin to avoid any blame or repercussions for his actions.”

Hecate remained impassive, only tapping a hoof impatiently, and Thanatos looked up at the ceiling as he said calmly: “Astra is the stuff of souls. Tampering with it has always led to problems for all sides, hence why it was forbidden. And until now, I never believed even the Swans could see through the Astra without consequence. I assumed they were all so violent and emotionless in spite of their programming because they were forced to see through the Astra: forced to see every soul and living piece of energy at once, back and forth through time and space.”

“Cadence can see through the Astra. She's the only creature I've ever heard of being able to do so, however, without losing her mind.” Hecate said meditatively, before she asked: “Is that it? Her ability to see? Or is it her ability to kill?”

“It is everything, Hecate, and none of those things.” Thanatos answered with a shrug as he finally returned his gaze to meet hers. “Hecate, do you not understand what it means that Danzsöngr has come to life? A golem, an artificial guard dog... it had enough of a soul that it was able to fall as an Avatar. That it was able to mimic a mortal's emotions: whether or not it really has developed some split personality, I don't know. Could there be a Cadence, and a Danzsöngr? Or all along, has this golem only been insane, convincing itself that half of itself is 'good' and half of it is 'evil?'”

Hecate remained silent, but she thought she was coming to understand, as much as she didn't want to, as she and Thanatos looked at each other before he said softly: “The Swan is dangerous because ultimately, she is unknown. To me, to Loki, to Hel herself, I suspect... and to you. And don't think I'm blind to how you feel about her, that she is-”

“If she needs to be dealt with, I will be the one to deal with her.” Hecate said coldly, before she took a step towards Thanatos, the God of Death leaning back slightly in surprise. “If you have any further concerns regarding my personnel or projects, then I advise you to either bring them to my attention now, or consider the fact that I will maintain my projects and my personnel the way I desire, and you should do the same.”

The two looked at each other for a few moments, and then Thanatos smiled thinly as he said softly: “If I revoked your visitor status right now, Jötnar, you would be disintegrated. Perhaps you're the one who needs to work on being more polite, Princess Celestia.”

“Empty threats. If you wanted to erase me, you would do it.” Hecate replied contemptibly. “Baseless intimidation is below the God of Death.”

“No wonder even Valthrudnir could never tame a shrew like you. Do you fear anything, pony?” Thanatos asked with a snort that was half-derisive, half-amused.

Hecate thought for a moment, then she looked up and responded: “Failure. And my name is Hecate. I recommend you use it.”

Thanatos only smiled thinly, then he turned and gestured for the Jötnar mare to follow, and Hecate did, resisting the urge to look back at the fragment of Loki's soul as they headed back into the endless world of metal and glass that ran on burning souls.

Those Forbidden Things

Chapter Seventy: Those Forbidden Things
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence absently adjusted her body armor as she smiled over at Thesis, who smiled awkwardly back at her as she asked gently: “Are you sure you can handle it?”

“Yeah. I'll be fine... for this, anyway.” Thesis replied with a shrug, and Cadence nodded: it sounded like a fairly simple mission, and all they were doing was gathering information. She and Thesis could probably handle it by themselves, but they would have some 'support' anyway, she thought, as she looked over at the trio of ponies coming with them as her own smile became a little strained.

Luna Brynhild grinned widely at Cadence, opening her mouth, but it was immediately shut by Scrivener Blooms slapping a Talon over it as Morgan Heldóttir said politely: “We look forwards to working with you, Cadence. Don't worry, we'll stay out of your mane for the most part, we know we're mostly there to support you.”

Cadence nodded awkwardly before Thesis brought up a holographic screen from his Mission Drive, saying wryly: “Weird to be working with you guys for once. And in a completely not psychopathic do-it-or-else best-frenemies kind of way.”

“Let's just hope for the best. You said this was one of Thokk's bases after all, right?” Scrivener said pointedly, before he scowled and quickly yanked his hoof away from Brynhild's muzzle as she attempted to bite him.

“Aye, hopefully that means something interesting will happen, at the least!” Luna exclaimed, clapping her forehooves together before she waggled her eyebrows at Thesis and Cadence. “But I am sure we shall all be able to find some way to occupy ourselves, no matter what-”

“Shut up, Brynhild. You're worse than I am, for Odin's sake.” shouted a voice, and Brynhild huffed but smiled, looking up as Freya approached with Thorn on one side and Morning Glory the other. A cluster of other ponies had followed, as well: mostly to see Brynhild and her companions off, she thought, although she couldn't help some amusement at the sight of Moonflower and Necrophage: even if Moonflower kept shooting horrible glares at the Replicant between smiling lamely at her and Thesis. Guess they haven't worked things out quite yet.

“Alright. I've set the coordinates to what you told me and pretended that I work for Hecate for long enough.” Freya said mildly, gesturing irritably at them with a hoof. “I have to say, though, Brynhild, I'm disappointed how quickly you went along with this.”

“What, and miss the chance to punch Loki in his great fat stupid face?” Luna asked with a grin, and Freya glowered at her disapprovingly, but Brynhild only snorted and huffed. “'Tis funny that thou art the one with the moral dilemma this time, Freya, and I am the one who wants to trample him beneath mine hooves. Since when does thou care about anyone apart from thyself and whatever thou can shove between thy legs?”

Freya scowled at Brynhild, leaning towards her and saying moodily: “Some days I question why I missed you, sister.”

“Well, that is precisely why, because we are sisters. And thus no matter how much thou may hate me and I may hate thee, we are forever stuck together. Thou art the peanut butter and I am the jelly.” Luna reasoned, and Cadence slowly closed her eyes before Scrivener and Morgan both scowled as Luna suddenly seized them and grinned widely at Freya. “And look, I have found two slices of bread!”

“While that sounds appetizing, Brynhild, it will have to wait.” Freya smiled despite herself, rolling her single eye before she gently patted Thorn on the head, making him scowl slightly, but he looked... better, Cadence thought. Sure, he looked bruised and beaten up and his stump was goopy and gross even through the bandages, but there was something about his eyes and the way he held himself that spoke much louder. “I'll take good care of your boy.”

“See that thou does, Freya. And Thorn, do not let Freya take too good care of thee, or I shall come down upon thee both like an avalanche of hooves.” Luna added pointedly, shaking a hoof at Freya before she popped to her hooves and turned to face the portal ring in front of the statue of Nightmare Moon, the mare smiling wryly up at this as she muttered: “And the sooner we can put this behind us, the better.”

“And here I thought you must love having all these demons worshiping at your altar.” Cadence mumbled, and Luna grinned widely over her shoulder at her, but then only grumbled when Scrivener and Morgan both pointedly stepped up on either side of her.

Cadence dropped her own head with a half-mumbled apology, and Thesis patted her gently on the back before Morning Glory and Freya both stepped forwards, horns glowing as the Destroyer grumbled: “I agree. The sooner we get rid of all of you, the better.”

The portal ring glowed brightly before a vortex swirled open, and Moonflower hurriedly sprang forwards, blurting out as Necrophage waved happily: “Be good! Take care! Come back soon!”

Cadence smiled despite herself over her shoulder at the stallion before she turned her eyes ahead, letting Luna and her family charge through the swirling vortex first before she and Thesis followed after. There was the now-familiar rush of light and sound and energy, before they burst out the other side, and Cadence immediately shivered at how cold it was as she skidded to a halt through the ashy dirt that covered this strange, alien world. “Where the hell are we?”

“A dead world. Hex warns me he is having trouble finding us.” muttered Brynhild as she rose her head slightly with a scowl, and Morgan looked at her nervously. “Nay, nay. 'Tis not that dire, 'tis rather that... when a world falls loose from the chain, it floats 'freely,' so to speak, and there are fewer paths for Hex to take... and those that he does may not lead to this place at all, for the world may shift and move, as an untethered boat in the ocean.”

Cadence bit back the urge to say something rude to the Valkyrie, while Thesis nodded as he rubbed absently at his chest before he pointed at the black sky above. “Always made me think of Endworld. This world was shattered off the chain by a replication of the Horn of Gjallar. A... another failed experiment of Dad's.”

“The fabled Horn of Heimdall, as we knew it.” Brynhild smiled slightly over at Thesis, who looked lamely away as Cadence stepped forwards slightly, but the Valkyrie let the subject drop as she turned her attention around the area they had landed in, muttering: “But I do not recognize where we are... it is terribly cold, but it reeks...”

“It's a desert of ash. This world was used as a testing site for nuclear armament.” Thesis explained, and Cadence winced and stared at the stallion, but he smiled at her reassuringly: “More than a thousand years ago, Cadence, it's safe.”

Cadence shifted nervously all the same as her eyes roved around: that explained why it was so flat and barren, for the most part: no, there were cliffs to the east, she noted. Probably half an hour's march away, and there was some small structure on top of them.

Thesis followed Cadence's gaze, then nodded, pointing it out to the others. “Thokk... I mean, Loki, used this world because it's empty and dead, very close to breaking down completely on its own. I'm surprised it hasn't collapsed myself. Anyway, there's a bunker up there where he would have us report to sometimes.”

“I don't sense anything around us. I don't sense... anything, except for us, in what feels like the entire world. Even the air tastes stale.” Morgan murmured, and Thesis nodded as Cadence gave a brief smile.

“Loki probably withdrew all his forces to one area, or had them go to ground. We'll have to be careful, but we sent a lot of his forces back to the Void, and that seems to be what he's mainly operating out of.” Cadence explained, and Luna nodded with a grunt as Scrivener uncertainly pawed one Talon through the ashes.

“I have a bad feeling about this.” he muttered, then winced when Luna bopped him with his horn, rubbing awkwardly at his head before he squawked when she leapt up on top of his back, violently heeling his sides.

“Shut up, beetle. Now, I command thee to transform thyself. 'Twill be easier on us all.” she ordered, and Scrivener sighed tiredly before Brynhild peered over at Thesis accusingly. “And thou. Thou must transform as well, into thy final form.”

“I don't even have a final form. This is my final form.” Thesis said lamely, before he rubbed lamely at his face and added: “Also can we not talk about my former life in front of my marefriend? I want to tell Cadence in my own time.”

Cadence blushed ever-so-slightly, grumbling under her breath as she looked away and kicked at the ground, and Thesis smiled awkwardly over at her before Luna loudly rubbed her hooves together as she leaned towards them with a wide grin. “Well, just what hast thou 'telled' and better yet, shown her? I must know, Thesis, thou must tell me every last bit of what thou hast told her, and whether or not a Swan is as ferocious in the bedroom as-”

Tentacles of shadow suddenly wrapped around Brynhild , who huffed as she was hefted firmly off Scrivener's back and deposited on the ground on the other side of Morgan before the tendrils of darkness vanished, as the mare apologized: “Luna's not very good at taking social cues. We've uh... spent too much time on the run. It's made us all forget how to be professional.”

Cadence only grunted as Thesis shrugged a bit, before he watched in surprise as corruption boiled up from the ground over Scrivener's body, forming into a dome around the stallion. The black dome rippled as Cadence narrowed her eyes, the Swan twisting with curiosity inside of her before a shape pressed out against the dome, stretching it, tearing it, and only a moment later, a Tyrant Wyrm emerged from the black womb, shaking itself briskly free of the corruption.

Scrivener's eyes opened and blinked a few times, before he squawked and stumbled as Luna immediately leapt on top of him, nearly knocking him flat on his belly as she declared: “Enough wasting time! Come, all of thee, mount up my noble steed-” Luna tried to stifle a fit of giggling as Scrivener sighed tiredly and Morgan rolled her eyes. “And we shall be off!”

Thesis and Cadence traded awkward looks, but then Scrivener said dryly: “It'll be faster. And I shouldn't have any trouble climbing up those cliffs. Thesis, uh, no offense, but...”

“Yeah. I know. I'm a cripple.” Thesis smiled all the same, however, and he hopped without a flinch up onto Scrivener's back, but Cadence knew it hurt him. He just refused to show it, always smiling, always pushing forward, never hesitating...

Cadence caught Luna staring pointedly at her, and the ivory mare grumbled even as she blushed a little. She leapt upwards, but then caught herself and hovered awkwardly above Scrivener, asking after a moment: “Are you sure you don't want me to just follow along in the air?”

“Don't worry. Luna loves to pile things on me. I'll be fine.” Scrivener said wryly, and Cadence shrugged before she dropped down on the Tyrant Wyrm's back, absently adjusting her equipment: considering that Brynhild was in full armor as well, and none of them were exactly small ponies...

Luna craned her head around to scowl at her, and Cadence scowled back before the sapphire mare reached up and pointedly tapped her own nose. “I know thou just thought that I am fat. But I shall have thee know, I am not fat at all. And if thou does not believe it, I shall sit my rump upon thy face... but then again, kissing ass is what Swans-”

“Let's get going.” Scrivener said loudly as Cadence ground her teeth together, before she winced as the Tyrant Wyrm added awkwardly: “Hold on tight but not too tightly because it hurts, alright?”

Cadence looked down lamely at where her hooves had buried into the Tyrant Wyrm's scales, and she loosened her grip a little even as Luna turned around and stomped on him violently a few times, grumbling: “Oh shut up, all of thee. I am trying to... start a discussion.”

“You know, even when I was completely crazy, I knew that wasn't the best way to try and start a conversation.” Thesis said mildly, before he winced and ducked when Luna spun towards him, flicking her horn out to send a blue fireball shooting over his head.

Cadence reacted before she even realized what she was doing, her rifle seeming to leap into her hooves as she shoved the barrel of the gun into Luna's face, before she twitched and snarled as she realized she was gazing into the pitiless eye of Brynhild's own massive weapon, the Valkyrie grinning at her widely as she said pleasantly: “A conversation between a Valkyrie and a Swan Maiden is a little different than the prattle that stallions so enjoy engaging in.”

The Swan and the Valkyrie glared at each other for a few moments, before Thesis said blandly: “I have the strangest boner right now.”

“Goddammit!” Cadence shouted furiously, spinning around and knocking Luna sprawling with a yelp as she was cracked across the muzzle with the rifle. Thesis only grinned lamely, however, even as Cadence shoved the rifle at him, poking him several times with the barrel of the gun as she snapped: “Do you have to ruin absolutely everything?”

“Yes. Especially when it prevents me from getting splattered with brain matter.” Thesis said pointedly, and Cadence scowled horribly at him before Thesis gently reached up and took her rifle away, carefully compressing the MARES back to its smaller state. “It would also be rude to get Luna all over Scrivener.”

“I get all over Scrivener as often as I please, I shall thank thee.” huffed Brynhild, and Scrivener mumbled under his breath as Morgan rolled her eyes, but the violet mare admittedly seemed a little relieved herself, and now that Cadence was calming down, she had to grudgingly admit, Thesis seemed to know just when to step in.

She took her gun back from him and shoved it into the holster, before she turned towards Luna and said moodily: “We can... talk later. We're on a mission here. Let's try and be professional.”

“Fie on thee. Swan, thou art dumb and unfun. But I suppose that is to be expected, thou hast been trained by one of the most unfun of all ponies.” Luna grumbled moodily, and then she holstered her own gun, before she crossed her forelegs as she sat back against Scrivener's neck, the Tyrant Wyrm sighing in relief as he continued to carry them onward towards their destination.

They remained in an awkward quiet until they reached the bottom of the cliffs, where Scrivener instructed them to hold on tight: Morgan was polite enough to create several vines that snared around Scrivener's body in a sort of harness, Cadence and Thesis holding onto these as Luna clung almost stubbornly to Scrivener's neck and Morgan vanished from sight.

Scrivener was more agile in his Tyrant Wyrm shape than Cadence had expected: it took him a little over a minute to reach the top of the high cliffs, where Morgan was waiting for them. Cadence and Thesis leapt down from his back, and Luna took to the air, looking quickly back and forth as Scrivener returned to his normal shape, his Tyrant Wyrm form seeming to melt before the stallion emerged with a wheeze from the waxy corruption, shaking himself briskly off as his mane and tail visibly grew back into place.

He smiled briefly as Cadence studied him curiously, while Thesis smiled a bit himself before he asked in a tone that said he already knew the answer: “Does it hurt?”

“Every time.” Scrivener admitted, rubbing slowly at one foreleg before he looked down at one Talon, flexing it slowly as he murmured: “But it's not like I don't deserve a bit of pain.”

Cadence frowned a bit, but Thesis only laughed as he stepped forwards patted him gently on the shoulder, saying encouragingly: “Now, enough of that, huh? We all have enough to deal with. And I don't want Luna to whine more about us whining.”

Scrivener smiled a bit again, then he nodded once before he asked: “Can you still focus your own corruption?”

“Yeah. Hurts too, though.” Thesis absently flexed a hoof, before he murmured: “But I guess you of all ponies probably understand that it's both... something I miss, and something I'm awfully glad to be rid of.”

“Yeah.” Scrivener nodded back, glancing down for a moment before the three ponies turned towards the bunker, where Luna and Morgan were inspecting the front door on the low-built, rectangular structure.

It was ugly and the brick was chipped and stained, but the ashen earth was disturbed enough around the front door that Cadence could tell there had been visitors recently... well, that and the giant shiny lock on the handle. “Is that what I think it is?”

“What is it? I do not know what it is!” complained Brynhild, before she stepped forwards and punched it, and Cadence admittedly had a hard time suppressing her grin when Brynhild was electrocuted, before the Valkyrie squawked as she keeled backwards, spasming a few times on the ground as both Morgan and Scrivener shook themselves out, looking dazed.

“Yep. That's what you think it is.” Thesis said dryly, rolling his eyes before he approached the electro-lock, leaning back and forth as he inspected it, before muttering: “Okay, good, still has the serial number on it. Let's see...”

He leaned back slightly, reaching out to tap on his Mission Drive and summon up a holographic screen. He flicked through various documents, then smiled slightly to himself as he entered a string of digits over the screen, and he was rewarded with another code. “Okay. I think I got it. Cadence, do you mind? I can't touch it while it's armed.”

“No problem.” Cadence stepped up beside Thesis, using telekinesis to open a control panel on the front of the lock before she copied the code Thesis was projecting into the control panel.

The lock clicked, then beeped twice before it disengaged from the handle, dropping loose from the door with a clank as Thesis said mildly to Brynhild: “See? Brains. Not brute force. That is what separates us from the beasts.”

“Oh shut up. I do not like thee anymore, fun Thesis. Thou art stupid.” grumbled Brynhild, and Thesis shrugged amiably as Cadence smiled slightly despite herself, while Morgan picked up the device and studied it curiously.

“It's a simple locking mechanism. Uses magnetic resonance to hold a door closed, and electrocutes whoever is dumb enough to touch it.” Thesis looked pointedly at Brynhild, and the Valkyrie huffed as she scooped up a hoof full of dust and uselessly flung it in his direction.

But he became more serious after a moment, saying quietly: “That proves someone was here, though, and moreover, they expected us to come here. We should be prepared for traps ahead. Twilight... I mean, uh, Morgan, sorry. Can you sense anyone?”

Morgan smiled over at the stallion reassuringly, then she turned her eyes ahead as she reached a hoof up in front of her chest, her cloak swaying around her as the dome of crystal in her body pulsed with eerie light. “I sense... only you. There's no other Voidborn present.”

Cadence frowned a bit, before she winced as she felt the Swan suddenly push ahead, taking control of her and making her see. In a flash, she saw everything ahead, gazing through the Astra as her sight roved restlessly back and forth, studying and memorizing every room before Danzsöngr said calmly: “There are three traps on the way, and another lock. There are no guards, but something is waiting for us deep within the bunker. There is powerful magic here... but not dangerous magic.”

Danzsöngr paused, then smiled as her eyes slowly drew to Brynhild: she both saw Brynhild, and saw Brynhild, studying her for a few moments before she slowly, pointedly licked her lips. The Valkyrie immediately flushed, a snarl bridging her mouth, but Danzsöngr only smiled almost kindly before she said gently: “We see all, Valkyrie, and we know enough. But you do not have to fear. We have no quarrel with you. We have learned... empathy.”

Luna narrowed her eyes dangerously, beginning to lean forwards, but Scrivener quickly caught her shoulder as Morgan frowned uncertainly, looking uneasily at the ivory mare as she asked slowly: “Cadence?”

“No. Danzsöngr. There has always been only Danzsöngr. Cadence is...” The Swan paused, tilting her head to the side, before she murmured: “Very well.”

She closed her eyes; a moment later, Cadence shivered before she felt herself return to control, gasping a little as she hugged herself and shivered violently, then she muttered: “I uh... sorry.”

Luna grumbled a little, but then she sighed and nodded moodily, mumbling: “Well, 'tis... there is no harm done, I suppose. And I suppose I understand what it is like to not be in control of thine own self. But still. Thou art stupid, Swan.”

“And you're a bitch, Valkyrie.” Cadence sighed a little, rubbing moodily at her face before she turned her eyes towards Thesis, trying to be professional as she said: “I can point out the traps as we come across them.”

“Alright. Uh, yeah, you take the lead, then.” Thesis smiled awkwardly over at Scrivener and Luna, but the stallion smiled briefly back and the Valkyrie only grumbled and childishly kicked her hooves, so Thesis continued: “I'll follow and our friends can bring up the rear and make sure nothing attacks us from behind.”

“I will attack thee from behind.” Luna grumbled, and then she eyed Thesis as he and Cadence walked back, adding meditatively: “Aye, I shall indeed.”

Someone smacked Luna, but neither Thesis nor Cadence paid attention as they pushed in through the rusted armored door, the ivory mare looking uneasily back and forth as Thesis asked quietly: “You saw through the Astra?”

“Yeah. How the hell does everyone... forget it, right, I keep forgetting you're Hecate's kid.” Cadence mumbled. “Horses of Heaven, she was a lot harder on Thorn than she ever was on you.”

“She likes him more.” Thesis said with a smile, and Cadence sighed a little, giving him a flat look before she looked uncertainly up as they approached another door. Thesis tried to push it open, but then he frowned a bit as he muttered: “Locked. I'll override it.”

Thesis fiddled with his Mission Drive for a moment as Cadence leaned against the locked door, her eyes roving around the room, before she glanced back at the others as Morgan asked: “Can you affect the Astra, as well as see it?”

“Yeah. That's... what made Swans so effective. We see through the Astra. We... I mean, Danzsöngr, Danzsöngr can touch and effect Astra. She can... split it.” Cadence had no idea what that actually meant, only that it was true.

Morgan was looking at her curiously, but Brynhild, to her surprise, grunted and nodded as she admitted grudgingly: “'Tis a truly terrifying power. 'Tis beyond the touch of death that we Valkyrie were blessed with... 'tis the ability to do more than merely kill, after all.”

“Not that I would ever call it a blessing.” Cadence muttered, rubbing awkwardly at her head before she glanced up as there was a loud beep before the door behind her unlocked.

“Okay, let's fall into formation and... uh...” Cadence awkwardly looked over her shoulder: she had Thesis, who was technically her commanding officer, and three rogue ponies, one of whom she considered a rival and a nightmare to be around.

But all of them were only looking at her, and Cadence cleared her throat quickly before she picked up with only a slight stammer: “I'll take the lead and Thesis can follow behind me. Morgan, I want you in the center to serve as magic artillery and Brynhild behind her. Scrivener, you seem like the sturdiest pony here, so I want you shielding our rear.”

“Scrivy has never been very good at shielding his rear. I have made many intrusions upon it.” Brynhild said blandly, and Cadence gave the mare an ill look before the Valkyrie grinned wryly as she sketched a salute. “Very well, though. I shall do my best to be a good little soldier for thee, mainly because I am... curious.”

Cadence grunted, turning back towards the door and shouldering her way through it, before she grimaced as she found herself at the top of a long set of stairs that led down into the depths of the cliff, and the Swan whispered: One hundred and eighty two.

“It's a long way down.” Cadence shook her head, then sighed as she started down the steps, muttering: “Let's just keep ourselves moving.”

By the time they reached the bottom of the stairs, Thesis looked a little sore, and Brynhild was loudly grumbling and complaining. But the Valkyrie at least became serious when Cadence pushed the door at the bottom open before immediately halting, muttering: “Trap ahead. Shaped plastic explosive, proximity trigger.”

Thesis peered past Cadence, then he grunted as he noted the octagonal charges stuck along either wall of the narrow corridor. “Those look like PX-33 units. I think I can disable them from here.”

Thesis tapped at his Mission Drive, and Scrivener couldn't help but remark: “Funny. Seeing you, you know, using your brain. No offense, Thesis, but I never really thought of you as the uh... nerdy type. Like Morgan.”

Morgan gave the stallion a dry look, but Thesis only smiled in amusement as he brought up a small holographic screen so he could quickly enter a series of commands, muttering: “We were all trained in this... we had to be, of course, to work out of Decretum. And while the nodes in my brain don't work anymore, all the knowledge is still there...”

He paused, then looked up as there was a faint beeping down the hall as a light flashed on each octagonal bomb before going dark. Then Thesis awkwardly looked at Cadence before he cleared his throat and said finally: “Go ahead, team leader.”

“Screw all of you.” Cadence grumbled, shoving Thesis back before she strode quickly towards the explosives. She forced herself not to hesitate even as she walked right up to the line of bombs, biting her lip for a moment before she reached up and tapped one of the octagonal devices, then she sighed in relief as she grasped it and yanked it off the wall with magic, the sticky adhesive on the bottom of the bomb ripping loudly as she inspected it. “Safe!”

The others hurried out of the stairwell to join her, and Cadence frowned a bit as she muttered: “These weren't set up properly. They're facing the wrong way and the adhesive wasn't allowed to set. I can't tell if they're here to slow us down, or if...”

“Let's keep moving. Either way, we'll find out.” Thesis replied, and Cadence hesitated before she nodded once as she turned her eyes towards the end of the hall.

The bunker's layout was simple, and she had already seen the path they needed to walk through the Astra. They came across several locked doors, but Thesis unlocked them quickly, noting uneasily that they had each been set with the same security code.

The second trap they came across was even less effective than the first: two turrets had been improperly set up, neither of them scanning for targets and both sitting clustered together in the middle of the hall, where they would likely shoot each other. Cadence simply turned both turrets off, while Thesis inspected the weapons uneasily before he muttered: “I don't remember taking these out of storage.”

“But Valthrudnir had a lot of facilities scattered across the various worlds, didn't he?” asked Scrivener quietly, and Thesis hesitated before he nodded with a grimace.

“Yeah, and a few facilities like Ten Moons, too. 'Sheds,' we called them. Colloquially, obviously. They aren't actually storage sheds floating around in the nothingness.” Thesis explained, and Cadence resisted the urge to punch him before he continued: “But I don't know how the hell he's getting access to the equipment anymore. When I was there, it was one thing: I know all the override codes, I know where everything is. I mean, it wouldn't take a genius to break in, no. But sorting through the layers and layers of crap to find the useful stuff like this? That's completely different.”

“We already know he has someone from Decretum working for him. That's the only way he would have been able to hack the drones.” Cadence muttered, before she scowled a little. And I bet I know who, too. “Look, it doesn't matter.”

“It might.” Morgan murmured, as she inspected the turrets thoughtfully, and Cadence tilted her head curiously. “Loki... even when he was hiding under his disguise as Thokk, he always left clues and riddles behind, didn't he? He can't seem to help himself.”

“He wants to fulfill prophecies. Stories.” Cadence shook her head slowly, before she sighed and muttered: “Either way, let's keep going for now. There's something... left behind for us.”

The others didn't question Cadence, only following her through the bunker. And Cadence barely slowed even when they reached a set of doors that had been sealed shut by a combination of electromagnetic lock and plastic explosive.

Neither proved difficult for Cadence to disarm: the plastic explosive wasn't in any container or shaped properly, just stuck on the door. She peeled most of it off, then reapplied some of it to the locking mechanism before simply flicking her horn to hit it with a bolt of magic.

The lock exploded with enough force to warp the doors and knock them open, and Luna grinned slightly before she swept up the ball of remaining explosive, asking curiously as Cadence and Thesis both winced away: “So, an electric charge, and-”

Morgan delicately grasped the plastic explosive in her own magic, pulling it away from Brynhild as Scrivener said dryly: “Let's save questions like that for later, dear.”

“Thou art all stupid.” Luna grumbled, but even as she sighed theatrically, she turned her attention back to Cadence, showing she was ready to listen.

“Let's continue.” Cadence said after a moment, turning and heading through the broken doors towards their destination.

The group stopped outside a set of double doors, and Thesis frowned a bit as he muttered: “This is the announcement room. Basically where you talk from to make it seem like you're not hiding beneath a giant mountain.”

Cadence frowned a bit at this, and Luna huffed before she flicked her horn, her spear erupting into sight above her head with a gleam of blue fire as she growled: “Well, let us find out what awaits us on the other side, shall we?”

“Wait.” Cadence ordered, and although Luna glared at her horribly, the Valkyrie all the same paused before the ivory mare muttered: “Something's wrong. Morgan, can you scan for any traces of magic?”

Morgan nodded, closing her eyes and bowing her head forwards, and Cadence frowned as the Swan murmured to her: If you want to see, you need only look, Cadence...

“I don't think your eyes can see it.” Cadence murmured, before she frowned uneasily when Morgan hesitantly opened her eyes and shook her head minutely. No trace of anything. But... “Something's wrong. Can you feel it?”

“Aye.” Brynhild muttered, stepping up beside the Swan, and for perhaps the first time they were able to stand side-by-side without antagonizing one-another, and if there was ever a sign that something was wrong, that was it, Cadence reflected. “Well?”

“Let's do it.” Cadence said, and the Valkyrie grinned before both she and the Swan stepped forwards and slammed shoulder-first into the door, knocking it crashing open to reveal nothing beyond but an empty cement room, with a moldering wooden stage at the far end upon which sat a podium.

Luna and Cadence slowly advanced, before they both stiffened and dropped to ready positions as a loud humming filled the air, before a crystalline sphere slowly rose up from behind the podium. Both mares bared their teeth, readying themselves to move as the sphere began to spin and flash a multitude of colors, before they both grimaced as bright light filled the room...

“Well, look at that! You found me! Gosh, do you want a sticker?” asked Loki's voice, and Luna and Cadence both snarled as their eyes snapped towards the sound of the voice. But even as they focused on the figure standing at the podium, they both relaxed slightly at the same time: it was only a projection from the crystal, even as Loki continued: “Oh, by all means, take your best shot. I know you can't help yourselves. We're all trapped in our own prewritten dramas, after all.”

Luna growled, beginning to step forwards, but Cadence reached out and caught her shoulder, shaking her head slowly before she turned towards the illusion and said coldly: “Loki, I am here on behalf of Decretum. I order you to-”

“There, do you feel better now?” simpered the illusion, and Cadence frowned slightly before her eyes cleared: of course. It was prerecorded message. “You've had your fun, now sit down and shut up.”

“Oh, as if I did not put up with enough monologuing from every other foe I faced in the past.” Luna grumbled, as she reached back for her rifle, but Cadence stopped her again, making the Valkyrie huff and growl under the rambling of the trickster god: “Were we not in such dire straits, Swan, I would gladly bite off thy hoof.”

“Bite an egg.” Cadence muttered, listening intently as Loki continued to talk. Sure, most of it was nonsense and insanity, but some of it...

“And you, Swan. I bet you're sitting there, just eating all this up, aren't you? Waiting anxiously for the big reveal!” Loki clucked his tongue and waggled a finger over the podium at her. “That's what the 'bad guy' does, right? He spoils it for himself. He gives away the answer.

“So sure. Come and get me. Do you know where I am?” Loki smiled sardonically. “The Void. Which is where I plan on staying, thank you very much, until I've fully healed after Little Miss Jötnar's little temper tantrum.

“Of course, I don't want you guys to be bored!” Loki clapped his hands together, saying in a falsely-positive, somehow sinister voice: “No, no, no, that just wouldn't be right! And hey, besides, they always say that if I can share my pain with the world, I should, right? It's good for everyone, they say... sharing your pain. Sharing the pain of having everyone and everything you care about, taken away. Sharing the pain of betrayal. Sharing that pain, that infinite, endless pain, when you try to save the world... and instead, you end up destroying the thing you love most, hold dearest and deepest in all your heart.”

Loki leaned forwards over the balcony, smiling coldly at Cadence as the ivory mare stared into the illusion's eyes with horror, before the trickster god said quietly: “Thank Hecate for me, by the way. She kept such good records of precisely where you and your little friends came from... Moonflower, Serenite, and La Croix, is it? My, little Cadence, aren't those cute names?”

Cadence snarled in fury, leaning forwards, but this time it was Brynhild who caught her. The ivory mare swore under her breath, resisting the urge to turn and punch the Valkyrie as she dug her hooves into the ground, before her eyes flashed as the Swan seized control, saying coldly: “We will not stand idly by and allow this, Loki.”

Loki laughed loudly, lacing his fingers together and saying derisively: “I'm guessing you just threatened me about now. But you see, the beauty of this whole situation is that you don't have any control over it. You walked right into my trap here. What do you think happened when this message went off? Do you think I'm just sitting here, running my mouth, because it's fun for me? Or do you think, oh, I don't know, maybe I sent out a signal that my soldiers are already responding to... and look at you, still listening to me yammering on! Idiots!”

Cadence swore as she spun around, before her eyes widened as the doors to the room slammed shut, a strange, unnatural energy rippling across them as Loki said softly: “Although, hey, if you want to sit a spell with me, that's fine, too. Come up here on granddad's lap, kiddo. He'll tell you both a story, about the Swans and the Valkyries.”

Luna and Cadence both narrowed their eyes, before Morgan grimaced as she said quickly: “That barrier is made of Void energy, and... he's aware of us. He's playing with us.”

“Yep, you got it. You figured me out. Darn.” Loki sighed theatrically as he gestured widely, before he laughed loudly and declared: “Yes, you got that right, too, you-”

“Loki, stop playing games with us!” Cadence shouted, and by the way the trickster god twitched, it at least confirmed that yes, he was aware of them and speaking directly to them through the crystal: this was more than just a message for them after all. “You stay the hell away from them, you bastard, Shining and Miss Take suffered enough when-”

“Ooh, names to add to my list!” Loki exclaimed brightly, a pencil and paper pad appearing his hand before he asked seriously: “Now, 'Miss Take,' that sounds like two words, but am I mistaken?”

“Yeah, let me spell it out for you, it's F-U-C-”

“Low brow vulgarity is the worst form of humor, aside from puns, Cadence.” Loki chastised, before the illusion neatly jackknifed up onto the podium to sit on it primly, smiling mockingly across at the ponies. “I'm only playing out the role that you and your kind all forged for me, you know. It's funny, considering that I know Hel had a part in your making, Swan. I know that because I did too, as I'm sure you're aware... and all the stories say that Swans are soulless, you know. Toys. Easily claimed by whomever takes their 'dress...' but that's a silly metaphor, isn't it? Although who knows: every time you die, you become a little closer to what you were...”

“Stop it.” Cadence whispered, before Brynhild stepped up in front of the mare, leveling her spear at Loki.

“Enough, Loki. Perhaps Danzsöngr does not remember thee, but I do. I will not speak of whether or not thou deserved the punishment thou faced, but I do know that thou wert cruel to those who showed thee kindness, that thou abused thy brother's love for thee many times; thou acts as if thy hands are clean when they are as responsible for how thou ended up as-”

“I am not responsible for what they did to me!” Loki snarled, beginning to lean forwards, but then he caught himself and clasped his hands tightly together, smiling thinly as he said in a softer voice: “Nice try, Brynhild. But you won't make a fool out of me that easily. After all, I worked long and hard to become the fool I am today.”

Brynhild smiled thinly as Cadence narrowed her eyes, and Loki calmly brushed himself off before he said quietly: “Talk won't solve anything. Our paths are already set. I'm supposed to bring Ragnarok with my armies of the dead, and why not? But when it's all said and done, I have to wonder: will you all still see me as the bad guy, or will you all acknowledge, like Thesis once did, that we can all be one big, happy family now?”

“Not to point out the obvious, but he's trying to distract us. We can all take potshots at me about my sins later.” Thesis said blandly, and Cadence grunted moodily.

“Fine. I'll delay you with something a bit less subtle, then.” Loki said mildly, but the malice was clear in the eyes of the illusion as he hopped off the pedestal before he rose a hand, saying coldly: “How about another taste of the old days? Do you remember this magic, Danzsöngr?”

He snapped his fingers, and the illusion vanished from sight, the crystalline orb that had projected the ghost image flashing before it suddenly dropped towards the ground. But instead of shattering against the stone, it passed through the rock, and Cadence frowned uneasily before her eyes widened even as Morgan said uncertainly: “I'm not sensing any-”

“Get back, don't touch it!” shouted Cadence, backpedaling and yanking Brynhild with her, and the Valkyrie squawked before her eyes widened in horror at the sight of the awful, gelatinous thing that rose slowly out of the ground in front of them, the crystalline core inside the beast pulsing powerfully enough to make the translucent slime that made up its body ripple.

“I don't feel anything coming from it... what is it?” Morgan asked disbelievingly, before she snapped her horn forwards, sending out several bolts of different-colored magic that hammered into it from all sides, and did nothing but get the attention of the hideous shape, which twisted towards them before it slowly began to ooze in their direction.

Scrivener slammed a Talon into the ground, and spikes of black corruption tore up into the shape. Or rather, they tore into the space the shape occupied, as the translucent slime barely rippled as it passed easily over and somehow through the spikes, which decayed away to ashes as Scrivener's eyes widened and Brynhild whispered: “By the Gods, it cannot be...”

“Aetherhaunt.” Cadence slammed her front hooves together, and they burst into white flame before she leapt forwards and swung a vicious punch into the creature. And while the force of the punch had no effect on it, the Aetherhaunt hurriedly withdrew in terror from the white flames on her hoof, writhing violently before tendrils of translucent slime snapped out in all directions from the beast, and Cadence gasped as several of these passed through her, making her legs quake as they siphoned energy from her body, wounding her spirit.

She dodged to the side when the creature attempted to crash down on her like a wave, splashing down violently yet making no sound, giving no sensation of being even as it pulsed and quaked and reformed: it existed on a different level than they did, in a place opposite the Astra, without a speck of soul in its slimy shell. That was why even the Swan couldn't see it, but she could still certainly hurt it.

She dodged back, then swept a hoof sharply upwards when it lashed a tentacle towards her, slicing through the appendage and making it evaporate, soundlessly. And that was the worst thing, Cadence thought, as she dodged back and forth before slamming her hoof through the creature, then wincing and stumbling as she was violently reminded that the beast had no physical mass.

She barely caught herself as the Aetherhaunt's slime body was torn wide open, the monster jerking backwards and away from her before it suddenly lunged, becoming a tidal wave of slimy death as Cadence's eyes widened in horror-

Black spikes tore through the Aetherhaunt, drilling into its chest to slam one after the other into the crystalline core holding the creature together. The ethereal beast shook violently as it twisted backwards, shaking with silent agony before it simply evaporated into steam as the light in its cracked core whiffed out.

The now-useless bauble fell to the ground with a clunk, and Cadence half-turned, staring at Morgan Heldóttir. Morgan smiled faintly, and for a moment, the Swan leapt to the surface, staring through and into her, and Danzsöngr's eyes widened further at what she saw, unable to believe, unable to comprehend...

“Are you okay?” Morgan asked, and Danzsöngr vanished as Cadence stumbled, the mare reaching up to rub at her aching head slowly before she hesitantly nodded. “Sorry. I didn't know if I could channel the right frequency or not to actually damage it. We couldn't sense it because it was in the ether, right?”

“Y-Yeah.” Cadence said after a moment, shaking her head before she closed her eyes. Her skull ached, and she felt weak and exhausted from her brush against the creature, as she murmured: “It was ethereal. Aetherhaunts were forbidden even in my day, but that only meant they had to be out of sight and out of mind, just like us. Relegated to the darkness and the dungeons...”

Cadence lowered her head, and there was silence for a few moments before Thesis asked almost abruptly: “Morgan, uh, can you break the barrier locking us in here?”

“Yeah. Yeah, we have to get back to Hecate immediately, but we'll have to get outside to deploy the portal flare.” Cadence said quickly, before she shivered a little as she looked uncertainly over her shoulder at the crystalline core. Not only had Loki threatened them, but if he had more of those at his disposal... I can't sense them. None of us can. We can only see them and... feel them out, instinctively. There could be more.

“Yes, I think I can. It'll just take me a minute.” Morgan said with a nod, turning towards the barrier and approaching it. She began to concentrate, her horn glowing darkly as she muttered: “He really must have wanted to slow us down... I've never seen magic like this before, either. It's amazing, we've been from one end of the worlds to the other, and still...”

Morgan grimaced a bit as the magic barrier slowly began to crawl back from the doors, shivering violently as it did so, and Luna grunted in agreement as Thesis murmured: “It doesn't look like any of the 'magic' that Thokk performed, either. I'm starting to wonder just how much we don't know.”

“All I care about is where Loki is. Once he shows his face I'm going to punch it off for him.” Cadence grumbled, and Luna grinned widely at this, winking over at the ivory mare.

“Only if thou finds him first, Swan. Perhaps we should make a game of it: whoever finds the wretch first gets to break him.” Brynhild remarked, and Cadence gave the mare a sour look before both of them looked up as Morgan gave a gasp, and the barrier withdrew completely from the doors before shattering into motes.

“Sorry that took so long. It's not precisely... 'magic'.” mumbled Morgan, shaking her head briskly out before she pushed the doors open with telekinesis, grimacing a bit. “I don't know how to describe it.”

“Not magic was a good start.” Thesis muttered, as he took the lead. Cadence let him for now, striding after the Replicant as he continued quietly: “We need to get ahead of Loki. I assume you three already explored Valthrudnir's mansion in Niflheim?”

“Aye, little good that it did.” Luna grumbled, but Scrivener smiled a bit and Morgan shrugged hesitantly. “All the files have been sent to the care of Heaven. Prince Tauros is sorting through them for us. I do not know why Hecate sent them there instead of looking through the information herself...”

“Easy. We don't know for certain yet whether or not the enemy has a mole in our communications. Better to let them do it, just in case so-and-so still has access to Decretum's libraries.” Thesis paused, then he smiled a bit and added: “And as much as I hate to say it, they'll probably be safer in Heaven. Decretum, as we all have learned, unfortunately isn't as protected from attack as we'd all like it to be.”

Thesis quieted, then he hesitated for a moment before he asked almost impulsively: “Gymbr. He was the one who brought you to Decretum in the first place, right?”

“Yes. I never really thought on it before, but... yes.” Luna Brynhild murmured, frowning uneasily as her spear bobbed nervously above her head. “Has this all been some great deception? Did we merely pave the way for a new foe to come forward? Was even the war with Greater Heaven-”

“You can worry about it, or you can focus on the here and now and deal with it.” Thesis interrupted gently, and Luna scowled, but smiled maybe a little, too, as Scrivener nodded and Morgan focused herself ahead. “We need to...”

Thesis frowned slightly, and Cadence felt the bite at her instincts too, as she looked back and forth before her eyes widened in horror as crystalline cores slid out of either wall behind them, followed by ethereal masses that quickly wrapped around the crystalline spheres before they began to writhe and stretch towards them.

“Run.” Cadence said, and when all eyes turned towards her, the ivory mare shouted: “Run!”

The group broke and ran, even as more spheres began to emerge silently from the walls around them, and Cadence gritted her teeth as she decided that yes, the silence was the worst thing about these monsters. The fact that the only sound came from their frantic breathing, the pounding of their hooves against the cement, and the short curses as they dodged and weaved around things that should not be, that should not exist in this plane...

They hit the staircase, and dashed up the long flight of steps to the top: thankfully, by the time they smashed their way out of the bunker, they seemed to have left the Aetherhaunts far behind. Whatever else they were, the creatures weren't very fast, although all the same Cadence shivered as she looked down and muttered: “They could just pull themselves up out of the ground.”

“Oh. Great. That's a great thought.” Scrivener grimaced a bit, and then he looked awkwardly over his shoulder at the open bunker door, asking: “So I guess closing that wouldn't really help, huh?”

“Well, I mean. On the bright side, they probably can't sense us any more than we can sense them. They're just attracted to energy. So I mean I guess I should say they can't hear us or feel us out, they can just sort of home in on us slowly from a short distance away...” Thesis awkwardly patted his front hooves together, and when he sensed all eyes glowering at him, he cleared his throat as he reached back into his sidepack, mumbling: “I'll just send up a portal flare now.”

“You do that.” Cadence grumbled, resisting the urge to punch the stallion before she turned her eyes towards Brynhild, who was scowling as she flailed her spear uselessly back and forth above her head. “What?”

“It frustrates me, that is all. I do not like things I cannot stab or pummel.” Brynhild grumbled, and Cadence smiled wryly before the Valkyrie suddenly spun towards her, eyeing her moodily before she stepped forwards and narrowed her eyes, asking quietly: “Hast thou seen my home? Hast thou stepped inside my cloister?”

“I guess you probably already know the answer to that question, considering that I also know who the Lady of the Moon is.” Cadence snapped back, although it was only her natural aversion to the Valkyrie that let her get off such a quick response.

The two looked at each other steadily for a few moments, and then Brynhild smiled wryly before she poked the ivory mare several times in the chest with her spear, Cadence's eyes narrowing further with each poke until they were only slits when she reached up and caught the spear with a scowl before it could prod her a fourth time. “Stop it. Why are you so-”

“I do not want thee to have any false impressions of me, Cadence Danzsöngr. As I do not wish to have a false impression of thee. I am still not sure what to make of thee, in truth, Swan, for thou seems different every time I lay eyes upon thee, and I do not mean simply in body.” Luna let her eyes draw for a moment over Cadence, before she shook her head and said in a surprisingly quiet voice: “I do not ask to be thy friend. But respect is not impossible, is it?”

Cadence shifted back and forth, before she sighed and muttered: “No. But it's going to be impossible if you keep prodding me with that giant stupid stick of yours, Brynhild.”

Cadence half-flung the spear backwards, and Luna grinned wryly before she said primly: “Most come to like my stick very much, particularly because 'tis so giant.”

The ivory mare rolled her eyes, before she glanced to the side, watching as Thesis cracked the portal flare open a short distance away, then tossed it quickly out onto a narrow plateau. It would just be a few minutes now before the portal opened, and then they could all be on their way, and...

Cadence hesitated, then she looked over at Brynhild and asked: “Where do you plan to go?”

Luna cocked her head curiously, and as painful as it was, Cadence gritted her teeth before she said grudgingly: “We... I could use your help. If you're willing to give it, I mean. I don't know where Hecate will send us first, but... I could use your help.”

The ivory mare lowered her head awkwardly, and Brynhild grinned widely before she squawked when Scrivener grabbed her by the back of the head, half-yanking her away as Morgan said emphatically: “We want to do anything and everything we can to help, especially at a time like this. And I'm sure you've already thought about this, Cadence, but what if Loki's threat is just a false lead, and he's trying to distract you?”

Cadence bit her lip, before she glanced up in surprise as Thesis answered: “Easy. Mom will scan for activity on each world, which is standard practice. Not just where Voidborn are, but what's going on in the world, since Loki will undoubtedly drop some sort of Void signal on each world to distract us. We can compare and contrast the data with past figures to see what's actually happening.”

“So Hecate keeps records of more than just anomalous events on other Midgards?” Morgan asked curiously, and Thesis smiled and shrugged.

“She has to. If you have no base to compare your data too, then you can gather all the data in the world and it'll all still be useless.” Thesis replied, and Morgan nodded in agreement before the Replicant glanced up as a vortex swirled into being. “Alright, time to head back.”

“Good.” Cadence muttered, striding quickly towards the portal: she had a lot to report to Empress Hecate. And, like it or not, a few requests to make as well.

She only hoped that it wasn't already too late.

The City Of Neon Lights

Chapter Seventy One: The City Of Neon Lights
~BlackRoseRaven

“No.”

Cadence mouthed wordlessly, staring at Hecate, and Hecate looked resolutely back before she ordered calmly: “You have three hours to prepare your personal belongings to be moved to Endworld. An apartment has already been selected for you there.”

“But-”

Hecate held up a hoof, cutting Cadence off as she continued coldly: “You will relocate to Endworld. You will take two hours to acquaint yourself with the facilities in Exoterra, and then you can expect your team to be assigned to a mission. And it will not be to secure your homeworld, Cadence, I can guarantee you that much.”

“Loki made a direct threat against me!” Cadence slammed her hooves down on Hecate's desk as she leaned forwards, glaring defiantly at the Jötnar mare. “He's going to attack my friends, my family-”

“He already has. You are an Orphan, and we are your friends and family now. Leave your past behind.” Hecate retorted, and Cadence wilted a bit at this before she shivered in pain when the Jötnar mare merely extended a hoof towards her, and an immense pressure crushed down across the smaller pony's body. “Do I have to discipline you as I do Moonflower, Cadence?”

Cadence struggled for a moment, and then she dropped her head and closed her eyes, muttering: “No. I... I'm sorry. I don't... I just don't like this.”

“I know. But remember your place, Cadenza Danzsöngr. You are a soldier. You are my soldier. And I expect you to behave as such.” Hecate said evenly, and then she lowered her hoof, and Cadence gasped quietly for breath before the Empress of Decretum continued shortly: “This is your last warning. Your next offense lands you on cleaning duty, or you can go and spend some time with my son getting sense drilled in your skull. Understood?”

“Yes, ma'am.” Cadence mumbled, and then she awkwardly picked herself up, before she winced as Hecate simply grasped her with her powers and forcibly sat her back down in her seat, the ivory mare flinching as the Jötnar mare loomed towards her over the table. “Y-Yes?”

“We have a bit of personal business to discuss now.” Hecate said in a soft, dangerous voice, and Cadence gave a weak smile before Hecate asked quietly: “What is your intent as to your relationship with my oldest son?”

“Um.” Cadence stared blankly for a moment, and then she winced when Hecate narrowed her eyes at her, giving a brief, stupid laugh before she asked in a strained voice: “Can we talk about this later? Or at least not as... you know...”

“I want to know as both your employer and as a concerned parent.” Hecate replied calmly, before she asked softly: “Do you care about him, Cadence?”

“I do. I do, and... but... I won't let it... I mean, it won't interfere with my duties as a soldier of Decretum.” Cadence spluttered, and Hecate smiled thinly before she straightened.

“My son will be dead in several months. Do you understand that?” Hecate asked bluntly, and Cadence's eyes widened before she mouthed wordlessly, but Hecate only said matter-of-factly: “There's no point in denying it. I'm sure you can sense it yourself. Thesis is losing cohesion. Whatever Loki did to him, it's causing him to steadily break down, piece-by-piece. He will die. And I only hope his will is strong enough that he returns to the Void instead of dissolving entirely.”

Cadence lowered her head, and Hecate asked almost ruthlessly: “So are you willing to sacrifice for him, to love him, and to feel pain, Cadence, or are you a coward who will flee when things get too hard? If so, get out of my sight, and don't show your face here again. I have no time for the weak.”

“I... I care about him. I'm not going to abandon him.” Cadence whispered, before she shook her head and snapped: “And how the hell can you expect me to just blurt out my feelings for him, to know whether or not I-”

“I expect you to know, because when I met Valthrudnir, I knew. When you meet that one person, Cadence, you know. You might be afraid of it. Cruelest of all, you might not get to spend more than a moment of your life with them. But all the same, you know.” Hecate retorted, before she reached out and flicked Cadence under the chin, making her grimace. “So what is your answer?”

“I... gave you my answer already.” Cadence said after a moment, drawing her eyes towards Hecate and looking at her with as much determination as she could muster. “I care about him. I won't abandon him. And... and you can... stay the hell out of my personal life.”

Her voice grew a little tinny by the end, but Hecate studied her measuringly for a few moments before she gave the slightest of smiles, saying softly: “Good. That's enough for now. Go ahead. Your things should be packed up by now.”

“Great. The last time the Worker Drones moved my apartment for me they broke most of my plates.” Cadence mumbled, and Hecate only shrugged and gestured her irritably away. The ivory mare sighed as she left the desk, but then she bit her lip at the door to the office, looking back over her shoulder and asking: “How... did you know?”

“I just knew. Don't waste my time with stupid questions, Cadence. Go find the answer out for yourself.” retorted the Jötnar mare, and Cadence smiled lamely before she turned and strode out the door. Hecate waited a few moments, then she softened as she looked up and gazed at the space where Cadence had been only a minute ago, murmuring: “But I think you know the answer already, don't you?”

Cadence, meanwhile, made her way quickly back to her apartment, smiling awkwardly at the other Orphans she passed who were loading their own boxes of things onto dollies and miniature flattops for transportation. It looked like they were in the final stages of evacuating Decretum already. And I was just getting used to my apartment.

Cadence shook her head briefly, before she stepped inside her own little home, and blinked in surprise as she found Thesis closing up a box in the kitchen for her, the stallion smiling awkwardly at her as he said lamely: “Hi.”

“Uh. Hi. Please tell me you didn't go through all my stuff.” Cadence said moodily, glaring at the stallion, and Thesis huffed loudly.

“I packed your sex toys very neatly away. By the way, some of those?” Thesis pointedly held his forelegs wide, and one of Cadence's eyes twitched. “Didn't even know that could fit in there.”

“I guess you always avoided sharing the showers with other stallions, huh?” Cadence asked dryly, and Thesis huffed loudly.

“I had to! They would get jealous, otherwise.” he declared, patting himself on the chest before he grinned and flexed a foreleg absently. “There's more to a stallion than the size of his bits, you know.”

Cadence sighed tiredly, then she hesitated as she looked around. He had done a pretty good job cleaning up, though, and... “Did you pack all Daddy's things, too?”

“No, actually. His stuff was already gone.” Thesis replied with a shrug, and Cadence frowned at this. “I think he might be moving temporarily to the Tower of Etemanaki, though. It would be better for his recovery, I guess, but...”

“Yeah. Well, I'll have to trust you on that. I don't know the first thing about Exoterra.” Cadence said, and Thesis smiled at her reassuringly before he picked up a box as she lifted two with telekinesis. “Is uh, that flattop out there for us to use?”

“Yeah. I have one more box to finish packing, but I think I've gone through all your good stuff, so I'll just be a minute.” Thesis said with a smile, and Cadence rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile back all the same.

Somehow, Thesis always managed to make Cadence feel... better. She didn't know why. And she didn't mind him going through her things half as much as she put on, in spite of all her issues with, well, basically everything. And after they finished loading the flattop and were doing a quick, last sweep of her room, she couldn't help but grab the stallion and push him firmly back against a wall, Thesis' eyes bulging before she kissed him, and he kissed her back.

Their lips parted, and she blushed ever so slightly as she smiled at him, and he smiled childishly, widely back. Then she pulled away and led him out into the hall, and he joked with her, and she laughed even as she swung a hoof at him.

It had never been quite like this with Shining Armor. He had always tried a little too hard. Sure, they had been great friends, but never lovers, not like this. She had never felt this pure joy with him. Not even in the early days, when they had just been stupid kids...

When he had been a stupid kid. She had been the princess-to-be, even back then. A princess-to-be who had only ever dreamed of things she could never quite put her hoof on, never really remember, never fully understand.

Maybe that had been part of why things had never worked out. Cadence had always been 'different.' And being romanced by a young stallion had been so nice, even though she'd known, really, she was so much older, that she was from a different mold, a different time...

Thesis was different, like her. Thesis understood her. Thesis read between the lines, and saw when she was genuinely annoyed and when she was just being cranky because, well, that's what she was sometimes. He seemed to naturally know when to push her, and when to leave her alone.

They walked down the hall together, side-by-side, and he respected her boundaries and what she needed. He was strong, independent, but able to listen. He was honest. He was... he was just what she needed, and that was that.

She snuck little looks at him as they headed for the portal room, wondering if he was faking it. Wondering how he could be so perfect, questioning if he was just hiding things, what secrets he had...

Except she knew his secrets, didn't she? He was a Replicant. He had been the ultimate Replicant, the master design, the chief soldier of Valthrudnir, whom he still referred to as 'Father...'

She tried to sneak another look at him, and then blanched when she found Thesis gazing at her mildly, the stallion saying blandly: “So just a wild guess here, but spying and infiltration were never your strong points, right?”

“You can eat my entire ass!” Cadence snapped, in a much louder voice than intended, and an awkward silence fell as they entered the portal pavilion as the eyes of all the Orphans waiting to use the gateway to Endworld turned to stare at her.

Cadence shrank down a little behind the flattop as Thesis grinned lamely and waved awkwardly, before he whispered loudly: “Cadence, don't talk about the deviant things we get up to in the bedroom so loudly! They'll think we're weird!”

Cadence scowled horribly over her shoulder, one of her eyes twitching, and Thesis cleared his throat lamely as he looked awkwardly away. But as conversation returned to its usual murmuring ebb and flow, the ivory mare sighed a bit as she rose her head slightly, saying finally: “I was never that into. That sort of thing.”

“Wow that's something I... I guess I. Should. Know. But later. Not right now.” Thesis rambled awkwardly, and Cadence couldn't help but smile amusedly at him before she leaned into his face, enjoying the way Thesis' pupils contracted with fear.

“I always had to take control in the bedroom with my last husband, you know. He was more of a sub than you are.” Cadence said mildly, and Thesis stared at her. “I remember one time when I tied him up and then I climbed on top of his-”

“Hey look portal's opening, let's get into line!” Thesis babbled, leaping past her, before he halted, then backpedaled suddenly, leaning towards her and adding: “You uh. Said 'last husband.'”

Cadence frowned, and Thesis asked lamely: “Does... that mean I can be your. Current husband?”

Cadence stared at Thesis, and then she asked disbelievingly: “Is that your idea of a proposal?”

“No!” Thesis shouted, again attracting the attention of everyone present. He looked back and forth, then dropped his head and mumbled: “Maybe it's more like a question about whether or not you think that maybe we could... uh...”

He looked up at her awkwardly, and Cadence scowled back at him before Thesis straightened and suddenly grabbed one of her hooves, looking into her eyes as he said quietly: “I like you a lot. Let's be open to wherever that takes us.”

Cadence looked at the stallion for a moment, and then she smiled a little before Seneschal announced irritably over the speakers: “Alright, form a line, the portal won't stay open forever! One meter of space between each household!”

Thesis and Cadence fell into place with each other, and then the stallion asked in a voice that was suddenly much more serious: “How much time did Mom give you?”

“A few hours. We're early heading over, but I know that just means she'll want me to start the mission sooner.” Cadence answered, shaking her head briefly, and Thesis gave a wry smile before the ivory mare said hesitantly: “I'm worried. She didn't assign me my mission, but she said it wouldn't be...”

Cadence looked uncertainly at Thesis, but Thesis only smiled at her, reassuring gently: “Off hours, and I'm only the substitute Regent. I'm sure Thorn would have cut you off by now, but I prefer to think of myself as your coltfriend, not your boss. Partly because I'm pretty sure if I said 'I'm the boss' to you, you'd punch my face out my ass.”

“Something like that.” Cadence agreed with a small smile, and then she shook her head before she said finally: “I'm worried that Loki is attacking the world that I came from. It just seems like he really wants to hurt me, and the others who are part of my team... and I feel like Hecate is just going to send us on another wild goose chase.”

“Are you sure you aren't letting Loki get into your head on this one? He wants you distracted, and he wants us jumbled all over the board.” Thesis replied pointedly, and Cadence scowled at him. But part of her appreciated him speaking against her, actually trying to reason with her instead of just going along with whatever she had to say... “Just think about it. I think you're great, Honk, but how important in the grand scheme of things do you think you and your friends are to him?”

“I... know. I know. And Hecate's probably already figured out what he's actually targeting, but...” Cadence lowered her head, murmuring: “I fought a mare like Sol Seraph before. Her name was Pain. I saw what Pain did to my family and friends when I wasn't around to protect them... not to mention...”

Cadence absently rubbed at her neck, and when Thesis softened, she nodded, murmuring: “First death.” A pause, and then the ivory mare shook her head quickly before she muttered: “Look, me and Moonflower are from pretty safe worlds. If anything happens there... they just... they won't be ready for it, okay?”

“Ponies are strong.” Thesis said simply, and Cadence frowned at the Replicant, but he only smiled and shrugged a bit. “I know. We tend to fly instead of fight, but once you get us backed into a corner... we're what, a thousand pounds of hooves and teeth? Come on. We're awesome.”

Cadence scowled, before Thesis continued quietly: “And whatever we were in the past, that herd mentality has developed into a compulsion, a need, to protect our friends and family. To stay together, to find strength as one. I know that no matter what happens, as long as ponies stick together, they can weather the storm. At least long enough for us to show up and punch things, okay?”

Cadence grumbled a little, but she nodded after a moment with a sigh, muttering: “I guess that... I mean, I do know that whatever happens won't be instantaneous, the world isn't going to just blow up-”

“But you're worried about your friends and family. And that's understandable. And I know you want to go to them, Cadence, but the best way you can protect them right now is by stopping Loki. The best chance we have of stopping Loki...”

“Is by intercepting him or whoever he's sending to get... whatever it is he really wants.” Cadence sighed a little, looking down as she muttered: “And I'm a soldier. I have to do what I'm told.”

“Well, no.” Thesis shrugged, and Cadence looked at him with surprise. “I never did what I was told, Cadence. I mean, okay, maybe I didn't end up in the best place at the end of the day, but you know that what Mom really cares about is getting the job done. Our job is protecting these worlds. If you go against her direct orders, but it protects the worlds... she'd reward you, not punish you. The question is, who do you trust? These worries, or Hecate?”

“I know that... and that's the problem, I guess. I trust Hecate more than I do myself.” Cadence grumbled, before she looked up almost in surprise as she realized that they were at the front of the portal line now. She hadn't even realized they had been moving. “But I guess first thing is figuring out where my apartment is.”

“Residential District, block D, 501. A suite. You're welcome.” Seneschal said grumpily as a set of security orbs whizzed overhead, and then he ordered loudly: “Through the portal, hup-hup! Stop holding up the line!”

Cadence rolled her eyes, but Thesis only shrugged amiably as he pushed the flattop forwards, the ivory mare matching his pace as they headed into the portal and passed quickly through. Cadence grimaced as they emerged from the other side of the tunnel of light, shaking herself out briskly before a security orb shot down and said in a effeminate but mechanical tones: “Greetings. I am Portia. Please follow me to your allocation.”

“Hey, Portia! Guess Seneschal has you up and running as a subsystem, huh?” Thesis said cheerfully, but the security orb ignored him completely as it began to float away, and Cadence followed after it even as she tossed a curious look to Thesis, who trundled along behind her with the flattop. “Oh, Portia is a very simple AI system, basically used to pass around orders and for stuff like this, leading drones to checkpoints.”

“I'm not a drone.” Cadence grumbled, before she frowned at the security orb and said: “She doesn't sound the same as Seneschal.”

“She's not. She's strictly barebones, just for transmission.” Thesis shook his head, adding after a moment as he looked slowly back and forth: “As a matter of fact, we had her shut down, the last time Exoterra was online... wow, Mom most have been concentrating more on here than Decretum. I guess I can understand why, but...”

“What are you...” And then Cadence's eyes widened in amazement as they stepped out onto a long bridge, staring through the glass walls that lined the structure at a gorgeous, sprawling city that surrounded a massive tower that stretched up towards the sky, muttering: “That's.... that's no Canterlot or Imperia.”

There were construction sites visible here and there, but the city was by far in better shape than she remembered Imperia ever being: more than that, she could see the telltale sign of smoke in the distance, and for as dark as the world looked beyond the borders of the neon city, there were signs of light and life, the regularity of structures amidst the misshapen geometry of alien nature...

Cadence leaned against the glass, then scowled as she fogged it up with her breath, scrubbing almost wildly at it before Thesis said gently: “Hey, let's get your stuff to your room, then I'll take you for walkies, huh?”

“Horses of Heaven, I hate you so much.” Cadence groaned and rolled her eyes, then she strode over to the stallion and roughly spanked his hindquarters, the Replicant yelping as he hurried forwards with the flattop and the orb that had been patiently waiting for them started to lead the way again. “Just don't break any of my stuff, you asshole.”

“How the hell am I the asshole here?” Thesis complained, before he added quickly: “Door!”

Cadence opened the door ahead with a flick of her horn, before she grimaced a bit and crossed her eyes as she looked up at the little spire, which had sent a thrum of pain through her head. Thesis looked at her curiously, but Cadence only muttered: “You just are because you always are.”

“Yes, that makes a whole lot of sense.” Thesis said wryly, and then he looked lamely away when Cadence scowled at him, before she was thankfully distracted as the little orb veered towards an elevator. “Wait, are we going out there?”

“Why do you sound afraid all of a sudden?” Thesis looked over at her mildly, and then he shrugged a bit and added: “The carbon levels are probably a little high, sure, but it should still be comfortable enough for you, if you're concerned about-”

“Don't be dumb, of course not. I just...” Cadence looked back over her shoulder for a moment, half-wistful and half-anxious as she shifted a little before saying in a quieter voice: “It's a big step up from Imperia. That looks like a real city, not just one... big...”

“Military facility?” Thesis smiled a bit as the doors to the elevator opened, and then the Replicant grunted as he pushed the flattop on board the lift, Cadence grumbling and squeezing in beside him as he said: “I bet Mom was planning this from the start, honestly. It makes sense: the facilities here in Endworld are in better condition. The only advantage Decretum has is that it's still on the chain of worlds, so it can be portaled to and from by a variety of methods. Endworld has to be routed or use portal rings, so...”

“Is that why Hecate trained everyone to use the portable rings?” Cadence asked as the elevator doors opened, and the two stepped out, Thesis grunting as he pushed the flattop into a sharp turn after the floating orb guiding them.

“Probably. Loki might be cunning and tricky, but Mom thinks about a hundred steps ahead at all times.” Thesis paused, then he muttered: “And now with Hel there, too... expect weird orders and to be yanked around a lot. But it is for your own good, you know.”

“Tyranny done in the name of 'good' is the worst kind.” Cadence muttered, and Thesis cocked an eyebrow at her, which made the ivory mare smile lamely as she realized that was probably going a little far. “Uh. Sorry.”

Thesis shrugged, then he replied mildly, as they headed towards a large set of double doors that Worker Drones were already pushing open for them: “Just remember, we're not fascists. Not entirely. We're a military corporation, and Hecate is the CEO. Uh. Do you know what that-”

“I get it. She's the boss. Yes. We're all aware of this.” Cadence said sourly, before she shook her head and asked quietly: “When do we... cross the line from becoming some large-scale interdimensional military operation to... an actual civilization, though? What rights do we have as people, what-”

“You're thinking way too much, Cadence. Look at the pretty lights.” Thesis said mildly, and Cadence scowled at him and opened her mouth before her jaw dropped as they stepped out onto the streets of Exoterra.

The city was utterly beautiful: the architecture was different from Decretum: to her surprise, it was more swooping and graceful here, the gothic qualities accented by statuettes of gargoyles and drakes and demons, chiseled patterning over every pillar and wall.

And the lights: bright, warm crystal lights flashed in all array of colors as they made their way down the street, which was vividly lit by the thrumming, eternally-burning lamps. There seemed to be no day or night here, just eternal twilight like in Decretum, but as they walked down the city street, Cadence murmured: “It's like... electric Canterlot. But not. What is this place? What is that castle in the distance? That's not Imperia...”

“That's Genesis. It was Mom's Castle before Canterlot... Canterlot was the heart of Equestria, after all, and...” Thesis paused, then he smiled a bit as Cadence looked over her shoulder at him curiously. “Well, that's all Mom's story. I don't know it as well as I should. Mom was around for a long time before I was, after all.”

“Hecate must have quite a history.” Cadence muttered, before an odd question came to mind: one she hadn't thought to ask before, but... “Thesis, how long was Valthrudnir here before you were... uh...”

“Born. I was born. Not bred in a test tube like most of the Replicants.” Thesis smiled over at Cadence, glancing down before he murmured: “I guess that's why I was more 'successful' than the others. But...”

He cleared his throat awkwardly as Cadence gazed at him silently, and then he looked ahead and answered: “Twenty years, give or take. Then Mom had me, right near the start of the griffin war. I would say the rest is history, which it technically is, but... I guess it's not your history.”

“Twenty years...” Cadence shook her head slowly, asking after a moment: “Why didn't Valthrudnir just... burn that world?”

“This world. This... is my homeworld.” Thesis said softly, and Cadence's eyes widened in surprise as she looked back and forth, but Thesis only smiled a little. “It's changed a lot, yeah. After their uh... 'falling out,' Dad turned this world into a manufacturing center and dump. Mom was hooked up to the HECATE network, eventually merging into it and becoming the Hecate we all know and love today, with total access to all of Decretum's software and systems.”

Cadence grimaced a bit, and Thesis nodded as he agreed wryly: “Yeah. Mom's not always in a bad mood just because she's mean. She's got literal supercomputers constantly at work in her head. And I mean... I don't know what it means, now that she's a Jötnar on top of that, but I imagine it hasn't lightened the load that much or anything.”

The ivory mare nodded a bit, chewing nervously on her lip before she looked up in surprise as the orb stopped in front of a tall, glass-walled building, declaring calmly: “Please enter the facility. Your apartment is... Five. Zero. One. Goodbye.”

With that, the orb floated away, and Thesis waved after it as he shouted loudly: “Goodbye, Portia! Rest your circuits, I know this must be a hard day for you!”

He turned back around to find Cadence studying a plaque near the doors, the mare muttering: “'Green House.' Creative. So what are we, her little berries?”

“Why the hell were 'berries' the first thing that came to mind?” Thesis asked, and Cadence gave him a dry look even as she used telekinesis to open the double doors for him, Thesis grunting as he pushed the flattop into the building's lobby. “Elevator?”

“Here.” Cadence strode quickly over to the nearest, hitting the button to call it. The doors opened, and Thesis wheezed his way in as Cadence frowned at him, joining him in the car as she asked hesitantly: “You, uh... Thesis, are you...”

“I'm fine. One of the servomotors popped when we went through the portal, that's all. I'm not getting any thrust.” Thesis paused, then he grinned over at Cadence. “Although, now that I think about it-”

“Forget I asked.” Cadence rolled her eyes as she hit the button for the fifth floor, and then she smiled wryly as she muttered: “It's weird how this is all second nature to me now. But my time with Daddy was still closer to... how life was even in Canterlot. Why was that?”

“Because when you have magic to make everything easier for you, you don't really need machinery that much.” Thesis shrugged a bit as the elevator rose, and Cadence nodded after a moment. That made sense... “And you know, the unicorns like to be in power. Can't have us earth ponies getting too uppity and all.”

Cadence smiled, before she asked curiously, with the smallest hint of hesitance: “Do you think of yourself as an earth pony?”

“I... I'm me.” Thesis said awkwardly after a moment, glancing down as he rubbed at the back of his head, and Cadence softened. “I'm just me.”

“I think you're an earth pony.” Cadence said softly, and Thesis looked up at her with an honest smile as the elevator doors opened, before Cadence grumbled as she grabbed the flattop away from him and grunted as she pushed it out into the hall, cursing under her breath. “You did break it!”

“I didn't! The portal did!” Thesis argued as he followed her out into the hall, and then he paused before pointing in the other direction as he said awkwardly: “Cadence, uh. You're going in the wrong direction.”

“I'm just... turning the goddamn flattop around because... you got it jammed in the elevator the wrong way and broke everything.” Cadence retorted grouchily, blushing ever-so-slightly as she carefully began to guide the flattop around in a circle. But it wouldn't turn properly thanks to whatever had broken inside it, the mare swearing under her breath until Thesis grabbed the front of it and gently helped her pull it around in spite of her glaring and complaining.

He only smiled at her, which made her feel embarrassed until they pushed through into her apartment, where Cadence forgot her moodiness for sheer amazement, her jaw falling open as they strode into a massive living area with a... “Is that a spiral staircase? To... to another floor? My floor? I have a second floor in an apartment?”

“I guess it's more like a condo, but yeah. And look, it's a corner room, too!” Thesis added, leaving the flattop to walk towards the corner of the room: he whistled loudly as his eyes traced over the polished, clear surface of the windows that lined the wall, eyes roving along them before he muttered: “Wow, that's not glass, that's clear metal. Even you wouldn't be able to chuck someone through one of these windows.”

Cadence ignored the stallion as she strode past the massive window-walls towards the opposite corner, and it took her a moment to realize that these doors actually led into other rooms. She wandered through the apartment in awe, finding a bathroom, a kitchen, a small sitting room just on the first floor, while the second had two bedrooms and a small room she could convert into an office or a weight room or a tiny library...

Cadence came trotting back to the main room, leaning over the railing to look down and watch as Thesis directed Worker Drones who were carrying furniture, the mare saying incredulously: “That isn't my stuff. What's all this stuff?”

“Hey, there's a few perks about being in administration, you know.” Thesis shrugged, smiling amusedly up at Cadence. “Seriously, though. I expect everyone's getting new stuff shipped in. These are actual apartments, after all, not just residencies. I mean, would you really have considered that last place we stayed in to be somewhere where you could spend the rest of your life?”

“Yeah. I loved my apartment.” Cadence said awkwardly, and Thesis looked back at her mildly, the ivory mare blushing a bit before she grumbled: “Well, I apologize, your highness. I was never very good at being a princess.”

“That's not the problem. The problem is that your priorities and your ambitions are all screwed up.” Thesis replied dryly, and Cadence huffed at him before the stallion said gently: “It's not a crime to want more for yourself. You don't have to stay in the dark places of the world. This is our home now. You deserve a nice home.”

“'Our' home?” Cadence asked moodily, jackknifing the railing and catching herself with her wings a moment before she hit the ground to land silently.

“Wow, you're going to be a nightmare for the people beneath us.” Thesis said blandly as he glanced away slightly, and Cadence gave him a sour look.

“Don't change the subject. What do you mean, 'our' home? What about Daddy, or...” Cadence scowled at him moodily. “Hey. Did you somehow get Daddy to move somewhere else so you could try and-”

Thesis only looked at her patiently, and after a few moments, Cadence looked lamely down at the ground before she mumbled: “It's my home.”

“Okay. Can I move in?” Thesis asked bluntly, and Cadence glanced up at him, then chewed on her lip for a moment.

“It's... my home.” she mumbled, shifting from hoof-to-hoof.

“Well, I'm going to call it my home too, you know.” Thesis said mildly, tilting his head towards her, and Cadence grumbled under her breath, but only looked away.

“Just... don't touch my stuff.” she said finally, and then she grumbled a bit as she looked over the furniture, muttering: “Futon, couches, chairs, a bed...” She looked up at a clanking, noting another set of Worker Drones, carrying... “We don't need two beds.”

Thesis turned bright red at this, and Cadence frowned at him before she said: “Well, we don't, if we're... I mean...” She halted, then scowled at him and grumbled: “Don't be a child.”

“I'm not!” Thesis paused, then he said lamely: “We might need one for... guests, though? And when your dad moves back in. I assume you want your dad to move back in when he feels better, right?”

“Yeah. I do.” Cadence said after a moment, and then she smiled a little over at him before she sighed as the Worker Drones dropped the bed with a thunk before leaving, muttering: “Now I just need to unpack all this crap in an hour.”

Cadence did not finish unpacking in an hour: after the Worker Drones stopped showing up with furniture and supplies, she ended up just making awkward piles in the living room before she half-dragged Thesis onto the bed. But they only laid together, bodies resting close, the mare silently playing her hoof every so often over the machinery on his back as he traced along her tattoo, as he traced out both the Swan and the pony parts of her and made her feel whole.

He made her feel whole. That was what made him so perfect, she decided.

She was loathe to get up. But she didn't want to be late, either, so she dragged herself out of bed and dug her Mission Drive out of one of the boxes around the room, using it to bring up a layout of the area and figure out where she she should go. Not that it was hard: she already had a summons to Endworld's Orphanage, so she supposed she would head there first.

Thesis decided to walk with her, which Cadence appreciated more than she wanted to admit. The streets of Endworld were busier than she had expected, too: Genesis was teeming with life, from Orphans to civilians to Dogmatists and drones, and it looked like some of the ponies were already working on setting up their businesses in some of the nearby buildings.

She had the sense that everything was still laid out neatly in sectors and districts, but Exoterra felt a lot less mashed-together than Imperia. Imperia had been so much more... synthetic, in a word. A weird, bad word, really, considering Exoterra was all metal and glass, too, but it just felt different.

Even the Orphanage had that same feel to it, that feel of age, of having been lived-in, of supporting life, not just being another metal box for them to work out of. It was a massive, ancient-looking building of brick and metal, surrounded by gothic, spike-top fencing, built like a sprawling private school. They entered through the main gates at the front, the Kirin guards saluting them as they strode inside and followed the walkway up to the front doors, and it was already busy here, too, Cadence noted. Dogmatists, Orphans; familiar, and surprisingly, unfamiliar faces.

“Everyone's on duty.” Thesis remarked as they stepped into the entrance hall: it was gorgeous, lined with beautiful statues on either side, with massive tapestries hanging from the rafters behind each, depicting stories and civilizations and-

A familiar beeping caught Cadence's attention, before three orbs shot in front of them and swirled quickly around, projecting the holographic image of Seneschal, who huffed and crossed his arms as he said irritably: “As you should be, Prince Thesis! We've been calling you for the last hour!”

“Is that the royal 'we?' Because I don't see Mom anywhere.” Thesis said pointedly, and Seneschal scowled at him before the Replicant added: “Also, I apologize for not picking up. I must not have heard the alert.”

“That would be because you muted your communications.” Seneschal said stiffly, and Thesis pretended to look shocked before the AI groaned silently, then slapped a hand over his face as he pointed to the right with the other, grumbling: “Cadence, go to Reception. You will be given further orders from there. Thesis, you will be coming with me. You have your own duties to attend to, as substitute Regent.”

“Maybe you should just fire me because I'm really not very good at my job.” Thesis suggested, and Cadence smiled in amusement as she patted him on the head before she began to turn, then suddenly wheeled around and kissed him quickly. Thesis' eyes bulged, and he nearly fell over as Cadence grinned and turned to stride off, as Seneschal threw his arms out in exasperation.

“This is the last thing we need!” he shouted as Cadence left through the door the AI had indicated, and she couldn't help but laugh and shake her head as she strode down the hallway, smiling to herself-

“Someone looks happy.” remarked a callous voice, and Cadence's eyes narrowed slightly as she realized there were two members of the RED unit ahead, leaning against the wall: Karsilamas and Gesicht. “Heard you enjoy all the killing, though.”

“I'm busy.” Cadence said shortly as she passed by the two, and then she scowled as she heard them both drop into step behind her, prowling about ten feet... no. Karsilamas just vanished. She's trying to sneak up on my side. “Guys. You don't want to do this.”

“Not doing anything. Mind your own business.” Gesicht said rudely, even as he continued to slowly stalk behind her. When Cadence sped up, he sped up: when she slowed down, he slowed down, maintaining the same pace, and it made the mare grind her teeth together in frustration as the Swan twisted inside of her with... curiosity? Goddammit. How can you just be curious about these assholes? Anyway, it's clear what they want, they're trying to-

Yes. Anger you. Test you. Distract you. And delay you. the Swan said softly, and Cadence frowned before she looked moodily up. Was this really about the fact she was their superior officer? Were they really trying to just get her in trouble?

“Very preschool.” Cadence muttered, as she paused for a moment in front of a sign. She glanced over the information it, then scowled as she felt the Illilleap's breath on her neck, but she resisted the urge to punch it in the face for now.

It took a few minutes to find Reception, but that was mostly thanks to the RED Replicants harassing her the entire way there. The moment she reached the doors to the room, however, they mysteriously vanished, and Cadence rolled her eyes before she shoved into the room.

Reception was not what she had expected: it wasn't a waiting room or staffed by anyone: instead, it was a cold metal room with a large, circular metal plate in the center of the floor. A television screen faced this, and a camera was mounted in each corner of the room, facing towards this point as well, where Cadence was clearly supposed to go.

She looked awkwardly for a moment at the plate, then she hesitantly strode forwards and onto it. She felt it shift slightly beneath her weight, before the television screen flickered to life, and an image of a white dragon head appeared in stark profile on the black screen.

“Welcome... Cadenza Danzsöngr.” said a voice: Portia's voice, Cadence remembered after a moment. “Your team, 0-0, has been assigned a mission from Empress Hecate. You will be investigating a... Class C world. This world has been previously investigated by... Team 0-0.”

“You don't have quite as much processing power as Seneschal, huh?” Cadence muttered under her breath, and then she rose her head higher, asking: “Are we going to-”

“You will be accompanied by... Luna Brynhild and... foreign reinforcement team.” continued Portia, in her implacable mechanical tones. Cadence supposed ironically that was one place where having less of a brain came in handy: she could try to interrupt all she wanted and it wouldn't make a bit of difference to the talking computer. “You will secure the objective... Furnace 5, from enemy attack. Allied soldiers are already present. You will be authorized with... command status.”

Awkward language and jagged delivery aside, that made Cadence frown and look up, asking: “Wait, I don't think that I'm ready to-”

“A portal will be opened for you in... fifty-two. Minutes.” Right. It's just a talking box. “A summons to... Orphanage, Preparations Room A, has been sent out to... Solenne Serenite. Moonflower. La Croix.” An awkwardly-long pause followed this, as Cadence nervously shifted on the stand, wondering if their conversation was over until Portia said calmly: “Additional instructions have been sent to... Luna Brynhild, and her... team.”

“Is it just me, or are you getting even slower?” Cadence asked sourly, not expecting a response, but then staring in surprise as several infographs appeared over the television screen in place of the symbol. All she really understood were that they were jargon about Portia... I guess that's sort of a response?

“Your Mission Drive is being updated. Please stand by.” There was silence for a few moments, and then Portia announced: “Briefing complete. Mission Drive synchronized. Please exit Reception.”

Cadence smiled lamely, and then she awkwardly shrugged before turning and heading to the exit, muttering: “Alright then.”

She left the room, then looked down at her Mission Drive in surprise as it beeped once before a holographic screen popped into existence beside her, displaying a briefing transcript. The mare read over a few of the larger points quickly, then smiled briefly to herself before she muttered: “Great. Still, I don't think I'm ready to be in command like this, Hecate.”

She hesitated, then scowled slightly as she felt eyes tracing over her, not needing to look up to know who was watching as she said distastefully: “And here I thought you guys had run away.”

Gesicht only scowled at her as Karsilamas giggled and shook her head, saying with a sly, false happiness: “Isn't this exciting, darling? We'll be working together! And what do you think of the mission?”

“Simple.” Cadence said shortly, and Karsilamas' face tightened visibly before the ivory mare turned away, grumbling: “I still have to go over the briefing files. Either way, I've got more important things to do than deal with you guys, like talk to my team. So if you'll excuse me-”

“And if you are not excused, dear?” asked the Illilleap in a dangerous voice, and Cadence paused and glanced moodily back over her shoulder, narrowing her eyes.

Gesicht shifted, displaying perhaps the faintest hint of discomfort, while Karsilamas was almost frozen on the spot, all four eyes narrowed, her smile ferocious. Cadence, however, remained unfettered as she met the Illilleap's gaze before she said in a firm, quiet voice: “You will be briefed when you need to be briefed. Until then, I recommend you stay out of my way and do whatever other tasks Empress Hecate has assigned you.”

Karsilamas snorted, but after a moment she looked away and simply vanished from sight as the griffin-like Replicant growled: “Careful, Swan. You don't want to have us as your enemies. And if you make an enemy of one of the RED, you make an enemy of all of us.”

“I could care less.” Cadence said grouchily, glowering at the creature. “A... crazy deer and a griffin don't-”

“Hippogriff.” Gesicht corrected icily, and Cadence smiled wryly.

“Fine. A hippo-griffin doesn't scare me all that much either.” Cadence said dryly, and one of Gesicht's eyes twitched. “And no, it's not just because I have command authority. It's because I know I can kick the asses of all five of you. And you clearly know that too, so... why don't you stop trying to sneak up behind me, Karsilamas, and just go hide in a corner and pout?”

Cadence didn't so much as look back, but she all the same saw Gesicht's eyes widen and felt the Illilleap tense behind her, before Karsilamas snorted and said moodily: “Fine. Be that way, then, dear. Just bear in mind we only have to listen to your orders... everything else, we can decide for ourselves. Let's hope that doesn't leave any of your friends in the wind.”

“I am the wind.” Cadence grumbled, as Gesicht turned around to stride away, and the ivory mare felt the invisible deer-thing sweep past her in the wake of the hippogriff. Cadence didn't bother to watch them leave, instead bringing up a holographic map so she could see where she was supposed to head, and then shrugging once before she turned and walked in the direction that the computer indicated.

She arrived in what reminded her of some kind of transit hall, lined with chairs and with many doors along one side, each marked with a sign that went from A to F. Scrolling, electric signs formed an octagon in the center of the room, displaying various bits of information, and Cadence quirked an eyebrow as she saw 'TEAM 0-0 – ROOM A' scroll by along one of the black signs in bright light.

“Huh.” Cadence mused. This definitely felt much more large-scale, she supposed. In Decretum, getting equipped at the quartermaster's had always been a lot more personal, having to always go through Thorn or someone else to get their gear, which that person then checked over and verified for them. But on the other hoof, they had never been able to have more than one – rarely two – teams getting themselves ready at a time. This way, however...

Cadence rose a hoof with a smile as she saw La Croix anxiously looking around at the other end of the hall, and he sighed in relief as he saw her, almost galloping towards her as he exclaimed with relief: “Cygne! Mon dieu, am I glad to see you! And oh, uh... hey! Ici, madame, she be right here!”

Cadence smiled warmly, then caught La Croix in a firm hug as he came close, the zebra yelping in surprise, but then blushing and grinning a little as he patted her on the back, looking almost bashful as he glanced away. “Yeah, 'sgood to see you too, Cygne. Didn't think I'd be missin' your faces so much.”

“I know what you mean.” Cadence said wryly, as the Loa stepped back, and she looked over him with a smile: he had sewn himself a new cape and a new top hat, it looked like. They were just a little different from his old gear, but seeing him dressed in it, looking fresh and healthy... “It's great to see you.”

“Hey, great to be here. Forgot how ennuyeux it was trying to do paperwork for Nanny Hecate.” La Croix said blandly, and then he smiled over his shoulder and beckoned a few times, and Cadence cocked an eyebrow in surprise as a mare approached with a nervous smile. Her coat was pale pink, her mane flowing blonde, but veins of redness visibly pulsating through her body, marring her beauty...

“Aster.” Cadence said after a moment, smiling back at the mare as she drew her eyes quickly over the winged unicorn. She looked healthier than the last time they had crossed paths, she thought, except for that weird gleam in Aster's eyes. And the fact that she's dressed in a bodysuit like Daddy used to have to wear... “Are they testing you for corruption?”

“No, no. It's just... easier.” Aster said lamely, absently rubbing at the one-piece bodysuit, carefully ignoring the tubes that poked out of it here and there that liquid flowed through; were those plugged into the mare's body, or did they serve some other purpose, she wondered.

La Croix looked at her pointedly, and Cadence shifted awkwardly before she asked: “So uh... have you been assigned to a team? I guess this makes you an official Orphan, though, huh?”

“Well, I was asked by Lady Hecate to assist in this endeavor because of my knowledge of the seas.” Aster answered, smiling awkwardly at Cadence before she half-stated, half-asked hesitantly: “Did you not know that I would be going with your team, Cadence?”

“Huh?” Cadence looked at her blankly for a moment, and then she began to reach for her Mission Drive, but La Croix pointedly glared at her, and the ivory mare frowned for a moment before she said finally: “I uh. Guess I missed that memo.”

Aster shifted apprehensively, but before she could say anything, a voice said morosely: “I'm glad to see all of you, but I wish it were under better circumstances.”

“Hey, Moony!” La Croix turned with what was almost relief, before he blinked in surprise at the dejected sight of the black unicorn, who had arrived with Sombra. Cadence smiled warmly at her father, but then looked with concern at Moonflower as Sombra gently rubbed the fellow unicorn's back. “You uh... hey, what's got you so down? You lookin' real good for once, you know. You too, Papa Sérénité.”

“Thank you, La Croix, I appreciate it. It is good to see all of you.” Sombra smiled, stepping forwards to trade a hug with his daughter, before he turned towards Aster and gently took her hoof, kissing it and making the winged unicorn blush and smile up at him, even as her eyes darted worriedly towards Moonflower. “It is good to see you too, Aster, in such high spirits and health. And it will be good to have your knowledge on the seas.”

“Brynhild and her companions are going to be there, too.” Cadence said, not knowing whether or not she was trying to just fill the silence or distract Moonflower, but he barely looked up. He looked healthy, at least, like all his wounds had healed... but she couldn't help but wonder... “Uh... Moonflower, let's check out the equipment room, okay? We can get your suited up, since Daddy and La Croix will take less time.”

“Oui, I'm just 'bout ready, as a matter of fact. Do me a favor, though, Cygne, ask if Aster is gonna suit up there or we should bring her to a different room, this whole place be real different from the way Decretum was.” La Croix said, and Cadence gave the zebra a sour look.

“Yeah. I will.” Cadence grumbled, and then she grabbed Moonflower and half-pulled him towards the room marked with an A, muttering: “Already going over my head. Fantastic.”

“What does it matter? It's not like we matter, Cadence. We all just... use each other. We're all pathetic.” Moonflower mumbled, and Cadence stopped in front of the door to the room to stare at him as Moonflower said sulkily: “Used until something better comes along, and then that's that!”

Cadence sighed, then she shoved the door open and pulled Moonflower through into a room that was lined with shelves of equipment. She winced a bit as two automated turrets in either corner of the room immediately trained on her, but these beeped and disarmed themselves after a moment, letting Cadence take a quick look around: their gear had already been laid out for them in large, labeled racks, and there were shelves of additional equipment set up in the middle of the room, and what looked like some kind of modified Worker Drone sitting in a cage at the back...

“I think he's going to break up with me. And he should. I'm useless. Stupid. Worthless! Necrophage is such a nicer fit for him. And then he doesn't have to put up with being called colt-cuddler or faggot, he doesn't have to feel-”

Moonflower squeaked as Cadence punched him, stumbling to the side before he grasped the side of his face and whined, eyes watering: “That hurt!”

“Good, because you're being an asshole right now.” Cadence retorted, glaring at him. “Horses of Heaven, Moonflower, I mean... seriously? Has anyone even ever called you a faggot?”

“Thorn did that one time.” Moonflower defended awkwardly, before he lowered his head between his shoulders meekly and mumbled: “When he was making a point, yes, I am aware that is a... a silly thing to focus on. But... still. Necrophage is so-”

Cadence reached up and covered Moonflower's mouth, saying firmly: “Enough of that. Moonflower, Thorn obviously cares for you. A lot. I know right now... it's not fun. And yes, I do know what it's like, because even though Daddy's always been so strong, you've seen what happens when he gets taken over by the corruption. Thorn is going through something very similar.”

“I know.” Moonflower silently pushed Cadence's hoof away as he looked down in shame, and Cadence softened before the black unicorn whispered: “Necrophage is there for him so easily. She loves him. Deserves him more. I get... upset. And I cry. And he gets mad. I just... I don't understand how she can always smile... or why...”

“We hurt the people we love most. That's just the way we are.” Cadence murmured, and then she sighed a little before she leaned in and said quietly: “Take this mission as a break, okay? We're just going to be on hoof to secure the soul furnace. It should give you a chance to think. Think about what you need, what you're willing to do... what you can do. I won't lie to you, Moonflower... if you're not strong enough, then yes, step aside.”

Moonflower looked up, blinking once, and Cadence smiled faintly as she said softly: “I wasn't strong enough for my first husband. Shining and I ended up dragging each other along through... a lot of unnecessary pain and hoops. I really do wish sometimes that we had parted ways much earlier. It would have saved him so much pain and heartache, and I really do... care about him. Even now, I worry about him, and I hope he's okay, and I wish I could see him again, even. Just... not as a lover. And in part that's because I know that I was never strong enough.”

Moonflower looked down, and then he murmured: “Love is selfish, isn't it?”

“Love is selfishness, but it makes you feel like you'll do anything for that one person you care about. And you will, but you'll do it because it makes you happy, and because you want to keep them under your control, under your power, as part of your world.” Cadence shrugged a bit, laughing quietly. “Cause and effect.”

Moonflower as silent for a few moments, but then Cadence smiled softly and murmured: “But that doesn't necessarily make it bad, either. You just can't romanticize facts.”

“I suppose.” Moonflower looked away, and then he brushed at himself idly before he faced the rack that was labeled with his name, mumbling: “Well... I suppose... a bit of work won't hurt. Freya went through all the trouble of bringing me here, after all.”

“Wait, what?” Cadence turned, looking surprised, and Moonflower rose his head and tilted it curiously before Cadence muttered, as she fumbled at her Mission Drive: “How much have I not been informed of? Or is this someone else trying to go over my head... and how the hell am I supposed to get gear for Aster now, too?”

Moonflower awkwardly gestured at the Worker Drone in the little cage at the back of the room, and Cadence sighed tiredly before she looked in the direction of the drone and asked: “Hey, how do I requisition equipment?”

The Worker Drone clicked to life, raising its head slightly, before Portia's voice spoke from the machine: “Please state the name of the Orphan you wish to authorize equipment for.”

“Uh... Aster?” Cadence said lamely, pausing in her hammering at her Mission Drive, and the drone clicked several times before the ponies looked up in surprise as several hidden doors in the ceiling slid open, circular racks filled with equipment extending down from these.

“Orphan Aster is authorized for... Class B equipment. Please select as necessary. Please remove no more than... three... items.” Portia advised, and Cadence sighed a little as she surveyed the rack moodily, figuring that meant she wouldn't get in trouble for bringing Aster along... probably.

“Well... the more the merrier.” Cadence grumbled, and Moonflower smiled lamely at her, but on the bright side, at least her team was back together.

And having her friends by her side always made everything that much more bearable.

Suffocating Static

Chapter Seventy Three: Suffocating Static
~BlackRoseRaven

To Cadence's great surprise, they docked at the port without any trouble. A single Clockwork Titan was standing guard in front of the doors leading into the cliffs and presumably up to the facility: it asked for their authorization, and it didn't recognize Cadence's current status, forcing her to override it before calling Seneschal.

There was no signal, however: it was like they had passed into some kind of dead zone. Was that why they had lost contact? But somehow, it disturbed Cadence more than if they had been ambushed in these brackish waters by Loki's forces.

Short-range broadcasts still worked, however, and with the help of a Dogmatist, Cadence was able to send out a signal through the entire facility, alerting the Decretum forces of their presence and updating their status. While Brynhild and Freya paced impatiently, and Aster sat silently with Moonflower, Cadence shifted quickly through log files and the available status reports, checking on the state of the facility.

It looked like they were doing what they had been ordered to do from their arrival: secure the soul furnace above and clean out the rest of this facility. It looked like everything here was just fine... apart from the fact they were unable to ping Decretum or Endworld, of course, which meant that none of their portals would work, much less any of their interdimensional communications.

Cadence finally settled on sending one of the ships out to sea with a small contingent of Dogmatists and two of the RED Replicants. They would simply keep sailing until they found the edge of the distortion, and then they would contact Decretum and ask for further instructions.

The ivory mare led the rest of her troops into the facility to inspect and secure it: Aster was plainly uncomfortable, but with Moonflower encouraging her, she was staying by their side.

Freya seemed like she was simply rewalking the route to the top of the tower, as if the one time they had passed through this facility had been enough for her to memorize the path; but for all Cadence knew, it had been. The Valkyrie urged them on every time they started to slow down here or there, sometimes complaining, sometimes simply tapping a hoof as Cadence paused along the way to check on whatever was going on, while Brynhild seemed torn between childish amusement at Freya and irritation with the entire situation.

Eventually, they ascended to the top of the island, and Cadence grimaced a little as they found it still in ruins. She looked back and forth, then sighed as she looked over her shoulder at the ponies accompanying her, saying calmly: “Alright, uh... form two lines, and stay close. This area is still unstable, so don't stray from the path. Let's just head straight for the laboratory.”

“What happened to Haruspex, the Blood Seer?” Freya asked, and Cadence frowned slightly before she accessed her Mission Drive with a small scowl, hating how it was already becoming second nature to toggle through the goddamn thing after she'd spent so long ignoring its existence.

“Uh... okay. Haruspex...” Cadence mumbled, shifting through personnel logs before she said finally: “Here we are. He was set to be transferred to Decretum as a prisoner after interrogation, but it was delayed when they began to have issues resolving the connection. Uh... yeah, he's actually being held in the laboratory, still.”

“I wish to speak to him.” Freya said, in that mild way that told Cadence it wasn't a polite request, but an order.

Cadence steeled herself mentally, then she looked over at Freya and replied in the same, equal tone: “You can speak to him afterwards, Freya. For now, we are going to head to the laboratory and check the status of the observatory above.”

“Why?” Freya asked with painfully-childish, painfully-false innocence, and Cadence gritted her teeth for a moment.

“Because I am in charge of this operation. And because, Freya, we may need your advice. Some of the instruments in the observatory have been repaired, but they're Jötnar in design, so...”

“Well, I'll give you a point for trying to flatter me, Cadence, but Odin knows you need to work on that a little. Why not just tell me instead what a pretty woman I am and that you would be sorry to see me go, as pleasant as it is to watch me leave?”

Freya flicked her hindquarters with a wink, and Cadence's lips slowly puckered before Brynhild, surprisingly, scolded: “Now cease that, Freya, the only thing grand about thy buttocks is how great and round thy ass is. Let the mare do her job.”

“Well, Brynhild, it's nice to see that you haven't just betrayed the Valkyries, you've decided to lick the Swan's feet as well. But you always did like trying new things, and you always had a fetish for filth.” Freya said pleasantly, although her glare was like acid.

“Hey. Enough.” Cadence said clearly, and both Valkyries scowled as they grumpily returned their attention to her, Cadence saying shortly: “We don't have time for this. We need to figure out why we're being blocked. Otherwise, if we get attacked-”

“Aye. Very well, have it your way. Although I would not be surprised if an ambush was already on the way.” Freya said carelessly, before adding thoughtfully: “Or perhaps Loki was counting on this. We're all out of the way now, he could freely attack-”

“Okay. Let's move. Double line formation, come on.” Cadence said clearly, turning and striding quickly ahead, and then she rolled her eyes as Brynhild and Freya immediately muscled their way to the front of the line and began to roughly shoulder each other back and forth, before they both pretended to be interested in something off to either side the moment Cadence glared back over her shoulder at them.

Cadence rolled her eyes, then turned her attention back forwards, muttering under her breath as she approached the broken causeway that cut through the center of the metal ruins. Worker Drones were busily moving through the rubble, but Cadence wasn't sure what they could even accomplish: so much had been left in ruin and disarray that the only way they could likely make progress was by first tearing this shattered city down.

Slowly, they made their way across the crumbled causeway: it had been patched and repaired in places, at least, and made an easy enough path to follow to the laboratory. Cadence couldn't help but look up with a grimace at the eerie fog of dark energy crackling and thrumming above: was it stronger than it had been before?

“Those poor souls have been burning for so long. It's awful.” Morgan Heldóttir murmured, and Cadence smiled faintly: she didn't want to imagine how many Husks were lingering here. “Maybe... we have to shut this down. It might be what's interfering. That magic output is so intense...”

“We'll see. Let's head to the observatory. The controls should all be there.” Freya said, suddenly serious and businesslike, and Cadence nodded.

“Keep in formation. Just in case.” she said quietly as she led the way to the doors. They opened even before she reached them, pulled by a pair of Worker Drones, and Cadence frowned as she found a Clockwork Titan already waiting for her.

It bowed slightly, and Cadence frowned before a garbled voice said: “Cadence... good... see you... rived in adequate... shape.”

“Seneschal?” Cadence asked, looking surprised, before she frowned and questioned: “Does that mean that Manes managed to get out a signal? I can barely understand you.”

The Clockwork Titan clumsily straightened, then sparked visibly before it clicked several times, going dead still. For a few moments, Cadence sat awkwardly in front of it, and then Freya slowly leaned forwards and said meditatively: “Perhaps the dolly ran out of power.”

“There. Buffering may add a few pauses here and there, but it should be easier for us to understand each other this way.” Seneschal sounded very pleased with himself, although his voice was still slightly distorted, and the Clockwork Titan was moving clunkily, unable to copy whatever gestures Seneschal was trying to do through it. “It was merely a matter of brute-forcing the signal once we knew the state of the facility. This Clockwork Titan, in fact, was placed here for the express purpose-”

The Clockwork Titan suddenly froze and cut off, head tilted to the side, one hand raised, and Cadence scowled a little as Freya remarked mildly: “Oh, aye, Valthrudnir. What a true work of genius you've built here. And let's not forget all the obvious work Hecate has put into-”

“I exceeded the buffer rate, it will not happen again!” blurted an embarrassed-sounding Seneschal from the body of the mechanical golem, and then he fell awkwardly silent again, the golem once more frozen.

Cadence began to open her mouth, but Seneschal suddenly jerked before he continued, as if there hadn't been a five-second break: “Now, as I was saying. We have to.” A sudden stop, a long, awkward pause. “Establish a more powerful uplink. This is likely Loki's doing, but not simply.” Pause. “Loki. This type of interference is generated by-”

“I really don't care, Seneschal, and the more you try and explain it, the... uh... more you break up.” Cadence said awkwardly, deciding that was probably more tactful than the more I want to kill you. “What do you need us to do?”

Seneschal huffed at them, then promptly froze in place. After ten seconds, Freya said sourly: “Let's leave the tin can behind and go to work. I can figure this out myself. I'm sure these contraptions are little different from Frey's.”

“Oh, aye, 'tis not as if thy home was littered with all the broken parts of Frey's many wondrous inventions that he had been silly enough to let thee touch.” Brynhild said mildly, and Freya grunted moodily, glowering at the mare.

“Shush yourself, little girl, or I'll bend you over my knee and spank you. And not in the way you like, Brynhild.” Freya retorted, before both Valkyries looked up as Cadence cleared her throat loudly and pointedly.

Cadence turned her eyes forwards, thinking for a moment before she ordered: “Gesicht, Karsilamas, Faunus, secure the facility, protocol... uh...” Cadence closed her eyes, wracking her mind for a moment before she muttered: “The one with all the threes...”

“3-1-3-2-5-3-0!” blurted Moonflower, to Cadence's surprise, and she looked over her shoulder at him dumbly before she cleared her throat quickly and nodded.

“That one. Take two Dogmatists each.” Cadence said, glancing back at the small crowd of Decretum forces. “The rest of you Dogmatists, spread throughout the facility and take up ground positions in accordance with the uh... same protocol. Prepare to defend.”

“Yes, sweetie. As you wish.” Karsilamas said with an idle glance around, as if she was only humoring the mare. Faunus and Gesicht were at least a little more professional, although Cadence figured that was probably in part because she had sent Thespis off with Manes after lecturing him like a child for his stupid stunt at the hotel.

Cadence ignored the three of them, though, as they quickly selected their Dogmatists and led them away: they would patrol through the laboratory, stopping to secure any weaknesses they found along the way. Then they would relay...

Cadence halted, then frowned and looked down at her Mission Drive, tapping it before ordering: “RED, Sound off.”

The RED Replicants replied in irritated voices, including Manes and Thespis, to Cadence's surprise, and the ivory mare frowned before asking shortly: “Why didn't you file a report, Thespis?”

“We only just moved into communications range. Besides, you didn't request status updates.” Thespis retorted, although Cadence thought he sounded as surprised as she was that they were able to communicate at all.

“Stay in contact. Reports every fifteen minutes.” Cadence said after a moment, before she winced when the Clockwork Titan suddenly jerked in front of her.

“Exactly! That was our first clue, that local communication has only shown intermittent...” Seneschal broke off, the Clockwork Titan listing slightly to the side, and Cadence groaned loudly as Freya rolled her eyes before she suddenly strode forwards.

“I am heading up to the observatory to see these new toys. I don't have patience for tea parties with broken dolls.” Freya grumbled, and Cadence sighed but only gestured moodily after the ivory mare, not bothering to argue with her.

Instead, she looked over her shoulder at those who remained: her own team, Aster, and Brynhild and her partners. For a moment, Cadence looked over them, and then she glanced up curiously as Seneschal said: “The soul furnace itself needs to be secured. Many of the security protocols meant to protect the furnace have broken down and are in the process of being repaired and replaced. It must be...”

Seneschal broke off again, the Clockwork Titan twitching, and Cadence sighed tiredly before Morgan volunteered quietly: “We'll head down to the soul furnace, if you want. We can set up some wards along the way, they should work temporarily, at least. And I can sample the magic and see if that has anything to do with... what's going on.”

Cadence frowned a little at the violet mare as she approached, looking almost pleading. For a few moments, they studied each other, until the Swan whispered: It must be important.

“Yeah.” Cadence murmured, and then she shook her head quickly before repeating: “Yeah. I would appreciate it. I'm trusting you to do that.”

Morgan smiled after a moment, nodding silently before she winced when Brynhild flung a foreleg around the mare and nearly throttled her, declaring firmly: “Fear not, Danzsöngr, I shall do my best to keep this wretched mare in line. And should the evil Lich step out of place, I will punish her. I will punish her roundly.”

Brynhild grinned, shoving her face against Morgan, and Morgan glared at the Valkyrie before she said sourly: “And the evil Lich will make the heroic Valkyrie sleep on the couch again if she keeps this up.”

Brynhild whined loudly at this like a dog, and Scrivener sighed before he promised, as he gently pried the two mares apart: “We're here to help. We won't do anything without your okay.”

“Okay. Thank you.” Cadence answered, as Seneschal twitched back to life, but then the AI only watched silently as Brynhild left with her partners, Morgan leading them quickly away, likely able to sense out the direction of the soul furnace through magic, Cadence guessed, since it didn't seem like they needed any help finding their way.

“You should head to the observatory. As the buffering software seems to be broken on this device, I've decided to instead update your...” Seneschal broke off, and Cadence closed her eyes and rubbed slowly at her temple.

When the Clockwork Titan didn't pick up after about ten seconds, the ivory mare rolled her eyes before she turned and said dryly: “Well, let's go. We can see what Freya's doing in the observatory and maybe get a sense of what we should do ourselves.”

“It's so strange, being here. But it's not as frightening as I thought it would be.” Aster murmured, and Cadence softened a little as Moonflower reached up and gently squeezed his friend's shoulder. But Aster only smiled, lowering her head slightly before she whispered: “The hardest part is thinking about...”

She quieted, then shook her head before mumbling: “Well, I will... be of what assistance I can to you. I am still the same mare I was, after all.”

“Yes, talented, strong... a little too loud for my liking, but better than most mares, all the same.” Moonflower said gently, and Aster smiled a little wider, gazing at him softly. “Just don't wear yourself out trying to keep up with me.”

“Oui, because I am the one who has to work to keep up with you.” Aster said softly, and she shook her head a little before she squared her shoulders and smiled over at Cadence. “I am sorry, madame. Don't feel you have to hold up on my account.”

“It's alright. I don't think we really have to rush, anyway.” Cadence replied, although something inside her disagreed as she started forwards, adding: “Let's just take our time finding the observatory, give Freya a chance to figure out what's going on there.”

The others nodded, and Cadence smiled as confidently as she could as she turned and walked past the still Clockwork Titan, only hoping silently that she could figure out what was going on here. Because the faster she was done here, the faster she could figure out how to get Hecate to let go to the world she still sometimes thought of as 'home.'

Cadence was satisfied a thousand times over with the results of the many checks they'd run. Plenty of worries were gnawing at her, but very few of them were about this soul furnace, making it difficult to concentrate on the matter at hoof.

Seneschal's connection was still extremely choppy, but he was able to connect more consistently to the Clockwork Titans and the computer systems in the base in general. Once they erected a better communication tower and programmed it properly, the problems would likely resolve: something Cadence was very anxious to get done.

She paced moodily around the observatory, looking every so often at the screens and instruments as if she knew what any of them meant, trying to distract herself and look busy at the same time. Her father was seated nearby, calmly sipping tea and reading one of the Blood Seer's journals, while Freya was tinkering away with the machine, muttering every so often about 'stupid Jötnar toys.'

Finally, the Valkyrie rolled her eyes before she looked up and scolded: “Swan, an anxious dog circles less than around the food table than you do. Now stop before I plant you like a tree instead of a scrap-begging bitch.”

Cadence halted, scowling at Freya's back, and the Valkyrie huffed as she turned her attention back to the observatory, muttering: “Foolish to send that idiot and his parallel down to 'check' on Brynhild. And what does that Loa think he's doing, warding this place? As far as I know, Darkwater's servants dislike a creek. I'm sure they'll be loathe to cross the oceans in pursuit of a squirrel like him.”

“Have you figured that machine out yet?” Cadence asked, trying to ignore the rest of the Valkyrie's grumbling, and Freya grunted as she adjusted a dial with a scowl.

“Oh, aye, I know well enough how it works: it uses the same coordinate system as most portals do, including the ones Hecate uses.” Freya answered, although she looked and sounded less than happy. Well, less happy than usual. “But the gears are stripped and the dratted machinery isn't working the way it should. The coordinates I enter on the dials aren't matching up with the coordinates that I see through the telescope... which itself is nothing but a dismal piece of blurry glass. About as useful as the cyclops of any gelding.”

“The cyclops of... oh goddammit. Great. Why would you be... no, don't answer that.” Cadence shuddered for a moment as Freya looked over her shoulder with a wry grin, and then the ivory mare mumbled: “I don't even know what you're trying to do.”

“Take a look at what's going on in the universe. This is an observatory, after all.” Freya replied with a shrug, before she sighed and slipped back from the control panel, saying in a more meditative voice: “As long as the furnace is still running, we might as well put it to use. It takes massive amounts of power to gaze through time and space, after all... not to mention feed whatever other wicked little goblins that Valthrudnir must have hidden away here.”

Cadence grimaced a bit, before she frowned and asked slowly: “What do you expect to find? Do you... are you looking for Loki?”

“I already heard from Hecate what you might ask for, although I was hoping you wouldn't, Swan.” Freya said dryly, measuring Cadence with her single knowing eye. “I know it may sound strange, coming from me of all people... but sometimes you need to simply trust in your betters.”

“I don't think of Hecate as my 'better.' I don't think of anyone as 'better' than me or 'worse' than me.” Cadence said moodily, and Freya grinned wryly.

“Now, girl, you and I both know only half that statement is true. You certainly never think anyone is better than you, no.” replied Freya mildly, and Cadence scowled darkly before the Valkyrie added almost dismissively: “But either way, it doesn't matter. The machine is broken and I don't know how to fix it. Oh well.”

“Oh well.” Cadence repeated almost disbelievingly, but just as she began to open her mouth to tell Freya as politely and kindly as she could to shove her head up her rump, Sombra cleared his throat and pointedly looked over the top of his book at her.

“Mi amore, perhaps we should focus on the reason we are here, anyway. The sooner we complete the communication tower, the sooner we can leave here, and focus on finding Loki.” Sombra advised, and Cadence grumbled a little under her breath before she finally nodded almost sulkily, even as she shot Freya a curdling glare.

Freya only smiled sweetly in return, but then became more serious herself as she asked: “And is there any way we can hurry that process along? Or is it just a matter of waiting for all the little metal men to do their jobs? Because I've never been fond of dwarves.”

“I always heard you were too fond of dwarves.” muttered Cadence, and Freya scowled horribly at her before Cadence forced herself to rein herself in, saying in a calmer voice: “No. There's not really anything we can do. The tower will just take time for the Dogmatists to set up.”

She hesitated for a moment, then frowned as the Swan gently nudged her, asking for control. Cadence was loathe to give it, but knew that the Swan could just wrench it away, and at least asking gave her the chance to... well... what do you want me to do, say okay and give you a treat?

The Swan smiled at her mentally, and Cadence resisted shivering before she sighed a little, letting her head drop. And a moment later, the Swan took over, straightening and looking at Freya before asking: “Shall we plant a Root of Yggdrasil?”

“What in the bloody hell would...” Freya suddenly paused, chewing on her lip thoughtfully before she nodded after a moment, muttering: “Aye, perhaps we could. I haven't done that magic in a long time, though, Swan... longer than before the fall of Asgard, when Vanaheim and Asheim were still separate.”

The Swan only smiled, and the Cadence blinked as she took control back, asking dumbly: “What the hell is she talking about?”

But Freya only chuckled and shrugged amiably, before she closed her eye and said meditatively: “The real question, of course, is whether or not I can stretch a root into one of your metal worlds... Endworld, no. But Decretum... and I am sure that rustbucket friend of yours can speak to us through there, can't he?”

“Decretum and Endworld are directly connected, yes.” Cadence said dryly, and Freya gave her an amused look, which made the mare scowl. “What?”

“You make a good parrot.” Freya remarked, and Cadence scowled deeper before the Valkyrie nodded once and said mildly: “Fine, I'll just be on my way, then. Are you coming to watch, Swan?”

Cadence grunted after a moment at the invitation, before she hesitantly glanced at her father, but Sombra only smiled before he said gently: “Go ahead, Cadenza. I'll stay here and inform the others if they arrive before you do. I know there's still plenty of work to get done, after all.”

“Aye, Swan, stop wasting your time here. Come waste your time somewhere else.” Freya advised, and Cadence rolled her eyes, but then sighed and turned to follow as the Valkyrie strode past her, muttering: “Now, let's see, there looked like there was a tower taller than this one, and the higher the better...”

“I don't know if everything is accessible right now. The Dogmatists have a lot of work to do, if you haven't noticed.” Cadence warned, and Freya grunted. “And a lot of areas have been sealed off as a safety precaution...”

“Oh, aye, safety. It's not at all like you've netted yourselves in to be ripe for the slaughter.” Freya remarked, and Cadence closed her eyes in consternation before the Valkyrie suddenly shouldered a closed door open.

Cadence followed her through, then winced in surprise when Freya kicked it closed, before the Swan flinched in surprise as she was pinned firmly back against the wall. Her eyes widened in shock as she felt something cold and metallic press into her throat, and then she snarled and rasped, even as Freya pressed the sword tighter to her neck, her single eye looking callously, coldly down at her: “I am getting so sick and tired of you.”

“Anyone can betray you, Swan. Remember that. Remember it well.” Freya said softly, sliding the sword slowly along Cadence's neck, and the mare shuddered a bit as she felt that awful sensation of tearing skin, that wetness as a bead of blood slid down her throat. “Now, I'm not foolish enough to think simply chopping off your head will kill you. You're... complicated. But sometimes when you want a plant to grow, you have to prune it down. Harshly.”

Cadence snarled at this, but Freya only smiled thinly before she asked mockingly: “Don't you become more useful, the more you return to being a Swan? Don't you realize how lucky you are, Cadence? If I could die and return to my old body, I would eagerly kill myself. And as many times as it took, at that.”

“I am not you.” Cadence retorted as scathingly as possible, and Freya snorted. “Get the sword off my neck or-”

“Or what, Cadence? You'll kill me?” Freya smiled contemptibly. “Nay. I'm not afraid of you, Cadence. And I'm only a little worried about what the Swan can do. Freed or not, I'm still the better fighter than either of you. And the Swan has no reason to resist me, either. Isn't death what you want, Swan?”

Cadence felt herself grasped, almost embraced, before the Swan took control. Slowly, Danzsöngr rose her eyes to Freya, meeting her ruthless gaze before she said calmly: “Your help is unnecessary. And together, Cadence and I are far stronger than you, Mother.”

Freya smiled thinly at this, then suddenly pressed forwards, but the Swan reacted faster, shoving her hooves up and forcing the blade back. Freya's other swords appeared as the Valkyrie moved like a whirlwind of death, but the Swan vanished like a ghost before her eyes glowed as she instructed Cadence calmly: I will see. You will strike.

The Swan opened her eyes and saw through the Astra, and Cadence felt such sorrow, such pain, such confusion, such despair, and most of all, such raw passion...

The passion moved, and the Swan moved with it, evading swords that sang with every strike, that glowed with the essence of friend and foe alike. And Cadence saw Freya as she ducked, and the Astra rippled and spoke to her, and Cadence somehow knew that it was time.

She struck forwards with absolute precision into Freya's side, and Freya gasped as she staggered backwards, gritting her teeth as her swords trembled in the air, then simply dropped as she grasped weakly at her breast. And then the Astra was gone, the knowledge was gone, the Swan was gone, and Cadence was left panting quietly on trembling legs before the Valkyrie muttered: “Brings back memories.”

She slowly squeezed into her side, just below her foreleg, and then she smiled faintly as she closed her eye, murmuring: “That was where my sister struck me down, years and years ago now, while I was under the influence of Valthrudnir. Aye, you are strong. And aye, I should change my ways, but I'm an old she-bitch and I have no real desire to. I talk through my swords. And I want you useful, and strong. And Cadence, you frighten us all.”

Cadence frowned at this as she reached up and silently rubbed at her throat, before she shivered a little: both at the look Freya was giving her, and the fact the wound on her neck had already healed closed. “Why?”

Freya smiled for a moment, and then she said softly: “Not because you can kill us, and not because you're a puppet, come to life. But because you can see into each and every one of us. And what did you see, when you saw me, Swan?”

“Loss. Despair. Nihilism. Ferocious angry passion, directed at... nothing. All of it tempered only by love. Deep, endless love for your family. Love that feels unrequited. Love that you can never express.” Cadence said, not even knowing where the words were flowing from, only knowing... it was all true.

“A frightened wolf bites at everything around her.” Freya muttered, and then she sighed softly before saying quietly: “It would all be easier if I could just kill you myself. But we need you, Swan. And I've been told to give other people a chance to prove themselves, because I've been given so many myself.”

She absently flexed a hoof, then straightened and looked at Cadence before saying bluntly: “Let me kill you. Become what you are becoming all the same. I need you strong. You need to be strong to fight Loki. Because I cannot.”

“What?” Cadence frowned, and Freya shook her head in response, making the mare scowl. “No. You just tried to kill me. You can answer this question.”

“Why don't you just figure it out for yourself, Swan? It shouldn't be too hard for you.” retorted the ivory mare, and Cadence rolled her eyes at this.

“Because that's pretty obviously rude. And because I want to hear the answer from the horse's mouth.” Cadence retorted, and the Valkyrie gave a wry grin.

“All we have are horse mouths here.” Freya replied dryly, and then she shook her head before muttering: “But aye, fine. Why not?”

Freya looked around the little storage room they had wrecked with their short melee, and then she sat herself back on a broken box before flicking her horn, two of her swords vanishing and Drengr coming to rest in her hooves, which began to glow with magic as she slowly began to clean and sharpen the sword against one imbued hoof. “How much do you remember, of the old times? Well, rather... how much has your Swan-mind shared with you, Cadence?”

Everything we know. But... “The Swan says... it was in the darkness when Loki was tried. That it remembers the Valkyries had taken over... and we were, or she was...” Cadence fumbled for a moment, and then she sighed before murmuring: “I remember... the Swans were assigned to guarding Loki. In the dungeons of Asgard. And Thor, too... but why didn't he order us to let him free?”

“Because Odin had promised him that he would not be punished. I remember it so clearly now... Odin telling poor Loki that he knew it was all plot and deception. And meanwhile, he ordered us to gather Loki's children, to make his family pay for his crimes, while he reassured his son...” Freya smiled faintly, silently rubbing at her breast. “And I was eager to do so.”

Freya was quiet for a moment, and then she said softly: “Loki took the blame for the deaths of Baldur, of Frey, and even for old Mimir, a god who had been reduced to his sorry state long before Loki had even arrived to the Aesir.” Freya licked her lips slowly, and then she shook her head and muttered: “And we ate it all up. Loki must have known, even then, about Valthrudnir... but I suppose he didn't know that Odin had lost his powers to the Jötnar. Everyone else always celebrated the 'victory' of the Aesir over Ymir, but...”

Freya was quiet for a few moments, and then she returned her eyes to the Swan. “Loki was a thief, a coward, an idiot. But that simply made him the same as all the rest of us. But Loki was also... stubborn, in a different way than the rest of us. Determined, I suppose is a better word. For I am stubborn, but determined? Rarely.”

She chuckled quietly, then shook her head before continuing quietly: “And he held his word. He had his faith in us. He loved Odin, and respected him... and Odin so rarely did anything to deserve or earn that respect.” Freya shook her head, looking down bitterly before she whispered: “I suppose I always saw the man in him he did eventually become, and not the man he was back in those old days. I saw what he could be, what he did be, but that doesn't excuse me, or what he did to his own children and family. If anything, it makes that so much worse... and how I wish we gods could die and go to hell, because erasure is too pleasant, too small a price to pay for all the sins upon our heads...”

Cadence gave Freya a moment of silence, and then she asked quietly: “Is that why Loki is someone...”

“I owe him a great debt, Swan. I killed his children, heartlessly. I was the one who was there alongside Odin, tying him down with the desiccated remains of his own brood.” Freya smiled wryly, lowering her head and murmuring: “For a thousand reasons, I cannot fight Loki, Swan. But at the same time, I must do all in my power to ensure that... someone can.”

Cadence nodded slowly, before she scowled and asked moodily: “Maybe you could have done something other than try to cut my head off, then.”

“I will kill you, Swan, if it suits my interests. And I won't even feel bad about it, because all death seems to be is an inconvenience for you.” Freya replied evenly, and Cadence grimaced at the seriousness in the Valkyrie's voice, before Freya sighed and added moodily: “But if you both are so against it...I'll do what I can to respect your decision. I only think that...”

Freya quieted, then she said in a softer voice: “The Swan were meant to do more than just gaze through the Astra. A Swan should be able to move through the Astra as well, letting them go to places even a Valkyrie's steed would have trouble reaching. Perhaps I got overeager, as always, and should have better explained myself. Or perhaps I should have been quicker, and killed you, and together, we could go to wherever Loki is hiding.”

“I cannot see him.” the Swan said calmly through Cadence's mouth, and she felt as surprised as Freya looked. “He helped to shape and create us. And likewise, he helped to devise protections against us. We are blind to him. We cannot step to him.”

The Swan paused, then continued, as it gazed meditatively at Freya: “We... understand you, Freya. You have always been in charge. You are of the old days: that is why many do not... fully comprehend why you are, the way you are. The days when a woman did not have a voice, but if her actions proved right, she was rewarded. You were scorned and derided: you served men and were placed in charge of protecting the Aesir and training the Valkyries, not because you were adept, but because then you would not harm your charges. They were whelps. They were fools. And how often, instead of speaking out, 'this man is traitor,' you simply killed the spy? Often enough, I think, after you tried to use your voice, and after you were mocked and repelled and insulted for daring to harm a man's honor. For all any god had to do in those days was say 'woman, you are fool,' and then no matter what evidence you brought against him, the sin was upon your head for staining his honor, and all were seen as forgery and lie. But when you simply killed...”

“Then they called me lioness. Then they thought of me as a dragon. Then they applauded, out of fear, not respect, as I held up the severed head or hand of a traitor and proclaimed his sins.” Freya smiled wryly, her single eye studying Cadence silently. “Aye, Swan. You and I are not so different. I, too, perhaps am closer to Swan than I have ever been to Valkyrie.”

“We will choose to take that as compliment, rather than insult.” Danzsöngr replied politely, and then the Swan smiled in her strange, disconnected way before she said gently: “Old habits die hard. We know this well, Freya. But it is a mare's world now, and you are the most revered of all mares. There is no need to rule through brute force.”

“Well, you said so yourself, Swan. Old habits die hard. And no matter how you dress it up, I still feel like a horse.” Freya paused, then scowled down at herself as she kicked one hind leg irritably, adding moodily: “A horse that hasn't enjoyed the company of studs enough, at that.”

She rolled her eyes, then turned them back towards Cadence as the mare shuddered a little and shook herself out as the Swan ceded control back to her, the Valkyrie wasting no time in asking irritably: “Well, are you ready to go or not, little miss? We've wasted enough time with your dawdling.”

“I hate you so much.” Cadence grumbled, glowering over at the mare, and then she sighed and added dryly: “Are you actually going to try and do this... Yggdrasil thing? What the hell is that, anyway?”

“I don't know whether to be amused or annoyed that you're asking me, instead of your friend the Swan.” Freya replied, and Cadence only gave her a sour look before Freya shrugged and said mildly: “Better to show than to tell.”

With that, the Valkyrie made Drengr vanish, shaking out her hooves before she hopped off the box and headed for the door. Cadence sighed, then followed after a moment .But as they walked together, she thought about the Swan's words, and she bit her cheek before she murmured: “I always thought you were just a bitch, but... I guess when I think about it... it makes sense.”

Freya only grunted in response, then she replied almost grouchily: “I don't need your understanding or your compassion, Swan. I learned a long time ago that looking for that from people is foolish and pointless. Better just to do, and if you're wrong, to apologize afterward. That's all there is to it.”

Cadence only shrugged hesitantly, and Freya sighed as she muttered: “Celestia was always the same way. I wonder which of us influenced the other more?”

She fell into one of her moody silences as they strode along together, and then she suddenly shook her head before saying quietly: “But the best thing to do is leave the past in the past. Perhaps that seems a little strange, coming from someone born and forged and who seeks only to carry on the old ways, but... the past is the past. Let it remain there.”

Cadence smiled a bit, then said quietly: “Daddy would say those who refuse to look at their past and learn from it are doomed to repeat the same mistakes.”

“Well, your father is a stronger man than I am.” Freya said with a touch of irony, and Cadence laughed a little. And when Freya lapsed into silence again, this time the ivory mare didn't try to push any subjects: she simply studied Freya as they made their way through the laboratory, never asking for directions, but never quite wandering or getting lost, always on the way to wherever it was that Freya had set her mind to.

Her throat hurt, and she hadn't forgiven Freya for that little nasty attack. She didn't think Freya would have actually killed her – although she knew that might be naivety of her part, because Freya certainly operated by a different set of rules and morals than most people – but she was well aware that Freya probably was serious about forcing her and the Swan to merge more, or... whatever it was they were doing that happened every time she died.

Except it wasn't just dying that was doing it anymore, was it? Every moment of every day, the Swan was there now, learning, evolving, changing, just as Cadence felt more and more... alien. She was so different from all these ponies, and she felt like she was only becoming more different as time went on. That something inside her was changing, more and more. That she was waking up to who she really was.

That was an awful thought. Cadence grimaced mentally, then she looked up and asked, in spite of already fearing the answer: “If you had killed me, do you really expect me to have forgiven you?”

“No, but the Swan would have. The Swan would have been much less annoying than you, too.” Freya retorted, and Cadence scowled as they headed up the stairs, before the Valkyrie added moodily: “Perhaps it was only a test, too. For us both.”

Cadence began to open her mouth, but she felt the Swan gently grasp her, mentally turning her focus to something else, and the ivory mare sighed a little before she mumbled: “I wish you'd just stop playing all these games.”

“I have stopped. You're the one trying to get me to pick up where I left off.” replied Freya, and then she added dryly: “It isn't too late for me to put my sword through your skull, child. And if I had really wanted you dead, I have cleaner ways than dirtying my sword with your blood.”

Cadence decided not to reply to that, only scowling at the strange, warlike Valkyrie as they shouldered their way into a narrow stairwell. She had begun to realize more and more that Freya was just a wild storm of chaos: for all her thinking and intelligence and cunning, for all her ability to strategize a hundred steps ahead of the enemy, she lived from moment to moment, doing things as her instincts compelled her to... and her instincts were of the primal, vicious, ruthless sort, meaning they were far from always 'good.'

“I can feel your eyes on my rump, Swan. Now, normally I don't mind a pair of eyes watching the only part of me that still seems as fine as it ever was as a woman, but in this case, I would prefer you not to stare.” Freya said without looking back, and Cadence only sighed even as she awkwardly averted her eyes with a grumble.

They were silent until they stepped into the top of the tower, and Freya glanced around the empty, ruined room before she said softly: “You know not to expect an apology. And you know by now how I work, I'm sure... or at least you likely caught a glimpse of that, among everything else I don't want to imagine you saw when you gazed into me through the Astra. So stop sulking, Swan. And be satisfied that I've decided not to force you to evolve any more than you already have.”

“The Swan and I will evolve at our own pace.” Cadence said shortly, although even she wasn't sure what she precisely meant by that.

Freya only gave a wry smile in response, eyeing the mare moodily, and then she suddenly turned away and said: “There's more than enough room here for me to create a root. Keep yourself in a corner, Swan. I wouldn't want you getting any dirt on you, now.”

“I have an awful feeling that this is a stupid idea all of a sudden. Why is that?” Cadence asked moodily, looking back and forth uncertainly. It only now occurred to her to wonder why the hell Freya wanted to be as high as possible to summon a 'root,' and... “Will this really help make a connection?”

“Aye. 'Root' is a bit of misnomer, as I'm sure you've figured out by now, Cadence. It's more like... branches, stretching between worlds.” Freya smiled slightly, glancing back for a moment at Cadence. “We didn't always have the benefit of Hecate's silly toys, after all. Nor did we need them.”

Cadence only grunted, then sat back and frowned, watching as Freya began to weave her horn back and forth, the Valkyrie muttering: “Much harder to do this as a horse, but at least the wand is built right in. And now... here... we go...”

Freya gritted her teeth, narrowing her eyes as she slowly tilted her head to the side, and Cadence could feel the air itself thrumming with the exertion and the energy of the Valkyrie, her eyes widening slightly as she took a nervous step back.

She watched as Freya slowly rose her head, breathing slowly, and the room rumbled violently, Cadence looking back and forth as dust hailed down from the old, crumbled stone, as bricks cracked and the world shook with such violence Cadence was afraid the entire tower was going to end up collapsing. She began to open her mouth, but then Freya yanked her head backwards with a snarl, her eyes flashing before she shouted: “There!”

There was a tremendous boom as the tower shook, bricks and chunks of loose debris hailing down from the ceiling... and then, only silence, as Freya breathed hard in and out and Cadence stared blankly around at the great big... nothing. What the hell. “Uh... Freya?”

“Yes, I know. I have to say, I'm impressed myself with my own power. Perhaps your kind would have made fine war-mounts one day...” Freya smiled slightly over her shoulder at Cadence, a glint in her single eye. “Well, you know what I mean. Not your kind, Swan, but-”

“I get it. What did you even do? I thought the root was a physical thing.” Cadence interrupted, and then she stared when Freya calmly stepped aside and pointed to a tiny little thing that had broken through the floor of the room, Cadence almost stumbling over her own hooves to hurry forwards and then stare down at the tiny object with disbelief.

It looked, literally, like the small, naked root of a tree. Cadence mouthed wordlessly at this, then she looked up at Freya with disbelief, but the Valkyrie only shrugged amiably before Cadence finally asked stupidly: “This?”

“That.” Freya agreed, before she shrugged and said mildly: “Only a damned fool would think it would have to be some great whopping thing to be powerful, Swan. Now tell me, are you such a fool?”

Cadence grumbled under her breath, scowling a little at the Valkyrie before she said moodily: “I don't see how this is-”

“Yes, I know you're blind.” Freya retorted, and Cadence huffed before the Valkyrie said mildly: “Use your senses. You shouldn't even have to cheat and ask the Swan how this works, but feel it with your magic, woman.”

“I'm a mare. Not a woman.” Cadence muttered, but then she sighed and closed her eyes, channeling her magic-

She felt it almost immediately: the pulse back, the feeling like there was some massive, untapped source of energy nearby. And it wasn't coming from Freya, either: Freya, to her, felt like a guttering flame at the moment, making Cadence realize with surprise just how much energy she had poured into the spell.

She opened her eyes, but the Valkyrie clearly, purposefully misunderstood her, saying mildly: “Maybe you're more dumb than I thought. Yes, Cadence, all you have to do is focus on this 'root,' and you can speak through it to someone on the other side... except I'll need you to get your precious jarl's permission before I create a root in Decretum. I don't want her idiot little robots hacking up my work.”

“You need to rest.” Cadence said plainly, and the Valkyrie shrugged.

“I am resting.” Freya replied in a surprisingly-reasonable voice, and then she chuckled quietly before saying softly: “Go. Do your business. I'll... rest here until you get back, Swan.”

Cadence hesitated, studying Freya for a moment, but then she finally nodded before turning to head for the door. She paused, however, then looked over at Freya and asked: “The 'root' of Yggdrasil... it can be used to do more than just speak to people through it and whatever it's paired with, right?”

“A root can reach any of its siblings, no matter where they are.” Freya smiled slightly, shrugging a bit. “As for what that means, I'm sure you'll figure it out, Swan. Now give me some peace and quiet. All your worrying is giving me a headache.”

Cadence sighed a little, turning around, before she stopped at the door as Freya added suddenly: “And if you ever need to die, Swan... don't worry your head about it. I'll be the one to do it. But I do want you to promise me one thing... and it's that you never kill yourself.”

Cadence looked back over her shoulder in surprise, and Freya chuckled quietly before she said softly: “I don't think it would be a good idea to test your undying will against the power to kill anything, Danzsöngr. That's all. Now get out of here.”

For a moment, Cadence lingered, but then she nodded slowly and turned. Freya sat for a moment, and then she sighed softly before she reached up and silently pressed a hoof over her eyepatch, murmuring: “No, Hel. She chose to live, and I will not kill her without her consent. I don't know what the Swan wants either, but...”

Freya paused, then listened to the whisper that came from her crystal eye for a moment before she smiled wryly and muttered: “Well, goddess, long after we're both gone, all these ponies will still be here. Before we take things into our own hands, let's give them a chance to do right by themselves, shall we?”

A quiet laugh echoed through her mind, but Freya thought that Hel agreed, and the Queen of the Valkyries only hoped that she was making the right choice in sparing Cadence, and letting the Swan decide her own fate.

Love Loved No More

Chapter Seventy Four: Love Loved No More
~BlackRoseRaven

Hecate seemed surprised that Freya wanted to create a root of Yggdrasil in Decretum. Surprised, but willing enough, to Cadence's amazement, to actually step through reality and fetch Freya to bring her to Decretum so she could create the sibling root in some secure, hidden place.

Hecate returned with Freya to check on their operations and the status of the soul furnace, and Cadence was relieved she could report that everything had moved forwards better than expected. The Dogmatists had converted some of the laboratory's equipment into a communications amplifier under Seneschal's guidance – well, hers, really, since Seneschal had been constantly blinking in and out of communication – and they had almost finished building an antennae tower that would further improve their signal.

Morgan Heldóttir had warded the area around the soul furnace for them and helped insulate the systems with magic, and it had helped a little with their communication issues: for once, their problems might end up being completely benign, Cadence reflected. And that would be good on one hoof, but on the other...

What if, right now, Loki was attacking their homeworlds? What if they had wasted their time here, and Loki had used it to seed his minions through other worlds, Voidborn and Husks who were attacking, killing, everything they had ever held dear...

“Back to Midgard, Swan. Stop trying to float back up to Heaven.” Freya said mildly, and Cadence scowled horribly as she turned a moody look towards the Valkyrie, who only grinned wryly in response. “What, still mad at me?”

“Not still.” Cadence muttered, shaking her head and turning her eyes pointedly away from the Valkyrie: ever since their little 'meeting' two days ago, Freya had been constantly haranguing and harassing her, and Cadence thought at this point that the Valkyrie wanted her to lash out and do something stupid. The only reason Cadence hadn't tried to put her hoof through Freya's face was solely because of how increasingly sure she was that was precisely what the Valkyrie wanted her to do.

Over the last two days, they had done enough work for even Hecate to be satisfied with their progress, and she was recalling most of their forces from the soul furnace. A few of the Dogmatists and the Worker Drones would be left behind to ensure that operations finished smoothly, but Cadence and her team and the irregular additions to their group – namely, the Valkyries and their company – would all be withdrawing to Endworld.

Hecate had already stepped back through reality, but before she had left, she had given them explicit instructions to set up a portal in the forest outside of the port town where they had arrived. That meant another long sea crossing, but Cadence could understand the reasoning, at least: if there were any enemies watching them, they didn't want them to lock on to the portal signal.

Cadence was just trying to focus on getting back to Endworld, because the sooner they were done with this mission, the sooner she could start pushing Hecate to let them at least humor the idea Loki might be attacking the worlds they had come from. Some part of her was painfully sure that Loki hadn't been lying or trying to deceive them: after all, he had the resources and the cruelty to do something heinous and vicious like going after the people they cared about back home...

Home: what did that word mean, really? She had come from Valhalla, but she could never consider those golden halls home. They were a place to be admired, to be worshiped, even: Heaven, for her, was a paradise she could never attain, only marvel at and, if she was lucky, spend her brief hiatuses there, serving the immortalized desires of the ancient rulers.

But Decretum and Endworld, the Clockwork Empire: that was her home now. That was what she thought of as 'home...' except, of course, when someone brought up that world she had grown up in with her father, the world she had woken up in after not one, but two deaths: she couldn't forget all the people there, and she didn't want to, either. She owed them too much, from Princess Celestia to Miss Take and Amadeus Archon and... Shining Armor.

Cadence closed her eyes, taking slow, measured breaths: in and out, in and out. She knew that Freya was looking at her and probably coming up with some new witty one-liner, but she didn't care: all she cared about was keeping herself calm and keeping the situation here under control until they finally managed to cross the sea, set up the portal, and return to Decretum. Or Endworld. Or wherever it is we're going.

She felt a hoof grasp her shoulder, and the mare looked grouchily up before she frowned in surprise at the look on Freya's face, the Valkyrie giving her what was almost a gentle smile before she said softly: “Everything will be as it must be. That's the little comfort I can give us both at the end of the day.”

“Some comfort.” Cadence said wryly, and then she sighed quietly before nodding once and lowering her head, muttering: “I just want to get out of here. Can we do that?”

“Well, it looks to me like the ship is just about ready to sail.” Freya replied mildly, and Cadence looked up towards the end of the docks before she sighed in relief at the sight of Aster finally approaching.

“Oui, the ship is prepared whenever you are ready. The cargo is loaded and all quarters are prepared.” Aster replied with a smile, bowing her head to them, and Cadence smiled back as she studied the mare for a moment: Aster honestly looked a hundred times better than when they had first come here. Sure, that probably had a little to do with the fact they were now leaving, but Cadence knew that facing her demons here had helped exorcise the painful memories she had of Salazar and his nefarious schemes.

Cadence gestured at the others, and there were not a few sounds of relief from the crowd: whatever else this facility might have been, it certainly wasn't designed to be comfortable for its occupants. The halls still stank, a lot of the interior was still in ruin, and the dormitories hadn't been cleaned yet by the Dogmatists or Drones, who all prioritized the machinery over comforts.

Not that Cadence had slept, she reflected, as she boarded the galleon. She didn't bother tossing out orders: she was letting Aster handle commanding the ship for now, and figured the rest of her team could just relax during the crossing. It was better that they stayed out of the way than tried to get anything done, after all, and Cadence was beginning to realize that they had been sent out here together more than just because they were trying to track down Loki, but because Hecate had known that all of them needed to step back for a moment.

What was Moonflower thinking and feeling right now? Luna, who, no matter how much Cadence disliked her, was also suffering one of the worst hardships a mother could bear, or at least one who loved her child, and even Cadence couldn't deny how clear it was that Luna loved her son. Freya, who had been so shaken by Loki that she had refused to fight, almost died, and now still refused to take up arms against him.

This had hit home hard for all of them, though: even La Croix, she supposed, although for the zebra, the real shock had come after they had arrived. She had only really realized that after she had found a protective charm had been slipped into her bag, however: she wondered if anyone else was aware of how hard La Croix was working to protect them.

They had done their duty here, however, and now the best thing they could do was head home and convince Hecate to let them visit their homeworlds. And from there, track down Loki – or at least where Loki was staging his forces from – and then strike hard and fast to hopefully end this conflict.

Cadence wandered away, lost in her own grim thoughts, not realizing how palpable her anxiety was, or even that her companions were watching her as they climbed onto the main deck of the ship. They let her wander ahead before Brynhild said softly: “'Tis strange. For a puppet designed to destroy, she seems to feel much. Even I am not so kind, and I am a much better model of toy.”

Freya sighed and shook her head, before Sombra said quietly: “My daughter has always been a gentle soul, beneath her hard exterior. She burdens herself perhaps too much with cares for others.”

“What an awful bunch we are.” Moonflower murmured, looking silently down at one of his own hooves for a moment before he glanced up with a small smile. “I know we've always been so lucky to have Cadence. I do. She's better to us than we deserve... isn't that right, La Croix?”

“Yeah. She be too good, even . Fou Cygne gotta learn to take care of herself sometimes and not carry all the burdens a la monde on her shoulders.” La Croix added with a brief shake of his head and a little laugh, and there was silence for a moment before he said quietly: “But everything feels real complicated right now. We got that diable, Loki, comin' at us from where we can't see. We got Decretum in ruin, but Hecate a Jötnar and all these weird new Dogmatists walkin' around. And now Bondye...”

“Now, don't worry your pretty little head, Loa.” Freya said mildly, turning her eye in the direction of the zebra with a slight smile. “As I said, all that will be, will be. Try and take some comfort in that, spirit. I thought your kind knew that everything is eventual.”

“That's a terrifying thought.” Moonflower mumbled, and then he winced in surprise when Luna threw a foreleg around his shoulders and smiled at him kindly.

“It does not have to be! For it means that good will come to us as surely as evil does.” Luna paused, then leaned in and added pointedly: “And if thou art to win the battle for my son's heart, thou must be brighter than the burning sun.”

“I don't even know if I should.” Moonflower said glumly, and then he squeaked when Brynhild snagged one of his ears with a huff before she began to drag him off, the stallion whining: “It's not my fault she's so nice and happy and-”

“Focus on thyself, not her! Come, come, thou art coming with me and we are going to make thee over, as ponies say!” Brynhild extolled as she led Moonflower away, and Scrivener and Morgan traded an amused look as Sombra cocked his head curiously and La Croix gave a wry smile.

“Usually it be Moony's type who want to do all the makeovers.” La Croix said mildly, and then he shook his head before saying finally: “He is a good guy, though, and... he be real bon with your son. I mean. If that ain't too awkward to say or nothin'.”

Scrivener only shrugged amiably, and Morgan smiled a bit before she said softly: “I just want my son to be happy. And if Moonflower and Thorn can work things out, then that's what I want to see happen. They did seem good together.”

“And if one person in this family can have a healthy relationship, that would be a nice change of pace.” Scrivener said mildly, and Morgan gave him an amused look. “Hey, ours is great. But healthy? I'm not so sure about that.”

“Our relationship works. That's what matters.” Morgan said, before she sighed a little as Moonflower squealed in the distance, and Luna cackled. “Alright, alright. I guess it's my turn to go get her.”

Scrivener nodded amiably, before glancing up as Sombra asked: “Would you mind if I borrowed a bit of your time, my friend? I would be curious to learn more about you and your adventures with your family.”

“I like to call them Luna's adventures, because generally everything that happens to us is her fault.” Scrivener replied, but then he nodded and said finally: “It'll be a good distraction. And I guess we could all use a bit of time for... quiet.”

Sombra nodded and smiled, and La Croix sighed as the ship slowly began to roll away from the docks, gazing nervously back at the facility as he murmured: “Oui. Quiet. Let's just hope it stays that way, mes amis.”

Cadence awoke with a start some hours later. She clambered out of her bunk, stumbling across the wooden floor, aware that something was wrong even before she was aware of where she was.

She dragged herself to the stairs and stumbled quickly up onto deck, where she was immediately woken up by the cold rain pelting them. She swore under her breath, uselessly waving a hoof back and forth as if to try and ward off the rain before the ship listed violently to the side as a great, massive wave crashed against them, a peal of thunder tearing through the air above their heads and adding to the cacophony of chaos.

“Hold fast! Get the ropes, don't let the sails tear!” Aster roared over the storm, and Cadence looked up to see the mare standing at the wheel, her head high, her horn glowing with magic to make her a beacon among the mad scramble across the decks.

Cadence began to stumble towards her, before she swore as a wave crashed over the deck, the ship rocking violently and sending the ivory mare stumbling towards the rails. She barely stopped herself from being hurled overboard, gritting her teeth and clawing at the deck to yank herself forwards as she realized that a lot of the crew had ropes tied around themselves, likely to prevent themselves from meeting a watery fate.

The ivory mare managed to get to the steps leading up to the wheel, and Aster waved at her before shouting down to her over the storm: “Either get back under deck or help with the sails! They are coming-”

Something snapped above, and Aster fell over with a gasp, swearing violently in her own language. But in a flash, Cadence was up the steps, seizing the wheel's other side and twisting it slowly back with a grunt, before Aster seized a nearby rod of wood and shoved it through the spaces in the wheel, locking it into place as she muttered: “Or perhaps you should take over here. Keep the wheel straight and beware the pressure.”

“Just straight?” Cadence asked dubiously, but Aster only smiled wryly in response.

“Oui, straight to get through this storm, and to keep the rudder from being snapped off. We can figure out our bearings once we are through the onslaught!” Aster called, already moving quickly away from the mare, and Cadence grimaced before she swore under her breath as she was nearly yanked off her hooves when the wheel jerked violently to the side.

She fought to straighten it with a curse, then gritted her teeth as she leaned her weight into the wheel to try and hold it steady, hearing the old wood creaking loudly. It was a struggle, but thankfully a short one before Aster returned with a set of chains, and suddenly Cadence understood why there were two large metal rings bolted to the deck on either side of the wheel.

As they chained the wheel into place, Aster continued to shout orders to the crew. She was truly in her element, battling the storm, running the crew, unafraid and unflinching and unhindered even beneath the pelting rain, the blinding lightning, the deafening bangs of thunder.

And bit-by-bit, the rain began to lighten, the ship began to settle, the waves became less fearsome as they forged through the storm. Aster remained in control, however, gazing up at the clouds and studying them even as she ordered: “No lollygagging on deck, if you have time to stand, you have time to clean!”

“You're good at staying in command out here.” Cadence said, glancing over at the mare, and Aster gave a small smile and a shrug before they both looked up at the clouds, Cadence asking after a moment: “Is it settling down?”

“It looks like it, but I do not know for certain. The seas can be treacherous. We must always respect that nature is far more powerful than us.” Aster replied after a moment with a small smile and a brief shake of her head. “I need to keep the crew in line, but you did well here, Cadence. You are a strong mare.”

Cadence smiled awkwardly and shrugged lamely, and there was silence for a moment before Aster cleared her throat as she glanced up into the lightening rain, murmuring: “But I must attend to the crew. Please keep an eye on the wheel, madame. Once we are out of the worst of these winds, we shall find our heading.”

Cadence nodded briefly, then sighed as she leaned against the wheel, but it seemed secure with the chains attached and all. So instead of trying to hold it steady, she let her eyes rove out over the ship, watching as lanterns were lit and debris was scooped up and the ragtag crew assembled themselves.

She smiled a bit in surprise at the sight of Moonflower among the mess: she hadn't expected to see him up out of his quarters. Before her, even, but she supposed she had a lot on her mind.

She sighed a little, then frowned slightly and looked up as a peal of lightning illuminated the deck brilliantly for a few moments: where was Brynhild? She could see Freya, and Brynhild's partners, but not the Valkyrie herself; was she down below? No, even as much as she hated the Valkyrie at times, she knew that Brynhild loved to be in the middle of the chaos, whether or not she could do anything to help...

Her eyes happened to rove up the mast, over sails that were being hurriedly, tightly furled, before she frowned slightly as she caught the telltale blue flame of Brynhild's mane at the top of the mast. Cadence cocked her head curiously: Luna was staring stiffly out into the sky, and there was an intensity in her eyes that almost made them glow like emeralds, before Cadence grimaced as lightning hammered through the air again, lighting up the world, illuminating the splashing waves as water sprayed up over the ship, as something in the distance twisted through the waves-

Cadence's eyes widened as she leapt up over the wheel, but the world was black again, making it impossible for her to- You are only foolish. But never blind.

The ivory mare flinched as pain shot through her head, before she gasped as her eyes opened, staring into nothing and everything all at once, seeing everyone around them, their hopes, their fears, their relief; and beyond the ship were a million million particles of water all flowing together as one, forming an infinite ocean full of infinite life that all burned with the primal desire to survive, but one, one thing, one great and awful thing burned with something worse, with rage and pride and poisoned love and-

“Brynhild, he's coming!” Cadence shouted as she stumbled backwards and covered her eyes, pain tearing through her body, her whole form going numb as she felt hot blood running down her face and over her hooves, and she was both panicked and dimly, distantly unsurprised as her legs wobbled beneath her.

She heard hooves coming towards her, but no, no, they should all be going the other way, running into the ship, because-

Something massive smashed against the side of the galleon, making it rock violently, and voices shouted in panic as Brynhild flung herself into the air with a snarl, joined a moment later by Morgan. The storm whipped and wailed around them, thunder echoing through the sky, but now that sound was joined by cruel, jagged laughter: his laughter, the Valkyrie realized with horror and disgust, just as she had felt his presence in the weather, his magic... but how? How?

“Face me, coward!” Brynhild roared furiously, her spear bursting into existence beside her in a flare of blue flame, her mane and tail both blazing trails of fire and starlight. “I am here! I am here!”

“I see you perfectly well.” growled his voice, and Luna looked down to watch as a dark, terrible shape rose slowly up out of the ocean: a mighty, monstrous leviathan, a serpent armored in metallic scales and with great, hateful eyes that glared furiously up at Brynhild: Jormungand remembered her, Luna thought with a cruel grin. And it was the blackest irony that along with this beast, his 'master' had returned as well.

A charcoal unicorn dressed in elegant silver armor glared up at her, his poisoned, maddened red eyes regarding her with hate and disgust. His dark mane whipped loosely around his features, and a red cape flapped around his body, embroidered with the symbol of the enemy, Loki: but Ignominious had never been very good at choosing sides, Luna reflected bitterly, as she said in a calm, quiet voice: “This is thy one and only chance to withdraw. Persist, Ignominious... and that beast shan't be enough to save thee.”

“Foolish little Luna Lightblade. For all your moralizing and bragging about what a good pony you were, I see you ended up in the same place as I did. The cold, cold ice.” Ignominious replied mockingly, completely ignoring the mare's words as he bared his teeth in a cruel grin, and the mighty, massive, endless snake-abomination beneath him hissed, as if in agreement. “You couldn't stop yourself from pursuing power, could you? But don't worry. I understand. I understand it all too well. And that's why I know, that now that I am powerful, I am truly strong, stronger than you, you will come to me. You will break before me, Luna. You will love me again.”

“Thou art such a fool.” Luna said, almost pitying as she shook her head slowly, and then she rose her head and took a slow breath, asking quietly: “Where is Loki?”

“In a place you can never reach. Or at least...” Ignominious smiled coldly, before he extended a hoof, his gaze glaring, staring, pleading with hers as he commanded: “Not without my help. Come to me. Surrender, and join me, Luna Lightblade. You've been weak for long enough. Nothing matters, can't you see? But we can still be together, and enjoy the little time we have, before Loki makes everything nothing... we can indulge every fantasy, enjoy all the things I know you've always lusted to, all those things you tried to enjoy as Nightmare Moon...”

“Such pleas fall on deaf ears, Ignominious. For I am no more Nightmare Moon than she is me, as thou should know well from the last encounter we had.” Luna said coldly, but Ignominious only chuckled, smiling mockingly, knowingly, at Luna, and making her frown.

“What a fool you are, Brynhild. If only you could open your eyes and see.” Ignominious said contemptibly, before he leaned forwards and said callously: “I am now a member of the Jarsongildi, and Loki has blessed me with unfathomable powers, Luna!”

“Unfathomable only to thee, I suspect: I see nothing special in front of me. Only another Voidborn, another fool who hast not counted his blessings and learned from the life he failed to live.” Luna retorted contemptibly, snorting in disgust before she glanced to the side and said shortly: “Tame the storm, Morgan. And recall thy pet, Ignominious: if thou hast any honor at all, thou shall face me as a stallion. Not as the beast thou became.”

Ignominious only snorted in contempt, shaking his head before he said coldly: “You are not the one in control here. And to teach you that, Luna, I am going to make you suffer, as much as I possibly can. And with the power I have been given from Loki, Luna-”

“Loki, the trickster? Loki, who laughed most when the prideful were given their just desserts?” Luna asked ironically, and then she shook her head with a snort before she said quietly: “Thou must learn to better consider thy 'gifts' and from where they come.”

“I have had enough of being lectured by you, little Luna.” growled the Voidborn as he leaned aggressively forward, before his eyes flicked up in surprise as the storm around them began to lighten. “Melinda! Do not fail me!”

“The only failure here, Ignominous, is thee.” Luna said contemptibly, shaking her head before she thrust her spear towards the stallion as the rain faded out, even as the skies swirled with black clouds above, thunder and lightning still booming through the open air.

Ignominious snarled at Luna, then he leaned back, eyes blazing, as Jormungand rose higher and higher, towering above the fearless mare as his rider proclaimed furiously: “I'll make you beg for mercy, beg for the sweet release of death if you don't-”

“Demand heaped upon demand, and as always, thou stalls before the battle. Thou art as weak and naive as ever.” Luna retorted, shaking her head grimly before she pointed the spear at him, saying coldly: “I will not falter. Fight, then, Ignominious. Show me thy new 'power.' And we shall see who has grown stronger.”

“Oh, silly, stupid mare...” Ignominious grinned darkly, his eyes blazing as his body began to smolder with malignant energy. He boiled with darkness, his red eyes becoming crimson spotlights as he hissed: “I have power that you cannot imagine... I have been infused with the power of a god!”

Ignominious flexed as his entire body became a terrible, thrumming darkness, his eyes blazing like spotlights, and his body no longer standing atop of the monstrous world-serpent, but merging with it; Luna's eyes widened at the sight as Ignominious laughed, continuing to mock even as he melded entirely into the body of the great snake: “Can you stand against the might of Loki's children, Brynhild? I am the inheritor of his children! I have become-”

“Loki's junior. Or perhaps thou art just Ignominious Junior... the child of a child, made of energy strained out of the Void and combined with the might of monsters.” Luna said with disgust, shaking her head in disgust before her eyes flashed as she roared fearlessly: “I am Valkyrie! I do not bow to god or beast or monster, Ignominious, and I especially do not bow to the likes of thee!”

Jormungand hissed at her... no, Ignominious hissed. There was no Jormungand, Luna realized, as she saw the spite and the hate in the world-serpent's eyes: there was only Ignominious, puppeting a power she knew he could never wholly control, as his voice echoed from the beast's endless jaws: “You'll do more than bow before the end of the day, Valkyrie... I'll see you on your knees!”

The beast lunged towards her, jaws that could easily swallow her whole opening, fangs like scythes gleaming, but Luna only smiled coldly before she flapped her wings sharply once, evading the serpent's attack before her spear stabbed savagely downwards and into one of Jormungand's eyes.

The world serpent wailed in Ignominious' voice as it yanked backwards, huge body sending up a great splash as it twisted and dove into the sea, its massive coils roiling through the water as the beast's voice howled from seemingly everywhere: “I'll devour you for that!”

“Promises, promises, but thou never were very good with thy mouth.” Brynhild muttered as her eyes flicked back and forth, before she swore when she saw the great serpent's coils lash up against the side of the freighter, making the ship rock violently as the Valkyrie roared: “Face me, coward!”

Instead, Jormungand's coils twisted upwards, seeking to wrap around the ship to crush it out of existence: but instead of coming down on the galleon, they crushed down into a dark shell of energy, Moonflower gasping and shivering on the ship as Morgan grimaced and fed what energy she could spare into the shield, but her body was already shaking with the effort it took to suppress the immense storm.

Jormungand rose up out of the ocean with a furious snarl, the serpent's eye already healed, its fangs bared in rage. Luna immediately shot towards the beast, but then swore as its tail shot up from the sea like a spear, narrowly dodging around the lash of the appendage as its coils tore up out of the sea to try and catch her and crush her.

But the Valkyrie dodged back and forth through the deadly maze of serpent coil and geysers of water, the mare snarling as she twisted upwards before stabbing her spear out, but this time Jormungand twisted his head to the side, her weapon scratching uselessly along the surface of those armory scales as Ignominious hissed: “You can't hurt us with that stick!”

The beast lunged at her again, and Luna snarled as she flung herself to the side while parrying the immense beast's muzzle to the side with her spear, retorting: “I do not need a spear to crush a worm beneath my hooves!”

She dodged the world-serpent's jaws again, then slashed her spear down, leaving a scar across the beast's scales before she drove the weapon into its gums when it tried to bite her. Jormungand hissed as it yanked away again, but Luna only swore under her breath as she weaved back and forth, narrowly avoiding several massive coils that tried to slap against her like battering rams.

Jormungand roared at her furiously, then lunged forwards, and Luna narrowly dodged the dive before the massive sea-serpent smashed down and splashed through the water, vanishing into the depths of the ocean even as its enormous, endless coils continued to rise and twist through the air, attempting to sweep down Luna and crashing and smashing against the sides of the helpless galleon.

Luna snarled, but she didn't think Ignominious was even aware of the ship at this point: the ship was simply caught in an ocean that was too small to contain the all-but-endless body of the mighty leviathan. And if she didn't end this battle quickly, Ignominious was going to destroy them, and who knew how much of this was the doings of the idiot who had always been too eager for power, and how much was merely the writhing of the beast-instincts of Jormungand.

The world-serpent tore suddenly up out of the water behind her, and Luna's eyes widened, but she didn't have enough time to turn around before the monster's jaws clamped shut around her. She gasped in pain as acidic saliva splattered her and the creature's tongue lashed up, but the mare immediately stabbed savagely downwards, burying her spear through the soft appendage to make the world serpent scream in agony, ejecting Luna with a hard whiplash of his head and flinging both the Valkyrie and her spear free.

Luna swore as she flipped violently several times through the air, Prudbikkja torn from her grip before she looked up with a snarl as the monster lunged at her. And almost on instinct, she snapped her horn forwards, sending out a blue fireball that smashed into the creature's face and exploded with a tremendous bang.

Jormungand's charge was deflected, the world-serpent roaring in frustration as he swayed to the side, crystals of ice gleaming brightly over his features as embers of flame and frost floated in the air around it. It shook itself out, but before it could fully recover, the frozen shards and sparks of blue hellfire coalesced in front of it, and the world-serpent had just enough time to hiss before a massive fist smashed into its face and knocked it crashing into the ocean with a tremendous splash.

Luna breathed hard, her eyes blazing, black veins pulsating under her skin as her second Jötunnfang whirled into existence, the mare snarling: “If thou desires wrath and vengeance, Ignominious, then I shall be all too glad to avail thee!”

Jormungand roared, the massive world-serpent snapping its head up and diving towards Luna even as its tail shot out of the water behind her like a spear, but Luna half-spun and slapped away the end of the beast's tail with one massive claw of frost as the other Jötunnfang slammed forwards and viciously punched into the leviathan's skull. Jormungand swayed with a gurgle from the power of the blow, eyes bulging in shock before a fist of frost drove up under the world-serpent's chin.

Jormungand rocked backwards as Ignominious gasped in misery and disbelief, before he howled in pain as the icy claws slammed a volley of punches into the world-serpent's face, the creature's head jerking helplessly beneath the hail of blows before the enormous snake hurriedly flung itself away, diving back into the depths with a tremendous splash as its coils lashed upwards in defense.

Luna seized into its body with her Jötunnfang, grinning cruelly as her whole body thrummed with power, the Valkyrie roaring: “Come out of your hole, worm!”

The claws of ice twisted savagely as they yanked upwards, and the great, endless body of Jormungand spasmed, sending up waves and geysers of water as it writhed in agony before the beast's head tore up out of the water, lunging wildly at Luna from below.

And without so much as a twitch, Luna flung the beast's coils away as she half-turned and drove a fist into the world-serpent's face, broken fragments of tooth flying out of its jaws with a scream that echoed even over the rage of the thunder above. The serpent howled as it twisted around and dove beneath the waves again, its coils lashing back and forth, making the galleon rock violently in the waves that rippled through the ocean.

Luna breathed hard in and out as her Jötunnfang fell to loose, ready positions on either side of her, the huge claws flexing and glowing with power. Almost more than she felt comfortable putting out, as black veins pulsed beneath her sapphire skin, her sharp teeth grinding together slowly as her glowing eyes raced back and forth. She knew that couldn't be the end of it: Ignominious had too much pride to give up that easily.

On board the ship, nervous crew stumbled through the orders that Aster shouted to them as she paced along the top deck, her eyes worriedly flicking up towards Luna every so often. Cadence had bandages over her eyes, the mare breathing hard and trembling as she clutched at her bloody eyes: there had been so much life and energy around her that gazing into the Astra had almost melted her brain. Something the Swan had evidently not been prepared for, either, as Cadence couldn't feel its presence at all.

Her body twitched, and her nose wrinkled up as she smelled something, some awful stink that was almost enough to rouse the Swan. Her head rose slightly, and her eyes widened behind the cloth before she leaned forwards and shouted: “Look out!”

Scrivener looked up almost too late, stumbling out of the way by luck more than anything else when Ignominious lunged at him, the unicorn snarling in fury, dark energy fuming off his body as he slashed a glowing white sword back and forth with telekinesis. “This is all your fault!”

Scrivener swung a Talon up, deflecting a strike from the sword before he slammed a hammer fist across Ignominious' muzzle, the smoldering stallion staggering backwards with a gargle of surprise before Scrivener leapt forwards and simply slammed his skull into his foe's. There was a sickening crack before Ignominious collapsed to the floor of the ship, a bit of drool falling from his mouth before he shook himself violently and looked up with a snarl, opening his mouth-

A frozen fist the size of a small house slammed down into Ignominious and smashed him straight down through the deck of the ship, and Luna snorted in contempt. But a moment later, the ship shook violently before the massive shape of Jormungand tore upwards through the deck, ripping the galleon in half as ponies scrambled wildly for safety, Aster roaring orders as best she could over the sound of the ship ripping into two pieces.

The serpent dove past Luna, coming out and out and out, ever lengthening, a body miles and miles long passing by her as the world-serpent splashed back beneath the waves. Luna only shot past it, however, ignoring the beast for the moment as she instead used her Jötunnfang to seize one half of the galleon, grunting with the effort to lift it enough to keep the hull floating as she shouted: “Freya!”

Freya was there in a moment, using her magic to contort and reshape the wood, roughly capping the broken half of ship as Morgan did the same with the other half. Aster was still roaring orders fearlessly, while Moonflower was scrambling to pick himself up, horn glowing as he tried to calm the storm that was beginning to rage again thanks to the distraction caused by the ship breaking in half.

The world-serpent roared as the oceans rippled around them, and Luna looked back and forth before she dropped the mended ship, raising her Jötunnfang as she roared: “I am your opponent!”

“And I will exploit your greatest weakness.” snarled Ignominious' voice, as the oceans rippled, the waves roaring around them and whirling into a maelstrom as rain began to fall again, winds growing into a whipping cyclone that drove the sea around them into a fury.

Luna snarled in frustration as she looked back and forth, but she couldn't trace the movements of the great sea beast beneath the furious waves. But the maelstrom was growing stronger by the moment, and the halves of ship were quickly being pulled into the deadly whirl of water: if she didn't do something soon, they were going to be swallowed up by the raging sea.

The sapphire mare gritted her teeth, before she looked suddenly upwards as her horn blazed with sapphire light, shouting: “Part the clouds! For it is not the beasts, but the moon that controls the sea!”

Morgan swore as she was buffeted away from patching the hull by a wave, but then she focused her magic, sending her energies to Luna and upwards into the sky. She felt the magical energies of both Melinda and Moonflower, and she grasped into them both, gritting her teeth as she didn't try to fight them, but instead redirected them, twisting and manipulating their flow.

Moonflower flinched in surprise, his eyes widening, while Melinda's energy reacted with more... no, not violence, not even truly force, but instead a twisting, a turning that sought to redirect the redirection.

But all the same, Twilight kept steady, breathing hard as she allowed the storm to worsen, even as she pressed into the center of the cyclone with her magic. And even as the winds raged and the rain stormed and lightning thundered through the skies, the clouds began to split apart, revealing the full moon glowing like an eye in the dark skies above.

Luna gritted her teeth, focusing on the moon, her Jötunnfang flexing as they glowed with energy. Lighting sparked across the Valkyrie's body as she floated higher into the air, her eyes blazing and her back arching as she summoned up all her strength, making the seas tremble as she arched her back and pulled with all her might.

The moon flashed above, seeming to grow larger as a massive thrum of magic erupted through the air. The halves of ship were almost violently ejected from the maelstrom, crashing and splashing out to still-chaotic seas as the whirlpool intensified, a distinct divot forming in the waters that sank steadily deeper as the raging spiral of water grew fiercer and fiercer, corkscrewing deeper into the ocean.

Jormungand roared, the massive sea serpent suddenly bursting up from the ocean, but its coils were seized by claws half-formed from ice and water, its endless body yanked into the whirl of water. The leviathan thrashed violently around as it tried to yank itself out of the tide, but just as it began to yank itself loose from the wild spiral, one of Luna's Jötunnfang crashed savagely into its face, driving it back into the whirl as the Valkyrie shot along above its head, slamming blow after blow into it with her claws of frost-fire.

The world-serpent writhed helplessly as it was punched deeper and deeper into the whirling seas, Luna snarling in fury as energy crackled around her body, the Valkyrie thrumming with untamed power as the moon glowed above, as if with the mare's savage pride.

Blow after blow drove down into monster's face, the almost-endless worm spasming violently as it was yanked around and around the deepening corkscrew that twisted towards the ocean's depths, Ignominious screaming in agony beneath the roars of both monster and stormy sea.

Jormungand was yanked to the center of the deep whirlpool, its own coils smashing against its body as Luna drove downwards, her Jötunnfang pummeling the world-serpent cruelly into the crushing singularity of water that fed down to the ocean floor. The enormous beast's own size and weight worked against it as it was dragged down, down, ever downward, flailing uselessly around as Luna's frost-fire claws crashed mercilessly down on it over and over.

And then, suddenly, the beast was gone in a burst of smoke and water, the leviathan vanishing before a massive torrent of seawater exploded upwards, crashing into Luna and knocking her reeling backwards with a gasp of pain as her Jötunnfang went wide. And a moment later, Ignominious lunged up through this, once more in stallion form, features both furious and desperate-

Brynhild's massive claws slapped shut around him, catching him and crushing him before the mare half-turned and flung him with a roar into the stormy air as she recovered her balance. Ignominious yelled incoherently as he flipped head over heels before he screamed in misery as the Valkyrie pursued him, relentlessly slamming blow after blow into his body with her claws of magic, pummeling him through the sky.

Finally, as Ignominious fell backwards in disbelief, the mare charged into him and drove him backwards into the waiting palms of her massive claws, the floating hands forming a wall that she savagely, mercilessly pummeled the stallion into. Punch after punch slammed across his face, the stallion howling in misery, then convulsing, then finally only laying numb beneath the hail of blows, almost cradled in the claws of the Valkyrie as she finally came to a stop, covered in sweat and rain and saltwater that trailed down her muzzle, and hid the tears that streaked her face.

She leaned over him, breathing roughly, her body aching, and Ignominious lay. His Voidborn body was steaming energy, twitching uselessly, covered in cracks as if he was made of glass. Strange light shone out of these wounds throughout his body as he panted weakly, staring with disbelief up at the mare before he rasped: “This... isn't possible.”

“Nay. This is the path thou hast chosen for thyself. And this is the only outcome thou shall ever receive, Ignominious.” Luna said quietly, shaking her head slowly as she looked calmly and contemptibly down at the weakened Voidborn. “Relent. Surrender, and return to the Void.”

“I'll come back, Luna... I'll never stop coming back, for you...” Ignominious trembled as he reached up with a snarl to grasp the mare's shoulder, but his grip was weak, his eyes frightened more than furious as he rasped breaths in and out. “I'll... I'll return, and you will love me again, and you will be mine...”

“I am no one's, Ignominious. Not in the way thou thinks I am, not in the way thou desires me to be.” Luna replied quietly, and then she shook her head slowly before murmuring: “Stupid, foul little foal. Why, Ignominious? Why can thou not simply accept, move on, relent... or perhaps...”

She looked at him silently, but Ignominious only grinned up at her even as his body began to dissolve, hissing: “Because you will be mine. You must be mine. And I will never give up, I will never relent, until-”

“Until the day thou art nothing and no more, Ignominious, aye, I understand. How tainted thou hast been. How tortured thy soul is.” Luna smiled ruefully as she silently reached up and squeezed the hoof gripping into her so fearfully, she thought. His grip was so very weak, in spite of how desperate he was to seem strong. “I feel sorry for thee. 'Tis no wonder thou art so... brittle.”

Ignominious snarled furiously, but he was unable to lean up with his body dissolving rapidly, his eyes filling with desperation as he shouted, flecks of saliva splattering over Luna's face: “You will be begging for me by the time I'm done with you! You will love me again!”

“I have never stopped loving the stallion I met, all those years ago.” Luna said bluntly, before she smiled almost kindly as she gave his hoof one last squeeze, then she gently slipped backwards and away from the glowing body of the Voidborn as she whispered: “'Tis too bad thou art not him.”

With that, Luna allowed her Jötunnfang to gently part, and Ignominious slid free from the massive claws of frost-fire, falling towards the ocean below in a stream of particles and light. He stared miserably up at her as he fell, before clenching his eyes shut and dissolving above the calming sea, leaving glimmers of energy sparkling through the air for a few moments before Luna sighed and shook her head, shaking her Jötunnfang out once before she let them dissolve.

She glanced up at the moon above for a moment, then smiled faintly as she watched the clouds slowly fraying apart above, revealing the stars; so distant, so bright, so careless and yet not uncaring, she had always felt. She breathed slowly in and out, then shook her head before closing her eyes as she felt both Morgan and Scrivener's worries, murmuring: “I am well. I am fine. 'Twas easier than I had expected, but... he was not as strong as I had thought. Perhaps 'tis because the consistency of his body must be changed, to allow him to transform so freely; perhaps 'tis because, truly, he is naught by a tortured and lost soul...”

She hovered for a moment, then shook her head with a sigh before tilting backwards and allowing herself to freefall towards the ships, where Aster and Freya were both quickly marshaling the crew out of shock and her friends and family were waiting for her.

But instead of winging first to her partners, Luna twisted her flight to descend to the deck of the ship-half where Cadence was seated. The ivory mare scowled from under the cloth over her bloody eyes as La Croix looked up with an awkward smile, saying: “Uh... Cygne, there's a-”

“I smell her. “ Cadence grumbled, and Luna smiled wryly despite herself: for some reason, the Swan always made her feel better. “Beat him up?”

“Aye. 'Twas not hard, these Voidborn are little different from any other foe: if thou pummels them enough, they crumble.” Luna remarked mildly, flexing her hooves before she hesitated, then said finally: “I am grateful to thee.”

Cadence blinked behind the blindfold, looking dumbly up, and the Valkyrie repeated grudgingly: “I am grateful to thee. I shan't say for what. I shall not repeat myself further. But know that I am and while we are not friends, I am glad to have met thee.”

Cadence shifted a little, and then she awkwardly lowered her head before she muttered awkwardly: “I am... I'm glad we met, too. As much as I hate you and you frustrate me, at the same time... I know that you're a large part of what pushed me to become... better. And you've influenced the Swan, too...”

Cadence halted, then suddenly frowned as the Swan whispered in her mind, before she rubbed at the blindfold and said slowly: “That's right. You used to fight us, didn't you? You'd pull stupid pranks...”

“Because kicking the dog is all the child can do when she is the shame of the rest of the family.” Luna smiled wryly, shrugging a bit before she sighed a little and lowered her head, muttering: “'Tis nothing I am proud of. 'Tis nothing I am... not proud of, either.”

Cadence shrugged a bit, grumbling: “Dumb pranks and purposefully interrupting us... but Swans, we see in black and white. An interruption is an interruption. Trespassing is trespassing. You're lucky we didn't kill you, Valkyrie.”

“So thou art the Swan?” Brynhild asked mildly, and Cadence sighed a little, shifting uncomfortably before the Valkyrie grinned wryly. “Aye, this is why I am drawn to thee. As I said before: thou always makes me feel better.”

“Oh, I'm so glad for you.” Cadence said acerbically, and Luna shrugged amiably before the ivory mare asked finally: “Are you okay?”

“Fine. Better.” Luna said after a moment, and then she paused before she flicked her horn, and her spear appeared beside her in a burst of blue flames as the mare smiled slightly, shaking herself out before she said finally: “I hope in the future, Swan, you deal with the Voidborn half as well as I have. 'Twould be embarrassing for me to fell the world-serpent, and thou to be unable to handle a wretched nag like Sol Seraph.”

“Go away, Valkyrie.” Cadence said tiredly, but all the same, she couldn't help but smile a little as Luna laughed loudly.

For as much as she hated Brynhild, she had to admit that at times like this, she was glad to have the Valkyrie by her side.

Burnt, And Broken

Chapter Seventy-Five: Burnt, And Broken
~BlackRoseRaven

The badly-mended galleon limped into the port, dragged by enchanted wooden sea serpents that had been made from the remains of the mast. The sails that hadn't been torn apart in the storm had been taken down and stored: they could probably sell them for enough to buy their ragtag crew a drink at the tavern. A cheap drink.

Cadence was more relieved than she wanted to admit when they finally stepped down onto the docks and solid ground, Moonflower all-but-flinging himself out of the ship to join her with a wheeze and even La Croix looking relieved. Only Aster seemed reluctant to leave the broken ship behind, lagging on the gangplank long after everyone had stepped onto deck and calling to the crew still aboard: “Remember, even if she is but a wreck, do not cut corners! She will be rebuilt and reborn and... I will return here one day and-”

“Enough, Aster. You can't lecture those boys forever.” Freya called mildly, as Brynhild impatiently paced in circles on the deck, Scrivener and Morgan looking far more relaxed; relieved, even, to be on solid ground, just like the rest of them. “Let's get going.”

Aster sighed a little, but then she finally nodded and reluctantly strode down to the deck, tossing wistful looks back at the ship every now and then before she muttered: “It was a good voyage. I just pray it was not my last.”

“I would point out that the ship was torn in half by a giant snake, but I suppose since everyone survived, I can't exactly disagree.” Scrivener remarked as they headed towards town, and then he smiled as Morgan bumped into him lightly, before he staggered and nearly knocked the purple mare over when Luna cheerfully rammed into his other side. “Hey!”

Brynhild only grinned widely at him, then she turned her eyes towards Cadence, asking cheerfully: “So, how long will it take thee to build thy silly portal? Should I go ahead and warn Hecate of thy coming on Hex? As a matter of fact, 'twould probably be easy for Hex to cart all of thee back and forth, and 'twould be much faster than thy silly-”

“Obviously Loki knows we're here, but we're still going to do what Hecate ordered and march a few miles past the port. We'll set it up in the forest. That way if something does happen to try and take over our portal ring, we can fight it somewhere where we don't have to worry about collateral damage.” Cadence replied dryly, and Luna huffed at her, but Cadence pointedly ignored the Valkyrie as she turned her eyes forwards and said quickly: “Let's just concentrate on-”

“I think some of us need to rest.” Freya said loudly, and Cadence slowly closed her eyes, taking a slow breath as the Valkyrie continued in a reasonable voice that Cadence knew by now meant trouble: “We've all had a trying journey, and I would think you'd want to send a little warning to your superior, anyway. Who knows what else might be out there, Swan?”

Cadence sighed, letting her eyes open before she asked sourly: “Can't you just once tell me, honestly, what it is you're after?”

“And where would be the fun in that?” Freya replied with a mischievous wink, before she suddenly became serious as she added: “And you know me by now, Swan. I would be disappointed if you didn't realize I had an ulterior motive. But I'll be even more so if you think any of my games were foolish: I play often, but always with purpose.”

“Aye, Freya has always been like a cat.” Brynhild meditated for a moment, then grinned suddenly and winked at her sister as the Valkyrie smiled amusedly back at her. “Or perhaps I should say quite the-”

“We're taking a break!” Cadence shouted, rolling her eyes and sighing as she strode forwards, muttering moodily: “Guess it's not like the locals aren't going to be talking about us for years to come...”

Thorn Blackfeather breathed quietly as he clutched at his aching stump, Burning Desire smiling at him as he encouraged: “Remember, let it flow through you. The pain, the anger, everything else: it's all secondary. You can only feel what you let yourself feel.”

Thorn grunted in response, continuing to breathe slowly as Burning advised: “Instead of focusing on the pain, focus on everything around you. It's beautiful, isn't it?”

Thorn only grumbled again even as he half-opened one eye: he was sitting back on his rump, his hind legs painfully crossed, his head lowered, his mane half-hanging in his eyes and only crudely knotted behind his head. His hoof clutched at his black stump, which was steadily leaking ooze: something he still hadn't learned to control. A tell, that made his weakness visible.

He looked around, away from his weakness: he was seated inside an uncaring stone pagoda with a massive ornate pillar at each corner, holding up the ceiling and the tower above. Rafters crisscrossed elegantly: intricate runes and details covered every inch of these ancient oak rafters. Detail and precision that could have been paid somewhere else, somewhere more important. Waste.

He saw Burning Desire. He saw sympathy. He saw himself, reflected, pathetic, in the stallion's eyes. He saw Morning Glory at the edge of the pagoda, looking at him with contempt.

Thorn smiled thinly, closing his eyes.

The world was not beautiful. He missed the sterile, cold halls of metal that made up Decretum and Endworld and the rest of the Clockwork Empire. He missed the efficiency, the meaning in order, the logic of it all.

This world was not beautiful. Chaos was not beautiful.

He wanted to go home. He could control himself now. His temper was shorter, but he could maintain his facade. He was strong.

Except for that ever-bleeding black, ugly stump.

But he could have that fixed. Machinery could replace flesh. At worst? His broken mind could be repaired by callous machinery and logic. He could be fixed. He could be repaired. He was only an organic machine, like the rest of life.

No pony mattered. Nothing mattered.

This didn't matter.

Why did that infuriate him? Why did he see nothing as valuable, and yet he was so angry?

They had no meaning. Meaninglessness shouldn't make him angry, but it did.

“Hi, Thorn!”

Thorn's eyes opened in surprise, and he looked up to see Necrophage standing in front of him, her face only inches away, beaming brightly. Thorn winced and leaned back a bit, but the mare only giggled before she said happily: “I just thought I'd come by and check in on how you're doing!”

“Thank you. I'm busy.” Thorn replied shortly, but the Replicant only smiled at him kindly, even as Thorn's gaze shifted pointedly away.

“I know! But I thought that I would come by and see you anyway!” Necrophage said positively, before she leaned quickly back and forth, studying him intently before she frowned and added anxiously: “And are you sure that you're okay? You're always saying you're okay, but, and I don't mean to be rude or anything, sir, but you don't look okay.”

“Just Thorn.” Thorn murmured, and then he shook his head and said quietly: “I will talk about this with you later, Necrophage. I'm busy.”

“Me too! But I want to talk about it now because I'm worried about you.” Necrophage insisted, dropping on her rump in front of him and leaning into his face, making Thorn scowl a little even as part of him ached so much at her kindness, her infinite affection, the way she was so good, too good... “Let's talk!”

“I said no!” Thorn shouted, before he grimaced and quickly looked away, half-covering his muzzle as he murmured: “I meant... no. No, Necrophage. I do not want to talk about it.”

Necrophage smiled at him kindly, popping up to her hooves with a firm nod before she said quietly: “But sometimes when you care about someone, you gotta help them whether they like it or not!”

“That's not how it works.” Thorn muttered almost pettishly, before he shook his head and sighed, his eyes opening as he stared off at nothing and murmured: “This is pointless. I want you to go away. I don't want to talk about this. You are embarrassing me in front of Burning Desire.”

“Nah. I don't think so, because I see you, Thorn!” Necrophage smiled up at him kindly, her eyes warm and loving and tender. “You want to talk about everything, a whole lot of things, but you never do because you're scared of how we're going to react or what we might say or what might happen. But you don't have to be because we're all friends here, and we all love you.”

“'Love' is an overused word.” Thorn said, before he suddenly added cruelly, as his eyes flashed: “What would a puppet like you know about 'love?' The only kiss you've ever had was because I was afraid we were going to die. I don't love you.”

Burning Desire's eyes widened, but Necrophage smiled up at Thorn before she replied, unflinching, unafraid, unhurt: “But I love you, sir, and that's all that matters!”

Thorn's eyes widened in surprise, and he visibly trembled for a moment before he lowered his head, whispering a weak apology. But Necrophage only continued to smile before she said kindly: “I really mean it. You're super special, Thorn, and I know it's really super hard with all the poison in your system. Yep, I know, that's why I can turn my emotions on and off, remember? And I know it might be mean but I'm glad you can't turn your emotions off, because I know you can be strong enough to deal with it and not go crazy-loopy like me, and that means you can really master the Clay of Prometheus, because it doesn't have to be a bad thing, nope!”

Thorn was silent: he barely understood Necrophage's semicoherent rambling, but what he did understand was her tone, her gaze, her... infinite kindness, as he lowered his head and murmured: “I don't deserve your kindness.”

“You deserve that and more! You always treated me like a person, after all, even when I wasn't!” Necrophage smiled brightly at him, and there was silence for a few moments before she nudged gently: “Well?”

Thorn looked over at Burning Desire, but the Passion pointedly averted his eyes as he turned and wandered towards Morning Glory with a whistle, and Thorn sighed before he returned his eyes to the Replicant and said weakly: “I don't know what to do. I don't know what to feel. It should all be easy, but... it's not. It's like... ten thousand pounds of pressure being poured on me at once. It's like...”

It was indescribable. What was he doing? Wasting his time, time he could be spent...

Doing what? He knew why he was here. Everyone knew why he was here. Because he couldn't be useful to Hecate. Because he was damaged equipment. Because there was absolutely nothing wrong, and yet...

“You're sad. You're mad. Those things make sense!” Necrophage said with a smile and a firm nod. “I know you don't know what would make you feel better, Thorn, and that's okay, too. I never know what's wrong with me, after all! I depend on other ponies to help me through it, and there's nothing wrong with that, right? And you can do the same!”

Thorn looked up at Necrophage silently, and Necrophage smiled before she said: “Before I met you, I never trusted anypony, you know. Not even my sister, because even if she's super-duper great and I love her...”

Necrophage's expression suddenly went hollow, looking at Thorn silently, seriously, completely without emotion as she said quietly: “We are both Replicants. Machines. Our duty to serve Valthrudnir: our master, who could destroy us at any moment. We were tools. And if we did not operate at optimum capacity, we were to be recycled.”

Necrophage paused, lowering her head as she continued: “I was designed to mimic – mock, perhaps is a better word – the emotive expressions of ponies. But my neural programming is damaged and incomplete, and I was redesigned for service duties. I was eventually rendered obsolete and placed in stasis.” The Replicant halted, then she looked at Thorn, somehow naked and vulnerable not in spite, but because of her emotionlessness: “I do not know if I am truly capable of feeling emotion. But I regard you as a leader and a friend and a companion, and I fully trust you, as I believe you trust me. I trust you because you are an authority, and you are a leader, and you have shown me more patience than I have rightfully earned.”

“I don't know about that.” Thorn murmured, looking down before he shook his head and whispered: “It's maddening. I know nothing is wrong and yet something is. Is this what Thesis meant by the chemicals in his brain? But there's no one here to tear them out of me...”

“You are not broken. You do not need repairs.” Necrophage said, and Thorn couldn't help but smile a little as he looked up at her. “But a system cannot update when the files are in use.”

Necrophage paused, then shook herself vehemently before she blinked a few times, then smiled brightly. “You need to have some quiet time, that's all!”

Thorn lowered his head for a moment, and he wanted to be angry, and he wanted to be upset, and he wanted to lash out. But when he looked up at Necrophage, and into her kind, kind eyes, what he wanted most was to be honest, as he gave a faint smile and whispered: “I don't know how. I'm... scared of being left alone with myself. I'm scared of what I might think. I'm scared of what I might do.”

“Well, you're super smart, and I know from my sister that that's really scary sometimes, because smart people think about things that dumb people like me don't!” Necrophage said brightly. “But if you ever need me to be around to help you not-think, you know I'm more than glad to, and so are all your other new friends! Because you've got lots of friends, Thorn, even if you can't see that right now, and no one's blaming you for it, nuh-uh! But the real problem is that you gotta stop blaming yourself!”

Thorn frowned a bit at this, and then he flinched when Necrophage gently reached out and touched his black, bleeding stump, adding quietly: “And you can't be scared of yourself neither, nope! Because you've never going to be able to face these problems if you keep running away from yourself!”

“I'm not running away!” Thorn shouted angrily, and then he flinched before he sighed and lowered his head, muttering: “I guess that's excellent proof that I am running away, isn't it?”

“That's silly, you just said you weren't!” Necrophage replied kindly, and Thorn sighed again, but he gave the faintest of smiles before Necrophage added: “All you have to do to find yourself is stop looking at everyone else, though, and then you'll find yourself right where you last left you.”

Thorn looked blankly for a few moments at Necrophage, but then he slowly nodded before lowering his head with a sigh, murmuring: “Yes. I know you're right. I'm just...”

He looked at his stump for a moment, and Necrophage rubbed silently over this, making him grimace a little before she asked worriedly: “Does it hurt?”

“No. Well, yes, but not when you touch it. It just always hurts. But that's not much different from before.” Thorn said quietly, and Necrophage smiled at him faintly before she brought her hoof to her lips, studying the black blood that had smeared over it for a moment before she quietly licked it.

She closed her eyes for a moment, then smiled a bit before she said finally: “It doesn't have to be poison. It can be fuel. It can be energy. We can all be good things; you taught me that too, Thorn. I don't have to be a monster, even though I know that's what I was meant to be.”

Necrophage smiled with her too-big-teeth, the squat little mare gazing up at him warmly. “Okay! Thank you for talking with me, Thorn!”

Thorn smiled briefly back, studying her silently before he asked bluntly: “What do you want, Necrophage?”

“Everypony to be happy. But mostly you.” Necrophage smiled again warmly, nodding firmly to him before she leaned in and kissed his cheek loudly, Thorn half-scowling and half-smiling before the Replicant turned and bounded away, saying brightly: “Bye Thorn! Bye Morning Desire! Bye Burning Glory!”

“I think that one should die.” Morning Glory said moodily after a moment, and Burning Desire laughed before he squawked when his sister punched him out of the way to stride into the pagoda, saying coldly: “Time for training.”

Thorn nodded as he began to climb up, before he grimaced, leaning back and catching Morning Glory's hoof when she attempted to drive it into him. The Destroyer grinned coldly at this, studying the stallion for a moment, perched on his hind legs, leaning into her to prevent her from pushing him back further as the foreleg blocking hers trembled.

Then she suddenly yanked her limb back, but Thorn simply let himself drop to the ground, before he ducked easily under a swing of her hoof. She stomped viciously down, but Thorn dodged that as well, and Burning Desire winced as she cracked the floor of the pagoda, shouting: “Hey, hey! They're going to make me pay for the repairs, you know!”

“That makes it tempting to just bring the whole thing crashing down.” muttered Morning Glory, before her horn lit up with white radiance as she said coldly: “Resist.”

Thorn grimaced, but set himself with a short nod, and then he clenched his eyes shut as white lightning crackled over his body. He felt his muscles stiffen up, his teeth gritting, his whole body shaking with pain as purification raced across his form.

After almost a minute of this, Morning Glory finally let up the stream of magic before she attempted to stomp on him: Thorn barely dodged backwards in time, his stump now leaving a trail of dust instead of poison, his movements clunky and clearly pained as he wheezed loudly for breath before gasping when Morning Glory slapped him across the face, knocking him stumbling.

“Weak. Pathetic.” she said with disgust, then she stepped forwards into a vicious punch, and Thorn didn't quite duck under the attack, which caught his horn and knocked him staggering to the side before he gasped when Morning Glory smashed him to the ground with an elbow. “Resist.”

Thorn clenched his eyes shut as white hot fire burst over his body, gasping in pain as he trembled on the earth, his body shaking violently beneath the fury of the Destroyer. Morning Glory leaned callously down even as Burning Desire hurried up to her side and grabbed her shoulder, but she only shrugged him off and continued, saying harshly: “Surrender. Give up. You're too weak, Thorn Blackfeather. You cannot, will not, survive.”

Thorn shivered on the ground, before he gasped as the white fire suddenly let up. But he wasn't able to get out of the way this time when Morning Glory stomped down, and Burning Desire winced at the crack as the stallion gave short hiss of pain. “Show me your face.”

The sapphire stallion breathed slowly in and out, shivering once before he pushed himself up and rose his head, looking fearlessly up at the Destroyer as he said quietly: “I will not allow you to break me.”

Morning Glory smiled thinly, and then she leaned down into his face, meeting his eyes before she said ruthlessly: “You haven't learned anything. You're just being stubborn. But I'm going to make you break. I'll make you scream. I'll make you cry. I'll make you show me what's under that mask you keep putting on, you sulking foal.”

“Okay, okay. You made your point, uh... maybe you should be a little nicer to him, sister, try being nice.” Burning Desire suggested, before he winced and scuttled away when the mare swung a foreleg at him moodily.

“I am being nice. That's what you don't get.” Morning Glory glared down at Thorn, leaning down into his face to say harshly: “I am trying to help you. Now look at me, you worthless bag of mud, and tell me the truth.”

Thorn looked up at Morning Glory, meeting her eyes before he answered quietly: “It hurts. But the pain is just a reminder that I am alive. Pain is welcome. Pain is... is easy to deal with. It makes everything else go away for a while.”

He looked down for a moment, then pushed himself shakily up to all three hooves, as Morning Glory studied him intently. “I'm still angry. I want to lash out. I want to scream. Your methods are inadequate and your performance is unsatisfactory.”

Morning Glory slowly narrowed her eyes as Burning Desire gave an awkward, high-pitched laugh, before Thorn turned to him and added coldly: “And you. You display little leadership. Quoting wise thoughts without context is a fool's blind gambit, and your methods may make your normal patients consider themselves, but I am not a demon.”

“I uh... don't have 'patients.'” Burning Desire said awkwardly, and Thorn smiled thinly.

“Precisely. You lack patience.” he said calmly, and Burning scowled horribly before the sapphire stallion shook himself out, then said shortly: “This is not what I need. You are both relieved of duty, effective immediately.”

Burning Desire's jaw dropped as Morning Glory blinked slowly, and then the Passion suddenly reared up, the stallion's mane and tail flaring as he shouted: “Now wait just one minute, y-you... you can't fire me! I don't work for you and-”

“Precisely. You do not work for me.” Thorn said bluntly, and then he strode quickly past the two siblings, who traded dumb looks as the stallion strode away as elegantly as his three legs could carry him.

“What the hell was that? What the hell just happened?” Burning Desire almost shouted, but Morning Desire only smiled wryly as she shook her head before she sighed and let a foreleg drop around her brother's shoulders, making him wince, then look up at her with dumb surprise.

“Progress.” Morning Glory said, and Burning Desire sighed before the Destroyer half-yanked him around in a circle, saying mildly: “Come, Ardent. I'm not wasting this day sulking, and neither are you. You can be my sparring dummy.”

“Wonderful. Just like when we were kids.” Burning said wryly with a shake of his head, before he sighed as he murmured: “I hope we can help him.”

Morning Glory shrugged, but she knew from personal experience that unfortunately, that was more up to Thorn than them. But she was encouraged, if anything, by the way the stallion had acted, even if she also recognized that Thorn had a lot to figure out.

That was something Thorn understood well himself, as he plodded slowly through Subterra, breathing quietly in and out. His stump wasn't bleeding, for a pleasant change of pace, but he thought that was in part because he was... lucid, at the moment. That was the easiest word for it; not the best, but the easiest.

“Lucid.” Thorn murmured to himself, and he gave a thin smile before he turned a corner, heading towards the Thorn Palace in the distance. Had he really been named for that mighty place, the heart of Subterra? Or had he been named Thorn because that was what he was; never a beautiful flower, always the punishment, the spike, the-

“Beautiful?” Thorn snorted in amusement, shaking his head, and the ridiculousness of his thoughts faded a little before he frowned a bit as he realized he was being followed. He paused and glanced to the side, and he was somehow unsurprised to see Eventide there, the Greater Nightmare dressed in heavy silver armor, but with her face left uncovered, her eyes full of maternal concern for him.

“You're so strange.” he said, before he could stop himself, before the Nightmare could say anything. Eventide almost flinched, but then Thorn shook his head before he continued quietly: “Affection. Love. Of course the most powerful emotions give the longest life and... I don't know. I can't think. My mind is jumbled. I don't know what I just did: I'm barely aware of... anything, right now. Can you help me?”

“Yes.” Eventide said simply, and Thorn smiled briefly before the Nightmare bowed her head and continued reassuringly: “Come with me. There is a room for you at the Thorn Palace, where you may rest and relax. A message has also been delivered from Empress Hecate.”

“Alright. I... am glad.” Thorn said softly, even though some part of him wasn't glad at all. That was strange. Hadn't he been excited for work? Hadn't he spent most of the time complaining that he wanted something to do, needed to go back to helping Decretum, not merely wasting his time here, vacationing...

Thorn felt tired and sore, and for a moment he wasn't sure why before he opened his eyes and looked around, realizing with disbelief that he was inside the palace halls... when did I get here? Did I lose track of time? Am I...

Thorn shook his head, before he glanced up as Eventide bowed him towards an open door, saying gently: “We have prepared a room for you here. Please rest. Is there anything else I can get you, Prince Thorn?”

“No... no. I'm... no.” Thorn murmured, shaking his head briefly before he rubbed slowly at his skull, muttering: “I guess I just need... I need some time. Necrophage is right about that much, at least. I need some time.”

Eventide only smiled kindly, gently half-nudging the stallion into the room as she said softly: “I will bring you a bit of refreshment after you have had some time to refresh yourself, Thorn Blackfeather. May I fetch anything for you? We have demons who are skilled in the art of inducing relaxation and sleep, and I don't mean that as a euphemism.”

“No. I just need time.” Thorn repeated, and for no reason at all, he wasn't angry, or sad, or happy: he was just numb and hollow, so much so that what would have been a slash of rage at any other time instead became maybe the mildest peck of annoyance, as he said almost distantly: “Please leave, Eventide, I require rest.”

Eventide politely bowed her head and withdrew, closing the door, leaving him inside an empty room. An empty room, alone, without distractions, without-

There was a mirror on the wall. A massive, rounded mirror, and Thorn stared at this for the longest time before he slowly strode in front of it, gazing into it, and seeing both himself, and himself.

He studied his reflection silently for the longest time, tilting his head back and forth as he watched the faint black trails pulse under his skin, as he took in the way his stump flexed and curled and dripped, moving almost with a life of its own, as if it were crying tears, as if it were meekly trying to hide itself beneath the veil of black sludge. Thorn softened, before he looked into his own eyes and whispered: “Look at you. Is that all you really are?”

His reflection snarled suddenly at him, but it only lasted a moment before Thorn looked down, then brought his eyes up and said quietly: “I am not a failure.”

It didn't sound true. And that wasn't the problem, was it? No. Failure or triumph, the past was the past. What mattered was the mission, the here and now.

Yes, that was what mattered. Getting things done. Dealing with the hand he was dealt. Moving forwards, and continuing to uphold the mission of the Clockwork Empire, which was even more important than whether or not they failed or succeeded in the tasks they were given. They existed, ultimately, to protect the worlds. No matter what that meant, they would find a way to do it: they were united beneath one cause, as one people, with one goal.

He needed to stop focusing on things in terms of victory or defeat, triumph or failure. It wasn't productive, and all it seemed to be doing was delaying his progress towards... what? Being useful? He had to do more than just be useful, though. He had to look at this as larger than just... parameters and machinery, as much as he preferred to work in those safe, definable limits.

He had to heal. Even if he didn't even know what that entailed.

Thorn smiled faintly at himself, silently studying his eyes and his features. He looked so unwell, in a word. Pale, trembling a little, his eyes sunken with exhaustion and nihilism. God, he looked so... pathetic. So utterly pathetic.

Thorn shook his head slowly, reaching up to touch his reflection for a moment before he closed his eyes and let his head fall forwards, horn tapping gently against the smooth glass as he whispered: “Nothing is wrong, and yet everything is. We should be celebrating, but I just want to lash out and be angry and be upset. I don't understand it. I understand perfectly what I should be feeling, and what I should be doing; so why can't I do it?”

Thorn chewed on his lip slowly, and then he pushed himself away from the mirror, shaking his head before he murmured: “I can do this. I can fix myself.”

No, what did Necrophage say to him? She had said he wasn't broken. That he didn't need to be fixed. But what did that even mean, really? That, what, this existence wasn't awful, that he wasn't really feeling these things, that...

No, it wasn't that, either. Thorn frowned a bit, studying one of the corners of the room silently as he continued to chew a little on his lip, before he flexed a hoof slowly and asked quietly: “If I'm not broken, then I can't be fixed. Maybe that's what Necrophage was trying to say. Or maybe...”

Thorn looked down for a few moments, and then he took a slow breath before he rose his head and looked back in the mirror, seeing himself as if for the first time. He tilted his head back and forth, then murmured: “I'm not okay. But that's... okay. That's why I'm not broken. That's why it's not...”

For the first time in as long as he could remember, Thorn found himself struggling to find the words. It was something that made sense in his head, but he couldn't explain: not to himself, let alone anyone else.

But he didn't have to, did he? Maybe it was time to stop analyzing things to death, and to stop... fighting so hard to hide the fact he wasn't okay. Because he wasn't okay, but he wasn't broken.

He looked at himself in the mirror for a few moments, then shook his head before he looked almost hesitantly towards the bed. He hadn't been sleeping well, but maybe that was because he had been spending so many of his sleeping hours trying to stay awake, trying to work, trying to fix what might not be broken after all.

Thorn slid towards the bed, hooves becoming heavier as he lowered his head a little, closing his eyes as he murmured: “It's okay that things aren't... fine. It's okay that I'm sad. It's not okay to give up, or to lash out... I can deal with this. And yet, I don't have to deal with this, because there's nothing wrong. Sometimes it's just about surviving through the day. Sometimes it's just about... acceptance.”

Thorn crawled into bed, and almost the moment his head touched the pillow, he was asleep. Asleep, and somewhere between dreaming and aware as he stood in darkness, his eyes roving back and forth meditatively before he silently looked down at a front hoof: a front hoof that no longer existed, as he murmured: “This is... hypnos. A shared dream. Muse, I assume?”

“My sister asked me to speak to you. I hope you don't mind, Thorn Blackfeather.” said the mare meekly as she emerged from the shadows, joining him with a small smile. Thorn only nodded politely, however, and there was silence for a moment before Muse said finally: “Your mental shielding is exceptionally strong.”

“My cervical implants create psionic interference, reducing the effectiveness of telepathic involvement.” answered Thorn, although funnily enough, that sounded more like an excuse than a reason. Muse smiled and nodded a little before the sapphire stallion added quietly: “I trust you, though. I'll try and... let you in.”

Muse bowed her head in gratitude, and there was silence for a few moments as the dreamscape around them became a little more stable, Thorn grimacing and absently rubbing at his foreleg: his whole, healed foreleg, he marveled, before he shook his head and drew his attention away. No, that was dangerous, he thought: that was how people lost themselves in the false paradise of dreams.

Instead, he turned his eyes towards Muse and asked: “How did Necrophage contact you? Our previous diagnostics showed your passive link with her wasn't strong enough to travel between dimensions. Nor were you...”

Muse only smiled a little, and Thorn smiled briefly back after a moment, saying softly: “You've been learning. I am rather impressed. I'll have to schedule you for reevaluation.”

“Thank you, sir.” Muse bowed her head, then she hesitantly looked up and added quietly: “I appreciate what you've done for us both. Myself and my sister, I mean... and... my sister asked me if I would help you. I told her that I can't help you, not really... that you have to help yourself. But I thought about it, and... I also thought about how much you've helped me indirectly. You, and Empress Hecate, and everyone in Decretum... and of course, Necrophage too.”

“Of course.” Thorn said softly, before he asked almost hesitantly: “Does the medication help?”

“Yes, of course.” Muse smiled, nodding even as she blushed a little. “The stabilizers alone are not... sufficient, of course. There is more to coping with... the chemical anomalies that Valthrudnir was using me to study, than simply... stabilizing them. It is not just because neural pathways are hardwired, there are... what I suppose you could call 'software issues,' as well.”

Thorn nodded slowly in understanding, before Muse continued quietly: “I know why I'm sad. I know I shouldn't be. That everything is okay. But honestly? The sadness feels... safer, sometimes. Happiness is so easily stolen away. Crushed. Destroyed. The world is an upsetting place. Why bother being happy? Why try to smile? And it is why I was designed: the master, Valthrudnir, designed me with this flaw. Why not embrace it? I was designed... to be worthless. We all were.”

Muse chewed on her lip, lowering her head for a moment before she murmured: “But life isn't about... what you're born with, or born into. I understand that the master was cruel. That he did not care about us. But that doesn't mean that because he made me broken, I cannot be whole. That, in spite of being designed with such a glaring flaw... I have to allow myself to succumb to it. You and Empress Hecate have taught me that there is no burden we cannot lift, if we apply ourselves to it. It hurts. It hurts so much some days. And it never felt worth it. Not at first...”

Muse slowly rose her head, smiling faintly. “But I carried forwards. Sometimes I was forced to. There was less mockery, but you had expectations for me that I had to meet, and so... I eventually did. Because it hurt more not to. Because my sister supported me. Because you and Hecate were always there to push me. Sometimes it felt cruel. Sometimes I hated you both. But today I am... I am very proud to be an instrument of Decretum. I am very proud to be a Replicant. I am... I am very happy that I am a pony.”

Thorn smiled faintly, and there was silence for a moment before Muse glanced down and murmured: “It's different for everyone. But I like to think that... everyone can carry their burden. The weight is different for us all, the way we must carry it is different, but we all can. I truly believe that, if even something designed to be broken like I was, can smile now. Can come to understand why everything is worthwhile. Your problem, though, is the opposite of mine: you were never broken. But the meaning, the joy... all of that was taken away from you, while I never had it to begin with. I can't imagine what that must feel like. To suddenly experience that loss of control. That loss of balance.”

Thorn shrugged a bit, and Muse chuckled softly before she said quietly: “You've been lashing out. But it's never really anger, is it? It's all... despair, and sadness. You're sad. That's okay.”

Muse stopped, then strode hesitantly forwards before she leaned in and carefully hugged him, and Thorn closed his eyes before he almost shyly hugged the mare back as she whispered: “My sister loves you very deeply. Love is not something we were programmed to feel, so she expresses it in strange ways. But she does, all the same. And if she loves you, then I will do my best to love you too.”

Thorn smiled faintly, and then the two stepped apart before he nodded once and murmured: “Sometimes I get angry when people try to help. Or I... I hear you, Muse, and I hear their stories, their attempts to reach out to me, but it just...”

“Despair is a strange thing. It makes us... childish, in a way.” Muse replied with a faint smile. “You want to be fixed. But you don't. You want someone to take your problems away... but you still want to have all the worst problems in the world. You want to be guiltless, but you crave to be blamed.”

“Everything and nothing. What are we all each, but worlds without end inside ourselves?” Thorn murmured, and then he shook his head quickly before he silently reached up and grasped his whole foreleg: the foreleg that no longer existed, the foreleg that he craved to feel... the foreleg that he wanted to go away. I understand. Better than I want to. “I think I know what I need to do. Take advice. Be open. Not... consider myself broken. But most of all...”

“Not allow yourself to be selfish, yes. Sadness makes us hide, search for an artificial womb to tuck ourselves away in. Not a sanctuary, but a shell.” Muse answered with a nod. “And even inside that shell, you still feel so... cold. So alone. Suffocating. Suffocating, until...”

Muse halted, and Thorn shook his head before he said quietly: “I won't... I'm doing better.”

“Are you?” Muse smiled at him faintly, studying him with an intentness that surprised him. “Or is this just a brief oasis?”

“A breath in the middle of the ocean. A moment of peace before the typhoon hits again. I was doing okay before, wasn't I? Or at least, I had convinced myself I was, and then... I crashed again.” Thorn silently squeezed his foreleg for a moment, before he looked down and asked: “But why don't you or Necrophage consider me broken?”

“Because you are not. Because it is different for you, Thorn. Not just because we are different, but because you are... poisoned. Poisons can be cured. Or in your case, perhaps... the very thing that poisons you can become your remedy.” Muse suggested hesitantly, gesturing at him with one hoof, and Thorn tilted his head with a slight frown before the Replicant smiled faintly and shrugged a bit. “The Clay of Prometheus... runs in your heritage, does it not?”

“I suppose, in a manner of speaking.” Thorn said after a moment, rubbing slowly at his whole foreleg before he said quietly: “I have no idea how to control it, though, and it's clear that its presence inside my body has something to do with... my difficulties.”

Muse only continued to look at him, in her quiet, listening way, and after a few moments Thorn continued hesitantly: “I might be able to harness it. It is reactive to my... my emotions. But with my current emotional state I seem incapable of...”

He realized what he was doing, that he was only stalling by whiffling and waffling around with big words and technicalities, and he sighed before saying bluntly: “I'm scared I can't control it.”

Muse smiled, then she gestured at him gently, and Thorn leaned slightly to the side in surprise as his leg became nothing but a tarry black mass, twisting and boiling with corruption. He shivered a little, but Muse reassured him gently: “Everything begins with a desire to achieve something. Proficiency and focus come with time. What do you want, Thorn? Visualize it. Idealize it. That is what you taught me.”

“Control. Over... this.” Thorn said quietly, as he slowly rose his tarry foreleg, staring at the corruption, and Muse smiled faintly.

“Then control it, Thorn Blackfeather. Don't let it control you. Either you rule your power or your power will rule you. And you are too good, too strong, to let power rule you.” Muse said softly, and Thorn smiled faintly before the Replicant suggested gently: “Let's work on a few exercises. Let's loosen up your mind. We have as long as you like in this dream state to tire your mind out, and help you sleep and regain... yourself.”

“I appreciate it, Muse.” Thorn said softly, glancing up at her, but Muse only smiled kindly.

“Helping you helps me. I feel... better than I have in a long time.” Muse said honestly, before she rose her head and said softly: “I'll try not to be too gentle, Thorn. But I'm very new to teaching so... I might need your guidance.”

“You know I'm always happy to give it, Muse.” Thorn replied with a small smile, and Muse bowed her head in gratitude.

“Then... let's begin.”

Thorn yawned quietly as he climbed out of bed, slowly stretching with a grimace before he grasped at his stump, and his eyes widened slightly in surprise.

He drew his hoof away, bringing a few flecks of corruption with it, but for once it actually felt dry. Well, almost: he could almost feel that gooey core of corruption, that eternally-flowing black ooze that-

No. That was a place he didn't want to go. Thorn took a breath and threw off those thoughts, then he forced himself to slide out of bed, heading first to the bathroom.

He emerged, washed and clean, his mane neatly braided back into a ponytail, his tail trimmed short. He had been unsurprised to find cloth bandages laid out for him next to the sink, just as he was unsurprised to find that someone had neatly set out a nice, clean set of clothes on his bed while he'd been occupied in the bathroom.

Thorn wrapped his stump, then slipped into the comfortable half-suit and cape, smiling briefly as he noted the sleeve had already been folded, pressed, and pinned so it didn't hang loose. He tightened the clasp of the cape around his neck, then smiled briefly as he squeezed the symbol of the moon slowly, closing his eyes and murmuring: “Thank you.”

He rolled his shoulders, then turned before frowning slightly in surprise: he sensed something outside his door. Without hesitating, the unicorn strode quickly to the door and opened it, and Burning Desire flinched as Morning Glory only glowered at him, although Thorn knew her well enough by now that was her own way of hiding surprise.

They regarded each other for a moment, and then Burning Desire cleared his throat loudly before he declared: “My sister and I have decided to refuse to allow you to tender your resignation with us and-”

“I am not your employee.” Thorn interrupted, before he added: “While a pleasant turn of phrase, it also isn't possible for an employer to refuse to allow withdrawal, unless otherwise stated in a contract due to obligations arising from the premise of the work. Disregarding slavery.”

Neither demon seemed to understand that Thorn had just told his version of a joke, as Burning stared at him for a moment before Morning Glory smacked her brother aside and growled: “We won't tolerate your disrespect, colt. It's time for your lessons.”

For a moment, Thorn studied Morning Glory meditatively, and then the ring around his horn glowed as he said gently in demonic: “Kneel.”

Morning Glory bared her fangs as her eyes bulged with surprise, the massive Destroyer slowly lowering down into a bow on one front leg as Burning Desire's jaw dropped, and Thorn remarked meditatively: “That means Hel's Archives haven't completely lost power yet, and that you were registered properly with the Helherlið.”

“Let me up, colt.” Morning Glory muttered, although there was a distinct blush in her cheeks as one of her eyes twitched, and Thorn simply nodded, which was enough acknowledgment to let Morning Glory fling herself to her hooves as her eyes burned holes in him. “Fine. If you want to be a child, then go cry and rot.”

Morning Glory began to turn away, but then halted in surprise as Thorn said: “I wish to harness the Clay of Prometheus, and I will require training – mainly mental – in order to control it effectively. Will you and Burning Desire assist?”

Slowly, the Destroyer turned towards him, studying him intently as Burning Desire said apprehensively: “That's uh... a little bit different from what I expected. It looks like your limb finally stopped bleeding, so... I mean, do you really want to tamper with that?”

Thorn shook his head, then answered quietly, as he touched his stump: “The state of my foreleg is precisely what compels me to learn to control it. If I can control my power, my power will no longer control me.”

Morning Glory nodded slowly at this, understanding, as Burning Desire sighed and grudgingly shifted, muttering: “Well, perhaps, but all the same... this isn't exactly what I had in mind. Wasn't our training before helping?”

“Yes. It was helping me to mask my emotions instead of deal with my pain.” Thorn said bluntly, and Burning Desire winced as Morning Glory scowled a little, before the sapphire stallion lowered his head humbly and added quietly: “And in large part that is my fault, but now I am asking you to teach me what I actually need to learn instead of how to simply cover up my emotions. I am already grateful to you, but-”

“I don't need your gratitude, colt.” Morning Glory said rudely, before she snorted and said moodily: “Fine. I taught your brother how to harness his abilities, and I'll teach you the same. But I won't be nice to you just because you're feeling sad, boy.”

Thorn smiled briefly at this, and Burning Desire groaned before he threw up his forehooves and nodded grudgingly. “Fine, fine! Why not, there's no way this could go terribly wrong and no reason violet would be upset with me after this, so let's go ahead and just dig in!”

“Thank you, Burning Desire. My mother always spoke highly of you.” Thorn said, and the Passion gave a wry smile in response to this even as he smoothed back his fiery mane.

“Oh, shush. I'm Lust and Greed, I can see right through your flattery.” he retorted, then paused and leaned towards Thorn with a grin and a wink. “Although no one said you had to stop!”

Morning Glory hammered a hoof down on her brother's skull, knocking him flat with a squeak, and then she shook her head slowly before saying coldly: “Fine. But we have to have an understanding: you refrain from using your privileges, spoiled little brat, and I'll teach you. Take it for granted even once, and I leave.”

“Understood.” Thorn bowed his head politely, and then he looked up and smiled a bit, saying quietly: “I trust you both. I promise to work with you and not undermine your efforts.”

Morning Glory only studied Thorn moodily, but Burning Desire smiled warmly and shrugged a bit as he replied cheerfully: “You do your part, Thorn, and we'll do ours!” He paused, then added mildly: “Even if I think that spending all that time in that scary place with all the machines has left you a little... how do I put this politely...”

“Different. But it was only recent events that left me damaged, and... I am not broken.” Thorn answered, and Burning Desire smiled.

Morning Glory only shrugged, then she gestured for him to follow, and Thorn fell into pace behind her as Burning Desire bounced along last, watching the stallion thoughtfully as his smile lingered on his face, wondering curiously just what had helped the unicorn finally wake up.

Stirrings From Dark Waters

Chapter Seventy-Six: Stirrings From Dark Waters
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence grimaced a bit as she leaned out the window, gazing nervously down at the dusty road below before she asked quietly: “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Not at all. But I talked to your Queen about it, and the jarl seems to be in agreement about this being best.” Freya said loftily as she polished one of her swords, before she grunted when Brynhild shouldered her firmly.

“Show some respect for Hecate, she has been good to us all.” she said empathetically, which admittedly surprised Cadence a little. But Freya only winked and shouldered the Valkyrie easily back, their armor scraping against the thin wood wall they were leaning back against.

“I did, I called her a jarl, not a drottning, didn't I?” she replied cheerfully, and Brynhild rolled her eyes with a grin as Cadence only scowled, before the Queen of the Valkyries suddenly added in a quieter voice: “Put out the candle.”

Cadence did as she was told with a press of her hoof, and the room was engulfed in complete darkness, not even the light of the moon above able to pierce the thick clouds that covered the sky. Cadence leaned back towards the window, but a hoof caught her shoulder and gently, silently pulled her back before Freya's mouth pressed to her ear and whispered: “Ready yourself. Focus your magic inside your body, and do not let an ounce of it escape through your horn.”

Cadence nodded, taking a slow breath as she felt the Swan stirring inside of her, before it whispered softly: Ancient enemies. The power of death... but different from what we wield. Different from the Reapers, too. We smell them.

Yes: they were bitter, noxious. Cadence scowled and rubbed at her nose even as she felt her body flex, felt the Swan roiling inside of her as she gathered her strength. Freya was on edge beside her, and she could see Brynhild's white teeth bared in a snarl, glimmering in the faintest of light that emanated from her flowing mane as she whispered: “Is he truly so stupid?”

“No. Not stupid, Brynhild. Callous. Arrogant. Cruel. Ruthless. Incapable of compassion, incapable of love, and terribly, awfully, viciously cowardly.” Freya muttered, before she gave a thin smile as she murmured: “But never stupid. He knows they may all die. But he may harm La Croix. No, he knows this will harm the Loa, even if only a scratch. And for Bondye, that is enough.”

Cadence shivered, before her eyes gleamed as she looked up, and she saw them: spirits, coldly watching them. Heartless, callous, the compassion, the warmth, stomped out of their hearts, and the logic to disobey what was so clearly against the very thing they had been born to protect torn out of their minds.

The spirits vanished after a moment, and Freya snorted before she said moodily: “Don't bother speaking, Swan, I felt them too.” She sat back slightly, then ordered: “Scrivener Blooms, keep your eyes open and protect the civilians. Heldóttir, listen to whatever the Loa says: special as you are, your eyes can't see everything. Not even our Swan can see everything.”

“Your Swan?” Cadence asked before she could stop herself, and then she grimaced and leaned away as she felt a hoof shove against her face. “Sorry, sorry.”

“Good, because I don't have time to pluck hairs.” Freya said shortly, before she tapped the Mission Drive on Cadence's leg. “Tell your friends to get into position. And remind the Loa to keep himself out of trouble, or this will quickly become unpleasant.”

Cadence grumbled under her breath, but she did as she had been ordered, tapping on the Mission Drive and just hoping that Moonflower and La Croix were smart enough to figure out how to answer. “Open communications with 0-0-3 and 0-0-4.”

“A bunch of zeroes. Aye. That's what you and your friends remind me of.” Freya remarked moodily, but Cadence forced herself not to take the bait.

“Thou art wearing on even my patience now, Freya.” muttered Brynhild, and Freya only flashed her Valkyrie sister a grin that the sapphire mare pointedly ignored.

“Here!” blurted Moonflower's voice suddenly from the Mission Drive, and Cadence sighed in relief as she heard La Croix grumble that he was present as well. “Uh... Cadence, Cadence, there are... there are awful things marching into town...”

“Already? They're moving faster than I anticipated.” Freya remarked, before she asked in a more serious voice: “What are you seeing, lad?”

“Dead. The rotten dead, the...” Moonflower audibly steadied himself before he mumbled: “I don't like them. I don't like them at all.”

“Paix, mon ami. All be well. They be rilin' up puppets of the dead, not the dead themselves.” La Croix's voice cut in, before he said finally: “Let me put out a call to Bondye, see-”

“Is your will already bending, Loa?” Freya snorted, before she said shortly: “We do this as we planned. The serpent will not get what he wants. Will it cost us? Aye, but hopefully not more tonight than effort. But if you try and call him-”

“He'll... do worse. He'll send worse. Oui, oui, you be right, mademoiselle. I just... wish there was an easier way.” La Croix mumbled, before he shook his head and added finally: “Morgan and me be gettin' ready. I'll keep myself out of trouble and watch out for these poor people here.”

“Aster and I have the spells prepared!” Moonflower added hurriedly, and Cadence smiled briefly.

“Alright, good. Both of you, stay safe.” Cadence said, before either stallion could babble any more, and then she cut the communications before looking back at Freya.

Freya smiled wryly, then she flicked her horn as it gleamed with magic, saying softly: “Now, we have to watch and wait. We don't act immediately: we gathered all the townsfolk to safety, and your boys and mine-”

“My boy, Freya. My Scrivener.” Luna interrupted loudly and clearly, and Freya rolled her eyes with an almost lazy gesture of a hoof towards her.

“What's yours is mine, Valkyrie, and what's mine is yours. Sometimes.” Freya replied loftily, before she continued over the grumbling of Brynhild: “They'll keep them safe. Trust in them. Our goal is simply to kill enough of those toys to draw out one of Bondye's messengers or assassins, whatever he decides to send first.”

Cadence nodded slowly, and then she muttered, as the sting of sulphur touched her nose and reminded her just how insane this whole idea was: “This is a stupid plan. We're going to end up burning this whole city to the ground if it doesn't work.”

“So?” Freya asked with a smile, and Cadence shivered at how careless she was. That was it: not callousness, not cruelty, not determination or even a sense of righteousness: she simply figured out the most effective course of action, and then allowed the ends to justify the means.

She felt the Swan twist curiously inside of her: if this protected her friend and allowed them to deal with an enemy at the same time, then what did the collateral damage matter? Especially if that damage would only be to material things, so many of which were easily replaced...

“Not all of it. Never all of it. Some things are important. Some things we'd give our lives for.” Cadence muttered, as she absently reached up and touched one of her curved daggers, before she sighed a little as she looked up at Freya and said finally: “It's only worthwhile if we keep everything under control. I don't need La Croix dying of guilt on me.”

Freya smiled again and shrugged amiably at this, and Brynhild nodded before agreeing: “Aye, fear not. We are Valkyries. Thou should know us well by now.”

“That's what has me worried.” Cadence muttered, and then she turned her attention back towards the window, grimacing a bit as the first whispers and low groans reached her ears. “Walking corpses. And...”

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she felt herself looking through the Astra. But what she saw wasn't a blinding horde of life, but countless strings, and among them... “There are those super-zombies that we saw before hiding in the ranks of the corpses. How smart are they?”

“Not as smart as they think they are, Swan. Hold steady.” Freya said firmly as she approached the window, and Cadence grimaced before the Valkyrie Queen asked, suddenly cold and professional: “What about the rest of the company?”

“Soldiers are all in position. No alerts. The RED will listen.” Cadence answered, adding mentally: They had better goddamn listen. “On your signal.”

Freya nodded, her three swords rising to ready positions around herself as she said softly: “Good. Now, be patient, Swan.”

Cadence grimaced, but nodded: for three tense minutes, she stood at the window, gazing out into the dark streets below, watching as the horde of corpses slowly wandered their way down the city streets. Countless ugly corpses, many of them in the scraps of the clothes they had been buried in, many of the gurgling and moaning and making awful, wretched noises that begged for death and mercy as they were forced along by the foul necromancy puppeting them. They stank, enough to drown out the scent of sulphur from the road.

And among the shambling dead were the Nzambi: Cadence noted one of the undead zebras had actually purposefully torn up his own body, but he moved gracefully compared to the corpses around him, and his head was high and alert, insidious green eyes looking quickly back and forth. Now that Cadence knew they were there, it was easy to pick out the Nzambi among the crowd: they held themselves too proudly, moved too fluidly, were too... alive.

She shook her head briefly, then grimaced as her Mission Drive gave a fizzle of static. She checked it briefly, then winced and swore in surprise as it suddenly began to emit a high-pitched shrieking, Freya and Brynhild both shouting as Cadence wildly grabbed at the machine before she yanked it off and flung it out the window.

It fell with a scream into the crowd of zombies below, but Cadence could still hear the squealing from it, before she flinched as the Swan grasped her even as Freya roared at her in frustration and Brynhild leapt to the window-

Everything seemed to freeze, as Cadence once again looked into the Astra, looked through the Astra. She felt the Swan's cold hand on her shoulder as the world whipped by, and suddenly they were in a small room, the Swan pointing at each of the horrific, pink-skinned demons that had appeared out of the shadows around La Croix and Morgan: “One. Two. Three. They will be countered easily. But more will come.”

They moved, and suddenly they were in another room, where Moonflower was frozen in mid-shout, and Aster was blazing with light and magic and terror and fear, the Swan pointing out more of these entities. “Five.”

They moved again, and Cadence saw that even their most hidden forces had easily been seen. Karsilamas was already pinned down by the back of the neck... no, was this in the future? Cadence's mind hurt, trying to process what was happening, what was about to happen, what had just happened: it was all mixed up in the Astra, and the more she looked, the more she lost the ability to tell the difference.

But the Swan showed her everything she needed to know, and the mare was grudgingly grateful.

She was back in reality, seizing Freya before the Valkyrie could grab her, reverting to the old language before she could stop herself: “He's attacking with imps. No one is safe.”

“We all surrendered our safety for the greater cause long ago.” Freya growled back, and then she almost flung Cadence out the window as she roared: “Strike through their ranks!”

Cadence dove into the horde of undead, the walking corpses immediately grabbing and biting at her, but they were slow and lethargic, unable to do more than scratch her armor as she became a whirlwind of white violence through their ranks. Body parts and corpses flew through the air as Cadence smashed her way towards the closest Nzambi, which snarled as it seemed to recognize her intent before the zebra zombie palmed a needle out of its cloak-

The Nzambi's eyes bulged as one of Cadence's long daggers rammed up beneath its jaw, the tip tearing out the back of its rotten scalp as it hissed through its gritted teeth at her. For a moment, the Nzambi managed to glare at her, Cadence coldly meeting its eyes before the Nzambi burst into eerie green flames that rapidly collapsed into ash. And as the Nzambi died, the walking corpses around it fell still to the ground with sighs of relief, Cadence shouting: “They're acting as conduits for the necromancy somehow!”

“Puppets puppeting puppets!” Brynhild snorted derisively as she rammed her spear down through another zebra zombie, pinning it to the ground beneath her. It writhed and hissed, but then the Valkyrie slammed a hoof down as it burst into blue flame, and the Nzambi's life was whiffed out like a candle as she shouted: “They are vulnerable to any attack that targets the spirit!”

“They are not vulnerable, they are merely weak!” Freya shouted back, as her swords cleaved through the walking corpses around her before she snagged a Nzambi with telekinesis, tossing him into the air before she slammed her brutal, angular Dómr down across him, crushing him into the ground with the club-like blade and pinning him with it before she spat on the Nzambi's face.

The zebra's eyes widened in disbelief before he snarled, beginning to shake with rage as he spat expletives in his own language up at the mare, but the Valkyrie only grinned as she slowly leaned down, whispering to him almost gently: “Go home, little boy, and tell your master to send more than lice and ticks next time. Tell him that if the dog's fleas keep spreading, then I'll have no choice but to kill the mutt myself.”

With that, Freya yanked Dómr upwards with enough force to jerk the zebra out of the ground, the Nzambi flailing for a moment in the air before Freya savagely slammed the sword out, sending the zebra rocketing through the sky.

She snorted in contempt, then focused her magic before flicking her horn sharply upward, unleashing a blinding ring of light that dispelled the necromancy puppeting the corpses around her. “I will not waste my time with your fodder, Bondye! Come, Orisha! Or are you beginning to remember what happened when you last crossed paths with a Valkyrie?”

A snarl tore through the air, and Freya smiled contemptibly as she turned around, watching as one of the mutilated corpses yanked itself up to its hooves, baleful, toxic light burning out of its sockets and gaping jaws with such malevolence that its eyes and tongue were burned away. And yet still the wretched thing spoke, even as that malignancy began to visibly glow through its entire body, too toxic to be contained by the shell of a corpse: “I do not fear you! I am older, wiser, far stronger than you and your kind-”

“You are not as old as even my youngest daughter, and you are not half so strong as the smallest pup of Hecate's toy-world.” Freya retorted as her eyes narrowed. “You would not be worth the time it would take to scrape you off my foot after I squish you like the worm you are, but you have made yourself a dangerous ally... more dangerous to you than you realize.”

“The witch-king has offered me my own galaxy of worlds, Freya. Dominion over all I choose after he conquers the worlds.” Bondye replied, the grin of the pony-corpse splitting his skull in half. “And he asks only a meager price: the blood of my failure messenger and his friends, and the corpse of the Swan.”

“Loki does not desire to conquer the worlds, fool. He desires to destroy everything. Oh, you'll certainly have a vast kingdom then, Bondye... what could be greater and stretch further than the kingdom of nothing?” asked Freya ironically, but Bondye only laughed harshly.

“You can't deceive me, Valkyrie. All your kind ever cared about was war and battle... so I'll promise you this.” Bondye leaned forwards through the corpse, even as smoke began to spill up from its peeling hide, even as its burnt jawbone tumbled loose and pieces of broken, charred skull fell to the road. “I'll give you eternal war. My kingdom, always crushing down on yours. But I'll always let your pathetic Heaven run away at the last moment, just so we can keep up the game. You'll love it, won't you, goddess?”

Freya smiled thinly as the corpse laughed loudly even as it collapsed into nothing but charred ruin, and then she murmured softly: “Very well, Bondye. Let your arrogance and your hubris be your undoing.”

She stopped, then simply slashed her smaller swords out to either side, tearing apart the two pink-skinned imps that appeared out of nowhere beside her. The goblinoid things bounced against the ground with screams of anguish, but only one of them managed to scamper away, clutching at itself, as the other writhed for a moment before turning to rock.

“They hide in the shadows, like cowards! Now, burn them out!” Freya roared, and her voice carried through the entire town, signaling their forces to move forwards: now the Valkyrie could only hope they weren't all so intent on their own problems they were actually able to react.

A moment later, the doors of the tavern were blown off their hinges, several imp-goblins shrieking as they turned to rock beneath the thunderous blast. Shattered stone bodies pelted the crowd of zombies before tongues of flame followed, Aster striding out of the tavern with red veins pulsing through her skin, her eyes half-maddened as she shouted: “Allez! Allez, monstres! Allez au diable, descendre aux enfer!”

She snapped her horn sharply to the side, and the road burst into flames as the blackpowder they had mixed into the dirt caught, causing a violent, short-lived conflagration down the street that set many of the dry, brittle corpses aflame. Aster's eyes reflected the firelight as she watched the road burn, drawn towards the inferno like a moth to the flame until Moonflower leapt out and grabbed her with a wince, yanking her back before she could drunkenly stumble into the flames herself.

She blinked at the stallion's touch, as if awoken from a daze as the stallion snapped his horn out, the air booming with the force of his magic as gravity suddenly weakened along the road, the flames that danced around bodies and the street eerily twisting and dancing on themselves, becoming a blanket of glowing blue.

Moonflower wheezed with the effort of maintaining the magic as Aster shook herself, then quickly snapped her horn back and forth, creating almost-solid walls of flame on either side of them as she called: “I'll light the rest of them, go!”

Freya grinned, then she leapt into the air with Brynhild and Cadence, leaving the streets as Aster sent flares of flame into the road. Both corpse and road burst into flames that the Nzambi tried immediately to escape, making them easy targets for the trio to dispatch.

It had taken them hours to prepare, seeding the road with enough blackpowder to create the conflagration, ushering all the townsfolk to the largest buildings in the port, where they could be protected, and mobilizing their own soldiers to both defensive and ambush positions. Dogmatists were now wading into the fray, but their duty was less to suppress the enemy and more to suppress the flames: the fact they ended up crushing many of the walking corpses was just a happy side effect. And an unnecessary one, as Gesicht shot to a sniper position above to begin picking off the few remaining Nzambi, and break the necromancy.

A few minutes. That was all it had come down to: hours of preparation, doubtlessly on either side, all destroyed in a few minutes, all just to send a message. They wouldn't be thanked by these people for saving their lives after burning their town: they would be lucky to be able to leave without any further riots or harassment, once those beleaguered ponies emerged to find the town full of dead, roasted bodies and soot.

Cadence dropped to the ground at the edge of the battlefield, glancing back at the still-burning flames before she looked up in surprise as Faunus approached her, the drake giving her a brief salute. But even as he scowled at her, he remained professional as he growled: “The scum's caged in. No sign of any of them out here.”

“Can you see everything?” Cadence asked, and Faunus shifted a bit. But as Cadence kept her eyes locked on him, he finally shook his head grudgingly.

“No. My dosage is the lowest of the Replicants.” he admitted, and Cadence frowned a bit, which made Faunus sigh in exasperation before he explained: “All Replicants have different formulas and dilutions of the Clay of Prometheus in their bloodstream. You've seen the effects of the raw Clay before, haven't you?”

“Yes.” Cadence murmured, thinking of her father, before she asked finally: “So your uh... 'formula' doesn't allow you to see?”

“Not like the others can, no. I'm an assault unit. I was designed with what would be beneficial in straightforward combat engagements. Healing, resistance, continuing to operate even under extreme duress.” Faunus scowled a little, and this time, Cadence didn't think that he was scowling at her as he muttered bitterly: “I was designed to be a killing machine. Nothing more.”

“We all have a purpose beyond what we were born into.” said a soft voice, and Cadence smiled a bit as her father emerged from one of the houses, Faunus scowling and shifting almost nervously as Sombra only bowed his head politely, then turned his eyes to his daughter, saying quietly : “I neither see nor sense anything further, mi amore. I think Bondye believes he has sent a message to us, just as we believe we have sent a message to him.”

“I wonder if either side heard what the other was saying.” Freya grumbled as she almost materialized next to Cadence, making her wince. Faunus flinched slightly as well, but Sombra only smiled kindly up at the mare, who wrinkled up her muzzle at the sight of the stallion. “You're still handsome as ever, but you're far less fun than I'd hoped, old jarl. You should try and relax. The danger's passed.”

“Perhaps, Signora Freya. But non si è mai troppo prudenti.” answered Sombra, and Freya threw up one of her forelegs in disgust as she rolled her eye. “Is everyone safe?”

“I don't know. I suppose so, if they followed my instructions and weren't idiots.” Freya said pettishly, earning a dry look from Cadence. “Don't give me that look, Swan. It's your mistress' toys that nearly cost us the day.”

“Maybe it's just me, but somehow I feel like you expected something like that to happen.” Cadence said moodily, and Freya only shrugged in response. “You know what? At this point, I don't care. You do your thing and I'll marshal the Dogmatists and get everything in order.”

“Just be careful, Swan. Loki is still focused on you. And as worthless as these dregs are... Bondye has more treacherous things than goblins and puppets at his disposal.” Freya answered, and Cadence grimaced a bit before she nodded slowly.

She began to turn, then hesitated a moment before gesturing at Faunus as she turned her eyes to her father. “Go ahead and check around, Daddy. I'll get the RED together and have them help in scouring the town. The Dogmatists should already be cleaning things up and I'll check with Brynhild to make sure everyone's safe.”

“Well, no one can say you don't try hard to stay on top of things, woman.” Freya said mildly, before she called as Cadence turned away with a scowl: “I hope your new stud is fond of that!”

Freya smiled to herself as Cadence strode away, before she glanced to the side in surprise as Sombra asked her almost solemnly: “So you fear for her that much?”

For a few moments, the Valkyrie studied the stallion beside her, before she nodded slowly and leaned towards him, questioning in a quiet, serious voice: “Do you truly see her as your child? Do you love your daughter, King Serenite?”

Sombra nodded without hesitation, and Freya smiled before she said softly: “Then when the time comes, padre, I hope you are ready to watch your daughter die. I would spend what time you have left with her wisely.”

Sombra frowned at Freya, but the Queen of the Valkyries only smiled at him and bowed her head politely, before she turned and strode away, leaving the stallion gazing uneasily after her, wondering what dark truths her words might hold.

They returned to Decretum to find Hecate waiting for them, the Jötnar mare dismissing Freya and sending Brynhild for debriefing as naturally as if the Valkyries had always worked for her. Considering the fact that both Valkyries listened – even with much grumbling – Cadence couldn't help but wonder if perhaps they did.

Or maybe it was just respect for Hecate as Empress, or fear of her power, or just familiarity, because Hecate had always felt like a Mother to Cadence, from those lost, old times, even before she had really been aware of the Mothers and the Fathers and the fact that she, as a Swan, was supposed to serve them. Never as child, only as a tool.

Cadence gazed out over the metal city of Exoterra, across the limitless buildings of metal and glass and neon lighting. It was beautiful. But it wasn't nearly as distracting as Cadence needed it to be right now.

La Croix and Brynhild were both being debriefed, extensively. Freya was apparently already making preparations to leave Decretum: Cadence had the feeling that she wanted to wash her hooves of everything. She acted so tough, was always the first into the fight, but lately, there was something different about her. About the way she held herself these days, about how she acted after the battle.

There was no victory.

Cadence smiled faintly at this thought, then she rose her head slightly, smiling a little more as she saw him in the reflection of the glass. He was shifting nervously back and forth on his hooves: childish, she thought. He was so brazen, so cocky, so dumb, in that wonderful, lovable way, but the real him...

“You're supposed to walk up behind me and hug me, you know. Probably with some bad one-liner. Can't you do anything right?” Cadence asked softly.

Thesis blushed a bit, then he blurted lamely: “Yeah, well, your... your butt distracted me because it's... um... I like your butt.”

Cadence looked over her shoulder in amusement, and Thesis squished his head between his shoulders before he mumbled: “Be nice. I'm new at this. But uh... I heard it was rough.”

“Not... rough. But not fun either. I think we were played. I think...” Cadence halted, then she turned around and shared a tight embrace with the stallion before she let her face rest against his neck, closing her eyes as she murmured: “I don't know what to think. But I feel like Loki is ten steps ahead and distracting us further at every turn.”

Thesis nodded slowly as he silently rubbed along the mare's back, holding her close as he murmured: “I know. We can't underestimate how smart he is or what he's willing to do to get it. But do you really think that he's going to go after the world you came from?”

“I do.” Cadence grumbled staunchly, and then she bit Thesis' shoulder, making him wince a bit. But she didn't pull away and he didn't let go of her, and the ivory mare wriggled a little closer to him before she mumbled: “I know. It's stupid. It's almost narcissistic. He's a world-destroying tyrant-”

“He's not, though. I mean, he's not a tyrant.” Thesis corrected, and Cadence frowned a bit, glancing up at him with both irritation and curiosity. “Well... he doesn't want to rule or subjugate. Destroy everything, but if you really want to be technical about it-”

“I don't.” Cadence said moodily, but Thesis only squeezed her gently.

“Well, I'm going to be anyway. You can bite me some more if you want.” he said mildly, and Cadence grumbled under her breath before she grudgingly listened as he continued quietly: “He doesn't even want to kill anyone. He wants to reduce everything to what it once was, but... and I'm not defending him here, or saying he's not crazy and it's not going to result in basically universal genocide, but he wants to bring everything together, in a way. He wants us all to be... equal.”

“Equal in death.” Cadence muttered, then she grimaced and shook her head slowly, grumbling: “I hate that the Swan can understand that.”

You understand it without my help. The Swan sounded almost grouchy, and Cadence cocked an eyebrow slightly before the entity in her mind defended: I am not to blame for your every aggressive thought.

“And I'm not to blame for your defensiveness.” grumbled Cadence, and Thesis blinked and tilted his head in surprise, but the mare only awkwardly cleared her throat before she said finally: “Personal... Swan stuff.”

“Uh... huh.” Thesis said slowly, and then he rose a hoof and said awkwardly: “Hi, Swan.”

The Swan seemed less than amused, although Cadence couldn't help but give a slight smile in spite of herself, and well, in spite of the Swan, too. “You're a giant jerk.”

“How am I the jerk here?” Thesis complained in a wounded voice, putting a hoof to his own breast as he gave Cadence his best puppy eyes, and Cadence laughed and shoved him away.

Thesis grinned even as he stumbled and almost tripped, but Cadence's eyes locked on him, her laughter dying off immediately as she saw the way he was favoring one of his hind legs, the way his body was stiff, clearly in pain, the-

“I'm fine. You're just a bitch.” Thesis said softly, and Cadence sighed a little before she smiled faintly in return.

“I'm not good at being gentle. Especially not with fragile things like you.” Cadence replied just as softly, and Thesis chuckled before he simply shrugged amiably.

“That's okay. I never asked for you to be gentle.” Thesis paused meditatively, then he added wryly: “Well, you know. I've asked you to slow down, to not be so rough, to-”

“Yeah. I get it.” Cadence said mildly, reaching up to cover the stallion's mouth with one hoof, and then she hesitated before she asked impulsively: “Do you want to... go somewhere?”

Thesis smiled a bit, and then he asked curiously: “Aren't you on call? I mean, it seems like Mom is pretty intent on sending you guys out on another mission once everyone's gathered back together.” He halted, then asked: “And how were the RED behaved during the mission, on that note? They didn't give you too much trouble?”

“I don't always care what Hecate says.” Cadence grumbled, although that was only a half-truth. “And the RED were... I won't say they were fine, because they were the opposite of well-behaved. But they did their jobs. I don't know if I can ever really... you know, get along with them, but they seem to listen well enough.”

Thesis nodded, before he almost hesitantly reached out and gently stroked along one of Cadence's forelegs, making her smile a little: so bold, but so nervous about touch, about contact. Like he didn't know what to do; maybe like he was afraid he was going to hurt her, but that was silly. She was the Swan, he was the...

He's my stallion. That's what he is. So he shouldn't have to be afraid. “Hey. Don't you have any idea how to treat a mare?”

“I just know there's a lot of whimpering and begging involved.” Thesis said blandly, and Cadence snorted in amusement before she grinned as she grabbed him under the jaw, enjoying the way Thesis' eyes went wide.

“I do have a leash around here that I used on Shining sometimes. I bet it would fit you. Although you have a fatter neck.” she said mildly, and Thesis winced away.

“My limit is that you don't put anything in my butt that you put in your ex-husband's butt.” Thesis said blandly, and Cadence snorted before she shoved him backwards, Thesis stumbling with a grin before he suddenly became more serious and asked quietly: “Can't stop thinking about him, huh?”

Cadence glanced up at Thesis, and then she sighed a little and nodded, knowing what he meant. “Yeah. Yeah. I can't stop thinking about... I keep calling it home, but it's not home, I guess. This is home. You are... home.”

She blushed a little bit at this, and Thesis smiled widely before he preened a little, then said cheerfully: “I am pretty great. And I will gladly be the shell to your snail any time, Cadence. You just feel free to... curl up... inside... me.”

Thesis broke off, looking lame, and Cadence sighed and rolled her eyes before the stallion said quietly: “But I understand. I never left this world for... hundreds of years, if not thousands, after all. You grew up there. It sounds like it was a world that you gave a lot to. That inspired a lot in you. And I know that... I mean, I'm totally not jealous or anything, but I know you... care about him, still.”

“Yeah. I do.” Cadence mumbled, looking away and shifting awkwardly, before she added with a small smile: “You're a little more handsome, though.”

Thesis looked absurdly touched, before he grinned as he posed and gestured at himself, saying airily: “Well, how could any other stallion hope to compare to all this?”

“Yeah. All that. That's why I love you.” Cadence said ironically, and then the two looked at each other for a few moments, both blushing slightly as they stared for a few moments at each other, before Cadence murmured: “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Thesis said softly, and then he blinked when Cadence grabbed him.

“Come on. I don't want to think anymore. I just want to love you.” Cadence said softly, and Thesis opened his mouth, but he was silenced by a kiss, and helpless to do anything but press back against her as Cadence pushed forwards into him.

Later, the two lay together in their bed, side-by-side, Thesis' head half-buried in to the crook of her neck, their limbs sloppily tangled together. It wasn't like with Shining: with Shining, she had always ended up resting her head against his chest, in that classic, cliched way. It wasn't that he was a macho stallion or anything: it was just that he had always been the 'normal' stallion, and they had been a 'normal' couple, apart from the fact she had been a princess.

But a Captain of the Royal Guard was supposed to protect his Princess, wasn't he? Maybe that had been part of it. Shining had always wanted to be the strong stallion, the knight who could take care of any pony, the lovable hero...

It wasn't like that with Thesis. They were an awful mess together. She could feel him drooling a little on her neck and his face was shoved almost painfully against the side of her throat. Their legs squeezed and hooves pawed at each other every time they moved. When one shifted, so did the other. It was supremely uncomfortable. But neither wanted to move, and Cadence knew that they could easily fall asleep like this. They had already laid in this awkward tangle for twenty minutes, after all.

She cared about Shining still, sure. They had left on neutral terms, she wanted to believe. But even at their hottest, her love for him had never been like her love for Thesis.

These days, she thought of Shining like a brother. Thesis was her husband, her soulmate, her friend, her... family. She didn't want to live without him. She refused to live without him.

She looked at the stallion, silently shifting a little to bring him closer against her, hating the fact that she knew she was going to lose him. That she could feel him, living, but also dying, in her forelegs. And even the Swan didn't dare to gaze into the Astra to see him, because the Swan didn't want to see how much time they had left.

They rested together in silence, until Thesis murmured quietly against her: “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be. I wouldn't want this any other way.” Cadence replied with a faint smile, shaking her head briefly before she laughed a little. “Okay, that sounds... stupid. I do want this to be different. I want to... I wish we had more time. I wish you were okay. I would give anything to... help you. To save you.”

“You did save me.” Thesis said softly, and Cadence blushed a bit as she tilted her head back to try and hide the burning in her cheeks, but she felt Thesis smile against her all the same. “I'm just... being selfish, that's all. But I've always been a little selfish.”

“Yeah. That's okay.” Cadence murmured, and there was silence for a few moments before she felt him shift, half-rolling onto her so he could lean forwards, and she leaned down so they could share a soft kiss for a moment.

Their mouths parted, and the two smiled at one-another before they both finally sat up in bed, only studying each other. Her, with her tattoo and her strange, rubbery body, and long whip-like tail and her stupid mane that kept growing so long and stupid...

Him, handsome, but with that purifier in his back, regulating the poison that flowed through his veins. His smile, full of polished metal teeth. His eyes, confident and strong and ivory, and yet tamed. Calm. Bombproof, a perfect compliment to her hot-blooded nature.

She reached up and gently pressed a hand through his mane, before she said softly: “I don't want to be your wife. I mean... I do, but I don't... feel like that suits us, you know?”

Thesis smiled at her, then he absently patted his chest, asking mildly: “Are you sure you just don't want to be a princess to my prince? Because I can totally name you as just a duchess if you want. Maybe even a baroness. That sounds like you, baroness. That's a rough, tough title.”

“I'm no lady, milord.” Cadence said ironically, and she hesitated for a moment before asking impulsively: “Can I cut your mane?”

Thesis stared at her, and Cadence shrugged a bit before she lamely brushed a hoof through her own mane, mumbling: “This keeps growing out of control. I was just thinking, you know... if you cut my mane down, I'll cut yours. You can handle a simple brush cut, right?”

“You do look pretty with short hair.” Thesis said softly, and Cadence smiled at him before the stallion grinned and flexed a foreleg, adding: “And I'm pretty, too. Pretty awesome.”

Cadence pressed a hoof against his forehead and gently pushed him over, and Thesis smiled up at the ceiling before he put his forehooves behind his head and nodded. “How about we have a bath and everything too, then? Hell of a nice bathroom. Might as well make use of it.”

Cadence nodded after a moment, and then she crawled overtop him, smiling down at him and letting their noses brush together before she asked: “Is that really the best you can come up with, big guy?”

Thesis shrugged amiably, and then he grinned and reached up to tickle her nose with a wink. “I am pretty big, aren't I?”

“I like you to think so.” Cadence replied mildly, and Thesis blinked and thought about this for a moment before he gave her a flat look. But the ivory mare only shrugged with a slight smile before she said softly: “Come on, you big jerk. Let's go get pretty. Pretty boys have to pretty themselves up, right?”

“I'm... well... shush. Some of us like hygiene.” Thesis said grumpily, and Cadence laughed before she yelped when he rolled suddenly on top of her, pinning her to the bed with a grin. “Also, I can think of a lot of things we can do together.”

Cadence looked at the stallion for a moment, then she suddenly rolled backwards as she shoved a leg up into his stomach, making him wheeze as he was forcefully flipped before he landed with a thump on the bed, and stared upwards to find Cadence straddling him, her hooves pinning him easily by the chest, her eyes half-lidded as she asked: “Like what?”

Thesis grinned awkwardly, blushing a little bit before he said meekly: “We could cuddle and braid each other's tails?”

“Horses of Heaven, you're just the worst.” Cadence laughed and shook her head, then she softened as she gazed down at him tenderly, silently stroking under his muzzle before she leaned down and kissed him softly, their mouths working together slowly, his front hooves tenderly grasping into her hips as her own gently framed his face.

They parted, smiled at each other, and then Cadence silently took his hoof and half-pulled Thesis to the bathroom, feeling passionate, in a word. But thankfully, that faded a little into something softer and more tender as he sat her down and carefully combed out her long mane, before he carefully went to work trimming and cutting her hair.

As he worked, he talked, and Cadence closed her eyes with a smile as she listened to his stories: he had so many of them, he had seen so many things, and even during his 'madness,' he had absorbed so much culture, learned so much about the worlds he had visited, the people he had met. She supposed that was in part due to the nature of the logic nodes that had controlled him for so long, but she thought that was also because of the way Thesis was. She thought that, perhaps, in some way... Thesis had always been... Thesis. Even when he had been at his most insane...

“Do you think you died...” Cadence halted, and Thesis stopped in mid-comb of her mane before she asked hesitantly, even as she gazed straight ahead at the wall: “Do you think you had enough control, even when you were fighting Brynhild...”

“I was focused more on Scrivener than Brynhild. I thought he was my brother.” Thesis smiled a bit, then he said softly: “He is my brother, but... not like I thought back then.”

He stopped, then sighed a little before he went back to fixing her mane, murmuring: “I don't know, honestly. I was insane back then. That's hard for a lot of ponies to grasp. I was insane. The logic nodes had rotted in my head and the corruption had concentrated to the point where my emotions could get excited from the smallest thing. I didn't do things that made sense. I know I didn't. And I was...”

Thesis smiled a bit, shaking his head slowly before he murmured: “I like to believe that we're always the same person at our core, you know? I want to believe that even then, there were slivers of who Mom raised me to be inside me. My nature and my nurture and my programming and my poisons, they were all fighting against me and against each other.”

He halted, looking down and murmuring: “I hurt a lot of people. I didn't do things that made sense, and I can't explain how they made sense to me then, because I know they don't, now. I can try, of course. I was working off military programming: when someone acts with hostility towards you, you have to subdue or eliminate the threat. But I didn't want to kill anyone. I really thought I knew precisely what I was doing, but I wasn't... computing properly, due to the nodes being so damaged. Excessive force kept slipping through, because I was pulling my punches at the last moment... but never compensating for the anger, the enhancements to my body, the...”

He sighed a little, then smiled briefly as he flicked one of Cadence's ears before he gently turned her towards a mirror, and the ivory mare smiled softly: not just at the sight of her short, neatly-cut mane, but the sight of Thesis behind her, his hooves on her shoulders, his eyes locked with hers in the reflection as he asked: “How does it look?”

“You make a pretty good hairdresser.” Cadence remarked, and Thesis chuckled quietly.

“I always learned fast. We Replicants are designed to mimic and learn behaviors, to adapt, remember.” he said seriously, before adding mildly: “It has nothing to do with the fact Mom once put me on barber duty for a month when she caught me teasing the REMBs.”

“It looks like you're a rear-echelon motherbucker yourself, Thesis, from what I've seen.” Cadence said mildly, and Thesis scowled at her horribly before he rose the scissors and pointedly clipped off one of the corners of her brush cut, earning a flat look from the mare. “Oh, very mature.”

“You're mature!” Thesis retorted childishly, and then he dropped the scissors and flicked his head to make his messy mane waft around his face. “Now you do me.”

“The stallion is supposed to be the one doing the mare.” Cadence said, before she could stop herself, and when Thesis gave her a look, she shrugged and excused awkwardly: “Too much time spent around Freya.”

“Right.” Thesis said dryly, but then he smiled as Cadence guided him into turning around. “Alright. All mares know how to fix a stallion's mane, right?”

“Nice try, Thesis, but with your mother and how you just did my mane, I know it was the other way around.” Cadence said mildly, and Thesis smiled again before she asked: “So I guess... you've always been around technology, huh?”

“Sort of.” Thesis shrugged a bit, saying softly: “Machinery like this... it all only really came into play during the last few years of the griffin war. Dad... hid a lot. And the original Dogmatists I saw, they were very different from the ones you see now. Just like the Replicants are all... different.”

He paused meditatively, then asked: “Did I ever apologize for beating you up when you were a kid?”

“You didn't beat me up, and you have. Too many times. So knock it off.” Cadence said mildly, as she clipped a large chunk of mane away from Thesis' face. She continued to hack away at his mane with the scissors as the stallion winced a bit, but the mare only hummed a little to herself before she asked: “What's your favorite color?”

“Mikado. Yours?” Thesis asked, and Cadence pointedly poked him in the back of the head with the scissors, making him wince. “Okay, okay! Yellow. Now what's yours?”

Cadence smiled slightly, then she leaned down and licked up the side of his neck, Thesis stiffening up as his eyes bulged and his ears shot straight up before the mare whispered into one of them: “Right now, it's deep, dark, black-blue... followed by red.”

She lightly stroked the scissors against his neck, and Thesis gave a creaky smile before the mare straightened and went back to chopping at his mane, adding mildly: “You're such a boy. Why do stupid boys always get so excited like that?”

“I don't know it could have something to do with you licking me!” Thesis exclaimed as one of his eyes twitched, glaring at her with a furious blush in his cheeks, before he yelped when Cadence forcefully turned his head back forwards.

“Keep your head straight or I'll end up chopping one of your ears off.” she said dryly, and then she combed quickly through his mane several times before adding quietly: “It's stupid. But it's the little things like this that make me...”

She quieted, then smiled a little and said softly: “Shining always loved his mane. It was one of the things he was really vain about. One of the few things. I mean, it was a big joke and we laughed about it but any time I asked if I could just trim this, he'd immediately say no. And we'd laugh some more but... there was always that undertone to it, of something more. We just... both covered it up with laughter and... maybe that's not always good.”

Cadence looked away for a moment, then she shook herself before she quickly, efficiently finished trimming Thesis' mane, smiling a bit as she pushed him gently in front of the mirror before she asked almost hesitantly: “Well?”

Thesis gazed at himself, and he smiled at what he saw: trimmed short, but left a little wild at the top, letting it naturally spike out a bit. But what he liked even more was seeing Cadence leaning over him, her body pressed against his, one foreleg hanging around his neck, the other front hoof squeezing into his shoulder... “Yeah. I like it. I like it a lot.”

He glanced back at her with a smile, and Cadence leaned in and kissed him quietly, the stallion returning the affection silently before their mouths parted. The two gazed at one-another for a few moments, and then Thesis gestured awkwardly towards the tub and asked: “So uh... you want to...”

Cadence began to open her mouth, and then she grimaced when she heard a faint beeping fill the air. Thesis glanced up as well at the sound, before the mare sighed and muttered: “Must be Hecate, I'll go-”

Thesis slipped free and hopped away before she could finish, the stallion vanishing through the door, and Cadence cocked an eyebrow. After a few seconds, she heard the beeping stop, and Thesis' voice say: “Hey, Mom! Cadence and I are... yeah, I know. I know. Mom, I know. Okay, Mom. Yes, Mommy. Yes, Mommy, I know you can beat me up. Mom. Mom. Mommy. Mom. Okay. Five minutes? Yes, that means more than five minutes. Yes, it's important to me... it's...”

Thesis' voice dropped, becoming quieter, more serious, as he said softly: “Yes, it's important to me.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Thesis smiled as he agreed: “Of course. Fair compromise.”

A hesitation. Even from here, Cadence could tell that was a long hesitation, not a pause.

“Yes. I'll... I'll do my best.”

Thesis returned, and Cadence looked at him curiously, but the stallion simply gestured towards the tub before he said softly: “I have to brief you, but uh... I'll do it while we wash up.”

Cadence frowned at him, then she asked: “Where's Hecate sending me? And are you... I mean, I wasn't listening in or anything-”

“You were totally listening in.” Thesis said mildly, clambering into the tub before he turned the taps, and then he plopped himself down as water began to fill the basin, Cadence rolling her eyes as she sat back on the edge of the tub.

“Well?” she asked impatiently, and Thesis only looked at her mildly, gesturing pointedly at the water, which hadn't even had the time to cover the bottom of the tub.

“You really need to learn to wait. Come on. Get in the tub.” Thesis said, and Cadence only gave the stallion a dry look before she uneasily shifted a bit, but the stallion smiled as he reached back and hammered lightly on his exoskeleton. “Completely waterproof. Even my old versions were, and they had these big ugly pistons on them. It was all hydraulics and corruption-powered, though, not electricity. Sort of like... the Tyrant Wyrms.”

He quieted for a moment, and Cadence sighed a bit before she mumbled: “Well, if you're going to look so goddamn sad, fine. Baby.”

She slipped into the tub, splashing down into the already-hot water, and Thesis smiled at her. For a few moments, they simply sat, facing each other, and then Cadence awkwardly wiggled around the tub to sit beside him as water continued to fill the basin, mumbling through the rising steam: “It's hot.”

“I know. That's the point.” Thesis said mildly, and Cadence sighed a little and nodded grumpily before the stallion said softly: “Just relax.”

Cadence nodded hesitantly, and the two dropped their heads together, listening to the sound of the water, and the sounds of each other. Breathing, heartbeat, all these things half-hidden by the rush of the water...

Finally, Thesis turned off the taps, and he smiled as picked up a bar of soap, saying softly: “You're going to Midgard A-10, which is-”

“Where La Croix was found. That's an interesting choice.” Cadence said slowly, frowning slightly in surprise as she rose her head slightly. “Why there? Why not...”

She realized how selfish it sounded, before she blushed a bit as Thesis soothingly grasped her shoulders and leaned in to gaze into her eyes, saying softly: “You'll get there. Mom's sending you here first, because we know that Bondye is involved. La Croix has little to do with that world, but if Loki actually has been retracing where you 'lived' before...”

“Then there will be traces on that world. If there's traces of Loki's tampering in a world where La Croix was only temporarily, after he was banished from Darkwater... it's proof enough for us to check our own worlds, isn't it?” Cadence said, and she began to splash around, grabbing the edge of the tub before she squeaked when Thesis grasped her by the wings and gently tugged her back.

“Hey. Bathtime. Clean up, you gotta look your best.” Thesis said mildly, and Cadence glared at him before he winked. “Besides, you're not getting anywhere without me. I'll be going with you.”

“To... Reception?” Cadence asked dumbly, and when Thesis smiled, she shifted before blurting: “Are you sure you're okay to?”

Thesis responded by shoving the bar of soap into her muzzle, the mare staring at him with disbelief before he said mildly: “I'm healthy enough to put up with you, aren't I?”

Cadence grabbed Thesis by the head and shoved him under the water, then she spat out the bar of soap with a grumble, even as the Swan shifted almost uneasily inside of her, fearing that perhaps their eagerness to get what they wanted was going to endanger the one thing they desired to keep safe even more than home.

An Encore From The Orchestra

Chapter Seventy-Seven: An Encore From The Orchestra
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence adjusted her armor with a grimace, checking her gear for the thousandth time: Mission Drive, bandoleers of throwing knives, daggers, and of course the stupid MARES gun holstered on her back. She had a bunch of doodads for it in the satchel hooked to her side, but she honestly hoped she wasn't going to need it.

She was standing with her team: Moonflower in heavy, crystal-insulated armor, heavy sidepacks hanging on either side of him, and La Croix chewing anxiously at one hoof on her other side, bracer around one foreleg, his cape hanging loose and hat askew. Neither of those were good signs: La Croix was always fidgeting with his pose, getting the right tilt to his hat, the right shift to his cape. For him to be that nervous...

Her eyes roved across the portal room towards where Thesis was arguing with Hecate. He had no armor on, no visible equipment, just a Mission Drive and his exoskeleton. Hecate was swearing at him about something, but as Cadence watched, she saw the way the Jötnar mare smoothed out her son's mane, fussing over him like he was a child, and she realized she wasn't really yelling at him. She was just being a mother. A crazy mother, sure, but...

Cadence smiled briefly over her shoulder at her father, and Sombra smiled kindly back at her: he looked healthy, strong, like the treatments he was getting here were finally starting to help his condition a little more. His pallor was better, and the purifier didn't sound like it had to strain so hard to keep him healthy, and his breathing beneath the armored vest was regular and strong.

“Eyes front!” snapped Hecate, and Cadence winced and hurriedly looked straight ahead as Empress and prince approached, before the latter squawked when the former shoved him firmly in front of Cadence, between her and the portal ring. “Thesis will be in charge of this operation. You will obey any commands he gives, including the command to retreat if he issues it. Do you understand, Swan?”

“I... yes, ma'am.” Cadence decided not to argue, smiling awkwardly and shrinking a little under Hecate's cold glare. “I promise.”

“Promises are sacred, Cadence. See that you keep it.” Hecate said coldly, and the air itself seemed to shiver before the Jötnar mare turned her eyes towards La Croix.

The two looked at each other for a few moments, and then Hecate leaned down and said quietly, her voice paradoxically chilling and reassuring: “You are an agent of Decretum now. You are an Orphan, abandoned but not alone. You will not embarrass the Clockwork Empire by cowering to a weak, pathetic belly-crawler like Bondye. Do I make myself clear?”

“Oui, Nanny Hecate. I... I will be strong. Strong as a connard like me can be, anyway.” La Croix said awkwardly, smiling weakly before he winced when Hecate grabbed him under the muzzle, forcefully tilting his head up before she gave a small smile.

“You are strong, La Croix. Stronger than you give yourself credit for.” she said softly. “Otherwise I would have discarded you long ago.”

She halted, then added distastefully: “Say hello to your brothers for me, if you happen to see them. Decretum doesn't have any job openings for obnoxious Loa right now, but I'm sure we can work out some sort of alliance once Bondye is dealt with.”

“Uh... oui, oui. You got it.” La Croix said awkwardly, and then he wheezed quietly when Hecate turned away and strode towards the portal ring, before mumbling. “Fou.”

With only a gesture of her hoof, the portal ring in front of them lit up with energy, glowing brightly as Hecate ordered: “Go. You have your mission: investigate the signal we detected and return with any information you can pertaining to Loki's movements.”

Cadence saluted as Thesis nodded, becoming professional as he ordered: “Team 0-0, move forward, single file! Stay alert!”

With that, he led them quickly to the portal, and Cadence grimaced as they passed through the rift, her body shimmering with energy before she wheezed in pain as they staggered out into another world, nearly falling all over one-another as Cadence mumbled: “Holy hell, why did that hurt so much?”

“Magical protection.” Moonflower wheezed, and Cadence looked dumbly back at the stallion, who gave an awkward smile before he straightened and shrugged, saying lamely: “Well, I am the Loremaster.”

“You are not the Loremaster.” Thesis said dryly, and then he shook his head before frowning uncertainly as he looked around the narrow field they had stumbled into: they were surrounded by trees and animals and abundant, chaotic life, and the stallion murmured: “Weird. Why did we end up here?”

“Feels like... where I first landed.” La Croix muttered, as he looked slowly back and forth before he shivered, silently reaching up to clutch at his pendant as he whispered: “Damn, cher. Real hard to be here again.”

Cadence frowned over at the zebra, but the Loa took a steadying breath before he said finally: “This the Everfree. D'you know what that is?”

Thesis nodded, mumbling: “Okay, then uh...” He rose a hoof above his head, then awkwardly spun it before slowly leaning to one side and letting his hoof tip in that direction, as the others only stared at him. “Ponyville and Canterlot are that way.”

“Do I even want to know what you're doing?” Cadence asked Thesis dryly, and Thesis shrugged a bit before he grinned, making the mare sigh. “Fine. I'll take the lead.”

“Can we at least pretend for another minute that I'm actually in charge here? I am the prince and the substitute regent.” Thesis said mildly, before he winced when Cadence grabbed his collar, then he suddenly leaned forwards and kissed her cheek, making her tense up and blush horribly.

Moonflower gave a little giggle, La Croix scowled, and Sombra only smiled slightly before Thesis said quickly: “Alright, marching orders. La Croix, how much contact did you make with the local populace?”

“Enough to make 'em hate me.” La Croix said, and Moonflower chuckled and Cadence smiled before the zebra said sourly: “No, I mean it. C'est haine. Vrai haine.”

Sombra cocked his head curiously as Thesis gestured slowly at the stallion to continue, and La Croix sighed as he played idly with his amulet, mumbling: “Well, I'm sure y'all remember how I was at first. I ain't ever been exactly... diplomatic-like. Sure, Bondye made me a messenger, but mostly, I think, 'cause he was hopin' someone would chop off my tête.”

Cadence grimaced a bit, and Moonflower asked uncertainly: “Should we try and avoid contact, then? I mean... those Ponyville ponies are always so forgiving, though!”

“There ain't no forgiveness for some things.” La Croix said quietly as he lowered his head, and Cadence frowned before the Loa shook himself, then mumbled: “I'll take the lead. 'Sonly right that I try and atone for what I done.”

The zebra shook himself out, then glanced up as Thesis grasped his shoulder, smiling as he said quietly: “It's not always possible to earn redemption. But it's always, always possible to stop digging the hole deeper. And to at least start the climb.”

For a few moments, La Croix looked at the stallion, and then he smiled a little before he murmured: “We already got us a stallion who says wise things, y'know. Why don't you go back to kissin' up your cher? Seems to be a better use of your time.”

Thesis snorted, then gently waved La Croix onward, turning to follow as the Loa began to stride through the trees. The others followed after a moment, Cadence sighing and shaking her head as Sombra strode calmly at the back and Moonflower hurried up beside her, asking uncertainly: “Shouldn't we be... I don't know, we're always in formation, why aren't we in formation now? What if they have pitchforks and torches and-”

“Listen to you, y'big brave ours. They ain't gonna chase the rest of y'all out of town, they'll probably just string me up to the nearest tree.” La Croix grumbled, and Cadence rolled her eyes.

“Okay, both of you, shut up. Moonflower, grow some balls. La Croix, stop being miserable. Nothing bad is going to happen, and us figuring out what's going on is more important than our personal problems.” Cadence said firmly, and there were grumbles from the group, but both zebra and unicorn grudgingly nodded before the mare asked: “Thesis, can you tell us again why we're out here?”

Thesis nodded, explaining: “Seneschal detected a distortion in this world that's unusual for a Class A Midgard. There shouldn't be any major disturbances here that aren't caused by outside forces. Just the usual blips and twitches. But there was a huge spike in our energy readings: it could be connected to Loki's threats. Unfortunately, these spikes have been detected across dozens of worlds, so it could also have nothing to do with Loki, it could be a freak occurrence, or...”

“Something even worse.” Cadence muttered, shaking her head briefly before she questioned: “And it was triangulated to here, right?”

“Vaguely. Somewhere in the Canterlot region, definitely.” Thesis nodded, muttering: “Which is why it's weird we ended up here. The portal should have opened into open field. Not the Everfree beyond Ponyville.”

Cadence frowned, but Thesis shook his head, saying quietly: “It's not proof of anything. And if Loki did intercept us, I doubt he'd just drop us in the woods. More likely, he'd drop the portal into the Void. That's why Mom's added the extra layers of magic protection to the ring.”

“See? I was right!” Moonflower declared triumphantly, and Cadence didn't know whether to smile or hit him: it was good to see the old Moonflower rear his cocky head, but now probably wasn't the best time for it. “All of you should bow before my-”

“Taisse-toi, y'great idjit.” grumbled La Croix, and Moonflower huffed loudly before the zebra muttered: “We all felt it. I just hope that we ain't gonna be the ones to draw Loki's attention here... he be fou, but real smart, too. What if he was just sendin' out all those signals to try and find worlds we care about, so he could... I dunno, trace where we go?”

“Well, if we don't find anything, we'll be leaving here without much fanfare. And if everyone really does hate you here, then he's probably not going to think this is a super important world for him to investigate. So maybe you being an asshole might have saved a few lives.” Thesis reasoned, and La Croix snorted in amusement, giving the faintest of smiles.

“Bet she'd say the same thing.” he murmured, then he shook his head before he scowled as he stepped onto a natural path through the trees, saying quietly: “I remember this. I remember it so damn well. Scary, bein' back here. Worse than l'enfer.”

“Are you ever going to tell us what happened, La Croix, or are you just going to bottle it up forever?” asked Moonflower with surprisingly bluntness, and Cadence stared at him as even Sombra cocked an eyebrow, before the black unicorn smiled and leaned forwards even as the Loa glared at him. “Because we are your friends. But you're even worse than me, you know. But how could I stop myself from telling everyone how incredible and talented I am, or spreading the evils of homosexuality with my boundless flair?”

Moonflower winked, and La Croix sighed before he mumbled: “All y'are is an idiot.”

“Yes, well. Maybe. But I'm an idiot who cares about you. And who's been learning a thing or two about friendship and relationships.” Moonflower paused, then he suddenly strode forwards, and La Croix leaned uncomfortably back before the unicorn said firmly: “I'm going to hug you now.”

“Don't y'dare touch-” Before La Croix could escape, Moonflower firmly hugged the zebra, making him wheeze as he grabbed uselessly at the unicorn, wincing as his face was painfully mashed against the armored chest of the larger stallion. “This be awkward. Let go of me, you pédé.”

“Shut up you arrogant little stripehorse, I am hugging you.” Moonflower grumbled as he only squeezed the zebra harder, making La Croix wheeze until Cadence sighed and strode up to the two, firmly yanking them apart.

“Alright, if you're both done being fillies, we'll figure this out as we go. It's been a long time since you've been here, La Croix. Hopefully they've forgotten you by now.” Cadence paused, then she scowled over at Moonflower, who smiled lamely. “You stop helping.”

“I am... trying to foster unity!” Moonflower argued, then he asked lamely: “Do you need a hug?”

“I do not need a hug. And do not look at my Daddy or Thesis, or I'll rip your forelegs off and beat you with them like a drum.” Cadence said sourly, and Moonflower shrank away before she sighed and added: “Let's just see if we can get to Ponyville without anyone dying. That would be a great start.”

La Croix nodded, and Moonflower huffed even as he fell back a bit, grumbling: “Well, at least now no one can say I didn't try.”

Cadence only gave Moonflower a wry smile, then she gestured at La Croix, who smoothed himself out before he started forwards. But he did seem a little more focused now, a little less introspective, and like he was ready to face whatever was waiting for them ahead.

That lasted until they reached the edge of the Everfree Forest: after his first step towards the village in the distance, the Loa abruptly stopped on the path, shivering a little before he took a breath and reached up to grasp his pendant, murmuring: “I know... I can't wheedle out of this, but... d'you think I could have a moment? Just to gather myself. It's... it's estrange, bein' here.”

Cadence was tempted to say no, because she knew that a moment could easily become an hour, and that it would likely only make the suspense worse. But before she could say anything, Thesis gently suggested: “Just a minute sounds fine, right?”

The mare grumbled a little, but then she gave a hesitant nod, sighing a bit and muttering: “Fine. But only a minute.”

“Only a minute.” Thesis agreed, as he looked towards Ponyville. La Croix gave the Replicant an awkward smile, but he only shrugged before he murmured: “It's hard for me, too. Every Ponyville is hard, even though all of them are so different from the one I wronged. Some are bigger. Some are smaller. Many of them, though, are filled with the same ponies... and it hurts to see those people. People I upset, people I hurt. But I know I can't avoid going back there. That more people will be hurt if I don't. Sometimes... you just have to go where the job takes you.”

“Fantastique.” grumbled La Croix, and then he scowled out at the town, muttering: “It ain't the place. It ain't the ponies. It... was...”

“Yeah. I know.” Thesis smiled over at him, then he asked: “What would she want you to do?”

La Croix was silent for a few moments, and then he sighed tiredly before he straightened and squared his shoulders, reaching up to touch his amulet before he said quietly: “All o' you... remember that this... this be my bed. So I'm gonna lie in it.”

“I don't see a bed.” Moonflower said dumbly, and La Croix rolled his eyes before he started forwards as Cadence shook her head and Sombra smiled slightly. “What? What stupid stripehorse magic are you working now?”

“Stop being so racist, you... pointy-face.” Thesis said as he lightly slapped Moonflower on the back, and the unicorn looked at him dumbly before Thesis shrugged. “Hey, there's no decent racist words for unicorn.”

“There are quite a few, and I'll thank you not to say them.” Moonflower replied with a disdainful sniff, and Thesis smiled in amusement before the unicorn suddenly asked nervously: “Do you... do you think your mother likes me?”

Thesis cocked an eyebrow at Moonflower, and Moonflower shifted awkwardly before he rambled: “It's just that... I don't know, if she doesn't approve of me, I don't want-”

“Now don't even start that.” Thesis interrupted pointedly, leaning towards the stallion. “Your relationship is with my brother, not his family. I mean, yes, it's important that you get along with Mom as best as possible, but uh... well... you know my Mom. She's tough on everyone.”

“Moonflower, stop looking for excuses to dump Thorn.” Cadence said over her shoulder, and Moonflower squawked loudly at this, looking aghast and incensed all at once.

“I would never dump him! I just... I mean... it's... complicated.” Moonflower mumbled, dropping his head sulkily. “And... and besides, as important as I am, it's natural for you all to forget that this is about La Croix, not me. We should all be focusing on him and all his many problems.”

“Gee. Merci beaucoup, rein de la nuit.” La Croix said ironically as they approached the outskirts of the village, before the Loa rose his head and muttered: “Rester fort, rester fort...”

As they walked into the town, they had quite a few eyes focus on them: there were the usual surprised gazes at their gear and equipment – and the general strangeness of these ponies, of course – but Cadence noted that a few eyes certainly were focusing on La Croix: maybe he hadn't been exaggerating about whatever had happened here after all.

La Croix led them straight to the center of the village, where a massive, ancient tree stood: the library, Cadence recalled, and she grimaced a bit as La Croix knocked firmly twice on the door, asking uncertainly: “Are you sure that-”

She was cut off as the door was almost flung open, a purple pony who Cadence recognized all too well emerging, her eyes wide with amazement as she blurted: “It's you! The zebra priest!”

“I ain't no zebra priest.” La Croix said crankily, and Twilight Sparkle smiled lamely, lowering her head slightly before the stallion sighed a little and asked grumpily: “You been playin' 'round with that bad mojo again?”

“No, no! No, I promise.” Twilight replied earnestly, shaking her head as she blushed deeper, before she hesitantly leaned to the side, staring at La Croix's friends even as she continued: “We've been very careful about that, ever since uh... what happened. As a matter of fact, we even started building a special machine that can detect that level of resonance and uh... um, do you and your friends want to come in?”

Twilight smiled awkwardly, and La Croix glanced moodily over his shoulder, although Cadence could see what he was really looking for: advice. The ivory mare sighed as she began to step forwards, before she winced in surprise when Thesis firmly bumped both her and La Croix out of the way, smiling as he said politely: “Hello, Twilight Sparkle, my name is Thesis, and I am the Prince of Decretum, a world tasked with protecting other worlds from harm. I have a few questions for you.”

“Oh, uh, well then, it's uh.... nice to meet you!” Twilight rambled, looking up at Thesis with a faint blush in her cheeks, her eyes widening in amazement. Cadence had to fight not to roll her eyes before Twilight stumbled back into the library, calling: “Come in, come in! I'll uh, I don't have much but I'll pen a letter to Princess Celestia right away and uh... I'll... make yourselves at home!”

Thesis smiled slightly, then winced when both La Croix and Cadence smacked him across the head at the same time, the Replicant muttering: “Well. That's what I get for being nice.”

Then, without glancing back, he easily shouldered the two into either side of the door before striding quickly through, smiling again when Twilight looked up at the double thump. “Don't worry, we're used to roughing it. Your hospitality is more than enough.”

Twilight smiled awkwardly in response as the others strode into the library, before she said awkwardly as she turned towards a desk: “I uh... just need to send this letter to Princess Celestia.”

“Yep.” Thesis said amiably, obviously pretending not to notice the many tells that Twilight wasn't just sending a friendly letter. Cadence was torn between feeling less generous and softening at the sight of the young purple mare, studying her silently. She'd seen so many Twilights with wings now that it almost made her forget the old Twilight, the one she had foal-sat, the unicorn who had...

She smiled faintly, and Twilight paused in writing her letter, studying her intently. Cadence half-turned away as she cleared her throat, but thankfully, La Croix caught Twilight's attention, asking: “So what has this 'machine' of yours picked up? Ain't that I'm against machines or nothin', but...”

“We've been very careful.” Twilight emphasized, smiling awkwardly across at La Croix, and Cadence cocked an eyebrow at this, curious: this wasn't exactly the treatment she had expected after what little La Croix had told them.

La Croix only looked mildly at the mare for a few moments, and then he said blandly: “Y'said that last time. Y'know, right before the demons marched in.”

“That... that was a mistake!” Twilight blushed deeply, shaking her head vehemently before she continued quickly: “This time, it's all very safe. Like I said, we're just detecting signals. We detected a few strange ones already, as a matter of fact, with nothing bad happening: we've been very careful to insulate the machine properly so that it doesn't even create a counter-resonance that could possibly attract...”

Twilight halted, then she cleared her throat before she turned back towards her letter, mumbling: “Just... I'll just be a moment longer.”

“Take your time.” Thesis said politely, and then he glanced over at La Croix and added pointedly: “Maybe in the meantime you can fill us in.”

La Croix grumbled a little, but then he nodded and explained: “The last thing I did workin' for the fou cocodril was to come here, check out some disturbance. Was all just a setup, of course. Bondye wanted me dead and gone, and thought he had a real easy way to do it.

“With uh... a little bit of help from uh... a Vodunsi...”

“Zecora.” Twilight said softly, and La Croix looked shamefully away as he reached up and tilted his hat down, and the purple mare smiled faintly as she straightened and murmured: “It's not your fault. The princesses told me what she did for you-”

“She shouldn't've done it. She shouldn't've.” La Croix grumbled, looking at the ground as he reached up and slowly toyed with his pendant. “Should be her here, not me...”

Twilight gazed at him silently, then she sighed before setting down the letter and asking quietly: “Can I get you some tea?”

“I... oui, suppose we could use that.” La Croix agreed after a moment with an awkward smile, and then he shook himself as Twilight turned and headed towards the rear of the library, abandoning the letter on the desk. For a moment, La Croix watched her go, and then he sighed as he turned back towards the others, saying quietly: “Bondye stripped me of my powers. Zecora gave 'em back. But... you gotta make a trade, see, one life for another. She gave her life up for me. Stupid, dumb, fou chaoui...”

Cadence smiled faintly, and Moonflower shifted a bit before he said awkwardly: “Well... I... am very glad she did what she did.”

La Croix looked sourly at Moonflower, before Sombra said gently: “And if you traded places with her, you would deprive her of you, and forever at that. For the Loa are not reborn as the zebra who rest in Darkwater, are they?”

La Croix grumbled a bit, blushing ever so slightly as he mumbled: “You got a real silver tongue on you, Papa Sérénité. But that silver be sharp, too.”

“I don't mean to be cruel, La Croix. I only know that sometimes, we can all be selfish when it comes to loss.” Sombra said gently, and La Croix nodded awkwardly as he lowered his head, before Sombra glanced up with a smile as a small purple dragon nervously strode into the room, holding a tray of small treats. “Hello, piccolo.”

“Uh. Spike, actually.” the dragon said lamely, smiling awkwardly, and Cadence couldn't help but smile slightly as she studied him: adolescent, maybe just starting towards his teenage dragon years. He looked at them with a mix of awe and nervousness as he headed towards a small table, setting down the tray before he asked: “So uh... who wants tea?”

Thesis rose a hoof, and Sombra smiled as he did as well. Moonflower hurriedly waved his own hoof, but La Croix only grunted, shaking his head and saying moodily: “We be out of your hair soon, don't you worry 'bout that.”

“I don't have hair.” Spike said lamely, and Cadence was strangely reminded of Moonflower before the little dragon clapped his claws together and spun around, blurting as he hurried away: “That's okay! It's no problem!”

Cadence only had a moment to wonder why the dragon was running away so fast before the scent of something burning caught her nostrils, and La Croix sighed tiredly as he walked over to the table, moodily picking up one of the cookies off the tray as he muttered: “Stupid ouaouarons. Loki be punchin' way down if he be willing to threaten these types...”

He looked towards the archway Spike had vanished through, and Cadence frowned before she asked: “What do you mean? I didn't see or sense anything wrong.”

But La Croix shook his head, and Moonflower frowned a bit before he rose his own slightly as Sombra said quietly: “It is faint, but it is there.”

Cadence frowned, raising her horn, but she couldn't feel it through the spire. Then again, her stupid, short horn felt less receptive to everything these days, and the ivory mare scowled before the Swan said softly: You have greater tools at your disposal than simply feeling a sensation with your horn.

The mare mumbled a bit under her breath, and then she closed her eyes before she shivered as that uncomfortable but now so-familiar feeling washed through her, the mare raising her head as her eyes opened, and she saw.

She only needed a few seconds, eyes flicking back and forth before she clenched them shut and shook her head vehemently. Thesis tilted his head towards her, and Cadence held up a hoof as she felt a faint feeling of lightheadedness run through her: there had been so much light and life here in Ponyville, and so many conflicting auras and colors and... “Just need a minute.”

“Don't overstrain yourself, mi amore.” Sombra cautioned gently, and Cadence smiled a bit as she nodded to her father, rubbing slowly at her eyes.

“I'm okay. It's not like out in the ocean. There was just... I didn't expect so much life, you know? The more souls and energy present, the more strain it puts on my eyes because I can't... control it completely yet.” Cadence mumbled, rubbing slowly at her face before she blinked a few times, then she looked over at La Croix and said quietly: “I saw it, though. Near Canterlot, there's some sort of pulse. I don't know what it is, but I do know it's a trap.”

“Since when we ever walked away from a trap, Cygne?” La Croix asked with bitter amusement, and Cadence couldn't help but smile. “Oui. We gotta check it out, I know. And there's... another place I wanna go, too. But that can wait until after we find out what's going on out there.”

“We should visit Canterlot, too.” Thesis said mildly, although Cadence immediately recognized he wasn't just saying that for their benefit: he was saying it because Twilight was listening in from the hallway, where she was badly hiding. “I'd like to meet with the princesses. Friendship is magic, right?”

Cadence rolled her eyes, but then she sighed and muttered: “I guess Hecate did say we should try and establish alliances where possible. And if Loki or the Voidborn show up here after we leave, it'd be good to have someone who can warn us.”

Thesis nodded, then he smiled as Twilight emerged, the mare suggesting: “You know, we could head to Canterlot at any time you want: Princess Celestia is already expecting you.”

“Even though you haven't sent your letter yet?” Thesis noted with a smile, and Twilight blushed as she looked awkwardly towards the desk, but the stallion only grinned wryly and shook his head. “Don't worry about it. We know we're not exactly the uh... most normal of people. And La Croix was saying that he had some trouble here before.”

“Well, he made a pretty bad impression on Ponyville. But I guess I can understand why.” Twilight smiled a little before she shook her head and added: “My brother's still mad about what happened, though.”

“Oh. Great. Monsieur Armée.” La Croix mumbled, and then he shook his head quickly before he grimaced a little, nervously rubbing at the side of his neck. “You got a store of ingredients 'round here, like the kind used for alchemy? I need to make some quick charms.”

“Uh... yeah. Spike, do you think you can show La Croix where the magical ingredients are?” Twilight asked, and Spike looked almost relieved as he emerged from the back hall, looking at La Croix with a smile: as strange as the zebra was, after all, he was clearly far less intimidating than the half-mechanical ponies and... whatever the hell she was now, Cadence thought moodily.

“Yeah! Uh, this way, Mr. Zebra, sir. I'll show you where it is. I'm Twilight's number one assistant, you know!” Spike said proudly, earning a dry smile from La Croix.

“Oui. I bet y'are. And this be mine.” La Croix smacked Moonflower on the back, the unicorn looking dumbly up before the Loa strode towards the dragon, saying wryly: “But maybe your fine claws will do a little better than some clumsy unicorn magique, eh?”

Spike smiled at this as he led the zebra out of the room, and Twilight laughed a little before she awkwardly turned her eyes back towards the others. Thesis had a smile on his face, and he was keeping himself relaxed, while Sombra had wandered over to investigate the shelves of books with interest. Books, after all, were a rare commodity in Decretum: Cadence was sure her father had read and reread the same few books in their meager collection a thousand times over.

She felt Twilight's eyes on her again, and Cadence did her best to try and look relaxed, knowing that in spite of everything she probably came across as the most threatening person here. Even in his huge armor, after all, Moonflower wasn't exactly- “Hey! I'm not his assistant!”

All eyes slowly turned towards the stallion, and Moonflower blushed deeply after a moment, lowering his head slightly before he mumbled defensively: “Well, I... I am not. I am the... um... I am something. I am something.”

Moonflower nodded firmly a few times, and Twilight blinked slowly before Thesis said mildly: “Don't worry. We're not normally this bad. We're just all a little stressed right now. I don't think I've introduced the rest of my team here-”

“My team.” Cadence said firmly, and Thesis held up a hoof before the violet mare turned her eyes towards Twilight, continuing: “My name is... Cygne. I'm the leader of Team 0-0. This is Sombra, my father, and Moonflower. It's nice to meet you.”

“It's nice to meet you, too. Sombra, though...” Twilight looked almost uncertainly towards the stallion, and Cadence cursed herself: it had been so long ago now and she never thought about it, but... “Are you uh... well, our research has led us to understand there are different variations of ponies throughout different worlds...”

“Mi perdoni, I don't mean to worry you. I, too, was unwell for a time, but I am glad to say that since arriving in Decretum, I have been better.” Sombra bowed his head politely, giving a kind smile to Twilight, who tilted her head uncertainly. “The machine I wear keeps my blood clean of poison, and my mind clear. I will gladly submit to any tests or precautions you feel need to be done, however, piccola. We are not here to cause trouble.”

“We're here to deal with trouble.” Cadence said, grimacing a bit as she rolled a foreleg slowly, and Twilight shifted uncomfortably before the ivory mare added: “It would help if you could tell us what La Croix was talking about with you before. Did you build a portal?”

“Well, yes. We didn't mean to, I thought originally we were just building a.. a window that would be able to see into other worlds. That way we could safely learn about them without interfering with them.” Twilight explained with a shake of her head, giving an awkward smile. “But instead it ended up being a portal to... well... Hell.”

“That's a bit of a miscalculation.” Cadence said dryly, and Twilight blushed a bit before Thesis firmly nudged the ivory mare, making her scowl a little before she probed further: “La Croix stopped it?”

“Well, yes and no. I wasn't there for all of it, but the Princesses told me that... something worse came through a rift after La Croix destroyed the portal, something came after La Croix, some kind of monster. But La Croix managed to call someone else in, they told me she was a goddess. That she saved everyone.” Twilight explained with a small smile, and Cadence traded a curious look with Thesis: there was only one goddess they knew of who had the power to stop 'monsters.' But why would Hel of all people step in for La Croix?

After a moment, Thesis asked curiously: “Twilight, how much do you know about other worlds? I mean, you seem to know at least a little. And as much as we might have startled you, you don't seem surprised, so to speak.”

“Well... we did pick up readings.” Twilight confessed, smiling awkwardly as she shifted a little before admitting: “And the Princesses will have already sent out our new uh... Special Investigation Team.”

“SIT.” Thesis said mildly, and Twilight gestured awkwardly at the table, which only made Thesis grin a bit before he asked: “Should we expect a visit from these ponies soon?”

“Oh, uh... well. Yes.” Twilight answered with a small smile, before she blurted enthusiastically: “But you get to be our first real field test for the Special Investigation Team! The Special Investigation Team hasn't had anything to investigate yet... I mean, apart from that other pulse, but I mean, they didn't find anything there, so we couldn't really test them but uh... I mean...”

Twilight blushed, but Thesis only waved it off and Sombra was now reading a book, while Moonflower seemed lost in his own world. Which, as usual, left Cadence to be the grouchy one, rolling her eyes before she asked bluntly: “Should we just go to speak with your princesses? Because I have the feeling you're not really cooperating with us, Twilight, and I don't have the time or patience to deal with shaking the information out of you.”

Twilight's eyes slowly widened as Cadence kept her scowl on, although even the Swan seemed surprised by her behavior. Then the ivory mare twitched when Thesis leaned over and kissed her cheek, a faint red blush rising in her cheeks as he said proudly: “Cygne is my marefriend.”

“Uh... huh.” Twilight said slowly, shifting slowly and now looking confused more than anything else.

“Yep! She's just cranky, that's all. Takes her job very seriously. And it does make our job harder when it seems like you're withholding information. But if you would prefer us to talk to someone like Princess Celestia, you just have to say so.” Thesis said kindly, before he added mildly, as he gestured his head towards the door: “Also, your friends keep peeking in the window, so you can just let them in if you want.”

Twilight smiled lamely at this, but before she could answer, a bright pink pony seemed to pop out of nowhere, saying cheerfully: “In that case, I'll go get the door!”

Cadence sighed tiredly as Moonflower squeaked and Thesis only cocked an eyebrow, before he smiled in amusement as the pink pony rushed to the door and yanked it open, a cluster of other ponies immediately falling into the room and looking with embarrassment up at Twilight before the pink pony said happily: “They seem nice, guys!”

Cadence scowled flatly, but Thesis took everything in stride, pointing out each pony in turn as he said: “Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and... Applejack, on the bottom there. It's nice to meet all of you. We've heard a lot about each of you.”

Pinkie Pie brightened at this, and Rainbow puffed her chest out a little as she stood up on top of the pile of ponies, saying easily: “Yeah, I am pretty awe-”

“Get off me right this moment! This is unconscionable!” Rarity wailed, and Rainbow Dash winced as she hopped off the pile of ponies, Rarity huffing as she quickly crawled up to her hooves, brushing herself off before she smiled when Applejack held up a hoof, the gorgeous unicorn only gesturing absently at her: “Oh, it's alright, dear, I'm already up.”

“Help me up, you idjit.” Applejack grumbled, and Rarity blushed before she hurriedly grasped the mare's foreleg and helped her up.

Fluttershy meekly looked at the other ponies from where she was almost laying on her stomach, gazing through her mane at them, and Pinkie Pie was only smiling happily, studying the group of strange ponies before she bounced up in front of Moonflower and greeted: “Hi there!”

Moonflower shrank back a bit, before Cadence winced as Rarity suddenly slid in front of her, saying kindly: “Well, you are an utterly gorgeous mare, if you don't mind me saying so, dear!”

Cadence reared back slightly, but thankfully, Thesis took control of the situation, cutting in: “When should we expect to meet your uh... investigators?”

“Oh, well, I guess maybe a few minutes from now...” Twilight halted, then she blushed before spinning around and mumbling: “Oh, gosh, I forgot the tea, I'll be right back.”

“She actually is going to get tea this time, I bet.” Pinkie said positively, as the other ponies awkwardly shuffled themselves around. Rarity was still staring rapturously at Cadence, while Rainbow was slowly edging towards Thesis and Applejack was brushing herself off, frowning a bit at the strange ponies of Decretum. “Don't hold it against her, huh? She's a real good pony, just a little... absent minded!”

“You're one to talk.” grumbled Rainbow, and then the mare blurted out: “Your thing is really cool!”

“It keeps me alive. So yes. It is really cool.” Thesis said blandly as he shifted a bit to show off his exoskeleton, before he said with a pride that made Cadence stare: “I got my back broken. Fighting off like a hundred thousand guys at once.”

“That's so cool!” Rainbow exclaimed, and then she cleared her throat when the others stared at her before adding: “I mean, if it's true. I don't know that it is. I could totally do it. Without breaking my back, too! Uh. No offense.”

Thesis only shrugged, while Fluttershy nervously shifted around the edge of the group before she squeaked a little when Sombra stepped over to her with a smile. He bowed his head, then asked softly: “Is it springtime?”

Fluttershy meekly whimpered a little, but the stallion only nodded before he said: “Springtime is my favorite season. The animals are emerging, new life is spreading. The sun warms the earth again. I've heard that the ponies have much to do with the changing of the seasons in these worlds, and I would love to know more.”

Fluttershy looked up from behind her mane, and Sombra smiled at her kindly, reaching up to gently brush her mane back as he said softly: “There's no need to hide your face, piccola. We are all friends here.”

The Pegasus shifted in embarrassment, lowering her head but raising her eyes a little, and Sombra asked her kindly: “Do you know how many species of animal are nearby?”

“Oh, yes. I take care of them. Almost all of them. I wish I could do more.” Fluttershy replied finally, looking almost apprehensively up. “Why?”

“I am curious about a certain animal, a bear made of stars and dust. Are they present?” he asked, and Fluttershy nervously bit her lip.

“Y-Yes, but they're very dangerous...” she started slowly, but Sombra only smiled kindly at her.

“Only if you mean them harm, and I mean them none. Perhaps you could tell me where they den. Once our business here is concluded, of course. I fear there are other things that preclude a kindness.” Sombra said softly, and Fluttershy nodded hesitantly. “Of course, our responsibilities must always come first, and my friends and I are always on the move. But still, I am sure that you can tell me plenty, and to learn means to never leave empty-hooved.”

Meanwhile, Twilight had returned with the tea and was quickly setting it over the table, asking almost anxiously: “Are the cookies okay? I mean, I'm sorry, I didn't really think or... I guess I just get so caught up with things sometimes it leads me to being a little silly.”

“We all have moments like that.” Thesis said amiably, smiling reassuringly to the mare before he approached the table and picked up one of the cups. He paused for a moment, then glanced back over his shoulder at Cadence and added: “Don't kill anyone, okay?”

Cadence frowned, before there were several flashes of light before a pair of ponies appeared in bright flares of magic, both of the mares in tight, neat black suits and wearing sunglasses, shouting over one another so Cadence couldn't even make out what the blue and rose colored ponies were saying.

Moonflower squeaked as he fell back on his rump, and Twilight winced before she started to shout almost desperately as well, while Thesis simply continued to sip at his tea thoughtfully. Pinkie began to yell for no apparent reason, only delighting in the noise and chaos, and the other ponies winced or swore or tried to lean away.

Cadence put up with it for as long as she could: this was ultimately only a few seconds, before she stormed forwards and seized into the silvery and purple scalps of the two mares before she firmly slammed their heads together, making both unicorns yelp, then glare furiously at the mare.

Cadence glared back, before the blue mare tossed her silver-blue mane – and accidentally flung her loose sunglasses free – and said haughtily: “Extraterrestrials, the Great and Powerful Trixie hereby orders you to cease and desist!”

“I am Starlight Glimmer and, as one of the Special Investigators appointed by the Princesses themselves, I hereby order-” the mare was halted by Cadence seizing her by the horn, making her eyes widen in shock before she added awkwardly: “Princess T-Twilight Sparkle, perhaps uh, you could...”

“Cadence, drop them. Drop them.” Thesis said pointedly, leaning over the table, and Cadence scowled horribly before the Swan suddenly came to life in her body as she felt Trixie channeling magic.

And a moment later, Trixie and Starlight were both on the ground beneath her, choking loudly beneath her hooves as Cadence's horn thrummed with malevolent white energy, her eyes looking coldly from one to the other as she said softly: “Brittle. You should beware: you may be strong in your own realm, but you are nothing compared to the horrors we have faced.”

“Danzsöngr, that is enough. Please let them up.” Thesis said quietly but firmly, and for a moment, the Swan only looked at him before she bowed her head politely, then receded.

Cadence shook her head briefly, then she stepped back off the two mares, leaving them wheezing weakly on the ground as Twilight grimaced. But before anyone could speak, La Croix broke the awkward tension by explaining mildly as he emerged from the back hall: “You best be careful. That Cygne, she got the diable in her. Well, even worse than a diable or a cocodril.”

“You! We were briefed about you!” blurted Trixie, who scrambled quickly up to her hooves, then scuttled quickly away from Cadence, looking at her warily when the ivory mare only scowled at her. “Trixie uh... Trixie, and to a lesser extent, Starlight Glimmer, demand that you-”

“To a greater extent, actually, as one mare here has always directly served the princesses, while the other has always been a showmare.” Starlight interrupted, and the two glared at each other for a moment before Trixie huffed and produced another set of sunglasses from inside her vest, shoving them into place over her muzzle.

“Yes, Trixie is sure you were only ever serving in the best interests of the princesses when you were stealing cutie marks and attempting to defeat Twilight Sparkle. Although you certainly served-”

Twilight cleared her throat pointedly, and both Trixie and Starlight grumbled and dropped their heads before the purple mare said awkwardly: “Uh... sorry about that. But if you could... cooperate, I'd really appreciate that. They're... good ponies. Very talented, very capable, the very best. Trixie is just loud, but Starlight even served as my student for a while...”

“And working together, we stopped Tirek!” Trixie boasted, earning a curious look from Thesis as Moonflower snorted in amusement. “Do not undervalue the Great and Powerful-”

“The Mighty and Limitless Morpheus, God of Darkness and King of All Evil, has no fear of you, for you are neither as 'Great' nor as 'Powerful' as he is in but his smallest hoof!” Moonflower burst out suddenly, and Cadence sighed tiredly as La Croix dropped a face in one hoof, before the unicorn suddenly sat back with a loud clank on his armored rump as he grumbled: “Also, Tirek was never anything but a brute. Not even I was locked up in Tartarus for as long as he was.”

Many of the ponies were staring now, but Thesis took smoothly over by saying gently: “It would probably be best if we went with your Special Investigators straight to Canterlot. I appreciate your company, but-”

“Wait.” La Croix said softly, holding up a hoof, and then he grimaced a bit before muttering: “We ain't goin' nowhere.”

There were a few exclamations at this, but all fell silent when the Loa held up a strange bauble in one hoof that was now glowing eerily, and Thesis asked immediately: “What is it?”

“Nzambi, and maybe even worse. We got maybe ten minutes afore everything goes bad.” La Croix said, and the ponies immediately started to talk all over each other, almost going into a panic.

Thesis frowned, before he looked quickly over at Cadence, and the mare grimaced a bit before she closed her eyes and concentrated. She felt the Swan grasp her, guide her, helped her to peek through the Astra and not be overwhelmed by the amount of life and energy around her.

She gritted her teeth, feeling a throbbing in her head as her eyes darted back and forth, before she muttered: “Evil spirits. Nzambi. Something worse. It's too dark for me to see it properly. It's trying to look back at me through the Astra, but it doesn't understand...”

“What? That ain't possible. Th'Astra ain't somethin' we allowed to manipulate.” La Croix said anxiously, before he asked quickly: “What about those other cocodrils, the ones from lezéro?”

“I didn't see any Voidborn. But that might not mean anything, that... miasma those evil ponies are giving off and the life energy in town...” Cadence's eyes fluttered open as she rubbed at her head with a scowl, muttering: “Hurts like hell.”

“Trixie can scry, too! She just doesn't want to!” Trixie blurted, before she winced when Starlit Glimmer hammered her firmly on the head.

“Our job is to investigate any and all visitors from other worlds and to deal with them as we see fit.” Starlight Glimmer said firmly, awkwardly smiling over at Twilight, who nodded encouragingly. “Therefore, we should-”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie does not even need any of your help to defeat these... hooligans!” Trixie declared, before she paused and added with an awkward look at Cadence: “Although she will allow you to help.”

Before Cadence could consider seeing whether or not she could pop Trixie's head off like a cork, Thesis instructed: “First priority is getting all the civilians to safety. Are the library and city hall large enough to hold all the residents?”

“It's uh, become a pretty regular thing here in Ponyville. Um, 'safety drills,' I mean.” Twilight said with a hint of embarrassment, glancing away as she cleared her throat, then she straightened and clapped her hooves, exclaiming: “Okay, girls! You know what to do, let's follow standard procedure and evacuate the town!”

“Yay! Evacuation party!” Pinkie cried out cheerfully, while Twilight's other friends grumbled before turning and heading out of the library as Thesis cocked an eyebrow, then turned a mild look towards Twilight Sparkle.

The mare only smiled lamely at him, shrugging a bit before she explained awkwardly: “We uh... Ponyville is kind of a magnet for trouble. I guess... I'm kind of a magnet for trouble.”

“Oh, don't say that, Twilight! Just because problems only started in Ponyville after you showed up, and just because it seems like a lot of the bad guys who come here are solely after you, doesn't mean you're a trouble magnet or anything!” Spike said encouragingly.

Twilight half-forced a smile before Thesis asked: “What about the town's defenses? Do you have a militia, or any Royal Guard present?”

Twilight stared blankly at Thesis for a few moments, which was enough to answer the Replicant's questions, and he shrugged before he put aside his teacup and said wryly: “Well, guess it would have been boring if it had been easy, anyway. La Croix, I need you to do whatever it takes to protect those townsponies. Moonflower, help him out, you should have some kind of magic-”

“Trixie and possibly Starlight Glimmer can help!” Trixie interrupted, her horn glowing as she said proudly: “As part of her duties, Trixie has mastered a great number of protective wards, charms, spells, and-”

“We can help.” Starlight cut off grouchily, glaring over at Trixie, and Trixie huffed loudly before the mare added nervously: “Although... I don't know if our spells will be effective...”

“They don't have to be perfect, they just have to be enough to slow down anything that might get through. You can do it.” Thesis said, and Cadence couldn't help but smile a little: he really was a good leader. A better leader than she was, really: his confidence was infectious. “Cadence, I need you to carry a message out to this horde. Let's find out if Bondye or Loki is pulling the strings here.”

“Are... are they super villains? Are we being attacked by super villains?” Spike asked in a loud whisper, but Thesis only shrugged, making both Trixie and Starlight go from glaring at Spike to staring at the Replicant.

“I guess you could almost say that. I mean, they are pretty scary people.” Thesis said with a shrug, and Cadence sighed before the stallion reasoned: “But are we ever the villains in our own stories?”

“Loki and Bondye are both high-priority targets. They're dangerous, but we'll deal with them.” Cadence interrupted as professionally as she could, before she added moodily: “Keep things under control while I'm gone, alright?”

“Yes, dear.” Thesis said kindly, before he added pleasantly in Istallian: “Do not try and fight either of them by yourself if they show up, please. Divert their attention and stall them as long as possible, this is too simple.”

For a few moments, Cadence only looked at Thesis as he tilted his head towards her with a wink, and then she said sourly: “Your conjugation needs work. You sound like a five year old. A retarded five year old.”

“Please don't use that word here!” Twilight called awkwardly, as Cadence shoved past Trixie and Starlight to let herself out of the library, sighing tiredly and only hoping these ponies wouldn't get in their way... and fearing, in her heart of hearts, what this meant for the family and homeworld she still held so dear to her core.

The Lady Of Light

Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Lady Of Light
~BlackRoseRaven

There were hundreds of them. Perhaps a thousand, maybe even more than that, Cadence thought, as her eyes roved slowly back and forth.

Countless corpses, skeletons, undead; dozens and dozens of Nzambi; strange, alien monstrosities of fused flesh and bone that Cadence had never seen before, patrolling slowly above on ominous, enormous wings.

This army of the dead milled and groaned and whispered, led by two figures: one was a strange puppet made of stone and bone, toxic green light pulsing in the chinks in its armor shell. It wore a grisly skull-mask and walked on four spindly legs that ended in gleaming talons, shaped like some bizarre beast that Cadence had never seen before.

The other, however, Cadence recognized all too well, doing her best to be civil when Melinda smiled at her and greeted tenderly: “Lady Danzsöngr. It is a pleasure to meet you again, even if on unfortunate terms. I-”

“Swan Maiden. You will die painfully, unless you surrender Baron La Croix to us. Then, you will only die.” hissed the monstrosity as it stepped forwards aggressively. Cadence narrowed her eyes at this, but the golem-beast's eyes only glowed ferociously from the sockets of its mask, as it roared: “Do not test us! We are-”

“Shh.” Melinda said gently, and the golem shuddered before the light glowing through its body suddenly pulsed, as if in surprise, and then it simply froze in place, head falling limp as Melinda chastised: “There is no need for such behavior, and no excuse for it, either.”

The Mother of Witchcraft paused, then looked up and smiled reassuringly, bowing her head politely. “I do apologize for the behavior of my accomplice. I am afraid that those of Bondye's clan do not teach very good manners, especially to their servants.”

“What are you doing here, Melinda?” Cadence asked shortly, and then she grimaced as the Swan gently nudged her. Admittedly, the Swan telling her that she should be more polite only made her feel like being even ruder, but she sighed before grudgingly adding: “Sorry. It's been a rough... while.”

“I understand, darling, and I'm sure that my appearance here is unsettling.” Melinda smiled as she met Cadence's eyes: she was honest, even compassionate, and yet Cadence felt like Melinda was meticulously measuring her every movement, studying her with such intensity that it felt like she could- “Read your thoughts? Almost, but... not quite. Only the loud ones, dear. But you are unusual in the fact you have two rivers of life inside you, and it is very different to tell one from the other.”

Cadence did her best not to grimace as she suppressed her thoughts as much as possible, but Melinda only smiled at her kindly, saying softly: “I will refrain from glancing too deeply into your mind, dear. It is only that... loud thoughts beg for attention. But you wish to keep things on business, do you not?”

Melinda paused, then straightened and continued almost solemnly: “Bondye desires Baron La Croix to be returned to him. It is difficult for me to choose sides here: old ways and old fashions keep me curious as to why you would go to such lengths to protect a servant of the enemy, even if he has served faithfully thus far. A traitor is always stained, is he not? And he was created by Bondye, was he not?”

“He's my friend. I don't care where he came from. I only care what he does now.” Cadence replied firmly, and Melinda smiled reassuringly as she held up a hoof.

“I'm not challenging you, my dear. I know there are many, many problems with my own ways of thinking. Problems I am trying to mend, even now.” Melinda gave a quiet laugh, shaking her head slowly. “But old habits die hard, as I'm sure you must understand, Lady Danzsöngr.”

“Cadence.” the mare corrected.

“I disagree.” Melinda smiled, cryptic and kind and firm all at once. “There are two of you, but neither of you are Cadence: there is only Danzsöngr.”

Cadence frowned at this, but then she scowled as the eerie statue trembled before it snarled, raising its head as it turned its masked features towards Melinda and hissed: “Witchdoctor, do not dare to-”

Melinda smiled, but her eyes were like ice as she asked pleasantly: “If I have offended you so greatly, shall I remove myself from your company and leave you to deal with these dear ponies yourself?”

Silence fell, punctuated only by the whimpers and moans of the restless dead, before the golem-thing suddenly dropped its head and mumbled almost childishly: “No. Stay.”

“That is what I thought.” Melinda turned her attention back towards Cadence, saying: “But I have been bereft in my duties. Dear, allow me to introduce Mfalme Kuoza, a... necromancer of Bondye's, and a... conduit for his powers.”

“I am no 'necromancer,' miserable witchdoctor. I am the embodiment of Bondye, I am the High Priest of Darkwater.” growled the strange entity, and Cadence only snorted before the monster rounded on her and hissed: “And you. Disgusting abomination of Hel. Yes, I know precisely what you are, and I know precisely what to do with your kind.”

Cadence narrowed her eyes, and Mfalme Kuoza rose his head, roaring: “Do you hear that? Do you see how afraid they are? The weaklings of the metal world already tremble before us and beg for mercy! But there shall be none!”

“I sincerely apologize, dear. I know this must be very grating to you. Bondye's servants are all of a particular sort, though, and there's little I can do to persuade them to act otherwise.” Melinda apologized, before she turned her eyes towards Mfalme Kuoza and added quietly: “But I am sure he can at least try to have a civil conversation for a moment.”

The creature shifted almost nervously, but Cadence decided to take the initiative before either of them could speak again, saying quickly: “I want to speak to Bondye. I want to know why he's doing this. It's one thing to want La Croix but it's another to be willing to march an army on a defenseless village just to make a point.”

The monster snorted in contempt, but Melinda looked at the golem pointedly before she ordered: “Well, servant? Summon your master.”

Mfalme Kuoza hissed furiously, but then he snorted in contempt as he stepped backwards and rose his skull-masked face high, the malevolent light glowing brighter out of his sockets and the cracks in his body as he growled: “Very well. May my master punish your impertinence as he sees fit.”

For a moment, the golem slumped, but then the energy in the air changed, became slick and fetid and hot, as the puppet rose its head and a new voice growled: “I am not a familiar to be summoned at will. Are you returning my servant, Swan?”

“No. I am giving you a message.” Cadence replied coldly, fearlessly studying the puppet: she could feel Bondye's powers flowing through it, giving it new life and strength, but his malignancy and his arrogance were already making Mfalme Kuoza's stone and bone body steam. Bondye would rot the puppet out with his own carelessness at this rate. “Cease all hostilities and surrender. If you surrender and provide information to us on Loki, we promise leniency for your crimes.”

Bondye snorted in disgust at this, and then he spat: “And I suppose that I should be grateful for your offer? But your kind has never been anything but savages. Arrogant, stupid, greedy savages.”

“You're one to talk. Using the dead like pawns, putting innocent lives at risk, and worst of all, thinking that somehow you can make some deal with Loki, like he's going to let you live at the end of all this.” Cadence snorted, glaring at the puppet. “You're a coward.”

“I am your better. And you will not talk to me that way, poppet, or I will kill you.” Bondye growled threateningly, but Cadence only smiled thinly.

“Go ahead and try. Better people than you have already taken their shot.” Cadence's eyes flashed as she leaned forwards, adding menacingly: “And better people than you have succeeded.”

“I think perhaps things are getting a little too heated.” Melinda cut in gently, before she continued in a soothing but serious voice: “I think it would be best if we worked on establishing a bit of common ground between us. We're all adults here, aren't we? And while Cadence, you have been rather rough and discourteous, you must admit the show of force is... rather crude, Bondye.”

“Shut up, witch.” Bondye said disgustedly, and Melinda's eyes narrowed slightly before the puppet turned back towards Cadence, saying contemptibly: “I will have nothing to do with toys and whores. My decision is clear and final, and... a-and...”

Bondye's voice broke, and the puppet started to shiver as strange, guttural growls and rasps came from it. After a moment, Cadence's eyes widened as she realized that Bondye was choking, but she couldn't sense any magic: all she could feel was a sudden coldness that was emanating from Melinda, as the Sky Witch said softly: “No, Bondye, do go on. Please. I insist that you say your piece. We're all listening.”

Bondye choked and wheezed, green light pulsing erratically out of the puppet before the golem toppled forwards, twitching helplessly on the ground as this mighty, terrible god of death whimpered and rasped like a child with something lodged in his throat, gasping and gargling even as he struggled to say: “I am... y-you cannot... stop this. Stop, release m-me...”

“Please speak up, Bondye, we can't hear you. If you have nothing further to contribute to the discussion, it would be best if you just stayed quiet for now.” Melinda reprimanded, before she added in a gentler voice as she smiled at Cadence, who was staring with disbelief at the gorgeous unicorn: “My apologies for being so... terse, dear. But I would like to see this business concluded as soon as possible.”

“I... understand.” Cadence said after a moment, maybe now only starting to understand that Melinda was truly a force to be reckoned with. Had she really underestimated the powers of the Sky Witch until now? But she can hex a god... without wasting even a smidgen of energy... “I just want to avoid as much bloodshed as possible.”

“Yes, dear, don't we all?” Melinda studied her with a kind smile, before she said softly: “It's very good of you to want to swallow those nasty primal urges and work with us. But I do need to make a selfish request of my own, dear...”

The Sky Witch leaned towards her as the puppet choked and spasmed helplessly on the ground, before Melinda whispered into her ear: “Trust me.”

Cadence looked uncertainly at the mare for a few moments, and then she finally nodded hesitantly. Then she grimaced as Bondye finally managed a long, rasping breath as the puppet shakily shoved itself up to its claws, wheezing: “Loki... Loki will hear of this betrayal, Melinda...”

“By all means. Feel free to inform him.” Melinda smiled courteously, before she added as the puppet started to snarl: “Perhaps you should go speak to him now, if our discussions aren't going to merit any further development.”

“I... you will pay for your treachery, witch.” growled Bondye, but his voice was weak and tinny, still rasping from the lack of air before the puppet suddenly twitched and fell forwards with a clank.

After a few moments, the golem slowly picked itself up, visibly smoldering from Bondye's careless abuse of his body. Mfalme Kuoza hissed uselessly through his teeth as he clambered back to his claws, shaking himself out before he touched his cracked skull-mask and growled: “T-There, now all of you have seen it, all of you have seen that-”

“Bondye is weak, yes. And you are weaker still, seeing as even serving as nothing more than a temporary vessel for his voice has left you burnt and ruined.” Melinda observed, and the golem snarled at her, but the mare only bowed her head politely, saying softly: “Perhaps that was out-of-line, however: I fear my patience is very much at its end, and it makes me... difficult.”

The golem shifted apprehensively away, and Cadence bit her own lip before she forced herself to be as professional as possible, asking: “Is there anything we can agree on? Will you withhold your forces if I bring La Croix out for a discussion?”

Melinda cocked an eyebrow curiously at this, then she started to smile, until she was interrupted by Mfalme Kuoza rudely stomping forwards and hissing: “We will not accept even your cowardly sacrifices at this point. No sacrifice, no surrender! The cost of your arrogance will be paid in the blood and bodies of the ponies you so treasured and sought to protect, and only after you see them die, will you too be allowed to perish!”

“I suppose that dashes any hopes for a peaceful resolution.” Melinda said softly, and then, without so much as a glance in Mfalme Kuoza's direction, she flicked her horn towards him and he simply vanished.

Behind her, the horde of undead roiled and rumbled nervously, but Melinda only turned a calm smile towards Cadence, saying softly: “Ten minutes, dear. That's all I can guarantee you before Mfalme Kuoza drags himself out of that little wrinkle in time.”

Cadence frowned, and Melinda smiled before she asked inquisitively: “But before you go, is that dear Moonflower able to come out and play? I would love to test him some more, darling, but he feels a little... distracted. It would not be very fair of me to surprise him with a test, even if all in the spirit of fun and games. Do ask him for me. And if he needs some time, we can put it off until later: is he alright? Did that awful brute Ignominious injure him?”

“No, uh... it's because of Thorn. Moonflower and Thorn are a couple-”

“Oh.” Melinda seemed surprised, almost bewildered, as she stared at the mare. “So they really are paramours? That is so very... strange.”

Cadence blinked, but Melinda only shook her head and said earnestly: “It is just not something natural that happened in my day and age, or at least not without dire consequence. As I said, I am still caught in my own time and culture, even after all the years that have passed, and sometimes it is... it is hard for me to not fall back into those habits.”

Melinda halted, then she smiled and said suddenly: “Perhaps I shall go and speak to Prince Thorn. Offer my friendship and support to him in these troubling times. I know he was badly injured by that rat, Cancer, and if there is anything I can do for him, I feel that I should. It was very selfish and rude of me to get so caught up in testing his mother, when I could have been protecting him.”

“Uh...” Cadence stared for a few moments at Melinda, before she said awkwardly: “You know he's not... in Decretum anymore, and I'm not sure that...”

“Oh, darling, don't worry. Wherever he's gone, there I'll go. It's just a matter of looking at it as nothing more than a step away.” the mare said pleasantly, before in front of Cadence's shocked eyes, Melinda simply vanished.

The Sky Witch smiled to herself as she slipped backwards between realities, before she calmly turned around and greeted politely, even as a demonic stallion squealed and toppled off his hooves at her sudden appearance: “Greetings, Thorn Blackfeather.”

Thorn Blackfeather showed only the slightest surprise as he straightened from his meditation, before he grimaced when Morning Glory smacked the back of his head, growling: “Hold it.”

The sapphire stallion shifted backwards, resuming his stance on his hind legs, his foreleg held up in front of himself and hoof flexed. Morning Glory mirrored him on one side, and Freya was on the other, the Valkyrie cocking an eyebrow before she asked mildly: “And just what is a sorceress of your prestige doing here?”

“Greetings, Queen Freya. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I hope you don't find my appearance here too unsettling, any of you...” Melinda glanced around the pagoda before she smiled kindly at Burning Desire, who grinned awkwardly as he rolled up to his hooves and bowed his head quickly. “Hello, sir. I sense an interesting residue around both you and your sister... noble lineage, but half-breeds, yes?”

“Would you like a demonstration of this half-breed's heritage?” rumbled Morning Glory threateningly as she dropped forward, before she scowled when Thorn reached out and gently grasped her horn.

After a moment, the Destroyer spat to the side in disgust, then she reared back and resumed her position as Melinda said humbly: “I apologize. I was just discussing with Lady Danzsöngr that I can come across as rude because I am still ingrained in old ways. I will try and be more considerate.”

She paused for a moment, then turned a smile towards Thorn, studying him intently as she continued: “As a matter of fact, it was such a matter that inspired me to come here in the first place, and see what I could offer you, Prince Thorn. Your friends are currently-”

“I don't mean to be rude, Melinda, but I'd prefer not to know what's going on right now with them. I have some difficulties of my own to work out first.” Thorn interrupted gently, and Melinda smiled wider before she bowed her head in agreement. “But if there's anything I can do for you, I'm more than happy to. And you are very welcome to join us. Yes?”

Morning Glory grumbled, but Freya only shrugged amiably and Burning Desire nodded vigorously, blurting: “Yes, yes, most definitely! What a beautiful name you have, Melinda, almost as beautiful as you are! What a splendid mare you are... and I must say, your fine reputation precedes you, too! It's an honor, an absolute honor, to meet you!”

“Now, darling, there's no need to make a fuss. Myths are myths and legends are legends, nothing more.” Melinda answered with a chuckle, before she returned her eyes to Thorn and studied him intently.

He looked back at her calmly, but he felt her, reading into him all the same, so clearly and so deeply, and... “Oh, you poor, sweet colt, the trauma you've suffered... but I see you are at least taking steps forwards, to remedy your problems, and you have good, dear friends and family...”

Melinda paused, then inquired as politely as possible: “Is it true that you and Moonflower are... involved romantically?”

“Yes.” Thorn answered bluntly, and Melinda blushed the slightest bit as she bowed her head to him.

“I am humbled and left in admiration of your forwardness. Please excuse my behavior, dear. It's strange to me.” Melinda paused, then she straightened slightly and smiled kindly before she said softly: “I must say, I am very impressed, as well. Even with your current stress and difficulties, you're still maintaining your energies splendidly. Will you listen to an offer?”

Thorn nodded, looking at her with interest: admittedly, he was worried, anxious, frustrated, but also very curious and almost relieved to see Melinda here. It meant that to some extent or another, in spite of the control collar around her neck, Melinda was still able to act under her own free will. And of course, it wasn't every day that he received offers from legendary witches to learn something that could possibly make him useful again...

“Now, dear, it is I who am delighted and gladdened to have a student. Even if only briefly.” Melinda said kindly, before she sat down and asked: “How long will you be, darling? Oh, I know, it's a silly question to ask, isn't it? I'll just ensure that I last out the night: should we finish early, I'm sure I can make myself useful somewhere else.”

Melinda tilted her head slightly to the side as her horn gave a single gleam, and there was a strange sizzle of energy before she took on a strange, fuzzy transparency, smiling kindly as Freya blinked and Morning Glory scowled. But it was Burning who picked it up first, saying slowly: “You're not... really here anymore, are you?”

“In a manner of speaking I am, but I suppose in the most literal sense I am not, no.” answered the mare politely in muted tones, smiling as she bowed her head as her image fizzled in and out of reality. “I can't simply disregard my duties to Loki, as much as I might like to. So I will attend to those while I leave this, my shadow, here. It is a very useful parlor trick, but little more.”

“Yes, yes, oh of course. Nothing impressive about cross-dimensional illusions at all.” Burning Desire said wryly, before he cocked his head curiously and asked: “Or are you more than that? You seem almost like a simulacra... of sorts.”

“More, and less. 'Shadow' has always been the most appropriate word, I feel.” Melinda replied softly, shrugging a bit before she said gently: “But do not let me interrupt. I can maintain this for as long as necessary.”

“We're almost done.” Thorn answered as he shifted downward, breathing slowly out as he leaned forwards while sliding his foreleg behind himself. Freya and Morning Glory both moved at the same time with him, calm and silent, while Burning Desire only marveled over Melinda.

There was no rush, though, no hurry: Thorn took his time finishing the exercises with the others, and when he finally settled down to all three hooves, Melinda smiled at him before she said softly: “You're quite an interesting pony, Prince Thorn. I see that you're working hard on ensuring that you do not rush your tasks... a difficult thing, I understand, for someone who has likely been trained heavily in the philosophy of do-and-be-done.”

“We call it hurry up and wait.” Thorn answered politely, before he glanced back at Freya and Morning Glory, asking: “Will you excuse me? I will refrain from business as much as possible but I still need to speak to Melinda about a few sensitive matters.”

“Always so thoughtful, boy. We women truly appreciate that.” Freya said ironically, but Thorn didn't so much as look at her until Morning Glory shrugged, which made the Valkyrie smile slightly. “You are getting better.”

“A little.” Thorn gave a brief smile over his shoulder before he turned his eyes back towards Melinda, and she nodded to him.

“Anywhere you wish to go, I am fine with. I should even have enough strength to teleport us a short distance... but not across the continent, of course. That would be too revealing.” Melinda said, and Thorn nodded before he strode calmly towards her, the mare studying him silently before she said softly: “You walk with a grace and strength that befits your proud stature, Prince Thorn. Do not ever let anypony tell you otherwise.”

“I don't.” Thorn answered, and Melinda smiled at him before the stallion asked: “Would you mind walking while we talk? I think you'll enjoy Subterra.”

“It would be my pleasure, dear.” Melinda answered kindly, bowing her head in return, and Thorn gave her a brief smile before he led her out of the pagoda, the shadow of the mare strolling along at his side and remarking: “I see that you've been studying alchemical processes here.”

“We have nothing to do with this. Although we have traded information with Subterra in the past so we could manufacture our own empathy stones: they are very good for stabilizing demons.” Thorn replied, and Melinda chuckled.

“A bit of a misnomer, don't you think, dear? After all, it's not really the demons who need to be 'stabilized.'” Melinda remarked, and Thorn shrugged before she continued: “And I know who your parents are, and that they must have had something to do with this. I know it's a rather personal question, but how is your relationship with them? Do they take an interest in you? Are they kind to you, darling?”

“Of course.” Thorn glanced towards Melinda, before he added quietly: “They're supportive of me, in every way. What do you think of them?”

“Strange, but not so strange, really. In the past, relationships were not so... structured as they are in this day and age. No, that is a bad word for it, but so is 'pure' or even 'suppressed;' it was more that we followed our instincts as much as protocol and procedure.”

“So it was fine for a mare to sleep with a mare, but not stallions?” asked Thorn with a hint of a smile, and Melinda laughed, apparently not caught off guard by the quip.

“Encouraged, even! I do apologize again, dear, I don't mean to... stick a thorn in your hoof.” Melinda gave the slightest of smiles in return as she winked at the stallion, then she said in a softer voice: “Yes. We mares have always been lucky, you know: we are a very equal race, and we always have been. Stallions like to pose and pander to each other as if we mares have always been under hoof, but that is such silly posturing that we all know is far from true. Even if mares have been pressed towards genteel tasks, well... I know that I am not the only legendary witch.”

Thorn nodded briefly as they walked along, before he replied: “I try and avoid thinking in terms of gender politics. It's not productive from any angle.”

“I know. But I'm sure you know as well as I do, politicians hate to be productive. There's nothing to be gained from that.” Melinda answered, and then she smiled softly as they passed by several demons, who all nodded to them courteously, studying them with curiosity. “You can't pretend you aren't thrilled by this, dear. That you don't feel proud that you've been able to play some role in all of this.”

“I don't think we have. All of this was established well before my time: perhaps Decretum has had some role in helping to normalize these relationships, but Subterra was a project of my Móðer's, and what I celebrate is her achievement and the achievements of my heritage.” Thorn answered. “But I won't lie: Decretum emulates many of these concepts, although where I learned them from was... very different.”

“Helheim.” Melinda supplied, and Thorn nodded, unsurprised but curious. But the mare only shrugged before she said softly: “Well, some interests never die, you know. I've always been... dreadfully curious about Helheim. My research always came back to there: what was Helheim? What was Hell? Was it truly a plane of eternal torment? Or was it something more than just... a Tartarus where we tossed away our most undesired undesirables?”

“It is so much more.” Thorn said softly, before he glanced up in surprise as Melinda caught him by the shoulder, squeezing into it slowly as their eyes met: and even through the inconsistency of her shadow-body, Thorn felt the intensity of her strength.

“You hold ten thousand secrets inside you, Thorn Blackfeather. And you keep them so tightly, under lock and key, for which I cannot help but applaud you. Yet all the same, those secrets would make you a target for many others... include me, were I not so polite. And I must admit in past times, I was not as... well-versed in proper etiquette as I am now.”

“Then it's fortunate for me that you are.” Thorn replied evenly, looking back at the mare for a few moments before she smiled in amusement at him, shaking her head slowly.

“Your lack of fear might cost you one day.” Melinda said softly, before her eyes flicked towards his stump of shoulder and she added quietly: “No disrespect intended, of course.”

Thorn only nodded, and then the two looked up, watching as several Nightmares passed by through the air above, the creatures giving curious glances to the ponies below. After a few moments, Melinda smiled briefly, murmuring: “They wrote so many old poems and ballads about me, and about the things I did. But none of them were very right... even if the things I called to my own doorstep might certainly be called nightmares.”

The stallion glanced over at her, and then he asked: “And they're still with you?”

“Always. They're always with me. Even now, I'm not free of them, and I never will be, either.” Melinda paused, then shrugged before she said simply: “It is a good reminder.”

Thorn nodded again, and there was silence for a few moments before Melinda gestured towards the palace in the distance, asking: “May we walk there?”

“Of course.” Thorn gestured politely at her, before he said in the mildest of voices: “I would offer you my leg, but I appear to be a little short.”

“You're terrible, darling.” Melinda said in an amused voice, and then she shook her head as she fell in step beside him, the two walking along for a little while and both only taking in the sights, the sounds, the feeling in the air around them.

Finally, Melinda smiled as they reached the base of the mighty pyramid, asking: “So, Prince Thorn, you never are tempted to use your status to your advantage, even here?”

“Sometimes. But then I remind myself of why I'm here.” Thorn answered, and then he set a hoof on the staircase with a glance to the mare. “Did you want to see the rest?”

“I do.” Melinda said with a smile, and then she watched as the stallion calmly started up the stairs, following after a moment as she murmured: “I certainly am fortunate to have you as my gracious host.”

Thorn only smiled briefly over his shoulder at her: ten minutes later, the two reached the top of the staircase, and Melinda murmured: “My. It's all much more beautiful than I had expected. And this, I suppose... this is Nightmare Moon?”

“The Lady of the Moon, as she's called now. But yes, it is.” Thorn answered with a brief nod, glancing over the massive statue of his... other mother.

Melinda studied it with silent fascination for a few moments, and then she shook her head slowly before murmuring: “She's not a true Nightmare, though... that's a weak word for what she is. Passion, I imagine... similar to the things I called through...”

“By sprig of holly and thorn of oak?” Thorn asked mildly, and Melinda smiled slightly and gently tapped his shoulder, but the stallion only shrugged a bit before he asked: “How did you call the...'nightmares?'”

“Oh, very simple, Thorn. I simply invited them in: that's all magic is, you know. Making an offer to someone else that they can't refuse.” Melinda replied gently, and Thorn gave a brief smile before the mare turned her eyes back towards the statue, asking: “Would it be possible to meet her? I would dearly like to. Does your mother even realize what she's done, that this is the... apex of night magic?”

“She didn't do it alone. And this was what Nightmare Moon wanted, too.” Thorn replied quietly, and Melinda looked thoughtfully at Thorn, as the stallion smiled briefly over at her. “Nor did she summon the entity herself. Ignominious thought he was culling a spirit from Hell...”

“But he did not realize that the underworld and the beyond were two very different things. He didn't even realize the source that he tapped into.” Melinda chuckled softly, before she shook her head and said quietly: “Often, when we are young... when we have no idea what we are doing, and thus no concept of either... limitations or impossibility... it is then that we weave our greatest spells. We may not know how to speak properly through our magic, but we also... do not fear being rejected. And the things that we speak to often don't know how to say no.”

Thorn nodded slowly, before Melinda said quietly: “Prince Thorn Blackfeather, you can channel... I would estimate, a hundred bæns of energy. Your... dear friend, Moonflower-”

“My partner.” Thorn said, and Melinda smiled and bowed her head.

“Your partner.” she corrected herself, then continued: “I would say that he is capable of channeling upwards of... eight hundred thousand? Perhaps even a million. His potential is untapped and incredible. I doubt he understands it himself.”

“He thinks he does, but he still doesn't. His problem, of course-”

“Is control, yes. Control, and calling that power up.” Melinda gently touched her own chest, murmuring: “Our bodies can only handle a limited amount of energy coursing through them at all times. That is why those who are so blessed in magical prowess become... something a little different. But it is not the silly physical changes that are the greatest, but rather the inner transformation that is the most important. The ability to handle, and channel that energy effectively.”

Melinda smiled over at Thorn, and Thorn nodded slowly before the mare said softly: “Hexes are a different matter entirely. They are not about how powerful you are, but rather about how compelling you are. You are rather good at being an authority, Thorn: you are not intimidating, but merely... well, I do not have a better word than authority. You are respected. Listened-to. Obeyed and adhered. And even though I understand it has been tested in recent times, your will is as iron.”

Melinda studied the stallion for a few moments, and then she smiled slightly and said quietly: “No, I trust you not to abuse this power. And I give it to you, Thorn Blackfeather, perhaps partly in hope that when he is ready for it, Moonflower will be able to take on my teachings. Oh, do not get me wrong. I am honored to have you as my student. But I would be lying if I did not wish that... I could reach out to that child of the moon as well.”

“Child of the moon... fitting.” Thorn said softly, and then he nodded hesitantly before he looked up at the statue of Nightmare Moon, asking: “What did you have in mind, then?”

“Everything.” Melinda said simply, and Thorn frowned as he turned his eyes back towards her, but the mare smiled at him gently. “Oh, Thorn, you're not stupid. All unicorn magic, from the meekest light to the greatest explosion of power, it's all the same. It all starts the same, it's all fueled by the same, and they are silly to divide it up into... schools and classes and types as they do instead of teaching unicorns that... anything is possible. They just have to learn to apply themselves in the same way they do to their own magics.”

Thorn cocked his head, but Melinda only laughed, shaking her own and saying kindly: “Now, dear. If we start arguing about it we'll be here all night and we'll get nothing done. Let's focus back on what we came here for.”

Melinda flicked her horn gently, and an orb appeared in midair, floating silently: Thorn glanced at this, studying it for a moment before he said: “Interesting. It's made of condensed spirit energy, in such a way that standard magic or physical force can't affect it.”

“But a hex applied to it...” Melinda flicked her horn calmly, and the orb shone with a variety of colors before she turned her eyes back to Thorn, smiling softly. “The underlaying art to crafting a hex is a simple one. You are extending an 'offer' or an 'order.' For me, I much prefer to make offers, darling: dress anything up properly, and you can get anyone to accept anything. Orders are much harder: some people, no matter how fiercely you order them to, simply will never listen. For those, you will have to soften your hex into a request.”

“I don't understand.” Thorn said bluntly, looking at Melinda, and the mare smiled at him benevolently before she winked at him.

“You will, dear. You felt how I hexed you before: first, gather your energy, roughly... ten bæns' worth should do. Then you must covert that energy. There will be some loss in this process, dear, especially since you are a beginner, but you need only convert approximately a single bæn for the hex.” Melinda instructed, and Thorn nodded before he closed his eyes, then winced when Melinda gently tapped him on the shoulder. “No. Keep your eyes open at all times. You must look at your target, look into your target, even if it is merely a ball of spirit. That ball has no feelings, but it does have set emotions, dear.”

“Right.” Thorn murmured, staring at the floating ball of spiritual energy before he focused, then took a slow breath, gathering his energies. He shaped them carefully, then focused his magic, grimacing a bit as he muttered: “I've never been very good at redistribution of energy...”

“You're doing fine.” Melinda encouraged, before she added: “The hex we will work on today is the easiest. Simply change the emotions of the sphere, that is all. Shape it as an order. And remember not to focus it through your horn. It must come from you, reaching into it.”

Thorn nodded briefly, and then he took a slow breath before he leaned forwards, trying to focus in the way Melinda had told him to. It was difficult, though, especially with all the emotions twisting through him, all the anger and the hate and the fury and the sadness that was still boiling and roiling inside of him...

“You don't have to let it go, dear. The trick isn't in rising above all those pesky emotions, but in learning to embrace them. Anger manifests outwards purely because we try so hard not to feel it, after all.” Melinda said softly, and Thorn breathed slowly before she said quietly: “Use those emotions, as fuel. Understand them. Understand why. Then use them, let them fuel you, let them sharpen your will and resolve.”

Thorn narrowed his eyes as he focused in on the orb of spirit, his front hoof digging against the stone floor of the pyramid before he gritted his teeth, body flexing as he pushed the magic out-

Nothing happened, and Melinda clicked her tongue before she corrected, gentle but firm: “No, dear. This is where my hexes differ from your unicorn magic. Remember, you are not giving it to them, you are not pushing it towards them: you are ordering them to take it from you. Even more than you giving it to them, they must be the ones to take it from you. Don't you remember the hex?”

Thorn did, nodding once before he lowered his head slightly and murmured: “Alright. I'll try again.”

“Good.” Melinda smiled, before she stepped back and studied Thorn intently as he gathered his energies again: he took less and lost less in the conversion, this time, she noted... but of course, she wouldn't have been so eager to teach if she didn't expect the stallion to be an excellent learner.

Thorn kept his eyes on the target, breathing slowly in and out, feeling his emotions flow through him: as he concentrated his magic, he felt those emotions becoming riled up, felt his focus distorting, especially as he shaped that energy into the hex inside himself. More than that, his mind felt almost foggy, like the energy he was burning off was clustering his brain, making him lose focus and forget what he was supposed to be doing...

No. He remembered. He breathed slowly as he focused that energy into a spell... no, not a spell. A hex wasn't a spell, not in the way he knew it: that was why it was so hard to focus, so difficult to do, in spite of how little magic he was using as his eyes focused tightly on the orb...

Maybe that was the problem.

Thorn tried to lean away, tried to let go. He tried to simply breathe, and kept his focus on the orb as almost a secondary thing, something more out of circumstance than decision. He made himself aloof, even as he stretched out with that hex, but not too far...

He felt it: almost like tendrils of spiritual energy, stretching back, magnetized by the hex. It was hard, not to fling that energy straight at the orb, but to keep it steady, until the other energies accepted it... and then he simply let go.

The orb flashed a deep, low blue, and Melinda politely clapped for him, smiling softly as she murmured: “Excellent.”

“Not excellent. Difficult.” Thorn murmured, lowering his head and shaking it, his skull throbbing with pain, his heart pounding in his chest, the wild emotions twisting through him nearly making tears fill his eyes. And yet...

He reached up automatically, grasping his stump, and it felt dry, almost coarse. He frowned a bit, but Melinda only smiled before she said gently: “It's because those emotions came from a different source than the poison you have been allowing to ruin you for these last few days.”

Thorn looked at her sharply, and Melinda bowed her head as she said softly: “I spoke out of turn, dear, and for that I apologize. But I will not apologize for saying the truth, and something that, from the shame in your eyes, you know also to be true.”

“I do.” Thorn said after a moment, glancing down as he rubbed slowly at his leg, before he murmured: “I am going to do better.”

“I know, dear. You are doing better. Consider this one more tool in your arsenal to help you, because I do indeed care about you and your well-being, and not just because you happen to be the brother of dear Prince Thesis.” Melinda smiled at him kindly, and Thorn rose an eyebrow questioningly. “Well, of course. You're polite, cultured, and you excel with the tools you have... and I would hate to see a carpenter such as yourself let his skills rust because of a few silly follies.”

“Thank you, Melinda. You honor me.” Thorn said honestly after a moment, and Melinda chuckled quietly and waved a hoof dismissively before the stallion rubbed at his head and asked: “So hexing is more a... form than a specific spell, isn't it? I mean-”

“Yes, I understand what you mean, dear. Once you understand the basics, you can shape any effect you like into a hex, benign or malicious.” Melinda answered. “Of course, they call the opposite of a hex an 'enchantment' or a 'charm,' but that isn't actually correct: a hex is a hex because of its nature, not because of its effects.”

“But I suppose the more potent a hex, the harder it is to get someone to accept the 'offer.'” Thorn said softly, and Melinda smiled faintly.

“I wish that were true, dear, because it would have saved me a lot of trouble in the past. But sometimes, you never know who might be silly enough to accept a passing fancy... or who among your friends and enemies might desire, somewhere deep inside them, if only for a moment... to die.” Melinda quieted, then she shook her head and said softly: “I abused my gifts, terribly. Hexes, and Nightmares, and pure magical power... I used them all for the wrong things and the wrong ends.”

“You're trying to stop Loki from making the same mistakes.” Thorn paused for a moment, reading into the shadow of Melinda before he said slowly: “You knew it was never Thokk. You knew it was Loki from the start.”

“I did.” Melinda admitted with a small smile. “Not that it changes anything. Thokk, Loki, the Prime... aren't they all the same? Sad, disappointed little people, all of them looking for love in all the wrong places. All of them trying to find answers to the questions they've been too afraid to ask. I feel sorry for him. Even this, attempting to take on the entire universe, it's all just an extended act of running away.”

She paused, then smiled over at Thorn and continued: “No. I won't join your 'side' of the battle, because there are no real sides, not really. You know that if you need my aid, you need merely call on me... but I think I am more useful at Loki's side. To chastise him when he is cruel, to congratulate him when he is strong, to encourage him when he is smart. This cannot be ended by bloodshed. I think you know that, dear, now don't you?”

Thorn looked down quietly for a moment, then he nodded slowly before murmuring: “I trust you. You're also... testing us, aren't you?”

“I am. I want to see that this Orphanage is not just another immense ploy for power. I want to see that worlds like these...” Melinda gestured around at the beautiful, the magnificent, and the terribly dark Subterra. “Deserve to exist. That they are not merely another cycle of predator-and-prey, where for all the happiness in the air, the ponies are subjugated by the worst possible means: kindness, and love.

“I am many things, Thorn. Very few of those things are what is spoken of in legend.” Melinda smiled at him, kind and tender, and yet so serious, so unflinching, as she said: “I understand that things are the way they are for a reason now, whether or not I want to strive for better, whether or not I would love to see things taken to a better order... but the natural order is sometimes all we have to return to. I don't want to see the Void consume everything: I don't believe that is in anyone's best interests. I don't want to see these realities undone. I believe they exist for a reason. I believe that... more than simply protecting the core worlds, these realities have come into being so that we could have marvels like... like you, and like dearest Cadence, and like that mighty warrior, Brynhild. But these realities have caused such... trouble, too. Look at Helheim, chock-full of demons that wouldn't exist otherwise. Look at how great and far and cruel Hel's reach has become. Look at the gods: how many have lived, how many have died.”

Melinda paused, then smiled in amusement as she added curiously: “Look at you. Not in the slightest as to what I expected.”

“I could say the same.” said an even voice, and Thorn looked up in surprise as a tall figure approached them, striding calmly on two hooves, his white gloved hands laced together in front of himself. There was a strange jaunt in his step, but his ivory eyes were dead serious beneath his spiky blonde mane, a smile lingering on the lips of the horse-headed figure as he said softly: “Melinda, the Sky Witch.”

“Theophilius Carter, the Mad Hatter.” Melinda bowed her head low, then smiled when the Hatter suddenly dropped to his knees and slid forwards, sweeping up one of her hooves to kiss it delicately.

He looked up, remaining serious even as his body seemed to move of its own chaotic accord, flicking a handkerchief out of a pocket of his patchwork suit to begin polishing the hoof he had kissed, even as he said quietly: “Kvasir, at times like this. I've been keeping a close eye on things. Or at least, as close an eye as I can.”

“Yes, I've felt your presence now and then. Loki is very interested in meeting you, you know... although I fear that as the Prime, he has... unpleasant plans for you.” Melinda said delicately, and Kvasir gave a thin smile.

“Lord Kvasir, King of Valhalla.” Thorn bowed low, before he grimaced as Kvasir caught him under the chin and almost yanked his head up, shaking his head shortly.

“No, no, none of that. None of that.” Kvasir said quietly, and then he sighed as he sat back on his haunches, scowling a little as he absently brushed at himself. “I know that Hecate wants to meet with me. I know that your mother, Morgan, has also been looking for me. I need more time, though, and you know that I don't work well on the schedules of others.”

“Yes, Lord Kvasir. But you know I'm currently off duty at the moment. A substitute is standing in as regent and I'm trying to avoid business affairs.” Thorn replied, but Kvasir only smiled wryly at this before he reached up and tapped his own nose with a finger.

“Precisely. That's just why the Hatter wants to meet with you now.” Kvasir answered, and then he shook his head briefly before saying shortly: “But I'll have to keep our time brief, all the same. You know that the Hatter doesn't like to spend very long doing the same thing.”

Thorn sighed a little, but then he nodded briefly before asking finally: “What does the Hatter want to talk about?”

“Not the right question to ask.” Kvasir said softly, and Thorn frowned slightly before Melinda smiled and leaned forwards politely.

“I don't presume to know you, of course, and I don't at all presume that you would want to listen to me or negotiate with me. But I was very curious, Hatter, about all the places you haven't been.” she interrupted, and Kvasir gave a wry smile at this.

“She's good. But I sense you've been around chaos entities before.” Kvasir said with a meditative look over the mare, before he continued, enunciating his words slowly and carefully: “He hasn't been anywhere you haven't been, except for the place where he first came from. And you know he's been to all his favorite places: visiting Alice and the White Queen, and avoiding all the red... and to reiterate, he's been down the rabbit hole, where he first came from.

“And he's been a few of his least favorite places as well. Not because he wants to go there, but because for better or worse, he knows he has to take responsibility.” Kvasir continued, his eyes flicking between Thorn and Melinda. “It's interesting, how your... commander in chief has been in all the best and worst places in this universe during his search. He ran to the beginning, but he seems to be looking for the very end.”

Melinda only chuckled softly, bowing her head before she remarked softly: “Well, I'm sure you know even more about the Prime than I do, and he knows just about as much about us as we do about him. But not quite everything: every time you know everything about chaos...”

“It changes.” finished Thorn, the stallion nodding slowly, and Kvasir snorted dryly.

“You're not half as poetic as your father.” he said, and then he turned his eyes towards Melinda, studying her for a moment before he said quietly: “And you're not half as boring as he expected you to be, either.”

Melinda only shrugged and smiled in her cryptic way, answering cordially: “I don't want to impress anyone, dear. I only do my best to be myself.”

“I know that's a lot harder than it seems.” Kvasir muttered, before he straightened and looked at Thorn, saying shortly: “I can't maintain control for very long, but I can for brief periods. I won't guarantee that I can meet Hecate, but I will... do my best. Even Theophilius can respect the value of a promise.”

“Then promise.” Thorn responded equably, and Kvasir gave another of his thin smiles.

“You're as difficult as your parents.” he said, and Thorn didn't know if that was an insult, a compliment, or some combination of the two. “Very well. You have my promise. Our promise, if you want to be technical about it.”

Kvasir grimaced, then he rubbed slowly at his face before blurting: “A promise is a promise, unless it's made under duress! Then it's merely a contract, and we all know how easily those flimsy things shred!”

Thorn gazed with sympathy at the Mad Hatter, while Melinda chuckled quietly before she said softly: “That is true, my friend. But they can bind their victims oh so tightly as well, can't they?”

“Like snakes! Like... snakes.” Kvasir shivered, then shook himself and sighed, grasping at his top hat and tugging it down around his ears as he muttered: “It's very vexing being insane. I'm not quite sure how anyone does it. I feel myself slipping away and the Hatter taking over... I still don't even see how it's possible that he exists. That a simple mix-up could result in... this.”

“Well, that's exactly it with chaos, isn't it? It's not just what you're absolutely sure of... it's when you're absolutely sure it's not that the opposite tends to hold true.” Melinda murmured, before she asked quietly: “Did you make-believe Gymbr, or did he make-believe you?”

Thorn looked up sharply at this, but Kvasir chuckled dryly before he whispered: “I suppose that would be a point of some contention for those from the Void... but unfortunately, we're both... very real...”

Kvasir clenched his eyes shut, clutching at something beneath his silk shirt, before he gave what was almost a sigh... and then the Mad Hatter popped to his feet, firmly knocking his heels together before Theophilius Carter declared brightly: “Oh my! I'm ever so late for tea, I'm afraid. But lucky me, it looks like I have a few guests right here!”

The Hatter clapped his hands together, gazing between them warmly as Thorn grimaced, but Melinda cut in quickly and courteously: “As much as we would love to attend your tea party, I fear we are both a little underdressed, dear Hatter. By which I mean of course, that we are not dressed at all. That is not very suitable for tea, is it?”

“Nonsense! Tea is an activity that can be done clothed, naked, diligent or blind! You don't have to be just anyone to have tea, you know, and you don't have to make it a party or a panic!” declared the Hatter as he threw his arms wide, and Thorn smiled faintly as he looked up at Theophilius Carter: the madness of the Mad Hatter, the essence of chaos that had twisted Kvasir into its avatar.

“You look sad. Don't look so sad!” Theophilius said almost urgently, as he reached down and gently wiped a thumb under one of Thorn's eyes, making him grimace a bit. “There, isn't that better? A little irritation is good for irrigation. And you are a young flower, aren't you?”

“I'm me.” Thorn shrugged a bit, and then he asked: “Is there any way to speak to Kvasir?”

“Oh, of course! He's always listening.” Theophilius said kindly, tapping firmly on the end of his own snout several times before he clapped his hands together and said gently: “The problem is that you probably want to hear back from him, don't you? And that is not quite as possible... although never impossible, either! Not if you listen just right.”

Theophilius clapped his hands together, and then he flipped gracefully backwards and landed on his hands, grinning widely as he asked brightly: “So do you have time for tea?”

Thorn began to open his mouth, but Melinda reached out and touched his shoulder, saying softly: “There's always time for tea, Thorn Blackfeather.”

Thorn sighed a little, but then he nodded hesitantly, and Theophilius smiled brightly before he glanced back between his arms and mock shuddered at the sight of the statue, floating eerily in the air upside down as he hugged himself tightly. “But not in the sight of that statue! She might come to life and gobble us all up if she smells the sweets and the sultry and the scrumptiousness of our banquet! No, no, away, away, I know just the place to go!”

With that, the Hatter spun violently around and flipped rightside up, landing on one foot before he grinned and rose a hand to snap his fingers, and in a flash, the three were simply gone.

Foes From The Other Side

Chapter Seventy-Nine: Foes From The Other Side
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence scowled, standing calmly in town square with her long daggers at the ready, Trixie nervously tugging at the collar of her suit on one side of her and Starlight on the other, the two unicorns shifting apprehensively. The ivory mare's eyes flicked back and forth as the army of the dead slowly stumbled and shambled towards them, the mare muttering: “Stay calm.”

“Trixie is perfectly calm!” blurted the named mare, even as her knees shook and she stared with utter terror at the approaching horde. “Trixie is... perfectly calm!”

“Horses of Heaven, you remind me of Moonflower.” Cadence grumbled, before her eyes flicked towards Starlight Glimmer, who was only doing marginally better: the difference was that instead of freaking out, she was dead pale, her lip bleeding from how hard she had bitten into it, her eyes staring at the shambling monstrosities. “We're fine.”

“Perfectly fine!” Trixie parroted, and Starlight shook herself quickly before she forced herself to nod, shifting nervously back and forth before the blue unicorn moaned: “We're going to die.”

“We're... we're not going to die, Trixie, don't be stupid!” Starlight finally snapped, the mare grinding her teeth together before she mumbled, as if saying it would make it true: “We're not going to die.”

“We're not. Shut up, and let me handle this.” Cadence muttered without looking back, and then she stepped forwards as Mfalme Kuoza approached, the golem's eyes glowing ravenously, his puppet body still looking battered... but has it healed somehow? “In the name of Decretum, I order you to-”

“You will order nothing, wench!” roared Mfalme Kuoza as he reared back, his eyes flashing beneath his skull-shaped mask. “The power of Darkwater flows through me! The power of Bondye, the power of He Above-”

“Don't you go spoutin' that idioties!” La Croix snapped as he appeared in a sizzle of energy in front of Cadence, surprising her. “Bondye ain't no He Above! Bondye ain't nothin' but a trumped-up cocodril! He ain't no He Above!”

“What do you know, Loa? You're nothing but a disappointment.” hissed Mfalme Kuoza, and La Croix gave a bitter grin in response.

“I couldn't ask for a nicer compliment than that, comin' from you and yours.” growled La Croix in return, and Mfalme Kuoza snorted before the Loa asked quietly: “Don't you got no pride? Don't you got no sense of duty? I ain't gonna pretend you know the difference between right and wrong, monsieur, but even you gotta know that this ain't what we was built for.”

“Be quiet, leech. You don't know anything of the master's great plan. Of Bondye's designs. You abandoned it... not that you were ever good enough to take part in his designs anyway.” growled the golem, before he leaned slowly back and asked contemptibly: “So tell me, La Croix: if you are so proud of your duties these days, does that mean you're willing to sacrifice yourself? Why don't you let the Nzambi bring you home? I'm sure you'll be much better serving as a dog than you ever were as a messenger.”

La Croix shook his head slowly, and Mfalme Kuoza seemed to smile cruelly through his glowing eyes, whispering: “Good. Then we can spare the discussion. It is time for the culling. It is time for the killing.”

“No, it ain't. Not yet.” La Croix said firmly, and Mfalme Kuoza snorted before La Croix said softly: “We gotta play a game, first. You gotta give me a chance. I know you gonna cheat, and I know you gonna deny me if I win-”

“You won't win.” Mfalme Kuoza said disgustedly, but the golem nodded grudgingly all the same before he said contemptibly: “Very well. Choose your contest, La Croix. I will honor your diversion. And oh...”

Mfalme Kuoza grinned coldly, and Cadence's eyes widened as she heard something shatter, grasping at the satchel hanging on her side as the golem said contemptibly: “Your charms will not avail your friends. Do you really think such a weak gris-gris could protect these pathetic fleshsacks? Or did you think that weak magic was best to protect the weak-minded?”

Mfalme Kuoza laughed harshly, before Trixie blurted: “The Great and Powerful Trixie is... is Great and Powerful, not weak and... minded! We... we are the-”

“You are worthless, fleshsack.” Mfalme Kuoza said contemptibly. Trixie twitched and glared at the golem, her horn beginning to glow as pride pushed her to step forwards even through her terror, but Starlight Glimmer thankfully slipped sideways and seized the mare, muttering to her as she pulled the unicorn backward and calmed her down.

“Hey, your problem be with me. As a matter of fact, I be your problem.” La Croix growled, before he added sharply: “Bourré. We play to win, obviously.”

“Obviously.” Mfalme Kuoza said distastefully, and then he said contemptibly: “Pebbles for the pot. Set limit. Three stones each.”

“Fine with me.” La Croix smiled thinly as he produced a pack of cards from seemingly nowhere. “Get me some rocks.”

Mfalme Kuoza rolled his eyes, but as he lowered his head to conjure up some pebbles, La Croix whispered urgently to Cadence: “Ten minutes. Find a mirror.”

Then La Croix looked back up as Mfalme Kuoza rose his head, six eerie green pebbles appearing as he said softly: “One pebble, one round. Shall we, La Croix?”

“I'll deal. I don't trust a snake in the grass like you.” La Croix said shortly, and Mfalme Kuoza snorted in contempt before he quickly drew a circle in the earth, tossing two green stones into this, and two to La Croix, while the zebra deftly doled out a hand of cards to himself and the golem.

Several Nzambi had come forwards to watch the game with a strange intensity, but Cadence didn't allow herself to focus on this, stepping back and saying quickly to the two unicorns accompanying her: “Find a mirror. A big one, a small one, I don't care. Just find one.”

“Carousel Boutique!” blurted Starlight Glimmer, and then she saluted before grimacing and saying quickly: “I'm on it. I'll be back in a moment!”

With that, the mare turned and rushed off, and Trixie winced before Cadence said quietly: “Fine, then you report back to Thesis that La Croix is...” She glanced at the game, then scowled as Mfalme Kuoza gave a chuffling laugh as he swept the pebbles over to himself. But La Croix immediately started to argue, and the golem snarled before spitting some insult back in the same strange dialect, Cadence giving a grim smile at the sight. He might not be perfect, but... “He's buying us the time he can.”

Trixie flinched, then turned and rushed off towards the library as Cadence turned her eyes back forward. La Croix certainly did his best to draw the game out, but even before Starlight returned from wherever she'd gone, La Croix was sweating and Mfalme was waiting eagerly for the zebra to show his cards.

Suddenly, the Loa threw down his cards and declared: “You cheatin'!”

“Cheating? No, you're just playing nice for some reason, La Croix. I don't know if it's because we didn't set any stakes, or if it's because you think you can get me off guard. What are you playing at?” Mfalme asked mockingly, and La Croix took a breath before he looked up grimly.

“I be willing to go with you to Bondye, but you leave everyone out of this.” he said bluntly, and Cadence's eyes widened in surprise. But after a moment of staring at the Loa incredulously, Mfalme Kuoza only laughed, loud and cruel.

“Is that what we were playing for? Because I ain't interested in such a petty pot, La Croix.” he growled, leaning forwards as his eyes gleamed with madness and malign magic. “You had a chance to surrender long ago, little Loa, and let it all be over. Now, you're gonna hurt. You're gonna lose everything. Everything and everyone you've ever touched, we're gonna take it all away from you.”

Mfalme Kuoza leaned forwards, smiling callously before he mocked: “But I'll tell you what. You play your cards, and I'll kill you first instead of last. You can go home to Bondye and Darkwater and watch from the comfort of the bayou as your friends come marchin' in to join you. The least I can do for you.”

“So generous, mon ami.” La Croix smiled thinly, and then he tossed his cards carelessly down as he growled: “I gotta ask, Mfalme Kuoza... when's the last time you looked at yourself in the mirror? 'Cause you done gotten real ugly since the last time we met.”

Mfalme Kuoza snarled at him, and then La Croix whistled loudly and held up a hoof, shouting: “That be your cue, madame!”

A circular mirror came whistling seemingly out of nowhere, shooting past Mfalme Kuoza's head, and the golem's eyes flashed with shock before he snarled in fury, snapping his horn towards La Croix. But the Loa had already caught the mirror, bringing it up like a shield, and the dark magic of the golem smashed into the glass and shattered it, leaving sparkling bits of broken mirror hanging in the air for a moment before they were suddenly, violently sucked backwards, into a horrific rip in reality that was somehow contained within the frame of the broken glass.

Mfalme Kuoza shouted in fury and fear as he reared back, scrambling wildly at the ground and trying to shove himself away as the Nzambi who had gathered to watch the game all immediately turned to try and bolt, but too late: they were caught up in the whipping, wild tides of force as Cadence stared in shock, their bodies yanked up into the air as if in a cyclone, spinning violently around and around before fleshy corpses were limply tossed aside as the evil spirits of the Nzambi were torn free, then sucked down into the rift-space in the mirror frame.

Magic crackled through the air as Mfalme Kuoza fought against the current of power, struggling to yank himself backwards even as his skull mask was wrenched off his face, revealing a horrific, half-rotted zebra that had ugly charms sewn throughout its flesh, the the living puppet's eyes glowing with hate and malice as its claws grabbed uselessly against the ground and it roared in fury: “La Croix!”

“This ain't my fault! This be yours, Mfalme Kuoza! This be the cost of Bondye's magic, of taking what we once were and turnin' it all against ourselves! Evil don't make nothin' but more evil!” La Croix shouted as he struggled to hold up the mirror, gritting his teeth as he pushed it towards the golem even as his own body shuddered, cape whipping around him and hat barely staying perched on his head. “And one day... we all gotta pay our dues!”

“It will not be today!” roared Mfalme Kuoza, although his body boiled with what was almost desperation before he snapped his horn forwards, and La Croix gasped as the mirror was knocked out of his hooves before the brittle frame shattered, pieces of cheap metal and glass hailing down around him as the unnatural vortex that had been caught within the mirror simply sparked out of existence.

“La Croix!” Mfalme Kuoza's sunken eyes blazed as he dropped forwards, baring his fangs at the zebra as veins pulsed visibly through his almost-skinned features. “La Croix, I will claim your head and present it to Bondye as-”

La Croix yanked a bottle out from beneath his cape and flung it into Mfalme Kuoza's face, and the golem screamed as the potion exploded into eerie green flames that immediately covered him, staggering and stomping wildly back and forth as the Loa spun around and bolted, shouting: “Now would be a great time to get doin'!”

Cadence nodded shortly as she leapt forwards, swinging up her daggers to ready positions before Trixie and Starlight Glimmer appeared on either side of her, both mares posed in ready positions in spite of the sheer terror they were emanating as Trixie squeaked only a little louder than the hum of magic coming from her horn: “Trixie won't let you... take another step!”

“We'll do whatever it takes to stop them!” Starlight added firmly, her own horn glowing with magic before she muttered: “Although this would be a lot easier if I could control them at all...”

“Pah, Trixie does not need control! Trixie is Great, and Powerful, and will... blow them all up with her Great and Powerful magic!” Trixie shouted, and then she snapped her horn out and sent a blast of force straight into Mfalme Kuoza.

The golem was knocked staggering back a few steps, but the most that the spell did was knock the remaining green fire loose from the golem's body, splattering uselessly over the ground as the monster looked up with a snarl of fury. His eyes flashed, and then he reared back and roared something in a guttural language, and the horde of undead behind him immediately began to shamble forwards, walking corpses moaning and crying out in misery as they shambled around the golem.

“Kill them! Break their bodies and make their wills weak! Take them over and turn them on their friends, make them watch as you force them to choke the life from the miserable meatsacks they call family!” Mfalme Kuoza snarled, and Cadence gritted her teeth as the Swan roiled angrily inside of her.

She checked quickly back over her shoulder, and saw La Croix was setting up some kind of protective ward, the mare ordering immediately: “Trixie, Starlight, fall back and help La Croix! Don't use stunning spells, you have to be willing to kill!”

Trixie's eyes widened slightly at this, and Starlight grimaced and gritted her teeth, leaning away. But Cadence didn't have the time to coddle or reassure them as she spun around, feeling the Swan's powers tingling through her body before she lunged at the surging horde.

Her knives slashed back and forth, glowing white as they cut into bodies and slashed through spiritual energy, the walking corpses her blades pierced collapsing like dead wood. Cadence zigzagged through the crowd, teeth and hooves uselessly scratching against her armor before she leapt up into the air, a shockwave of force emanating from her body and knocking puppeted corpses sprawling as she twisted her body into a dive towards Mfalme Kuoza-

The golem stomped viciously down, and a blast of green, toxic energy smashed into Cadence's back and knocked her flat before she gasped as she felt some immense force pinning her, some half-formed, malicious spirit flickering in and out of reality as it ground a huge, elephantine foot down on her back. “Mbwa jike!”

The monster stormed towards her, but Cadence snapped a hoof forwards, flinging one of her daggers at the monster, and the golem hissed in frustration as the glowing white blade sliced against his side, metal peeling and blackening where the dagger managed to bite as it shot past, Mfalme Kuoza glaring after the knife.

The sense of pressure from the spirit lightened with the golem's distraction, and Cadence shrugged her body forwards, her rifle rolling over her shoulder and into her hooves before she quickly took aim as Mfalme Kuoza turned back towards Cadence, and the golem had a moment to look surprised before the ivory mare pulled the trigger.

A silver stake hammered into the golem's face and knocked him flopping backwards, crashing and rolling through his own surging ranks of undead, and the spirit crushing Cadence into the ground vanished in a fizzle of energy. The mare immediately leapt up to her hooves, but then swore as undead attempted to grasp her from either side, slamming the butt of her rifle into the face of one before she shoved the barrel down the throat of another and pulled the trigger.

The spray of gore almost made it worth handling this toy of a weapon, Cadence grinning wryly before her eyes widened as the corpses around her suddenly began to bloat up, glowing with lethal green energy as Mfalme Kuoza roared: “Die a thousand deaths, mbwa jike!”

Cadence shielded herself with her wings as they glowed white a moment before the walking dead around her exploded in violent bursts of green energy and toxic gases. Mfalme Kuoza grinned cruelly at this, leaning forwards eagerly as black blood bled slowly around the stake buried halfway through his face, before he saw the flash of white a moment too late.

Daggers of white energy streaked out of the cloud of poison, hammering across his chest and body and driving him backwards with a howl of misery as Cadence flapped her wings hard, clearing as much poison mist as she could as she stumbled to the side, coughing and gagging. Her body was badly burnt by the corrosive magic, but she could feel herself already healing, the Swan's unnatural regeneration rejecting the poisons of the puppet of Bondye as she snarled: “I am so sick of dealing with assholes like you!”

Mfalme Kuoza looked up with a hiss, baleful green light shining out of the thin holes that Cadence's magic had punched in his body as he roared: “I will burn you, burn you alive! Burn your spirit and your body!”

Cadence responded by raising her rifle and shooting the golem in the face again, and Mfalme Kuoza was knocked skidding backwards with a howl of pain, shaking his head violently back and forth before he snarled in fury, but the ivory mare only smiled thinly at the sight of the spike buried through the Loa's forehead. “It's a good look for you. Asshole.”

The golem's eyes flashed before a pair of massive, animalistic spirits appeared on either side of him, translucent and eerie emerald, the monster hissing some command to them that sent them both charging at Cadence. But the ivory mare didn't flinch, waiting for the last moment before she sharply flung her rifle up into the air, then snapped out a throwing knife with either hoof, white streaks ripping through the spirits – and embedding in unfortunate, stumbling undead beyond – to send both of the bestial shapes staggering off to the side with silent howls.

And as her rifle fell, Cadence leapt forwards and caught it, flapping her wings once to boost herself a little higher as she took aim-

A serpent of green energy streaked down from the air, smashing across the mare and knocking her crashing painfully into the ground. Her shot went wild, hammering into the crowd of undead instead of Mfalme Kuoza, who flinched to the side all the same at the shot before he hissed: “Worthless witch, I'll-”

“Cygne! Cover your eyes!” La Croix shouted, and Mfalme Kuoza looked up before he howled in pain as a glass bauble smashed into his face and exploded in a blinding flash of magnesium. He waved a foreleg back and forth wildly as he shouted in wordless fury, before Cadence gasped as she felt something sharp pierce into the back of her neck, one of her eyes twitching before she gritted her teeth almost hard enough to crack them when a rush of adrenaline and energy pumped through her system.

She shoved La Croix violently away, and the Loa winced as he quickly withdrew his hornet needle from her neck, the thin syringe withdrawing into the bracer with a click as he said urgently: “We gotta take him down fast!”

“Don't stick me with your goddamn needles!” Cadence shouted, letting the anger take over, the Swan writhing inside of her with a mix of irritation and amusement that confused itself. Great. No time to deal with that. Focus on... everything else. “Look, La Croix, I can handle this-”

Mfalme Kuoza chanted some awful, arcane spell, but Cadence was ready, spinning to intercept his magic with her blade as it jumped to her hoof, several sharp slashes of her long dagger deflecting the blasts of green malignancy off to either side. La Croix immediately took the chance it presented, flinging a potion into the golem's face, and Mfalme Kuoza howled as the bottle exploded and doused him with some kind of potent acid, his features melting rapidly away as he staggered backwards and screamed: “Malaya! Wahuni! I will-”

“Oh, taisee toi, connard!” La Croix snapped, and then he swept a packet out of his cape before snapping it open, a blast of black dust washing over the golem and paralyzing the half-melted, miserable wretch. “Cygne! Tear out his heart!”

Cadence leapt forwards, letting herself move on instinct, snapping her dagger out in one fluid, dropping motion that tore open the metal chest of the golem-beast before her other hoof punched savagely forwards, piercing the breast of the monster and seizing on something inside that writhed, and twisted, and bucked wildly-

Cadence yanked it backwards, then swore in frustration as the hideous organ exploded before she could even pull it completely free, poison splattering over her face and body and making her snarl in pain as she wildly shook herself out. But even as she stumbled away, the puppet collapsed in a broken, useless heap as a ghastly spirit floated hurriedly backwards, glaring at them furiously with empty, hollow eyes, the emaciated zebra spirit rasping something in a guttural language that Cadence didn't understand...

But La Croix apparently did, smiling thinly as he growled: “Oh, that be just fine. Tell Bondye that I be waiting for him here. He can do whatever the hell he damn well pleases, and I'll meet him and deal with it. Tell him if he half the god he thinks he is, he can meet me hisself, and we'll settle this, Loa to Orisha.”

The ghastly spirit rose higher in the air, stretching its forelegs out to either side, making the bodies of the undead shudder around it, but Cadence felt the Swan seize hold of her before Danzsöngr calmly rose a hoof, saying coldly: “We do not take insolence lightly.”

The Swan flicked her hoof, and there was a brief song of metal through the air before the spirit above twisted violently as one of Cadence's long daggers ripped through its foreleg, shooting back to Danzsöngr's grip. Mfalme Kuoza screamed silently as he spasmed in the air, clutching helplessly at the stump of foreleg that was all that was left behind, bleeding spiritual energy before he vanished from sight as La Croix winced.

But there was little time to celebrate, as the undead that had previously been milling past instead began to turn inward. Even as the corpses became almost lethargic with their master gone, they swarmed forward relentlessly, but La Croix quickly grabbed another sack of powders and herbs out of cape, shoving it down into the ground to pop it open before he spun around in a circle, tracing a crude spiral around himself that repelled the undead, leaving them milling uncertainly around him as he called: “Cygne! Cygne!”

“They will not touch me.” Danzsöngr said quietly, and inside her, Cadence shuddered as they looked back and forth as one: as one... whatever they were among the throngs of the walking dead, zombies brushing past her, grasping at her occasionally, but never trying to pull her down, never trying to bite into her, never clawing or scratching... “Why?”

“I... I dunno. Look, the Nzambi can still puppet 'em. But with that connard gone, those bêtes gonna lose interest in where they was s'posed to go and instead they'll just wander 'round 'til they get too tired to, or until every link with Darkwater be closed.” La Croix said pointedly, and Cadence nodded a few times as she felt the Swan gently lapsing control back to her, the mare studying the daggers in either hoof for a moment before she spun them once and tucked them back into her holsters.

“Okay. We'll clean up the Nzambi. That should do it.” she said, sounding a thousand times more certain than she felt, and La Croix gave a wry smile.

“Oui. Should.” he agreed, and then he sighed a little as a zombie pressed into the invisible wall surrounding him, the corpse staring at him mournfully as he murmured: “Bondye... I can't believe we all done fallen so far. I can't believe I ever trusted you. I can't believe...”

La Croix quieted, then he smiled briefly in the direction of Cadence, but the mare was already gone, leaving the Loa standing silently among the sea of living corpses to reflect on everything he had done, and whether or not there was anything he could ever do to make up for all of it.

Overall, Thesis reflected, it had gone very well. Sure, the entire town was covered in rotting corpses, and there were a few zombies still wandering around here and there, but they were about as dangerous as drunken diamond dogs: dangerous if they got their teeth into you, in other words, but too slow and dumb to manage that unless you walked right into one.

Trixie and Starlight Glimmer had the unenviable job of cleaning up these dregs, while ponies had formed uncomfortable 'cleanup crews' that were dragging piles of corpses away to be cremated. Many ponies were understandably upset and work was progressing slow, but that was okay: even if they were terrified and shellshocked and disgusted, they were functioning, on some level. They were responding, as best they could. That was more than Thesis could have asked for.

They had protected the townsfolk, although there had been a half-expected ambush: while the zombie horde had marched on them, evil spirits had attempted to attack from below, taking on the form of both goblinoid monsters and possessing debris and furniture to hurl heavy objects around the room and form beasts out of everyday objects.

After Mfalme Kuoza had been destroyed, however, many of the evil spirits had fled. Thesis figured it was less because the main conduit for Bondye's powers had been defeated, and more cowardice than anything else: when the forces of Bondye had met with actual resistance, their ferocious attacks had quickly devolved into belligerent rioting, and then weak, unfocused aggression that involved a lot more running away than trying to press forward.

There had been a few injuries: when you were dealing with poltergeists, it was hard not to have injuries, Thesis reflected, especially in a room full of ponies. But they had done their best and Thesis could be proud of how they had handled themselves, all of them. Even if La Croix had kind of abandoned his post and Cadence had gone against his direct orders and attempted to take on the entire goddamn zombie horde by herself.

He chuckled quietly to himself, then shook his head slowly before he turned his eyes towards the white stallion sitting nervously nearby with a wry grin, his two tone blue mane disheveled, his eyes constantly, nervously flicking over to where Cadence was currently grumpily polishing her rifle. “Hey. You don't have to look so worried. Your guys are good, right?”

Shining Armor smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head before he said bluntly: “The town is littered with body parts and uh... my...”

Shining Armor slowly looked towards Cadence, before he hurriedly turned away when Cadence's eyes flicked up from her rifle, and Thesis said mildly: “Your not-wife. Don't worry. Everyone feels a little weird the first time they see a parallel of someone they know. Sometimes it's even harder than when you see another version of you.”

“Yeah. It's a lot to take in.” Shining Armor murmured, and then he cleared his throat before he gave an awkward smile, saying finally: “I've uh... never met a Prince Thesis before, though, I'm not aware of any Prince Thesis in Equestria, either, unless... you're from Saddle Arabia or...”

He fell into awkward quiet, but Thesis only shook his head and glanced down at one of his hooves, saying softly: “It's a long story. We're here to help, though.” The Replicant paused for a moment, then glanced up and asked mildly: “What took you so long, though? I figured that we must have tripped some kind of alarm the moment we got here.”

“The first line of response is the Special Investigation Team.” Shining Armor defended lamely, and then he awkwardly looked towards Trixie and Starlight Glimmer, who were both moaning and grumbling and generally trying their best not to cooperate as Twilight made them fill out immense stacks of forms. “Okay, look, they're good at what they do. And in the past it's never been anything: blips on the radar, short investigations that have come up with a lost pony or two. Even you have to admit that undead hordes are a little not-normal. Even if my sister is involved.”

“I heard that!” Twilight shouted, and Shining Armor grinned awkwardly and waved at her lamely, blushing a bit as all the many eyes clustered in the library stared at him.

“You uh. Would not want to experience my normal.” Thesis said delicately as he balanced a pencil on his muzzle, tilting his head back slightly as he rested back in his seat, and Shining Armor scowled at him before the Replicant gestured absently at the exoskeleton grafted into his back. “I have a literal engine keeping me moving. I'm powered by explosions.”

“You are not powered by explosions. You're just an ass.” Cadence grumbled, and the stallion put a hurt look on his face, but the mare only cocked an eyebrow moodily at him as she continued to slowly polish her rifle. “Look. Hecate gave you one job-”

“Yeah, well, it's hard to do my one job when you kind of keep ignoring me and just running into battle against the literal army of literal zombies.” Thesis said blandly, and the ivory mare's scowl deepened even further as Shining nervously slid himself a little away from Thesis.

But to his surprise, Thesis suddenly spun towards Cadence and became serious, saying quietly: “Everything worked out. I trust you, Cadence, to make the right decision. You and Danzsöngr both. But I need you to listen to me all the same.”

Cadence felt strangely reprimanded. She didn't want to admit it, but she did, as she scowled a little and dropped her head before shrugging grouchily. But then La Croix popped in between the two, saying quickly: “It was my fault, mon ami, so don't be blamin' Cygne none. 'Sbad enough you gone and told everyone who she is, you don't need her mad at you 'bout takin' the fall for me, either.”

“She's a commanding officer. And seriously, La Croix.” Thesis let himself half-hang over the back of his chair, huffing a bit. “I know what I'm doing here. But what all of you guys still have to learn is that as hard as she is on you, Cadence is also the one who bears all the responsibility for what you guys do. You might think she treats you guys mean sometimes, but believe me, I'm sure Mom's even tougher on her than she is on you.”

“Your mother is mean.” Moonflower said plaintively, and Thesis shrugged and smiled amusedly over at the unicorn, but he was admittedly encouraged and a little relived when Moonflower added quietly: “But I understand why she is the way she is. Still... I think we're all grown up enough to accept responsibility for our actions. Cadence has dealt with us long enough.”

He smiled over at the mare, and Cadence smiled back before Moonflower added helpfully: “Also, La Croix is an irritating stripehorse and I vote we just send him back to... make a stew out of this Bondye or whatever it is that his irritating stripehorse kind does to those nasty lobster things in the marshland.”

“Oh, ta guele, rein de la nuit. For one thing, he be a cocodril, not a crawdad. For another, it be the bayou, not the 'marshland,' you pédé.” La Croix retorted, and Cadence slowly closed her eyes as she resisted the temptation to knock their heads together.

“Perhaps for now we should try and rest and recuperate. We'll have plenty of time for discussion along the way, and I'm sure it won't be long before we leave.” Sombra interrupted diplomatically, and Cadence sighed a little, but then smiled wryly and nodded.

“Daddy's right.” she said, ignoring the double-take this earned from Shining Armor. “Once cleanup's done here and we've determined there aren't any other threats, we should leave with Captain Armor for Canterlot. We'll have to be prepared for ambushes along the way...”

Cadence hesitated, then shook her head before she muttered: “Melinda was here, and that Mfalme Kuoza was stronger than I expected, but... I don't think either of them were the force I felt trying to look through the Astra.” She looked down at her foreleg, flexing it slowly as she tilted it back and forth, studying the faint corrosion burns still tingling along it. “If that puppet thing shows up again, though, I'll try and eliminate him immediately. His poisons don't seem to affect me enough to do anything permanent.”

“Uh, actually, Cygne, the only reason you ain't dead... y'know, again... is because I injected you with an antitoxin.” La Croix said helpfully, and Cadence blinked and stared at La Croix with surprise, but the Loa only grinned wryly and shrugged awkwardly. “Hey, I don't want you dyin' or nothin' again when there ain't no need to. But you... you gotta be careful, hear? Nah, we Darkwater types ain't nearly a match for you warriors of Valhalla... but we a lot more sneaky and cunning.”

“Just like a stripehorse.” Moonflower said softly, and La Croix gave him a dry look before the black unicorn hesitated, then he added almost impulsively: “And I don't think you can fight Melinda, Cadence. I... I don't mean any disrespect, of course, but she's... well... she's a bad matchup for... your kind.”

“My kind now. Hitting all the elitism buttons today, huh?” Cadence asked sourly, but she knew that Moonflower was right: she couldn't kill a Voidborn fast enough to negate Melinda's awesome magical abilities... and I don't think we've even seen what she's truly capable of yet. “Well, you better be ready to fight her, then.”

“I'm not fighting her!” Moonflower sounded almost horrified, leaning back in shock. “Me? Fight the Melinda the Sky Witch, the legend, the most powerful mare to ever live?”

“Aren't you supposed to be the most powerful stallion to ever live?” Cadence asked dryly, as La Croix grinned behind a hoof and Thesis waggled a hoof at her, but she pointedly ignored him as Moonflower looked back and forth like an animal in a cage. “Well?”

“I... I'm... me!” he blurted lamely, then he dropped his head and mumbled: “Cadence, I'm just me. I can't deal with that kind of magic.”

“Well, do not be afraid, for Trixie the Great and Powerful is here to train you!” suddenly declared the blue mare, as she leapt out of her seat and then nearly crashed to the ground on her face. She barely managed to catch herself, turning her fall into an awkward, quick hop over to stallion, who stared at her blankly. “Yes, Trixie the Great and Powerful! Why, she may be even more powerful than this Merlinda!”

“Melinda.” Moonflower corrected grumpily, before he winced when Starlight Glimmer appeared on his other side in a poof of magic.

“Well, Trixie may be a lot of things, but you know she did once defeat the Twilight Sparkle in a contest of magic.” Starlight Glimmer said encouragingly, although Moonflower only looked dubious at this as Twilight smiled in amusement from where she was sitting across the library, finishing up the reports for the unicorns. “And you know, I once... well... I was the student of Twilight Sparkle. I'm extremely well versed in every kind of magic imaginable.”

“Between us, how could you lose?” Trixie asked with an arrogant grin, and Moonflower cracked a slight smile in spite of himself as Cadence shook her head slowly.

He was spared having to answer by a knock at the door, however, and a moment later a gray-maned mare nervously opened the door and leaned in, saying awkwardly: “We've... finished most of the cleanup operations, and all the townsponies are accounted for and everything seems to be uh, secure...”

Twilight nodded, then she turned her eyes towards Shining Armor, saying: “Okay, I think I can handle it from here. If you want to talk them to Canterlot, that sounds like it would be best.”

“Uh... yeah.” Shining Armor rubbed lamely at his head, before he grimaced a bit when Trixie and Starlight both shoved their hooves into the air, saying tiredly: “Yes, I know. Special Investigations Team is responsible, we're just the escort. God, I wish I didn't come back from the Crystal Kingdom for this.”

“Well, we all need to work together right now, right?” Twilight encouraged as she approached her brother with a smile, and Shining sighed before he nodded with a small, grudging smile of his own in return. Then he winced when Twilight spun away, shouting in a voice that Cadence thought was far too cheerful for the situation they were in: “Okay, everypony! Let's band together and get going! There's still lots to do and lots to explore!”

There was an assortment of sarcastic cheers and grumbles that Twilight seemed oblivious to, and Cadence sighed a little before she looked moodily over at Thesis, saying finally: “You're the boss.”

“Nah. But I'll pretend for a little while.” Thesis shrugged a bit, then he hopped to his hooves and said quickly: “Escort formation. Diverge and mix, we're with acting allies.”

Sombra nodded, but La Croix and Moonflower both looked confused; with a roll of her eyes, Cadence translated shortly: “Walk nicely with the others.”

“I knew that!” Moonflower blurted, before he squawked as Trixie and Starlight sandwiched him from either side, making him flail helplessly as he glared between the mares.

“We'll talk as we walk! The Great and Powerful Trixie is capable of doing many things at once, you know! No pony is more capable of handling multiple tasks at once as she is!”

To Cadence's surprise, while Shining Armor took the lead, he left most of his Royal Guard behind to help secure and clean up the town: two soldiers followed behind them, but most of the escort was made up of Twilight's friends. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack... and of course the eccentric mares in suits, who were rambling away to Moonflower in the middle of the group. Cadence just hoped they were half as good at magic as they were at talking and boasting.

Her father was trailing near the rear of the group with Thesis, while Cadence was near the front with La Croix, who was looking nervously around as he chewed on his lower lip. Cadence frowned at him as the group walked –loitered, by her standards – slowly down the road, asking quietly: “What is it?”

“Just... somethin' in the air. That be all.” La Croix muttered, shaking his head briefly as his eyes wandered back and forth apprehensively. “Mfalme Kuoza, he ain't no bon ami. But there be worse cocodrils than him in the bayou, and I ain't just talkin' 'bout Bondye, neither.”

Cadence nodded slowly, grimacing a bit before she called to Shining Armor: “Hey, you want to pick up the pace?”

Shining mumbled something awkwardly, and Cadence sighed before Rarity asked kindly: “Oh, darling, what's your hurry? There's no need for such a gorgeous mare to rush!”

Rarity fluttered her eyelashes at her with a wide smile, and Cadence leaned slightly away before Rainbow Dash said grumpily: “You need to stop flirting with all the crazy mares.”

“What? What are you talking about, dear? I would never!” Rarity gasped in exaggerated tones, before she added with indignation so exaggerated it almost came across as sincere: “And furthermore! She's not a 'crazy' mare! I know crazy, Rainbow Dash, and she certainly isn't it!”

“I didn't say it was a bad thing, did I? But you are crazy, mare.” Rainbow said mildly, and Cadence grunted and shrugged a bit before the Pegasus added, as she glanced apprehensively towards the horizon. “Storm's moving in, too. I don't remember one being scheduled for today...”

Cadence smiled wryly: she'd almost forgotten how the Pegasi controlled the weather of Equestria, how everything was so tightly maintained... I guess it's easy to forget that maybe Decretum isn't quite that different after all. But... “That could be a bad sign. What do you think, La Croix?”

“Don't like water. But a lot of the more étrange of Bondye's servants find the dark real preferable to the light of day.” La Croix muttered, even as he glanced almost warily up at the sky. “We ain't at our best when it be real bright out.”

“Yeah, the walking corpses during the day thing is still really creepy, but not nearly as bad as if it happened at night.” Rainbow agreed, and Cadence glanced mildly at the Pegasus, wondering if she was trying to impress them or really just had that much trouble keeping her mouth shut. Then again, Rainbow's boasting was far preferable to awkward flirting from Rarity. “Hey, we really should pick up the pace!”

“We're fine. I don't know what's going on ahead, but we better not rush. Give the Pegasi around Canterlot a chance to break up that... whatever it is.” Shining Armor reasoned, and while it did make sense...

“Let's pick up the pace a little, keep your eyes open for ambush. Moonflower!” Cadence shouted over her shoulder, and the stallion and his mare cohorts visibly flinched. “I want you scanning the perimeter as we move! Stop giggling with your girls and get to work!”

Moonflower blurted something, but it went ignored as Cadence began to stride faster, Shining Armor wincing and falling into a trot to try and stay ahead of the quick march of the mare as he said awkwardly: “You know, uh, technically we're supposed to be the ones escorting you, and-”

“And if I wanted I could punch your face out your ass.” Cadence grumbled, and Shining stared at her as Rainbow chortled and Rarity gasped and blushed ever so slightly, while Pinkie Pie made wild shushing noises and Applejack just adjusted her hat and looked awkwardly away. “Look. Our job here is simple. And we're doing this for your protection.”

“Well, I don't think we need your protection.” Shining Armor said after a moment, and La Croix laughed dryly at this, earning a sour look from the unicorn. “I don't. We were ready to handle-”

“Monsieur L'Armee, you weren't no match for me. And me? I ain't a whole lot of much.” La Croix said blandly, looking mildly at the stallion. “Now, Cygne here? Cygne be the scariest thing I ever seen. And as y'all might have seen from the army of the dead that just walked on in from Darkwater, I seen a whole lot of things.”

Shining Armor grumbled under his breath, and then Cadence sighed as she felt both her father and Thesis looking at her, not needing to look back to know... I know, I know. “Okay, look. Captain Armor...”

She stopped, then asked bluntly: “Why are you still a Captain, anyway? You're a Prince, right?”

“I... well, sort of.” Shining fumbled, looking surprised by the question as he rose his head slightly. But when Cadence only continued to look at him, he shrugged briefly before saying finally: “Captain suits me better. Commander, General, Prince? I didn't join the Royal Guard to rule my country, I joined it to serve, and... that's why I'm happy to contribute the best way I can.”

“I can respect that.” Cadence gave a brief smile, studying the stallion for a few moments before she asked almost impulsively: “Cadence is your wife?”

“Yep. She's... um.” Shining stuttered a little, then he hesitated before simply shrugging and saying finally: “She's a lot like you. But you're a little...”

Shining Armor broke off, but Rainbow quickly flew in and supplied: “Awesome!”

“Hey, my wife's great. I think Cadence is great.” Shining Armor defended lamely, and the not-named Cadence smiled with bittersweet nostalgia.

“Yeah, but great isn't awesome. I'm pretty sure this Cadence could kick your Cadence's butt.” Rainbow said mildly, and Shining Armor gave the Pegasus a sour look. “What? What?”

“That's not something that should be discussed in polite company, Rainbow! Besides, the only reason to focus on a mare's posterior is to compliment her on how elegant and... very impressive it is.” Rarity said quickly, giving a bright smile to Cadence, who leaned awkwardly away with a scowl.

“Yeah. Uh. Great.” Cadence said moodily, and then she shook her head before turning her eyes forwards, grumbling: “Let's just focus on getting to Canterlot. I don't even know how this group got so big.”

Pinkie, to her surprise, was the one to answer her question, bouncing in from the side and saying happily: “Well, you know that we always gotta help each other out, right? Because even the meanie-heads sometimes turn out to be really good guys.”

La Croix gave the briefest of smiles at this, and then he shook his head before muttering: “Sometimes we just connards, too. But don't you worry. Cygne be stubborn, but she be a good pony. She just worried 'bout 'yall.”

Cadence shrugged grumpily at this, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but Pinkie only nodded before Applejack finally spoke up, saying kindly: “And we do appreciate it. We just also know we gotta be able to take care of ourselves.”

“And what better way than traveling with you, Miss Awesome?” Shining Armor asked mildly, and Cadence finally cracked a bit of a smile, giving the stallion a dry look.

But her joy didn't last long as she gazed at him quietly, thinking of her husband and how he and so many others had been just as ready to follow her into danger, and all the lives it had cost them in the end, including her own.

Ecoterrorism

Chapter Eighty One: Ecoterrorism
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence sighed as she rested her head on her forelegs, leaning over the battlements of one of the high towers of the castle as she gazed up at the faint light of the rising sun. Below, Canterlot and the surrounding mountains were all covered by thick, hanging mist: they still hadn't figured out a way to get rid of it, but Cadence thought that La Croix was right: it was just a distraction. Just something to keep them busy while Bondye did... whatever he was doing here.

Hell, maybe this whole thing was a distraction. Cadence couldn't stop thinking about that, worrying about Shining and Miss Take and... was Archon even still alive? She hoped so, she hoped he was stubborn enough to have survived that inferno, but... no, stop it. Focus.

“So you are up here. Keeping Luna company?” Thesis asked softly, and Cadence smiled a bit as she glanced back over her shoulder at him as he slid a foreleg around her, stepping up beside her and gazing at her silently as he joined her in leaning over the battlements.

Her eyes shifted, gazing at another tall tower in the distance, where Luna was watching the sun rise as she sipped at a cup of steaming coffee. The princess' eyes flicked towards them, and Thesis waved energetically until Luna politely rose a hoof in return, then pointedly turned her attention away as Cadence said softly: “I think we both like our privacy in the mornings.”

“If that's a hint I should go away, I'm not taking it.” Thesis said bluntly, and Cadence smiled despite herself before the Replicant said quietly: “You need to rest.”

“I am resting. I did rest. And I don't even... know how much I really need to anymore, with my dumb Swan-body...” Cadence muttered, rubbing grouchily at the tattoo across her breast before Thesis gently tapped her on the head.

“Hey. You're not dumb and your body isn't dumb, either.” Thesis said mildly, and the mare gave him a sour look before she winced when he tapped her firmly on the nose. “You need to rest your brain, not your body. Even Mom needs to do that sometimes, you know.”

“I'm fine.” Cadence grumbled, But Thesis only smiled at her, and Cadence both loved and hated that he didn't back off and relent like just about every other person in her life did. That with that one look at her...

She softened, then leaned in and kissed him, and he kissed her quietly back before their mouths parted and she leaned her head against him, closing her eyes as she murmured: “I'm worried.”

“Yeah. I know. We all are.” Thesis reached up and gently stroked her mane back, before he chuckled softly and said quietly: “Maybe you should spend some more time worrying about yourself, though. Look at your mane. It's already gotten long enough to cover up your eyes. You aren't half as intimidating when you're glaring at me under schoolgirl bangs.”

“Hey, screw you. I never was a schoolgirl.” Cadence retorted, and Thesis snorted before he winced when she shoved a hoof against his face. “Look, I'm fine. You're the one who keeps spending all his time with Shining Armor and that other-me.”

“Other-you is a lot nicer than you-you.” Thesis said mildly, before he grimaced when she whapped him firmly on the nose. “See? You're just proving my point here. You don't have to sound so jealous, though. I'm not going to leave you for a better version of you. Even if she's better. And nicer. And probably less stalliony.”

Cadence rolled her eyes and smacked him again, before she grasped him gently but firmly by the face, the stallion huffing a bit as she firmly turned his head back and forth before she asked in a quieter voice: “How are you? I mean, really, how are you? You just... you know. You don't seem...”

“I'm fine. I really am.” Thesis smiled a bit as he reached up and gently grasped her forelegs, carefully pulling them away from his face. “I'm not hurting and, unlike you, I've learned to just accept that what will be, will be. As hard as that is.”

Cadence smiled briefly, and Thesis studied her for a few moments before he continued reassuringly: “I do promise that we're going to figure out what's going on here, though, one way or another. And that as soon as we deal with whatever's happening here, we can move on. We can't just sit around forever, after all. It would be better if we dealt with that goop down in Canterlot, then headed back to Endworld. We can call in a protection team to replace us.”

“Yeah.” Cadence hesitated, then she murmured: “Thank you.”

Thesis simply shrugged with a smile, before the ivory mare asked: “So what do you think of these ponies?”

“Stronger than they look. This world isn't too distant from the core, but La Croix showing up here has changed the standard timeline a lot.” Thesis shrugged a bit. “Whatever he helped them stop made them realize there were bigger, scarier things out there they had to prepare for, and Twilight's a little... weird, but...”

“She has some disorder. I do not know. It did not exist in my day.” remarked a voice, and Cadence glanced up in surprise as Thesis squeaked and spun around, clinging to the mare in his forelegs.

Luna only smiled at them wryly, her mug of coffee between her front hooves, perched calmly on the nearby battlements. “Yes. Twilight Sparkle is exceptional. That is not to say my sister and I are weak by any means, of course, and Twilight is also... naive. Child-like. We are all very fond of her, but also very aware of the fact that she is perhaps... not quite ruling material, as cruel as it is for me to say.”

Thesis nodded even as Cadence shouldered him off, the stallion asking: “But she's been training hard, hasn't she? She has enough magic at her disposal to revert dimensional disruption.”

“She had enough magic at her disposal to banish a centaur whom both Celestia and I nearly died in battle against.” Luna remarked wryly, and Thesis cocked an eyebrow in surprise before Luna gave a slight smile as her eyes flicked towards Cadence. “But you warriors are of a different mold than us entirely. As powerful as she is, I do not think Twilight Sparkle would make a very good soldier.”

“We're not recruiting, don't worry. Besides, you have to be an Orphan. Well, except for me. My Mommy runs the Orphanage so I'm special.” Thesis said proudly, raising his head high, and then he winced when Cadence firmly slapped the back of his skull, making him huff and rub awkwardly at his forehead for a moment. “Well, it's true. But the first thing to really pop out at us has been this distortion that's led to all this, so... assuming Twilight doesn't rip a hole in space and time...”

Luna smiled in amusement, then she nodded once before she sipped slowly at her coffee. She studied Thesis and Cadence for a few moments, then turned her eyes to the mare and asked bluntly: “What made you this way?”

Cadence smiled a bit, but she appreciated the forwardness more than if Luna had tried edging around the subject, the mare sighing a little before she said finally: “I have something... inside me. No, that's not quite right, to be honest. It's more like... I don't think I'm really Cadence, or I've ever really been Cadence. Daddy said I fell to earth like a shooting star, and ever since I was a foal in the Crystal Kingdom, I've always felt a need to... fight.”

She flexed a hoof slowly, before she grimaced and shifted as the Swan said softly inside of her: You have explained this too many times. I shall show them.

Cadence tried to struggle, but it was useless: it was so useless now, and with such ease, the Swan pushed her down and made her relent before Danzsöngr calmly rose her head and opened her eyes, Luna recoiling slightly and dropping her mug, but the Swan reached out, lightning fast, and caught it before it could hit the ground, saying softly: “We have always been. We shall always be. We are the Swan Maiden, stolen from the depths of the Underworld, merged with ice and flesh not our own.”

Thesis frowned slightly at this, but the Swan only smiled as she slowly straightened, calmly holding out the mug to Luna, who hesitantly took it back before she said quietly: “I had thought you were perhaps as I was, Cadence, but... I see that I was not correct in my assumption.”

“My name is Danzsöngr.” the Swan said softly, and then it turned its eyes out over Canterlot, and Cadence felt a subtle shift before she flinched when the Swan peeked into the Astra: but unlike her, the Swan was in total control, not wincing in the slightest as its eyes flicked back and forth before it remarked: “Mfalme Kuoza is in the catacombs beneath Canterlot. He is with a Voidborn... a dangerous one. One that is nothing but madness and spite. Mfalme Kuoza is afraid of it. He yells at his inferiors to work faster. He is terrified he will be caught.”

“The catacombs?” Luna asked sharply, before she muttered: “Of course. Our magic cannot permeate this fog. But why hide within the blanket when you can hide beneath it? I must warn-”

“No.” Thesis interrupted, and Luna looked up with surprise. “I'll assemble my team and sneak in, then ambush him before he knows what's going on. I'm guessing he's near one of the rivers that feeds into the reservoir, right? It would be easy to poison Canterlot from there.”

Danzsöngr nodded, then she tilted her head to the side and said softly: “We have time. In two hours, the waters will be poisoned. Many will die. Then they will rise again as puppets of Bondye. Their tormented spirits will be anchored to this world. Madness will reign.”

“Not if we stop it. I need Cadence back, and I need her to quietly gather everyone together.” Thesis instructed, before he turned his eyes towards Luna. “I'm going to give you and Celestia my Mission Drive so we can stay in contact. It looks really complicated, but if I set it to receive mode, you won't have to worry about doing more than pressing one button. I'll show you what button that is.”

“Alright.” Luna said slowly, before she glanced over at Cadence as the ivory mare shook herself out, blinking several times as Danzsöngr receded without a fight. “I see that at least the reaper works with you.”

“She's no reaper. Reapers make sense.” Cadence mumbled, before she rubbed grumpily at her eyes and added grouchily: “I'll go get the others.”

Yet she hesitated, and Thesis noticed her hesitation, giving her a curious look, and after a moment Cadence finally sighed and said almost apprehensively: “The Swan... didn't seem to think anything of it, but there was something else weird. Not the Voidborn, the Voidborn is... awful, whatever it is... but there was something... it looked like a tiny little box.”

“You're worried more about the tiny box than the psychopath zombie or what I'm guessing is probably Sol Seraph?” asked Thesis bluntly, and Cadence shook her head quickly.

“It's not Sol Seraph. It doesn't look like any Voidborn I've seen before. It's all... weird.” she said slowly. “I mean, the Swan didn't want to look too deeply into the Astra, but it was indistinct, changing, just... weird.”

“Shapeshifter, then. Cancer, maybe.” Thesis muttered, before he scowled and punched a front hoof into the sole of his other hoof. “Good. Hope it is that bastard. I owe him a few punches to the face for what he did to Thorn.”

Cadence grunted, then she turned and headed inside, Thesis smiling briefly after her before he turned back towards Luna, who was frowning at him curiously: “We uh... it's a long story.”

“Yes. I can see that.” Luna replied after a moment, measuring the Replicant with her eyes before she asked: “Were you a spy, or are you a turncoat?”

“Both, I guess.” Thesis smiled briefly, before he tapped on the side of his head and said softly: “I wasn't thinking right. I know now that's no excuse, either. It's not even much of a reason. But for a long time, I wasn't thinking right. I'm... better now, though. And I'm determined to make up for my mistakes.”

“That is good, and I hope that you do, even if I cannot help but think of the old saying: a traitor will always and forever be...”

“A traitor.” Thesis finished, and he smiled briefly before he said quietly: “I can't make you trust me-”

“I do not trust any of you. I am still not even sure of La Croix: only that he is what he says he is. But I also have a long history of... not trusting others.” Luna said softly, and she studied Thesis for a few moments before she bowed her head and continued: “But my sister trusts you. Cadence trusts you. So I will do my best to assist.”

“Although not trust, huh?” Thesis remarked ironically, and Luna only looked up at him mildly. “No, hey, it's cool, I get it. But come on. Let's not waste too much time, or Cadence will leave without me, and I don't want that to happen again.”

Luna bowed her head politely, then she sipped one last time at her mug of coffee before she turned to follow the stallion as he headed inside, studying the machinery on his back as she wondered how these ponies could be so much the same as they were, and yet so different, and so much more.

Moonflower wheezed and winced as he carefully squeezed his way through the narrow chasm, closing his eyes tightly and blindly feeling his way forwards until he finally popped free of the crack with a hail of stone and gravel, landing with a thud beside the rest of the team before he opened his mouth-

Cadence immediately clapped a hoof over his muzzle, giving him a horrible look before she whispered: “Quiet.”

Moonflower nodded lamely a few times, and then he whispered loudly back: “Yes, I am being as quiet as possible!”

Considering the volume of his 'whispering,' and the fact that him wiggling into the cave had nearly caused a small avalanche, Cadence was loathe to wonder what his idea of 'stealthy' was. But at least the size and shape of the cavern distorted sound, and the scraping and clanking and crashing had likely gone unnoticed, since she could hear plenty of other echoes and bangs throughout the cavern...

“That almost sounds like mining equipment.” Thesis murmured, and Sombra cocked his head before he gave a quick shake, Thesis glancing over at him curiously.

“No, listen closer. It is a pump: we had similar devices, powered by magic, to bring water up from the underground lakes in the Crystal Kingdom. The lakes and rivers around us were often covered by ice, and it was easier to tap into the underground wells, once we had discovered them.” Sombra explained, as he slowly examined the cavern: it widened as it moved away from the wall, the broken floor sloping in all directions, natural stone bridges forming here and there across gaping pits and trenches. “We will have to be careful. There are many places to fall here.”

“Yeah.” Thesis agreed, before he reached back and fumbled through his satchel, then pulled out a helmet, Cadence cocking an eyebrow at him as he slipped it on. A visor clicked down over his eyes as data flared to life across it, the Replicant muttering: “Let's see...”

“How long have you had that stuck in there?” Cadence asked almost accusingly, and Thesis gave her a mildly-amused look.

“Your helmet has a visor, too, you know. So does Moonflower's.” Thesis pointed out, and Moonflower blinked in surprise before he flicked his eyes up, pawing at his helmet before he squawked when he managed to yank the visor down over his eyes, which immediately flared to life with all manner of readings and data. “There. Don't throw up.”

Moonflower began to open his mouth, but this time La Croix shoved a hoof over his muzzle, grumbling: “We wastin' time here. The Nzambi hunt by scent. The lavender I gave each of y'all will help a little, but all they need is one whiff of us to know we're comin' for 'em.”

“Alright. I'm scanning for structural weaknesses, so otherwise just watch your hooves. Move quietly and carefully. We can't rush.” Thesis said, and Cadence and La Croix both nodded grumpily as Moonflower awkwardly pushed at his helmet until he managed to get the visor out of his eyes, then he he lamely saluted.

Sombra joined Thesis at the front of the line without being asked, and Cadence let herself fall to the rear of the group, hunching up her shoulders almost nervously as she moodily looked back and forth. She hated being the rear guard, but she understood that it was probably the best position for her right now, just in case.

They made their way carefully through the catacomb of caverns: it was a mess of narrow ledges, damaged natural walkways, and strange islands and pillars of stone standing, forlorn, in the middle of vast abysses. Cadence knew she wasn't the only one wondering what this might have once been, but only Moonflower vocalized their thoughts: “Was this a mine once? Or was this...”

“The old myth goes that Canterlot was built upon the ruins of a city. Not even Mom knows for sure, though.” Thesis shrugged a bit, saying quietly: “I guess we'll never really know. I've never seen an Equestria in an era that was pre-Celestia, and I've never heard of anyone figuring out the actual history of our country... Mom came here after Equestria was established, remember.”

“Cut the chatter.” Cadence said, as interesting as it was, and Thesis smiled in amusement over his shoulder at her before he reached suddenly out and caught Sombra by the shoulder.

He turned his eyes back forward, then gestured with his head at the thin bridge of stone they were about to pass over: Sombra nodded in understanding, then planted his hooves against the edge of the stone bridge, his purifier humming a little louder as corruption spread over the rock before it turned to solid black gemstone.

They crossed the fortified bridge quickly, Cadence grimacing a little at the feeling of the dark stone beneath her hooves, as the Swan murmured in her mind: But the Father turns even the worst of corruption into aid...

Cadence shrugged the Swan away as much as she could, scowling a bit before she muttered: “Gives me hope for you, at least.”

The Swan chuckled quietly in her mind, and Cadence frowned before the Swan murmured in response: Or does it give you hope for yourself, Cadence? Have you not learned by now that I am the one who can serve any purpose, while you...

“Shut up.” Cadence grumbled, and then she scowled at Moonflower when he looked back over his shoulder at her awkwardly. “You too.”

Moonflower hurriedly looked back ahead, and they continued on in silence for a few minutes, until Thesis muttered: “Detecting magic signatures ahead. La Croix?”

“No, not this time, mon ami. The moment I try and make m'self scarce, they'll detect me. And those Nzambi can see right through all my tricks, even if Mfalme Kuoza probably has his head shoved so far up his own damn ass he can't see nothin' but the back of his own neck.” La Croix grumbled in response, and then he glanced back at Moonflower. “You our best bet. Invisible yourself and sneak in real quiet-like. They'll have trouble detectin' you cloakin' yourself with your own magique.”

“Can't I just make Cadence invisible? She's much better at that than I am!” Moonflower half-whined, his eyes widening slightly, but Sombra was the one to shake his head this time.

“No. The frequency and amount of energy consumed will both be far too high, it will be noticeable. And there is no way to know how far Cadenza would have to go, or what cover will protect her, while we try and remain out of sight. You will have to do this yourself, Moonflower.” Sombra smiled, then he reassured gently: “But you can.”

Moonflower bit his lip nervously, and then he sighed theatrically before dropping his head and mumbling: “I... alright. I certainly can't be letting any of you down, can I?”

He hesitated, then nervously flicked his horn, and a moment later he simply vanished from sight as Cadence cocked an eyebrow and Sombra smiled slightly: he was leaking less energy than he had been before. Good. “Okay, remember. Don't screw up.”

“I won't.” grumbled Moonflower as he carefully strode past, and then he winced when Thesis grasped him and gently turned him towards a sloping path leading down towards a rocky tunnel, faint sounds of machinery echoing out of the passage in the distance.

“Remember to still be quiet. Being invisible is a handicap, not a guarantee. You still have to be careful.” Thesis said pointedly, and Moonflower nodded awkwardly, then winced as he remembered he was invisible. But Thesis seemed to sense the stallion had gotten the point all the same, the Replicant letting him go and gently patting his hindquarters as he said: “Okay, get going. Report back as soon as you've scoped out below.”

Moonflower lamely saluted, then he hurried down the narrow ledge, breathing slowly in and out as he focused on the passage ahead. As he descended into the tunnel, he shivered a little as he felt wetness beneath his hooves, his ears pricking at the sound of not just rumbling machinery, but rushing water.

Moonflower stumbled over something, and he looked down before his breath caught in his throat as he found himself staring in horror at a dead, rotting pony, his jaws gaping uselessly, his eyes open and frozen with the terror of whatever awful thing he'd last witnessed. The unicorn whimpered a bit, shaking his head weakly as for a moment his mind filled with feathers and broken wings and blood, oh there had been so much blood...

He caught himself, breathing slowly, insulating himself with the warmth of his magic. No. He was okay. It was just the unnatural magic and the chill in the air, playing tricks on him. He had seen dead bodies before.

He had seen dead bodies before.

Moonflower gave the corpse a wide berth, but as he made his way down the tunnel, he saw another: this one was laying on his back, throat torn open, body in tatters. The same look of horror on the earth pony's face. But Moonflower could make out the patch on the shoulder of his uniform now, recognizing it as the shield of Canterlot, but not military. Maintenance workers?

He shivered a little, making his way down the tunnel before he looked up sharply as he saw something move. He hurried to the side of the passage, pressing against the stone wall and staring as a Nzambi slowly sauntered its way into the tunnel, a strange, bird-like party mask covering its face, the rest of its strong, handsome, incredibly not zombie-like body covered by a well-fitted suit.

It approached a corpse that was sitting against the wall of the tunnel, a needle appearing in its hoof that it used to prick the neck of the dead body. It waited for a moment, then pulled the needle away with a single drop of steaming blood, then it licked this off the tip before it turned.

At the end of the tunnel, it hit a button beside an intercom and said, in what Moonflower knew had to be a flawless imitation of the voice of its victim: “Hey, okay, I got green on all systems except for the main floodgate, still ain't workin' right. Gimme like an hour or so and then we'll see if we can open 'er up, eh?”

“Yeah, no problem, Jack. Take your time, reserves still got plenty in 'em. Just glad you guys caught this today.” said an amiable voice, and the Nzambi gave a sickening grin.

“I hear you there. Nah, don't worry, we got this. You just go back to sittin' on your flank and readin' the articles of that magazine you like with all the pretty mares.” the Nzambi replied casually, and there was a chortle from the intercom before the Nzambi pressed the button again, cutting the laughs off as he said in a disgusted, far-lower voice: “Kuwakaribisha kwa kaburi lako.”

Moonflower winced as the Nzambi turned away, and then it suddenly stopped and scowled, sniffing at the air. Its eyes roved back and forth behind the mask before it growled in disgust, then it finally turned and strode slowly away.

For a moment, the unicorn remained frozen against the wall, chewing on his lip apprehensively before he finally pushed himself away and carefully strode down to the end of the passage. He leaned carefully out, and grimaced a bit as he found himself gazing into an elongated cavern with a low ceiling, a natural ramp to the stallion's right leading down into a trench in which a churning river splashed and roiled.

It wasn't flowing, though: it had been blocked off by a heavy dam gate at the far end of the tunnel, and Moonflower bit his lip as his eyes followed after the Nzzambi that was now strolling calmly along the edge of the canal in the opposite direction. The zebra zombie paused and scowled, but Moonflower dropped flat on top of the ramp, biting his lip nervously and counting to thirty before he carefully peered up over the edge of the natural plateau.

The Nzambi was gone, and Moonflower wheezed before he carefully withdrew into the tunnel and tapped at his Mission Drive until he managed to activate the communicator, whispering loudly over the closer rumble of machinery and water: “They're here. I can't see down the canal, but they've killed several ponies and taken over... this is a water reservoir, yes?”

“Sounds like they're at one of the intake pools. That would make sense. They could concentrate whatever they're doing there, then dump it into the water supply through the reservoir.” Thesis muttered, and then he said quickly: “We're coming down now. Don't let them catch you.”

“Of course not!” Moonflower declared, before he blinked and looked up as a shadow fell over him, his eyes widening in horror as he saw two Nzambi standing over his invisible form, one with a needle and the other holding a long, deadly knife. “Oh no.”

The Nzambi with the needle in his hoof lunged, and Moonflower blasted him backwards with telekinesis as he flung himself to the side. But the other Nzambi simply ducked under his flying comrade and leapt forwards, slashing out with his dagger, and Moonflower gasped as his spell was cut into like a blanket, feeling magic sizzling painfully across his body as his own energies rebelled against him.

He did the only thing he could think of doing, snapping his horn out to try and dispel the invisibility, and instead he unleashed a tremendous shockwave of tattered magical force that knocked both Nzambi flying. It thankfully also knocked the dagger away from one of the undead as the other already-airborne Nzambi was sent hurtling out of the tunnel.

Moonflower blinked several times, then he gritted his teeth when the Nzambi in front of him shoved its way up to its hooves: before it could react, he swung his horn upwards, and the zombie hissed in surprise as gravity reversed and launched it into the ceiling with a bang, where it was left pinned and helpless. The unicorn let out a short, sharp 'ha!' of triumph, which only lasted a moment before the Nzambi above kicked a rock loose from the ceiling, and it dropped straight down on Moonflower's head with a loud clunk.

The unicorn stumbled stupidly, his magic vanishing immediately, and the Nzambi fell almost gracefully to its hooves even as one of its legs loudly snapped. The zombie didn't even look back at this, however, instead striding forwards as it reached up to sweep off its mask, hissing to the stupefied stallion: “I'll have your carcass and your horn, thunder-caller!”

“My name is Moonflower!” snapped the unicorn as he blinked out of his daze, and the Nzambi's eyes widened in surprise before the unicorn flicked his horn sharply, and a blast of force erupted down the tunnel, smashing the Nzambi backwards and sending him crashing like a cannonball through the second zombie zebra just reentering the tunnel.

They were both launched through the air, splashing down into the roiling waters of the river, and Moonflower scowled as he stumbled to the edge of the tunnel, leaning out and looking apprehensively at the water. He barely contained a squeak of surprise when La Croix appeared, the zebra leaning out in surprise before he snorted and said moodily: “Not bad.”

“Uh... of course not!” Moonflower declared, but La Croix was already hurrying down the ramp towards the canal, where the zombies were struggling to get to the edge of the water with snarls of frustration as the flowing water kept pushing them into the heavy dam gate.

La Croix grinned as he stepped on the edge of the bank, then he pulled a hoof full of materials out of his cape, flinging them down into the water: flower petals, Moonflower thought dubiously. But to his surprise, the petals seemed to freeze wherever they landed, not moving with the flow of the water, and the Nzambis gave silent, furious bubbling shouts from below as they sank slowly to the bed of the river, as La Croix muttered: “Yeah, you stay down there for now, while I-”

Something smashed into Moonflower like a wrecking ball, knocking him into La Croix and sending them both smashing painfully against the short wall that supported the dam gate, the Loa shouting in pain and consternation as Moonflower looked up with shock.

A Nzambi towered over them, his eyes smoldering green, his suit ripped from the flex of his muscles as he hissed: “La Croix. I was told to make this quick. But I think I'll make it nice and slow.”

La Croix snorted, before his eyes widened as his body shivered suddenly, and the Nzambi grinned callously as he tilted his head to the side, showing off the amulet he was wearing around his neck. “Problem?”

“Oui. You too damn ugly.” La Croix growled, and then he kicked Moonflower out of the way before he flicked his hat off and punched the bottom of it, an explosion of powders and a black, ugly slime splattering over the Nzambi.

The zombie zebra roared in frustration, yanking the gooey blackness off his face before he lunged at La Croix, moving incredibly fast, but the zebra managed to just dodge out of the way as he yanked a bottle loose from his cape, flinging this sharply at the Nzambi. It only slapped the bottle aside, however, and La Croix swore as the creature lunged at him, before Moonflower squawked as his magic bounced almost uselessly off the zombie: it at least stopped the zombie's attack, but at the same time Moonflower staggered backwards, shouting: “What the hell is that?”

“He drank some moonshine and made himself strong, that be all! Hit him with a damn rock!” La Croix snapped, before he leapt out of the way when the Nzambi lunged at him, swinging a hoof down with enough force to shatter the stony earth.

The Nzambi hissed an insult at the Loa, but the Loa replied with a packet of powder, driving the undead zebra back. It burned holes in the Nzambi where it touched, but the zombie zebra roared in frustration more than pain before he suddenly barreled forwards, ignoring the eerie green flames that burst to greedy life over his body as he threw himself into a flying tackle at La Croix.

The Loa clenched his eyes shut, then yelped when he was hefted suddenly into the air before Moonflower turned and flung him towards the top of the ramp, shouting: “Let's see how you handle my most powerful of magics, then!”

The Nzambi snorted as Moonflower's horn glowed with dark energy, bands of purple and blackness swirling around his horn before he gritted his teeth as he leaned forwards, before he squeaked in shock when the Nzambi grabbed his horn, his eyes bulging with pain as the zombie slowly began to twist to the side, hissing: “Let's see how powerful your magic is when I rip your horn-”

There was a tremendous bang, and Moonflower was launched backwards with such force he rolled painfully up the ramp before falling prone, blood spilling from his eyes and one ear down his nearly-skinned face, gasping in pain as the Nzambi staggered backwards, gargling and horrified. The walking carcass was burning and smoldering, body a miserable, mangled mess of torn flesh and gore, and yet that wasn't the most horrifying: it was the visible spirit, the steaming mass of burning, boiling ghost-zebra that was half-hanging out of the melting corpse in flayed, constantly merging-and-tearing ribbons.

The broken Nzambi staggered to the side, gurgling and trembling, then it simply collapsed with a splatter of gore and putrid ectoplasm, body twitching once before beginning to steam and rot as its spirit unraveled into threads that faded quickly into nothingness. La Croix mouthed wordlessly at this, before he looked up sharply as Cadence came charging down the tunnel, shouting: “Moony be hurt! I'm gonna cure him, but you-”

“Got it!” Cadence leapt off the ramp, landing on the side of the canal before she reacted on instinct, swinging her horn out to deflect a dart. She snarled down the river, where a Nzambi was calmly reloading a blowgun as a second zebra zombie injected potions into itself with a long needle, both of them glaring callously, fearlessly at her.

But the Swan promised they would soon be very afraid.

Another dart shot at her, but Cadence sidestepped before she streaked in towards the Nzambi, smashing it across the face with a hoof before she slammed her elbow down into its shoulder, knocking it flat. The other Nzambi lurched at her as its eyes glowed with the toxins flooding its system, jaws foaming, muscles visibly flexing, but Cadence simply caught the zebra zombie and gracefully rolled it out of the air to slam it down on top of the other Nzambi.

Her hoof burst into white flames before she even realized what was happening, and the mare swung a savage uppercut up into the back of the top Nzambi's head, her hoof shattering through flesh and bone like glass before her eyes widened as she realized she had done more than just shatter a skull with a single punch: she had torn the very spirit out of the creature, the spirit that had driven the zebra corpse wriggling helplessly at the end of her hoof before the Swan said coldly through her jaws: “Surrender.”

The spirit howled silently as white lightning crackled across it, leaving the ethereal zebra almost solid before Danzsöngr disdainfully tossed it away, switching places with Cadence so smoothly that she was barely aware of the fact she was no longer in control of her own body. But she was too shocked to do anything but watch as the zebra spirit bounced over the ground, before Danzsöngr simply drew one of her long daggers and plunged it downward when the other Nzambi tried to get up, instantly ending its existence as the glowing white blade pierced through its spinal column, and through the helpless spirit within the walking corpse.

Danzsöngr shoved the unmoving bodies aside, calmly striding forwards through the dissolving ash of the Nzambi towards the other end of the canal, where Mfalme Kuoza was standing at the edge of an immense, whirling pool of water, hissing beneath the death-mask of his new golem-body: “The malaya comes! I must finish here, she must not be allowed to-”

A blast of black flame shot through the air, and Mfalme leapt aside in surprise before he ducked away when several enormous spikes of black crystal tore out of the ground beside him. His eyes widened in horror as Sombra phased out of the black gemstone, the monster slashing a hoof out, but Danzsöngr was faster, flinging out a knife that sank into the golem's foreleg and interrupted his magic as Sombra stomped backwards into the water and smiled calmly as black gemstone spread rapidly over the surface of the pool. “No!”

“Yes.” Sombra said softly, and he didn't so much as flinch even when Bondye's disciple roared in rage, shattering the spikes of crystal into shards and shrapnel that flew harmlessly past him. “Noise and illusion solve nothing. It is not too late.”

“It is too late for you and your kind, crowbait!” retorted Mfalme Kuoza, before he straightened and shouted: “Show yourself, Mwangamizi! Bring down your wrath upon these fools!”

Cadence set herself as cruel laughter filled the air, before she glanced up as Thesis almost appeared out of thin air beside her, saying sharply: “That isn't Cancer, that's-”

Something pod-like fell from the roof, transforming in a gleam of liquid metal into a collared, emaciated monstrosity with long, gangly limbs, its huge claws tearing into stone like butter beneath it as it cooed: “Is it time? Is it time, the time we wanted, the time we've been waiting for?”

“Yes, yes. Barbarian.” said a distasteful voice, and Cadence narrowed her eyes. She recognized that voice: in spite of the modulation that was coming from it, she recognized that voice... “Well, so we meet again, Team 0-0... are you surprised? But how could you not be? With your inferiority, I suspect-”

“Yeah, hi there, Auriculos, we already figured out it was you like, the moment Decretum's systems went haywire. You're the only one with enough authorization and assholery to pull something like that.” Thesis interrupted irritably, and a frustrated buzz came from the strange object hanging from the collar around the giggling monster's neck: even as it surveyed them with the hideous, bulging bug-eyes in its draconic features, it was drooling, almost vapid, but it was also all spikes, its strange, shimmering body morphing and changing incessantly... “Cadence. Need you to take this one seriously. We'll take him on together.”

“Yes, Prince Thesis, traitor to... just about everything, yes? Your father, your mother, your sister, your brothers. And now Loki, too.” Auriculos said disdainfully, apparently missing the irony in his own words. “But you know what Fafnir is. The destruction entity that Valthrudnir used to model his Chimera Drone sequences after. Destruction that cannot be destroyed.”

Thesis snorted at this, and then he replied mildly: “I wouldn't be so sure about that. He ended up in the Void along with everyone else, after all. I remember him and Cancer always hanging out together... hey, buddy, do you remember Cancer? Cancer?”

“Cancer? Where? Are we doing a show?” Fafnir blurted, looking back and forth excitedly, and Cadence almost began to smile, before the destruction entity screamed in misery, clutching at the collar around his neck as it sizzled and crackled with malevolent energies.

“Pay attention!” Auriculos snarled, and Fafnir squealed and shrieked before he suddenly went rigid and arched his back, snarling and drooling, eyes glaring with hatred at Thesis and Cadence as Auriculos said coldly: “They are the enemy. Hurt them.”

Fafnir hissed, before he giggled insanely as he flicked his arms out to either side, his upper limbs splitting into four in spurts of liquid metal, his long-fingered hands merging into massive, deadly scythe blades as he cooed: “Which first, which first? Which one of you do I fix first?”

“Hey look over there!” Thesis shouted, and Fafnir cocked his head before he looked dumbly away, then scowled and turned back towards Thesis as Auriculos blurted static from the collar-

Thesis' hoof smashed into Fafnir's face, sending the creature bouncing and rolling across the cavern as the Replicant grinned before he pointed at Mfalme Kuoza and made a sharp cutting gesture across his own neck. The golem's eyes widened behind his death-mask, but then he hissed and swept a hoof out when Thesis lunged at him, blasting the Replicant out of the air with a wave of green flames before he roared in anguish when a blast of black crystal hammered into the back of his leg and spread rapidly over it, locking the metal limb in place.

“Your argument is with me, Mfalme Kuoza. I implore you now to find the respectable solution.” Sombra said softly, and the zebra avatar snarled before he spun around as he yanked his leg free from the hardening gemstone, glaring furiously at Sombra.

“Worthless black donkey!” The golem snapped a hoof forwards, and green lightning tore through the air, ripping across the black crystal of the pool as Sombra calmly slipped to the side. “You will die! Do you understand me? You will die!”

“We all die.” Sombra said fearlessly, and then he stomped a hoof down into the crystal beneath his hooves, his purifier humming louder and his eyes beginning to leak malignant energy, but his features remained calm, his gaze almost gentle as he moved with control and precision, a shield of black crystal snapping out of the floor to deflect the dark magic of the disciple of Bondye. “Do you truly think that by wielding death, you can hide from it forever?”

The golem hissed in fury, redoubling its attacks; meanwhile, Fafnir lunged towards Thesis, snarling as his mantid-like limbs slashed and crashed down, but Thesis only grinned as he danced easily between the strikes, the destruction entity screaming in frustration: “Stand still, stand still! I can't kill you if you don't stand still?”

“Oh, you mean like this?” Thesis stepped to the side and posed as Fafnir slashed all four limbs down, and the destroyer almost tumbled forwards as he found himself face-to-face with the stallion, who remarked mildly: “Guess you can't kill me even if I do stay still, huh?”

Fafnir snarled in fury, opening his mouth, before his jaws clanked shut as Thesis slammed an uppercut into the underside of his muzzle, knocking him hurtling into the air before Cadence slashed her horn out and blasted the beast out of the sky with a bolt of white energy, Fafnir falling backwards in a smoking hail as she leapt up beside the Replicant and snapped: “I'll handle him, you-”

Fafnir twisted around, roaring in frustration as he transformed, wings exploding from his back, his lower body becoming some hideous spiderine centaur-form that eight long legs sprang free from. He charged forwards as Cadence gaped in shock, but Thesis reacted like lightning, running forwards and sliding beneath the destroyer before he caught his two rearmost-legs and yanked him backwards, the monstrosity giving a yelp of surprise as he dropped forwards and his scythe-like arms hammered blade-first into the ground.

The Swan shoved Cadence into reacting, the ivory mare lunging forwards and slamming punch after punch across Fafnir's face, sending silvery blood splattering through the air as the creature howled in misery and pain. Then its shrieks rose in volume even as Cadence and Thesis were both forced to back off when electricity erupted across its liquid-metal form, wincing away as Auriculos snarled in frustration: “Why is it that none of you Voidborn can do a single thing right?”

“Stop it stop it stop it stop it!” Fafnir wailed as he writhed violently, body transforming in great swirls and ripples as he grabbed uselessly at the collar around his neck, until he finally ended up laying on his back, twitching weakly, two legs kicking at the air and two hands grasping uselessly at his collar as a long, slender tail twisted back and forth under him.

Suddenly, this last appendage coiled and then launched the destruction entity up into the air, the monster's wings flapping once before he shot down towards Cadence, but she retaliated with a volley of throwing knives that hammered into the shapeshifter's face and knocked him out of the sky with a squeal. Except the moment he crashed down to the earth, he transformed again, head twisting upwards on a suddenly-long neck, legs and tail vanishing in exchange for serpentine coils that sent him lunging forwards and wrapping violently around Cadence before she could do anything to protect herself.

She swore in pain, her eyes bulging in shock as the monster giggled wildly, before she screamed in agony as his coils tightened and she felt blades and thorns and spikes sawing through her armor and into her flesh. The destroyer grinned down at her, manic, eager to see her pain, and Cadence clenched her jaws shut as she glared up at him in challenge and fury.

Fafnir's jaws stretched wide, but then his head snapped to the side when both of Thesis' rear hooves smashed across his face in a flying kick, drool and silver blood spurting out of his mouth before he caught the monster's head and slammed his face down into his own coils with enough force to let Cadence pry herself free and backwards. She was caught by a slap of one of the monster's claws, however, while Thesis was slammed into the air by its tail before a third arm tore suddenly out of Fafnir's back, ending in a long spear of metal that ripped upward into Thesis' stomach and left him skewered and helpless.

Cadence stared for a moment, and Fafnir grinned before his head twisted almost all the way around on his shoulders so he could gaze at Cadence, mocking: “What's wrong, what's wrong? Little ponies, driven by their feelings. I feel too! I feel his heart! It beats, it beats, it beats, it...”

Fafnir grinned, and Cadence's eyes widened in horror as Thesis vomited black blood, his eyes staring helplessly, his hooves clutching weakly at his chest as Fafnir whispered: “It beats no more.”

Fafnir flung Thesis' body to the ground, cackling loudly, and Cadence snarled in fury. Fury and rage and hate and despair, but as she lunged forwards, she felt the Swan seize her. Not control, no: she would fight the Swan for control.

Instead, she felt that merging,and she felt the Swan guide her as Fafnir turned towards her: living destruction in the impossible and ever-changing mutation of liquid metal, all claws and fangs and pain and suffering...

But what it was, did not matter. It did not matter that it was raw destruction, that it was perhaps invulnerable, evolving, that if it caught her, it would torture and kill her like a cat playing with a mouse.

It was destruction, but she was death.

Fafnir's third arm stabbed in, but Cadence twisted out of the way before she caught its wrists when it tried to grab her with both hands, vaulting over them and twisting around to slam both rear hooves into the monster's face. Fafnir's head snapped back with a gush of silver metal, but a second head exploded out of its chest, lunging upwards, all teeth and fangs and-

Cadence twisted around and blasted a raw, unfocused bullet of white flame down its gullet, and Fafnir's second head exploded as it screamed in misery, falling backwards. But Cadence moved faster than gravity alone, spinning and lunging into Fafnir's back as her whole body glowed white, slicing the destruction entity cleanly in half before she spun around and flapped her wings hard as she focused her rage into a raw release of energy.

White fire exploded across Fafnir's lower body, turning it entirely to stone as his upper body bounced once before he grabbed at the ground and wildly yanked himself away, squealing and shrieking, leaving a trail of silver blood behind himself as he gibbered and stared over his shoulder in horror at the sight of Cadence striding through the rapidly-disintegrating embers of his lower body. She breathed hard in and out as she slowly approached the destruction entity, the collar around its neck fizzling and sparking as Fafnir whimpered: “N-No, no, no! No! You can't, you c-can't! You can't!”

Cadence bared her fangs at the destroyer, leaning forwards as the Swan said coldly from her jaws: “We will send you back to whence you came. What do you know of destruction? Petty things. You are but dust and sand and fragments, edges of an entire picture. We are the whole blade. We are the-”

The collar around Fafnir's neck whirred loudly before electricity exploded around the destroyer, making it scream and writhe in agony, but the Swan was driven backwards as well by the fury of the lightning, wincing away as Auriculos snarled: “Pull yourself together, Fafnir!”

“It hurts, it hurts, stop the hurt stop the pain!” Fafnir squealed, before he suddenly rolled backwards, new legs springing free from its waist, body flexing with power as it healed instantaneously with its transformation as the lightning vanished from its body, hissing: “You hurt me! Now I'll hurt you!”

The monster lunged forwards, clawing outward, and the Swan backpedaled before she began to strike-

New, bladed arms tore out of Fafnir's chest, and Danzsöngr was barely able to twist out of the way in time before a foot came up and punted her viciously in the chest, knocking her off balance long enough for a long tail to snap out from behind the beast and stab down into her. Cadence screamed in agony, but Danzsöngr barely grimaced, only shrugging the scorpion-stinger loose before she leapt backwards, ignoring the bleeding, gaping wound in her back as Fafnir giggled and suddenly dropped to his knees in front of her, hands and long, eager claws scraping at the ground as he almost purred: “This is fun, this is delightful, this is good good good! I haven't felt so alive in so long! Hurt me hurt me give me more!”

Cadence shivered inside the Swan, but Danzsöngr only calmly rose her head, her eyes flashing as she saw into the Astra-

She saw it too late, before little cube hanging from Fafnir's neck flashed: not in reality, but somehow, through the Astra. And Cadence screamed as Danzsöngr's eyes widened, blood bursting from her eyes and her ears as she staggered stupidly backwards, her mouth falling open and drool spilling from her jaws as Auriculos ordered: “Kill her, kill her now!”

Fafnir looked dumbly to the side, before he squealed as electricity tore across his body, the insane Kirin neurocenter snarling: “I said kill the bitch, or I'll make you-”

“No, no, no! Stop hurting me, stop hurting me!” squealed Fafnir, grabbing wildly at the collar before he fell on his back, tantruming and wailing as Auriculos uselessly electrocuted him.

Cadence laid on her side, twitching weakly, hearing her father shouting at her, but the unicorn was blocked by Mfalme Kuoza. She was barely aware of anything: all she could see were shapes and all she could hear were vague sounds as her jaw opened and closed, the Swan silent and unconscious inside her, nothing but a dead, heavy weight that made it oh so difficult to move, but it was almost pleasant, the numbness, compared to the utter agony that had been...

Sombra leapt towards his daughter, and Mfalme Kuoza created a wall of green flames that cut him off: for a brief moment, a furious snarl flashed over Sombra's features, but it was gone as soon as it came as he turned his eyes to the golem, even as it mocked: “You see? You and yours are no match for the Mwangamizi! Now lie down, horned donkey, and maybe I'll let you say goodbye to your-”

“Y'never did learn to shut up, did you?” growled a voice, and Mfalme Kuoza spun around as his eyes widened, before he howled in agony when La Croix simply blew a black powder into his eyes. As the golem staggered helplessly away, La Croix jerked his head quickly towards Sombra, who nodded with a brief smile before he ran quickly past towards Cadence.

Fafnir, meanwhile, had rolled back up to his feet, eyes maddened and jaws drooling and furious as he screamed at Cadence, as the last of the lightning sizzled over his frame: “You! You! Stop hurting me! I hurt you, you don't hurt me, not that kind of pain! That kind of pain comes from-”

“It comes from someone else.” said Thesis tiredly, and Fafnir stiffened before his head twisted several times around as his neck lengthened hideously, but Thesis didn't so much as flinch as he moodily rubbed at the sealed wound in his chest, breathing slowly as he said calmly: “She can't hurt you. She's dead.”

Fafnir scowled at this, before he snorted in disdain as he looked down at the still form of Cadence, then he grinned widely as Sombra quietly approached his daughter and dropped beside her to gently touch her neck. “No. She breathes and twitches and that's how you know they're still alive! Weak flesh trembles! Weak flesh is so very hot before it grows oh so very cold...”

“No, she's dead. She's dead and gone and the only person hurting you is that nasty one around your neck.” Thesis said, keeping his voice calm and level, his eyes never moving from Fafnir's as the destruction entity scowled at him. The monster paced back and forth nervously, before it squeaked and grasped at its collar as a sizzle of lightning passed over its body.

It shook itself vehemently as Auriculos said contemptibly: “Even you aren't stupid enough to believe the enemy, are you? Do you see that body? Stop it from moving. It's still moving, so Cadence is still alive, socut off all her limbs!”

“He thinks you're stupid.” Thesis said gently, and Fafnir snarled at this, leaping forwards and shoving his face into Thesis' own, but the Replicant remained calm, not flinching, not turning away, and the destroyer hesitated instead of biting or clawing or mutating. “I don't think you're stupid.”

Fafnir frowned and leaned back slightly, clicking his teeth together uncertainly before Thesis said softly: “I know you. You just wanted your magic ring, didn't you? You just wanted to be left alone, and happy and content forever with your precious. But they dragged you away, didn't they? And they took you away from your best friend, Cancer. Wasn't that mean of them?”

“Y-Yes.... yes! Yes, it was! Where is my magic ring? They promised it to me! But I didn't want it, I didn't need it, I was so happy...” Fafnir rambled, looking back and forth before he suddenly screamed as the collar around his neck electrified, grabbing wildly at it as lightning sizzled across his body, but Thesis forced himself not to do more than flinch backwards even as arcs of electricity whipped against his body and made stars dance in front of his eyes.

Fafnir wailed as he whipped his head back and forth, Auriculos snarling in exasperation: “You don't need your stupid ring anymore, and your duty is to serve Loki and to listen to my orders! Now either listen to me or-”

“No no no no no!” Fafnir howled, before he suddenly turned to silver liquid that splashed straight down, the collar popping almost comically up into the air before a massive, spiked tail formed out of the ooze and swung viciously to the side, sending the collar flying far across the cavern. Then Fafnir suddenly reformed, the long tail swaying sinuously behind him, his teeth bared in a wide grin as he stared down at Thesis and cooed: “Much better.”

“What have you done? What have you fools done? The Mwangamizi is free! It was supposed to be-” But before Mfalme Kuoza could finish, Fafnir suddenly leapt over Thesis and tackled the golem, slamming him down into the ground before he giggled loudly as his head twisted all the way around on his shoulders, his eyes glowing with joy and madness.

The golem trembled as he looked up in horror at Fafnir, as the destroyer purred: “You, you, you. You were with him. That means you hurt me too. So I should... I should...”

Fafnir halted, then looked back over his shoulder with a snarl as Cadence slowly sat up with a groan, and the destruction entity turned his eyes towards Thesis as he screamed in a horrified, surprisingly hurt voice: “You lied to me!”

“Yep.” Thesis said bluntly, and Fafnir spun around, hauling Mfalme Kuoza over his head to fling the golem with a snarl at Thesis like a toy. But Thesis simply ducked under the puppet of Bondye, which squealed as it shot by to smash painfully into a wall and bounce off, chunks of metal and bone hailing down as it landed with a thump on the rocky floor. “And you fell for it, because you're dumb. You're as dumb as a rock. You're even dumber than a rock. You're dumb as dirt.”

Fafnir snarled in fury, before he roared as he leapt forwards, completely ignoring everything else in his way as wings exploded from his back and propelled him with all speed towards Thesis. But Thesis was ready, his exoskeleton roaring to life as he grinned before he simply vanished from the spot when the countless claws and blades of Fafnir all slashed down towards him, leaving the destroyer gaping for a moment before the Replicant appeared behind him, slamming a savage kick into the back of the destruction entity's head.

Fafnir rocked forwards with a squawk that rose into a squealing scream as Thesis blinked in and out of existence around the destroyer, slamming blow after blow into every vulnerable part of Fafnir's body he could reach. The monster was knocked back and forth like a rag doll by the strength and precision of Thesis' strikes, before a tomahawk sent him hurtling face-first towards the ground, only for his muzzle to meet both of Thesis' rear hooves with a sickening crack and a burst of silver blood.

Fafnir flipped violently backwards into the air, his body moving in a boneless whirl before he suddenly flipped and twisted, landing on his feet as the extra limbs and claws fell away from his body, pinwheeling two arms as he staggered on two legs. Chains clicked and clanked around him as his eyes rolled almost comically in his head, and Thesis snorted before Fafnir trembled and hugged himself... but strange, black bruises were rapidly spreading through his body, the destroyer asking almost desperately: “What did you do to me? W-What did you do to me?”

“A bit of corruption. Voidborn-to-Voidborn.” Thesis replied coldly, and Fafnir snarled before he gasped as he fell forwards, grasping at the veins of darkness spreading through his body and interrupting his ability to transform. Thesis grinned, but his own legs quavered under him as he stepped backwards, saying mildly: “I think I'm going to let you guys take over from here.”

“Yeah. I got it.” Cadence muttered as she dragged herself up to her hooves: her vision was fuzzy, her body hurt, but she could feel the unnatural regeneration of the Swan rapidly restoring her strength, and with her father beside her and the edge Thesis had given her... “I can kill it.”

“Mwangamizi! You have to destroy them!” roared Mfalme Kuoza, but he sounded desperate, almost pleading now, as he shakily shoved himself up to his hooves. His eyes darted back and forth as he tried to shake the dust off his damaged puppet-body, his skinned zebra features contorted with fear as he tried to cram himself backwards against the wall, steam hissing up from his body from the powders that La Croix had covered him with. “Mwangamizi!”

“Stop calling me that!” screamed the destroyer, before Fafnir turned and swung an arm out, which extended hideously before a single claw pierced viciously through the golem's eye, driving him back into the wall with a surprised 'hurk' of pain before it yanked backwards.

Slowly, Mfalme Kuoza slid down the wall, gurgling and clutching at his socket as it bled spiritual essence as much as poison, and Fafnir turned with a snarl as his arm returned to normal, flexing slowly as he faced Cadence.

But Cadence faced him back without fear, her father at her side, Thesis ready to step in at any time. She knew she was not alone in this fight, and she was not afraid.

She would never waste her time being afraid again.

Brothers Most Grim

Chapter Eighty Two: Brothers Most Grim
~BlackRoseRaven

Fafnir lunged with a roar, but Cadence was ready, catching his wrist between her twin daggers and twisting savagely to yank him off to the side. The destroyer squealed before he tried to punt Cadence as he staggered past, but he was easy to predict without his shapeshifting, the mare leaping backwards with a grimace before she parried another wild swipe at her face, slicing his fingers off.

He staggered backwards as energy hissed out of his severed stumps, squealing in pain as his hand twitched before the digits grew back into place and flexed several times. But every cut, every maim, every dismemberment was weakening the destroyer further, reducing his limited reserves of strength.

“Cygne! Watch it!” La Croix shouted, and Cadence swore as she narrowly dodged a swipe of the monster's tail, which seemed to move like it had a life of its own as it flailed and stabbed at her. She couldn't overestimate herself, no matter how well she was doing: her own senses were distorted, her vision blurry, her whole body in pain in spite of the fact her wounds had healed, and the Swan was still unconscious inside her.

But she had to do this. She was the only one who could.

Fafnir slashed at her, and Cadence dodged backwards before the monster's head snapped forwards to try and bite her, but the mare retaliated with a hoof full of throwing daggers that tore through the destroyer's features. He screamed and wrenched his head backwards, and Cadence leapt forwards, sliding through his legs and slashing through his ankles with her long daggers before she leapt upwards and sliced through the base of his tail, then seized the wildly-whipping appendage in both forelegs and half-turned, wrenching it as hard as she could to the side.

Fafnir began to jerk backwards, then he suddenly spilled forwards with a scream of misery as his tail was torn off, exploding into liquid goop that splattered across the ivory mare and knocked her sprawling. But the destruction entity staggered helplessly away, bleeding both liquid metal and black ooze from the stump of his tail, wailing: “It hurts, it hurts so much!”

Fafnir spun around towards her, snarling furiously, but to her surprise he dropped to all fours instead of lunging at her, growling: “No, no, no! I won't let you do this to me! I won't just stand here and take it, I'll rip you, shred you, kill you apart!”

But the monster didn't lunge or move towards her, only shivering on the spot as Cadence set herself and rose her daggers to ready positions, growling: “Yeah, well, I'm waiting, asshole.”

The destruction entity staggered back and forth on all fours, growling and whining in its throat uncertainly, and then Fafnir suddenly screamed in frustration before slamming his fists down against the stone floor, roaring: “Why? Why why why why why? Why won't you just go back to sleep, go back to death, go back and be happy and die?”

“Because I've got too much to do.” Cadence retorted as she readied herself, flexing and baring her teeth at the destroyer.

The destruction entity snorted, before its insect eyes suddenly locked on hers, cold and serious and somehow sad, as it said in the old language: “Then what are you but a fool, for never enjoying what you have had, for thinking only of the future, and not the past?”

There was silence for a moment, and then Fafnir lunged at Cadence with incredible speed, but the mare met him with both grace and savagery, twisting her knives up and slicing them across the the destruction entity's face before the tips of her blades found his neck and stabbed down. And a moment later, she had the destroyer pinned by the neck, gargling and gasping weakly as Cadence's daggers glowed, her breathing slow and calm, her eyes cold before she focused her powers through her daggers.

Fafnir squealed, clawing wildly at the daggers before he gasped out: “M-Mercy! Mercy! Mercy! Please, m-m-mercy!”

Cadence smiled thinly, focusing more power down her blades as she felt the energy, the very life force of the destroyer steaming up into the air, felt the strings that bound him together being severed under her touch. She could kill him. She could do more than kill him: she could slice apart his spirit, and instead of sending him to the Void, he would dissolve into nothingness...

“Give him mercy.” Thesis half-instructed, half-asked, and Cadence looked up in surprise. She stared at him as Fafnir gasped and moaned and whimpered, before Thesis implored gently: “Just send him back to the Void.”

“So, what, Loki can dig this monster out again? He's a monster! He's... destruction, incarnate!” Cadence argued sharply, before she glanced up in surprise as her father gently touched her shoulder, but it was Thesis who smiled at her, Thesis who spoke:

“Yeah. He'll probably come back. He'll probably be used to try and hurt us again. So what? Mercy isn't about that. We have our honor and our virtue, Cadence, and we are better than destroyers, and animals, and killers. We don't kill in cold blood. We don't kill the people who beg us for mercy, even if we know they'll turn on us. And we don't pretend that being our enemy automatically means they can't be victims, too. Just send this poor dog home. And if he comes back, well... we'll deal with that when it happens. But sometimes, being the good guys means we have to do good things even for bad people.”

“I don't want to be the good guy.” Cadence murmured, as she looked down at the helpless, bleeding creature pinned beneath her, drooling silver blood and whimpering as tears fell from his eyes, pinned through the throat, through the very energy that made up his being, by her daggers. “I'm not the good guy.”

“And you don't have to dig the hole any deeper, either.” Thesis reminded her gently, before he said softly: “Let him go. Send the dog home, but don't do something you'll only regret later.”

“I never regret... killing. I never have.” Cadence said honestly, as she leaned over Fafnir, as she twisted her daggers slowly into his throat, and it was true, wasn't it? She didn't have any compassion for the people she killed. Good, bad, wicked or saintly... I'm a killer. It's what I do. It's what I was made to do. It's the only thing that makes me feel...

She closed her eyes, then swore quietly under her breath before she suddenly wrenched her daggers to the side, nearly beheading the destroyer with the ferocity of her slice. But even as the destruction entity rolled backwards, gargling and choking, he seemed almost relieved as he clutched at his neck, his liquid metal body rapidly disintegrating as energy steamed into the air and faded from sight, returning to the Void from whence he had been summoned.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Moonflower croaked: “Well, Cadence. I'm glad to see that even without my help you managed to succeed and do the right thing.”

Cadence smiled faintly despite herself, looking up to see the unicorn was half-laying against the wall, breathing hard but smiling despite his badly-burned features. “I'm glad to see you didn't kill yourself with whatever you did. What about...”

“Dead.” La Croix said simply, and Cadence blinked in surprise as she looked up to see La Croix standing over Mfalme Kuoza's puppet body, the Loa shaking his head as he studied the half-corpse, half-golem. “I bound his spirit to the shell, but I didn't have to do too much. He was already plenty weak: even this cocodril wannabe ain't strong enough to be jumpin' from corps to corps like he was likely forced to. And when that monstre stuck a finger through his eye, well...”

“That was more than a finger.” Thesis muttered as he turned away, looking back and forth before his eyes locked onto something across the cavern, and he slowly approached the broken remains of the collar. But there was only a faint hum coming from it now, and Thesis gave a wry smile before he muttered: “Stolen Clockwork technology, likely modified in some makeshift facility. I guess that Auriculos is broadcasting using cross-dimensional tech... and considering all this, he's probably doing it of his own free will. My only question is...”

Thesis turned towards Cadence, and then mare grimaced as she reached up to touch some of the dried blood on her face, muttering: “The Swan is still out, so I can't tell you much. But it was like... like something exploded through the Astra. It's impossible to describe. Maybe once the Swan wakes up, I'll know more.”

“But whatever this force was, it was powerful enough to knock the Swan out?” Sombra asked, and Cadence nodded after a moment with a grimace, which made the unicorn frown slightly as he looked up at Thesis.

Thesis, however, only shrugged and sighed a bit, replying tactfully: “I don't know. Out of all of us, only Cadence here has ever really experienced the Astra. Mom and Hel and all these other smart people put forth a lot of theories about the Astra, have made a lot of deductions, but... they've never seen into it. Not even a Jötnar like Dad... uh, Valthrudnir, would have been able to look into the Astra without risking, well...

“Going crazy. Or worse. It's... weird in there.” muttered Cadence, closing her eyes. “It's not a place, you have to remember that. We talk about it like it's a place, but it's not. It's... everything. It's all of us. Inside all of us, outside all of us. The Astra is everything and everywhere.”

She sighed a little, then shook herself quickly before she spun her daggers at her side and finally holstered them. The Nzambi had all been killed or captured, the destroyer was gone, the collar was broken and Auriculos had probably wiped the software and just left the wreecked pieces of hardware behind, and... “I guess we're not going to get anything out of Mfalme Kuoza then, are we?”

“Not... necessarily. None of y'all gonna like it, though.” La Croix said hesitantly, and Cadence frowned a bit as La Croix mumbled: “Well, I am a Loa, and you know my specialty be handlin' the dead. But Mfalme Kuoza, well... he a real nasty, real old, real dangereux spirit. However, with some help from some amis, I might just be able to pull the shreds of Mfalme Kuoza's spirit out safely. He ain't comin' back, no. But he so malignant, so evil, if I don't get help he could easily make what we call a stain in this here reality, and stains be real bad.”

“Yeah.” Cadence murmured, and then she shook her head quickly before she glanced over at Thesis, and he smiled and nodded briefly.

“Yeah. Do your thing. We trust you, right guys?” Thesis said, looking around, and Sombra smiled and nodded calmly as Moonflower shrugged and gave a wry smile as well.

“You are a... decent enough minion.” the unicorn said, and La Croix gave him a flat look before the black unicorn dropped his head and murmured: “Thank you for saving my life for the thousandth time.”

La Croix looked almost startled for a moment, but then he simply laughed it off and waved a hoof, replying in a falsely-irritable voice: “Hey, don't go readin' too much into it, m'su. Just another day at the job, that's all.”

He halted, then cleared his throat before brushing himself off as he faced Mfalme Kuoza's corpse, muttering: “Now, let's see if I can still do this. Hopefully these two been able to avoid Bondye's wrath, but I bet he's got all sorts of nasty eyes watchin' for 'em from the shadows... but I know just how to get 'round that.”

La Croix produced a bottle from his cloak, then a powder, asking: “Papa Sérénité, you mind lendin' me a bit o' your magic? Need an extra boost and some poison to make an antidote.”

Sombra nodded, striding over to La Croix as Cadence sat back on the ground, and Thesis sat himself down beside the ivory mare as she only sighed and lowered her head. There was silence between them for a few moments as La Croix tinkered in the background, before Cadence finally looked up and murmured: “I thought you had died.”

“Voidborn. It'll take more than that to kill me.” Thesis shrugged and smiled briefly, touching his own chest lightly before he asked: “And how are you doing?”

“Crappy.” Cadence confessed after a moment, and Thesis nodded a few times before the mare glanced up at him and asked finally: “Why am I so broken? Why am I a monster? Why am I driven to kill?”

She quieted, then looked over at Thesis and asked bluntly: “Is this what Hecate wanted me for? Because she knows the Swan... that I need guidance? That I need to... kill?”

“You don't need to do anything, Cadence, except what you want to do.” Thesis said gently as he wrapped a foreleg around her, and Cadence sighed and lowered her head, but she didn't pull away as he continued quietly: “Mom doesn't need killers and murderers, and I think you know that. She doesn't see you that way, either. She sees you as a leader and as a pony who can be depended upon to get the job done at the end of the day. And you are that, and I think you know that, don't you?”

Cadence grumbled a little, shifting a bit before she sighed and lowered her head, nodding and murmuring: “I'm trying my hardest to be. It's just that I always come back to... to that. To the killing. To the fact that taking life is so easy for me and it's become second nature. And maybe... I don't know. I just... don't know.”

There was silence for a few moments, before Moonflower grunted as he sat himself down beside the two, Cadence glancing up at him in surprise, but Thesis only smiling as the unicorn said: “Well, I never thought very highly of myself... I mean, you know, apart from being a God of Magic and all-powerful and far superior to every mage and magician and unicorn around me, but that was never really all that high and mighty, was it?”

Moonflower smiled briefly, before he added quietly: “No, we know that was all nothing but play and nonsense. No, I'm no... no great wizard or powerful god. I'm just...”

Moonflower reached up and rubbed at his burnt face; La Croix had at least helped him apply some sort of salve over it that was speeding up his healing, but it still looked like it hurt. He scowled a little, hesitating, but then finally he mumbled: “Just a foolish unicorn. A criminal. All my whining about you all being so low class and unaustere and I'm the one who's a criminal.”

He stopped, then smiled briefly over at Cadence. “But a criminal, a stripehorse, and your father, who is so handsome and dignified and strong but... has his vices, too...” Moonflower said delicately, earning a scowl from Cadence. “But you bring us all together. You make us function as a team. You're the balance to us, Cadence, and perhaps we balance you out a little too. Except I don't think you need us half as much as we need you.”

Cadence shrugged a bit, and Moonflower chuckled and murmured: “What I'm trying to say is that a killer couldn't do that. You're much more than that. You're the... the one pony who holds us all together, who keeps us all going. You're the... I don't know. Herdmistress.”

“Hey, she's my mistress. Well, I mean. Not like that. Or like that.” Thesis rubbed awkwardly at his face as Cadence scowled at him, and then he said finally: “Everyone looks up to you. I know you probably hate that. But you're a leader, Cadence, an officer, a... something that people listen to, whether you like it or not.”

Cadence grumbled under her breath, but then she sighed and nodded before looking up as La Croix called: “Okay, gonna see if this works.”

Cadence cocked her head, glad for the distraction: it looked as if La Croix had gotten her father to create some kind of small summoning plate out of black gemstone, along with a bowl that he had mixed some weird concoction in. La Croix turned away from them, muttering some strange incantation under his breath as his hoof sizzled with magic over the bowl of liquid.

Eerie green smoke vomited up from the bowl, and La Croix scowled before he gritted his teeth at another burst of smog, muttering: “There, there, y'idiots just...” A third burst, but this time it was tinged darker, and La Croix grinned as he called: “Y'all turned into cowards with me gone? C'mon, c'mon! Ici, ici!”

A rumble tore through the air, green energy sparking over the plate of black stone as another burst of dark smog rose up from the bowl, and an incredulous voice echoed out of the gemstone tablet: “La Croix? Mon frère? Is it really you?”

“It really be me. You gonna make me wait all day before showin' me whether or not that really be you?” La Croix replied mildly, and there was a short laugh from the bowl as strange images formed in the liquid.

“Hey!” shouted another voice from the bowl, this one sounding more excited and cheerful. “There you be! We been wonderin' about you, brother, especially with how Bondye been dredgin' the bayou lately! We were worried you'd ended up here... but hey, we can't talk-”

“Yes y'all can. Y'know why?” La Croix suddenly upended the bowl over the gemstone plate, the water splashing down before there was a tremendous burst of green and black smoke, and a moment later, two stunned, soaked zebra were left sitting awkwardly on the tiny black tablet, and La Croix threw his head back and laughed loudly.

The one on the left was wearing a fancy hat with a large feather sticking out of the brim, a full suit with flowing tails covering his body, polished buckles and buttons glimmering over the expensive clothing. The other, on the right, had a silk jacket and a long scarf hanging around his neck, a skull-topped cane clutched in one hoof as the two zebra who looked almost eerily like La Croix blinked, then both scowled horribly at the stallion as their brother said cheerfully: “Well, ain't this nice, seein' y'all here again right in front of me!”

“La Croix, the hell you doin'?” shouted the fanciest of the three, the zebra leaping to his hooves and gesturing violently at his scarfed brother. “Cimetaire and I can't be here! You fou?”

“Oh, calm down, Samedi, you safe enough here. Just take a look at that big ol' poisson I caught and you tell me whether or not you gotta worry 'bout bein' eaten up by the minnows.” La Croix said airily as he gestured behind the two, and the pair of Loa turned before they both jumped backwards in shock at the sight of Mfalme Kuoza.

“Merde!” swore Samedi, and then he shook his head before he looked quickly over his shoulder at La Croix, asking with disbelief: “You managed to put that couyon down y'self?”

La Croix grinned and opened his mouth, and then Cadence loudly cleared her throat, the Loa coughing loudly before he awkwardly stepped to the side and gestured back at the others, saying finally: “I had a little bit of help. Lemme introduce ma famille. They been real good to me ever since I joined up with Nanny Hecate.”

Samedi and Cimetaire both let their eyes draw curiously over the ponies, as La Croix said: “This here fella be Papa Sérénité, he the nice one of the group. That be Moony, he be a pédé. Then you got Cygne there, and her beau, Thesis. Thesis be a bit of a grand beede but his gaienne be real good. She be the reason we all still alive, really.”

“Yeah, we heard o' that Cygne. Ain't just a pretty bird, but a real dangerous one, ain't that right?” Cimetaire said slowly as he twisted his cane apprehensively back and forth, but La Croix only huffed loudly.

“Y'all are embarrassin' me already! Now taisse-toi, connards. Cygne, mes amis, lemme introduce mon frères, Baron Cimetaire and Baron Samedi.” La Croix said with a smile, winking over his shoulder at his friends. “They done took pretty good care o' me while I was still with Bondye.”

“Yeah, if only we'd let the cocodril eat you, we might've taken better care of ourselves. We ain't barons no more, La Croix.” Samedi answered after a moment, brushing at himself before he bowed his head politely to Cadence. “Pleased to meet y'all. I hope that La Croix hasn't lied too much 'bout us and you give us a chance to make a good impression on y'all. Right, Cimetaire?”

Samedi firmly smacked the back of Cimetaire's head, making him yelp and nearly knocking his hat off before the apparently-eldest, best-dressed Loa turned his eyes pointedly towards La Croix. “But y'know, I ain't exactly sure why you brought us out here, La Croix, 'less you're just lookin' to get us into trouble. Cimetaire and I had a nice little hidey-hole in Darkwater and you certainly ruined that for us by draggin' us out here, mon ami.”

“Hey, hey, hey now, we'll figure out how to fix it, eh? But for now, what I need your help with is dredgin' the spirit of Mfalme Kuoza there. There's enough spirit left in that shell we may be able to extract a bit of information out of him, if the three of us good brothers work together.” La Croix said mildly, and Cimetaire and Samedi both scowled uncertainly at each other, but then sighed when La Croix leaned towards them pointedly. “Y'owe me.”

“Actually, you owe us. A whole lot, at that.” replied Samedi in a mild voice, although La Croix only waved a hoof airily.

“We owe each other, ain't that right? Besides, you gonna owe me big in a few minutes, just you wait and see.” La Croix replied with a wink, before he gestured towards the golem and said mildly: “But if you wanna stop wastin' time, maybe, then we should get to work.”

Cimetaire and Samedi traded looks, then shrugs, before the two Loa turned around, one of them muttering aside to La Croix: “You sure 'bout this? Don't know how much useful stuff we actually be able to pull from this puppet, though... don't think it's much of a risk worth taking. I smell Nzambi: you have one of them hidden up your sleeve?”

“Two of 'em be trapped in the river, but they ain't gonna know nothin'. Mfalme Kuoza, though, you know his link with Bondye goes both ways, and he liked to spy where he wasn't welcome. If we can scrape even a few of his recent memories out of his spirit, I'm sure it'll give us an edge. And it'll guarantee you two a ride home.”

“Wait, wait, wait. What are you talking about, La Croix?” Cadence interrupted, and the zebra looked lamely over his shoulder as the ivory mare said quietly: “Look, we can't promise anything. Hecate might not be looking for new Orphans at the moment, and-”

“We can give 'em a ride. Besides, we'll need information about Bondye, and those two can provide plenty, I'm sure.” Thesis interrupted mildly, smiling reassuringly at the Loa before he winked. “And I'm the acting regent of Decretum, so I totally have more authority and smartness than Cadence.”

Both zebra looked uncertain, but La Croix only nodded firmly, giving Thesis a thankful look before he turned towards his brothers and encouraged: “Don't pay no heed to Cygne, she a real hero but she also a little too serious for her own good. Focus on this bigarno, he gotta be shelled and prepared.”

“Fine, fine. I'm gonna trust in you, and just hope for once it actually goes somewhere decent.” grumbled Samedi, and Cimetaire nodded moodily before the eldest brother muttered: “I'll take the sinister and you take the shadow. Let La Croix handle dexter, he probably out of practice.”

La Croix huffed loudly, but his brothers ignored him as Cimetaire asked: “You sure you don't want me handlin' the whole thing? Maybe La Croix should just handle puttin' down a ward. At least then we can check his work.”

“And here I am, already feeling like I gone fou for thinkin' you two idjits might at least be a little grateful to me for bringin' you out of whatever mudhole y'all been hidin' in, givin' you room and board and a place to live and freein' you from-”

“Oh, taisse-toi, La Croix, let's just get this over with.” groaned Samedi as he waved a hoof grumpily, and La Croix huffed before he strode quickly forwards, the three forming a rough triangle around Mfalme Kuoza's body as the Loa asked in a more serious voice: “Been disturbed since death?”

“Nope, he layin' where he fell.” La Croix said quietly, before he pointed out Mfalme's eye. “That be the lethal wound. Done by a Voidborn, a destroyer. Idjit thought it was Mwangamizi.”

“Mfalme Kuoza ain't never been smart, La Croix. Just real sly, real nasty, and a real good listener to Bondye.” Cimetaire grumbled, before he grimaced as he extended a hoof towards the golem, muttering: “This body ain't even been sanctified properly, but d'you feel that? The essence of the bayou. The blood of Darkwater.”

“Oui. He ain't all-together in there. We better be careful extractin' what we can. Reel him in, slow and steady: trawl for his energies, like you'd trawl for the crawdads.” muttered Samedi, and La Croix nodded as the three Loa all moved in synchronicity, falling in natural rhythm with each other, as if they had never been separated.

Green energy fumed over the shell of the golem, Mfalme Kuoza's corpse twitching once before it gasped weakly out, eyes flashing as it tried to snarl, tried to jerk away. It only managed to resist for a moment, however, before it simply fell limp again as a ghostly essence wafted violently upwards from the corpse, a tattered spirit of a zebra that was missing most of its skull floating silently above the body.

It blinked its single eye, then hissed in disgust before it drew its baleful gaze back and forth, rasping something in a language that Cadence didn't understand. La Croix snorted, however, then he said coldly: “Ain't important how they got here. I got a few questions for you, though, Mfalme Kuoza, like just what it is Bondye's been doin' with Loki.”

The spirit spat something at them, then howled in misery when Samedi twisted his hoof slightly, lightning erupting across the ethereal form as the Loa said in a low voice: “Don't got time for fun and games today, chaoui. How 'bout you just stick to answerin' the questions instead of pretending you have any sort of power left, eh? Won't work on us.”

The spirit writhed, then swore angrily at them: at least, Cadence guessed it was swearing from the sound and tone. But none of the Loa flinched, Cimetaire snorting before he asked contemptibly: “You been tryin' to hunt us down too, Mfalme Kuoza? Or maybe I should just call you Kuoza now, you ain't no Mfalme anymore, and you'd do well to remember that. We can always make sure you don't ever go back to Darkwater, after all... not that it seems like with all the tamperin' you been doin'-”

“Taisse-toi, Cimetaire, stop running your mouth. Let's give our old friend a chance to tell us what he's been doin' for Bondye, hear?” Samedi interrupted, and Cimetaire grumbled before Samedi closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side, a glow of magic shrouding his hoof before he muttered: “The poisons are inside the shell.”

“'Course they are. When you a walkin' cauldron, where's the best place to mix your brews?” La Croix said ironically, and then he shook his head before adding sharply: “You heard Samedi, answer the question.”

Mfalme Kuoza twisted helplessly, before the zebra spirit finally relented and grumbled something in a bitter, disgusted voice. The three Loa frowned at this, trading uneasy looks before the spirit suddenly focused in on La Croix, pulling against the magic binding him as he grinned cruelly, hissing out some promise of retribution before he gasped as he was restrained by the powerful magic of the three brothers, his spirit sizzling in visible pain.

La Croix shivered a little as his brothers both looked back at him uncertainly, but then Samedi turned his attention back to Mfalme Kuoza and asked coldly: “What's this nonsense about Bondye takin' over Darkwater? There's no way that he could take on the other Orisha, let alone He Above.”

Mfalme Kuoza writhed and resisted for a moment, and then his spirit crackled before he snarled out some answer. His spirit fizzled, steaming, losing cohesion for a moment, and Cimetaire grimaced before he muttered: “He ain't stickin' together too well. His will ain't all there, either. We might have to give up and break him down.”

Mfalme Kuoza reacted violently at this, flailing for a moment with a series of what had to be ugly curse-words in his native tongue, and the Loa swore before La Croix snapped: “Well, be much easier keepin' you together if you just stop flailin' around like a great damn ouaouaron caught in a damned blender, y'hear?”

After a few moments, the spirit finally stopped flailing, gasping for... well, not air, Cadence reflected. But he stopped struggling, shivering in the air and clenching and unclenching his hooves, glaring at the three Loa before Samedi repeated calmly: “Well? Tell us, what is Bondye planning? How does he think he can take over Darkwater?”

The floating spirit grumbled and shifted, but after a few moments it relented and answered the question in a sulky voice, his eyes darting back and forth with flashes of glowers now and then to the Loa as they traded uneasy looks. Both Samedi and Cimetaire deferred to La Croix after a moment, and the apparent youngest of the three grimaced before he asked: “If he really think that Loki gonna make him that powerful, well... Mfalme Kuoza, what does that mean? You can't mean Bondye hisself gonna be more powerful, so that means...”

“Voidborn.” rasped the spirit: a word that they could all understand. And then Mfalme Kuoza grinned, distorting his broken features even further as he looked towards Cadence and hissed: “Bayou justice will always be done. Your dead shall make more dead for the dark waters!”

“Enough!” La Croix snapped, flicking his hoof, and Mfalme Kuoza howled in pain before he slumped, floating but spiritually unconscious as the Loa growled: “This ain't good, mes amies. As a matter of fact, this be real bad. We gotta warn Nanny Hecate.”

“We gotta get as far away as possible.” Samedi corrected pointedly, as Cimetaire shifted nervously. “And we should throw that cocodril-”

“We made a promise, mon frère, and in the past that used to mean something. Send his scraps back to the bayou. Maybe Bondye take it as a message. Maybe it distract him some. But either way, by the time he returns to Darkwater, there ain't gonna be enough left for Bondye to sew him into a dolly, much less a brand new body.”

Both Samedi and Cimetaire looked surprised, but when the younger brother looked towards the older, Samedi sighed and shrugged, gesturing towards La Croix and saying ironically: “Your funeral, mon frère.”

La Croix gave a wry smile, and then he simply lowered his hoof, the other Loa doing the same as the youngest of the spirits said softly: “ Guess I just learned that there be more important things in life than just lookin' out for your own skin. Even when it comes to dealin' with fou cocodrils like this one.”

Mfalme Kuoza faded from sight, and La Croix shook his head before he said finally: “I'm gonna take apart that shell, draw the poisons out of the serpent. I need some time to think.”

“That's alright. Just be ready for pre-briefing.” Thesis said, smoothly cutting off Cadence before she could say anything particularly unpleasant. “Maybe you two could tell us a little more about where you've been hiding out, and why you had to leave? La Croix hasn't exactly been-”

“Excusez-moi, mon ami, but if even La Croix has had the sense to hold back a little, then you'll likely understand when I say we gotta keep some secrets to ourselves. Such as all of them.” Samedi said pleasantly, bowing his head, and Cimetaire grinned widely.

“Yeah, you know that no one knows the value of information better than the messenger!” Cimetaire added with a wink, and then he glanced mildly over at La Croix, asking: “So what have you been up to with these ouaouaron, anyway? Ain't like you ever been the type to do actual work or nothin'.”

La Croix grumbled at this, retorting: “Hey, I done more work in the last few years than you two done your entire lives! And believe it or not, you idjits, I been a contributin' member of society.”

“Contributing to what? Its downfall?” Samedi teased, and Cimetaire snorted before the Loa turned a smile towards the others, asking: “We heard a lot 'bout your fancy Clockwork World, actually, and I have to say, it sounds mighty-”

“Yeah, don't.” Thesis said mildly, and Samedi blinked before the Replicant continued: “I know what you're trying to do there. Milk for information that you can later use. La Croix had a few bad habits himself when he first came to Decretum, according to his file. Lots of attempting to sneak and peek around, digging in files, trying to blackmail other Orphans. But you know, intelligence gathering is a rough job. They teach you, train you into learning as much dirt about someone as possible, and of course you can't help but try and put those skills to use.”

Samedi smiled awkwardly, and Cimetaire cleared his throat before he hurried chimed in: “Hey, it ain't like that at all! We just uh... interested in bein' the best we can be to uh...”

“Help out.” Samedi finished, giving Cimetaire a pointed look before he returned his eyes to Thesis. “Mo chagrin, though. I didn't mean to come across as anything but curious and interested in... making a positive contribution.”

“Smooth.” Thesis said mildly, before he glanced over at Cadence, then he looked up at La Croix and asked loudly: “You gonna vouch for these two? Because they'll be your responsibility until we figure out where to send 'em if they come with us to Endworld.”

La Croix grumbled a bit at this, waving a hoof irritably, but not looking up from the carcass of the golem as he responded: “Yeah, yeah, I can look after 'em just fine. Don't you worry none, they be my responsibility.”

Both the brothers seemed surprised at this, but La Croix only smiled wryly over his shoulder at them before Cadence strode towards the Loa, asking: “I didn't understand anything that that asshole was saying, except for the part about the Voidborn.”

“Well, you be glad to know that he wasn't just answerin' our questions, then, we were getting glimpses of his memories as he spoke to us. Call it Loa intuition. I'm sure a pretty thing like you knows all about lookin' into someone's soul, though.” Samedi said charmingly as he swept up Cadence's hoof, smiling as he kissed it. “You certainly seem to gaze right into mine.”

Cadence looked at Samedi for a moment, then she shoved her hoof into his face, the zebra blinking dumbly and staring cross-eyed at the end of his scrunched muzzle as she said moodily: “If you or Cemetery there screw up or anything and get La Croix in trouble, I'm going to shove your head up your ass. Do you understand?”

Samedi smiled awkwardly, leaning away as he gave a lame laugh before his eyes rolled carefully towards Cimetaire, who held up a hoof hopefully as he asked: “If I screw up, does that mean you gonna shove Samedi's head up his ass too? 'Cause I just do what he tells me to do, honest.”

“Shut up, Cimetaire.” growled Samedi, before he winced as Cadence grabbed his nose and twisted it, saying hurriedly: “I'll listen, I'll listen!”

Cadence grunted as she stepped back, and Samedi rubbed slowly at his muzzle before he grumbled: “You hang out with a real rough crowd these days, La Croix. Don't know whether I should be proud or worried 'bout you.”

“Don't you worry none, Samedi, I can take care of myself. You know what they say, you just gotta laissez le bon temps roulez, and all that.” La Croix replied airily, before he added quietly: “But if y'all want to fill my friends in on what we learned...”

Both Samedi and Cimetaire traded looks at this, and then Cimetaire shrugged a but and said after a moment: “Well, you know these people better than I do. They look like an odd bunch of ponies, but... I'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt. Even you've never been that much of a sucker, after all.

“Alright then, mes amies. Listen up, and listen well.” Samedi said in a more authoritative voice, straightening and looking around at the others. “Darkwater ain't just Bondye's realm. Sure, he's sectioned himself off a good chunk of it, but there are other Orisha across the bayou, along with pockets that ain't really ruled by anybody, and all the waters that lay beyond.

“I guess you could say that... Bondye took a lot of the old ways and changed 'em around to better suit him. A lot of us barely remember the times before, when He Above...” Samedi looked almost guilty for a moment, and then he shook his head and waved a hoof irritably. “Ain't important. What's important is that it's too wide, too vast a place for Bondye to ever really take over. I probably don't have to inform y'all that he has a god complex... that he considers himself a god.”

“Bondye means somethin' along the lines of 'good God' in our old language, but... he ain't never been benevolent.” Cimetaire grimaced, muttering: “Guess y'can't expect an Orisha shaped like a giant ol' cocodril to be nice, though, eh?”

“Sure as enfer arrogant, though.” Samedi grumbled, and then he looked up and said quietly: “But Kuoza said that somehow Bondye, who be no more than a glorified shetani, he's gonna be in charge of not just Darkwater, but all the otherworlds. I don't even know how that could be possible, but that's what Bondye's been promised by this Loki. And apparently the means to do so, the means to... 'control' those who would dissent, and it don't sound like possession or anything like that. Y'can't possess another spirit, after all.”

Cadence frowned at this, before Sombra asked quietly: “And manipulation is out of the question? I mean no disrespect, but I have heard from La Croix that what you do is much less in magic, and much more in...”

“Style.” Cimetaire gave a wide grin at this, tapping the brim of his hat before he became serious as well, shaking his head and answering: “No. That's true. It ain't nearly as important how powerful you are, after all, as how powerful other people think you are. And even us, who've been under Bondye's nasty little claws our whole lives, are cuttin' and runnin' to escape. Partly because he's a fou cocodril, and partly because we know there ain't no way at all he could ever be half as powerful as he thinks he's gonna become.”

Cadence was tempted to interrupt here and ask if that meant they would have stayed with Bondye if he'd actually shown proof he could become what sounded like omnipotent, but her father thankfully spoke before she could: “Then what does Loki have to do with this, if providing Voidborn would not be enough?”

Samedi bit his lip, then he said finally: “I didn't think this... Loki was gonna provide anything to Bondye at first. It all seemed too good to be true. But more and more spirits have been showing up, and Bondye has been expanding his grip on Darkwater already... I've even seen and heard that other Orisha have been forced to bow their heads to him.

“And with what we peeled out of Kuoza, I'm starting to think that somehow, Loki's given Bondye the power to compel and order 'round spirits outside of those who pledged loyalty to him.” Samedi shook his head, muttering: “That would take real powerful mojo to pull somethin' like that off. Even Cimetaire and I were able to slip through a loophole after he exiled La Croix and all, and find our way to... uh... a safer locale.”

“But nowhere's gonna be safe at this rate.” added Cimetaire with a grimace and a shake of his own head. “If Bondye can start commandin' spirits somehow, even ones outside his own pantheon, then we gonna have ourselves a lot of trouble.”

Samedi nodded grimly at this, before La Croix piped in: “That might be true, but hey, so long as you two keep wearin' those charms, you should be alright. What makes me a lot more worried is the fact that Bondye is makin' war on the physical plane like this. Ain't nothin' but a matter of time until Loki turns on him, though, which I doubt is gonna be all that long.”

“He wants you dead, from what I remember. Well, not just dead, but mort, if you get what I'm saying here.” Samedi said mildly, and La Croix grimaced a bit and nodded moodily, but he didn't look up from what he was doing as he carefully peeled off the side of the golem's body. “Also, you gonna take all day there or what?”

“I'm gonna take as long as I have to. This be some real nasty poison, so mal that I think even Cygne might die from it. Y'know, at least once, Cygne.” La Croix said mildly, and Cadence did her best not to scowl at the Loa before the zebra frowned as he swirled a hoof above the golem's corpse, vile energy steaming up from the innards. “Gonna take me a few minutes to break these wards. Samedi, Cimetaire, you wanna stop sidestepping the questions?”

Samedi scowled over his shoulder, and Cimetaire huffed before he turned around and swung his cane at La Croix, grumbling: “Traitor chaoui. You been wearin' the skin of a pony too long.”

“Hey hey now, y'ain't gotta be racist 'bout it. I get enough of that from Moonflower. You makin' us look like nothin' but dumb stripehorses.” complained La Croix, and Samedi snorted.

“You the only one of us who ever been a dumb stripehorse, La Croix. Did this boy ever tell you folk about the time he spent-”

Samedi was interrupted by Cadence stepping aggressively towards him, locking a glower on him that made him shrink back as she said moodily: “I want to know what the hell is going on, and La Croix is right. You're sidestepping. What did you learn from Mfalme Kuoza? And don't tell me about Bondye. I get it. He's an egomaniacal asshole. That doesn't tell me anything, though, I already knew that. La Croix already hinted that he can control spirits and obviously Loki is going to supply him with Voidborn. That seems to be Loki's thing. Something else is going on here and I want to know what it is.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Cimetaire volunteered meekly: “Well, y'see... okay, maybe it's just a tad more complicated than Bondye getting' more power. Kuoza revealed a few... interesting things.”

Cadence narrowed her eyes, wondering how far she could punch Cimetaire, but Samedi seemed to catch the look in her eye and realize what it meant as he cleared his throat before saying hurriedly: “There ain't no need to get heated now! We just trying to... to frame the words, to figure out how to explain it to y'all. For one thing, Mamere Araignée still be spinning her webs and makin' that mist. But it's pointless: Mfalme Kuoza was supposed to kill everyone and raise an army-”

“Know that, move forward.” Cadence said shortly, and Samedi winced.

“Yes'm, you got it.” Samedi paused, shooting a look over his shoulder at La Croix, but La Croix didn't look up from what he was doing, and suddenly Cadence felt like there was another reason that La Croix was over there, tinkering with that corpse. It wasn't that she thought he was suddenly going to betray them, but rather... “Bondye is focusin' in dearly on my littlest brother here. And from what Kuoza has warned us, it seems like Bondye is specifically trying to tap into the old world, the... place where we came from. Yes, his plans are big, but they start with revenge.”

“Just like most plans.” Cimetaire said softly, shaking his head slowly before he muttered: “It's all real fou. We didn't catch more than glimpses, but... enough. Enough to see he's somehow subjugated those who remained loyal to He Above and didn't leave for another part of Darkwater. Enough to know that... he really wants to hurt that La Croix, bad. And no matter where you go, La Croix...”

“I know. The Nzambi got my scent. Bondye got a bottle of sang he can use to track me, wherever I go.” La Croix muttered, before he sighed a little as he shook his hooves out and stepped back from the golem's body, grumbling: “There. Neutralized it all. Ain't nothing but muck now. We should head back up to Canterlot, I suppose. Got no choice but to wait 'round here until Bondye rears his head again...”

“The mist has nothing to do with anything, right? It was either a distraction or a cover for this.” Thesis half-asked, and Samedi nodded as Cimetaire tilted his head and Cadence frowned slightly in surprise. “Then we should just head back to Decretum-”

“The mist'll screw with you portalin' in and or. One thing for me and Cimeatire to be so rudely summoned, like La Croix did.” Samedi said pointedly, glowering over at the youngest Loa, but La Croix only grinned wryly. “But we're spirits, and brothers. You of the more... fleshy persuasion.”

Cadence grunted, frowning deeper as she felt like something was off, but Thesis only smiled and nodded, replying calmly: “How about we withdraw past Ponyville? We should avoid creating a portal anywhere near a settlement, anyway, just in case Loki attempts to attack us through the rift. What do you guys say?”

“Wait, we're just going to leave?” Cadence asked dubiously, and then she scowled as she looked back and forth, even Moonflower raising his head slightly in surprise. “I mean, it's not that I don't want to, but we only just stopped Mfalme Kuoza, and with that mist still in the air and who knows what other monsters of Bondye-”

“Yes, but this isn't Loki. This is Bondye. And I'm sure the ponies here can handle a little bit of fog.” Thesis said mildly, turning his eyes towards her and silently asking her to trust him with his eyes.

Cadence grimaced a bit, but then she sighed tiredly and nodded slowly, muttering: “Fine. I... alright. La Croix, is there anything else we need to do?”

“There are Nzambi in the river, you said?” Cimetaire asked, and La Croix nodded. “How do you wanna dredge those up?”

“Tempted to say 'don't,' but I'm sure these dumb as dirt ponies would either take pity on 'em or panic 'cause they think it be one of their own down there. Let's exorcise 'em and drag up the bodies after we send their spirits packin'.” La Croix said, and Samedi grimaced slightly as Cimetaire groaned, but then he nodded with a sigh.

“Doin' a lot of work for you already, La Croix. Better all be worth it.” Cimetaire warned, and La Croix smiled wryly and shrugged, giving the stallion a wryly-amused look.

“Hey, it'll all be just fine, just you wait and see.” La Croix almost promised, and then he grinned over at Moonflower, adding: “We got ourselves a fine magician here, y'know. I'm sure he can do a thing or two to get those corpses for us.”

“I am not a... cadaver dog, La Croix.” Moonflower huffed, and Cadence slowly turned her eyes to him, which made Moonflower lower his head lamely. “Cadaver dogs. Those are like. Diamond dogs, but they dig up bodies and carry them away... yes?”

“Those are ghouls.” Cadence said moodily, and then she sighed and said finally: “We'll help. Just...”

She didn't know how to finish that sentence, but her father did for her, and far more diplomatically than she could: “We have our concerns about what's happening, that's all. We don't want to leave this world in Bondye's grip, or let him become aware of what's happening.”

“He won't, don't you worry.” La Croix promised, and Cadence gave him an appraising look before the zebra asked: “For me, Cygne?”

Cadence sighed, but then she nodded grudgingly after a moment and muttered: “Fine. But I'm trusting you on this.”

La Croix smiled, and then Thesis winced when the ivory mare reached up and grabbed his ear, yanking his head down as she growled: “And I want a word with you later, boss. Got it?”

“Yes, dear.” Thesis wheezed, and then he winced a bit when Cadence let go of his ear, asking awkwardly as he rubbed at the side of his head: “But you will uh... listen to me when I'm in official capacity, right?”

“Yes. I'll just be mad at you in official capacity.” Cadence retorted bluntly, and Thesis smiled despite himself.

“As long as you aren't mad at me when I'm your snuggle-muffin.” Thesis replied mildly, and Cadence blushed before she shoved the stallion out of her way and stormed off with a grumble.

Thesis smiled after her, then he added without looking back at La Croix or his brothers: “And in both official capacity and as just plain ol' me, I'm trusting you three. So I'd recommend you don't screw this up doing whatever it is your doing. Otherwise, in both official capacity and as just plain old me...”

Thesis glanced over his shoulder with a smile, but the machinery on his back sparked as his eyes narrowed slightly, making the Loa all wince. “I'll have to hold you accountable.”

With that, the stallion turned and trotted off after Cadence, Moonflower and Sombra both following and leaving the three Loa to look uneasily among themselves for a moment, before Samedi muttered: “La Croix, you best be right 'bout doin' this. You're too close to these ones.”

“This be my one chance to not have to deal with this anymore, Samedi. Let's just keep the talkin' in our heads, where none of them can hear.” Loa muttered, and Cimetaire laughed dryly.

“You cold, La Croix. Or just desperate and afraid. But after what we seen, I ain't blaming you.” Cimetaire muttered, and La Croix gave his brother a sour look, but then nodded moodily as he turned his eyes away.

He strode away, and La Croix followed after a moment with a sigh, lowering his head silently and feeling caught between a rock and a hard place, and only hoping that when the time came, he would make the right choice.

The Prayers We Sang Together

Chapter Eighty Three: The Prayers We Sang Together
~BlackRoseRaven

Thesis was suddenly intent on getting them out of Canterlot as soon as possible, and Cadence didn't entirely know why. He was brisk and businesslike with the princesses when they returned, and Princess Celestia was barely able to cajole him into having his team spend the night.

Cadence was glad they were going home, there was no doubt about that, but she didn't like the way that La Croix and his 'brothers' slipped off, any more than she liked how fast Thesis was pushing them to leave, or the fact he was clearly keeping some information to himself. It pissed her off. And what frustrated her even more was that she was the one who was always reminding people about the intelligence blindfold they operated under, but here she was, getting mad at Thesis over something she knew he couldn't control.

But was their relationship going to be like this? Feeling betrayed when he was professional? He was the Regent of Decretum and she was a soldier, an officer. She had to listen to him. She had to be as impartial as she could outside of her relationship.

Like that was easy. Like that was even possible for her. She couldn't even keep her mouth shut with Hecate, and Hecate she respected as a mentor, as a matriarch. Thesis she... well... greatly enjoyed the company of, but even him she just couldn't stop...

Cadence glanced up as she heard a throat politely clear, and she sighed inwardly as she saw this world's Cadence smiling at her awkwardly, tiptoeing out to join her on the balcony with Luna floating along behind her. At least this Luna isn't horrible. Like every other Luna I've met. “Hi.”

“Hey.” Cygne said after a moment, and there was silence between the three as they stood awkwardly together out on this little balcony that gazed out over the mountains beyond Canterlot. It was a beautiful morning: the sun was shining, the sky was cloudless, the sea of mist that spilled over Canterlot seem more like the mystical, fantastical place it strove to be. And Cadence truly wished this was half the paradise it liked to be, purely because in fantastic worlds you never had to worry about the awkwardness of your nosy parallel shoving her face in your business.

After a few moments, Princess Cadence shifted a little, then she almost blurted as Cygne looked lamely away: “Why do you hate me so much?”

“I don't hate you.” Cygne said after a moment, looking back at the mare, and Cadence scowled a little, which made Cygne smile a little more. “I really don't.”

“Well, you shouldn't hate yourself, either.” Cadence said, and then she wilted a bit when Cygne's smile curdled and her eyes narrowed dangerously.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Luna said calmly: “You are both silly.”

Cadence and Cygne both looked at the mare, who floated a mug of coffee up to her muzzle to drink from it before she explained dryly: “It is very simple. Both of you look at one another, and see what you want to. Not what is really there, but simply... reflections.”

“We are reflections.” Cadence said with surprise, and Cygne frowned as she tilted her head, not wanting to echo the sentiment, but admittedly that was what she felt, too.

“Yes, but to what extent? You are also two individuals, shaped by your profoundly-different experiences.” Luna said tiredly, as she sipped slowly at her coffee before she swirled the liquid in the mug moodily. “Nightmare Moon is a reflection of who I am, too, but she is not me at the same time. Do you understand that?”

“Too well.” Cygne muttered, even as Cadence frowned uncertainly. “Look, it doesn't matter much either way, since we're going to be-”

“You dismiss. Why do you run away from it?” questioned Luna, and Cygne scowled at her, but Luna stood her ground as she continued: “You claim to disassociate yourself completely, to be Swan, to be Cygne, but... are you?” She paused, then asked quietly: “Do you even trust your friends, let alone yourself?”

“Yes!” Cygne burst out angrily, glaring at the mare before she shifted backwards in surprise when Luna thrust her coffee mug at her.

“Drink.” she ordered, and Cygne scowled and pushed the mug away.

“You're as bad as all the other Lunas.” she muttered, and Luna smiled wryly as she pulled her mug away, drinking from it again.

“You deflect, but you fail to trust. Name it a thousand things, but in the end it comes down to fear and distrust. I am certain, somehow, that Swan Maidens do not care about princess cooties or how icky black coffee is.” Luna paused, then turned her eyes towards Cadence and added bluntly: “This is not you. This is not a heroic version of you. This is not what you must become, Cadence. You are not Cygne, and Cygne, you are not Cadence.”

Cadence dropped her head silently, and Cygne's eyes shifted away before Luna turned to look down over the fog, muttering: “Ponies are blaming me for this, you know. Oh, it is so easy to mouth the words, 'Princess Luna we love you,' 'Princess Luna be mine,' 'Luna is my favorite princess,' but they forget themselves. The idolaters and the worshipers whom would all eagerly turn upon me should I ever turn blind eye to their cause, should I become for a mere moment in public eye what they do not want to see. Nor do they see how for all of those who loudly proclaim their love for me in idealized form, it will never be as great, as powerful, as the silent majority that loathes me. And could I ever blame them? Never. They have had a thousand years to love my sister. They have only just met me, these last few years, and what am I but exotic, and strange?”

Luna paused, chewing at her lip for a moment before she simply shrugged and said bluntly: “I am tired. I am going to go and find La Croix and his friends. At least they are interesting and dependable.”

“Hey, I'm the one who does all the work.” Cygne defended, and Luna smiled with mirthless amusement at her.

“Why is it always about you?” she asked, and the ivory mare blinked before Luna shrugged and turned around, adding: “Cadence, I am not your bodyguard or your talking point or your guardian. I am sure you can handle some personal time with your idol.”

With that, Luna simply turned and headed back inside, and there was silence for a few moments before Princess Cadence gave a lame smile to Cygne, saying almost meekly: “She's... I guess I've always sort of fallen back on using Luna as... help.”

Cygne sighed a little, then she lowered her head and muttered: “I guess I sort of understand. Luna was one of the first ponies I turned to when I started to discover... who I was. Someone I trusted enough to watch over my dreams and mind while I explored my memories...”

Cygne halted, then she looked up and said bluntly: “I guess I've been unfair to you. It's... been a hard last few days. We're leaving in an hour, so I guess I don't have much time to entertain you-”

“I don't want to be entertained, just...” Cadence smiled awkwardly, then she lowered her head a little and mumbled: “I just want to know you a little. You seem amazing. And I must seem... I don't know.”

She quieted, chewing on her lip before she looked up and asked quietly: “Shining Armor...”

“I wasn't right for him. And... I screwed up.” Cygne admitted after a moment, smiling faintly as she shook her head slowly. “I... I was never right for him. But he was available, and it was easy, and...”

Cygne looked back and forth, then she sighed softly and mumbled: “I still think about him a lot, though, and I wish sometimes things hadn't ended the way they had. I mean... I know things had to end. We were always friends, but never much more than that. We did all the things that couples did, but we were always so careful around each other. He was always so nice and thoughtful and including him was second nature and I trusted him but...”

Cadence gazed at her silently, as Cygne rose her head and looked up into the morning sky, saying: “It was all just... an imitation of perfection, though. It was wonderful, but it wasn't real, because I wasn't being who I really was at the end of the day. I wasn't...”

She bit her lip, but Cadence smiled faintly at her and nodded slowly, asking hesitantly: “So you've always been...”

“I have. I've always been... me. And if you've always been you, you don't really have anything to worry about.” Cygne smiled a bit, looking up and studying Cadence before she asked: “Are you a Princess?”

“Well, yes, you know I am.” Cadence seemed almost confused by the question, and it made Cygne smile wider. “What?”

“Just... reassuring, that's all.” Cygne shrugged a bit, and then she said finally: “I'm sorry for being judgmental. I guess it's a bad habit. I guess I have a lot of bad habits.”

“Hey, we all have our vices. You know, except for me, because I'm great.” Thesis chipped in, and Cadence jumped, but Cygne was somehow unsurprised as she turned with an amused smile towards the Replicant, who was on the neighboring balcony, leaning over the railing, mischievous eyes twinkling as they gazed at his love. “You over your hissy-fit?”

“Yeah.” Cygne admitted after a moment, shaking her head before she said mildly: “Although you know if it was anyone else...”

“You'd cream their corn, I know. Thank you for trusting me.” Thesis said honestly, and then he clapped his front hooves together and continued: “Mom expects us back within ten hours. If we take the train to Ponyville, it should cut a good amount of time off our journey, but I still want to leave within the next hour or two.”

Cygne frowned, but Thesis only looked pointedly back at her until she finally lowered her head and muttered: “Yeah. Alright. I'm doing my best to listen.”

Thesis smiled, before Cadence blurted out: “How did you two meet?”

Both Cygne and Thesis looked at the princess with surprise, and Cadence gave a lame smile before she reasoned awkwardly: “Well, I am the Princess of Love, you know... you... probably do know that very well, don't you?”

“You could say that.” Cygne said awkwardly, not wanting to get into how for her, being a princess had mostly consisted of her reminding herself to behave and smiling at people while letting Celestia and Luna handle all the diplomacy. And sometimes Shining. Because he was always better at that, too. “Well, uh... Thesis and I met... when...”

“Let's go get breakfast. Easier to talk over a meal.” Thesis suggested, and then he simply hopped onto the balcony rail and flung himself over the gap to theirs, Cadence squeaking but Cygne only smiling in amusement at him as he landed in front of her with a grin and a wink. “Plus I think it's supposed to be super cool to date twins or something.”

“I hate you.” Cygne said mildly, and then she traded a quick kiss with him before nodding and sighing, adding dryly: “It would have been nice to at least have a little bit of a honeymoon period with you, though.”

“Gosh, Cadence, I mean if you want to marry me that badly, I'm sure we can work something out, but it's pretty sudden.” Thesis remarked, before he winced when Cygne headbutted him and then shoved her face against his, forcing his eyes to look up into her own mild gaze.

“I don't think marriage suits us. But you do seem to like it when I 'suddenly' take things in a different direction.” she said, before she looked up almost awkwardly when Princess Cadence squealed a little, gazing at them brightly.

“You're just so adorable together!” she exclaimed, and Cygne winced as Thesis cleared his throat and looked away, and the princess hurriedly straightened and added awkwardly: “I mean, uh... breakfast would be excellent. Let's go get breakfast.”

“Let's.” Cygne said dryly, and then she sighed as Princess Cadence turned away, wondering if she had actually learned anything from all this, or she was just relieved that she wasn't destined to follow her parallel's path, or vice versa.

The train ride was muted, and their arrival in Ponyville wasn't celebrated, but went with only a meager greeting, a feeling of disappointment hanging heavy in the air. It was like the ponies had expected them to be able to come in and sweep up all their problems in a neat little bundle before they left, but life wasn't that easy, Cadence reflected.

She sighed a little as they walked along the road: some days were harder than other days when it came to things like this. And being confused, feeling unfulfilled and like they should have done more, and with all her worries about their new company and how easily and quickly La Croix fell in with that old, perhaps not so good crowd...

We don't do this for thank yous or credit, Cadence told herself as they left Ponyville behind, heading towards the Everfree Forest. We don't do this for praise. We fix the problems they can't handle themselves, then leave. They have to solve everything else themselves.

“Hey. Stop thinking and beating yourself up.” Thesis instructed gently, and Cadence glanced up, then grunted and lowered her head moodily. “Remember why we do this. Not just why we don't. You need to think positively sometimes, Sazerac.”

“What the hell did you just call me?” Cadence asked with a scowl, and Thesis shrugged lamely.

“Sazerac. It's a kind of drink, it used to be popular with the boys. It's mostly whiskey but you use a bit of sugar in it and that made me think of you because you're mostly whiskey even though when everyone looks at you they probably just see sugar at first.” Thesis said lamely, before he added awkwardly: “Don't hit me. I thought you might like it more than Honk.”

Cadence stared at the stallion for a few long moments, and then she sighed, but she couldn't hide the twitch of a smile at her lips as she said dryly: “You really never stop amazing me, you asshole.”

“I don't want that to be my nickname.” Thesis said blandly, and Cadence snorted before the stallion suggested hopefully: “How about Hero McAwesome?”

“How about Smoke?”

“Because where there's smoke, there's awesome pyrotechnics?” Thesis suggested with flex of one foreleg, and Cadence rolled her eyes.

“How about because you're nothing more than a puff that's easily blown away by a stiff wind?” she retorted, and then she added after a moment: “I guess Sazerac is okay. As long as it doesn't have anything to do with birds or anything. I'm tired of 'creative nicknames' that all just come back to 'Swan.'”

“Y'know, Cygne just means Swan too. But I can always change it up and start callin' you ours if you want, you got the strength of one, after all.” La Croix said mildly, and Cadence glanced back at him with a slight smile as the zebra grinned awkwardly up at her, and then he lowered his head and said humbly: “Merci. To both of you. 'Cause I know if y'both didn't agree, we'd be leavin' my brothers behind, and I don't wanna do that.”

He paused and glanced back over his shoulder: a few feet behind them, Samedi was chatting eloquently with Sombra, and Cimetaire was arguing loudly with Moonflower, but they both did seem to fit in already, Cadence reflected. “Well, I guess if there's one thing I've been reminded of a lot lately, it's the importance of family, La Croix. I mean, I don't think they're going to be permanent additions to our team...”

“Nah, they probably go to administration or somethin' like that. But I'm sure Nanny Hecate'll put real good use to 'em.” La Croix said positively, sounding perhaps more optimistic than Cadence had ever heard him be before.

Cadence began to open her mouth, but Thesis quickly cleared his throat before he agreed: “I'm sure she will. As long as they put in the work, anyone and everyone is welcome in Decretum.”

La Croix shifted awkwardly, and then he put on a wide grin when both Cadence and Thesis looked at him. “Y-Yeah! Well, you know me and mine, we might act like couyons from time to time, but ain't no one more intelligent 'round the bayou.”

“I just hope they're just as good out of the bayou as inside it, then.” Thesis replied mildly, and then he glanced up in surprise as there was a spark of magic in front of them before Twilight, Trixie, and Starlight Glimmer all popped into existence in front of them.

“Sorry sorry sorry!” Twilight blurted in embarrassment, almost stumbling over her own hooves as she hurried towards them, while Starlight rubbed at her head and Trixie shook herself out, her eyes rolling comically in her head. “I got so caught up with work I almost forgot to say goodbye!”

“Hey, I know that feeling.” Thesis said blandly, in a tone that told everyone very clearly he did not. “So uh... I guess you're here to say goodbye?”

“Yes, and to say thank you. So... thank you!” Twilight said awkwardly, but her big smile was honest. “I don't think we would have been able to survive without you. The complexity of the mist's magical equation was so fascinating that-”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie could have easily blown it all away with only a single gust of magic!” Trixie interrupted as she stomped forward, before she winced a bit when Twilight gave her a pointed look. “She just was told not to, that was all. Also the Great and Powerful Trixie could have easily handled everything herself but she is glad that you were there to help because she is too benevolent to dirty her hooves with such tasks.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Starlight Glimmer said finally: “Thank you for everything. These ponies are... sort of important to me. And we learned a lot in the brief time we spent together.”

Cadence smiled a bit at this, and Thesis simply shrugged amiably before Moonflower asked curiously: “How did you find us so quickly?”

“Oh, very simple! Trixie long ago taught Twilight Sparkle how to locate unicorns by sensing their horns!” Trixie said cheerfully, before she winked and continued: “Now, Twilight Sparkle is neither as Great, nor as Powerful as Trixie, but she is perhaps a little more sensitive.”

“After that it was merely a matter of triangulating your position and teleporting to you.” Twilight finished with a smile, gesturing absently at her friends. “They both wanted to come to thank you too-”

“Nonsense! We were sent here because Princess Twilight Sparkle cannot take care of herself and that is why we are here, as bodyguards!” Trixie argued quickly, looking away in embarrassment, and Twilight cocked her head almost curiously as Starlight Glimmer smiled in amusement.

“I can take care of myself very well. And I was the one who...” Twilight halted, then seemed to brighten slightly before she nodded slowly, saying after a moment: “I get it, you're... yes, I mean. It's very hard for me to take care of myself without your help.”

“See? The Great and Powerful Trixie never lies.” Trixie said comfortably, raising her head proudly, and Cadence gave maybe the smallest of smiles as she shook her head slowly. For a moment, her eyes roved to Twilight Sparkle, studying her curiously: what a strange mare she was. She had to be both powerful and skilled, but she was also so... weird. I'll have to ask Hecate about it.

Twilight glanced up suddenly, and then she blurted: “Well, I think we have to go! Thank you very much, but I have to go and meet up with one of my friends now. Take care!”

Trixie and Starlight Glimmer both stared as Twilight popped out of existence in a flash of magic, and then Trixie groaned loudly and grabbed at her face as Starlight Glimmer smiled despite herself. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is too Great and Powerful to walk all the way back to Ponyville! And does this mean she will have to buy train tickets as well?”

“Yes.” Starlight Glimmer said simply, and Trixie groaned again before Starlight Glimmer turned towards the odd group of ponies, Thesis tilting his head curiously as she seemed to gather her words for a moment.

Finally, she lowered her head, even though humility was clearly hard for her, as she said: “We would be glad to have you back here as guests any time. And... we were wondering...”

“We'll send a representative back. Right now we can't just have people visiting, though. Our world is... a little different than yours.” Thesis said delicately, before he smiled and continued tactfully: “But give us a week to send a delegate here to have a discussion with your princesses, and we'll see what we can do. I'm sure there's no mares more fitting for the job of exploring other worlds than you two, though, right?”

“Yes! We are the Special Investigators, after all!” Trixie proclaimed.

“The Mares in Black.” Cadence said ironically, and then she shrugged with a smile when Thesis glanced back at her curiously. “Don't blame me. Blame Shining Armor. He used to read those stupid comics all the time.”

“You and your ex.” Thesis said mildly, and Cadence favored the stallion with a flat look before he turned his eyes back towards Trixie and Starlight Glimmer. Trixie was posing proudly, but Starlight Glimmer was a little more refined, smiling awkwardly at them as she waited for... “Is there something else?”

“Well... no. No, of course not.” Starlight Glimmer paused, looking over the group of four, and Cadence frowned slightly as she glanced back over the group of ponies. Just ponies, she noted... “Well, Trixie, we'd better head back to Ponyville ourselves. You know what it's like when Twilight's off schedule.”

“Yes, yes. She will need the powers of the Great and Powerful Trixie to... do things.” Trixie somehow managed to look posh and arrogant despite her small speech error as she brushed slowly at herself, then she sniffed loudly as she reached up and pushed her glasses down slightly, saying pointedly as she glared at Thesis: “Just remember. The SIT is always watching you.”

“You know that acronym is never going to be threatening.” Thesis said blandly, and then he winced when Trixie leapt backwards and vanished in a burst of smog.

Except as the colorful smoke cleared, it revealed Trixie fighting to tug herself loose from a tree branch, mouthing swears to herself before she looked up with a deep blush as her glasses fell from her face before she yelled: “Starlight Glimmer!”

Starlight Glimmer rolled her eyes as her horn glowed before the magical aura encapsulated both her and Trixie as the baby blue mare stuck out her tongue, and then they simply vanished from the spot... along with a large part of the tree Trixie had been hooked on. The tree rumbled and shifted slowly to the side, but Cadence ignored the living plant in favor of turning and asking moodily: “Okay, La Croix. Why did you and your brothers hide?”

There was no response for a moment, and Cadence's eyes narrowed before they locked on the sight of the Loa peeking out from behind a nearby log, the mare glaring at him pointedly before she asked: “Well?”

La Croix winced, then popped back into existence, saying awkwardly: “H-Hey, Cygne, ain't nothing big. Just, y'know, avoidin' any complications. No one needs to know 'bout Cimetaire and Samedi, now do they? 'Srude of ponies to jump in like that, anyway.”

“'Srude.” Thesis half-agreed, and then he shook his head before he looked at Cadence. She looked back at him, disliking the instruction his eyes were giving, but after a moment, she sighed tiredly and nodded moodily, and Thesis smiled slightly before he returned his eyes to La Croix. “Of course, though. I trust you. You know that.”

La Croix smiled awkwardly, and then he lowered his head and murmured: “Oui. Merci.”

Cadence grumbled a little under her breath, but then she sighed and nodded slowly, murmuring: “Yeah. Trust. Don't screw it up, La Croix.”

La Croix shrugged awkwardly, before he winced when his brothers appeared on either side of him, both grinning in a way that wasn't reassuring in the slightest, both defensive, Cadence thought with a distinct scowl. “Hey, no worries, cher! La Croix might not be the best o' us out there, but he certainly ain't the worst, either. And now that we here to keep him in line, well...”

“What more could you ask for?” Samedi smiled, and Cadence hated the false genuity that he all but shone with. Had either of these Loa ever told a truth in their lives?

Even Sombra frowned a little, while Moonflower pursed his lips in a very disapproving-grandmotherly way. But Thesis was quick to cut them all off, smiling kindly himself and saying simply: “Don't screw this up. Because we will make you regret it.”

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, and then Thesis pushed onward into the Everfree Forest, Cadence following behind him. Sombra and Moonflower came next, and the three Loa hesitated before La Croix sighed and muttered: “C'est des conneries.”

“Watch your mouth, boy. This is for your own good.” grumbled Samedi, but La Croix only waved a hoof irritably back at him before he continued on after his friends, and Samedi sighed before he glanced over at Cimetaire and muttered: “He always did get too close on the long cons.”

“He'd get too close on a short one.” Cimetaire grumbled, and then he sighed as twirled his cane once before he said finally: “Hope y'both are right.”

Samedi only shrugged, before the two Loa trudged behind their brother, following at a short distance. At the head of the pack, Cadence and Thesis both seemed to be aware something was going on, but Sombra was inscrutable and Moonflower just seemed confused.

They followed a natural path, La Croix losing some of his focus as he looked around, looking at the trees they passed, the blooming flowers, how it was all beautiful and alive and so far out of the control of the ponies. It was unbridled power and chaos, and yet La Croix seemed to see something else in it, too, as he smiled faintly to himself-

“Hey, where did you want to go?” Thesis asked suddenly, and La Croix blinked as he realized the question was directed at him. “Remember? It was sometime after we first got here. You said you wanted to go somewhere.”

“Oh, yeah. Yeah... uh... yeah.” La Croix laughed a little, and then he suddenly pushed quickly to the front of the group, Cadence blinking in surprise as the Loa bumped by to take a stumbling lead down the path. “This way!”

Cadence shot Thesis a look, but he only shrugged and followed wordlessly, so she did the same. Their group tightened as they walked down the path, La Croix becoming both hopeful and anxious, she thought. Incredibly anxious, almost as if he was scared, and yet something was dragging him along, until they reached...

La Croix stumbled into what seemed like nothing more than an empty dirt lot in the middle of the Everfree Forest, his mouth working slowly, spasmodically, before he whispered: “Cher...”

Cadece frowned, but La Croix cleared his throat and straightened quickly even as he clutched at his amulet, looking back and forth before he gave a short laugh and almost rasped: “Course. Of course. Wouldn't make no other sense otherwise...”

He lowered his head, then closed his eyes tightly as Cadence felt an unnatural chill fill the air. The mare readied herself, but without looking up, La Croix whispered: “Don't you worry none. Ain't no one but a bon rien couyon who think himself a cocodril...”

The ground beneath La Croix turned to swampy marshland, pulsating with unnatural heat as red and black water spilled in veins throughout the thrumming earth. The sky darkened above as clouds coalesced in the skies, swirling into a malevolent thunderhead that made the forest as black as night as trees cracked and warped, twisting themselves into eerie and unnatural shapes.

Cadence's eyes widened in shock as she looked back and forth, seeing both husks and flickering lights emerging throughout the trees as the air grew colder, even as the earth beneath them grew hotter. Reality itself seemed to fizzle as this hell-world overlapped the real world, twisting and bending it into an awful tumor in reality as Bondye growled: “Your brothers have led you into a trap, La Croix. You are mine, now.”

“Nah. I'm just done runnin' away, Bondye.” La Croix replied with a brief shake of his head, and then he tipped his hat back, looking up as the world rumbled, and something massive and terrible pushed its way through the trees; something dark and scaly, belly-crawling over the earth on its four stumpy, muscular legs, with a face painted into a white-skull mask, all teeth and hate as it glared down at him with eldritch emerald eyes.

“La Croix.” Bondye greeted contemptibly, as the mighty, forty-foot crocodile stopped at the edge of the marshy clearing. He glared down at La Croix, and La Croix looked back up at him in silence before Bondye said softly: “Your brothers have already run away. And your friends will not be enough to save you.”

Cadence bared her teeth at this, anger flaring through her body, and all of that rage she directed at Bondye as she stepped forward and shouted: “Who the hell do you think you are? Do you really think I'm scared of an overgrown lizard like you?”

Bondye's eyes flicked with contempt to Cadence before he said softly: “Swan. I wonder if you taste like your namesake: I think after I'm done with La Croix, I'll kill you next. For now, shut up, and stay out of my way.”

“Hey!” La Croix shouted, before Cadence could snap back at the crocodile, and all eyes turned to him as the zebra stepped forwards, the Loa glaring up at Bondye before he snapped: “This ain't about her, this be about me and you!”

Bondye smiled in derision, leaning down as he replied: “The only reason you are worth the moment of time it will take to destroy you, La Croix, is because of the way you have slipped, and slided, and managed to keep yourself on the run for so long, like the coward you are. Every other agent, every other force I have sent your way has been destroyed. But now you will not run. You will not escape again.”

“I'm done runnin', Bondye. I ain't scared no more.” La Croix whispered, but his eyes were defiant as he looked up at the Orisha, breathing hard in and out before he rose his head high and said clearer: “You... you all hear that? This be between me and him. Don't none of y'all try any heroics now.”

“You can do it, La Croix!” Moonflower shouted suddenly, surprising even Sombra as the unicorn stepped forwards and nodded vehemently. “This alligator is no match for your weird stripehorse magic! And if you can't teach him a lesson then I certainly will! Pose all you want but I won't just sit back and let this big stupid lizard eat you!”

Bondye scowled in disgust as Sombra nodded and Cadence grumbled under her breath, before Thesis leaned forwards and said, serious and professional: “Bondye! My name is Thesis, and I am the acting Regent of Decretum and the Clockwork Empire!”

“You are Voidborn, and a traitor to Loki. You are a fool, that is all you are.” Bondye answered, his poison gaze locked on Thesis for a few moments before he returned his eyes to La Croix, mocking: “And this is what you choose to ally yourself with now. Other cowards, other traitors, other weaklings, who stand uselessly against forces that they can never equal, never understand, who have all banded together in the delusion that somehow they will be strong enough to stand against death and beyond-death.”

“You fou, Bondye. Loki be the biggest traitor of them all. And he ain't gonna give you neither mercy nor power at the end of the day.” La Croix answered, and Bondye smiled, cold and cruel and arrogant.

“Even if he is beyond death, that does not mean he is beyond the power of death. Nothing is beyond destruction.” Bondye said, calm and terribly, irrationally rational. “I will learn his weaknesses, and I will destroy him from within, just as I conquered He Above. Just as I became the most powerful of all the Orisha in Darkwater: just as I became God.”

“You ain't never conquered He Above. And you ain't no god, Bondye... you just another stupid bayou-dweller who got too high and mighty an opinion of hisself after all the time he spent pickin' on tadpoles and ouaouarons.” La Croix shook his head slowly, and Bondye snarled at him. It was hard to tell what infuriated the giant crocodile more: La Croix's insults, or his lack of fear as he refused to bow to the giant.

Bondye loomed forwards, and then he smiled suddenly, rearing back as he said contemptibly: “Very well, La Croix. So be it, and so be your fate. Slaves, come forth and prove your loyalty to me by punishing this one for his betrayal.”

Bondye stepped backwards and smiled coldly as zebra crawled up out of the muck and slime at the edge of the clearing, gasping and snarling as they turned furious, hateful glares on La Croix. But La Croix only faced the five Nzambi with bitter smiles even as they twitched and hissed with feral eagerness, saying softly: “Can't even fight your own battles. So much for eatin' me up in one gulp, cocodril.”

“Kill him.” Bondye ordered, and the Nzambi howled before they charged eagerly forwards, but La Croix held his ground as he palmed a vial and a horn of powder out of his cape, waiting to the last moment before he popped the cork off the horn and flicked it sharply.

A wall of dust burst into the air in front of him, and two of the Nzambi bounced off this like it was a physical thing before a third screamed and burst into flames when the bottle smashed into it and shattered. The burning zebra zombie staggered into one of the remaining Nzambi, who hissed and shoved it away with a curse, while the last leapt at La Croix, but the Loa dodged backwards before he flicked out a burst of dust over its face, the Nzambi hissing as it was driven backwards, the dust eating through it like corrosive acid.

La Croix tossed the horn down, drawing another potion out of his cape and uncorking it before he splashed it over the face of a Nzambi that lunged at his flank, and the undead zebra staggered backwards with a snarl as his features bubbled before he rubbed wildly at his face, then howled in pain and fury as his skin sloughed off like paper.

La Croix vanished from sight, but Bondye simply flicked a claw irritably, and the Loa gasped as he was punched back into reality by a tremendous force, stumbling to the side before a Nzambi tackled him and drove him down under its hooves. It began to press down, but then gargled in shock when La Croix slammed his hoof up into its throat and the needle sprung free from the bracer, punching up through its brain.

The Loa yanked his needle back down and kicked the stunned Nzambi off, and Bondye snorted in disgust as La Croix scrambled up to his hooves before he ducked under another zombie, then swore as he stumbled out of the way of another grab- “Pathetic!”

The Nzambi looked up, and La Croix's eyes widened in horror before he winced and swept his cape up when Bondye leaned forwards and rasped out a toxic green hell of mist. The Nzambi howled in misery as they were dissolved beneath the flow of poison, while La Croix held his breath, clenching his eyes shut as his body sparked with green lightning until the toxic miasma settled.

La Croix let his cape drop, grimacing as it steamed slowly and the charms that had been sewn and woven throughout it glimmered eerily. Bondye snorted in disgust at this as the corpses of the Nzambi sank slowly back into the mud, then he rose his head slightly and ordered coolly: “Abdar. Come forth.”

Animalistic spirits flickered into being around the clearing, and La Croix's eyes widened in shock as he looked back and forth at the white shapes: the same ones that Bondye had made attack him before. He saw the glowing white lion among their number, and the Loa gritted his teeth before he snapped: “Y'ain't even good enough to do your own dirty work, you gonna make-”

“I have taken control of Darkwater now. All the guardians, the spirits, the other Orisha, all bow to me now, La Croix. And I think it would be most fitting if you were beaten, bloodied, and bludgeoned by the same powers that were stupid enough to try and save your worthless hide.” Bondye answered, as a cruel smile spread down his muzzle as he extended a claw.

La Corix reared back in disbelief, his eyes widening in horror as Bondye's claw flexed before a shape slowly rose up out of the mud: a zebra mare, Cadence saw. One she half-recognized from her commonality across the planes, in spite of the bone charms hanging around her neck, and how her mane fell in a loose mess around her shoulders...

“Cher.” La Croix whispered, as he clutched at his amulet, and the zebra looked listlessly up before she looked emotionlessly down at one of her hooves, inspecting the bracer around one foreleg: a bone and gold, awful imitation of the hornet needle around La Croix's own limb. “Cher... do you hear me, Zecora?”

“Loa.” Zecora said tonelessly, and she stared at him for a moment before she gasped, clutching at her throat as the hide collar around it tightened savagely when Bondye only flicked one of his claws lazily.

The animal spirits snarled and hissed, and La Croix shouted out as he stretched a hoof towards her before he looked up at Bondye, roaring: “You leave her alone, you fils de pute!”

“Break him, priestess. He Above orders that you make this Loa submit.” mocked Bondye, and Zecora looked blankly up before one of her hooves rose into the air as if pulled by a string, pointing at the Loa.

Spirits lunged in from all sides, and La Croix swore as he was smashed back and forth by the ghosts before he grabbed at his cape and yanked out a horn of powder. But before he could do anything with it, Zecora made a pulling motion, and the ghost of a bird shot down and snatched it out of his hoof, carrying it over to her.

She caught it and moved with eerie agility in spite of her large wooden movements, uncorking the horn and spilling the powder in a circle around herself before she poured a bit into a hoof, murmuring an incantation. Then she simply blew on the dust, and it streamed into the air, forming a black snake that shot through the air and streaked towards La Croix.

The Loa barely reacted in time, leaping backwards as he yanked a bundle out of his cape and flung it outwards, the packet exploding when it hit the snake of black powder in a bright flare of light. Zecora didn't so much as flinch away, staring emptily at La Croix as he hit the ground and skidded backwards from the force of the blast, wheezing once before he swore as a larger spirit crashed into him and trampled him into the sand.

He rolled several times, then clawed his way up to his hooves before he almost screamed: “Cher! Open your eyes, Zecora! Open your eyes you fou chaoui!”

Zecora flinched at this, her eyes unclouding for a moment, and then she choked as the collar around her neck tightened violently, driving the spirits into a frenzy again as Bondye growled: “Obey, priestess. You have no choice but to obey.”

La Croix snarled, tears in his eyes as he glared up at Bondye before he shouted: “You stop it! You bellycrawlin' monstre! Y'ain't nothin' but a-”

La Croix was tackled by a spirit, knocked onto his side before he swore as his hat was slapped away by another specter, and then he rolled quickly over, yanking another potion out of his cape. But this was smashed away by another specter, before he gasped as his cape was torn from his body by several bird spirits, as Bondye said coldly: “Kill him.”

Zecora hesitated, tilting her head to the side as if she didn't understand, and Bondye growled before he clenched his claw above her, the mare choking and falling to her knees inside the protective circle as she clutched uselessly at her throat. “Kill him!”

“Cher!” La Croix shouted, even as the spirits piled on to him, pinning him down, leaving bruises and welts across his body before he suddenly looked up and sang out in the old language as desperation surged through his body: “So I pray to you, my ancestors highest, for the strength to see this through... yet always I am thankful for the knowledge you will be at my side...”

Zecora's head rose, and La Croix gasped as he was pushed down, trembling as he was pressed down into the marsh, before he continued in those old words, those words he had never forgotten, reinforced a million times by the memories he relived every single day in his mind: “To He Above I sing this song, in praise for what he's done... and in apology for my people and our failings in the past; spirits, take this message to the one who created our wondrous land...”

“Shut up, La Croix. He Above is not here to save you.” Bondye said contemptibly, before he frowned and looked down as Zecora forced her head to rise.

“I do, I do, I take it there now, but He Above will not turn his head...” Zecora whispered in reply, and La Croix smiled even as he trembled beneath the weight of the spirits crushing down on him from all sides.

“With love I sing to He Above, I know there is no answer; for even if we have disappointed him, even if he remains aloof, all the same he has given to me you... he has given me to you...” La Croix sang back, with tears in his eyes, and Zecora's features cleared faintly as she stared at him.

“La Croix?” she asked, and then she screamed as green lightning ripped across her body and drove her to her knees.

“Worthless!” Bondye snarled, before he reached a claw out, then snorted in contempt as his talons contacted the invisible barrier created by the powder: but with only a flick of his claws, he shattered the protective ward, the powder bursting away in all directions as he stretched down-

The spirit of a lion leapt into the air and pounced onto Bondye's muzzle, making his head snap back in surprise before he snarled and seized the spirit, throwing it away. But La Croix felt the pressure rising as the other spirits turned on Bondye, leaping to defend Zecora as she crawled away with a gasp before she grabbed at the collar around her neck, trying to tear it loose.

La Croix flung himself to his hooves, dashing to mare to help her as Bondye snapped his head back and forth, biting like an animal back at the spirits as they harried him from all sides, roaring: “Worthless! Have you all forgotten who I am? I am your master! I am your ruler!”

“Y'ain't nothin' but a bête.” La Croix muttered as his hooves sizzled with green lightning, then he tore the collar quickly off Zecora's neck as he shattered the enchantment on it, throwing it aside before he grabbed the mare and hauled her to her hooves, half-pulling her behind him as he snapped: “You, get out of here and-”

“The same La Croix as ever, I see... you worry about you and I'll take care of me.” Zecora replied, pushing him firmly to the side, and La Croix huffed at her, even as he smiled, even as he had difficulty pulling his eyes away- “Focus on our foe. Bondye can still bring great woe.”

“No. Not anymore. Not now and not ever again.” La Croix said, as he turned his eyes back forward, and Zecora smiled back at him despite herself as they faced the massive crocodile.

Bondye snarled as he flung off the last of the spirits attacking him, the specters fleeing in all directions as the massive crocodile turned his furious eyes on them, leaning down and growling: “Traitors and cowards. Worthless.”

“Well, y'know what they say, Bondye. If you want somethin' done right, you best do it yourself.” La Croix retorted, before he pawed a hoof at the muddy marsh and readied himself as the behemoth Orisha took a lumbering step forwards with a cold smile.

“So very true, La Croix. I suppose it was foolish to count on you to even be able to die properly, considering how you've failed me in every other capacity in the past.” Bondye said contemptibly, before he added cruelly: “At least I was always planning on devouring you, priestess. But now you can consider it a punishment instead of an honorable sacrifice to your god.”

“You are no god of mine, tyrant of Darkwater; only the weak demand sacrifice and slaughter.” retorted Zecora, and Bondye laughed shortly, shaking his head in disgust.

“Nzambi.” Bondye growled, and the marshland trembled before mutilated zebra clawed their way up out of the earth, surrounding both Loa and shaman in a circle. “Keep them still for me.”

“Coward. Coward!” La Croix roared, and he rose his head high as he looked back and forth at the snarling, monstrous zebra zombies. “He ain't nothin' but a coward! And he gonna kill all of you after he done with me! He's leadin' all y'all to death and destruction!”

Zecora closed her eyes, lowering her head as she began to murmur under her breath, while La Croix glared back and forth at the zombies, shouting and gesturing wildly: “Y'idjits! Y'ain't supposed to be his slaves, his cannon fodder! How'd y'all fall so far? Look at yourselves, you ain't nothin' but thugs now, and I know that all y'all had to have started as somethin' more, been-”

“Shut him up.” Bondye ordered, and several Nzambi immediately leapt on top of the Loa, as two others seized Zecora by the forelegs and slammed her down into the marsh.

But Zecora didn't stop her recitation as La Croix flailed and shouted, Bondye leaning forwards as toxic fog vented out of his hungry jaws. Cadence gritted her teeth as she began to lean forwards, but Thesis reached out and stopped her as Sombra caught Moonflower before he could gallop into the fray: all the same, the movement caught Bondye's eyes, which flicked up before the Orisha grinned and said contemptibly: “You will all follow soon.”

“Your fight's with us, Bondye.” La Croix growled, looking up as Zecora finished her prayer, and Bondye scowled as he looked down, before his eyes narrowed at the wry grin on La Croix's face before his eyes widened as sudden, intense light blazed through the clouds above.

“What have you done?” Bondye snarled, before he stumbled backwards, trying haplessly to cover his eyes as his Nzambi wilted backwards, retreating as the light burned through the thunderhead and seared the marshy earth below. “I will not be cheated of my prize by sorcery!”

“No magic, but prayer, to He Above us all; I asked, not demanded, and he has answered my call.” Zecora said fearlessly, pushing herself up to her hooves as the Nzambi fled, the zebra glaring up at Bondye as he snarled in fury. “Every day you have lived, you fight who you are: without-”

“You will worship me with your silence! I am sick of your pathetic rhymes!” Bondye snarled, stepping forwards and stomping a claw out, but La Croix tackled Zecora out of the way before he shielded her with his body when the monster roared out a blast of toxic smog.

La Croix gasped as the malevolent mist ripped across his side, but the warmth and light in the air diluted Bondye's powers and magic and healed the Loa almost as quickly as he was injured. Yet all the same, the pain was horrific, almost unbearable, as Zecora grasped him and urged: “We must still forge our own path, be careful my friend! Both of us could still meet a grisly end!”

“Y'know, rhymin' takes a bit o' the seriousness out of the situation.” La Croix wheezed, before he turned and gritted his teeth, muttering: “And I know, cher. I'm startin' to remember all the old ways. He Above was always there to help us, but never to do anything for us, and that's how Bondye lured us all away... but we forgot, all of us forgot, that Darkwater was not ours at the end of the day...”

“It is mine!” Bondye leaned forwards, jaws snapping down at the zebra, but La Croix and Zecora leapt to either side. Bondye chased after La Croix, jaws snapping and biting after him as his massive body plowed across the marshland, claws raking up the clay and stumbling over the marshland that had hardened beneath the divine light.

La Croix winced as Bondye lunged at him before he flung himself into the air, green lightning sparking over his body before he transformed in a flash of energy into a black and white bird that flapped its wings wildly, shooting through the air before there was another sizzle of energy, and the Loa flopped out of the sky, landing with a thunk at the edge of the marshland as he mumbled: “Forgot why I don't do that.”

“La Croix!” Bondye roared as he charged across the marshes towards him, and La Croix gritted his teeth before his eyes locked on the sight of his hat, the Loa snapping this up before he winced as the massive Orisha pounced towards him with a furious roar-

The Loa swung his hat out in a scooping motion, and there was an indescribable sound of reality bending and fabric straining as Bondye was pulled into the hat before La Croix flung the hat as high into the air as he could, then he snapped a hoof out, sending a burst of green lightning into the charmed headpiece.

It exploded in a blast of emerald flames, and Bondye popped back into reality amidst a storm of powders and broken bottles, howling in pain and frustration as he flipped violently several times through the air before the mighty Orisha crashed face-first into the marshland with a resounding bang, the whole world shaking with the force of his impact. But even burned and bludgeoned as he was, wounds torn through armor-like scale by the violent rejection from pocket-reality, he was furious more than injured, clawing his way up towards La Croix as his eyes blazed with hate.

Emerald energy tore across La Croix, his limbs quavering as he barely managed to stay standing: if it hadn't been for the holy essence muffling the air, he knew he would have been simply erased from reality. But even as it was, he felt paralyzed with pain, barely able to keep from falling on his face as he gritted his teeth and stared both resolutely and desperately at Bondye.

The massive crocodile lumbered towards him, growling: “I should have destroyed you after your first failure. I should have had your skin ripped from your body and your bones shaped into charms and trinkets. I should have-”

Bondye paused, then he looked over his shoulder at Zecora, who was standing behind him with her head high, her eyes glaring into Bondye's fearlessly, La Croix's cape hanging from one of her hooves as the Orisha said coldly: “Wait your turn, witch.”

“For all your power, Bondye, you are a spirit same as any other: bound by the same rules as your sisters and your brothers.” Zecora said calmly, before she pulled a packet of powder out of La Croix's cape and said quietly: “But you are a force of evil, a Sároch who fancies himself Warobal Mama. I do not fear you, though, and my kind do not fear you. We stood strong against your corruption, even as you made victims of my brothers and sisters and our guardians. But you, Bondye, taught us to always be on guard, to always be strong... and to still, be good to those who turn upon us, for it was your touch that brought them low.”

“You stopped rhyming, witch. So perhaps you have forgotten the old ways as well.” Bondye said contemptibly, as he slowly turned himself around to lean down towards Zecora. “But I would still prefer you silent. And I will make you silent if-”

Zecora whispered a blessing, then blew on the packet, which unfurled like a blossoming flower as its contents spilled upwards, pouring across Bondye's face. The Orisha flinched to the side in surprise, before his lip curled in a derisive snarl as he turned his eyes disgustedly down to Zecora, asking coldly: “Do you really think your powers are so great they can compare to mine?”

“No.” Zecora answered, before she smiled up at him, the Orisha scowling in surprise. “But perhaps I can compel you to rejoin the path you lost; or at least help you acknowledge all that your darkness has cost.”

“I will kill you first.” Bondye said coldly, jaws opening wide as he leaned down towards the mare, before he straightened slightly in surprise as something bounced off his back.

He looked back over his shoulder to see La Croix standing again, the Loa shouting: “Hey! Bondye! Do you remember what we Loa used to do?”

Bondye snorted, and then he said contemptibly: “All the Loa have ever been are messengers and delivery boys. Expendable toys.”

“I prefer to think o' myself as an escort and an ambassador. 'Swhat you wanted me to be, after all.” La Croix retorted, before he asked suddenly, sharply: “What are you, Bondye? Ain't you Orisha? Ain't you one of us?”

“I am not one of you. I am above all of you. Darkwater is mine and I am no Orisha! I am God!” Bondye snarled back, and the light surrounding him grew brighter for a moment, the massive crocodile flinching before his eyes widened as the glow simply whiffed out around him, grasping at his own chest as he whispered: “What?”

“You rejected your place, in front of He Above.” La Croix said quietly, spreading his forelegs and looking up towards the warm light spilling down from the clouds: the light that was now fading, as the marshland bled out of reality, as they went from standing in Bondye's Darkwater hellscape to a simple dirt lot in a living, eerie forest... and Bondye, for all his might and power, was nothing more than a forty foot cocodril,wounded and bleeding and exiled. “You got what you wanted, mon ami. Y'ain't one of us.”

Bondye snarled in fury, before La Croix stomped his hooves down, and green lighting tore through the earth as Zecora thrust her hooves into the air, a thrum of power pulsing through reality as Bondye looked back and forth in shock. “What are you doing?”

“Sendin' you home.” La Croix growled.

Bondye snarled, then he charged straight for La Croix, but he stumbled as the earth beneath him suddenly gave away before he roared in horror as massive claws ripped out of the ground around him, greedily grabbing at him as hideous Unborn and Nzambi and wraiths clawed their way out of the cracked earth, steam and hell-mist venting up from the ground around the crocodile as he roared and struggled uselessly. His great strength and size allowed him to resist the pull of the dark world for a few moments, but then the bright, glowing specters of animals and zebras came down from above, shoving down on Bondye, pushing him into the hell-rift that had formed in the earth beneath the monster's claws as the light from the sun weighed down on him like a physical thing.

“I'll be back, La Croix! You cannot banish me forever!” roared Bondye, as he clawed uselessly at the crumbling ground, glaring furiously, hatefully at La Croix as the Loa grimaced and backed away, breathing hard. Nzambi crawled eagerly over their former master like hungry, vengeful ants, and claws seized into Bondye's body, ripped scales and flesh from the crocodile, tore every wound across his frame wider as they dragged him down.

And yet Bondye still glared with hate and fury up at La Croix, even as the earth began to seal itself shut, the crocodile promising even as the closing ground muffled his roars: “I'll devour you, La Croix! I'll destroy you and everything you've ever held dear! I'll-”

Finally, the earth slammed closed around him, and the glowing spirits circled above for a moment before they faded from the air, leaving La Croix and Zecora alone on the dusty battlefield. They looked at each other for a few moments, and then La Croix cleared his throat before he straightened up and strode quickly across the dirt lot, then blushed and halted when Zecora reached up and gently grasped the amulet hanging around his neck.

She smiled at him, then gently swept his cape around his shoulders and tightened the clasp that held it on, leaning her head against his before she murmured in his ear: “I have to go.”

“Cher... y'... you don't...” La Croix whispered, but when Zecora leaned back with a small smile, the Loa sighed and lowered his head, closing his eyes before he nodded once and murmured: “I... I don't like it. But I understand. Bondye interrupted your sleep, and... I guess you earned the rest. Darkwater... should be better, now that Bondye ain't gonna be around for a long time.”

Zecora nodded, straightening and gazing into his eyes before a voice called cheerfully: “Kiss him!”

Zecora smiled in amusement as La Croix blushed furiously and glared at his brothers, snapping: “Y'idjits might've been a help in gettin' him gone, but I'll send y'both to enfer if you keep this up!”

“Some way to talk to your brothers, La Croix! Without us, Bondye wouldn't have been drawn out in the first place, and nor would you have been able to send him down to the darkness.” replied Samedi reasonably, before he added easily: “It's a compliment to you, anyway. You look good with her. Pardonnez-moi, madame, I don't mean that you look good for La Croix... you're clearly far out of his league.”

La Croix grumbled, and Zecora chuckled softly before she turned her eyes towards the zebra, saying quietly: “I will remember you.”

La Croix looked up at her, and Zecora stole a kiss, making the Loa stare and blush before she smiled softly and stepped backwards, her body dissolving into streamers of white and black as she promised quietly: “We'll meet again, La Croix, my friend... if we are meant to be together...”

“We'll be together in the end. Until the end of forever.” La Croix finished, watching silently as the mare dissolved, before he closed his eyes and lowered his head. He breathed silently in and out as Cadence hesitantly approached, but then he slapped at his cheeks and shook himself out, straightening and grumbling to try and hide the tears in his eyes as he said: “Always says such long goodbyes. Don't know why she hung out so long. Mares! Uh, no offense, Cygne.”

Cadence only smiled briefly, before Moonflower asked almost anxiously: “But what just happened? She looked like... I mean, perhaps it wasn't as obvious to the other people here, but I certainly thought I saw... I mean, I think I saw...”

La Croix sighed tiredly, then he looked away as he explained: “Wasn't her time to come back. Bondye brought her back with whatever powers Loki gave him, but... not the power to control her. And so, now cher has gone to rest again in Darkwater, to sleep until it's time for her to be reborn, and... y'can't rush it. I can't rush it.”

He lowered his head, then cleared his throat and added as he glanced up: “Mo chagrin, for... not tellin' y'all I was tryin' to draw Bondye out. It was a crazy, stupid idea, but... I knew he needed to be dealt with, and I didn't wanna spoil anything by talkin' out loud. Bondye got too many ears. I didn't even know if we could get rid o' him, but... it was somethin' I had to do. Does that make any sense?”

“No. But I get it, all the same.” Cadence answered with a small smile and a shrug, and La Croix chuckled a little.

“We should set up the portal ring here. We've got a lot to explain to Mom.” Thesis said, before he glanced up as Samedi rose a hoof with a smile. “What? Another secret?”

“Nah. Just a change o' plans.” Samedi answered, before he looked at La Croix and said almost grudgingly: “You... seem to be doin' fine on your own now, La Croix. You mon petite frère... but I guess that without us two around, you've managed to grow up some. And with Bondye gone, there's no reason for us not to go back to Darkwater.”

“I guess we can't have you showin' us up like this. But I s'pose it's better that we go back home, where we'll be needed. Unlike you.” Cimetaire added, and La Croix smiled despite himself before the Loa sighed and added quietly: “Take care, La Croix. You done good. You done us proud.”

La Croix smiled warmly, and without another word, both Loa simply tipped their hats and vanished, Thesis cocking an eyebrow curiously as Cadence frowned and Moonflower stared blankly. But it was Sombra who spoke first, bowing his head and saying gently: “I'm glad that you've earned your brothers' approval, La Croix.”

“Nah. Think they just think I found a place where they're keepin' me out of trouble.” La Croix murmured, and then he chuckled and shook his head before he looked back at Cadence and Thesis, giving a wry grin as he tightened his cape around his shoulders before asking: “So the hell are we waitin' for? Let's go home.”

Thesis smiled at that, and Cadence sighed and shook her head. And La Croix only grinned, head raised, proud and happy for all he had gained in spite of all he had lost, ready to continue the fight.

The Lessons We Must Learn

Chapter Eighty Four: The Lessons We Must Learn
~BlackRoseRaven

Thorn Blackfeather moved like water on his rear hooves, in perfect rhythm with Morning Glory and Freya as they danced through the katas they had been practicing. Thorn barely made a sound as his hooves stepped gracefully along the wooden stakes that had been hammered into the ground at intervals through the sand garden, never disturbing the shaped dunes below.

Every day, they practiced together, and more: in spite of how the corruption still made his blood boil, his emotions made him want to lash out, his body hurt... there was no time to give in to any of it anymore. So much was happening at once, and he had experienced so much over the last few days alone that it felt like his head was going to explode from the pressure.

But the choice was his, and his alone, he had learned: burn out and break, or move forwards and grow stronger. He chose the latter, and he was doing everything he could to take in everything he had learned, so he could better serve Decretum. So he could be ready, when the time came, to protect his home, to protect his family, to protect everything he cared about, from the horrors that both Melinda and the Mad Hatter had warned him about and shown to him during the insane tea party he could barely remember, and yet never forget.

All this training, all this living, would be meaningless if he wasn't ready to stand up and do his part. To fight for it. He had to be the stallion that he knew he could be: not just for the sake of others, but for himself. Because ultimately, this was all selfishness, wasn't it?

He couldn't do this just for the world alone, for other people. To change, to be, he had to want it for himself. And he did. He didn't want to be the useless gimp. He had said, many times, he was not handicapped.

He was not handicapped. He was not weak. He was not 'disabled.' And he would not allow himself to fail.

Thorn's front hoof flexed as it pushed through the air, but the way he moved, the way his other shoulder stretched, was as if he had all four limbs, like the leg was only invisible, and not missing. He moved with balance, and grace, and fearlessness, never balking or quailing, never checking on Freya and Morning Glory.

He was a leader, Freya thought with pride, and over these last three days he had grown strong. His parents would be proud. Hecate would be proud.

They finished the kata in a crane pose, Thorn standing on one hoof with his foreleg in the air, his body flexed to maintain his balance before he finally stepped down into the sand garden, sighing and letting himself relax as Morning Glory said grudgingly: “Adequate.”

“Well, I think you have a fan, Thorn.” remarked Freya, and Morning Glory rolled her eyes before she shot a glare at her brother as Burning Desire giggled from the sidelines, then winced and hurriedly grabbed a rake to start smoothing out the zen garden.

Thorn only smiled briefly, and Morning Glory studied him for a few moments before she said moodily: “I'll be more impressed once he can harness his corruption properly. For now, though... mastering his weaknesses in the space of three days is adequate.”

“I haven't mastered them. I just haven't let them master me.” Thorn replied quietly, before he glanced at the stump of foreleg and added: “Training with these... abilities is helping. But I want to be able to control them so I can safely suppress them. Not abuse them.”

“Do you fear power corrupting you that much?” Freya asked curiously, and Thorn shrugged as he turned around to face her, the one-eyed mare smiling slightly before she said softly: “It is not absolute power that corrupts absolutely, you know. It is more often that those driven to have absolute power are the ones who are most vulnerable to its will. You don't go looking for power unless you're very desperate, after all, or there's something very wrong with you to begin with.”

Thorn shrugged again, and Freya rolled her eye as she grumbled: “I take back every nice thing I said about you, lad. You're miserable to be around.”

Thorn smiled slightly again, and of course, shrugged: Freya snorted and turned away, and Morning Glory let the faintest hint of amusement show through her stony features before she almost ordered: “We should train now. You've wasted enough time dancing around.”

“Alright.” Thorn agreed after a moment, glancing around the zen garden: this was Morning Glory's private estate, so he didn't have to worry about too many people spying on him. That was good, since he was still feeling self-conscious about using his strange, corruption-fueled power. “What did you have in mind?”

Morning Glory answered by stepping forwards and swinging a hoof at him, but Thorn simply leaned back out of the way, the stomp doing nothing more than sending up a spray of sand before the Destroyer lunged forwards, stomping and slashing her horn out viciously. Thorn, however, backpedaled smoothly, swaying from side-to-side as he moved easily on his three legs, a slight smile lingering on his lips as Morning Glory visibly grew both more frustrated and more amused at the same time, shouting: “Fight me!”

“I am.” Thorn replied calmly, twisting easily out of the way of the Destroyer's onslaught before he ducked quickly to the side when she slashed viciously forward with her horn, evading the strike before he flicked his horn to the side, negating her blast of purification with a thrum of power.

Morning Glory glared at him as she halted, and Freya grinned widely before she called cheerfully: “You're not doing too badly, Destroyer! You just about put a scratch on the three-legged teenager!”

“Shut up, Freya.” Morning Glory grumbled, and then she rolled her shoulders before chains rose up from her armored back as her steel mask bled into existence over her face, the Destroyer growling: “Fine. If you want to play a game, let's see who tires first.”

“I will. I'm physically inferior to a demon.” Thorn paused, then said meditatively as he absently flexed his stump: “But I suppose since that's only a turn of phrase, what you're really asking is who would give up first, which is purely based upon the factor of will. And there is no evidence to support that any person's will is naturally stronger or weaker than another's.”

“I take offense at that. Women are much more willful than men. Men are like straw: strong in a bundle, weak by themselves.” Freya interrupted mildly, and Thorn let his eyes flick towards her as Morning Glory glowered darkly. “But I have to say, for a mere child of a warrior, you're by far one of the most willful I've met. Most children are only so stubborn because they don't know what the world will do to them in time; you seem to have weathered enough tragedy in your short years to have broken most ponies. So I have to wonder: are you stupid or just that ill-tempered?”

Thorn shrugged, and Freya groaned loudly before she summoned one of her swords and flung it at Thorn, who smoothly backpedaled before he reared back when Morning Glory lunged at him suddenly and swept up the blade in telekinesis, slashing it savagely out. Freya grinned widely at the way Thorn dodged around the chains, the blade, the stomping hooves and blasts of magic, but all the same she called warningly: “Careful now! If you break him, Hecate won't let us send him back to Decretum! His parents had enough trouble passing him off on Hecate!”

Freya couldn't help but admire Thorn's response, not just to Morning Glory's ferocity, but her own barbs, which she knew could be much more dangerous: there was a reason she was so loud and obnoxious, after all. But Thorn didn't just move like water, he reflected like liquid as well: you could shout all you wanted at it, but all you ever did was yell at yourself.

Thorn ducked under a slash from the sword, then he leapt backwards as Morning Glory swung her horn down before he grimaced when the mare blasted the sand garden in front of her, sending up a wave of thick dust that obscured the air and blinded the stallion. Chains and hooves snapped through this, and Thorn backpedaled before he swore as he realized he had been backed into the short wall, blinded and cornered.

A black hoof slammed into the ground beneath him, and Morning Glory was driven backwards by several spikes of dark crystal that ripped up out of the earth between her and Thorn. She swore under her breath, eyes widening in surprise as a bit of blood dripped from a narrow cut that had been torn across her cheek by one of the spikes: skin healed and torn mask filled rapidly back in, but it still left a shallow divot where the spike of black crystal had struck.

The dust cleared as the spikes dissolved into black mist, leaving Thorn standing calmly on four legs, a thrumming limb of rubbery corruption beneath his body. Black veins pulsed visibly through his body, the stallion breathing a little harder as he fought to control his emotions: they were so much louder when he used his powers. And it was so hard to force that leg to remain cohesive, a stallion's leg, not the limb of a monster, not the limb of a-

He looked up to see Morning Glory lunge at him, but he easily flung himself over her head, twisting his body agilely in midair to land a good ten feet behind her. Morning Glory spun herself around in a circle, grinning coldly at him through her mask, but Thorn only flexed his body with a grimace: he had to be careful not to hurt himself. The corruption supercharged him, but for better or worse, he was little more than mortal: being able to leap thirty feet into the air or lift boulders above his head really didn't matter if his body broke under the strain of doing so.

“Resist.” Morning Glory ordered, and Thorn grimaced before she snapped her horn down, channeling a laser of purification towards him. Thorn caught this against his black hoof, gritting his teeth as it turned to stone under the power of the ray of holy energies, but he flexed and pressed back with his own powers, and the petrified corruption slowly transformed to black crystal.

They fought against each other in a contest of wills, Morning Glory pouring more energy into the beam and Thorn resisting it as his limb pulsated with power, refusing to let the Destroyer neutralize it.

Finally, Morning Glory growled and slashed her horn out, cutting off the beam in favor of a massive blast of potent purification, but Thorn quickly dropped his black hoof and instead slapped his other foreleg out, smashing the blast of holy energy out of the air, and Morning Glory snorted before she pointed the sword at him and said contemptibly: “That is not resisting.”

“I know my limits. I can't resist more than ten thousand bæns of purification. I'll petrify.” Thorn answered, and Morning Glory smiled thinly.

“You fail because you allow yourself to fail. You are weak because you allow yourself to be weak. I ordered you to resist. So resist.” Morning Glory snapped, and then she reared back as she gathered her energies before she snapped her horn forwards, sending another massive blast of holy energy at the stallion.

Thorn Blackfeather gritted his teeth, but he rose his head and forced himself to simply take the blast of holy power as it slammed into him, knocking him skidding backwards through the dust as he gasped in pain, his whole body flaring with agony as he shuddered violently, stone spreading rapidly over his skin and the black poison limb...

And then, slowly, he lowered his head, only partially petrified, and feeling his corruption already attacking the parts of him that had turned to stone, restoring it to flesh as his black limb flexed. Rocky plates fell away from the limb as he straightened slightly, then whispered: “Twelve thousand bæns.”

“Yes, you can count, we are all very impressed.” Morning Glory said distastefully, and then she shook her head as she watched Thorn slowly restore himself, the mare saying contemptibly: “I told you to resist. This is not resistance. This is healing. If I attacked you now I could kill you. You are worthless as a statue, Thorn. Not even my brother would bother putting you in one of his stupid gardens.”

Thorn kept himself calm and in control, understanding what Morning Glory was doing: testing his emotional strength. But he was able to use the pain of his body healing itself from partial petrification to keep himself calm, replying quietly: “I am not strong enough to resist an attack of this magnitude yet. Other courses of action would be explored in such an event.”

Morning Glory snorted at this, then she asked coldly: “And if there were none? You do not always have a choice, Thorn Blackfeather. Are you going to cry? You're weaker than your parents. And your parents have many weaknesses.”

Thorn remained silent, even though he knew that would only encourage Morning Glory to target what they both knew was a weak point in his psyche. “Your parents are weak. You are even weaker. Perhaps they knew you were a failure. Perhaps they just saw the shadows of the failures they already were in you. At least they can fight, though: what can you do, Thorn Blackfeather? Cry? Whimper? Beg? Pathetic. Even with that poison flowing through your veins you're even less than the junkie sleaze or the drunken dog that-”

Freya whistled, and Morning Glory glanced towards her before she winced and leaned back as the Valkyrie's sword tore itself out of her psychic grip and found her throat, Freya smiling benevolently even as her eye locked gazes coldly with the Destroyer, saying softly: “Now, I know you're just trying to get a reaction or make a point, but I don't really like what you're saying. Be a woman, Morning Glory. Women talk to make men act. Don't be a man. Men just bark to make themselves feel better.”

Morning Glory grimaced a little, then she nodded briefly when the sword drew away from her throat before it vanished as Freya turned her eyes towards Thorn and said quietly: “He's doing well. Even you can't deny that. This stubborn, stupid boy is growing up into something decent.”

The Destroyer grunted at this as Thorn finally took a slow breath, his body healed enough for him to shake himself out before he glanced up as Morning Glory said moodily: “I wouldn't go that far yet. Ardent, your turn.”

Burning Desire brightened at this before he hopped forwards, tossing the rake aside and saying cheerfully: “Of course! Thorn, I know these mares can be a little rough, but-”

Morning Glory swept up the rake with telekinesis and slapped Burning Desire's legs out from under him with it, knocking him on his side in a puff of sand. Then she drew the rake to herself, catching it in her forelegs and beginning to slowly, methodically rake through the sand, grumbling: “Get the hell out of my garden.”

Burning Desire huffed at this, and Freya snorted before she purposefully dragged her heels as she headed towards the edge of the garden, saying wryly: “Yes, yes, let's leave the girl to her little girl's work, smoothing this sand out.”

Morning Glory only glowered, and Thorn bowed his head politely to the Destroyer before he turned to follow Burning Desire as he hurried after Freya, the stallion saying awkwardly: “You know, there's only a few things my sister enjoys in life, and really, who am I to judge her... pleasures?”

“It's not about enjoyment. It's a meditation. It's about clearing your mind.” Thorn paused, then added: “And she has to redo the entire sand garden once she starts, so your attempt to give her more work is pointless.”

“Oh, silly me.” Freya remarked, and then she flicked her horn over her shoulder, and Morning Glory swore and looked up in frustration as several saplings sprung up out of the sand, Burning Desire wincing and hurrying away as Freya called nonchalantly: “What's a garden without a little green?”

With that, she turned away and followed Burning Desire up the small steps to a flat square, the stone tiles beneath their hooves solid enough that they wouldn't let sound transfer through to the rooms below. It was easy to forget that they were actually on the roof of Morning Glory's mansion, with the beautiful zen garden, the greenhouses on the other side, this open square where performances or group training could be done...

“Okay, let's get started.” Burning Desire said positively, and Thorn turned his attention to the demon as he approached with a smile, before he held up a foreleg and wiggled it. “I notice that you're using that limb to walk fine, but can you transform it?”

“Yes.” Thorn held up his black foreleg, flexing it slowly before he flicked it out to the side, and it became a winglike structure, not-feathers shivering over its length before it dissolved into black smoke, a few thin tendrils of darkness vanishing into his stump as Thorn shrugged his cape quickly over that side of his body, and he sighed in relief as the black veins slowly faded from his body, adding: “Dismissal is getting easier as well.”

“Good. But uh, as much as I know you don't want to, Thorn, we have to actually try and work on you using those powers.” Burning Desire said pointedly, before he continued: “You have no problem with concrete transformations: things that make sense, like creating a limb for yourself or spikes out of crystal and whatnot. But you haven't been able to use your powers in other ways.”

“I don't know if I'll be able to. That's not the way I think.” Thorn admitted, before he winced when Freya snorted and slapped him on the back.

“Not everything has to make sense, Thorn. You won't be able to master anything until you realize that. For such an intelligent pony, you really are very thick-headed.” Freya paused, then added with a wink: “And I don't mean that in a good way.”

Thorn only looked at Freya for a moment, before Burning Desire cleared his throat and said awkwardly: “Perhaps for now we could just go back to the basics and see what we can do with you, Thorn. You're far from mastering these powers but... you're making impressive progress.”

“I just hope it's enough.” Thorn said softly, before he smiled and glanced up with Freya huffed at him.

“Have faith, boy.” she almost ordered, then she reached up and tousled his mane, saying softly: “The Valkyrie blood in your veins will make up for your failings, child. You only have to let it.”

Thesis grumbled under his breath as he sat back in the medical pod, before he winced as it began to fill with liquid corruption. Cadence watched nervously, but Hecate was as stoic as ever, saying distastefully: “He can cry about it all he wants, but this is his own fault. He needs stabilization.”

“He doesn't seem sick.” Cadence said, even knowing she was saying something stupid, and Hecate turned a moody eye towards her.

“Neither does your father. But they've both been sick for a long time and know how to hide the symptoms, that is all.” Hecate answered, and Cadence had to admit, that was very true about her father: up until it took him over, he always seemed so... strong. “Thesis needs a few hours to stabilize himself, or he'll end up decaying at an even faster rate than he already is.”

Hecate stopped, and for a brief moment, she softened as she gazed at the pod, now full of corruption, her son floating inside it with a faint smile as he looked at her, white eyes visible even through the black waters... and thankfully, sane, she thought. But then she returned her eyes to Cadence, her features growing hard again as she said: “Call your team together and meet me in Personnel Briefing. Ten minutes.”

“Yes, ma'am.” Cadence saluted, then she hesitated, eyes lingering on Hecate before she asked finally: “Do you think that-”

“Save it for briefing.” Hecate said moodily, and Cadence smiled awkwardly before she hurriedly threw another salute at her, then turned and ran off, leaving Hecate standing alone in the medical lab in front of the modified healing chamber.

She looked at Thesis through the glass, then said quietly: “I hope you understand how much you mean to me, Thesis. These healing capsules aren't cheap. Converting one for your personal use shows nepotism, on my part.”

Thesis smiled at her, and she could clearly read his thoughts as he replied: Yes, but they can be used for some of your other soldiers, too. Replicants, Sombra, perhaps one day...

“Your 'brother' and his family will never join us. That is simply the way it must be.” Hecate quieted, then she said softly: “Not that we must be enemies, either... not unless occasion calls for it. But things have become... complicated.”

She sighed a little, lowering her head for a moment, and then she shook it slowly and murmured: “Loki is trying to buy time, and all we can do right now is play his game. He's staying out of reach, in areas permeated by the Void, where he'll be nearly invulnerable. I don't completely understand his goal, but I feel as if he has a way to become... even more powerful than I am...”

Hecate flexed a hoof slowly, looking down at it silently, and Thesis asked: How?

“If I knew, we wouldn't have a problem, would we?” Hecate asked distastefully, before she shook her head and continued quietly: “The Clockwork Empire still has other obligations. Thanatos brought many concerns and possibilities to the table, and what he said makes sense. Loki seems to be carrying out his threats to attack the homeworlds of Team 0-0, but it must be more complicated than that: petty vengeance is counterproductive to his cause. We already eliminated an ally who could have been extremely powerful, and if Loki is gaining power by reaping souls...”

Hecate was silent, before she looked up as Thesis asked her clearly: What do you think we should do? Do we attack?

“No. Loki knows we're still off-balance at this point, scrambling to respond to the Void disturbances we've detected and his attacks on Team 0-0's homeworlds.” Hecate shook her head slowly, then she muttered: “Not to mention the fact that Decretum has to be completely rebuilt and Endworld is still coming online. Attacking would be brash more than it would be bold.”

Thesis nodded slowly from the capsule, and then he sat back as he thought more to himself than her: I hate playing the patience game.

“I do too, Thesis. I want to crush the life out of Loki.” Hecate halted, then she smiled briefly as she silently reached up and touched one of the vents on her side, murmuring: “But I've learned from my past mistakes, that bloodlust is not always the answer.”

Just usually? Thesis asked, and Hecate sighed, but had to fight to hide a smile all the same. Mom... take care of yourself, okay? I'm okay. You need to be okay too.

“I'm fine, Thesis.” Hecate said almost irritably, shaking her head briefly before she sighed and muttered: “I don't want you going on this mission.”

Thesis only looked at her from inside the capsule, and Hecate lowered her head and nodded briefly before she grumbled: “I know. I can't stop you, either. I-”

Thorn. Thesis thought suddenly, and Hecate glanced over her shoulder at him in surprise before Thesis asked: Why not send Thorn?

Hecate opened her mouth to call him an idiot, but then she closed it slowly, letting herself muse on the subject as she lowered her head slightly. It was a possibility, certainly: whether or not Thorn was doing better, it would be good for him. He always learned faster when he was being tested by something, and that way she could keep Thesis back as acting regent while having Thorn run communications...

“I will have to delay their assignment briefly, but...” Hecate paused, then she said: “Fine. If you're going to volunteer to remain in administration, so be it. I might as well see to this myself.”

With that, Hecate turned and focused, her body humming with power as she stepped through reality. And a moment later, she was standing calmly on a stone rooftop beside Freya, who flinched slightly at her appearance before she remarked loudly: “Well, so much for Mommy leaving her little boy in our care.”

Burning Desire and Thorn both looked up in surprise, and Thorn stepped quickly backward and saluted sharply with a hoof made of eerie black... corruption.

Hecate strode quickly towards Thorn, looking down at him, her features tightening with worry as her eyes looked quickly over the stallion. She could sense heightened emotions as clearly as she could see the veins of black poison pulsing through his body, and for a moment Hecate was tempted to scold him, to shout at him, to tell him anything but what she really felt, but she mastered herself, and instead shook her head slowly before she murmured: “We are both fools.”

“Yes.” Thorn agreed simply, and then he smiled ever so faintly before he said quietly, as that dark and terrible limb vanished: “My training is incomplete.”

“Training is never complete, Thorn Blackfeather. Only fools think they've reached the apex of their craft.” Hecate retorted, and then she glanced over her shoulder and asked: “Where is the Primordial?”

Freya snorted loudly at this, rolling her eyes as she answered moodily: “Do you really think I'm just going to turn him back over to you for any reason, Jötnar? Or has becoming one of their kind gone to your head?”

“We might have our differences, Freya, and I understand you enjoy playing your games, but I am in no mood.” Hecate said shortly, and Freya held up a hoof, although a smile quirked at her muzzle that annoyed Hecate. It annoyed her, because it told her that really, all Freya had been looking for was-

“Fine, fine. But since you're so interested, Hecate, perhaps you could provide me a few of your metal toys to help with the process of... waking up an old friend.” Freya said eloquently, and Hecate scowled before Freya reasoned: “Well, you're clearly interested in poor Atavus, aren't you? And while I want to step away from all this business, I recognize after a bit of thinking that... some strange primordial activity could bring more than your little poppets down on my head. And that's not something I want Discombobulation to have to deal with the moment he wakes up.”

“Fine. I'll send an envoy to discuss this with you later. Thorn, come with me.” Hecate said shortly, and Thorn stepped up beside the mare before she reached out and grasped him firmly, as Freya grinned widely, but her eye remained sharp, studying Hecate intently until the Jötnar mare vanished.

Hecate appeared at the front of the briefing room where Cadence had assembled her team, and Moonflower squeaked and fell out of his chair as La Croix winced away in surprise, nearly knocking over the kit of potions in front of him. Hecate barely gave them a look, however, as she nearly flung Thorn into a chair before turning her eyes back over the group.

Cadence saluted her lamely even as she stared at Thorn, and Sombra smiled and bowed his head to her politely before the stallion said gently: “Benvenuto.”

“Chiudi la bocca.” retorted Hecate, and then she turned towards Cadence and said: “As Thesis is recovering and obviously cannot be trusted not to overexert himself, Thorn Blackfeather will be joining Team 0-0 as a representative of the Clockwork Empire's interests. He will handle diplomatic relations. The rest of you will focus on finding the source of the Void disturbance in World B-30.”

“That's my world!” Moonflower blurted as he scrambled back into his seat, and Cadence grimaced slightly: she felt both betrayed and strangely relieved that they weren't going to investigate her homeworld next. “I... I just mean... I mean, that's very good but oh I'm sure they can take care of themselves and it's very exciting to think about but not at all and what if something happens and hello Thorn I'm glad to see you it's really nice to see you I hope that you and Necrophage oh that came out wrong I-”

Hecate pointed at Moonflower with one hoof, and he squealed as electricity crackled across his body, falling out of his seat and jittering helplessly on the floor as the Jötnar mare said distastefully: “I trust there are no objections?”

Sombra rose a hoof, and Hecate frowned at him before the stallion asked: “Why are we investigating this world first? Has something happened there?”

Hecate glared at the stallion, saying shortly: “I would expect that from your daughter, not from you, Sombra.” She paused for a moment, then added grudgingly: “And yes. Voidborn have been detected, not to mention the fact that his world once housed an extremely dangerous artifact. Your mission is not only to investigate the Voidborn presence, but to ensure this artifact remains disabled, and if possible, retrieve the creator of said artifact from Tartarus. He will need to be interrogated.”

“Oh gosh.” Moonflower crawled back up to his seat, looking stunned by what Hecate had said more than the sparks still traveling over his body, before he blurted: “You... you really want us to somehow get that architect out of Tartarus? Why? I mean, I don't even know if he's still alive...”

“If he stayed alive long enough for you to discover the existence of the Tablet of Dreams from him, then I'm sure he's still alive today. The only question is where he is.” Hecate answered, shaking her head slowly. “Before, the artifact was a nonissue: the world is only Class B, and that was almost entirely because of your meddling as well as the existence of the Halfdragon Empire. But you are gone, the Halfdragon are gone, and if it remains peaceful for another decade, it will be reclassified to a Class A world.

“But if Loki is able to capture the creators of the Tablet, he will be able to force them to create another, or worse. If he is capable of discovering how the Tablet manipulated the fabric of reality, then he could develop the power to wish worlds away. It would make our defiance meaningless: he would simply use the tablet to erase Decretum and Endworld from existence.” Hecate explained, and Moonflower shivered a little as Cadence grimaced and Sombra nodded slowly.

“Maybe this was his game all along. He announced that he was going to 'take revenge' on these worlds so that he could target specific people within them.” Thorn said slowly, and Hecate scowled: she didn't like the thought of that, but...

“No. I don't think so. But this is not a threat we can afford to overlook.” Hecate paused, then looked at Thorn and added: “I will debrief you personally after this meeting. For now, you should be aware that Bondye surfaced as a threat but has already been eliminated. We have also confirmed that Auriculos is the traitor who manipulated Decretum's security during the attack.”

“That leaves Loki's Voidborn, Primordials, and the Atropii as threats, however. It's highly likely he's also converted rogue Great Reapers to his cause.” Thorn advised without missing a beat, as surprised as he seemed by the information. He absently rubbed at his stump beneath his cape, then he added: “I'll compile a profile on Auriculos and see what other security vulnerabilities can be patched before we go on mission.”

“Already done, Thorn, I do not need you to do my job for me.” Hecate said irritably, and Thorn smiled despite himself before she studied him, paging through his thoughts, emotions, experiences, and then she turned her eyes suddenly towards Moonflower and said shortly: “Five hours. Make them count.”

Moonflower stared blankly at Hecate, but when Thorn climbed to his hooves and gestured to him, the black unicorn only pointed at himself before he squeaked when Hecate glared at him and fell out of his chair again, scrambling hurriedly after the stallion. Cadence frowned in surprise as the two left, but Sombra only smiled before he said: “He has grown, hasn't he?”

“Yes, he has.” Hecate shook her head slowly, then she eyed Cadence moodily for a moment before she said: “Thorn has been in contact with both Melinda and the Mad Hatter. It seems that during his reprieve from work he's accomplished more than your entire team has. What do you have to say for yourself?”

For a moment, Cadence stared at Hecate, and then she ground her teeth slowly together before she said shortly: “I'm ready to move in whenever you're ready.”

Hecate studied the mare for a moment, reading her emotions and her topmost thoughts. Then she nodded once and said: “You have six hours. Then I want your team prepared and ready to portal in. This world has moderate knowledge of our existence, so approach Canterlot directly and ask to speak to Throna and Princess Luna. There is no Princess Celestia present.”

Cadence frowned at this, raising her head in surprise, and Hecate confirmed her next questions before she had a chance to ask them: “Twilight is not a princess, and Cadence does not exist. She was likely killed by Stronghold Halfdragon, who replaced Princess Celestia as ruler. You should also be able to make contact with some of Moonflower's associates. One of them in particular, Antecedes, should be able to assist you in locating the artificer.”

Cadence nodded, and Hecate created a holographic screen before she tapped a short code across it, continuing: “Equip yourselves as necessary, but I will also be issuing you special gear for dealing with the Voidborn, so do not overload yourselves. Otherwise, you are all dismissed: Sombra, remain behind for a moment, I want to speak to you.”

Cadence lingered awkwardly as La Croix hurried for the door, but when Hecate glared at her and her father gestured gently at her, the mare sighed and headed outside herself. Hecate waited a moment until she was sure that Cadence had stepped away from the door, and then she turned her eyes towards Sombra and said quietly: “My son is still having problems with the corruption in his bloodstream. I trust I don't have to say anything further.”

“I shall take care of him as one of my own.” Sombra promised, and Hecate nodded. “Not to question your wisdom, Queen Hecate, but...”

“Then don't question it.” Hecate retorted, and Sombra bowed his head to her politely before the Jötnar mare said in a quieter voice: “You and I both know that we can't simply do what we want to do with no regard for others. I've calculated the risks: everything points to Moonflower's homeworld being much more endangered than yours.”

“I understand that, Queen Hecate. And I know that my daughter does, as well... she is simply... sfrenato.” Sombra smiled a little, then he asked quietly: “Why have you continued to put her at the forefront of danger when it is clear so many desire her to be eliminated?”

“Cadence will handle herself like any other Orphan, or she will die.” Hecate said shortly, although she was admittedly surprised to hear the stallion ask such a question. She studied him for a few moments, then finally said in a gentler voice: “I can only keep your daughter safe if she continues to serve as an Orphan. I have to prove to our allies not that I am capable of controlling her, but that she is capable of controlling herself. And she is, isn't she?”

Sombra was silent for a moment, and Hecate didn't like that. She scowled and tilted her head towards him, and finally, the stallion answered: “I love my daughter with all my heart. And I believe the Swan wishes to do good. But that is what scares me, Queen Hecate: how many things have been done in the name of good have become great evil? Too many. Too many, I know.”

Sombra looked down for a moment, and then he shook his head and murmured: “And Cadenza is... angry, and in love, and both determined and frightened. I am afraid for her. I am afraid what losing her anima gemella...”

Hecate snorted at this, asking with wry amusement: “Do you really think that Cadence and Thesis are-”

“Yes.” Sombra smiled, looking up at Hecate and saying softly: “And you do, too. But the truth is plain for any who have eyes to see, is it not? And I am glad. Very glad to see it, as much as it makes my heart hurt for them. As sad as it will be when...”

He quieted, and Hecate looked down before Sombra asked softly: “There is nothing quite as painful as losing a child, is there?”

“For all my power, I cannot heal him. I cannot restore Thesis. And yet I know I could... do something terrible, and force him to stay with us.” Hecate flexed a hoof slowly, before she shook her head and murmured: “And it would be an error. No, Sombra. You have not experienced it, but there are far worse things than losing a child. I pray you never understand that.”

Sombra looked up at Hecate, and Hecate looked back at him evenly before she said quietly: “Go. I trust you to take care of my son and your daughter. They are both very important to the Clockwork Empire. They both have great futures ahead of them.”

“May they eclipse us.” Sombra said softly, and Hecate gave a wry smile before she gestured him away, and Sombra bowed his head to her before he excused himself.

For a few moments, Hecate was alone, looking down and thinking silently to herself before she looked up and asked irritably: “What?”

Aphrodisia squeaked from where she was standing on the ceiling in the corner of the briefing room: she had wiggled her way silently in through the ether, but she was apparently unaware of how violently she had been distorting reality to do so. It was like ripples in a pond: noiseless, but Hecate had felt every 'wave' through the ether slapping against her face until she couldn't ignore the presence of the mare any longer.

She looked up at her irritably, and Aphrodisia smiled awkwardly as she reached up and pushed her mask off her face, saying lamely: “Sorry, Miss Hecate! Um... Thanatos has a message for you.”

“Of course he does.” Hecate muttered, and then she hesitated for a moment before asking in a gentler voice: “How is your training going? Are your quarters sufficient?”

“Yep yep! I like it here!” Aphrodisia said brightly as she threw out her forelegs, and then she fell off the ceiling, and Hecate winced at the thump she made as she hit the floor. But after only a moment, the now-Reaper popped up to her hooves and bounced over to Hecate, her cloak fluttering behind her, absently shoving her mask up when it fell over her face again. “Euthanasia is really nice and she's doing great teaching me all about everything and everything! She's really tough but tough like you're tough so not mean-tough but wants-me-to-learn tough but like I said she's also really nice! Like you!”

Hecate only looked moodily at Aphrodisia, who bounced happily on the spot for a few moments before she suddenly stopped, then looked up at Hecate with a sad smile, whispering: “But some days I just get numb, too, and it's really hard.”

Hecate reached out a hoof and touched the pale features of the former demon, saying quietly: “You learned to control your passion. This will be another long journey for you, but you will learn to control the nihilism, as well. Thanatos finds you... interesting. He doesn't find things interesting unless they are special. And I agree with him: you are special.”

Aphrodisia smiled brightly, raising her head slightly as her eyes visibly lit up before she asked: “You really mean it? Not just in an 'all ponies are special' way?”

“No. Not all ponies are special.” Hecate answered, shaking her head with a slight smile. “Not in the way that you are. Unique does not equate to 'special.'”

She stopped, then asked as she became businesslike: “What does Thanatos want?”

“Oh!” Aphrodisia bounced a little on the spot, then winced as her mask fell over her face before she recited, the metal skull-mask only muffling her voice slightly: “'Empress Hecate, it has come to my attention that souls are being diverted into the Void by some unknown means. As you have already established a base of operations in World Without End, I ask that you create a communications tower here as well, so I may contact you directly.'”

Hecate looked displeased at this, but it was mostly to hide her worry as she muttered: “Because that is clearly not the point of your Great Reapers. Very well. Inform Thanatos I will have several Worker Drones dispatched to build a communication array. Perhaps I'll send Cowlick and her spawn. They could do with being reminded this is not a pleasure cruise.”

“Oh! I saw Cowlick outside! She was making something for Thorn, I think! I bet it's a super awesome gun.” Aphrodisia said brightly, and Hecate looked at her for a moment before she turned and headed quickly for the door, Apps blinking before she waved a hoof and called: “Bye, Miss Hecate! Thank you lots and lots for everything!”

Hecate only grumbled in response as she shoved through the door, frowning as she tried to push her thoughts aside: it was disturbing to know that somehow Loki was rerouting souls into the Void that likely should have been destined for Heaven and Hell, but there was little she could do about that: instead, she preferred to focus on what she could actually change.

She found Thorn Blackfeather, Moonflower, and Cowlick in one of the Orphanage's training rooms: Moonflower was glaring with surprising ferocity at Cowlick, who was pointedly ignoring him, a cigarette jutting out of her muzzle as she tilted some horrible monstrosity of a gun back and forth in front of Thorn, who was examining it curiously. He glanced up as his mother entered the room, while Cowlick didn't bother to look up even as she greeted: “Hey, there's the top bitch. I was just showin' your boy here-”

Cowlick squawked when Hecate grabbed her by the back of the neck, hefting her into the air and holding her off to one side as the engineer flailed violently, while she caught the gun in telekinesis and examined it quickly. TITAN-II frame, alloy grip, mount modification, power-cell operated... “Interesting design choice.”

“Well, ain't that a hell of a compliment, coming from you?” remarked Cowlick mildly, before she yelped when Hecate almost flung her into the ground so the Jötnar mare could sit back and hold the rifle in her hooves: it was rectangular and heavy, but sized perfectly for Thorn. “I didn't build that toy for you. I built it for your kid. Or the kid you want to be your kid, I don't know.”

Hecate shot Cowlick a sour look, then she tossed the rifle to Thorn: he caught it awkwardly, fumbling it a little, and she noted a bit of black poison leaking from his stump as it half-formed a limb, but then simply bled away. His control is far from perfect. However... “I should be able to modify a temporary prosthetic to work with that weapon.”

“The one thing I really like about this place is all the new fun toys I get to cook up. And I gotta admit, keeping your real stuff under lock and key until you did... I guess I can see how it paid off.” Cowlick looked meditatively around, and then she added: “I'd really love to see that Fyrverǫld or whatever it's called, too. A fully-functional world-”

“I wouldn't call it 'fully-functional' by any stretch. Simply 'not-destroyed.'” Hecate corrected moodily, and then she turned her eyes towards Cowlick and continued, as the engineer chewed slowly on the end of her cigarette: “I have a job for you. I need you to establish a communication uplink in a sensitive area. The uplink needs to be both heavily insulated and capable of communicating across an enormous distance.”

“Cross-dimensional crap ain't that hard anymore. Not with what I've learned from being here.” Cowlick said, and Hecate smiled thinly. “Even if it's several hops away, that shouldn't take more than-”

“It will need at least twelve yottobæns of power: you're going through two shields, entropic insulation, and many parsecs of dimensional distance. Can you handle that?” asked Hecate, and Cowlick cocked an eyebrow as she spat out her stub of cigarette so she could shove another into her mouth.

“Give me the tools and I'll get it done.” she said finally, studying Hecate warily. “The hell is so important that you're going to give up the kind of resources to build a tower of that size, though? Or what, you just want a tower that can double as a gigantic bomb in case so-and-so pisses you off?”

Hecate only smiled sourly again, before she glanced to the side as Thorn shouldered the rifle and asked: “Do you want to talk to me now, or later?”

“Now. I need to fit you for a temporary leg, anyway. Cowlick, get your son and head to Research Hall C, I'll have Seneschal provide you with the schematics for the prototype All-Range Communications Tower. I'm sure that you can figure something out in the next few hours.”

“Yeah, sure, fine.” Cowlick waved a hoof absently, then she looked pointedly at Thorn, saying mildly: “Now, look, kiddo. I made that for you, and I don't make crap like this for just anyone. So you better goddamn use it, unlike that goddamn ungrateful Swan lady. Not that I can really blame her for not wanting a piece of crap like the MARES is.”

Hecate scowled horribly at Cowlick, then she simply turned around and headed for the door, Thorn lifting the rifle with telekinesis so he could follow with his stately, three-legged stride, and Moonflower hesitated only a moment before he hurried after the stallion, tossing a distrustful glower at Cowlick as he passed the grinning engineer.

Hecate ignored the two stallions as she led them down the hall, but she couldn't help but sneak a look back: whatever else, it seemed like Moonflower still cared for her son, and Thorn certainly was trying his best to make room for Moonflower; even his body language seemed apologetic, she thought. And considering how stubborn and serious Thorn usually was, she thought that said more than words ever could about how much her son must care for this stupid, showboating, flamboyant stallion.

The Jötnar mare led them to one of the Orphanage workshops, where she barked immediately: “Seneschal! I need a Type 3 frame for a foreleg prosthetic and a pauldron sensor!”

“Yes, Queen Hecate, right away!” Seneschal blurted from the speakers, and there was a loud clicking before Moonflower stared in disbelief as one of the walls slid up, revealing a system of rails beyond that were filled with spare parts sliding quickly along the trellises, sorting themselves out as Seneschal mumbled: “Type 3, Type 3, oh, I know there's one here somewhere...”

Hecate, meanwhile, turned her attention to Thorn as her son carefully placed the rifle down on the workbench, the two looking at one-another before the Jötnar mare asked quietly: “Are you okay?”

Moonflower couldn't help but draw his eyes away from the dancing machinery to instead stare at the unexpected show of maternity between Hecate and Thorn, as the sapphire stallion blushed maybe the smallest bit as he nodded, replying honestly: “Yes, Mother. I'm fine. I've learned a lot over the last few days. I also spoke to both Melinda and Kvasir about-”

“That is not important, and not what I'm asking you about at the moment.” Hecate cut off curtly, and Thorn smiled despite himself before she asked: “How is the pain?”

“Always there. But not so different. Not now that I've gotten... this under control.” Thorn reached up and tapped his head, nodding slowly as he admitted almost hesitantly: “I think a lot of it was mental. As much as it hurt, as... bad as the corruption poisoning was, it was the state of my mind that was really making me deteriorate. And I'm sorry about that.”

He hesitated again, then turned to Moonflower and added: “I'm sorry for how I treated you, too. And for what happened with Necrophage. I promise it won't happen again. She's my friend, she's a close friend, but not...”

“I... um...” Moonflower stopped, then looked lamely at Hecate, asking in a loud, nervous whisper: “Do we have to do this in front of your mother?”

Hecate rolled her eyes in disgust, and Thorn smiled, and after a moment Moonflower gave a lame grin before he dropped his head and replied, surprisingly honestly: “It hurt and it upset me, but it's always been because I get... so afraid, Thorn. Why would you stay with me when she's so much better for you? I... care about you, but... what can I offer you? You're... the one who takes care of me. Even I'm not silly enough to pretend I have anything you'd really want. You're so handsome, and so strong, and so... everything else, and I'm...”

Moonflower looked at himself, before he smiled awkwardly as he glanced up and murmured: “I want you to be happy. I want to make you happy. I just... get so afraid sometimes that...”

Thorn gazed silently at Moonflower, and then he strode over to the stallion and leaned in. Moonflower leaned immediately forwards, then caught himself quickly, biting his lip shyly as he reared his head back and half-looked at Hecate, but Thorn only smiled before he pressed his lips to the stallion's, and Moonflower's eyes fluttered closed as they kissed.

And after a moment, they drew apart, and Moonflower smiled dumbly at Thorn as the stallion gazed at him and said quietly: “All I can guarantee is that I will always try to be the best person I can be for you, Moonflower. And all I ask is that you try to be the best person that you can be, for you.”

Moonflower laughed a little at this, and then he flinched when Hecate said shortly: “If you're done, we have work to do. Moonflower, make yourself useful and bring those parts to the table. Thorn, I need to take a look at your leg.”

Thorn nodded as he turned to approach his mother, and Moonflower hurriedly grabbed the leg frame and other parts that Seneschal had detached from the rail for them, the stallion nearly tripping over his own hooves as he jumped towards the workbench, and Hecate reflected that even as annoying as he could be, at least Moonflower always tried.

And really, that was the most important lesson her Orphans could learn: they could always try.

The God King Returns

Chapter Eighty Five: The God King Returns
~BlackRoseRaven

Moonflower looked terrified out of his mind, and Cadence couldn't help but feel that maybe the fact she had a bit more time now to prepare for her own homeworld wasn't such a bad thing after all. She was going to have to somehow explain... everything to Shining Armor, and Miss Take, and Archon, after all... because with my luck I won't be able to avoid them. And I didn't even think about Celestia and Luna and... oh Horses of Heaven. “Moonflower!”

Moonflower looked up over his shoulder, pale enough he had almost turned into a white stallion, his knees literally knocking together before he squawked when La Croix slapped the back of his head firmly, grumbling: “Stop that, rein de la nuit. Y'makin' us all nervous. Well. Most of us.”

La Croix looked almost enviously at Sombra, and Cadence couldn't help but share that feeling as she gazed at her father, who was simply reading a file projected in front of him from his Mission Drive.

Then she turned her eyes back towards Moonflower, saying firmly: “Calm yourself down. It's going to be okay. We're all well-prepared for this.”

Moonflower nervously played with his stupid charm necklace as he shifted anxiously, making the plates of his armor rattle: Cadence wondered moodily if he had managed to loosen them with all the shaking and shivering he had been doing. “Y-Yes... yes, yes, yes, I... yes. Yes. Yes, of... yes.”

“Yes.” Cadence echoed grumpily, and Moonflower smiled at her lamely before Cadence snuck a look over her shoulder: they were all ready to move and the portal ring in front of them was charged up, ready to be activated, but Hecate and Thorn were at the back of the private portal hall, the Jötnar mare checking over the stallion's prosthetic limb for the thousandth time. Not that she could entirely blame her.

Cadence checked her own ivory armor, her wings flexing to make sure she could move them freely, making sure both her Mission Drive was tight to her body and her belts of knives were secure. Her throwing knives had all been treated with some kind of coating that would enhance any damage they did to the Voidborn, and her stupid rifle had apparently been outfitted with rounds that were designed for the same purpose.

Sombra had his usual equipment, but Cadence thought she'd seen what looked like vials of corruption when she'd checked his satchel earlier. She didn't want to bring it up, figuring it had something to do with whatever Hecate had asked him, but admittedly it made her feel... nervous. She hated not knowing things. She knew she could just ask her father, but...

She shook her head, then peered at Thorn and Hecate again before she winced when Hecate snapped at her, without looking up from Thorn: “Eyes front!”

Cadence spun back towards the portal, and Hecate's eyes glinted with a hint of amusement as she looked down at Thorn, ordering: “Again.”

Thorn complied, stretching his mechanical limb upwards before revolving it several times forwards, then backwards, making both the elbow and shoulder joints bend and twist. After a few revolutions in either direction, he relaxed, and Hecate nodded meditatively as she drew her eyes over the thin, steel-blue limb. It was partly powered by Thorn's own body, and partly by his exosuit, and while it wasn't nearly as powerful as his old prosthetic...for now, it will suffice. “Satisfactory. Update me as the situation evolves. I trust your judgment otherwise.”

Thorn nodded, and Hecate simply gestured towards the portal ring, which flared into life in a crackle of electricity that almost knocked Moonflower off his hooves. “Team 0-0! You have your mission, now move out!”

Thorn strode to the front of the line, calling calmly back over his shoulder: “Let's go, single file, the portal is only open for a short time!”

He looked ahead and cantered into the spinning vortex, and the others followed quickly, Cadence letting herself fall behind Moonflower, La Croix and Sombra bringing up the rear, and they passed through the swirling tunnel of light and shadow to emerge into a bright, sunny afternoon in the middle of a dirt highway, Thorn frowning as he called up a holographic map and Moonflower staring nervously around, as if he expected someone to jump out at him.

The portal slammed shut behind Sombra as he emerged, the unicorn frowning slightly over his shoulder as Cadence began to stride ahead, before Thorn said sharply: “Wait.”

Cadence looked up with a frown, and then Thorn looked up towards the distinct shape of Canterlot in the distance, muttering: “I'm detecting a strange energy resonance, but everything else seems fine. Let's head into Canterlot and see if we can meet with Princess Luna and Princess Throna.”

Moonflower gave an awkward laugh at that, mumbling: “Throna's no princess, I can assure you. Definitely not a princess. Definitely... you know, Canterlot is right there, and maybe...”

Thorn looked pointedly at Moonflower, and Moonflower mumbled before he slowly took a long breath, then pushed his chest out as he straightened, cheeks puffed out in a way that would be comical if not for the sheer terror Moonflower was visibly attempting to suppress.

Thorn looked at the stallion for a moment, and then he said, completely serious and deadpan as always: “If you stop breathing you're going to die, and then your friends are going to be very disappointed in you.”

Moonflower wheezed loudly out, before his head whipped around to glare at his satchel as a voice remarked from it: “No they won't.”

Moonflower grabbed wildly at his satchel as Thorn blinked in surprise, before the unicorn ripped open the bag and yanked out- “Toad!”

The frog crossed his little arms, glowering at Moonflower before he winced as Moonflower yanked him forwards, face slamming into the small frog as he shouted: “What in the name of all that is holy are you doing here? Are you trying to embarrass me?”

“Hey, you do a good enough job of that yourself, buddy.” Toad retorted, and then he kicked and shoved at Moonflower's face until the stallion reared back and dropped the frog, who landed on the dirt path with a wince. “Watch it!”

“Why?” Moonflower kicked childishly at the frog, who hopped quickly around the stallion before he hopped quickly up onto Thorn's head, and Moonflower blanched and stared for a moment before he howled: “Get off him right this instant!”

“Oh come on, Moony, I'm not gonna steal your boyfriend.” complained Toad, before he added: “Anyway, look, I ain't missin' this for the world, I don't care if you put me in a blender or nothin' afterward, I gotta see our old friends again.”

“They are my old friends and the last thing they need to see is me carrying you around you... you... you Toad!” Moonflower snapped in frustration, and then he winced when Thorn held up a hoof.

“We're not opening a portal just to send Toad back to Endworld. Let's head to Canterlot. Perhaps you two can fill us in on the way as to what we should be expecting.” Thorn said calmly, and Cadence had to admit he was handling this better than she would: she probably would have made Moonflower eat his stupid pet frog.

“Yeah, sure! I got all kinds of stories!” Toad said enthusiastically as Thorn turned to lead the way toward Canterlot, and then the frog leaned back and stuck his tongue out at Moonflower, who glared furiously at his pet before his horn started to glow, but Cadence quickly stepped forwards and drove an elbow into the back of his neck, making him squeak and cutting off his magic before he could accidentally blast Thorn instead of his obnoxious frog. “Lemme tell you all about the time that Moony tried to steal some gay statue thing – no offense Thorn – and instead crashed headfirst into the Royal Barracks... which he probably liked, considering it was full of big, sweaty dudes, but I digress...”

Canterlot was surprisingly welcoming, but then again, Moonflower did his best to hide behind Thorn, who introduced them politely, and probably didn't realize how intimidating he was in his servomotor-powered exosuit, even with the loudmouthed frog on his head. To their credit, a guard did escort them through the city, although Cadence figured that was more to deter gawkers than anything else.

The guards clearly had no idea who 'Moonflower' was, and Cadence wasn't entirely surprised: she remembered wryly that the stallion had used quite a lot of names when they had first met, after all. She thought about mentioning this to Thorn, but figured he either already knew or didn't care, or even that maybe it was just some weird way to get Moonflower to step forward and take responsibility.

Cadence was surprised when they entered the castle and found a strange, hybrid creature waiting for them: it was like a mix of unicorn and drake, not much larger than Cadence herself, and with a mix of blue and white scales across her slender frame, her mane like glimmering starlight, a tall spire standing from her forehead and two smaller horns sticking out of her glowing locks. She smiled and sketched a simple curtsy to them as they approached, and Cadence couldn't help but note that her dress was short but not immodest, with slits along the sides and tight around her upper body... a battle dress. “Welcome to Canterlot. I am Throna Halfdragon, the last of the Draekin, and I... White Dragon above! Is that you, Morpheus?”

“Um. Hi?” Moonflower said meekly, as he peeked out around Thorn, and Throna laughed loudly as she strode towards him, Thorn wincing as he was bodychecked aside before the Draekin mare wrapped her forelegs around Moonflower and hugged him tightly, half-lifting him into the air as he squawked loudly. “Put me down!”

“And we all thought that you were dead or worse! It's good to see you, oh mighty Lord of Darkness! Have you returned to wreak great villainy upon our nation once more?” Throna teased, and then she laughed loudly and shook her head with a warm smile as she almost slammed Moonflower back down on his hooves, the stallion stumbling dumbly before Throna stepped back and remarked: “And this is quite a crew you have here! Well, Mr. Master of All Evil, won't Luna be thrilled when she hears that-”

“I'm... only back briefly. There's trouble.” Moonflower interrupted, and then he smiled awkwardly as he straightened, Throna frowning at him as he asked: “Can you call Princess Luna? My... my good friend Thorn Blackfeather will need to speak to her. And I need to find Antecedes, and... we need to go to Tartarus.”

“What? What's going on, Morpheus?” asked Throna uneasily, frowning as she straightened and studied him intently. Her horn glowed, and Moonflower winced a bit before she muttered: “No, you're you, I recognize that energy... but what could make you serious? Why Tartarus?”

“Bad things. Very bad things.” Moonflower bit his lip, before he leaned in and whispered: “I need to find the architect. The one who made... the Tablet.”

Throna's eyes widened at this, and then she bit her lip before she said finally: “Your friend Antecedes called Luna to the Black Fortress to talk to her, he said it was urgent and she left without so much as a goodbye, spotty mare. Now I sincerely hope that your business and hers are not the same.”

Moonflower grimaced a bit at this, and then he nodded before he muttered: “Antecedes. Calling to talk to the Princess, really?”

“Of course. He's a good stallion. Oh, sure, he's clearly made his errors, but I think he's paid for them several times over, hasn't he now?” Throna smiled slightly, continuing: “He does good work at the Canterlot Magic Academy, you know, and the Princess treats him as friend and advisor.”

“What? Ridiculous!” Moonflower exclaimed, before he glared over at Toad, complaining: “Look at this mess! I'm away for, what, a few mere years, and now all of my hard work has been undone and... Antecedes is working as a teacher and I bet that Neato Burrito has run away with that trollop of a mare! What's the world come to, Toad, when your friends can't even keep up their promise to destroy a country while you're away?”

Throna smiled amusedly at this, shaking her head slowly and visibly relaxing as she said softly: “It admittedly does me good to see a bit of your old self, Morpheus, whether or not your self-proclaimed King of All Evil shtick was a little annoying or not. And yes, I'll have you know that El Casco and Ex Parte are quite popular these days on their wrestling circuit or whatever it is they call it.”

“Of course they are.” Moonflower threw his forelegs up in disgust, huffing loudly before he glanced over at Thorn, then smiled lamely and shrank his head between his shoulders. “Sorry. Old habits.”

Thorn only shrugged, then he returned his eyes to Throna and said: “We need to leave as soon as possible to meet with Princess Luna. We need access to Tartarus and to coordinate our forces. Do you have any information about dimensional disturbances or any other suspicious activities that have occurred in the area recently?”

Throna scowled and shifted backwards, but when Moonflower nodded vigorously to her, she finally sighed and nodded grudgingly to the sapphire stallion, muttering: “Oh, very well then. I don't know about dimensional disturbances, but we've picked up a lot of strange magic recently, including some powerful pulses that we haven't been able to identify. Perhaps that's what Luna went off to talk to Antecedes about, but those two like to natter and gossip without me, so who knows?”

Throna rolled her eyes sulkily, but Thorn only nodded once before he reached up and pulled his visor down over his eyes, saying calmly: “Moonflower, stay on alert for any pulses of magic. You'll likely be able to detect it before I do. I'm going to set up an open scan for Void energies and antimatter: I'll alert you if I detect anything.”

Cadence shifted awkwardly, struggling not to say something just to be included in the conversation, and Moonflower bit his lip before he asked Throna awkwardly: “The uh... Black Fortress is in the same place, yes?”

“Of course, you idiot.” Throna smiled at him with amusement, before she said quickly: “I'll come with you too. I've been cooped up in this castle for too long and I deserve to know what's going on. Stronghold kept me out of things enough as it was.”

Cadence scowled a little, and the Draekin – or whatever she was – caught this and scowled back, but Thorn drew her attention as he said calmly: “I have no authority to deny you, but I will warn you that we have been pursuing an extremely dangerous target. I cannot guarantee your safety, and if a threat occurs and you fail to obey my instructions, you may suffer severe consequences.”

Throna hufed loudly at this, then she retorted: “You sound as bad as Stronghold. I am Draekin, boy! Do you know what that means?”

“I neither know nor care.” Thorn replied bluntly, and Throna stared at him before Moonflower laughed awkwardly and wiggled his way between the two with a lame grin.

“Let's uh... just concentrate on going to the Black Fortress, shall we? Thorn, I'm sure Throna can take care of herself, she's a Draekin, Draekin are... Draekin.” Moonflower said awkwardly, and then he cleared his throat and added: “And Throna, Thorn is... well, he's very good. Just very serious. But he takes good care of all of us so... be nice.”

Throna grunted, and Thorn nodded before he turned and instructed: “Escort positions. Cadence, fall back to rear guard. I'd like to move out as soon as possible.”

“Yes, no need to wait. Let's be off.” Throna agreed, and Moonflower gave a lame smile as Toad snorted from where he was still safely perched on top of Thorn's head as the sapphire stallion turned to lead the way out.

Sombra bowed politely to Throna, gesturing at her to go ahead, and the Draekin gave him an amused look before she remarked, as Moonflower spun around to hurry up to Throna's side and La Croix and Cadence fell in pace at the back: “You know, this is far from how I expected to see you next, Morpheus. I always thought that you'd come back in chains, shouting and yelling about how you'd conquered the great evil Hecate with your... whatever-evil.”

“My evil was never whatever-evil, and who is to say that I haven't?” retorted Moonflower, and Cadence snorted loudly as Toad laughed, which made the black unicorn wilt slightly. “I... I have done very good. I am part of something better than just... pointless evil now, though, I am... I am...”

Moonflower quieted, looking away for a moment, and Throna frowned as they exited the castle before he looked back and said quietly: “My name is Moonflower, and I'm just a unicorn, Throna, dear. But I'm trying my hardest to live up to some very great things, and I like to think that I've... become a little better than the silly person I was.”

“It sounds like you have a story to tell, Morpheus... or Moonflower. We have quite a way to go, so... why not tell it?” Throna smiled, adding: “I know you always liked me more than Luna, anyway.”

“Only because you have a better fashion sense than her, of course.” Moonflower replied with a small smile, and then he nodded, looking up and starting to talk.

It was funny, hearing Moonflower tell the story of their lives, and moreover, hearing him do it without too much boasting or exaggeration or silliness. He did seem to really respect Throna, which was the only thing that made Cadence want to trust the Draekin, as the Swan shifted strangely inside of her, whispering of things she had forgotten, of races and gods that had once existed but were no longer.

When he wasn't trying to impress anyone, Moonflower spoke well: Cadence had forgotten half the things they'd experienced, or how it was really not that long ago that Moonflower had really dropped the act and become part of the team. Not that there weren't still moments where the old Morpheus came out, but Cadence didn't want him to change so much he completely forgot who he was, or who he had been. When he wasn't overdoing it, Moonflower's silliness made her smile.

They passed several hours just listening to Moonflower's stories, until they descended into a natural basin, a gorgeous, dark forest sprawled out in front of them, with a well-trod stone-tiled path marking the way through the marshy forest to the castle that towered above the old, withered trees. It was majestic and beautiful, in a fairy-tale sort of way: it was all so dark, but never ominous; it was a natural darkness. It was a thrilling kind of spooky-scary, the kind where you knew something could leap out and frighten you, but you never had to be afraid, not really.

Cadence smiled at Moonflower: she figured that was probably what he'd always wanted to be. Something people wanted to be frightened by, wanted to have attack them. The 'cool' supervillain.

“So did you seriously make a road to your evil castle or whatever?” Cadence asked as they stepped onto the stone path, interrupting the end of Moonflower's story, and he huffed loudly even as he blushed a little. “Of course you did.”

“I... well... they never would have found it, otherwise!” complained Moonflower, gesturing violently towards the dark forest. “Do you know how many ponies get lost in these woods?”

“More, now that it's become such a prime tourist attraction.” remarked Throna, and Moonflower groaned before the mare gestured at a sign that pointed in the direction of 'Black Fortress.' “See?”

“Wonderful.” Moonflower mumbled, before he hurried his way up beside Thorn, almost pleading: “Can't I just stay here? I could even go to Tartarus right now and wait for you there! That sounds like a wonderful idea!”

“We're doing this together. You're okay.” Thorn said gently, and Moonflower mumbled under his breath before he nodded awkwardly, looking almost pleadingly at the stallion. “It's alright.”

It was a tiny reassurance, but Moonflower seemed to take strength from it all the same... before Throna asked obnoxiously: “So it's true, you like boys?”

“I like stallions!” Moonflower shouted, and there was an awkward silence for a moment before the black unicorn cleared his throat and mumbled: “Yes. Your sister wasn't exaggerating about that.”

Throna only shrugged amiably, saying mildly: “No skin off my teeth. Stronghold was the one who had the crush on you, not me.”

“Don't even joke about that.” Moonflower shuddered, shaking his head vehemently before he mumbled: “It's bad enough all these mares always found me so attractive. I could never help the fact that I was perfect, you know! But Stronghold...”

Throna smiled a bit as Moonflower petered awkwardly out, before she glanced up as Thorn explained: “Stronghold Halfdragon was the Draekin who replaced Celestia in this world's timeline. She did so by using the Tablet of Dreams. The same Tablet that we have to ensure has been dismantled and dispelled.”

“Dispelled, aye. Dismantled, though, nay. The Tablet now serves as a sort of... adviser to Princess Luna. You'll love him.” Throna said wryly, and somehow Cadence felt that she wasn't going to like this 'Tablet' at all. And since when is a Tablet an adviser? They talk about it like... no, I don't want to know. Horses of Heaven, can I deal with just one normal thing today?

Moonflower bit his lip as they approached the Black Fortress, stuck somewhere between wanting to raise his head high and proud and trying to fall back so he could hide behind Thorn and Throna. Cadence couldn't entirely blame him, although by now much of her attention had shifted to the facade of the fortress, which was beautiful and engraved and completely, utterly without any signs of wear whatsoever. And that meant more than just the protective layering of magic to prevent weather damage, that meant this fortress had never seen any siege of any kind. Still, it was almost intimidating... until, that was, they strode into the open stone lot in front of the fortress, and like magic, they found themselves surrounded not by an army of evil, but ponies and... carnival workers?

“Yes, I... I see my evil plan is still... going.” Moonflower declared in a faltering voice, turning beet red as he stared back and forth: stalls had been set up all around the perimeter of the open lot, and while everything was being run by warty green goblins and smelly, rough-looking diamond dogs, everyone seemed happy, Cadence thought with disbelief. Foals were cackling and laughing as they played games, bought weird-looking 'treats,' and rode skeletons of earth ponies with glowing lanterns in their chests, the harmless puppet-undead slowly walking in circles inside an arena as ponies oohed and awed.

“Antecedes got help from some other ponies to run the carnival. But I'm sure they'll be excited to know their Lord Moonflower is back.” Throna said pleasantly, absently waving to a few ponies who bowed or greeted her. “I hope they don't make us buy tickets.”

“Tickets?” Cadence couldn't help but ask as they strode towards the drawbridge, and then she blinked in surprise as a little goblin ran out of a booth in front of them, waving his hands violently. “Are you serious?”

“Hey! You gotta buy tickets if you want to go on the big tour of the boss' castle!” the goblin squawked, and Moonflower stared blankly at the little goblin as Toad grinned from Thorn's head, Throna laughing heartily. “Yes, even you, Lady Throna! You know how it works!”

Throna stopped laughing at that, and the goblin put his hands on his hips, all two lanky feet of fae creature glaring up at the massive ponies and Draekin challengingly. Thorn looked back at him for a few moments, and then he said slowly: “We are here to see Antecedes and Princess Luna on urgent diplomatic business, and-”

“Tickets!” screeched the goblin, before he huffed and crossed his arms. “Five bits for each adult! Two bits for each child! Group discounts available!”

Thorn slowly closed his mouth, then he looked pointedly over at Moonflower, who grinned lamely before he finally stepped forwards and leaned down, whispering: “It's me.”

The goblin stared at Moonflower for a moment, and then he threw his arms up and opened his mouth to squeal, but Moonflower hurriedly shoved a hoof over his face and snapped: “I don't want to... to... uh... terrify everyone with my magnificent presence, you dolt! Uh... let me in!”

The goblin reached up and grabbed wildly at Moonflower's hoof, then he pushed it away before declaring: “Yes, of course! Fifty percent off!”

“Fifty... fifty percent...” Moonflower spluttered, staring disbelievingly at the little goblin, who nodded vehemently.

“You need tickets to-”

Cadence stomped forwards and punted the goblin out of the way, sending him flying into the moat with a squeal, and all eyes stared at her before the ivory mare grumbled: “Well, it worked.”

Moonflower giggled weakly, and Thorn sighed before he said finally: “Please try and be more diplomatic in the future, Cadence.”

Cadence mumbled something about not making any promises, then followed Thorn as he led the way across the drawbridge to the doors of the castle. There were two tiny goblin guards in armor, but they both only saluted fearfully as they approached.

They entered the foyer of the castle, and somehow, Cadence was unsurprised to not only see more ponies wandering around, but that a room immediately to their right looked like some kind of massive gift shop, and to their left was a cafeteria, where there was some sort of birthday party going on, it looked like. Moonflower was looking horribly embarrassed by now, and as he felt Cadence's eyes on him, he almost spun around as he proclaimed: “The... the castle has to make up its... money... make money! I have to make a profit somehow on more than my dastardly deeds and what better way to do it than by corrupting the minds of innocent children? Ha ha! Ha. Ha.”

“I like the part where absolutely no one recognized you, Moony, because of that.” Toad said blandly, gesturing towards the end of the long hallway, where the intersection was dominated by a massive portrait of Moonflower in regal clothing and a crown, vain and beautiful. Moonflower only blushed at the sight of the painting, however, hiding his head, and shifting in a way that made Cadence soften, as she realized he had just tried to bring a wing forward to cover his face... but he lost those, too.

“Hey.” she said softly, and Moonflower looked back at her, humiliated. “I think this is really nice.”

Moonflower mumbled a little, before he glanced up as Thorn added quietly: “In a way, you've done what both Decretum and Subterra have done. You've helped ponies and their natural enemies to see that they can exist together without hostility. That we have evolved to the point where we can act to assist one-another instead of as enemies, in spite of our natural affiliations. I admire that.”

Moonflower smiled a bit, raising his head slightly, before Thorn asked in his blunt way: “Why are you still hiding your face? You have nothing to be ashamed of here.”

The black unicorn mumbled a little, but he was spared having to answer when a squat, muscular earth pony seemed to appear out of nowhere, charging in with a shout and skidding into Thorn with enough force to knock the sapphire stallion flying. Moonflower winced, then yelped when the mustached earth pony seized him by the face, his beady little eyes staring as he shouted: “Boss! You're back! I knew a stallion with cojones like you could never be crushed!”

“Neato Burrito!” Moonflower squawked, before he hurriedly pried the small earth pony off, wheezing a little as Cadence stared in disbelief. “What are you... where did you... h-how...”

“Of course the moment I heard your hooves, boss, I came running! I am loyal! Nothing is more loyal than the Luchador! It has given me a sixth sense to find you, wherever you may be, whenever you are close!” Neato Burrito proclaimed, mostly in loud shouting that made Cadence want to punch him, as La Croix slowly backed away and Sombra cocked his head, as if he was looking at something even he didn't quite understand. “Senorita!”

Neato Burrito suddenly dipped to the side and swept up Throna's hoof to kiss it firmly, and Throna only looked amused by this before the tiny, furious stallion turned his tiny, furious eyes over the others. “Are these new recruits, boss? Hey, you, new recruits! Have you returned with Throna hostage? This is not how you capture a hostage!”

“Parli spagnolo?” asked Sombra curiously, and Neato Burrito's eyes widened as he spun towards the stallion, who cleared his throat before saying politely: “Lo siento. Hablas español?”

“I speak the honorable language of the Luchador, amigo! The real question is, do you speak Luchador?” Neato Burrito shouted in response, and then he suddenly whirled towards Sombra and dove at him-

Cadence intercepted the small stallion with one foreleg, flipping him backwards before slamming him back-first down into the concrete floor with enough force to shatter stone, the bang that echoed through the hall making everypony stop and stare in shock. Cadence only glowered down at the small stallion as he twitched weakly a few times on the ground, wheezing a little, before he suddenly pointed at her and rasped out: “She speaks Lucahdor!”

With that, Neato Burrito's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell unconscious, and Moonflower grabbed at his head in vexation as Throna whistled a little. “Well now. There's something you don't see every day.”

“Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh, Neato, sweetie, are you okay?” blurted a voice as a pink blur raced towards them, skidding to a halt beside Neato Burrito, and nearly knocking over Thorn again, who had just gotten to his hooves. “Speak to me!”

The pink pony – who could only be Pinkie Pie, Cadence realized – shoved her face almost into Neato Burrito as he barely stirred, his eyes half-opening as he whispered: “I... I am not okay.”

For a brief moment, Cadence almost felt guilty, and then Neato Burrito exploded to his hooves, shoving a foreleg into the air as he seized Pinkie in a one-legged embrace and roared: “I am alive! The boss is back, Pinkie, and he brought a Luchador mare with cojones as big as his! Ex Parte and El Casco will fight beneath the mighty might of Lord Morpheus, and with a new Luchador to complete their trifecta! We shall be invincible!”

“Yay! New friend party!” Pinkie exclaimed brightly, before she leaned backwards into Cadence's face with a wide grin. “Hi new friend Luchador with the big cojones!”

“I hate everything about this world.” Cadence said moodily, and Pinkie just giggled and Neato Burrito guffawed as Moonflower smiled in apologetic embarrassment.

Thorn moodily brushed himself off, then looked up as a mild voice called calmly to them: “So I take it you're only here for a short visit?”

“Business, Antecedes.” Moonflower replied, but he brightened visibly as he turned to face the red-robed being approaching with Princess Luna at his side: Cadence was surprised to see that Antecedes was little more than the skeleton of a unicorn, red light glowing out of his sockets and wiry crimson veins twisting to and fro across his bare skull. But there was a warmth about him, Cadence thought.

Moonflower broke away from the group, and he traded a tight hug with his friend as Toad waved cheerfully from his perch, smiling radiantly as he stepped back and shook his head slowly, whispering: “I won't lie. It's good to see all of you.”

“Well, that's a start.” Antecedes said, but Cadence thought the skeleton was smiling, as much as his bones would allow. “Princess Luna, I'm sure you remember Lord Morpheus-”

“Moonflower. Just Moonflower now.” The unicorn reached up and wiggled his helmet off, letting his perfect silver mane spill around his face as he smiled again, bowing his head politely to Luna, who gave him a small smile in response. Then Moonflower nearly stumbled around in a circle as he said hurriedly: “These are my friends! My... I...”

He cleared his throat, visibly fighting old urges before Cadence was admittedly surprised when he said politely: “This is Team Leader, Cadence Danzsöngr, and uh... La Croix, and Sombra, who are... part of the team. And then me. And this is Thorn Blackfeather! He's the Regent of Decretum and the Clockwork Empire and the son of Queen Hecate, my boss, and-”

“His boyfriend.” Toad said loudly, and Moonflower blushed deeply as he glared furiously at Toad, who only grinned from his safe perch on Thorn's head.

“Boss! I always knew you would find a strong, beefy stallion to... uh... do the things that strong beefy stallions who like other stallions with big cojones like to do with each other, and-”

“Okay Neato thank you!” snapped Moonflower, and then he blushed when Antecedes chuckled and shook his head slowly.

“They must have done quite a number on you to make you, of all ponies, act a little humble.” Antecedes said softly, before he turned his eyes towards Thorn Blackfeather and asked: “Is your magic the source of the pulses of power we've been detecting?”

“Unlikely. We would have caused one pulse on entry that would be detectable through electromagnetic interference: are you detecting beta or gamma wave transformation?” asked Thorn, and while everyone else looked stumped, Antecedes rose his head with some interest.

“Gamma, interrupted, rough rates of around... ten to twelve kilobæns.” Antecedes responded, and Thorn nodded before he created a holographic screen beside himself, and the skeletal mage murmured: “Well, if your armor didn't give it away, that did. You have the same magitechnology as Hecate did.”

“Similar. This is standard issue to all soldiers.” Thorn answered as he tapped quickly over the screen, then he asked without looking up: “Direction?”

“Southwest, within ten miles.” Antecedes paused, then turned his eyes towards Moonflower and added: “That's why I brought her here, yes, before you ask. I thought Luna might be able to help me lock on to the signal, but...”

“I could not. The magic is too strange, too alien.” Princess Luna said, shaking her head briefly, before she added: “I have been rude. I apologize, I have still not yet caught up on the diplomacy of this world. I am pleased to meet you anew, Moonflower, and all your friends: I am Princess Luna.”

Cadence smiled awkwardly, and La Croix tipped his hat politely as Sombra bowed his head respectfully. Moonflower laughed a bit, before he squawked when Throna grabbed the back of his head and said cheerfully: “Isn't this nice? All back together again! Now we just need to get that silly Twilight Sparkle off her rump and to stop moping for once!”

“Please no.” Moonflower mumbled, as he pried himself free of Throna's grip before he glanced up as Thorn's helmet beeped.

The sapphire stallion nodded once as all eyes turned towards him, and then he explained: “I've isolated the frequency. It left behind an echo, which means whatever it is, it's damaging reality. I'm guessing it's a portal point that Loki has repeatedly used: we'll have to investigate it later, but for now, our objective hasn't changed. I should, however, be able to detect anything moving on this frequency if it gets close to us, so the Voidborn won't be able to ambush us.”

“We should probably move this somewhere more private.” Antecedes said mildly, as he gestured around at the gawking ponies and the foals who were all running willy-nilly around. Cadence noted wryly that Pinkie and Neato Burrito had both long abandoned the conversation and were playing with the children, which probably explained why they had managed to get some actual work done.

Moonflower shifted lamely as Thorn nodded calmly, and five minutes later, they found themselves in the throne room of the fortress, where it was quiet, calm, and quite dusty, Cadence was surprised to see.

Moonflower approached the throne sitting on the dais with a faint smile, flicking his horn to blow away the dust with a spell, and Antecedes chuckled before he said quietly: “Hasn't been quite the same without you around, so we shut off this whole... 'bastion of evil' part of the fortress. Kids sneak in every few months. That's about all the activity it sees.”

“It's all changed. And yet nothing really has. What's changed is me. And you, too.” Moonflower said, turning around, before he smiled honestly at Antecedes. “I guess without my evil influence around... or rather, all my whining and complaining... you were able to take care of yourself, yes?”

“It helps, having a reason to be undead.” Antecedes deadpanned, but he seemed to smile as he looked over at Princess Luna, then at Throna Halfdragon. “Teaching has been very fulfilling. Being accepted, having my 'tea parties,' as you call them, with the ponies in Ponyville, and just living a normal life after so many years... I think it's made me go a little soft.”

“Oh, you'll never be soft, Antecedes. Just smarter.” Moonflower retorted with a wave of his hoof and a smile. “But uh... I think that, well, Thorn, you wanted...”

Moonflower looked almost shyly at Thorn, but the sapphire stallion simply gestured back at Moonflower, and La Croix remarked mildly: “Gotta say, Moony, this be pretty disappointing to see. Here I thought you was some evil lord of evil and all that. Seems more to me the only thing you be bad at is bein' bad.”

Moonflower huffed at this, before he glared when Throna said mildly: “He certainly did used to be more of a showpony. I have to agree. I'm a little disappointed myself, Lord Moonflower.”

Moonflower grumbled a little under his breath, before he groaned when Antecedes shrugged, whining: “Oh, not you too!”

“It's nice to see you humble. But is also makes me wonder if they lobotomized you.” Antecedes replied with a shrug, and Moonflower sighed as he lowered his head before the skeleton suddenly asked in a gentler voice: “What happened to your wings?”

“Wow, Antecedes. Let's leap right to the embarrassing personal stories right in front of everyone.” Moonflower grumbled, hugging himself awkwardly, before he rose his head almost defiantly and declared: “I do not need wings! I am Moonflower, the... Master Spellmaster of Decretum and... I do not need silly wings to fly, or do magic, or... for anything!”

“Better.” Antecedes said, and Moonflower blinked before the skeleton turned his eyes towards Thorn, asking almost abruptly: “So why are you here?”

Throna answered for the stallion, saying: “They said something about wanting to go to Tartarus. About needing the architect of the Tablet of Dreams, and wanting to check the Tablet itself.”

“Preposterous.” Luna said moodily, shaking her head vehemently as she looked over the ponies with renewed suspicion: suspicion that ironically was only prevented from boiling over into fear and distrust by the presence of Moonflower, the self-proclaimed nemesis of this Equestria. “The Tablet is harmless, but it is also a source of great information and knowledge. It cannot be destroyed or parted with. And Tartarus is no 'adventurer's dungeon,' like this child's fort. Nor do I feel comfortable allowing contact with the architect: ironically, Tartarus is where he is likely safest.”

“We are more than capable of handling any threats that we may encounter in Tartarus. And whether he's being held as a political prisoner or protected, you need to allow my team to make contact with this architect. If Team 0-0 doesn't reach him first, then Loki and his forces undoubtedly will, and he will jeopardize the existence of this entire world.” Thorn said evenly, and Luna scowled even as she shifted uneasily at the determination and ruthless truth in Thorn's eyes.

“I am not impressed by plots to overthrow the world. I have seen and experienced many in my short time. I have even been unfortunate victim to one myself.” Luna said coldly, turning an ill look on Moonflower, and Moonflower gaped before he gestured helplessly at Throna, who only looked lamely away.

But Thorn only shook his head, saying quietly: “The fate of your Equestria and your world is irrelevant to me. It is also irrelevant to our opponent. And that is precisely why you should be concerned. This is larger than us both, and that is why I am asking you to work with me instead of trying to force your hoof.”

There was silence for a moment, before Luna asked coldly: “If my world doesn't matter, then why are you here to save it?”

“Because the unfortunate side-effect of failing to save your world means our enemy will grow infinitely stronger, and then he will destroy us.” Thorn smiled, saying quietly: “Sometimes the greatest acts of altruism come from places of self-interest. You now know where I stand and why I am here. And you can now rest assured that I will do everything, everything, in my power, to protect your world. Not for your sake. But for that of my friends, my family, and my own home.”

Luna eyed him for a moment, and then she nodded slowly as Throna said wryly: “You remind me of my sister when we first left for the crusades. Careful, there, little one. I'd hate to see you steer down the wrong path.”

“I have Moonflower and my friends to help me when I get lost.” Thorn replied quietly, and Throna smiled at this.

“Precisely what Stronghold was always missing.” Throna agreed, and then she turned her eyes to Moonflower and said softly: “I suppose that's why you turned out alright, too.”

“Nothing was... very boring.” Moonflower admitted, nodding a few times as he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. “I was bored. I was successful! But I was also... I mean... it wasn't the greatest idea I have ever had, I suppose I can admit that now.”

“That was what ended up getting you noticed by this Hecate though, wasn't it? So I suppose in the end things worked out for you after all, great and terrible Morpheus.” Antecedes said ironically, and Moonflower huffed before the skeleton added: “I hope you realize how lucky you are, by the way. Things don't usually work out for the 'villain' of any piece very well. Certainly not for Dim Dunn.”

“I am not Dim Dunn!” complained Moonflower, and then he huffed when La Croix looked at him blankly as Throna sniggered and Luna hid a smile behind a hoof. “Oh, of course you don't know the theater. I knew all your culture was false.”

“My culture just be a lot more complicated than you culture, rein de la nuit. In case you didn't notice, I been dealin' with bigger things than what pretty dress to put on in the mornin'.” La Croix retorted.

Moonflower scowled, before wincing as Sombra explained to La Croix – and a lesser extent, Cadence, who vaguely knew the name of the reference – “Dim Dunn is from a famous play, known as Bright's Bewildering Beat. It is a very old play, starring mainly earth ponies: it is the story of Bright, who matches wits with a tyrant who captures the sun in a mirror, named Dim Dunn. Dim Dunn is...” Sombra smiled slightly up at Moonflower, looking at him thoughtfully for a few moments. “Impetuoso. He is prone to mistakes and follies that... could easily be avoided. And it is always he who defeats himself.”

“I am certainly not. I am no Dim Dunn.” Moonflower said sulkily, and Sombra chuckled quietly as La Croix grinned at him.

“You are not, Moonflower. It is a political story, from a political time, when earth ponies struggled to be known as more than slave. But it is also a story about a very strong but very stubborn pony who could not learn from his mistakes. And I hope you do not think it out of line for me to say that you have clearly learned from yours.” Sombra said politely, and Moonflower blushed a little even as he looked away, but he was clearly touched by the sentiment, especially since it came from a stallion he so obviously respected.

“It sounds like you've grown up a little. Not that I expect that to mean much in the long run. You'll still always be the same old Moonflower.” Antecedes said, and somehow that didn't entirely sound like an insult.

Moonflower only laughed, then he smiled briefly before he looked over at Thorn and asked: “I think he's right, Thorn. We came here for a serious mission and... here I am, making it all about me, getting all these people fawning all over me again...”

Princess Luna rolled her eyes, then she became serious again as she looked at Thorn, saying slowly: “I do not entirely like you or your reasoning. I am wary, but... as you have apparently managed to impress Archmage Antecedes-”

“Oh, Archmage now, is it?” Moonflower huffed loudly, before he winced at the glares he received, shrinking his head between his shoulders. “I'll shut up.”

“Please do.” Princess Luna grumbled, before she resumed, as her eyes locked back on Thorn: “I will not ask you for proof, but do not expect me to extend you unrelenting trust, either. I will permit you to enter Tartarus: Antecedes is capable of showing you the way and of opening the gates. And I am sure that Moonflower remembers its depths well.”

“Too well.” Moonflower shifted uncomfortably, before he added nervously: “It took me five hundred years to escape from there, you know. Not that I don't trust you or anything, but...”

“I'll remain outside. Tartarus is only impossible to escape from: it's very easy to open the gates from the other direction.” answered Antecedes. “As long as you can return to the Gates of Pandemonium, I'll be able to let you out. We've done it before.”

“Yes, but not this deep.” Moonflower said pettishly, shaking his head before he glanced over at Thorn when the sapphire stallion frowned. “Well, yes. There were artifacts in Tartarus I needed when I took over Equestria and destroyed the entire world.”

Cadence and La Croix both sighed, and even Throna snorted in amusement, the Draekin saying wryly: “The closest you came to taking over Equestria was when you locked yourself in the treasure room.”

“I didn't know only Draekin portals worked! That was cheating!” Moonflower blurted, shaking his head vehemently, and then he cleared his throat and rolled his eyes embarrassedly away when Cadence looked at him dryly.

“Afterward, it would be best if we spoke to this architect somewhere secure. May I suggest that we bring him either here or to Canterlot, Signora Luna, whichever you would prefer?” Sombra put forward, and Luna looked thoughtful at this before the stallion turned his eyes towards Thorn. “And while I know you cannot give guarantees, if the architect is secure and we are able to counteract his magic...”

Thorn nodded hesitantly, before he said finally: “If we are able to secure ourselves against attack and intercept Loki's forces, then I see no reason why the architect has to come with us to Decretum. We do not wish to create a Tablet or other artifact of our own: we just need to know how to counteract such magic, or at least how it can create such enormous effects.”

“By shifting the threads of the world, it said once. Or something like that. The Tablet can be poetic when it's not being an idiot.” Throna said meditatively, and Luna nodded with a grunt of agreement. “But the damned thing certainly doesn't know what it's talking about half the time, and I doubt it does in this case, either.”

“I am somehow certain my sister knew. That was why she never destroyed it. Or... I do not know. My sister was blessed and cursed with a foresight that most could never imagine.” Luna said, half-grudging and half-nostalgic, smiling faintly before she shook her head and looked at Moonflower. “And I believe to this day you saw her.”

“The Tablet threw up a ghost.” Moonflower said before he could stop himself, and Luna slowly closed her eyes, looking as if she wanted to punch him: an urge Cadence was all-too-familiar with, as Moonflower winced backwards before he nearly leapt ten feet into the air when Neato Burrito almost popped into existence in front of him, shaking a hoof vehemently.

“The boss sees many a thing, senorita Luna! He sees ghosts! He sees the future! He does what is good for all of us in his evil ways!” declared the Luchador, and then he stared when Cadence glared at him, before the squat stallion leapt backwards and thrust a hoof out, shouting: “Be still, be still! No! I will not be tempted by you, Luchadora! For my heart is already taken and held by a mare even mightier than you!”

“Aww, thanks!” Pinkie Pie said brightly as she, too, popped up from seemingly nowhere, and somehow the most frustrating part to Cadence was the way that Throna, Antecedes, and Princess Luna all failed to react at all, as if this was a normal occurrence... oh hell, considering everything else wrong with this world, it probably is.

Then Pinkie Pie's eyes narrowed even as she continued to smile, her gaze cutting through her like a laser as she said brightly: “And I'm sure you'd never ever try to steal my beefy bean Burrito away from me, right?”

“Your beefy bean Burrito.” Cadence repeated, and Pinkie giggled before the ivory mare rubbed slowly at her face, then she asked tiredly: “Can we please just go to Tartarus now? I feel like if I spend much longer here the Swan is going to make me kill someone.”

Thorn turned his eyes towards Antecedes, and the skeleton nodded. But before they could excuse themselves, Luna rose her head and said sharply: “Wait.”

All eyes turned towards her, and Princess Luna turned her eyes not towards Moonflower or Thorn, but instead to Cadence. Cadence looked back at her, frowning slightly as she rose her head, meeting the mare's eyes for a few moments in silence.

And then Princess Luna nodded slowly, before she asked in a slow, fumbling voice, sounding out the words carefully but surely in a language that only Cadence recognized: “Do you know the stories of our fathers and our mothers?”

“Yes, I do. The Fathers and the Mothers above, the Makers, and the Creators. But we obey them no more.” the Swan replied calmly through Cadence's mouth, and Princess Luna grimaced slightly.

“I do not know what you have said to me, but I also recognize that it was not you who spoke, Cadence. I do not know who or what you are, but I have seen your kind before. Long, long, long ago, when my sister and I were still young and together.” Luna said quietly, and Cadence frowned before her eyes widened as the mare continued: “It was when the Order of the White Dragon-”

“Valthrudnir.” Cadence said, before she looked up in surprise as Thorn shook his head.

“No. Not in the sense you're thinking of, at least.” Thorn corrected, before he gestured towards Thrrona, who reared back moodily. “Early analysis indicates these Draekin are an Ironjaw-unicorn hybrid. We have no records of Valthrudnir being here, but as they carry the vestiges of his genetic makeup, it's likely that-”

“D'you know that it's rude to stare, or to treat people like dogs to be kicked and experimented on?” Throna asked loudly, a clear, sulky childishness spreading over her features as she glared at Thorn.

Thorn bowed his head to her in apology, but the Draekin only huffed before Princess Luna continued irritably: “I also do not know of this Valthrudnir, and my sister and I learned much of the Order in the early days. No. It was a prophet of the White Dragon who told us those words. She said to speak them if a bird came, of either purest white or deepest black. And you called yourself... or rather, that... other inside you... the Swan.”

Cadence was silent, and Luna studied her furtively for a few moments before she shook her head slowly and said quietly: “I do not believe in foretellings. A thousand things were foretold that never came to pass, because Celestia was killed, because I was locked away in stone. And I do not believe the prophet was telling the future with this warning. But it was a warning, Cadence. Do you know what she said of these birds?”

“They bring death?” Cadence asked, and Princess Luna smiled wryly.

“No. She told me that many of them had fallen across many different worlds, and many greedy evils pursued them, wanting to use them for their own ends. She told me that the Order of the White Dragon had seen visions of them: that was part of why they brought their crusade against us, because they knew great warriors might rise from our ranks.” Princess Luna studied Cadence silently, before she looked at Thorn and asked: “Is she a weapon or a tool? Or does great evil pursue her?”

“She is an Orphan. As is every other member of this team. They are all Orphans, working to ensure that no one else has to end up like them. Their past and future do not concern you, and at the present, we are here to stop an opponent who may already be making his move to secure whatever tools or artifacts interest him in this world.” Thorn answered calmly.

Princess Luna grimaced, looking unconvinced, but then Throna snorted before she said finally: “I want to hear more about these 'Ironjaw' and this 'Valthrudnir.' I'll accompany them to Tartarus.”

“I would like to hear more as well.” Antecedes added, looking curiously between Cadence and Thorn before he turned his eyes towards Moonflower, saying dryly: “I really hope this isn't somehow all your fault. Although I suspect that it is.”

“Shut up, Antecedes. It is not.” Moonflower blushed all the same, scrubbing at his face before he winced when he found Neato Burrito and Pinkie Pie both staring up at him, and he carefully pushed the two aside before heading for the door, adding loudly: “And I'm going to leave you all here if I have to because I'm done wasting time and I'm going to Tartarus myself!”

Antecedes sighed and followed, and the others trailed loosely after the skeleton, Cadence bringing up the rear as Princess Luna remained behind in the throne room, sitting back and watching them until they were gone, and dreading what the presence of the white bird she had been warned so long ago about might mean.

The only thing she knew was that there was a storm coming, and nothing she could do to stop it.

Descent Into Tartarus

Chapter Eighty Six: Descent Into Tartarus
~BlackRoseRaven

Moonflower took the lead without even realizing it, Antecedes and Neato Burrito flanking him as Pinkie Pie hopped along at her coltfriend's side. Thorn – with Toad still perched on his head – walked with Throna behind them, explaining more about Hecate's Clockwork Empire and Valthrudnir, while Cadence brought up the rear silently with her father and La Croix, feeling uneasy.

Not just black birds, the Valkyries, but white birds... Swans. Did that mean other Swans had fallen to the world below? Or had this prophet really foretold the future, and seen her in some hazy, distant vision, enough to be able to warn Luna and Celestia of her coming?

Why had a prophet seen her, if that was the case? And why-

La Croix cleared his throat awkwardly, and Cadence blinked before the zebra said quietly: “Ain't none of my business, Cygne, but uh... you look like you're workin' yourself up when that mare probably just mistook you for a fairy tale some wannabe-fortune teller told her. That's how we work, y'know: we tell you a lie, with a little bit o' truth to it. Or we just make up somethin' that sounds real important and real fancy-like. That's how that lady sold Moony those damn beads he still be wearin' round his neck, after all.”

Cadence smiled a little despite herself, before her father reassured: “It means nothing, Cadenza, except that perhaps there was once another here.”

“Maybe. Maybe there was a Swan or a Valkyrie or... someone. Maybe this Order of the White Dragon really was driven on a crusade by Valthrudnir, maybe they killed one of my sisters or one of the Valkyries under his orders without even knowing it... I mean, Valthrudnir was a Jötnar, and just because there's no record of him being here, that doesn't mean anything, does it?” Cadence realized she was almost rambling, rationalizing her own frustrations and fears, forcing an unlikely order on what she wanted to believe instead of what she knew was likely fact, but... she couldn't stop herself. She couldn't stop, because... “I just can't believe in coincidence, you know? Or that it's not connected somehow, that we're here on a world that somehow knows about me, but-”

“The world does not know about you, Cadence. Princess Luna was barely coherent when she spoke that phrase, and it wasn't just because it was archaic dialect.” Thorn cut in, and Cadence winced a bit as the stallion gave her an irritated look over his shoulder.

But after a moment, Thorn seemed to catch himself: he didn't apologize, but audibly and visibly softened as he said: “You're seeing what you want to see. What you think needs to be true, because that's what makes sense in your mind.”

Cadence mumbled a little, shifting awkwardly and doing her best not to argue, before she glanced up as Throna added almost grudgingly: “We had both priests who spoke with our so-called God and many prophets who claimed to do the same, or who saw a great future for all Draekin who followed his divine will, but...”

Throna sighed a little, lowering her head and murmuring: “Oh, who really believes in God anymore? I would like to, but even my faith wavers. And Stronghold... I question some days if she ever believed.”

The Draekin looked moodily at the ground, and then she shook her head shortly before muttering: “No, that's a lie. Stronghold believed. Perhaps she believed firmer than I did. But she didn't believe, really, in God, or the White Dragon, or the higher power or whatever you want to call it, she believed most of all in the Order. She wanted to carry its commands out to the letter. And when they excommunicated her and her soldiers for refusing to stop what she saw as her holy duty, it... destroyed her. She believed too much. I was saved by... believing too little.”

Throna shook her head, then she glanced over at Cadence and smiled a little. “Sorry. I remember all the old times and... bah, the memories it brings back. Good and bad. The good ones are worse because I remember what Stronghold used to be like.”

“I still never know if I should apologize or just brag about fighting her with you.” Moonflower said awkwardly, and Cadence snorted in amusement as La Croix cocked his head, but Throna only grinned a bit.

“Brag about it. Leave off the part where you kill her, because I don't have half the stomach my sister did. But I think she'd like to hear about what a fierce foe she was, and that you remember her.” Throna said, before she glanced up and added quietly: “But we should probably stop that prattle for now.”

Moonflower glanced up as Antecedes nodded slowly, and the black unicorn shivered a little as his eyes roved over the foreboding approach to Tartarus: the brooding fortress that housed the Gates of Pandemonium loomed over them, seeming to sit in a pall of eternal darkness in spite of the brightness of the day, and...

“Something's wrong.” Antecedes said quietly, and Cadence's eyes narrowed as Thorn looked up, rapidly inspecting the fortress. From what he could see, it had likely been one or two assailants using magic, and...

“Casualties.” Cadence murmured, as she noted the bodies of soldiers and broken constructs: the soldiers seemed remarkably unblemished, but the iron golems looked as if they had exploded... literally. Who could turn constructs into walking bombs?

But Cadence already knew the answer to that question as Antecedes asked in a low voice: “What precisely are we dealing with here? As much as you've filled me in Thorn, somehow I feel like you haven't told me the full extent of these creatures...”

“Antecedes, they are beyond what you have imagined them. And I'm not exaggerating for a change.” Moonflower said honestly, and Antecedes looked at the stallion for a few moments before he grimaced slightly and nodded slowly.

“I don't like the sound of that.” he muttered, and then he returned his eyes to the fortress, studying it as the crimson light of his sockets intensified, the red veins covering his bones pulsating. “There's a residue, like nothing I've ever felt before...”

“Void energies. Most of this damage was done by powerful magic, but this isn't Melinda's work. This magic is different. Antecedes, Throna, please wait here. Team 0-0, fall in, we move in-”

“Excuse me?” Throna interrupted, sounding offended, and Thorn glanced back over his shoulder at her before he winced as she childishly seized him by the tail and dragged him backwards so she could glare through his visor. “Healer or not, I was Draekin, and we never run away. Furthermore, it's my duty to protect this country.”

“The Gates of Pandemonium haven't been blown open, or we'd have even more annoying things than Moonflower to deal with. You'll need someone who can reopen them for you when you're ready to leave.” Antecedes said calmly, and Moonflower smiled briefly.

“You're usually the last person to come to a fight.” he remarked, but Antecedes only chuckled and shrugged.

“I'll let you handle the fighting, Moonflower. I'll just hold the door.” Antecedes paused, then he added quietly: “Besides. I've... gotten fond of Equestria. You already ruined that once and blew it up. I don't want to see it destroyed a second time by someone who might do a better job of it than you did.”

Moonflower chuckled, then yelped and reared back in surprise as two ponies in brightly-colored costumes appeared in a burst of fireworks in front of them, a stallion in a blue costume and a mask with a horseshoe on its face shouting: “Do not worry, boss! El Casco is here to save the day!”

“Along with Ex Parte, to quash the opposition!” added the pink mare in the bright pink casual suit and black, almost executioner-like mask, both of the Luchadors striking sharp poses as Cadence gaped, La Croix stared, and Moonflower turned beet-red.

Thorn, however, only looked at the two costumed ponies before he turned back towards the fortress, saying: “Alright, then let's move in quickly to secure the objective. There may be hostiles present. Cadence, I want you up front with me, along with Ex Parte and El Casco. Sombra, bring up the rear. Moonflower, Antecedes, artillery position. La Croix, Throna, stay in the center.”

The ponies moved to their appointed positions with little fuss, Thorn letting Cadence take point as he added to her in a lower voice: “I'm not detecting any Voidborn or hostiles, but you might be able to see something I can't.”

“I'm more worried about those... other things.” Cadence muttered, shaking her head shortly. “Aetherhaunts or whatever they were called...”

“I don't think this is the right kind of magic. But we should be prepared for anything, agreed. I'll calibrate my visor as we move.” Thorn replied, and Cadence nodded even as she looked uncertainly at the stallion until he said quietly: “Eyes front, Cadence. We need to move.”

Cadence nodded, turning around and starting forwards: even with Thorn behind her, it still felt like he was leading the way, something she both envied and admired. She did her best to keep her attention from wandering as they made their way up towards the face of the fortress, but the closer they got, the more her skin wanted to crawl off as she shivered and whispered: “Something... this is something beyond the Void...”

“Stay focused.” Thorn said quietly, and Cadence grimaced a bit but nodded all the same, even as she uncertainly shifted a little, half-glancing back towards the stallion and wondering- “I have things under control. Let's focus on what's ahead.”

Cadence smiled lamely, then she turned her eyes back forward, concentrating on the fortress ahead as the Swan roiled and shifted inside her. But she couldn't quite lock on to what the Swan was feeling: the Swan itself almost seemed confused, as a matter of fact, as if it had felt something it hadn't felt for many, many years...

Cadence was brought out of her distraction as her eyes settled on the front of the fortress, the mare grimacing slightly as she noted the massive hole in the front wall where either a set of gates or doors had once been. Thorn called the group to a halt in front of this, studying the edges of the hole slowly before he asked: “Antecedes, Moonflower, do you see anything wrong here?”

“Yes.” Antecedes said almost immediately, a scowl audible in the skeleton's voice. “The stone has softened around the edges of the breach. Transmutation?”

“Most likely. La Croix, I need to talk to one of these guards.” Thorn said, and La Croix grimaced a bit before he nodded with a sigh, striding out of line to join Thorn beside the corpse of one of the fallen soldiers.

The zebra studied the dead body for a moment, and then he muttered: “Huh. Ain't no sign of trauma, not so much as a bruise or a burn...” He reached down, carefully pressing a hoof against the side of the guard's neck, which moved easily. “No sign o' rigor. No signs of death at all... 'cept the big obvious one. Étrange.”

La Croix carefully touched along the body as Thorn frowned, before the Loa's hoof glowed as green lightning crackled along the corpse below, murmuring: “Réveillez-vous.”

The dead body shivered, mouth opening wide in a silent scream as its eyes bulged out, before the corpse slowly pushed itself up to its feet. It was a stallion, armor a little loose on his frame, his features stretched and pale and frightened still even as he turned towards La Croix and asked: “Yes?”

“Incredible.” Antecedes muttered, although Throna looked horrified more than anything else as El Casco muttered and crossed himself.

La Croix only ignored the others, however, leaning forwards as he asked with more gentility than Cadence usually saw him treat the dead with: “What happened, mon ami?”

The dead guard stared at La Croix for a moment, and then he shook his head before he whispered: “We never expected someone to attack us. Not like this. Not like this. Everything was supposed to be locked up safely beneath Tartarus. Why would someone attack a prison? Why would they want to free these monsters?”

“Who attacked you?” La Croix asked, firmer this time, and the guard blinked before he shook himself slowly, his eyes drawing back and forth.

“I don't... I'm not...” The soldier frowned, then he lowered his head as if confused, as if he was unable to figure out... “I don't know. I know I died. I know I am dead. But I don't remember. There was only... bright light. Then... emptiness. I was gone. I am gone. Why am I here?”

La Croix grimaced, then he sighed before he said moodily: “Course it can't be easy. Ain't never easy, is it? Okay, mon ami... hold real still.”

The Loa rose a hoof and touched the soldier's head, but he almost immediately gasped in pain and staggered backwards, swearing under his breath as he shook his smoldering hoof out. “Zut! I can't even get a glimpse of his memories... but it's like somethin' just... just took his life away. I ain't never seen magic like that before...”

“Could it be a hex?” Moonflower asked worriedly, but Thorn shook his head as he studied the corpse as it slowly sank back down to the earth, the sapphire stallion frowning uneasily.

“No. I'm sure this isn't Melinda's work. Not just because of the residue, but hexes don't work like this. They were afraid. So afraid, it scarred their minds.” Thorn said slowly, before he looked ahead and said quietly: “Let's move in. Stay on guard.”

Cadence nodded as she took point, La Croix muttering a short prayer for the corpse before falling back as Antecedes glanced over at Moonflower, muttering: “I guess you didn't make everything up after all. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. You aren't creative enough to make those stories up.”

Moonflower huffed at this, then he looked away awkwardly as Toad added from where he was still perched on Thorn's head: “'Strue, Moony. You remember when you tried to-”

“We need to move in quietly. No conversation unless necessary.” Thorn cut off, before he added as he glanced up at Toad: “You may want to retreat to a safer location.”

“Hey, I'm keepin' a lookout here! Besides, if anything kills me I'll just revive. Don't worry about it, you won't even know I'm here, promise.” Toad said airily with a wave of a hand, before he shivered a bit and added uneasily as they entered the ruins of the fortress: “Hey uh, is it just me, or did the temperature just drop?”

“Picking up spectral readings. Cadence, La Croix, watch for phantasms.” Thorn ordered, ignoring Toad as he strode down the hall, in the lead in spite of Cadence remaining at point. Readings flashed over his visor as he looked back and forth through the ruined entrance hall: barricades had been hastily assembled here and there, and there were plenty of signs of combat, unlike the exterior. But also unlike the exterior, there were no bodies...

“This doesn't look good.” Throna muttered, as Thorn led them past the barricades towards the back of the room, where a hole had been blown in the wall: unlike the almost-neat breach in the front wall of the structure, this hole had been made by pure force, burn-marks staining the surfaces around it... “What are we dealing with here?”

“Not just Voidborn.” Thorn murmured as they entered the next corridor, before his eyes narrowed as he saw several ponies ahead in uniform clustered near a door-

“Oi! What happened here?” Throna shouted, pushing out of line before anyone could stop her. But before she could leap to the front of the line, Thorn halted and reached out to catch the Draekin, the mare glaring at him for a moment before her eyes widened in shock as one of the guards glanced calmly back over his shoulder, revealing a skull that had been bludgeoned and crushed by some tremendous force.

“Oh no. I think we just found out why there ain't no dead in there.” La Croix whispered, as the group of dead soldiers all calmly turned towards them. The zebra leaned up so he could see over the others, feeling a malignancy in the air that he almost recognized, before he swore as he saw the nearly-invisible strings of magic leading up from the corpses to the grinning, invisible spirits above- “Kibaraka!”

Cadence swore under her breath as her eyes locked on the spirits above the corpses, snapping as her horn glowed with ivory light: “They're being puppeted, we need to-”

Antecedes snapped his horn out, a red pulse traveling down the hall, and the spirits hissed before they suddenly spun around and retreated, vanishing through the walls and ceiling as the corpses simply collapsed to the ground. La Croix grimaced slightly as he leaned away from the skeleton, but the archmage only reached up and rubbed moodily at his horn. “That should keep them away for a little while. We need to get to the Gates of Pandemonium before whoever attacked here does something stupid.”

“Right.” Thorn agreed, unfazed as ever, and then he pushed past Cadence to lead the way down the hall, the ivory mare following him uneasily to the door, where he halted for a moment as he dragged his hoof along the door, murmuring: “It's been trapped. Moonflower, I need you to disenchant this.”

Moonflower blushed a bit, smiling lamely before he hurried forwards even as El Casco grumbled: “The boss don't got to take orders from nopony, you know! You better ask the boss nicer next time, or I, El Casco, will have to step in and defend his honor from you, you-”

“It's okay, Neato... I mean, El Casco. I uh. There are some ponies even I listen to. Who I respect, I mean.” Moonflower answered as he approached the door, his horn glowing before he frowned uneasily as he reached out and touched the door, shivering a bit as he muttered: “Strange. I don't recognize this magic at all. I... yes, I can dispel it, though, of course.”

He smiled awkwardly at Thorn, and Thorn only nodded before he replied quietly: “I know you can. I don't have enough power to brute-force it, but you do. Be careful.”

Moonflower blushed a bit, then he nodded hurriedly before he cleared his throat as he turned his eyes back towards the door, his magic aura spreading over the front of the door as he muttered: “Alright. I... yes, it's not very hard to erase. But it's strange, it feels like-”

The Swan rose suddenly, violently up, and Danzsöngr lunged forwards, seizing both Thorn and Moonflower to fling them backwards as she flapped her wings out, covering herself with them as they glowed white a moment before the door exploded. Shrapnel and fire pelted the group of ponies, knocking most of them off their feet and leaving even Throna laying stunned.

A voice tittered on the other side of the mangled hole, before it hissed in disgust as Cadence's wings flapped hard out to either side, bloody and broken but the mare herself still whole and snarling in frustration more than pain as she shouted: “And who the hell are you?”

“Wouldn't you like to know? Come find out. I'm so bored here!” whined the creature as the smoke cleared, and Cadence narrowed her eyes as she caught sight of something strange and alien slithering away down the staircase beyond and instead shouting to someone else: “Velly, Velly, Velly! They're coming, they're almost here, did you hear?”

The monster's voice faded out, and Thorn grimaced before he reached up and tapped quickly on his visor, muttering: “Primordial detected. Prepare analysis. Meanwhile, search all archives for deceased entities with names similar to 'Velly.'”

Information scrawled rapidly over Thorn's visor as he picked himself up, absently pulling a bit of shrapnel out of his armor before he gave a brief smile. “Thank you, Cadence. Everyone, sound off.”

There were mumbles and groans, before Throna wheezed as she picked herself up: “Now that I recognize. Stronghold led me into more than one explosion in the old days, but I'm not as spry as I used to be.”

“The source magic was different, though. That wasn't planned. Someone was just waiting for us to start dispelling before they did... that.” Antecedes muttered as he rubbed at his bare skull, before he asked: “Neato, Pinkie, are you both alright?”

“Ha ha! It will take much more than that to harm El Casco or his reina Ex Parte!” declared the stout earth pony as he bounced up to his hooves, and his partner nodded vehemently in agreement as she leapt to her own to strike a pose with him, despite their torn costumes and bruised and battered bodies. “Now we shall strike down on this enemy like the rush of a thousand hooves!”

“These losers are gonna get the book thrown at them, and I'm gonna pin them with the maximum penalty!” Ex Parte added, striking another pose.

Thorn pointedly ignored everything apart from the curling stairs leading down, the stallion muttering: “Scans indicate a depth of about a hundred feet. Does it really go down that far?”

“The fortress is mainly to house the soldiers. The actual defenses and security measures are far below.” Antecedes explained, before he glanced over at Moonflower and continued: “Only a few powerful criminals have actually escaped, and it's not because Tartarus is in its own pocket dimension: it's because if you do manage to sneak out of that dimension, you end up underneath a mountain, buried under countless tons of rock and dirt.”

“And then you have to dig your way out.” Moonflower shivered a little, shaking his head and grumbling: “That is just the last thing I wanted to remember, Antecedes, thank you so much for reminding me of that.”

“He wanted to know.” Antecedes shrugged, then he turned his eyes back to Thorn and continued: “Down those stairs is a checkpoint, and past that is another set of steps that leads to Outer Pandemonium, where the gates to Tartarus are.”

“Sounds like we might have gotten lucky, though. Whoever attacked here might not have gotten past the checkpoint yet. Stronghold wanted this place as secure as possible.” Throna said, and Thorn nodded before he started down the stairs.

“Hey, hey, whoa, aren't you gonna at least try and organize them a bit, slugger? I mean, this is all a lot to take in and all that.” Toad warned, but Thorn only smiled briefly at the frog's words before he glanced back over his shoulder.

“Single file.” he ordered simply, and then he turned his eyes back ahead, dividing his attention between the descent and the data flashing across his visor as he muttered: “Interesting. Tighten parameters, add necromancy and necromantic behaviors.”

Data flashed past before the results in front of his eyes were reduced to one file, and Thorn smiled slightly as he murmured: “Open. Display analysis. And Neato Burrito, Pinkie Pie, please stop following so closely.”

“These ponies are not here! We are El Casco and Ex Parte!” boasted the stout earth pony, before he winced when Cadence glared over her shoulder at him, hurriedly falling into line behind her as Ex Parte scowled as she dropped back behind her husband, looking almost suspiciously at Cadence. “But uh. We shall do our best to listen.”

“I'll listen to the judge. But hostile witnesses get more than subpoenaed, they get put in submission.” grumbled Ex Parte, with a pointed glare at Cadence, who glowered back before she turned her eyes back ahead.

The descent was uneventful, but Thorn wasn't surprised, any more than he was surprised when they entered a long, open corridor that had once served as a security checkpoint, and found it had been converted into an arena of sorts. The walls and floor had all been torn apart, as if by some tremendous force, and entire walls had been knocked down and freakishly warped, like something had grabbed them and twisted them into new and horrible shapes, denying the laws of physics and reality.

Thorn looked back and forth slowly as Toad shifted nervously on his head: there were piles of corpses all along the walls, and his visor beeped as it detected the presence of malicious spirits milling back and forth eagerly, as if they were excited. He could also feel a strange magic numbing his horn: it didn't feel like it was designed to inhibit his magic so much as convert it: in other words, it's made to stop specific types of magic from being used effectively. I'm guessing exorcisms.

He turned his eyes ahead, and at the other end of the hall, he noted two entities: one was a twisting, turning, giddy-looking Primordial, giggling as she slithered back and forth eagerly on her long, serpentine tail. Her snake-body fed up into a slender, humanoid torso, but her arms were bat-like, with thick, leathery wings that constantly flexed, unfurled, then tightened again.

She giggled again, leaning forwards as her eyes bulged from her sockets, her canine jaws slavering as oversized ears flicked and twitched back and forth, cooing: “I want them! Oh, Velly, let me claim them! I'll share the dead bodies with you, just like all the rest, huh?”

The second figure grimaced slightly, leaning away from the Primordial: she stood on her rear hooves, but she was clearly a zebra in spite of her strange stance. She wore what looked almost like funerary garments that draped around her body like veils, swaying in the windless air with an eerie life of their own, and she was bedecked in beautiful gemstones and golden jewelry. Charms were twined through her tight. two-tone dreadlocks, tattoos covered her body, gold chains hung loosely across her body, and a strange, hexagonal collar of steel was tightly cinched around her throat, that clashed with the beauty and solemnity of the rest of her ornamentation.

She began to speak, but Thorn quickly stepped forwards, bowing deeply to her before he grunted as he shoved himself up to his own hind hooves so he could meet her surprised green irises, saying crisply: “Queen Veliuona, Goddess of the Cursed Shades, Mistress of the Dead. My name is Thorn Blackfeather, son of Luna Lightblade, and I stand before you today as Regent of Decretum and the Clockwork Empire, servant of Empress Hecate. I request parley.”

“The son of...” Veliuona stared at him for a few moments, before she gave a strange, faint smile as she touched her own lips, whispering: “Yes. Yes, I see it now, in your face, and your father in your eyes. I remember them both. I remember them well... and your aunt, of course. And... many other things.”

Veliuona paused for a moment, glancing down as she pressed her forehooves together, before she closed her eyes when the Primordial growled: “I want them! Come on come on come on stop taking so long let me-”

“Quiet, Techtonia.” Veliuona said sharply, and the Primordial flinched away anxiously before the zebra returned her eyes to Thorn Blackfeather, studying him for a few moments before she said quietly: “I have never forgiven Celestia for betraying me, you know. Your mother was accomplice to that.”

“We were all manipulated by Valthrudnir. But he has been defeated and friends and enemies change. May we parley?” Thorn asked, and Veliuona was silent for a moment before she frowned slightly, then narrowed her eyes slightly as they gleamed uncertainly.

“A Loa of Bondye is with you. Step forward, Loa.” Veliuona ordered, and La Croix winced a bit before he groaned when Thorn stepped aside and gestured politely back at the zebra, both reassuring and commanding.

La Croix hesitantly strode forwards, then he cleared his throat as he awkwardly swept off his hat, saying lamely: “Uh... bonjour, madame. We certainly heard o' you in Darkwater, though I uh... never expected to uh... make your acquaintance and all...”

“I do not trust Bondye's ilk. What are you doing here, with these ponies, mwongo?” asked Veliuona contemptibly as she held a hoof up towards the Loa, and La Croix winced as dark energy crackled along the zebra goddess' foreleg.

But Thorn caught La Croix by the shoulder, looking down at him pointedly, and after a moment La Croix nodded before he turned his eyes back towards her, taking a slow breath before he answered quietly: “I ain't got nothin' to do with Bondye no more. 'Smatter of fact, me and a priestess of the old ways worked together to send him down to his own personal l'enfer after He Above stripped him of his powers. I ain't no friend of Bondye.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Veliuona lowered her hoof, studying the Loa intently as she murmured: “Interesting. I believe you are telling the truth. And in spite of my vendetta against ponies and my desire for eternal life, I have always respected the rites and rules of He Above.”

“Well, I don't, so let me kill them!” whined the Primordial, but Veliuona only gave the creature a scathing look before she returned her eyes to the Loa, as La Croix smiled awkwardly in relief.

“No. You will not kill them, Techtonia. Not yet.” She studied them for a few moments, then said meditatively, even as she almost nervously adjusted the strange, heavy yoke collar around her neck: “First we will parley. I want to hear what you have to say, Thorn Blackfeather. I want to hear what you would offer me. And as a word of advice... I detest liars.”

“I have no reason to lie to you.” Thorn responded, and Veliuona smiled thinly.

“Diplomacy is founded on lies. So are alliances, so are friendships, so are all things with ponies. Tell me why you won't disappoint me, like every other pony and beyond has?” Veliuona asked bitterly, and Thorn Blackfeather gave just as calm, just as cold a smile in response.

“Because we will either come to a mutually beneficial agreement, or negotiations will fail and we will eliminate you as a threat.” Thorn answered, meeting Veliuona's steady gaze.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Veliuona chuckled quietly before she said softly: “Perhaps you are not a liar after all, pony. Good. But I'll need more than firm words from you.”

“You're wearing a control collar. We could remove it, to start with. I have the feeling you don't want to operate under Loki's banner.” Thorn said calmly, as he gestured towards her with one hoof, and Cadence was admittedly impressed he was still managing to stand on his rear legs without so much as swaying. “I need to know how much you can resist Loki before we attempt that, however.”

“I am stronger than he gave me credit for.” Veliuona said quietly but firmly, even as she reached up to silently touch her collar, before she scowled when the Primordial shifted anxiously beside her, half-glaring and half-pleading. “The problem, of course, is not really the collar, but...”

“Come on! Enough playing pretend! And I know it's just pretend, because if you ever tried to run away, run away, run far away...” Techtonia leaned suddenly up, grinning cruelly as she almost shoved her face into the zebra's, one finger dragging slowly across the mare's throat. “I get to eat you all up.”

Veliuona scowled, reaching up and shoving the Primordial away by the head, and Thorn turned his eyes to the entity, studying it intently before he said simply: “Then we will eliminate the threat.”

The Primordial cocked its head curiously, and Veliuona smiled indulgently before her eyes flicked back and forth thoughtfully. Then, with only a wave of her hoof, the spirits that were floating anxiously over the corpses were dismissed, vanishing one after the other and floating grudgingly back through the walls, abandoning the piles of corpses around the room.

“Then why not make it a test? Prove your intentions. Show me what you are capable of, and then we will talk, kidege.” Veliuona said, and then she bowed politely, and Thorn bowed in response before the zebra said in a colder voice: “Techtonia. I am going down to Tartarus. Deal with these wapumbavu.”

“I don't know what whomp-em-bavoos are, but I know just how to deal with these ponies!” Techtonia cackled as she spun eagerly towards the ponies, her eyes blazing as her long-fingered hands flexed. “I can't wait to see how fun they are to squish and thrash and crush and smash!”

Veliuona only smiled thinly as she turned around, taking long, calm strides towards the far door before she paused and added over her shoulder almost idly: “Kidege, volcanoes are very dangerous, but their fury is also short-lived. I expect you to survive.”

Thorn didn't reply, dropping back to his hooves as Veliuona left through the door, and Techtonia giggled as she twisted back and forth on herself eagerly, licking her lips as she whispered: “Now, now, now... which one of you do I kill first?”

“Begin analysis.” Thorn said as he focused on the being, a new data stream replacing the old on his visor, before he ordered coldly: “Cadence, engage. Gamma pattern.”

Cadence lunged forward, hitting the ground low before springing high to try and surprise the Primordial, but the serpent-thing only laughed as she sprung upwards, grabbing wildly at the mare as she cried out: “Fun, what fun!”

Cadence agilely spun herself sideways, swinging a hoof savagely down into the Primordial's head to knock it crashing backwards with a squawk. The mare landed a moment later, swiping her horn out to unleash a blade of white magic, but the energies simply bounced off the creature's body harmlessly; just like those twins. That's what Thorn wants me to find out.

She lunged forward, but then swore in frustration when Techtonia half-spun and slapped the mare away with her coiling tail, snorting in disgust as she shoved herself up and hissed: “Nice try, bird-pony, but I'm not as weak as my sister! I'm sure you remember her. You killed her!”

Cadence snorted as she picked herself up off the ground, before she frowned as she rubbed at her face slowly: something felt wrong. Like some kind of electrical charge had been passed on to her, but how would that-

Techtonia suddenly yanked a hand backwards, and Cadence was jerked through the air, a net of electricity flashing into existence around her for a moment before she smashed painfully into a wall, then swore in frustration as she was slammed into the ground, Techtonia cackling before she looked up in surprise as Moonflower stepped up beside Thorn and said bravely: “I... I'm the one who killed your sister, actually!”

“Yes... yes, it was you!” Techtonia almost marveled as she reared back in surprise, eyeing the stallion for a few moments before she suddenly lunged forwards, but she skidded to a halt when both Ex Parte and El Casco leapt in front of Thorn and Moonflower.

Thorn slid a step backwards, continuing to analyze the Primordial as the Luchador flexed and posed, declaring: “If your sister was anything like you, culebra, then I'm sure he punished her for all the right reasons! And you, who threatens my amigos, are gonna get stomped on by the mighty hooves of El Casco!”

“You better back off, because otherwise you're going to end up getting wrapped up in vinculum juris! And none of us here will be responsible for whatever you reap, because volenti non fit injuria... and I got a whole lot of injuria here just for you!” Ex Parte added sharply as she struck her own pose.

Techtonia giggled, then she dropped onto her hands, her eyes gleaming as she flexed her fingers against the ground and asked mockingly: “Oh, and-”

“Dodge!” Thorn shouted, shoving Moonflower to the side, and El Casco and Ex Parte narrowly flung themselves out of the way before spikes of rock exploded up from the floor, nearly impaling them as Techtonia cackled.

“You weren't supposed to do that!” she cried through her own laughter, before her head was wrenched to the side by a savage kick to the face, blood and teeth flying from her mouth as her eyes bulged in shock before Cadence dropped and tomahawked both front hooves into the back of the Primordial's neck, sending her smashing face-first into the ground.

The creature bounced, then suddenly flipped forwards, body-tail snapping out and lashing against Cadence to knock her flying backwards into the crowd. But before the Primordial could flip itself completely over, El Casco leapt in and caught the creature's tail, grunting in effort as the squat earth pony wrestled against the power of the Primordial's coils, shouting: “Oh ho ho, it seems I've caught you, culebra! What are you going to do now?”

Techtonia whirled around and lunged at El Casco, but Ex Parte suddenly dove forwards, seizing the Primordial by the face and tackling her to the ground as she roared: “Objection!”

Techtonia bounced once with a squeak before El Casco leapt forwards, twisting her tail around as he and Ex Parte both dropped on top of the Primordial to pin her against the ground. The monster writhed in frustration, hissing and shouting angrily before Cadence leapt forwards, her daggers gleaming in her hooves before she dropped on top of Techtonia and slammed both knives down into her stomach, the Primordial screaming in agony as Cadence wrenched downwards and eviscerated her.

Both of the Luchadores flinched in shock at the viciousness of Cadence's attack, which gave the Primordial the moment she needed to wrench herself upwards, knocking all three ponies flying. But this time, Cadence recovered in midair, twisting herself around and lunging forwards again as the earth ponies nimbly caught themselves-

Techtonia roared, and blasts of hot air erupted down the hallway, shoving the entire group of ponies backwards. Thorn swore under his breath as his armor sparked and crackled, the readings on his visor going haywire as he felt a charge of electricity spreading across his body. “Moonflower, Antecedes! Reverse the ionization! Sombra, blanket the ground!”

Moonflower and Antecedes both concentrated their magic as Sombra slammed his hooves into the ground, squaring his shoulders and pushing back as much as possible against the waves of wind and trembles through the earth as a thin veneer of black crystal spread rapidly across the floor.

Techtonia snarled in frustration, then hissed as her winds were rebuffed and dispelled by unicorn magic. “No fair, no fair! You're not supposed to fight me!”

“Seismic activity! Watch for cracks!” Thorn barked, and Cadence couldn't help but grin wryly as she heard and saw the shattering in the black crystal beneath her, giving her enough time to leap to the side to avoid a spike of stone that ripped out of the earth. The stallion was always thinking at least two steps ahead... “Sombra!”

Sombra shoved his hooves against the blanket of crystal, leaning only slightly to the side to avoid a blade of rock that jutted violently out of the earth towards him, before Techtonia hissed in fury as black stone began to rapidly crawl up across her body, trying to lock her down. She flapped her wing-arms wildly as her tail snapped back and forth, but the corruption spread rapidly over her before she howled in frustration as both Ex Parte and El Casco seized her by the limbs, yanking her down and pinning her to the earth as she shouted: “No no no no no! Stop it stop that stop that!”

Her voice rose in a scream of fury, the world shaking violently as both Antecedes and Moonflower winced as a pulse of energy that tore through the air, a moment before they were knocked off their hooves as the blanket of black crystal over the floor simply exploded as the ground ruptured. The earth cracked and shot up in all directions, the walls distorting and the ceiling rumbling as spikes of earth tore down from the roof as well.

Cadence swore as she narrowly avoided a blade of rock, and Thorn grimaced before he blocked another spike of earth that shot out of the ground with his steel limb, skidding backwards from the force of the impact. “Interrupt that magic! Moonflower!”

The black unicorn looked up with a curse before he yelped as Throna seized him suddenly from behind, shouting: “Just blast her, you stupid idiot!”

The Draekin simply flung the unicorn down the closing tunnel, Moonflower flailing wildly before he snapped his horn out, a blast of gravitational energy ripping down the corridor to smash the Primordial backwards into the wall with a squeak. Moonflower himself was knocked out of the air by the recoil from his powerful spell, bouncing face-first off the shuddering floor before he was knocked flying by a wave of rock that tore out of the ground.

“Now, counterspell!” Antecedes shouted, his horn glowing crimson, and Throna and Sombra both quickly pitched in with their own magic, the passage around them shaking and the walls twisting even more violently for a moment before the trembles and spikes of rock finally began to recede back into the earth, Antecedes asking quickly: “Throna, can you hold that?”

“Duchessa, hold the magic and I shall fortify the tunnel!”Sombra said quickly as he slammed his hooves into the ground, purifier whirring loudly on his back as corruption spread rapidly over the floor. Throna, meanwhile, lowered her head slightly as she gritted her teeth, focusing on pouring her magic through the earth: but it was like using magic to try and stop water from flowing, or the wind from blowing; the Primordial's natural influence over the earth was so great that her presence alone was preventing the Draekin from completely insulating the ground.

Techtonia growled as she picked herself up, before she snarled at the group of ponies her flayed body trembled, blood flowing freely around the innards hanging from her opened stomach. But she barely seemed aware of the fact her body was nearly turning itself inside out as she glared at the group, hissing: “If you don't want hugs, and you don't want kisses, I can get angry instead!”

She flapped her large, bat-like arm-wings once before she stretched her long-fingered hands out, her eyes glowing as the air around her began to shimmer. Moonflower flinched, awakened from his daze by the feeling of hot, burning air buffeting into him, before he gasped, his eyes and mouth instantly going dry, his body almost steaming at the intense heat the Primordial was putting out.

He grabbed at his face on reflex, wincing away before he insulated himself quickly inside a bubble of magic. He blinked rapidly, then held up a hoof as Ex Parte and El Casco went charging by, before both Luchadores stumbled as they slammed into that wave of raw, dry heat, the heavier, stouter earth pony collapsing first as Ex Parte rasped: “H-Hurts...”

“We have a problem!” Moonflower shouted as he concentrated his magic, shielding both of the earth ponies in his aura before he carried them backwards with telekinesis, and Thorn looked up before he grimaced as he felt the wave of hot air roll over him, the heat rapidly intensifying and threatening to cook him inside his own armor.

“Cadence! I'm marking the target!” Thorn said sharply, and Cadence looked up in surprise before she winced when Thorn ordered: “Shoot her!”

There was no time to argue: instead, the mare yanked her MARES rifle off her back, the barrel extending as she quickly took aim as bright points of light appeared over the Primordial, who only hissed in response: “You can't kill me! I refuse, I said no, and that means-”

Cadence felt the Swan take hold and guide her, and she squeezed the trigger, sending a stake of gleaming steel pounding straight into the Primordial's head with enough force to snap her skull backwards. The next shot pounded into her exposed throat, and the third slammed into her breast, tearing a hole cleanly through her body.

The air began to cool immediately as the Primordial trembled, her body rapidly turning to brittle stone, her blood becoming flakes of shaved metal as she shivered violently before whispering: “No... n-no, no, oh no...”

The Primordial wailed as she arched her back, her body spasming once and sending cracks through the soft stone she had become before she simply shattered into gravel and flakes of metal. But Cadence grimaced as Thorn only reached up and adjusted his visor quickly, feeling the unnatural energy surging through the air already as he muttered: “Stay on guard. This isn't over yet.”

Cadence gritted her teeth as she saw a shape coalesce into being above the wreckage of the Primordial, Throna frowning as she asked uneasily: “Wait, what do you mean, it-”

“Is that a spirit? It can't be, not in the normal sense.” Antecedes interrupted as he leaned forwards in surprise, staring at the shape slowly forming in the ether, invisible to all but the eyes of the few ponies who could gaze beyond the natural world, and Thorn's augmented visor. “The energy flow is too different, the-”

The ghostly Primordial looked up with a cold smile on its vain and perfect and angelic features, before it stretched a finger out towards the skeleton, and Antecedes had a moment to try and channel his magic before he was knocked off his hooves by a tremendous blast of concussive force, the shockwave of hot air washing painfully over the others around him as Moonflower shouted a denial as Antecedes crashed to the ground in a pile of broken bones.

But after a moment, the skeleton stirred before he picked himself up as best he could, scowling as a few shattered bones fell out of his cloak before he muttered: “Don't be a drama queen, Moonflower. I'm fine. Now if you want to make yourself useful, we went over what you're supposed to do in this kind of situation before, do-”

The Primordial gestured idly, and Antecedes was blown backwards by another concussive blast, but this time Sombra managed to catch the frail body of the skeleton before it could slam into the ground, Techtonia laughing eerily before she mocked: “What's wrong? Has it all come crumbling down? Has it...”

Techtonia clicked her tongue, glancing over her shoulder before she gestured idly backwards with one slender arm, and La Croix yelped as he was blasted backwards, fizzling back into reality to slam painfully into the door before he winced and vanished, a moment before several spikes of rock could jut up through his body. “Become too difficult for you to fight me?”

Cadence swore under her breath as she drew her eyes over the being: she looked almost the same, apart from her lack of wings, and yet she was entirely different: her specter almost thrummed with confidence and strength, and the moment Cadence thought she locked in on her, she felt those energies fizzle, like she was cycling through different wavelengths to make it impossible for them to target her. And the way she spoke and moved-

Moonflower gritted his teeth as he stepped forwards, his horn starting to glow, but Techtonia yawned and idly flicked a finger, a spike of rock drilling up from the floor and into the unicorn's chest, leaving him half-suspended as he gasped in pain and grasped uselessly at the spear of rock that had buried partway through his armor. “You tried. But I'm... impatient. Don't you know? The Prime is calling.”

“Tell me about the Prime.” Thorn said, and Cadence grimaced even as she put her MARES rifle away: either the stallion was trying to buy time, or...

“I'm not stupid, little one. Especially now that you've sheared away that thin veneer of chaos.” Techtonia said contemptibly, before she pointed at him, and Thorn flinched backwards as concussive blast went off right in front of his face, shattering his visor and peppering his features with pieces of glass.

Black veins pulsed through Thorn's features as he gritted his teeth, clenching his eyes shut before they opened slowly as best they could: pieces of broken glass littered his face, and one of his eyes was bleeding and looked uneven in the socket, Cadence's eyes widening in horror as Techtonia asked quietly: “How are you without your toy? How are you without your sight?”

Thorn trembled, clenching his eyes shut, before Moonflower whispered: “No... not again. I don't want to fail again.”

“Oh?” Techtonia turned with a sly smile, tilting her head with interest towards Moonflower before she asked contritely: “And just what are you going to do about it, little pony?”

“Send you back where you came from.” Moonflower said, voice hardening as he straightened, his eyes burning and horn blazing. “You leave him the hell alone!”

“Boo hoo. Go ahead. There's something you don't seem to understand, though: we came here to die. We crawl out of the woodwork expecting to be crushed like cockroaches, because cockroaches we are until our shells are stripped away... then we're one with everything. Just as we were meant to be.” Techtonia tittered, but Cadence only bared her teeth before the Primordial spread her arms and mocked: “Besides, if I wanted to kill you all, you'd all already be dead!”

“We'll see who dies first!” Moonflower snapped, before he lashed his horn down, a black hole ripping into reality behind the entity. Thorn tried to croak something, but it was lost in the growing roar of magic as the strength of the black hole intensified, and Techtonia laughed loudly as the earth and remains beneath her was torn up, but the spirit herself was left unharmed.

“You stupid fool, you can't even see me! How do you expect to-” And then Techtonia twitched before the spirit's eyes widened in surprise as the energy of the black portal changed behind her.

Antecedes smiled thinly from where he was being supported by Sombra, his horn gleaming with malicious red light as Techtonia snarled in fury as her body became almost corporeal. The spirit tried to lunge out of the pull of gravity, but then she gasped in pain as La Croix appeared in front of her and kicked both rear hooves into her as hard as he could, sending up a flare of green light as he shouted: “Hit her, Cygne!”

Cadence snapped her horn out, sending a blast of white magic streaking past La Croix to hammer into the specter of the Primordial, and Techtonia howled as she was knocked back into the black hole, struggling wildly against the swirling absence of light and life before she suddenly began to laugh. She laughed and laughed as she was dragged into the torrent of darkness, grinning widely and cruelly even as she was pulled into the depths of the black hole. “Fine! Have it your way! But don't say I didn't warn you... you're playing right into his hands! Soon, we shall be one, and there shall only be the Prime!”

Techtonia laughed loudly even as she vanished into the black hole, until her laughter was finally cut off when the swirling singularity slammed itself shut, leaving them standing in the ruins of the battered corridor. Moonflower breathed hard in and out, then he spun towards Thorn, stumbling and rushing towards him as he blurted: “Thorn! Thorn, are you okay, are you-”

“What do you think?” Thorn snarled as he spun towards Moonflower, who skidded to a halt, eyes wide and features going pale as he stared at the stallion's black-bloodsoaked features. Veins pulsed across his twisted face as he opened his mouth, teeth gleaming...

And then Thorn clamped his jaws and eyes shut, and he exhaled loudly through his nostrils before he said in a calmer, quieter voice: “I mean... yes. I am okay. I apologize, my... adrenaline got the better of me.”

Thorn breathed slowly in and out, and Moonflower gave a shaky smile before Throna walked up and said curtly: “Sit and shut your trap, Thorn Blackfeather. Those wounds need to be treated immediately.”

“I'm not sure that-” Thorn winced, cut off when Throna seized him by the head and forcefully shoved him back into a sitting position, and then he grimaced when she yanked off his helmet and threw it aside, starting: “That is Decretum property and-”

Thorn's eyes bulged open when Throna shoved a claw into his mouth and seized his tongue, and Moonflower stared in horror as La Croix scurried over, saying awkwardly: “Uh, maybe you better let me and Papa Sérénité deal with this one, madame, Thorn here ain't-”

“His blood may be strange but his flesh is mortal. Besides, flesh is flesh, no matter where it comes from. It's just the spices that make it different.” Throna reasoned, before she scowled and added shortly: “Try to bite my claw again, boy, and I'll rip your teeth out.”

Thorn scowled around her paw, but he was clearly unable to speak, looking frustrated and humiliated, but a little more like himself, too, Cadence thought, as she noted that the black veins had receded a bit from his face. Still, his eye looked... bad. It looks really bad. “Thorn, what are your orders? Throna, can you take your claw out of his mouth?”

“In a moment.” Throna said moodily, and then she finally nodded before drawing her claw back, saying finally: “Mouth dry, pulse uneven, and you're fortunate none of those pieces of glass went down your throat. You're younger than I thought, too. I had you pegged at thirty. Not mid twenties.”

Thorn scowled a little, and Throna grinned as she winked and remarked: “There. That's a little more your age. Now, you, zebra. What do you have for me to work with?”

La Croix looked blankly up, but then he nodded hurriedly, starting to rifle through his bag as Thorn shook his head before turning his eyes pointedly to Cadence. “We keep going. Veliuona is waiting for us below. I... I don't like what just happened. I'm...”

Thorn, for a moment, struggled, and it was always so strange for Cadence to see this perfect, aloof unicorn try to find the right words before he finally sighed and looked towards Moonflower, saying quietly: “I appreciate what you did. I honestly do. And I'm sorry about lashing out at you. But something is wrong with these Primordials. They either act like wild amalgamations of chaos and destruction or they shed their skin and become... sinister. And more and more, it seems like Loki is...sacrificing them to us.”

“It could be how he intends to grow more powerful. They often speak of 'rejoining the Prime,' and has been explained to us, there were few true Primordials to begin with, weren't there? All of these different creatures are merely pieces of greater Primordials, given life through exposure to chaos energy in Ginnungagap.” Sombra said slowly, and Thorn nodded and frowned before he gritted his teeth when La Croix suddenly stabbed his hornet needle into the side of the unicorn's neck with a muttered apology.

Thorn only closed his eyes for a moment, black veins pulsing briefly across his face before Throna began to meticulously and efficiently remove the shards of glass from his features with her nub-like claws: at least whatever La Croix had injected Thorn with seemed to help him deal with the pain. Finally, as Throna paused to examine his damaged eye, he nodded and muttered: “Yes. That is definitely a possibility. I just... yes, I know I brought the subject up, but... we have to focus on Veliuona. My mind is just... unsteady. Cadence, I need you to take over command.”

“No.” Cadence said softly, and Thorn blinked in surprise before he swore in pain as he grasped at the side of his head, looking up at Cadence with a mixture of disbelief and confusion.

The mare smiled back at him even as Moonflower half-glared at her – and for him to glare at her, she knew he really had to care a hell of a lot about this pony – and then she leaned towards him and said as clearly as she could: “I respect the chain of command. You are my commanding officer and... you're still uh... operating at... satisfactory performance levels?”

The slightest of smiles twitched at Thorn's features before Throna chided: “Stop all this twitching and moving and whining. I learned a long time ago none of that is helpful.”

Thorn nodded slightly, then without looking at Throna, he said with unsettling calm: “Remove my eye. I know it's too damaged to be healed.”

“I...” Throna hesitated, then she looked back over her shoulder at the others before she sighed a bit, saying moodily: “It will... I don't have the tools...”

“I got you covered, ma amie. And I uh... if Cygne gonna listen to you, then obviously I am too, boss, but uh... y'sure you want this? That's all I'm asking.” La Croix added hesitantly, and Thorn gave the Loa a brief smile before he nodded slowly.

La Croix sighed a bit, and Moonflower shifted nervously before he looked at his fallen, unconscious earth pony friends, then back at his wounded partner, Thorn gazing back at him silently with a working eye and a bleeding mass. The black unicorn opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Thorn leaned in and said quietly but firmly: “This is not your fault. If you want to help me, then... be here with me.”

“I'm here with you.” Moonflower promised, immediately stepping closer, and Thorn smiled faintly as he nodded slowly to the stallion: for a moment, it was just them, and only them, in spite of all the people around them, in spite of the battle they had just endured.

“Yes. I know.” Thorn said softly, and then he took a slow breath before he rose his head: but even as he spoke to La Croix and Throna, it was Moonflower he focused on. “I'm ready.”

Moonflower smiled faintly, and then he took a breath as he sat back a little, just enough to be out of the way, but still well within reach of the stallion he loved, silently promising that he would not fail him, ever again.

Fury Of The Unrepentant

Chapter Eighty Seven: Fury Of The Unrepentant
~BlackRoseRaven

Veliuona looked curiously over her shoulder from where she stood in front of the Gates of Pandemonium, the massive, cold stone cavern around her littered with unmarked, unharmed corpses of soldiers.

She smiled, turning calmly away from the enormous, thrumming gates of steel, the ill purple light that spilled between the bars framing her in its eerie radiance as she said calmly: “You took longer than I expected you to, kidege.”

“The Primordial was more dangerous than anticipated.” Thorn replied quietly as he led the way forward, one eye covered by heavy bandaging. He halted and studied the mare for a few moments, then asked calmly: “Parley?”

“You seem driven to try, so I will entertain you, kidege. Parley.” Veliuona nodded and strode towards them, before she grimaced as her collar sizzled, reaching up to touch it and breathing slowly for a few moments before she murmured: “I have only a short time.”

“Unless we break your collar.” Thorn answered evenly, and Veliuona cocked her head curiously before the stallion gestured at her and said quietly: “Cadence, La Croix. Get rid of that control collar.”

“Are you certain? I will be more powerful with the collar removed, you know. I could also simply vanish and resume the path I chose to run as the Mistress of Cursed Shades, bringing eternal life to my tribe and death to all who oppose me.” Veliuona said curiously, but Thorn only smiled calmly as he gestured towards the mare, and Cadence approached fearlessly as La Croix followed nervously behind her.

“We can take you.” Cadence said, looking up at the zebra, and Veliuona chuckled softly before she leaned carefully down: bending at the waist, Cadence noted, never putting her forelegs down. But it was still enough for Cadence to quickly inspect the collar, grimacing a bit as she muttered: “Lots of magic. Those weird runes, same as Melinda's... I don't know if-”

“I won't blame you if it hurts.” Veliuona said almost kindly, before she turned her eyes towards La Croix and asked: “Unaweza kunisaidia?”

La Croix bit his lip nervously, and then he nodded after a moment as he turned to dig in his satchel. He pulled out a vial, then grimaced as he flicked his bracer-covered foreleg out, the needle springing from it before he carefully guided this down into the vial, drawing some of the liquid out of it as he muttered: “Oui. But Cygne be right. 'Sgonna hurt.”

“I've been hurt worse.” Veliuona replied evenly, and then she grimaced when La Croix stabbed the needle into the metal of the collar, gritting his teeth as he wiggled it back and forth before he managed to sink it just a few millimeters into the metal of the restraining device.

There was an awful hissing, veins of pulsing liquid eating their way through the collar as Veliuona shivered and leaned away slightly, and La Croix grimaced as he hurriedly stabbed the needle into the metal: this time it sank far deeper, the steel already melting away to a consistency that was more like wax as he injected more of the acid, muttering: “Just 'bout... okay, Cygne, see if you can bend it now!”

Cadence grasped into either side of Veliuona's collar, then yanked as hard as she could to either side, wincing and swearing as melted, glowing metal splattered in all directions. Veliuona swore angrily in her own language as she yanked herself away, and La Croix ducked backwards before all three ponies stared as the collar clattered to the ground, where it sat in a steaming, reeking pile of waxen metal.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Veliuona slowly looked up before she gave a slight smile to Cadence, even as she almost idly brushed away some of the melted metal that had spilled onto her breast: both flesh and clothing peeled away with the molten steel, but both also instantly restored themselves, knitting as naturally and easily into place on the Voidborn as Seneschal could restore his pixels.

“Interesting.” Veliuona finally pronounced, and then she straightened on her rear hooves, placing her front hooves together as if to pray as she smiled kindly at the group before her: Cadence and La Croix; Thorn Blackfeather, with Moonflower lingering nervously behind him; the earth ponies, Ex Parte and El Casco; Antecedes, half-supported by Sombra, the Draekin Throna standing suspiciously on his other side... “You there. Mage. You are injured.”

“As injured as a pile of bones can be.” Antecedes answered with a shrug, moodily shifting on his one remaining, working hoof, as a shinbone clacked against the floor behind him with his movement. Moonflower had done his best to repair some of the damages, but all he'd really done was add a few uncomfortable-looking white sticks to the skeleton's frame, making it just possible for him to walk with a little bit of assistance.

Veliuona looked at the skeleton for a moment, then she simply waved a hoof, and Antecedes gasped and staggered to the side as bones cracked and snapped loudly back into place, Moonflower staring over his shoulder before he gaped and turned back towards Veliuona with surprise. “There. Now rest, child. You have not slept in many days.”

“Years, really.” Antecedes conceded after a moment, bowing his head and adding almost awkwardly: “Thank you. I'm... not used to getting help. So thank you.”

Veliuona only smiled, then she turned her eyes towards Thorn, studying him intently before she murmured: “Neither am I.”

“Will you join the Clockwork Empire?” Thorn asked bluntly, and Veliuona smiled wider.

“I like that. To the point. Serious. But I don't entirely trust you yet, Thorn Blackfeather.” Veliuona paused, then she reached up and rubbed at her neck before she continued quietly: “I may be 'free,' but I am not truly free. Loki can still control me. None of the Voidborn are free of his powers. I also believe that if Loki is destroyed and sent back to the Void, we will all perish. Loki is like... like a shaman, do you understand? He is the living link between the beyond-world and this physical world. The Void and Dunia.”

Veliuona paused, then she shook her head before saying quietly: “I do not desire to spend the little freedom I have serving mashini and puppets. And I would serve you ill. I want to protect my people, and my people are not your people. Perhaps my people are among your people, but even then, I would not serve you well. Loki will regain control of me when he sets his eyes on me. He does not need a collar to leash to; we are not all so free-spirited as Thesis.”

“The collars let him puppet you from a distance. Or rather, encourage you to listen to his orders.” Thorn summarized, and Veliuona nodded before the sapphire stallion asked: “Then what do you want, Veliuona? I have no quarrel with you and I am not your enemy, unless you decide to make me your enemy.”

Veliuona tilted her head, before she asked: “Then what if I simply leave? My business is my people. I want to return to my people.”

“That Midgard was destroyed. I'm sure you know that.” Thorn said, and Veliuona nodded, unfazed.

“That is true. But I hear them, all the same, and I know enough of what happened to know where they are and how to get there.” Veliuona replied, before she asked: “Will you stop me from leaving?”

“No. Like I said, my duty is here and you are not my enemy.” Thorn answered, before he smiled briefly and added: “Celestia is 'gone,' so to speak, but you may be interested in finding Freya, in a place called Subterra. She won't apologize to you, but... she may be interested in giving you a second chance.”

“It is I who should give her the second chance.” Veliuona scoffed, but the zebra looked amused and curious all the same before she rubbed slowly at her chin, murmuring: “Perhaps. Maybe I'll make war on her. Maybe I'll just taunt and mock her. I know that Loki hates her too: perhaps I'll capture her and use her as leverage.”

Thorn only smiled, and Veliuona cocked an eyebrow, asking: “Aren't you afraid of that, kidege? I might destroy your family. I might destroy the world they built. Doesn't that-”

“My job is here.” Thorn said simply, and then he looked up and studied Veliuona for a moment before he smiled slightly again. “And I feel as if you hate Loki far more than you hate Freya. Time may not heal all wounds, but it does numb it.”

“Bitterness is always there, kidege, you have much to learn about the world...” Veliuona paused, studying the stallion thoughtfully before she nodded with a surprisingly-warm smile. “But bitterness is sometimes welcome, too. Yes. I shall visit her. I shall mock her.”

Veliuona paused, then she returned her eyes to Thorn and said in a more-solemn voice: “And because we are not enemies, Thorn Blackfeather, I would advise you to turn around and leave this place immediately. Or do you really think Loki would be so foolhardy as to attack Tartarus like this? No. He is sending much greater forces against far more important prospects. Beware him, Thorn Blackfeather: you are dealing with a master of manipulation, who claims to have planned these events from the very beginning... and who very well might be speaking the truth.”

Thorn frowned uneasily, but then Veliuona simply bowed to him before she turned to look at La Croix, giving him a surprisingly-kind smile and saying something to him that made the zebra blush. Then the mare simply vanished from the spot, and Cadence stared in disbelief for a few moments before Moonflower asked stupidly, voicing her thoughts perfectly: “That's it?”

“That's it.” Thorn said quietly, looking uneasily at the Gates of Pandemonium before he shook his head and asked: “Is there any way to communicate with Princess Luna or Canterlot? We need to know what's going on immediately.”

“No. Do you believe her?” Antecedes asked, and Thorn grimaced before he nodded hesitantly.

“Yes. But we still have to retrieve the architect from Tartarus. We can't linger here now, though, it has to be fast.” Thorn said, before he winced as Ex Parte and El Casco popped up on either side of him.

“Then you are in luck, señor, because there are no better Luchadores in the world for this job! Just give us the go-ahead and we'll slam through those doors like the toro and come charging back with the Architecture!” El Casco proclaimed.

Ex Parte posed sharply, adding firmly: “File a motion and I'll bring the witness to testify before you can say warrant for arrest!”

Thorn stared for a moment, and then he sighed and turned towards the Gates of Pandemonium, asking: “Moonflower, Antecedes, can you open them?”

“Yes, with some help from Throna.” Antecedes glanced over at the Draekin, who grunted and nodded as her horn began to glow, the bars in the center of the gate beginning to thrum as runes flared to life across them and they slowly started to shiver apart. “Moonflower?”

“Oh, uh, yes! I can help!” Moonflower volunteered awkwardly, nodding vehemently before he turned his eyes quickly towards the Gates, adding almost nervously: “Just... watch out for spirits. There's all sorts of nasty things in Tartarus, you know...”

“Hey, I got it, mon ami. Just open the damn gates already.” La Croix grumbled, and Moonflower nodded before he and Antecedes both leaned forwards, visibly concentrating as Throna gritted her teeth, tilting her head back and forth as the runes flashed in a strange pattern across the bars.

“Stronghold fortified this magic. No wonder you couldn't just shove your way out through the gates.” she grumbled, before she wheezed loudly as the gates finally began to slowly roll open, exhaling a plume of smoke as moans and gasps echoed through the chamber, half-visible shades leaping out of the open gates to vanish in the air around them. “Damn it all, do something about those ghosts!”

“Hey, hey, all y'all, stop that!” La Croix shouted, waving a hoof angrily at the air, and while it seemed like nothing more than useless yelling, Cadence could see at least some of the phantasms above twisting uneasily on themselves, roosting over the roof and hesitating in their escapes. La Croix, after all, had some dominion over all spirits, even if his methods in dealing with them were... peculiar. “Hey, reste ici, ain't no runnin' from what y'all have done!”

“Real great, zebra!” Throna shouted, and at least that confirmed to Cadence the Draekin couldn't see spirits, as the frustrated half-dragon yanked herself slowly backwards, helping Moonflower and Antecedes wrench the gates open wider. “There, isn't that-”

“Hold it open and we'll-” Thorn started, before he grimaced in surprise as Ex Parte and El Casco both leapt forwards, bolting through the ajar Gates of Pandemonium and into Tartarus.

And before Thorn could even formulate an order, the two earth ponies came rushing back out, almost flinging an old, wizened Nibelung at Thorn, the wolf-pig stumbling a little over his tattered robes before both of the Luchadores posed on either side of them, Ex Parte shouting: “Motion granted!”

“The hooves of justice are swift!” El Casco added, and Thorn stared before he winced as the Gates of Pandemonium slammed themselves violently closed as Moonflower gaped and Antecedes fell on his face, but visibly lost his own concentration as he stared in disbelief at the two.

Throna wheezed loudly for a moment before she fell back on her haunches, shaking her head in disbelief before she blurted: “And just how did you manage that?”

The Architect, surprisingly, was the one to answer, the blind-eyed Nibelung slowly turning his head towards Thorn, so old and ancient that dust seemed to fall from his ashen fur with his movements, baring yellowed teeth in a rotten smile as he whispered: “I heard the whispers, of course. Someone was coming to get me. I wasn't sure who it would be, only that it would be... interesting.”

“Did you design the Tablet of Dreams?” Thorn asked calmly, and Cadence scowled as her eyes drew uneasily over the Nibelung, as the Swan murmured inside of her: Yes. Of course. The Architect is an Architect... and truly ancient. He would remember the old ways. He would know...

“The old magic, Swan Maiden? Yes. Yes, I do. Like the magic that made you.” the Architect said, turning with greedy curiosity towards Cadence, who winced back in surprise as her eyes widened slightly in disbelief. “Oh, don't be frightened, Host. I know it must be unsettling... but the Swan is so very loud that I'm sure the others hear her, just as well as I do... they just... pretend not to. That is polite. But I am too old to be... polite.”

The Architect coughed several times, before he slowly turned back towards Thorn and answered an unasked question: “No.”

Thorn frowned even as he gave the slightest nervous shift, and the Architect gave his rotten grin before he rasped: “Yes! Yes, now you have my attention.”

“Emotional reading. Some would almost call it perverted.” Antecedes remarked, and the Nibelung snorted in contempt before the skeleton asked: “What now?”

“Your fortress is closest. We'll head there first and secure the Architect.” Thorn said after a moment, shaking his head briefly. “We can send a letter from there to contact Canterlot, but-”

“They're all going to die.” the Architect said carelessly, and all eyes looked sharply at the Architect before the old Nibelung smiled over at Moonflower, who winced a bit as he leaned uneasily away. “I knew you would do it. I knew you would test the efficacy of my craft the best. You did wonderfully. I have much to teach you.”

“I... I'm quite alright, thank you, I've... learned lots, got lots... learned... and I don't really need to learn anything else. If anything, I've learned that learning too much is a very bad thing. To learn.” Moonflower replied awkwardly, tapping his forehooves together as he leaned anxiously away from the Architect before he asked uneasily: “Can't we just... I don't know, send him back to Decretum? I'd forgotten what a...”

“An unpleasant fellow I am?” the Architect asked, mimicking Moonflower's voice perfectly, and the stallion paled a little before the Nibelung smiled and asked softly: “Kill me?”

Moonflower stared at the dwarf, before Thorn, surprisingly, said evenly: “Please cease emotional reading or I will issue an immediate request for a restraint collar.”

“One that will be fulfilled once we reach Endworld. I understand. But until then, you're all so loud, and there's no noise to drown out all these thoughts flying a million miles a minute at me.” the Architect replied, before he added: “Eridu. You may call me... Eridu. Many others have come before me, rest assured. But it flatters me to think that you consider me the oldest of the Architects.”

“How did...” Thorn caught himself, then he shook his head before adding in a more professional voice: “No, we can save this for later. It's more important we return to the Black Fortress. We can question him later.”

Eridu gave Thorn another eerie smile as he stared at him almost eagerly, but the sapphire stallion turned away, saying shortly: “Fall in line. Time to leave.”

“La Croix, up front with me! Moonflower, stay in the center with Antecedes! Daddy, follow with Neato Burrito and Pinkie Pie!” Cadence ordered quickly, before she winced as Throna glared at her horribly. “And uh... Throna, you can-”

“Walk up front with you.” the Draekin interrupted, and while Cadence wasn't exactly intimidated, she knew better than to start a fight right now, only nodding shortly as the group assembled itself behind Thorn, who was still eyeing the Architect moodily.

The Architect smiled, before he grunted in surprise when Throna simply barreled into him and half-flung him onto her back, saying moodily: “I'll carry this dwarf. I have a few questions for him myself that I want answered, since I might not get the chance to ask otherwise.”

Thorn only nodded briefly, glancing back once to make sure they were all falling into line before the Architect whispered: “Afraid? But I suppose that you should be. All that work, all that work, and what's it really been for? Still, don't be so hard on yourself. You're only a child. Disappointment and failure are natural.”

Thorn visibly tensed at this, but then he simply shook his head before he ordered sharply: “Let's move. We have a lot of ground to cover.”

He started towards the stairs, and after a few moments, the others followed, Cadence shifting uncertainly and wondering silently just what the Architect had seen inside Thorn, and whether or not bringing this Nibelung with them was nearly as good an idea as it had seemed.

And the Architect only smiled, as he turned his knowing eyes to the Swan as he whispered: “No.”

Thorn pushed them hard, but thankfully, they were a group that was able to survive pushing into the night to march towards the Black Fortress. The moment they reached the outskirts, however, they found something very clearly wrong, even under the pall of heavy, deep-night darkness.

“Where are the lights?” Antecedes asked quietly as his crimson gaze roved slowly through the darkness. Their glowing horns lit the way with magic, but by now, they had all expected to come across at least a few of the lantern-skeletons, but no. There was nothing, and somehow none of them felt it would be a good idea to start lighting the silent lamps that lined the path.

“Didn't the goblins used to light up all these? And even if that's changed, why is everything so quiet?” Moonflower asked nervously, and El Casco rumbled slowly in agreement.

“I don't like it, boss. Something about this cabrón is not right, Señor Morpheus. I mean, Señor Moonflower.” El Casco corrected quickly, and then he winced slightly when the Architect looked slowly towards him from where he was seated on Throna's back. “You don't scare me, pen-”

“No, you are not frightened of many things, little stallion who ran away from his village. Just that it will be discovered that you are no true... what is this word for wrestler? It is very strange.” remarked Eridu, and El Casco stumbled as he stared up at the Nibelung and Ex Parte hurried to his side with a growl, but Eridu had already turned his eyes away, asking Throna: “Why don't you kill me, then?”

“Because I have been taught that it was wrong. Not that I needed to be: I was never like Stronghold.” retorted Throna without looking back, before she asked waspishly: “If there's a trap ahead, I say we send this Architect into it first!”

“The trap is in Canterlot. Ahead is only a test.” Eridu said cryptically, and Thorn looked at him sharply, but the Architect only chuckled before he turned his eyes away, saying softly: “No. There's no need for me to say any more. Do what you will, Thorn Blackfeather. This is about you and yours, not me.”

Thorn studied Eridu silently for a moment, and then he said quietly, without taking his eyes off the Architect: “Cadence, take your team and move as close as possible to the Black Fortress. Stay on alert and don't give away your position. We'll follow at a slower pace. Secure a position outside the Fortress and scope out the interior, if possible.”

“Understood.” Cadence nodded and saluted quickly before she turned her eyes ahead, saying sharply: “Moonflower, La Croix, Sombra, let's move in fast and keep it quiet. Cloak us, Moonflower.”

“Yes. Yes, of course.” As the group parted ways with the other ponies, Moonflower twisted his magic around them, hiding the ponies beneath a veil of shadows that mixed almost perfectly with the darkness of the night around them.

They only made it a few paces down the path before Moonflower shifted awkwardly into that two-step he always did before he decided to ask a stupid- “Um. Do you think they're safe?”

“Hey, you should know Thorn better than the rest of us. He'll take care of them.” Cadence said quietly, and La Croix grunted in agreement as Sombra smiled reassuringly at Moonflower. “And if you're worried about Thorn, well... I'm pretty sure that he can take care of himself.”

“Yes. I... I know that he can. I know.” murmured the unicorn, shaking his head and blushing a little before he hurriedly fortified his enchantment around them, then he looked up and continued: “I just... you know. I worry about him. I worry about...”

Moonflower looked down, chewing on his lip apprehensively, and Sombra said gently: “I know that I might be speaking out of turn, but Thorn is handling his... problems very well. Better than I could, as a matter of fact... but he is young and strong, and wiser than I was at that age.”

Moonflower smiled a little, nodding before he lowered his head before he almost blurted: “His eye.”

“He's strong. He's already acting like it's nothing. And... I mean, no, that doesn't mean it's really nothing. We all know Thorn better than that, but...” Cadence quieted, then she murmured: “Light ahead.”

The others looked up quickly, and La Croix narrowed his eyes before he muttered: “I ain't sensin' spirits or even any kind of magic, but that light... somethin' about it be étrange.”

“Let's get a little closer.” Cadence murmured, and the others nodded as they crept along the path, slowly closing in on the open lot in front of the Black Fortress. There, they quickly found the source of the lights that were creeping back and forth along the ground: Moonflower's skeletal horses had been modified so that the lanterns embedded inside them shone out like eerie spotlights, and new, large satchels hung from their sides.

Cadence frowned uneasily: the skeletons were patrolling listlessly around the lot, moving in slow circles, often overlapping. They had no riders and no guides, but she could see that all of them had been outfitted with some kind of heavy collar with a gemstone embedded in it. She noted that when the spotlight of their lantern passed over a fellow skeleton, these gemstones gleamed brightly for a moment, then went out when the other collar responded... some kind of alarm?

“I know y'probably don't smell it yourself, Cygne, but... somethin' ain't right about what they're carryin'. I'm thinkin' explosives.” La Croix said quietly, and Cadence scowled at this, uneasily drawing her eyes over the skeletons and their collars... yeah. That would make sense. “Moony, those things...”

“Old, old bones and painted wood. I... I don't like the undead very much.” Moonflower shivered a little, shaking his head and mumbling: “They're not alive. Just constructs.”

“Then I can't do much about 'em, Cygne, but that also means they shouldn't be able to detect me. I'll sneak on through and check out the fortress, let you know what lie beyond, how 'bout that?” La Croix asked, and Cadence nodded.

“Alright. We'll figure this out. You go ahead, and come back and warn us if you see anything.” Cadence said quietly, and La Croix nodded once before he vanished.

The ivory mare returned her eyes to the patrols, watching them for a few moments before she muttered: “They're all on different timing. Moonflower, how do these constructs work? Can I kill them?”

“They're powered by the lanterns. The lanterns all have a core of crystal, they both create the light but also keep the constructs moving. But if you break the lanterns...”

“We'll deal with that as it comes.” Cadence muttered, and then she hesitated before scowling as she reached up and pulled her rifle off her back, extending the barrel of the gun and carefully taking aim with it as she grumbled: “I can't believe I'm doing this...”

“Are you sure that's such a good idea? Maybe we should just...” Moonflower winced at the glower Cadence shot him, before he whispered: “I'll uh. Try and muffle the sound.”

“Please do.” Cadence muttered, before she paused and then frowned at the stallion, asking: “Wait, can they detect sound?”

“Yes and no.” Moonflower shook his head, answering hesitantly: “They can understand certain commands, but they don't really 'listen' to anything. It's uh... tricky. And I mean, if you shoot them and they lose power I obviously don't think that it'll set them off but at the same time those collars are probably not connected to the power source so the collars could still go off so-”

“So then I don't shoot the lanterns.” Cadence said, and before she could question her own judgment, she took aim with the rifle and fired.

The shot was like thunder in the dark night, making the others wince and their glammer vanish for a moment before Moonflower hurriedly recast it, shadowing them a moment before one of the skeletons thudded to the ground. It moved mindlessly on three legs, digging faint scratches through the earth, and Moonflower gave a shrill little laugh as the lantern light continued to glow normally, starting: “Well, I suppose that-”

Another skeleton strode into the spasming wreck of construct on the ground, then tripped over it before its collar beeped violently several times, and a moment later both skeleton constructs exploded in massive gouts of blue and green flame and-

Cadence felt the shrapnel hit her, not with enough force to knock her off her hooves, but more than ample enough to scrape and tear her armor and cut into her exposed flesh. She gritted her teeth in pain for a moment before she looked sharply back and forth, but her father was simply scraping the worst of the debris from his body with a grimace as Moonflower shivered a little, a large, ugly nail jutting from his chest, but thankfully little deeper than the first layer of his plate armor.

“Explosives. Just like La Croix said.” Cadence mumbled, thankful that the glammer was hiding her blush as she shifted her rifle to her shoulder, then she scowled a little as she leaned up on her hooves. “I hope that didn't screw up anything for La Croix.”

“I hope that didn't screw up anything for us.” Moonflower said before he could stop himself, and Cadence gave the stallion a dry look, but Moonflower only dropped his head between his shoulders.

Then Cadence blinked as she realized she could actually see him, and Moonflower frowned before he stared back at her in surprise, wincing as he grabbed at his horn. It was still thrumming, focusing his magic, but something was interfering with the illusion itself, dissolving it before it could entirely wrap around them.

Cadence gestured sharply with her hoof for them to pull back, but just as they began to retreat, the lantern lights flickered and the skeletons all suddenly halted, stopping in place as the air became still and silent.

For a few moments, there was nothing; then, one after the other, the tall lamps around the edge of the square flashed to life, coating the open lot in bright light.

Cadence grimaced a bit as she leaned away from the edge of the lot, then she narrowed her eyes as a female voice spoke, saying contemptibly: “Well, well, well. So he was right. You've brought some new friends, Morpheus. What, did you use up your old allies already? Antecedes always was weak, though... and I can't imagine any of these other worthless crowbait were able to keep your attention for very long. These new ones, though...”

The feminine voice chuckled quietly, and Moonflower trembled as he pushed his way forwards, letting his magic die out as he stepped into the bright light. He was shivering and afraid, and yet all the same, he rose his head and asked, even as his voice quavered: “Why? Why are you here? Why-”

“Why not?” asked the voice bitterly, before Cadence's eyes widened as a figure crossed the drawbridge towards them: a Draekin, like Throna was, except... larger, fiercer, clothed in ornate golden armor and with gorgeous white scales and a mane made of glowing tendrils of magic. She walked on three legs, because one front claw was occupied carrying La Croix like a ragdoll, the Loa bloody and battered and hanging limply from her grip.

“Why not?” she repeated as she stepped off the drawbridge and into the open lot, and Moonflower trembled violently before Stronghold Halfdragon flung the zebra aside like a sack of potatoes, La Croix rolling to a broken halt as the Draekin mare spat to the side, then turned her cold, ruthless eyes back to Moonflower as her long, flanged tail slammed viciously against the ground. “Oh, I'm glad you recognize that being mercenary, giving up my pride and my honor to work as nothing but a killer for a wretch who hides behind his toy soldiers is something I find... detestable.

“But that doesn't matter. My pride doesn't matter. What I want doesn't matter anymore, because I've learned there's no White Dragon, there's no god, there's no reward for being good or doing right, it's all just... lies, to keep us in chains.” Stronghold snorted in contempt, shaking her head in disgust before she refocused her cold eyes on Moonflower. “I was promised Heaven... or at least Hell. And all I got, Morpheus, was nothingness.”

“Maybe...” Moonflower swallowed thickly, then he rose his head and said in a steadier voice: “Maybe that was your just reward, Stronghold, for becoming the Killing Light.”

Stronghold smiled thinly, and there was silence for a moment before she calmly reached up and pulled the visor of her helm down over her eyes, leaving only her scarred muzzle visible as her claws flexed eagerly against the ground. “Or maybe being the Killing Light is what's led to this, Morpheus. Another chance to fight. Another chance to live. Another chance to die. And now there's no reason to hold back, no reason why I shouldn't try and take you and every other piece of pony scum I come across with me.”

“Wait!” Cadence shouted, striding quickly up beside Moonflower, and Stronghold scowled, her gaze cold and disdainful even through the grille that covered her eyes. “My name is Cadence Danzsöngr, and I am-”

“I don't care who you are, little girl. To me, you're nothing.” derided Stronghold, and Cadence slowly narrowed her eyes, but this only made Stronghold smile cruelly in response. “Oh, what's wrong? Did I upset you, poor mare? I'm sorry, let me try and put on my Celestia voice and treat you like the special snowflake you are. I got very good at it, after all, in all the years I spent solving Equestria's problems for those ungrateful scum.”

Moonflower only shook his head, before he and Cadence both flinched in surprise when Stronghold suddenly swung a claw out, an explosion of golden energy ripping apart a carnival stand and knocking Sombra out of hiding, the stallion landing with a grunt of pain beside La Croix. He immediately leapt to his hooves to stand protectively over his friend, but Stronghold only smiled at him mockingly, asking: “Oh, you're after the stripehorse? Fine. Get the slaw if you want. I want the faggot.”

“Only... only my friends are allowed to call me a faggot!” Moonflower snapped, glaring at the Draekin mare, but Stronghold only laughed loudly. “Stronghold, you... you...”

Moonflower halted, and then he trembled before he stepped forwards and blurted out: “I don't want to fight you again!”

“Because you're afraid, Morpheus, isn't that right? Because you're weak, and pathetic. But that's fine. I'll kill your friends first, then.” Stronghold said coldly, locking her eyes on Cadence as the ivory mare stepped forwards, gritting her teeth as she set herself. “In fact, that sounds even better. I'll take everything you cared about away, just like everything was taken away from me. And at the end of it all, maybe you'll come to understand the truth of the world. That everything is nothing. That no matter what you do, it's worthless, and thankless. You had the right idea from the start, Morpheus. Live only for yourself. Care only about yourself. And may the rest of the world rot.”

“That's not the way I see the world at all.” Moonflower whispered, before he shook his head and held up a foreleg as Cadence began to step forward. “No. This is my problem. She's my problem and I'll handle her. I'll-”

Moonflower was blasted off his hooves by a thunderball of golden energy, hurtling out of the lit square, and Stronghold laughed raucously as Cadence glared furiously at the Draekin. “You bitch!”

“Oh, name-calling, little girl? Well, at least that's already more than these ponies were ever able to do!” jeered Stronghold, before she leaned forwards and roared: “Come at me, whelp! You are nothing but a nameless nag and I am Stronghold Halfdragon, the Killing Light!”

“I'm not afraid of names!” Cadence shouted as she lunged forwards, then immediately ducked beneath a lash of Stronghold's tail before she leapt over a rake of her claws, only to gasp and be rebuffed by a powerful torrent of golden magic that erupted from the Draekin in a shockwave.

She flipped once, landing and stumbling backwards as Stronghold laughed before she mocked: “What are you doing, broodnag? Are you already getting tired, or are you just too feeble to keep up with a commander of the White Dragon's Crusaders?”

“Horses of Heaven you like the sound of your own voice.” Cadence muttered as she straightened slightly, then she swore as Stronghold lunged forwards and slashed her blade-like horn down, Cadence lashing her own up to try and repel the attack, alicorn grinding against alicorn.

“I like watching you squirm.” she hissed, and then Stronghold twisted suddenly, slashing her horn out as she released a pulse of golden fire, and Cadence was sent skidding backwards through the dirt, barely managing to stop herself from tripping right on top of one of the inactive skeletons. “What match is a pony, no matter how strong she thinks she is, against the powers of a crusader in her prime? You're meat to me, little girl!”

“Oh why don't you just shut up?” Cadence shouted as she half-turned to seize the bomb-construct behind her, and then she spun forward and flung it as hard as she could, Stronghold rearing back in a moment of surprise before the skeleton slammed into her and exploded in a tremendous blast of blue hellfire.

Cadence winced slightly away from the blast, then she snarled as Stronghold leapt out of the explosion before it could even fully dissipate, a furious grin on her face and her claws outstretched-

Cadence's daggers leapt in front of her, guided by her will more than any telekinetic power, but even as they slashed in a furious pattern against Stronghold, the Draekin retaliated with hard swipes of her claws, batting the blades away again and again before she suddenly caught both daggers by their handles and spun them around, driving them towards Cadence's eyes.

The ivory mare narrowly managed to flung herself backwards in time, the daggers instead digging uselessly into the earth before Stronghold simply dropped them and leapt forwards, roaring as she slashed her horn out and unleashed a massive blade of energy. Cadence barely managed to drop beneath this, swearing as it swept by above before she gaped in shock over her shoulder as it tore through several stands before slicing its way into the forest, chopping down half a dozen trees before it dissipated.

Cadence faced back towards Stronghold, who grinned viciously as she straightened, tapping her breast as she snarled: “Infinite energy and the power I held while in my prime. I raised armies and razed armies, little broodnag. What have you done with your life?”

“Killed.” the Swan said coldly, and Cadence felt a power pulse through her before Stronghold gargled in shock as both daggers tore themselves suddenly up from the earth, one of them plunging into Stronghold's throat and the other spinning around to stab deep through her back.

The Swan moved like lightning, leaping forwards and seizing the handle of the blade sticking out of Stronghold's throat, twisting it savagely as she pulled past the Draekin and tearing her neck wide in a spurt of energy-

Stronghold's tail lashed up and smashed the Swan out of the air, before she spun with a furious roar, a gust of golden flames blasting Cadence off her hooves and knocking her rolling into a skeleton. For a moment, Cadence registered that the Swan had been stunned out of control, before she swore as she felt the pulse of energy: but it was too late to react, too late to do anything but cry out before the skeleton beside her exploded in a tremendous bang.

Cadence landed in a limp, prone heap in the dirt some twenty feet away, her body smoldering violently as she coughed weakly before her eyes fluttered slowly open. She gasped quietly, then looked up, fighting through the pain and the confusion eating at her brain to see Stronghold towering over her with a cold smile, slowly tossing the mare's other dagger in one claw as she said softly: “I expected better.”

Cadence snarled in humiliation and anger, before she flinched when the dagger came sweeping down, but then it suddenly halted and trembled the moment it touched the side of her head, Stronghold's eyes widening in surprise. Cadence reacted immediately, snapping her horn out and sending a blast of ivory fire into Stronghold's eyes, and the Draekin howled in pain and frustration as she staggered backwards, dropping the knife to grab at the seared grille of her helmet instead.

The ivory mare flung herself to her hooves, barreling into Stronghold like a wrecking ball and slamming a volley of blows back and forth against the Draekin's armored body to knock the crusader off balance before she leapt up and viciously kicked both rear hooves into Stronghold's throat, making her reel and gag, clutching at her neck as she struggled to catch her balance with her other claw.

Cadence's hooves rained down on Stronghold's face, smashing back and forth across her muzzle in a rapid volley before she dropped an elbow straight down into her muzzle, shattering bone before she seized the Draekin by the head and vaulted over her to slam both rear hooves into the middle of her back.

Stronghold fell on her face with a curse, but her tail lashed violently up on instinct; this time, however, Cadence was ready for the counter, catching it beneath the deadly flanges before she dropped and slammed the natural weapon of the Draekin into her own back, smashing through armor and armor-like scale to send up a great gush of energy.

Stronghold roared as she bucked Cadence off, snapping her tail out to catapult the mare away, but this time Cadence was able to twist herself around and land on her hooves, skidding to a halt before she picked up a nearby skeleton and flung it at Stronghold. Stronghold, however, only batted the broken construct away, ignoring the explosions that went up when it slammed into another of the volatile constructs as she hissed in fury at Cadence, except the ivory mare's eyes narrowed sharply as she realized the crusader was still bleeding energy from her back, studying it intently as Stronghold growled: “You ponies never did know when to lie down and die. Funny, considering how your queen never even tried to fight me.”

“We're assholes.” Cadence retorted, before she added quietly: “You look like you've sprung a leak, Stronghold. Why don't you back off? Go home and cry to Loki about how the big mean pony beat you up. Maybe he'll fix you up. Or let you run away to the Void. Sounded like you liked it there.”

Stronghold only smiled contemptibly, retorting: “The one decent thing about the Void, broodnag, is that only the strong survive there. That's part of what will make it so entertaining once Loki does destroy everything. Who will survive? Who will, however briefly, thrive? How will the whores and the wastrels and the murderers live when sex and money and the killing are all taken away from them?”

“You want the world to suffer... why? Because you have?” Cadence asked disbelievingly, and Stronghold snorted in disdain.

“Why not? Like I said before. Nothing matters. There's no punishment for evil, no reward for good. There is no God.” Stronghold said softly, before she held up a claw and flexed it slowly, saying contemptibly: “Morals, rules, charity: these things make us weak. And I have no use for lies and garbage anymore.”

“They don't make us weak. I'm sorry you never got your hugs or your gold star or whatever the hell it is you were missing, Stronghold, but people aren't good just for a reward at the end of day, just like people aren't bad because they're smarter or better. It's because it's easier.” Cadence set herself, shaking her head in disgust before she said quietly: “And believe me when I say, easy likes to come around and bite you in the ass.”

Stronghold snorted in contempt, then she scowled and looked up as Moonflower strode back into the lot, glaring at the Draekin: he looked as if a tree had fallen on him, but otherwise not much the worse for wear as he fell into position beside Cadence.

He took a little too obvious look towards where Sombra was carefully tending to La Croix's wounds as best he could, but Stronghold was entirely focused on Moonflower now that he had reappeared, the Draekin asking contemptibly: “Why are you back? Sick of watching the mares fight, faggot?”

“I told you not to call me that.” Moonflower murmured, before he shook his head as he took a slow breath before saying clearly: “I want you to stop. I want you to... to fight me, if you have to fight anyone. Stop dragging other people into this.”

“Very mature of you, Morpheus. But why should I listen to a colt-cuddler like you?” Stronghold asked disgustedly, snorting in contempt. “I could kill any one of you. I can out-fight-”

“You can't fight us all at once, Stronghold. One at a time, maybe. But not all of us at once. And there are more people on the way.” Moonflower said quietly, and Stronghold narrowed her eyes at this before Moonflower continued bravely, in a move that surprised Cadence: “And we have the Architect and the Tablet of Dreams. You know what they can do.”

Stronghold hesitated for a moment: it was enough for Cadence to know that in spite of all the unbelievable insanity they had gone through over the last while, maybe at least some of the claims about this Tablet were true, after all.

Then the Draekin snorted in contempt before her horn began to glow as she leaned forwards, saying confidently: “No. The witch went ahead to secure Canterlot. I know the Tablet of Dreams is there.”

“I wouldn't be so sure of that, Stronghold. The Tablet of Dreams traveled with Luna. Luna was just here, didn't you know? We have another friend going to find Luna right now, and wish you away like... like a bad memory!” Moonflower announced, leaning forwards as he puffed out his chest a little. “And we've delayed you enough that-”

Stronghold snarled, then suddenly snapped her horn to the side, blasting Cadence with a thrum of golden fire before the Draekin leapt forwards, her claws raking through Moonflower's face and making him howl in misery before he was pinned to the ground under her claw, gasping in pain as the Draekin leaned over him and growled: “We'll meet again, colt-cuddler. And if I find you've lied to me, then I'll make your death that much more painful.”

Cadence rolled to her hooves, but by the time she was up, the Draekin was already gone, her powerful wings carrying her quickly up into the air in a streak of golden light. Cadence grimaced a bit as she hurried over to Moonflower, looking down at him for a few moments as he gazed up at her tiredly with a face that had been punched, burnt, slashed, and maimed in just about every possible way.

He hesitated for a moment, then asked weakly: “So am I still beautiful?”

“Yeah, Moonflower. Real pretty. And smart, too.” Cadence said wryly, and then she reached down and grabbed his hoof, grunting as she hauled him up to his feet, and the stallion smiled awkwardly as he stumbled to a standing position before he bowed his head silently in gratitude. “How did you know she'd go for it?”

“Oh, well, like you said, I'm smart!” Moonflower smiled awkwardly, then he reached up and rubbed at his bloody face, mumbling: “I have to be smart. I'm not much of a fighter, after all.”

He halted, looking in the direction of La Croix, and Cadence nodded as she turned around, leading the stallion to where the zebra was now sitting up with her father, and the unicorn continued in a more solemn voice: “She knows the powers of the Tablet of Dreams better than anyone else, Cadence. I don't know how many times she used it. I suspect... I mean, it's... I don't like to guess at things, but...”

When Cadence looked at him pointedly, Moonflower bit his lip before he said: “I think she's after the Tablet of Dreams. It can do anything, Cadence... at least in this world.”

“Oui. I'm guessin' you're right. Didn't seem like she and th'other one in there were gettin' along all that well.” La Croix added tiredly as he brushed a bit of soot off his hat, before he smiled wryly and said: “Y'looked pretty weak out there, Cygne. Ain't like you. You're supposed to be the strong one here, after all.”

“She was tough. And that power she was putting out...” Cadence shook her head slowly, before she muttered: “But I wounded her, at least. Did you see it? She was bleeding energy. She might even still be bleeding energy. Does that mean the Voidborn can kill each other?”

“Perhaps in this world. But what she said was strange: are they unable to harm each other in the Void?” Sombra asked, and Cadence cocked her head curiously as she turned her eyes towards her father. He smiled at her, but looked almost uneasy as he continued meditatively: “How does Loki control them, then? How does he garner his unwilling allies? And has he done something to them that makes them vulnerable on this plane, or is it merely... the atmosfera?”

Cadence frowned: she half-understood what her father was getting at and why it was so important, but she forced herself to disregard it for now, shaking her head and muttering: “It's... not something we can focus on right now. The important part is these Voidborn can be hurt and killed, even without special weapons. Sort of.” She paused, then turned her eyes towards La Croix, asking: “So there was something else in there?”

“Oui.” La Croix grimaced a bit as he rubbed at his body, jerking his head back over his shoulder and grumbling: “Think she be some kind of mage. Unicorn, real pretty-like, talks funny. She got one of them control collars on her, too, but hers looks... different. Feels different, too. Think we might have seen one of her parallels before, but 'shard to tell: I didn't get much of a look before I got smothered like a lapin.”

“Great.” Cadence muttered, although perhaps that was a good sign, the ivory mare asking after a moment: “What's she doing in there? Do you think she knows we're here?”

“Was kinda hard to pay attention, Cygne, I didn't get more'n two feet inside before that goddamn gros cocodril set me on fire and then beat the merde out of me.” La Croix said grouchily as he brushed rapidly at himself, and Cadence smiled despite herself.

After a moment, La Croix cooled down enough to nod again and say hesitantly: “Look, I don't remember much because I got knocked upside my damn head and feu hurts, y'know, but the unicorn said somethin' about leavin' Stronghold to her business, and she was gonna go back to her own. Pretty sure it's a trap, but...”

“We have to find out what she's up to, either way. That's... that was my home.” Moonflower said quietly, looking at the Black Fortress silently for a few moments before he gave a small smile and asked: “So uh, no chance at all of us avoiding this, on that note, yes?”

La Croix looked at Moonflower for a few moments, and then he rolled his eyes before he gestured at Sombra with his head, saying: “Get the white potion outta my bag, would you, Papa Sérénité? Moony can't go meetin' a mare lookin' like he just stuck his head in the bayou while the eels were goin' by.”

Moonflower huffed, but he didn't hesitate to take the bottle from Sombra when it was offered, shifting awkwardly before he mumbled: “Thank you. So do we wait for Thorn, then? I don't... everything's changed a lot, but I think that if I have to, I can certainly navigate my old home with ease. It was my old home, after all.”

“Don't you worry, boss! El Casco is here to help you with everything you need!” declared the squat earth pony as he seemed to leap out of nowhere in front of Moonflower, and the unicorn winced backwards in surprise before he squeaked loudly as Ex Parte appeared on his other side with a little growl. “I am not afraid of these cabróns! I know that if anybody got the cojones to take them on, it's you, Señor Moonflower!”

“Um. Yes. Right. Yes.” Moonflower said awkwardly, rubbing at the back of his head slowly before he looked quickly back over his shoulder, and he looked half-relieved, half-horrified to see Thorn, Antecedes, and Throna approaching, the Architect watching from the Draekin's back almost eagerly, and Throna's own expression inscrutable. “How did you-”

“You fought her. But how?” Throna asked quietly, locking gazes with Moonflower, and Moonflower smiled faintly before the Draekin said firmly: “Don't you try and hide it from me, you hear? I know that magic. I know that power. I know... those scars...”

She reached up and silently touched Moonflower's face as Toad frowned worriedly from his perch atop Thorn's helmet, and the stallion blushed before he hurriedly flailed at the mare, knocking her claw away as he grumbled: “You mares need to learn to keep your claws off me. No matter how attractive I might be to you, I'll have you know that your kind will never be attractive to me.”

“Racist.” La Croix said wryly, before he shook his head and looked at Thorn, adding quietly: “She was real strong, though. And there's another one of them just up ahead in that fortress there. Don't know what she wants, but...”

“It's a challenge.” Antecedes interrupted, his horn glowing faint red before he scowled as much as his bone features would allow. “The magic sensors inside have all been blocked out. I can't get any idea of what's going on in there. But I'm not sensing a lot of commotion, either...”

“I hope everyone's okay. I hope Halfdragon didn't...” Moonflower halted, smiling awkwardly over at Throna, but Throna only shook her head slowly, looking grim.

“No. If anything, I know better than all of you what Stronghold used to do to her enemies, and... I only hope the same.” she murmured, then she sighed and said wryly: “I guess we don't have much choice though, do we? March in, or leave who knows how many to die, and who knows what else to happen here.”

Moonflower only smiled uneasily as Thorn reached up and silently touched the side of his face, and the Architect grinned from where he sat on the Draekin's back, his eyes glittering with pleasure and secret knowledge, eager to see how these ponies would struggle next against the strings of fate.

The Apprentice's Test

Chapter Eighty Eight: The Apprentice's Test
~BlackRoseRaven

The Black Fortress was barren and empty: there was no one to greet them, no traps to avoid, no nothing, except for hollow halls and missing checkpoints. The closest thing they found to any sign of life was that, as Antecedes had said, the various security devices around the Black Fortress had been tampered with, either dispelled or destroyed.

“I don't feel any powerful magic. There's something strange that I'm detecting, but it's nothing exceptionally powerful or dangerous from what I can tell. I'm guessing a communication spell, maybe a minor psionic event.” Antecedes muttered as the group slowly made their way through the empty halls.

Throna growled under her breath, visibly uneasy as she shifted back and forth with the Architect on her back before she looked back at the dwarf uneasily: he seemed to be enjoying himself a little too much for the Draekin's taste. “Why doesn't that seem like good news?”

“Because we're expected. So whoever is waiting for us is either setting a trap or smart enough to stay calm until we arrive.” Moonflower said, and then he huffed when Antecedes gave him a mild look. “I'm not entirely stupid, Antecedes!”

“I just didn't expect you to have actually grown up.” Antecedes replied, and Moonflower blushed and grumbled as he looked lamely away.

Toad, however, peeked up from his hiding place on Thorn's head at this with a short snort of amusement, saying wryly: “Hey, don't you worry about that, buddy. I wouldn't say it growing up as much as he's gone through a bit of obedience training.”

“The activity seems limited to the throne room.” Thorn interrupted quietly before Moonflower could snap at Toad, continuing after a moment: “We're probably being monitored: Throna, I want you, Neato Burrito, and Pinkie Pie to stay back and protect the Architect. La Croix, can you monitor?”

“Uh... maybe.” La Croix shifted uneasily, shaking his head and muttering: “I think it was the cocodril that pulled me out o' the ether, but I can't be sure...”

“We fought spirits.” Throna said shortly, and then she shook her head before muttering: “Well, Stronghold fought them, to be more precise. And aye, she was capable of dragging them into reality with great violence. The Order was... not keen on possessions or possessors.”

La Croix gave an awkward smile at this, but Thorn only looked at him, and after a moment the Loa hesitantly said: “That may be true, but... me and mine, we be a little different from the ponyfolk kind of spirits, y'hear? Ain't braggin' or nothing, 'sjust the truth.

“I think this one has some... she got some je ne s'ais quoi about her, but it feels a whole lot like Darkwater. Not like she from there, but like somethin' left its mark on her. I think she might be carryin' gifts from Madame Veliuona.” La Croix said slowly, and then he glanced over at Moonflower and asked: “Y'ain't gay 'cause of any secret marefriends, right, rein de la nuit? This ain't gonna be some angry ex, huh?”

Cadence smiled wryly at this as Moonflower huffed loudly, retorting: “I will have you know that I am very proudly a... connoisseur of fine stallions through and through! I have always had a deep sexual attraction to stallionkind, just as I have always found mares icky.” He paused as Toad cleared his throat loudly and gestured pointedly at his current company, then added awkwardly as he looked between the mares present: “No offense meant.”

“None taken.” Cadence said dryly, and then she asked in a more serious voice: “So what are we going to do here?”

“La Croix, check the area ahead up to the throne room. The rest of us will slow our pace, but it's important we keep moving. If we're being tracked by magic our movement will confuse most scrying techniques.” Thorn explained, and La Croix smiled awkwardly before he vanished from sight as the rest of the group slowed to match the pace that Thorn set.

Cadence continued to look at the stallion, feeling like he wasn't done, and Thorn grimaced ever-so-slightly. For anyone else it would have been a twitch, she knew, but for Thorn... “Are you okay?”

Thorn turned a venomous look on her, his whole face contorting with it, and Cadence reared back slightly in surprise as she winced and prepared herself for the worst- “Yes. I am fine.”

Thorn halted, then repeated, as his features smoothed out into his usual poker face in spite of the flush of shame visible at his collar: “I'm fine.”

There was a pause, and then the stallion shook his head quickly, visibly clearing it. But he was hurting, Cadence thought: those black veins were faintly visible, and he sounded almost unsure of himself. Not like he was second-guessing their orders or what they had to do, but more as if he was trying to figure himself out, like his emotions were making him a little haywire... then again, I guess he's not really used to feeling them.

That was an unfair thought. But Cadence barely had the time to mentally wince before Thorn instructed: “Cadence, I want you to stay back with Throna and the... wrestlers.”

“Luchadores!” El Casco shouted, Ex Parte roaring in agreement, and the entire group halted to glare at the two earth ponies, who both shrank awkwardly down with lame smiles as El Casco awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, and Ex Parte made a quick zipping motion across her lips.

Thorn sighed tiredly, then he turned his eyes forwards, picking the pace back up as he forced himself to focus. But his head... hurt. Even losing an eye was easy to ignore for the short term for him, but it wasn't the feeling of loss that was the worst for him now; it was the dizziness, the sense of failure, the feeling like like he had screwed up in the same way he had when he had lost his leg, and Hecate had to fix him...

Would she fix him again? Or would she just let him suffer? He deserved to-

Enough. Thorn told himself firmly, mentally steadying himself and bringing himself back to the situation at hoof. “I need you to keep the Architect-”

“Oh, no. I am in no danger here. There is nothing ahead that threatens me. Only yours, Thorn Blackfeather.” the Architect interrupted, before he smiled his eerie, cunning smile as he remarked: “But perhaps it is not me you seek to protect, is it now?”

Cadence scowled at the Architect, and then she asked before she could stop herself: “Do you have any actually useful information, or are you just here to piss us all off?”

“There is no shame in enjoying my own existence, is there? And if you desire knowledge, then by all means, crack open my skull and scoop it out with your tendrils. I know that you can. But you will not, because there are more things guiding you than primal urge or the orders of a queen.” the Architect answered calmly, seeming to lose interest in Cadence as his eyes drifted away. “All things are time. All things with patience. You cannot stop the unstoppable.”

Thorn frowned uneasily at this, glancing apprehensively up, but then La Croix reappeared in front of them with a grimace, adjusting his cape nervously before he muttered: “Pretty sure the mademoiselle ahead noticed me. She looks like a unicorn, ain't nothin' real special or étrange 'bout her, but I think she might be talkin' to our old friend, Auriculos. And she's definitely one of them Voidborn.”

“Alright. Let's move in, then. Be ready for anything: we don't know what we're dealing with here.” Thorn instructed as he gestured at La Croix to fall back into line, and the others nodded as Cadence grudgingly allowed herself to drop back in front of Throna, giving the Architect a moody look as she did so.

The Architect no longer seemed interested in her, however, or any of them really: he was staring off into the distance, that unnatural smile lingering on his face, and yet his expression was somehow unreadable, inscrutable. Something had caught his interest, however, and that made the mare feel more uncomfortable than she wanted to admit. She didn't want to think about what it could possibly be that had managed to take his strange, knowing eyes off them-

“What ego, to think that you must be the most curious thing I have seen. And how foolish, to think this has nothing at all to do with you. How much you've forgotten, Cygnet, since you were stolen from the nest. But what, I suppose, do babes ever remember of their birthplaces?”

The Swan twisted almost... nervously, Cadence thought, and it made her feel more uneasy than she wanted to admit. Why the hell would the Swan be nervous? What was hidden there, beyond memory and birth, in the thought-nothing that had come before Asgard...

“We're on approach. Careful, everyone.” Thorn said, calling them out of their thoughts and to attention, and the others readied themselves as they moved towards the open doors to the Throne Room: the faint sound of voices echoed out of the doors, and Cadence frowned uneasily as she rose her head slightly at the sound of heated conversation.

Thorn stopped in the doorway, looking inside and frowning slightly as his eyes locked on the sight of the mare sitting back in the throne: she looked like a simple unicorn, just as La Croix had said. Baby blue, with a silver mane... a Trixie parallel. But she's not from this world. She's a Voidborn.

Trixie was loudly arguing with a floating metal cube of some kind in front of her, suspended by her magic: she didn't look dressed or even ready for a fight, her cape half-pulled around her like a blanket, her witch's hat askew, the large, square collar around her neck sparking occasionally with some kind of magical interference.

“Yes, Trixie knows, Trixie knows, Aura-curious-”

“Auriculos.” corrected the voice from the cube irritably, and Trixie rolled her eyes before she spotted them, and then to Cadence's chagrin and disbelieving amusement, the unicorn mare rose a hoof and mimed the frustrated shouting of the Kirin neurocenter with it as it to them, as it snapped: “I did not spend all the time and effort propagating into new systems and establishing myself at your master's side to be misnomered like some Dogmatic whelp!”

“Yes, yes, Trixie knows who you are. Trixie understands. You are very important, etcetera etcetera etcetera.” Trixie said irritably, rolling her eyes as she sighed and sat back in the throne, before she asked loudly and clearly as she looked pointedly at Thorn and his companions: “So to be perfectly clear, what you want me to do is ambush the... what did you call them? Ornates? Organs?”

“Orphans!” shouted Auriculos in frustration, and Trixie winked over at them... winked, Cadence thought, as she stared at the odd Trixie with disbelief. “Now listen: it's very simple. Loki's enemies are approaching quickly. Your goal is to stop them: do whatever it is you have to do, but kill them all! No mercy, no quarters, no nothing, do you understand?”

“Trixie understands. Trixie shall do nothing.” the mare confirmed, before she yelped and nearly dropped the cube as the collar around her neck sizzled and crackled with magic, grabbing at the collar as she gritted her teeth and glared at the device floating in her grip.

“Do you require further encouragement?” asked Auriculos coolly, and Trixie only scowled coldly back at him as the collar sparked and fizzled, dropping her forelegs almost sulkily into her lap. “I thought not. Remember your job and your priority. If they try to run away, make sure that above all else you stop the Swan Maiden and the mage. Do I make myself clear?”

Trixie sighed theatrically, rolling her eyes before she nodded and said grumpily: “Yes, Trixie understands. White winged unicorn, black pretty unicorn, stop them both, etcetera etcetera.”

“Kill them both. The Swan may require multiple deaths.” Auriculos replied contemptibly. “Once they've been dealt with, head to Canterlot. Melinda will bring you back to Loki. Bring their bodies as proof of death, or at least their heads.”

“Trixie will do what she must.” the mare said, not hiding her distaste, and Auriculos snorted before the unicorn calmly rose a hoof, gesturing at them to stay back for a moment. The unicorn carefully turned, guiding the cube to the side to lower it into something they couldn't see.

There was a click and a hiss, like a lid sealing, and then silence, before Trixie finally straightened with a sigh and smiled as she turned towards them, dropping her hooves in her lap as she remarked: “Some people.”

Cadence shifted nervously, but Trixie only smiled at them brightly, gesturing at them with a hoof to approach as she said quickly: “Oh, don't you worry! Trixie is not some evil witch, Trixie is the bravest and most courageous of all heroes! Sometimes that just means she has to... be creative when dealing with her pesky captors, though.”

“Do you have any intention of fighting us?” Thorn asked calmly, and Trixie smiled and winked at him before she leapt up on her rear hooves, flinging her forelegs out as fireworks of color exploded behind her.

“The magnificent Trixie is not interested in the brutality of fighting or the crudeness of war! Oh, no, Trixie the Brave insists, nay, demands that instead, you honor her with a duel!”

Thorn frowned before he began to step forwards as Cadence narrowed her eyes, but then both of them were bumped aside as Moonflower bustled to the front, nearly shouting: “I'll do it! I accept the mare's challenge! I am-”

Thorn reached up and caught Moonflower by the shoulder, and the black unicorn quailed visibly as Thorn closed his eyes, taking a steadying breath before he returned his eyes to Trixie, asking: “What are your intentions?”

Trixie laughed loudly, then she hopped off the throne with a grin, winking over at Thorn as she declared: “The Great and Powerful Trixie intends only to test the strange ponies, as she was told by Melinda the Sky Witch! You should all be honored, for I, the Magnificent Trixie-”

“I've already been forced to be polite and nice to a Trixie in the last few days. If you keep this up, I'm going to punch you so hard in the face you'll have to pull your teeth out through your ass.” Cadence said sourly, and Trixie mouthed slowly and wordlessly before Thorn reached up and gently grasped Cadence's shoulder, the mare grumbling under her breath before she lowered her head, her eyes sneaking to him.

“I'm okay.” he said quietly, and Cadence couldn't help but smile a bit despite herself before the sapphire stallion returned his eyes to Trixie. “You're wearing a control collar. You clearly aren't serving Loki willingly. What happened here?”

For a moment, Trixie hesitated, and then she suddenly sat back in the throne, becoming more quiet and businesslike as she explained: “Trixie has had... many teachers. She first was taught by your mother, Thorn Blackfeather. Your mother, Luna.”

Thorn's eyes widened in surprise, rearing up slightly, and Trixie smiled before she continued: “She died, oh, a long, long time ago now, but Trixie continued to learn, to grow... even in the Void, after her... final, great show. She was separated there from the Goddess Veliuona, whom Trixie came to... perhaps not respect, but at least understand. And Trixie got to meet Melinda, the legend, in the... well, not flesh, not really.

“But Trixie learned all sorts of things. She became the apprentice, of sorts, to Melinda. And what an honor that was, why, Trixie's performance that day was admirable, was enough to...” Trixie halted in the middle of her theatrics, then she cleared her throat at the looks she was receiving before she sat back and smiled lamely. “Perhaps that is a story for another day.

“What is important is that Melinda saw fit enough to trust Trixie, and Trixie will not betray that trust. Any more than she will hurt innocent ponies, any more than she will risk smearing her own good name.” Trixie said emphatically as she straightened in her seat, before she smiled over at Moonflower, studying him intently. “And she is admittedly very curious to test the strength of a stallion who is supposedly almost as skillful a magician as she is.”

Moonflower huffed loudly at this, but Thorn only frowned before he asked slowly: “So are you under the control of Loki or not?”

“No, not directly. Trixie may not be quite as powerful as Melinda, but she has picked up a few tricks over the years spent training in the Void.” Trixie replied, smiling slightly as she reached up and absently poked at the collar around her neck. “This, unfortunately, does make it... more difficult to resist Loki's orders. But far from impossible!”

Trixie hopped out of the throne and posed again, and Thorn studied her for a few moments before he asked: “And what do you gain from all this?”

“If there's one thing Trixie's learned, it's that there are more important things than accolades and prizes... although one of her favorite guilty pleasures has always been toppling ponies who are foolish enough to think they are better than she is!” Trixie added with a wink, looking over at Moonflower as she rubbed her front hooves together eagerly. “And considering what Trixie has heard...”

“All... greatly exaggerated. I assure you.” Moonflower said awkwardly, to Cadence's surprise. He smiled a little, lowering his head slightly as his eyes shifted towards Thorn before they moved back to Trixie, who was scowling at him. “What?”

“Considering what Melinda had to say about you, Trixie highly doubts that!” retorted the mare with a huff. “Trixie will not have you talk about yourself that way, not when she has been told to expect great things by someone she respects very much!”

“Well, she's almost as circular in her logic as you are.” Antecedes said dryly as he moved to the front of the line, before he rose his head and asked simply: “What did you do with the employees here?”

“Trixie made them disappear!” the unicorn declared with a flick of her cape, before she winced slightly at the glares she immediately received, hurriedly correcting: “Into the dungeons! And the basement! And just. Out of the way, they are... they're not dead ,if that's what you think. Trixie has not killed anyone. Trixie does not use 'disappear' as a euphemism. She is always literal.”

“I hate people who talk in third person.” Cadence said tiredly, and then she shook her head before she glanced uneasily over her shoulder: one thing Trixie was very good at was coming across as harmless and entertaining, and all of the ponies had clustered up into one group together, meaning that if she wasn't as friendly as she acted, it would be very easy for her to... “Let's back off. Throna, Antecedes, uh... you two.”

The earth ponies both looked up, and Trixie waved her hooves almost frantically, hopping out of her seat and complaining: “No, no, no! You can't just leave! Trixie needs an audience, it's not half as fun without an audience and... well, Trixie needs you to participate as well, Moonflower!”

Moonflower winced, then he looked uncomfortably at Thorn, who sighed a little before he said finally: “She seems to want to duel you for a reason. Go ahead. But Trixie, I want you to guarantee the safety of everyone here.”

“Yeah, and, you know. That you won't kill Moony here. If he dies, I'm going to have to move in with the zebra dude or something. Frogs don't make much money, see.” Toad added from his safe perch with a lame wave of one hand, and Moonflower and La Croix both scowled at him.

“Absolutely! And Trixie is not interested in a fight, Trixie is interested in a magic duel, which is far more refined and will result in absolutely no harm, except to Moonflower's ego, after Trixie completely demolishes him like the Great and Powerful Trixie once defeated Twilight Sparkle!” Trixie proclaimed, before she posed for a moment and continued in a voice that was a little too proud to be honest: “Yes, once upon a time Trixie defeated Twilight Sparkle, Thorn Blackfeather! And Trixie is so very sure that you of all ponies know what it means that she was once trained by Princess Luna, the very same Princess Luna who was-”

“In that period of life her magic range barely exceeded eight thousand bæns, making her a moderate spellcaster at best.” Thorn said bluntly, and Trixie stared at him before the sapphire stallion sighed and shook his head, saying finally: “I don't know what you're trying to accomplish here, but I'm going to extend you what little trust I can. Do you want us to remove your control collar?”

“No, no, it only hurts a little.” Trixie hesitated, then added quietly: “As Trixie has said... Loki can only exert a little bit of control over her. Loki is not entirely stupid: he knows this. He has taken additional precautions to ensure that Trixie... that I... don't do anything too silly now.”

Trixie paused, then she smiled and clapped her front hooves together as she winked across at Moonflower, adding in a clearer voice: “But if you're not feeling sure of yourself, Moonflower, I can always let you go ahead and do the first trick! Trixie will do her very best not to make too big a fool of you!”

Moonflower scowled a little, and then he rubbed uneasily at his chest before he blurted, as he shifted almost as if to hide against Thorn: “I don't like this.”

“I know. I don't either. But I don't want to attack her, either. You'll be fine, Moonflower. You can do this.” Thorn said quietly, and Moonflower smiled a little before he winced when Toad whooped and Cadence half-shoved him forward, sending him stumbling out onto the open floor.

Trixie grinned at him, then she posed for a moment, sending up a short burst of fireworks behind her with a flick of her horn as she declared: “Now you shall see the might and the splendor of the Great and Powerful Trixie, the bravest of all unicorns, the mare who once defeated a goddess!”

There was another great burst of fireworks, and Moonflower looked at her for a few moments before he childishly rubbed at his nose with the back of his wrist, and Trixie visibly deflated before she leaned forwards and hissed: “Your turn!”

“Oh, I don't know... I've really grown out of that whole thing...” Moonflower said awkwardly, looking away as he blushed slightly and waved a hoof lamely back and forth.

“Just do it, Moony. You've never grown out of it and you know it.” Toad encouraged, and Moonflower huffed before he looked almost nervously at Thorn and Cadence.

But Thorn only nodded, and Cadence sighed and shrugged, and with that minor encouragement Moonflower suddenly spun around and stomped forwards, shouting in a voice that made the walls tremble: “Well as Great and Powerful as you may be, you are certainly nothing compared to I, the magnificent Morpheus, King of All Evil and God of Darkness!”

Moonflower stomped a hoof down, and the world trembled before he gestured sharply outward, the air darkening as the glowing crystals and flames burning in the wall sconces turned eerie blue. “Now that you have stepped into my home and my territory, allow me to make you comfortable inside my secret shadow zone, where none can ever or have ever escaped! How you can hope to fight against the Prince of Darkness-”

“You already said you were a God of Darkness. And a King.” interrupted Antecedes, and Moonflower twitched as he slowly looked over his shoulder, before the skeleton added dryly: “Also I hope you understand how juvenile you sound.”

“Shut up! You're... juvenile!” Moonflower retorted lamely, before he spun back towards Trixie, who was watching him through narrowed eyes, her lips pursed as if- “Stop judging me!”

“Well Trixie cannot help but judge you, as you are Trixie's opponent! And so far she is not impressed with what she has seen!” Trixie retorted, before she leapt forwards and declared: “Feast your eyes upon this powerful, potent magic, as you may think you have trapped us in the shadow zone, but I shall trap us in... the dead zone!”

Trixie snapped her horn out, and Moonflower stumbled backwards in shock as the world around them drained entirely of color, the lights around the room becoming a deep, burning black, as Trixie reared up and exclaimed: “Now you are my prey, Morpheus of Moonflower! I have captured you inside the shadows of the dead zone!”

“You foolish fool, these shadows are the shadows of my shadow zone, which have consumed the shadows of your creepy dead mare zone!” retorted Moonflower pompously, as he crossed his forelegs and posed sharply.

“Oh, ho ho, so you think, but in reality Trixie has already seen ahead to this very circumstance and ensured that she would have counter-shadows to counter your shadows' devouring of her shadows and to ensure that your shadow zone remained engulfed in her dead zone! Call it Trixie's Shadow-”

“If I hear the word 'shadow' one more time I'm going to shove my hoof up the offender's ass!” Cadence barked, and both Trixie and Moonflower flinched before they resumed glaring at each other.

“Well, it doesn't matter anyway, because this is only the barest, vaguest hint of Trixie's power!” Trixie said hurriedly as she awkwardly smoothed herself out, visibly pushing herself back into character even as her eyes lingered nervously on Cadence. “Now, watch and be amazed as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs a miraculous feat of magic like none have ever seen!”

With that, Trixie spun around before she leapt into the air, and a glow of magic surrounded her body as she floated high into the sky, throwing her forelegs wide and declaring: “Voila! How can you even hope to compare to the might of a unicorn who needs only the barest of her magic to lift herself into the sky?”

Moonflower huffed at this, and then his horn flashed before he almost pranced into the air, Trixie staring as the stallion pointedly 'walked' above her so he could look down at her and retort: “I suppose if we were in a parlor, it would be the right setting for your tricks.”

Trixie had to pause and think about this for a moment, and then she huffed loudly, glaring up at Moonflower as she snapped: “Hey! You don't need to be a jerk about it!”

“I'm not a jerk! You're a jerk! A big smelly jerk mare!” Moonflower snapped back, and Trixie glared at him before they both dropped out of the air, thudding to the ground and continuing to glare at each other.

“Very well! Trixie was only playing! Now she will summon her assistants to help her with magic!” Trixie declared, leaping backwards before she waved her horn back and forth as it flashed with a multitude of colors. Cadence did have to admit, the mare certainly knew how to put on a show.

She leapt backwards as she snapped her horn down, and there was a flash before half a dozen semitranslucent clones of Trixie appeared, all striking different poses as they gave big, winning smiles, all dressed in glittery one-piece swimsuits. Cadence blinked slowly as Moonflower reared back in instinctual horror, and Thorn frowned before he muttered: “Can't get a reading, but those look like augmented reality clones, capable of-”

“Of doing everything and anything!” Trixie declared as she leapt into the air, and her assistants all immediately dove beneath her, catching her and holding her up above their heads as they flickered occasionally, Trixie grinning widely as she posed on top of the crowd. “What do you have to say to that, Moonflower?”

Moonflower scowled, then he simply flicked his horn out, a blast of green lightning chaining between Trixie's illusions as they flailed violently, sending the mare spilling to the ground. She squawked, then clambered up to her hooves before gaping in shock as she found herself now sitting in a forest of blue flamingos.

She dumbly picked up the nearest lawn ornament, and Moonflower smiled pompously as he rubbed a hoof against his breast before he said airily: “I think now they're much more suiting for you, Trixie. After all, as they say... birds of a feather, flock together!”

Moonflower laughed loudly at his own not-joke, and Cadence slowly closed her eyes before Antecedes said wryly: “It's funny how you miss things. Then wonder why you ever missed them in the first place.”

Moonflower huffed over his shoulder, before he winced when one of the flamingos bounced off him, Trixie snapping: “That's not fair at all! You can't jump right to polymorphic magic!”

“Why, is it too complicated for you? You know, using this technique I once took over Equestria! I bet you've never taken over Equestria!” Moonflower declared as he strutted over to the mare, one of her eyes twitching as he reached up and lightly flicked the brim of her hat. “I did it all the time! And then I gave it back and then took it over again, because that is what true villains do!”

“Trixie will have you know she... she once saved the entire world! And Trixie highly doubts you ever accomplished that!” the mare retorted as she quickly adjusted her hat, then she leaned up and shoved a hoof into Moonflower's face, the stallion's eyes dumbly crossing to stare at the hoof pressing into his nose. “All you are accomplishing is humiliating yourself! Now, bear witness to Trixie's might!”

“Bear? Where? Where's there a bear?” Moonflower asked dumbly as he looked back and forth, and Trixie glowered before she flicked her horn at him, Moonflower squawking as he was knocked skidding backwards.

Cadence tensed, but Thorn quickly held up a foreleg as Trixie posed for a moment: if she'd wanted to start an actual fight, she wouldn't have stopped once Moonflower was knocked off balance. Instead, she spun around on her rear hooves, then posed again as she shouted: “Here's your bear!”

There was a flash, and then Moonflower found himself gaping as a mighty bear made of starlight and thrumming constellations burst into being with a roar, taking up almost the entire throne room as it loomed over Moonflower.

Moonflower stared back at it, and Trixie grinned before she asked: “Have you ever faced an Ursa Major?”

“That's a simulacrum of an Ursa Minor.” Thorn interrupted, and Trixie blushed slightly as she stared over at the stallion, who shrugged before he explained: “The size and markings give it away, as much as the temperament and facial construction. It's trying to intimidate because it lacks confidence. An Ursa Major – at least, a natural one, not controlled via simulacrum – would be much more aggressive and give no warning before attacking.”

Trixie smiled a strange, nostalgic smile for a moment, before she yelped in surprise as the Ursa Minor exploded in a blast of blue smoke and fire that swept through the room, whirling into a maelstrom before they were suddenly left standing in a beautiful, all-encompassing night sky. The sun burned in the center of it all, orbited by tiny, ghostly planets, and Trixie mouthed wordlessly for a moment before she turned her eyes towards Moonflower, who smiled as he said quietly: “But to be honest, I've grown up past both 'taking over Equestria' and 'saving the world,' Trixie. And I think you have, too. I don't want to just save the world. I want to... I want to protect everything.”

Moonflower turned around, gesturing outward as he did so, and space whirled around them, stars shooting by and shrinking into the distance. Lights danced like fireflies all around them, and Cadence realized that every one of these sparks of light in the darkness was a solar system, a galaxy, a whole set of worlds, and all so tiny, so fragile, so countless among the firmament of darkness that surrounded them, and yet... where those worlds were absent, the blackness was still, and cold, and it hurt to look upon.

There were so many, 'countless' worlds... but the void, the dark spaces were there, too, and growing larger. And how long would it be before all carelessly-uncounted worlds were consumed? Before these bright fireflies became endangered, then extinct?

Trixie looked back and forth as Moonflower stared up into the emptiness above, before he said: “When I was a foal, I moved the moon. That was how I earned my cutie mark, you know. I thought... I was so proud back then of what I'd done.

“But it's nothing. It's absolutely nothing in the long run, isn't it?” Moonflower smiled, shaking his head slowly as he turned towards Trixie, gazing at her silently through the ephemera of fireflies. “Our universe is so... so vast. And out there are beings that could destroy our worlds with a gesture, who can... move galaxies with greater ease than that foal struggled to move the moon a few inches so he didn't have to sleep in the dark. And if a foal can do that, what can we truly accomplish as adults, as heroes, as... whatever we were meant to become?”

Moonflower laughed a little, and then he looked down, biting his lip before he returned his eyes to Trixie, asking: “Why are you here?”

“To test you, of course. And Trixie is proud to say that you have exceeded her expectations.” Trixie smiled, before she stepped back, flicking her horn out and dissolving the illusions around them, leaving them standing once more in the throne room of the Black Fortress as she studied him thoughtfully. “Trixie is still a far better magician than you. But she agrees with Melinda that you have talent, and a certain... flair about you.”

Trixie halted, then she smiled again and added, surprisingly blunt: “But we haven't put out enough magical energy yet to convince Loki – or rather, Loki's little minions – that we've been fighting. Trixie has heard quite a bit about how you can control gravity, Moonflower. Why don't you show her what you're capable of?”

Moonflower smiled slightly back, before he glanced back almost hesitantly at Thorn, and Trixie grinned before she teased: “What, do you need to ask permission from your commander? Trixie never asks permission! From anyone! For anything!”

“No, I need to ask permission from my coltfriend.” Moonflower retorted with a faint blush, and then he added: “And you clearly never do ask permission from anyone because no one would let you ever disgrace yourself with such an atrocious outfit if you did ask them if you could wear it or not!”

Trixie huffed loudly, even as Cadence sighed and Thorn gave maybe the smallest of smiles, before he asked: “Does that mean Auriculos is monitoring us?”

“Only to a point. Unless someone is here and reporting directly to our friends in the Void, then all they can do is monitor from afar.” Trixie replied with a shrug, smiling slightly as she reached up to tap her horn with a wink. “And Trixie and Melinda have both applied their great ability and talent to ensure that not even Loki can hear what we're saying here.”

“I hope you're right.” Thorn said quietly, studying Trixie for a few moments before he asked: “What is your endgame here? Are you planning to return to the Void?”

“Ultimately, yes. Trixie is here on Melinda's orders. She knows what her role is supposed to be, and... she hopes that she can... be the hero she always pretended to be again, if for only a moment.” Trixie smiled, then she shook her head slowly before she murmured: “But Trixie's show is over. This is merely a... a brief encore performance, done at the behest of a respected benefactor for an adoring public! A public that cannot live without Trixie, a public that... Trixie loves as much as they love her.”

Trixie chuckled, then she straightened and grinned, rearing back on her hind hooves and stretching them out to either side as she declared: “So show me what you are capable of, Moonflower! Let's see if your magic is any match for the might and splendor of the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

With that, Trixie shoved her forelegs above her head, her horn glowing as a shockwave of force erupted through the hall, making Thorn grimace slightly before his eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the sphere of energy floating above Trixie. “Moonflower! Counterspell!”

“This is his test, Thorn Blackfeather, not yours! Let him figure it out himself!” Trixie shouted over the growing roar of whirling magic, and Thorn grimaced but dropped his head in agreement as Moonflower squawked when he felt himself being pulled towards the sphere of energy. “I have no intention of killing, but it will certainly hurt!”

“You spoke in first person!” Moonflower shouted almost victoriously, and Trixie blinked dumbly, losing her concentration for a moment: long enough for Moonflower to leap forwards and sweep his horn out, blasting Trixie off her hooves and disrupting the magic above her head, which exploded in a torrent of energy.

Moonflower narrowly shielded himself from the blast as Trixie yelped in pain, but after a few moments she managed to pick herself up, shaking herself off before she scowled at the unicorn. “Crude! Barbaric, even!”

“It's what I was taught to do!” whined Moonflower, before he winced as Trixie rolled to her hooves, setting herself as her horn glowed and a strange, shimmering shield formed in front of her: it looked similar to the magic-absorbing barrier that Melinda had protected herself with. “What are you doing?”

“Forcing you to play along properly.” Trixie replied, before she flicked her horn sharply, adding with a grin: “This is supposed to be about magic, after all, not fighting!”

Several spheres of energy formed above Trixie's head before they launched forwards, zigzagging through the air before all three began to rapidly grow in size. Moonflower's eyes widened as he watched them pulse larger and larger, becoming more volatile as they grew, before he squawked as one of the spheres exploded in a tremendous bang and knocked him staggering backwards beneath a wave of force.

He shook himself off, blinking several times before he yelped when the other spheres exploded one after the other, releasing shockwaves of fire and electricity respectively that battered the unicorn backwards with a gasp of surprise and pain as Trixie shouted: “This is disappointing!”

“This is painful! When did things become painful?” Moonflower howled back as another sphere formed above Trixie before it launched itself into the center of the room, where it rapidly began to pulsate. Moonflower could feel the energy from where he was as he scrambled away into a corner, then he hurriedly created a barrier around himself, before his eyes widened as Trixie grimaced even as she flicked her horn to send the sphere shooting towards their 'audience.' “No! Stop that!”

Moonflower lashed his horn out, a blast of raw magic hammering into the sphere and knocking it away to exploded harmlessly against a wall; except it wouldn't have been harmless if it had exploded above his friends, Moonflower saw, from the scorchmarks left along the stone by the force of magic. He turned a surprised, betrayed snarl towards Trixie, but Trixie only smiled at him even as she created two more spheres and sent them into the center of the room. “The show must go on!”

“This isn't a game, or a show!” Moonflower snapped, before he swore as Trixie sent the two volatile spheres rocketing through the air towards his friends, Moonflower leaping in front of the group of ponies and swinging his horn back and forth to blast both spheres away. Trixie redirected them both again as they began to pulse erratically, but Moonflower flicked his horn sharply, sealing one inside a black sphere and dispelling the other as he shouted: “You're putting my friends in danger!”

“You said yourself there are more important things than our own worlds, Moonflower!” Trixie retorted, before she created several more spheres, launching them out one after the other and forcing Moonflower to parry and dispel them with his own magic. “But are you willing to do what it takes? It's all flash and sizzle and fun and games, until it becomes serious, until those we care for are put in danger!”

“I'll do whatever I have to!” Moonflower shouted back, before he created a shield of energy with a wince, channeling energy into it to reflect a beam of magic fired from the mare before he began to slowly force forward against it.

Then, as suddenly as she had attacked, Trixie dispelled her magic and sat back, and Moonflower squawked as he fell on his face with a thump and his shield vanished, the mare smiling at him faintly before she said softly: “Then you have to send Trixie back to the Void, you know. That's the only way Loki and his Jarsongildi won't find this all too suspicious.”

“What is the Jarsongildi?” Thorn asked immediately, and Trixie glanced up with a faint smile as the stallion strode forwards, saying quietly: “We've heard the name many times, but we haven't been able to put together what it actually means. Even Thesis couldn't tell us much about it. We thought it was a false lead.”

“Yes and no. It's just a name, really. The Jarsongildi are Loki's chosen ones. It's almost an inside joke... but if you're inside enough to know the joke, that means you're important to Loki's plans. Not just a pawn.” Trixie paused, then added meditatively: “Then again, Trixie has been told Loki is a master of manipulation, so...”

“Schemes within schemes, plans within plans. Conspiracies inside conspiracies.” Thorn muttered, before he shook his head slowly and looked up at Trixie, asking bluntly: “Why has Moonflower become so important? What are you actually trying to accomplish here?”

“Trixie thinks you'll have to ask Melinda about that, not her. Trixie is just doing what she was told by her teacher... and well, she is admittedly rather curious to see just how strong this stallion supposedly is.” Trixie smiled slightly, before she added quietly: “And Trixie has found it is much easier for ponies to throw her out of town when they're mad at her.”

There was silence for a moment, before Moonflower asked disbelievingly: “You want me to kill you?”

“Not kill! Trixie cannot be killed!” declared the unicorn as she posed for a moment, before she halted, then became almost humble as she nodded with a small smile towards Moonflower. “Yes. There is no other way. Trixie must be sent back to the Void and the collar prevents her from doing it herself. Loki will think that she was defeated, and Trixie will be... temporarily out of the picture. She can easily hide out in Town for as long as she has to, or even just the outskirts. Loki hates it there.”

“Town?” Thorn asked, but Trixie only chuckled and shook her head with a smile.

“Now, now, Trixie can't ruin the magic of the everafter! That would be like giving away all her best tricks!” Trixie replied with a wink, and then she clapped her front hooves together as she returned her eyes to Moonflower, adding in a gentler voice: “Consider it your final test. After all, Trixie is a mighty and powerful unicorn, and even in surrender she cannot go down without a fight! You'll have to prove everything Melinda's said about you true!”

“That I'm a failure?” Moonflower asked pessimistically, and Trixie huffed at him as Thorn gave the stallion a dry look, and the black unicorn lowered his head before he mumbled: “It's hard to believe that I'm supposed to live up to the expectations of... of a legend.”

“You've always been a legend, Moonflower. You inspired Dim Dunn.” Antecedes said, and Moonflower groaned loudly and flung his hooves up in frustration, but all the same seemed to relax a little at the same time, Cadence thought. Like Antecedes had reminded him not to take himself so seriously.

“For the last time, I am not Dim Dunn!” Moonflower complained, shaking his head vehemently before he turned back towards Trixie, studying her intently before he asked finally: “And there is no other way?”

“There is no other way. But do not fear. It will not be the last time you see Trixie.” Trixie paused, then suddenly slapped a hoof against her face, adding hurriedly: “Wait, wait! Trixie almost forgot!”

She glanced over her shoulder, then smiled slightly as she floated a heavy black box into the air and over to Thorn, who frowned as he took it in his own telekinetic grip, studying it intently: it looked metallic and airtight, and as Thorn tilted it back and forth, he muttered: “Auriculos' communicator is inside here. It's secure?”

“Yes, no sound can penetrate. He cannot hear us and we cannot hear him. Which is a relief, Trixie thinks.” Trixie declared wryly, and then she shook her head quickly before continuing: “Melinda said you might find this of use. Trixie is not sure how, but Trixie will also not question Melinda's wisdom, and she sees that you clearly have more knowledge with these sorts of artifacts than she does.”

Cadence wondered briefly if that was some sort of backhoofed compliment, before Trixie added cheerfully: “After all, unlike you, Trixie does not need the help of tools!”

“That seems to be because Trixie is a tool.” Moonflower said before he could stop himself, and Trixie glowered at him as the stallion gave a lame grin, then he asked: “So why can't we just leave?”

Trixie sighed, and Thorn smiled briefly despite himself before the baby blue mare said bluntly: “This is not my death. My death was long ago. And if you leave me in my captor's grip, then you put all of us at risk.”

Moonflower nodded after a moment, lowering his head slightly, before Trixie smiled and shrugged, waving a hoof airily. “Trixie is getting bored. You'll be doing her a favor. Besides, she did try to upset you, but... Trixie has never been very good at upsetting ponies on purpose. Making them mad because she is so much better than them, certainly, but upsetting them? Trixie doesn't like to see ponies upset. She just wants them to... smile. She just wants them to see her for... who she is.”

Trixie halted, then she looked up at Moonflower as she asked cheekily: “How about one more challenge? Trixie still wants to see your gravity magic, and she has one mighty trick left to show you, as well!”

Moonflower smiled despite himself, and then he sighed before he nodded, murmuring: “I suppose it can't be helped. Very well, Trixie. I will show you the full potency of my potently powerful magic.”

It was weak, but there was still a bit of Moonflower to those words, and Cadence smiled despite herself as Trixie grinned, striding across the room as her whole body glowed with energy. “Good! And Trixie will show you what she has learned from Melinda, above all else: magic is not merely the actions of one's horn, but the act of one's will, powered by the entirety of one's body!”

Trixie spun around, grinning widely as her whole body glowed with radiance, setting herself as she shouted: “Now, witness the true might of the Great and Powerful Trixie, and bask in the glory of her... glory!”

“I wonder if she and Moonflower were separated at birth.” Cadence grumbled, and Thorn smiled despite himself before his eyes widened slightly in surprise as all that energy that Trixie was putting out began to coalesce towards her horn: Cadence half-recognized it from her own training with Freya, that somehow Trixie had gathered energy into her entire body and was now transmitting all that raw power into one point... “Moonflower, watch out!”

Moonflower only grimaced as he set himself: he could feel the power Trixie was exuding, far greater than before, and all of that was being focused towards him in a showy, flashy bit of magic that he knew would be useless in a real fight. But this wasn't a fight: this was a test, and he realized how serious Trixie was beneath the poise and the showmareship now as she focused in on him like a laser-

Trixie roared as she snapped her head forward, sending out a tremendous beam of focused energy, and Moonflower reacted at the last moment, creating not a shield, but a swirling black rift in front of him that the beam punched into with enough force to bend reality itself. Trixie had enough time to stare in surprise as her beam was devoured before she looked up too late as the other end of the rift tore open above her head, belching the beam straight down into her and driving her into the ground with a howl of pain as her Voidborn body flickered in and out of existence beneath the power of her own magic.

The beam ended, and Moonflower snapped his horn forwards, creating a black hole above Trixie that yanked the stunned mare off her hooves, dragging her up into the swirling singularity.

She spun around and around as she was dragged towards the center of the malestrom, helpless and dazed by her own magic before she suddenly threw her head back and laughed even as she was dragged into the core of the black hole, exclaiming: “Maybe you do have what it takes after all! Maybe, just maybe-”

But before she could finish, she was swallowed up entirely by the black hole, Moonflower wheezing as he quickly flicked his horn and the singularity imploded on itself. For a moment more, there was nothing, until Antecedes finally remarked: “You've gotten smarter, at least.”

Moonflower huffed over his shoulder at him, and Antecedes studied the stallion intently before he turned his eyes towards Thorn, asking: “What was she talking about?”

Thorn was silent for a few moments, before he shook his head and muttered: “Normally I would say that's confidential information, but in this case... I honestly don't know. Melinda is doing something, yes. She has plans for Moonflower and...”

Thorn's eyes flicked towards Cadence, and the mare scowled before she shook her head and muttered: “Of course. Everyone has plans for me. Or the Swan, rather, since everyone's interested in the Swan...”

“Let's go ask Melinda ourselves.” Thorn said almost abruptly, and all eyes turned to Thorn with varying levels of surprise. But the stallion only looked calmly back around at the group even as he flexed his prosthetic limb slowly, explaining: “We know that Melinda is here, in Canterlot. We can infer from Trixie's behavior and our past meetings with Melinda that she hasn't done any substantial harm to the citizens here, but she's here for a reason, and not just because Loki told her to attack this world.”

Thorn looked down at the black box floating in front of him, before Antecedes suggested: “if that's the case, then maybe we should stay here and let you and Moonflower deal with your business. We'll keep an eye on the Architect. If Stronghold shows up again, we should be able to hold her off long enough to send out a warning to you.”

“I don't know. She was dangerous.” Moonflower murmured, although the look on his face said that wasn't his entire concern. All the same, however, he turned to Thorn for advice, for encouragement, for an answer, and Thorn grimaced slightly, but then sighed and nodded hesitantly, even if he didn't seem fond of the idea himself. Or maybe Moonflower's getting a little too... needy.

“I can take charge of my team if you want to stay back.” Cadence said, and Thorn glanced at her, then gave maybe a small smile of gratitude. Or maybe he's trying not to scowl at me.

“Thank you, Cadence. But I'll handle it. Throna, I would like you to stay here with Antecedes, protect Eridu.” Thorn said, although the Architect seemed like the least of his concerns as the dwarf only smiled strangely, his eyes roving aimlessly through the room as if he was searching for something, or following some invisible trail, Cadence thought. “Neato Burrito... El Casco and Ex Parte should stay here as well.”

Both earth ponies posed proudly, before El Casco pointed at Moonflower and almost shouted: “But you know if you need my help, boss, you only need to call! El Casco is loyal to you, and you alone!”

“I know, old friend. But the best thing you can do for me right now is stay here, find wherever Trixie hid those other ponies, and make sure everyone is safe.” Moonflower replied with a small smile, before he glanced up in surprise as Antecedes reached up and grasped his shoulder, squeezing it firmly as he looked into his friend's eyes.

“Don't screw up.” Antecedes said simply, and then he turned around and instructed: “Ex Parte, El Casco, check the dungeon level. Throna, let's take the Architect up to the gravity exhibit, he'll be safe there.”

“What do you mean 'gravity exhibit?' Did you put my powers on display like... like a display?” Moonflower shouted, before he squawked and grinned lamely when Thorn reached out and grasped the back of his neck, yanking him backwards before he could bolt after the others as they left.

“We have other things to concentrate on.” Thorn said quietly but firmly, and then he shook his head briefly before his eyes shifted to the side, gazing silently at the black cube still suspended in his telekinetic grip as he wondered what other surprises were still laying in wait for them.

With Neither Mercy Nor Honor

Chapter Eighty Nine: With Neither Mercy Nor Honor
~BlackRoseRaven

Thorn led Team 0-0 into Canterlot, and one of the most disturbing sights he had ever seen. There was no hostility, no sign of struggle, no death, but rather, every person, every animal, every thing in Canterlot had been frozen in time.

Thorn was stone-faced, but even Sombra couldn't hide the distress and fear it caused him to walk past ponies frozen in midstep, ponies frozen in mid-speak with half-smiles formed on their faces, ponies frozen in the air with wings extended, as if petrified and suspended by invisible strings from an unknown marionettist.

There was an apple cart that had been overturned, its sprawled contents floating in the air in a never-ending avalanche. Here were several foals laughing and trapped forever in midair, with one friend about to tumble on his side. Here was an old beggar, a look of gratitude shining up through the dirt smeared across his face, as the sun glinted off a single bit that was floating in midair, casually thrown from a stallion in a business suit.

There was beauty, and wonder, and terror in it all as they strode through the streets of frozen ponies, as they passed a water fountain where the water had turned still and unmoving, even as the sunlight danced in sparkles and rainbows through the cascade of glassy drops floating in midair.

Canterlot Castle was much the same: beautiful, and terrible, full of suspended life. Cadence's eyes roved back and forth uneasily, the mare shaking her head slowly as they walked past a pretty young mare frozen in mid-flirt, the flag of her tail coy and provocative, but the stallion's eyes locked on her face, his smile sincere, his satchel half-opened to reveal the flowers inside with blood-red petals perhaps forever caught in petrified bleed, their bittersweet perfume assaulting her senses as they passed. “What happened here?”

The question rang through the silence, but no pony answered: the sound of their hooves across the floor was already almost too much of a perversion in this dead and endless silence as they continued through the halls with Thorn leading the way.

Thorn followed his instincts: he knew that Melinda would be waiting for them, and there was only one place where it made sense for her to be. And they found her there, in the empty throne room; or no, not entirely empty, Thorn realized, as he gazed silently through the pillared audience hall and noted Princess Luna hanging from the ceiling inside a massive birdcage, bells jangling quietly on the bottom of the dangling prison as it swayed slowly back and forth.

Princess Luna appeared to be unconscious: her body was shifting and twitching every now and then, so she wasn't in the same state as the rest of the world around them was. Melinda herself seemed pleased to see them – and as calm and collected as ever – which made Cadence feel more uneasy than she wanted to admit: even if Melinda had help casting and maintaining whatever spell she had over Canterlot, how could she still be so... unfazed? “I'm glad to see you all made it, safe and sound. I was starting to get worried that dear Trixie had been too tough on you.”

She approached Thorn and smiled as he took her hoof almost before she could offer it, kissing it in a sign of respect before she kissed the air on either side of his face. But instead of letting him draw back, she caught him quickly before he could pull away, studying him intently before she murmured: “You're doing better, dear. I'm glad to see it. Although...”

She reached up, silently tracing under Thorn's missing eye, and then she clucked her tongue quietly before asking: “Would you like me to fix that for you, dear? I'm sure you have your own ways to deal with such things, but... I can't help but feel partially responsible for not being able to warn you about the halfbreed.”

“We consider that racist now, Melinda.” Thorn said gently, and Melinda gave a small smile and nod.

“Yes. Well, the old ways, as I say far too often, I know. But it's true: it's all still very much ingrained in me.” Melinda apologized with a bow of her head before her eyes roved towards Moonflower, adding kindly: “I heard that you did very well with Trixie, Moonflower. I would like to offer you some advice, dear, if you are willing to accept it, but I do not wish to impose.”

Moonflower looked blankly at Melinda, but he was spared the trouble of having to respond as Cadence stepped forwards and asked shortly: “What do you want with us?”

Thorn scowled slightly, but Melinda held up a hoof quickly, saying gently: “It's alright, dear. I suppose I deserve a bit of a scolding, after all I've put you through. I can understand being a bit... short-tempered, whether I like it or not. But of course, again, I think of the old days, when mares were seen, but not heard, and if they spoke they were always polite...”

Melinda smiled slightly, her eyes glinting strangely for a moment as she looked at Cadence. “But then again, I was never very fond of that rule myself.”

“Neither was my daughter.” Sombra said politely, stepping forwards and gently touching Cadence's shoulder as he bowed his head politely. “All the same. We offer our own apologies. We are simply... concerned.”

“And of course you have every right to be.” Melinda replied pleasantly, before she scowled slightly as her collar visibly steamed as the runes over it thrummed, absently reaching up to adjust it as she murmured: “Pardon me. I'm afraid that Loki is becoming rather obstinate.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, and the sense of magic coming from the collar dimmed before Melinda smiled and returned her eyes to the ponies. “Now. Where were we again?”

Cadence glowered, but with both her father and Thorn looking at her pointedly, she kept herself quiet. Melinda studied her almost curiously for a few moments, and then she turned her eyes towards Moonflower, who was looking uneasily at the mare. “You seem like you have a lot of questions, dear. Go ahead, ask the important ones.”

Moonflower shifted awkwardly, giving a lame smile before he began to look at Thorn, but Melinda gently caught him by the muzzle and turned him back to face her, saying kindly: “It's best not to always rely on the leadership of others, dear. Your questions are your own. Please ask them.”

The unicorn shifted back and forth awkwardly, and then he gave a lame giggle before he asked hesitantly: “Trixie is... your student?”

“Yes, my dear. And what a talented young mare she is!” Melinda said kindly, nodding to the stallion. “I found her and Veliuona on one of the islands in the Void. I had to separate the two precocious youth. Veliuona was not very interested in being helped in any way, shape, or form, but Trixie recognized me and was eager to experience what I had to offer.

“She has grown well since then. She has a great capacity for magic but a far greater thirst for knowledge, and that and her temperament are even more important than her power.” Melinda explained, before she glanced over at Thorn and said gently: “Again, I hope she wasn't too rough on you, but also that she remembered what we had discussed. Trixie has always been very high-energy.”

“She did, thank you.” Thorn said politely, before he asked: “It may not be polite, Melinda, but I have to be direct: why are you here?”

“I won't insult you by saying it's purely because of Loki. You know that I am very interested in you and your friends, Thorn Blackfeather, and I am curious if you will live up to the high expectations that Lady Hecate has for you.” Melinda replied gently, her eyes meeting Thorn's evenly. “You know that I am here to both teach you and to test you: if you truly desire to be the inheritors and the protectors of this universe, then you should be willing to prove your worth as such, no?”

“We've discussed this before. But even acting on a professional level I'm not sure I should be speaking for the intentions of either Queen Hecate or the Clockwork Empire as an entirety.” Thorn replied politely, and Melinda smiled at him.

“Well, Thorn Blackfeather, then what do you think?”

Thorn looked down for a moment at this, and then he hesitantly chewed on his lip before he finally looked up and said quietly: “I understand what you want to do. I'm just not certain it's the best use of our time.”

Melinda, however, smiled at him knowingly before she asked: “So would you prefer to be fighting actual threats, in that case? Because perhaps part of the reason I'm here is because I worry that you and yours aren't ready for some of Loki's more dangerous ilk... and I want to prepare you for when the inevitable day comes that you must confront him yourselves. Even if you can stop me, that's no promise that you can stop him... but at least we'll both be able to rest easy, knowing we prepared for it as much as possible.”

“And the Void is your home now. This universe is in our hooves, not yours.” Thorn said quietly, before he gave a faint, tired smile before he said honestly: “I'm so tired of all of this, Melinda. I don't want to do it anymore.”

It was such a blunt, bare, open statement coming from Thorn, making Cadence stare and La Croix and Moonflower both nearly gape, but Melinda only gently took Thorn's front hoof in both her own, smiling at him kindly as she said softly: “I know it's been hard for you. Especially for you, darling. But you know that just because you don't want something...”

“It doesn't mean I can just ignore it, I know. I appreciate your kindness, Melinda. The last thing I want to come across as is ungrateful.” Thorn said softly, although his eyes didn't quite rise back to hers. But Melinda only smiled at him, and Cadence wondered silently why Melinda was being so maternal with the stallion. “You still haven't entirely answered my question, however.”

“Acute as always, Thorn Blackfeather. I know that you've already dealt with Bondye, but I know you're not foolish enough to think that was all Loki was doing in that world. With Loki, everything has another layer to it: every plan is only the bridge to another.” Melinda explained quietly as she turned around and strode towards the throne, silently stroking a hoof along the furnishing as her eyes roved up to the cage above, where Luna hung, helpless and yet safe. “Even I am entirely unsure as to what Loki's plans are: but for as far-seeing and all-knowing as he is, he is also... childish.”

Melinda paused, then she turned back towards them with a small smile: “Your mother, Thorn Blackfeather, Hecate... is more than powerful enough to defeat Loki at his best. Even the powers of the Void and the Prime as they are, are no match for the Jötnar that Valthrudnir had become: the ironic 'safekeeper' of all these worlds he had sought to destroy, since who would dare to step foot in them, knowing such a danger was present?”

Melinda chuckled quietly, before Cadence couldn't help but ask: “If you believe that Hecate is strong enough to protect the worlds-”

“But I don't. I said that Hecate is strong enough to defeat Loki, dear, but the worlds are another matter, and not a matter for any one person to handle alone. Hecate has her own tests and torments to endure, of this, I can rest assured: power is not a happy thing, whatever you might believe.” Melinda said gently, smiling faintly at Cadence as she shook her head slowly, before she enunciated quietly: “What I have yet to see, is if you are capable of protecting these worlds. If this Orphanage... is truly what Hecate meant it to be. Or if you are all not Orphans, but only... children.”

Cadence scowled, but understood what Melinda was saying all the same, while Thorn glanced back at Moonflower and La Croix as they both shifted in embarrassment. But Sombra only smiled, saying with gentle but undeniable conviction: “I believe more in the ponies I have met in Hecate's care, and their dedication, than any others I have ever met. And that is no insult to the heroes, the champions, the lords and ladies who served beneath me: for never so much was asked of them as what has been asked of these ponies – and what they have risen to – every single day of their lives.”

Melinda chuckled quietly, before she countered gently: “And yet, still more might be asked of them yet. Will they be able to rise to that occasion as well?”

“I believe they will, signora.” answered the stallion without hesitation, and then he gestured gently at La Croix and Moonflower, saying softly: “My friends have already risen to face greater odds than I could have imagined possible. And if anything I am only ashamed of the fact that it has taken me this long to understand their true potential.”

Melinda smiled at this as both the stallions shifted in embarrassment, and then she sighed as the runes over her collar thrummed again, more insistently than they had before. “Pardon me. I'm afraid that Loki is losing his patience. He can't see us, of course: I have taken every precaution to ensure that. But he can likely tell from the lack of activity that I am disregarding his orders.”

Melinda paused, then she smiled before she gestured around at the throne room, saying gently: “I've evacuated this area of the castle, and put the rest of Canterlot into effective stasis. They won't interfere with us, and nor will we harm them. And the princess is safe, of course.”

“What have you done with the Tablet of Dreams?” Thorn asked, and Melinda smiled and shrugged.

“It lacked the power Loki was searching for, so I simply disenchanted it and left it aside.” she said casually, before she cocked her head as Moonflower visibly twitched. “Did I do something wrong?”

“It was... just... it was more than just a tablet to us, you know.” Moonflower said quietly after a moment, looking up and biting his lip. “Did he... I mean...”

“It was a tablet, dear. A construct mocking life through nothing more than a voice. You cannot tell me that the world has changed so much that we must treat even a piece of stone...” Melinda broke off at the look she was receiving, and then she sighed tiredly, looking perturbed even as she said finally: “I apologize. Once more, the world has changed... more than I expected.”

She looked at them almost suspiciously, as if waiting for one of them to reveal they were just teasing her, but Moonflower only shook his head before he suddenly leapt forwards and nearly knocked Thorn over as he blurted out: “What kind of world did you even come from, Melinda, to not be able to value something that speaks, that feels, that... that would have screamed when you started squeezing it with your magic! So what if he didn't have a face, or a-”

“He? I do not understand. Moonflower, dear, it was a piece of stone. A tablet with a false consciousness. Why would I feel bad about it?” Melinda seemed flabbergasted as she stared at Moonflower, as if she couldn't comprehend what he was saying. “I don't even understand your concern for your 'constructs,' but I honor them and at least attempt to be polite, but... I cannot understand showing concern over a silly piece of rock.”

“He was not a 'silly piece of rock!'” Moonflower shouted, before he winced when Thorn grasped him and almost yanked him backwards.

But the sapphire stallion had his eyes focused on Melinda, and Melinda frowned before Thorn asked quietly: “What do you mean, 'constructs?'”

“You know my feelings on your Dogmatist puppets, Thorn Blackfeather. I understand having 'friends' who are of lower caliber, and I will humor your beliefs and customs, but I still cannot fathom the idea of being 'equal' to something that was built in a lab. That makes it an experiment. Not a life.” Melinda said, and then she frowned slightly, tilting her head to the side as black veins visibly pulsed for a moment through Thorn's features as his teeth bared for a split second.

But Thorn visibly reined himself in, breathing slowly through his mouth before he turned his cold eyes towards Melinda, saying quietly: “As much as I respect you, I can't help but feel insulted, Melinda. The only thing that separates me from a Dogmatist, or even a Replicant, is that I was born-”

“Which makes all the difference, dear! Born things have souls.” Melinda said earnestly, leaning forwards with a smile and a shake of her head. “But things made from pieces do not. Golems do not. Constructs do not. They are merely puppets, animated by magic-”

“Perhaps people used to tell themselves that higher-functioning golems, that animals, that 'lesser races' do not have souls so they could feel less bad about playing with their lives and using them as slaves.” Thorn stated bluntly, and Melinda frowned at this, even as she looked stung, Cadence thought.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Melinda sighed as her collar thrummed again, reaching up to steady it before she said in a more businesslike voice: “Perhaps we should move on, before Loki sends someone to check up on us, or we delve too deeply into an emotional discussion we are both... invested in. I would rather not argue.”

Thorn bowed his head after a moment in agreement, and Melinda stepped backwards, measuring them anew with her eyes before she frowned when Moonflower stepped forwards, almost shakily stating: “I'll fight you.”

All eyes turned Moonflower in surprise, before La Croix said in a low voice: “Y'didn't get hit on the tête or anything, did you Moony? Because-”

“I can do this. I can do this.” Moonflower muttered in response, shaking his head quickly before he looked up at Melinda, challenging in as stable a voice as he could: “I... I defeated your student and... I will put a stop to you, too, Melinda the Sky Witch, for only a legend can defeat another legend and... and I am a legend here! I will... stop you!”

Melinda gave a thin smile, tilting her head slightly to the side to eye the stallion almost coldly before she asked calmly: “And what makes you think that I am interested in meeting such a challenge? You are not at my level, Moonflower. Even when I tested you before, all of you were unable to keep up with the gentlest of my magic. You do not even understand how to deny a hex.”

“Then fight me with magic alone! I mean... magic-magic not... hex-magic or... curse magic or whatever it is. A battle between two unicorns!” Moonflower almost pleaded, and Melinda studied him with a frown before the stallion stepped forwards and bowed his head as much as he could, mumbling: “Please.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Melinda finally sighed before she nodded almost grudgingly, saying moodily: “Very well, Moonflower. Prove to me how much you have grown since last we met, then. I hope it is significant.”

“It is.” Moonflower promised, and Melinda finally seemed to smile a little before she twitched irritably when her collar glowed again, before she looked up in surprise when the stallion blurted: “Why do you wear that when you could just take it off?”

“Because I suppose... I do care more than I want to admit.” Melinda half-answered with a small smile, before she sighed as she straightened, saying quietly: “Step back, please.”

“Good luck, Moonflower. Melinda.” Thorn nodded politely to the mare, and Melinda nodded back to the stallion.

“Don't be stupid.” Cadence said finally as Sombra smiled and gently squeezed Moonflower's shoulder as La Croix gave him a hesitant smile, and Moonflower laughed awkwardly before he turned his eyes back towards Melinda as the group of ponies withdrew to the back of the throne room.

Melinda straightened calmly, and Moonflower winced as the first pulse of her magic echoed through the room, causing the floor to glow brilliantly as it was cleaned of dust and residue as the Mother of Witchcraft said calmly: “May we leave as friends.”

“Yes.” Moonflower said awkwardly, and then he bowed hurriedly, and Melinda gave a slight smile at this response.

“You're lucky you're very endearing, darling.” she chided gently, and then she shook her head before her horn glowed brightly as she said calmly: “When I first began to train Trixie, I allowed my magic to be seen as much as heard. I will do the same for you, Moonflower, although when we meet next, I hope that you will be strong enough to counter my magic without needing your hoof held.”

Moonflower opened his mouth to argue, and then he squawked as he was blasted off his hooves by an explosion of concussive force, landing with a squeak on his head before he fell to a prone position as Melinda sighed. “Dear, a foal should have been able to see that...”

She broke off with a frown before wincing in surprise when Moonflower popped to his hooves, straightening and shouting: “Your puny magic cannot hope to harm the impervious shell of the-”

Melinda flicked her horn, and Moonflower squeaked as he was blown into the air before Melinda caught him with a telekinetic sledgehammer and crushed him down into the ground, squishing him flat into the ground as the mare said dryly: “Trixie had much the same issue as you did, announcing her every attack, yelling and shouting all the time, and-”

Melinda suddenly stopped and cocked her head, frowning in surprise before she leapt backwards with a slight smile as a blast of black lightning ripped through the air where she had been standing a moment before, Moonflower rolling back to his hooves with a grimace as the Mother of Witchcraft said softly: “Impressive. It admittedly took Trixie quite a long time to understand that her bluster could be used to her advantage for more than... provocation.”

Melinda flicked her horn, but this time Moonflower lashed his own back and forth, dispelling the blasts of magic force before they could fully form before he sent out a blade of black energy, but Melinda easily dispelled this with a smile, saying kindly: “All missile attacks will be dispelled or negated, Moonflower. You haven't mastered shifting frequency.”

Moonflower replied to this by slashing his horn down, but the massive peal of lightning that stuck down from the air above Melinda was easily redirected with nothing but a wave of her horn, leaving scars along the earth next to her before it fizzled out as she said gently: “It will not work. You're too obvious. You should focus on grace, more than glory.”

The stallion began to focus, his horn thrumming with power, but Melinda only smiled, her eyes glinting ever-so-slightly, and yet every pony present felt that flex of power as Moonflower's eyes bulged before he suddenly fell forwards, gasping weakly as his limbs twitched uselessly at his sides. “You see? Focus is everything. One touch is all it takes.”

Moonflower struggled weakly as Cadence swore, starting forward, but Thorn quickly caught her as he said sharply: “Don't. This is not our fight.”

Cadence gritted her teeth as she looked at Thorn, but Thorn only continued to look ahead, his eyes locked on Moonflower as the stallion twitched on the ground. Melinda glanced up for a moment with sympathy, but then sighed as she returned her eyes to Moonflower, saying gently: “Well, dear, I do promise to at least make this quick...”

Her horn began to glow, before she looked up in surprise as that aura intensified suddenly and violently, shaking her head back and forth before Moonflower leapt up to his hooves and snapped his horn down, another volley of dark lightning exploding through the air, this time drawn to Melinda's horn like a lightning rod and driving her skidding back several feet before she snarled and snapped her head to the side, using raw force of magic to shatter the bond of magic.

She glared at Moonflower as he grinned at her, before he squawked in pain as he was blasted into the air by a wave of force, then slammed straight down-

Moonflower caught himself with magic before he could crash down onto his face, then he snapped his horn forward, and Melinda gaped in shock as the large unicorn in full armor came streaking towards her like a bullet before he smashed into her like a cannonball, knocking her bouncing backwards into the throne with a tremendous bang.

She fell prone for a moment, looking stupefied as Moonflower rolled backwards to his hooves before he snapped his horn out, and a black sphere formed around Melinda and the throne. But it only lasted a moment before the ball of energy was shattered to oblivion, Moonflower staggering with a curse before he stared at the sight of Melinda, who was hovering in the air, her mane twisting like serpents, her whole body thrumming with limitless magical power.

She looked irritated, if anything, expression cold and contemptible, but she spoke in an even voice as Moonflower stared up at her with undeniable fear: “Don't worry, dear. I'm not as annoyed with you as I am with myself. But I assure you. I won't be struck by such an impish attack again.”

Moonflower began to lean forwards, then gasped in shock as he was immediately driven face-first into the ground by a surge of magic that nearly crushed the life out of him. He struggled against the bands of energy that seized around his body, then gasped as the magic became a powerful tentacle of thrumming lightning that hefted him into the air, before the lightning transformed into a twisting coil of crystal that left Moonflower helpless and suspended before the floating Melinda.

She studied him intently, and Moonflower gritted his teeth and leaned back slightly at the psychic intrusion he felt before he shoved violently back at the telepathic claws, and Melinda's eyes widened in surprise, head wrenching back as she grasped at her skull. Her magic fluctuated, enough for Moonflower to immediately snap his horn out and shatter the crystal pinning him.

He dropped to the ground as Melinda swayed in midair with a grimace, then she steadied herself as Moonflower's magic blasted past her, the stallion staring stupidly as his attempt to reverse gravity accomplished absolutely nothing.

“A nice try, dear, but your gravity magic can't affect me when I'm already in defiance of it.” Melinda said gently, before she flicked her horn calmly, and Moonflower gritted his teeth as he felt gravity simply vanish from around him, sending him floating freely into the air. “How will you deal with this?”

Moonflower's eyes widened as he felt the air itself escaping from him, starting to suffocate as he looked fearfully over his shoulder, but his friends were all still only standing, watching him, unharmed. It made him both relieved and further panicked: if Melinda was really powerful enough to manipulate the world around her with that much control and precision, then how could he possibly...

“If you fail, Moonflower, it's because you gave up, not because Melinda beat you!” shouted Thorn, snapping Moonflower back to reality. “Fight!”

Melinda frowned, before she grimaced and leaned back slightly in surprise as Moonflower snapped his horn out, protecting himself within a bubble of air, her eyes widening slightly in surprise before the stallion lashed his horn forwards, sending another blast of gravity magic towards her.

The mare deflected the blast with ease, before she scowled ever so slightly as it created another sphere around her, trying to create a cage to crush her inside of. But with only a wave of her hoof, the magic was completely dispelled-

A second rush of magic hammered into her, and Melinda gasped in pain and surprise as she was slammed face-first down into the ground, then hauled off her hooves and flung into the ceiling with enough force to crack the cement above and make Luna's cage bounce and jangle. The Mother of Witchcraft was stunned by the force of the blow, enough that she lost concentration on her magic, and Moonflower snapped his horn down even as he fell out of the air as gravity abruptly returned, focusing all the power he could into sending Melinda rocketing straight down and smashing through the foot-thick stone floor.

Dust and debris filled the air as Moonflower wheezed loudly, then he squawked in pain as an invisible force seized him, hefting up into the air before he howled in misery when electricity exploded across his body, nearly searing his skin to his armor as Melinda said softly: “Congratulations. You successfully injured me. It will not happen again.”

Moonflower was slung to the ground by that invisible force: it wasn't telekinesis, because he could still feel it, gripping into him, making it hurt where it felt like claws were holding him as Melinda calmly floated up through the hole, her mane disheveled, her expression unreadable as her cold eyes measured Moonflower callously, as that force firmly began to twist as it crushed down on him. “Do you think that it was a wise choice, Moonflower, to try and fight me? Do you think you are anywhere near my level? Did you even consider the consequences for your own actions, your own behaviors?”

Moonflower howled in misery as one of his legs twisted violently, shattering at the shoulder, then again at the elbow. He spasmed helplessly on the ground beneath what felt like ten thousand tons of pressure and magical fury, his eyes rolling in his head as he struggled to push back against the force of magic crushing around him as Melinda continued, calm and ruthless: “I am your enemy, Moonflower. Did you think that because of your potential I would shy away from treating you as such? Our desires are, must be, superseded by our duties. Only the strong survive, Moonflower! Only the strongest survives!”

Moonflower choked and heaved foam as the pressure crushed around his throat, eyes rolling in his head, limbs flexing and spasming uselessly, his broken leg kicking weakly out over and over again. He spasmed, maddened and lost in the pain and the inevitability on oncoming, rushing, crushing death, his jaws working helplessly, staring sightlessly, helplessly out at Melinda as she wavered only for a moment before-

Melinda flinched backwards in surprise as something struck her, her eyes widening as she looked up in disbelief even as she naturally reflected the feeble attempted hex. She looked at Thorn, but Thorn glared back at her before she scowled when a blast of white light washed over Moonflower, knocking him rolling painfully forwards but banishing the invisible beasts that had been tormenting him, as La Croix quickly dropped to his friend's side to start mending his broken limb and Toad scrambled worriedly over to his friend and master. “I did not expect such rudeness from you.”

“You summoned assistance, breaking the rules of the duel, Melinda. No assistance from any source.” Thorn replied, and Melinda sighed in exasperation as she dropped to the ground, the hole in the floor instantly mending beneath her.

“Is that your excuse, dear? Because I do not consider that to be 'assistance.' I consider that to be nothing more than an extension of my magic.” Melinda said contemptibly. “They are not intelligent. They are not sentient. They are puppets, nothing more. And if I am to entertain the fallacious beliefs about your robots, I would ask that you entertain my beliefs about-”

“Your own 'fallacious beliefs?'” Thorn interrupted, and Melinda looked less-than-pleased: on the one hoof, Cadence was glad to see Thorn standing up to the Mother of Witchcraft for them, but on the other... I'm not sure she's someone we really want to piss off. “They were not merely extensions of magic. They were separate entities; even puppeted, they were not generated by you but foreign entities brought from an outside source for assistance, when this was inferred from the start as single combat.”

“Talk in all the broad, fancy terms you like, dear, but it does not change the truth of the matter., that you have stepped in and broken the laws of the duel.” Melinda snorted in disdain, stepping forward as she narrowed her eyes at Thorn, focused on him and only him: which was good for the moment, as Cadence prowled slowly to the side of the throne room to try and flank her as La Croix continued to patch up Moonflower. “In the old days we would see oathbreakers branded as outlaw, and to be put to death would be a welcome mercy!”

“Mi signora, your days were lived long before any of ours, except perhaps my daughter. And I say again, 'perhaps,' for who knows how the flow of time has lain?” Sombra interrupted politely, leaning forwards and bowing his head humbly. “Let us settle this through diplomacy, not threats and-”

“The time for diplomacy is over.” Melinda stated, voice cutting through them like a chilling razor in its finality. “Those without honor-”

“Are outlaw, and doomed to ruin.” Thorn finished calmly, then he stepped forwards and sharply bowed, exposing the back of his neck, and Melinda grimaced but quickly dropped her own head, with maybe the slightest flush at her collar, like a filly caught with her hoof in the candy jar. “May your victory be swift.”

“And the outcome certain. And pardon me. Allowing my temper to get the better of me is my own folly.” Melinda said almost humbly, although there was a strange mix of bitterness and amusement in her voice too, Cadence thought.

The two straightened, and just like when they had first fought, they both leapt into action, except this time what passed between them was invisible and yet not intangible. A massive sense of force and frustration whiplashed between the two, before Melinda's muzzle quirked in the slightest of smiles, asking: “So are you our savior?”

Thorn began to step forwards, and then he blanched as he was hefted into the air by telekinesis before Melinda slung him savagely sideways, sending him crashing through the wall of the throne room as she said in an almost disappointed voice: “Apparently not. My apologies, darling, I keep forgetting how low your level of magic output is.”

“You leave him alone!” Moonflower shouted as he shoved himself up to his hooves, and Melinda glanced up in surprise a moment before his childish but ferocious attack struck her, blasting her off her hooves with a thunderous burst of gravitational energy.

Before she could recover, Moonflower caught her in midair and tried to slam her down into the ground, but Melinda dispelled the bands of magic around her before she dropped not onto the floor, but instead into a rift in reality, reappearing directly behind Moonflower before she focused in on him. But to her surprise, her hex was rebuffed before Moonflower awkwardly tried to kick backwards, managing to just smack her in the face with one hoof.

She stumbled in shock, grasping at her muzzle and mouthing wordlessly a moment before Cadence came out of nowhere, slamming a hoof into the back of Melinda's head and shoving her face-first into the ground with a tremendous crash. The Swan was merciless, stomping down on the back of Melinda's head before she yanked her up by the mane and slammed her other hoof once, twice, thrice across her face, then she picked her up and snapped her neck in one fluid motion.

Melinda gargled, her eyes wide with disbelief and horror more than pain before she yelped when Cadence seized her around the barrel before the winged unicorn kicked off the ground as hard as she could, launching herself up towards the ceiling with a boom of force at her passage.

She slammed Melinda back-first into the roof, then landed a volley of punches against her body before Cadence seized the witch by the shoulders and flipped around, forcefully trading positions with the Voidborn unicorn before she kicked savagely downwards, sending Melinda rocketing straight down through the air to slam into the floor with enough force to crack cement and shake the entire structure. Melinda groaned weakly as she clawed at the floor, before she screamed in agony when Cadence dropped on top of her, her back loudly shattering, and she simply... dissolved?

Cadence was left standing stupidly on top of broken floor, before she looked up with a snarl as unharmed Melinda stepped out from behind a pillar, the unicorn eyeing her almost disapprovingly as she said coldly: “Well, with behavior like that, I can see why Loki wants your 'assistance' so badly. But I do not have time for brutes.”

Cadence felt the force of magic wash over her, before she trembled as a sudden desire filled her mind: one that she knew was terrible and awful and wrong, and yet it spoke to her on a primal level as she looked down at the dagger that had magically found its way to her hoof, her mouth going dry as she thought what a wonder, what a bliss, what a relief it would be to plunge it into her own throat, and let the red flow out and the great escape of nothing flow in. To have an answer to the greatest of mysteries: would the power of annihilation defeat the power of rebirth?

Cadence tilted her head back, spinning the dagger around and deaf to the reactions of her friends, her family, before her eyes widened in surprise as a claw seized her wrist and another grasped her shoulder, a masked face leaning down beside her ear to whisper: This is not the way.

Then the Swan was gone, and Cadence gasped for breath as she stumbled backwards, Melinda quirking an eyebrow in surprise before she started to open her mouth-

Magic erupted through the air, and Melinda swore in frustration as she was blasted backwards by a massive thrum of gravitational force, gritting her teeth as she skidded to a halt before Moonflower followed up with another blast of power.

Melinda deflected it off to the side, the wave of gravity shattering a pillar into shreds: she caught the rocky debris in her telekinetic grip before she snapped her horn out, sending a storm of shale and shrapnel towards Moonflower, but the stallion deflected it with a shield of black energy as he shouted: “I am your opponent, Melinda! Leave my friends out of this!”

The Mother of Witchcraft scowled as she flicked her horn, transforming Moonflower's shield from black energy to black ice, and the stallion plowed face-first into it with a thunk as she scolded: “The only thing you have managed to prove, Moonflower, is how little you are up to the task. You cannot even-”

Moonflower blasted the shield of ice apart, then flung the frozen shrapnel at Melinda, but the mare easily dissolved the frosty shards before they could hammer into her, snorting in contempt before she cried out in agony when a blast of white flame smashed into the side of her face, knocking her off-balance for long enough that Cadence was able to dash in and slam a hoof into the side of her neck to crush her against the wall, the ivory mare snarling before she laid in with a series of vicious strikes.

Cadence saw the thrum before the shockwave of magic struck her, giving her just enough time to steady herself against the blast so she could catch herself when the force of magic flung her away. She started to lunge forward again, but Melinda vanished from the spot and reappeared on the far side of the throne room, saying shortly: “I won't let that happen again.”

Cadence began to lunge, before she swore as a ripple passed through reality, a moment before the floor beneath them cracked apart and exploded into floating islands of stone and cement, the mare's eyes widening in shock as she looked past them to see nothing but floating, wild color and light. And as the world trembled, the walls around them shattered and peeled away, becoming nothing but dust as La Croix shouted: “Careful, mon amies! We be trapped in some kind o' rift!”

“That is correct. I've displaced reality here.” Melinda said calmly, and Cadence looked up in shock to see the mare was now calmly sitting in the throne, even though a moment ago she had been dozens of feet away, near the far corner of the throne room. But that was the least strange of things, as the ceiling crumbled into dust, but the cage holding Luna only began to float slowly and serenely around the arena, in complete defiance of gravity, along with the remains of several broken pillars.

Except when Cadence tried to move, she felt a strange weight in her body, like she was glued to the platform. She jumped all the same, but came down with a painful thud immediately, her wings unable to catch the air- “This is beyond you. This is beyond where brutality can succeed.”

A blast of magic slammed into Cadence, then hauled her into the air before slamming her down into the ground. She vomited blood from the force of impact before La Croix leapt over her, throwing out a burst of powder that banished the malicious spirits augmenting Melinda's telekinetic force as he shouted: “She got some kind of nasty voodoo-”

“Coursers, eliminate him.” Melinda said ruthlessly, and La Croix stared as reality erupted in front of him, black skeletons of horses wreathed in hellfire ripping into this hellscape reality, screaming as they dove at him-

Sombra appeared in front of La Croix, creating a wall of black crystal that the skeletons uselessly exploded against as he said quietly: “Nightmares.”

“Ain't Nightmares. I seen Nightmares. Those things ain't it.” whispered La Croix as he grasped at his chest, trembling a little as he stared at the cracked wall of black crystal, and Melinda laughed quietly from the throne as she shook her head slowly.

“Yes. But I called them Nightmares. In my day, the beasts you now know as Nightmares we simply called Black Spirits.” Melinda said quietly, before she continued softly: “But they are not Horses of Hell, any more than they are muddled, emotional spirits. They are something... different. Lesser and morer.”

Melinda slipped out of the throne, before she frowned as Moonflower caught her eye as he hopped and scrabbled up onto another floating island of stone, saying in a shaky but determined voice: “We're not done yet! I... I refuse to be afraid of you!”

“I am not interested in your fear. At this point, I am not even interested in your respect.” Melinda answered, before she stretched a hoof towards him, and Cadence's eyes widened in shock as four of Melinda's Nightmares appeared in midair above Moonflower, circling greedily once before they all dove down together, their flames burning blacker for a moment before they crashed down and exploded in a tremendous gout of black hellfire.

Cadence snarled and leapt immediately to the next island, ignoring both La Croix and her father as her eyes flashed, feeling the Swan opening up her senses as Melinda looked towards her. The witch spoke, calm and cold, but Cadence didn't hear her words: instead, she saw the ways her eyes flicked back and forth, felt the thrum of energy as Nightmares appeared with giggles and cackles, ripping into this reality from the hellhole they had spawned out of-

Cadence leapt to the side as Nightmares smashed into the island she had been on a moment before and the one directly in front of her, and then she sprung up to a floating pillar, charging along it and ignoring the hell-beasts sweeping past her before she leapt off the end of the stone column, streamlining her body as she dove straight towards Melinda.

Melinda scowled up at the ivory mare as eight Nightmares exploded into being around her, all of them lunging him with shrieking screams, and Cadence snarled before her entire body glowed with white light as they smashed into her from all sides in an explosion of dark fire. For a moment, there was nothing, only smoke and swirling black flame, and then a streak of white light shot out of the cloud and tackled Melinda with enough force to smash her through the throne, the witch gasping in shock as she was slammed down onto her back before she screamed in agony and disbelief when Cadence's long daggers pierced her shoulders and pinned her into the ground.

Cadence's front hooves burst into white flame before she began to slam punch after punch down into Melinda's shocked features, sending up bursts of steaming energy as the Swan said coldly: “We are stronger than the castoff of the Underworld. We have grown stronger. You have only grown more arrogant.”

Melinda snarled, then snapped her horn forwards before another punch could collide with her muzzle, and Cadence was blasted into the air before a team of Nightmares ripped into reality around her, cackling as thorny, dark vines tore out of their bodies and seized around Cadence's limbs and body, pinning her as they charged swiftly away into the swirling, brightly-colored nothingness with the mare trapped between them.

Moonflower's eyes widened in shock, before he looked up as Melinda wrenched herself off the ground, tearing the daggers out of her body and tossing them down as she breathed hard, disheveled and furious and fuming energy. Every breath out sent out a gust of smog, her eyes blazing, her mane floating as static energy rippled across her body as she snarled: “Well, if you wanted to make me angry, you have succeeded!”

“We want to stop this. This does no benefit any of us.” Sombra said calmly as he stepped forwards, La Croix nervously lingering behind him. “You-”

“Silence.” Melinda said coldly, and Sombra flinched as his horn sparked with painful magic before he gasped, his body thinning rapidly, his features becoming tense and pale as the purifier on his back whirred violently, sparking as the mechanism went into overdrive. “Step aside, old baron. You are weak.”

“Yes. I am. But I will fight, all the same.” Sombra replied as steadily as he could, trying to gather up his magic, but it was useless. Not just because the purifier was going into overdrive, but Melinda was damping his magic, making it impossible for him to concentrate any of his powers.

Yet all the same, he pushed back as calmly and strongly as he could, and Melinda scowled as she focused in further on him for a moment before her eyes suddenly flicked to the side as La Croix appeared beside her, flinging a bottle towards her-

The bottle halted in midair, then simply disintegrated, La Croix staggering back a step before he gasped and grasped at his throat, eyes bulging as he began to choke. He fell forwards, mouth working wordlessly, eyes rolling helplessly up towards her as she loomed over him and said in a soft, disdainful voice: “Well, it seems even your kind are not immune to my persuasion.”

La Croix clenched his eyes shut, struggling to breathe, and Melinda studied him callously for a few moments: she knew that it wasn't the lack of air that would kill the Loa, but cutting off the flow of blood and energy in his body, which had apparently decided to manifest itself as suffocation.

Melinda smiled thinly, then, without looking up, she caught a blast of gravity magic against her hoof before she frowned slightly: she ignored Moonflower as he yelled at her, instead studying the roiling sphere of gravitational energies in her hoof: why was it so hard for her to counter? Why wasn't she able to lock on to Moonflower's magic the way she was with any other unicorn?

She began to turn her attention towards him, then gasped in shock as the orb of condensed magic exploded in her hoof, knocking her skidding sideways before she leapt up into the air and caught herself, floating above the broken remains of the throne.

Moonflower leapt to another island so he was directly facing her, glaring up at her almost challengingly, and Melinda smiled thinly before her eyes flashed. But Moonflower only shivered, then he shook his head vehemently before he glared up at her, and Melinda's eyes became less cruel and more measuring as she said quietly: “There was no pressure in that hex. If I wanted to make you kill yourself, I could still do it easily. Do not congratulate yourself so lightly.”

“I'm not congratulating myself at all, Melinda. I'm... I'm standing up to you.” Moonflower said firmly, leaning forward and shaking his head vehemently. “I'm not afraid of you!”

“You should be.” Melinda said, sounding almost disappointed, and then she simply gestured at him, and four Nightmares erupted out of the air and shot down towards the stallion-

Moonflower slashed his horn out, and a shockwave of magic pounded the four monstrosities backwards with shrieks, the eruptions of magic and black fire from her destroyed Nightmares washing over her harmlessly. She remained floating, scowling and bleeding energy before she frowned slightly as she reached up and touched her breast even as Moonflower shouted at her, some threat or promise... “I'm afraid I have no more time to waste.”

Melinda rose her head high, her collar sparking violently before it shattered into pieces, and Moonflower staggered backwards in shock as Melinda spread her forelegs wide, her whole body suddenly glowing with energy as she summoned up all her reserves of power. Yet even as she did, the steam of energy bleeding out of her wounds intensified, her form smoldering and starting to char away with the pulse of power thrumming through her.

Moonflower staggered backwards, gaping in terror, the crystalline insulation of his armor pulsing erratically before the magical stone shorted out and caused the armor plating across his body to crack and crumble. He shook his head in gibbering, wordless denial as he stared up at her, at the raw power she was putting out before he gasped in pain as a force of indescribable magic tore across him, burning the armor plating away from his body and leaving him naked and vulnerable, trembling and struggling not to piss himself in fear.

The Mother of Witchcraft glared down at him, the feeble, the failure, the fraud, and Moonflower trembled. There were no more challenges, no words, no speeches: this was true power. This was a strength that did not have to speak. This was the beast who did not have to bark.

Melinda blasted him backwards with little more than a thought, Moonflower hurtling helplessly into the air before he simply fell. He smashed down, back-first, into an island, bouncing high into the air off it before the cement shattered away to nothing beneath him, leaving him falling into a void-

La Croix tackled Moonflower out of the way and into another island, but then he gave a raspy howl as a Nightmare swept down and smashed into him, carrying him away before it exploded in a black blast that knocked the Loa flying into the air, only for another two Nightmares to appear above him and smash themselves bodily into the zebra, cackling even as they exploded and sent the Loa rocketing straight down into the ground. But La Croix was saved by a pale Sombra, who narrowly managed to fling himself beneath the zebra and catch him with a gasp of pain.

Moonflower stared at his friends, before his eyes widened in horror as Melinda simply shattered the island beneath them and sent them tumbling into the abyss. He leapt forwards, but Melinda's magic caught him and forcibly spun him around, levitating him in front of her as she said quietly: “They are gone. All of them. Now surrender, and you will be, too.”

Moonflower trembled for a moment, and then he snarled through the tears forming in his eyes before he shouted furiously: “Never! I'll make you give them back!”

“There is no 'giving back.' They are gone.” Melinda retorted cruelly, as she flung Moonflower backwards, sending him crashing and bouncing across an island of broken cement before she pointed at him, and Nightmares ripped through reality, lunging down with cackling laughs, smashing into Moonflower and the island to shatter pieces of it away and burn and injure the stallion. “They are gone. You are a failure. The old ways may be cruel, but I understand better now that they are right: defects like you... faults in nature... should be exterminated, hold no hope. There is no hope for our world. There is no hope for any of the worlds; the only future lies in the Void. And when Loki makes everything nothing, when the Prime destroys everything and itself, perhaps-”

Melinda was cut off as a surge of power smashed up through her Nightmares, knocking several of them off-course, magic coursing over them before they exploded in great geysers of black flame. The mare narrowed her eyes in surprise as she saw Moonflower below, snarling up at her as tears spilled down his cheeks, the stallion rearing back on his hooves as he roared: “I will still fight for them! I will fight for my world! I won't let you win!”

Black and purple might swirled along Moonflower's horn before he snapped his horn towards her, and Melinda's eyes widened as a beam of hellish black with a malicious violet core shot through the air. She immediately shoved both hooves down, channeling all her power into countering the ray of not-energy with her own magic, augmented further by a stampede of Nightmares that ripped out of reality all around her, charging heedlessly into the face of the onrushing beam and using their bodies and the immense dark magic stored within them to try and drown it.

But the beam was too powerful: it pushed forwards all the same against the onslaught, Melinda's eyes widening further in disbelief as magic unlike anything she had ever felt pushed up towards her, backed by Moonflower's rage and sorrow and all that raw emotion that was burning off him, as he culled energy from every part of his body and focused it all into the intense ray of destruction. She felt her body weakening, felt her form beginning to give out under the pressure of fighting back against the magic as she shook her head in mute disbelief, before she desperately flung herself downward even as she poured all her magic into not stopping the beam, but deflecting it-

There was a bright flash, and Moonflower flinched backwards with a gasp before he stumbled and collapsed on his side, breathing hard. He blinked a few times, then looked slowly up in disbelief to see his friends laying around him, bruised and battered and beaten, but... all alive. All okay.

He leapt to his hooves, laughing weakly as he looked back and forth in confusion: but everything was okay. There wasn't a single sign of damage to the throne room, and Thorn was already on his hooves and standing over... Melinda.

Moonflower staggered towards her, not knowing whether he wanted to snarl or smile, but then he stumbled to a stop and stared down in disbelief as he saw almost half of the Mother of Witchcraft's body was simply... missing. She smiled faintly up at him, one of her hooves gently held in both of Thorn's: her only remaining hoof, he realized. The rest of her legs had shattered away, like broken glass, leaving only jagged, energy-bleeding remnants behind.

“I apologize.” she said honestly, and Moonflower blinked before Melinda whispered: “I have always had such... a terrible temper. I have always been... very hard on ponies. The Void did not do much to temper me, I am afraid, as much as it did teach me patience, for... I cannot harm my students there. I forget... how soft, how brittle, ponies are. And I forget... how it is that mortality... that makes you and yours so strong.

“You have much to learn, Moonflower. You are not yet ready, and I will come and test you again in the future, but... you have focus. You have passion. And you have friends, which I... underestimated. I never had... many friends.” Melinda smiled faintly, whispering, as her eyes traveled to Thorn: “And you should learn the value of that, too. I used to mock 'friendship.' I'm sure you did, too. But... we are the fools. We are the weak ones. Or... were. I am getting stronger. I am sure that you are, too, my darling.”

Thorn answered by gently kissing Melinda's hoof, and the mare laughed faintly before she turned her eyes towards Moonflower, who asked weakly: “Why? Why do all this? Why...”

“Because you must be ready. I cannot defend you. I cannot defend the worlds I am no longer part of, that I have no more vested interest in.” Melinda smiled faintly, shaking her head slowly before she closed her eyes as her head drifted to the side, sighing softly as she murmured: “I will return to the Void. I will... continue to keep an eye on Loki. It will only be a brief breath, don't worry. I just need... to go home, for a little while.”

Thorn nodded, then looked pointedly at Moonflower, making him fall silent before the sapphire stallion returned his eyes to Melinda, saying quietly: “We both acted out of anger. Let this be a lesson to us both.”

“Don't be so diplomatic, Thorn... it doesn't always... do favors...” Melinda murmured, before she sighed softly as she tilted her head back, her body shattering away into motes of dust that floated silently into the air, her voice echoing softly around them as the last of her essence faded: “Even here, in the Nothing, there is Something... perhaps it is in this emptiness, where we can find true, infinite possibility... if only we can dare to face ourselves...”

Silence fell, and Moonflower breathed softly in and out before he turned to look at Thorn, trembling for a moment as Thorn sat with his head lowered in thought, until he looked up and gave Moonflower the briefest of smiles.

Moonflower shook for a moment longer, then he lunged forwards and kissed him firmly, and Thorn smiled again as he returned the kiss, his eyes not entirely closing before he gently reached up and pushed Moonflower back, murmuring softly: “I'm glad to see you, too. But we still have a job to finish.”

“Yes. Y-Yes, of course.” Moonflower blushed and smiled in embarrassment even as he shifted uncomfortably away, before he looked up with immediate gratitude and relief when Thorn gently brushed a hoof along the back of his neck and gently adjusted his necklace. “I'm... I'm sorry about the armor.”

“It's fine. You're in one piece. That's what matters.” Thorn said quietly, even as he turned his attention towards the cage above, and Moonflower blushed deeply and nodded hurriedly before the sapphire stallion glanced back and called clearly: “Sound off!”

Cadence mumbled something grumpily from the floor as she slowly pushed her aching body up to her hooves, and Sombra smiled faintly as La Croix grumbled from beside him, nervously adjusting the purifier as he grumbled: “Y'know, y'should really be the one doin' this, Thorn, I bet you a whole lot better at it than I am.”

“Alright.” Thorn said after a moment, turning to approach, and La Croix looked up with an awkward smile that was a mix of embarrassed and relieved as the stallion approached, studying the control panel that La Croix had exposed.

“You have it set correctly to gear down, it's just been overcharged by Melinda's magic. We can't do much apart from waiting.” Thorn said after a moment, as he closed the control panel before calling up a holographic screen, reviewing the statistics that scrawled over it before he frowned as the image filled with static.

“I will be fine, thank you. Mi amore, are you alright?” Sombra asked, and Cadence grunted before she sighed as she pushed herself up from the ground, smiling awkwardly into her father's pale features.

She ached, sure. And she felt as if she should have done better. But she didn't think she had been hurt: the Nightmares had flung her into the whirling colors of the nothingness, but in the end, here she was. Safe and sound, and her daggers were right here in front of her.

She scooped them up and holstered them both as she mumbled: “Embarrassed, I guess. I feel like...”

She frowned uneasily as something painfully pulsed in her head, and the Swan went rigid inside of her: did that mean there was another threat? Was it Halfdragon?

“What is it?” Thorn asked quickly, as he tried to recalibrate the Mission Drive built into his leg.

La Croix looked up with a frown, and Moonflower shifted nervously, looking back and forth as he asked worriedly: “Is she still here? Is Halfdragon here now? What's going on?”

Cadence shook her head as Sombra looked uneasily at his daughter, and the mare opened her mouth, before her eyes widened in disbelief as the Swan suddenly seized control of her, wrenching her head around as the Swan forced her to see.

“Horses of Heaven.” Cadence whispered, and then she spun towards Thorn and shouted: “We have to run!”

Thorn frowned, a moment before the world began to shake, the stallion staggering with a grunt of surprise before he stepped quickly to the side with a grimace as the thin chain holding the cage suspended above snapped, sending it crashing to the ground.

Princess Luna snapped awake a moment before she was flung face-first through the cage door as it popped off, yelping s she hit the ground, and Cadence swore as she wrestled control back, grabbing the Princess and hauling her up to her hooves as she shouted: “Come on, come on, we have to go!”

“Cadence what are you-” Thorn grunted as he was almost flung off his hooves as the floor cracked and shifted beneath their hooves, dust hailing down from the ceiling as the world shook. He swore and grabbed at his mechanical limb as his mechanical armor squealed, feedback pulsing painfully through his damaged helmet.

Sombra gritted his teeth as he felt his purifier stutter and spark on his back, and La Croix grabbed at himself with a wince of shock as he flickered in and out of reality even as he fell with a painful thump on his side. Moonflower gasped as pain raced down his spine and over his horn, as he felt a strange, numbing, crushing weight on all sides- “Oh no, no! No!”

It was impossible, but he recognized it. He recognized that feeling, that sense of everything rushing away as he looked up almost desperately, before he cried out in pain, and terror, and despair, as the rear wall of the throne room shattered before it was sucked violently backwards by a swirling singularity of white, a hole in reality that was greedily devouring the world around them, that led directly into the Void.

Cadence stared in horror at the pulsating Nothingness stretching towards them, and Moonflower cried out, in wordless misery and fear, stumbling backwards before Thorn staggered in front of the group and shouted: “Go! We have to run, now!”

But it was useless, Cadence knew: even as they turned and ran, they could feel the world, reality itself tearing apart around them, shattering, devoured into the Void. Eaten up by the singularity that was both so distant and oh so very close, breathing greedily down their necks, shattering away the world behind them as they fled...

And above, Loki watched, standing on a broken island of rock and earth that had come untethered from the planet. He crossed his arms, eyes trailing after the ponies as they ran: not that there was anywhere to go. The planet's core had already been devoured by the largest singularity, and the other holes in reality were just speeding the process up. This planet was dead, and soon, Hecate's precious little children would be too.

He smiled thinly, then frowned in surprise as a rift ripped open beside him, Melinda storming out onto the island. Loki gave a wry grin at this, tilting his head towards her and remarking: “Well, just couldn't keep away, could-”

“Stop this, Loki. Stop this immediately. This is too much, too far!” Melinda hissed, glaring into the man's eyes, and Loki gave her a mocking smile that didn't do much to hide the way he nervously shifted backward. “This is not what was planned!”

“It's not enough. I was considering doing this to all the worlds, but I don't get enough energy from the harvested souls. Opening holes to the Void is-”

“You will cease this immediately, Loki, or I will put a stop to it and then I will put a stop to you!” Melinda suddenly roared as she reared up, her eyes blazing with hellish light, her mane twisting around her head like living serpents, and Loki squeaked as he fell back on his rump and scrambled away from the mare fearfully.

Melinda snarled furiously as she stepped forwards, veins pulsing through her coat, her whole body thrumming with hellish energy as steam burst out of her nostrils. Loki winced away from her as she leaned threateningly over him, before the mare suddenly stepped back and said coldly and contemptibly: “Give them a chance. You are above this. You promised me you were above this.”

“Promises were made to be broken.” Loki muttered, but then he grimaced as he shoved himself up to his hooves, before he winced when Melinda seized his arm with magic, leaning back slightly but unable to pull away; or rather, not wanting to risk it. He wasn't nearly at his full strength right now, and even if he became the Prime, Melinda knew all his strengths and all his weaknesses...

“Fix this.” Melinda ordered, and Loki gave a theatrical sigh before he snapped his fingers, grimacing slightly as the rips in reality sewed themselves shut. Not that it would do much good, he thought, as he looked down at the world below: a world that had cracked and shattered apart, over the face of which countless lives had been lost and countless more would yet die, nothing left but shattered islands of cities and dying nature...

Melinda nodded to him once, then she vanished from the spot, and Loki put his hands in his pockets before he muttered: “Not worth the effort, anyway. I still have to heal. I have all the time in the world. No need to rush now, here at the end of it all. I just need to be patient. Time is on my side, not theirs. Remember that. Silly.”

Loki absently slapped at his own cheek a few times as a rift opened behind him, before he slowly slipped backwards into this, muttering: “Patience, patience, patience... no one can touch me in the Void, and I have all the time in the universe to heal...”

Melinda, meanwhile, had reappeared on a floating chunk of street, where Moonflower was curled up in the fetal position, whimpering and shaking his head in disbelief. The rest of Team 0-0 were scattered around this island and another, but they were confused and lost: there was no gravity, no sense of up or down, no atmosphere: there was just the floor beneath your feet, and if you were unlucky enough to step off that... the great, dark nothing.

“Moonflower! You have to restore some form of order to this world!” Melinda said sharply, and Moonflower blinked several times before he looked up at the mare, staring at her as if he couldn't see her, right until she slapped him firmly, making him squawk and rear up in surprise. “There is no core, no axis, and the Void that has leaked into the world has corrupted the natural laws of the universe. But you can fix it!”

“I... what? H-How, no... I'm not... you fix it! You did this!” Moonflower shouted, before his eyes widened in shock as Melinda tackled him and slammed him down on his back, glaring down at him furiously.

“I did not!” she shouted, and then she closed her eyes, took a slow breath, and repeated quietly: “I did not. I am trying to help you. But this is not my world and my magic is not enough to restore this. But yours is. You can give some sense back to this world: not enough to fix it forever, but enough to stabilize it, to stop the atmosphere from fleeing, to save the few lives you can. Do you want to save them, Moonflower? Or do you want to leave them to die?”

Moonflower trembled, before he nodded and asked weakly: “What do I do?”

“Trust.” Melinda answered with a faint smile as she held a hoof out to him, and the stallion took it, letting her heft him up to his hooves before she guided him to the edge of the stone island and pointed down, past shale and stone and broken, naked earth. “Your magic was not given to you to destroy. Now use it, as it was meant to be used.”

Moonflower stared down into the mix of blank space and chaos and nothingness. He stared into the abyss, until the abyss gazed back into him: he stretched down, and the darkness opened its arms for him, waiting, praying, asking for an answer.

And before he could hesitate, Moonflower gave it.

The World That Ended

Chapter Ninety: The World That Ended
~BlackRoseRaven

Thorn sat silently with Moonflower's head cradled in his lap, the unicorn unconscious and twitching fitfully every now and then as he murmured conversation to... someone. Thorn wasn't sure who, exactly. Maybe it was Stronghold, maybe it was Throna, maybe it was Luna, but none of them were listening: Stronghold was gone, Throna wasn't here, Luna was lost in her own world, shellshocked and blind to everything around her as she sat apart from them all, alone and afraid.

Cadence sat on the edge of the island with her father and La Croix, all of them staring out at the enormous black hole that was thrumming in the center of the... well, it's not a planet anymore...

Loki had destroyed this world. He had opened holes to the Void throughout reality and torn it apart, devouring who knew how much of the planet and permanently scarring the fabric of reality. Moonflower had managed to temporarily create a new core for what little was left of the world with a massive black hole, catching the shattered remains of the planet and pulling it all into a cluster of broken islands orbiting the pulsing singularity.

But it wouldn't last much longer. Maybe a few hours, if they were lucky; and who knew how many ponies had already died? The entire world had been destroyed, and Cadence could see ruined chunks of planet floating helplessly away in the distance, glowing in the eternal not-day as the sun shone through the debris field of stone that surrounded them.

Cadence opened her mouth, before she sighed and closed it slowly, lowering her head as she whispered: “We failed. Miserably.”

“What could we do?” Sombra asked, and Cadence hated the hopelessness she heard in her father's voice. More than anything else, that assured her that yes. Yes, they had failed. “If Loki can simply... erase worlds...”

“Ain't no way to stop that. Don't know why he hasn't just done that already.” La Croix muttered, before he bit his lip, then shook his head vehemently, leaping up to his hooves and snapping: “No! No, alors pas! I might be a capon but I ain't givin' up! He ain't won yet, he... he ain't won. He ain't.”

La Croix quieted as he lowered his head, and Cadence gazed silently down into the darkness, studying the swirling black hole in the center of all the chaos before she closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, muttering: “I don't know if there's anything we can do. I don't... know. I just... I just need to...”

She quieted, chewing on her lip, before she glanced up in surprise at the thrum of magic she felt and heard, spinning around just in time to watch as a vortex spun open in reality.

Dogmatists strode quickly through the rift, followed by Hecate herself, the Jötnar mare looking sharply back and forth before she frowned when Cadence stumbled towards her, half-saluting before she staggered to a halt, then dropped her head and whispered: “I'm... I apologize for my failure. I take full responsibility for-”

Hecate reached down and grasped Cadence firmly under the muzzle, tilting her head up to look into her eyes before she shook her own shortly, replying quietly: “Do not apologize and do not insult me or your team again by trying to take responsibility for what is not your fault. Things happen. Defeat is not failure. Not when... this happens.”

Hecate looked up, and then she grimaced for a moment before she turned to approach Thorn, her eyes lingering on him for a few long, painful moments, before she asked in a voice that was almost entirely steady: “Status?”

“Catastrophe.” Thorn murmured, as he silently stroked through Moonflower's mane, lowering his eyes as he shook his head slowly. “We successfully retrieved the Architect. We defeated several Voidborn, but found that Melinda had already destroyed the Tablet of Dreams by the time we reached Canterlot. We defeated her, but then... catastrophe.”

“I see. Loki is getting frustrated.” Hecate said in a low voice, studying the ruins of the world before she shook her head slowly, then asked abruptly: “Your injuries?”

“A Primordial was assisting Queen Veliuona in an attack on Tartarus and I incurred the injury during the battle. We defeated it and successfully stopped Loki's forces from opening the Gates of Pandemonium and retrieving the Architect.” Thorn answered, and Hecate smiled faintly at her son before she reached up and gently grasped his chin, tilting his head to the side.

“You are not a failure, Thorn Blackfeather. You have done more than I ever could have asked.” she murmured, before she straightened and turned towards Cadence, continuing: “That goes for all of you. Return to Endworld. I will debrief you personally after I finish operations here.”

“It's unsafe. Loki has demonstrated a power that-” Thorn began to get up, but then he grimaced as Hecate caught him by the shoulder and gently pushed him back down.

“No matter how powerful Loki is, he can't jump to Endworld. He has to go through Decretum or one of our own portals. And he's not brave enough for that.” Hecate answered calmly as she met her son's... eye. “And you know as well as I do he can't simply start ripping holes in reality.”

“Yes. Yes. If he could, he would have already done it. There wouldn't be any need for these Primordials or... everything else he's doing. But what is he trying to achieve?” Thorn murmured, before he sighed a little as Moonflower stirred, the sapphire stallion reaching down to gently help the black unicorn dazedly stand. “I... don't want to leave you here alone.”

“She's not alone, kiddo. I'll look out for Mom.” answered another voice, and Cadence gave the faintest of smiles as she looked up and saw Thesis was now standing in front of the portal, a grin on his face in spite of the worry in his eyes as he approached his little brother. “What, Thorn, you afraid that the robot arm didn't make you cool enough already, you had to lose an eye, too?”

“Yes. The loss of depth perception is well worth it.” Thorn said acidly, and Thesis smiled slightly before the sapphire unicorn lowered his head, mumbling: “I apologize. It's been... it's been a long day.”

“Yeah. Looks like it. Look, take your boy and go home. I'll keep an eye on Mom and do cleanup here. Don't worry. We're going to save as many people as we can. And that includes you, kiddo, so get your ass moving.” Thesis said gently, and Thorn gave a brief smile before he nodded once, then sighed a little as he half-lifted Moonflower, who still looked disconnected from reality.

Then again, he had used a massive amount of magic power to create that black hole, and this was his world... had been his world. Cadence watched silently as Moonflower was half-carried to the portal, and she hated how as they began to enter the rift, he cried out, tried to pull back, but Thorn only gently but firmly turned him back towards the portal, and after a moment, Moonflower lowered his head and allowed himself to be guided into the vortex, Toad silently hopping along at their side.

Thesis lingered for a moment, then he turned towards Cadence with a smile, striding towards her and asking quietly: “Are you okay?”

Cadence opened her mouth, and she surprised everyone present – including herself – by saying simply: “No.”

Thesis nodded a few times, studying her with his eyes before Hecate ordered suddenly: “Make yourselves useful. Sombra, your purifier is damaged, I'll recalibrate it for you. Cadence, La Croix, go with Thesis. Find survivors and...” Hecate paused, then glanced over her shoulder and shouted: “Ad Hoc, give Thesis your beacon pack!”

A Dogmatist with a heavy steel exoskeleton approached, offering the pack on its side to Thesis, who quickly unclipped the satchel and then threw it over his own shoulder as he and Cadence both turned their attention back to Hecate, as she instructed: “All available units are mobilizing and scrambling to respond to this catastrophe. If you want to help, then get as many survivors as possible into groups and place a tracking beacon beside them. It will help us expedite rescue operations.”

“I... yes. It's hard to fly, though, I'm not sure...” Cadence started, before she stared as a grappling hook simply appeared in Hecate's hoof before she shoved this into Cadence's face, and the ivory mare scrambled to take it and the fifty foot coil of rope that had appeared with it, giving a lame smile as she said awkwardly: “Thank you.”

“Don't screw up.” Hecate said shortly, and Cadence winced a bit before the Jötnar mare turned away, gesturing at Sombra to join her as she headed towards Princess Luna.

“Good luck, mi amore.” Sombra said gently, and Cadence smiled faintly at her father before she sighed a little and turned her eyes towards Thesis.

“So... is there a plan for every contingency, or did Hecate just make this up on the fly?” Cadence asked, and Thesis gave a slight smile.

“Catastrophe protocol is pretty old, actually: don't forget that my dad used to be pretty big on the whole 'destroy all worlds' thing.” Thesis replied with a shrug and a small laugh. “Had to have protocols in place for quick extraction. Mom just modified them to encompass a larger range of people.”

Cadence nodded after a moment, although she didn't really understand what was going on. But right now, she couldn't really comprehend... anything. Her mind was still reeling from the fact that Loki had just erased an entire world because... because why? Because he hadn't gotten his way? Because...

Thesis gently grasped her shoulder and shook her once, and Cadence blushed a bit as she looked up before she shook her head and mumbled: “Sorry. I think I'm going to be zoning out a lot for the next while. It's all just... it really... sucks.”

“It really sucks.” Thesis agreed, nodding slowly before he patted Cadence gently on the shoulder, then turned his eyes to La Croix. “Can you use your powers at all?”

“Sorta. It be on the in and out... ain't workin' quite right, probably because of all that bad mojo.” La Croix said finally, before he grimaced a bit. “Sure you want me comin' with you two lovebirds?”

Cadence scowled, but Thesis nodded, saying quietly: “There could be quite a lot of angry spirits. I don't want to hurt anyone.”

“Real sweet of you.” La Croix sighed a little, and then he said finally: “I know it ain't like me to be the professional one, but... we should go check on Moony's friends. Y'know, the mission and all.”

“Yeah. The mission.” Cadence echoed, although she understood the real reason well enough as she looked uneasily in the direction where... well, where she thought the Black Fortress might stand, assuming it had survived.

But she wasn't kidding herself: as powerful as the black hole was, they were lucky that even half of Canterlot was able to orbit around it, let alone the other chunks of world here and there. She looked up silently through the starfield of broken stone above their heads, and then she sighed and shook her head before murmuring: “We might as well try.”

“You always gotta try.” Thesis agreed, and then he turned to lead the way along the edge of the island, saying quietly: “Keep positive. We can save a few lives yet.”

Cadence nodded, taking a slow breath before she straightened and followed quickly after Thesis, La Croix loitering behind them to give them a bit of space and privacy. Cadence appreciated it, smiling a little over at the Replicant before she turned her eyes ahead as they fell into pace together, side-by-side.

They traveled slowly and carefully through the wreckage of the world, leaping from island-to-island, making makeshift bridges where they could across the nothingness. Here and there they found groups of ponies hiding out in broken buildings or clinging fearfully to debris or what few valuables they had left: Thesis would always reassure them with kind words and often a joke, making light of even the apocalypse as he tossed tracking beacons on top of rooftops or landmarks, where they would be easiest to pick up by Hecate's machinery.

Eventually, massive machines began to zoom by overhead: Kirin air transports and larger Clockwork Empire ships that made the ground vibrate as they passed. Cadence wondered silently just how much Hecate had prepared for, or how far she was pushing herself to get all this done... and coldly, logically, whether or not they had the resources to afford all this. They couldn't save a dead world... why even bother trying?

Horses of Heaven, was that really her talking?

She couldn't pass the blame for that off on the Swan anymore, could she, as much as she wanted to. That part had always been there, hadn't it?

Right from the beginning. Even when she did good things, like how she'd been willing to go in alone to save her husband, it hadn't simply been 'I'll do what it takes to save Shining,' it had been...

I will kill them all.

Cadence shivered and shook her head briefly, and Thesis frowned a bit as he looked back over his shoulder at her. But he was saved having to ask and Cadence was spared having to fumble for an excuse by La Croix pointing ahead, saying quietly: “That looks a little like that forest we had to pass through, oui?”

“Yeah. Yeah, it does, but it's all been crushed and piled on top of each other.” Cadence said after a moment with a frown, before she leaned up, her eyes widening slightly as she said quickly: “Look! There it is, the fortress!”

Thesis craned his head up, then he nodded quickly as he saw the unnatural regularity of several towers, before he grimaced a little as his eyes noted that there was something visibly wrong with the front of the building. He couldn't tell precisely what at this distance, only that the way it was humped up and distorted meant it was likely it had taken damage.

They made their way through the broken forest, pushing past broken trees that had been piled on top of each other, as if the entire forest had been uprooted and then simply poured back on top of itself by the hands of a careless god-child. There were broken and dead bodies here and there among the ravaged forest, mostly diamond dogs and goblins, with a few ponies here and there, and a smattering of shattered skeleton-construct.

Eventually, they made their way through the tinder and broken lumber of the forest to the wall of the fortress. It looked like an avalanche of trees had poured into it, and Cadence grimaced as she and Thesis slowly clambered up the pile of sticks and trees and shattered wood towards a window in the broken front wall of the fortress, Cadence's eyes roving over the structure as she muttered: “Looks like they were hit by the entire forest.”

Thesis grunted as they clambered in through a window, and then both ponies stared in disbelief as they found themselves gazing out into an open, broken chasm. It looked like most of the inner fortress had simply shattered away and imploded into the earth, leaving only a few rickety, broken rooms floating eerily above the deep abyss, and towers that hovered in plain defiance of gravity.

“Oh no.” Cadence whispered, as La Croix wiggled through the window before he grimaced at the sight of the ruins of the abyss only a few feet away. “What happened?”

“From the feel of it, one of those holes in reality must've torn open right here.” La Croix murmured, pointing down into the abyss before he scowled as he flickered in and out of reality, hammering grumpily on the side of his own head. “Oui. Reality be real thin here, 'smakin' it hard for me to stay ici. We... uh... we better be quick.”

“Yeah. For more than one reason.” Cadence said after a moment, shaking her head slowly before she gave a quiet sigh, her eyes roving towards the open, gaping bottom of a tower, the end of a staircase protruding from it like a broken bone. “I want to check that tower. I should be able to use it to reach the other towers from up top, too.”

“I'll come with you. La Croix, there's not much left here, but maybe you can check around the crater and... as low as you can go.” Thesis said, and La Croix gave a wry smile as Cadence pulled out her grappling hook.

“You two just... don't fall.” he said finally, and Cadence smiled despite herself before she flung the grapple outward, catching it on the end of the steps before she leaned back and anchored herself, Thesis automatically grabbing the rope and quickly starting to hoof-over-hoof towards the staircase.

The Replicant grunted as he pulled himself quickly up onto the steps, then he turned around and gestured at Cadence: without letting herself hesitate, she stepped forward over the abyss and let herself swing beneath the tower, the stairs creaking under the combined weight of her and Thesis.

Cadence dragged herself up the rope, grunting as she clambered her way up as Thesis grasped the other end of the line, reeling her in at the same time. It only took a few seconds of the two working together before Cadence was able to haul herself onto the staircase, which creaked grudgingly under her weight, but thankfully held.

Thesis wound the grapple quickly back up before he held it out to Cadence, and she slung it around her shoulder with a small smile before she said finally: “I wish that my wings were working.”

“Believe harder.” Thesis said mildly, then he winced when Cadence smacked him before the mare sighed and nodded grudgingly. “Yeah, see? You know what I mean. Now come on. Let's head upstairs and find some living people.”

Cadence nodded with a grimace, letting Thesis lead the way up the stairs before she frowned a bit as she heard a thumping above, and Thesis grinned slightly as he said: “See? It's never hopeless. Never give up, never surrender.”

“That sounds retarded.” Cadence said dryly, and Thesis huffed loudly at her as they hurried up the spiraling staircase to the top of the tower, the mare all the same feeling hope undeniably building in her body.

They reached the top of the steps, Cadence almost bodychecking Thesis aside to kick open the door and stride into the tower room, and then she stared in disbelief at the sight of the old Nibelung Architect standing alone at the window of the tower, giving them a grisly grin as he rasped: “There. Took you long enough.”

“I... what the hell are you doing here?” Cadence blurted out, before she looked around and asked almost desperately: “No, wait, where are the others, where-”

“Gone. Dead.” dismissed the Architect with an absent wave of a hand, and Cadence stared, stunned, before Eridu carelessly explained: “The skeleton and his cohorts went down to try and save the lives of the refuse the Void-mare locked away in the dungeons. They were not fast enough. They are dead, all gone, all dead.”

Cadence slowly gritted her teeth, but Thesis caught her by the shoulder before she could do anything stupid, the Replicant asking shortly: “How do you know for sure?”

“I cannot smell them. I cannot see them. They are gone. Gone, forever.” replied the Architect with a smile and a shrug, before his eyes locked on Cadence almost eagerly, whispering: “Show me, Cygnet. Show me what you have been taught. Show me how much you remember. Shower me with your false promises: I know you won't hurt me. Neither of you will. I have answers.”

“Yeah. Okay.” Thesis said blandly, and then he calmly strode over to the Architect, looking up at him mildly for a few moments as the Architect scowled down at the Replicant, before Thesis simply reached up and shoved the Nibelung hard, sending the old dwarf stumbling backwards before he tripped and fell through the window.

Cadence's eyes widened in shock, but Thesis was fast, leaping forward and catching Eridu by one ankle, leaving him dangling above the abyss as the old dwarf howled in horror: “What are you doing? What do you think you are doing?”

“Getting a point across.” Thesis answered almost pleasantly, as he dropped the dwarf's ankle, making him screech before the Replicant caught his leg quickly in his other hoof, scolding: “Don't squirm. And don't say something dumb like 'let me go' because I just might let you go, and then I'll have to try and lie to Mom about what happened, which never ever works, and-”

“What are you doing?” howled Eridu, and then he gasped in pain as Thesis suddenly swung him against the wall of the tower, glaring down at him.

“Making a point.” Thesis's voice was suddenly cold and hard, his eyes focused on the Nibelung as Eridu stared up at him helplessly. “We do not operate on the laws of the Nibelung and we do not operate by the morals and ethics of ponies. We do whatever must be done, whatever must be done, but we always do it with the intent to protect others. If you become a threat in any way, shape, or form, we will eliminate or imprison you, Architect, because neither I nor any of the other officers in charge of Decretum will stand for seeing our people put in danger. And furthermore, if you refuse to cooperate, we will extract the information from you however it is necessary to do so. Such as like this.”

Thesis let Eridu fall a few inches again, the Architect covering his face in terror before the Replicant caught him by the ankles, and this time he dragged the old dwarf into the room, flinging him down to the ground before he pinned him against the floor, Eridu staring up at him with a tremble of fear and disbelief as Thesis promised quietly: “Work with us, and we will take care of you as one of our own. If you ever, ever do anything that puts friends, family, or innocent lives in danger, however, don't expect me to drag you back in through the window next time. And yes. That includes lying through omission. Now tell me what the hell happened here.”

Eridu snarled, but he looked shaken, and Cadence admittedly felt a bit of a nasty pleasure at seeing the cruel dwarf put off balance. But after a few moments, Eridu settled before he snorted in contempt, slowly sitting himself up next to the window and rasping: “I should have recognized that you were a Void-pony.”

“I'm a gigantic awesome asshole, actually. Now hurry up and talk or I'll pretend you're a kite and throw you out that window on that rope there.” Thesis said irritably with a jerk of his head towards the grapple Cadence was carrying, and the dwarf winced back slightly.

But after a moment, Eridu pushed himself slowly up to his paws, saying contemptibly: “The Void ripped through reality below. You have all felt it: the Void first ate away the laws that govern reality, then reality itself. That is why even now this tower floats, although there is nothing to support it, and yet all the same things fall.”

The dwarf swept a book off a nearby table, knocking it to the floor, and then he turned to look out the window, saying in a calmer voice as his eyes wandered, as if he was becoming lost in whatever strange worlds he saw out there again: “This was inevitable. Can't you see? History repeats, that is all. I saw it: that was why they banished me, exiled me... hid me, from him, and from the Jötnar. Because I saw it. I saw all of it. Just as I see the dying of the world, just as I see the stars, singing...”

“He's insane.” Cadence said moodily, and Thesis gave a grim smile.

“That's the easy explanation.” he muttered, then he shook his head and said finally: “He's a clairvoyant, likely of fifth or sixth degree. Meaning, well, he probably actually is crazy, yes, but he's also able to see... a mix of the future and the fabric of our reality itself.”

Cadence frowned, before she grimaced as Eridu turned towards her and smiled, saying softly: “Your future? Death, of course. You will die. You will die twice before all the worlds as you know them end. Before the end of everything. And after that...”

The Nibelung smiled at her eerily, and the ivory mare winced and leaned away before Thesis said mildly: “I can hang him out the window for you again if you want, but I don't think it'll make much of a difference. He's just... not entirely in this reality, I guess is the easiest way to put it.”

Thesis paused, then he sighed as he reached into the satchel, pulling out a beacon and tossing it quickly onto one of the dusty shelves that surrounded the room, muttering: “Well, we can leave him here anyway. Do you want to check the other towers, or head down below?”

Cadence hesitated, then she headed to the window, judging the distance: she only let herself hesitate a moment before she leapt back, then sprung forward and through the window, kicking off the sill with enough force to crack it as she flung herself through the air, then swore as she just narrowly caught the edge of the balcony opposite before her eyes bulged as the railing snapped beneath her hooves.

She began to plummet, except then something above banged down, the balcony screeching as it was torn loose from the wall of the tower, Thesis wheezing as he narrowly managed to catch the end of her hooves before he shouted: “Are you crazy?”

“You're crazy! I had it!” Cadence shouted back even as she turned beet-red in embarrassment, and then she winced at the creaking of the balcony as it tipped further away from the wall, hurriedly scrambling up and making Thesis swear as she clambered over him like a ladder before she grabbed him and half-dragged him off the tottering balcony.

They both stumbled into the abandoned tower, and Thesis winced as the balcony gave away outside, the stallion rubbing the back of his head before he said awkwardly: “Hey, well. We made it, anyway, huh?”

“Yeah. Great. But there's nothing here. Just... old crates.” Cadence said after a moment, scowling around the room before she looked up towards the roof, muttering: “Looks like there's a trapdoor there. I can probably climb up these boxes and get to it. Just don't be a hero again or your fat ass will bring the whole tower down.”

“The only thing fat about my ass is... that... it's not fat. Shut up.” Thesis defended lamely, before he asked in a quieter voice: “Do you need a minute?”

“No. No, I'm fine. I just... when we go back to Moonflower, what the hell am I going to say?” Cadence mumbled, shaking her head and closing her eyes tightly. “And if... Loki wants to hurt us, then he can hurt us, and... what about...”

“Your homeworld?” Thesis asked gently, and Cadence laughed a little, the stallion smiling faintly at her before he murmured: “It's not bad at all. Selfish, sure. But we're all a little selfish. And it's not like your selfishness isn't somehow still putting other people first, Cadence. Most people would be pretty happy to see their exes go down in a ball of burning fire.”

“Shining doesn't deserve that. And there's a lot of other people on that world I care about, too.” Cadence said softly, shaking her head slowly before she sighed quietly as she lowered her head, murmuring: “I guess all we can really do is keep... moving forward. Hope for the best, like you said. Maybe... I hope that bastard is wrong.”

“You don't like him, huh? And it's not just because he's a weird old Nibelung, or so callous. You believe him when he says he knows something about the Swans.” Thesis said, and Cadence hated and loved how he could get into her head so easily, as she smiled wryly over at the stallion, who smiled back before he flexed one foreleg, asking: “Do you want me to go beat him up for you?”

Cadence snorted, then she shook her head with a sigh as she began to climb up the crates, muttering: “I'm perfectly capable of beating up my own people, thanks.”

“Yeah, we all know that. You tend to maim and-slash-or kill them, though, and that's bad for the whole getting information thing.” Thesis said helpfully, and Cadence stopped on the highest crate to glare down at him as he gestured at himself. “Me? I've got all kinds of years of experience of not killing people and just scaring them into cooperating with me.”

Cadence looked at the stallion for a moment, and then she firmly booted one of the crates, sending it crashing down towards the stallion, who yelped and narrowly avoided being crushed before the ivory mare turned and punched the trapdoor to the roof open, grimacing as she hauled herself out. She scowled at the last remaining tower, before glancing down in surprise as Thesis poked his head out of the trapdoor, asking mildly: “So what are you thinking?”

The mare was silent for a moment, and then she unshouldered her grappling hook, saying finally: “I'll anchor it here, we slide across and take a quick look, and if there's no one there, we'll rejoin La Croix. I'm sure the Clockwork troops can handle getting that Nibelung onto one of those ships.”

“Yeah.” Thesis paused, then he murmured: “Funny how it's still so instinctive to say 'Decretum.' That's only one place in the whole Clockwork Empire, but I guess it's always been the heart of everything. I'm really happy to see my own homeworld, you know, coming together and all, but I just... don't think I'm ready, yet, to think of that as anything but... home.”

“Yeah. I know what you mean.” Cadence said after a moment, then she sighed and shook her head briefly before she glanced quickly over the floating tower in the distance, finally pointing at a window below and muttering: “There. Stone windowsill.”

Thesis nodded, then he sauntered over and asked seriously: “Do you need me to throw it for you? Mares shouldn't hurt themselves throwing stallion toys.”

Cadence responded by beginning to spin the grapnel beside her, making the stallion wince away and complain: “Hey, you nearly gave me a boo-boo!”

“I'll kiss it better later.” Cadence said ironically, and then she snapped the grapnel out, the hook clanking loudly as it locked into place, and the mare tested it with a few tugs before she leaned back, gesturing quickly at Thesis to go ahead.

The Replicant grinned as he leapt onto the taut cable, and Cadence scowled at him horribly as he gracefully strutted along the tight rope. “Looks safe, don't worry. But even if there's something dangerous, I'll-”

Cadence let the rope go slack as Thesis reached the end of the line, and he flailed wildly before sprawling forwards through the window, crashing loudly into the tower to land with a groan. He scowled for a moment, then blinked in surprise and sat up as he realized he wasn't alone, calling quickly: “Cadence, hey! I found some people!”

Thesis turned with a smile towards the group: two scared-looking ponies, and a cluster of goblins and diamond dogs who looked even more frightened, likely convinced that they weren't going to be rescued. “Hey, guys. Good to finally see someone. Can you tell me how you got here?”

The ponies trembled, one of them shyly trying to hide behind the other as he shook his head meekly, and Thesis frowned a little before one of the goblins stepped forwards and said anxiously: “We didn't hurt anyone! Honest!”

“I believe you. Just tell me how you ended up here, okay?” Thesis said gently, smiling reassuringly as Cadence came quickly down the rope to join them. The general reaction to the ivory mare's entrance was fear, Thesis noted, so he quickly gestured towards her and added: “This is Lieutenant Cadence. She's here, with me, to help rescue you all, okay? All of you. I really mean that.”

The diamond dogs still looked uncomfortable and worried, but the goblins, at least, seemed relieved, and the one standing in front of the group gave a beaming smile before he clapped his hands together, blurting: “I knew Lord Morpheus wouldn't let us down! Oh thank you, thank you, sirs! I mean, sir and madam!”

Thesis smiled back, and after a moment, the goblin wiped at his brow before he explained: “When everything started to shake, we all just... ran. We ran, because we were all scared.” The goblin shifted in embarrassment, looking ashamed of himself: not exactly something Cadence had ever expected to see on a goblin's face, admittedly. “We hid up in the tower together, since they're supposed to be safe, but... then everything started falling apart!”

“We couldn't stop her. She leapt out the window!” suddenly shouted the pony who was trying to hide, and his friend turned and shushed him quickly, but the pony shook his head vehemently before he dropped it and whispered: “We just couldn't stop her. She just... fell. She wasn't supposed to fall but she just... fell.”

Cadence nodded slowly, figuring she knew what had happened: a Pegasus had tried to take to the air, and instead ended up going for a long dive straight down into the abyss. She glanced over at Thesis, but since he was setting up a beacon, she instead turned her eyes back to the goblin in the front and asked: “Do you know Antecedes?”

“Yes! Is he okay? We've been worried about him!” said the goblin earnestly, and Cadence shifted awkwardly, which was enough to make the goblin cover his mouth as his eyes widened, but then he suddenly shook his head vehemently and said: “No no no! He and Mr. Burrito and Ms. Pie are great ponies, the best, the very best of ponies, sir! They'll be just fine, just you wait and see!”

“I hope so. Where did they go? We heard they were trying to get people to safety when this happened.” Cadence said, and the goblin nodded quickly.

“Yes, of course. They care very much, very deeply for us. Oh, I know, we're not supposed to talk about that, evil rules and all, but... I guess this is an exceptional circumstance.” The goblin smiled, then he added as he hammered on his own chest: “Me supposed to talk like this, real smart dumb goblin, but... well, it's not really the time for that, either.”

The goblin laughed a little, and Cadence smiled faintly despite herself: there was a whistling past the graveyard feel to things at the moment, but...hell, that's a lot better than the alternative right now. “Yeah. We're going to go try and find them, okay? Just wait here for now. A transport should be along shortly to pick you up and... uh...”

“It'll take you someplace safe for now, until we can figure out the best place to put you all.” Thesis finished with a smile, and Cadence didn't want to admit how relieved she was that the stallion had known to slide in and take over. “Just relax for now. You're all safe.”

The group nodded, and while some of them looked uncertain, for the most part they seemed relieved; then again, Cadence supposed that really, all anyone here wanted was for someone to tell them the nightmare was over. She could understand that. She envied, really, that they were able to believe that, as she turned to Thesis and asked: “Do you want to head back across the line?”

Thesis hesitated for a moment, and then he gestured towards the door and asked quickly: “Hey, guys, is the staircase still intact?”

“Yes...” The goblin didn't sound entirely sure despite his answer, and when Thesis cocked an eyebrow, the little creature smiled awkwardly and shrugged a bit. “It was the last time I checked. But that uh... last step is a doozy. So you might want to be careful.”

Thesis smiled and winked, replying easily: “Hey, don't worry, I've got a lot of experience with long falls and landing on my head. Between the two of us we should be okay. Cadence, you want to grab the grapple, or do you need a hoof with it?”

“I got it. Magic still works.” Cadence answered, focusing, and hating just how much focus it took her to untie a simple knot. Distance be damned, she had a crystal-clear visualization of it in her head and it should have been nothing more than a twist and a flick, but instead it took her painstaking seconds to pop the rope loose and reel it quickly in.

She turned to find Thesis smiling that goddamn smile at her, and she resisted the urge to club him over the head before she said sourly: “Let's get going, asshole.”

“What? I didn't say anything!” Thesis said in a falsely-wounded voice, and Cadence rolled her eyes before she shoved past him, heading to the doorway leading down to the stairs and ignoring the stallion and not smiling at all when he said loudly to the group of people, even as he hurried after her: “She's my marefriend!”

Cadence descended the stairs quickly until she reached the gaping hole in the bottom of the tower, scowling a little as she leaned out before she narrowed her eyes slightly and murmuring: “It looks like there might still be a bit of ground down there... maybe the lower levels weren't entirely destroyed after all.”

“It depends on where the rift was created.” Thesis said, becoming serious as he took a quick look around before he tapped quickly on the Mission Drive on his leg, frowning slightly at the projection that appeared before he muttered: “Okay, I'm not as good at this as Thorn, but... from the data I've gathered so far, I think that uh...”

He hesitated, then muttered: “No. Sonar scan of the area says that's impossible... unless... someone was down there, shielding themselves, maybe others, from the implosion. We should go down and check it out.”

“Alright. I'll meet you down there.” Cadence said, and before she could hesitate, she tossed the grapple to Thesis before simply leaping off the steps, streamlining her body and letting herself freefall towards that barren patch of ground below.

She felt energy rush through her before the Swan suddenly seized her, almost scolding her as a wave of power emitted from her body, Cadence's eyes widening in surprise as her fall slowed until she touched down with surprising gentility. She looked for a moment at her glowing body, then her eyes shifted up quickly as she caught movement.

“Oh, thank the Dragon! You're alive!” shouted a voice, and Cadence looked up with a smile of relief at Throna, who was peeking out of a half-collapsed doorway, standing protectively over a group of foals. “We need help!”

“Thesis, I found Throna and some kids down here! Hurry up, we need to set a beacon!” Cadence called, before she winced in surprise when Thesis landed with a thump next to her on the rickety island of floor, the ground cracking beneath him but the Replicant grinning even as his exoskeleton hissed loudly.

“Who's... oh, uh. Hey.” Thesis said in surprise as he looked up at the Draekin mare, and the Draekin stared back at him in surprise.

But then Throna shook her head vehemently before she pulled the foals back, gesturing with her head into the room as she pleaded: “Please. It's Antecedes.”

Cadence frowned as she leapt across the narrow gap between the little island of flooring and the broken doorway of the room: it was some sort of museum exhibit, she thought. Or it had been: it was all in shambles, torn apart, the walls crumbled inward from some massive force pulling on them, what looked like a model of the castle shattered in a corner and the table it had lad on occupied by the cube Trixie had given them, and... Antecedes...

Cadence approached quickly, studying the skeleton before she grimaced as the Swan took over for a moment, using its ability to see to gaze over the badly-broken body of the skeleton. Danzsöngr frowned slightly, then she murmured quietly: “The problem is not the damage to the body. He has burnt out the pathways that carry his life. He has made... sacrifices. Why, Lich?”

“Because I suppose... my heart still beats. No matter how hard I've tried to get rid of the damned thing.” Antecedes murmured after a moment, a faint red light flickering to life in one eyesocket, and his head rolled towards Cadence before he asked quietly: “Is Moonflower alright? Did he survive?”

“Yeah.” Cadence said after a moment, as the Swan smoothly passed control back to her. “We... did our best to save everyone, and we're going through the world now, rescuing the survivors, but Loki... he destroyed just about everything. The Tablet of Dreams was destroyed, but we saved Princess Luna...”

“That's good. That's good...” Antecedes murmured, shaking his head slowly before he whispered: “You can only do so much with a single life, you know. No matter how long it is, no matter how short it is... you only have one chance, and you're only one person. So the best thing you can do with your life is giving to others. That is true immortality. That way... your life goes on through all of them. That was the answer I found, Cadence. After a life lived... full of mistakes.”

He lowered his head for a moment, then chuckled quietly before he said softly: “Take care of Moonflower, please. He's always been my best student, and my best friend. He has... so much left to learn...”

Antecedes breathed slowly out, the red light growing brighter in his socket for a moment before it dimmed out, and the last of the dull red veins crawling over his bones decayed away into dust that floated away into the windless air. For a brief moment, Cadence saw the spirit of a unicorn, smiling through stern features as he bowed his head towards her politely, trusting her... and then, he was gone.

“Goddammit.” whispered Cadence, and then she shook her head slowly before she turned towards Throna, who was standing silently over the foals with her head bowed, as the ponies clung to the Draekin fearfully. “Throna... I'm sorry.”

“Aye. I know. I know, there's nothing that could be done, nothing that can be done. I just thought... these days were done with, that's all.” Throna smiled faintly, before she took a slow breath and asked: “Can you bring me to Princess Luna? We must... keep going, I know. It sounds as if there are still lives to be saved.”

“I'll set up a beacon. Then uh... Cadence, we should keep moving, see if we can join back up with La Croix and if he's found any other survivors.” Thesis said gently, and Cadence nodded after a moment, taking a slow breath and steadying herself.

“Yeah. That's right. Throna, uh, Luna by now has probably been escorted back to Decretum... I mean, Endworld.” Cadence shook her head quickly, then she said almost abruptly: “I'm sorry.”

Throna frowned, and then the Draekin snorted and shook her head, saying firmly: “Don't. This is not your fault. Whoever the tyrant is, he might have you in his sights, but he would have attacked our world anyway for the Tablet, it seems. But now he can't claim the Tablet and... all I can focus on is protecting the people who have been hurt for now. That is what matters.”

“You're right.” Cadence said in a murmur, nodding once before she turned towards Thesis, asking finally: “Are you ready to move, then? And Throna, we'll... make sure Loki pays for this.”

“I've seen payment taken and given, Cadence, and I know from experience that what we have to focus on here and now are the lives suffering, not the lives we want to suffer.” Throna responded, and Cadence smiled briefly before the Draekin gestured at her quickly. “Go, go. Get out of here. You can do better out there than in here.”

Cadence nodded, before she smiled briefly as Thesis tossed her the grappling hook. “We should be able to swing back out to that outer rim. Let's keep moving around the edge of the fortress, that's where we're likeliest to find any survivors. Don't worry, when the ships get here they'll deep-scan the whole area.”

The ivory mare followed Thesis' gesture, noting the damaged support he was indicating, and she spun the hook for a moment indecisively, muttering: “This had better work.”

“When have I ever led you wrong?” Thesis asked cheerfully, and Cadence scowled at him before she snapped the hook out, aiming away from the support and instead hitting a broken outcrop of stone, Thesis huffing at her grouchily. “Real nice.”

Cadence only grunted, shoving the rope into his hooves and making him anchor for her before she grabbed the rope and pulled herself across, hoof-over-hoof. The grapple strained against the stone she had hooked, but it stayed more than firm enough for her to reach the other side safely and drop down.

She turned around, then rolled her eyes when Thesis made a running jump off the edge of the platform, reeling himself in before he swung forwards, the rope snapping taut before she heard Thesis hit the wall of the cavern, then the thudding of his rear hooves as he all-but-ran up the side wall while hauling himself upward with his hooves. He leapt over the edge with a grin, but then squawked when Cadence caught him like a child, the stallion looking at her dumbly as she asked mildly: “You have your fun?”

“Yep.” Thesis said lamely, and Cadence sighed and rolled her eyes before she dropped him on his rump, then she turned around and glanced back and forth down the bisected hall they had landed in, grimacing a bit as she touched the half-collapsed wall opposite the chasm. It feels like the earth was pulled in here, too. The force of the Void rift... I can't imagine that anyone... “Do you really think we'll find anyone, Thesis?”

“Hey, the only way to know is to look.” Thesis replied with a smile, and Cadence nodded after a moment with a sigh before the Replicant said gently: “Don't give up yet, huh? You're better than that, Sazerac.”

“Shut up.” Cadence smiled a bit despite herself all the same, her eyes lingering for a moment on Thesis before she shook her head and instead turned her eyes towards a broken set of doors down the hall. “Let's try and get through there. We want to move away from the epicenter of the rift, right?”

“Yeah. That's where the survivors would have fled. Anywhere but here.” Thesis said, gesturing widely with one hoof. “I think we should try and head to the opposite end of the structure. We can treat where we found Throna as sort of a 'furthest point,' so if there's any other survivors-”

“They'll probably be at the opposite end, yeah. I get it.” Cadence said after a moment, as she headed towards the blocked doors. She shouldered into them, then scowled before leaning forwards and pushing harder, the door creaking and groaning as rubble shifted on the other side, before Cadence finally managed to ram through in a burst of dust and broken stone.

Thesis smiled a little despite himself as he followed after the mare, reminding her: “Hey, try and be gentle, huh? You don't want to scare them off before we can rescue them.”

Cadence grumbled, but nodded, and the two spent the next forty minutes digging through rubble and feeling their way carefully through the shattered underside of the fortress, until La Croix rejoined them. Cadence looked up hopefully, but La Croix only smiled faintly and shook his head once, and the mare sighed a little before she turned her eyes upward as the roaring of engines filled her ears.

She watched as two Kirin transports circled slowly above, before two Kirin leapt down from the open door of the transport, skating through the air towards one of the towers with a harness of some kind and entering through the window. Then Cadence couldn't help but grimace in amusement as she watched Eridu being hauled up through the window, the Nibelung looking less-than-pleased even from where Cadence was watching.

She sighed a little, then glanced over at Thesis as his Mission Drive beeped before a static-riddled screen projected in front of them, Hecate ordering: “Report.”

“We've set beacons up all the way to Moonflower's fortress. Not much beyond here survived. The fort itself was hit by a rift, I think... we located all survivors, and the Kirin are rescuing them now.” Thesis said quietly, giving an apologetic glance to Cadence, but she only smiled faintly. How the hell was she going to explain this to Moonflower?

La Croix reached up and squeezed her shoulder gently, and Hecate sighed before she said finally: “We're losing stability. Get on board that transport and return here, you've done all you can. The rest is up to the scanners.”

Cadence sighed a little, but she nodded after a moment, murmuring: “Yep. I mean, yes, Queen Hecate. We'll be back soon.”

Thesis cut the connection before he dug out a beacon to turn it on, and La Croix said softly: “Y'can't blame yourself, Cygne. There ain't nothing more we can do. We just...”

“Gotta move forward. I know. We have to stop Loki. We have to.” Cadence said quietly, looking down into the dark abyss below, before she closed her eyes tightly as she promised mentally: And we have to make him pay for everything he's done.

And inside her, the Swan agreed.

Dinner With Mother

Chapter Ninety One: Dinner With Mother
~BlackRoseRaven

“I'm ready for deployment, Empress Hecate.”

Hecate moodily looked up from the sheaf of papers floating in front of her, gazing out over her beautiful city of Exoterra. She thought that she'd be able to get a bit of privacy here in the Tower of Etemenanki if she hid out on one of the balconies... but apparently not.

The Jötnar mare turned around to find Cadence facing her, standing at the ready, her head raised high and proud, not a mark on her body. She looked like she'd fully healed... and it's been less than a full day since the disaster in Midgard B-30.

The two regarded each other for a few moments: Cadence was both pleading and challenging, her mane freshly-cut, her hooves polished, the faint scent of blueberries on her body. She paused for a moment, before her eyes flicked past Cadence, as she said moodily: “Thesis, stop hiding.”

Thesis grinned lamely as he stepped out from behind the doorframe, opening his mouth, before he winced and leaned away when Hecate asked: “Is she ready?”

Cadence gritted her teeth, opening her mouth, but then her eyes bulged in shock when Hecate simply made a zipping gesture and the mare lost her ability to speak. Cadence wildly grabbed at her muzzle, mouthing wordlessly, and Thesis stared at her for a moment before he flailed uselessly when Hecate seized him with telekinesis and hefted him into the air, saying coldly: “Do not make me repeat myself.”

Thesis squirmed helplessly in her psychic grip for a few moments, and then he sighed and slumped, saying finally: “Mom, this is really mean. Even for you. I mean, now no matter what I say I'm going to get my face broke.”

Cadence and Hecate both glowered at him, and Thesis whiffled for a moment more before he finally said, even as he looked apologetically at Cadence: “Physically she's healing almost as fast as... Chess. But mentally... I think another day or two.”

“I agree.” Hecate dropped Thesis, as Cadence gave the stallion a scowl that only half-hid her hurt look, and Thesis looked down in embarrassment before Hecate said, surprisingly gentle: “You are not ready, Cadence. And furthermore, more... difficulties have appeared. I might need Team 0-0 for another mission, and not to your homeworld.”

“What?” Cadence looked up in disbelief, spluttering for a moment: but then, to Hecate's surprise, the mare gritted her teeth before she forced herself to nod and ask, in spite of the trouble she clearly had restraining herself: “What is the mission?”

For a few moments, Hecate studied Cadence silently, and then she answered in a grudging voice: “Not that you need to know yet, Cadence, but we've detected multiple pulses of Void energy. A few I've written off as decoys, but there were two noticeable signals: one from Looking Glass World, and one near the soul furnace we secured.”

Cadence frowned, and Hecate continued slowly: “Freya has also felt the pulse and requested additional... 'security,' so to speak. She is concerned that Loki is trying to retrieve or destroy Atavus and interfere in a ritual she has been in the process of setting up. While normally I do not entertain security requests, it may become necessary-”

“Not to interrupt, Queen Hecate, but I am capable of taking a small force to secure Looking Glass World.” came another voice calmly, and Cadence turned with surprise to see that Thorn had joined them. He looked calm and together, even if pale; a paleness that was only exacerbated by the fact that one of his eyes was now a glowing, icy blue.

“Thorn, you're supposed to be resting.” Hecate said softly, not hiding either her maternity or concern, but Thorn only smiled briefly at her, and the Jötnar mare sighed before becoming more professional as she added coldly: “You are Regent. You are needed here.”

“Freya will be able to complete her ritual over the course of forty-eight hours. Thesis can act as Regent, or even Seneschal can handle my duties while I ensure that our allies have the best protection possible. Furthermore, what Looking Glass World requires is organization, not necessarily muscle: I'll be serving in a purely advisory role.” Thorn explained, then he glanced over at Cadence, and the mare smiled faintly, doing her best not to look away from his mismatched gaze: it wasn't that she found his eyes uncomfortable. It was that she felt ashamed of herself, for failing so miserably in protecting him. In protecting... everyone. “That would also allow for Cadence to concentrate on intervening with the threat to the soul furnace. As we haven't detected any further pulses from her homeworld, that means Loki is not present there. But we do not know what is present at the soul furnace.”

“That information was not necessary to release.” Hecate said distastefully, and then she grimaced before sighing as she turned her eyes towards Cadence, saying finally: “Seneschal is monitoring communications and we have drones in the area scanning and triangulating the source of the Void signal. But for now, it's not engaging: I expect Auriculos is instead attempting to hack the automated systems to try and pave the way for whatever Voidborn or Primordials Loki is planning to attack with.”

Cadence nodded slowly, then she said finally: “I want to hit Loki hard. I want to go wherever it's most likely that he is.”

“Find a better motivation than revenge. You have twenty four hours for rest and prep, and then I'll send you and your team back to the soul furnace through direct portal.” Hecate said, meeting Cadence's eyes, and the ivory mare saluted. “Dismissed. Thesis, Thorn, wait here.”

Cadence hesitated, then she awkwardly turned and strode quickly off the balcony. Hecate was well-aware that the mare only ducked a little past the entrance, but she decided to ignore her presence, instead turning her attention to her sons, studying them both.

Thesis looked alive, healthy, strong, but he was ailing. She could feel it, the crumbling of the tethers that bound him together, like the molecules that made him up were losing their binding. And Thorn was full of roiling, boiling emotions that he was doing his best to suppress... no, control, that was a better word for it. And physically... “You're injured still.”

“I'll be fine. I'll be able to rest in Looking Glass World.” Thorn answered, before he added quietly: “I'm adapting to the new optic interface as well, it's-”

“Eye, Thorn. Just say 'eye.' I'm sorry I can't... make you a better one.” Hecate said quietly, hating the words she chose. It wasn't that she couldn't... she wouldn't. They all knew it, too, that she could just create a brand new eye, that she could completely heal Thorn, restore his limb, bleed the poison from his system...

But where would she stop? It was such a good cause. But there were even better causes: she could restore the entire world. She could breathe life into this planet and Decretum. She could turn back all of Valthrudnir's work.

She could do wonderful things. She could perform miracles. She could make people happy.

In their happiness, they would love her. Revere her. Respect her even more. She could almost taste it. It lit up the pleasure centers of her mind. Being in control. Being goddess... no, more. So much more. So powerful. Omnipotent!

She could become greater than Valthrudnir. She had all his power and a thousand times his imagination.

She could create a perfect world.

A perfect universe.

Her universe.

And Horses of Heaven that was so wrong.

Hecate shook herself out of her thoughts, clenching her eyes shut for a moment, and both Thesis and Thorn looked at her with concern before Hecate muttered: “Nothing. Just useless thoughts.”

“I don't blame you. I understand.” Thorn said, soft and sincere, and Hecate looked at her son, meeting his mismatched eyes, before she gave a faint smile: Thorn always understood. Sometimes he understood her even better than Thesis did.

But Thesis always smiled, always redirected her attention, like he did as he joked: “I do too. Mom just wants me to make you a better stallion. She's way too much of a hardass, we don't want you being any more like her.”

“Shut up, Thesis.” Hecate said mildly, and then she turned her eyes back towards Thorn and said quietly: “I trust you to make the right decision. You are my son, but also my Regent, and my second-in-command. But I would appreciate it if you would take Silver with you.”

“Aunt Luna being too much of a pain in the butt for you?” Thesis asked mildly, and Hecate rolled her eyes.

“Silver has been acting as an ambassador and a go-between between us and our remaining backers. It would be good for her to... acclimate... to Looking Glass World's peculiar inhabitants, as they are one of our biggest partners.” explained Hecate, before she turned her eyes towards Thesis. “I want you to go with Cadence. Take the RED with you to secure the soul furnace and lock it down completely. And stay out of the fight, Thesis, you're decaying.”

“I'm not dead yet, Mom.” Thesis replied with a shrug, and Hecate couldn't help but smile before the Replicant firmly grabbed Thorn around the neck and half-hugged him with a grin as the sapphire stallion winced a bit. “Anyway, Mom, since we totally have the night, we should have dinner together! You know, a family meal! I'll bring my marefriend, Thorn can bring his coltfriend... how does that sound?”

“Ridiculous.” Hecate said dryly, but after a few moments of Thesis pleading with his eyes and Thorn only looking uncomfortable, the mare finally sighed before she relented and said grudgingly: “Get your work done. Six hours.”

“It's like three in the afternoon, we can't eat at-” Thesis squawked when Hecate smacked him firmly, the Replicant stumbling and finally loosening his grip enough that Thorn could quickly slip away, brushing quickly at himself before he adjusted his cape with a glower at Thesis.

Thesis huffed back at the stallion, then he groaned as Hecate shoved him firmly with one hoof, grumbling: “I'm going, I'm going. Why are you being so much harder on me instead of baby brother, though?”

“Because Thorn is trustworthy and already ahead of schedule for today's work. You are lazy and have yet to complete the tasks I assigned you this morning.” Hecate said dryly, and Thesis grumbled under his breath before he looked awkwardly over his shoulder as his mother shouted: “Cadence, I expect you to have a full report on the status of your team prepared by tonight, as well as equipment requests!”

Cadence awkwardly laughed as she peeked out from behind the wall, nearly beet red with embarrassment as Hecate eyed her moodily, before the winged unicorn winced as Thesis grabbed her in a hug and said cheerfully to his mother: “I forgot to mention that we want to get sort of married but not really married so uh can you arrange that for us on the health insurance or something?”

There was silence for a moment, and then Hecate simply narrowed her eyes and blasted Thesis across the hall with telekinesis to thunk loudly into a wall, before she sighed tiredly as she looked moodily at Cadence, saying distastefully: “Fill out a change of marital status form and we'll use the umbrella of common-law marriage for now, unless you two can decide on something better.”

Thesis grinned as Cadence blushed, mumbled what she hoped was a thank-you, and then she turned and grabbed Thesis by the ear before yanking him quickly down the hall, hissing: “What the hell do you think you're doing?”

“I like you.” Thesis said blandly, and Cadence glowered at him as they came to a stop, before Thesis suddenly became more serious, saying quietly and honestly: “I like you. I know Mom likes you. But I want you both to see each other as... part of the family, not just employer-to-employee, mentor and student. I want you to be able to call Mom 'Mom' and I want her to be able to call you 'daughter.'”

Cadence stuttered to a halt, staring at Thesis, and Thesis gazed back at her with a small smile before he said finally: “I figured it was better just to... go ahead and say it, and start the gears rolling. I know I can't force it, but I know that... neither of you will be anything but professional to each other unless someone gives you both a shove in the right direction. And you know me. Always pushy. Always shovesy.”

Cadence sighed a little after a moment, and then she said moodily: “I don't think I'm ever going to call Hecate 'Mommy.'”

“Mother, not 'Mommy.' It's creepy when grown mares call Mommy 'Mommy.'” Thesis said disapprovingly, and Cadence gave him a dry look as she slowly flexed a hoof at her side, tempted to see how far she could punch him down the hall. “Anyway, let's get going, huh? I need you to help me finish these reports and I'll help you dig through the equipment logs while we check in on the rest of the team.”

“The rest of our team?” Cadence asked mildly, giving Thesis a pointed look at what he had implied, but Thesis only winked over his shoulder at her.

“Hey, we share everything, right?” he asked cheerfully, and Cadence sighed but smiled all the same, before scowling as he added: “You know, except chores, because you're the mare and all.”

Hecate rolled her eyes at the sound of a thud and yelp from the hallway, Thorn glancing absently back over his shoulder before he returned his eyes to his mother when she asked: “How is Moonflower doing?”

“I don't know. Adjusting. It's a slow and difficult process.” Thorn said, hating how all those things sounded like non-answers. But there wasn't really an answer, either: he'd never seen any stallion so... hurt before. It was something... “I don't think many ponies can understand it. Perhaps you could talk to him tonight. As... someone else who has lost much.”

Hecate scowled for a moment, but then she softened a little and sighed tiredly, rubbing slowly at her face before she muttered: “Fine. These ponies are all going to start thinking I'm weak, though.”

“No one could ever think of you as 'weak.'” Thorn said honestly, and Hecate smiled briefly before the sapphire stallion asked: “Do you want me to bring anything to dinner?”

“Get out.” Hecate said shortly, and Thorn smiled despite himself before he bowed his head, then turned and left, Hecate sighing and turning around to look up at the endless twilight above Endworld, muttering: “Children these days.”

Cadence and Thesis arrived at the doors to Hecate's private quarters in their usual clothing, which amounted to a lot of nothing. Thorn arrived in his half-cape and a silk shirt, and Moonflower was dressed in an elegant but wrinkled suit, looking tired and disheveled. He didn't look overwhelmed, like Princess Luna and Throna both were, but... tired. So terribly, awfully tired, and somehow that was so much worse.

Cadence smiled over at the two, and Thorn nodded politely as Moonflower only let his eyes travel listlessly over them. Then all four looked up as Hecate flung the doors open, studying them moodily before she said finally: “Come in.”

They entered: Cadence was both surprised and not to realize that while Hecate's quarters were large, they were also very empty. No fancy paintings on the wall, no décor, not more than a simple carpet to wipe their hooves at the entrance. The barren hall led to a barren room, and past that was finally a semi-furnished dining area, with a large table where plates, utensils, and simple steel pots of food had been set out.

Cadence smiled awkwardly: it smelled decent, but the pots looked like the same pots that they served gruel out of, and that usually smelled half-decent until it was on the plate too. She opened her mouth, then winced when Hecate flicked her horn and knocked the chairs on either side of the table out, saying shortly: “Sit.”

Thesis half-dragged Cadence around the table, placing her pointedly between himself and his mother, while Thorn and Moonflower sat on the other side, leaving Hecate the spot at the head. The Jötnar mare dropped her rump in her seat, scowling around at them before she said sharply: “Business ends now. If you have anything pressing to deal with or report, deal with it immediately. You have ten seconds.”

Cadence almost panicked for a moment, but Thesis quickly thrust up a hoof and declared proudly: “We're done!”

Hecate eyed her son moodily, then her eyes flicked towards Thorn, watching as the stallion called up a holographic screen and tapped a quick order over it before he closed it and nodded. Moonflower glanced up from his stupor with a sort of distant curiosity at the tenseness in the air, but that icy feeling only lasted for a moment before Hecate suddenly relaxed and sat back.

She smiled, sighing a bit before she explained gently: “Family time is our time together. If there's an emergency, Seneschal will put the orders through to us. Otherwise, they can wait a few hours or one of our associates can handle the problem.

“It's not about just escaping work or being 'with family,' though: the act itself of putting things aside is... important, I feel.” Hecate continued, gentle, maternal... every inch, Cadence thought with wonder, the Princess Celestia she had once been. “We live from emergency to emergency. We continue to survive the horrors we face because we love one another, because we trust one another. And this is how important you all are to me. Important enough that I will put everything else aside, just to spend the time here and now with you.”

Moonflower rose his head slightly, and then he gave a faint smile, his lip trembling before he looked quickly down, but Hecate only leaned towards him and reached across Thorn to gently catch Moonflower's hoof as it clutched against the tabletop, saying softly: “Go ahead.”

Moonflower opened and closed his mouth a few times, and then he laughed brokenly before he dropped his head and said: “I just... I remember that... Neato Burrito and Antecedes and I, we would all sit around like this sometimes and... and we would...”

Moonflower rubbed convulsively at his eyes, before he looked up, tears running down his cheeks as he blurted: “I failed them! I failed them all!”

“No, you didn't. You saved as many lives as you could. Moonflower, I know that it's nothing, nothing, compared to what was lost, but you saved two thousand lives by managing to hold the world together as long as you did. Two thousand. And I promise you every single one of those lives will be protected until all of this is over.” Hecate emphasized, and Moonflower trembled as he stared up at her, before the Jötnar mare said quietly: “This is not your fault.”

“It feels like it is.” Moonflower whispered, before he slumped back against his chair and rubbed at his eyes, then he laughed weakly and murmured: “I'm... I'm sorry. I'm not a very good dinner guest. I'm not a very good anything. I'm... a worthless faggot.”

“Those are Stronghold's words, not yours. Don't let her beat you.” Thorn said quietly as he looked over at Moonflower, and the black unicorn trembled as he dropped his head, clenching his eyes shut. “Moonflower, look at me.”

Hesitantly, Moonflower looked slowly up, and Thorn reached up and silently touched his own false eye, saying quietly: “And this is my fault, not yours. This is because I stepped in the path of a Primordial. A Primordial you saved us from.”

“You've saved our lives a lot of times, Moonflower. I know... I know you've never thought much of yourself, but... I think a lot of you.” Cadence added with a small smile, and Moonflower glanced across at her with a faint laugh and flush of both surprise and embarrassment. “I'm glad you're here. I'm glad... you're part of the team. We wouldn't be able to keep fighting without you. And I know you're not like me, focused on revenge, but... we have to keep going. We can't let this kind of disaster happen again.”

“No. No, we can't.” Moonflower murmured as he looked down at his plate, before he whispered: “It's funny. The fact that Antecedes died... that's what hurts the most. He was like a father to me... a father, a brother, a best friend all in one. But I know he was okay with death, too. He was okay with dying. It was Neato who had so much more to live for, but... I... I don't know. Maybe it's because... I know that even now, Neato is probably...”

Moonflower laughed faintly, shaking his head and giving a weak smile through his tears as he glanced up. “I bet he's running through Valhalla with that... silly marefriend of his, punching... punching and Luchadoring everyone in his way! I bet... I bet...”

Moonflower trembled, then dropped his face in his hooves, and Thorn leaned over and wrapped a foreleg around him, closing his eyes as he rested his head against Moonflower's as the unicorn trembled and shook. Hecate smiled faintly at them both, and then she sat back as Cadence shifted uncomfortably, before the Jötnar mare held a hoof out and lifted the lids off the pots, simply making them vanish as she said calmly: “It's been a long time since I've done any cooking, but please help yourselves to what's available. I've made a bit of everything.”

The smells were delicious, and Cadence's eyes widened in surprise as she leaned up to see into a pot, realizing it was filled with mashed potatoes as she asked incredulously: “You did this?”

“Yes, Cadence. I crush entire worlds. I am very capable of crushing potatoes as well.” Hecate said mildly, and Cadence gave a lame smile before Hecate continued casually: “Thesis used to enjoy cooking with me when he was a foal. He used to enjoy cooking without me, as well, which meant I would then have to give him a bath to wash all the flour and dough off his body. He was never a very smart colt. And white stains show up very well on his black coat.”

Hecate paused, then locked a practiced, critical eye on Thesis as he turned bright red. “Which became more of a problem during his teenage years.”

“Mom!” Thesis shouted in embarrassment, and a smile twitched at Hecate's muzzle as Cadence only stared in disbelief, wondering what the hell was going on.

“It's not my fault you never learned to shower properly. I never had that problem with your brother, either.” Hecate said, and Thesis groaned before he snatched a pot away as his mother reached for it, making her scowl as he shook a pair of corn cobs out onto his plate.

“Here we go again. Telling me how much better Thorn is than me. You know, he's the baby brother, not the better brother.” Thesis said mildly, before he added bluntly as he made a sharp up-and-down motion with one hoof: “Also I bet having just one leg made it kind of hard to look at porn and touch himself at the same time.”

Moonflower went rigid and stared from behind his hooves as Cadence gaped at Thesis, but Thorn only answered, perfectly pleasantly: “Some of us grew up doing work, not doing ourselves, Thesis.”

“Oh, ouch, sick burn, bro.” Thesis said sourly, and then he huffed before he reached out and snatched the pot of mashed potatoes away from Cadence, scooping several spoonfuls out onto his plate as he asked: “Mom, where's the butter?”

Hecate flicked a hoof absently, a plate of butter appearing next to Thesis, and he grunted a 'thank you' before he asked: “Actually, is there porn on the Decretum networks?”

“Clockwork Empire. Imperial networks. I still say the same, though.” Hecate paused, then she continued: “We have regulated brothels and a small but popular 'adult entertainment' industry. They operate quietly and most of the business is strictly imported. There's no market for it among the Dogmatists, but many of our Orphans still have needs and desires.”

Cadence scowled despite herself as Thesis snorted in amusement, before he winked at the mare and asked: “You want to make some money on the side?”

Cadence slowly narrowed her eyes at the stallion, and Thesis blinked before he winced and threw up his hooves, blurting: “Not like that! I didn't mean it like that, I meant uh... together! We could do it together! I'll do it! You film! I'll... um... touch myself!”

“How is your sex life?” Hecate asked calmly, and Cadence and Thesis both nearly choked on their tongues, Cadence hurriedly looking away as Thesis glared furiously at his mother as he burned like a fire truck, but Hecate only smiled slightly before she pointed out, as she idly spooned noodles from another pot onto her plate: “You're the one who wanted to have dinner.”

“I remember when I brought my first coltfriend home. My only coltfriend, until... Thorn.” Moonflower said abruptly, and Cadence turned towards the unicorn with surprise, as Moonflower rubbed slowly at his face, looking up with a faint, bitter smile. “It was... it was nice. All the same questions. All the same... silliness. My sisters teased us a lot. But they did it because it made Dad groan. He acted...”

Moonflower quieted, looking down and rubbing his hooves together slowly before he whispered: “He was such a good stallion. He was very stern. But he said... we could come back, any time. He said he loved me. He said he wanted what was best for me, and he just didn't want me being hurt by some... yuppy from the city. He... he was suspicious of Feather because he was a city colt, not because he was a colt. He was hard on him... not because I was a... I'm a... I like... but because... he wasn't one of us, from the little village. He was a Canterlot boy.”

Moonflower laughed faintly, rubbing slowly at his face before Thesis asked curiously: “So what happened to him?”

“He died. Princess Celestia... I mean, Stronghold... Stronghold had him killed. I found him. There was so much blood.” Moonflower trembled, hugging himself tightly for a moment as Thesis winced, before even Cadence couldn't help but feel a little sick when Moonflower whispered: “They enchanted his corpse to speak to me. To give me a message from her. 'And you will be next, gelding,' it said. It...”

Moonflower breathed slowly in and out, before he closed his eyes and shook his head mutely. Thorn silently reached up to squeeze the stallion's shoulder gently, and after a moment, the unicorn murmured: “I'm sorry. I don't want to ruin... such a nice meal...”

“Don't worry. We're not really here for the meal.” Hecate said gently, and Moonflower gave a faint smile as his eyes flicked up before the Jötnar mare said softly: “Love is a hard thing. And the most painful lesson you can learn in life is that no matter how much you love someone, that doesn't mean they're the pony you'll end up with. That doesn't mean there will never be fractures, breaks, losses... sometimes unbearable. That sometimes the person you love most, with all your heart and soul, can't also be a person who is nothing but poison to you.”

Hecate fell silent for a moment as she slowly spiraled noodles onto her fork, then watched as they unwound themselves, falling loosely back to the plate below before she continued: “Valthrudnir and I were like that. We were poison to each other. I suppose that's a good thing in the long run, but... I would have gone to the end of the universe for him. And he gave me more than he's ever given anyone. Including himself.”

Hecate looked meditatively down at the plate, and then she shook her head before she returned her eyes to Moonflower, saying softly: “When everything hurts, I try to remind myself that everything happens for a reason. I don't know whether I believe in something above Fate, or that we're all just constrained to the patterns given to us by the molecules and particles that flow through us, but... I do believe it all has to make sense, in the end. Even the catastrophes and the massacres. We're just too close to this universe to see it, logically.”

“Here I thought you saw everything logically, Mom.” Thesis said mildly, and when Hecate gave him a dry look, he shrugged and winked. “You know I'm only kidding. I know you don't really look at anything rationally. You either glare it to dust or scowl at it until it does what you want. That's how you look at things.”

The Jötnar mare gave her son a sour look, and then she grabbed another pot, pouring some kind of soupy sauce over her noodles. For a few minutes, the only sound was a clinking as they passed around the metal containers and dug into their meals; all except Moonflower, who only took a bun, and even that obviously took some coaxing from Thorn.

But at least Moonflower started to nibble on it, and he seemed to be a little more responsive than how he had started the night, glancing up when Thorn asked Thesis: “Have you spoken to any of the Replicants lately?”

“No, that's your thing, not mine. How's Necrophage?” Thesis asked bluntly, before he squawked when Cadence elbowed him firmly, wincing and rubbing at his side.

Thorn only smiled slightly, however, answering quietly: “Doing well. I spoke to her through Muse and apologized for my absence. I plan to use my business trip back to Looking Glass World to talk to the others, as well. I have a comfortable acquaintanceship with-”

“That's a mouthful. You could just say 'making friends,' Thorn, seriously.” Thesis said mildly, and then he scooped up a bun and shoved it into his mouth, chewing loudly and saying through the more-than-mouthful of bread: “You also could have just told Mom it was time for you to go back to your, you know, work-vacation or whatever it is, you kind of probably double need one now with your face and all.”

Thorn reached up and absently touched his face, which Cadence hadn't realized was actually only slightly-blemished: she always forgot how good a job the doctors and medical systems here could do. “I'm fine. And I'm... doing better now. I want to complete my training but I feel more confident about managing my duties.”

“That's cool and all, but... honestly, little brother, be nice to yourself, huh? You're a good guy. Maybe not the nicest person in the world, maybe not the most awesome pony in the room...” Thesis pointedly patted himself on the chest, before he winced when Cadence shouldered him, then he softened and said in a quieter, more-serious voice: “But you really need to take care of yourself. No being a martyr, huh?”

“For once, your brother is right. You have to watch out for yourself, Thorn.” Hecate added, before she glanced over at Moonflower and said in a softer voice: “I'm not going to talk business arrangements right now, but if you need the time off too, you only have to ask, Moonflower. I can have you sent with Thorn as well, if you want.”

Moonflower hesitated for a moment, and then he shook his head before he asked suddenly, almost abruptly: “How's Aster doing?”

Cadence began to frown, before she understood: they were heading to Aster's world, after all, and the last they had seen her, she had been doing better, but she had still been... “We have her illness under control with medication. I was considering having her accompany Team 0-0 to the soul furnace, but-”

“No, you should. I... I think you should. It's...” Moonflower bit his lip, then he shook his head and shivered a little. “It's so much worse when you do nothing at all.”

Cadence softened as she looked up at the stallion, and Hecate eyed the stallion for a moment before she said shortly: “Fine. But enough work talk. Thesis?”

Thesis glanced up from the cob of corn he was currently devouring, but before he could say something stupid, Cadence quickly cut in: “The Architect. He's a Nibelung Architect, right?”

Hecate turned a moody look towards Cadence, but then she only frowned when the winged unicorn continued hurriedly: “I thought that Heaven had a list of all of them or something, and was keeping an eye on them. How did this one slip past all of that? And why was he on that world?”

“Yeah, but he wasn't just an a Nibelung, he was a clairvoyant. Who knows how old he is, too... he might be one of the First Architects even.” Thesis said pointedly, tapping the side of his head with a fork. “During the old old days, before Helheim overtook Niflheim, the dwarves pretty much came and went as they pleased. If he saw far enough into the future, he could easily slide out of the way before Helheim came in.”

“Move to a pocket dimension or even Midgard, then waited until the layers split apart, and then slipped into one of a thousand different layers. He could have spent most of that time asleep and dreaming.” Hecate murmured thoughtfully, before she looked over at Moonflower and asked: “What do you remember about him?”

“He was kind. Or I thought he was. Maybe he just said all the right things at the right time... and of course, we were in Tartarus... why would anyone willingly lock themselves up in that nasty place, though?” Moonflower shuddered a bit, but Thesis smiled wryly at this.

“Because the best hiding spot is where no one's going to look. A pocket dimension like Tartarus is extra hard to see into, see. You have to know what you're looking for, on top of getting an eye in there in the first place.” Thesis said mildly, before he softened a little and said finally: “Maybe he was, though. I mean... if he could see the future...”

“He knew you had a part to play. Which is why he helped you. Why he treated you the way he knew you needed to be treated at that point and time.” Thorn said slowly, and Moonflower grimaced a bit as he looked away.

“Some prophecy.” he murmured, before he winced when Hecate reached out and grabbed him by the horn, twisting his head firmly towards him.

“Enough.” she said softly, and Moonflower winced back a bit before the Jötnar mare said gently but firmly: “You are not to blame, and this is nothing but guesswork and speculation. And ultimately, it means that you still have a role to play. And we are going to figure out what that role is.”

Moonflower lowered his head quietly, then he bit his lip before he glanced away and murmured: “I was always taught no one could really see the future. Not really.”

“No one can.” Hecate agreed, as she released the stallion's horn, and Moonflower looked up in surprise. “What can be seen, however, are probabilities. Likely futures. The more powerful the psychic, the easier it is for them to remove the chaff from the grain.”

“But, you know, it's still possible for some asshole to come along and screw everything up by doing exactly the opposite of what they predicted, usually by... you know, doing exactly the opposite of what a sane and logical person would do.” Thesis said blandly, before he turned and poked Cadence firmly in the cheek with his fork, making her yelp. “Like so.”

Cadence glared at Thesis as she rubbed at her cheek, and he grinned at her before winking. A moment later, Cadence slugged him across the face and sent him crashing to the ground, before she paled slightly as she stared up at Hecate, realizing what she had just done.

Hecate, however, only sighed and rolled her eyes, sitting back and saying dryly: “You promised me a nice dinner, Thesis. I'm glad to see you're as capable as ever of keeping your promises.”

“Ouch, Mom. Ouch.” Thesis grumbled, picking himself up and crawling back into his chair before he said finally: “You don't like nice things, anyway. And I mean... okay... maybe this wasn't the best idea. We're all a little sensitive right now and a little rough, and...”

He quieted, looking across at Moonflower, who looked embarrassedly down at the ground, before he turned his eyes towards Cadence, who smiled faintly as she awkwardly rubbed at her hoof, and then finally back towards Thorn, who shifted ever-so-slightly in that subtle way he did, like he wanted to hide his eye but was trying to hide the tell. “Yeah. We're all a little rough. But maybe that's for the best. Maybe we should be willing to, you know... see each other as we are. And vulnerable. Not just... at our best.”

Hecate looked slowly around at the four ponies in front of her, and then she said quietly: “I have seen each of you at your very best and your very worst. And I am willing to be as vulnerable to you as you allow yourselves to be with me. I want to make this clear, for the first and the last time: you are all my family. No matter what happens between you and my children, Cadence and Moonflower, you have become family to me, and I will go to any lengths to protect my family.”

“I know, Queen-”

“My name is Hecate. If you disgrace me by using my title again I will put you through the floor, Cadence.” Hecate said almost kindly, and Cadence stared at the mare before she looked over at Moonflower, adding: “This is not the time for professionalism. This is the time when we are not professional. When we are family. When we acknowledge each other without distancing ourselves with titles and false respect. Do you both understand?”

Cadence smiled awkwardly and nodded, and Moonflower bit his lip before he glanced down, rubbing his front hooves together before he looked at Thorn and murmured: “I'm scared I'm not good enough.”

Hecate only smiled at this, however, saying calmly: “My son thinks you're 'good enough.' Or at least that you can become 'good enough.' Or is my son's belief not 'good enough' for you, Moonflower?”

“No, no... n-no. I just...” Moonflower smiled awkwardly, then he looked down as he rubbed his hooves together slowly before he suddenly asked: “Why are you... why are you so different? I mean... ponies, we were always...”

He stopped, then laughed faintly as he looked away, murmuring: “No. Stronghold was the same, wasn't she? She always acted so nice and kind. Imitated Princess Celestia just about perfectly, but she was really... awful. She... she was the opposite of you. Nice and kind in public, cruel in private. It's funny how much more manipulative that feels than... I... I'm sorry. I'm not feeling well. I'm still...”

Moonflower quieted as Thorn reached up and gently squeezed his shoulder gently, and Hecate smiled wryly before she asked bluntly: “Do you think I'm manipulative? Do you think I'm a bitch, a bad person?”

“Well you're definitely a bitch.” Thesis said helpfully, before he squeaked when he was hefted out of his seat by telekinesis, left suspended helplessly in the air even as Hecate didn't so much as look in his direction, her eyes remaining locked intently on Moonflower.

For a few moments, Moonflower shifted uncertainly, and then he finally looked up and said meekly: “I don't think you're a bad person, but you are... I've never forgotten that you do whatever has to be done, either. I... I guess I worry that even if you say I'm family, if... you had to...”

Hecate looked down meditatively for a few moments, tapping a hoof against a desk before she said softly: “It's an understandable concern. And I can't make you any promises, except that I put my family first, and will always try and take care of them, first and foremost.”

“Yeah. You're really showing us that.” Thesis said as he slowly revolved upside down, forelegs crossed as he glowered at his mother, before he yelped when Hecate simply dropped him on his face.

“I think the fact that you're somehow still alive should speak for itself.” Hecate retorted, and then she turned her eyes back towards Moonflower, studying him before she smiled briefly as her eyes roved over him silently, reading the emotions thudding in his heart as much as the emotions that were naked on his face. “Yes, Moonflower. I am Celestia still, as much as I am Hecate. I've moved on from that name, but never from that being.”

Moonflower looked down thoughtfully at this, chewing on his lip for a few moments before he looked up and nodded, saying quietly: “Okay. Then... I'm going to do my best to believe in... Princess Celestia, one last time.”

He smiled faintly, even as he shrank his head a little between his shoulders, but Hecate only chuckled before she turned her eyes towards Cadence, asking: “Have you beaten any of my son's records on any of the obstacle courses yet?”

Cadence did her best not to scowl, but Hecate clearly saw her expression and clearly took some pleasure in it, before the ivory mare's features puckered further as Thorn said: “She has great promise. I'm sure with enough time and training-”

“You're fortunate my son wants to tutor you, Cadence, and not just leave you to your failure. Otherwise you'd never succeed.” Hecate said, and Cadence twitched visibly: this mix of motherly and ruthless was both frightening and difficult to deal with, and she was a little concerned that the consequences of snapping at the mare would be even worse than they usually were.

“Wow, Mom. You just can't stop talking about your golden child and talking about how much better he is than all of us, huh?” Thesis asked mildly, before he winced and grabbed the bottom of his chair when Hecate looked at him dryly.

“Thesis, I'd talk more about you if you gave me more to be proud of.” Hecate said dryly, and Thesis looked stung before she asked: “Have you found any new hobbies? I'm very proud of you for finally finding a marefriend, but there's more to life than just sex.”

Thesis blushed as Cadence winced, before Hecate thankfully continued on a kinder tangent: “Do you two have any shared hobbies? I never got to know you on a personal level, Cadence. As much as I care about my ponies, sometimes it's better to... view them from a distance.”

Cadence wasn't quite sure what that meant, but she didn't have more than a moment to wonder about it before Thesis answered awkwardly: “We both like beating people up?”

Cadence looked dryly at Thesis, but now she was blushing a little herself: as much as she wanted to scold Thesis, well... it wasn't like there was a whole lot else she did, was there? She didn't have hobbies like the others did: her father read, La Croix gambled, Moonflower loved music and fashion and all his silly things, and she... well she...

Sulked and sat in her room and read reports.

Hecate turned her eyes towards Cadence, studying her mildly, and the mare smiled awkwardly before she suddenly blurted: “I used to dance.”

Hecate cocked an eyebrow, and Moonflower rose his head slightly as the brothers looked at her curiously, and Cadence fidgeted for a moment before she said finally: “It was a long time ago. But... I used to dance. I used to sing, too.”

She quieted, chewing at her lip slowly and wondering for a moment if these were her memories, or the Swan's, but she realized after a moment it really didn't matter. She thought she understood now, who she was and who the Swan was... she just didn't want to say it out loud. She didn't want to make it real.

She realized all eyes were looking at her, and she glanced up before smiling a little. “I don't think I could do either anymore, though, it seems instead of dancing I really am just... all about fighting these days. It's a lot easier to punch people than twirl around with them.”

“Well, you never know until you try. I mean, hey, I'll dress up nice and try to dance with you.” Thesis said with a smile, and Cadence felt oddly touched by this remark, before he added suddenly: “Also we do each other's manes and tails! That's like a hobby, right?”

“No. Not at all.” Hecate said dryly, as Cadence firmly shoved a hoof against Thesis' face, and then the Jötnar mare hesitated for a moment before she sighed and sat back, waving a hoof and making the mostly-empty plates of food simply vanish as the four ponies looked up in surprise, before she gestured calmly again, and enormous plates of cakes, pies, and other baked delights laid themselves out. “Here. Help yourselves to dessert.”

“Can we go sit in the living room?” Thesis asked, and Hecate gave him a mild look. “Also coffee. Or tea. Cadence likes tea! See, I know things about my girl. Girl? Am I allowed to call you girl?”

“Am I allowed to punch you in the balls until you sound like a girl?” Cadence asked, and Thesis slowly shrank away from the mare.

Hecate sighed and shook her head, letting her eyes rove towards Thorn and Moonflower, who were much quieter, much more dignified, and calming down a little, she thought. She didn't expect the pair to hang around as long as Thesis and Cadence did, but that was alright: she had already made sure to shift Thorn's schedule so that he could spend as much time with Moonflower as possible before they went their separate ways. But as she had learned herself, tragedy didn't mean that life stopped moving, or that you could afford to stop living. Every moment counted.

Every single moment, you had to make the most of.

Because nothing could last forever.

A Different Tomorrow Than Yesterday

Chapter Ninety Two: A Different Tomorrow Than Yesterday
~BlackRoseRaven

Thorn Blackfeather strode through the portal with Silver and Muse accompanying him, and he was immediately greeted by a firm hug from Necrophage, who chirped happily: “Great to see you back, sir! How are you doing?”

Thorn smiled briefly before he glanced up, and Freya grimaced as Antares grinned, even as his eyes locked immediately on Thorn's face, noting not just the prosthetic eye, but the subtle blemishes and marks of surgery as he asked easily: “Hey, I'm sure you can give us some kind of report without breaking your precious confidentiality or whatever, yeah?”

For a moment, the sapphire stallion paused, lowering his head meditatively before he nodded once and said simply: “Busy.”

Antares smiled at this, before Innocence piped up from beside him: “Your eye is weird. Even Big Mac has a glass eye that at least looks like his other eye, you know.”

“The false iris looks blue because of the sensors they use, which operate under an HEV frequency.” Thorn explained, and Antares looked at him dumbly until the stallion simplified: “It glows blue because it's a little camera.”

“Oh! So you can actually see out of it, huh? Like Hecate's eyes, I get it.” Antares said wisely, nodding sagely several times before he firmly nudged his sister, who scowled at him horribly. “Don't be so stupid, Sin. Usually you're good at figuring that stuff out. I'm almost disappointed in you.”

“I hate you, Antares.” Innocence said honestly, and Antares nodded again several times before he winced when she reached up to grab the end of his face, before both siblings winced when Freya firmly shoved them aside.

“Was it Loki?” she asked, and Thorn hesitated.

“A Primordial.” he answered finally, before he looked over at Silver, asking: “Have you been introduced? While there's no official data on the report-”

“Yes, Luna. It's very nice to see you again.” Freya said kindly, and Silver scowled horribly through her mask. “Stick out that lip any further and a bird will poop on it.”

Antares and Innocence stopped bickering to giggle like children at this, and Thorn sighed and rolled his eyes before he looked up in surprise as Morning Glory plowed through the small crowd, shouting: “Training in ten minutes!”

“Alright.” Thorn said, nonplussed, before he shrugged and turned his eyes towards Silver as she blanched beneath her mask. “Muse and Necrophage will accompany you. I want you to go over the security precautions with Freya... Freya, I know it's not my place, but...”

“Aye, yes, don't worry about it. I'll take care of her and tell her what needs to be done. I'm... grateful.” Freya said almost grudgingly, and Thorn smiled a little. “Oh, don't get too big a head yet, little boy. You're still nothing more than a babe.”

Thorn only shrugged amiably, then he turned to follow after Morning Glory, deciding the best thing he could do was let Silver acclimate on her own. He realized after a few moments, as he headed down the steps into the streets of Subterra, that Antares and Innocence were trying to 'stealthily' follow him, but he at least let them have the illusion that he didn't know they were there until he reached the first crossroad, saying bluntly: “You're both leaking quite a few bæns of energy. Innocence, your cloaking spell isn't working properly, you're disturbing the air slightly because you're putting out too much energy, causing the light to distort. And I can detect your thermal signatures, anyway.”

“Goddammit he is a freaking robot!” Innocence snapped as she dropped the invisibility illusion, and Antares snorted laughter before he winced when Innocence simply bull-rushed the younger unicorn with a roar.

Thorn simply stood and waited for Innocence to get close, and then he gently redirected her with a simple telekinetic push, sending her stumbling wildly off the path to trip over a short fence and fall into a weedy yard.

Antares laughed louder as Thorn absently smoothed out his half-cape before he turned and walked away, and Innocence grumbled as she clambered to her claws, flinging herself over the fence and grumbling: “I'm going to kick his ass one of these days. I bet I could use the corruption-”

“No. No, no, no. Bad idea.” Antares warned immediately as he became serious, and Innocence looked up at him grumpily, but Antares only looked pointedly back at her before he said gently: “He's still got a lot of growing... in, to do. Not growing up, just... getting used to himself. He's already more of a grown up than the two of us put together.”

“That's not saying much. That's like seven.” Innocence pointed out, and Antares only shrugged amiably before the mare sighed and nodded, mumbling: “Okay, okay, I'll leave him alone for a while. Let's go see what he's up to, at least.”

Antares nodded before he trotted down the road in the wake of Thorn: it didn't take long to find him, at least, since it was no secret he was heading towards the pagoda owned by Burning Desire.

They found Thorn calmly removing his prosthetic limb as Burning Desire neatly folded up the stallion's cape to place it aside on the floor of the pagoda, before the Passion brightened as they approached, greeting jubilantly: “Well, if it isn't lovely Innocence and her wonderful brother Antares! This day just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it now?”

Antares shrugged easily, winking and replying cheerfully even as his eyes couldn't help but linger on Thorn: “Well, I do make everyone's days better. Did you hear that they brought Mombot back?”

“Oh, Silver? Well, she seems nicer than Hecate, at least... no offense meant, Thorn.” Burning said awkwardly, but Thorn only smiled briefly at him. “Yes, well, we're very different, that's all. Very similar, I'm sure, in our love for our family and friends, but... very different in our presentations.”

“Sort of like you and Pinkamena, except Hecate would actually beat the crap out of you.” Antares said mildly, and Burning Desire nodded in agreement as he rubbed slowly through his fiery mane. “So what are you doing here?”

“Training.” Thorn said simply as he put his mechanical leg aside, then he reached up and absently touched his remaining stump, Antares looking at this with interest: it was black, but it didn't seem goopy or mucky anymore, which he assumed was a good sign: rather, it seemed almost crystalline, although with the lack of any node in his shoulder, Antares had to wonder...

“You can just ask, you know.” Thorn said, and Antares gave an amused smile to the stallion.

“What, and trade all the fun of guessing for one of your famous one-word answers?” Antares asked mildly, and Thorn shrugged slightly, Antares snorting in amusement as he corrected: “Or one of your no-word answers, even better.”

“It's just a temporary prosthetic. A sleeve, it's called. I control it by focusing the Clay through it.” Thorn explained, and Antares and Innocence both looked up in interest before Thorn grimaced for a moment, before a black limb sprung into being from his stump, the perfect replica of a pony's leg flexing slowly, the hoof at the end clutching and unclutching before Thorn carefully settled to the ground.

He turned to face Burning Desire, who was smiling from where he was seated on the edge of the pagoda, kicking his hind legs lightly as he asked casually: “What happened to your eye?”

“We engaged a Primordial. It shattered my visor with an explosion. I'm fortunate to be alive.” Thorn reached up and touched his face, before he silently touched his stump of leg, murmuring: “I suppose I should be more upset and angry, but I'm... in a stage of processing, right now. A lot has happened over these last few days. Moonflower's homeworld was destroyed by Loki.”

Antares' eyes widened in surprise at this as Innocence mouthed wordlessly, before she shook her head vehemently and muttered: “Not even Gymbr could just destroy a world... how is that possible?”

“An explosion of force of roughly five hundred and twenty thousand bæns of energy in a single area is enough to disrupt the ecosystem of an entire continent.” Thorn answered, and Innocence stared dumbly at the stallion. “Multiply that value by even something like 1.2 and target a specific vulnerable area, such as by concentrating that blast into a deep-wave seismic impact to the asthenosphere of the planet, and you can cause an apocalyptic eruption that would eject the contents of the planet's semiliquid interior while collapsing the techtonic plates into the ruptured portion, disrupting the pressure balance of the world and causing a chain reaction that would ultimately result in worldwide collapse.”

“I don't know entirely what you just said, but I feel that it's scary.” Antares said after a moment, and Thorn smiled despite himself. “You know, the fact that you like, know how to destroy an entire world...”

“Required training.” Thorn said, and it took the others a few moments to realize that Thorn was making a joke.

Antares finally rolled his eyes with a snort, and then he said wryly: “You do kind of have that supervillain vibe about you though, you know. Especially with that.” He added, gesturing at the stallion's foreleg of corruption, before he asked in a more serious voice: “Do you ever use it to fight?”

“I'm not ready for that yet.” Thorn answered, and somehow Antares was both pleased and disappointed before Thorn turned his eyes towards Burning Desire, asking: “If you had no other training in mind for me today, could we start with resistance testing, if Antares is willing to provide his magic?”

“Oh, I can help, too! I mean, I can't just. Fling around purification like Tarry does, but I can do this.” Innocence said brightly, before she flicked a claw towards Thorn, and the sapphire stallion reared back slightly in surprise as his limb transformed into a crystal-scaled claw. “See?”

“Nearly as awesome as me.” Antares said mildly, and Innocence huffed at him before he added: “But I think little sis can be helpful. Or... middle sis, since Thorn is the baby of the family and all.”

“He is not, I am!” Innocence shouted, before she glared at Thorn, and the stallion winced as black veins pulsed firmly through his body, Antares glowering at Innocence before his eyes widened slightly in surprise as Thorn gritted his teeth and visibly forced the black veins to retreat even as Innocence leaned towards him with her eyes narrowed, growling in vexation.

Burning Desire watched intently, his usual cheerfulness gone, and Morning Glory had appeared like a ghost to watch as well, silently touching her own breast as the wills of Thorn and Innocence clashed.

Finally, Innocence grinned as Thorn relented, gasping as a black network of veins pulsed through his body, and the mare relented as Thorn slumped to the ground. Burning Desire grimaced and Antares glowered at Innocence, but Thorn shook his head before he slowly rubbed at his skull, murmuring: “I'm fine. My emotions are... a little heightened, but not much. I think-”

“You failed.” Morning Glory said shortly as she seized Thorn by the back of the neck, hauling him into the air before she slammed him down on his back. Innocence and Antares both squeaked and winced away, but Thorn was unflinching, not even reaching up to grasp the hoof pinning him by the throat as Morning Glory asked contemptibly: “Well?”

“I failed.” Thorn admitted, and Morning Glory looked at him for a moment before the stallion reached up his black claw and grasped her ankle, saying quietly: “It will happen again. But I will not give up.”

Morning Glory looked at the stallion for a moment, and then she smiled thinly before she half-turned and flung him viciously into Antares, who barely managed to catch the stallion before she ordered: “Take turns. And if you care about your brother, then hurt him.”

“Wow, Morning Glory, glad you've grown into such a lovely, wonderful, caring person after all these years.” Antares said blandly as he awkwardly picked himself up, before he winced a bit at the glare that Morning Glory favored him with.

“I knew what I was getting into when I came here. If you're saying that you can't take part in it, though, Antares, I understand.” Thorn said, and Antares scowled horribly as Innocence grinned slightly. “I won't hold it against you if you feel you have to leave.”

“Okay, I'm going to kick your ass.” Antares said flatly, and then he grumbled as he shook his hooves out before straightening up as Thorn smiled slightly at him, the black stallion's crystalline wings flexing powerfully before he muttered: “Well, no good deed goes unpunished...”

Aster was waiting for them in the portal room, already outfitted for the journey ahead. Faint red veins pulsed through her pale body, but she seemed ready and willing to assist: that was good, since the only thing Cadence was sure of was that whatever they were going to be looking for, it wouldn't be easy to find, and she was the only pony Cadence had met so far that had any knowledge of ships.

Well, apart from Freya, but she didn't think making living longboats really counted when it came to sailing the seas.

“We seem to be wearing the same uniform today.” Aster said with a small smile as Cadence approached with her team, and Cadence smiled wryly: that was true. They were both in lightweight synthetic plate that was marked with the emblem of the Clockwork Empire: the kind of thing worn by Hecate's special forces. Her personal gear, unfortunately, needed more time to be repaired.

Cadence just wished she had her own armor back, even as she encouraged: “It looks good on you. You fit in really well here, Aster.”

“Merci, Cadence. I just wish I could do more than act as a guide to that place and the oceans around it. But I understand that I must make myself useful where I can, and I know that I am still on... liberté surveillée, so to speak.” Aster answered with a small smile.

“I was on uh, liberal surveillance for quite a while too.” Moonflower said with a small smile, and then he laughed a bit before joking: “Liberals! You know what they say, scratch a fascist and... find a liberal!”

Aster smiled politely, looking uncomprehendingly at Moonflower, and Cadence sighed before she said finally: “You know that political jokes don't translate very well.”

“Politics be stupid. Either you be lookin' at puppets or you be tryin' to guess which tyrant you vote for so y'don't lose your damn head.” La Croix said mildly, before he glanced curiously over at Sombra, asking: “You were a King, right, Papa Sérénité?”

“Yes. My family ruled the Crystal Kingdom for seven generations. My fifth-great grandfather was selected for the seat of King, but his loyal knights became the first knight-lords, who would later become the Council of Voices.” Sombra smiled briefly, saying softly: “I will admit, of course, that we had never... done quite as much for the people as I had hoped we would. But the Council of Voices did speak on behalf of the peasantry, and they did give me both advice and helped to ratify and discuss the merits of certain laws.”

“Sounds good to me. Me? I be a Baron, but titles don't mean nothin' 'cept to those who got no idea what it means. Sounds real fancy and all, Baron La Croix, but really I be just a humble Loa, and I was the least special of all Bondye's servants.” La Croix said mildly, then he sighed and shook his head, smiling wryly as he murmured: “Still, guess it be better that way, huh?”

Cadence sighed a little, and Sombra chuckled quietly before Aster said softly: “I suppose I have never wished to be a queen myself, but simply... known and respected. I wanted to do good with my power, as much as I admit... I wanted to be known for it, too.”

Aster quieted, then she cleared her throat and said finally: “But there are more important things than being known, aren't there? And... Moonflower, I uh... en ces moments difficiles, je tenais à te faire part de mes sincères condoléances. I don't know how else to say it, but... I am your friend and I am here to... help you, as much as I can, as you have done so much for me.”

Moonflower smiled faintly at this, and La Croix chuckled quietly before he said softly: “Don't you worry none, madamoiselle. Moony, he be a tougher nut than he looks or acts. Sure, things be... a little rough right now. We all get that. But ain't no use cryin', either, and Moony... you handlin' things better than I ever did.”

“I don't know about that. I just... I just want to keep going forward. For them.” Moonflower said honestly, lowering his head slightly and smiling faintly before he closed his eyes tightly and murmured: “I just want to... I don't want to think about it. Thank you for everything but I don't want to think about it right now. I want to... I just want to keep going.”

“Yeah. Okay, Moonflower.” Cadence said softly, before she cleared her throat and looked back over her shoulder, watching as Thesis approached with the RED unit, looking distinctly disgruntled. “Anyway, there's our 'commander' now.”

“Horses of Heaven, if I ever called myself 'commander' even in protocol, you'd punch my face down my throat. And then pull it out my ass. Do you ever notice you threaten to either shove things into or pull things out of asses a lot?” Thesis asked mildly, but Cadence only smiled slightly: he was more than clearly irked by Thespis' pretend-cooperation and Karsilamas strutting along with her sinister, predatory smile.

Cadence wasn't very fond of any of the RED, but at least the others were pretending to be professional: Gesicht and Manes both looked bored and uninterested, but Faunus was his usual serious if sour self, and gave Cadence maybe just a hint of respect when he deigned to actually look at her, compared to the way the others looked everywhere but her, even as Thesis said dryly: “Now listen, guys. I'm commanding this mission, but all of you have to listen to Cadence. She's second-in-command and-”

“Yes, don't worry. The wife of the commander is always a vulnerable target. We'll protect her.” Thespis said with a false kindness that made Cadence scowl. But Thespis only looked at her with a patronizing smile, asking: “That is what you are, isn't it?”

“What I am is the mare who made you and your entire team eat dirt with one hoof behind my back. Do you want a repeat of that lesson, Prongs?” asked Cadence waspishly, and Thespis' smile fell away from his face before she barked sharply: “Line up!”

Gesicht, Manes, and Faunus all winced and hurriedly lined up, while Thespis scowled darkly as he stepped back, and Karsilamas only smiled her eerie smile as she lingered at the edge of the line, almost purring: “You don't have to be so cruel. You just have to ask politely.”

“Politeness isn't a requirement for superior officers.” Cadence said shortly, and the Illilleap huffed before finally stepping back to join the other RED.

Cadence glanced over at Thesis, asking him silently, but Thesis only shrugged and gestured at her to go ahead, so the mare turned her attention to the others: her team, Aster, and the RED, as she explained: “Our goal here is to investigate the disturbance at the soul furnace. We can't underestimate what we might find there: the last time we checked it out, we encountered both a hostile, extremely powerful Voidborn, as well as an army of undead.”

“Yes, White Swan. We were there.” Thespis said in a bored voice, before he winced when Thesis glared at him.

“Stand down, Comedian. Respect protocol or I'll have you sent to the stockade.” Thesis said coldly, and Thespis saluted and grimaced. “Continue, please, Lieutenant.”

Cadence couldn't help but smile despite herself before she nodded and turned her eyes towards the RED, saying calmly: “Your team will be in charge of securing the soul furnace while my team seeks and destroys the threat.”

“Thespis, a contingent of Dogmatists and drone troops will be under your command as well. You'll report to both of us, but I want to see you handling as much as possible yourself. We can trust you, right?” Thesis asked pointedly, and Thespis grimaced and saluted: his expression was still dour and arrogant, but now there was a hint of discomfort in his eyes, too: maybe even nervousness, as he shifted a little to the side. “Good. I'm going to be busy with Cadence's team.”

Cadence glanced up in surprise, but the stallion only smiled slightly and tipped her a wink before he invited: “Well, keep going.”

Cadence rolled her eyes, then she nodded once before she returned her eyes to the RED unit, explaining: “Hecate doesn't want us losing any more time or resources on protecting the soul furnace. After it's fully secured and we've exterminated whatever threat is waiting for us, we're going to shut it down. The harvested energy is already being moved to batteries as we speak, we'll... put it to good use.”

She felt her teammates shift behind her uneasily, but the RED didn't seem to have any problem with the fact they were basically bottling souls to be burnt away later, the soldiers only nodding before Thespis asked, professional now: “Will we be wiring the facility to self-destruct?”

“Yes. The self-destruct protocols are still active and we have a squad on site already, finishing the sabotage. Once we're done, we're going to evacuate. Team 0-0 will stay behind and detonate the charges to bring down the soul furnace.” Thesis said, and Cadence smiled grimly: she didn't know if she was glad or not they were the ones getting the honor of shutting down the facility. Nasty as the soul furnace was... we spent so long protecting it. It almost feels like a waste. “They'll comb the wreckage afterward, then return to base via vortex.”

Thespis nodded, and Cadence picked up: “The soul furnace is currently on lockdown. In a few minutes, they'll deactivate the shielding protecting it, so we can portal in. To complete preparations for self-destruct, a lot of the protections will have to remain down while the work crew starts the drain and disassembly. That's when the furnace will be at its most vulnerable and when the enemy is most likely to attack. That's where you come in.”

“I remember the facility. Are they using the same security protocols we established before?” Thespis asked, and Thesis nodded.

“That's why your team is coming with us. You were there when we set things up, you'll be the most efficient in reestablishing control.” Thesis said, and Thespis looked more than a little pleased with himself, Cadence thought wryly. In that snide, better-than-you way he has. He's like that kid in school who always thinks she's better than everyone else because Mommy let her wear makeup.

“Very well. We'll take over all security operations, and I'll have Manes take over watchtower duty. He'll act as contact between our teams as well.” Thespis said, and Manes looked less-than-happy with this, but he saluted grudgingly all the same.

Thesis glanced at Cadence, and when she nodded, he smiled slightly before he glanced up and said: “Just in time.”

All eyes turned to watch as Hecate approached calmly, Seneschal striding beside her nervously, the AI playing his fingers together incessantly as the Jötnar mare instructed: “Move into position.”

Cadence headed to the front of her team to stand in front of the portal, and the RED unit fell in behind them, brisk and professional under the watchful eye of the Empress of Clockwork World. Hecate smiled thinly at this, then she turned her eyes towards Thesis before she gestured with her head towards the platoon of Dogmatists and Chimera Drones behind her, saying shortly: “Don't fail.”

“Never, Mother.” Thesis said ironically, and Hecate grimaced slightly before the Replicant said softly: “Failure isn't the worst thing that can happen, Mom.”

He paused, then grinned and winked, adding: “How could you possibly expect your darling little boy to fail though, huh? I mean... look at me!”

Thesis flexed a foreleg with a wink as the portal crackled to life, and Hecate looked moodily at her son for a moment before she suddenly reached out, picked him up, then turned and flung him hard over the heads of the two teams ahead of them, sending Thesis bouncing like a coin off the cement before he splashed through the rift.

There was silence for a moment, and then Hecate barked: “Move out!”

Cadence winced, but all the same, she led her group quickly forward, leaping through the portal and leading the charge through the swirling tunnel of light and out onto an open steel landing pad, the mare grimacing a bit as she looked up to see turrets immediately training on her, bright lights shining over her team before there was a loud, affirmative beep, and the weapons realigned on the RED as they emerged from the portal next as the mare led her team quickly off to the side, where Thesis was nursing a bump on his head.

Thespis looked fearlessly up at the cameras until they beeped, before he turned and approached impatiently, stating briskly: “Permission to begin operations.”

“Are you asking or are you telling me?” Cadence retorted, glowering at the antelope, and the Replicant sneered back at her... but quailed when she leaned forwards aggressively and bared her teeth: “Well?”

“Asking.” Thespis muttered after a moment, lowering his head slightly before he repeated, more politely this time: “May we have permission to begin operations?”

“Granted.” Cadence said after a moment, as she watched the Dogmatists and drones emerge from the portal, noting that the turrets didn't so much as twitch in their direction, before she frowned as several security orbs shot through, fizzling faintly but then zigzagging wildly through the air, the mare saying quickly: “Wait.”

Thespis scowled, but he at least kept his mouth shut before looking up with slight interest when the orbs zipped over towards them, sparking once before the projected the image of Seneschal, the AI wheezing silently as he rested his hands on his knees before he snapped: “What is it with you ponies and always rushing, rushing, and rushing around?”

“What do you want, Seneschal?” Cadence asked dryly, and the AI looked insulted before he grimaced as he fizzled, the ivory mare asking: “How can you even-”

“I can't for very long, my signal is already being lost, and the portal can only remain open for a few more seconds. So shush and listen.” Seneschal grumbled, before he explained quickly: “A void pulse was detected when we opened the portal, likely trying to conceal itself beneath the energy of the vortex. We have no precise location, but we know it opened northeast of here, roughly twenty miles away, and it was large. Output of perhaps ten thousand bæns, and...”

Seneschal broke off, then fizzled violently before his AI image began to fluctuate and fade, the AI swearing before the orbs quickly withdrew, Seneschal blurting: “Lock down as much as possible and prepare to engage hostiles! And don't-”

Seneschal's image sparked out as the orbs shot back into the portal, which crackled for a moment longer before closing, and Thespis frowned before he asked quickly: “Orders?”

“You heard the AI. Get in control and then bring all the security systems online we can operate while the workers focus on shutting that furnace down. Divert power from other systems if you have to.” Thesis ordered, before he glanced over at Cadence and asked: “So can the Swan see...”

Cadence opened her mouth to answer, but the Swan easily pushed her aside and answered for her, saying calmly: “Cadence's body cannot handle seeing with so many bodies present. Their auras will overwhelm her. We need to be isolated. Away from the water: there is too much life in the ocean. We can see anything through the Astra that we choose to, but when we do not know what we seek, we must see everything until we find what we are looking for.”

“Alright.” Thesis looked back and forth around the landing pad, before he turned around and pointed at the ruins of the facility in the distance, past the ruins of the metal city that the Dogmatists still had yet to repair. “Let's head to the observatory, Cadence. Aster, we need you to act as our navigator, so uh... do you know how to use your Mission Drive?”

Aster looked at the machine on her foreleg and smiled awkwardly, and Thesis smiled wryly back before he muttered: “Well, you know what it is, that's good enough I guess. Faunus, escort her down to the docks, the worker drones should be outfitting a ship for us and it should have all the equipment on board she needs to figure out what the hell is northeast of here and-”

“An island.” Aster said, and Thesis blinked in surprise, but the mare only smiled faintly before she shook her head and murmured: “A graveyard, too. For both ships and people. It was where Salazar dumped the refuse, the... failed experiments, and where he sent the pirates who... disagreed with him.”

Thesis grimaced slightly, and Moonflower frowned uneasily before he asked: “But I thought he just... the corpses...”

Aster grimaced now, but La Croix was the one who answered, shaking his head and replying: “Not every body be usable, and not every corpse will take to the magic. Some bodies you just can't manipulate, and some be too damaged, even for... well... you know.”

Moonflower grimaced and shuddered at this, and Aster nodded even as she looked uncomfortably away, before Thespis asked bluntly: “Is Loki seeking access to weapons in the area?”

“It's unlikely Loki knows a lot about this area. A Blood Seer was the one in charge of the soul furnace...” Thesis paused, frowning slightly before he looked thoughtfully over at Cadence. “Haruspex. Do you think he's still here?”

Cadence looked blank, before, to her surprise, Manes quickly tapped a command across the Mission Drive on his foreleg and simply held it up, a projection appearing showing a profile of the Blood Seer, including his current status. “Incarcerated, still in the laboratory area.”

“Change of plans. Let's go see him. Aster, Moonflower, you come too. La Croix, Sombra, why don't you head down to the docks with Faunus and get ready to depart.” Thesis said meditatively, and Cadence frowned, but then nodded slowly when the stallion only looked at her pointedly, and Aster chewed on her lip, but then nodded hesitantly as well when Moonflower gave her a small smile that promised he would be beside her the whole time. “Good. Get to work, Thespis.”

Thespis saluted sharply, and Thesis turned away to lead them quickly off the landing pad towards a set of stairs, Cadence catching up to him quickly and asking in a low voice as Aster and Moonflower followed a few feet behind: “What the hell is all this about?”

“Got a feeling. I just got a feeling.” Thesis muttered, and Cadence looked uncertainly at the stallion, but he only shook his head before he asked in a lighter voice: “So... Aster, did you ever meet Haruspex in person?”

“No. I don't... think so, anyway. Salazar never introduced him, and after he revealed his true colors, I... kept to myself as much as possible. We all did.” Aster shivered a little, flexing her wings before she sighed as they entered the building, looking back and forth at the damaged walls, murmuring: “But it feels like every time I have moved on and am done with him and all his machinations, I end up back here. Perhaps this is just my fate. Perhaps this is Hell.”

“Oh, don't be like that. You don't deserve hell. None of us do. Not you, not... not me, not any of us.” Moonflower said quietly, and Aster smiled faintly as her eyes lingered on him for a moment, and Moonflower smiled back, murmuring: “That's a little better. Besides, this... this world... your home is here too, isn't it?”

“Non. My home is Decretum now. Or Endworld or... whatever the fancy machine-world we live in now is called. L'Empire du Horlogerie.” Aster answered with a small laugh, and then she lowered his head before she said softly: “Home is... where the heart is, is that not the old saying? I have nothing left to tie me to this world. But I have dear friends now, who have taken me in, and whom I am eternally grateful to.”

Aster leaned over and kissed Moonflower's cheek, and the stallion blushed deeply before he smiled awkwardly over at the mare, but Aster only turned her eyes ahead and murmured: “It is all that gives me the strength to survive... all of this.”

They continued silently through the facility, Aster's eyes lingering here and there on the faint stains that the Worker Drones hadn't been able to clean entirely away, and doorways that led to places Cadence probably never wanted to see, from the look on Aster's face. It took them long, far too long, to finally reach the makeshift prison where Haruspex was being kept, and Cadence couldn't help but wonder silently why Hecate had left the stallion here... except maybe she knew he'd be better off here than anywhere else.

Haruspex sat on a bench inside a room with fortified glass walls, many of these cracked and damaged, but still clearly far too strong for the old, crippled stallion to break. A collar was cinched tightly around his neck, a small light blinking calmly on and off: either a shock collar or a bomb collar, and Cadence figured either way, it would not end well for Haruspex if he tried to take it off.

He looked up with a faint smile as they stood in front of his broken glass prison, in the middle of a dirty foyer that still stank of the experiments and mutilations that had happened here. They looked at one-another for a few long moments, before the Blood Seer asked softly: “Is your name Danzsöngr?”

“Yes.” the Swan replied, before Cadence even realized that the Swan had taken over her body again, and the Swan studied the Blood Seer intently, before she asked calmly: “Why are you still here, Blood Seer? You are dying. You should have died long ago.”

“Yes, I should have.” Haruspex slowly rubbed at his stump of leg, smiling faintly before he murmured: “But none of us can die before the day we're supposed to, can we? No, no... that is the sad truth of life.”

He sighed a little, then shook his head before he looked up and asked curiously: “How many times have you returned here now? Twice? Thrice? More? Yes. More... many more. I see it in your eyes. You just don't remember.”

Cadence frowned, and Haruspex smiled knowingly before his eyes turned towards Aster, saying gently: “Greetings, young one. Don't worry. That anger you feel isn't your own. It's Salazar's. His soul is gone, but his blood thrives in your veins.”

“It does not! My body would not accept the blood of... of a losangier like him!” shouted Aster angrily, before she trembled as she stepped back, hugging herself and gritting her teeth as she looked sharply away, before she clenched her eyes shut as Moonflower reached up and grasped her shoulder gently. “Do... do not... I don't want...”

Moonflower shushed her gently, and Thesis gazed silently at Haruspex as the Blood Seer drew his eyes to the Replicant, who frowned and bit his lip for a moment before he murmured: “Black blood. But a beating heart, a living soul... but your energy is... ah, yes. I understand now. Your death day has come and gone, but all things are circular: be reborn, and become...”

“Redead?” Thesis asked ironically, and the Blood Seer gave the slightest of smiles before he said quietly: “Freya reported a prophecy from you. A prophecy that didn't come true. You said that the Swan Maiden and the Night Maiden would fight a great evil that was drawn here by the soul furnace, and it would kill you. One of the Jarsongildi did, in fact, attack the soul furnace, and both Luna Brynhild and Cadence here were here to fight it. But you didn't die, and the soul furnace wasn't destroyed.”

“And now you return. I felt the presence, the Void-static that filled the air. Besides, you know as well as I do that no prophecy is perfectly accurate... or rather, they are not... so easily interpreted.” Haruspex paused for a moment, tilting his head back and closing his eyes before he murmured: “Something is coming. I feel it.”

“We're going to destroy the furnace.” Thesis said blandly, but Haruspex only smiled, and Thesis scowled a little at this. “Hey. You're supposed to be upset about that. It would make it a lot more obvious that, you know, you were working for Loki or something.”

“Freya mentioned this Loki during our last conversation. She also mentioned something about how he feels he is bound by story and prophecy.” Haruspex shifted back on the bench, absently rubbing at his stump of rear leg before he said softly: “In my heyday I would have been considered dangerous, but somehow I feel that those who have belief, and worse yet, 'justification' behind their actions, are the most dangerous of all.”

Thesis grimaced a bit, and then he hesitated for a moment before he asked quietly: “If I come inside there and let you sample my blood-”

“No.” Cadence said immediately, glaring at the stallion, but Thesis only smiled back at her. He smiled, in that calm, kind, goddamned reasonable way of his, and the mare ground her teeth together in frustration as Aster and Moonflower both shifted worriedly. “Thesis, if he gets your blood-”

“His blood will kill me.” Haruspex said softly, and Thesis looked up in surprise, but the Blood Seer only chuckled quietly. “Oh, no. Perhaps I could handle that poison blood of yours alone, but there is a... an essence I am unfamiliar with present as well. No, if you want a prophecy...”

His eyes roved to Cadence, and now Thesis scowled, before he twitched in visible consternation when Cadence said moodily: “I'll warn you once, Haruspex. If you kill me, something bad is going to happen.”

“Why does it always come back to 'killing?' That was never what made my kind so feared, anyway.” the Blood Seer said with a small smile, before he shook his head slowly and murmured: “No, don't worry. I don't mean you any harm. I've wasted my whole life with good intentions, good intentions that ended up being only for my own gain, my own benefit. Now I... I can say that perhaps my intentions are not at their purest, no, but it is not I, that I seek to protect.”

“Who are you protecting, then?” asked Cadence, and Haruspex chuckled and shook his head slowly.

“Family.” he said simply, meeting Cadence's eyes, and Cadence saw truth in his gaze: it was the same look she had seen so many times in the mirror, after all. Not conviction, not courage... no, that feeling there's no name for. That... need to protect what's close to you. Even when it means sacrificing yourself. Even when it means...

Cadence nodded once, and then she said after a moment: “Fine. How does this work? You need my blood, right?”

“Blood is best, yes. Blood is the bond, blood is the story.” answered Haruspex, before he added gently: “But if you are concerned, even just touching your hoof will be enough for me to do a brief reading concerning the role you have yet to play in the near future.”

Cadence sighed, then she shook her head before she flicked a throwing knife out of her bandoleer, muttering: “In for a bit, in for a bushel, I guess. Here.”

She stabbed quickly down, wincing slightly as she pierced her own rubbery foreleg, and then she took a slow breath before she pulled the knife back, which gleamed with her crimson, strange essence. She studied the dagger for a moment as it steamed eerily, then she shook her head before she slipped the dagger through a crack in the window-wall, and Haruspex caught it in one open hoof.

Her blood thrummed for a moment, sliding off the knife and coalescing into a tiny red stone in his hoof, Haruspex chewing thoughtfully on his lip as he allowed his eyes to slide thoughtfully closed. Thesis watched suspiciously, his features tight, and Aster shifted worriedly as Moonflower grimaced and looked nervously from Cadence to Haruspex, but neither mare nor Blood Seer twitched, as she gazed at him measuringly, and he breathed slowly, his eyes flicking back and forth beneath his closed lids.

“Yes. Interesting.” he murmured softly, and then he shook his head slowly before he smiled a little, asking quietly: “Are you selfless or selfish? Are you... no, no. I apologize, it's so easy to get lost, but it's almost as if you wanted...”

He stopped for a moment, musing again before he said softly: “You won't die here. Why do you think you will? No, you won't die here. There are awful things in your future, and death... much death. But the death you have to face yet is not the one you should fear, and you know that. No. Your desire for death is...”

Haruspex gave a crooked smile as Cadence scowled darker. “I apologize. A bad... choice of words.”

“Just tell me what you see.” Cadence said shortly, and the Blood Seer nodded before he opened his eyes, meeting her gaze evenly.

“I know what you want to hear, Cadence Danzsöngr. It has nothing to do with what's happened here. And everything to do with you. But that doesn't mean I can tell you the answers you seek. That doesn't mean I should, either.” Haruspex smiled faintly as Cadence bristled. “And threatening me will not compel me, either.”

Cadence did her best to remain silent, and she hated that, yes, the first thing she wanted to ask was whether or not her hooves would help convince him to share those answers with her. She felt the others looking at her, but she kept her eyes on the Blood Seer as she forced herself to ask, as civilly as possible: “Well, what can you tell me, then?”

Haruspex looked at her for a few moments, and then he said softly: “Nothing has changed. You are who you have always been; the story will continue as it always has. The future is not so bright, but you, least of all, should be worried: there is nothing you can do. Fight, Cadence, as you have always fought. And listen to Danzsöngr, when the time comes.”

“That seems to be everyone's answer. Listen to the Swan.” Cadence muttered, doing her best to hide the bitterness in her voice.

Thesis reached up and squeezed her shoulder gently, and Haruspex chuckled softly before he said kindly: “The Swan is just a powerful voice, the you-who-was. It seems both silly and quaint to act as if the you-who-were is not the same as the you-who-are.”

Cadence looked down for a moment, chewing on her lip before she nodded hesitantly, and then she murmured: “Still. I feel different. I really do. I... I am not the Swan. I know that I am, but I'm not... does that make any sense?”

“Each of us is a different person every tomorrow than we were yesterday.” Haruspex answered gently, and Cadence laughed faintly at this as Thesis gave a small smile.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Haruspex said softly: “Before the week is out, I will be dead. The Swan Maiden and the Night Maiden both have roles to play in the coming conflict: she is coming. She is coming, closer and closer; she smells the enemy. Do you?”

“Yes.” Cadence said after a moment, frowning slightly as she raised her head slightly, before she corrected: “No. I'm not like the Valkyries. I... see things. I see them. My other senses aren't as strong, but I can see through the Astra, maybe... feel through the Astra, but my body...”

Cadence shivered a little, looking uneasily down at one golden hoof and hating how naturally those words came out of her mouth, as much as she wanted to resist, and then Thesis gently reached up and caught her by the foreleg, pulling her back as he said carefully: “I think that's about enough for now. We have what we need. We'll double security-”

“Not on my account, please. I have no desire to run from my fate.” Haruspex said softly, before he smiled briefly as he held up the small red stone he had made from Cadence's blood, saying softly: “Please. Take this.”

Thesis glanced uncomfortably at Cadence, but she only grumbled under her breath as she lifted the stone free from Haruspex's hoof, lifting it back through the crack in the window wall before she hesitated, then flicked her horn to almost toss it to Thesis, saying dryly: “Don't be a little girl. Here. Take it.”

“You know this could like explode or something with the force of a thousand suns and kill us all.” Thesis said moodily as he caught the jewel awkwardly between his hooves, and Haruspex chuckled softly.

“No Blood Seer has ever been quite that powerful, my friend.” Haruspex responded with a shake of his head and a smile, and then he sat back on the bench, calmly rubbing at his stump of limb as he murmured: “We can't run from our fate, any more than we can be who we are not. But both of you know that well, and I respect you for that.”

Thesis smiled wryly, then he shook his head slowly before he muttered, as he looked down at the stone: “Hey, I'm running away as fast as I can from dying. I know it'll happen eventually, but... that doesn't mean I'm willing to let it happen now.”

“Living is worse than dying.” Haruspex said, and Thesis looked up with a frown at this, but the Blood Seer only closed his eyes and settled his hooves in his lap, sitting back as he finished: “Well, don't allow me to interfere with your lives and business, my friends. But if you need my help, then please, ask. I don't want to run from Fate, either. But I have no problem with... changing the course of how we get there, and making a better future for our loved ones.”

“Who do you love? Do they even know you exist, if you are here, locked up in this miserable place?” Aster asked in almost a growl, and Cadence grimaced a bit as Moonflower nervously reached up to touch the mare's shoulder, but as the red veins pulsated through Aster's flesh, she seemed unaware of anything but her anger as she shrugged away the stallion's touch and snapped: “Do you know how much you have destroyed, with your desire to 'help?' And now you have given us nothing but... useless words and a promise that you will die soon! Some prophecy!”

“The words not spoken are the most powerful ones, Aster. You can hate me for many things, but please, hate me for the crimes I have committed against you and yours. Don't hate me purely because the poison in your veins demands hatred.” answered Haruspex gently, and the mare bared her teeth.

But after a few moments, Aster finally pulled herself away from the cage, cursing under her breath as she headed back to the stairs. Moonflower hesitated only for a moment before he followed after her, and Thesis sighed before he tucked the red gemstone away in his pack, then said finally: “I'll meet you down at the docks, Cadence.”

Cadence nodded, watching as Thesis left before she looked back towards the glass prison where the Blood Seer sat. There was silence for a few moments as she only studied him, and he rested, unfettered, beneath her gaze, until she asked: “How much do you know? How much have you seen?”

“Neither is important. It's understanding that holds the key.” Haruspex answered, before he asked: “Why are you so afraid of the past? What are you running from, Cadence? It is not being the Swan. It is not Danzsöngr. It is not even the idea that you were born a servant.”

“Haruspex, I...” Cadence hesitated, but maybe it was the blood link, maybe it was just because this stallion was so old, and reminded her so much of her father, but without the... the awful guilt... “Haruspex... I know. I know the truth. I know that I am the Swan. I know that Cadence... never existed.”

The ivory mare bit her lip silently, looking down before she whispered: “I know the truth now. I fell. And I became what Daddy wanted, because that's what we do. I don't know if my emotions are real or not, I don't know if my emotions are like... what people feel. Is this all we are? Adjusting ourselves, programming ourselves in pursuit of... I don't know, not happiness. People don't care about being happy, not really. They care about being better than other people and they care about leaving a mark on the world. The only reason we do good is because we're told it's good, because... it gets us recognition. Killing just ends up leaving us all alone.”

Cadence laughed a little, and then she hugged herself as she lowered her head, whispering: “I'm running because I'm terrified that I am a monster. I'm already a killer, a murderer. But somehow it feels... it feels so much worse to think that I've been manipulating people all this time. I am a puppet. I am a toy. I don't want to accept it because it means I was born this soulless... thing, this husk, this empty shell, and my emotions might not be real and I... Daddy, Shining, Thesis, and every friend I've had, I'm only manipulating them because they are people whom the Swan has laid claim to, because the Swan needs to serve, needs-”

“Yeah, um. I'm still here, you know.” Thesis said awkwardly from the doorway, and Cadence twitched and creakily looked over her shoulder to see the Replicant standing in the exit, the stallion smiling faintly before he murmured: “I... heard you and uh...”

He lowered his head, then said quietly: “Cadence, you're confused, and if there's any emotion that proves you're a pony it's... well, that. Being confused and not knowing what's real and what's not and... not even knowing what to do, well... that's kind of life.”

There was silence for a moment, and then he said softly, as his eyes flicked up: “I'm a Replicant. And every day I questioned... you know, how much was me, and how much was programmed into me. Valthrudnir made it worse when he put the nodes in my head: I couldn't control myself. I couldn't think anything that he didn't want me to think. But even that was better than when the nodes rotted away after Valthrudnir died, and I was stuck... seeing everything logically, but reacting emotionally, and then left scrambling, trying to explain why I did what I did. Trying to...”

Thesis paused for a moment, and then he looked up and murmured: “Trying, ultimately, to pin the fault on everything and everyone but myself.”

Cadence studied the stallion for a moment, and Thesis looked down before he suddenly smiled, gazing up as he said quietly: “And that's why I know that, even if you were born a puppet, Cadence, even if you only came to life because a father wanted a daughter and you responded to that... you're you, now. Not Cadence, maybe. But not Danzsöngr entirely, either. You're a whole different person all your own. And uh... I love who you are. I love you. So stop trying to convince yourself you're not you, because... you are.”

Cadence smiled faintly despite herself, and then she sighed and shook her head slowly before she mumbled: “No one asked you, you big stupid... you.”

“Yeah. I know. But you know me. I have to stick my nose in where it doesn't belong.” Thesis replied as he approached with a smile, before he said in a softer voice: “Let's get going, okay? There's still a lot of things to do. We have to check out that island... hey, uh, Haruspex, do you know anything about that?”

“Only that it is where 'waste' was disposed of. As to what that waste is composed of, I would recommend considering the character of Salazar and what he would consider 'waste' before you venture there.” Haurspex said, before he smiled and added gently: “It is little comfort, but I know that she will be there with you, until the end.”

“Hey. I didn't need a prophet to tell me that.” Thesis replied easily, and then he hesitated a moment before he asked almost grudgingly: “So hey, uh... can you operate the equipment in the observatory?”

Cadence looked at Thesis with surprise, and he shrugged before saying mildly: “We might as well put the old bastard to work if he's stuck here. And I don't think he's going to hurt anyone, because, well, you'll kill him.”

The ivory mare scowled, and Haruspex chuckled before he said softly: “You don't need to fall back on threats or warnings. I'll be happy to help.”

“Alright. Mom's going to kill me, but okay. We can put him up there with Manes. Manes is a Replicant, so... you know, don't try and touch his blood, either.” Thesis said after a moment, before he glanced over at Cadence as the ivory mare gave him a mild look. “Look. I know what I'm doing. I think. I just... I guess that it's something I learned from some old friends. Everyone gets a second chance. Everyone.”

“That's stupid and I hate it.” Cadence said, but as honest as that was, mentally she agreed all the same.

“I know.” Thesis smiled, that stupid smile of his, and then he turned and gestured with his head, saying easily: “Come on. Let's head down to the ship. We've got a long day ahead of us.”

“A long week, sounds like.” Cadence said softly, and she gave a thoughtful look at the stallion's back before the Swan murmured in her mind: That is why. Leadership, but not dominance. Guidance, but never control.

Haruspex watched as the two ponies left, and then he chuckled softly as he rested back on the bench, closing his eyes as he lowered his head to let himself doze a little. Sometimes it was hard to keep going, to keep forcing the blood to flow through his heart and make it beat, to keep climbing when he knew the grave he'd dug for himself was so deep that he would never escape.

But seeing those ponies had given him strength. Knowing they were fighting, knowing that even if all the bad things that he had seen in the future had yet to happen, all the good things were waiting, too: that made it easier. Knowing that there really were protectors who could defy prophecy, could defy fate, could defy even their own instincts, maybe there really was hope, after all. Maybe, in spite of everything he had seen, they would survive.

Haruspex Loptr smiled as he slipped into dreaming memories, of golden halls, and ancient feasts, and stories that were now all unfolding in front of his old eyes... but maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't end in tragedy.

The Island Of Phantasms

Chapter Ninety Three: The Island Of Phantasms
~BlackRoseRaven

Aster stood on the prow of the ship as it cut through the waters, but even the spray from the cold waves wasn't enough to keep her connected to the world. Her mouth was full of the taste of copper, and the reek of saltwater wasn't enough to hide the stink of sweat and anger that pulsed through her body.

In the distance, she could see the island coming closer and closer, and she could already feel the toxic magic of Salazar painfully pushing at her body, pulsing through her veins. Veins that still carried the disease, the infection of his blood...

She didn't want that. She wanted it out. But no, it was inside her, Salazar was inside her, and he would never be-

“Aster, are you... do you need help?” Moonflower's voice ventured, and Aster stared up at the sky for a moment before she sighed quietly, then forced herself to turn around with a faint smile and a small shake of her head.

“I am fine.” she said quietly, and then she sighed softly as she approached the stallion and lowered her head, closing her eyes as she dropped her face against him and mumbled: “I am not fine. I am upset. I am angry. I am... I do not have the words for it.”

“I know, dear. I know. But you're going to be okay.” Moonflower promised with a small smile, and Aster only chewed on her lip and looked away, before the black unicorn encouraged: “You're strong. You're one of the best mares I've ever met, you know, and one of the very few I don't think is icky.”

“I am not so strong. I am always told I am strong, but I know I am not. I am a coward who sold out her own family. Who tried to play both sides of the field.” Aster said bitterly, and Moonflower softened a little before the mare sighed. “I am... this is fitting, perhaps. Deserving. Punishment for my sins.”

“Now stop it, stop it right now.” Moonflower said firmly, and Aster glanced up at him before the stallion said quietly: “That won't help, and you know it. Things are always... worse, when you give in to it.”

“I am trying!” Aster snapped, shaking her head in frustration, but Moonflower only looked at her until she finally sighed again and lowered her head, mumbling: “I am... I will try more, Moonflower, oui. But it is just... very difficult right now. I did not expect to come back here, and even less, that we would be coming here.”

Aster turned around, heading to the front of the ship and shivering a bit as she looked out at the island in the distance, thunder rumbling ominously through the dark skies above. “Do you feel it? There is something... toxic, there. It is an awful place.”

“I can barely see it.” Moonflower muttered as he joined her, looking uneasily at the dark set of lumps in the distance. “It looks like... fog?”

“The clouds are pulled towards the earth here. I think it is some kind of evil magic... I have never seen the phenomenon anywhere else.” Aster answered, shaking her head as she shivered a little, and then she looked down and asked quietly: “Do you think... I am becoming...”

“No, I don't, I really don't.” Moonflower said firmly, before he met her eyes and forced a smile as he said quietly: “I need you to stop thinking like that, dear. Because I've already lost too many friends this week and I don't want to lose another.”

“I... I am sorry.” Aster laughed faintly, dropping her head and nodding before she took a slow breath, looking back up towards the island in the distance as she murmured: “I suppose it has been... a very trying time for us both, hasn't it?”

Moonflower smiled faintly and nodded, before he almost blurted out: “I had dinner with Thorn and his family!”

Aster blinked, and Moonflower blushed before he continued awkwardly: “Thorn and Thesis and Hecate... oh, and Cadence! Cadence and Thesis are dating, you know. She never talks about it. She's very hush-hush about it but she certainly cares for him very much. It was a great dinner! I ruined it. I cried a lot.”

Aster smiled despite herself at Moonflower, who chuckled quietly before he dropped his head and mumbled: “Do you know what bothers me most of all? The fact that once upon a time, I wanted that to happen. I wanted everyone to just... go away. I wanted to destroy the whole world, in... in a childish fit of pique that lasted five hundred years. And it hurts so much because I think of my friends and how I took them for granted and... in the end... they really were always there for me. They gave to the world. The world they loved so much, and yet they helped me end it all, too. I... I failed them.”

Moonflower closed his eyes, and then he shook his head slowly before murmuring: “I hate myself for that. More than I can begin to say. How little I valued them. And that I never apologized. To any of them. I think they knew but... it's not the same, is it, as saying you're sorry.”

“But at least you were able to save some lives, yes? Not your friends, but... others from that world. You can continue to keep that world alive, through those people, and through yourself, Moonflower. I know that is not much, but...”

“It's something. It is something, yes.” Moonflower murmured, and then he shook his head slowly before he sighed a little and looked up at the mare. “I also feel bad that I didn't make the most out of dinner. It's been hard with Thorn lately, you know. I really... don't mind that he kissed a mare, I don't. It's more that Necrophage is... so good for him, more like what I wish that I could be for him, and I know... I know that...”

Moonflower smiled faintly, but Aster only chuckled quietly before she leaned over and kissed Moonflower's lips chastely, the stallion wincing back and sticking his tongue out childishly before the mare said gently: “Now you are even.”

“That wasn't the problem at all!” Moonflower exclaimed, shoving Aster childishly away, and Aster smiled as she stumbled backwards, the stallion glowering at her sulkily. “I take back everything I said. You are just another icky mare.”

“J'ai faire mal.” Aster said in a falsely-hurt voice, placing a hoof over her heart, and Moonflower huffed at her before she said gently: “We can all make mistakes, no? And we have discussed this many times, too, Moonflower. I know your friends have, as well. It is not just about Thorn, but about you, too... and the one who is going to ruin his relationship is you, if you keep saying you are not good enough for him.”

Moonflower smiled awkwardly, and then he glanced up to see Thesis coming towards them, the Replicant saying mildly: “He likes you plenty, you know. I'm pretty sure that you should know by now that if Thorn wanted to get rid of you, he would just get rid of you. He's not exactly shy about that kind of thing and all.”

Moonflower blushed a bit, nodding awkwardly as he lowered his head before he mumbled: “I... I know. The logical part of me knows that, but... I still think-”

“You don't think. That's always been your problem.” Cadence corrected as she joined them, and Moonflower smiled lamely before the mare said in a softer voice: “Look, we've all got a lot to worry about and deal with right now. Don't give yourself extra problems on top of that. Thorn really likes you and he already gave you a lecture about that whole... you know...”

“The faggot thing.” Moonflower said helpfully, and Aster cocked her head curiously.

“What bundle of things did he lecture you about?” she asked, and Moonflower giggled like a child as La Croix joined them just in time to hear this, snorting in amusement.

“Non, non, madamoiselle. 'Faggot,' ça veut dire pédé, n'est pas fagot.” La Croix said helpfully, and Aster nodded wisely as her eyes widened slightly.

“Ah, merci. How strange.” the mare said thoughtfully, before she smiled over at Moonflower and teased gently: “One would never guess that you, mighty Moonflower, was a bundle of sticks.”

“Oh, please. My sisters had me pegged as gay before I had my cutie mark.” Moonflower retorted with a huff, and Cadence rolled her eyes as Thesis grinned slightly.

“Well, y'certainly ain't handsome in a handsome kinda way. You handsome in a pretty little filly kind of way. And I mean that strictly platonically now, don't you get no funny ideas in your head.” La Croix said mildly, and Moonflower scowled at him horribly.

“Oh please, La Croix. As if I would ever be desperate enough for that that I would lower myself to the level of a stripehorse.” Moonflower said pettishly, before he straightened himself up and puffed out his chest as far as possible, adding proudly: “And I certainly would have to lower myself quite a bit to be on your level!”

La Croix only looked mildly up at Moonflower, who opened an eye after a moment and added almost awkwardly: “I am calling you short.”

“Oui, I get it, yeah. But y'know, short as I be in some places, I sure as hell can be sure I'm much bigger'n you in others. Brains, for one. And for another, my-”

“Alright, before we start dropping saddles, knock it off. I'm not interested in finding out how small any of you stallions are.” Cadence said moodily, and La Croix and Moonflower both huffed. “Aster, do you know how to get onto that island? Maybe you should take over, the drones can only do so much.”

“I will take the wheel, as long as the mechanical crew will listen to my orders. It is tricky: we must sail around the rear of the island. If something is there, I do not think we will be detected, as the sheet of fog works both ways, but...”

“We should still be careful, yeah.” Thesis agreed with a glance towards the island in the distance, before he said almost suddenly: “You know, I never got much naval experience. I spent all my time either on the ground or in the air. That was admittedly the way I liked it, too. Sea's always scared me.”

All eyes were looking oddly at Thesis, but he only grinned and shrugged before he said finally: “Hey, can't be perfect in every way, you know. But it just seemed like the ocean was full of, you know, bad things. You could either die or vanish, just like that. And the worst part was that all the ways you could die seemed to be slow and painful.”

“It is easier when you consider that all life is a slow and painful death.” Aster said with a strange optimism in her voice, and Thesis slowly turned towards her, tilting his head until the mare gave a small smile. “The sea is no place for the weak, mon ami.”

“Apparently not. Thankfully we won't be here for much longer, I'm guessing.” Thesis said finally, gesturing with his head towards the island, and Aster nodded before the Replicant instructed. “Go ahead, take over the wheel. The drones will listen to you.”

“Merci.” Aster bowed politely, then she turned and left quickly, trotting across the deck in the direction of the wheelhouse. Thesis smiled in amusement as she left, then he shook his head before turning towards Cadence.

He looked at her for a moment, then said finally: “Well, at least she's positive. I just wish she'd also be a little more... you know, open, about how afraid she is and how bad the voices are.”

Moonflower glanced up in surprise, but La Croix snorted and said wryly: “Y'ain't the only one who's noticed, rein de la nuit. Ain't like she been doin' much to hide it.”

“She's trying. She really is. I think... I believe in her, you know! I think she's going to be okay. She's... she's going to be okay.” Moonflower said almost urgently, before he glanced up as Thesis gently touched his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile.

“No one's arguing with you there, alright? I'm just worried about what this place is doing to her, that's all.” Thesis said gently, and then he shook his head slowly before he turned his eyes towards the island in the distance, murmuring: “We're approaching fast. Everyone, go and get ready. I want all of you prepared for elementals and undead. I have a feeling.”

“You heard him. Go down, get yourselves ready. Let Daddy know, too.” Cadence instructed quickly, and La Croix and Moonflower both nodded, the unicorn hesitating a few moments before he hurried after the Loa towards the lower deck.

Cadence looked over at Thesis, and Thesis smiled wryly at her before he shook his head and said quietly: “Hey, just because I'm not some crazy bird like you, Sazerac, doesn't mean I don't have instincts too.”

“I can feel the energy in the air. But I can't see any Void presences. So you might be right.” Cadence said after a moment, before Thesis smiled slightly at her.

“Hey, you know your eyes get all glowy when you look into the Astra, so you can't fool me. Also you said it was too hard to look through the Astra here.” Thesis said pointedly, and Cadence scowled at him even as she blushed ever-so-slightly.

“Do they?” she asked finally, and Thesis simply shrugged, which made her sigh and roll her eyes before she muttered: “I hate you.”

“You do not. You like me, at least a little bit.” Thesis replied with a wink and a smile, before he added in a softer voice: “Look, we'll deal with whatever's ahead a little bit at a time, okay? It sucks, and it's scary, but it's also not like this is the worst thing we've ever dealt with, right?”

Cadence gave Thesis a brief smile, and then she said finally: “The worst we ever dealt with was... well... that thing is still out there, destroying whatever worlds he wants to, apparently.”

Thesis tilted his head back and forth, and Cadence tilted her head towards him, until he finally said with a small shrug: “I just don't think it's going to happen again. Not unless he gets desperate or crazy. Not just because I have faith that our friends in the Void will do their best to keep him from doing anything crazy, but because if he really just wanted to destroy us all, he would have done it before. I mean, Hel's gone. He might be scared of Mom, but he knows how Jötnar powers work, and... I mean... it's just this gut feeling I have.”

“Great. Helpful.” Cadence mumbled, but after a moment, she nodded with a sigh and said finally: “There's no point in thinking about it anyway, I know that.”

“Then stop thinking, because you're giving me a headache.” Thesis said blandly, and Cadence glowered at him, but the stallion only winked at her before he said mildly: “Hey, it's true, you know. You do enough thinking for the both of us. Actually, you do too much thinking for the both of us. So seriously. Just stop thinking for a little while.”

“I'm going to punch your face down your throat.” Cadence said moodily, and then she flexed a hoof slowly as she added grumpily: “And any time I'm not thinking I'm apparently killing things or the Swan takes over or something.”

“Is it really so bad when the Swan has control?” Thesis asked in a gentler voice, and Cadence looked up at him sharply. But when the stallion only continued to look at her, she hesitated, and Thesis took the moment to prod carefully: “If you and the Swan are one and the same, maybe that's why-”

“We're not!” Cadence said forcefully, and then she bit her lip, looking quickly back and forth. But there was no one around; only drones who were calmly going about the chores on deck, keeping the ship running efficiently.

All the same, the mare lowered her voice as she stepped closer to Thesis, as if afraid someone was going to hear as she muttered: “We're not. The Swan and I are... we're different, okay? We're two parts. It's like you said, I'm... I'm not the Swan. I'm not the Swan.”

“I know, Cadence. I know, okay?” Thesis reached up and squeezed the mare's shoulders gently, smiling at her before he said quietly: “And it doesn't matter to me who or what you are. But what matters is that you can trust yourself, and the you inside yourself, do you understand?”

“The Swan isn't me.” Cadence said stubbornly, but that was only a deflection, a cheap attempt to start an argument, and one that Thesis easily stopped by simply putting a hoof on her nose, making her wrinkle up her snout as she scowled at him. “Take it off before I bite it off.”

Thesis responded by squeezing firmly into her nose and pulling her head down, making her eyes widen slightly as she was forced to lock gazes with him, before he said softly: “Don't run from this and don't try to just pick fights to... fight your way out of reasoning with me or yourself. You're better than that.”

“No I'm not.” Cadence mumbled, her eyes flicking away before she closed them and sighed softly, deflating visibly. “I'm... I'm really not, Thesis, that's exactly the problem. That's why I have to tell myself and everyone else over and over I'm not the Swan, because... I know that I am.”

“No being self-deprecating, either. Come on, your whole team already has self-esteem issues. I don't need you jumping on that bandwagon too.” Thesis said gently, letting go of her nose, and the mare wrinkled up her snout before she stiffened up in surprise when Thesis hugged her tightly. “Look. Just think about it. Maybe the reason you're so goddamn tired and frustrated is because... you need to learn to share a little. And not handle all the burden on your own.”

Cadence looked down for a moment, and then she asked the stupid question that made her feel like a stupid little filly, that she knew was idiotic to even think, even though it was the first thing that always leapt to mind these days, even though it was her greatest fear: “But what if you like her more?”

“I like you. I like all of you. And the only parts of you I like more are the parts that can't cause me excruciating pain when I disagree with you.” Thesis said gently, and Cadence glared up at him before he leaned forwards and kissed one of her ears. “Which I guess are just these.”

Cadence rolled her eyes, then she smacked the stallion with her horn before she grabbed him by the head and shoved him backwards. She glared at him, but he grinned back even as he rubbed slowly at his muzzle, before the mare looked away and hesitated...

I have no desire to steal him from you. But you do not fear that. You fear that I will be honest with him. You fear that I will not lie to him, as you do. the Swan said softly, and Cadence fought to repress a snarl, but she knew Thesis knew anyway, and that just added to her frustration, to the sense of- Do not deceive yourself. It is not that you have made me more powerful. It is not that I have become stronger. I am only more alive, and you find yourself with fewer reasons to reject me. We are the Swan, Cadence. Not I alone, and not you. Both of us, together.

“I don't... I just... shut up, shut up...” Cadence muttered through her grit teeth, and then she flinched before she felt the Swan pushing at her to take over-

Her reaction was immediately and violent, stomping a hoof down hard enough to crack the floorboards beneath her as Thesis winced in surprise, the ivory mare baring her teeth as she almost flung the Swan away, but there was a strange satisfaction that made Cadence scowl- See? When you desire to defy us, you do. When your subconscious and conscious align, you overpower us.

Cadence shivered a bit, and then she shook her head shortly, thinking of the Swan, how easily the Swan overrode her any other time now, how it felt more like- Stop this, Cadence. Do not lie to us, or at least not to yourself, most of all. You envy us. You enjoy our power. And you like the excuse we provide you to bring down pain and punishment on those who harm you and those you... we... care for. And how could anyone ever blame you for that? Who would not kill for an excuse, for a reason to strike out, mercilessly, against all who would do harm to them and theirs?

“That's not... I just...” Cadence gritted her teeth, before she turned and glared out at the ocean, grabbing the railing of the ship as she shouted: “What do you want me to admit? That I'm just... another screwed-up, revenge-seeking murderer? I just... I don't want to be that. I know I am. I know I can't hide from it. I know that...”

Cadence stopped, then she stared out miserably into the wild emptiness of the sea, breathing slowly before she said quietly: “I'm... I'm not going to go into the same old rants and swears and curses because... it really doesn't matter. And I can't lie to the Swan and I can't lie to you, Thesis. I like it. I do like it. I enjoy fighting, and I like killing. It fills me with... it feels like what I was meant to do. And I don't want to be this way but... I don't want to change, either. No, that's a lie. I want... I do want to be this way. I don't want to change, but I do want to be... who I am. I... I like who I am.”

Cadence laughed faintly, then she shook her head slowly before she stared out at the cloudy skies above the roiling ocean, whispering: “She's right, you know. And at first she was just Danzsöngr, the logic, the cruelty of the Swan. Now she's... she's the voice of my conscience, both good and bad, but always there, always whispering to me, even when I'm not listening.”

Thesis approached and silently wrapped a foreleg around Cadence's shoulders, and she closed her eyes as she lowered her head, breathing slowly in and out before she muttered: “I hate you so much.”

“I know. But I like you. I do. Even though you're scary. I'm not going to make comparisons, and I'm not going to say it's a good thing. I guess it's not, Cadence. But... I love you all the same, for you. That's part of you and I wouldn't change that part of you.” Thesis said softly, and Cadence looked at him almost bitterly, but the stallion only smiled briefly in return before he said quietly: “I don't care about you because you're perfect. You're flawed, and that's a large part of what makes you beautiful to me. The fact that you keep going. The fact that you haven't lost yourself to these instincts. The fact that you're... you.”

Cadence looked over at him, and Thesis smiled a bit before he said quietly: “Isn't dating a femme fatale supposed to be like the epitome of hotness, too?”

“I hate you so much.” Cadence muttered, scowling out into the distance before she grumbled: “That's why Shining left me, you know. Miss Take, she was the whole... secret agent femme fatale long-legged fancy-ass-”

“Well, your ass is nice, but it's certainly not fancy. It's a tight, muscular ass.” Thesis said mildly, and Cadence twitched and glared at him before he said gently: “You can't get mad at everything everyone says, Honk.”

“I hate that nickname.” Cadence grumbled, but Thesis only smiled wider, and she knew he knew she didn't really hate it, which just annoyed her even more. “What are you so happy about?”

“You.” Thesis said simply, and then he hesitated for a moment before he leaned in and kissed her lips quietly, murmuring: “I can't love the Swan any more than I love you because you are the Swan. And I can't hate the Swan because I can't hate you. I know you need some work, but... lucky for you, I like a fixer-upper.”

“Anyone else. Anyone else, and I'd throw them off this goddamn boat right now. Whether it's true or not.” Cadence grumbled, shaking her head shortly before she dropped her head with a quiet sigh, closing her eyes and muttering: “You need fixing more than me.”

“A lot more, yeah. But that's why we're good for each other.” Thesis stopped, then he glanced around to make sure they were alone before he hesitated, and Cadence frowned at him curiously.

The stallion licked his lips, and then he suddenly smiled before he shook his head and looked at the island, murmuring: “Look. We should get ready to land. Uh... just... I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I'm going to do everything in my power to help you and keep you safe and protect you, whether you like it or not.”

“That's very masculine of you. And out of nowhere, too.” Cadence said slowly, and Thesis simply shrugged before she scowled when he shoved her gently away. “I'm not going to let this go. We're going to talk about it. You're not going to be like-”

“You?” Thesis asked with a quirk of his eyebrow, and then he winced at the sour look Cadence gave him as she slowly flexed a hoof. “I'm not dying. I just... talking to you right now makes me realize that I really want to be... open with you and honest and trust you and... I want to...”

Thesis fumbled a little for his words, before he glanced over his shoulder as hooves approached, the stallion instead asking quickly: “Moonflower, did you put stuff aside for Aster, too?”

“Oh, I think Sombra is doing that, yes.” Moonflower said as he approached, looking curiously between the two before he asked awkwardly: “Do you uh... need me to go?”

Both Thesis and Cadence blurted out excuses, making Moonflower stare for a few moments before he smiled awkwardly and turned to leave. But he almost immediately ran right into La Croix, who winced and stumbled out of the way before he grumbled: “Watch it, y'idjit.”

“You're an idjit! Uh. Come on, La Croix, let's... help me with... tying my shoes.” Moonflower fumbled, and Cadence groaned and rolled her eyes as she rubbed slowly at her forehead, as La Croix only stared, nonplussed, at Moonflower.

“Moonflower, it's fine. It's fine, okay?” Cadence said moodily, waving a hoof, and Moonflower gave her a lame smile before the mare sighed and shook herself out, storming past the Loa and unicorn as she muttered: “Let's just get this over with.”

As Cadence stormed away, Moonflower looked with embarrassment at Thesis, but the Replicant only gave a wry smile and a shrug, waving a hoof as he said softly: “Don't worry about it. Cadence is just uh... working through a few things right now, that's all. We all have our own burdens, after all.”

“Yes. I suppose that's true.” Moonflower smiled briefly, even as he continued to blush a bit before he mumbled: “I'm trying... I'm trying very hard to value my friends more.”

“I know. And that's great. But don't try too hard, huh?” Thesis smiled a little in return, saying quietly: “Half the fun of being a friend is so you can be there for other people when they need it.”

Moonflower smiled awkwardly, then he glanced over his shoulder in the direction Cadence had gone as La Croix murmured: “Guess we can't argue with that. But it'd sure be nice if sometimes Cygne would remember that herself.”

“She will.” Thesis promised, before he turned his eyes out over the ocean, saying softly: “Not even Swans are made out of stone.”

Cadence grimaced as the dinghy ran up onto a small beach, the mare leaping out into the shallow waters with a splash to grab the side of the ship and pull it forwards with a grunt into the soft sand, her muzzle wrinkling up at the reek of the clouds swirling around her as she muttered: “I can feel the electricity in the air. Not even Pegasi could do this. Not even weather magic could have this sort of effect. It has to be Primordial presence.”

“Because I didn't just say that five minutes ago.” Thesis said mildly, and Cadence gave him a sour look through the fog as he helped her pull the dinghy onto shore, before he added in a quieter voice, his visor glowing like a ghostly lantern through the fog: “Let's keep the chatter to a minimum and move in quick, though. There's a very strange energy reading ahead.”

Cadence nodded, stepping forwards and scowling a little as she brought down her own visor, readings flashing over the glass before she grimaced and muttered: “I'm getting a lot of static interference. Is that from the fog?”

“Nope. These things are shock-proof, they should work even if the rest of our equipment got scrambled by an EMP.” Thesis replied with a brief shake of his head. “It must be from the signal ahead. Thorn could probably tell you what it is, but I sure as hell can't.”

Cadence grimaced a bit before she looked back as the others hopped out of the dinghy, Aster laughing a little as she said quietly: “It feels no different than it ever has, here. This is an awful place, the remains of a thousand forbidden magics and dozens of dead ships. We are in a graveyard. Ghosts are to be expected.”

“I can deal with ghosts.” Thesis muttered, before he asked: “Have you ever been here before?”

Aster hesitated for a few long seconds, before she finally admitted in a murmur: “Twice, oui. Neither time I... I care to remember. We were... harvesting bodies. Looking at... 'test results.' Neither were very pleasant.”

Thesis nodded, before he asked: “Do you remember enough to act as a guide?”

“I... suppose, yes. But I am only familiar with one route, to the guard tower in the center of the island. I will try and lead you there, but since Salazar is dead I do not know what will have happened to the defenses he created.” Aster said almost apologetically, shivering a little as the red veins pulsed eerily beneath her skin, almost seeming to glow.

Cadence grimaced a bit, looking nervously at Aster for a few moments and how the stress and the environment seemed to be affecting her, making her strange condition that much worse. She thought for a moment about interrupting, about asking Aster to leave and head back to the boat, but then the winged unicorn looked up with a small, strained smile and promised: “I'll do my best. I would... I want to do my best to help. It is the least I can do.”

“Just you don't push yourself too much, mademoiselle. I ain't as good at the whole proverbs thing as Papa Sérénité, but even I know that bons nageurs sont à la fin noyés. You already done lots just gettin' us here.” La Croix advised, and then he smiled reassuringly when Aster looked at him almost worriedly. “I ain't about to turn down further help either, though. Just... want you to know not to push yourself. That's all.”

“Merci, La Croix. Tu es trop sympa.” Aster said softly, before she turned her eyes forwards as the veins seemed to settle a little, the eerie crimson light fading as she murmured: “I am alright. Oui, I am in control. I will guide but... perhaps Madame Cygne and you, Commandant Thesis, could lead.”

“Of course.” Thesis gestured with his head to Cadence, and the mare nodded back as she strode up beside him, Aster falling in behind and smiling as Moonflower automatically ran up beside her. La Croix and Sombra brought up the rear, and Cadence glanced back once with a brief smile of approval before she turned her eyes back ahead as Thesis said quietly: “Let's head towards the source. Keep us informed, Aster.”

Aster nodded, but she remained mostly quiet, guiding more by gesture and hesitation than by speaking. The group of ponies made their way slowly through the cloud-suffocated island, following what Cadence realized shortly was a dirt path through weedy grass, what looked like broken fences and old, rusted power poles looming now and then out of the fog towards them.

Cadence frowned uneasily: as they began to make their way up a rockier, harder path that seemed less natural and more like it had been carved and bludgeoned into the face of the earth with crude tools, she saw more signs of... not civilization, no, but ruin. Broken lights, shattered barriers, pockmarks and claw marks and... blood.

Cadence halted, kneeling quickly as she brushed a hoof over the bloody ground before she grimaced and muttered: “This is fresh. But it... it stinks.”

“Chemicals. La Croix?” Thesis asked quickly, and La Croix scowled, opening his mouth as he came forwards before his eyes widened slightly in surprise.

He leaned down after a moment, touching around the blood before he muttered: “Oui. You be right. The smell be because this is old blood, that's been... brought back to life, so to speak. Made to run again when it done dried up long ago.”

He paused, then straightened and added quietly: “I'm guessin' Nzambi. I don't know the hell they be doin' here, though, Bondye be gone. Locked up in exile, not dead... I ain't dumb enough to throw him into the Void when our friend be diggin' up that cemetaire.”

“Who else can control the Nzambi? What about Veliuona?” asked Cadence, and La Croix bit his lip worriedly.

“Nzambi be... they be a little different. But maybe...” La Croix grimaced, looking anxiously away. “Look, either way, if they be here, it be bad. But if somethin' managed to wound one like this, and there ain't no corpse around? That means it either chased the Nzambi off or killed it and dragged the body off for a quick meal. Both of those things be real mal.”

“Yeah, I get it. Nzambi are dangerous. Whatever did this has to be more dangerous.” Thesis summarized, before his eyes flicked up and he muttered: “I picked up that signal again, it's getting stronger. Aster, are we still following this path?”

“Ah, oui, yes...” Aster said distractedly, her eyes roving back and forth. She looked pale, Cadence thought; pale, but those veins were pulsing eerily through her flesh, bright and unnatural... “We must keep going. They are just up ahead... the tower, I mean. The tower is just up ahead.”

Moonflower shifted nervously, and La Croix scowled before he said slowly: “I can scout, y'know, make sure 'sall safe...”

“No. I want you following behind us, stay in a defensive position. If we are dealing with Nzambi, they'll already know you're here, anyway, from what I've heard.” Thesis instructed, and La Croix nodded with a grimace as Cadence frowned over at Thesis.

But Thesis only gave her that look, and she decided to let it go for now, before he turned his eyes ahead and said quietly: “Let's go, guys.”

Cadence glanced back at her team, but they had already fallen into position without waiting for her signal: something that annoyed her only a little with Thesis leading the way. She instead turned her attention back ahead, scanning ahead with her own visor even as static fluctuated across the glass, the mare muttering: “I can't read the distance marker, it keeps changing.”

“Well it should, we are getting closer.” Thesis said helpfully, and Cadence gave him a sour look before the stallion asked in a more serious voice: “What about the energy scale? Are you getting large fluxes there or a gradual increase?”

“Is that what you're using to judge distance?” Cadence caught on to what Thesis was saying before he had even said it, reaching up to tap her visor once before she smiled slightly as the stallion looked over at her with surprise. “I did actually learn a few things from Hecate, you know. I know how to change the detection settings, too.”

“It should function fine with whatever you have it to. Just keep an eye on the signal source and let me know if that goes haywire for you, too.” Thesis answered, before he glanced over his shoulder and started: “Moonflower...”

He paused as his eyes roved to Aster, who looked disconnected from the rest of the world around her, and he cleared his throat before continuing slowly: “Moonflower, keep track of the energy cycling in the air around us. Let me know if you detect anything weird.”

Moonflower nodded, his horn lighting up faintly before he grimaced and muttered: “Strange. I feel my magic being muffled by the clouds, but there's no sense of antimagic... it isn't like that weird fog we saw before, either, it's... a different sort of unpleasant. It's... it's wet and cold.”

Those were odd descriptors for magic, but La Croix scowled as he muttered: “I agree. I feel it too, coverin' up my spirit. Ain't pleasant, whatever else it is.”

Cadence frowned, but she couldn't feel it herself: there was no sense of muffling or unpleasantness. Thesis asked her in a glance if she could feel it, and she answered him with her own look back at the stallion, who smiled oddly at her before he nodded once and said soothingly: “Just hold it together for now. Come on, we're almost there. Right, Aster?”

“Right. Yes. Right.” Aster blinked a bit: Cadence was relieved to see she came back to the world at least a little when she was directly addressed.

The winged unicorn smiled uneasily, then shifted slowly before she looked back and forth, whispering: “I apologize. I just keep... losing focus. I don't know why. After all, everything is... right here. Right in front of me... all the answers, all the things I've been looking for...”

Aster broke off as her head tilted strangely to the side, and Cadence frowned over her shoulder, but Aster suddenly seemed to snap back to reality as they reached a fork in the path, pointing to the right and the road that led up a natural stairway of jagged rock. “There. The tower is up the path. On top of the mountain.”

“Alright. Watch your footing. Let's take it nice and slow.” Thesis said calmly as he gave Cadence a quick head signal, and the mare nodded, half pleased and half annoyed as she took point and leapt quickly up the natural, broken steps, grimacing a little as she noted that the fog immediately grew much thicker, muffling even the sound of her hooves hitting the hard stone as much as it blinded her to all but the general shape of things around them.

She was only a few meters ahead, but Cadence felt completely separated from the group, the faint sounds they made as they followed behind her like whispers from a great distance away. She frowned as she climbed higher and the clouds only thickened and worsened, feeling unsteady on her hooves not from the jagged ground beneath her, but the fact she could barely make out where she was standing, gazing nervously down at her own feet like a child-

The Swan hissed at her, and Cadence looked up as she stepped forward and something horrific lurched out of the fog towards her, her eyes widening as she snarled and immediately snapped a dagger up to the ready. But the thing didn't move, and Cadence stared at it for a moment before she shivered in disgust and horror as she realized what she was looking at. She forced her dry throat to become unstuck as she looked back over her shoulder, shouting as loudly as she dared: “Hey! Found something!”

After a few moments, Thesis and the others joined her, and Aster moaned low in her throat and looked away as Moonflower grimaced and her father murmured a short prayer. But all of them couldn't help but study the eerie scarecrow hanging from a wooden T in front of them, the corpse reeking of fresh rot, features gaping and twisted in a way that Cadence couldn't describe.

Its jaws were too wide, too large, its eyes too small, its face covered in both torn and wrinkled flesh, like the bones had sprung out here, but the features had crushed-in there and left too much skin behind. Cadence noted that its body was eerily deformed as well: the barrel shortened, the limbs unnaturally long and spindly.

“What the hell is it?” Cadence asked, and Thesis gave her a wry smile.

“Here I was hoping you could tell me.” he replied, before he glanced over his shoulder, hesitating a moment before he asked La Croix, even as his eyes lingered on Aster: “What do you think?”

“Been dead a long time, but it was movin' pretty recently. Sure you see it too, Cygne, the fresh blood and all.” La Croix said quietly, pointing at the recent wounds in the creature's chest. “We got this thing in Darkwater, 'scalled 'strangled.' The strangled are all screwed up from some sort of trauma, it literally crushes and twists their spirits so much, it warps their bodies.”

“We become outside what we are inside.” Thesis muttered, and then he shook his head before he asked quietly: “Do you think these have been here long?”

“I'd guess so. Ain't something that happens overnight.” La Croix glanced towards Aster, hesitating a moment before he shook his head and returned his eyes to Thesis when he realized the mare was off in her own world again, gazing off into the fog. “Uh... I uh, guess that the best thing we can do for now is keep movin', though. Ain't these strangled that got me worried. It's whatever did this to him.”

“Alright. Cadence, take point again. We'll follow.” Thesis said finally, looking back and forth through the fog, just able to make out what looked like a path continuing up the mountain to one side... and I can't tell if that's forest or just tall rocks on the other. Either way, I want us out of here as soon as possible.

Cadence nodded to the Replicant, glancing at her unsheathed dagger before she decided it might be better to have it ready, just in case. She kept it floating beside her as she turned and began to make her way up the mountain, before she frowned when the Swan whispered in her ear: There are disturbances in the Astra.

“Are there?” Cadence muttered, trying to pretend she wasn't interested as she made her way up the mountainside: the path was getting steeper and more uneven, and she thought strangely that it seemed like parts of the mountain had crumbled away, or perhaps even been subject to some kind of force that had knocked chunks of stone loose. But what the hell would do that? “That signal is getting a lot stronger.”

The Swan was silent for a moment, and then it answered the question Cadence had tried not to ask: It is very simple. It is because we are one with the Astra: we see through it with more than sight alone.

“Great. Real neat. Tell me when you do something useful.” Cadence grumbled, before she winced when she felt the Swan grasp her firmly, halting her in her tracks. “Goddammit, I know you're... not even really there, so how can you-”

The others are not as fast as you. You do not need the Astra to sense their presence. And their presence has receded because you have moved too far ahead. the Swan... chastised? Scolded? Either way, Cadence didn't like it, the ivory mare scowling immediately before the Swan chided: Do not be a child, Cadence. You are not a child.

“And I don't know what the hell you are, but I don't like it.” Cadence grumbled, even though at this point she did have an idea of what the Swan was. Sort of.

She shook her head to clear it, then sighed and turned her attention forwards, shrugging off the Swan as she muttered: “I'll wait for them at the next... wherever I can find a good place to rest. The last thing I need is to get ambushed on this ledge.”

She shook herself out, then continued quickly upward until the path brought her to a wide plateau. But the mare didn't need the Swan to tell her something was wrong, even as the fog cleared just enough for her to make out the shape of distorted trees, to hear the leaves rustling as the wind blew through them- Except there's no wind.

Cadence's eyes flicked towards the sound of shivering branches, before a soft hissing started to rise through the air. Immediately, she stepped backwards and rose her dagger, her eyes locked on the source of the noise as that hissing rose another decible- Behind you.

“I know.” Cadence grumbled, waiting a moment longer before she suddenly kicked both rear hooves out, slamming them into the face of the monstrosity that had been crawling up behind her and knocking it off its hooves with a squeal.

Screams of frustration immediately rose up all around her, and Cadence grimaced as long-limbed, thin-bodied pony-monsters leapt in on every side, lunging eagerly towards her with their gaping mouths open hideously wide. They were rapid but clumsy, misshapen things that Cadence easily dodged out from under when they attacked, before she swore in surprise as one of them suddenly lunged in and seized into her, biting uselessly against her armored shoulder.

She rammed her shoulder up, shattering teeth with the force of the shrug before she turned and slammed a hoof across its face. And to her surprise, the monstrosity crumpled under the blow alone, the other misshapen things squealing in frustration and fury before most of them suddenly turned and bolted away, only one remaining to try and tackle her.

Cadence caught this one, then spun it around and slammed it down on its belly, twisting its forelegs up behind its back and disregarding the sickening crack of breaking bone as she crushed it under her weight. It struggled weakly, but it was easily pinned and restrained, and Cadence scowled as the thing wriggled and hissed: it was maddened, mutant, and awful, but... not exactly tough.

A few moments later, Thesis emerged through the fog, hurrying towards her before he grimaced in surprise at her captive. He hesitated only a moment before saying quickly: “Moonflower, Sombra, secure the area. La Croix, can you take a look at that thing?”

“I'm on it, boss.” La Croix grimaced a bit as he knelt carefully, then he shivered a little as he reached carefully out towards its face, flinching only slightly as it snapped at him with its foaming jaws before he managed to touch the end of its muzzle, muttering: “Ain't dead. Ain't quite alive, either, but... these things ain't dead, whatever else they are. Definitely ain't good, either way.”

Cadence frowned at this as Aster shivered, then the winged unicorn covered her face as she turned away, whispering: “Salazar's failures. The ones who would not obey, the ones that... did not turn out how he wanted them to.”

She shook her head slowly as Cadence studied the winged unicorn intently, before La Croix muttered: “Oui. It's some kind of disease. Makes 'em into nasty dead things. Ain't nothin' we can really do about it, but you'll wanna avoid getting bit by 'em. Won't be pleasant.”

Cadence scowled at this as she glanced at her scratched-up pauldron, before she grumbled: “At least they don't have too strong a bite, then.”

“Just gotta get deep enough in your flesh to get to that sweet old sang. I mean... just be careful, y'hear?” La Croix said awkwardly, looking lamely over at Aster as the mare shuddered and took a slow breath.

Moonflower and Sombra both approached, one looking nervous as the other frowned ever-so-slightly, but Aster seemed to come back from her fearful daze, turning her eyes towards Thesis and saying quietly: “There are many of them. We should try and be fast. The tower is just up ahead. Up above and up ahead.”

Thesis frowned a little at the mare, but then he shrugged before turning his eyes to Cadence, asking: “You okay with staying on point for now?”

“Yeah. I'll handle it.” Cadence said with a quick nod, before she glanced down at the zombie-thing she was still pinning. Then, without a second thought, she simply slammed her elbow into the back of its neck, cracking its vertebrae and leaving it paralyzed and squirming uselessly on the ground.

Aster twitched and looked quickly away, and La Croix winced as Thesis looked pointedly at Cadence. The ivory mare only glared back as much as she could, however, ignoring the flush at her collar before she grumbled something as she spun away and hurried off, back onto the path leading upward, vanishing quickly into the fog.

But the unnatural cloud-cover at least seemed to be thinning as she headed up further into the mountain: now she could make out more than vague shapes around her as she ascended some kind of beaten wagon-road that was lined with broken, mangled fencing, the tops of trees pushing out of a ravine to the far side, while the mountain wall rose steadily beside her to the other, covered in natural, jutting spikes of rock that would make it impossible to climb... for normal people, anyway.

Cadence was tempted just to fly above the fog, but she had a bad feeling that as annoying as the cloud cover was, leaving it and making herself a giant target in the air would be far worse. So instead she crept along, admittedly relieved when sounds started to lose their muffled tone: she could hear Thesis rallying the ponies behind her, and the sound of hooves crunching through dirt, and the sound of gently rattling chains...

Cadence looked up, and she shivered but didn't stop as she found herself rounding a corner that was guarded by three more of the dead scarecrows, the gaping zombies seeming to follow her with their eyes as she continued uneasily up the path.

She stopped when she found more bloodstains, frowning a bit as she studied the pattern: she had seen this kind of spatter before. She hesitated for a moment, before her eyes narrowed slightly as she heard the distinct clack-click of a hammer drawing back, sensing sharp eyes on her and a weapon being aimed-

Cadence spun around, one of her wings snapping up and glowing white a moment before the bullet pounded into it, and the Nzambi snarled as it fumbled the high-powered rifle in its hooves, immediately straightening and shouting something angrily. Cadence felt the Swan take over her body as she heard the Nzambi on either side of her leap out of hiding, one of them leaping free from a pile of debris and the other flinging itself down from a ledge above.

They were incredibly fast, and yet it was nowhere near fast enough as the Swan raked a dagger over her head, point-down, and caught the Nzambi trying to drop on her under the jaw with her blade, the end of the weapon punching out the top of its skull before the zebra corpse was flung savagely to the side to smash into its companion. Above, the sniper swore as he struggled to reload his rifle, but the Swan only flicked her horn sharply, sending a blast of white flame at the creature that sent it scurrying for cover.

She turned as the Nzambi on the road with her flung off its stunned, brain-pierced ally, instead swearing at her before it reached for something in its jacket. But then it gasped in surprise and disbelief, light flooding out of its sockets as it breathed fire for a moment before its entire body turned to ashes, the Nzambi crumbling away to dust as La Croix withdrew his hornet needle from the remains of its corpse, muttering: “Almost feel bad for that one. You okay, Cygne?”

“Right as rain.” Cadence answered, flicking her wing absently a few times to send a few charred, broken feathers free, before she scowled as the Nzambi she had pierced the brain of picked itself slowly up, glaring at them furiously. “Hey, asshole. Who the hell are you working for?”

“Real smooth, Cadence.” Thesis said wryly from behind the zebra-zombie, and the Nzambi didn't even have enough time to turn around before it was snared in a magical prison courtesy of Moonflower, who scowled as he emerged from the fog with Thesis and Sombra, Aster following uneasily behind them after a moment.

The zebra-zombie struggled, then hissed in frustration as Moonflower warily floated it down to the ground, Thesis instructing calmly: “La Croix, can you squeeze any info out of this guy? Moonflower, make sure to keep his spirit bound. That's more important than his body. Cadence can pretty easily break his body if he tries to run away.”

“Thanks, asshole.” Cadence said sourly, even as she glared at the Nzambi and cracked her hooves threateningly.

The Nzambi scowled, before it hissed in frustration when La Croix approached and said contemptibly: “Ain't nothin' to get from this one. We should just throw this mudbug back in the bayou, let done be done. Doubt he can parlez, considerin' this one ain't linked to Bondye but probably some wannabe witchdoctor.”

The Nzambi snarled back in its own dialect at La Croix, who grinned wryly before the Nzambi looked around at the other ponies, struggling inside the orb it was trapped in as it growled: “Do you hear me? Our Queen will destroy you all.”

“Your lady don't scare me none. What she gonna do? Or maybe I should say he do, 'cause we all know what a rein is.” La Croix said mildly, and the Nzambi hissed at him furiously.

“Go ahead, La Croix, mock the goddess. It seems you haven't learned anything from your exile, punguani.” the Nzambi growled, before it gestured upward and hissed: “The Goddess of Cursed Shades is doing the bidding of a great master. Through her, we will survive and thrive, the true disciples of Bondye, those who have earned the title of witchdoctor. We will turn your weapons against you with the help of the msaliti-”

“The msaliti, really? Y'ever heard to never trust a betrayer, boo? 'Cause, you know, they like to betray and all.” La Croix said flatly, and the Nzambi only sneered.

“Oh, we know he will betray us. But the msaliti will make himself useful before then. The metal sky horse is insolent. He thinks he's smarter, more cunning than us. That is why he will fail and fall.” the Nzambi said contemptibly, before he scowled as he pushed uselessly against the barrier again, growling: “Let me free.”

“Sure, mon ami. You want me to do it or Cygne there?” asked La Croix evenly, and the Nzambi finally grumbled and stopped struggling, glaring sulkily at the Loa through the shield before the stallion asked, locking his eyes with the Nzambi: “Tell me the truth. Why are you here?”

The Nzambi seemed to struggle against an invisible force for a moment, before it finally slumped and scowled. He didn't answer as he chewed slowly on his lip for a few seconds, and then he lowered his head and muttered: “We were run out of Darkwater. All of Bondye's loyalists. There's no place for us there anymore. Not when we are still loyal to Bondye, to his ideals. So we must serve whom he served. We must serve alongside and beneath the ones we recognize.”

La Croix looked down thoughtfully, before Thesis asked: “How many of you are here, then?”

The Nzambi responded by spitting some nasty-sounding words in its own language at the Replicant, who cocked an eyebrow before he asked La Croix mildly: “So on a scale of one to ten, how amazing does he think I am?”

“'Bout a negative.” La Croix replied, and Thesis huffed before the Loa promised: “You be set free, mon ami, so long as you answer a few questions. Understood?”

“Don't break your word, Loa. You know what happens to spirits who break their word.” the Nzambi said warningly, but La Croix only smiled and nodded, and after a moment the zebra zombie nodded grudgingly. “Fine. There are twenty of us.”

“Twenty?” La Croix's eyes widened in surprise. “The hell is a whole-”

“Seventeen now.” the Nzambi steamrolled, looking at La Croix distastefully. “All trained. Priests and witchdoctors.”

La Croix grimaced, and then the Nzambi added almost carelessly: “And yes, they are all prepared. Weapons, artifacts, and equipment. They are ready for you, La Croix. In fact, we have been expecting you. We will seize the secrets buried here and use them to steal the souls.”

Aster shook her head vehemently, suddenly leaning forwards and shouting: “No! There is nothing here, there are no secrets! Allez! Allez au diable!”

The mare snapped her horn out, sending crimson lightning ripping across the Nzambi and making it howl in agony as it spasmed uselessly in the prison created by Moonflower, La Croix shouting for attention, but Aster only glaring as the crimson veins pulsated over her face and body, her eyes maddened as she hissed: “I will devour you, impudent dog!”

The Nzambi twitched, helpless, before La Croix suddenly leaned over and grabbed Moonflower, blurting an apology before he shoved the unicorn hard and disrupted his concentration with a crackle of green lightning. The prison around the Nzambi shattered, sending it crashing to the ground, and Aster flinched as magical recoil burst over her: just long enough for the Nzambi to hurriedly abandon the corpse it was occupying, the evil spirit lashing hurriedly free from the corpse and vanishing into the air.

Except Cadence could still see it: the floating zebra was clutching at its own chest, making whooping, gasping breaths, eyes staring with something like terror at Aster as the winged unicorn slowly recovered. And then the Nzambi suddenly looked at Cadence, seeming to realize that it was being watched, and it snarled at her before it spat some insult, then spun around and left, floundering through the air wildly, Cadence noted, and looking back over its shoulder, afraid and humiliated. No. Terrified. Absolutely terrified.

Cadence shook her head slowly, and then she turned her eyes towards La Croix. Moonflower was scowling at him, but he seemed much more worried about Aster than anything else, even if he wouldn't so much as look at her. Cadence could feel it, though, as her eyes roved towards the winged unicorn, but Thesis grasped her shoulder gently before she could say anything, saying softly: “Let it go for now.”

Aster slowly looked up, blinking a few times before she straightened, smiling shakily as she murmured: “I... I apologize, pardonnez-moi, mon amies. I have made quite the fool of myself... I... my temper got the better of me. That is all. Are you all okay?”

There was silence for a moment, and then Moonflower laughed a little before he said finally: “Yes. Yes, we are all fine here, of course. You're sure...”

“Oui. I am fine.” Aster said forcefully, before she shook her head and blushed a bit, mumbling: “I am fine. I... may we continue? The tower is ahead. Ahead and above. It is where we must go.”

“I agree. Let's keep going. If the Nzambi are as well-armed as these three were, we're in for a fight, and they'll know we're coming. Plus it sounds like Veliuona is up there, and she doesn't like me nearly as much as Melinda does.” Thesis said, and the others nodded.

But as they fell in again, Cadence couldn't help looking uneasily back over her shoulder at Aster, at the way the mare walked with her head drooped, even as Moonflower hurried up beside her to encourage her, and she was reminded of when they had first met silly Jeanne de Brittany, who had such great hopes and dreams, but who in the end had nearly been the victim and servant of a much greater evil.

Dreams Of A Swan

Chapter Ninety Four: Dreams Of A Swan
~BlackRoseRaven

Veliuona was waiting for them at the top of the mountain path with an escort of six Nzambi, the fog floating all around her but never touching her, and thin enough in this high field for them to be able to make out the shapes of structures in the distance. A new collar gleamed around her neck, but she only surveyed them with interest as they approached, in spite of the way the Nzambi shifted suspiciously on either side of her, scowling under their masks and helmets.

Thesis grinned as he loitered out towards the mare, then he grunted as he carefully shoved himself up to his hind hooves, cracking his back loudly as his exoskeleton sparked for a moment, before he said wryly: “It's really stupid that you insist on standing like this, you know.”

“You know I would never expect it from you, Thesis. I've learned not to expect much at all from you.” Veliuona replied with a quirk of her lips, and Thesis feigned a hurt look before the Queen of Cursed Shades bowed her head slightly and added quietly: “It is good to see you again. It's reassuring. I hope all of us can escape the Prime's grip one day.”

“I'm sure you will, Veliuona. Don't worry, I'm a lot more afraid of you than Melinda, too.” Thesis added with a small bow, and the zebra smiled in amusement, although she admittedly looked rather pleased by his remark, too. She was vain, although that didn't really lower Cadence's opinion of her. There are worse flaws.

Veliuona's eyes roved over them, and La Croix smiled awkwardly as he took off his hat and bowed his head to her. She bowed her head back to him politely, then asked something in that strange language the Nzambi all seemed to speak, and La Croix chuckled before he replied in the same. Veliuona looked further gratified by whatever he said, before she turned her eyes towards Cadence, smiling at the ivory mare as she stated: “Loki has taken quite an interest in you. Greater than I had anticipated, as a matter of fact.”

Cadence smiled awkwardly at this, before Veliuona continued, as her eyes shifted to Moonflower curiously: “And Melinda has much to say about you, child. Kind things and good things all. You should be pleased that she is so impressed with you.”

Moonflower laughed a little, and then he dropped his head and mumbled: “Well, I... thank you. I... do hope to live up to her expectations. It's confusing for me, but...”

“It's hard for all of us, don't worry.” Veliuona said softly, gesturing absently at the Nzambi who were stalking moodily back and forth on either side of her, before she absently reached up and touched her collar when it sizzled. “I fear that we don't have much time for conversation, however: Loki has grown... frustrated.”

“I see that. That's a much-heavier collar than the others are fitted with. Although I expect Loki isn't dumb enough to think he can put anything on Melinda that she couldn't burn out, anyway, and I'm sure that you can fry that one yourself pretty fast if you want to.” Thesis said, and Veliuona smiled wryly.

“You would think so, but it has a... cruel trick.” Veliuona said after a moment, grimacing a bit as she silently stroked along the bottom of the collar, and then she shook her head and said softly: “But Loki is still blind to us, even if his agents are everywhere. We have a little bit of time yet, and I will not fight you here. Although I cannot convince my friends, of course, to do otherwise.”

Veliuona gestured calmly around at the Nzambi, who all shifted slowly; eagerly, Cadence thought moodily, as she looked over them. Some actually had armor on, others were only in what looked like fine suits, and all of them were armed and outfitted with additional equipment that varied from knives to large rifles... “The Nzambi are not... my first choice for disciples. But they are what was offered to me, and so of course I have been as gracious as possible in accepting these children into my fold. These eight here are very eager to prove their loyalty to me and to Loki... all for the sake of betraying it, of course.”

There was a visible, apprehensive shift from the Nzambi as Thesis smiled wryly, before he asked quietly: “So if this isn't desperation from Loki, now that he's been unmasked and forced to work with these uh... less-than-charming people who all want to ignore him or stab him in the back, then what is it?”

Veliuona looked meditative for a few moments, and then she said slowly: “Loki works on deception and distraction. I would think it one of those.”

“I'll have to keep that in mind. Thesis said softly, before he tapped a hoof a few times, then looked up and asked bluntly: “So is this just a delaying tactic?”

Veliuona smiled slightly at this, placing her front hooves together as she answered calmly: “I am no warlord, Thesis. But I have learned a few things about strategy in my time. I have matched wits with more than my share of dangerous ponies, after all.”

“More than just dangerous ponies even.” Thesis added glibly, smiling slightly at the zebra before he bowed his head and asked politely: “Will we be able to parley further at the tower, or are you going to have a welcome wagon waiting for us?”

“I am afraid this time we will have to do more than just speak. But you have my very best of luck, rafiki. You and your kasuku mdongo have great things ahead of you, I don't need to read the bones to see that: the only thing that remains uncertain is how you will get there.” Veliuona replied calmly, before she politely bowed her head, then simply vanished in a burst of smoke and blue embers.

La Croix's eyes widened slightly as the six Nzambi began to prowl forward, but Thesis only grinned as he cracked his neck, saying amiably: “Hey, don't worry. I can count.”

A Nzambi ripped out of the earth in front of Thesis, lunging upwards with a poisoned, gleaming dagger, before it squeaked when Thesis simply stomped on its head and drove it back down into the rocks as his exoskeleton crackled to life on his back, declaring: “One!”

Thesis vanished from sight, and then a Nzambi flinched in surprise as his rifle was shoved towards the sky before a hoof slammed into his face. “Two!”

Thesis leapt over the falling Nzambi, ducking under a slice of a blade before he slammed an uppercut in response into the zombie's stomach, knocking it bonelessly into the air before he jumped up and tomahawked it like a meteor with both front hooves into the startled face of another. “Three! Four!”

The stallion grinned as the Nzambi as others rushed towards them, shouting and swearing, but without losing a beat, Thesis flipped smoothly sideways, rolling over one of the Nzambi as he twisted to slam a hoof into another, who yelped as the savage punch snapped his rifle in half before it crashed into his face and knocked him sprawling in a hail of shattered mask. “Five!”

The Nzambi Thesis had sprung over began to spin around, but Thesis simply rammed an elbow up under his chin, knocking his head back in a spray of teeth and blood before he leapt forwards and slammed a straight hoof into the chest of the last standing Nzambi, knocking him flying backwards with a gargle as the stallion skidded to halt with a grin. “Six! Seven!”

He grinned, before wincing as another Nzambi tore out of the ground with a snarl, raising a rifle-

Cadence stomped savagely on the back of the Nzambi's neck, driving him flat before she stabbed her dagger down into its throat and wrenched hard to the side, nearly beheading the Nzambi as it twitched once before falling still, the mare grumbling: “Eight.”

For a moment, all eyes simply stared at the ivory mare before Thesis held up a hoof and said mildly: “See? That's why I'm the nice one.”

A Nzambi leapt at Thesis' unprotected back, and then the zebra swore violently as Thesis easily spun around to scoop it into the air before he flipped it around and slammed it face-first into the ground with a resounding bang, leaving it in a stunned, broken heap as he added: “But I guess for you undead types it's way more humiliating to be beaten into submission than killed, huh?”

“We will never bow to you, mjinga!” snarled one of the Nzambi before it lunged for one of the fallen rifles, but then it screamed in agony as green lightning slammed into its body and crackled across its form, driving it back with a hiss of pain before it looked up in humiliated fury at La Croix.

“Whoa now, all y'all! Taisse-toi and listen up!” La Croix snapped, before he pulled something out of his cloak, waving the totem back and forth, and the Nzambi scuttled backwards as they all looked warily at the strange object the zebra was holding in his hoof. “Y'all know what this be! In the past, if I used this, Bondye would have dropped down on my head like a chat on a souris! But there ain't no Bondye, no more, and I don't got to hesitate to make all y'all vanish, y'hear?

“Sure, it'll take me time. But y'already all been beaten, and just by these two alone. Cygne and her beau be more than enough to take y'all on themselves, even before you look at these two unicorn mages and Papa Sérénité here, who got the blackwater in his veins. So let's make this real simple-like: hurry up and scat. Leave those bodies behind and get yourselves gone, don't make this any more painful than it has to be.” La Croix ordered, and the Nzambi shifted slowly and uncertainly as Thesis smiled slightly and Cadence couldn't help but feel maybe the slightest bit impressed with the Loa.

One of the Nzambi began to open his mouth, before his eyes widened in horror as red lightning ripped across his body, stumbling backwards as his form rapidly withered away before it simply collapsed into dust, leaving the zebra spirit trapped in a cage of crimson coils that danced and sparked across his ethereal body. Cadence's eyes widened as she looked sharply at Aster, but even though Aster was pale and trembling and sweating profusely, even as her eyes bulged from her head and those ugly veins throbbed across her body, she seemed to be in some sort of control as she rasped: “You might not care about one-another. But I can hurt this one. If I can hurt him, what stops me from hurting the rest of you?”

This seemed to decide things for the Nzambi, the zebra corpses stepping backwards before collapsing, one after the other, as the evil spirits fled in fear and contempt. Finally, all that was left was the pinned spirit, trapped and frightened and helpless in the cage of red lightning, and Aster almost slavered as her eyes focused in on him, seeming to lose her mind even as her focus on her prey sharpened, jaws opening- “Madame. Mademoiselle, sil vous plait?”

Aster blinked a few times, turning towards La Croix, unseeing, uncomprehending at first, but then her face slowly cleared, and she nodded slowly before she shook her head quickly, her magic sparking out from around the Nzambi spirit, who wasted no time in bolting away into the ether. And after a moment, Aster gave a shaky smile before she said with a forced laugh: “I... pardonnez-moi, I got caught up in the moment. You... y-you know how it is, when you play a role... it... consumes you.”

Aster trembled for a moment, then repeated in a whisper, as she stared at the corpses of Nzambi sprawled across the foggy road: “It consumes you.”

She was quiet for a few moments, then she shook her head slowly before she straightened, breathing slowly as she said finally: “The tower is just ahead. We should keep going. To the tower. The tower is above and ahead.”

“Yeah. See, I had it under control.” Thesis said mildly, smiling over at Cadence, but his eyes gave her a warning, and the ivory mare nodded ever-so-slightly in return before she signaled to him with one hoof. “Okay. Cadence will continue to scout ahead, just in case there are any more Nzambi, while we regroup and get ourselves ready to move.”

Cadence nodded, smiling briefly to her friends and father, her eyes lingering for a moment on Sombra before she turned and headed into the mist. And it was a mist now: a thin veil that she could see through, that only faintly muffled the sounds she made as she walked down the gravel path.

It was almost peaceful. Not suffocating, quiet but not silent, safe beneath the mist even here in enemy territory. There was nothing to be afraid of. There was calm, and silence. There was...

Cadence frowned as she stumbled a little, and then she shook her head slowly before she looked up and scowled in distaste, reaching up to adjust the white mask that protected her face, her cold eyes flicking back and forth through the slits in the hard steel. There was laughter above, but there was always laughter above. Even at this time of night.

Her dress of white feathers fluttered around her body as she strode forward, her pale skin gleaming eerily in the dim light as she made her way to the heavy iron door at the end of the hall. Her hands were almost scaly: just one of the many marks of ugliness among the flawed beauty of her kind.

And they were all aware of it, yes. They were all aware that they had been meant to be perfect, and instead they were... this. Ugly. Ugly, in mind and spirit and body and soul. So ugly they had to hide behind masks and sheath themselves beneath the flowing feathers, to hide the deformity of their bodies, to live up to the make-believe that they were perfect...

That was why they only ever came out at night. Why they only bathed when the full moon cast its glow, drenching them beneath false beauty, hiding their imperfections beneath the veil of Mani. They were as ghosts: illusory and perfect at a distance, but nothing but cold and lifeless corpses up close.

No, it would not do to think such thoughts. Whether she was a success or a failure was for her betters to judge, not for herself. If she was decided a failure, then a failure she was; but thinking too greatly on her imperfections, what made her a failure, would lead to questioning why she had been a failure in the first place, why her masters had not made her perfect. And to question the Fathers and Mothers was heresy.

The Swan did her job: she patrolled these dark, remote halls beneath Asgard endlessly, the deep veins that fed through the innards and organs of their world. Some of these secret halls stretched out beyond Valhalla: some of them led into the walls and even to the highest towers by secret paths that went unseen even by the eyes of the noblest gods, just the way it was meant to be.

Their kind was not meant for prying or beautiful eyes. They were meant not to be seen, not to be heard, unless the Mothers or the Fathers called upon them. They were built for duty, not for pleasure, not to be pleasing. The Valkyries thought they were the guardians of Valhalla, but they were wrong: they were only the visible pawns, the pretty decorations that roamed the bright world, the playthings, the dollies of the gods...

Danzsöngr paused halfway across a large underground cavern, looking slowly back and forth. Something wasn't right: she felt a presence that did not belong here. Her eyes roved back and forth across the open room, past the heavy crates, then up to wander along the ceiling, studying the stony stalactites before she reached back and drew her daggers.

They gleamed dangerously in her hands as she said contemptibly: “You are not supposed to be here. You are not wanted here.”

“I am not wanted anywhere.” grumbled a voice, before a Valkyrie dropped down from the stalactites above. The Swan's eyes narrowed further behind her mask, her expression curling in disgust under the steel veil: how dare the Valkyrie set foot in the domain of the Mothers and Fathers, and dressed in unflattering furs and hide clothes at that.

“You are not in your battle dress. You are dressed as a man. This is against the rules of the Fathers and the Mothers.” Danzsöngr stated, and the irritating, irksome, loathsome Valkyrie rolled her eyes, throwing up her hands in distaste. “Leave. Redress yourself. Go to your duties.”

“You are not my officer, Swan, and I do not need to listen to you or any of your kind.” retorted the Valkyrie, before she sniffed disdainfully as she reached up and flicked her blonde, curly locks out of her face. She was pale white, smooth-skinned, full-lipped, beautiful... what the Swans were supposed to be. Or... closer to what the Swans were supposed to be. The Valkyries were not perfect, Danzsöngr reflected; their faces and their bodies were as if carved from marble, but time had still made flaws in what had once been stone-chiseled perfection.

She grinned, teeth gleaming, her eyes half-lidding mockingly: they had the faintest iridescent green gleam that complimented her rosy red lips as she mocked: “And what are you doing down here anyway, hidden away in these old cellars? Shouldn't you and yours-”

“Leave immediately, Valkyrie. Go to your duties. You do not belong here. You will not be asked again.” Danzsöngr interrupted heedlessly, and the Valkyrie narrowed her eyes before she snorted, then reached back behind her with both hands.

Danzsöngr tensed as the Valkyrie produced what looked like a rod in one hand: but with a flick of her wrist, it extended to a full spear with a loud snick, and the Valkyrie leaned on this arrogantly as she rose an apple in her other hand and took a bite out of it, saying mildly through the food in her mouth: “I have no duties to go about, Swan. We are not automatons like you, you know, but real women. And it is quite an exhausting job, you know, caring constantly for the men. That is why we are given freedom to rest ourselves and wander these halls as we see fit-”

“These are not your halls, Valkyrie.” Danzsöngr said shortly, and the Valkyrie smiled wryly.

“I have a name, Swan Maiden. It is Brynhild. And while the servant corridors may not be frequented by the master of the house, they are all the same still his.” she countered, and then she leaned forwards and said contemptibly: “And I will not be spoken down to by a construct so unfit to serve the Aesir that-”

Danzsöngr lunged forward, moving like lightning, but Brynhild flung the apple at her, the hard fruit hitting like a rock against her mask and bouncing into the air as the Swan Maiden stumbled in surprise. It gave Brynhild the chance she needed to sweep in her spear from the side, knocking one of Danzsöngr's ankles out from beneath her before the Valkyrie pounced.

But Danzsöngr twisted her body like a cat, catching herself on all fours before lashed outwith a savage kick that caught Brynhild across the face and knocked the Valkyrie staggering. Before Brynhild could recover, the Swan spun around and lunged at her stomach, slashing both daggers out, but Brynhild dropped onto her back as she swung a knee up, smashing Danzsöngr under the chin and snapping her head back before a second foot crashed into her chest and knocked her sprawling on her back.

Her mask clattered to the ground several feet away, and Danzsöngr scowled slightly as she sat quickly up, the Valkyrie flinching in surprise at the sight of her face: nothing but flat ugliness, with two serpentine slits for nostrils and no real lips or mouth, but only a cut. And above, those beautiful and terrible, enormous eyes, that saw everything and nothing all at once as the Valkyrie said distastefully: “Well. I see now why the Gods decided that it was better you were out of sight and out of mind. I fear that, however, will be a face I will never forget.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Brynhild simply extended her hand, and she grinned as her now-bruised apple landed in it. She idly bit into the fruit, crunching loudly as the Swan stood up, before she asked mockingly as the Maiden's scaly hands tightened slowly, dangerously, around her daggers: “So tell me. Are you Helbeasts? You do not have the look of any angels I am familiar with. Or are you truly, purely nothing more than constructs? But if that is all you are, why were you never fixed? Because if there was ever a face that needed fixing-”

The Swan Maiden lunged forwards, and with barely a flinch, Brynhild used her spear to block both daggers, shoving forwards even as Danzsöngr struggled to pin the Valkyrie. But the Valkyrie was stronger, muscle flexing under hide and furs, grinning widely.

She stank. She stank of sweat and flesh and blood. And her emotions were wild, uncontrolled, her will untampered-with, but of course the Gods found more pleasure in controlling things that did not want or bow to their control, Danzsöngr thought bitterly.

“Weak!” Brynhild pronounced, and then she twisted her spear suddenly and shoved the Swan Maiden backwards, snorting in amusement as Danzsöngr was sent stumbling, before the Valkyrie laughed as she flicked the pole of her spear back and forth, the Swan's daggers uselessly clanging off either end of the weapon as Brynhild easily blocked further slashes. “Like a child!”

“I will kill you if you continue to mock me.” the Swan said coldly, tonelessly, and yet inside she was enraged and furious, screaming, almost tantruming: her body simply couldn't express such emotion. She was too ingrained in training, too designed, and as it was, engaging the Valkyrie at all pushed the limits of her free will-

Brynhild suddenly flicked her spear up and snapped it almost playfully against the side of the Swan Maiden's head, knocking her staggering before Brynhild spun the weapon around and slammed the butt of the pole into her stomach with enough force to heft the guardian off the ground, the air whooshing out of the Swan Maiden's lungs as the Valkyrie held her just above her head, saying contemptibly: “That would have killed you, if I had chosen it to.”

The Swan Maiden stiffened, and then her eyes gleamed with malice and viciousness as she realized that yes, that was true. The Valkyrie had threatened her life. And that gave her leave to respond in such.

The Swan Maiden flung herself backwards off the pole before her eyes began to glow eerily, her daggers lighting up with white flames, and Brynhild grinned widely before she snorted as she swung her spear out when Danzsöngr lunged, but she was underestimating her, not knowing or expecting that Danzsöngr had seen that attack already coming.

The Swan Maiden ducked, skidding under the strike before she sprung forward like a snake, forced to obey the old rules, the old laws that had been written into it as she leapt past the surprised Valkyrie instead of on top of her, as she slashed out and knicked her thigh instead of plunging her dagger into her heart or her throat.

Danzsöngr landed and spun around, but there would be no further warning as Brynhild stumbled in shock, clutching at her wounded leg for a moment: it wasn't the blood that bothered her, but the wisp of her spirit that went up. But there was no fear in this Valkyrie: there was fury, and anger at herself. Yes, at herself: at least she could acknowledge that she had made a mistake.

“That is a little better, Swan. But don't think I'll let it happen again.” Brynhild growled, before she cracked her neck, then spun her spear at her side as she dropped back to a ready position-

Vulnerability.

The Swan Maiden lunged forward, and Brynhild fumbled her spear as she slashed it quickly in front of her, letting Danzsöngr easily smash it out of her hands before she drove towards her throat. But Brynhild twisted sharply out of the way as she immediately drove an elbow into the Swan's solar plexus, the construct hissing breath out before Brynhild slammed both fists in a upward spike under her chin, knocking the Swan crashing painfully onto her back before the Valkyrie stomped down on top of her.

The Swan vomited blood, but then slashed a dagger up, and Brynhild swore as she was forced to leap backwards as the Maiden rolled quickly back to her own feet, her eyes flashing before she sliced through reality, and Brynhild only had a moment to react before she staggered to the side, eyes widening in shock as something ripped across her arm, flaying her clothing open and sending up a spurt of thick crimson blood.

The Swan Maiden made a wide, hard slash through the air, but Brynhild ducked, narrowly avoiding her throat being torn out by the tremor that ripped through reality above her. And before the Swan Maiden could slash down again, the Valkyrie flicked her wrist hard, and the Swan Maiden didn't have time or sense to react before the remains of the apple slammed into her face, knocking her staggering off balance in surprise and disrupting her concentration.

Brynhild leapt forwards, and a moment later, Danzsöngr was pinned to the ground by a boot crushing down into her head. She attempted to drive a dagger up into Brynhild's leg, but the Valkyrie dropped down on top of her, catching her wrist as her knee crashed down on top of her skull with an awful, painful crunch.

But still, in spite of the blood flowing from her ears and nostrils, Danzsöngr continued to struggle, even as she felt her wrists forcefully pinned above her head. Brynhild studied her with contempt, but she was no longer underestimating her, keeping her trapped as she said quietly: “Whatever you are, it is nothing good.”

“What do you know of 'good,' Valkyrie? Your kind are betrayers. We have all seen it. We all know that you will turn on the Fathers and the Mothers, given the chance.” Danzsöngr said contemptibly, and Brynhild frowned at this.

But before the Valkyrie could ask, a voice asked angrily: “What in the name of Helheim is going on here? Brynhild! What are you doing here, and why do you have a Swan Maiden... Swan Maiden! Kneel!”

Brynhild huffed loudly, but allowed herself to be shoved off, stumbling back to her feet and straightening with a scowl as Danzsöngr rolled quickly over and dropped her head low, not daring to so much as turn her eyes up to look at Mother Freya even as Brynhild answered arrogantly: “Don't blame me! Blame Gunnar, she told me about these silly-”

There was a series of clanks, a squawk and a wheeze, and Danzsöngr would smile if her face allowed her to at the sound of Brynhild flailing uselessly in the air as she wheezed through the fingers no doubt clenched around her throat, as Freya growled out: “What. Are. You. Doing. Here?”

“I... came to test the Swan Maiden! I was curious! You cannot blame me for being curious!” Brynhild whined as she managed to tear herself loose, and then she huffed as she brushed at herself, and the Swan Maiden was outraged and disgusted and a little impressed all at once by Brynhild's fearlessness as she grumbled: “You don't need to be so... damned grabby, Freya. Not everyone likes having hands all over them.”

“You came down here to fight her?” Freya clarified, and Danzsöngr could hear the scowl in Freya's voice.

“Well, it is still better than you, Freya, you would have fought it or f-” Brynhild started reasonably, before there was a loud, fleshy thud, and a moment later Brynhild fell to her knees with a loud wheezing.

The sound of hair, being caressed, then squeezed into by strong fingers. Whispers. And then grumbling, before Brynhild was yanked up to her feet, stumbling off with a huff. The sounds faded, until finally, Freya asked curtly: “Did she ambush you?”

“No. I sensed her presence. I called to her. She attacked me. We fought.” Danzsöngr answered, before she grimaced inwardly as she felt Freya grasp into the back of her head, digging her fingers through her long hair into her scalp.

“Why did you try to kill one of my daughters?” Freya asked, her voice like ice, and Danzsöngr didn't dare to move.

Yet all the same, as much as she didn't want to, she was impelled to answer: Freya was not just a Valkyrie, after all, but a Mother, someone she had to obey. “She refused to leave. She proceeded to fight. She was a threat, and she angered me.”

Danzsöngr could sense the frown on Freya's face as the Valkyrie asked slowly: “Angered you?”

“Yes. She angered me.” the Swan said quietly, and there was silence for a few moments before Freya gave a thoughtful snort.

“Well, if there was ever a woman who could anger even a stone wall, it's Brynhild.” muttered Freya, before she finally sighed and said reluctantly: “Go back to your duties, Swan Maiden. I will talk to you about this later, after I've had another word with Brynhild.”

Danzsöngr rose her head, and the mare blinked as she found herself staring up at a tower of brick and stone that stood on a mountaintop, overlooking a sea of fog and craggy peaks that peeked up through the mist. She mouthed wordlessly for a few moments, her eyes roving back and forth in disbelief, before she stiffened as Veliuona said musingly: “I did not expect to see that.”

Cadence snarled as the Goddess of Cursed Shades slowly strolled out in front of the tower, studying Cadence calmly as the ivory mare snapped: “What the hell was that? Stay the hell out of my memories!”

“Curious. You answered your own question, and yet still you look at me as if I guard the answer you seek.” Veliuona remarked, and Cadence scowled, but the zebra only smiled slightly before she placed her front hooves together and said quietly: “It was a minor... I would not even call it a spell. You have been seeking answers, and I too, seek answers, bata-maji.I did not think the effect would be so strong, that is all... not that it mattered.”

Veliuona gestured idly past Cadence, and Cadence frowned before her eyes widened in shock at the sight of the dead and dying Nzambi. Her mouth worked slowly as she stared over the carnage, dark blood coating the earth, a severed limb here, a severed head... oh god... “N-No, I...”

“Yes. You did.” Veliuona said gently, and then she smiled and held up her hooves in a gesture of contrition when Cadence's eyes flashed and the winged unicorn set herself. “It's alright.”

“It's not!” Cadence shouted, and then she gritted her teeth before she forced herself to calm down, taking a slow breath as she carefully straightened, closing her eyes for a moment. It made her vulnerable... but if she wants to screw with me, I don't think I can stop her anyway. Get your head on straight, Cadence. You're useless if you're not thinking right.

Finally, the ivory mare looked up, this time gazing past Veliuona at the ruins of the tower. She studied it uncertainly for a few moments, before she frowned a little as her eyes roved over the half-collapsed roof of the tower, leaving the grinding rails visible, the faint squealing and screeching of metal-on-metal making her ears twitch before she said slowly: “This is a portal tower.”

“Yes, and it is being aligned as we speak.” Veliuona said calmly, gesturing towards the tower behind her, and Cadence narrowed her eyes. “No, bata-maji. Loki himself will not come here. He is wounded. He is still weak, and-”

Veliuona cursed as her collar sparked and sizzled, nearly falling to a kneel from the energy that it glowed with, before she grimaced and slowly pushed herself back up on her hind hooves as Cadence looked at her uncertainly: she didn't know where she stood with Veliuona, but she did know that she didn't want to be pushed into fighting a Voidborn all by herself on a lonely mountaintop, even if she had apparently just slashed her way through a group of Nzambi literally in her sleep... no. The Swan. You did that, didn't you? You killed them... please tell me you killed them.

But Danzsöngr was silent inside of her, and Cadence cursed mentally at the Swan before she turned her eyes back towards Veliuona as the zebra said quietly: “I apologize. Loki is not pleased with us. As much progress as we have made against you and yours, he feels it is not enough. And he has become more paranoid. But in a strange way: he is not protective of his power, rather his...”

Veliuona seemed to search for the word, and Cadence hesitantly ventured after a moment: “Secrets? His privacy?”

“Privacy... yes, his solitude. Not his secrets, no, but rather where he goes. There is a place he hides, between reality, where he stores the power of the Prime, where the Prime hides.” said Veliuona, and Cadence frowned in surprise at this. “That is why he fears your Queen. As she split the Prime and Loki into two beings, the Prime's powers were drained into the Void, made useless. Loki draws from the Void, and Loki can travel through the Void, but he cannot bring the powers of the Prime into the Void, because the Prime cannot survive it.”

“Wait so... what?” Cadence asked stupidly, trying to make sense of what the mare was saying. “I thought Loki was the Prime, though: how can he... separate from himself?”

Veliuona smiled cryptically at this, and then she countered: “How can someone who has died seven times have an eighth life?”

“Because I've got a lot to do.” Cadence said shortly, but to her surprise, Veliuona laughed at this answer, clapping her front hooves together slowly.

“Don't we all?” she said as her merriment died down, giving a wan smile to Cadence before she said softly: “Not all of us serving Loki willingly. And not all of us are capable of stepping between realities, even as Voidborn. Sometimes we must improvise, to ensure the safety of our most dangerous weapons.”

“Okay. I get it. I have to go through you to stop that portal.” Cadence said quietly, squaring her shoulders, and Veliuona smiled wryly.

“Now, bata-maji. You are strong, certainly, but you know that you are no match for me alone.” Veliuona said gently, before she cocked an eyebrow and rose her head slightly with a curious look.

“Except for the fact that, you know, she's not alone.” Thesis said mildly as he led the way up the path, smiling slightly as he stopped beside Cadence and gave a little wave to Veliuona before he remarked: “Also if she did that to those guys, I would rethink the whole 'getting in the way' thing.”

Veliuona waited for the others to join them: Moonflower, La Croix, Aster, and Sombra, all standing at the ready, all beside her, all willing to fight beside Cadence as she straightened slightly. Veliuona studied them intently for a few moments, before she said softly: “This is strength. This is why my people failed. Because when the crisis came, we did not rise to meet it as a whole. We were a thousand splintered tribes with ten thousand different beliefs. But just to have someone standing beside you, that gives us the strength to walk another mile. How many miles could the tribes have walked if we had put all that power together?”

“It ain't all your fault, Madame. It ain't at all. It be on us, who.. misguided y'all.” La Croix said quietly as he stepped forward, smiling awkwardly at her as he took his hat off and nervously played with the brim. “If it be any consolation, though, I... I think y'did better with your own than we did with any of y'all.”

“No. I wish that I had, but no.” Veliuona murmured, and then she smiled faintly and shook her head briefly as she reached up to wipe under an eye, saying softly: “Valthrudnir's gift did not come without a cost.”

“We were all manipulated by him, Regina Nox; but we cannot let the past bind or blind us.” Sombra said gently as he stepped forward, smiling faintly at the mare before he shook his head slowly, murmuring: “We are not so different, you and I. In my first life, as I think of it now, I gave in. I did what I could to save them, my family, those important to me, but... I became a monster to do so. I had to, I tell myself: and yet...”

Sombra paused, then he shook his head again and said softly: “But it was easier, wasn't it? To be il monstro and to give in and not worry and never fear. Now, always, I am afraid. I am worried. But I am also alive. I ask you not to fear, Regina Nox, and I ask you to be alive with us. Even if you must fight us, that does not mean you must be enemy, that you cannot be friend; even if you fight us, do so as our equal, not... merely servant, nor as what you were in the past.”

Veliuona studied him for a few moments, and then she smiled slightly before she said kindly: “Perhaps it was foolish of me to compare myself to La Croix. Not that we are not similar, but... yes. You and I are perhaps more similar than I allowed myself to see. But we are all blind, aren't we?”

Sombra smiled, before Thesis grimaced and looked up sharply as his visor flashed, saying sharply: “Hey, hate to ruin the friendship festivities, guys, but-”

“Yes. Of course. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't give you a fighting chance, anyway?” Veliuona asked pleasantly, before she spread her forelegs, and Cadence's eyes widened in shock as a wave of green force erupted across the earth, making the ivory mare flinch and her teammates stagger.

The air itself seemed to thrum and glow with eerie eldritch effervescence, crackling around the ponies as the world became dark and toxic, the earth beneath their hooves twisting and churning, walls of green flame trapping them inside an arena with the Goddess of Cursed Shades.

Veliuona smiled at them, and then she slowly dropped her front hooves together, murmuring a quiet prayer before her eyes glowed with power as she said calmly: “Do not fear. I will not send you to the Void. I will bind your spirits to your bones and keep you safe and hidden, in my embrace.”

“That sounds great for everyone. Except, you know, me.” Thesis said blandly, before he grimaced as half a dozen skeletons slowly rose up out of the ravaged earth in front of them, bubbling black tar and water spilling across the mucky, churned-up ground. “Velites? Really?”

Veliuona only calmly bowed her head as runes violently etched themselves over the bones, and eerie light flared to life in the sockets as the skeletons set themselves with snarls. “I have always been able to call upon help from those who worship me. Even now, even across space and time, my children come to me when called. Please be gentle with them: I will not fault what you must do to their bodies, but leave their spirits in peace.”

“Glad to hear it. We're gonna smash your kids now.” Thesis said mildly, and Veliuona huffed before she gave a sudden sharp order, and Thesis grimaced as the Velites rushed towards them, ordering sharply: “Disable!”

Cadence lunged forward, sweeping the foreleg out from the first Velite in line before she slammed a hoof up under the chin of the second, and she winced in surprise as she punched the skull literally off the skeleton, the rest of the bones collapsing as the magic whiffed out from the runes. The moment of surprise let another Velite tackle her backwards, and Cadence swore as she rolled with it before she flung it off, then looked up just in time to watch as a fourth Velite hurried back to the one she had beheaded with its skull, shoving its head quickly back into place.

The moment the skull was back on the skeleton's shoulders, it staggered back up to its hooves, Cadence scowling before she winced as one of the Velites simply exploded in a blast of crimson lightning. Veliuona gave a shout of disbelief and pain at this, and Thesis winced even as he leapt forwards to engage the other skeletons, snapping: “I said disable! Disable!”

Moonflower blasted another Velite into the air with a burst of gravity, and La Croix grimaced as he vanished from the spot as Sombra stayed back beside Aster, who was staring blindly back and forth, struggling to control her magic as red lightning surged and crackled through the air around her, the mare whimpering and gasping before she suddenly snapped her horn out with a cry, blasting apart another Velite.

Veliuona snarled, beginning to raise a hoof, before she reared back slightly in surprise as La Croix appeared in front of her, yanking a pouch out of his cloak and flinging it at her.

It exploded in a burst of black dust, but Veliuona swept this away with a sharp gesture before her eyes widened as the powder twisted in the air, violently swirling around her and blinding her in a fog of ash and chalk.

The Goddess of Cursed Shades grimaced in disgust as she reared back slightly, raising her forelegs uselessly before her eyes flashed, forcefully parting the cloud of smoke with raw psychic power. But before she could turn her attention on La Croix, she felt another bolt of empathetic pain, looking sharply up to see Cadence smash the skull of a Velite to shards before the ivory mare heedlessly plowed through another and charged towards her-

Veliuona flicked her wrist, and Cadence was blasted into the air before a barrage of wild shapes slammed into her, crushing her down into the ground and burying her under the stampede of spirits. They passed right through both her and the ground, but it felt like she was being stomped on by very real hooves as they did so, and worse, like pieces of her very spirit were being torn away.

She struggled helplessly, before she choked and coughed when a noxious smoke wafted over her: it stank and made it hard to breathe, but it drove the spirits away as La Croix grimaced before the Loa turned; he didn't even have a chance to react before a blast of green lightning hammered into him and hefted him into the air, however, leaving him floating helplessly as Veliuona said coldly in the language of Bantu-Dunia: “My revenge will be merciless.”

“You called them to fight, and they fought for you. You would do the same to us.” La Croix rasped out, before he gasped as he was flung savagely into the ground, Veliuona snarling in fury.

“I would save your souls! Your mage is burning their souls away! The bata-maji pierces the spirit!” Veliuona shouted, before she looked up and gestured sharply, the life whiffing out of the Velites still struggling against Thesis and Cadence, before the rune-covered bones all suddenly floated up into the air, whirling in a violent maelstrom before they slammed together, black ooze and stone gushing up to fuse into the bones as they reshaped themselves into a monstrous construct.

La Croix winced as a monstrous, three-headed hydra of bone and sludge stomped to the ground, snarling furiously before it lunged immediately at Cadence, but Thesis leapt in and slammed a hoof across its far head, distracting the construct.

As it half-turned, Cadence leapt up and slashed a dagger into the base of its throat, sending up a splatter of ooze and water and bone fragments, and the monster staggered with a snarl before it roared in fury, swiping a claw made from of a multitude of bony hooves at Cadence even as one of its heads fell to the earth.

The mare dodged backwards, then snapped her horn out, driving the hydra back with a flare of white flames before she leapt after it. But to her horror, a new head burst forth from the stump of neck, made of muck and filled with hellish green fire, lunging at her with jaws of rock and magic-

Black crystal ripped out of the ground in front of her, and the hydra's muck-head smashed uselessly off this as Sombra said sharply: “The shell sustains it, but spirits empower it!”

“Smash the bones, but it'll get more mad when we do, got it!” Thesis said sharply as he leapt forwards, before he swore in pain when the jaws of one of the hydra heads clamped into the scruff of his neck and flung him sharply upward, the stallion flailing his legs wildly in all directions before another head lunged towards him.

But Thesis suddenly spun himself downward, tomahawking the head violently and shattering the skull into fragments before he dropped, hooves crashing through the beast's neck column and shattering it away. He was almost immediately driven back when two more heads sprung forth from the wound, however, the stallion swearing in pain as black fire seared him before gemstone jaws bit viciously after him, harrying him violently.

La Croix, meanwhile, struggled in the grip of Veliuona as she held him off to the side with telekinesis, her other hoof glowing with malevolent emerald energy as she snapped it back and forth, countering every blast of red lightning from Aster with her own eldritch powers. Then her eyes flicked sharply to the side as she realized that Moonflower was trying to sneak around behind her, but with a stomp of one hoof, the earth beneath the unicorn ripped open and vomited up a spray of emerald flame and black water that knocked Moonflower crashing and rolling backwards with a yelp.

He blinked dazedly several times, then looked up before his eyes widened in horror as he watched the roiling spouts of water condense and twist on themselves, becoming tentacles that slashed viciously down towards him, the stallion squeaking as he leapt out of the way before he enshelled himself inside a bubble of black energy, the tentacles uselessly battering the outside of this as he winced and his horn flickered with the effort it took to keep up the shield under the barrage.

“No... no!” Aster shouted suddenly, stumbling as if she had just woken up from a dream before she winced as a barrier of crystal erupted in front of her just in time to block a blast of green lightning, the black gemstone shattering away before Aster snarled and snapped her horn down, unleashing a blaze of crimson fire in response that tore through Veliuona's magic before slamming across her body.

The Goddess of Cursed Shades stumbled backwards in surprise, her eyes widening slightly before she looked almost disdainfully down at her own naked bones, flexing a foreleg that was covered in strange, glinting runes slowly as blood bubbled over the bone and charred muscle flexed uselessly. Organs pulsated beneath her smoldering ribcage as she straightened slightly, before she looked up with a thin smile as Aster gathered her magic with a primal roar-

Veliuona shoved a hoof towards her, and Aster was blown off her moves, her unfocused, overpowered magic erupting from her horn into the air uselessly. And by the time Aster looked up again in shock, Veliuona's body and clothing had completely restored themselves.

But as Veliuna began to raise her hoof, a blast of power erupted from the ground beneath her, Veliuona swearing in frustration as she staggered backwards in surprise, the goofer dust eating at her flesh and glammer. She snarled as she blasted it away with a thrum of psyhcokinesis, but then she cried out in shock and surprise as La Croix tackled her, staggering backwards and pinwheeling her forelegs for balance before she hissed when his hornet needle buried into her throat.

She barely managed to shove him away before her eyes widened in shock, a moment before a massive black sphere of magic rammed into her. She winced, half-covering herself with her forelegs automatically, a moment before she realized she was now surrounded by some sort of force of essence that pressed in on her from all sides.

Veliuona had a moment to figure out where she was before the bubble of gravity jumped into the air, then slammed itself violently down into the ground, the Goddess of Cursed Shades shouting in her native tongue as Moonflower bounced her violently back and forth around the battleground, slamming the bubble into objects and the earth with as much force as he could muster as he shouted: “I don't know how long I can keep this up!”

“Keep it up! Papa Sérénité, need your help here!” La Croix said sharply as he threw down his satchel, digging hurriedly through it as Aster groggily picked herself up, watching as Sombra hurried to join the zebra.

She blinked a few times, rubbing at her aching head before she flinched away, falling over and scrambling helplessly at the mud as the hydra stormed by, roaring and furiously snapping at Cadence as the ivory mare harried it from above, swearing in frustration. They had torn off all the beast's heads, but it had sprouted no less than six more, all of these made of black fire and gemstone, bleeding dark water and green essence whenever they were struck, and reforming within moments if they were destroyed.

The hydra leapt at Cadence, biting and clawing after her: it wasn't very intelligent, at least. And every so often, Thesis would smash into it from below, distracting it or knocking it off balance: but he could never get too close to the monster. Its chest of mangled and fused bones had to contain its core or whatever was keeping the foul beast moving, but its claws of fused limbs and hooves kept stomping and stamping and slashing out, pushing at them constantly and keeping them always on the move.

Thesis grimaced as he ducked under a swish of its long, flayed tail, then he leapt at its back; almost instantly, however, a head snapped around to gnash savagely at him, Thesis wincing as he narrowly managed to roll his body out of the way and shove quickly off the head.

He swore as he landed on his hooves, stamping them wildly as they smoldered from contact with the hellfire body of the monster alone, before he looked sharply up as Cadence gave a short snarl as a head crashed against her, denting her armor and knocking her off-balance. Immediately, the hydra pounced, but Thesis leapt forwards and caught the end of its tail, yanking firmly down on it and stopping the beast in its tracks with a frustrated roar, heads snapping in all directions before it jerked its tail free and scrambled around to bite savagely at the stallion.

Thesis dodged gracefully backwards, but grimaced as he realized that whether the beast was intelligent or not, it was going to eventually herd him into a corner. It was much larger than he was, and the battlefield they were trapped in was small and unfriendly, charged with Veliuona's powers and doing everything it could to impede them while enhancing the monstrosity that the Goddess of Cursed Shades had summoned to destroy them.

Thesis ducked under a swipe of fused hooves before he winced when the monster suddenly batted out with its hoof-claw, slapping the stallion away like a toy. He barely manage to roll himself backwards in midair, skidding to a halt just in front of the curtain of green hellfire before he looked up with a wince as the monster charged at him, roaring-

Cadence slammed down into the center of the hydra's back, knocking it flat in the muck with a splatter, and the hydra howled in misery before it violently shoved her off, even as its bony back all-but-exploded in a storm of black flames. The monster staggered, bleeding toxic green essence into the air as its six heads lashed in every direction, and Thesis quickly bolted around it while he had the chance, rejoining Cadence as the mater dropped to the ground with a grimace, covered in magic burns. “You uh. Okay there?”

“I can't tell if we hurt it or we just made it even more mad. It must have some kind of magical core inside it, but I don't have any idea how we're going to yank it out of there.” Cadence grimaced, brushing quickly at herself before she asked: “Why isn't my magic affecting it?”

“I saw you use your magic to blow its heads up. It's affecting it. But whatever it's made out of is absorbing your magic before it can penetrate to the core.” Thesis said quickly, before he winced as the hydra spun around, roaring furiously at them, now little more than a raging maelstrom of dark fire and vaguely-serpentine heads that were all focused once more on them. “It responds to stimuli, we have to-”

“You're not Thorn so talk normal!” Cadence snapped as the hydra charged at them, and Thesis winced before he and Cadence quickly broke to either side, and the ivory mare was somehow unsurprised when the monster continued to pursue the stallion. The one goddamn time I need him to use his brain...

Thesis winced as he dodged back and forth under the stomping, fiery fused hoof-claws of the beast, swearing under his breath before he leapt to the side and tried to circle around the hydra. But with most of its body shattered, its necks slid unnaturally across its own body, letting it lash a head into the ground in front of the stallion and forcing him to wince and leap backwards, before he swore in shock as two more heads lunged down towards him a moment before his exoskeleton crackled with power.

He vanished from the spot and reappeared behind the hydra, springing off it with both hooves and launching himself away even as the roiling mass of necks and heads and fire twisted impossibly around on itself to lurch after him. But this time, it was met by Cadence, who pummeled it with a short volley of magic, making it hiss and turn its attention towards her.

Heads snapped at her, but Cadence dodged back and forth, weaving between the lashing necks and chomping jaws and grimacing in surprise as its necks passed without a ripple through its own flesh, letting it pursue her that much faster and more unpredictably. “Thesis! What the hell do we do?”

“Working on it!” Thesis shouted, hammering at his visor, but it only sizzled with static, the stallion unable to get any readings except that they were surrounded by toxic magic. He finally swore under his breath, then gritted his teeth before he focused his powers in spite of the thousand worries and fears that burst through his body as he did so, his exoskeleton crackling warningly as he snapped: “Hit it low in three!”

Cadence didn't question, only trusted, arching her back and twisting herself in a sharp, sudden C as Thesis slammed his hooves into the ground, and two enormous spikes of crystal ripped up out of the ground, slamming into the underside of the hydra and hefting it upward as it howled in pain and confusion, flailing for a moment before Cadence slammed into its revealed, bony underbelly.

The hydra screamed in agony as fused bone and stone shattered in a burst of dark, marshy water, Cadence grimacing away before her eyes widened slightly as they locked on a sickly, pulsating emerald heart in the chest of the hydra. And even as the hydra tore itself forwards, roaring as it dropped to try and crush her under its weight as its heads snapped viciously down, Cadence trusted in instinct and ferocity, lunging not away from it, but to the ground before she kicked off and slammed herself up into the gaping wound, a hoof punching savagely into the magical heart of the monster.

There was a tremendous explosion of black flame, Cadence gasping in pain as she flew like a comet through the air to crash painfully down on her face and skid to a halt in the mud. She twitched weakly, her whole body on fire with pain, burns twisting like living things across her pale skin before she forced herself to sit up as the remains of the hydra finally collapsed.

“Not bad.” Thesis grabbed the surprised mare, Cadence blinking before she realized that wasn't just the world around her: her head was ringing and the world was spinning and black lights were dancing in front of her eyes. “You functional?”

Cadence looked blankly for a moment at Thesis, and Thesis smiled awkwardly before correcting: “You-”

He was interrupted as Veliuona finally shattered the prison Moonflower had held her in, the Goddess of Cursed Shades glaring furiously at the black unicorn before she shoved a hoof out towards him.

Moonflower gasped in shock and pain as a blast of green energy erupted over him, before he grabbed wildly at himself as his body began to petrify. He shook his head vehemently as Veliuona smiled thinly, before she cursed in pain as a spike of black crystal jabbed into the back of her leg, just enough to draw blood.

She waved her hoof out to the side, blasting Sombra away, before her eyes widened in shock as Aster suddenly screamed at her and snapped her horn forward to send a hellish wave of crimson fire rushing over the Voidborn.

Veliuona hissed in pain, covering herself as flesh steamed and blood boiled, until the flames finally burned themselves out, and left behind nothing but a charred skeleton covered in pulsating runes. Flesh-webbing crawled over her bones as organs pulsed beneath the safety of her gnarled ribcage, and Veliuona gave a long, loud sigh as she straightened, voice echoing faintly as she said coldly: “I must admit I am disappointed. You are only attacking my magic, not me directly... shredding not my body, but only the glammer I conceal myself with. Disappointing. And the last thing you will do, child.”

Veliuona rose a hoof, before she frowned as she noted a strange, spreading grayness. She tilted her head curiously before her eyes looked up sharply at La Croix, who smiled wryly as he held up a charm made out of black crystal, saying quietly: “Sorry, Madame.”

“Dunia magic. So you haven't forgotten it, Loa.” Veliuona said softly, as her eyes roved to Moonflower; Moonflower, who was gasping and wheezing as the pertrification gradually faded from his body, and instead spread over her own. “Well, La Croix, at least in the future I know to treat you and your friends with a bit more care...”

Veliuona grimaced as she rose her head slightly, Moonflower tumbling backwards with a wheeze before he watched in disbelief as the goddess completely petrified. The unicorn grabbed at himself dumbly, but La Croix only smiled wryly as he muttered: “Don't you step out of that circle yet, Moony.”

Moonflower looked down in surprise to see runes in black crystal surrounding him in a wide circle, and then he looked dumbly up at Sombra, but the stallion only smiled gently and bowed his head politely towards La Croix. La Croix, however, had turned his full attention back to Veliuona, saying quietly: “She don't need her body to survive, but we got enough threats to her spirit here that I don't think she'll want to stick around, neither.”

“No. But I am bound to the collar. You will have to destroy my body once it completely petrifies.” Veliuona's voice echoed softly, and La Croix nodded quickly as Cadence frowned in surprise. “I am not foolish. The noble Loa is offering me a way out. It may be strange... but even now I fear death. And perhaps, for a few moments while my spirit remains coherent, I can do some good.”

Cadence shifted uncertainly, but then she nodded once before La Croix said quietly: “There. Her body's gotta be destroyed anyway, or all that evil mojo will flood back into Moony. And much as I don't like the rein de la nuit, I like even less the idea of carryin' around a giant statue. His ego already be enough to carry.”

Moonflower smiled briefly, before there was a faint glimmer as the Voidborn wholly petrified, a shift-

Black spikes of corruption erupted through the statue, shattering it into pieces, and Cadence flinched in surprise before she wheeled towards first her father, then Thesis, staring in disbelief. Sombra, too, turned surprised eyes to the stallion, as Thesis stared blankly for a few moments at the statue before he murmured: “The threat has been neutralized. I... apologize. The...”

Thesis breathed slowly, and then he flexed his hooves slowly before he smiled awkwardly under the gazes of the others, even as the malign magic faded from the air around them with Veliuona's presence. “Sorry. The corruption makes me... do dumb things.”

Cadence opened her mouth to answer, but then the world went white, and the Swan screamed.

A History Of Violence

Chapter Ninety Six: A History Of Violence
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence studied Brynhild silently, wondering what the mare was thinking as they sailed back towards the soul furnace. They were all exhausted and beaten and downtrodden: the Norns had escaped, and it was obvious they had been lured away on a wild goose chase. They had at least managed to get in contact with the soul furnace, and the facility was apparently still secure: the RED were running a full check of the zone around the facility, but nothing had disturbed the lockdown or been detected by the sensors... not that that means anything. Loki is tricky.

Cadence sighed a little, then she scowled at Brynhild as the Valkyrie glanced towards her. There was only a few feet of space between them, but also an almost tangible wall of dislike and distrust as they glowered a little at one another.

No, the animosity was more one-sided than that: Cadence glared, but Brynhild only looked sour and so very tired, the ivory mare thought, as the Valkyrie said grumpily: “I do not feel much up to fighting thee right now, Danzsöngr. Nor do I feel like arguing or elsewise amusing thee.”

“I don't need you to amuse me, Valkyrie.” Cadence grumbled, then she shifted a little before finally sighing and asking reluctantly: “Are you... okay?”

Brynhild blinked in surprise, and then she gave a brief, wry smile, looking away and tapping a hoof against the railing of the ship. There was silence for a few moments, until the mare finally said suddenly: “Thesis. 'Tis an interesting choice for a mate, Danzsöngr. And while in the past I would not have minded... try not to eat his head after thou art done with him.”

Cadence gritted her teeth, but then she snorted as she looked away, grumbling: “Because you can't handle him, right?”

Luna snorted at this, then retorted: “I can handle any male! Why, I would boast I could handle any number of males, too, but I am not Freya.”

Cadence rolled her eyes, and Brynhild grinned before she shook her head and said mildly: “'Tis true. But fear not, prudish Swan, I shan't discuss in detail too much of what-”

“I've done more things with...” Cadence caught herself as Brynhild gave her that awful, frustrating, mischievous look she hated, and the mare scowled before she decided it was probably better not to go down that road. And I don't want to imagine what she's done with some people... “Besides, it's more than that with Thesis. Not that it's any of your business, either.”

“Well, 'tis a little, he is both a former foe and a current brother-of-sorts, and I know not which makes him more important to me.” Luna replied reasonably, and Cadence simply scowled at her before Brynhild turned her eyes back out towards the sea, asking in a softer voice: “How is he?”

Cadence hesitated, then she softened in spite of herself, looking out at the endless, dark ocean as she answered quietly: “Stronger than you think.”

Luna smiled a little bit, and then she said softly: “I am sure he is. He has always been strong, though. 'Twas he who did this, I shall have thee know.”

She reached up and tapped gently on her soulstone horn, before she grinned and added: “But I should thank him, really. Without him I would not have my precious Prúðbikkja. Fate works in the strangest of ways, does it not?”

Cadence hesitated for a moment, not knowing if it was polite to ask, not knowing if she cared, not knowing if... I want to know, but I want Thesis... “So uh... I mean...”

“I wasn't really all that sane back then.” Thesis said delicately as he slipped into that space between them, and Cadence and Luna both relaxed slightly as he smiled from one to the other, nodding to Luna before he reached up and tapped awkwardly on his head. “That looks good on you at least, you know. Really uh... cool.”

“Aye. That is what is most important, that I look cool.” Luna said seriously, nodding in return before she asked in a softer voice: “And what of thee, Thesis? The Swan says thou art fine, but the Swan is a foul judge of character.”

“Lucky for me.” Thesis said with a smile, and Brynhild chuckled in spite of herself before the stallion shook his head and answered with a glance at Cadence: “I am okay. A little sore. A little worn-down. Not in the top shape I once was, not really feeling the whole... 'military combat model' thing so much anymore, but... I'm stable. Mentally more than physically. But I think it's better that way, yeah?”

“Perhaps for thee. Just make sure thou art never too boring, Thesis. I would much prefer thee to be a murderer than boring.” Luna replied with a wink, and Thesis rolled his eyes in amusement before the Valkyrie questioned: “Now tell me, for 'tis important: which of thee is the ruler in bed?”

Cadence scowled horribly, but Thesis only gave Luna an amused look before he said seriously: “I think it's pretty obvious that I'm totally as in charge in bed as I am everywhere else.”

Cadence smacked the back of Thesis' head, making him wince before he grinned lamely, rubbing awkwardly at his skull. “See?”

Luna grinned in amusement at this, grunting as she nodded once before she remarked: “I truly see the resemblance to Scrivy in thee now. And to my son, Antares. I am sure the two of thee would get along splendidly.”

“Thank you, Luna. I really appreciate hearing that, especially from you.” Thesis said with an honest smile, before he cleared his throat as he lowered his head, murmuring: “I'm trying to do my best to uh... be the stallion I always wanted to be. Not the puppet that I was.”

“Aye, I know the feeling. 'Tis what I am trying very hard to do as well.” Brynhild agreed, before she turned her eyes back towards Cadence, studying her for a moment before she asked: “And what of thee? Art thou content to be the same old troublesome Swan, or does thou see to be a better stallion as well?”

“I'm a mare.” Cadence said stiffly, resisting the urge to point out that the Valkyries had always been the troublesome ones, and the Swans had always simply followed orders. “And I'm... me. That's all there is to it.”

“That is indeed.” Luna conceded, and then she chuckled softly before she turned her eyes back out to the stormy seas, studying the foul weather above as she asked softly: “What do thee remember of Loki? Both of thee. I know thou must retain something of Heimdall after all, Thesis. Although... thou art very little like the Watcher of the Worlds.”

Luna smiled slightly at the stallion, who chuckled and shrugged, saying wryly: “Like I said. There are memories, pieces there, but... I'm definitely no Heimdall myself. I'm me.”

“Good. I like thee. Better than I liked wretched Heimdall.” Luna said amiably, before she shook her head and added mildly: “And 'tis not what I asked, so do not insult me by avoiding the question.”

Cadence scowled, but Thesis smiled a little before he said finally: “I remember that you were a giant pain in the ass.”

“Everybody remembers that.” Cadence grumbled, although Brynhild nodded seriously in agreement, looking pleased with herself.

Cadence hesitate for a few moments, and when Brynhild's eyes flicked curiously towards her, she grudgingly admitted: “I remember the first time we met, Valkyrie. When you tried to ambush me in the tunnels beneath Valhalla.”

“When I...” Brynhild's eyes widened after a moment, a grin cresting her features as she smacked a hoof against the railing and exclaimed: “Yes! That is right, isn't it? I remember now, 'twas after a long, miserable day I had spent tending to the babes of Valhalla, but Gunnar whispered to me of the Swans and a way to meet them, and I was most curious-”

“So you attacked me, yes.” Cadence said sourly, and Brynhild snorted in amusement as Thesis cocked his head curiously.

“I would not say I 'attacked' thee, Danzsöngr, 'twas more like... I decided to 'play' with thee. 'Tis not my fault thou cannot handle me when I am rough.” Luna retorted with a disdainful sniff, tilting her head back before she added: “Furthermore, I did not kill thee, and I had every chance and right to.”

“You did not!” Cadence snapped, glaring at the Valkyrie, before she huffed and grabbed Thesis by the face, pushing him firmly out of the way before he could say anything to defuse the situation. “I wasn't able to fight-”

“Well, aye, I know, that is why I did not kill thee. And thou art still not able to fight very well.” Brynhild interrupted blandly, her eyes twinkling with mischief, and one of Cadence's own eyes twitched visibly as she gritted her teeth. “Now, Swan, 'tis perfectly fine, thou art-”

Thesis attempted to wiggle out from under Cadence's hoof, and without looking at him, she smacked him firmly across the face, making him squawk and stumble back before Cadence took a step towards Brynhild and leaned aggressively forwards, growling: “At my full strength. Unlike now. And if it wasn't so important that we work together, I would gladly-”

“Okay, okay, whoa, time out, guys. Let's take this down a notch, huh?” Thesis said reasonably as he carefully slipped up to their side, grasping the shoulder of either Valkyrie and Swan as Brynhild grinned and Cadence scowled horribly.

But when Cadence tried to swing a hoof at him, he reached up and caught it, looking at her mildly before he said gently: “Come on, Honk. Don't be that way.”

“Honk!” Brynhild blurted, and one of Cadence's eyes twitched.

“Don't call me that! Either of you!” Cadence snapped, then she glared at Thesis, wiggling her hoof free from his grip, but he met her eyes evenly, and after a few moments she finally grumpily lowered her head, muttering: “She started it.”

“I did not!” Luna shouted, sounding outraged, before she paused meditatively and rose her head, tapping on her chin moodily. “Well. Perhaps I did, but 'twas millennia ago. I do not know whether to be touched or disappointed in thee.”

Cadence scowled horribly, but she managed to resist snapping at the Valkyrie as she took a slow breath, and Thesis took the opportunity to say quickly: “We've got a lot going on right now. Let's try and get back to the whole 'getting along' thing instead of the 'let's kill each other' thing.”

Luna opened her mouth, likely to say something horrible, but Thesis leaned towards her pointedly as Cadence glowered, and after a moment the sapphire mare huffed before grumbling: “Only because I am being scolded from all sides like a foal. I am not a foal. Thou art all stupid.”

Luna paused for a moment, and then she suddenly turned serious as she looked in the direction of the soul furnace, murmuring: “Something is wrong, Swan. Can thou feel it?”

“Yes.” Danzsöngr said calmly, and Cadence swore mentally and struggled wildly in the mental prison she had been shoved off into, but then she grudgingly calmed when she felt the Swan's silent, firm plea to let her speak.

Luna looked with surprise at Danzsöngr, who looked back at her for a few moments before she gave one of her honest but struggling smiles, saying softly: “You haunted us. Defiled our halls many times, pursued us on our patrols, discovered how to tell us apart and even our names.

“You do not entirely remember. That is fine: it was many years ago, and we know that your mind is instead full of a thousand other thoughts. And it can be hard to remember; those times were not always pleasant, and sometimes it is difficult to tell what was dream and what was reality, what is imagining and what is truth.” Danzsöngr continued, before she reached out as if to touch Luna, saying softly: “We are grateful to you for it now, though. We studied you, as ally, and as foe. We became familiar with you, and with the workings of the Valkyries. You were...”

The Swan seemed to struggle for a word, and Thesis asked after a moment, even as he cocked an eyebrow skeptically at Luna: “A role model?”

“I am a fine model, Thesis!” Luna said proudly, poking at the stallion with one hoof before she turned curious eyes back towards Danzsöngr, asking: “But 'twas not so long ago, Swan, that thou would have just as readily murdered me as flattered me. Perhaps even more so.”

“Who is to say we would still not? There is a fine line between love and hate; that is something you and Mother Freya have also taught us.” the Swan answered with a shrug, and Luna smiled in amusement at this.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Danzsöngr said, almost abruptly: “There is great danger ahead. The Astra does not let us see the future or make predictions: only what is, what has happened, and what must be.”

“And what must be is not the future?” Luna asked ironically, but Danzsöngr only smiled. “Fine, Swan Maiden. Then why not use thy special eyes to see what trouble is brewing on the horizon?” Luna suggested mildly, tilting her head towards the Swan curiously.

“Something is blocking our vision. It is not just because the ocean is so full of life that it makes it... difficult for us to see, the Astra cluttered by so many...” Danzsöngr didn't have the words, gesturing slowly, awkwardly, and Cadence couldn't help but reflect moodily that the more real and alive the Swan seemed to become, the more it seemed to stumble, to get confused...“I am not confused, Cadence. Instead I recognize now that others have no concept of what it means when I say the embers, or the flame. They do not understand these things, and I cannot... explain.”

“Because thou art stupid?” Luna asked innocently, but Danzsöngr only looked at her as Thesis cleared his throat awkwardly, and after a moment the Valkyrie shifted and said grumpily: “Let me speak to the other Swan again. Thou art irksome.”

The Swan smiled strangely at this, and Luna leaned away slightly in vexation before Danzsöngr said softly: “We are blind to what is beyond us, but not to what is right in front of us. You are afraid, Valkyrie. Do not deny it.”

Luna scowled horribly, but as Thesis frowned and Danzsöngr only stared at her, the Valkyrie shifted slightly before she finally muttered under her breath: “I am not afraid.”

She shifted slightly, then continued in a low voice: “But fine. I am not... happy, either. 'Tis difficult. We have never faced such a foe as Loki... not even when we were young, Swan. If thou wert ever young, that is.”

“Only in the times before the Aesir.” the Swan answered, and the Valkyrie smiled wryly. “But how we can be young if we were never born? You were made, just as we are. You are mud, stolen flesh, and dragon's blood.”

“Nay, that is one addiction I have actually broken!” Luna joked with a small smile, and the Swan stared at her strangely as Thesis gave a lame smile, before Luna sighed and lowered her head, muttering: “Shut up, Danzsöngr.”

“You cannot escape who you are, in your core. Your downfall will not be at the hands of others, but your own, Valkyrie.” the Swan said, and Luna scowled, opening her mouth, before her eyes widened in surprise as Danzsöngr clumsily hugged her, saying calmly as she leaned against the Valkyrie: “We do not blame you. We have great compassion for you.”

“I... do not want thy compassion.” Luna grumbled under her breath, struggling grumpily before she huffed and shoved the Swan off, glowering at her. “I do not know what thou art learning from these ponies, but 'tis all wrong.”

Danzsöngr only smiled at her, before she said calmly: “We see you, too.”

Luna scowled again, although even from inside the Swan, Cadence felt the nervousness of the Valkyrie. But thankfully, Thesis intervened before either mare could do or say anything, asking: “What do you sense on the horizon, Luna?”

“I sense there will be a fight. 'Tis what I sense and all I care about. Morgan could tell thee more, Thesis, so perhaps thou should go and speak to her.” Luna said pointedly, leaning towards Thesis, and the Replicant her her an amused look.

“You know, if you want to get rid of me, you just have to ask.” he said, then he shrugged before adding pointedly: “Just don't kill each other, okay? We're going to need to be in top form for whatever happens. I have a bad feeling too.”

Thesis quieted a little towards the end, and Luna shifted uneasily as Danzsöngr only turned her eerie, endless eyes on him, before she said simply: “Yes. We love you.”

“Uh... I... well, I mean, I would tell you I love you too but then Cadence might punch me but at the same time I guess you're kind of Cadence so it's really nice and uh...” Thesis rubbed lamely at his skull as Luna snorted in amusement, and the Swan only continued to study him in that measuring, soul-searching way she had.

There was silence for a few moments, and then the Swan simply nodded, and Thesis nodded awkwardly back before he finally turned and walked away, heading across the ship. Luna and Danzsöngr watched him go, before the Valkyrie said softly: “I admit, I still find it difficult to believe a Swan could love. But thou art a strange Swan, Danzsöngr... and while I question the workings of thy mind, I begin to wonder...”

She turned towards Danzsöngr, and Danzsöngr looked back at her for a few moments before she said simply: “It is what you believe it is.”

Brynhild snorted, and then the Swan shivered before she shook her head vehemently, Cadence growling: “It's not. It's... it's just not. And you can stay the hell out of my body, Swan.”

“Funny, to tell that to thyself. Thou sounds like Freya: tired of thy mare-parts. And whilst I understand it at times, I must say, I am far too used to stallions to ever go back to men.” Brynhild remarked, and Cadence scowled at her. “Well, I am sure thou never had the pleasure before, but-”

“I know how to treat a stallion, Brynhild, I had a few relationships before Shining Armor.” Cadence said stiffly.

To her surprise, Brynhild smiled at her, then replied cheerfully: “Then thou art very fortunate indeed, Swan. For I too know how to treat a stallion, but unlike thee, I can think of only one or two relationships I had before Scrivener, and all the rest was all just sex.”

Cadence did her best not to scowl too much, assuming this was some kind of dig at her, and Luna glowered back at the Swan before she rolled her eyes and grumbled: “Oh, fie on thee. Thou cannot even take a compliment properly. But I should not be surprised. Thou art nothing but rude brute force.”

“Says the Valkyrie whose only magic is to summon those stupid hand things and punch people with them.” retorted Cadence, and Luna huffed loudly, glaring at the Swan.

“I use far more magic than that! I wield fire and ice and great powerful explosions as well!” retorted Brynhild, before she added grumpily: “And they are the Jötunnfang, insolent Swan, and they are made for crushing my foes.”

Cadence scowled, before she shook her head and sighed, muttering: “I don't know why I even try and deal with you. It's impossible. I don't know how your partners manage it, they seem normal.”

“'Tis funny to hear Morgan and Scrivy being called 'normal.' 'Tis not a word one would usually associate with either a Clockwork Pony or a... whatever Morgan is. Lich of the umpteenth rank, I do not know.” Luna said amiably, gesturing absently back and forth with her hooves, and Cadence gave a wry smile at this.

But she resisted saying anything too negative, instead simply nodding once before she said finally: “I just hope they're useful when we fight-”

“They are useful and I am useful, Swan. In fact, we are more than simply 'useful.' We are no longer tools, Danzsöngr.” the Valkyrie interrupted, sounding almost exasperated with her.

And Cadence replied before she could stop herself: “Unlike you, I have not lost or forgotten my purpose.” She stopped, winced internally at what she realized she was implying, and then she added sharply: “And the Valkyries can never appreciate what the Swans endured as 'tools,' either.”

But Brynhild only looked at her for a few moments, then she finally shrugged in answer, and Cadence felt both relieved and humiliated all at once, glowering for a moment before she finally turned away, and hating the feeling that she was retreating.

Brynhild only smiled wryly at the mare's back, then she sighed softly, shaking her head before she turned her eyes back out over the dark, endless seas, murmuring: “Well, perhaps there is hope for that one yet.”

It was clear something was terribly wrong as they approached the tower, from the energy in the air and the wild thunderheads that swirled above, eerie lightning crackling through the skies as acidic rain pelted the seas. But it was the cannon fire that tore across the face of the ship that convinced Cadence things had gone from bad to worse, the ship rocking from the violence of the shells as Aster roared: “Shield the ship! Those guns will tear us to ribbons!”

“It's an ambush! We're well within firing range of their weapons!” Thesis shouted, then he stumbled and cursed as cannon fire tore into the seas around them before a spray of bullets tore across the bow, the crew diving for safety beneath the hail of splinters that pelted them. “We have to charge! Protect the front and ram the docks before they can tear us apart!”

“You're insane!” Cadence shouted, but Thesis only grinned at her, and she knew there was no time to countermand the order; more than that, she trusted him, grimacing even as she snapped: “Moonflower! Push us forward, let Morgan handle protecting the front!”

Moonflower winced at this, but then he stumbled around in a circle as Morgan leapt up to the prow of the ship, her body thrumming with power as she created a massive, domed forcefield in front of the freighter. Bullets plowed across this, but Morgan barely flinched, holding the magic steady. “I've got it! But I can't hold it up forever!”

“I'll get it, I'll... get it!” Moonflower blurted out, his horn thrumming with magic. He snapped his horn down without thinking, and the crew of the ship were nearly all knocked flying as a pulse of power erupted from the boat and launched them forward, sending them shooting across the water.

Bullets and artillery rounds tore and crashed against the shield protecting the face of the boat, making colors flash across the tangible darkness protecting them as they streaked towards the shore. It was all that Cadence could do to cling to the deck as they flew across the water, bouncing over the waves.

Mobile artillery manned by Worker Drones slowly adjusted their aim as a Voidborn shouted almost desperately: “Come on, come on! Shoot them, Loki's counting on us!”

The Pegasus Voidborn stumbled a little over her own hooves, watching with horror as the massive ship tore across the water towards them beneath the bombardment, the mounted guns doing too little, the mobile artillery turning too slow, too late-

The ship crashed against the end of the docks, striking with such force that it tore up wood and metal before keeling forwards with a loud, clanging crunch, the little island shaking with the force of impact. Worker Drones were knocked off their hooves and guns were knocked off targets, Husks scrambling to get back into turrets and to move to defensive positions as the Voidborn picked herself slowly up with a groan, muttering: “This can't get any worse.”

The thrumming shield of dark energy that had been protecting the front of the ship exploded in a blast of magical shrapnel, blades of force hammering across the docks. The Voidborn leapt backwards with a squawk as she was nearly caught by one of these massive shards of magic, before her eyes widened in horror as the chunk of magical shrapnel didn't just punch a hole in the dock where it hit, it set it aflame, necrotic fire greedily spreading over both wood and metal.

The Pegasus staggered back from the ghastly flames, wincing as they licked at her dull-yellow coat and her dark-tan ponytail, swearing in frustration before she looked up in horror as a sapphire mare she recognized all too well erupted from the front of the ship, roaring: “Stolen toys cannot stop me, cowards of Loki!”

“Oh, this can't get any worse! It can't!” wailed the Voidborn as she scurried around in a circle, bolting towards the freight elevator, but she only made it a few feet before something hammered into her back and crushed her into the ground, pinning her helplessly to the metal floor.

She wiggled uselessly before she was rolled over and crushed into the ground, wincing away, eyes staring with terror up at Luna Brynhild as the mare snarled, then blinked and did a double take. It gave the Pegasus Voidborn just enough time to kick Brynhild off and squirm hurriedly backward to her hooves, stumbling away before Luna said dumbly: “Thou? I... I remember thou, vaguely, thou art...”

Her brow furrowed, before her eyes widened as the memories flooded back, of North Neigh, and...“Swiftly Wing! Thou coward!”

Luna lunged and stomped a hoof down, and Swiftly squawked as she leapt backwards, wincing away as she shouted: “There was nothing I could do!”

“Thou fled! Fled-”

“Fled into an abyss! Fled into the apocalypse! What the hell was I supposed to do, Luna? You couldn't stop it, the unicorns couldn't stop it, no one could stop it!” Swiftly shouted angrily back, but her voice was full of fear and pain as she stumbled hurriedly away, flushing in humiliation.

But Luna only snarled, lunging after her: without looking, her hooves went out almost of their own accord, punching away the Husks that tried to attack her from either side like they were nothing more than sacks of grain. “Aye, but at least we tried, and not a damned day passes when I do not wish I had awoken earlier, that I had not been more prepared for him, for the Jötnar that even the Gods- nay, even the giants themselves failed to stop!”

“Get her! Get her, stop her, forget everything else and get her!” shouted Swiftly almost desperately, and the Husks looked up in confusion from what they were doing before two of them wheeled their turrets around, massive machineguns opening fire on Brynhild as the sapphire mare swore and snapped her horn out, flinching as her Jötunnfang burst into existence in flares of flame and frost-mist on either side of her to narrowly shield her from the devastating gunfire.

She was pinned under the force of numbers as Swiftly Wing fled, but it took much of the pressure off the crashed ship, Cadence leading her team quickly down onto the docks with Aster and Scrivener, as Morgan shot through the air above, sending bolts of magnetizing lightning crackling down from the skies to disable and destroy the machines of war set up along the docks.

“The hell is going on here?” La Croix asked in disbelief as a Worker Drone attempted to grab him, the Loa wincing back before he shoved the machine-puppet away. “This ain't right!”

“I'm no genius, but I'd guess Auriculos is behind this somehow!” Thesis said as he leapt up beside Cadence, slamming a hoof through the face of a Husk: it shattered away to dust under his touch to Cadence's surprise, and the stallion gave a wry grin before he said quickly: “Take out everything in the way, let's push to the closest console.”

“Seneschal said everything was fine!” Cadence grumbled, even though she knew enough about computers to understand-

“You probably figured this out already, but I doubt that was actually Seneschal.” Thesis responded, before he winced as a turret began to veer towards them, shouting: “Moonflower!”

Moonflower blinked, then snapped his horn out with a winced when the turret began to open fire; several bullets hit the ground around them, but then the rest veered wildly up into the air as a shield of gravitational energy formed at their side.

Several other Husks seemed to snap out of their confusion, but it was too little, too late: in moments, they had plowed through the emplacement and Cadence broke off with Thesis as she called: “Take care of the enemy forces! We'll find out what's going on!”

Moonflower spun around, snapping his horn out to send out a massive pulse of gravitational energy that hefted Husk and Worker Drone and artillery platform alike before he gritted his teeth and snapped his horn down, slamming them into the ground with gigaton force. The docks ruptured under the force of the magic, cracks spreading through wood and metal as slats and unlucky Void forces collapsed into the toxic sea below.

La Croix ran towards a turret, wincing as he leapt up into the sea and grabbed the controls: it was so easy, he thought, and yet this was the last place he wanted to be even though he knew it was where he was most useful, gritting his teeth as he spun the turret to the side before opening fire on the Husks that were trying to assemble into some kind of formation.

Bullets ripped through the Void soldiers, Husks hissing and looking up in frustration and disgust as their bodies were torn apart by the bullets, steaming energy until they collapsed or literally dissolved beneath the steady gunfire.

Sombra made his way to the other mounted guns, the dark energy that streamed from his body the only tell that he wasn't completely calm. He leapt up on top of the first gun platform, slamming his hooves into the weapon to spread crystal rapidly across the cannon, heedless of the Worker Drones that got caught in the spreading corruption to be petrified in gemstone along with the weapon.

Husks opened fire at him, but Sombra only lunged into the crystal in front of him, phasing through it to leap out the other side of the weapon and drop on top of a smaller turret. He kicked the driver out of the seat before he grasped the controls, his eyes flaring with dark magic for a moment as the machinery squealed before black gemstone tore out of the weapon from all directions.

Sombra narrowly leapt away before the gun exploded, and then he quickly created a shield of black crystal, blocking fire from another turret: he only had to protect himself for a few moments before the turret was blown to ribbons by a powerful blast of red magic from Aster, however, the mare shouting: “Heaven or Enfer, this is my home, and you are not welcome here!”

Worker Drones exploded in great blasts of electricity as Aster's magic tore through them, going up one after the other like candles in flares of crimson magic. The mare grinned cruelly, eyes blazing with dark power as the crimson veins pulsed sickly across her form, rasping: “None of you will be spared! All of you will feel my power!”

The docks shook with the force of another boom of magic from Moonflower, thunderous force ripping across the shipyard to knock both friend and foe off-balance, some of the sense returning to Aster as Cadence winced over her shoulder and snapped: “Goddammit, Moonflower!”

“Can't babysit the kids forever.” Thesis said absently as he yanked the metal cover off a panel, then he shoved a hoof into the cables and grimaced as he simply tore, sending up sparks as he glanced at the freight elevator: the gate was raised, but the elevator itself was, too: that Voidborn Luna had apparently recognized had already managed to flee. The funny thing was, he didn't recognize her either...

The stallion grimaced as he yanked out some of the wiring, digging through the cables as Cadence smashed Worker Drones away from his back, grumbling: “They're worse than zombies. How the hell could Auriculos do this?”

“The drones are literally just drones. Robots. They're a lot simpler than the old ones Dad used to use, and yes, that's a good thing. They don't bleed.” Thesis answered as he attached several of the wires to his Mission Drive, muttering: “Horses of Heaven I've never been very good at this, how do I... yeah, okay. Okay, uh... let's see if-”

“There you are! What are you doing, I've been trying to reach you for hours?” howled Seneschal's voice from the bracer, making both Cadence and Thesis wince. “We're under attack!”

“No, really?” Cadence asked waspishly, one of her daggers appearing like magic in her hoof so she could slam it up into the throat of a charging Husk. She twisted hard to the side, nearly beheading it, and the Husk collapsed to the ground in a gasp of mist before she glared back and forth, but most of the enemy forces here had been mopped up, weapons disabled and broken, parts of the shipyard sinking into the sea as their ragtag group slowly drew in on their position. “We're not staying down here.”

“I don't want you to stay down here, I...” Seneschal's voice distorted for a moment, and then he blurted, suddenly urgent: “All the facility's security protocols have been compromised! We've detected massive Void surges near the furnace itself and data corruption is rampant! We can't-”

“Seneschal, do a scan of the entire facility and mark all Void energy signals and isolation points.” Thesis ordered sharply, and Seneschal squawked before the Mission Drive fizzled and crackled as Thesis looked seriously over his shoulder as ponies began to fall in around them. “Cadence, we're going to take your team and hit them from below, work our way up to the facility. Luna, I want you to take Scrivener and Morgan and make your way to the top of the structure. Secure the observatory and then make your way around to the rear of the soul furnace and see what you can do there.”

“Aye. We will do our best not to take all the fun before thee and thine get a chance to play.” Luna bragged, but then she hesitated before becoming serious, asking quietly: “Swan, can thou see?”

“No.” Danzsöngr answered, shaking her head and giving the faintest of frowns as she easily took control of Cadence's body. She stretched a hoof up towards the sky, focusing, but... “Something is here. We feel it. We feel the presence of Loki. But we cannot see. We cannot be sure it is not a trick. Something is lurking in the Astra. Beware, Valkyrie. Something calls for your Queen.”

Luna couldn't hide the way her eyes shifted towards Morgan, but Morgan only smiled faintly before she said quietly: “We'll meet whatever might be waiting for us ahead the same as we always have. I can't see much either, though: something powerful is blocking things out here. It must be using psionic amplification or vibration to distort the detectable wavelengths...”

“No one has any idea what you just said, but I trust you know what you're doing.” Thesis said blandly, and Morgan sighed a little as Scrivener shrugged in agreement, before Thesis added in a lower voice: “I trust you. Get moving. Secure Haruspex if you can, with our luck the bastard's been put to work in the labs already and he might be in danger. I feel like he's got something to do with all of this.”

Morgan nodded, and Luna grunted before she flicked her horn towards Scrivener Blooms, the stallion wincing and flinching as black ooze splattered out of his back before he wheezed loudly as a pair of muck-covered leather wings extended from his sides, flapping slowly before he muttered: “Would you believe that I had managed to forget how much that stings?”

“Aye, thou always were a great coward, hiding from pain.” Luna said mildly, before she glanced over at Danzsöngr and said finally: “I look forward to seeing thee on the battlefield. And not just as enemy.”

“Good luck, Valkyrie. And be careful. There are greater threats here than you may yet realize. That is all we are sure of.” Danzsöngr answered calmly, and Luna scowled at her before the Valkyrie finally grunted and turned, leaping up into the air to be followed a moment later by both Morgan and Scrivener.

As they winged away, Danzsöngr released control of their shared body back to Cadence, the mare shaking her head vehemently before she scowled and grumbled: “Goddammit.”

Thesis smiled reassuringly to her, then he turned his eyes back towards his Mission Drive as Seneschal wheezed: “There, I've marked all the points of interest I could. I hope you have a decent plan, Prince Thesis, the enemy has us blind, outmaneuvered and outnumbered. This is ludicrous!”

“This is no different from any other day or any other mission.” Thesis answered as he calmly turned his eyes back to the waiting ponies, yanking the cables free from his Mission Drive before he tapped quickly over it, bringing up a holographic map of the facility. It fizzled weakly with static before red and blue dots appeared rapidly across the projection. “Okay. It looks like the enemy has been here long enough to set up checkpoints. We don't have any solid information because it looks like the first thing Auriculos did was jam communications and take over the security systems, so every camera, every turret, every laser grid works for him now.”

“Good thing we were planning to blow this place up anyway.” Cadence grumbled, and Thesis gave her an amused look.

“Yes, we can punch our way through, true. But there's a cleaner way to deal with things than that.” Thesis answered, before he pointed quickly across the map. “These blue dots represent allied units who haven't been terminated yet. There's a group a few floors up that we should be able to rendezvous with. We'll get information there. We should secure as many friendlies along the way as possible as we head up to here.”

“That's a big cluster of red. How was Seneschal able to scan the area, though?” Cadence asked after a moment with a frown, and Thesis smiled slightly.

“Intelligent sonar from a Clockwork Titan, I'm guessing. He can probably isolate the Void and Clockwork signals pretty easily, but that doesn't mean these signals are right, or there aren't worse things waiting for us. A lot of things won't show up on the emergency scans so don't take this as gospel. But where there's clusters of Void signals...”

“That's likely where the enemy is.” Cadence said, not knowing a better way to phrase it.

“That's likely where the enemy's active. I'm guessing they're searching for more than just the obvious, since the soul furnace is kind of hard to miss.” Thesis expanded blandly, before he pointed at that cluster of red and said in a more serious voice: “This is the server room. Auriculos must be dredging the data: he'd know that he's not going to be able to get any useful information here on Decretum's movements, so he has to be searching for something else. Some kind of data on the furnace, or something we missed in the data logs that's important to Loki.”

Cadence grimaced, before Aster said uneasily: “How could that be, though? Salazar did not know how to work those machines. Only the simple artifacts and the soul furnace.”

“The servers weren't in great shape, but I know they've been repaired. Data loss probably wasn't that severe, and Valthrudnir's projects always had some kind of low-key monitoring. But hell, for all we know, he might be after some of the original data, from back when this place was active.” Thesis said, shaking his head briefly. “What's important is we find out.”

“Perhaps we should consider breaking into two teams. One to secure our allies, and one to engage Loki's forces.” Sombra suggested, but Thesis shook his head.

“Not when we don't know what we're up against. It's too dangerous. We move as one squad.” Thesis said firmly, looking around at them all; he noted the miasma leaking off Sombra, the veins pulsating over Aster, the wild look in Moonflower's eyes. “Hey. I need all of you here with me, okay?”

The ponies all looked at Thesis, and then Sombra bowed his head and took a slow breath, focusing his attention on Thesis as he apologized: “I am here. And I will do my best to remain so.”

Thesis smiled briefly as Aster and Moonflower both murmured in agreement and La Croix gave an awkward grin, before Cadence said quietly: “We should start moving in, though. We'll do what you say, Thesis. Just lead the way.”

“Alright.” Thesis stepped back, studying the open freight elevator shaft before he muttered: “We go in there and we're going to get that dropped on our heads. Sewage access has been blocked off by now, so... we're going to do this another way.”

Thesis turned around, quickly surveying the wreckage of the docks before he pointed at one of the damaged artillery cannons. “There's our ticket in.”

Cadence had a feeling she wasn't going to like Thesis' idea: after ten minutes of hard work and a lot of improvisation, she was extremely sure she didn't like Thesis' idea, muttering: “This is utterly insane. Utterly insane.”

Thesis only grinned as he leapt into the control seat, aiming the cannon as far up the cliffside as he could before he said wryly: “Hey, they'll never see it coming.”

With that, he fired, the gun platform rocking with the force of the blast, the massive round smashing through the veneer of stone and leaving a gaping wound in the cliffside. Immediately, La Croix vanished as both Aster and Cadence took to the air with ropes, shooting to the hole.

Husks had already appeared to check out the disturbance, and Cadence dropped in on them like a whirlwind of death, slicing the throats out of two of the Void entities before she simply flung the third through the hole: even if the fall wouldn't kill it, she was sure that it wouldn't be in much of a mood to fight after, either.

She and Aster secured their ropes to the broken but sturdy beams they found, and La Croix reappeared after a moment beside Cadence, saying worriedly: “Don't look good. Husks comin' in, and looks like every security system be on. And there are... looks like some of the Dogmatists tried to fight, but...”

“Okay.” Cadence checked over her shoulder with a grimace, watching as Thesis, her father, and Moonflower all made their way up the ropes, before she shook her head and muttered: “Keep an eye out and keep us informed. Hopefully they're just trying to block us in, not attack.”

Cadence was relieved when La Croix smiled awkwardly and saluted her before he headed to do his job without complaining: it gave her a moment to breathe, before she reached down and caught Thesis' hoof, pulling him up into the hole as she started: “Husks-”

“I figured. Let's go where they're not.” Thesis said, and Cadence smiled briefly before she cocked an eyebrow in surprise as Thesis headed to a flat wall, feeling quickly along it before he suddenly grinned, then simply leaned forwards and slammed a punch into the broken drywall.

To Cadence's surprise, he managed to knock a hole through the wall, grimacing a bit as he dug through dust and broken plaster before he said quickly over his shoulder: “Come on, we should be able to break into maintenance from here and sneak our way up to the next level.”

Cadence hesitated, then gestured for Aster to go next. She helped Moonflower and Sombra up the ropes and sent them through the hole as well before she sighed in relief as La Croix appeared, saying quickly: “Follow a little behind. We're going to try and sneak through maintenance.”

La Croix saluted her before he vanished into the ether again, and Cadence let herself through the hole, just in time to watch as her father disappeared through an open hole in the ceiling. She caught the loose rope hanging from the opening and smiled up at Sombra as he glanced down at her, and he nodded quickly after a moment before he turned his eyes up and continued to ascend.

She followed him up, and after a few moments of climbing, she found herself in a dimly-lit room full of cables and wires, a broken, musty fan hanging over their heads: lucky for them, since it looked large enough to be able to chop any of them to ribbons if it had been on, armor and all. It was cluttered and uncomfortable here, but thankfully it only lasted a few moments before Thesis managed to pry an access hatch open: too small to fit through, but enough to give them a bit of air and get rid of that sense of claustrophobia.

He leaned carefully forward, peering through the hatch and muttering: “Lots of activity. Not just Husks, plenty of drones moving cargo around... I can't tell what they're doing, though. It looks like they're searching for something in particular.”

Thesis hesitated, then he shook his head before he said finally: “The blue is on the other side of all this red. We might have a hostage situation from the looks of things here: these guys obviously aren't worried about a fight.”

Cadence nodded, checking their surroundings before her eyes locked on an opening above the broken fan, and Thesis confirmed her feeling a moment later: “That should be a maintenance access tunnel up there. We can use it to sneak past the cargo bay, and hopefully get an idea of what's up ahead.”

“Great. Past the giant fan.” Cadence muttered, before she asked quietly: “La Croix, can you sneak out and take a look at what they're up to?”

“Be careful.” Thesis warned, and the Loa frowned before the Replicant explained quietly: “The security systems are active. Some of the cameras are calibrated to detect spirits.”

“Oui, no worries, monsieur. I be used to avoidin' peepin' eyes.” La Croix answered with a brief smile, before he vanished from sight. Thesis turned his eyes pointedly to Cadence, and she sighed before nodding once, scowling past the broken fan before she gestured at Thesis irritably.

He stepped forwards to grasp her, boosting her up the wall so she could reach the hole in the ceiling, and then Cadence spun around and held a hoof down to him, pulling him up to the gap. Then she winced as Moonflower blurted: “What about us?”

“Quiet!” Cadence hissed through her teeth, and Moonflower winced and slapped his front hooves over his muzzle before she added in a grumble: “Stay here and stay safe. If we need you, we'll...”

“Cause a huge, impossible to miss disturbance.” Thesis finished, and Cadence rolled her eyes before she turned around, grimacing a bit as she lowered herself slightly so she could carefully begin to half-crawl down the low-ceiling tunnel.

Thesis followed behind her, the two stopping every so often at a hatch if they felt they could peek out of it safely, but the sight below was always the same: a busy cargo hall, Husks patrolling as soullessly as the Worker Drones that were hauling crates back and forth.

They wiggled another hatch open, and this time they were finally rewarded with a different sight: two Husks were standing in front of a closed bulkhead, both of them armed with Clockwork weaponry. Cadence narrowed her eyes, and after a moment, Thesis confirmed her suspicion: “Gesicht's rifle.”

“Think the RED are in there?” Cadence asked, and Thesis gave a wry smile.

“Not all of them. Thespis and Karie could both get out too easily. But let's take a look for ourselves.” Thesis suggested, and Cadence gave him a mild look. “We're going to make a lot of noise anyway. Or are you saying you can't handle a dozen Husks or so?”

“Let me get La Croix-” Cadence started, reaching for her Mission Drive, but Thesis winced and quickly caught her foreleg. “What?”

“Don't turn on communications. Auriculos will know.” he answered quietly, and Cadence grimaced, but then nodded: she hadn't considered that. That would also explain way back when the Nzambi attacked the port... “Can't you like, summon him somehow? He's like a spirit.”

“Bit more complicated than that. Besides, all y'have to do is say my name, and here I am.” La Croix said dryly, and both Thesis and Cadence twitched slightly as they looked quickly back over their shoulders at the Loa, who was grumpily brushing at himself. “I already checked. The big newt be in there with a few o' them Dogmatists, but I didn't see any of your other RED amis.”

“Are they safe or injured?” Thesis asked, and La Croix hesitated, which was more than enough to answer Thesis' question. “Okay. Change of plans. Can you give them medical attention, then meet us...”

Thesis looked towards the end of the maintenance passage musingly, muttering: “This is an inflow pipe, so there's an exterior vent, which means... yeah. Cadence, go back and help the others up. I'm going to the end of this pipe. Both of you, meet me there.”

“Fine.” grumbled Cadence, before she added moodily as she wiggled her way around: “But you're getting as bad as your mother when it comes to jerking me around.”

“You'll hate me more if I explain.” Thesis answered, and Cadence scowled as she made her way back down the pipe, before the Replicant turned a wry smile towards La Croix, saying finally: “Well, you know your job.”

La Croix sighed, then he nodded with a grunt and vanished, and Thesis shook his head once before he carefully closed the hatch and turned to head back down the pipe, only hoping that he could get his team through safely, and that they could save as many lives as possible.

They had already learned the hard way what Loki was capable of, after all.

Artificial Prophecy

Chapter Ninety Seven: Artificial Prophecy
~BlackRoseRaven

Swiftly Wing sat at a table, poring over the logbooks and files in front of her as she muttered short curses under her breath over and over, doing her best to ignore the portable computer on the table that blared at her every so often with some order or useless bit of information. All she knew was that there were some very problematic ponies here, and she wanted as little to do with them or anyone else as possible.

Several Husks were simply standing around the room, patient and muted, Clockwork weapons cradled in their forelegs or against their shoulders. They were supposedly here to protect her, but they were here to keep her in line as much as they were here to serve as her soldiers.

She didn't know why Loki had chosen her, of all ponies. He always looked at her with such... disdain, she thought. Such disgust. It didn't make any sense! She was no officer, she had never been more than a messenger, and hadn't what had happened to her in North Neigh been bad enough?

The way that little filly had made that poor mare kill herself...

And after that, she had seen Hell itself bleed into the world. She had been chased by literal demons and narrowly survived, but only for a few days before the monsters had caught up with her. Then, there had been the Nothing, and she had just been lucky enough to end up on a little island in the middle of all that emptiness, too afraid to run away, too afraid to follow anyone who had wandered by, until Loki had gathered her up, made promises... made lies.

Swiftly shook her head quickly, then she looked nervously over her shoulder at the large, cracked window behind her. She could see the magic in the clouds, could feel the atmosphere growing darker and more malevolent: Loki himself was supposed to be arriving here, and his right-hoof was already here in a mechanical, monstrous shell...

But now Luna Brynhild was here. And so were those other ponies, the ones that Veliuona and the Norns had been supposed to stop. Veliuona was a Goddess and the Norns were... well, she didn't know what they were, but they certainly weren't ponies. If Brynhild and those other ponies had been able to get past them, how the hell was she supposed to stop them? She was just a Pegasus! Voidborn, maybe, but just a mare for all of that.

The only thing she could possibly do was find those trinkets Loki was so interested in, and whatever other logs he had asked for. And she could do that from the safety of this room: they were in total control. She had enough Husks to secure the facility, and Auriculos had control of the drones, and all the security systems were under their power. She was safe here. Nothing could get her here. All she had to worry about was Loki showing up before she had finished finding what she was looking for.

Swiftly Wing nodded firmly to herself, inhaling slowly-

The window behind her exploded inward, pelting the room with shards of glass as Swiftly shrieked in shock, a moment before some tremendous force crashed into her and knocked her and the table and all her logs and equipment flying. The Husks reacted too little, too late, before a white streak slammed into one with enough force to nearly tear it in half, reducing it to nothing but a steaming cloud of energy before a second was crushed beneath the hooves of a black stallion.

A boom of magic hit the third, knocking it crashing backwards into a wall, before red flames followed up, devastating the Husk's spirit and dissolving it in a matter of moments as its energy was eaten away. And Swiftly barely managed to scramble to her hooves as she stared over her shoulder in horror, mouthing wordlessly at the sight of the ponies that had invaded her thought-safe sanctum.

“Hey.” Thesis said amiably, and Swiftly winced and spun for the door, before she squeaked and leapt to the side when a knife shot past her head and slammed into the wood, spinning back around to stare in terror at the glowering Swan Maiden. “Bad idea.”

“Oui, Cygne be a little rough.” La Croix agreed, and the Voidborn stared at the Loa that had appeared a few feet away, leaning on the other side of the doors as he said mildly: “Plus I already locked these doors. Merci for the key, by the way.”

La Croix tossed a simple keycard in the air before he caught it and winked as he made it vanish with a flick of his hoof, and Swiftly snarled at him. But her anger was quickly replaced by pain and terror when a hoof slammed into the side of her head and pinned her against the door, Cadence growling: “What are you doing here, and where is Loki?”

“N-Nothing! I just... I'm just looking for... I'm just doing what Loki told me to do!” Swiftly blurted piteously, shaking her head as vehemently as possible under the crush of Cadence's hoof before she added hurriedly: “Auriculos! Auriculos is here, he's at the soul furnace, he knows you're here he's waiting for you, you should go get your answers from him!”

“Wow, that didn't take much. I mean, yeah, you're scary, but usually you have to at least stab them or something to get them to spill the beans.” Thesis said mildly, striding slowly over to the two. He gestured at Cadence with his head, and the mare grumbled but grudgingly stepped back, the Voidborn groaning as she grasped at her skull before she meekly shrank away from Thesis.

But the stallion only smiled at her reassuringly, before he asked quietly: “Who are you? How do you know Luna Brynhild?”

“My name is Swiftly Wing, and uh... I'm... I knew her before the apocalypse. I helped them. I helped them.” Swiftly answered, and then she laughed awkwardly, her eyes darting back and forth, too wide, as sweat ran down her shivering body. “Y-Yes. That's why... it's... hard. For us both. I don't know what to do...”

Her eyes lingered nervously on Thesis, and Thesis frowned slightly before he said finally: “You're not wearing a control collar.”

Swiftly blinked, looking confused, and Thesis asked curiously: “If you don't have a control collar, why are you serving Loki? Why not just run away?”

“Because he knows everything I do. Because he's always listening. Because he hates me. I don't know why. He hates me. I have to do everything he says, and he's... he's in my head, always talking, never stopping!” Swiftly burst out, and then she flinched and shrank down, looking back and forth before she whispered: “I was always really good at running away. But I can't run away from him. No one can, not really. They think they can. He likes it when they think that. But he's in complete control, of every last one of us.”

“No, he's not. We all have the power to decide whether or not we obey. It's just... easier when we convince ourselves otherwise.” Thesis answered quietly, before he shook his head and asked: “What does Loki want?”

Swiftly Wing was quiet for a moment, then lied: “I don't know. Supplies, I guess. I just... I just take orders from Auriculos.”

It admittedly took a lot of restraint on Cadence's part not to punch the mare, but Thesis gave one of his kind, genial smiles to Swiftly, who looked awkwardly away, and in that brief pause, his eyes flicked sharply to Cadence, asking her silently to play along.

So instead, Cadence only grudgingly cracked her hooves before she asked moodily: “Fine. How do we get to Auriculos, then? I have a few questions I want to ask him.”

Swiftly Wing smiled nervously, and then she licked her lips before she answered, a little too eagerly: “Like I said, he's headed to the soul furnace! He's definitely going to be around there somewhere, he's got to be around there somewhere, and uh... he's the one in charge! I bet if you got rid of him you wouldn't have to worry about... anything anymore!”

Swiftly Wing gave a too-big smile, and Moonflower scowled horribly as Aster bit her lip. But thankfully, neither of them said anything as Thesis turned to Cadence, asking quietly: “What do you think? He knows we're here by now and he's probably waiting for us. I don't want to imagine what he's doing at the soul furnace.”

Cadence thought for a few moments, before she finally turned her eyes towards Swiftly Wing and asked: “Do you know where the Replicants are?”

“I don't know what Replicants are.” Swiftly said, and it was such a terrible, obvious lie that Cadence almost felt bad for her.

Almost.

Cadence reached out and grabbed Swiftly Wing by the throat, the Voidborn choking before she squeaked as she was slammed back against the doors, the others wincing as Cadence said coldly: “I want you to tell me where the Replicants are, or I'm going to start punching holes in you until even Loki won't be able to bring you back from the Void. Do I make myself clear?”

Swiftly grabbed wildly at the hoof restraining her, before she whimpered fearfully as Cadence stretched her other hoof out and it burst into white, lethal flame, the Pegasus Voidborn nodding wildly as she gasped out: “Okay, okay! Okay! You... you made your point! I'll talk!”

“I hope so.” Cadence said grimly, and then she shook her head slowly before she repeated: “Where are the Replicants?”

Swiftly shivered a little, and then she said finally, as her eyes uncomfortably flicked away from Cadence: “They're... Auriculos wanted them. He has them locked up in the uh... near the soul furnace.”

La Croix frowned and started to open his mouth, but Thesis gave him a quick look: they all knew that the Loa had treated Faunus on the lower levels, after all. “I take it you mean the furnace facility. Either processing or containment. He might be meaning to toss them in.”

“Yeah! Yeah, that's uh... exactly it, something about... needing more power to summon Loki, that's it!” Swiftly blurted out hurriedly, and Cadence again had to resist the urge to punch the mare into oblivion as she slowly flexed her burning hoof. Swiftly saw this, wincing visibly before she said quickly: “But I can get you to him, no problem! I can help, I can order all the Husks to stand down!”

“Really.” Thesis half-asked, looking less than enthusiastic about this idea: Cadence could imagine why. She was admittedly surprised, however, when he actually voiced his concern on the subject: “What's to stop you from sending us into a deathtrap?”

Swiftly stared at Thesis for a few moments in a way that told Cadence that had likely been precisely her intention, before the Pegasus gave an awkward laugh and said finally: “I would... I would never do that. I promise I would never do that. And I can't break a promise. I really can't. I... promise I can't.”

Swiftly smiled uncomfortably, and there was silence for a moment before Thesis gently patted Cadence on the shoulder, and the ivory mare sighed as she stepped back and flexed her hoof, letting the white flames vanish from around it as she muttered: “She better not.”

“I won't!” Swiftly exclaimed, a little too swiftly, Cadence reflected ironically. “I can't break a promise! I can't, I can't, I really... can't. I guess it's one of those Voidborn things.”

“Yeah.” Thesis said, and by his tone Cadence could tell even he was reaching the end of his patience. “Well, I promise we won't hurt you as long as you cooperate with us. How about that?”

Swiftly shifted awkwardly, and then she said finally: “I can get you to the furnace. No problem. I know where all the patrols are.”

“I do not trust her.” Aster muttered, and Swiftly visibly grimaced as she turned nervously away. But then she smiled lamely when Thesis gestured pointedly at her, and the Pegasus carefully slipped away from them, nervously giving them a wide berth as she made her way to the fallen computer.

It was sparking but still functional, the Voidborn awkwardly tapping a few commands over it as she muttered: “Uh... yeah. Give me a minute, I can... okay, watch this. Or listen, I mean.”

Swiftly cleared her throat, then she held down a button on the portable console as she said firmly: “Listen up, this is Swiftly Wing! I have new orders from Loki, we need to uh... secure the lower levels against further intrusion. I want the team on the Big Connector out of there!”

“Nonsense!” snapped a voice angrily, and Thesis grimaced as Swiftly reared back from the console in horror. “What do you think you're doing? There are no such orders! All you have to do is maintain formation and slow down those insolent little insects from Decretum while I finish modulating the furnace for our master!”

“Wow, didn't know you were into that kind of thing, Auriculos.” Thesis said loudly, and Swiftly winced as she yanked her hoof away from the console, but too late.

“What was that? Who was that? I demand you answer me!” Auriculos snarled, and the console fizzled before the Kirin neurocenter said snidely: “Oh, well, of course. If it isn't Prince Thesis and the team of zeroes.”

“That sounds like a good band name. Except it's a little long.” Thesis said mildly, approaching the console to poke it a few times with a front hoof, and Cadence scowled before her eyes flicked sharply towards Swiftly Wing, the Pegasus freezing in mid-slink towards the window. “So Auriculos. How are things? Made any new friends lately? Done anything interesting?”

“Oh, I can't wait to shut you up.” Auriculos hissed through the console, before he barked: “Seal all entrances to the furnace facility and lock down Processing! I don't want any of these idiots or the rejects from Helheim they dragged with them getting through!

“And you... yes, you, Swan. I know you're there, I know you're listening.” Auriculos added contemptibly, and Cadence narrowed her eyes darkly as she glared at the console; somehow, the Kirin neurocenter seemed to pick up on this, laughing dryly before he continued mockingly: “Oh, what's wrong? Too afraid to use your Swan magic on me? Of course you are. If you were of any effect at all you would have killed me long before you even reached this island. But you're such a weak and vermin example of your species that I can not only impede your abilities, I can easily-”

“Blah, blah, blah. You skipped the class about not monologuing and instead took extra dramatic monologue courses to make up for it, huh?” Thesis interrupted wryly, and then he said shortly: “Damnatio memoriae.”

“Nice try, but I don't have to respond to your voice commands.” Auriculos said contemptibly. “And I've already reprogrammed every system here, by the way, so don't even try to-”

“Hey, robots! Robots! Listen to me, hey! Robots!” Thesis shouted suddenly, making the ponies flinch away in surprise, Aster and Moonflower both wincing and lighting up their horns, but Cadence quickly grabbed both unicorns and firmly jerked their heads down even as she glared at Thesis. “You can't ignore me, you can't-”

“They are not only ignoring you, they are programmed to do the opposite of what you say, so that when you beg for mercy there will be absolutely no compassion in their circuits for you!” snarled Auriculos, and Thesis grinned as he froze in place, looking meditatively at the ceiling.

“Okay.” he said blandly, then he shouted: “Complimentary lockdown! Protocol 9-8-7-5, secure and defend! Full block procedure!”

“Very mature.” Auriculos said contemptibly, and then his voice fizzled before he snarled: “No, you stupid-”

There was a scream of static before the Kirin neurocenter's voice vanished, and Thesis said quickly: “That override isn't going to work for very long, we need to move in fast. La Croix, run ahead and find the controls for the connecting bridge, the rest of us are going to punch through the facility.”

As Thesis spoke, Swiftly Wing nervously slipped away, then she suddenly spun and leapt through the window, narrowly avoiding a knife slung after her by Cadence. The ivory mare snarled and began to give chase, but Thesis whistled sharply before he said firmly: “There's no time. Let her go. She's more of a threat to herself than us.”

Cadence grudgingly nodded, then fell in as Thesis turned and headed to the doors, ordering as he moved: “Sombra, bring up the rear. Aster, Moonflower, I want you both protecting us as we move through the area, there's no telling what security systems are active and what aren't.”

“Oui, sir.” Aster said quickly, looking surprised by how quickly and efficiently Thesis took control. He led them out of the room and almost immediately into a group of Worker Drones, but these were fizzling strangely, riddled with static and twitching on the spot: Cadence guessed that was the override. “Should we-”

“Whatever gets us through fastest: either shield us or make us invisible. But we don't stop moving until we get to the bridge.” Thesis instructed as they ran down the hall, before he grimaced and looked up as a camera locked on them with a distinct beeping. “He's regaining control over the hardwired services a lot faster than the wireless ones. La Croix, hey, you gotta move!”

“Pardonnez-moi!” La Croix blurted, before he vanished from the spot, and Cadence grimaced a bit as Moonflower flicked his horn to shroud them while Aster gritted her teeth, rings of red lightning crackling around the group of ponies.

They ran into a group of Husks as they hit an intersection, but Thesis only shouted for them to push through as the hollow Void specters glared at the approaching confusion of half-formed illusions and red lightning. But even if Aster's magic wasn't exactly helping their lack-of-stealth, the crimson electricity blasted away the Husks that made contact with it, flinging them into walls and searing their spirits with such force that the Husks were left writhing in confusion and pain.

Thesis led them through the facility as if he had walked these halls a thousand times before, his visor flashing over his eyes before he suddenly warned: “Watch it, the security systems are all back online and it looks like Auriculos has got the drones reconfigured, too!”

They dashed around a corner, and Aster swore in surprise, eyes bulging and horn sparking as her magic was shattered and dispelled by an energy field they crashed headlong into, Thesis wincing as he was knocked skidding backwards and Cadence swearing in pain and frustration before her eyes widened in shock as she realized that the forcefield was being channeled by a strange, pale unicorn, and contact with the energy had left her feeling numb, even as burns visibly spread across her chest.

“Dammit, antimatter!” Thesis said sharply, grabbing at his own chest, and Cadence's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of his wounds: not bruises, but eerie blemishes that glowed brightly, like light was shining out from within the stallion. “Moonflower!”

Moonflower snapped his horn down on instinct, and a blast of gravity uselessly hammered against the forcefield: no, not quite uselessly, Cadence noted. The unicorn on the other side had been knocked backward and the antimatter shield had slipped back a few feet as well, and-

The Swan took over, shifting her weight as she yanked the rifle off her back, the MARES extending fully before Cadence fired, point-blank, through the shield and into the face of the Husk unicorn. It was knocked backwards with a gasp, but it dissolved before it even hit the ground, a twisted, gnarled piece of metal that had once been a bullet clinking loudly to the floor as the antimatter barrier vanished, and Thesis ordered immediately: “We have to move, come on!”

They staggered into runs as Thesis took the lead, his exoskeleton whirring violently, his breathing labored, but his movements hiding all but the worst of his pain. And Cadence was more relieved than she wanted to admit as the stallion's gait smoothed out and the light faded from his... whatever the hell those injuries were.

“Are you okay?” the Swan asked, as they ran along, and Thesis blinked in surprise as he looked at her. The Swan stared at him even as she effortlessly weaved around a Worker Drone that suddenly stepped into their path, then she vaulted another and slammed a vicious hoof through the face of a third to clear the road for the others, even as she repeated with only the vaguest hint of emotion: “Are you okay?”

“That is the second-scariest thing I have ever seen.” Thesis said bluntly, and then he gave a lame smile. “I'm uh... I'm okay. Uh... Moonflower, Aster, there's an ambush waiting for us at the junction ahead, I want us to punch through it!”

“J'ai le bouclier!” Aster exclaimed as she snapped her horn out, and a glowing shield of energy formed in front of the group as they turned the corner, right into a line of fire from several turrets.

The bullets were thankfully absorbed or deflected by the shield of red magic, and Moonflower snapped his horn out on instinct more than anything else, blasting the corridor with a wave of gravitational force that blew apart the turrets and knocked Husks flying.

“Door!” Thesis shouted as they tore past the ambush party and straight towards a sealed, armored shutter, and the group slid to a halt in front of this as Aster gritted her teeth and wheeled around, shifting the barrier to their backs as Sombra rammed against the door with his shoulder before Thesis could give any other orders, the stallion scrabbling for a moment as malevolent light blazed from his eyes; but a moment later, he was back in control as he spun towards the shutter and slammed his hooves into it, the material groaning as it rapidly began to transform into black, corrupt crystal.

“Daddy, careful!” Cadence blurted out, but Sombra only gave her a strained smile, eyes flicking briefly to his daughter before they returned to the door, and the ivory mare gritted her teeth before Thesis joined her father and slammed his own hooves against the shutter.

His exoskeleton whirred loudly as Thesis hunched his shoulders, visibly grimacing before he muttered: “Carbon alloy, palladium insulate, nanoshell coating. We need a minute to convert it. Maybe two.”

Cadence grimaced as she looked back down the hall: the Husks were back on their hooves, and she could hear what she guessed were even worse things approaching at a steady march from further down the corridor. She swore under her breath as she pulled her rifle off her back, taking aim with it as she muttered: “We'll buy you all the time we can. Just let me know when you're ready, Daddy.”

“Yes, mi amore. I will.” Sombra said in a calm, gentle voice, the complete opposite of the snarling grin on his face as miasma leaked from his eyes and horn, as his hooves burned with such darkness they had already sunken in to the rotting, crystallizing metal of the shutter.

Cadence forced herself not to focus on her father as she rose her rifle, firing a round into the face of a Husk, at least able to enjoy the sight of its head exploding into steaming energy before the rest of the Void creature followed suit. The other Husks didn't falter in their advance, however, bracing themselves as another pulse of Moonflower's magic tore down the hallway.

One of the Husks was knocked rolling away, but it was caught by a huge metal claw that then flung it headfirst into the shield, Aster crying out in surprise as her magic was cracked from the force of impact. Cadence's eyes widened in shock as she saw not simple Worker Drones advancing on them, but drones that had been fused and mangled and merged into cargo loaders and armored exosuits.

“Oh hell.” Thesis muttered, and then he snapped: “Moonflower, I hope to hell you know how to channel an EMP blast!”

“Ion charge!” Cadence barked, and Moonflower went from confused to a mix of relieved and squeamish, hesitating for a moment before he swore to himself as he snapped his head forwards, yelping in pain as the electricity licked against his body with a painful static charge before it tore down the hallway.

It was completely ignored by the Husks, but the exosuits and drones sparked violently, several of the suits going haywire and collapsing or staggering out of control into walls and other drones. But even Cadence knew that would only buy them a precious few seconds: the drones would reboot and keep coming, and even as she blasted another Husk into nothing but a mist of energy and ash, the Void creatures were relentless in their march, and she could hear more rushing to join them; they were going to be overwhelmed.

“Just a few more seconds!” Thesis urged, and Sombra grunted in agreement, shivering a little as he closed his eyes tightly, the wall of crystal and mire that the shutter had become shuddering violently. “Horses of Heaven, why did we have to do the security upgrades before this happened?”

“Dio ama un pazzo.” Sombra said wryly, before his eyes widened, and then he suddenly leapt forwards, the wall of mire rippling as he phased through it.

“Think that's your cue, Honk!” Thesis shouted, and Cadence ground her teeth together in frustration: emotion she channeled upward to her horn as she spun around before she unleashed a white ray of magic into the wall of muck.

It turned to shale and ash where her magic traced, Cadence flexing with the effort it took to drag the beam in a large circle across the wall of mire. Moonflower and Aster did their best to cover her, slowing down the enemy forces with their combined magic as much as possible, until the circle that Cadence had cut into the shutter slowly fell backward.

Thesis leapt through immediately to find that Sombra had already trapped several Husks in black crystal, leaving the way clear to the massive armored doors at the far end of the corridor. The Replicant immediately began to run towards them, but Sombra leapt to him and caught him by the shoulder, rasping: “No.”

Thesis winced in surprise, for a moment tensing despite himself at the miasma, the corruption leaking off Sombra, before the unicorn pointed quickly, even as he bared sharp carnivore teeth. And Thesis followed the gesture before he grimaced as his eyes locked on the turrets at the other end of the hallway. “I need magic artillery here!”

Moonflower blinked and looked up as he hopped through the hole, but a moment later, Aster leapt through the breach, shouting: “Moi, ici!”

Without missing a beat, she snapped her horn out, sending a blast of red lightning chaining between the turrets and incinerating them both in spectacular bangs of magic. That still left the problem of the door, but for the moment Thesis was relieved enough that he was able to send the team forward, shouting: “Move to the end of the hall, go, go, go!”

Cadence came through the hole last, and she was the last – second-last – to leave, looking back over her shoulder in surprise as Thesis stayed back by the ruined shutter. She skidded to a halt after a few paces, watching as the stallion shoved his hooves against the black crystal before he wheezed in pain as it melted like wax, morphing and twisting into a humped barrier as the hole they had made in the shutter sealed itself.

He stumbled backwards, then grimaced and looked up as Cadence grasped him firmly by the shoulder, saying wryly: “You're awful at following orders, soldier.”

“You're awful at everything else. Come on, asshole.” Cadence grasped Thesis and half-pulled him around in a circle, and he smiled at her before he stumbled into pace with the mare.

He looked up, assessing what to do even as he said: “You know, you do have to at least pretend sometimes to listen to orders.”

“You have to pretend to not want to get your ass kicked.” Cadence grumbled as they approached the sealed, armored doors. And for once, she was pleasantly surprised when they slowly rolled open.

“Hey, come on! Ici, ici!” La Croix shouted as he gestured at them wildly from between the opening doors. “Bridge is clear, but we gotta go, they already tryin' to block us in!”

Thesis picked up the pace, and Cadence let herself drop back to follow close on his heels, the rest of the group stumbling into position behind them in a tight line formation as the two leaders shot by. The moment the last pony was through the armored doors, La Croix hammered a button with a wheeze, and the massive, reinforced doors slid closed before the Loa vanished from sight.

He reappeared a moment later in ethereal form, running alongside Thesis and gesturing at him wildly as the Replicant led the way down a twisting, dimly-lit hall, but Thesis only grinned before he said quickly: “I know what I'm doing.”

“You better.” Cadence muttered, before she shouted over her shoulder as she noted the cameras on the ceiling that were tracking their movements: “Moonflower, cloak us!”

Moonflower squawked, but a moment later, his magic washed over them, hiding them beneath confusing patterns of moving light; Thesis only grimaced, however, saying quickly: “Might make it harder for them to hit us, but they're using infrared and thermals, we just have to keep moving and not let them get a lock!”

“I already know where you are, Prince Thesis! This facility is mine now, you are in my playground, my labyrinth!” Auriculos snarled, before Thesis winced as an armored shutter began to close in front of the junction they were heading towards.

Cadence swore, then she lunged past the stallion, moving like lightning before she snarled as she almost launched herself upward to catch the closing shutter against her shoulders, gasping in pain as her front hooves pushed firmly up against it even as her hindlegs trembled with the effort. But all the same, she managed to stop the shutter from moving as she shouted: “Goddammit get your asses under this now!”

Thesis slid under the shutter before he spun around and rammed his own shoulders up beneath it, taking some of the weight off Cadence and letting the rest of the group hurry beneath the armored door. And without needing to even look at each other, the moment Aster stumbled through last, both Cadence and Thesis leapt backwards and clear of the shutter, and it slammed down to the ground with a deafening boom.

Thesis grimaced and shook himself quickly out, then he looked back and forth, noting that security shutters had already closed around the junction. But that worked to their advantage, he thought, as his eyes flicked up and he said mildly: “I don't like the feeling of those eyes staring at us. Can you do something about those cameras?”

Moonflower and Aster both looked up, but it was Cadence who reacted fastest, flinging knives into the cameras on either side of the octagonal junction. A moment later, the speakers crackled as Auriculos snarled: “So what, you're stuck there, and anything you try and do I'll detect on thermal imaging! Stay there until I can send a killsquad to deal with you.”

“Yeah, sure, okay. That sounds like a great idea. What do you think, guys?” Thesis asked blandly, and Auriculos snorted before the Replicant murmured in a low voice: “Testing, testing, Auriculos is a dick.”

Auriculos didn't respond, and Thesis paused for a moment before he leaned up and said, louder: “Auriculos is a dick.”

“And you are going to be a corpse soon. Natter away all you want, Thesis. By all means. Make the most of the time you have left to run your mouth.” Auriculos said contemptibly, and Thesis smiled slightly before his eyes flicked towards Cadence.

“The shutter has a manual override. The code for the east shutter is 9-5-6-7.” Thesis said in a low voice, and then he pointed Cadence in the direction of the shutter and the keypad beside it. “Run down it with everyone, then come back when you hear the signal.”

Cadence had a feeling she would know what the signal was, so she nodded briefly before she headed quickly to the keypad that Thesis had indicated. The stallion loitered behind her, saying loudly: “How do you know this isn't just a distraction, Auriculos? I mean, I'm sure you can count. I'm sure you're aware that-”

“That what, those three idiots who escaped from Helheim tried to sneak around to the back of the facility? That they decided it would be smart to try and access the furnace through waste disposal? They're being chewed up by the blades as we speak.” Auriculos said contemptibly.

“Oh no! No, you monster!” Thesis shouted as he posed dramatically on his hind hooves. “My one and only love! My brother! My... oh, wait, that sounds pretty awful, doesn't it? Uh. Sorry, Cadence, too, um... I didn't mean it like that.”

Cadence grumbled as she tapped at the keypad, and Auriculos snorted before he snarled in surprise as the shutter began to rise, shouting: “Stupid idiots! Husk deployment to East Hall 7! Seal the area, do it now!”

“Come on!” Cadence shouted, leading a charge down the hallway beyond. Security systems immediately locked on to them, but the ivory mare snapped her horn back and forth, blowing out cameras and sensors with bursts of white fire as the rest of her team formed a ramshackle line behind her.

Thesis, meanwhile, remained at the junction, breathing slowly as his exoskeleton whirred down to a quiet purr, the corruption in his veins cooling and making his whole body ache. But instead of focusing on that, he turned his eyes down to the floor, feeling along the metal panels until he felt a loose tile, sliding it quickly back to reveal a control terminal. He plugged his Mission Drive into this and called up a holographic screen, eyes scanning over it before he murmured: “Okay... execute on authority 00-00, override code 91-240-5-10, operandus falsus. Initiate system shutdown.”

The holographic screen crackled, then a simple, block letter word appeared, asking: PASSWORD?

Thesis smiled briefly, and then he said softly: “Celestia.”

Code flashed brightly across the screen, and then Auriculos screamed in frustration and pain from the loudspeakers, his voice distorting and fluctuating violently before he howled: “I have a body! I can still destroy you all!”

“Yeah, sure, go ahead. We're heading to System Control to teach you some manners. And I'll bet a shiny bit that you won't have the security systems online by then.” Thesis replied clearly, before he looked up with a wink as Cadence returned to the room with the rest of the group, the Replicant flexing and breathing a little easier as his exoskeleton whirred back up. “Okay, all the codes should have been reset to a bunch of zeroes, public authorization level. Let's get going.”

“How the hell do you know about this place?” Cadence asked before she could stop herself, and Thesis only gave her an amused look.

“I am a professional, you know. I went over the briefing a few times.” he answered, before he turned to head to the western shutter, continuing: “I memorized the layout and the blueprints that I could while we were on the ship. But come on, even if Auriculos doesn't have control over the systems anymore, he could still manually lock down the doors and the Husks will still be hostile to us. We need to get to System Control, quickly.”

“Then let's move.” Cadence said, silently acknowledging the stallion with a short nod, and Thesis smiled back at her before he took the lead.

It was both easy, and spooky: every access panel only required Thesis to hammer a bunch of zeroes into it until it opened, and every drone, turret, and robotic defense was simply frozen and motionless.

They came across a few Husks, but many of these had been trapped in side rooms or offshoot corridors by the lockdown, where they ineffectually glared at them from through sealed barred doors and windows. So for the most part they went ignored, or the small groups that they came across were almost immediately destroyed by Cadence and Thesis before the group moved quickly on.

It only took them a few minutes to finally reach a massive set of reinforced doors that were protected by several thankfully-offline turrets. Thesis grimaced a bit as he pulled down his visor, muttering: “It's magnetically-sealed and protected by an electrical field. The code's been reset, too.”

“I don't even want to know.” Cadence said flatly, glancing moodily over at the stallion before she asked in a quieter voice: “How do we get through?”

“You ask politely.” Auriculos spat from a hidden speaker, and the group of ponies set themselves before Thesis frowned as the doors slowly began to roll open, lightning crackling along either side of the heavy, armor-plated shutters as they slid apart.

Cadence began to step forward, but Thesis held a foreleg out, saying quietly: “Do not engage until you get the order. Keep your team safe. I'll take point.”

“Yeah. Got it.” Cadence said after a moment, nodding to the stallion before she glanced back over her shoulder, ordering: “Fall in. Stay in pairs, watch each other's backs.”

Thesis turned his gaze ahead, letting his eyes flick back and forth once to take in the dimensions of System Control: it was a huge, crescent-shaped room, checkered steel tiles beneath their hooves, a domed ceiling high above, and massive computer modules lined the inside wall of the crescent, where huge, bulletproof-glass windows looked in on several massive reactors and cores filled with churning corruption.

“Finally.” Auriculos growled, and Thesis smiled wryly as his eyes locked on the Kirin neurocenter: he had a brand new body, Thesis noted, and a powerful-looking one at that, massive and made out of gleaming silver alloy, optic sensors protected by crimson glass and metallic goggles, voice echoing out of a speakerbox that had been set into the back of a mechanical vise-jaw lined with sawblade teeth. “I've been waiting for you idiots.”

Auriculos seemed to grin at them, the black, lightning-bolt shaped horn that stuck up from his head sparking as cylinders spun into his back and servomotors geared up across his frame, his hooves digging eagerly against the ground as he hissed: “It's better this way, really. I get to kill you all myself now. And to let you know that you have failed. You fell right into our trap. You've done everything exactly as we expected you to!”

Auriculos reared up, his eyes blazing as electricity crackled over his mechanical body before the metal plates of his breast slid apart, revealing a floating core that pulsated with light and power, that made Cadence flinch back in shock as the painful, searing light of Astra ripped across her-

“Hey, uh. Wait.” Thesis said awkwardly as he stepped forward, waving a hoof lamely, and Auriculos stared in disbelief, some of the light dying down before Thesis grinned and pointed both hooves at him, exclaiming: “If you have heartburn, you should stop... being... angry. All the time.”

Every set of eyes in the room stared at Thesis, and the Replicant cleared his throat before he tapped his front hooves together and explained awkwardly, as he looked lamely at Auriculos through his visor: “Well, uh. Heartburn can be caused by stress, you know. Anger is a stressor, and... I mean, food is usually the cause, but there are different types of reflux and... the joke is that you're a dick and you get way too angry for a computer.”

Auriculos snarled in inarticulate fury, then he lashed his horn out, sending a massive blast of electricity at Thesis. But the stallion only leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the whip of lightning as it chained off the ground and tore past his face. “Hey! This is just what I was talking about!”

“Not everything is a joke, you stupid piece of trash!” roared the Kirin neurocenter, his steel body quaking with rage as he slashed his horn back and forth, and Thesis gasped as reality itself seemed to twist and cut into him, knocking him off his hooves in a blast of blood and steaming energy. Auriculos growled in savage delight at the sight, before he laughed harshly when Cadence leapt over Thesis with a snarl, trembling in fury. “Now now. You know you're no match for me, Swan Maiden. You know what that was, too: something you still haven't been able to tap into. Splitting the Astra, is that what it's called?”

“You did not split it. You struck through it, but you did not split it.” Danzsöngr said calmly, before she said quietly: “You do not understand the Astra. You cannot understand it. You cannot quantify it. You are-”

“I have been filled with it! Through ionization and electromagnetic manipulation, through science, I have become just like the Prime!” Auriculos declared, his eyes burning with zeal and hatred and rage. “How many years was I locked up? And how long did I spend, working under that hack and his precious mommy?”

“Are you... oh, not me. My brother, right.” Thesis wheezed as he sat up. The Swan's eyes flicked back over her shoulder, and Thesis met her eyes, giving her an order through the silence, and she hesitantly nodded and stepped carefully to the side, ready to protect, but letting Thesis find his own hooves and no longer standing between him and Auriculos as the Kirin neurocenter returned his furious eyes to him. “So you think you're going to... what, be another Loki? You aren't nearly as smart or as strong as him, you know.”

“Oh, no, not yet. But one day very soon, I will be.” Auriculos promised in a deadly voice, glaring holes in the group of ponies. “I've already evolved far beyond having a 'spirit' that could easily be manipulated even by a stripehorse ghost. Soon? Not even Loki will be able to control me!”

“Don't you talk about my friend like that!” Moonflower shouted angrily, stepping forward and glaring at the machine-Kirin, and then he trembled before blurting out, almost desperately: “You cannot manipulate Loki! You cannot play his games! If you try, you'll... you'll destroy this whole world, he's-”

“Like yours was?” mocked Auriculos, and Moonflower gritted his teeth so fiercely they nearly cracked, but Auriculos only gave a derisive laugh before he said contemptibly: “No. Unlike the others, I don't simply think of myself as intelligent, I know that I am. My IQ is higher than all of yours added together. The microcomputers that regulate this mechanical shell also assist me in downloading and processing information from Hecate's vast, endless networks: oh, you may have blocked my control to this fortress, but I still have access to the neural servers and all of her networks. I know every move you're going to make. I have processed every possible outcome. And I am now going to not only ensure that you all die, but that your power feeds directly to me instead of Loki. And with that power, I will be more than a match for the Prime!”

“You're stupid.” Thesis said bluntly, and then his features suddenly hardened as he lunged up to his hooves, snapping: “Moonflower, trap him in a-”

Thesis winced as Auriculos cut him off with a boom of sound, Moonflower yelling and La Croix covering his ears with a curse before the Kirin neurocenter took advantage of the confusion to snap his horn down.

But Cadence was in the way immediately, the Swan deflecting the blast of lighting with one wing before her eyes widened as the machine-Kirin seemed to grin ruthlessly at her, hissing: “I've been waiting for this.”

There was a flash, and yet it wasn't like a blare of light, but rather that in that instant, all light was taken from the room. There was an absence, and when the light was stolen, the Swan went rigid, her eyes widening as her whole body froze up and left her vulnerable and apart for a moment.

And then there was a second flash, and this one was like a hammer of light, pounding into her with sledgehammer force. Yet even as she felt like she was flying backwards at a million miles an hour, she fell forward, losing all sense of balance and place as her mind reeled before she vomited bile and ichors and blood.

“Cadence!” Thesis shouted, leaping forward as he covered his eyes with one foreleg to try and push through the searing glow from the Kirin neurocenter, and then he gasped in pain when electricity seared against his body before he was hefted into the air and slammed cruelly into the ceiling, then dragged painfully across it, gasping and spasming as a net of lightning crackled over his body as Auriculos grinned savagely.

“She won't be getting up any time soon. Let's see who dies first, shall we, you or her?” mocked Auriculos as the light faded from his core, before he didn't so much as flinch when a blast of gravity hammered into his metallic body.

He looked disdainfully at Moonflower, his horn pulsing as he deflected the missiles of magic Moonflower followed up with, before he snorted in contempt when red lightning hammered against his body and crackled uselessly over him. “Oh please. Don't disappoint me. Your file says you should be able to channel at least a little more magic than that.”

Moonflower snarled, but La Croix leapt forward and grabbed him before the zebra shouted: “You ain't nothin' but a connard, y'hear? A connard and a bête, throwin' rocks from where you think you be safe!”

“And I am safe. Nice try, La Croix, but your powers and your zebra tricks are useless now.” Auriculos retorted arrogantly, raising his head high with a cold smile before he suddenly snapped his horn down, and La Croix winced as he leapt backward, turning invisible, before his eyes bulged in shock as something impossible tore through his spirit, the stallion gasping as he fell backwards, before he screamed in disbelief and agony as he grasped uselessly at a stump of foreleg that was spurting blood and steaming spiritual energy into the air.

“No!” Moonflower's voice broke, the stallion staring at La Croix as his lip trembled before he snarled in fury, eyes and horn glowing with rage as he shouted: “How could you? How could you!”

“Very easily, colt-cuddler. Why don't you give him a kiss before I finish erasing him from existence?” asked Auriculos, fearless of the energy that Moonflower was gathering as he set himself, adding cruelly: “Then again, perhaps I should thank him. He was the one who made this all possible. And you, too. Even though back then, when I was nothing but a tub of lard in a tube, you were still almost too weak to kill me.”

“I am not weak!” Moonflower roared, before he snapped his horn down, unleashing a fearsome ray of black light straight at the Kirin neurocenter.

Auriculos narrowly avoided the ray with a grin, before his eyes flashed with surprise as the black beam tore through the machines and glass wall behind him to hammer into a reactor, the machine-Kirin stumbling with a curse of surprise as one of the power cores exploded. Window wall shattered and Aster cried out in surprise as Sombra leapt forward to create walls of crystal to try and shield them, but Moonflower ignored the flame and force and shards of glass that washed over them, leaning into the spray of debris as he unleashed another deadly blast from his horn, heedless of the blood flying from the cuts across his face or the tears falling from his eyes as he shouted: “I won't let you hurt anyone else!”

Auriculos snarled in disbelief, leaping to the side before the machine-Kirin roared in shock as a beam of black energy ripped along his side, searing his thought-impenetrable outer shell and making him stumble as shocks of pain tore through his spirit.

Another explosion ripped through the core behind him, alarms beginning to blare as the lights flickered violently, a mechanical voice calmly explaining system failures as panicking blasts ripped through the building. Auriculos ignored all of it as he stumbled to the side, ducking under another impossibly-destructive ray of energy as Moonflower roared and advanced on him through the smoke and the flame and the flying debris.

Moonflower snapped his horn out, blasting away the smoke and fog, and Auriculos glanced quickly back and forth as shutters began to close over the shattered windows behind him. The glow from his chest vanished as his metallic breast slid closed, and Moonflower snarled as the Kirin-machine turned and suddenly bolted into the dissipating smoke, the unicorn shouting angrily over a weak warning from Thesis and the calm announcements from above: “You won't get away from me that easily!”

He snapped his horn out, blasting away another cloud of smoke: for a moment, he felt triumphant and righteous as his eyes locked on to the shape of Auriculos, but it lasted not even a breath before some incredible force slammed into his face, Moonflower staggering before he howled in misery as electricity ripped across his body, slowly driving him to his knees.

Auriculos laughed harshly, leaning forward as he snarled: “Nice try, but you leave yourself vulnerable when you change magic frequencies! But don't worry, I won't kill you right away: I want your precious boyfriend to watch as I drain the life from your-”

Aster leapt between Auriculos and Moonflower, her teeth grit, red veins pulsing powerfully across her body as she slashed her horn into the stream of electricity before she did her best to bite back a scream, struggling to contain the malevolent lightning. She jerked back and forth as Auriculos snarled, then he leaned forward, mechanical eyes blazing as he roared: “Get out of my way, you stupid bitch!”

A shockwave blasted down the chain of lightning, and Aster was blasted off her hooves: Auriculos, however, was staggered as well, his body sparking before he swore in shock as black crystal formed suddenly beneath him, then snared around his legs, racing up his body to lock him in place before Sombra appeared beside him, slamming a hoof into one of the spinning pistons on the machine's back.

Auriculos hissed in frustration as the gears in his body ground together, before his chest suddenly slid open and he unleashed a shockwave of light that knocked Sombra crashing bonelessly backwards, the stallion rolling before gasping as he scrabbled around in a circle. But he barely managed to yank his half-petrified form up before another blast hammered into his face, knocking him crashing backwards to roll into a wall as Auriculos ripped himself free of the corrupt crystal. “Why can't any of you just wait your turn?”

He paused, then looked up as Thesis leapt at him, before he smiled contemptibly and simply flicked his horn.

Thesis vanished from the spot, only to teleport straight into a blast of lightning that hammered him into the ground, before he choked as Auriculos stomped on the back of his neck. The Replicant spasmed, then gritted his teeth as Auriculos slid his hoof backwards and grasped the top edge of his exoskeleton, saying softly: “One-by-one, you all fall down. And that's all your fault, isn't it? Can't keep your team in line, and there they are, parading at me one after the other. Not that even working together you would stand a chance...”

“I don't know about that. Moonflower certainly left a mark on you.” Thesis retorted, and then he gritted his teeth, fighting down the urge to scream when Auriculos dug his hoof into his back, then yanked his exoskeleton upward, black blood spurting from the crater in his spine, his forelegs spasming, the servomotors on the machine going out of control.

“Shut up.” Auriculos snapped, and then he continued callously: “Look around. For all your arrogance and parading, you were no match for me. But that's nothing new, is it? You and Hecate have always underestimated me. Valthrudnir underestimated me, leaving me to rot like he did, thinking I wouldn't figure out a way to override the neural network. And Loki, he's underestimated me, too. But very soon he's going to regret his mistake. He's going to realize-”

“We all got regrets.” murmured a voice, and Auriculos looked up in surprise to see that La Croix had managed to drag himself over to Moonflower, who had his teeth grit and was slowly, shakily pushing himself up to his own hooves. The Loa was pale, but his stump of foreleg had been crudely sealed by black crystal. “But it ain't about what we done. It's about what we do.”

“We won't stop fighting you.” whispered Sombra, and Auriculos snorted in contempt as he looked over his shoulder at the stallion: dark fire flickered eerily across a body that was pale and half-petrified, leaking ashes even as he stood as tall and ready as he could, miasma spilling from one eye, but the other white and blind and sightless. And yet all the same, Auriculos felt that gaze piercing through him... “It is not too late.”

“'Not too late?' Really?” the Kirin neurocenter spat in disgust, and then he looked down at Thesis as the stallion scrabbled weakly at the ground, before the Replicant screamed in agony when Auriculos simply ripped savagely back on his exoskeleton, tearing most of it free from his back, wires and tubes and flesh all ripping like string and cheap cloth before Auriculos simply dropped the squealing, wheezing machine off to the side, smiling as blood and fuel and coolant all spilled out of Thesis' empty, broken back.

Thesis clutched at the ground, biting off his pain, clenching his eyes shut as he trembled violently before a hoof pressed down against the back of his head, and Auriculos said softly: “No one can save you now. I broke the Swan's connection with the Astra. I've left your friends in ruin. I've shattered you, Prince Thesis. The only thing it's not too late for...”

Auriculos' eyes flicked up, before he snapped his horn suddenly out, blasting Sombra, Moonflower, and La Croix flying with a devastating shockwave, the three crashing bonelessly to the ground before Auriculous laughed loudly. “It's not too late for you to kill yourselves!”

He grinned coldly, before his eyes widened in surprise as Moonflower bounced before he landed on his hooves, glaring back at the Kirin before he snapped his horn down. But the pulse of gravitational force only bounced off Auriculos and slammed uselessly into one of the closed shutters behind him, the machine-Kirin snorting. “You've lost your edge.”

He snapped his horn down, but the chain of electricity he shot at Moonflower simply twisted around him as Moonflower's horn glowed, the Kirin hissing in frustration as the unicorn snapped back: “And you've become predictable!”

“I don't need to waste my time being creative with you worthless plebes!” Auriculos snarled, snapping his horn back and forth to unleash short blasts of lightning, but Moonflower deflected each and every one of these with a grimace before he retaliated with a powerful blast of magic.

Auriculos only growled in irritation as the magic bounced off his outer shell, snarling: “I knew it was a fluke, that you couldn't channel that much power! You can't pierce my protective layer, none of you can! You're all useless!”

The machine-Kirin fired a mortar of magic at Moonflower, and this time the stallion couldn't redirect it before it slammed into the ground in front of him, the thunder of force and lightning knocking him flying backwards. But he was caught by Sombra before he could slam into the ground, before he shouted as several more flares streaked towards them-

Sombra stomped his other hoof down, and shields of crystal formed around them, the flares slamming into these and blowing them apart, but thankfully the gemstone absorbed the worst of the blast. Sombra slumped with a gasp, and Moonflower trembled before he pulled himself away from the stallion before he looked back in surprise as Sombra murmured: “Do not underestimate him. He may bark like a cane bastardo, but he is swift as the volpe. He will not leave Thesis' body.”

“That's right. I know just what you're up to.” Auriculos said contemptibly, before he savagely kicked Thesis in the side, knocking him rolling awkwardly with a gasp of agony over his own broken exoskeleton, leaving his mangled body half-sprawled over the machine as his hindlegs kicked weakly, before he screamed in misery when Auriculos stomped viciously on his stomach.

Moonflower cried out, and Sombra snarled before he suddenly leapt forwards, slinging a hoof out and sending a slew of shards at Auriculos, but the needles of black gemstone uselessly shattered against his body before the Kirin neurocenter gave a disdainful snort as his chest slid open, releasing a powerful flash in return.

Moonflower flinched backwards, feeling like his skin had been seared by the flash, while Sombra gasped as his whole body went rigid before he collapsed backwards, trembling in agony as the strength left his body. Moonflower's eyes widened in horror at the sight of how pale, how emaciated, how broken Sombra had become, before La Croix croaked from where he'd been thrown: “He's... tryin' to manipulate the Astra... y'can't... can't...”

“You can't do anything.” Auriculos said coldly, before he held up a hoof by his open breast, and the core of light inside him pulsed before it fired a sphere of energy at Moonflower, who didn't react fast enough to dodge.

He was knocked off his hooves by the blast of Astra, gasping in pain as electricity crackled agonizingly across his body, spasming violently before he forced himself to roll onto his stomach as Auriculos laughed. “Ironic, isn't it? You're the only fleshsack here, making you the only one with any insulation against the Astra... but I have been curious, how much of a charge it would take to burn through a mortal. I suppose you're a good enough chance to find out.”

Auriculos fired another blast at Moonflower, and the unicorn narrowly staggered out of the way before he retaliated with a fireball of his own. But this time, the magic was absorbed directly into the machine-Kirin with a violent spark of lightning, Auriculos laughing harshly as he said callously: “Try again! Go ahead, feed me more power!”

Auriculos sent another ball of Astra at Moonflower, and the stallion hissed in agony as it slammed into him, searing against his body, electricity crackling over him before he gasped as he felt a painful warmth around his neck. He clutched at his throat, but Auriculos only laughed at him, lightning thrumming over his body as he mocked: “Where is all that strength you had before? What's wrong? Are you afraid? Are you already dying? Are you giving up?”

Moonflower finally managed to grasp the thing around his neck, yanking it off and gasping several times before he stared in disbelief at his stupid, cheap stone necklace, the pretty, useless thing he had bought for too much money from a fortune teller who had been so convincing, who he knew had likely been ripping him off and yet he had been compelled, he had wanted to believe in her words, her promise, that one day-

A blast of Astra shot at him, and Moonflower instinctively shoved the necklace upward: the electrical charge that carried the Astra was absorbed into the necklace, making the crystals heat up painfully in his hoof as the rest of the Astra simply washed over him, surprising but not hurting him. Auriculos was laughing, though, he hadn't noticed, hadn't realized what had happened, stepping forward as he mocked: “Aren't you going to do anything?”

Moonflower hesitated for only a moment before he flung the necklace into the air, then snapped his horn forward, sending a massive blast of lightning through it and launching it hurtling like a missile towards Auriculos. The Kirin neurocenter grinned, only leaning back as he absorbed the lightning into his core, starting: “Pathetic idiot, haven't you learned... a-any... any...”

Auriculos spasmed, his crimson lenses flashing, his legs trembling as he staggered backward before he looked down at himself with disbelief. Electricity shocked over his frame as the pulse from his chest glowed brightly, flaring up higher and higher with each tremor as he stumbled backwards, howling: “No, no, no, no, no!”

Something inside him exploded, and Auriculos screamed so loudly his voice distorted into static, rearing back as electricity ripped across his mechanical frame, and Moonflower was blinded and knocked off his hooves by the brilliant flashes of light and power that ripped through the air around them. It seared them all with lightning and life and Otherness; it punished and rewarded them, crushed them with pleasure and saved them with pain, twisted reality itself-

The Swan's eyes snapped open as the Astra surrounded her and lifted her up, and in a moment Danzsöngr and Cadence were both on their hooves as one: they saw, knew, everything in the brilliance of the Astra, as Auriculos staggered drunkenly, his core overloaded, the Astra he had been controlling flooding through every circuit of his body and every inch of his spirit, driving him insane: making him vulnerable.

Cadence leapt forward, and Danzsöngr struck out: Cadence slashed her horn back and forth in elegant and perfect cuts, and Danzsöngr fueled her, focused her, gave her the power to separate the Astra itself.

Auriculos' body twitched back and forth, but Cadence didn't leave so much as a mark on him before she dropped to her hooves, still ten feet away as the machine-Kirin glared at her, before his mechanical eyes flashed with stupid disbelief, his metal jaw dropping as he gave a weak whimper before the brilliance, the brightness of his Astra escaped from the markless holes she had left in his spirit, rushing out of him like the air out of a balloon.

Auriculos fell on his haunches, his steel head dropping, his body sparking faintly a few times before he whispered: “N-No... c-c-can't... think... too much, too much and too little all at once, all... more coming in brain, leaving head... water... rushing water! Air, no... b-bad... h-h-hurts... hurts! Hurts!”

Auriculos clawed at his skull, screaming, shaking his head violently back and forth before he reared back, gaping at the ceiling for a moment, and for a moment, the Swan saw the Kirin and not the shell, saw him burning, saw him crying, watched as he pleaded for mercy to the careless sky...

And then, the machine-body collapsed, and the spirit was no more.

The Broken And The Mended

Chapter Ninety Eight: The Broken And The Mended
~BlackRoseRaven

Loki whistled and clapped his hands slowly together as the last Primordial hit the ground on the other side of the barrier. Then he flinched in spite of himself when a massive Jötunnfang slammed into the magical wall protecting the core, waving his arms wildly before he hurriedly held up a finger and said: “Wait, genius, if you smash this barrier, you'll be doing the nuclear inferno dance!”

Luna Brynhild snarled in fury as she withdrew her Jötunnfang from the cracked barrier, the huge ice claw flexing slowly before she grimaced when Morgan said quietly: “He's right. We'll kill everyone.”

“Yes. You will. Not me, you guys. You don't want that on your conscience, right? Besides, I'm just going to take these souls and leave. That's all.” Loki said pleasantly as he floated backwards in the airless chamber: the soul chamber, where the souls all burned around him, but not endlessly. No, all of that raw energy, that endless power, was being slowly drawn into his body, making him feel alive, strong, healed; but not stupid enough to try and start a fight. Not with these three in top form and him still wounded.

Not with the Swan out there, waiting to strike.

Loki clicked his tongue as he put his hands behind his head, radiation from the massive core crystals that were mounted around the furnace feeling like a soothing warmth on his skin. “You know, you could join me in here, though, if you wanted. It's sort of like a tanning bed. Except the sun's really close. And since you guys are, you know, not me, you'll probably die horribly. Nice thing about being the Prime. Huge elemental resistance. I'm basically invulnerable.”

“You're not invulnerable.” Morgan said quietly, and Loki scowled before the mare slowly approached the barrier, meeting his eyes evenly as she asked: “Why are you here?”

Loki grinned and spread his arms, and Morgan shook her head before she said softly: “You and I both know you could have easily simply torn open a hole to the Void to drain all of this instantaneously. Even calculating against lost energy, that's still efficient enough that-”

“Hey, don't tell me the numbers. I know all the numbers better than you. I am the numbers.” Loki retorted, before he let himself float a little closer to the barrier, becoming more serious as his eyes roved out and silently drew over the remains of the Primordials in the viewing room beyond, before they returned to the trio of... not just ponies anymore. No. No, no, no... these three... they're special. “I thought it might be nice to have a little chat, that's all. Now, don't give me that look. I'm not here to fight. I'm not stupid or prideful enough to pretend that what Hecate did didn't hurt. It hurt. It hurt like...”

Loki clicked his tongue, searching for a metaphor, but Luna interrupted impatiently: “It did not hurt half as much as I will hurt thee if thou keeps up this stupidity, Loki. Loki... Loki, thou...”

The Valkyrie softened visibly, stepping up to the barrier and shaking her head slowly as her Jötunnfang silently pressed against the magic, whispering: “Loki, thou wert never like this. It hurts me to see. Perhaps thou cares not for that, but think of thy brother: it has broken his heart.”

“My 'brother' chose to be a horse. He chose his side, and I never got to choose mine, Brynhild. I was shunted off to fulfill all the legends and the stories, forced to play my role.” Loki retorted bitterly, before he smiled thinly and added harshly: “I didn't expect you to sink that low, though, you know. I always had such a high opinion of the lowest of the Valkyries, even if she did end up being a junkie.”

Luna flushed and snarled in humiliation, but then she took a slow breath and replied evenly: “My addiction is managed, Loki. But thine own is not.”

Loki scowled at this, before Scrivener asked quietly: “Why don't you just change the story? You clearly have the power to.”

“Because actions have consequences, and you reap what you sow. We all do. I won't let them escape that. Whether they ran away to death, or hiding, or somewhere else, I am the living consequences of their actions.” Loki answered, placing a hand over his chest as he met the stallion's eyes evenly. “Believe me. I don't really want to hurt or kill anyone, oh no. I want to bring everyone together. I want to make this... 'transition' to the Void as smooth as possible, and it's not just for my sake! Look, when it's all said and done, it'll be better for everyone. And best of all, the bastards who did this to me will have paid in full for their crimes against me.”

“Because it's all about you.” Scrivener said softly, and Loki scowled before the stallion shook his head slowly. “The best thing about a story is that even if it ends, you can sit there... and imagine what happens next. You can give it a new ending, beyond what had been written. Even if everything is blinked out, you can close your eyes and think... 'now they're together in a better place,' or 'maybe they didn't really die after all,' or-”

“That's stupid. You're stupid. And arrogant.” Loki said flatly, and Scrivener gave the trickster a wry smile. “Oh shut up, I am not that arrogant. I would never, ever consider changing someone else's story for my own benefit. Never. Ever.”

There was silence for a few moments, before Morgan asked quietly: “And what will you do once the Prime has erased everything, and there's literally... nothing left? Even Hel-”

“Hel, Hel, Hel. Hel was just playing Daddy's games, following his orders like a good little girl. Being the cartoon nemesis who was always defeated but never gone. Who was somehow always an enormous threat, even though she never really got that far, did she?” Loki said contemptibly, gesturing off to the side with a snort of distaste. “And I bet she's just sulking in her room in Endworld. Yes, I know all about Endworld. I know about all of Hecate's projects.”

“Of course you do. You've borrowed quite a few of Valthrudnir's old weapons, haven't you?” Morgan replied evenly, and Loki smiled wryly at this.

“That's such a rude way to put it. And I also don't need weapons, I have plenty of those. What I 'put to good use' was mostly in the way of equipment, I'll have you know. Lab equipment, generators, helpful little machines like that.” Loki answered pettishly, flicking his fingers a few times as he glanced away, but Morgan only smiled, making Loki frown. “What?”

“You're very good at baiting.” she said softly, and Loki scowled deeper at her. “It's subtle. You don't overplay your hand. And you tell a lot of truths to make the lies more believable... but you distort it all. But I'm not going to fall for it, Loki. I'm not going to ponder why you have all that equipment. I'm just going to ask you, again, to please stop doing what you're doing. There's still time to turn back. Time to make this all right. You have that power, and it is a far greater power than-”

“Enough. Enough.” Loki said gently, shaking his head slowly as he held up his hands before he sighed and knitted his fingers together, studying Morgan silently through the wall before he said quietly: “I'm not silly. I know who you are. I know what you are. I know even without these two helping, you could kill me. Part of you wants to, I'm sure. You keep that part locked up, nice and tight, though, don't ever show anyone, don't ever tell anyone about it. You're very different from me that way. Do you know why? Because unlike you, I really don't want to kill.”

Loki meditatively tapped his fingers together, and then he smiled at her and asked almost conversationally: “What does it feel like? To be a monster, but to be written as a hero, so that everyone loves you, adores you, even though you're really the scum of the earth? For me it was the opposite. I mean, okay, not completely opposite, I'm no hero, I'm... I was more of the prankster, the everyman, the fool. But they wrote me into the part of a monster, a villain, but I could never be something like you.”

Morgan was silent, and Loki gauged her intently before the mare looked up, and their eyes met. And in that gaze, Loki saw his answer.

Loki flinched.

Morgan smiled.

For the longest moment, there was silence, before Loki exhaled loudly as he reached up to apprehensively touch his own lips, giving a brief, shaky laugh, but he couldn't speak. He couldn't say anything, as Morgan looked at him for a few moments before she said softly: “No matter what I am, Loki, I have chosen my own fate. I don't have to be what I am. I'm not following the story other people have set out for me. I'm... following my own path, wherever it takes me. To protect and save the people I love. The places I love. That's what guides me, not... all the praise, all the stories about Twilight Sparkle, the heroine, the friend to all, the savior...”

Morgan smiled faintly, before she said softly, conversationally: “And if you threaten them, Loki, then I won't hesitate to bathe this entire planet in nuclear hellfire, just so I can split your soul itself in half and watch the energy bleed out of you and the life fade from your eyes until I can be sure there's nothing left but dust and bad memories. And you know that even hiding behind the Prime won't save you.”

Loki winced back, and then he scowled and hugged himself, saying loudly as he looked over at Luna: “Your wife gives me the shivers! I don't see how you can stand to be around her. Then again, I guess you Valkyries have always been into that whole, you know, deadly sexual encounters thing...”

“Freya was the one who killed men in bed, 'twas not I.” Luna said ironically, before she added quietly: “And none of us here are without sin, Loki. 'Tis better to acknowledge it than try and sweep it away.”

“And better to kill one world than let me kill another?” asked Loki pointedly, but Morgan simply smiled faintly at him.

“I don't want to. I know you're not bluffing. A lot of people will die if I break this barrier before the furnace is empty. I could pass through it, but it would only be a matter of seconds before our fight ruptured something and caused an even worse blast.” Morgan shrugged, before she said softly: “And I... want to believe you're going to do the right thing. Or that at the very least we can convince you to stop. For a little while, at least... you're wounded. I feel it in your energy. You aren't just attacking this furnace for more power, you're doing it because it's the greatest source of power for you to heal from.”

Loki scowled, then he gestured flippantly to the side and said distastefully: “And it was a great chance to try and kill some of Hecate's annoying kids. You know, she's adopted so many kittens you'd think she wouldn't mind me throwing a few in a bag and tossing it in a river.”

“Well, Hecate is a Celestia, and Celestia has never been able to have enough pussies around.” Luna said bluntly, and Scrivener sighed and dropped his face in a hoof as Morgan looked dryly at the mare, while a smile twitched at Loki's lips before Brynhild said softly: “We have always been able to share a joke, have we not? Thou wert never like the others: thou wert crass and crude and funny and spared us no joke nor trial because we were women. 'Twas the best thing about thee.

“Truly, is this what thou desires? To be Enemy? To spitefully fulfill all these lying prophecies? Loki, better than any other I understand: did I not deny Odin, was I not punished, too? Are all of us not victims here, of the machinations of others?” Luna almost pleaded, shaking her head slowly before she said quietly: “Have we all not suffered?”

Loki only smiled coldly, before he leaned forward and almost pressed his face into the barrier as he asked tauntingly: “Do you truly want to understand my suffering, Valkyrie? Because I happen to know just where your children, and I would be more than happy to tie you up in their entrails and leave you somewhere for the crows to pick over, just as what happened to me.”

Luna snarled, but Scrivener only shook his head before he answered: “Why does it always come back to 'you can't understand me' with all you would-be conquerors? I think we were all supposed to have outgrown the angsty emo stage a long time ago.”

“Hey, at least I'm not cutting myself.” Loki replied reasonably with a shrug, before he winked and added pleasantly: “It doesn't change the truth, though, no matter how you might try and downplay it. Compare yourself all you want, you can't understand what it's been like, how even now, everything that I went through is still gnawing at me. I need closure. And honestly? I'm just trying to do exactly what Dad wanted. You could say I'm just fulfilling all the plans Dad had for me, all along.”

Loki snorted, then he turned around, surveying the contents of the soul furnace before he said in a softer voice: “Besides, what will it matter after everything is nothing again? Precisely, it won't. There will be no morality, no victory, no defeat, no pain or pleasure or hate or any difference between man, animal, race or religion. Nothing will exist, and everyone will finally be in that perfect state of perfect harmony we've always dreamed of. This universe never earned the right to exist, after all: the Gods just took over the Primordials' sandbox, chopped up the Prime, tossed what they couldn't use into the Void and made slaves of the rest. We have to tear it all down. We can't honor slavery, now can we?”

Luna snorted, but before she could respond, another voice said softly: “Quite to the contrary, we should honor slavery. We should look at the past, and all the evil that has been done, so we may never repeat it; and we must honor what has been built by the hands and hooves of those who came before us, and under conditions few ponies of today could survive. We should honor the slaves that were, including you, young man, for everything they have accomplished.”

Loki scowled as a pony joined them, calmly striding across the room on three legs, smiling kindly at Loki through the barrier as if he was seeing an old friend for the first time in many years. Loki's scowl went from irritated to curious as he studied the stallion intently, before the old Blood Seer, Haruspex, lowered his head and said gently: “I think you know, somewhere inside of your heart, that you're making a mistake. You don't want to do this. But how much of you is you, and how much of you had been corrupted by hatred: hatred and anger that the Prime is exacerbating in order to get its own way? The Prime is as conscious as you are, after all: just in a different way.”

“Yeah, okay, I'll listen to the crazy old horse that just wandered in here from nowhere. Who the hell are you, again?” Loki asked flatly, and Haruspex merely smiled.

“'Crazy old horse' probably isn't that far off. But time and experience have weathered me. My name is Haruspex, a Blood Seer. I understand now why I foresaw your arrival, and all those evils you brought with you.” the Blood Seer said politely, before he glanced back and forth at Luna, Morgan, and Scrivener. “Even in the old days, we were told not to meddle with what we foresaw... but all the same, I want to ask you this: please, do not kill Loki. When the chance comes, do not kill him. He cannot be beaten through anger and hate and violence. That will only lead to devastation, to pain, to an endless cycle of grief.”

Haruspex turned his eyes to Loki, who smiled cynically to try and hide the discomfort in his eyes as Haruspex said softly: “You do not break what is already broken; you mend it, to make it right.”

“You're crazy.” Loki said flatly, and then he pointed at Haruspex through the barrier, saying grumpily: “I think you should go away. No one asked for your help, and I was having an interesting philosophical debate here before you showed up and ruined it.”

“I think you were just trying to buy time. You're paranoid, and afraid; you think everyone wants to hurt you. Not an entirely foolish view to take when you've done much to antagonize all those around you, but honor does exist; you've just gone to great lengths to blind yourself to it, among so much else. It's always been easy to find the answers you want to, though, if you're willing to bend the truth...” Haruspex paused, before he smiled again as Loki glared at him. “It is a sad thing that you are still so young in spite of being so old; that for all you have done and learned and plotted, you still have yet to understand that when you reach out to hurt the world, you only cut yourself.”

“No, I'm pretty sure I'm cutting the world.” Loki said coldly, before he held up a hand, and then scowled when Morgan immediately stepped up beside Haruspex. “Really? And don't think I'm taking this as picking a fight to protect a stranger, this is pretty clearly 'let's protect him because it'll piss Loki off.'”

Morgan smiled a bit, and Haruspex chuckled before he gently reached up and pushed Morgan aside, the purple mare looking with surprise at the Blood Seer before he said softly: “I don't need them to defend me. I understand now, whose death I witnessed here. I was both... right and wrong, Loki. And I know what will happen, but all the same, I have to warn you: if you hurt me, you only hurt yourself.”

“Cute. Somehow I doubt it, though.” Loki said contemptibly, stretching a hand towards the stallion, before his eyes flicked towards Morgan as he added pointedly: “And so we're clear, he's literally asking for this. So no stupid heroics or revenge, right?”

Morgan hesitated, but then she nodded even as Luna frowned uneasily as her eyes roved over Haruspex, and Scrivener shifted slowly. But the old stallion only smiled at Loki, their eyes meeting before he slowly extended one of his front hooves back towards the being, saying softly: “When we lash out at the world, there is no guarantee we won't injure ourselves in the process.”

“Honestly, pal. I'm sick and tired of all the 'wisdom' I've been hearing lately. Here's some advice for the next life: say what you mean to say, and don't prance around the subject. Leave that to us silver-tongued rascals, huh?” Loki said mildly, before he added with an idle flick of one finger: “Y'know, the ones who can talk and... get...”

Loki's eyes widened, and then he suddenly leaned forward and vomited blood, falling to his knees in midair as he hugged himself around the middle. He gritted his teeth, gasping and shaking his head in denial as he mouthed wordlessly, before he looked up in horror as Haruspex only smiled at him, asking quietly, as tears of sorrow rolled down his cheeks: “Do you understand now?”

“N-No...” Loki wheezed, and then he snarled and clenched his eyes shut as he gasped in pain, energy steaming off his body as Morgan, Scrivener, and Luna could only stare in disbelief and shock. “I can't... you b-bastard, you made me...”

“I did not make you do anything. I warned you. How could I be more blunt? I told you: when you cut me, you cut yourself. When you kill me... you only kill part of yourself.” Haruspex said softly, as energy began to fume off his body, his form cracking apart like glass as he smiled sadly at Loki. “But I suppose that's what you want and what this is really all about, isn't it? Destroying yourself, until you can't feel, can't care anymore. But it won't work, you know.”

Loki looked up, trembling violently as he squeezed himself so tightly his long jacket tore, his teeth bared in fury and humiliation and despair, as he rasped out: “W-Why?”

“But that's precisely the question you have to ask yourself... why?” Haruspex Loptr said softly, before he smiled faintly as he reached up and pressed both front hooves against the barrier, even as his hindquarters shattered away into glowing dust. “Why did you do it? Don't you understand... the more you die, the more the Prime takes over?”

Loki shook his head weakly in response, unable to even mouth coherent words, but Haruspex reassured him gently: “No, no. You won't die. Not merely because you died a long time ago, but even if I am a shard of you, I have lived my own life for too long, and you have walked your own separate path. But I understand now that many of my visions and talents stem from you, and for that, I thank you... and that is why, even though it hurts, as I die... I pass my memories, my emotions, my thoughts on to you, in the hopes that you will do a greater good than you have done so far... that even you, Loki, may change your mind...”

Loki shook his head violently, grinding his teeth together before he grabbed weakly at the other side of the barrier, hands pressing over the hooves of Haruspex as he rasped: “Such are the stories... that even I betray myself!”

“Stories are often open to interpretation... we all see things, based upon what we want to see. Just as in real life... perception is king.” Haruspex chided gently, and Loki looked away as if ashamed before the old stallion gave one final smile, and one gentle, yet somehow ominous warning: “Remember always, Loki... none of us are above consequences for our actions. Innocent blood spilled, even in the name of 'good,' is still innocence lost.”

Loki snarled, then he slammed a hand against the barrier, and Haruspex exploded into splinters of light and energy that faded into the air, leaving Loki staring for a few moments before he slowly slumped. His fingers dragged slowly against the cracked barrier, before he looked up in surprise as he felt the faintest shift, glancing up to see Morgan standing on the other side of the wall, her hoof gently pressed against the magic.

She looked at him, and he snarled as his head jerked away for a moment before he forced himself to look back at her with a crooked grin, saying harshly: “Guess this was all a stupid waste, wasn't it? Well, have your laugh. My schemes don't always turn out right, either; you can't plan for the unpredictable, and planning for everything leaves you ready for nothing... but oh, Dad was right, I never ever learn...”

“It's okay.” Morgan said gently, and Loki looked away with fury and humiliation before he suddenly shoved himself up to his feet, breathing hard as he stumbled around in a circle. He smoldered with energy, flickering eerily in and out of reality as he staggered over thin air towards the center of the reactor, before he halted when Morgan asked quietly: “Did you even realize how much of the Prime had replaced your soul? Loki, can you say with a hundred percent certainty that the Alpha Primordial isn't just using you? That it isn't taking your rage, your hate, your sadness...”

“My bitterness, Morgan. I'm not really that angry or that hateful, but I am... bitter.” Loki laughed shortly, hugging himself and shaking his head slowly before he whispered: “And somehow that is so much worse.”

He was silent, then he shrugged before ignoring her question, waving a hand out as he said disgustedly: “I have another thing on my to-do list now. God, it's a mile long and getting longer every day! How hard is it to destroy the universe? Really hard, apparently, you can't just... put 'destroy the universe' next to a checkbox and do it anymore. Red tape! Bureaucracy! And now shards of my soul, which I should probably recover.”

Loki scowled darkly, then he simply flicked a wrist creating a rip in reality in front of him that led to the Void before he said coldly, without looking back: “Stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours. Screw with me, and I'll screw with you. Very simple, isn't it? Oh, I'm not kidding myself. I know we'll fight again. It just doesn't have to be right away.”

“Fear not, Loki. I do not prey upon the wounded and the weak.” Brynhild retorted, and Loki scowled before the Valkyrie said quietly: “Haruspex was noble in the end. Does that not mean thou, too, can be noble?”

“No. It only means I killed my nobility.” Loki murmured, and then he shook his head slowly before he strode into the rift, and the Void portal snapped shut behind him, leaving the flickering cores still steaming with energy.

For a few moments, the trio of ponies remained silent, and then Morgan sighed softly before she said quietly: “Come on. Let's catch up with Cadence and the others. We need to finish clearing out this base.”

“Yeah. We still have a job to do.” Scrivener half-agreed and half-nudged, and Brynhild gave a brief smile before she nodded once.

Yet all the same, she lingered a moment even as the others turned away, gazing back through the cracked barrier and wondering silently just how much Loki had seen, when Haruspex had died.

Medical was full of bodies, and manufacturing and repair was full of broken drones and machinery. Cadence kept moving between the two: partly because she was anxious, and partly because she badly needed something to do, and toting life-support machinery and running errands for the engineers and medical staff kept her busy, at least.

The ivory mare entered the medical bay for the hundredth time that morning, and as always, her eyes roved silently to the side of the crowded room that was occupied by her teammates. Moonflower was sedated and half-asleep, drooling on himself as he stared vapidly at the ceiling; La Croix was twitching fitfully, curled up around his stump of leg; Aster had her bodysuit off, hooked up to dialysis machines that were cleaning her blood.

Sombra was still in isolation, and he would likely remain there. Thesis was locked in a corruption vat, and every now and then she'd slip into the back of the facility and just stand there and stare at him: he was always unconscious, tangled in a myriad of wires and cables and tubes inside the glass isolation tank.

His broken exoskeleton had already been moved to engineering, but she knew it too damaged to be repaired quickly: Auriculos had fried the systems along with damaging all the inner workings when he'd torn it off, and...

No, she didn't want to think about it. It was too hard to think about.

Haruspex was dead: apparently he had been a shard of Loki. His predictions hadn't come entirely true... or maybe they had, just in a different way than Cadence had expected. But she knew no future was ever certain. She had to believe that: she had to believe that fate could be changed, because if what she was feeling right now was what she was going to feel or worse when... when...

Cadence shook her head violently, before she looked up silently as she realized she had somehow come back here yet again. Here she was, standing in the back of the facility in front of one of the active corruption vats: the others contained various RED Replicants who had all been severely injured, but this one...

Thesis was awake this time. It made her want to run away. She didn't know why she was so scared, when she... I love him. And that's exactly why I'm so afraid, isn't it?

Thesis smiled at her, and she hated him. She hated him and she envied him and she admired him and she loved him, as she leaned up against the window of the large, rectangular vat, whispering: “You stupid son of a bitch.”

Thesis shrugged briefly, then he questioned her with his eyes, and Cadence laughed sourly. “Really? You want to know what happened to Brynhild and her idiots? They found Loki, that's what happened, and they let him get away.”

Thesis looked at her pointedly, and Cadence shifted before she sighed and nodded, muttering: “I know. I know it's not fair. Haruspex was there, too... he must have followed them in. He died, he was... a shard of Loki. A piece of him... how is that possible?”

Except Cadence knew: Loki had died, after all, had been broken and picked apart by the Grimm so many times over so many years that his soul itself had fractured into pieces. Pieces she had thought had gone to the Void, but... “Does that mean... am I only a fragment of the Swan? What about Brynhild, or Thor, or-”

Thesis tapped gently on the glass with a hoof, and Cadence sighed and lowered her head, but she couldn't help but ask: “What about you?”

Thesis shrugged with a smile, and she hated him for it and loved him for it, because it was the answer she didn't want, but the answer she needed. “I know. I know, it's stupid to think about, because it's not just... who we were. It's who we are now, right? I'm... Cadence Danzsöngr. I'm the Swan, but someone else, too... someone... worse.”

She quieted, then scowled at Thesis when he looked at her pointedly. “Fine, I'll save the self-pity for later, but... still. Okay, don't give me that look. Fine. Yeah, when Haruspex died, it apparently hurt Loki. But I guess destroying a piece of your own soul would hurt, wouldn't it?”

Thesis nodded, and Cadence shifted a bit before continuing: “Apparently Loki just... left. He didn't take all of the uh... the energy from the furnace with him, so we've been continuing to put it into batteries. A small detachment of Drones is finishing wiring the self-destruct mechanisms around the furnace, but after Loki left, all of his forces just... stopped fighting. The Husks sort of laid down and died and the one or two Primordials that were left fled through rifts. But the cost was... the cost was really high.”

She looked down, and Thesis silently pressed closer to the glass, and Cadence smiled faintly as she looked up at him and asked bluntly: “Was it worth it? All we actually did was stop Auriculos... but does that even matter?”

Thesis nodded firmly, and Cadence tilted her head curiously before she smiled a bit, saying finally: “I guess that's right, yeah. But still, it doesn't feel worth it. I know that getting rid of him will help with the problems we've been having, but... I mean, is he really gone? I cut him apart in the Astra, but... if he could manipulate the Astra like that...”

Cadence halted, then she frowned before her head turned slightly in the other direction, and the Swan said contemptibly from her mouth: “No. He could not manipulate the Astra as we could. He was crude. He harnessed it as weapon, and magic, and it is not weapon, nor magic. He used technology and electricity to try and replicate our powers, but our powers cannot be so easily stolen.”

The Swan fell silent, before she turned her eyes towards Thesis, saying calmly: “We agree. There may be other betrayers and others whom Loki will use from Decretum. But they will not serve as readily as Auriculos did. And most importantly, he was betrayer, and those who betray Mother Hecate must be punished and destroyed.”

Thesis smiled wryly at the Swan, and Cadence blinked before she shook her head vehemently, slapping absently at the side of her face before she muttered: “I wish she would stop doing that.”

Cadence hesitated, then she looked up at Thesis and asked bluntly: “Are you okay?”

That wasn't really what she was asking: she knew he wasn't okay. And Thesis looked at her for a few moments before he gave a small, honest smile, nodding once to her before he told her something with his eyes that she hadn't expected, and she shifted and blushed maybe ever so slightly before she whispered: “No, your health comes first. You come first. Before... before anything else.”

It surprised her, and Thesis looked surprised by it too, before he gave that old, stupid smile of his. The 'I'm a hero' smile that was never too macho, the 'don't worry about me' smile that aggravated her and she envied terribly at the same time, because Horses of Heaven knew that she could never manage to be half as tough or altruistic as he was.

She lowered her head, then she sighed a little before compromising: “We'll see what Hecate says. But if she says you have to stay in bed, you have to stay in goddamn bed, do you hear me? But if she says... you can... or should come with me, when we go... check out my world...” Cadence shifted hesitantly, before she tried to reason awkwardly: “But Loki ran away, so... I don't think he'll be back anytime soon so there's no rush, anyway. I'm sure... if there is some Void presence there, I mean... Shining is tough, and Miss Take is a great fighter and... and look okay I don't want you to die!”

Cadence shouted the last, before she blushed deeply and lowered her head, and Thesis softened before the ivory mare whispered: “It's so hard. And I know I can't stop it, I can't save you, and it makes me so mad. But I just want to spend every single moment I have with you, and... and the closer we get, the more I see you... hurt... the more I want to turn away from it all, and protect you, and be with you, and forget... everything else. And I know how bad that is and how childish it is and I know we can't but all the same... I wish...”

She bit her lip, looking away before Thesis knocked gently on the glass. At first, she refused to look up, but finally he drew her attention with his insistent, gentle knocking, their eyes meeting, before Thesis promised her silently: I am never going to leave you.

“I'm not a little kid, Thesis. When you die...” Cadence bit her lip, and then she shook her head quickly before she murmured: “Okay. Okay. I'm... I'm trying.”

Thesis nodded to her, before he paused and awkwardly waved, and Cadence frowned before she flinched in surprise as Hecate said quietly from behind her: “If you want to run away, Cadence, I won't stop you.”

Cadence spun around, looking up at Hecate in surprise as the Jötnar mare looked calmly back down at her, before she repeated in a colder voice: “But don't expect to be happy. Not with Loki threatening the worlds, not when you know you've turned your back on everything that we built together. Because we did build this together, Cadence: you were one of my first, and one of my finest. But now I find myself questioning you resolve and your dedication, and wondering if perhaps love has made you weak.”

Cadence snarled at this, straightening before she shouted: “I don't want to leave! I don't want to stop fighting! I just... I don't want him to die!”

“He will die.” Hecate said ruthlessly, before she stepped forward and loomed over Cadence, who reared back with a wince. “He will die, and you will die, and I will die. The question is only when.”

Cadence trembled for a moment, before Hecate leaned down and said, like caretaker to foal: “Nothing you do will change that, so stop crying and pull yourself together. I expect better from you.”

Cadence lunged forward and slammed a hoof into Hecate's face, knocking her stumbling back a step, and then the ivory mare simply glared, ignoring the tears stinging her eyes as Hecate slowly turned her eyes back towards the mare, and then she gave a thin smile, saying quietly: “Better.”

Cadence shook her hoof out, then she wiped her wrist childishly across her eyes before she muttered: “Don't talk to me like that anymore.”

“I'll do whatever I have to in order to motivate you, Cadence, and to make yo remember who you are.” Hecate retorted, before she shoved Cadence aside, stepping up to the tank and looking intently at Thesis as she said calmly: “As I'm sure you're aware, all portal rings in the area have been destroyed and we have interference from both Primordials and Void activity. It's made it impossible to stage either a tactical retreat or to send reinforcements, leaving the furnace particularly vulnerable.”

“How did you... Jötnar, right.” Cadence said finally, before she asked: “Can you... portal us?”

“Yes. But we have a safer alternative. Freya created a root here, one that connects to Decretum. Medical transports are being stationed by the root as we speak: they should be able to take care of the wounded during the second stage of the evacuation procedure.” Hecate answered, looking moodily at Thesis through the window of the vat, mentally arguing with him even as she continued: “I want you to secure the area around the root with Luna Brynhild and her partners. It's far from optimal, but we don't have the luxury of picking and choosing right now. We're only fortunate that Loki seems to have overlooked it... or perhaps he simply wasn't interested in utilizing it.”

Cadence frowned uneasily at this, and Hecate smiled thinly before she gestured at Cadence, saying quietly: “You have your mission. Get it done, Cadence.”

The ivory mare grumbled under her breath, and then she nodded once before she turned and left, muttering to herself. She wiggled through the crowded medical lab, then scowled as she stepped into the hallway and found Brynhild leaning against the wall with a grin, studying her intently as she said easily: “Well, 'tis good to work with thee again, Swan. I heard thou had thine own problems and... well...”

Brynhild shifted awkwardly, then she cleared her throat before she said politely: “If there is anything that me or mine can do for thee and thine, know that it would be our greatest pleasure to assist. Thy teammates have... served well.”

“They aren't servants. I should have taken care of them.” Cadence murmured, looking down for a moment, and she hated the way Brynhild's gaze turned sympathetic before she growled: “We don't need your help. You should concentrate on helping yourself you... bitch.”

Cadence's voice lacked venom, and the Valkyrie smiled at her with a mix of amusement and compassion before she said gently: “Surely thou can do better than that, Swan. For aye, I am indeed a bitch. A terrible bitch. A proud bitch. Or did thou not know why I chose that name for my spear?”

“Because you're a child.” Cadence answered shortly, and Brynhild huffed before the ivory mare asked tiredly: “Can we just go, please? Where are your... friends?”

“Why is it so hard for thee to call my lovers my lovers?” Brynhild asked curiously, but when Cadence only scowled at her, the Valkyrie rolled her eyes and threw her forelegs up in consternation. “Oh, fie on thee, fine! I shan't ever be nice to thee again, Swan. Curse thee, bless thee, praise thee, mock thee, I am only ever rewarded with vilification and scolding. Thou art... dumb.”

Cadence scowled at the Valkyrie, then she asked grouchily again: “Where are your friends?”

Luna threw her forelegs out to either side, then she finally dropped to all fours and spun around with a flick her tail, striding away down the hall as she grumbled: “This way.”

Cadence rolled her eyes, but followed after the mare: at first she was glad for the silence, but soon it grew uncomfortable, and she couldn't help but break it by asking: “Why do you talk like that? It's dumb.”

“It is not dumb! Damnation, I spent years being schooled in my speech and I shan't give it all up simply because some ponies are too stupid to enjoy the music of my words.” Luna retorted grouchily, huffing loudly as she rose her nose proudly. “'And what of thee? Thou lived long ago, did thou not? Hast thou given up thine old ways of speaking?”

“The Crystal Kingdom talked pretty much the same, informally. We used Istallian for the courts and stuff, though.” Cadence said after a moment, as she remembered those old days: those wonderful, carefree days with her father, when their isolated kingdom had been a paradise, even with the constant threat of the barbarians and the monsters that lurked in the frozen wastes. “I guess... I don't know, I guess things were different in Equestria. I never knew much about the land to the south. Just that... it was there, and Daddy said his ancestors had come from there.”

“Interesting. We never had neither Cadence nor Sombra in our world, thou may know. Nor is there any Crystal Kingdom: to the north in our world, there is only...” Luna caught herself, and for a moment, she looked strangely nostalgic as she corrected: “Was only unicorn settlements, and of course the Gray Mountains beyond. Where reality was terribly, painfully thin...”

Luna fell into meditation for a moment, before she asked curiously: “What is the strangest thing thou hast killed, Swan?”

“The hell kind of question is that?” Cadence asked grumpily, although what almost made her smile was the fact she didn't immediately have an answer. I've killed a lot of weird things over the last while... “I don't know. I just killed a robot. Well. A Kirin in a robot that was trying to control the Astra.”

“Pah, boring! I have killed many robots! 'Twas I who brought ruin to Decretum, after all!” Luna bragged, and Cadence rolled her eyes before the sapphire mare added: “Well, Scrivy helped. Somewhat. But 'twas mostly I. Once I killed Hecate!”

“I find that hard to believe seeing as Hecate is my boss and still alive.” Cadence said dryly, and the Valkyrie huffed loudly at this.

“I destroyed her mechanical body and swatted her head around like a beachball, 'twas a kill! Decapitations count as kills!” Luna argued.

“Not when they're just a head to begin with.” retorted Cadence, before she added grumpily: “And Hecate is a Jötnar now. Furthermore, all the people you've killed have come back from the Void even meaner now, and I'm the one cleaning them all up.”

“I have killed a Jötnar before! I slew Valthrudnir! Twice!” declared Brynhild, and Cadence only rolled her eyes. “And well, if thou art saying 'tis too difficult for thee, perhaps I will have to be the one to take over in thy stead. Truly, though, Hecate's Orphanage must not be nearly as proficient as I had imagined if the likes of thee are having trouble with waste like Ignominious, Swan. And 'tis an embarrassment to Valhalla as well, I shall add.”

“Oh shut up, Valkyrie.” Cadence grumbled, rolling her eyes again before she added grumpily: “The only embarrassment to Valhalla here is you.”

Luna sniffed loudly as they stepped into an elevator together, and the two mares shouldered each other grouchily. It almost came to kicks, but thankfully the elevator rose quickly and Morgan and Scrivener were waiting at the top, both of them glaring at Luna as the doors opened and making the Valkyrie groan and roll her eyes, muttering: “'Tis her fault. Not mine. She started it, I merely sought to end it.”

Cadence's features puckered, but Scrivener grasped Luna by an ear and dragged her gently away as Morgan slipped in and asked: “Do you know how the root works?”

“Sort of. I was there when Freya created it.” Cadence said after a moment, letting the two separate them. But Horses of Heaven, are we really that bad? Sure, Luna's like a stupid kid, but I'm... that's... okay, that's not very mature of me to think. “You know, uh. Luna and I aren't trying to kill each other. She and I are... talking. That's all.”

Morgan smiled despite herself as the Valkyrie perked up, then exclaimed as she nodded vigorously: “Yes! Exactly so, we are... we are great friends!”

“I wouldn't go that far.” muttered Cadence, and then she shook her head and said finally, as she moodily looked over at the Valkyrie: “But I'm developing a... tolerance for her.”

“A tolerance, like I am some wretched poison?” Luna huffed loudly, then she bodychecked Scrivener firmly, knocking him staggering away before the Valkyrie very politely grasped a handle and opened a door for Cadence, bowing her inside.

“The next door leads to the tower.” Cadence said dryly, and the Valkyrie blinked and looked dumbly through the door she had opened into a storage room, before she hurriedly slammed it and dashed to the next door down the hall, yanking it open and glowering at Cadence as she muttered: “A tolerance, because I'm not allowed to cure you.”

Luna huffed loudly at this, hip-checking Morgan so she could quickly trot up the stairs behind Cadence, opening her mouth for a moment, then instead leering and saying roguishly: “I can see now what attracted Thesis to thee in the first place, Cadence! How does the saying go? Did thou sit in sugar?” A pause, during which Cadence prayed to the Gods and closed her eyes, hoping- “Because thine ass is sweet.”

Cadence slowly ground her teeth together, before Luna added with a waggle of her eyebrows: “Although I would have to taste it myself to know for sure!”

“Oh for the love of the Aesir, stop staring at my ass!” Cadence shouted in a strangled voice, hurrying up the stairs as she whipped her tail angrily back and forth behind her, and Luna squawked as the whip-like appendage caught her across the face before she huffed loudly.

“'Twas a compliment! Damned mare, take the compliment! Why is it that my brother can-”

“Because Sleipnir is charming and harmless. You're charmless and harmful.” Scrivener said dryly, and Luna huffed loudly before there was a loud smacking sound, which Cadence correctly guessed was the mare kicking him.

Cadence emerged into the fortified top of the tower, scowling at the tiny thing that was the Root of Yggdrasil. It hurt her eyes to look at, with all the energy that was pulsing through it: the only sign it might be anything special at all. A moment later, Brynhild and her partners joined her, and the sapphire mare studied the root intently before she grumbled: “Stupid small thing. No good things are small, I will have thee know.”

Cadence only glowered at her, before Morgan murmured: “It's giving off so much energy already. And I can almost... feel the connection to the other side. It's hard to describe. It's like it's there, even though it's not.”

“Aye. I suppose I feel it, too... I had forgotten this. I had forgotten that Freya could do such things as this, that she was once so much more than swords and nettle.” Luna paused, then smiled wryly and shrugged with a wink over at Cadence. “Or so much less, I suppose, depending upon how thou chooses to look at it.”

The ivory mare grunted, declining to comment as she instead asked: “So do you know what we're doing here, then? I get that these roots are like connection points, but... why are we securing it?”

“To get us out of the way, I imagine.” Luna said blandly, and Morgan winced as Scrivener only shrugged agreeably, making Cadence sigh and roll her eyes, but secretly agree herself before she looked up in surprise as Luna added gently: “And likely to make thee rest. Thou hast been a whirlwind, blasting to and fro. Even Swans are not tireless.”

“Yes, we were. But we are still unused to having a body: it is difficult to change old habits, to domesticate what was only tame.” Danzsöngr answered calmly, and Cadence flailed mentally at the Swan, but went ignored as Danzsöngr continued almost kindly: “We wish to extend our appreciation to you. You have dealt with Loki for us.”

“Nay, as much as I would like to say 'twas I, 'twas not.” Luna replied, sounding strangely... diplomatic, Cadence thought with surprise. “'Twas Haruspex. And I think he gave Loki a lesson, rather than a beating, and I hope 'twill be more useful than had I simply pummeled him with mine hooves.”

“You and Freya both would treat him with mercy. We are curious. We mean no disrespect or insult, we are merely... curious.” Danzsöngr said politely, and the Valkyrie gave a wry smile as she glanced back at her partners, softening perhaps just a little.

“For I, perhaps I have been taught a little of the art of mercy; one cannot remain a stupid bitch-wolf forever and expect to survive, after all.” Luna said easily, smiling before she shook her head and became more serious, continuing quietly: “I believe Loki must face justice for his crimes, but... aye, I would prefer it be justice. We owe him, Swan. Thou, too, owes him. And the Gods did terrible things to him.”

“I want to kick his ass through his face.” Cadence said sourly, before she winced as she realized the Swan had allowed her to take back control and she had just blurted that out loud, which made Luna grin in amusement.

“Swan, Swan, Swan! What is it with thee and asses?” Luna teased, and Cadence scowled at her before the Valkyrie added mildly: “I must say, thou art very different from how things ever were with mine own self and Nightmare Moon. And I am also very glad that I do not have some... awful Luna or awfuler-still Valkyrie in mine head. Did thou know most of the Lunas I have met have all been full of whimsy and trite?”

“Because that doesn't describe you at all.” Scrivener commented, and Luna huffed and turned to whack him firmly with her crystalline horn, making him wince.

“Quiet, beetle.” Luna paused, then she cleared her throat and looked at him pointedly, and Scrivener smiled wryly before he nodded and turned his eyes towards Cadence.

“I uh... hope it's not too awkward to offer, but if you think that your father or Thesis could use any help, I'd be glad to stabilize them for a little while. I can't change the composition of a Replicant or their corruption, but I have learned to modify it a little.”

Cadence hesitated, then she nodded once before answering as tactfully as possible: “Thank you, but I think that we have it under control. I'll uh... pass it on to them, though, when I get the chance.”

Scrivener smiled and shrugged a bit, and Cadence shifted before she asked: “How did you learn to control it, though? How did... I mean, were you an agent of Valthrudnir's?”

“I was a cuckoo, I guess you'd say. But I was never uh... 'activated.'” Scrivener said delicately, before he shook his head as he eyes turned towards Luna with a slight smile. “I guess my job was actually to hunt down Luna, and maybe that... programming lodged in my mind somehow and subconsciously pushed me to Canterlot-”

Luna huffed and grabbed Scrivener's head before she shoved him face-first into the ground, complaining: “Idiot. And thou, troublemaking Swan! As if I have not dealt enough with Scrivy moaning and groaning about fate this and fate that. 'Tis stupid. Thou art stupid.”

“You're stupid!” Cadence snapped back, then she forced herself to take a breath and not let the Valkyrie get to her, or at least not with such a stupid, childish insult. “So you are actually a Replicant? What class were you?”

“Same as Thesis. Class VI, except my design was apparently more blue collar than Mister Important Officer Thesis.” Scrivener said mildly, and Cadence smiled a little despite herself before the stallion continued, as he held up a claw and flexed it slowly: “At first I really wasn't all that special, though. The changes came after I was exposed to corruption from the Hexad, but... it's a long story, and I don't know if we have the time to tell it right now.”

“Thou art a fine storyteller, Scrivy, so tell it anyway. And besides, 'tis better than the Swan and I arguing, is it not?” Luna said mildly, and Scrivener Blooms sighed but nodded in agreement after the moment as Morgan gave him an encouraging smile.

“Well... I guess it really began when our world ended, didn't it?” Scrivener started, and Cadence sat back, more curious than she wanted to admit, and feeling a strange sort of understanding as he began to talk, about Ragnarok, about the Black Wolves, about Valthrudnir.

Because her own story had started the same way, hadn't it? With her world – much smaller as it was, being only her father's kingdom – being ended, by Valthrudnir.

And yet, somehow, it was that same thing that had brought her here, today. It was Valthrudnir who had made Thesis. It was Valthrudnir who had given Hecate her powers. It was Valthrudnir who had begun all of these events by destroying the arrogant gods.

And inside her, the Swan wondered curiously if perhaps Valthrudnir wasn't to thank for giving life and meaning to the very universe he had sought so hard to destroy.

Omega Of The Pack

Chapter Ninety Nine: Omega Of The Pack
~BlackRoseRaven

Thorn Blackfeather sat calmly at the table in the library, a holographic screen projected in front of him. His hooves moved back and forth, swishing gently across it as he compiled a report out of the data he had recorded and gathered during the short time he had been here, before he glanced up as Silver suddenly cleared her throat loudly.

The mare was seated at the other end of the table, a long-forgotten book open in front of her. Thorn looked at her for a few moments, and then he asked: “Do you need anything?”

“No, no. Besides, the little pigs... I mean, Necrophage and Muse are here to take orders, not you. I know you're... the Regent.” Silver said, as difficult as that obviously was for her to say, and Thorn smiled despite himself before Silver asked almost abruptly: “My sister, though. Does she... trust me? Or are you here to babysit me?”

“I think you are here to keep an eye on me.” Thorn answered, and Silver maybe gave the smallest of smiles behind her mask before Thorn returned his eyes to his report, continuing: “If Hecate didn't trust you, then you wouldn't be here.”

“That is not what I meant.” Silver said after a moment, before she scowled when Thorn looked up and gave one of his brief smiles to her.

“I know what you meant. And my answer is the same.” he said tactfully, then he returned his eyes to the holographic screen, saying: “We have to be awake and active in six hours to help Freya prepare the ritual.”

“I don't like it.” grumbled Silver with a brief shake of her head. “It was not what we were told, and that forest is rife with magic and life of its own.”

“Which I'm sure is precisely why Freya has decided to change the location to there. Don't forget, she is Vanir, a goddess. The Everfree may provide better security for her than Subterra or Ponyville would.” Thorn answered, before he finished filing his report and banished the screen, absently flexing his mechanical limb before he added politely: “I suggest you get some rest, Silver. It would be best if we were both in optimum conditions for-”

“I am not one of your damned machines.” Silver grumbled, before she sighed tiredly and added moodily: “But very well. I will try and be a good little pig.”

Thorn only shrugged, and Silver gave him a foul look before she said grumpily: “I already regret this, but I suppose you must know the route to wherever we are going to help the disgusting sex goddess?”

“Fertility, forests, and war, actually. And yes.” Thorn answered, before he glanced up as Necrophage and Muse entered the library, the stallion giving a brief smile to the twins as Muse shyly lowered her head and Necrophage bounced excitedly towards him. “Did you complete the assessment?”

“Yep! Shouldn't be any problems, sir! I mean, Thorn!” Necrophage said brightly, smiling warmly at Thorn before she glanced back at her sister, as Muse blushed slightly and half-hid behind her mane. “My sister scanned everything, and I mapped the entire area for you, right here!”

Necrophage tapped her Mission Drive several times as she spun back towards Thorn, then she scraped a hoof awkwardly against her leg before she blurted: “And um, you know, not to, you know, step beyond my authorization, sir, but um... you should go get some rest!”

“Yes, you're right. I should rest, and you and Muse should do the same. Secure the library, then settle in for a few hours. I want everyone in top form for tomorrow.” Thorn agreed after a moment, and Necrophage and Muse both saluted, the former mare giggling and the latter murmuring in agreement before Silver snorted and rolled her eyes.

But she didn't say anything, so Thorn simply let it slide as he turned to head for the bedroom: Freya's bedroom, he thought. He had reorganized it neatly and cleaned it to leave it all-but-sparkling, but every time he stepped back inside, the room was in shambles again. It left him wondering whether Freya snuck in and out during the day, or if she had literally enchanted her room to return to a state of chaos any time it was cleaned.

Thorn carefully removed his prosthetic limb to place it aside for the moment, flexing his stump before he slipped into bed. He turned off the lamp by the bed with a simple telekinetic touch, before he smiled as he gazed at the patterns of stars and shapes that glowed across the ceiling. He followed their movements with his eyes for the longest time, and he didn't know when he slept, and when he woke up: the only thing that told him he had was the fact that one moment the luminescent were in one place, and next, they had jumped to another... and...

He glanced to the side to see Freya sitting there, calmly sharpening her greatsword as she studied him intently. After a few moments, she smiled wryly, before asking: “Are you too stupid to be afraid or too stupid to know better than to trust me?”

Thorn meditated for a moment, and then he answered simply: “Neither.”

Freya scowled at him, and then she flicked her horn as Thorn sat up, another of her swords leaping to press against his throat as she said moodily: “Don't get cocky now, little boy. Because that's all you are still, young and small.”

“Measurements reflect correlation, but correlation is not causation.” Thorn answered without flinching, before he simply slipped to the side and out of bed, Freya's mouth quirking at the way he completely ignored the sword. She bad-naturedly poked him in the rump with it a few times, but Thorn ignored that as well as he picked up his prosthetic limb, asking: “Are we ready to begin?”

“Almost. I have summoned landvættir, and friends and family will be present and should be setting up the last of things now. Atavus is already there and I will ask you kindly not to upset him, he's already had quite a trying journey just getting here.” Freya continued, and Thorn nodded as he turned towards her. “I understand that you are here to offer us help and protection, and I do appreciate it. I know I asked for it and I know what I was asking was no small thing. But all the same, Thorn Blackfeather, I am now further asking that you do not interfere with whatever it is that I choose to do.”

“Within mission parameters.” Thorn answered, and he met Freya's eye evenly when she glowered at him. “I have my orders and I know my duties.”

Freya smiled wryly, then she reached up and flicked up her eyepatch suddenly, revealing her crystalline eye. Thorn frowned ever-so-slightly, before Freya asked evenly: “Tell me. Which one of us do you think has the better sight, boy?”

Thorn studied the mare for a moment and the crystal in her socket that thrummed with its own eerie inner light, before he gave a brief sigh and nodded once. That seemed to be enough to satisfy Freya, who flicked her eyepatch back down before she said brusquely: “Get your dolls together. And let's hope your toys live up to the high expectations I have for them.”

Thorn only nodded, refusing to rise to the obvious baiting as he headed out of the room: he found Muse and Necrophage already waiting for him downstairs, and only had to look at Muse for her to suggest: “I heard Lady Silver on the balcony earlier. Perhaps she is still there.”

“Alright. You two go ahead to the mission site, Silver and I will catch up.” Thorn instructed, and the Replicants nodded and saluted before Necrophage bounced over and hugged the stallion tightly, making him lean back awkwardly for a moment before she smiled at him and hurried away, Muse following with an embarrassed smile over her shoulder to Thorn.

They vanished through the door, and Thorn picked up his cape from where he'd left it on the back of a chair. He put it on, then glanced up as Silver appeared at the top of the stairs to the second floor, smiling briefly up at her. “I was about to come looking for you.”

“I'm cooperating.” Silver grumbled, and Thorn nodded before the mare sighed loudly as she strode down the stairs, muttering: “So much information and so much of it is so useless, my brain still hasn't sorted through it all. But I'm smart enough to know this is a bad idea, and the stars and moon agree with me.”

“You were able to night-read?” Thorn asked curiously, and Silver gave him a disdainful look.

“Yes. As I just said, I am not stupid.” she said stiffly, before she grumbled moodily: “The other little piggies certainly aren't bright, though, so I'm sure you're used to dealing with-”

“Let's move on.” Thorn interrupted, and Silver rolled her eyes but followed the stallion to the door all the same, grumbling under her breath but swallowing the rest of her complaints as they headed through the village towards the Everfree Forest.

Freya had thoughtfully marked a path all the way to a clearing: some battle had taken here long ago, and a ferocious one at that, by the burnt stumps of trees and the scars that still pulsed in the earth. And yet all the same, this clearing still pulsed with vitality and magic that seemed to welcome them, and offer a protection to them so ancient and powerful even Thorn couldn't deny Freya's wisdom in seeking such a sanctuary out.

A statue of a Draconequus, frozen with an expression of defiance that said so much more than how his body had been forced into a bow, the rusted remains of a prosthetic arm hanging off of one shoulder: Discombobulation. Atavus was standing across from this, staring at with awe, never taking his eyes off the chaos entity as he seemed to somehow converse with it, making little noises now and then that could be laughter, or sighs, or even sobs.

The statue and the Primordial were inside a ring of stone obelisks: another, much-larger ring of carved wooden stakes surrounded the field as well, and it was inside this large ring where everyone was seated and gathered. Thorn felt the magic the moment he passed over the border of the ring of stakes: it was both security precaution and something else, something that Thorn couldn't quite put his finger on, that filled him with a strange feeling of warmth, kinship, family...

“Nephew!” shouted a jovial voice, and Thorn winced as he was picked up in a tight hug by Sleipnir, who laughed loudly before he set him down with a smile, and then winced when Pinkamena promptly slugged Thorn across the face, knocking him over. “Phoenix!”

“What? He asked for it.” Pinkamena growled as she absently shook out her hoof, adding moodily: “Harder face than I recall.”

“It's been a long journey.” Thorn said after a moment as he straightened, giving a brief smile to his aunt as he reached up and absently touched his cheek. “It was my fault. I allowed myself to get distracted.”

“Nothing's gonna change how much I hate you, huh?” Pinkamena asked sourly, but Thorn was spared from answering by Antares bouncing over with Innocence, as always, in tow.

“Hey, leave the kid alone! He's just a kid. Right, slugger?” asked Antares cheerfully, before he easily ducked away when Pinkamena growled and swung a hoof at him. “Good to see you though, squirt! Here to meet Discombobulation?”

“Just to provide security.” answered Thorn with a shake of his head, before he closed his natural eye, letting his optic sensors quickly assess everything. It all came so quickly that it made his head hurt a little, but he ignored the pain for the moment as he muttered: “Interesting. I didn't expect this much energy, or so many signals. It's crowded here... how many people do we have?”

“Uh... a lot.” Antares said lamely, as he looked back at the crowd, and Innocence grunted as she looked suspiciously at Thorn, even after he blinked both eyes open, grimacing a little bit. “What, don't you have a headcount?”

“Yes. Thirty-two, including the landvættir that Freya summoned and the defense forces I brought.” Thorn answered, and Antares stared at him. “My optic sensor identifies and dissimilates thermal and energetic signals so I can instantly acquire a count of active entities in the area.”

“Uh huh.” Antares slowly reached out and grasped Thorn's nose gently, before he asked seriously: “Are you a robot?”

Thorn looked moodily at Antares, before he carefully reached up and removed Antares' hoof from his muzzle, saying dryly: “I am not a robot.”

“He's a robot.” Innocence declared, before she punched her front claws together and growled: “Let's show him what we do to robots.”

“Leave that machine and his mechanical friends alone, we've got more important things to do!” Freya shouted, and Thorn was somehow unsurprised to see the Valkyrie striding through the crowd as if she had been here the whole time, Innocence squawking and Antares looking relieved. “Well, robot, set up your dollies!”

“I hate her.” Silver said moodily, and then she grumbled under her breath before she looked at Thorn with surprise when he produced a crystal on a band from under his cape and held it out to her. “What's this? I do not need an amplifier, if that is what you are suggesting, this pig-”

“You are not a pig, and it is not an amplification crystal. It's a pocket rift: I preselected some of your gear before mission, just in case.” Thorn explained, and Silver snorted, but she seemed more amused than bitter.

“So, not even allowed to make my own choices, am I? I'll have to have a talk with my sister about that.” Silver griped, but she gave maybe the tiniest of nods when she took the crystal from Thorn, muttering: “Fine. I'll be a good little pig.”

Thorn nodded, then he produced his own crystal-inset band and slipped it around his flesh-and-blood foreleg, tapping it several times as he explained: “All you have to do is charge it with ten bæns of magic to create a small rift in reality. Then you can reach inside and-”

“How do you portal a pocket dimension? I didn't think that was possible!” Innocence interrupted as she leapt forward and then suddenly shoved her claw against the crystal, and Thorn winced as a swirling portal formed that was almost a meter in diameter beside him, Innocence grabbing the edges of this like it was a physical hole in the wall of reality before she shoved her upper body through.

Thorn hurriedly grabbed her and yanked her back, and Innocence grinned widely as the portal snapped closed, saying cheerfully: “Bigger than I thought!”

“Sin, he's your brother!” Antares said in mock horror, and Innocence scowled at him horribly. “Besides, it can't be that big.”

Innocence started to open her mouth, but Thorn cut her off, saying dryly: “Please do not do that again. The pocket dimensions are calibrated specifically for non-organics and each can only carry a set weight of objects. It could collapse and kill you if you enter it.”

“Cool.” Innocence said brightly, and Thorn rolled his eyes before he gently dropped the odd mare, who brushed herself off before she held up her claws with a grin, a glow suffusing her forelegs before a pair of heavy metallic gauntlets appeared over them, the mare waggling her eyebrows at Thorn as she punched together her... Talons. Like Father's. “But I can do cooler.”

“Stop prattling.” Freya grumbled, and Innocence squawked as the Valkyrie slapped the back of her head before Freya ordered: “Get out there and do your jobs. I will stay here and protect Discombobulation and Atavus, but the forest warns me we already have uninvited guests. I suppose you feel it, brother, don't you?”

Sleipnir smiled wryly, eyes flicking to the side as he answered: “Aye, of course! But perhaps they do not mean harm, Freya... I may not sense my little brother among their number, but I do feel a strange... familiarity. Does thou not sense it too?”

“Loki I will not strike down or fight. But his disciples, and furthermore, those arrogant and rude enough to intrude upon this...” Freya smiled thinly. “Well, Thor, I'm sure you know it's better that I don't let my poor woman's hands wander. Otherwise I'll end up red with blood.”

“Sleipnir now, Freya! And that is a silly thought. Thou hast hooves, not hands!” Sleipnir said cheerfully, before he glanced to the side and said suddenly: “They come from all sides. They are many. And... sister will not be pleased.”

“Brynhild is never pleased.” Freya muttered, before she barked: “And what are the lot of you standing around here for? Move!”

Innocence and Antares both yelped and scrambled away as Silver grimaced and stepped nervously back, but Thorn only remained standing even as Freya glared a hole in him with her eye, before the Valkyrie blinked in surprise as Thorn murmured: “Husks. Aetherhaunts. Elementals. And... Atropii. Three Voidborn. And... something else. My optic sensor isn't calibrated to read it.”

“And yet you can see Aetherhaunts?” Freya asked dubiously, before she grimaced as she shook her head and muttered: “Atavus and I will create a shield around Discombobulation. And considering the size of this enemy force, I may yet reconsider my decision not to put Loki's head on a stick.”

Freya turned and headed to the center of the field, and Sleipnir smiled wryly before he turned his eyes towards Thorn, reassuring gently: “Fear not. It has simply been... a very trying time for my sister, this last while. But we can speak on such later. Can thou track the Aetherhaunts?”

“Not very well. I can tell they're in the area: they create an atypical distortion in my optic sensor, similar to electromagnetic resonance.” Thorn explained, and Sleipnir looked at him dumbly, but Thorn only turned away and said clearly: “All present, keep your eyes open, cover each other in pairs or groups! Our opponents include dishonored Reapers capable of instantaneous and silent transmission, and entities that can only be detected by visual line of sight and will sap spiritual energy if they get close, you-”

“Hey, we know already! Also we totally don't work for you!” Antares called back, and Thorn rolled his eyes before he strode quickly to the edge of the circle. He didn't look back even as he felt the magic in the air change, and a golden dome of energy formed around the center of the ritual area, Freya, Atavus, and the statue of the Draconequus sealed safely inside.

“My name is Thorn Blackfeather, and I am the Regent of Decretum. By the authority of the Clockwork Empire and Empress Hecate, I order whoever is in charge to step forward and declare their intentions.” Thorn announced clearly.

A voice laughed quietly, before a black unicorn emerged from the forest. His pristine armor gleamed as brightly as his grinning teeth as he growled: “Perfect. Just what I was hoping: all the bastard children of Luna are here in one place.”

“Um, hey, my parents were married before they had us, so. We're not bastards.” Antares said pointedly as he sidled quickly up beside Thorn, Innocence scowling as she joined his other side, and Scarlet Sage landing beside her sister with narrowed eyes. “So uh, who are you?”

“Ignominious of the Jarsongildi, former Paladin of Equestria.” Thorn answered, before his eyes flicked calmly back and forth as the other Voidborn emerged, the stallion picking them out one after the other: “Sol Seraph, formerly of the Order of the Seraphim; and I am sure you recognize Cancer.”

Cancer cackled loudly, popping up to his hind hooves and bowing several times as he declared: “Well well well, what have we here? It's the four little mice, all precious and dear! Oh honey, I'm-”

Cancer was cut off with a hurk as Sol Seraph picked up a rock and slammed it savagely back into his face, sending up a splatter of goo as the destruction entity dumbly fell back on his haunches, before the Pegasus Voidborn said contemptibly: “I am here for my daughter. I am not here to sing songs, to scavenge weaklings, or to play games. I will kill anyone who gets in my way.”

“Wait.” Ignominious growled, but Sol Seraph only looked at him measuringly: something Ignominious clearly mistook for obedience as he smiled contritely before turning his eyes back towards the ponies in front of him: and in spite of all the others gathered here, he only had eyes for the four children of Luna and Twilight and Scrivener, saying in a soft, triumphant voice: “This. This is what I have been waiting for, this is what shall be my victory. This shall be my revenge against Luna, for all the years that she-”

Sol Seraph calmly produced a knife, spinning this in her hoof slowly as Cancer – with the rock still comically embedded in his face – hurriedly leaned away, before she simply leaned to the side and slammed the knife into the side of Ignominious' neck.

He gargled and clawed wildly at the dagger embedded in his throat, staring at Sol Seraph with horror, but the Voidborn didn't so much as look at him as she said contemptibly: “Daughter. You failed at many things when you were a foal, but you were never tardy. Or are you trying out new ways to disappoint me?”

“I apologize, Mother. But I have my own family to look after now, and it was hard to convince them to stay back.” Fluttershy said gently as she approached politely, bowing her head before she asked in a voice so kind, so courteous, it made the ridiculous request seem almost plausible: “Can we go and have tea together? Can we... talk, for once? Just once, Mother. Just once. I won't even ask you to put down your weapons. Just that you give me... a little bit of time, before we...”

“You are weak. You are pathetic. You are everything that I was told to never be, everything that I worked so hard to crush out of you when you were a filly...” Without looking, Sol Seraph flicked a foreleg up, a hidden blade popping out and pressing threateningly to Ignominious' throat before he could turn to yell at her, and the Voidborn unicorn went pale, mouthing wordlessly as he shivered, energy leaking out of the wound in his neck as Cancer scampered hurriedly away into some bushes.

Sol Seraph looked silently at the ground for a few moments, and then she said softly: “Very well, Fluttershy. Show me the den of your pack. Betray your family by bringing the hunter home. I will give you one single hour. I will not fight you. But if you show weakness, I will strike at you, and I will kill you. And after you are done with your nattering, I will kill you, and I will kill your entire family.”

Yet even at this, Fluttershy only smiled faintly before she said softly: “Funny, the things you feel... nostalgia for. The things you remember.. It's just like when I was a filly, and you would be reading to me or Matilda or Carhop would be teaching me a lesson, and then you would suddenly strike from out of nowhere...”

“You survived.” Sol Seraph said grudgingly, in the most reluctant form of compliment possible, and yet Fluttershy lit up with it all the same, even as the Voidborn Pegasus rose her head to glare at her with frustration. “I should have struck you harder. I should have killed you.”

“But you never did. You and Father made me strong though, Mother. For everything you did wrong, you did make me strong. And I... I'm not going to give in to anger and sadness anymore. I love you.” Fluttershy said fearlessly, and Sol Seraph almost recoiled, her eyes widening slightly in confusion, as if she couldn't understand what her Phooka daughter had just said to her. “I love you, and-”

“Enough of this nonsense!” Ignominious shouted angrily, stepping forward as his horn glowed with malevolent light as he lunged at Fluttershy.

Not even Antares could completely follow what happened next: one moment, Ignominious was striking out at Fluttershy: the next, he was on the ground, another knife buried into his back, his whole body quaking with fear and pain as Sol Seraph slowly pressed down on him, her eyes strange and ruthless and terribly-sad all at once as she leaned down to whisper something in the stallion's ear. For a moment, Ignominious failed to comprehend whatever she had said, but then the Pegasus Voidborn twisted the knife in his back, and he screamed before nodding wildly, howling: “I promise! I promise I won't!”

“Your whimpering means more to me than your promises.” Sol Seraph said with clear disgust, before she calmly straightened and looked down at Ignominious with contempt, as he shivered and whimpered on the ground beneath her.

Then she simply looked up at Fluttershy, and Fluttershy smiled at her as she strode fearlessly up to her mother. There was a flash, but a moment later, Fluttershy was gently cradling her mother's hoof, the hidden blade extended from Sol Seraph's wrist trembling as the Phooka said quietly, honestly: “I'm sorry I lashed out at you. It won't happen again.”

Sol Seraph didn't reply, but she almost seemed to shiver as she yanked her hoof back, retorting: “I do not care what animal filth does. It is all meaningless to me.”

But Fluttershy only smiled again, before she calmly strode past Sol Seraph. And Sol Seraph watched her, strangely, before she shook her head and silently followed after the Phooka.

For a moment, Thorn hesitated, but then he sensed several other signatures leaving the area. He began to shift, but Antares muttered: “Trust her. Just let her do her thing. That's the hardest part of being a leader.”

“Yes. You're right. Our resources need to be focused here. No matter how it ends, she's done us a favor by removing the most dangerous Voidborn.” Thorn answered, before he glanced up at a harsh laugh.

“No! No, you have no idea what kind of 'danger' you're in, boy...” hissed Ignominious, as he slowly clawed his way up to his hooves. He panted roughly, leaking energy, a knife still buried in his back, eyes wild and maddened as he snarled at them furiously. “I have the powers of Loki's children! I am-”

“You're Mutt's ex. You're dumb.” Innocence said loudly, and Ignominious stared at her before she sniffed disdainfully. “Anyone who would date Mutt is crazy and stupid. But you're crazy, stupid, and you weren't good enough for her.”

“Innocence, don't hurt the guy's feelings now! I mean, look at him. He looks...” Antares paused, awkwardly staring at the Voidborn for a moment before he said lamely: “...nice.”

Ignominious snarled, before Cancer poked his head out from a bush and added helpfully: “Hey, boss, ain't no one blamin' you for being a little... y'know, off your form. There are some things even we destruction entities don't play around with. And she hates my singing! Can you believe that, kiddos? I mean, I sing like an angel!”

“You sing like a cat in heat.” Antares said dryly, and Cancer glared at him before the unicorn spread his crystalline wings, becoming suddenly serious as he said coldly: “My name is Antares Mīrus, and it is my duty to protect this world and these people. This is your one and only warning: surrender or leave now, or we won't show you any mercy.”

“Nay! 'Tis always room for mercy. Even when the heart hurts, there is always room for mercy.” Sleipnir said kindly as he joined them, smiling warmly as he looked at Ignominious before he asked politely: “Does thou remember me?”

Ignominious scowled, studying Sleipnir with a strange intentness before he said disgustedly: “Far too well, slave hoof. I remember you. I remember how you interfered. I remember how they blamed me for your stupidity!”

“My sisters have always been overprotective. And to this day, Ignominious, I hold that 'twas not thy fault, but mine own.” Sleipnir smiled faintly, shaking his head slowly before he said gently: “Give up this crusade. There is nothing to be done here, nothing to...”

Sleipnir halted, then he frowned uneasily before he suddenly strode forward, Thorn frowning as Ignominious snarled, sword and shield appearing in his magic grip before he slammed the latter out. But the shield clanged uselessly off Sleipnir's side, and Ignominious staggered stupidly as the enormous stallion simply kept walking, his ears swiveled forward, his eyes intent before he whispered: “I hear thee, old friend. But who holds thee?”

Sleipnir simply wandered away, passing through the enemy forces like an icebreaker, as if he didn't even see the monsters that materialized around him. But none could so much as touch him as he was drawn onward, Ignominious still staring in confusion over his shoulder at him before Cancer whispered loudly: “Spoiler alert. Poppet already drove him crazy.”

“Shut up, monster.” Ignominious growled, before he turned his eyes back forward as he straightened, sword and shield at the ready, and yet he was visibly shaken for some reason, Thorn and Antares both studying the stallion intently, looking at the way he moved and shifted more than listening to his words as he continued harshly: “My forces have by now completely surrounded your little friendship circle. Sol Seraph had led off some of your soldiers, just... just as planned! And-”

“Yeah, Fluttershy is like, crazy badass. I think she's almost as good a fighter as Mom. Plus there's the whole Phooka, can't be hurt by physical blows, thing.” Antares emphasized this by punching himself lightly a few times in the cheek, before he squawked when Innocence slapped him firmly. “What the hell was that for?”

“I thought you wanted me to.” Innocence said innocently, and Antares gave her a dry look before the mare added mildly: “Also I don't think you planned that. I think she beat you up.”

“She did not 'beat me up!'” Ignominious shouted angrily, before he snarled as he pointed his sword at her: “Now listen to me you little bitch, you-”

Innocence promptly dropped on her rump and burst into tears, Ignominious and Cancer both staring as Antares shouted: “Now look at that! Look what you did! You made my little sister cry! Which isn't as cute anymore, actually, because she's not the baby of the family. Thorn is.”

“I'm still the goddamn baby you son of a bitch!” Innocence shouted furiously as she leapt up to her feet and slammed her face against Antares', who reared back in horror, before Innocence hurriedly cleared her throat and leaned away, making a few awkward sobbing noises: “I mean. Boo hoo, I'm so. Sad.”

“Stop mocking me!” Ignominious roared, leaping forward, but Antares leapt forward, gracefully sliding between sword and shield to ram straight into Ignominious and then slam him down on his back.

The stallion shouted in consternation, but Cancer leapt forward with a cackle, roaring: “Let's start the fun, we're gonna have a-”

“Blast!” snapped Innocence, lashing her horn down, and a fireball smashed into the monster and knocked him flying away with a squeal of pain before Innocence winced and dodged backward when an Atropii appeared beside her, narrowly missing her with a slice of its scythe. “Bad guys!”

“They're launching a full attack!” Scarlet Sage warned, and Thorn grimaced as his visor showed the same: enemies had appeared on all sides of them, although it looked like the people gathered here had moved to counter just as quickly.

Innocence snapped her horn out, blasting the scythe out of an Atropii's claws before she leapt up and slammed a claw through its mask, the dishonored Reaper screaming as it exploded in a blast of energy. Thorn was relieved that he at least didn't have to tell them what to do, before he grimaced as a Husk came charging out of the forest at him.

It was intercepted by Scarlet Sage, who smashed it across the face before she shuddered as she threw it backward. “No blood, not even real energy... what the hell are they?”

“Shadows from the Void.” Thorn answered calmly as Antares was flung off Ignominious, before he glanced to the side and added: “Cancer. Left flank.”

Scarlet Sage grimaced as Cancer leapt in from the left with a snarling grin, roaring: “Gotta kill the kiddies in order! Babies first!”

“I'm the baby!” roared Innocence as she bodychecked Scarlet Sage out of the way before snapping her horn out, and Cancer squealed as he was blasted into the sky by a tornado of wind before Innocence grinned as her eyes flashed, and the wind became twisting snakes of lightning that ripped across Cancer's body before there was a tremendous boom that launched him face-first into the earth.

Innocence cackled, before she scowled horribly as Thorn remarked: “You wasted more than a thousand bæns of energy with that show of power.”

“We have more important things to focus on right now than me showing off how much power I-” Innocence cut herself off as she felt the pulse of magic, and Thorn looked sharply up as he felt it as well: the ripple of unnatural power, as Antares was driven backwards by a shockwave of force from Ignominious as the stallion leaned forwards with a guttural snarl.

His fur thickened, his body bulging as steam hissed off his body, armor melding into his form as his shadow lengthened and grew. Hooves split apart into claws, then morphed into bulging paws as his tail swished back and forth, rasping in a mutant voice: “I will not be... humiliated!”

Ignominious roared as he transformed, expanding into a massive, terrible black wolf, eyes glowing with crimson hatred and teeth gleaming like blades. Antares winced as Thorn grimaced at the readings his cybernetic eye detected, but it was Scarlet Sage who identified it first, who understood most the danger this monster posed: “Black Wolf! They steal power from the earth!”

Thorn leapt backwards when the monstrous, gigantic wolf lunged at him, roaring and biting savagely: Atopii appeared on either side of him, but Thorn didn't so much as glance in their direction as he concentrated on the task at hoof, saying coldly: “Begin analysis.”

Readings flashed across half his vision as Innocence blasted one of the Atropii and Scarlet Sage leapt up to smash through the face of the other. Antares lunged at Ignominious' hindquarters, but a ball of white goo collided with him, knocking him stumbling before he swore in pain as two Husks tackled him and drove him to the ground.

He rolled backwards, throwing one off and pinning the other beneath him, but then he cursed as the white goo still clinging to his body exploded in a noxious blast, knocking him crashing backwards again as Cancer chortled loudly, hopping gleefully after the stallion as he mocked: “What's wrong, kiddo? Thought you could see everything with those special eyes o' yours!”

“Not when they're closed!” Antares complained as he rolled backwards, grimacing a bit as his eyes flicked quickly back and forth: he could see Husks and Elementals surging by, but apart from the two Husks that had already attacked him, none of them seemed interested in interfering with the fight between Cancer and his prey. Good.

One of these Husks ran at him, but Antares caught it by the head before twisting viciously, snapping its neck before he slammed the Husk into the ground. Cancer grinned widely as he leapt at the perceived opening it left, but Antares simply created a white wall of energy in front of himself that the destruction entity smacked into with a squeak, stuck to it like a bird against a window for a moment before he was launched violently backwards when the wall of energy exploded.

The screams of Cancer were drowned out by the furious roars of Ignominious as he charged after Thorn Blackfeather, rabid red eyes locked on the stallion as he stomped and clawed his way after the stallion. “Come here! Come... die!”

“Voidborn subject determined hostile and non-compliant. Lethal force has been authorized. Move to neutralize.” Thorn stated calmly, his mechanical limb sparking before he suddenly stepped forward and slammed it out as the Ignominious beast lunged at him, and the wolf howled in pain and skittered backwards as his nose exploded in a black, gooey mess from the force of the blow.

He healed almost immediately, but Innocence grinned widely as she leapt up beside the stallion, remarking cheerfully: “You sound like a robot, robot, but you sure can punch! I guess you must be my brother after all!”

“Elementals, moving in from all sides. Earth type.” Thorn said shortly, and Innocence huffed before she suddenly swung her horn sharply up, grinning widely as her body pulsed with power, and Thorn felt a distinct energy surging not through the air, but feeding from Innocence into the ground below.

Massive vines ripped out of the earth, snaring around the hound-like elementals of rock and bone that were leaping towards them, the creatures yelping in pain and surprise before they were torn apart or crushed by the powerful tendrils of plant life, Innocence grinning widely as she said proudly: “Nature magic just happens to be my special talent! And everypony knows that rocks are weak against plants!”

Thorn disregarded Innocence's bravado as Ignominious roared furiously, jaws slavering, madness burning in his eyes as he snarled: “I smell you! The power of Fenrir flows through me and makes me hunger for your flesh!”

He lunged forward, before gasping in pain as Scarlet Sage shot down from the air and slammed her hooves into the side of his face. As he staggered, Innocence swept her horn up and sent a spike of rock ripping up into the underside of his jaw, making him howl as he shoved himself backwards; just what Innocence had clearly hoped he would do, as living vines snapped up around the wolf's neck before he was jerked viciously back down again, impaled a second time on the spike of rock.

“It won't work!” Scarlet Sage shouted from above, before she winced as Ignominious proved her right by ripping free with a furious howl, foam flying from his jaws as his wounds almost instantaneously healed, the ground around him charring as he stole energy from the earth to power his massive body. “You have to get him off the ground somehow!”

“Easier said than done! He's the size of a freaking elephant! I've never even seen a real elephant and I know he's got to at least be as big as one!” Innocence shouted back, before she cursed as Ignominious-Fenrir lunged at her, stomping her talons into the ground to create a massive wall of black crystal that the Black Wolf uselessly hammered into.

It scrabbled wildly against this, and Thorn's eyes narrowed sharply even as the monster began to smash down the wall, ordering: “Corrupt the ground beneath him!”

“Hey, don't tell me what-” Innocence was cut off as Ignominious smashed through the wall of crystal, roaring and biting savagely at Innocence, but Scarlet Sage dropped out of the sky again to crash against the monster, harrying it and distracting it as Innocence scrambled hurriedly away, shouting in a strangled voice: “Got it doing it okay!”

Ignominious leapt up after Scarlet Sage, swatting and biting at her furiously, like a cat chasing a bird. He was more animal than pony, gnashing his teeth and making furious, senseless sounds, his eyes wild and darting distractedly back and forth.

Then he suddenly hissed and staggered backwards as the ground beneath him transformed into mire, yanking his paws hurriedly away from the corrupted earth as he barked wildly before hissing: “No, no! We will not fall for that again!”

The massive wolf paced back and forth at the edge of the muck, every now and then stomping at the black ooze as he barked and rumbled, twitching every so often as he fought to control himself. Thorn watched closely as Innocence scowled, before the mare growled as she flexed her claws against the earth: “I can transform this whole section of forest into mire if you want.”

“You don't have to. The wolf's instincts are overwhelming his mind. We just have to be patient and he'll defeat himself.” Thorn said calmly, and Ignominious snarled at him furiously.

“What do you know, brat? Weak horse-flesh!” roared Ignominious, spitting foam as he glared furiously at the sapphire stallion, stepping forwards and swatting the corrupt earth in front of him several times with one huge paw, as if to test it. He snorted and rasped, staggering back and forth, but in spite of his threats and fury, it never seemed to occur to him that he could easily walk around the mass of black earth, as he roared: “You can't hide forever!”

“I have no intention of hiding.” Thorn said quietly, and Innocence grinned widely before she swore under her breath in surprise when an Atropii appeared in front of her. But before it could strike, a bullet smashed through its mask, the creature howling as it collapses into ashes as Thorn said calmly: “Thank you, Silver.”

Silver only grunted as she reloaded her rifle before she swore under her breath as Elementals came charging in from the left flank. She immediately spun towards them, keeping the glowing golden barrier in the center of the field at her back as she shouted: “Pigs, kill the rats!”

Muse and Necrophage both leapt forward without question, Necrophage growling like a puppy as she charged headlong into the Elementals, and Muse anchoring herself as her features tensed, her body thrumming with power.

Necrophage rammed into the rocky monsters with a yell, smashing through their ranks and knocking them flying like toys, and Muse caught the ones that Necrophage rendered defenseless, slamming them into each other with enough force to smash them to pieces. They worked efficiently as Silver fired potshots into the ranks of the Elementals, the powerful rifle she had produced from the personal storage space Hecate had given her tearing through limbs and bodies like putty.

As the Elementals were rebuffed, Husks and Atropii tried to attack from the other flank, but they were met by a force of warriors they had not expected: ponies and other creatures threw themselves against both the Void creatures and the dishonored Reapers, fighting as ferociously as any warrior of Valhalla would.

Ignominious-Fenrir roared furiously, suddenly leaping forward over the black ooze and diving straight at Thorn, but the stallion held his ground fearlessly as he watched the massive black wolf sail towards him before his horn glowed and he vanished from the spot, the monster slamming face-first into the ground with a yelp of confusion.

Then he howled in frustration and pain as ropes of vine lashed up around his body, fighting to drag him down as the ground beneath his paws transformed into mire, Innocence growling: “You know, this would be so much easier if I had a little bit of help here!”

Ignominious' blazing eyes locked on the mare, barking wildly as he clawed towards her, even as his body began to shake and shiver as he kicked up muck and mire. Innocence swore and reared back with a wince as the monster strained against the vines wrapped around him, choking and gargling as black drool fell from his mouth and his eyes roiled with crimson hate, rasping: “N-No... you... die! Give me... die!”

“I'll give you all the death you want, pal.” Innocence growled as she stepped backwards with a grimace, her body flexing as she shoved her claws against the ground, anchoring herself even as the Black Wolf continued to force forwards. “Can I get any help at all here, or-”

A shot rang out, and the Black Wolf howled in frustration as it tried to spin around, glaring over its shoulder at Thorn as he calmly worked the lever of his rifle before he fired a second round into the Black Wolf's eye as it began to turn.

Ignominious-Fenrir howled in misery, shaking his head violently back and forth as he shambled to the side, ripping up vines and ivy before he roared incoherently at Thorn. But the stallion only looked fearlessly back even as the wolf-beast rounded on him, drooling black ooze as slimy tears and red light shone from its pierced socket, gurgling and foaming as it pawed through the muck towards the unicorn.

Thorn didn't move even as the beast lumbered towards him, rasping and growling, rivers of black ichor flowing from its nostrils and maw, single eye pulsing with rage as it glared into him. Thorn couldn't understand anything that the beast was trying to say, but he could feel it in the corruption that pulsed through his veins, his mechanical forelimb creaking faintly as he felt the black poison getting excited, drowning out the fear, the fury, the panic in his veins-

A geyser of corruption erupted into the air, spraying high towards the sky, Ignominious-Fernrir roaring in confusion before a pair of massive claws slammed down on his shoulders, a huge, crystalline Tyrant Wyrm pouncing on top of him and shoving him to the ground as Innocence snarled: “I can't keep this bastard pinned forever, Thorn! What the hell are we doing?”

“It's already been done.” Thorn said calmly, as he worked the lever of his rifle before he took aim at Ignominious again, firing a third round into the monster's face and making him howl in fury, before the wolf-beast's eyes widened in horror as he choked and gagged, then vomited white foam.

The creature struggled wildly against Innocence, who gritted her teeth before her eyes widened in shock as she saw a strange grayness beginning to travel through both the massive wolf-beast and the earth beneath him, as Ignominious-Fenrir's eyes rolled in his head and he whimpered and rasped.

Innocence swore in surprise as one of the wolf-beast's shoulders suddenly tore away beneath her, crumbling away into stone and shale as black slime burst from the wound. Thorn stepped backwards as Ignominious-Fenrir howled in misery, his eyes losing their color, his fur falling out, his muscles bulging before rotting away.

Thorn stepped backwards with a grimace of distaste as the crystalline Tyrant Wyrm shoved herself hurriedly away from the collapsing, decaying beast. She stared in horror as the monstrosity all-but-liquefied before her eyes, leaving behind only a pile of mush and stony debris as the earth beneath it became ashes and dust. “What in the name of god...”

“We exploited its strengths to our benefit.” Thorn half-answered as he put aside his rifle, and then he strode across the barren, mutilated landscape, crushing shale and sweeping muck aside as he headed for the middle of the rotten mass.

Innocence watched as Thorn stopped in front of the hump of decay, before she grimaced as he shoved his mechanical leg into it. A moment later, Thorn tore Ignominious free, slamming him down on his face, the Voidborn choking and rasping as he hugged himself and stared in horror up at Thorn, who looked ruthlessly back down at him.

“N-No... it hurts... how can it hurt me?” Ignominious almost pleaded, before he leaned up, rasping: “Mercy! Mercy! Y-You... you have to give me mercy!”

Thorn looked coldly down at Ignominious as the broken paladin writhed on the ground, before he gave a twisted grin, his eyes half-blind and poison pulsing through not just his veins, but his very energy: the corruption he had absorbed as Fenrir and the wolf-mind had warped his spirit more than Ignominious realized, and the White Matter rounds that Thorn had pumped into him with his rifle was turning all that poisonous power he had been filled with into nothing but sludge.

“I know... you... I know your kind. I... surrender.” Ignominious smiled widely, his eyes wild, one of them rolling blindly as he rasped: “Give me the antidote. Fix me. Cure me! Make me strong, h-help me... help me, child of Luna Lightblade... you stink of the p-p-poison, too, just like... your Daddy... but you have Mommy's eyes. A martyr's eyes. I gave up! So y-y-you have to help me...”

Ignominious' words echoed eerily through the forest, causing Elementals and Atropii to halt, Cancer looking up with a grunt of surprise from his fight with Antares before he snorted and turned back to the stallion, growling: “Well, I sure don't care about that! Hey, kid! Catch me!”

Cancer grinned, then he lunged suddenly forward, roaring as his forelegs became blades and spikes ripped out across his entire body, but Antares only yawned loudly before he created a barrier of white energy, bouncing the destroyer into the treetops with a squeal.

Then he looked up in surprise as he heard screaming, and Innocence stared as Thorn calmly pressed his steel hoof down over Ignominious' face, the Voidborn shaking his head vehemently as he rasped: “S-Stop it! Save me, you have to help me! Y-You-”

“I do not accept your surrender, but all the same I will grant your request for mercy, Ignominious.” Thorn said evenly, and Ignominious screamed again as another pulse of electricity ripped across his body, sapping the strength from his form as energy fumed up from his decaying shell. “Go back to the Void. Tell Loki that we are not afraid of him”

Thorn slipped his hoof down to Ignominious' chest, crushing down on his ribs as the Voidborn stared up with horror, trembling violently as Thorn said in a low, soft voice: “And for your personal edification, Ignominious... I do not operate by the same rules as my parents.”

Thorn shoved down as his hoof crackled with lightning, and Ignominious screamed, back arching and eyes bulging before his body simply exploded into ashes and embers, Thorn's hoof crushing down into the earth before he glanced up fearlessly as Cancer came rocketing down through the trees, shouting gleefully: “Hey dumbass, I got a-”

Innocence reached a crystal claw out and caught the destruction entity, who squeaked in pain before he was slammed down into the ground, squirming uselessly in one of her claws as the black crystal thrummed faintly with magic energy. Then Cancer snarled as his body slowly began to petrify in the grip of the Tyrant Wyrm, head snapping uselessly back and forth as he spat: “I'll get you yet, kiddies! I'll get you, and your little stupid dog too! Yeah, you heard me, I'm gonna kill your bitch, you... you...”

Cancer petrified completely, and Innocence snorted before a thick cube of black crystal formed around her claw and the beast inside. This split away from her wrist, and after a moment, the massive Tyrant Wyrm slowly sat back as its chest cracked open.

Innocence strode out of this as they were joined by Antares, who glanced quickly back at the crowd before he muttered: “Looks safe. Safe-ish, anyway. Most of the enemy withdrew the moment you uh...”

Antares cleared his throat as Thorn flexed his mechanical hoof, before he glanced up and explained: “Accelerated the process. I excited both the Clay and the White Matter and caused a spontaneous combustion event.”

“Are you okay?” Antares asked bluntly, and Thorn smiled briefly.

“Fine.” he said after a moment, before he turned his eyes outward and added quietly: “I just hope the others are as well.”

In Betrayal Of All That We Believed

Chapter One Hundred: In Betrayal Of All That We Believed
~BlackRoseRaven

This was the last place she had ever expected to be.

Sol Seraph calmly produced a cigarette and slipped it into her muzzle, looking moodily back and forth as she stood in her daughter's home. It was not what she had expected: it was clean and neat and orderly, with pretty pictures on the wall and not a single fleck of dirt underhoof.

It did not surprise her that her daughter would have made a fine maid. She had always been good at cleaning up after other people, at hiding the evidence of her failures and her foolishness. But it did surprise her that she would retain these things even with what she had become.

Sol Seraph stood like a statue in the sitting room,fan refusing to move from the corner of the room, where she could put her back against the wall and keep an eye on both entrances and the painted window. She scowled ever-so-slightly when Fluttershy reentered the room carrying a tray, and without hesitating, she flung a knife at her daughter's face.

Without so much as making the spoons on the tray rattle, Fluttershy easily slipped to the side, the knife burying into the wall behind her before she bowed her head: a gesture of both politeness and evasion, metal wire gleaming as the loop sliced uselessly over the Phooka's head before Sol Seraph snorted and yanked hard on the knife, catching it with a scowl. “Twenty-six minutes.”

“Thank you, Mother. I hope you still like your tea the same as you did when I was young.” Fluttershy said gently, and Sol Seraph studied her daughter coldly as Fluttershy carefully set the tray down and put the tea out with her perfect grace and poise.

“I should have sold you to the Order as a slave. You missed your true calling.” Sol Seraph said callously, but Fluttershy only smiled as she sat back on the couch.

Sol Seraph approached after a moment, the Voidborn studying the cup before she picked it up. She tilted it back and forth, then sniffed it for a moment before she rolled her unlit cigarette to the side of her mouth and took a sip.

“Two hundred and sixteen seconds. A mix of chamomile and lavender. It was homemade, small batch.” murmured Sol Seraph, before she snorted as she turned her eyes on her daughter, judging her coldly. “If you had paid half as much attention to your lessons as you did to slave-hoof work, you would have been adequate. Instead, you are a failure. You will always be nothing but a failure.”

Sol Seraph took another sip of the tea, and Fluttershy only smiled kindly, saying softly: “With all due respect, mother... somehow, I don't feel like a failure.”

Sol Seraph snorted in contempt, before she slammed the teacup down on the saucer. Her eyes flicked to the side moodily, but Fluttershy only smiled as she said softly: “Please excuse them, my children are very curious, and Avalon is very protective. Do you want to meet them? I would love to introduce you to my family... to your family. You are their grandmother, after all.”

Sol Seraph snorted, but her body shifted and tensed in surprise, her eyes widening maybe the slightest bit before she sneered and asked contemptibly: “And should I consider the rest of the animals you've bred and bred with family, Fluttershy?”

“We're all animals.” Fluttershy answered, and Sol Seraph scowled in distaste before the Phooka asked gently: “Children, do you think you could come in here and introduce yourselves properly?”

For a moment, there was only a nervous shifting, but then Tender Trust carefully stepped around the corner, bowing her head low as she murmured: “I apologize, okâwîmâw. I could not help myself. I was worried for you and I was... curious.”

“I know. It is in our blood to be curious.” Fluttershy said gently, before she smiled and added: “Sol Seraph will not harm you.”

“Not yet. But when our time is up, I will kill them all.” Sol Seraph said ruthlessly, before she turned towards Tender Trust, studying her intently before she ordered coldly: “Sit up. Raise your head. Look me in the eye.”

Tender Trust nervously sat and rose her head, squaring her shoulders, ensuring she was respectful but proud, and Sol Seraph leaned back and forth before she reached a hoof out and grasped Tender Trust by the muzzle, tilting her head to the side as she said meditatively: “Younger than I had thought. But more experienced, as well, although it does not seem to have done her much good. What is she trained in?”

“The skills I have passed on from you, I have shown her to use to protect others. My daughter and my student, Avalon, are both trained to protect and defend others. Not to kill. Never to kill, unless there is no alternative.” Fluttershy answered, and Sol Seraph smiled thinly.

“Weakness.” she said softly, and then she flexed her hoof, hidden blade springing loose from her bracer before she slowly guided this up to Tender Trust's throat.

But Tender Trust was fearless, looking up into her eyes calmly, and Fluttershy only sipped slowly at her tea as Sol Seraph narrowed her eyes, before she suddenly looked back at her daughter and barked: “Do you really think that this weakness is without consequence? That I won't kill this bitch-Phooka?”

“You would, I know. I know. But not right now. And I feel like, maybe, just maybe, I can convince the scorpion not to sting. Just once. Just this once.” Fluttershy answered with a small smile, before she slipped out of her seat and approached her mother.

Sol Seraph rounded on her with a snarl, but Fluttershy could swear it was fear in her eyes as she lashed out with the blade. Fluttershy let it pass harmlessly in front of her, then she weaved like liquid when Sol Seraph slashed out with her other foreleg as that blade sprang free as well.

Fluttershy danced through the strikes and slashes, never so much as scratched before she suddenly caught her mother's hooves to squeeze them silently, smiling at her faintly as Sol Seraph stared at her, before the Phooka gently released the Voidborn's hooves and asked quietly: “Don't you want to meet the rest of my family?”

Sol Seraph shifted, flexing her hooves slowly before she grimaced as the hidden blades retracted and she stepped back towards the safety of her dark corner. Her eyes flicked almost apprehensively towards the doorway as Fluttershy smiled, gesturing with a hoof towards the archway as she said something in that dirty animal language of the Phooka.

After a moment, three more Phooka emerged: stallions, she thought. She watched as they approached, two of them bowing low, the third lowering his head almost slightly as he kept his eyes on her, afraid of her, but a touch from Fluttershy reassured him, as she introduced: “This is my husband, Nirvana, and our sons, Virtue and Temperance. And... Avalon, I know you're here, too. Please be polite.”

A tiny Pegasus fluttered in, and Sol Seraph could smell the demon in her blood as she landed and glared up at her angrily. Sol Seraph looked back down at her contemptibly, and there was maybe the faintest sense of relief as she said coldly: “This one is a murderer.”

“I've killed. And I won't hesitate to kill. And Horses of Heaven, I'd love to kill you.” Avalon said coldly, her eyes glaring into Sol Seraph's, and the Voidborn gave a thin smile at the rage, the hate, the violence she saw there, before she frowned ever so slightly as Avalon gritted her teeth and her expression tightened, becoming almost... sad, as she whispered: “But I respect Fluttershy, and I know that violence will only lead to more violence. Because I'm not like you. I'm a killer, but I'm not a murderer.”

Sol Seraph was silent for a moment, and then she lunged suddenly forward, seizing Avalon by the neck and slamming her down on her back. Before the tiny Pegasus could react, there was a blade aimed at her eye, Sol Seraph leaning over her as she asked: “Do you all fail to understand that my daughter is a failure, and an animal? Of course the Phooka cannot. She is their broodmother, their bitch. But I would expect more from a Pegasus who has seen Hell.”

“The only Hell I've seen is what's in your eyes. And I think, for the first time in my life, I really, truly understand what Fluttershy was always trying to teach me.” Avalon whispered, before she gritted her teeth as she leaned up slightly, looking past the blade and into the eyes of the surprised Voidborn. “I am never going to become you.”

Sol Seraph scowled in disgust, before she narrowed her eyes dangerously as Fluttershy chided quietly: “We aren't enemies here, Avalon. And my mother has many good qualities. We disagree on many philosophies, but she is strong, fearless, and determined. She is just...”

“I do not need your admiration or your excuses, Fluttershy. I never have and I never will.” Sol Seraph said contemptibly, glaring over at her daughter, and then she stepped quickly off of Avalon and retreated to her corner, eyes glowing with fury that did a poor job of masking her confusion as she said quietly: “You are running low on time. You will not accomplish your goal. You will not stop me.”

“I do not intend to stop you.” Fluttershy said softly, before she smiled faintly as she shook her head slowly, striding past her family as she said quietly: “And I'm sorry to disagree with you, Mother, but... I already got what I wanted.”

Sol Seraph frowned, and Fluttershy smiled at her radiantly as she whispered: “We walked here, side-by-side together. We've had tea. We've talked, even if it has been... a little strange, maybe, for most mothers and daughters to share. For these precious few minutes, you have been a member of our family. And I feel like Daddy is here, too, with us. That he would be proud of us. Don't you?”

“Ardor did not exist in the Void. Do not speak of your father.” Sol Seraph whispered, but Fluttershy only smiled at her mother.

“I never knew him, but he must have been an amazing stallion. And I know that you must have loved him very dearly.” Fluttershy said quietly, before she turned and calmly went back to the table to grasp her mother's cup of tea. She brought it back to the Voidborn, who took it without looking at her daughter, eyes staring at the ground.

“Ardor was my weakness. That is all.” Sol Seraph said quietly, as she gazed down into the teacup for a few moments before she gave a short laugh. “A greater weakness than I had thought, considering he produced only you.”

But Fluttershy only smiled, asking after a moment: “Do you think it's possible, Mother, that things have been so difficult between us because I remind you of Father?”

Sol Seraph was silent, and then she snorted before she threw the teacup and saucer aside, dark-colored liquid splattering against the wall as she said coldly: “I suppose I shouldn't be surprised this is what you choose to waste your time with, and yet I am all the same.”

Fluttershy only chuckled quietly, however, saying softly: “And I can't begin to describe how glad I am that you are giving me this time with you.”

“Stop it.” Sol Seraph said sharply, her eyes flickering, her eyes shifting away as her hooves trembled, before she stiffened in shock as Fluttershy stepped forward and embraced her.

The mare breathed slowly in and out, her eyes shifting back and forth before she shoved the Phooka backward, then grabbed her by the throat, her eyes blazing. But Fluttershy only smiled at her, saying quietly even as the hooves crushed down against her neck: “I love you, Mother, and I won't fight you. Not again. Not anymore.”

“Why not? I'll kill you.” Sol Seraph whispered, sounding incredulous, but Fluttershy only shrugged with a quiet laugh.

“There are worse things. Far worse things.” she replied with a smile, before she said quietly: “Growing up with you, you were... you were like a goddess and this awful monster, all at once. But I think only now do I really finally understand you. You must have grown up in so much pain. You must have suffered in ways that no pony can imagine. It doesn't excuse what you did, but... understanding you helps me...”

Fluttershy searched for the words, before Sol Seraph seized her by the shoulders and spun her around, slamming her savagely to the ground. The floorboards cracked with the force of her impact, and yet Fluttershy gazed up, unfazed, at her Mother: her only gesture was to reassure her family that she was fine, not to intervene, as Sol Seraph leaned over her and said with the barest hint of a tremble in her voice: “You will never understand what I went through, and how it made me strong, Fluttershy. How it taught me that that concepts like compassion, mercy, love... they are all weakness.”

“What did you learn, Mother?” Fluttershy questioned, and Sol Seraph laughed shortly.

“That strength and power are all that matter in life. That to care, about anyone or anything, was a weakness that your enemies would exploit. That all relationships are based on power, on dominance and submission.” Sol Seraph's hooves trembled, as they slid out to Fluttershy's shoulders, almost clutching into her even as she kept her pinned beneath her body, whispering: “That the weak must be culled, and those who lack the will to fight and survive must be destroyed.”

Fluttershy looked up at her mother, and she asked: “Why did you kill Daddy?”

“Because he made me weak.” Sol Seraph answered without thinking, without hesitating, and then she lowered her head, her voice shaking with bitterness: “Because without him, I had no weaknesses. Because it silenced the voices in my head and my heart. Because it made it easier to kill. Or so I thought...”

Sol Seraph breathed slowly, then she looked down at her daughter, studying her for a few moment before she silently took the Phooka's face between her hooves, tilting her head back and forth, taking in every detail of her daughter's features.

Then she stepped slowly back, leaving Fluttershy on the floor in front of her, before she rose her eyes to Tender Trust and said quietly: “I am going to kill your mother, unless you stop me.”

“I will not. I am sorry, but I respect the word and rule of my okâwîmâw, first and foremost. It is her rule that we do not fight you, and so I shall not.” Tender Trust answered quietly, bowing her head with a faint smile. “I will not raise my hoof against you.”

Sol Seraph shook her head slowly before her eyes roved to Nirvana, but he only shook his head slowly, and the mare snorted in disgust before she said softly: “Weaklings. Animal filth. How your kind survived, I will never know.”

Nirvana only smiled, before Sol Seraph returned her eyes to Avalon, asking: “And you? I will kill them all. You have the power to stop me. Or at least you think you do. Will you stop me, then, or will you permit me to kill them?”

But Avalon only smiled faintly at this, shaking her head slowly before she looked fearlessly up at Sol Seraph. “I trust Fluttershy. I trust her decision.”

“Her sacrifice will be in vain. She will die, and then I will kill all of you.” Sol Seraph threatened, but that was all it was, a threat. Empty words, empty promises.

And yet Fluttershy only smiled at her, with compassion, with understanding, as she sat up and said softly: “None of us will fight you. None of us are going to hurt you. The world you lived in, the world that hurt you, that made you what you are today... that world is different now. And I wish with all my heart that you had been able to see and experience what I have: the power of love, the strength of compassion, how friends and family made me strong.

“I've also learned that two wrongs don't make a right. I want you to know that I regretted, every day, that I killed you when you were alive. I wish I had found another way, that I hadn't let fear rule me, that we had just... talked.” Fluttershy smiled faintly as she gazed into her mother's eyes, shaking her head slowly. “Because we've talked now, for the first time I can really think of, and... it's made all the difference in the world. Or at least, I feel like it has. I wish you could feel that... in fact, I want to give you the chance to experience that. I think... I know that Daddy must have believed in you, so I'm going to believe in you too.”

Fluttershy smiled at Sol Seraph, who stared strangely at her daughter, in uncomprehending confusion and heartache. “You're part of this family, too.”

Sol Seraph stared at Fluttershy for a few moments, and then she slowly rose a hoof, studying it with strange intensity. How many lives had she taken? They had all been nothing but prey to her, worthless animals that she had gladly ended the lives of, but this...

The mare looked up at her daughter for a few moments, and then she said quietly: “I am no housepet like you. I am not a beast to be domesticated like your family has made itself. I am a predator. I am a hunter.”

“There will always be a need for hunters, Mother. Even in these peaceful worlds. But maybe you can be a protector, maybe you can-”

“No. I am a killer. I am a destroyer. I am a predator, a... scorpion.” Sol Seraph said coldly, before she looked at Fluttershy, then suddenly drove one foreleg forward, her hidden blade springing free and driving deep into the Phooka's breast.

Tender Trust trembled, and Avalon shouted, but no one leapt forward as Fluttershy only silently looked at her mother, and Sol Seraph almost pleaded with her eyes, even as she mocked: “So you really are content to simply die? Or do you understand that you are too weak, that you are a failure, that you are-”

“Enough, Mother. Enough.” Fluttershy said quietly, and then she reached up and gently grasped the Voidborn's foreleg, smiling at her as she said softly: “The choice is yours. No one will stop you. I won't fight you.”

“Then you are a failure!” Sol Seraph shouted, twisting the blade slowly, and Fluttershy gritted her teeth, but didn't cry out, didn't plead for mercy, didn't beg her to stop... “Fight back! Fight me!”

Fluttershy smiled, and Sol Seraph stared into her daughter's eyes before Fluttershy said softly: “I won't. And you can't force me to. You can't stop me from loving you. You can't stop me from trying, this one last time, to fix you. To help you. To save you.”

Sol Seraph slowly lowered her head, and then she slowly withdrew the blade from her daughter's body. For a moment, she sat, silently studying the steaming wound, before she reached for a knife-

“If you do that, you'll remain Loki's pawn forever. And I know you don't want that, either. He's using you. He's using all of you.” Fluttershy said quietly, and Sol Seraph smiled faintly.

“Almost all of us are stupid enough to believe we are using him. But if we are manipulating him, it is because it serves his interests. Because it makes us easier to control.” Sol Seraph murmured, before she shook her head slowly and asked, almost desperately: “Is this your choice? Is this what you have become?”

“It is what I have always been.” Fluttershy answered, and Sol Seraph studied her silently before Fluttershy smiled faintly. “Please, Mother-”

“I am not your mother. I have never been your mother.” Sol Seraph murmured, but Fluttershy smiled at her, shaking her head slowly.

“No. That's wrong.” she said, and the Voidborn looked at her with a frown. “You made me strong. You taught me right from wrong. You gave me my life here. I think you loved me, in your own way.”

“You are naive. You have always been naive.” Sol Seraph whispered, before she looked silently down at the knife in her hoof, studying it for a few moments before she simply let it drop.

It clattered to the ground, and Fluttershy began to smile before her eyes widened slightly as Sol Seraph began to smolder. The Phooka began to step forward, but Sol Seraph held a hoof out, shaking her head as she said quietly: “Only the strongest survive in the Void. Those with wills of iron. My will is broken: I... I have no desire to kill you.”

She fell silent for a moment, then she gave a brief laugh as she lowered her head and murmured: “My existence was based around fighting, around killing... around nothing else. And for the briefest moment, you made me feel as if... I had missed something important in life. As if I had... failed, somewhere important. And I do not entirely understand why or how. I only know that for a moment, I felt... I felt an emotion I had not felt since Ardor.”

Sol Seraph rose her head, saying quietly: “I am beyond redemption. I do not care. Redemption is a petty reason to do anything. And I am... bitterly amused that perhaps the answer to taking away all of Loki's power is... this childish, simple idea, of 'fixing' us. We are all broken. That is our greatest weakness and our greatest strength. We are irrefutably broken.”

Sol Seraph quieted, then she turned and strode away, and Fluttershy stumbled after her mother, following her out as tears rolled down her cheeks, asking: “Isn't there anything I can do? Mother, I-”

“It is fine.” Sol Seraph said fearlessly, as energy steamed off her body, as she began to grow translucent as she stepped outside of the humble house and onto the dirt highway. She gazed over pretty farmland and towards the comfortably village in the distance, then allowed her eyes to rove upward, looking at the blue skies, for the first time seeing the world that she lived in, as she asked quietly: “Did all of this... always exist?”

“Yes, Mother. This is the world.” Fluttershy answered, as she strode up beside the Voidborn and rubbed her wrist across her eyes, before she gave a trembling smile as Sol Seraph frowned at her.

And then the Voidborn silently rose a hoof and stroked the Phooka's cheek, before she looked at the tears that clung to her, that glimmered on her hoof. She turned her hoof back and forth, studying the shining pearls from every angle, before she asked almost curiously: “Why are you crying?”

“Because I love you, and I feel like we just connected, for the first time.” Fluttershy said, and Sol Seraph looked at her, then she rose her hoof to her mouth, tasting her daughter's tears, before she gave the smallest, the briefest of smiles.

“I did love you.” Sol Seraph said, and then she paused for a moment before she added quietly: “You are your father's daughter. You are just like him. I am glad. I am glad that I failed to stomp that out of you. I am glad that you are stronger than I ever was.”

Sol Seraph halted, then she looked slowly up at the sun as her body began to crack, her spirit flowing out of her with every breath, but a relieved smile spreading across her face as she murmured: “Yes. This is the way it was always meant to be. I never imagined it would be like this, though...”

Sol Seraph smiled, then she looked over at her daughter as Fluttershy trembled, before the Phooka leaned over and hugged her tightly. And daughter held tightly on to her mother, until Sol Seraph was no more.

Sleipnir wandered through the Everfree Forest, drawn by that strange sensation of being called. Not by a voice, but by a presence, so familiar to him that it drew him forwards like an old friend crying out for help.

The enormous earth pony finally strode into an open field, and he smiled as he found a tall wooden puppet waiting for him, the effigy of Loki turning a painted grin towards him as he exclaimed: “So you came!”

“Yes, brother, of course!” Sleipnir said warmly, smiling at the puppet kindly. “'Tis too bad thou art not here in person, but all the same-”

“Hey, hey, hey, let's not get crazy now.” Loki said pointedly as he crossed his arms, wooden joints clicking and clacking as he swayed back and forth from heel-to-toe. “I'm not here to discuss anything, or to make friends, or any nonsense like that. I swear, Thor, haven't you learned a damn thing?”

“'Tis Sleipnir now, brother. Like Father's horse! Well, I suppose I am Father's horse now!” Sleipnir said jovially, and Loki shuddered at this as he hugged himself convulsively.

“Don't even joke, you're going to give me nightmares! Don't forget who Sleipnir's mama was, dumbass. And what that would mean. That's pretty gross, even for you.” Loki said mildly, and Sleipnir chuckled at this before Loki sighed and added softly: “And there you go, doing that thing you like to do again. Making it all about you, and worse, tricking me into laughing about it. You always were a bastard.”

“Aye, but it has been very difficult with thee, brother. Harder than thou might care to imagine.” Sleipnir replied with a smile, shaking his head slowly before he asked softly: “Will thou not reconsider this path? Is there nothing that I can do-”

“There is nothing that you can do. There's nothing that... anyone can do, at this point.” Loki responded in a gentle voice, before he sighed a little and let his puppet eyes rove upward, shaking his head briefly. “It's all a mess. I'll agree with you there. But I didn't want this, I really didn't. I was pushed into it, and well... there's no turning back now. It's too late for that.”

Sleipnir began to interrupt, but Loki shook his head, holding up a hand and repeating firmly: “It's too late. The die is cast and the games are being played and here it's all been set in motion. If you really want to help, Thorn, or Sleipnir, or Horse Face or whatever you want to call yourself now, then you'll come with me. Because that's really the only choice any of you have left: to give in quietly, or die fighting.”

“Well, I hope it does not disappoint thee too much, brother, but I am sure thou art aware I am a fool.” Sleipnir answered with a faint smile, and Loki sighed, then chuckled softly and nodded after a moment.

“Yes. Yes, you are. You always have been, Thor. That's why I always had to be there to take care of things for you, remember?” Loki replied with a wink, before the puppet clapped his hands together and added pleasantly: “We had a lot of good times, didn't we? Saw a lot of adventure, had a lot of fun, fought a lot of enemies. We were heroes! Or well, you were a hero. I know. I know, I'm trying not to be too bitter about it all, I promise.”

Sleipnir only smiled briefly, and Loki clicked his tongue before he shook his head and said softly: “Well, that's all behind us, anyway. We're in a brave new world now, one full of... colorful ponies struggling to fight death-defying odds.”

“They are very good at it as well, brother. I think thou would be quite impressed and delighted by it, and the stories they have to share. Thou wert always so fond of stories...” Sleipnir hesitated, then he asked in a gentle, tactful voice: “Art thou sure this is not what 'tis truly all about, my beloved brother? Stories, and thy whimsy and love for them?”

Loki chuckled quietly at this, before he asked in a falsely-injured voice: “What is that, brother? Trying to see the best in everyone but me?”

“Nay, 'tis precisely because I think the best of thee, I ask. For 'twas always one of thy greatest qualities, that thou wert such a storyteller, and so dedicated to the craft and finding the truth within even the most childish of stories... but it was thou who taught me that when a story is too difficult for the elders to bear, thou must write it for the children instead.” Sleipnir replied with a smile, and Loki smiled wryly at this.

“You always were a master of words.” Loki murmured, and then he shook his head slowly before he asked softly, with the faintest hint of bitterness to his words: “Do you think I want these prophecies to be true? Or that I seek justice or... morality and reason, in a children's fable? Tell me, dear brother. Tell me all about myself.”

But Sleipnir only smiled at his brother, and Loki chuckled before he shrugged and said finally: “Maybe you have a point. I'm not being a great conversationalist right now. But can you really blame me? I mean, you wouldn't believe the last few days, honestly. It's been a terrible mess. I mean, I'm not talking to you through a puppet because it's fun, you know.”

“It must at least be a little fun.” Sleipnir remarked, and Loki looked thoughtful before he shrugged again. “Why, if I could control a puppet...”

“Now, now, get your mind out of the gutter, because I know that's inevitably where it goes. No morning wood for you, young stallion.” Loki said seriously, and Sleipnir chuckled before the trickster gestured kindly outward with his puppet as he said pleasantly: “No, no. Before I was so rudely interrupted before, I actually had something else I wanted to say to you, you know. Because I was the brains, certainly, but I helped you with your brawn too, now didn't I?”

“Aye. And 'tis not something I have ever forgotten. Pray tell, Loki, for thy presence was hidden to me until I was close, but this other that I felt... is it indeed...”

“You boys and your toys. Not that I'm one to talk, being a boy who loves his toys himself.” Loki said mildly, patting his own chest a few times before he gave a slight smile. “It sure is, though. The one thing, however, old pal, is that you're going to have to try and earn those stripes again yourself. And I'm sure you remember how Dad felt about how you 'earned' things, right?”

Sleipnir only smiled indulgently, not so much as flinching even as the world shook as a massive hand tore out of the earth behind the puppet. Sleipnir's eyes flicked up ever-so-slightly, curious more than anything else, as the immense, iron-skinned biped lifted itself free from where it had hidden, Loki grinning and cracking his wooden fingers as the huge, horned-helmeted beast behind him straightened ominously.

“I don't know why people think we wear the helmets with the wings and the horns. All you macho men ever wanted to do was take your shirts off. And all I ever wanted to do was hide in my furs. I mean, corn on a cob, was it ever cold where we went!”

“Aye, even Asgard could be very cold at times, could it not?” Sleipnir agreed, and Loki grunted and nodded in agreement before Sleipnir let his eyes rove over the Iron Giant before him before he gave a slight smile, unable to deny the way his gaze roved towards the simple, block-headed hammer that had been strapped in to one gauntlet, secured by chains and ribbons and magical power to a metal fist that had been welded shut around it.

“'Tis good to see thee, old friend. What, art thou going to start an argument already?” Sleipnir joked jovially, before he stomped a hoof and grinned wryly. “Well, we always were good at arguing, were we not? Mjolnir, 'tis good to see thou hast not changed at all since last we met... but aye, what could make a stubborn rock like thou ever change thy ways?”

The hammer reverberated faintly, and the Loki puppet chuckled before he said mildly: “I see that you haven't lost your touch. Good. But let's see how that new body of yours handles a foe from the past: I'm sure you remember what these golems were used for, yes?”

“I do, brother. As I remember how they were made and how they betrayed us.” Sleipnir answered politely, before he drew his eyes up to the featureless face of the Iron Giant, gazing into the depths of darkness beneath its horned helm as he said calmly: “I seek no quarrel with thee. And if we must fight anyway, then I wish thee good fortune and godspeed, friend! But I do fear thou hast something of mine I would dearly like back...”

The Iron Giant looked down at the hammer grafted into its clenched gauntlet, and then it rumbled before it stretched this out towards Sleipnir over the Loki puppet, who scowled as Sleipnir brightened and began to reach up-

The Iron Giant smashed Sleipnir across the face with the hammer, sending him rocketing backward, and the Loki puppet cackled loudly, holding his sides as he swayed backwards before he squeaked when he was slapped viciously aside by the other hand of the Iron Giant.

“I didn't deserve that.” Loki whined from the sidelines, and then the puppet brushed at himself before he sat up, just in time to watch as Sleipnir leapt back towards the Iron Giant, and was firmly slapped to the ground like a child, the trickster snorting in amusement as he called helpfully: “Hey, try not to lead with your face!”

“I am trying not to, but 'tis very difficult, as my face happens to be ahead of the rest of my body.” Sleipnir said almost apologetically as he picked himself up, eyeing the enormous golem for a moment as it squared its shoulders and set itself. He measured it quickly: it was faster than he had expected, and now that it wasn't just looming over him, he could see it was built narrower, too, with its armor designed to form natural, dangerous edges and ridges that would make it difficult to strike and impossible to grapple.

The claw that was welded shut around the hammer was a little too small for the rest of its frame, but the perfect size for the weapon; conversely, its other hand was oversized, a heavy, spiky gauntlet that had already done more damage to the stallion than he wanted to admit.

The Iron Giant gestured at him, and Sleipnir smiled wryly before he dashed suddenly forward, but the Iron Giant was ready for him, slamming Mjolnir down with a snarl. Sleipnir barely managed to twist to the side, narrowly avoiding being caught by the attack before he leapt forward-

The Iron Giant yanked Mjolnir upward, striking Sleipnir with the backswing and knocking him into the air, before the earth pony gasped in pain as a vicious punch smashed him down back-first into the ground,. He barely managed to get his front hooves between himself and the giant's punch, grinning wryly as he slowly pressed back against the huge metal fist bearing slowly down against him. “Thou art far fiercer than I had expected, friend! 'Tis more of a pleasure than I should be willing to admit to face thee!”

The Iron Giant responded by raising Mjolnir high, but Sleipnir only grinned before he suddenly slammed both rear legs up into the wrist of the behemoth, knocking its hand loose and letting him quickly roll backwards, narrowly avoiding being pounded into the earth by the hammer. He quickly shot to the side, just managing to duck when the hammer swung at him again before he skidded to a stop and flung himself at the back of the Iron Giant's leg, slamming a hoof into it and knocking the metal warrior to a kneel.

The Iron Giant narrowly caught itself on its hands, then it roared as it slammed both its fist and Mjolnir into the ground, the earth rupturing around the kneeling beast and making Sleipnir stagger. The stallion didn't react in time to avoid a swing of the Iron Giant's arm, squawking as he was knocked crashing backwards before his eyes widened as the Iron Giant thrusted Mjolnir towards the sky.

Thunder crackled through the cloudless air above, before there was a mighty, powerful boom, and a pulse of static tore through the air towards Sleipnir. But the earth pony narrowly managed to roll out of the way, grinning wryly as he called: “I see thou hast not lost any of thy might, old friend!”

The Iron Giant shoved itself up off the ground, flinging himself through the air towards Sleipnir as it drew the hammer back, but Sleipnir only watched for a moment before he suddenly leapt straight up, the hammer just scratching across his breastplate before one of his front hooves slammed into the face of the Iron Giant, knocking its head before the enormous earth pony seized it around the neck and yanked it out of the air to slam it savagely down on its back.

The earth shook with the force of impact before the Iron Giant seized Sleipnir and flung him backwards: the earth pony attempted to catch himself, but then a swing of the hammer smashed into him, knocking him crashing head-over-heels as Loki called loudly: “We just had that talk about not leading with your face, remember?”

Sleipnir rolled to a halt with a groan, and then he smiled wryly before he rubbed slowly at his bloody head, opening and closing his mouth testingly. His cheekbone was broken, his eye swollen, his nose and mouth bloody, and yet he only chuckled before he remarked: “Aye, so I do recall, brother. But I fear perhaps I have gotten too used to always having a friend by my side, to cover me when I am foolish. I have never been very good alone.”

“Well, I suppose some things never change.” Loki remarked, before he sighed and added, as the Iron Giant lumbered towards the earth pony: “Please tell me you aren't really going to make me save your ass, though.”

“Oh, nay, I have him just where I want him!” Sleipnir exclaimed cheerfully, before he glanced up dumbly as the Iron Giant lunged suddenly and swung his hammer down, Mjolnir crashing down on Sleipnir's head with a sickening crack.

The Loki puppet flinched ever-so-slightly as Sleipnir twitched for a moment, then smiled wryly even as a few broken vines fell around his head, a bit of blood rolling down from the crack in his skull as he said softly: “Aye, I have him right where I want him.”

Sleipnir's forelegs wrapped tightly around the Iron Giant's wrist before he twisted savagely, metal squealing and cracking loudly before the Iron Giant roared in surprise and pain as Sleipnir yanked backwards as he leapt away, ripping the fused hand and hammer completely free from the Iron Giant's arm.

The behemoth staggered backwards in surprise, debris and slivers of metal flaing away from the wound as Sleipnir landed with a grin, his eyes blazing, torn ribbon and broken chain and steel falling away as the stallion held his mighty hammer out to the side in one hoof, declaring: “Aye, now that is a feeling I had all but forgotten! How does it feel, old friend?”

Mjolnir sparked in Sleipnir's grip, and the stallion smiled before he grinned when the Iron Giant suddenly lunged at him: with ease, he swung his massive hammer out, smashing apart the metal claw that reached for him in a single blow before he spun around and slammed both rear hooves into the groin of the steel warrior, knocking it crashing backwards with a tremendous bang.

Sleipnir laughed loudly as he leapt forward, swinging his hammer down into the breast of the handless goliath before it could shove itself up to knock it flat on its back before he landed on it with a thump. He stood on it for a moment, posed proudly on three legs with his heavy hammer against his shoulder, rawhide handle comfortable and wonderfully familiar in his grip as he smiled at his vanquished foe, before he suddenly turned towards Loki and asked: “Tell me, brother: is there room for mercy? I remember these creatures well. 'Twas our failings that made them what they were, not any fault of their own. Even if 'tis only a construct, still, I would spare it.”

“Same old Thor.” Loki said softly, before he smiled slightly and said quietly: “Kindness isn't strength.”

The Loki puppet thrummed, and a moment later, Sleipnir was blown off his hooves as the Iron Giant beneath him simply exploded in a torrent of flame and shrapnel, knocking the earth pony crashing backward with a gasp of pain. He landed on his back, blinking blearily, staring at the sky in betrayed confusion, and Loki chuckled quietly before his puppet calmly climbed up to its feet and walked slowly over to gaze down at Sleipnir with a mix of sympathy and disappointment. “Little Thor, little Thor. When you were a child, you were so angry. Weren't you? Dad had to send you away, as a matter of fact. And when you came back, you were so very proud, so very prideful. But between me and what happened in Jötunnheim...”

“Mistakes were made, Loki. And they are mistakes... I shan't make again.” Sleipnir answered as some of the sense returned to his eyes, the stallion straightening slightly as he clutched his hammer tight, breathing slowly in and out as he looked up at the puppet, and the puppet gazed coldly down at him. “Tell me, brother. Was this thy plan all along?”

“You hurt me, Thor! And you think too much of yourself. No, if I wanted to bring you to the Void, I know that all I'd have to do is ask. I just wanted to make a point.” Loki responded calmly as he gestured towards the earth pony, saying quietly: “Freya gets it. Brynhild certainly gets it. I need you to get it too, you see. That if you stand against me, well... I won't hesitate to do whatever has to be done to deal with you. Do I make myself clear?”

Sleipnir smiled faintly, then he shook his head slowly before he murmured: “Aye. But 'twas clear enough from the start, brother. I truly do wish it did not have to be this way, though: I do not desire to fight thee-”

“Well, we can't always get what we want, Thor. Sometimes all we can do is make the best of what we have.” Loki said gently, before the puppet reached down and gently tapped Sleipnir's nose, saying softly: “Chin up. When this is all said and done, you'll thank me, you'll see. There'll be no hard feelings.”

“There are none now, brother. For thou art my brother, though and through, and I only hope... thou knows what thou art doing.” Sleipnir smiled faintly, and then he chuckled quietly before he held up his hammer, adding gently: “Thou hast my thanks, at least, for returning this to me. Thou always hast been too kind to me.”

Loki only shrugged, before the puppet made a brief little gesture, and vanished, leaving Sleipnir alone with his thoughts as he cradled his hammer against his breast, closing his eyes as he listened to the voice of his friend and reflected how, in spite of everything, he wouldn't change the life he'd lived for the world.

It Started With A Song

Chapter One Hundred And One: It Started With A Song
~BlackRoseRaven

The enemy forces had been neutralized, their wounded had been taken care of, and Freya was now ready to begin the ritual. Thorn thought it was all a little too easy: he felt particularly apprehensive about the fact that he had detected Aetherhaunts, and yet they hadn't fought a single one. He could explain away plenty of other things, but the fact that such dangerous enemies had been present and yet they hadn't shown up...

It was possible that Loki hadn't recognized that as the Aetherhaunts were drawn to presences of energy, they could have easily gotten lost in a place like the Everfree Forest, which was full of life and strange magic. Still, the thought that there would be more appealing targets than them was ridiculous, not to mention the fact that it was highly-unlikely Loki wasn't controlling the dangerous creatures to a point to ensure they didn't harass his own forces.

There was no telling what had happened to Sleipnir or Fluttershy, but since the others didn't seem too worried, Thorn tried not to be overly concerned. He thought that perhaps Freya was being a little too eager... but my mission is to support and provide security, not advise. And I'm sure Hecate is well-aware of Freya's behaviors by now.

Thorn gave a slight smile to himself at this, before he glanced moodily over at Antares when the stallion said cheerfully: “I totally agree. It's like a wedding! Or a funeral, you know, if we screw up. Both are parties, though. So that's cool.”

The sapphire stallion looked dryly at Antares, who grinned widely as he waggled his eyebrows, before he winced when Scarlet Sage smacked the back of his head and said flatly: “Don't be a jerk. This is important. And you know that Freya-”

“For once, I don't think she actually has any kind of crazy secret objective. I think she really just wants her Bob back.” Antares said with a brief smile, and Thorn cocked an eyebrow as Scarlet Sage frowned slightly, but Antares only grinned wryly. “Hey, not everyone is like you two. You know. Horrible. Schemers, both of you. Well, Thorn obviously is, he's like the bad guy from bad guy world. Scar, you're more... 'I want my way or I'll blow your head up.'”

“I did that like once!” Scarlet said in an exasperated voice, before she glowered at the stallion and added grumpily: “And you weren't even alive back then.”

“Yeah, well, it's a great story.” Antares defended, before he pointedly shouldered Innocence a few times, who looked up with a huff from glowering at Thorn. “Anyway, she is all about passion, and-”

“And she can hear you all gossiping about her like children, and she wants to get this under way before that cocoon breaks open!” Freya snapped with a sharp gesture of her head towards the cube of corruption where Cancer was helplessly suspended.

Thorn calmly shifted into position as his siblings spread slightly out, and around the field, other ponies moved into place: only a few had retreated to the sidelines due to their wounds, and even they still looked ready to help if it was possible at all: Thorn was admittedly impressed by the dedication and valor of these ponies. They reminded him of the Orphans, and all the things that made him proud to be part of Decretum.

Freya grumbled under her breath as she looked back and forth, eyeing the state the field was in: some of the protective wards had been disrupted and destroyed, and the Husks had polluted the area with Void energy from their presence alone. Atavus was shifting nervously back and forth, his eyes darting to and fro like he expected something to leap out and attack them, although to his credit, he had remained fairly calm while they had been stuck inside the barrier.

The inner circle around Discombobulation hadn't been heavily disturbed, which was a small blessing. And while the statue itself had shifted subtly, she thought that was more a trick of chaos than anything else.

Freya paused, then she smiled slightly as she glanced over at Atavus, reassuring gently: “Don't worry. I'm not entirely sure this will work. In fact, I'm almost sure it won't.”

“A small relief, to be sure!” Atavus said worriedly, nervously twining his hands together. “But you're not entirely not sure, are you?”

“None of that, Atavus. We aren't going to cheat this.” Freya said firmly, and the Primordial lowered his head with an awkward smile before the mare turned her eyes back towards the statue, studying it for a moment before she nodded once as she heard the silent whisper of readiness from the Draconequus. “Alright.”

Freya straightened and squared her shoulders, taking a calming breath before she rose her head and shouted: “Alright! All of you, listen up! Focus your energies towards me, lend me your magic and your strength! And all of you who remember Discombobulation, keep him firmly in your minds, focus on your very best memories of him!”

“My best or my favorite? Because those are two very different things.” Antares said pointedly, and there were a few laughs at this as Freya gave a wry smile.

“Your strongest.” she amended after a moment, nodding once before she chuckled quietly, then turned her eyes back to the statue with a grin. “You're lucky Discombobulation was always fond of a laugh or two, Antares. Otherwise I'd have to spank you for not focusing, boy. But we have a job to do, and we can all laugh happily ever after once we're done, hear?”

Antares nodded firmly, and when he became serious, Thorn noted that the rest of the group followed suit: not just his siblings, but every other pony and being here. The sapphire stallion also noted that even if Antares pretended not to notice, he all the same spoke loudly enough so the entire field could hear as he said: “Alright Sin, stop lazing. Let's focus here.”

“You're lazy!” Innocence snapped, and then she grumbled before she shook herself quickly and rose her head proudly, adding: “And I can focus more magic than anyone present all by myself!”

“At the moment, you seem to be channeling roughly one hundred and twenty thousand bæns, which is exceptional but still much lower than the mutual capabilities of all present. Furthermore, you're wasting almost ten thousand bæns of energy, greatly reducing the effectiveness of your magic and inhibiting your abilities.”

Innocence scowled horribly at Thorn, before Freya said irritably: “That's enough of all that, children. We have more important things to focus on, do we not?”

Thorn bowed his head politely in apology, and Freya turned her eye back to the statue as her horn lit up, saying calmly: “Atavus. I need you to act as the lens. Place your hands upon my friend's shoulders, listen to his words, and you'll be just fine.”

Atavus shifted uncomfortably, and then he bit his lip before he nodded as he nervously made his way forward, reaching hesitantly out to grasp into the statue's shoulders before his eyes widened in surprise as he whispered: “It's warm. He's warm!”

“Yes, he always was. A gentle soul, a good soul, to even me out.” Freya said, allowing her mouth to quirk in a brief smile before she took a slow breath as the glow around her horn intensified, a bubble of magic slowly beginning to gather, formed from the fused wishes, warmth, and energy of all present.

She breathed slowly, handling her magic with gentility and care, letting her features soften, her heart fill with memories and love. She let it fill every fiber of her being, pushing down her brutal instincts as she smiled and closed her eyes, her back arching slightly, almost feeling his touch, tasting his breath, remembering, remembering, and looking forward to...

Yes, she remembered, and she hoped; she saw in memory, and she believed in the future. She had faith, but never surety, because if you were ever completely sure of anything with chaos...

But oh, she would never be sure of anything with him, and that was the wonder of it: would they wake up beside each other, or even in the same room they had gone to sleep in? Would he make her laugh or smile or angry, angry in that way where she was never really mad? Would she kiss him or grasp him or push him or hold him down; would he blush or fumble or struggle...

Would he still love her?

She didn't know, but she had hope.

Atavus shifted nervously backward, biting his lip as he squeezed into the stone shoulders of the Draconequus, staring in awe at the bubble of... of trust, of hope, of friendship and love that floated above Freya's horn. It rippled and thrummed, pulsating with all the colors of the rainbow, filled with a magic that awed the Primordial.

Freya grinned, her crystalline eye glowing beneath her eyepatch as she did everything she could to shape and control the immense flow of magic. “Unity, harmony... whatever you call it, it always reminds me why Odin saw such potential in you little horses! Alright, Atavus, hold very still, or else this stuff of grace might snuff out your chaos, and that is the last thing we want!”

Atavus squawked at this, clutching into the statue with a wince as he pushed himself awkwardly closer to the petrified Draconequus, and Freya snorted in entertainment as she reassured gently: “Just a little bit longer. One great push...”

Freya leaned forward, using Atavus like a lens, the bubbling sphere of energy suddenly condensing before it slammed into his back and made the Primordial go rigid, squeaking as he clutched tighter into the statue in front of him as power surged across and through his body.

He spasmed, but he was unable to let go of the statue and unable to pull out of the way, gasping breaths in and out as that single moment seemed to last forever, his body feeling simultaneously like it was full of fire and trapped in ice. And then, as suddenly as it had all begun, it was over, and the Primordial collapsed forward in a smoking, smoldering heap as the statue crumbled away to dust beneath him.

He lay in the ashes and the cement dust, blinking weakly a few times, body smoking faintly before he rolled slowly over and stared up at Freya. His head rang with a thousand emotions and his whole body shook with pain and he was barely able to see, giving a creaky smile up at the Valkyrie before he asked in a rasp: “Can we do it again?”

Freya looked down at the dusty, ash-speckled creature for a few moments in silence as shocked whispers and gasps filled the air around her, and then she pursed her lips for a moment before she said softly: “That's in very poor taste, you know.”

“I have to taste poor. I hate to think of how quickly you might gobble me up if I tasted good, after all.” came a soft voice from right behind her, and Freya smiled as more gasps filled the air. But she didn't look back, oh no: not yet, not yet, as she instead gently pressed her back against the Draconequus behind her, feeling the ridges of his black-scaled back, feeling that shark-like fin and thin membrane of the other frill on his opposite shoulderblade.

He pressed back against her, long, crimson tail sliding sinuously with hers, giraffe-leg hoof settling against the ground as the other strong claw squeezed lightly against the earth. She could feel as he moved his long, red-furred arm, the flex of his dexterous, dark-skinned fingers, as he murmured: “Well. Too bad I'm still a little shorthanded. But you know, I've heard Ash is back in style.”

“Well, you know I've always liked the hard wood.” Freya answered glibly, before she tilted her head back and asked softly: “So, the bedroom now or later? But then again, we are all animals, and animals have never been shy about sating their urges in public.”

“This animal is.” Discombobulation said dryly, and Freya smiled wider before the Draconequus tilted his head back, his mismatched horns gently pushing against the back of her head: smooth ram's horn, pointed dragon's horn lightly pushing into the back of her mane.

They sat together like that, for the longest time, in peace and harmony as the crowd gazed at them, before Antares suddenly shouted: “Now kiss!”

“That boy ain't right.” Discombobulation said dryly, but Freya only smiled as she turned calmly around, gazing at the stiff black mohawk of the dragon-headed Draconequus before she finally reached up and gently grasped his shoulder, pulling him slowly around in a circle to finally, once more, look upon the face of the male she loved.

She gazed up at his handsome features, into those wonderful, emotional eyes: black and soulful, with sharp white pupils that gazed right into her soul. She slid her hooves up to gently squeeze either side of his face, studying him silently and intently before she smiled when he reached his hand up to gently grasped the key hanging from her ear, asking quietly: “Does it still work?”

“That's more of a question for you than for me.” replied the mare calmly, before she chuckled quietly when he released the key to gently slide a finger along her throat, then lightly tilt her head upward.

They looked into one-another's eyes, leaning closer, before their lips finally met and they kissed: chaste, then passionate, then drawing back slightly to be gentle again. And finally, they parted, as Freya smiled softly and Discombobulation chuckled quietly, murmuring: “I felt you were sure for a moment. You know that you should never be too sure of anything when it comes to chaos, don't you?”

Freya only smiled in amusement, however, shrugging easily before she answered softly: “With you, I never seem to have to worry as much about anything. I can be sure of things, because I know I'll never be disappointed.”

Discombobulation smiled wryly at this, before he paused, then slowly leaned to the side, peering at Atavus, who stared back at him from the ground before he blurted: “Hi!”

“Hello.” Discombobulation paused, then he leaned back and added, as he looked awkwardly around the field at all the familiar faces: “And hello to all of you, too. I didn't mean to ignore you all, of course. Well. Most of you. Some of you I'm sure I could do without. After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

“That's pretty lame, even for you.” Antares said cheerfully, before Thorn winced as the stallion grabbed him and almost shoved him forward, asking: “Do you know about this guy, right here?”

“Yes, I know all about him. My metaphors might be a little rusty because my twitter wasn't updating while the rest of me was frozen, but I do know roughly everything that was going on. Dear Freya has kept me quite informed of what's been happening in the world, too. And that certainly helped, too. Although I suspect not everything she told me was completely true.”

Freya smiled in amusement despite herself, smacking the Draconequus' shoulder gently before she rested her head against him, murmuring: “It was all true enough, I'll have you know. Or at least true enough to me.”

Discombobulation nodded thoughtfully at this, before he turned his eyes curiously towards Thorn as the stallion approached, bowing his head politely. “Discombobulation, my name is Thorn Blackfeather, and I am-”

“Far too serious, boy. You can sit back and wait your turn. Everyone else, let's head back to Ponyville, I heard that the silly twins have prepared a welcome-home party for us.” Freya interrupted, glaring pointedly at Thorn before she winked over at Discombobulation. “Perhaps we'll even attend once I'm done properly welcoming you home.”

Discombobulation gave an awkward laugh at this, leaning away as he cleared his throat loudly, and Freya smiled, because in spite of everything that was wrong with the universe, everything around her was right.

Discombobulation absently flexed his new prosthetic arm: it was smaller than his old one, and didn't fit quite as perfectly, because he was a little different; just a little. But the characters always looked a little different in the sequels anyway, so he understood that: everyone wanted to leave their own mark on the world.

His eyes roved slowly around the strange structure he had been brought to after the festivities, the gifts, the get-together he already cared to forget about. It was hard to feel you deserved a 'welcome back' party when you'd never really gone anywhere, after all. And he had a lot to think about. In spite of his dapper personality and roguish charm, he wasn't at all very sure of half the things he said or did: he just happened to be very good at pretending he was, and he'd learned by now just how far in life that could take you. And in death, too, he supposed, since he'd been here but not really alive, although... well, yes, perhaps dead was being a little attention-seeking.

He watched Thorn Blackfeather intently as the stallion approached him, and then he smiled as he put his hands out, a pack of cards in one hand and a box of chips in the other, as he asked curiously: “Do you play?”

“No.” Thorn said, completely unsurprising him as he sat down at the table. He set down a clipboard and jotted a few things on it, before he said quietly: “You came here of your own volition. I don't feel that the base Decretum had established in Ponyville in place of the defunct 'Clockworks' labs was much of a matter of conversation, however.”

“You would be surprised what people talk about. Not literally, of course, perhaps not even figuratively. But they talk about it very loudly and clearly all the same. I suppose you know all about that, though, the whole talking-without-talking, schemes-within-schemes. You are from Outer Heaven, after all.” Discombobulation replied politely, and Thorn gave a wry smile.

“The Clockwork Empire is an organization that specializes in providing military services and protection for those who cannot handle themselves. Ultimately we are nonprofit: we always take payment, but we provide even for those who are unable to render adequate compensation. Our ultimate goal is the protection of all worlds in this universe.” Thorn said politely, and Discombobulation chuckled at this before he put the cards and chips aside, then laced his fingers together as a pair of handcuffs appeared on his wrists, looking innocently up at Thorn.

“And I suppose you think I'm one of those dangers? Or worse, am I supposed to be the bait, just like poor Jim Gordon?” Discombobulation paused, then he clicked his tongue and grumbled: “Nothing's coming out quite right quite yet. It's very annoying. I need to find my rhythm, my groove again.”

Thorn was silent as he made notes on the clipboard in front of him, before he didn't so much as twitch when the doors behind Discombobulation were thrown up and Freya came storming in with Antares and Innocence behind her, the Valkyrie shouting: “And who gave you permission to steal my trophy from my bed?”

“Most people wouldn't like being referred to as a... okay, I am shutting up now.” Discombobulation said awkwardly, giving a lame smile as he carefully shrank down, before he winced when Freya slammed a hoof down on the chain between his handcuffs, making him stare as she leaned over him pointedly.

“It's a sweet thought, but we'll have the time for games later.” she said almost kindly, and Discombobulation gave an awkward little laugh before the Valkyrie returned her glare to Thorn, mood whirling back to fury in an instant. “And don't think I didn't notice that you slipped away from the festivities yourself, boy. To work, it seems like.”

“I needed to file a report and run a scan on the local area. I'm still detecting Aetherhaunts. The machinery here allows me to perform more accurate and complex scans, as well.” Thorn explained, and Freya only grunted at him noncommittally as she stroked slowly along Discombobulation's prosthetic limb, looming both protectively and possessively over him.

Freya began to open her mouth, but thankfully she was cut off by Antares asking, with a surprising and welcome level of professionalism: “Did you find out anything about the Aetherhaunts? Why would they be here?”

“There are several possibilities, none of which are very welcome, especially considering that I have also discovered a disturbing degree of thinness to reality in the area around Ponyville.” Thorn said bluntly, and Antares scowled at this as Innocence tilted her head uneasily.

“Well, I mean... yeah. With all the weird stuff that's happened here, I guess it's no surprise that reality is 'thin' around Ponyville...” Innocence said slowly, as Freya leaned moodily back and Antares lowered his head in thought. “Plus all these Void disturbances... I can't imagine that's exactly been very good for... you know, all of reality.”

“It hasn't.” Thorn said, before he abruptly changed the topic, asking: “What do you plan to do with Atavus? As a Primordial, he may attract Loki or his own kind.”

“We'll deal with that when and if it comes to that. Otherwise, I will honor my promise. I am many things, Thorn, but oathbreaker is not one of them. Not usually, at least.” Freya said mildly, and Thorn nodded after a moment as he made a fee notes on his clipboard. “And I suppose you want to take the destruction entity, don't you?”

“Yes. We have the facilities to contain him safely. You don't.” Thorn answered logically, and Freya gave him a dry look as Antares shrugged amiably and Innocence glowered.

Discombobulation shivered a little, raising his handcuffed hands and waving them hurriedly, muttering: “Yes, let's all sit around arguing about who gets to keep the garbage. It's like all of you have forgotten that nasty creature is biological waste, not cookies and cream. I'd forgotten how weird you all are while I was dead. I'd like to go back to being dead now, please, and pleasantly unaware of everything but sweet nothings.”

Freya rolled her eyes and smacked the back of the the Draconequus' head, making him wince, before she finally sighed and nodded, grumbling: “Aye. He's right enough. Take the trash, Thorn Blackfeather. You can leave now, boy, you're not wanted here anymore.”

“I still have several tasks to complete yet.” Thorn answered politely, and Freya grumbled before the sapphire stallion returned his eyes to Discombobulation, asking: “What do you remember? It seems like you were aware of many of the events that occurred while you were in stasis.”

Discombobulation shrugged, then he chewed thoughtfully at his lip as he simply pulled the handcuffs apart like they were made of cloth, rolling the remnants together into a ball that he idly began to play with between his hands. “It's hard to say. My kind have always been very attuned to the universes here and there and everywhere, but I was more than petrified: I was neutralized. Baby was put in a corner.”

The Draconequus paused, then he said meditatively: “And you know, being chaos and all, I have to sort the real from the not real. It's almost as bad as being a writer! When you live and breathe and dream of lies, all the truths of the world become oh so hard to comprehend...”

Discombobulation paused and clicked his tongue, then he sat back as he held up the ball in one hand: what had once been a set of handcuffs was now a silver skull, except when he offered it to Thorn, the sapphire stallion's optic sensor immediately identified the major chemical composition as C12H22O11.

He took it, then calmly bit into it as Antares and Innocence both stared, and Discombobulation gave a slight smile as he said wryly: “You know, that's art you're eating.”

“Impressive. This is real, almost manna.” Thorn said meditatively as he tilted the half-eaten sugar skull back and forth.

Discombobulation only produced a fan and hid behind it with a childish giggle, before he replied in an awful falsetto: “Oh my stars, it's nothing really! Chaos magic is just much easier to manipulate than your big, strong pony magic!”

“True. Chaos energies allow for much easier interaction with physical effects. Conversely, that's why Draconequus and other chaos entities are often fragile: their bodies tend to amplify kinetic excitement.” Thorn said, and Discombobulation slowly narrowed his eyes as he peered suspiciously over the fan. “Conversely, an object created by chaos carries a residual chaos energy within it, and thus is more susceptible to polymorphic affect.”

Thorn's horn pulsed, and the half-eaten sugar skull transformed in his grip into a half-eaten apple, the others staring at this before Thorn easily tossed it to Discombobulation, who scowled as he flicked the fan closed in one hand and caught the apple in the other. He sniffed it distrustfully, then carefully nibbled at it before muttering: “I'm not that eager to go back to my glass coffin, Maleficent.”

“I was only able to change it slightly. It's still mainly sugar.” Thorn admitted, and Discombobulation looked a little more relieved before he winced when Innocence snatched it away with a grumble, scowling as she began to wildly squeeze all over the half-eaten apple with her claws.

Thorn ignored her as Freya rolled her eye, then she asked impatiently: “When do you plan to leave, boy? I imagine you can't be away from your Mother-Mistress for very long.”

“I have many obligations to attend to in Endworld, yes. But for now, my duties here are more important, and I plan to see them fully through. I don't want to leave until I've determined what the Aetherhaunt activity is. I was originally slated for only a 48-hour period, but I am sure Empress Hecate will be willing to extend my-”

“Thorn, listen to me.” Freya said, suddenly gentle, and Thorn blinked before the Valkyrie smiled as she leaned forwards over Discombobulation, half-embracing him as she murmured: “I am very grateful to you for what you have done for me, but I will be less pleased with both you and myself if you ruin yourself on my account. You hide it well, boy, but you're still a boy: as much experience as you might have dealing with pain... I see you're still very clearly suffering.”

Thorn smiled briefly, silently reaching up to touch his prosthetic eye for a moment before he said softly: “I will suffer more if I leave a job unfinished.”

“Men.” Freya sighed and rolled her eye, but then she nodded grudgingly, muttering: “But there are worser qualities, I suppose. My brother is back, too, if you want to speak to him. Perhaps he can help you find what you are looking for. His senses are simpler and yet better than mine, some days.”

“Most days.” Antares corrected, before he squawked when Freya elbowed him, staggering and pinwheeling his forelegs before he huffed and rubbed awkwardly at his shoulder. But after a moment, he became more serious, asking quietly: “Do you want me to go take a look outside? Still light enough out that, you know, I wouldn't even need an adult to hold my hoof.”

He gave a big smile, his big, stupid smile, and for a few moments Thorn only gazed silently at Antares before he said abruptly: “I'm glad you're my brother.”

Innocence and Antares both stared – gaped, perhaps, was a better word for it, Thorn reflected – before the sapphire stallion glanced down at the clipboard in front of him and answered: “No. First I want the machinery to finish the area scans and analysis. Muse, Necrophage, and Silver are all resting, and we've earned a victory today. It should be spent celebrating.”

“I'm very happy to not celebrate, you know. This is good. This is fine.” Discombobulation said awkwardly, before he winced when Freya grinned and dragged him backwards, knocking the chair over as she easily forced him up to his feet, before he squawked when he was tossed over her back.

“Well then, Brynhild-son, before you change your mind I'll be off with my conquest. I'm sure you can manage fine on your own for a night.” Freya said comfortably as she strode towards the exit, and Thorn only smiled wryly as he watched her leave, before he shook his head and glanced mildly towards Antares and Innocence.

Antares rolled his eyes, then he said dryly: “Five bits says Freya will be back here in a few hours. Mares! So moody. No wonder you're gay.”

“I believe in the Hedon philosophy of sexual orientation, in that it doesn't truly exist in evolved creatures: rather, prejudice and pleasure do. There is no 'hetero-' or 'homo-' attraction, but instead only partners who are attractive for either the advancement of the species or desired as objects of physical pleasure.” Thorn answered, and Antares stared as Innocence slowly looked up at him.

“You're weird.” Antares finally said, before he scowled and asked: “What the hell does that make your coltfriend, then?”

“I care about Moonflower very deeply. A lack of desire to give myself an empty label does not translate to a lack of care or affection for whomever I choose as my partner.” Thorn answered with the faintest hint of distaste; just enough for Antares to see that he'd tweaked a nerve, and he immediately smiled reassuringly as he quickly covered Innocence's mouth.

“Hey, kid, no worries. No one's accusing you of anything.” he said soothingly, before he asked: “So how can we help?”

Thorn looked at the two of them for a moment, and Antares grinned before he yelped when Innocence firmly bit him, then shouted the moment Antares took his hoof away: “And if you say we can't help then I'll blow up your entire lab, Mr. Robot!”

Thorn looked for a moment at Innocence, and Innocence glared back at him before she glanced up as a tired voice grumbled: “The pigs are quiet, at least. You vermin are annoying.”

“Hi, Mombot!” Antares said loudly, and Silver rolled her eyes as she strode into the meeting room, looking disdainfully – but curiously, Thorn thought, she always seemed almost painfully curious – at the two, before she turned her eyes towards Thorn.

“The sow wishes to speak to you. I believe the newt tattled on you. I'm sure you know he's been checking up on you constantly.” Silver said moodily, and Thorn gave a brief smile: he was indeed aware that Seneschal had been archiving data.

“Thank you, Silver. In that case, please go with Antares and Innocence to find Sleipnir and inform him I would like to speak to him. I also-”

“I am not your messenger girl.” Silver said pettishly, but when Thorn only looked at her mildly, she relented with a grumble and a roll of her eyes, muttering: “Yes, yes, yes. Only because I promised dear fat sow that I would at least try to get along with you.”

“Hey.” Antares said gently, and when Silver turned her moody glare on him, she met her eyes through the lenses of her mask and reassured quietly: “It's safe.”

Silver huffed at him, but she shifted in embarrassment as she grumbled something under her breath before she finally gestured at the two and growled: “Come on. Let's go find the big idiot and get you children back home, safe and sound.”

“'Kay.” Antares said cheerfully, and Innocence grumbled before she simply tossed the half-eaten apple away, sticking her tongue childishly out at Thorn as they walked away.

They exited the facility together, and Silver looked moodily back and forth before she asked: “Where is the best place to find Sleipnir?”

“Well, he'll either be at the party, or back at Sugar Cube Corners. Let's try there first. The bakery, not the party.” Antares said, and when Silver only looked at him, the stallion awkwardly cleared his throat and took the lead, saying delicately: “I guess Ponyville wasn't around in your time, huh?”

“Not much was around in 'my time.'” Silver grumbled, before she scowled when Innocence bumped into her, firmly bodychecking the mare to the side and making her squawk. “Watch your step, half-rat.”

“Half-rat! What... what the hell is a half-rat? You're a half-rat!” Innocence snapped back, and Silver only glowered in response before Antares politely cleared his throat, earning glares from both odd, hostile ponies.

“I know this is basically just the way you two make friends and all, but uh... maybe you could tone it down just a notch or two, huh?” Antares said pointedly, leaning towards them, and both Silver and Innocence grumbled before the stallion asked in a more-serious voice: “How are you both feeling about Thorn? I know you must have been trying to get a read on him, Sin. And whether you care about him or not, Silver, I know that you... well...”

Silver rolled her eyes beneath her mask, but then she said grudgingly: “I am very well aware that he must be in... 'operative status,' as the pigs all put it. He is strong, he is in control, and yes, Antares, he is still himself. The poison hasn't taken him over.”

Innocence grunted, but then she shifted ever so slightly, and Antares narrowed his eyes slightly at her. Innocence tried to avoid his gaze, but after a few moments, she finally admitted: “His energy's a little off, yeah. He wasted some and the apple wasn't polymorphed properly. I think... he's tired. But you know he'd never admit it.”

Antares smiled wryly, and somehow he wasn't surprised when Silver said before he could: “It is a trait that runs in the family.”

Innocence snorted in amusement at this, earning a look from the ever-hostile Silver, but Antares only said wryly: “Just my thoughts exactly. I can just imagine what it must be like for Thorn. Stubborn as Dad, willful as Mutt, smart as Mom and mean as Hecate.”

“He is not quite as mean as Celestia. But close.” Silver admitted grumpily, before she sighed and added moodily, as she tapped a hoof quickly against her mask: “This hurts even after... I know not how many years. I can imagine that his eye must feel the same.”

“Crazy bastard.” Antares murmured, before he smiled a bit and flexed his crystalline wings, saying quietly: “I remember when I lost my first set of wings. Chopped off. Clean and neat, really. Took me a long time to adjust. Hell, I never really did, I think... I mean, look at me, I was lucky enough to get this awesome new set.”

He flexed his wings again with a grin, and Innocence snorted as she added grumpily: “And a monster in your head to go along with it.”

“Yeah, but you took care of that one. That one.” Antares replied seriously, staring at Innocence, before he winced when she zapped him with a bolt of magic. “Hey!”

Innocence childishly stuck her tongue out at him, and Antares huffed back at her before he glanced up as Silver asked distastefully: “Do you two always have to act like such idiots? And I take it that is the candy shoppe up ahead?”

“Yeah, but it's a lot more than just a candy store, you know. It's like... a bakery. And stuff.” Antares said lamely, as he gestured at the distinct shape of Sugar Cube Corners before his ears swiveled forward as he heard a distinct crash. “Oh, sounds like Sleipnir's home.”

“Uncle Sleipnir is my favorite uncle.” Innocence said informatively, and Antares huffed loudly.

“What, you're not even going to give Uncle Thesis a chance?” he asked, and Innocence snorted in response before she held up a claw, which glowed for a moment before a heavy gauntlet appeared over it.

“Uncle Thesis can be my favorite uncle after he gives me a tank or something.” Innocence paused, then asked curiously: “Do you think he could really give me a tank? Or my own personal Mombot? Not that I don't like you, Mombot.”

Silver completely ignored them as she headed for the bakery, and Innocence and Antares followed after a moment, the mare making her gauntlet vanish with a flick of her wrist. Without a pause, Silver shoved her way through the entrance, then scowled and ducked out of the way of a donut as a voice roared: “We're closed!”

Silver snorted as Pinkamena glared at her challengingly, before the demon squawked when she was easily hefted up over the shoulder of Sleipnir, the bruised stallion smiling brightly beneath his bandages as he declared: “Well, 'tis always a pleasure to see thee, Luna! Hast thou come for treats? I bet thou hast the same tastes as mine sister!” Sleipnir paused, then waggled his eyebrows. “The very same tastes indeed!”

“Goddammit, Slap, that's sick.” Pinkamena grumbled, then she slammed a knee into his breast, making him oof before she slung herself off his shoulder, and then caught his head and slammed him face-first into the ground with enough force to shake the whole store, Antares and Innocence wincing behind Silver, but the mechanical mare only rolling her eyes.

Pinkamena spun towards her with a challenging glare, but Silver was undaunted, saying shortly: “Thorn Blackfeather requires your husband.”

“I bet he does. That's still incest, though.” Pinkamena retorted rudely. “But if the kid wants him so bad he can come and get him himself. Understood?”

“I do not take orders from you.” Silver stated icily, and the two glared at each other before the mechanical mare said shortly: “He comes with me.”

“Listen, you might be the shiny tin princess of all the rustbuckets where you come from, but-”

“Okay, okay, whoa whoa whoa, time out.” Antares said pointedly, striding quickly between the two, before he winced and ducked back when Pinkamena swung at him irritably. “Hey. I said time out, you can't try and hit me in a time out.”

Pinkamena only scowled horribly, and Antares smiled slightly as he held up a foreleg, correcting: “Okay, you can, but you shouldn't.”

“Aye, he is right, Phoenix. Thou should not. Besides, 'tis not as if Luna is doing anything wrong, she is merely trying to do her duty, as we all are.” Sleipnir chided gently as he rose his head, rubbing absently at his bruised and bandaged face before he popped up to his hooves with a smile.

Pinkamena grumbled under her breath, and Sleipnir reached up and gently stroked through her mane, saying softly: “Now, now, all is well. But we cannot lash out because we are sad and angry and worried. 'Tis hard, but thou knows what is right.”

Pinkamena gritted her teeth, drawing her hoof back, but then she dropped her head as she only gently shoved it against Sleipnir's shoulder, grinding it slowly against him before she sighed and mumbled: “I wish you wouldn't embarrass me, you stupid asshole.”

“If we are done, I would like to leave with the giant slave hoof now.” Silver said sourly, and Pinkamena glared at her furiously as Sleipnir only smiled amiably. “No, demon. He didn't ask for you.”

“Well too goddamn bad, because now I'm coming anyway.” she growled, then she looked back over her shoulder at the bright-pink mare peering awkwardly over the counter. “Sissy! Close up shop, we probably won't be back tonight, and then get your ass off to bed and be safe. Do you hear me? No screwing around tonight.”

“Oh, you worry too much! I'll be fine, I promise.” Pinkie said brightly as she popped up a bit, before she winked and added: “And hey! We still have to throw together a super-duper welcome party for-”

“That is enough. I have had enough nonsense for now.” grumbled Silver with a roll of her eyes, before she turned and ordered: “Come with me.”

Sleipnir smiled amiably as Pinkamena grumbled and rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath as she pawed a hoof grouchily at the ground. “You're really pressing your luck, tinpot.”

Silver only snorted, and Antares winced and tried to step forward, but then squeaked when he was shoved out of the way by Pinkamena as she muttered: “And so are you, dumbass. Stop trying to get between the adults, kid.”

“Yeah. You're all super adults.” Antares grumbled as Sleipnir passed him by with a smile and an easy shrug, and then the stallion followed last out the door, giving a wave over his shoulder at Pinkie Pie, who he knew even without needing to look back was likely waving madly at them, and wishing them well, in her evergiving way.

They made their way back through town without much trouble: Innocence provided a bit of a buffer between Pinkamena and Silver, and Antares lingered behind, studying the group curiously. He noted that Sleipnir was carrying a heavy hammer now: it was just strapped across his back like the most natural thing in the world, even though it looked like such a sturdy piece of work that even Sleipnir wouldn't want to just lug it around... except he is.

As they approached the Clockworks – Antares refused to think of it any other way – the stallion finally asked his uncle: “What the hell is with the skull-crusher?”

“'Tis not just for breaking skulls, Antares, although 'tis true that was what it was most oft used for in the times long since passed.” Sleipnir answered with a smile over his shoulder, although Antares was surprised when he noted the stallion seemed a little... not himself. Not unhappy. But something's... off. “But 'tis good to have it back, Mjolnir, mine hammer. I know first and foremost I always speak of the shield, but... I will admit, my hammer... 'twas always my first love. 'Tis why I do so well with hooves!”

“Shut up, Slap. No one wants to hear about how much you like to shove things up your butt.” Pinkamena grumbled, but Sleipnir only smiled at her, although not in his usual way, Pinkamena softening maybe the slightest bit as she added in a lower voice: “Look, it's not that no one cares. It's just that... we all have lives we left behind.”

“We do. We do, Phoenix, we do, and I have, I have... but... that makes it no less difficult when the past comes back to haunt us.” Sleipnir said gently, before he shook his head and murmured: “Let us hope this ends quickly. For all our sakes. 'Tis not fair to any of us, what has happened... especially not to my brother.”

“Your 'brother' is the root of all this.” Silver said contemptibly, as she halted in front of the door to the Clockworks. She glared at the door, shaking her head slowly as she growled: “Making him out to be some victim when he's the cause of all the pain and suffering is abhorrent even for a pig like yourself, who sees no harm and wrong in anything that anyone does.”

Pinkamena growled, but Sleipnir only smiled and shrugged, asking quietly: “Does thou think I am not aware of this? But all the same, he is a victim. Thou may not want to believe it: thou may even rally against it. But he is a victim, for 'twas not his machinations that began this chain of events and 'twill not be what ends them, either. Or does thou wish to blame him even for the actions of mine own Father, and darker still, Valthrudnir?

“I think we are all victims. Of ourselves, if nothing else. 'Tis hard to stomach, aye, I know. 'Tis so much more comforting when one can simply lay blame and think nothing of the rest.” Sleipnir answered with a faint smile, and Silver twitched slightly before he shrugged and murmured: “Or perhaps in truth I am simply afraid of the fact that we are all merely evils to be destroyed in the eyes of another, and I desperately do not desire to concede to that truth.”

Silver snorted, and Sleipnir smiled and shrugged before Pinkamena muttered: “Moron. You and all your stupid feelings. That's what you get when you wear your heart on your sleeve.”

“Perhaps. But I would not have it any other way.” Sleipnir said softly, and then he glanced up with a smile as the door opened, greeting: “Thorn Blackfeather, I heard thou wert calling for me.”

“I was interested in debriefing you, yes.” Thorn drew his eyes over the stallion for a moment, and then he stated more than asked: “You were in contact with Loki, and he gave you something.”

“In a manner of speaking. He returned to me a gift he had made for me long ago.” Sleipnir answered with a chuckle and nod, before he almost reverently reached up and carefully removed the hammer from his back, holding it out with a smile towards Thorn. “It completes me in a way I had not imagined.”

Pinkamena grumbled under her breath as Thorn reached out and took the heavy hammer in his metal hoof, tilting it back and forth before he murmured: “Interesting. I've never seen this material before, but the composition seems very similar to gianttooth. It looks and feels like simple stone, but I imagine it's almost indestructible... and the wrap around the handle is imbued with incredible magic.”

Sleipnir nodded with a proud smile, studying Thorn intently before he declared: “Thou hast a fine eye, and great potential! Thou should join me at the forge, 'twould be an honor to have a student again.”

“Hey, kid's got a big enough ego already.” Antares said grumpily, and Innocence grunted in agreement, but Sleipnir only looked back at the two of them with amusement.

Before he could speak, however, Thorn held the hammer back to Sleipnir, who took it and cocked his head as the sapphire stallion answered politely: “I appreciate the offer, but my duties in Decretum take precedence. Please, come inside so I can-”

Pinkamena suddenly jackknifed Sleipnir and attempted to slam both hind hooves into Thorn's face, but the stallion only twisted slightly to the side, the demonic mare shooting past to land on all four hooves and skid to a halt with a growl of frustration, before she winced when Thorn's ring gleamed as he said quietly: “I would like to keep this meeting brief and professional. If you have grievances to air, I wish to do it in a calm and courteous fashion, as I am running short on time.”

“'Tis a sad thing to hear, but of course I understand. Phoenix and I shall do our best to behave then, shan't we?” Sleipnir said with a gentle but pointed look at the mare, and Pinkamena grumbled under her breath, but then gave a short nod as she looked almost uncomfortably at her husband.

Thorn only nodded, however, turning to lead them inside as Silver asked moodily: “Has the sow decided we are too weak to deal with a few ghasts on our own?”

“They are not 'ghasts.' They are Aetherhaunts, and Hecate recognizes that we are equipped to deal with them.” Thorn answered as he led the way through the Clockworks, Antares looking curiously back and forth as he noted that Worker Drones had emerged from wherever they usually hid, moving silently along on whatever unknown tasks they had.

“Hey, um. What are the robots doing?” Innocence asked loudly, pretending to be oblivious to how rude that question probably was. Antares gave a chastising huff, but then he couldn't help but turn his own curious eyes to Thorn as the sapphire stallion sighed.

“Recalibrations. If we modify the sensitivity of the machinery, we should be able to detect frequencies we couldn't before. It might let us track what the Aetherhaunts are doing.” answered the stallion. “This base is operational, but only essential facilities are working. The Drones have to manually reconfigure everything until we have time to set up the nonessential systems.”

“Huh. Neat.” Antares said after a moment, glancing at a Worker Drone who was manually modifying a set of wires, asking curiously: “So just what all did Hecate have planned for this place, anyway? I mean, it just seems like there was a lot more planned than you guys ever said.”

“As the situation evolves, so must we. That is all.” Thorn answered, before he added: “When I leave, new equipment will be brought here. A team of Dogmatists will set up the Orbiter for you, and the facility will monitor it. We will brief your scientists and engineers on how to monitor and operate the device in event of emergencies.”

“Orbiter. Why does that sound scary?” asked Antares mildly, and Thorn shrugged before he finally led them into an empty workshop, the sapphire stallion approaching a terminal beside a metal workbench.

“Sleipnir, please put your hammer on the table. I'd like to run a scan on it for residual Void traces.” Thorn instructed, and Sleipnir nodded and did as asked as the others watched, Antares absently wandering off to the side to idly play with some of the tools hanging in a rack nearby and Innocence childishly dropping on her rump next to the table, staring at the hammer as hidden machinery came to life inside the workbench. “Innocence, please step back. You're interfering with the scan.”

Innocence huffed, then scooched away from the table on her butt, scowling grumpily at Thorn. The stallion ignored her as the tabletop glowed, instead watching as reading spilled out over the screen of the console before he murmured: “Interesting. Just as I thought.”

He looked up at Sleipnir, who smiled faintly back at him, and he seemed to know the answer even before Thorn stated: “This hammer has been treated with etherdust. It's undetectable by normal means in the physical plane, but it 'shines' in the astral and ethereal planes.”

“It is a lure. I know. I dearly did not wish to accept it, but of course I am not foolish enough to think that my brother was merely giving me a gift... he is too cunning for that.” Sleipnir murmured, lowering his head before he sighed a little and said quietly: “The Aetherhaunts will be drawn to it. Perhaps they already move to us now, perhaps... that was his plan all along, was it? That I would bring the lure here, and then, in the darkness, when we were at rest, the Aetherhaunts...”

Antares grimaced as Innocence looked nervously around, and Pinkamena narrowed her eyes, asking coldly: “So do I have to go put everyone on alert now? Or are we just going to go meet these assholes ourselves?”

Thorn frowned, but then Antares suddenly rose his head, saying quickly: “Give me the hammer. Sin and I can take it outside of the village, wait for the Aetherhaunts to show up, then dispose of them. Should be nice and easy if we know they're coming, right?”

Thorn hesitated, but Innocence simply leapt forwards and snatched the hammer up off the table: or she tried to, rather, as she managed to drag it backwards with a screech of stone on metal before she squawked and fell over, and Thorn sighed tiredly as he rolled his eyes, ignoring the warning beeps of the sensors.

He reached up and turned the console's scanner off, then said dryly: “Fine. But remember, you cannot make contact with the Aetherhaunts themselves: destroy the orbs that anchor them to this plane with long range weapons or physical-affect magic, such as stone or ice. We have a small armory here, I'll authorize you for-”

“We got it.” Pinkamena said sourly, then she snorted before she stepped past Innocence and reached out to grab the hammer, before blinking in surprise as she lifted it with ease. She held it above her head, then frowned over at Sleipnir, but he only smiled at her, and the demon snorted before she turned away, muttering: “Let's just get this over with. Then when I get back here, kid, we're going to talk about smashing Loki. Understood?”

Thorn remained silent, watching as Pinkamena stormed out with Antares and Innocence hurrying after her. Then he tilted his head in surprise as Silver followed after a moment, saying distastefully: “Don't bother. I know what to do. Protect the stupid cattle because they are too stupid to protect themselves.”

“She has a good heart.” Sleipnir said after Silver left, before he turned with a smile towards Thorn, adding softly: “So does thy matriarch, Hecate. But she, like my brother, has many schemes and plans, and I must wonder, Thorn... what about thee? What schemes, plans, thoughts all dance through thy mind?”

Thorn only gave a brief smile, and then he asked bluntly: “Are you prepared to fight Loki, or, like Freya, have you chosen to stay out of the battle?”

“There is nothing wrong with what Freya has chosen, Thorn. If anything, it makes me respect her more: 'tis not as if the decision to stay from the fight would have come easily and naturally to her, after all.” Sleipnir said reasonably, before he shook his head and continued in a softer voice: “But my answer is... more complex, aye: for the very same reasons as Freya chooses not to make war, I know that I must fight. But I will not destroy my brother, my own blood, Thorn: for family, 'tis the most important thing. Thou understands this, does thou not, and what it means?”

“I do. But Loki must be stopped, by whatever means necessary. Whether it is through diplomacy or destruction, he must be stopped.” Thorn said quietly, and Sleipnir smiled faintly. “Family is the most important thing. But there are countless families out there, counting on us to stop the menace he poses.”

“He is no menace! He... he is not a menace. He is confused, and I shan't deny he can be dangerous, but... he is no menace.” Sleipnir said sharply, although his voice softened after a moment, and then he lowered his head and murmured: “I cannot see him as anything but my brother. That is no sin, is it? And I do not believe my brother, that dearest Loki, would ever put the worlds at risk as he has. It must be the work of the Prime alone, it must be the Prime that has... driven him so, or perhaps somehow, in some way... he must...”

Thorn was silent, and then he sighed before he shook his head briefly once, saying quietly: “I need to know every detail of what happened, and I need to know your memories of Loki. We need to get ahead of him, and the only way to do that is by knowing what these prophecies he's trying to fulfill are, and by understanding... him. You are the best chance for that.”

Sleipnir smiled a little, and then he nodded firmly once before he straightened and declared: “Then draw close, nephew, and I shall tell thee all I can remember of my life and my brother until thou grows sick with it! And I shall start at the very end, with my battle with the Iron Giant he sent against me, so thou may know how in spite of all that has happened, he has never changed.”

The younger stallion simply shrugged as he sat back, focusing his gaze on Sleipnir, and the earth pony smiled warmly at his audience of one before he began: “This, of course, was not the first time mine brother and I had quarreled so...”

Protect The Worst, To Protect Us All

Chapter One Hundred and Two: Protect The Worst, To Protect Us All
~BlackRoseRaven

Hecate stood in the meeting room with two very different ponies in front of her, and a third face grinning out of one of the screens mounted on the wall. Thorn was as stoic and serious as ever, while Cadence looked... tired, she thought. But for now, Hecate made them both wait as she asked calmly: “Cowlick, is the tower operational?”

“The hell do you think I'm talking to you? Thanks, by the way, for sending an Orbiter here too. Because you know I sure like having a nuke floating around above my head. Not that your buddy seems to care all that much. Did you know the soul furnace runs on some kind of fission itself? Scarier than Hell. I mean that literally, too.” Cowlick absently rolled her unlit cigarette between her teeth, then she glanced back and shouted: “Hey, Rusty! Getting a bit of feedback, clarify the audio!”

“Good. Finish setting up the Orbiter. I want all of our sites as secure as possible. Once that's complete, I'll be sending a security team and several engineers to assist in completing preparations. I expect you to brief and instruct them fully.” Hecate ordered, and Cowlick grumbled before she winced backwards when Hecate's eyes glowed, and the end of the engineer's cigarette burst into flame. “Do not disappoint me.”

“You're even worse than Hel was.” Cowlick grumbled, but then she nodded before signing off.

Hecate turned her eyes back to Cadence and Thorn: the ivory mare shifted uncomfortably, while the stallion only looked at her curiously, and after a moment Hecate said quietly: “With our communications uplink established in World Without End, we now not only have the means to stay in contact with one of our most powerful allies, but the base node to a broadcast network that will span across the entire universe. Orbiters are being set up to protect allied worlds, and worlds that Loki has shown a distinct interest in.”

“Like the one we just came back from.” Cadence half-asked, and Hecate nodded, as the ivory mare shifted uncomfortably before she bit her lip.

Hecate heard the question even if Cadence didn't speak it, answering: “ Yes, Cadence. We will be placing an Orbiter over what you refer to as your homeworld as well.”

“Is that even a good idea? I mean... those are... what would they even really accomplish if Loki did attack?” Cadence asked before she could stop herself, before she smiled awkwardly and added: “I mean, I don't want to sound ungrateful, but-”

“You often do.” Hecate interrupted, and Cadence winced and lowered her head before the Jötnar mare continued in a gentler voice: “But that is understandable, given the circumstances, as is your discomfort with this... 'equipment.' Yes, I hope that ultimately it isn't necessary. There will be massive collateral damage if an Orbiter is used. But a direct hit will be enough to stop even Loki.”

Cadence shifted uncomfortably, clearly not convinced, but Hecate had already turned her attention to Thorn. “Did you compile all the information as I asked?”

“Yes, Empress Hecate. I've also brought the Orbiter at Looking Glass World online and it has begun its first cycle, and I've ensured that Cancer is secure in his isolation habitat. He is ready for interrogation whenever you are.” Thorn said politely, and Hecate smiled thinly. Thorn always went above and beyond his duties.

“Good. Now, since you won't just rest, Thorn, I want you in Central Command, helping oversee operations and testing our enhanced communication capabilities. I also require your attention on our more sensitive projects.” Hecate ordered, and Thorn nodded before the Jötnar mare suddenly leaned forwards and kissed his forehead, making the stallion blush slightly as she added gently: “And for my sake, Thorn, please find a bit of time to sleep, rest, and spend with your friends.”

Thorn nodded slightly, and then he turned and quickly left the meeting room, Hecate giving the slightest of smiles after him before her eyes returned to Cadence. The two looked at each other for a few moments, until Hecate said softly: “I don't think I've ever seen you like this, Cadence.”

“I've... never felt like this. Or at least... not since before I knew what I was doing, when the Swan first woke up, when... I didn't think I could save Daddy.” Cadence admitted after a moment, and she bit her look, then looked up at Hecate... and she couldn't stop it all from rushing out, saying desperately: “It just feels like it's all for nothing, like... like no matter what we do, we're going to lose! And even if we win... is it worth it, is it really worth it? It's thankless. All I'm seeing, over and over again, is my friends getting hurt, beaten... dying. I don't want to watch that. I'm scared, terrified of going home and failing again, of having to watch Shining die in front of me, of... of... of losing everything, because even if we stop Loki... that's not going to fix Daddy or heal Thesis or give La Croix his leg back and if we all die and go to the Void anyway, what's the point of trying to be the 'good guys' or honor or being a hero? It doesn't matter. Nothing matters.”

“That is what I thought once. And that is why I went from this...” Hecate said softly, and then she calmly held up a foreleg, and in a flash, Cadence was staring at the beautiful Princess Celestia, her eyes going wide, her mouth falling open, before a second flash tore at her eyes, making her stumble before she shivered in horror as she found herself staring at a bloody head on a metal body, all the beauty stolen from her ragged features, her eyes glowing and yet empty as she murmured: “To this.”

There was a pause, and then the Jötnar mare was back in a blink of Cadence's eyes, as if she had never transformed, never changed, and Cadence guessed that she hadn't, not really, as she looked silently over the mare.

Hecate looked back at her, and then she shook her head slowly before she said softly: “The problem, Cadence, isn't that nothing matters. That's a childish defense. That's what we tell ourselves to try and hide from the truth that too much matters. Your friends matter. Your father matters. I matter. You matter. Your family matters. The Decretum project, this Clockwork Empire as a whole, matters to you. And Thesis matters. And yes, you are going to lose him, he is going to die, and either vanish or return to the Void, and either way you will likely never see him again.”

Cadence trembled, and Hecate said quietly: “But you can pout and cry and whine about it, or you can spend every single moment you have with him instead of pissing it all away on worries and whimpering. I have no problem with you questioning, or arguing, or even being sad. We all have to be sad sometimes. We all have to cry, and we all have to get angry, and we all have to fight and struggle and test our boundaries. Challenge breeds respect. But I will not accept you surrendering. Not even to this. I expect more from you, Cadence.”

Cadence lowered her head, and she breathed softly in and out before she closed her eyes and nodded once, straightening her shoulders. For once, she didn't want to fight or scream or whimper or whine. But more than the words, she could see Hecate's emotions, feel the warmth, the truth in her energy, and Cadence smiled faintly before she shook her head and said softly: “I don't deserve that love.”

“Thesis loves you, so I love you. That's all the proof I need to know you deserve it.” answered Hecate gently, before she sighed and straightened, saying quietly: “Your team will be rushed back to operative status for this mission while we prepare another Orbiter, and I want you to go to Midgard B-22. Loki is out of play, but there is still a major Void presence there.”

The ivory mare nodded slowly, before she asked uncertainly: “What would he want there? I mean... the other worlds, now that we know what was going on... they made sense. I... I think you were right and he wasn't just looking for revenge.”

Hecate gave the slightest of smiles at this: Cadence was beginning to learn to look past her emotions. “Of course he wasn't. But there are other reasons he would be interested in your homeworld as well. This, after all, is where you fell.”

Cadence frowned, then she nodded slowly, as she murmured: “Maybe other things fell there, too, or there's... traces, residue... I don't know.”

“Loki seeks to fulfill 'prophecies' that he knows are nothing more than stories and manipulation. We can also assume that the Prime is manipulating him to some extent: not intelligently, but rather influencing his emotions and behavior.” Hecate said with a nod, meeting Cadence's eyes evenly. “He will want the records of the incident. I have a feeling that it wasn't a coincidence you fell where you did.”

The ivory mare nodded, before she frowned as the Swan nudged her mentally, and she sighed a little before letting Danzsöngr rise to the surface, bowing her head politely to Hecate before she said: “We remember nothing of what happened. Only being overwhelmed and destroyed. But when we awoke, that world felt... familiar to us. As if we had been there before. And there were many husks... the Absent, not the shells that Loki calls forth from the Void.”

“So you remember what those specters are?” Hecate asked, and Cadence scowled mentally: she would have appreciated the Swan sharing that information with her.

“We are sharing it with you now.” the Swan said almost apologetically, and Cadence hated that even more. “It is hard, Cadence. We are one being, and yet we are still separate. You do not let us in and perhaps we do not give as freely as we should, but we are learning. We are evolving still. Be patient with us.”

The Swan paused, then returned her eyes to Hecate with a nod. “Yes. The Absent are marks upon the Astra. They are where the Astra has been stained, where living Astra has been... scarred. We do not know how to explain it. It just is.”

“I understand. That's why they're attracted to corruption: the Clay of Prometheus affects the spiritual makeup as much as the physical.” Hecate muttered, before she shook her head and asked: “How did the world feel familiar? Was it a seeded world?”

“No, we do not believe so. But there was an anchoring there, a great weight that kept the Absent from moving on. It was why Valthrudnir chose that world.” the Swan explained, although when Cadence nudged her mentally, the only response she got in return was that the Swan simply knew. “It is in the Astra.”

Hecate looked meditatively at Danzsöngr for a few moments, and then she finally sighed and nodded, saying moodily: “Very well. In the meantime, Cadence, I suggest you rest.”

“I'm fine. That's... part of the problem, I guess. I'm always okay.” Cadence half-argued, before she laughed a little as she realized she had complete control of her body back. She and the Swan were switching more seamlessly every day... maybe one day we won't even realize the difference. Horses of Heaven, that's a scary thought. “I heal too fast.”

“Not mentally.” Hecate said, and Cadence couldn't really argue with that before the Jötnar mare glanced to the side as an alert flashed in one of her eyes, summoning a holographic screen and studying it for a moment before she stated: “Thesis has been released from the medical center. If you want a job, then babysit him and keep him out of my hair.”

“Yes ma'am.” Cadence said with an awkward salute, taking that as both advice and her cue to leave, and she spun around and hurried out of the briefing room.

She was still getting used to the layout of Endworld, but she had already spent so much time at the medical facility that she knew roughly where she was headed.

She found Thesis outside of the medical building, a cigarette in his muzzle, smiling lamely at Cadence when she approached and gave him a sour look. He shrugged awkwardly, then winced when she smacked it out of his muzzle before he said finally: “I thought it helped with my roguish charm. It wasn't even lit, though, I swear. It also was not a joint. It could have easily been a joint, but it was not a joint. There's a lot of marijuana in there.”

“The only pot you're allowed to have is the pot that... you make dinner in.” Cadence stopped, realized how awful that sounded, then instead smacked the stallion again, making him wince and stagger before she caught him by the shoulder and looked intently at his back, even as she asked: “Where did you even get cigarettes, anyway?”

“Your friend Lancer. He said he wanted to quit.” Thesis said, and Cadence softened a little, nodding slowly before the Replicant reassured her gently: “And I'm okay. I'm okay, okay? They fixed me up nice and proper, and then sealed it with a corruption bath. I'm okay.”

“Yeah.” Cadence murmured after a moment, studying the new, polished exoskeleton on Thesis' back, before she sighed a little, lowering her head. Thesis gently pressed under her chin after a moment, however, forcing her to raise her eyes to meet his always-warm, always-bright gaze, the stallion winking at her before he surprised her with a quick kiss.

She blushed a bit as they kissed there, in the street in front of the medical building, beneath the neon lights of the city of Exoterra. They kissed, until a loud wolf-whistle made Cadence's eyes snap open, and she shoved Thesis away to glare furiously at Luna Brynhild, who was grinning widely at them from a few feet away.

Then Morgan and Scrivener both smacked the back of the Valkyrie's head, making her squawk, and Cadence sighed and rolled her eyes before Scrivener said mildly: “Good to see you back up and on your hooves. And not crazy, I assume.”

“Yeah. Mom had a spare exoskeleton for me just lying around. Of course she had a spare. She probably has a spare of a spare in case I break this one, too.” Thesis paused, then corrected: “When I break this one, too.”

“You're not breaking anything in the near future.” Cadence grumbled, before she scowled when the stallion awkwardly held up a box of cigarettes, and she swiped these away from him with a glower. “And stop trying to be the cool guy. You are not the cool guy.”

“I am the epitome of the cool guy!” Thesis complained as he flexed a foreleg pointedly, and then he winced when Cadence bopped him on the head with the hoof holding the cigarettes. “Ouch.”

“'Tis a relationship almost as good and pure as our own, Scrivy. 'Tis good to see. And reassuring, too, for I know that the Swan will keep Thesis in line just as I do thee, terrible beetle.” the Valkyrie said cheerfully, and Morgan smiled and rolled her eyes as Scrivener only looked at the sapphire mare mildly. “Thesis, Swan, we are going to visit home. We heard from Thorn that a dear friend is once more awake, and we wish to visit him before Freya rides him to death. Would thee like to come with us? We can hook a wagon to Hex and pull thee along.”

Cadence scowled slightly, but she was admittedly surprised by the genuine offer. But it was Thesis who answered for her, saying politely: “Thank you, but I'm pretty sure if I leave Exoterra, Mom will lock me up in the basement for the rest of my life when I get back. Are you guys going to be back here?”

“Aye, at some point. But 'twas very important business that Cadence called us away from, I shall have thee know. Still, what choice did I have but to...” Luna stopped at the glowers she received from all around, and then she grumbled under her breath. “Oh, fie on all of thee, so sensitive. Bah.”

“We plan to come back to Endworld, yes. We should be able to come and go fairly easily with Hex.” Morgan said, before she smiled and added: “We want to help as much as possible, but... we don't want to be overbearing, either. We know this is your universe now, and you seem more than capable of defending it.”

“I think there's enough universe for all of us. Unless Luna gets too greedy.” Thesis said mildly, and Luna shrugged amiably. “We're glad to have your help, though... and, you know, that you aren't going to hog all the credit.”

Morgan smiled, and Scrivener shrugged, but Luna Brynhild only snorted before she said wryly: “Well, thou art fortunate they are lazy and humble, and insist upon dragging me down to their level. 'Tis very vexing. There are few things I enjoy more than pummeling and smiting all in my path, after all.”

“Yes, Valkyrie. We know.” Cadence said tiredly, before she shook her head and said finally: “I... do know you want to see this brought to an end as much as any of us, so... yeah.”

“Rousing speech, Swan. I can see why thou wert made a leader. One day, I am sure thou shall make a great king, too.” Luna said ironically, and Cadence scowled at her horribly, before the Valkyrie spun around on her heel and strode off, declaring: “Come, 'tis best we go, 'lest we elsewise find that Freya has already crushed poor Bob.”

Scrivener and Morgan both waved before they hurried after Luna, and Cadence sighed and shook her head before Thesis asked awkwardly: “So... how long has it been?”

The mare looked at him with surprise, and Thesis shrugged before he said finally: “Corruption tank makes me lose sense of time. It's all just... emptiness, darkness. You sort of... it's just timeless blackness. Timeless, soundless, but warm, and...”

Thesis shivered a bit, and Cadence softened before the Replicant cleared his throat and nudged: “Well? How long have I been out?”

“We've been back for about two days now. It's been hard to keep track of things, though.” Cadence admitted, shaking her head slowly. “La Croix is... I don't know what they're going to do about his... and Daddy is in an isolation chamber, and Moonflower is just... hurt. He's not even bragging about how he was right all along.”

Thesis looked at Cadence with confusion, and the ivory mare smiled wryly. “His stupid necklace. It was a voltaic topaz he bought from some fortune teller, wasted all our money on it. But... voltaic topazes absorb electricity, which Auriculos was using to manipulate the Astra. Moonflower managed to short circuit him with it, probably saved us all.”

“Huh.” Thesis smiled after a moment, then he asked quietly: “Then why's he still... out of it?”

“I guess... the stress of everything. The fact he feels he didn't do enough. How badly everyone was hurt, and I mean... Auriculos couldn't manipulate the Astra right, but I think he still left scars we can't see. That aren't...”

Cadence broke off from her fumbling explanation, lowering her head for a moment before she cleared her throat and looked up, changing the subject awkwardly. “Auriculos. The Swan tore him apart, but I don't know if he's really dead or just gone to the Void. But something happened to him even before the Swan sliced him up. The Astra... turned on him. Do you think...”

“I don't know. I don't know what the hell we're made out of.” Thesis said plainly, and Cadence smiled even as she rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to punch him.

After a moment, however, Thesis took the question more seriously, saying softly: “I know that even if we're not made of flesh-and-blood anymore, we're made of... something, and our bodies react very similarly to the way they did when we were alive, for lack of a better word. I can still heal myself with corruption, for example. Like you've seen.”

Cadence nodded, and Thesis hesitated before he murmured: “But I'm... different, too. When I had the connection to Rig, I was more Voidborn than I am now. I don't know how that's possible, but I guess it has to do with... energy content or something complicated that makes my head hurt to think about too much.”

“There is something of Astra in the Void. And yet not. It is complicated.” Danzsöngr agreed, and Thesis blinked as Cadence swore and flailed mentally, but the Swan held her at bay for the moment so she could ask with interest: “Did you know many in the Void?”

“Yes and no. I wasn't... myself in the Void. I mean, I guess I was. I was a worse version of myself.” Thesis said delicately, but the Swan only nodded seriously, and Cadence could admittedly understand that a little bit. “But after I started working with Loki, and things got clearer for me, then yes. I did get to meet most of them... but I never knew a lot of them personally, and some of them, like Swiftly Wing, I only ever saw in passing.”

“I really don't like her.” Cadence said, and then she cursed the Swan for giving her control back at the worst possible time. Again. “I just... I guess I don't like a lot of things.”

“You don't, but that's okay, and I guess I understand where you're coming from. Warrior culture and all that.” Thesis said amiably, and Cadence grunted before the stallion suggested: “Why don't we get out of the street, though? It's weird. People are staring.”

No one was actually staring at them because there were only drones and Dogmatists around, but Cadence grimaced a bit all the same, nodding and rubbing self-consciously at herself before she glanced down at the pack of cigarettes she was still holding in a hoof. She threw them away, but Thesis caught the box before it could hit the ground, and then he grinned awkwardly and quickly tucked it into his sidepack even as she gave him a smoldering look. “Hey, I'm not going to smoke 'em, promise! But you know. Littering is bad and all. We could also get penalized for it.”

Cadence looked at him moodily for a moment, but then she sighed and nodded, grumbling: “Guess that's the downside of living in a place where there are cameras everywhere.”

“Yes. That's the one downside of a tyrannical security state. The fact people will see you litter. Nothing else.” Thesis said blandly, and Cadence gave him a dry look. “I know, I know. I shouldn't be complaining. I'm second-in-command of the security state, the little boy of Big Mother, but. Still. I do recognize that there are uh... certain flaws with the way things are.”

“I really don't want to have a philosophical discussion about the Clockwork Empire right now. I... I believe in Hecate, and I want to believe that we're doing a good thing, that we're a good people. Even if there are...” Cadence looked up as several security drones shot by overhead, before she shook her head and murmured: “The alternatives haven't worked, though, have they? And maybe... we don't deserve freedom.”

“Hey, hey. I was just teasing you, you know that.” Thesis said gently, and Cadence grunted as she gave him a grouchy look, the stallion smiling reassuringly before he said softly: “Look, Sazerac-”

“All your nicknames for me suck.” Cadence interrupted grouchily, and Thesis simply looked at her until she lowered her head slightly and mumbled: “Well, they do.”

“You suck.” Thesis said, and Cadence glowered at him before the stallion gently grasped her shoulder and pulled on her, and the mare sighed as she allowed herself to be drawn into following him, the two heading down the street together.

Thesis picked up from where he'd left off, smiling at her as he said gently: “We are free. We're freer than most ponies, as a matter of fact. Sure, it might not seem like it, but don't forget that we all chose to be part of Decretum. This is a job, and it has the same rules as any other job: don't screw up or you'll get fired.”

“Yes, but in Decretum, you then get thrown in jail.” the mare said dryly, and Thesis smiled despite himself.

“It depends. I'm sure Mom doesn't discourage the rumors, but at least five Orphans have been let go, you know. And I don't mean that as a euphemism for had their heads cut off, either, I mean Hecate gave them a choice, and they decided to leave, and she sent them either back home, or to a Class A world with enough bits to start a new life.” Thesis said mildly, and Cadence looked at him with surprise.

But after she thought for a moment, she couldn't help but smile a little, shaking her head and muttering: “It's all about appearances, isn't it?”

“Yeah, that's pretty much how life works, even when you don't run a massive private military corporation in charge of protecting literally the entire universe.” Thesis said blandly, and Cadence gave the stallion a dry look. “Well, it is. Fake it 'til you make it, right? That was a thing even in my day, and I'm really old. I'm so old it's almost creepy that I'm dating you.”

“No you are not, you asshole. I'm the Swan. I was around long before you. Before any incarnation of you, as a matter of fact, even if you do have a piece of Heimdall in you.” the mare grumbled, and she didn't know how she knew it was true, but... it is. I feel that somehow. But how long ago did Hel make us, then?

Hel did not make us. We were alive before Hel. Before the Aesir. Before Asgard. We were a soul before we were fused into flesh... the Swan murmured thoughtfully in her mind, and Cadence frowned, but the Swan said no more.

Thesis was looking at her curiously, and the mare hesitated before she shook her head and muttered: “Swan's being weird. That's all.”

“That's all.” Thesis echoed, and Cadence smiled a little: yes, it did sound ridiculous out loud, she knew that. “You know, I wish you two would get along better.”

“Sorry Grandma, I'll try harder next time.” Cadence grumbled, and Thesis gave her a half-amused, half-exasperated look.

“Why are you such a bitch? I mean, seriously. You're a bitch.” Thesis said blandly, and Cadence gave him a sour look, but the stallion only met her eyes with a pointed tilt of his head. “Didn't we even have a talk about you not being such a bitch?”

Cadence grumbled under her breath, and then she suddenly stepped forward and headbutted him, Thesis squawking and flinching backward before she grumpily turned to head towards the residential complex, muttering: “I'll stop being a bitch when you stop being such a... you.”

“But then you wouldn't like me anymore. I'm awesome, that's what makes me me!” Thesis whined as he hurried after her, and Cadence rolled her eyes as she shoved her way inside, then held the door for him with telekinesis, resisting the temptation to slam it on his head.

They made their way up to their apartment, shoving and nudging at each other until they reached their apartment, and Thesis barely had time to close the door before Cadence shoved him back against the wall by his shoulders and kissed him firmly.

He kissed her back, then frowned as she trembled, before his eyes opened as their mouths parted to find her gazing at him, eyes full of tears. He mouthed wordlessly for a moment, but Cadence only shook her head before she rubbed her wrist violently across her eyes, then looked down and murmured: “I hate you. And I wish we could leave and never have to deal with this again and... and it scares me how much I love you, because I love you so much that if Loki promised to just... to just put us somewhere and leave us alone, I really would... I would-”

“Don't say it. Don't say it.” Thesis murmured, reaching up to gently cover her mouth, and Cadence grimaced but nodded as her eyes shifted away. “That life isn't for us, for better or worse. And you'd never be happy. I love you, and you might sort of like me a little-”

“It's not cute. It's not cute at all.” Cadence muttered roughly, hammering a hoof against the stallion's chest, and then she closed her eyes and slid her hoof up around his neck with a sigh, silently dropping her head against his chest. “It's not fair and I hate... I hate everything we've gone through, and I hate everything that the future holds, and I wish... I wish none of it had to happen. That's childish, isn't it? But... all the same...”

She shook her head slowly, then she looked silently up at him, and Thesis smiled faintly as he wiped her tears gently away before he asked: “Do you want tea?”

“Yeah.” Cadence said after a moment, before she lowered her head against him and murmured: “But I need a minute or two more of being... weak.”

“You're not weak. You're never weak.” the stallion replied gently, and Cadence smiled faintly as her eyes flicked away, before Thesis kissed her forehead and murmured: “I have you, and you have me, and that's all that matters right now, okay? For a little while, let's just have that.”

Cadence nodded slowly against him, and then she smiled faintly before she murmured: “Your Mom's rubbed off on you.”

Thesis only smiled in response, hugging her silently close to his breast as he gently stroked through her mane, and hoping she knew that as strong as Hecate had made him, it was the mare in his embrace who had truly helped him become the stallion he had always wanted to be.

Hecate stood on the balcony overlooking the city, several holographic screens floating around her, all of them glowing with information on three very different things that ultimately all came back to one person: Loki.

As the soul furnace was no longer considered a priority target, she had downgraded the emergency self-destruct to a controlled demolition, and she was waiting for the last of the Worker Drones to complete evacuation with the remaining soul batteries. At least something good would come of that disaster, or so she could hope...

Another screen displayed the completed analysis of Auriculos' remains: both the whole cube that Trixie had passed on to them that he had used as a communicator of sorts, and the wreckage of his body, which had been recovered from the soul furnace for study. It was very clear that Auriculos had been using salvaged Decretum technology to put together his machinations, but what concerned Hecate was the fact that all the parts had been custom-made and recently manufactured: that had to mean there was a facility somewhere that they had missed where Loki was able to harness and produce Clockwork technology.

Then again, Thesis had said before that Loki hadn't been interested in stealing weapons, but rather generators, batteries, and other basic equipment from Valthrudnir's storehouses, and while that had seemed unremarkable at first, now Hecate was left to wonder uneasily if, with the help of a few willing-or-coerced Decretum minds, Loki had managed to get his own Clockwork facility up and running somewhere...

She scowled, then glanced moodily at the third screen: this one was scrolling slowly through various Void energy signatures and readings they had had managed to isolate across the universe. She thought they were slowly learning to distinguish what each frequency meant: detecting this wavelength meant Husks, detecting this additional signature meant Voidborn, etcetera etcetera.

It was difficult to decrypt, though, and even with the amplification provided by the tower in World Without End and the growing network of ballistic satellites Hecate was establishing, the signals and their variants were all very weak, very difficult to detect. But then again, even their most powerful sensors had never been designed for narrow-scope or micro-detection: they weren't the 'save the ponies from stubbing their hooves' brigade, they were only concerned with actual threats that went beyond the scope and imagination of ponykind, even if threats much smaller than that could still pose a significant risk to the future of a Midgard.

But the ponies had to fight for themselves, too.

Either way, Clockwork World had always operated off a simple enough protocol: detect an anomaly, and then gather evidence, usually by sending in a scout or a drone to monitor the situation and to alert her if intervention was required immediately. Otherwise, the information was then shuffled to Seneschal, who analyzed it and then advised her what the threat level was, and they would go from there.

This was different, though: Loki and his Voidborn seemed particularly sensitive to the creation of even small portals, making it intensely difficult for them to gather information by their usual methods. Hecate had contacts in Helheim and Heaven she was using to get some information in other ways, but even these avenues were limited: demons couldn't – wouldn't – get close because of the risk of being sensed and attacked by the Voidborn or Elementals, even in spirit form, and Loki knew every trick and spell of Heaven, enabling him to easily set up massive dead zones that not even the craftiest mage of Valhalla could scry through.

Hecate moodily looked between the screens, before she rose her head slightly as she felt a tingle, and then she gave a thin smile as she asked: “Are you the deus ex machina I was hoping for? Because I was just thinking about how I could use someone capable of outmaneuvering Loki.”

“I'm afraid that chaos doesn't mix with Void energies very well.” Kvasir said calmly, and Hecate turned to face the Mad Hatter, who gave a stiff little bow before he said quietly: “I made a promise that I would see you. And I have meant to, for quite a long time. Unfortunately...”

“You had to wait until I had almost completely lost faith in our meeting, I know.” Hecate said distastefully, and Kvasir smiled thinly.

“Rather, until you'd almost put it out of your mind. I know you understand how chaos works too well to ever lose faith in it. But I'm afraid, as always... I am short on time. I am late, late, for a very important date.” Kvasir said, and as calm as he was, he shuffled back and forth on the spot, flicking a pocketwatch out of his vest pocket by the chain and spinning it quickly into his hand to pop it open, then snap it closed in a repetitive, anxious gesture.

Hecate nodded, dismissing the screens as she turned to face him, and Kvasir studied her before he said quietly: “Strange. Valthrudnir's energy... it almost brings a sense of nostalgia with it. And the Jötnar makes the Hatter nervous, for obvious reasons... but calmer, too. Fear attaches chaos to the physical world.”

“I am very capable of inspiring as much fear as you need, Kvasir.” Hecate said softly, and the Mad Hatter gave a wry smile. “I'll get to the point. What can you tell me about the Prime and Loki?”

“Too much. Not enough. Your son already knows everything he has to. Did he tell you that I took him and Melinda for tea? Very fortunate she was there, she knew all the etiquette and the procedure.” Kvasir paused, then he grimaced as he squeezed the pocketwatch tightly in his hand, muttering: “Keep it together.”

Hecate frowned slightly, before she asked slowly: “What does Loki want with Ginnungagap? And the Primordials-”

“One question at a time! And since you've already asked one, it's my turn now to...” Kvasir shivered, and then he gritted his teeth and visibly reined himself in. “We have more important things to talk about. Like the Tyrant Wyrms, for example.”

“The genetic molds for the Tyrant Wyrms are being reprogrammed as we speak. It's something I should have done a long time ago, but it was never as crucial as it has become now.” Hecate said quietly, and Kvasir smiled wryly at this.

“Unlike you to make excuses.” he commented, and Hecate scowled. “And what about the Tyrant Wyrms you have locked away in the basement and delegated to the wasteland? Don't you think-”

“I know that Loki will attempt to use them against us, yes. They are only flawed machinery, however, in spite of their connection to the Void: if it becomes necessary, they will be destroyed. But for now, it is important that they continue to serve in their capacity as terraformers and fuel providers.” Hecate answered.

Kvasir studied her for a moment, and then he asked softly: “Why is it that people always ask for advice and help, but then ignore everything you have to say? Not that I wasn't the same way in life.”

“You're still alive.” Hecate said, and Kvasir shrugged moodily as he flicked his pocketwatch open and closed a few times before he squeezed it tightly in his hand, and it turned to golden dust that spilled away into the air as he flexed his gloved fingers slowly. “I understand that at times I can be... arrogant. I understand that you likely know the price of arrogance better than I do, as well, and... your advice is valued. But-”

Kvasir only waved a hand, before he asked almost abruptly: “Are you aware of how thin reality has become?”

“Yes, we're monitoring areas where-”

“No, no. The whole blanket is thin. There are certainly thinner spots and holes here and there, but the whole blanket has gotten to the point where it's just about ready to tear.” Kvasir answer, flexing his fingers slowly before he shook his head, forcing himself to be a bit more lucid as he added in a more serious voice: “All of reality has become damaged. Loki's presence is exacerbating the effect, but is not in and of itself the cause. But you knew that already, didn't you?”

“I had my suspicions.” Hecate admitted after a moment with a slow nod, saying quietly: “It's because of the overuse of portals, isn't it? Even portal rings were meant to only be used sparingly, but there has been massive abuse of free-standing portals as well as tunnels carved through reality.”

The Mad Hatter nodded, saying softly: “That is correct. We say that portals leave behind residue, but in reality what we are talking about are scars and damage that can be detected years after the portal was used. More than that, Heaven and Hell are interacting with Midgard on a regular basis... even more so, now that demons are beginning to become aware Hell is missing three very important letters.”

Hecate scowled, but Kvasir gave a quirk of a smile, shaking his head and tapping a finger against his nose as he answered her unasked question: “No. A few more years. I can't tell you whether that's in Hell-time or today-time, although the not-quite-red queen has been doing us the favor of matching Helheim time to ours.”

“Good. What other damage control can we provide?” asked Hecate, and Kvasir gave her a dry smile. “There must be-”

“You have other things to worry about. You've already got the whole universe on your shoulders: even a Jötnar can only carry one universe at a time.” Kvasir said gently, before he grimaced a bit and added quietly: “Besides, I'm sure you'll be dealing with plenty of demons in the future: they'll be eager to try and escape Helheim once they realize their Mistress is missing. I'm sure plenty already have, as a matter of fact... they're just laying low in case this is another game of Hel's. You'll have your hands – or hooves, or feet, or whatever you prefer, if you so prefer – full very soon.”

Hecate scraped a hoof meditatively against the balcony, before she turned to gaze out over Endworld, studying it silently: she wondered how much damage this world's existence had caused the fabric of reality. After all, Endworld wasn't even supposed to exist, and the Horn of Gjallar, all those years ago, had shattered it away from the chain of worlds, and done who knew how much damage to the rest of the universe in the process.

How much damage had she done to the universe in her attempt to fix it, to protect it? How many holes had she punched into reality herself? Was this why it was so easy for Loki to exercise his powers, because they had already weakened the fabric of Midgard so much that it had become trivial for him to reach through the thin veneer of reality to yank loose more of the Void?

“I have limited time. There's no time for thinking, Hecate, only for doing.” Kvasir said as he strode up beside her to lean over the balcony, but after a moment, he couldn't help but add: “Your city is very beautiful, though. I only... really started to see beauty after...”

Kvasir quieted, and Hecate glanced at him, saying softly: “Yes. I understand. But as you said, we don't have the time for idle chitchat or beauty. Is there anything that you can do about the weakening of reality?”

“Chaos only weakens reality further. For once, it's not a stupid looparound when I say that there's nothing I can do to help.” Kvasir shook his head slowly, squeezing tightly into the banister as he muttered: “One thing that does concern me is that Loki is... he can't hide his intentions from me, even if he can conceal everything else. We are at opposite ends of the chaotic spectrum: he exists to keep things moving, I exist to prevent things from staying still.”

Hecate glanced at Kvasir, and she hesitated for a moment: just a moment, but it was more than enough to catch the Mad Hatter's attention, his gaze turning to her fully as she asked quietly: “Is it true? Do you think this was all Loki's plan, all along?”

Kvasir was silent for a moment, before he sighed softly and looked up at the starless, windless, cloudless sky of Endworld, studying the swirling darkness above before he said finally: “I don't want to think so. But I only know that means it's probably true. Gymbr, for better or worse, was my friend... I think... I think at the very least he was unaware that he was being used. I think he wanted to do good, be more than a story. But I think that was the problem, and how Loki must have found it so easy to manipulate him: all he had to do was lie, and convince Gymbr this was what he really wanted all along.”

Hecate looked down moodily, and Kvasir shook his head slowly as he murmured: “Maybe it was never the Void gazing back into us, when we looked into it: maybe there was something in there the whole time, whispering to us, manipulating us, telling us all the things we want to hear. And you know there's nothing more dangerous than hearing precisely what you want to.”

“Confirmation bias and preconceived notions make prey of even the best of us.” Hecate looked moodily out into the distance, shaking her head slowly. “But you have to have faith in something. And I don't believe Loki is trying to teach us about the dangers of blind belief.”

Kvasir smiled wryly, and then Hecate looked up at him and asked: “Does the Hatter have any intent to fight him? In the past-”

“Once. And the Mad Hatter was only compelled to fight the Pious because he wanted to... to wrong a right, or right a wrong, or... whatever it was. He was responsible, and he was pushed into being responsible, but this...” Kvasir shook his head slowly. “This is entirely different. Partly because it's chaos against chaos, but also because the Hatter doesn't care about Midgard like he does about Alice, like I do about Heaven.”

Hecate scowled, but Kvasir only shrugged before he said quietly: “I'm only lucid for short periods of time. I can't force the Mad Hatter to do anything: as a matter of fact, trying to force him to do anything usually has the opposite effect. As it is, I'm lucky that I still exist at all.”

Kvasir paused, then he looked down at his hand, studying his gloves fingers as he flexed them slowly before he frowned slightly and stated more than asked: “You have something unpleasant imprisoned in one of your facilities... a destruction entity, fused with chaos. Not Primordial, but...”

“Semisynthetic, chemically-altered to serve as a biological weapon. E-V-100 was his designation, but he calls himself Cancer.” Hecate said, and Kvasir nodded slowly. “Can you communicate with him?”

“He's from Ginnungagap... a place where Ginnungagap was thin. I can't command the destruction but I can modify the chaos he shrouds himself with.” Kvasir paused, then his eyes flicked towards Hecate, adding quietly: “However, I have to warn you that the Hatter will not allow me to assist you if you execute him afterwards. Chaos, no matter how vicious or merciful, always works for the benefit of chaos.”

“If you can get Cancer to provide information, then you can send him back where he came from. Otherwise, I will interrogate him myself, then see how long he remains cohesive in a soul furnace.” Hecate said coldly, looking straight through Kvasir: but then again, it wasn't him she was speaking to.

And after a moment, Kvasir twitched before the Mad Hatter blurted: “Terrifying! Why, I'd run away from it all right now, but then I suppose that would be leaving my angry cousin to die... and a cousin is a cousin, even when he's a bear, isn't that right?”

Hecate remained calm, and after a moment, Kvasir grimaced as he reached up to grasp the brim of his top hat. “I dislike when people talk through me.”

“Then don't get in the way.” Hecate said simply, and Kvasir gave a thin smile before the Jötnar mare gestured to the side, opening an oval rip in reality that led directly to the facility where Cancer was being held. “Shall we?”

“Funny. I thought we just had a chat about that.” Kvasir said, and Hecate gave him a dry look before she followed him as he stepped through the hole, the rift slamming shut behind them and leaving them standing in a cold, desolate steel room.

Heavy, armored, and electrified doors were at their back, while in front of them was a windowed isolation box: it was little more than a cube of metal, pipes and wires feeding down from the ceiling into the domed roof of this lonely cell, feeding it the power and data necessary to keep the occupant isolated from the rest of the world.

Hecate and Kvasir approached the window of the cell, the Mad Hatter clucking his tongue as he put his hands behind his back, body language curious but expression and voice stoic as ever as he said quietly: “Is it designed to cut him off from us, or to cut us off from him?”

“Not everything is one or the other.” Hecate answered, and Kvasir gave her a wry smile before the mare returned her eyes to the window, and the creature within that was glaring out at them hatefully: a goblinoid, pathetic-looking thing, with huge bug-like eyes and scaly skin. “He's developed a strange tendency to mimic pony behavior when his powers aren't being repressed. Irradiating him still seems to be an effective measure for suppressing both his abilities and his senses, however: it seems like almost all the Voidborn carry the same strengths and weaknesses they had in life.”

“That's not a surprise.” Kvasir paused, then he stepped back and said quietly as he rolled up his sleeves: “Excuse me while I ignore your rules.”

Hecate frowned, before her eyes widened in surprise as, with a mere flick of his wrists, Cancer vanished from inside the cell and reappeared in the Mad Hatter's grip, Kvasir's muzzle wrinkling in disgust as he leaned away from the dripping, ugly thing he was holding up by the armpits like a hideous baby. Cancer blinked, then flailed wildly as the goblinoid beast cackled, his body becoming larger and more stallionesque as he declared: “I knew you couldn't hold me! I knew it, I knew it, I knew-”

Cancer squeaked as he was snared inside a bubble, floating dumbly upside down as Kvasir moodily rubbed a hand at his suit, the other extended beneath the spherical prison as he muttered: “The one thing that the Hatter and I both agree with is that neither of us likes to get dirty.”

“I don't gotta listen to you! I got a great boss already!” Cancer shouted from inside the bubble, uselessly hammering his hooves against the wall of the prison before he snarled: “You better let me out of here, Hatter, or when I get back to the Void, I'm gonna tell Loki all about you and that you're helping that big stupid metal bit... bit... by golly, hey there, Hecate! Long... long time no see!”

Cancer grinned uncomfortably as he slowly revolved towards the Jötnar mare, and then he gave a squeaky little laugh before he squealed and flung himself against the other side of the orb when the mare leaned towards him with a cold glare.

But Kvasir held up his other hand calmly, saying pointedly: “You're scaring the Hatter. And the Hatter's desire for self-preservation is greater than his desire to protect this... tumor.”

“It makes little difference to me.” Hecate said coldly, but she backed off all the same, and Kvasir gave her the slightest of nods before he turned his eyes back to Cancer.

“Hey, I'll sing real sweet for all y'all if you want me to! You just gotta ask, that's all... and I don't even mean politely, nope!” Cancer blurted, shaking his head vehemently as he gave a queasy smile towards Hecate, before his head twisted all the way around on his neck so he could look back at the Mad Hatter, adding hurriedly: “'Specially you, sir, ain't like I'm ever gonna say anything bad to you, nope, no sir, I know my place real good like!”

Kvasir simply looked at Cancer with distaste for a moment as the monster gave him a cheesy grin, before the Mad Hatter simply waved a hand as he said softly: “Masks off.”

Cancer gurgled, and then his features went slack, his eyes dimming as energy steamed off his body. For a moment, Hecate frowned, wondering if something was wrong, and then she leaned back in disgust as Cancer's skin wilted away like rotten petals from his face, revealing a deformed skull beneath made of ever-shifting not-flesh.

The skull clicked its teeth slowly, and then it said emptily: “You cannot command us. You have not weakened us. We are not Primordial: stripping us of our chaos only connects us more to our Master.”

“Even the Hatter can't trust chaos. We're well-documented liars and truth-twisters, aren't we? But destruction, on the other hand...” Kvasir started, then he grimaced a bit, shivering a little as his fingers clenched, his coat sweeping up into the air of its own accord before he violently smoothed it out. “The Hatter is acting up. It's my fault for thinking he was gone, that he'd cooperate, that-”

“Enough.” Hecate said curtly, and then she stepped forward and asked: “Cancer, what does Loki want?”

Slowly, Cancer turned towards her, staring through her with those hellish hollow eyes as it reached up a half-melted hoof to stroke slowly against the wall of the glass bubble restraining it. “To bring all things back to the Void. But you know this. What you want to know is if he wants you. If he wants this world. And the answer is yes. He will devour you. He will devour these worlds. All shall be his. All shall return to the Void.”

“Destruction entities and their obsession with the Void. Ridiculous.” grumbled Kvasir, and Hecate could hear in his voice how he was starting to lose himself to the influence of the Mad Hatter. “But what puzzles me... are the Primordials. What do they have to gain?”

Hecate narrowed her eyes, and Cancer chuckled softly before he whispered: “They serve the will of the Prime. In the beginning, the Primordials were few; before the beginning, the Primordials were One: the Prime, and the Prime alone. The Shaper of Worlds.”

Both Hecate and Kvasir looked at Cancer as the destruction entity's skull seemed to twist itself into a caricature of a grin, rasping: “They believe in death, they join with the Prime. That they will become the Prime once more. That their collective will shall be as one, and from the Void, they will create a universe anew.

“You are fools.” Cancer pronounced, slowly turning his hollow, hellish gaze to Hecate. “Destroy them. Rip them from the flesh they are imprisoned in. Then purify their spirits of chaos. Return them to what they are: shards of the Prime, which eagerly return to him, stripped of body and will... stripped of what kept them imprisoned and separate. Make them one again. Make them whole again. Barrel headlong into oblivion.”

Cancer smiled, and then he laughed, even as green flames ripped up across his body, rapidly consuming him as he whispered: “Back to the Void. It is all we have ever desired...”

The bubble prison vibrated violently, and then it suddenly imploded on itself, vanishing in a burst of green light as Kvasir dropped in a squat, shivering a bit as he rested his arms on his knees. Hecate looked at him silently, wondering who was in control, but only for a moment, as Kvasir muttered: “That frightened Theophilius.”

“This is not good news.” Hecate said quietly, and Kvasir grunted as he sat back on his rump like a child, wrapping his arms around his knees as he gazed at the isolation chamber silently. “It's worse than what I suspected. I thought the Primordials were being used by Loki, but...”

“Maybe they're the ones using him.” muttered Kvasir, and then he shook his head slowly before he sighed a little, tapping his fingers anxiously against his legs before he looked up and asked: “How are you going to deal with Loki?”

Hecate was silent for a moment, and then she said softly: “I have no intention of changing my approach. He is a threat, and he will be dealt with as such.”

“Someone very wise once told me that we don't give others mercy because they deserve it.” Kvasir said quietly, before he smiled briefly and shook his head, clambering up to his feet and brushing himself off. “But I suppose you work under a different set of rules. I just hope you realize, Hecate, that no one will hesitate to apply those same rules to you, which I'm sure you already know... but they might also choose to apply those rules to your inheritors, as well. Food for thought.”

Hecate lowered her head briefly, and by the time she looked up, Kvasir was already gone. She looked silently at the space where the Mad Hatter had stood a moment before, and then she closed her eyes with a sigh, taking solace only in the hope that her inheritors would prove themselves to be far better people than she had ever been able to be.

Home

Chapter One Hundred and Three: Home
~BlackRoseRaven

This was it. This was what she had been waiting for – and fearing – ever since Loki's attack. There was no turning back now; it was time for her to go... home.

Cadence shifted slowly in her polished white armor, her head high and framed by a new helmet made with all the latest in Clockwork technology. Her belts of knives were cinched tightly around her body, her large daggers holstered at her waist, and the rest of her equipment was stored securely in the small pack in the middle of her back.

She had never been more prepared, and yet she had never felt less ready in all her life for anything. Even with all her friends beside her, even with her father's support, even with...

She glanced to the side, and Thesis gave her that stupid, charming grin of his as he tapped lightly on the crest of his simple breastplate, saying easily: “We look good. Stop worrying, your ex-husband is going to love me.”

“Yes. That is clearly my biggest concern,what Shining thinks about you.” Cadence said sourly, before she shook her head and drew her eyes back along the rest of her team, asking quietly: “Are all of you still up to this?”

Moonflower glanced up with a small smile from where he was standing almost protectively beside La Croix, straightening a little as he answered: “Yes. Yes, look at me, all... shiny and ready to go!”

He laughed awkwardly, shifting a bit in his new set of crystal-insulated armor: it was black, polished, and beautiful, a perfect replacement for the armor that had been destroyed... how many times now? They had fought so many powerful enemies, they had suffered so many defeats and won so many battles, but sometimes those victories had come at the higher cost.

Her eyes roved to La Croix, who smiled awkwardly as he shifted slowly to the side: Hecate had carved and shaped a beautiful wooden prosthetic leg for him, and La Croix had covered it with charms and runes, which glowed with faint, eerie radiance.

The Loa tugged his cape carefully over to hide his limb, and then he nodded, adding in a subdued voice: “Oui. I be just fine, Cygne, don't you worry your pretty little head 'bout me.”

The mare smiled faintly, and then she let her eyes rove towards Sombra, and her father simply bowed his head to her politely, the new purifier on his back humming quietly: it was louder than she remembered, but she knew that was in part due to the fact this one was more like Thesis' exoskeleton, lacking a full protective cover.

He looked tense, she thought. He was smiling, trying to be reassuring, but she could almost feel the intensity coming off him, the nervousness, the... less-than-readiness. Somehow, that comforted her, though: she hated the reminder that her father was a pony, just like the rest of them, but at the same time it helped her be strong, because it reminded her she had someone to be strong for, someone who needed her to put her best hoof forward. Well, someone other than just Thesis, that was.

She smiled briefly again, then shook her head before she took a breath and forced herself to look forwards, murmuring: “Alright. Then raise your heads high, people, we have a job to do and I don't want to see it screwed up. Let's show Hecate that we're ready for this.”

The others nodded, picking themselves up a little, even as Moonflower nervously kept an eye on La Croix and Sombra shifted ever so slightly. But she did her best to turn her gaze ahead to watch as the portal ring was prepped, remembering what Thesis had said to her before they had assembled: if she could settle her own mind and emotions, the others would follow suit.

And she was somewhat surprised by just how right he was, as she watched out of the corner of her eye how her friends and teammates fell in around her as she calmed down. She had never really thought about how much they relied on her before, and realizing how deep that bond was... it was frightening to her. It was a level of responsibility she didn't know if she was ready for.

But Thesis nudged her gently, gave her that smile she loved and hated, and she sighed a little as she covered up her gratitude by saying dryly: “That includes you too. Fall in.”

“Hey, I'm totally your boss, you know.” Thesis said mildly, before he winced when Cadence punched him in the shoulder, awkwardly rubbing at it before he said finally: “That's assault.”

“You're an ass.” Cadence said dryly, and the stallion only shrugged amiably. Cadence opened her mouth to further reprimand him, but then she heard the telltale stomp of Hecate's hooves and instead quickly straightened, facing back ahead, and the rest of her team did the same.

Hecate passed by the group, studying them intently for a few moments before Thesis saluted crisply, saying in a surprisingly-professional voice: “Ready for deployment, Empress Hecate. Request mission update.”

“All parameters remain unchanged: each of you is outfitted with a Mission Drive capable of detecting Void signals. Use these to find the source of these signals and exterminate it.” Hecate answered, before she glanced back over her shoulder at the portal ring as a faint thrumming began to fill the air. “The portal is set to quick deployment: if you lollygag, expect to be spliced. Your point of arrival has been changed from outside Canterlot to the manufacturing facility beneath the Crystal Empire.”

Sombra frowned ever-so-slightly, while Cadence winced visibly, but Hecate only held up a hoof before explaining patiently: “This will create a much weaker ripple through reality: it might be enough to allow us to sneak up on Loki's forces. Furthermore, this facility has already been stripped bare: if Loki's forces do track the portal, they won't find anything of interest.”

Cadence was tempted to argue, but her father thankfully stepped in, saying softly: “You are right. Mi scuse: it is simply hard to put aside my feelings for my people and what was once kingdom.”

Hecate only gave a thin smile, then she gestured towards the portal as it began to power up, instructing: “To be clear, the same rules apply: you are to avoid contact with the inhabitants as much as possible and concentrate on your mission. Do I make myself clear, Cadence?”

“Yes, ma'am.” Cadence said, fighting down her embarrassment as she saluted the Jötnar mare, and Hecate looked at her evenly until Cadence promised: “I won't involve anyone any more than strictly necessary. I know my mission.”

“Good.” Hecate stepped back, then she turned her eyes towards the portal, even as she said: “Good luck, and remember that failure is not an option: do not allow yourselves to fail. You are all above that.”

Thesis and Cadence both saluted again, and then Hecate ordered sharply: “Move out!”

The portal crackled, a vortex swirling into life inside the ring as Cadence lunged forward, leading her group quickly towards the portal: she was afraid of a hundred things as she leapt into the rift, but there was no time to look back, no time to slow down, no time to do anything but plunge forward, and then gasp as she ripped out the other side-

She skidded to a halt with a dumbfounded look in middle of a crowded room, then squawked as Thesis barreled into her from behind. Sombra barely managed to stagger around them, and La Croix and Moonflower both tripped and landed in sprawls, staring just as stupidly at the ponies around them as Cadence mouthed wordlessly, then shoved herself up to her hooves as she asked disbelievingly: “What's going on here?”

“W-We could ask you the same question!” blurted out a pony in a lab coat: she seemed just as shocked as everyone else, but the mare shook herself vehemently before she began to furiously jot notes, shouting at the other slack-jawed scientists around her: “Quickly! Get Regent Blueberry on the line! We need to contact Princess Celestia right away about this! The Ambassadors will want to know tout-suite!”

“Th'only thing that better happen tout-suite is that this pédé gets off my tête.” La Croix grumbled, and then he shook himself and shoved at Moonflower until the unicorn staggered off him, the others picking themselves up before the Loa winced and hurriedly said: “Uh, Cygne? Think we got a problem!”

Cadence began to look up, before her eyes widened as she stared at her father, who was smiling kindly, and then at the terrified-looking security guards and mages that had flung themselves back against the wall. One of them was trembling violently, and as Cadence watched, he held up a charm, staring as tears of fear ran down his cheeks at Sombra before he began to mumble rapidly away.

Sombra was the bogey, the monster under the bed, the terror of the Crystal Kingdom. Over all her years in Decretum, she had almost forgotten that: she had never even considered what it would be like to show up in this world with her father at her side, because she had put out of her mind just what Sombra had been to these ungrateful-

Calm down, the Swan said softly, and Cadence grimaced but nodded as she began to open her mouth, before she stared as her father calmly strode forward.

The ponies stared in terror as the whimpering soldier clutched tighter around his charm, voice quavering and stumbling before Sombra gently placed his hooves over the stallion's own, smiling down at him with kindness and warmth as he finished gently: “Poiché: è Dando, che si riceve: Perdonando che si è perdonati; Morendo, che si risuscita a Vita Eterna. Amen.”

The stallion stared at him, and Sombra smiled kindly before he leaned forwards and gently kissed his forehead in blessing before he said softly: “Peace, friend.”

Sombra stepped back and left the crowd in stunned silence, and thankfully, Thesis took the initiative, waving a hoof to get everyone's attention as he said loudly: “Hi!”

When at least most of the eyes in the room turned towards him, he continued pleasantly: “My name is Thesis, and I am the Regent of the Clockwork Empire, the people behind the creation of this abandoned facility. My team and I are here to investigate disturbances in this world, but first of all I would like to know just how much of the facility here you've managed to bring online. We should take an inventory to make sure-”

“No! This is now the property of the Crystal Kingdom! As you said, this facility was abandoned, and we will not tolerate any interference!” declared the scientist mare who was scribbling madly across the sheet: Cadence scowled at her. She was an earth pony: a crystal pony, from her glittering green coat and the nasty, selfish look in her eyes.

Cadence reflected moodily that maybe she was being a little racist, as she drew her eyes critically over the mare: the perfect lab coat with the oversized ID badge and the self-important black bun of the crystal pony's mane told her that this mare took herself very seriously. Too seriously: a fact confirmed as the scientist continued: “No, this facility is our property and our research here is too important to be compromised. We need to interview you all immediately, there are so many questions that I have that-”

Thesis cleared his throat, then he pointed at Cadence and said mildly: “Do you see her? She doesn't like you very much. She punches the things she doesn't like. She punches them really hard.”

The scientist mare stared, then she asked incredulously: “Are you threatening me?”

“He's warning you.” Cadence said shortly, and the mare skittered backwards even as she continued wildly writing notes before Cadence ordered: “I want to speak to Regent Blueberry or whoever is in charge of the Crystal Empire. I also want to send a letter to Princess Celestia and I want access to your research files.”

“What my friend Honk here is trying to say is that it would be great if we could discuss what's going on with whoever's in command, and if you do show us what you've uncovered so far, maybe we can answer some of the questions you must have and work together to safely and securely explore the rest of this facility. You must have a lot of questions, and we have no interest in reclaiming this place, okay?” Thesis slid in quickly, and Cadence glowered at him, as glad as she was that he was able to be diplomatic when he wanted to.

The scientist shifted uncomfortably, then huffed when a guard said nervously: “The Regent has been informed, and uh... a representative is on his way...”

He nervously touched a device on a harness that Cadence recognized as a walkie-talkie, and Thesis smiled slightly before he asked: “So how much experience do you guys have with technology?”

“That is none of your business!” snapped the scientist, and Thesis shrugged amiably before he calmly rose his foreleg to tap along his Mission Drive, completely ignoring the mare even as she continued haughtily: “You still owe us an explanation! And don't think that we're going to let you just walk away with the secrets of this facility-”

Thesis' Mission Drive fizzled, and then Seneschal's voice huffed loudly out of it as the lights in the room flickered, the AI grumbling: “This is nothing but a waste of processing power. And both the hardware and software are ancient! I can barely interface with this version, it must have been driven by an alpha model of the Clockwork King...”

Seneschal paused, and there was a faint beeping before the AI grumbled: “Well, at least that should be serviceable... orders received, yes, yes, I'm not stupid...”

Seneschal grumbled himself into silence, before the scientist mare asked sharply: “Who was that? Is that device some kind of communicator? Is there another portal location, did you-”

“That's enough, Longsearch.” came a voice, and Cadence looked up with a frown before her eyes widened slightly in surprise at the sight of the grizzled, dark green stallion who came forward, his eyes lingering on Cadence. Where he wasn't covered by the regal purple armor of a Captain of the Guard, he was pockmarked by scars, including the prosthetic front leg he limped forward on before he bowed his head slightly forward, although they all felt the magic he scanned them with, even as he greeted politely: “I am Captain Clarion Call of the Royal Guard of Equestria. I hope you don't mind me saying so, but you look like a military unit.”

“I prefer the term 'justice friends' myself.” Thesis answered delicately, before he paused for a moment, studying the stallion intently, then he clapped his hooves together and said suddenly: “732nd Brigade, right? I mean... the Homeguard division, that probably makes more sense to you. You're wearing brass armor. As in top brass, not, like, you know. Brass-brass.”

Clarion smiled slightly, then he extended a hoof, and Thesis strode forward before the two shared a complicated hoofshake. Clarion chuckled at this, then he stepped back and smiled wider, answering: “Guess that answers your question. And answers a lot of mine, too, even though you're... quirky.”

“I'm fun.” Thesis replied with a slight smile, and then he glanced back at Cadence: when she gave him a pointed look, however, he simply nodded before asking: “What are the Princess'-”

“Before we get into anything, let's get out of here. I need to sit down. Been on patrol for too long.” Clarion said mildly, and Thesis nodded, taking the hint. “Let's head up to the castle. I'm sure Regent Blueberry will be thrilled to know you're not monstrous invaders.”

Cadence smiled wryly at this despite herself, and then she simply nodded when Thesis called her and the rest of her team to order, trying her best to quell the feeling in her stomach that things had already gotten much more complicated than she had hoped they would.

The Regent was a portly blue stallion, Blueberry not just in name but in stature as well, Cadence thought. That was a little unfair, maybe: he had always done his best with things, after all. But thankfully, while he was capable of keeping the kingdom running smoothly, he had never been the brightest stallion.

But more than Blueberry, Cadence was preoccupied with looking around the tower, and it took all her strength to sit quietly here at the table instead of lunging to the window, to look out at the Crystal Empire, to see the country she had left behind so long ago...

She blinked a few times as Thesis said something to her, and then she sat up awkwardly and asked lamely: “What did you say? I... sorry, I was lost in my own thoughts.”

“Smooth.” Thesis said mildly, and the mare scowled at him before he glanced around the table: Moonflower was just staring, La Croix was moodily tinkering with his prosthetic leg, and Sombra looked like he was caught in a pleasant reverie, but she knew that the nostalgia had to be even greater for him than it was for her. “Well, at least you guys aren't the only ones uh... 'lost.'”

Clarion grunted from where he had his head in one hoof, yawning loudly before he said tiredly: “We don't do a lot of talking under the General. We mostly just try not to get yelled at.”

“Archon?” Cadence asked before she could stop herself, and Clarion blinked in surprise as he rose his head slightly, before he narrowed his eyes at her curiously.

Before he could speak, however, Thesis quickly said: “Before we get too off track, what the Blue guy here wanted to know was our long-term plans. But we're not going to be here long-term, right?”

“Yes. I mean, no, we aren't. A few days, hopefully. We just need to track down the Void presence here and deal with it. Then we can return to Decretum. I mean, Endworld.” Cadence said as she looked at Blueberry, and more importantly, away from Clarion. “We don't want to cause any trouble for Equestria or the Crystal Empire or anyone else. There are dangerous things-”

“We've dealt with dangerous things before. It was a few years ago now, but one of our Princesses and her husband took on this organization of assassins, the Phalanx Guild...”

“Phoenix Guild.” Cadence corrected before she could stop herself, and Clarion gave her a crooked smile as he tapped pointedly on his nose, the mare swearing inwardly at herself and shifting back slightly in her seat before she said hurriedly, as Blueberry only looked confused: “I was briefed on it. We were all... we discussed it.”

“Yeah. Of course. What'd you say your name was again?” Clarion asked as he straightened a little, and Moonflower and La Croix both awkwardly shifted away as Thesis looked mildly at Cadence, and Blueberry only shifted nervously, smiling lamely between them as he half-held up a hoof.

“Cygne.” Cadence said stiffly, and Clarion nodded slowly before he winked and tapped on his nose.

“Well, Cygne. That's a nice name.” Clarion smiled slightly before he said mildly: “You know, Miss Cygne, I think you're going to like the Ambassador. He was a Captain of the Guard himself, you know. He's on his way here right now.”

“What?” Cadence shouted, leaping up from the table, and Blueberry stared at her as the Royal Guards positioned at the door both tensed, but Clarion only gestured at them absently as Thesis cleared his throat and covered his muzzle with both hooves.

There was a long, awkward silence for a moment, and then Cadence awkwardly sat herself back in her chair before Clarion added: “He's led an interesting life. I'm sure you'll want to get to know him. And his uh... well, she's not quite his wife, but more than a marefriend.”

“I know about that, too.” Cadence said stiffly, and then she quickly took her seat back, adding shortly: “We'd really like to just keep this as professional and brief as possible, for all our... oh shut up.”

She glared at Thesis, who was grinning widely behind his hooves, and then she sighed and turned her eyes back to Clarion, asking almost pleadingly: “Is he really coming here? I mean, I just... think it would be faster if we didn't have to deal with any ambassadors. Or anyone. At all.”

“Sorry, miss. They were in the area, and they're who Princess Celestia prefers to talk through. No offense, Regent Blueberry. It's just that uh... you deal more with the Crystal Empire and this sounds like an issue that we should all be facing together.”

“Oh yes, of course, none taken!” Blueberry said quickly, before he smiled and nodded rapidly, adding: “I still think of him as the Prince, anyway, you know! I always ask for his advice whenever I have to make any decisions, I'm so glad that he decided to live here. Or maybe I should say have a home here, considering how often he's out there, having all those adventures!”

Cadence smiled a little despite herself, and Clarion grunted as he sat back, his bones creaking as he looked at Cadence for a few moments, then said simply: “He'll be happy to see you.”

Cadence's smile became fainter as she lowered her head, and then she winced when the voice of the stallion she'd never forgotten asked curiously: “Glad to see who?”

Cadence was on her hooves in a moment, and she looked at him: the stallion she'd left behind, the stallion who made her head reel when she saw how... how different he had become. He was so much the same, and so very, completely different from what she had remembered, as she stared at him with a mix of fear and envy and anxiety and so many other emotions, emotions she didn't have words for, emotions that punched her in the stomach and ripped her heart out and made her eyes ache and her body fill with warmth.

He was handsome, with his roguish, streaked blue mane that was far too perfect of a mess to be anything but carefully styled. He had a heavy, brown leather jacket over a body that was a little more toned and athletic than Cadence remembered: he had always been handsome and well-built, but now he seemed... sleeker, she thought. Better.

His blue eyes locked on her, and he studied her intently for a moment before blushing a bit when a beautiful, rose-red-colored Pegasus mare leapt suddenly up behind him, leaning over the unicorn's shoulders with a bright smile on her face, which was framed by a beautifully-styled white-and-red mane.

Her gorgeous green eyes locked on the mare, reflecting the bright jewel on her forehead as she exclaimed: “Is that who I think it is? Oh, darling, it's been... and look, Shining Armor, she brought her father, too! What a wonderful day!”

“What? No, you have to be mistaken-”

“Of course I am, dear. You haven't forgotten, have you? It's Miss Take.” the mare greeted warmly as she hopped away from Shining Armor, striding quickly towards Cadence, and the mare gave a lame smile before she leaned awkwardly back when Miss Take embraced her tightly.

She slipped back, but caught Cadence by the shoulders before she could pull away, looking warmly into her eyes as she said softly: “My. You've changed so much, dear! Oh, I know I'm being rude, but please do introduce me to all your handsome friends here...”

“Um... who's your friend?” Shining asked awkwardly as he approached, and Cadence couldn't stop from giving him a dry look, the stallion wincing back automatically before his eyes bulged and his jaw dropped, mouthing wordlessly before he almost squealed: “Cadence?”

“Uh. Hi, Shine.” Cadence said awkwardly, and Shining stared at her as his head slowly tilted to the side, mouthing working spasmodically and Cadence gave a lame smile before she suddenly spun around and blurted out through her blush: “Hey let me introduce you to my squad!”

Miss Take only gave a genuine smile as Shining continued to gape, while Cadence nervously flitted around the table, quickly introducing each pony. “This is... I'm sure you remember Daddy! I mean, Sombra, this is my Daddy, Sombra. My Father. He's... better now, and uh... this is La Croix, and this is Moonflower, and uh... here's Thesis.”

“Here's Thesis.” Thesis agreed amiably, and then he hopped up from the table and strode over to Shining with a smile, extending a hoof towards the staring unicorn. “I've heard a lot about you! Cadence really never stops talking about you, which is funny, since I'm her new coltfriend!”

“Oh, Cadence! And he is a handsome fellow, too, and so charming. You had better be careful or I'll steal this one from you too!” Miss Take gushed, then she firmly elbowed Shining in the side, making him blink before he gave a lame grin and took Thesis' hoof, shaking it awkwardly.

“It's... nice to meet you all.” Shining Armor said finally, and then he cleared his throat awkwardly before he reached up and nervously played with the pendant hanging from his neck, giving a dumb smile to Cadence as she noted the ring, and felt...

She didn't feel hurt, or possessive, or even upset at all. She felt a strange little double-thump in her heart, but that was it: maybe a hint of envy, maybe a little bit of... regret, but that was more because when she looked at Shining Armor, she saw the stallion he had always wanted to be, and the stallion he could have been all those years ago if they hadn't been such... cowards.

No, the past was the past, and they had been a good couple. They had lived, laughed, loved together until it had been time for them to go, and what she should be happy to see was that Miss Take had taken care of her... her friend, not her husband, not her lover. Her friend. That was strange to think, but it made it a little easier to smile a bit, to straighten, and she took a breath before she reached up and silently took off her helmet, so Shining could see her face clearly.

She was so different, almost unrecognizable, and yet very much the same. But he had changed, too, she thought: time and experience had changed them all.

Well, maybe not all of them, as Miss Take complimented kindly: “You pull off a short mane very nicely, Cadence. And you're still as pretty as ever. Oh, I want to know everything that's happened! You'll have to come visit with me for a while, we've got so much to catch up on!”

“Hi Cadence.”Shining Armor said lamely, and Miss Take gave the unicorn an amused look before he finally shook himself out of his reverie, then smiled awkwardly when Sombra joined them, nervously studying the dark stallion before he said finally: “Hi uh... sir.”

“Friends. I never got the chance to thank you both for helping my daughter, and for helping me.” Sombra said with a gentle smile, looking from Shining Armor to Miss Take, and Shining gave an awkward smile as Miss Take studied Sombra with kindness and curiosity. “I hope that I can begin repaying this debt now.”

“Oh, dear, there's nothing to repay! We're just so glad to see that you and Cadence made it out okay. We were very worried, you know, but I had a feeling we would all see each other again one day.” Miss Take said kindly, before she clapped her hooves together and smiled brightly. “I know this is all supposed to be serious business, but would you like to come over for tea? Shining and I have the nicest little house, and you know how much I love flaunting, darling, do come!”

Cadence shifted awkwardly, but then Thesis smiled and agreed: “Sure, it sounds like we should be talking to you guys, anyway, and-”

Cadence elbowed him firmly, glaring at him, and Thesis huffed a bit as he rubbed his side before he said pointedly: “I'm the Regent.”

“I'm going to shove your head up your ass if you pull rank to make me...” Cadence stopped, looked awkwardly at Miss Take and Shining Armor, then she looked back at Thesis and hissed through her teeth: “We can talk about this later.”

“I feel like we're having our first public spat and it's pretty great.” Thesis said with an almost unsettling amount of cheerfulness, and Cadence groaned and rolled her eyes before the stallion glanced back at the table, asking the bewildered Blueberry: “Do you mind if we take the discussion somewhere else, then? I mean, I'm sure you must have other work to do and all.”

“Uh... no, no... but... Cadence? Is that really the Princess of Love, the Crystal Princess?” Blueberry asked, looking confused. “But... why didn't you tell us?”

“I am also surprised at this turn of events.” Clarion said in a completely-underwhelmed voice, and Blueberry clearly missed his sarcasm as he nodded vehemently, while Shining Armor shot the stallion a curdling glare. “What? It's not like anyone could have ever predicted this.”

“You were always one of my favorite guards, Clarion. You'll be a good commander, just like Amadeus Archon, but with... much less yelling.” Miss Take said gently, before she brightened and clapped her hooves together. “Oh, Shining, that's right, of course! We'll have to contact dear Amadeus as well!”

Cadence looked up at this, unable to deny the burst of happiness it gave her as she blurted: “Archon's alive?”

“Of course Archon's alive. It's not like a little thing like a miniature supernova is going to kill him.” Shining Armor said, and then he smiled awkwardly when Cadence looked back at him, and she shuffled on the spot and smiled lamely back.

There was an awkward silence for a moment, and then Miss Take called kindly: “Boys, now, don't be shy, come join us. Mister Blueberry, Clarion, we'll take it from here, and don't worry, I'll send a letter immediately to Princess Celestia and let her know...”

Miss Take noted the way Cadence shifted, and the mare softened, saying quietly: “Now don't be like that, dear. Just because we're sad to see you go doesn't mean we aren't happy to know where you've ended up, you know.”

Cadence gave an awkward smile, but she felt touched, admittedly. And when Miss Take smiled at her in return, she saw honest, real gratitude and affection in her eyes, before Cadence squawked when the mare suddenly hugged her fiercely and whispered: “I missed you.”

“I... missed you too. Both of you.” Cadence murmured, as she hugged the mare back: the half-Changeling who had stolen her husband. And yet there was no venom in those thoughts anymore, because honestly... “I wouldn't be here without you, though.”

“And I take great pride in that, don't think otherwise! Right, dear?” Miss Take asked with a bright smile as she sat back, glancing over at Shining Armor, and the stallion gave that awkward little smile again himself as he nodded a bit, rubbing the back of his head and looking everywhere but Cadence's eyes.

He finally smiled at her lamely, then winced when Miss Take smacked his shoulder gently before she turned back towards Cadence, saying softly: “Well, let's not dawdle. I do hope your business isn't so important that you can't spend a few minutes catching up.”

“Uh...” Cadence hesitated, then she bit her lip as she glanced at Thesis, and the stallion gave her a smile and a shrug before she sighed and nodded, saying finally: “We can discuss it on the way. I'd like to... look around a little, anyway.”

“Then we can do two things at once, darling, and that's just perfect.” Miss Take said kindly, before she winked over at Clarion and added: “Three if we go by the museum.”

“Don't steal anything.” Clarion said dryly, and Cadence couldn't help but smile, wondering just how often priceless artifacts and treasures were going missing from private homes and museums. “I'll wait for your report, and in the meantime, I'll try and calm down the research teams in the underground, get them to quiet down operations for a day or two. Horses of Heaven know they're moving too fast for my liking, anyway.”

“They just want to understand what's down there. But uh... I guess we have some help with that now, and it sounds like... is there anything we should know?” Shining Armor asked, trying to be professional, but again, he couldn't look right at her, and Cadence had trouble trying to capture his eyes as she shifted awkwardly on the spot.

“Hey, no worries. I opened some of the ports since the power's back online and pinged Seneschal, our uh... basically he's like a magical spirit that lives inside our computers, and does stuff for us.” Thesis said, waving his hooves a little. “Anyway, he'll monitor the facility and make sure that no one does anything silly.”

Miss Take smiled in amusement at the Replicant, then she said kindly: “Like a Hivemaster, we know, dear.”

Thesis looked dumb at this, and Shining explained quickly: “Basically it's like a parasite-”

“We Changelings don't like to be called parasites, darling, not even by the ponies we love.” Miss Take said disapprovingly, and Shining looked at her mildly until she admitted: “Although, yes, the Hivemaster is not Changeling, but a uh... rather unpleasant little bug that keeps the Hive comfortable. Not for our sakes, but for its own, because otherwise they make delicious snacks for the Drones.”

“You're a Changeling?” Moonflower asked dumbly, and Miss Take touched her own breast with an exaggerated pout. “Well, I just, I mean-”

“Half-Changeling, to cut hairs. My father was a pony.” Miss Take corrected, and then she turned and tugged Shining Armor gently around in a circle with her, the unicorn wincing but following as she added: “But let's not waste any more time, shall we?”

“Right. Uh, yeah, we'll be back here to discuss things, anyway, and Seneschal will be willing enough to talk. Horses of Heaven knows he loves to talk.” Thesis added quickly to Blueberry and Clarion, and then he waved before hurrying after Miss Take, and Cadence sighed and followed with the rest of her team after a moment.

They strode through the halls of the beautiful castle-tower, and yet Cadence couldn't help but shiver as her eyes roved back and forth: here and there, she could see the Absent, the not-living stains of emotion that still haunted this place, which for all its wonder and beauty...

“I wish that I could tell them that I was sorry. That it was the only way I could think of to save them all, to protect them from the Brokenhearted.” Sombra said softly, and then he shook his head slowly before he murmured: “But evil begets evil and so I became the disease.”

“Don't say that, Daddy. You did everything you could, and more.” Cadence said softly, before she glanced up with a small smile as Miss Take looked back at her curiously, although she thought Shining Armor tried to sneak a glance over his shoulder, too.

“I can't help but notice that you and that other stallion have rather odd devices on your backs... built into your bodies, dare I say. And among the wreckage of that facility...”

“Dogmatists, I'm guessing. There were probably a few in cold storage, or maybe in the workshops. Dad always left some behind, just in case. Then, you know, forgot to poke airholes in the box or leave out some food or anything like that.” Thesis said blandly, before he shook his head and explained: “We're not Dogmatists, like the robot-ponies you probably found. We have these machines to... help us. Keep us free from the bad stuff we were both infected with.”

Cadence smiled a little at the way Thesis worded it, and Miss Take nodded before she said kindly: “I'd like to know more about them, but of course I don't want to be rude at all, dears. And of course I'd love to hear about your friends, too! Moonflower, you're such a handsome unicorn... I dare say you're even prettier than my husband, and Shining does spend so much time in the mirror every morning, you know. Mostly on his mane. And La Croix, what a fabulous cape... charmed, too, I take it?”

Moonflower blushed and smiled awkwardly, and La Croix blinked in surprise, hesitating only a moment before he grunted and nodded. “Oui. Cygne here's always sayin' I should wear somethin' better, but... 'swhat feels right, you know?”

“I do indeed, handsome. Just look at what I'm wearing.” the mare answered with a wink and a gesture at herself, clearly not indicating her jewelry, but her entire body. “I first started wearing this old thing when I snuck into Canterlot one fine day, and I haven't stopped wearing it since.”

Cadence smiled despite herself, before she looked up as they stepped out of the tower through a set of doors she didn't remember, onto an enormous set of stairs leading down to the smooth stone square that the majestic tower stood in. Cadence couldn't help but smile as she gazed out over the beautiful, sprawling kingdom-city beyond, full of the gorgeous architecture of the Crystal Ponies, where everything seemed to shimmer and sparkle with warmth.

“It is greater than I ever could have imagined it would be.” Sombra said with a soft smile, his eyes roving back and forth before he chuckled quietly and murmured: “It does not justify what I did, but... it does make me feel better to see. It's wonderful, isn't it, mi amore?”

“Veramente bello.” Cadence agreed with a small smile, and Sombra chuckled quietly before the mare shook her head as she added quietly, gesturing with a faint look of amusement at the statues of the winged unicorns that decorated the four corners of the square: “See you had a bit of work done.”

“Something to remember our Princess of Love by.” Shining Armor answered, and he gave her the smallest of smiles before he said finally: “A lot of people missed you. I missed you. And we all weren't entirely sure... how to go on without you.”

“But we managed. Not very well, of course, but we managed all the same. Now you can look at everything we've done and tell us how we should have done it better, dear. I'd like that.” Miss Take added with a mix of teasing and honesty that made Cadence blush a little.

“I was never that bad.” she said awkwardly, while knowing full well that... well, I still am. “It's really nice to see, though, and... I'm sure you did a great job with everything. How much have you been involved with... well... all this?”

Cadence lamely gestured out at the world around them, and Miss Take chuckled before she smiled over at Shining Armor, answering: “Not as much as you might think. We're ambassadors and diplomats... mainly. Every now and then, Archon or Celestia gives us a little mission on the side, something a bit more towards my... other talents.”

“Yeah, but... we don't do that a lot. Usually never. Mostly.” Shining Armor said awkwardly, giving a lame smile over his shoulder before he cleared his throat as he led the way down the main street, past curious ponies and beautiful homes and storefronts and architecture that brought back such nostalgia, and yet never longing.

Because every step Cadence took, every moment she spent here, reminded her that this had been her home, but it wasn't anymore. She had a new home now: and as driven as she felt to protect this world, especially, from Loki's sinister plans, at the same time, she knew she would have to leave this world behind, too. And seeing Miss Take and hearing about Archon and walking with Shining Armor... she knew this world had its own protectors, too. And for the first time, she really understood what Hecate meant when she said that the worlds had to learn to survive on their own.

“I'm not here to stay.” Cadence said almost abruptly, and Shining Armor blinked and stumbled to a halt, bringing the entire group to a stop, and Cadence smiled at him hesitantly before she repeated: “I'm not here to stay. I don't... want to step on any hooves or... you know, cramp your style, Shine. I'm just here to help, and then I'll be on my way. I know that... you guys can handle anything else that happens here.”

Shining Armor smiled awkwardly over his shoulder at her, licking his lips before he said softly: “I know. I... I appreciate you being up front about that, Cadence. And it is... really good to see you again. It's just... weird, and all.”

He halted, then smiled despite himself as he added: “I don't want you girls fighting over me, after all.”

Cadence rolled her eyes as Miss Take giggled a little, before Thesis grinned as he leaned in with a wink, saying cheerfully: “You don't have to worry about that. If anything, they'll fight over me.”

Shining gave Thesis a dry look, before he looked grumpily at Miss Take as she said thoughtfully: “You are quite a handsome stallion, I must admit... in a different way than you, of course, ShyShy. You have a wonderful personality and a wonderful mane. This one is exotic, bold, courageous, strong...”

Thesis winked and flexed a foreleg with a grin, and Cadence rolled her eyes in amusement as Miss Take gave a little trill and said delightedly: “Very strong!”

“Okay hey great cool that's enough.” Shining Armor said grumpily, and Miss Take smiled at him teasingly, which only made him huff a little before he turned pointedly forward to lead them on, saying: “We live over in Emerald District. We have a nice little place.”

“That's nice. Hey, I heard you were a Prince, right? I'm a Prince, too!” Thesis said cheerfully, and Shining Armor pointedly ignored him even as the Replicant rambled: “Yeah, originally Mom – Princess Celestia – didn't want me in the military, but I was never very good at being a Prince, being basically the greatest supersoldier warrior ever created, so I eventually joined the military, became like, the youngest Commander ever before I was sent to a super-secret task force. Actually I knew Cadence when she was just a little girl! I was here before, like... here-here before. I met her Dad, too. We totally have a lot of history.”

Shining Armor was pointedly glowering ahead, but Miss Take smiled warmly at Thesis, asking with interest: “So just how old are you then, darling? I know it's impolite to ask a mare's age, but I always had the feeling you were from another time, Cadence...”

Cadence only grunted, and Thesis smiled as he answered: “I'm pretty old. It's hard to say: the years have all blended together, and I guess it's not exaggerating to say I've died once or twice. But I'm over a thousand. Still in my prime, though.”

Thesis posed a few times, and Miss Take chuckled as Shining Armor shot a horrible look over his shoulder, before he blushed when the half-Changeling said: “Oh, don't mind my husband, dears. He's just been a little out of sorts ever since he found his first gray hairs.”

“I don't have gray hair! I'm not old! I'm... also great, I'm also in my prime, completely!” Shining Armor blurted out, shaking his head vehemently before he glared over his shoulder at Thesis, adding grumpily: “You really don't have to keep showing off.”

“I'm not showing off. If I was showing off I'd lift that wagon over there or teleport onto the roof or hold your marefriend and Honk over my head.” Thesis said mildly, before he winked and added: “I could lift you over my head, too, but I'd only do it for the benefit of the mares, even if you are kind of pretty and all.”

Shining scowled as they turned down a side-street, and Thesis grinned before he blinked in surprise, reaching suddenly up and bringing down the visor of his helmet as information flashed across it. Miss Take frowned slightly, while Shining only glared ahead, grumbling: “She's my wife, not my marefriend, and it'd be better if you could keep your hooves to-”

“Hey, La Croix, I think some of your friends are here. What do you suggest we do?” Thesis asked, Shining twitching as Cadence frowned before she narrowed her eyes slightly, focusing on the Swan's powers...

“Nzambi. Does that mean Veliuona is here?” Cadence asked sharply, immediately locking on to the positions of the enemy: there were two of them, both on the rooftops of a large building ahead, both of them armed with high-powered rifles that were scanning the crowd... “Are they waiting for us?”

“Do you want to go say hello?” Thesis asked, and Cadence smiled slightly before she launched herself to the side, vanishing into an alley. She didn't even need the Swan's help to navigate swiftly through the back streets before she took to the air once she was around the back of the Nzambi: for a moment, it was like she was a foal again, training under the tutelage of the warriors she was already pushing the limits of.

Before either Nzambi could scent her or detect her friends, Cadence was behind them: she pounced on the first, slamming a dagger through the back of his skull and killing him instantly, and even before he could completely turn to ash and before his friend could react, she was immediately across the rooftop, seizing the other Nzambi by the throat and pinning him on his back before he roared in pain and frustration when she speared her dagger through his chest: she knew it would keep his spirit bound to his body. She wasn't entirely sure how she knew that, but all the same...

The Nzambi snarled at her as he sluggishly tried to bring his rifle up, and before she could think better of it, Cadence stepped forward and punted him off the rooftop as she snatched the rifle out of his hooves. He fell into the square below with a howl, Crystal Ponies scattering away in shock as the Nzambi crashed down on his back, party mask popping loose from his face before he hissed when Cadence landed on top of him and pinned him to the ground.

“Well, I see you're as forward as ever.” Miss Take commented, and Cadence looked moodily up at her: the half-Changeling was perched on the edge of the fountain in the center of the square, smiling, but watching her with sharp interest. “I must say, though. You've caught a rather ugly rat there. And here I thought Pain was bad.”

The Nzambi swore at Miss Take in its own language, and the half-Changeling clucked her tongue as she said mildly: “Well, I don't have to be telepathic to know that was very rude of you to say.”

The Nzambi only grinned, then gasped when Cadence slammed its head down against the square as the others joined them, La Croix grimacing before he asked sharply: “The hell are you doin' here? No, no, I don't believe for a moment that Madame Veliuona-”

The Nzambi growled at La Croix, then spat something in response that made the Loa flinch, his eyes widening slightly before he snorted and retorted: “No, that ain't-”

The Nzambi, however, only grinned and challenged something else in its language, and La Croix shifted uncertainly before he shook his head and muttered: “No. I ain't stupid enough to fall for that. Cygne, you can let this one go. Send him on back to his Masters. Ain't nothin' but a chaoui.”

Cadence scowled, but then she nodded and reached down to yank her dagger free from the Nzambi's chest. She squeezed the handle slowly, tempted to kill it as the Nzambi looked up at her with a mocking grin, and its smile curdled on its muzzle before it snorted and made some threat or insult, then simply collapsed limply as the evil spirit fled the body.

Cadence grumbled under her breath as she sheathed her dagger, before Shining Armor asked her awkwardly: “Was that really necessary? The... whole throwing him off a roof thing?”

“Yes.” Cadence answered grumpily, knowing that there was no way Shining could know otherwise, and yet he would, anyway, by her tone. Her sulky, don't-argue-with-me voice, which had the same effect as ever as Shining cleared his throat and looked away.

“Don't be a bitch, Honk.” Thesis said mildly, and Cadence gave him a venomous look as Shining's jaw fell open.

And then, maybe before he even realized he was doing it, he defended: “Hey, she's not a bitch! Don't call her that, you... jerk.”

Shining cleared his throat as Thesis looked at him with one cocked eyebrow, and then he shrugged amiably before he turned his eyes to La Croix, asking: “What was he saying? Let me make a wild guess, no, wait: it's bad.”

“Tres mal, yeah. I wanna... get somewhere quiet 'fore we talk, though. Just in case.” La Croix said uneasily, looking back and forth before he asked: “Cygne, you see anything? Anything at all?”

Cadence frowned slightly, but then she allowed the Swan to push her aside for a moment, grumbling mentally as the Swan scanned the area, before it said calmly: “No. There is nothing here that does not belong. The spirits have fled.”

The Swan paused, then slowly turned, putting her back to the sun as the mare felt a strange compulsion, before she pointed through the crowd, past the buildings, towards the horizon... “There. The Astra is glowing.”

“What does that mean, Danzsöngr?” Thesis asked quietly, striding up beside her, and the Swan looked at him for a moment before she returned her eyes to the horizon, as the Swan told Cadence the answer, then allowed her to take control back.

Cadence shivered a bit, and then she shook her head before she murmured: “Something's trying to manipulate it. Not like Auriculos. He had no idea what he was doing, he tried to do it through chemicals and technology. This is... different.”

“Cadence?” Shining Armor asked uneasily, and the ivory mare glanced back over her shoulder at him as he looked at her uncertainly. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah... yeah, Shine, I'm fine. I just... I guess you could say I have a friend who I carry around with me everywhere now. A friend who won't let me die.” Cadence grimaced a bit, shaking her head briefly before she sighed, then glanced up as Miss Take smiled at her warmly.

“So the story came true, then, did it?” she asked teasingly, and Cadence looked at her blankly before the half-Changeling said gently: “The soul that gathers enough love becomes indestructible, immutable. And I can see you've gathered quite a bit of love and respect, Cadence, dearest... and something tells me there are many more ponies waiting for you back where you call home now. Not that this isn't your home, of course...”

“It was, but it's not anymore. You're right, Miss Take... I do have a home waiting for me, and... a lot of ponies I'm very lucky to know.” Cadence smiled briefly, glancing over at Thesis, who only smiled back with a wink before she cleared her throat and turned her eyes back to Shining Armor. “How uh... are the borders the same?”

“Yes... actually, no.” Shining Armor said after a moment, and Cadence cocked her head curiously as Miss Take brightened and nodded. “There's the same sphere of magic protecting the Crystal Empire, and Equestria hasn't expanded its settlements much further north, but they've been building a protected overground road between the nation and the... well, we call it a colony now. I mean, I know it's technically its own kingdom but-”

“No, that is well and good. I would prefer our nations be as one than separate. That is how we were meant to be, before the eternal winter cut us off from one-another.” Sombra said, before he smiled and added gently: “But there will be time to discuss such things later.”

“Uh... yeah.” Shining Armor said awkwardly, before he cleared his throat and said finally: “We can't really... 'expand,' so to speak, because we don't want to meddle with the output from the Crystal Heart or the tower. But we've been able to make Heartstones, these pebble-sized replicas of the Crystal Heart, that we've used to create a highway to Equestria...”

“It's much easier if you see it for yourselves, darlings, and I'm sure you will. After all, I doubt it's merely coincidence you happened to point in the direction of Equestria.” Miss Take added, and Cadence couldn't help but give a wry smile. “Yes, dear. I know, and I appreciate the fact that you want to be professional about this, but you know you're always welcome here.”

“Always.” Shining echoed, and then he looked awkwardly around before he cleared his throat and turned, waving a hoof as he shouted at the gawking crowd: “Nothing to see here, move on! Uh...” He paused, then flicked his horn, sending a flare of light into the sky before he added loudly: “Soldiers will be here to take evidence shortly, so if you want to stick around to give statements...”

Immediately, quite a few ponies turned and hurried off at that, and Shining Armor smiled wryly before he glanced over his shoulder and said mildly: “Some things never change, I guess. Remember when we were trying to find out what happened after the Changeling attack?”

“And all anyone cared about was that the battle was over and they all just wanted to go home. I can't blame them.” Cadence answered with a small smile, and then she shook her head and glanced down at the zebra's corpse, asking quietly: “Is it really okay just to uh... leave this here?”

“Yes, dear. Try not to worry your pretty head about it. I'm sure they all just think it's a Changeling assassin or something else prejudicial like that. I swear, all these steps we've made with Chrysalis, and you ponies see one Changeling and decide it must be a world war.” Miss Take said mildly, waving a hoof airily before she turned and strode off, Shining sighing but smiling as he fell in after her, and Cadence following with her team after a moment.

Thesis glanced back and forth as they headed down the street, before he looked up as Miss Take asked curiously: “Just what is that marvelous device, sweetie? It looks like it's telling you all sorts of information, but that's not an enchantment, is it?”

“Oh, this? This is the standard OA-SYS ID Optic. We just all call them visors, though. Most of our troops have helmets like this, it provides real-time information about the battlefield... whatever that means. Basically it tells me about stuff and warns me what's around.” Thesis answered, and Miss Take cocked her head with interest.

“Does it tell you that I am a Changeling?” she asked, and Thesis smiled slightly at her.

“Sort of. I can't see through your disguise-”

“Oh, this isn't a disguise, dear, I don't do disguises.” Miss Take interrupted pleasantly, winking at the stallion. “I much prefer to think of this as a healthy expression of who I am.” She paused, then glanced over at Cadence with a small smile, adding: “But then again, I suppose we never really know what's inside of us until we're pushed to find out... and you are so very beautiful, darling.”

“Yeah. Even with my short horn.” Cadence said dryly, glancing awkwardly up at this, but Miss Take only gave her a look that was equal parts kind and entertained. “I don't know if... I really like who I am being out there for everyone to see.”

“Oh, darling. You should never be ashamed of who you are.” Miss Take chided, and Cadence smiled despite herself before she added warmly: “Tell me more about your friends, if they're not going to speak up for themselves!”

Moonflower looked up dumbly, and La Croix gave an awkward smile before he apologized: “Pardonnez-moi, madame. 'Spose there's just been a lot on our minds recently... and uh... you know, we don't want to interrupt nothin', either. Seems like y'all got lots of catchin' up to do, after all.”

“Certainly, but I know Cadence has never been the talkative type. And I'm sure you can all tell me all kinds of embarrassing stories about her... especially you, Sombra, as her... father, yes?” Miss Take ventured, and Sombra chuckled quietly.

“Yes, I am her father.” Sombra said softly, and his smile answered the part of the question Miss Take didn't ask, the half-Changeling bowing her head humbly. “Life has taken many strange turns, but I feel as my daughter does: this is your world now. I certainly wish to offer all I can for its protection, but... my home is with my daughter, and I have found a greater purpose.”

He paused, then smiled and added: “Not that it is very hard to find a greater purpose than being a beast without a mind, a tyrant without a heart... but I am glad those days are past.”

“I have to ask, dear, and I hope it's not too personal...” Miss Take began, then she pointedly hip-checked Shining Armor when he attempted to grab her, the stallion wincing before he smiled embarrassedly over his shoulder as Miss Take asked: “At times, it seemed like the Sombra-who-was was perfectly sane; rather vile, no offense meant, but sane. How do you explain that?”

Cadence scowled, but Sombra smiled as if he appreciated the question, answering quietly: “Because it was at those times I was at my worst. When people think of madness, or sickness, they think of either a frail old pony, rotting away in a corner, or a screaming, deranged beast. But insanity is more than that, comes in more shapes and forms than rage and sound; it comes in bitterness, in torment, in hatred.”

“Now there is a truth if I ever heard one.” Miss Take agreed with a smile and a nod, before she said softly: “I mean no disrespect, of course. But as Shining has told me many times, my curiosity will be the death of me one day.”

“I think you live readily by the philosophy that all knowledge exists to be obtained; there is nothing wrong with that.” Sombra answered with a bow of his head to her, before he smiled and added: “After all, you seem to know it is also important to cherish friends and family.”

“One of the most important lessons the Queen Mother ever taught me was to keep those I trust close, discard the rest, and cherish whatever family I can make for myself. Even Changelings have their favored kin, you know: we're not nearly as bug-like as many ponies like to think we are.” Miss Take said with a wink towards Shining, who looked awkwardly away. “Although I'm very glad that I've been able to dissuade a pleasant few from that notion...”

“Okay, uh. House is just up ahead.” Shining said in a lame attempt to guide the conversation away, and Cadence gave a small smile. It was true, she thought...

Some things never changed.

The Bond Still Remains

Chapter One Hundred and Four: The Bond Still Remains
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence moodily played a hoof through the ornaments hanging off the lamp on the desk beside her, glowering at Thesis as he paged through something on a projected screen. They were sitting here, in a gorgeous little room with huge open doors that were letting a pleasant breeze through into this perfect villa, full of... carpets and spotless furniture and trinkets and decorations and-

“We can get some stuff for the apartment if you want. I mean, this place is nice and all, but... I don't think it beats the view of Exoterra from above, does it?” Thesis asked as he looked up with a smile, and Cadence loved and hated how he'd known just what she was thinking about.

The mare bit her lip, then she sighed a little before admitting: “It's not that. It's more... just... thinking about how this is the life I could have had. I don't... you know I don't... you know, but...”

“Believe me, thinking about the whole 'what could have been' isn't worth it. It's just a whole lot of regret.” Thesis said gently, before he shook his head and smiled at her. “You wouldn't have been happy. You know that, too. Because the life you could have lived...”

“It was a lie.” Cadence said, and then she scowled when Thesis gave her a sympathetic look. “Don't argue, it was. I feel bad about it. I should feel bad about it. Hell, I should feel worse than I do, to be honest. I used Shining, didn't I? I-”

“Now, none of that, dear.” Miss Take said disapprovingly as she reentered the room from the kitchen, and Cadence smiled awkwardly up at her as the half-Changeling set a tray of scones and tea on the small table in front of them. Then she sat back in an armchair and smiled across at the two of them, reassuring Cadence: “He was very happy with you. And he didn't want things to end either. It's just difficult. He... never really got closure, I suppose. So I'm... I'm glad you're here, for selfish reasons as much as that I'm happy to see you, darling.”

The ivory mare nodded after a moment, and then she said finally: “I'm... glad to be here, too, for... the same, I guess.”

Miss Take nodded, then gestured at the food she'd laid out, and when Cadence shifted awkwardly she teased: “I'll be very offended, darling, if you don't try at least a little! And sweetie, I promise I didn't poison these. As interesting as your things are, I don't think they'd be worth much to my buyers. I deal with art, not military goods.”

Cadence sighed a little, then she couldn't help but ask ironically as she picked up a cup of tea: “Still into that hobby, huh?”

“It's a fine way to supplement my income and keep me sharp at the same time. Especially now that I can't be seen doing the...” Miss Take searched for a word, then smiled and enunciated: “Liberating.”

“Liberating.” Cadence repeated, and Miss Take smiled. Thesis only shrugged amiably as he sipped at his own tea, most of his focus still on the screen at his side, and Cadence sighed before she asked: “And just how much of what you own in this house was 'liberated' from someone else's?”

“Why, almost none of it, Cadence! I certainly keep a few artifacts for myself, but I am not so base as to steal the furniture out from under people.” Miss Take replied in an offended voice, before she paused and idly stroked the arm of her wooden chair. “Well, unless it's very nice furniture, of course. Then exceptions can always be made.”

Cadence rolled her eyes, and Thesis glanced up with an amused smile as he closed the screen, complimenting: “You have good taste, at least. And you know what they say: you can judge a pony by what they surround themselves with.”

“I apologize for my Changeling lair perhaps not living up to your friends' expectations.” Miss Take replied with a wink, and Thesis snorted as Cadence only smiled wryly at her, before Miss Take added brightly: “They seem to be getting along very well with Shining, though! That's good, isn't it?”

“As nice as it is and as nice as it is to have some time with you, I can't say I exactly appreciate Shining making up an excuse to run away.” Cadence said dryly, and Miss Take gave her a half-sympathetic, half-amused look. “I'm just saying-”

“It's hard for him, too. He feels like he failed you, on top of... everything else.” Miss Take said gently, and Cadence grunted and shifted a little, looking awkwardly away. “Please, dear. Speak your mind. We're all friends here. Good friends, yes?”

The half-Changeling smiled at her, before she continued softly: “It really is good to see you again. I know I keep repeating that, but I'm not just saying it for your benefit, either. I won't lie: it's heartwarming to see you, but it's also... it feels a little like a challenge, and leaves me a little envious. Maybe that's pride and the hive-culture talking, but...”

Miss Take smiled again, but her gaze remained steady on Cadence as the ivory mare looked back at her evenly. “Well, I do hope you understand that you won't be permitted to deal with these problems alone, dear. We've seen what happens when you try and handle problems yourself... no offense meant, of course-”

“That's why my team is with me. And as much as I appreciate the 'offer,' Miss Take-”

“Oh no, I must insist. I must.” Miss Take answered equably as she held up a hoof, unflinching. “I do take my job very seriously, you know, and I'm very well aware of what an honor I've been given, being an ambassador and diplomat for Equestria. I may act the fool, Cadence, but I'm very smart, very serious about the things that matter to me... and this matters to me. So do you, as a matter of fact, and how do you think I would feel if I just sat back and you ended up getting hurt?”

She paused, then smiled and winked. “Worse, how do you think it would reflect on me? They'd never let me live it down. I might even get demoted!”

Cadence sighed at this, then glanced up in surprise as Thesis asked: “And there's no way to convince you it's a bad idea to try and get involved?”

“Oh I know it's a bad idea, dear, but I happen to live to indulge bad ideas.” Miss Take answered with a chuckle, giving Cadence a teasing look. “After all, remember how our journey began? What a wonderful little time it was together!”

Thesis smiled, then he asked, perfectly pleasantly: “Do you have any idea of the risk of this endeavor? To put it simply... do you really think you can keep up with us?”

Miss Take smiled back, but her features tightened slightly, her eyes narrowing a bit before she said softly: “I am not a force to be underestimated, dear, and neither is my husband. I would ask that you wait and see what we are capable of before you judge us. Or, if you like, perhaps I can give you a demonstration.”

Thesis smiled again, then he gestured at the room and said mildly: “What, and ruin all this? I'll admit that I'm... surprised. This is only supposed to be a Class B World, but there's a lot of Class C activity here. Believe me. It's not that I doubt you're capable of handling what happens in your own world...”

He paused, then gently tapped his hoof against the tabletop before saying softly: “It's just that we're not from this world, and neither are our enemies.”

Miss Take surveyed Thesis silently, and then she gave a slight smile as he sipped at his tea before she suddenly slammed both her rear hooves down on the other side of the table with enough force to send it flipping into the air. Cadence swore in frustration more than anything else as she dropped back into the couch-

A moment later, the table slammed back down, napkins and papers fluttering slowly through the air around them before Cadence's eyes widened in surprise. Thesis was still seated, grinning widely, teacup in one hoof and a tray of scones balanced on the other, and Miss Take was staring at him with disbelief from where she was caught in a scissors grip between his hind legs, the stallion saying mildly: “Nice try.”

“I don't try, dear.” Miss Take said kindly, and then she yanked backwards, likely trying to drag Thesis with her: instead, he let her pull loose, but the half-Changeling adjusted immediately, twisting her body sinuously to slide along the top of the table before she flipped over and lunged in a tackle at the Replicant.

But Thesis almost calmly passed Cadence the tray of scones before he simply caught Miss Take by the head and shoved back, leaving her sprawled on her stomach over the table as he said mildly: “Femme fatales don't work on me. I've spent my whole life getting beaten up by ladies. I know all your moves. Your weird, slinky, twisty body moves.”

Cadence glowered over at Thesis, who awkwardly cleared his throat, before Miss Take idly rolled onto her back, sprawling over the table before she reached out and tickled Thesis' chest with a hoof, winking at him as she purred: “Do you, dear?”

She suddenly swung her hoof up, but Thesis dodged the strike, then blocked without hesitation when the half-Changeling rolled backward and kicked both rear hooves towards his face. He grimaced at the force of impact, before he winced when the half-Changeling rolled back into his lap, trying to pin him in place with her body as she said wryly: “You know, I didn't want to resort to this.”

The green gemstone on her head began to glow, but Thesis reached up and quickly pressed a hoof against the jewel, and Miss Take winced before her eyes suddenly went wide and she fell forward over the table with a gasp as the gemstone turned black, her body shivering, almost seeming to melt in places as she struggled to maintain her transformation as her powers failed.

Cadence winced, but Thesis only smiled at the half-Changeling almost kindly as she gritted her teeth and glared furiously over her shoulder at him through mishmashed, almost-mutant features, the Replicant saying quietly: “You're strong, and you're very good, but you're a lot of flash and a lot of sizzle and not a lot of steak. See, I get it: that works great in most cases.

“But this isn't most cases. We aren't dealing with enemies who are going to be entranced by your charms. These things aren't from your world, they aren't of any world, not anymore.” Thesis said quietly, before he gently tapped on the gemstone again, and Miss Take grimaced and scowled even as the gemstone cleared and her powers returned. “I don't want to see anyone taking any unnecessary risks and I don't want to see the ponies of this world getting hurt. Because this is our responsibility, not yours.”

“But it's our world, dear. And that is why I have to continue to insist that you allow us to participate.” Miss Take said evenly as she stood up, but Cadence noted her legs were wobbling slightly: she had clearly been knocked off balance by Thesis countering her usually so-effective mix of charm and combat. “I suppose I can see why Cadence likes you, though. You brute.”

“Hey, I'm awesome.” Thesis said pointedly, before he slurped loudly at his tea, and Cadence slowly closed her eyes as Miss Take smiled despite herself. “Don't worry. You're still pretty great. Orphan-material, just about.”

Cadence scowled over at Thesis, but Miss Take only smiled in amusement before she replied kindly: “That's very nice of you to say, darling, but I have a home here, and of course I'm very fond of the Queen Mother. I think Cadence is the only mare who gets to be an Orphan while still having a father.”

“Everyone makes that joke and I hate it.” Cadence said dryly, and Thesis gave her an amused look. “You shut up. Stop fighting and flirting with her.”

“I'm not going to leave you, snuggle-muffin pudding-cake.” Thesis said kindly, and Cadence glared at him as she picked up a scone and flung it at him, the Replicant only continuing to smile at her even as it bounced off his face. “And it's not really a joke, either. It's true. I mean, think about it, you-”

“This isn't about me.” Cadence said crankily, before she sighed and looked back at Miss Take as the half-Changeling perched herself on the table. “Look. I do appreciate it, and I know you and Shine are really strong. I don't doubt that. But these things we're fighting now are even worse than the Brokenhearted, even worse than Pain.”

“I'm sure not every fight is that bad, darling. Pain was... painful.” Miss Take's mouth quirked slightly, bur her eyes were serious as she studied Cadence, before she added softly: “Although, no, dear, I'm not at all blind to how you've... changed.”

Cadence knew that Miss Take wasn't talking about her outer appearance, but she frowned all the same, and the half-Changeling chuckled before she said softly: “You aren't so heavy on your hooves anymore. You move much smoother, dear, much better than you did before. And your confidence, of course, the fact that you seem to have met yourself, if you don't mind me saying so... I know very well how much that helps.”

The ivory mare smiled wryly at this, before Miss Take calmly brushed herself off, then glanced up with a smile before she said suddenly: “Come with me, dear. I'll show you something.”

“Go ahead. I'll crunch some numbers, see what Seneschal's examined so far.” Thesis said mildly, waving a hoof at her, and Cadence glared at him even as she silently thanked him for recognizing that Miss Take probably wanted to show her something private. For letting her share things at her leisure, as much as she trusted him, as much as they were partners in everything.

She climbed to her hooves after a last sip at her own tea, then followed the half-Changeling out of the room. Cadence couldn't help but note with the faintest hint of envy that everything in this house was beautiful, and everything was decorated, and everything was perfectly clean.

“I would apologize for the untidiness, dear, but I think somehow you might take offense. I don't know how, it does seem rather messy to me, but I know that perhaps I'm also a little more sensitive to that sort of thing. I've always hated a mess.” Miss Take smiled in amusement over her shoulder as she led Cadence up a gorgeous, half-spiral staircase that was so polished Cadence could see her reflection in it. “Apart from ShyShy, of course.”

Cadence rolled her eyes, before she frowned as the mare led her out to a set of doors at the end of a long hallway, pushing them open and smiling as she gestured for her to go out onto the small balcony beyond. The ivory mare shrugged, then she sighed as she stepped out and looked down at the beautiful little yard below, perfectly maintained, where... really?

Shining Armor was sitting below at a little table, in the shade of an umbrella, a case of beer in front of him: Moonflower had taken one and already looked tipsy from just the single bottle he had drank... no, he hasn't even finished it yet.

Sombra was at the table as well, and La Croix was sitting nearby, nervously mixing something together: she studied him intently, half-recognizing the charm he had laid out in front of him, but before she could say anything Miss Take said softly: “Shining has his own way of diplomacy. I'm sure he's learned a lot from your friends, and your father. Just as I've learned a lot from you, darling.”

Cadence frowned and turned around: she almost automatically wanted to distrust Miss Take, but she didn't sense any hostility from her, could feel... almost sadness, she thought with surprise, even as the half-Changeling smiled at her. “Just what have you been up to? Why are they all so serious, darling, why are you acting like this is the end of the world?”

Cadence shifted a little, but Miss Take shook her head and said softly: “Tell me the truth. We deserve the truth, Cadence. Not just because I am curious, or because I care about you, but because I care about this world and we have a right to know. Both Shining and I are very aware of how clandestine operations work, dear: for everything you've told us... I know it's not the truth.”

“It is.” Cadence defended, but she knew what Miss Take meant, and she shifted a little before she sighed and muttered: “It's hard to explain. It's a lot of things. And until La Croix talks to us-”

“Just trust me Cadence, please.” Miss Take implored, and the ivory mare bit her lip before she sighed when the half-Changeling smiled a little and asked softly: “Haven't we been through enough together?”

Cadence grumbled under her breath, before she nodded and mumbled: “It's just hard to explain.”

“Just explain.” Miss Take said with a gentle smile.

For a few moments, Cadence looked at her, and then she said finally: “We're fighting the god Loki, who has come back from the Void for revenge with an army of the dead to destroy the entire universe, and his Voidborn might have attacked this world as revenge for stopping his attack on Decretum, which is one of the planets owned by Hecate, the Empress of the Clockwork Empire, who I work for now.”

Miss Take slowly blinked, and then she cleared her throat before she asked ironically: “Is that all, dear?”

“No. But that's all you need to know.” grumbled Cadence, and Miss Take smiled apologetically.

“I'm sorry, sweetie, it's just... a lot to take in and a lot to try and understand all at once.” Miss Take said carefully after a moment, and then she cleared her throat before she gestured out at the ponies in the yard below: “And you met your friends there?”

“Yeah. Moonflower is from another world, that...” Cadence quieted, lowering her head slightly before she murmured: “It... was destroyed by Loki. And La Croix is from Darkwater, he's a spirit from-”

“Zebra religion?” queried Miss Take, and Cadence looked up in surprise, but Miss Take smiled as she said gently: “I'm not just a pretty face, after all. Don't forget that I'm Chrysalis' big sister, and I started life as an assassin of the Queen Mother's hive. I was trained to infiltrate all societies, dear... not just ponies. Zebra, in fact, know me better than ponykind does.”

Cadence grunted, and Miss Take smiled before she said mildly: “I find it much easier to stomach that you're traveling with a Loa and some unicorn from another world than I do that there is some... rampaging god, destroying planets. But... I trust you, Cadence, and I have seen fantastic things. Not the least of which is you, dear.”

Miss Take gently tapped her breast, and Cadence smiled wryly before she reached up and touched her own body, muttering: “I'm not fantastic. I'm just... peeling away.”

That felt like a strange, uncomfortably-apt word for what she was going through: peeling away, layer-by-layer, until the real her was revealed for all the world to see. She grimaced a bit, but Miss Take only smiled at her gently, saying softly: “You know, something all Changelings are taught that it is important we recognize ourselves, first and foremost. Not just so we can find our own kind among others, but so that we don't forget who we are. Even drones, you know, can have crises of identity: they aren't all so willess that when they spend a month pretending to be a pony that hates the queen, none of that rubs off on them.”

Cadence only glowered, and Miss Take smiled wider and sighed almost in pleasure. “I missed that, you know. There's never been anything quite as satisfying as your irritation. It must be what makes you such a good leader.”

Cadence only rolled her eyes, before she asked moodily: “Are you and Shining going to compare stories after?”

“We are professionals. To a point.” Miss Take shrugged and winked, before she repeated gently: “We are professionals. And that is precisely part of why we have to come with you, even if everything you say is true. Of course it's also a point of professional pride: I can't stand the thought of you being my superior in anything either, Cadence, I will have to show you how I, too, have improved.”

The ivory mare smiled wryly, before Miss Take abruptly changed the conversation, saying cheerfully: “I'm very glad you found your special somepony though, sweetie! And he's such a perfect match for you, too. Handsome, strong, doesn't take you seriously... has the cutest nicknames for you...”

“Stands up to me.” Cadence said before she could stop herself, and Miss Take winked slowly at her as Cadence scowled. “I mean... I just mean he's... you know.”

“Yes, I do. Shine is very relaxed, very go-along, but he's gotten better about that too. It was never your fault though, dear, you do know that, don't you? You're just a very... imperial personality. I'm much more... teasing, and... well, fun.” Miss Take nudged Cadence gently as the ivory mare looked at her dryly. “Oh, don't be like that, darling, you know I don't mean it that way. You're just... very serious.”

Cadence grunted moodily, and then she sighed a little before smiling awkwardly and waving at her father as Sombra looked up at her with a kind smile that told her he had known they were there the entire time. He raised his hoof, and Shining blinked before he looked over his shoulder, then smiled awkwardly and waved at them.

Cadence smiled a little, then winced when Miss Take leaned over her and waved back, trilling cheerfully: “Darling! I see you've started drinking a little early, dear... don't get too tipsy now! You know what a silly drunk you are!”

“Thanks, dear.” Shining called tiredly, and then he shook his head before he cleared his throat and asked lamely: “Do you guys... need anything?”

“Yes, darling, if you're done milking them for information we should all come inside and talk together! I think it's time that the Loa told us all about what's got him so worried.”

La Croix winced at this, and Cadence scowled a bit, but Miss Take only said gently: “I am not trying to steal your friends away, don't worry, or even impugn on your abilities as a leader. But-”

“But, but, but. Everyone's got a but.” Cadence grumbled, and Miss Take giggled a little, which made the ivory mare glower for a few moments at her before she sighed and turned to head back inside, grumbling: “I'm going back to get Thesis.”

“Just wait there, darling, the sitting room should have enough room for all of us!” Miss Take called cheerfully, and Cadence only rolled her eyes, but she was uneasily aware of the half-Changeling's eyes lingering on her back, feeling her measuring her, studying her, until she was out of sight.

Cadence found her way through the beautiful house back to Thesis, scowling horribly. She stormed into the room, and Thesis glanced up from the holographic screen in front of him and studied her for only a moment before he reassured: “It's okay to be worried for them. But you couldn't stop them before, so what makes you think you can stop them now?”

Cadence opened her mouth, then she sighed and closed it before she mashed her face against the side of his neck, muttering: “I hate that you know me so well.”

Thesis only smiled and shrugged, then he gestured at the screen and said finally: “Seneschal only found a few danger zones, and he's locked them down. He also scanned the area using the available metrics and he wasn't able to find anything, but since we saw those Nzambi...”

The ivory mare straightened and grimaced, before she winced when the Swan pushed her aside to say: “We did not see or sense any others. They were sent to meet us. They were full of malice, of rage, of hate for us: not just their own, but those of their master.”

“That doesn't sound like Veliuona. That doesn't even sound like Loki. Loki's... I don't like the guy very much and he's definitely an asshole, but... bitterness isn't hate.” Thesis paused, then he added wryly: “Of course he might actually hate us by now.”

“Yes. He may.” the Swan agreed almost solemnly, before she added calmly: “Cadence does not like it here. It is full of memories and regrets. It is difficult. It is sad. It is... a place of heartache and longing. She loves you. We love you. We do not wish to be reminded of loves past. Of failures.”

Thesis smiled a little, then he said quietly: “Loves and friendships lost or ended are not failures, Danzsöngr. You can't measure them that way, not like... money, or material objects. Because you keep everything you experienced, everything you learned. You take it all with you. You just feel... empty inside afterward, because it always leaves you wanting more. Because... we're stupid.”

“We are stupid.” the Swan repeated, looking thoughtful, before she nodded slowly. “Yes. We are stupid. I understand what this means now.”

Thesis smiled a little wider, and the Swan studied him for a few moments before she closed her eyes and leaned her head against him, murmuring: “Love is stupid. It makes us weak and vulnerable. It means we will hurt all the more when we lose you, friend, companion... soulmate. And yet we would not change things. We would not change for the world, as Cadence is so fond of thinking.”

Thesis nodded slowly, and then the Swan closed her eyes, and the mare's features tensed, then relaxed as Cadence muttered: “I hate when she does that?”

“Do you?” Thesis asked, and Cadence shifted awkwardly and half glanced away, Thesis smiling slightly before he murmured: “It's okay.”

“Not really.” Cadence mumbled, and then she bit his shoulder for a moment before sighing and pushing herself up, asking finally: “Did the scans show anything at all?”

“Yeah.” Thesis gestured at the still-present screen, which showed several bars and graphs that Cadence didn't understand much of, but did notice all spiked distinctly. “See that? We're detecting those strange energy pulses again, the same as we did back on the island before we ran into Veliuona.”

“So can you trace those signals back to their source, then?” Miss Take inquired casually as she entered the room, as if she'd been there the whole time. Cadence scowled as the half-Changeling smiled, gesturing for the stallions she led in to make themselves comfortable in the various cushions and recliners around the room even as she continued: “I know admittedly little about these devices you have brought with you, but if you can do anything with them like the simple tracking magic we can employ...”

“Yes, we were able to trace the signal before. But before, it led us to an ambush. Whether or not Loki would employ the same tactic twice, he is aware of what we are capable of. He will take precautions.” Sombra said quietly, and Shining Armor frowned as he automatically sat down beside Cadence... then smiled awkwardly at her and shifted quickly to the side, clearing his throat loudly.

“Y-Yes, well. Uh.” Shining took a moment to gather his thoughts, before he became a little more serious, which thankfully helped with the secondhoof embarrassment Cadence felt for him as he said: “Well, what if we sent a false signal of our own? We've done it before. We send a construct or a messenger bird with a signal stone towards the source and they'll hopefully pick up on that and move to counter it, while we sneak around.”

Cadence traded looks with Thesis, and then she turned her eyes towards the stallion, asking mildly: “Where did you learn that?”

Miss Take smiled and rose a hoof as Shining lamely shifted, and the half-Changeling said brightly: “Although to be fair, we adapted it from another nation the Changelings used to prey on in the old days, before we came to Equestria. But it has served us excellently.”

“Good to know.” Cadence said dryly, and then she shook her head before saying: “We're here to engage the enemy anyway, though-”

Thesis held up a hoof, and Cadence scowled at him, but then looked up much more attentively when Sombra said quietly: “We must not underestimate the enemy, Cadenza, not after what we have seen. Consider this: confusing them may give us the opportunity to strike where they have no defenses.”

Cadence nodded, then she chewed on her lip before saying finally: “I... I know. It's about more than just brute force. But if they focus on us...”

Miss Take cocked an eyebrow at this, smiling amusedly as she asked: “What, are you really that afraid of us being involved? Because we'll steal your thunder, dear, or-”

“Because I don't want to see either of you hurt!” Cadence snapped, sitting up slightly, before she sighed and glowered over at Shining when he awkwardly reached out and gently touched her shoulder.

They looked at each other for a few moments, and then Shining Armor swallowed before he said: “We're coming with you.”

He was a little meek, obviously uncomfortable, and he was barely able to meet her eyes... but all the same, he said it, and he clearly meant it. He had never really stood up to her before, never argued with her even that much in the past, not unless they had both been seriously upset about something.

It made Cadence study him, how much he had changed, how much he had... grown up, really, and after a few moments she finally smiled faintly before she murmured: “Don't go breaking my leg Shine, really.”

Shining Armor smiled awkwardly, then he straightened a little before saying in a firmer voice, as his eyes roved around them: “Sorry, but... we have to come with you. Both because we serve Equestria as... well, more than diplomats, obviously, but also because we're your friends. And anyway, if this thing is in the direction of Equestria, and it really is a threat...”

“Then Equestria needs to address it, whether it is 'too dangerous' for us or not. Twiddling our thumbs or whining about it won't do a thing. But if we confront it directly, then you stand a better chance of dealing with the foe, and we stand a better chance of surviving. Together.” Miss Take emphasized. “If there's one thing our nation and her neighbors have learned in these last few years, Cadence, it is that we are that much stronger together, and that much weaker apart.”

Cadence sighed after a moment, then she glanced up as La Croix said quietly: “She be right, you know. We in this together.”

“I know... I don't want to abuse their memory or anything, but I... I wish my world had been given the chance to fight. I wish...” Moonflower looked down, quietly tapping his front hooves together before he smiled faintly as Cadence softened a little. “I just wish...”

“I know. I... okay. Okay, okay. I get it. Don't be a bitch, Cadence, right?” Cadence said, and Thesis nodded agreeably, La Croix smiled awkwardly, Sombra shrugged, and Moonflower gave a little laugh. “Yeah. I get it.”

“Then stop trying to fight us, dear, and just let us help.” encouraged Miss Take, and Cadence grumbled before the half-Changeling smiled and added: “Not that I didn't expect this, of course, or for you to try and fight us back at every turn. You did the same thing before, after all, and those circumstances were decidedly less dire than these.”

“Yeah. Only I died back then.” Cadence said grumpily, and Shining cleared his throat as Miss Take only smiled at her in amusement. “I... get what you're getting at, yes.”

“I sincerely hope that you do, darling.” Miss Take said kindly, and then she turned her eyes towards Thesis, asking: “Will you accept official help from Equestria? Or are we going to be working in a more... subtle capacity?”

“I'd prefer to keep it to a minimum. I, personally, have no problem with having a few more bodies on board, especially if they're capable people like yourselves.” Thesis said mildly, and Miss Take bowed her head to him respectfully. “But no Royal Guard, no... crystal pony guard soldier people.”

“The Crystal Empire still doesn't have its own military. They still use Royal Guard from Canterlot for security and protection.” answered Shining Armor, before he smiled a little at the look on Cadence's face. “I know, I know. But it's because the Crystal Empire is so protected. The shield keeps most intruders out, or...”

“Cleanses the air. Rids the people of their ill thoughts.” Sombra supplied, and Shining nodded in agreement. “The Crystal Heart was designed to channel positivity and create a sense of... community, oneness. It was first used not to keep out the supernatural evils of the winter wastes, but instead to pacify the barbarians when they wandered into our nation. But of course in those days it was not the true Crystal Heart, what it would become: it was only a focus gemstone that we used to protect the nation.”

“Not that it worked.” Cadence muttered, before she smiled awkwardly when Sombra gave her a gentle smile. “I... sorry, Daddy. I know that's unfair.”

Sombra nodded, continuing: “And we cannot be sure just how effective the Crystal Heart's original purpose truly was. The rage continued, the attacks continued, but some came more peacefully, too, and no one could deny the raids became less bloody.

“I took the Crystal Heart and modified it further, made it potent, after I was... infected.” Sombra said quietly, looking down at a hoof with a faint smile, and Cadence softened: she knew it was hard for her father to talk about: as strong and wise as he was, all the same, he still blamed himself for what had happened. “It became strong enough to drive the darkness out of the hearts of ponies when magic was focused through it, but... the tower, the amplifier, that was the true key. But it did nothing against the Brokenhearted, whom the darkness hid away inside, puppeting their shells, and it will do nothing to stop these new beasts that prowl from the Void.”

“Thankfully, we haven't seen any Brokenhearted since Pain was stopped.” Miss Take said tactfully, and Cadence gave a brief smile: that was good news, at least. “That does bring up another point, though, and while we've brushed it over I fear I have to be blunt... are you still 'contagious,' dear?”

Cadence scowled, but Sombra held up a hoof to her before he answered gently: “The purifier cleans my blood as well as keeps me sane. As long as it is working, I do not spread the poison. And even should it cease to work, as long as I maintain control and avoid prolonged contact with others, my corruption should not spread.”

“Sombra's corruption sickness is something we've studied pretty extensively. There's no cure for the infected carrier, unfortunately, not without...” Thesis bit his lip, then said delicately: “'Sacrifices,' literally and metaphorically. But we have been able to curb the levels of toxicity greatly over the years through dialysis and other treatments, and we can cure anyone who is in... let's say, stage one or two of the 'sickness.'”

Miss Take nodded slowly as Shining Armor frowned slightly, before he asked after a moment: “I never was really sure about this, but... what's wrong with you, and those Brokenhearted... it's different, right?”

“Different, and yet the same. I do not know which came first, although when I think of the Brokenhearted, I think of two earth ponies-”

“Sinister and Dexter.” Cadence muttered, and then she grimaced and shook her head as Shining grimaced a little, recognizing those names even after all these years. “They were like that even before Daddy was... before the poison.”

“Uh...” Thesis pulled his visor down over his eyes and then tapped at his Mission Drive, before he murmured: “Right, yes. I remember now, I read about them in your personnel file. They sounded like they were suffering from Kyller syndrome... decreased empathy, decreased reaction to pain, unnatural fixation on predatory behaviors... we've seen more than one pony with it now.”

I am a predator, and you are my prey. Sol Seraph whispered in Cadence's mind, and the mare grimaced before she scowled over at Thesis. “They seemed more than just sick.”

“Mental illness affects the body and the spirit. Everything's linked together. It gave the corruption from the unstable clay a way to get in... don't forget what Melinda said, about making the other person accept or even want what she 'offers.' The corruption can work the same way.” Thesis answered, and Cadence scowled at this.

But before they could get any further off topic, Miss Take asked candidly: “Is there any chance we'll be seeing the Brokenhearted again? You must understand that if Pain, Sinister, or Dexter put in a reappearance, it would be very grave...”

“We'd have to alert the military in that case. We'd have to.” Shining said quietly, and Cadence made a face, but she nodded slowly all the same. She understood, although it made her hesitant to answer...

“Yes. There's always a chance.” Thesis said bluntly, and all eyes turned to him as he smiled briefly. “Especially with their connections to Cadence. However, things only survive in the Void if they will themselves to. The weak-willed, the broken, don't. Bitterness, anger, and inability to die alone aren't enough.”

Miss Take nodded slowly, before she turned a kind smile towards La Croix, prompting gently as the Loa looked up at her uneasily: “And what did you find, dear? It must have been rather important if you've needed all this time just to gather your thoughts.”

La Croix was silent for a moment as he glanced from Thesis to Cadence, and then he said quietly: “I don't want to say the name of the cocodril, but... makes sense, don't it? Loki gave him just what he asked for, in a funny kind of way. Power of the Void, and his revenge on Darkwater...”

Cadence's eyes widened before she blurted: “But how can Bondye-”

“Shh, shush, don't speak his nom!” La Croix hissed, waving his forelegs at her before he shook his head vehemently, then closed his eyes and muttered: “I ain't been able to get through to mes frères, so somethin'... bad has to have happened there. I don't... maybe it was all a set-up. Maybe this was what Loki wanted, maybe-”

“Hey, hey, calm down. We take this one step at a time, and for now, we deal with what's right in front of us and what we know for sure. Loki's got a thousand ways to interrupt communications and magic, especially if the big lizard is now a Voidborn under him.” Thesis said quietly, and La Croix grimaced before the Replicant asked in a softer voice: “Are your brothers alive, or are they dead?”

La Croix was silent for the longest time, and then he bit his lip before he touched his breast and murmured: “I don't know. But I want to believe they alive. I... I didn't feel...”

“Then that's enough for now, right? Let's not jump to the worst-case scenario yet. Keep hope alive.” Thesis encouraged, before he turned his eyes to Miss Take, saying quietly: “This means we're going to encounter more Nzambi and other undead and spirits from Darkwater. Have you guys ever fought spirits before?”

Miss Take chuckled at this, saying kindly: “Changelings feed off emotions, dear. Of course we've dealt with imprints and spirits before. But these Nzambi, I will admit... they seem very nasty.”

“They are.” La Croix muttered, and then he shook his head before he cleared his throat and sat up, saying quietly: “I'll put together some charms that'll protect and hide us, but they ain't gonna take long to sniff us out no matter what we do. We gonna have to move fast.”

“Then perhaps we should get moving!” Miss Take said suddenly, clapping her front hooves together as she hopped out of her seat, and all eyes stared at her. “Well, there's no time like the present and no need to give the enemy any more advantage over us than they already have, yes? So we should move immediately.”

“Uh. Well, I mean... yes.” Thesis said lamely, looking surprised before he cleared his throat and added awkwardly: “Team uh... are you ready to move out?”

Moonflower looked up dumbly, Sombra only smiled, and La Croix grimaced before he sighed and muttered: “I can finish the charms on the go, oui.”

Cadence shrugged, then she looked over at Shining Armor, and the stallion gave her a small smile before he answered: “We're uh... trained for this, I guess you could be. Whether you're looking at us as diplomats or... well, um...”

“Problem-solvers!” Miss Take chipped in, and then she said kindly: “You always have to be ready to move, and able to prepare while doing so. You have to remember the enemy is always moving, so you have to be able to move faster and work harder and do better. And that is something I have learned twice, dear.”

“All horses have to learn things twice.” Cadence muttered, and Miss Take looked at her curiously, but the mare only smiled wryly. “Sorry. Something Hecate used to say.”

“Mom says stuff like that a lot. It all basically comes back to the same thing, though. 'Don't screw up.'” Thesis hopped out of his seat and winked, then he tapped quickly on his Mission Drive before he said in a more-serious voice: “Alright. You guys have a train to Equestria, right? We're going to go past the signal and head to Canterlot.”

All eyes looked up in surprise, and Thesis explained quietly: “We need to track the source of that signal, but I would prefer to draw the enemy towards us. I have no intention of putting anyone in any danger: outside of Canterlot, we'll hop out of the train and set up an ambush in the mountains. Leatherpurse doesn't seem like the creative type. Five bits says he'll try and attack through the subterranean caves.”

“If Loki be pulling his strings, though...” La Croix bit his lip, and then he shook his head and muttered: “I ain't gonna argue, though. Y'all know this war game stuff better'n I ever will.”

Cadence smiled wryly as she climbed up to her hooves as Shining did the same, and then they almost bumped into each other to step around the table, the mare clearing her throat and Shining lamely looking away before he hopped to the side and bowed quickly, saying: “After you, warrior princess.”

Cadence smiled despite herself, murmuring: “Been a while since I heard that one. I uh...” She stopped, then shook her head and said finally: “I'm glad I got to see you again, Shine.”

Shining Armor smiled back, then he nodded and turned to follow her automatically as she headed out of the room, Thesis and Miss Take trading looks before they both followed after the pair. The rest of the group came last, with La Croix bringing up the rear, his head lowered in apprehension and fears that wouldn't go away, no matter how hard he tried to push them out.

The Callous, The Careless

Chapter One Hundred and Five: The Callous, The Careless
~BlackRoseRaven

Things went smoother than Cadence had expected them to: Shining Armor got them seats on the train without incident, citing a 'domestic emergency' in Equestria, but Cadence thought the real reason it had been so easy was because the train had been just about empty on the ride towards Canterlot.

Shining Armor and Miss Take had sent a message ahead to Canterlot informing the princesses of their plans to arrive in the morning with Cadence and her 'team of investigators,' as they called them, which brought back half-fond memories of Trixie and Starlight. They had sent the message by magic: magic that, if anyone was looking for it, would be easy enough to pick up, although not so easy to trace or to intercept.

Miss Take seemed to know just what to do, but Shining was on point himself, in a quieter way, Cadence thought, studying him curiously as the train rumbled its way down the tracks through a rainstorm, the clank of the machinery mixing with the sound of raindrops pounding against the windows. He was making notes, checking equipment, and generally acting as Miss Take's backup, but he was never secondary or background. He was... an equal partner. Just not the voice.

Shining Armor glanced up at her, and Cadence gave him a small smile before she said softly: “Brings back memories, huh?”

Shining Armor chuckled quietly as he straightened a little at the table, glancing down the mostly-empty carriage towards where Moonflower was fumbling through helping La Croix put together some kind of charm. “Yeah. Except no Royal Guard escort this time. And, you know, you aren't going to kill me for having Miss Take along.... well, you know. Probably.”

“Probably.” Cadence agreed from where she was seated in the table across the aisle, the open hall almost a physical barrier between them, and the two smiled awkwardly at each other before the mare cleared her throat and asked lamely: “So uh... when did you and Miss Take...”

“A few months after... after you left.” Shining smiled awkwardly, and he bit his lip, then cleared his throat, and Cadence was more glad than she could admit that he didn't say anything stupid, like 'I never did anything with her before you left.' “It was a uh... a quick courtship, I guess you could say, and I... well, I met a whole bunch of Changelings. Their family is... scarier than yours.”

He smiled awkwardly, and Cadence glanced back through the car, then chuckled quietly as she saw her father, simply sitting and reading a newspaper with a strange smile. But she could imagine what he must be feeling right now: nostalgia, amazement, hope... and terrible, awful fear for the future of this world.

She turned her eyes back to Shining, and he smiled at her, studying her silently, meeting her eyes for that rare time. She didn't pull her gaze away in spite of the heat she felt in her cheeks: this was a stallion who had known her, every inch of her, for the longest time, and now... “You're a little different, huh?”

“A little.” Cadence agreed after a moment, smiling despite herself at just how in tune with her he still was. That had been... our greatest strength. Our greatest weakness. Why we were able to keep up the charade for so long, even though... “We... you're happy now, right?”

Shining blinked, then he smiled awkwardly as he adjusted his jacket before he looked almost bashfully away as he murmured: “I was never unhappy with you.”

Cadence laughed a little at this, her own eyes shifting away before she murmured: “Careful, Shine. Sounds almost like... you know. But that's done now, and... I mean, unless you're thinking something dumb like your wife is trying to seduce my... Thesis.”

“Your Thesis.” Shining smiled despite himself, before he asked curiously: “When did you meet him?”

Cadence thought back, shifting a bit before she answered: “Well, he wasn't lying... the first time really was when I was just a filly. But I guess we really met... a few months ago, now. It's hard to keep track of the time. So much has happened, all at once, and Decretum... ever since I got to Decretum, it's been like an entire other life. I've learned so much, developed so much...” Cadence stretched out her forelegs, then she silently looked at one of her golden hooves, flexing it slowly as she murmured: “Changed, so much.”

“You... still seem like you to me.” Shining answered after a moment, and Cadence looked at him gratefully, then smiled in amusement as he added: “Except, you know, for the way you let him talk to you. That jerk guy. You never used to fall for the bad boy type.”

“Thesis is not the bad boy type. He just... he stands up to me. And I guess I've always needed that. Besides, I could say the same about you, Shine, you're the one with the alluring femme fatale. The sensual female spy, like in all your dude flicks.” Cadence added wryly, and Shining huffed at this.

“Thank you, but Miss Take is nothing like Mares Volta or any of her predecessors. They all wore dresses and depended on their feminine wiles. Miss Take, just like you, tends to just knock out anyone who disagrees with her.” Shining answered wryly with a flick of his hoof. “She reminds me... a lot of you.”

He smiled awkwardly, and Cadence felt an odd pang, and they looked away from each other for a moment before they looked back at one-another and spoke at almost the same time.

Cadence gestured embarrassedly at Shining to go ahead, and he smiled before awkwardly motioning at her to join him, gesturing at the map laid out in front of himself as he said: “I think these are probably the best places to try and set up our ambush. What do you think?”

Cadence hesitated, but when he only looked at her curiously, she almost reluctantly slipped out of her seat to join him at the other table, slipping into the bench across from him and looking down at the map before she frowned slightly, noting... “These are all really low points, not high.”

“Yeah. Well, I remembered that Thesis said something about the bad guy sneaking into Canterlot from below. So I figured we'd want to try and be where he might scout. These low points also have a lot of cover, and I feel like you and your friends can probably do something about the enemy even if he claims the high ground.” Shining smiled a bit, adding as he tapped on one marking in particular: “This one here? There's a tunnel formation the enemy would have to actually come into to try and flush us out of.”

“Meaning he'd have to come in close, where I could punch him.” Cadence finished, and Shining nodded with an amused smile. “That sounds pretty good to me, but can we actually get there?”

“Shouldn't be more than ten minutes. Miss and I have been up and down the area around Canterlot a lot, actually, and if I remember right this isn't too difficult to reach, if we uh... 'disembark' here, at this soft patch.” Shining said delicately, tapping another point on the map. “This should only be about ten minutes away. Easy.”

“Easy.” Cadence echoed, and the two looked at each other for a few moments before Cadence shook her head and murmured: “Nothing's ever that easy.”

Shining Armor shrugged, then he answered softly: “If there's one things I've learned, it's to take what presents itself. Cherish what you get in life and don't be ungrateful, right? I guess both you and Miss Take taught me that...”

He quieted, then finally looked back at Cadence and said softly: “I'm sorry for... you know. For everything. Maybe I don't have to be; it wasn't really anyone's fault, was it? But at the same time... I don't know, I am. We both could have done things better, I know that, but... I feel a little like I was using you, and I hate that thought.”

Cadence smiled a little at this, then she shook her head and said: “I don't think that's true at all, Shine. I know that... if anyone owes an apology, I guess... it's me. I dragged you along on that stupid quest without telling you anything, and then I abandoned you at the end of it. I'm sorry for that. I really am, and I'm... sorry it's been so awkward.”

Shining Armor only shrugged and smiled, and there was silence for a moment before Cadence asked suddenly: “So Archon... Archon's still alive?”

“Of course he's still alive. He'll probably outlive all of us.” Shining Armor said wryly, and Cadence smiled in amusement at this. “We uh... I know you aren't, you know, keen on it, but we could meet up with him after this is all said and done.”

Cadence bit her lip, but she hesitated only for a few seconds before she finally said: “That would be really nice. I would really like that.”

Shining Armor smiled, before he glanced up as Miss Take and Thesis reentered the cabin together, the half-Changeling calling warmly: “Isn't this nice to see? Have you made up, dears, or are you just trying to steal back your old flame, Cadence?”

Cadence rolled her eyes, and then she looked at Shining with a slight smile, answering: “I think you can keep him. He seems to like you more, after all. Besides, I've got a new puppy.”

“Yeah hey that's creepy.” Thesis said blandly before he dropped his rump in the seat next to Cadence, bodychecking her and making her grumble before they shoved at each other, and the stallion complained: “That's animal abuse, you know.”

“Good. Maybe they'll take you to a shelter and someone else can adopt you.” Cadence grumbled as they shouldered roughly back and forth, before she winced when Thesis leaned his way into her and squished her against the side wall with a grin.

“But wouldn't you miss me?” he asked, and Cadence scowled at him before roughly kicking him out into the aisle, the stallion thudding to the ground with a squawk and startling one of the other passengers awake from his nap with a grunt.

“Not really. Did you get done... whatever it was you were doing?” Cadence asked moodily, and Miss Take nodded with a smile as Thesis crawled awkwardly back up to his seat.

“Yes, everything's ready for when we have to make the jump. I trust you've agreed on a location?” Miss Take inquired, and Cadence grunted, which the mare seemed to take as a 'yes.' “Good, then it sounds like we're all ready.”

Cadence nodded, then glanced up as La Croix strode up beside the table and cleared his throat, getting their attention before he tossed out for little cloth sacks on strings to each of them, saying quietly: “Here. Tie it to you or keep it close somehow else, they should protect against the Nzambi and some of Darkwater's nastier mojo. But I can't give no guarantees: Loki be real smart, after all.”

Cadence nodded, smiling her thanks to La Croix as Miss Take picked up the gris-gris bag and sniffed it, before she wrinkled up her muzzle and muttered: “Well. I will trust you, then, Loa, even though this is...”

“Hey, ain't pretty, but 'seffective.” La Croix said wryly, and Miss Take smiled awkwardly as she carefully laced it to her ankle. Shining Armor tucked the bag inside his jacket, and Thesis tied his own around his neck. “I ain't sensed anything new, though... if anything, it feels like that force has been fadin' out. That ain't necessarily good, though. Could be the cocodril is just hidin' himself in the bayou for the moment, waitin' for us to stumble on top of him, while he sends out some nasty little sangsues to nip at us.”

“But you'd sense the Nzambi, wouldn't you?” asked Cadence, and La Croix gave her a wry smile as he gestured at the bags they were now all wearing... right. Loa. “I keep forgetting these work on you, too.”

“Oui. 'Swhy I can't whip y'all up anything more potent. At least, not right now.” La Croix gave a brief smile, and then he shook his head quickly before he cleared his throat and continued: “'S a good time to make these though, really. All the cocodril will know is that we got on the train, but he won't know where we got off, or even if we did.”

“That's-” Cadence started, and then she winced as the train bounced, grasping the table and Thesis' shoulder to steady herself as La Croix stumbled into the table with a yelp. She began to open her mouth, before she swore in shock as something smashed against the wall of the train with enough force to nearly knock it off the tracks, metal screaming, lights flickering, windows shattering-

Something crashed down on the roof above with enough force to dent it before steel tore like paper as a draconic claw ripped down through it. Cadence swore as she tackled Thesis to the side, as Shining flung himself over the bench and Miss Take dropped quickly under the table.

“Brings back memories!” Miss Take managed to shout as the claw yanked back, before Cadence was forced to leap down the aisle as a huge, bladed tail slammed down through the ceiling, whipping back and forth. It tore back upwards, then smashed through the roof after her, punching a trail of holes down the ceiling that drove Cadence to the other end of the train car.

The tail snapped back, and Cadence had enough time to leap to her hooves before claws pierced through the wall of the car and ripped it open like paper, revealing Stronghold Halfdragon in the gap, the crusader grinning callously as she roared: “There's no running away this time, ponies!”

Cadence snarled, before her eyes widened as a bright purple aura surrounded Halfdragon, the Draekin looking surprised for a moment before she howled in agony as a massive pulse of gravitational force blasted her off the train, sending her hurtling away. Moonflower gritted his teeth as his horn sparked with recoil from the force of his spell, but all the same he ran to the hole in the train as he shouted: “That won't keep her away for long! Cadence, she'll kill everyone if she gets on board!”

“Then I'll distract her! Evacuate the train and get everyone to safety, keep everyone safe!” Cadence ordered, and Moonflower bit his lip before he nodded quickly, but Cadence didn't stop to listen or argue as she leapt out of the hole in the train wall.

The wind assailed her, knocking her flipping out of control before her wings flapped open and caught her, only for her to cry out in shock as something slammed into her like a cannonball before she was flung savagely down into the roof of the train. She bounced backwards, clawing wildly for some sort of purchase before she gritted her teeth as she tumbled to the next car, but finally managed to catch the edge of it.

She hauled herself to her hooves on the cargo car as Stronghold Halfdragon advanced slowly towards her, wind and smoke and rain whipping past her as she growled: “We have a score to settle.”

Cadence felt the Swan awaken in her, cautioning her even as she straightened and retorted: “Maybe this time we can actually fight.”

“I doubt it, nag. Whores rarely amount to much on either battlefield.” retorted Stronghold, before she leapt forward with a savage grin, her eyes glowing with hatred through the grille of her helm. “You will be mine!”

Cadence didn't respond, ducking backward before she twisted her horn in a short, sharp cut across Stronghold's nose, keeping her movements short and defensive. It barely made Stronghold flinch, the Draekin snorting in contempt before she slashed her own horn back at Cadence, but the mare dodged to the side before she flapped her wings hard, launching herself forward and seizing into Stronghold's shoulders-

The Draekin's tail lashed at her like a scorpion's, but Cadence dodged to the side and seized it, before she gritted her teeth as the appendage snapped backwards and flung her loose. She hit the passenger car and rolled quickly across the slick metal surface, skidding her way around in a circle before she grinned: now she was upwind, even if Stronghold barely seemed to register the rain and wind biting at her body as she turned around and growled: “Flap around, chicken. It won't save you.”

Cadence snapped her horn down, sending a blast of white flame at Stronghold, but the Draekin slapped it away with a sharp bark of contempt. “Stop playing!”

The Swan whispered to her, and Cadence grimaced before she flexed, focusing her magic inward instead of through her horn, her body flexing before she gritted her teeth as her wings glowed bright ivory. Stronghold sneered at her, but Cadence only looked fearlessly back before she said coldly: “Come on.”

Stronghold charged towards her, banging loudly over the metal surface of the passenger car, and Cadence waited until the last moment before she dodged backward, slicing one of her wings out and slashing through the Draekin's wrist when she tried to claw into her, Stronghold staggering to the side as her eyes bulged in shock before she roared in frustration when Cadence slapped her with the other wing, sending up a burst of energy and steam before the ivory mare was forcefully blasted backwards by a shockwave of golden energy.

Cadence caught herself, skidding to a halt with a grimace, while Stronghold snarled in fury and humiliation, her muzzle smoldering as it healed, her eye glaring through a half-melted helmet as the deep slash through her wrist healed slowly. “You stupid cur... overconfident, cocky broodnag...”

“Just shut your goddamn mouth and fight.” Cadence growled, and Stronghold's eyes blazed before she reached up and ripped her helmet off, snarling in fury before she roared and leapt forward.

Her claws glowed with hellish, toxic, ill and divine energy as she slashed viciously back and forth, Cadence blocking with both her wings and her long daggers as they sprung to her hooves. She slashed back and forth in retaliation against the Draekin, cursing in pain as every slash of her claws, every slam of her massive, flail-like tail against her wings sent up a burst of white energy and feathers: she knew that even with the shielding of energy, her wings wouldn't be able to hold up forever under Halfdragon's savagery.

Stronghold roared as she suddenly stomped forward and lashed a claw out, blood exploding from Cadence's face as the claw raked across it before she was knocked to her knees by a vicious elbow that cracked her muzzle and made her lose concentration, the magic vanishing from her bloody wings. But before Stronghold could grab her, the Swan came to life in Cadence's dazed body, suddenly plunging both daggers straight up and into Halfdragon's throat.

Stronghold gargled, reared back, and then gave a shrill, breathy howl when the Swan ripped her knives to either side, flaying her throat open. The Draekin staggered, grasping at her neck, and the Swan leapt forward and spun around, moving Cadence's almost-limp body like a puppet before she slammed both rear hooves savagely into Halfdragon's face, knocking her flying off the roof of the train to vanish into the rain.

Cadence blinked blearily as she came back to her senses, before she grimaced as the Swan spoke calmly: “We are not safe yet. We have only moments. Steady yourself.”

“I'm fine!” Cadence snapped, then she grimaced as she straightened, her daggers spinning to ready positions on either side of her as she muttered: “She's so vicious. I've never met someone so goddamn aggressive. And she's so powerful...”

“Nihilism. She does not care. She is like Sol Seraph. They are Brokenhearted, are they not?” the Swan asked calmly, and Cadence grimaced again before she moodily smacked her lips a few times.

“Stop goddamn talking through my goddamn mouth.” she mumbled finally, even as she uneasily considered what the Swan was saying. “But they're not like Pain. They... they are, but they're not. They're Voidborn, and I thought...”

Before Cadence could finish that sentence, the train shook violently, Cadence stumbling before her eyes widened at Stronghold's roar, and the sound of screaming steel as the train began to shake violently.

Cadence leapt to the cargo car, sprinting down to the end of the train before she gaped in shock at the sight of Stronghold: the mare was clinging into the back of the cargo car, a cruel grin on her face, claws clinging to either side of the train car while her rear hooves skidded along the tracks, sending up sparks. She twisted suddenly to the side, and the cargo car screamed as it rocked with her movements as Cadence realized with disbelief that Stronghold was going to either drag the train to a halt or yank it off the raised tracks and send it plunging down the rocky mountainside, and she didn't think that Stronghold cared a whole lot about which result she got.

Cadence snapped her horn down, but the blast of white fire simply bounced off Stronghold before she swore, slamming a dagger down into the roof of the cargo car to avoid being thrown off when the Draekin rocked it violently to the side. She gritted her teeth, holstering her other dagger before she yanked her rifle off her back, pointing it down towards Stronghold-

The Draekin's tail lashed up and smashed a hole in the back of the cargo car, Cadence swearing in frustration as she was nearly knocked loose, before she ripped her dagger free with a wince and rolled to the side when that terribly long mace-tail tried to smash into her again.

She nearly tumbled off the back of the cargo car, wings flapping hard, body spinning slowly around before she crawled quickly forward with a gasp, then shouted in frustration as the car rocked violently to the other side with a scream. The train was shaking violently, and she knew something was going to give out sooner rather than later at this rate. She had to do something. She had to stop Stronghold.

Cadence looked up and saw the hatch leading into the cargo car, and she dove for it, shouldering her rifle as she dove inside before she flipped and hit the ground hard. Without hesitating, she spun toward the rear of the train, reaching up to snap her visor down before she fell flat, readings lighting up across the visor that Cadence only hoped she could trust in before she fired.

The massive round punched through the door and tore across Stronghold's face, the Voidborn screaming in pain as the round made her body steam, almost losing her grip against the back of the train before she roared as a second round punched through her armor and into her shoulder, knocking one of her forelegs wide and her claws loose. She hissed as she grabbed at the back of the train, nearly yanked free from the car as her tail snapped forwards, smashing in the back door of the cargo car, before her eyes widened in disbelief as Cadence launched herself towards her.

The rifle shifted, and Cadence gritted her teeth as the Swan steadied her before she fired, the bullet smashing into Stronghold's body and knocking the Voidborn loose from the rear of the train, sending her tumbling and bouncing backwards along the tracks with a roar of fury and pain. Cadence landed at the rear of the train, wincing as she was almost pulled out into the jetstream before she caught herself and yanked herself backwards, breathing hard before she scowled when the Swan warned: She will not stop fighting until she is destroyed.

“Sounds like us.” Cadence said before she could stop herself, and then she grimaced as she collapsed her rifle and shoved the MARES back onto her back, then she drew her daggers and flexed slowly, muttering: “She's a tough bitch. I'll give her that much.”

Do not mistake her rage for desperation. She is not desperate. She is dishonorable. She is a killer. the Swan warned, and Cadence smiled wryly at this.

“She's like us.” she repeated, then her eyes narrowed as she saw a flash of golden light through her heavy rain for a moment. “Here we go again.”

She readied herself, breathing slowly, her eyes focused on the open door, her body tense and ready to move in the event that Stronghold smashed through somewhere else. But after almost a minute, Cadence felt an uneasy crawling down her spine, like Stronghold was doing something much worse, attacking from somewhere... oh no.

Cadence spun around and smashed through the cargo car door into the passenger car, but the others only looked at her with surprise before the ivory mare asked disbelievingly: “Is she gone?”

“She wouldn't give up that easily, she-” Moonflower started, and then they heard the roar, the roar that warned them too late what was happening.

Massive blades of light shot down from the sky, ripping through both the rail bridge they were on and the supports underneath, sending train tracks crashing and crumbling away into the mountain gorge below. The train screamed as it tried to brake, sending up sparks, but it was too little, too late, as the engine hit the broken tracks and then crashed over the edge with a shriek.

The train dove towards the rocky ground below, ponies floating inside the passenger car for a moment as they hurtled down towards certain death, and Moonflower saw it all in slow motion: the ponies, helpless, floating and falling and flying through the air; the debris and unsecured luggage twisting in strange and beautiful and awful ballet with the bodies of friends and innocents; the glistening of light on the windows, the flash that lit up the whole car, the gradual twist as the train plummeted down and was wrenched from either side by the weight of the engine and the heft the cargo car...

And he was limp, helpless

( i am not helpless )

to do anything, to stop this, to save

i can save them!

anyone, to protect anyone, to

Let me save them! Please!

stop Stronghold Halfdragon from killing all his friends just the way that she and Loki had destroyed-

I won't let it it happen again! Not again! Not again!

“No!” Moonflower shouted, his eyes glowing, his horn blazing with light, and there was a tremendous pulse of power that made Cadence flinch, and then a sound of crashing and banging and a terrible explosion, but all she felt was... warmth.

Cadence slowly opened her eyes, and she realized she was floating silently inside the passenger car of the train. The car was slowly, lazily revolving as it sank gradually down through the air, either end of the car torn off and hanging in tatters but the body of the passenger car itself safe and secure in the bubble of antigravity that Moonflower had created around them.

Slowly, they sank down, until the passenger car gently touched down on a plateau of dirt and smooth stone. It settled to the ground upright as the ponies inside slowly sank down to the earth; only Moonflower was left in the air, trembling with effort, eyes unseeing and glowing with power, mouth working slowly until the magic finally vanished from his horn, and he collapsed to the ground with a gasp, nearly knocking himself out as he bounced off a table before hitting the ground. La Croix and Sombra were both by his side immediately, and Moonflower trembled before he whispered: “It wasn't enough.”

“Pace. It was, it was.” soothed Sombra, before Cadence grimaced as she heard a furious, frustrated roar cut the air. No rest for the wicked.

She turned and leapt out the open back of the train, glancing back and forth: the plateau was covered with shrapnel and broken debris, the cargo car laying in ruins to one side, pierced through one side by a massive spike of rock, while the engine lay in flames and ruin near the edge of the plateau. Stronghold crashed down on this, heedless of the flames that licked at her body, the Draekin snarling in fury as she perched on the edge of the overturned train and roared: “Fight me! Enough running, enough games! Fight, struggle, and die like all the rest who have stood before me!”

Cadence narrowed her eyes as she strode forward, before she winced when Miss Take appeared beside her, asking almost curiously: “Just what did you do to make this one so angry?”

“Stay back. She's too dangerous.” Cadence said quietly, before her eyes darted sharply over the Draekin as Stronghold flung herself down from the train and stumbled. She's bleeding energy. Those bullets are still hurting her.

“Too dangerous to fight alone, dear. You've had enough time in the spotlight. We work together.” Miss Take said firmly, and Cadence grimaced even as she realized it was useless to argue. “I'll keep her distracted. You take her down.”

“I am done wasting time with you.” growled Stronghold, before she slashed her horn savagely out, and Cadence's eyes widened in shock as a massive blade of golden energy ripped through the air towards them. She leapt over it and Miss Take ducked, before Cadence looked back in horror as the huge crescent of light slammed into the train and tore through it like a knife through butter, cutting the passenger car in half lengthwise.

Before she could turn back towards Stronghold, the Draekin punished her moment of distraction by pouncing on her, seizing the back of her head and slamming her face-first into the ground before Cadence hissed in pain as she was plowed across the rocky earth before Stronghold yanked her into the air and flung her at the remains of the passenger car. She managed to flip herself at the last moment, catching herself against the broken wall of the traincar before she kicked off and dove straight back at Stronghold, but the Draekin slapped her almost disdainfully to the side, growling: “Worthless.”

“Excuse me, but that's very inappropriate of you. Don't you know anything about honor?” asked Miss Take disapprovingly, and the Draekin turned her cold eyes towards Miss Take. Her body thrummed with such heat and energy beneath the rain that the droplets turned to steam before they could touch her scales, and yet Miss Take looked up at her fearlessly as she continued: “First we must bow to each other, preferably showing the backs of our necks in a gesture of trust...”

Miss Take bowed low, and the Draekin slashed a claw at the exposed back of her neck, but Miss Take easily dropped beneath the cut, the claws just nipping against her skin before Miss Take slammed a vicious uppercut under the Draekin's jaw, knocking her stumbling with a grunt of surprise. Miss Take used the momentum of the attack to leap into the air before she kicked savagely off the Draekin's chest with both rear legs, knocking Stronghold further off balance before the green gemstone on her head flashed brightly, and Stronghold staggered backwards with a roar as the emerald flare of light blinded her. “How dare you!”

“How dare I?” Miss Take snapped as she landed, dodging swiftly around the side of Stronghold before she leapt onto the Draekin's back, and Stronghold snarled as she bucked back and forth, sweeping her tail sharply down, but Miss Take pressed tightly against the Draekin's body, clinging tightly to her as she continued sharply: “I've never seen such disgrace in all my years, and I served as an assassin for the Changeling court! You'd think I'd seen everything, but I am thankful that I never crossed paths with a brute like you!”

The Draekin roared in outrage before she tried to roll onto her back to simply crush Miss Take under her heavy body, but the half-Changeling flung herself backwards with a thin smile. Stronghold rolled sharply, but then her eyes widened in surprise as her heavy breastplate fell loose, stumbling over her own claws before she snarled as she lunged backwards, ripping the loosened plates free before roaring as she flung her own armor at Miss Take, who grimaced as she smoothly dodged back and forth. “Do you care about anything?”

Stronghold roared, arching her back, and Miss Take's eyes widened in shock before she was buffeted backwards by the massive shockwave of golden light that erupted from the Draekin, the flash lighting up the entire mountainside for a moment and searing the earth around Stronghold before the Draekin let her head fall forward, breathing hard as her body flexed, her tendril-like mane swirling around her face before she answered heartlessly: “No.”

Stronghold straightened, before she snorted in contempt when Cadence landed back in front of her, the two glaring at each other before Stronghold asked callously: “Why don't you let the faggot come out and fight me?”

“Because you and I have a fight to finish first.” Cadence said grimly, readying herself as her daggers spun into position in front of her, and Stronghold grinned as she licked her lips slowly.

“Very well. Then let's finish it, filly. I'm sure it won't take very long.” Stronghold said coldly, before she leapt forward and slashed out with a claw as it flared with golden light.

Cadence blocked the strike with both daggers, but she was still knocked stumbling from the amplified force of the attack, swearing under her breath before she hunched her shoulders as she staggered backwards, barely able to keep up under the barrage of slashes that came at her, before she winced when Stronghold's horn lashed down and a blast of golden fire ripped just past her face, searing her mane before the Draekin tried to slice her with the natural blade.

Cadence caught the horn against her own and blocked one claw with a dagger, but Stronghold leaned her weight into her and seized her shoulder with her other claw, cutting through her armor like paper as the Draekin snarled: “Your kind was built to serve mine, at the plow, in the kitchen, and on the dinner table! Do you understand how-”

Cadence slammed her hoof up under Stronghold's jaw with such violence that it shattered the Draekin's teeth as her muzzle slammed shut, before the ivory mare slammed her head viciously into Stronghold's stupefied face, knocking the Draekin onto her back before Cadence fell more than leapt on top of her, lashing both daggers down to pierce through the Draekin's breast and deep into her heart.

The daggers burst into white flame, and Stronghold howled, arching her back and writhing helplessly on the ground, cracks ripping through her body before she snarled in fury as Cadence glared down into her eyes and growled: “Shut. Up.”

Cadence ripped her daggers down as she yanked herself backwards, then she gasped as Stronghold seized her in her powerful forelegs, hugging her down against her shredded chest. Her hot breath washed across Cadence's face, golden flames flickering from her throat as her eyes blazed with madness and hatred, before she leaned slowly upward as her dagger-like claws dug along either side of Cadence's spine, promising in a whisper: “I'll be back for you, nag. I'll be back. You can't protect him forever.”

“I'll be waiting.” Cadence replied grimly, shoving herself backwards and stumbling to her hooves as the Voidborn shattered like glass beneath and around her, Stronghold's eyes glowing with rage as cracks spread through her face and the little that remained of her body.

For a few moments, they glared at each other, until Stronghold Halfdragon mouthed some last threat or insult, then finally shattered away to nothingness. It left Cadence feeling strangely empty, however, the mare breathing hard as she looked at where the creature had fallen, before she flexed a hoof slowly as the Swan said uneasily in her mind: We could not destroy her completely. Only in part.

“Maybe we can't kill people who are already dead inside.” Cadence muttered moodily, then she shivered a bit, studying the last, smoldering remains of the Voidborn until they too faded away to nothing, until only her armor was left behind.

She shook herself out, then glanced up as Miss Take joined her side with a faint smile, rubbing slowly at one of her forelegs before she said almost abruptly: “Sorry.”

Cadence glanced at her curiously, and Miss Take shook her head before she murmured: “I was arrogant. I thought... well, I knew you'd gotten a little better, dear, but I hadn't imagined...” She stopped, then smiled briefly before she returned her eyes to the stain that Stronghold Halfdragon had left behind in the charred earth. “She's not dead, is she?”

“She's too dead. That's the problem.” Cadence muttered, and then she grimaced as she stretched and straightened, saying finally: “She'll be back, yeah. Hopefully not too soon. But unfortunately, I don't think cooling off in the Void is going to do much for her.”

She stopped, then turned back towards the traincar with a grimace, before sighing in relief when Thesis stuck his head out from around the corner and then waved at her. “Hey, don't worry. We're all safe here. Moonflower's starting to come around, too.”

Cadence nodded as she turned, before she glanced up in surprise as Miss Take grasped her shoulder gently, saying quietly: “I hope you understand that this has only further encouraged me to stay by your side, dear. I thought you might be exaggerating at first, but these Voidborn truly are a threat, as great as the Brokenhearted ever were... to you, and to Equestria. And both of those things are very dear to me.”

“Sometimes I think I'm the one you tried to steal, not Shine.” Cadence said dryly as she gently shrugged off Miss Take's hoof before continuing on her way, and Miss Take smiled in amusement as she followed after the mare with an easy roll of her shoulders.

“You might not be entirely wrong, dear. I suppose ever since I got to actually know the real you, I've had a bit of a girl-crush on you.” Miss Take said with a wink as they walked around the ruins of the train car, but Cadence was thankfully spared answering as they approached the huddle of ponies, Miss Take's attention switching to the group. “I'm glad to see you all seem to be in good spirits. How are you, dear? You saved us all.”

“Not everyone.” Moonflower whispered as he smiled faintly, eyes darting towards the engine before he shivered and shook his head. He was propped back against the broken train, his head down, his features pale as he murmured: “I'm... I'm alright. I'm alright, I am.”

“He just needs another minute. I think we all do, actually.” Thesis said softly as he glanced up, then he grimaced as he tapped on his visor, which visibly sparked with static. “My readings are all off. I wasn't able to pick up on Stronghold until too late... I think it might have something to do with the armor she was wearing.”

“I... I'll go pick it up, we can take a look at it later.” La Croix volunteered with a brief smile, self-consciously adjusting his cape over his prosthetic hoof before he cleared his throat and turned, adding quietly: “But we... ain't a good idea to linger none. Even if she meant to come alone, I'm sure the cocodril followed her.”

“Yeah. We have civilians involved now.” Thesis added quietly, gesturing with his head towards the small huddle of frightened-looking ponies that had been on the passenger car with them. Cadence noted there were only three of them, and the callous part of her wondered why they were even bothering, but Thesis seemed to hear her thoughts as he said gently: “We're not just here to kill people, right? Our mission is to protect this world and its inhabitants. No one gets left behind.”

“I didn't say anything.” Cadence grumbled, and then she nodded grudgingly before her eyes shifted to Shining Armor, asking: “So do you know where we are?”

Shining Armor traded a look with Miss Take, and then he nodded hesitantly before he said finally: “I'm guessing... seven, eight miles from the Highpass to Canterlot?”

“Yes, but we can use the mountains to our advantage here. If we go down a little deeper into the gorge, there should be some old trails we can follow. Hopefully out of sight of whatever might be watching.” Miss Take advised, before she glanced over at the other ponies and sighed a little, asking almost hopefully: “We can't just leave our new friends here, can we? I mean, if it's us they're after...”

Shining gave Miss Take a pointed look, and she gave a long sigh before she said mildly: “Well, you can't blame me for trying, can you?”

Cadence rolled her eyes, and then she turned towards her father. He nodded to her with a brief smile, then he looked at Moonflower and asked quietly: “Are you capable of walking, or do you need help?”

“I'm... thank you, I'm fine, yes.” Moonflower murmured after a moment, shaking his head. His legs trembled a bit as he pushed them under himself, but he managed to force himself up after a few moments, breathing quietly as he clambered to his hooves before he bit his lip, then looked at Cadence and almost blurted: “Next time, I'll... I'll deal with her.”

Cadence frowned, and Moonflower shook his head vehemently before he looked down and murmured: “Stronghold is my problem, not yours, Cadence. She's... she's from my past. She wants me, and-”

“And that's a silly reason to claim vendetta against someone, dear. Besides, it seems like that nasty creature has it out for Cadence as much as you these days. Don't be selfish now, darling: I'm sure a handsome stallion like you attracts plenty of ne'er-do-wells, as well as admirers.” Miss Take said gently, smiling as she stepped forward and stroked along Moonflower's armored breast, and he winced a little and half-stumbled back from her, making her chuckle. “Apologies, dear. Some things never change. So hard to keep my hooves off such... pretty things.”

Moonflower smiled awkwardly, then he said awkwardly: “I have a coltfriend.”

“Well, look at how much we have in common already, so do I!” Miss Take teased, and Shining Armor sighed.

Cadence rolled her own eyes, and then she said finally: “Let's just get ourselves together, then get moving. We've got ground to cover.”

Thesis nodded in agreement as Miss Take sighed a little, and then she smiled over at Cadence and said longingly: “One day, dear, just you wait and see, we'll have enough time to sit down for tea.”

They made their way through the mountains slowly and carefully, escorting the trio of frightened ponies. Since Stronghold had attacked, Loki's forces obviously knew they were here, and that ruined their chances of an ambush: Miss Take thought there was still a chance that they could get a surprise attack on whatever scouting party the Voidborn sent after them, but Thesis was concerned first and foremost with getting the innocent ponies to Canterlot... and, Cadence thought uneasily, with what might be happening in Canterlot itself.

They reached Canterlot with only a little trouble, most of that coming from the difficulty of transporting three scared ponies across unfriendly territory beneath a rumbling storm. The guards welcomed them through the gates once they saw Miss Take and Shining Armor, not questioning their strange company... but then again, Cadence thought wryly, they were probably used to strange company.

It made her heart beat a little faster and harder to be back here, as they headed to the castle, in the early hours of a dark and stormy morning. What would the princesses think of her? She had her father with her; would they remember him? What the hell was she going to say?

The trio of ponies broke company with them in Canterlot without much of a goodbye or a thank-you; Cadence couldn't blame any of them. They were just ponies who wanted to go home, or to work, or to wherever they had been taking the midnight train to. And it wasn't their fault the train had been attacked and destroyed, more lives lost...

No, that was pointless to think about, and it wasn't something Cadence wanted to focus on, because right now she was thinking of it in the wrong way. She didn't recognize those dead ponies as lives, but they were like insults, scratches against her world, points Loki's team had scored. It made her angry, not sad or upset... and I can't go down that path. I want to care that lives were lost, I do... but I just... I'm not able to. I'm not like Thesis, or anyone else here. I care about my family. My friends. But I don't care about them.

She shivered a bit: it wasn't the Swan who had made her a sociopath. That was how she had always been: the only difference was that now she was admitting it. But Cadence had always cared first and foremost about Cadence, hadn't she?

She was brought out of her thoughts by a gentle nudge from Miss Take as they strode across the bridge towards Canterlot Castle, the half-Changeling saying softly: “Now there's a look I remember. Cadence, scowling at the world because she's scowling at herself. Come, you should have at least a little smile. I'm sure the princesses will be very happy to see you.”

Cadence shifted awkwardly, then she glanced back in surprise as Shining Armor stepped up on her other side with a smile, adding: “Yeah, you know that Luna is always talking about you. She really liked you, Cadence. She thought you were the only person in Canterlot weirder than her.”

That made Cadence smile despite herself, before she sighed a little as she glanced back over her shoulder at her father, asking quietly: “Are you okay with this, Daddy? I know it'll be... awkward.”

“I only hope that we will be able to speak, that I will be able to finally tell them why I did what I did.” Sombra answered with a small smile, then he added quietly: “And you should not be so hard on yourself, mi amore. I know they will understand what you had to do.”

Cadence nodded awkwardly, then she took a slow breath as the doors rumbled open for them, Cadence grimacing before she scowled when Thesis looked back with a grin, adding: “And if they don't, well, you can beat everyone up. That's how you solve all your problems, right?”

“Oh screw you.” Cadence grumbled, and Thesis shrugged amiably, the mare sighing a little before she straightened and muttered: “Poise, dignity, grace.”

Moonflower and La Croix both looked at her oddly, but Shining Armor smiled in amusement before he said gently: “They don't expect that. In fact, Princess Celestia stopped expecting that from you not that long after they found you, if I remember right.”

Cadence scowled horribly, but she both blushed a bit and felt a little better at the same time, as a flutter ran through her that reminded her of why she and Shining had always been able to... make things work, even if they hadn't worked out.

They entered the hall, and Cadence looked up with a smile to see Luna standing with a cadre of Night Guard, all of whom saluted, then only looked awkward when Luna broke rank and protocol and rushed over to Cadence to hug her tightly around the neck, blurting out: “We have missed thou, and 'tis good to see... I mean, I am very glad to see you, Cadence. You have...”

Luna sat back, studying Cadence intently, and Cadence smiled awkwardly at her before the Princess of the Night gave a small smile and murmured: “You have found yourself, have you not?”

“Yeah.” Cadence said after a moment, and then she cleared her throat before she gestured at Thesis, saying quietly: “Uh, this is Thesis, my commanding officer and-”

“Coltfriend!” Thesis burst out, then he grinned and tried to loop a foreleg around Cadence, but was almost knocked over when she slammed an elbow into his kidney, wheezing a little before he mumbled: “Okay. Stepping aside for now.”

Luna blinked slowly, and Cadence smiled lamely before she hurriedly introduced: “These are my friends and teammates, Moonflower, and La Croix... and uh... this is my father, Sombra. I'm... I know you didn't meet under pleasant circumstances...”

Sombra stepped forward as Luna tensed slightly, but the two only studied each other for a moment before they bowed their heads to one-another, Luna visibly relaxing as Sombra said gently: “It is a pleasure to make your acquiantance, Principessa. I hope that if there is any bad blood between us, it can be settled. I am at your service.”

“My sister and I are honored to have you as a guest in our home, Lord Serenite.” Luna answered gently, and Sombra smiled as he rose his head, Luna smiling warmly back as she said softly: “If I may be so bold, I see little of Sombra in you, and I have never forgotten the Crystal King and the kindness he showed both myself and my sister.”

Cadence quirked an eyebrow in surprise, but Sombra only chuckled quietly before he waved a hoof, saying softly: “It was nothing. You were visitors to my Kingdom then, and it was my duty as a good host. That is all.”

“Your father. He has always been so modest.” Luna said with unexpected joy, shaking her head before, to Cadence's surprise, she reached up and wiped at her shimmering eyes before she asked almost impulsively: “Will you ever forgive us?”

“What is there to forgive?” Sombra asked kindly, and Luna smiled at him again before she closed her eyes as Sombra reached up and gently brushed away her remaining tears before they could fall. “I trust your sister is sleeping?”

“Likely not, but we like to pretend she is. I am sure we will see her shortly.” Luna paused, then she shook her head quickly and said: “But I forget myself and my manners. You must all be very tired, and while I am eager to catch up, I know that you must want to rest. Cadence, your old room has been prepared, and the quarters next door are ready for your friends. Shining Armor, Miss Take, we've set you up in your usual ambassador's room.”

“Wonderful, dear. We'll make good use of it. Come along, ShyShy.” Miss Take said cheerfully, before she paused and added: “Cadence, I can take your friends up to their quarters if you want to have a moment with Luna, too.”

“Uh... yeah. Moonflower, La Croix, Thesis, go ahead. We'll be up in a few minutes.” Cadence said, before she scowled when Thesis smiled and leaned on her.

“I'll stay too. But you guys go on ahead.” Thesis said, and La Croix and Moonflower traded looks, then they both nodded and turned to follow Miss Take as the half-Changeling gestured at them with a smile.

Cadence turned back towards Luna, who glanced curiously at Thesis before she said softly: “I fear I am still not much of one for command. If you have anything important to share or ask for, then it may have to wait for my sister. She is the one who understands the matters of state and soldiery.”

Cadence only gave Luna an amused look, and Luna shrugged lamely before she said finally: “It has been nice to relax. The Night Court is back in session, and I have been given the task of coordinating with our new Changeling allies... oh, have you heard about that at all? No, no, I am being rude again. Would you like to sit down? Let's sit down.”

Cadence smiled in amusement despite herself, letting Luna lead them out of the main hall and towards the dining hall. It was mostly empty at this hour: apart from the escort of soldiers that roosted around the hall when they settled down to a table, there were only a few of Canterlot's earliest wakers seated here and there, although a servant still promptly hurried over to bring them coffee and a few plates of delicacies.

Cadence picked up a blueberry muffin, smiling faintly as she turned it back and forth in her hoof. Thesis sat beside her, smiling as well and looking at Luna with polite interest as Sombra sat beside the princess, who began: “Much has happened, and Metanoia... Miss Take, I mean, has been a great asset. Not to speak little of you, Cadence, but-”

“I know, it's okay. I'm glad she's here. So she's helped with the Changelings?” asked Cadence curiously, and Luna smiled and nodded.

“Yes. We have established communications with the Queen Mother, and we have friendly relations now with two hives, belonging to Chrysalis and Electra. Electra has been particularly kind to us, while Chrysalis we have developed an...” A smile quirked at Luna's muzzle. “An interesting relationship. She and Miss Take are certainly sisters.”

“Great.” Cadence smiled despite herself, thinking of what that meant: she had seen how Luna and Celestia acted outside of the public eye, after all... I'll never forget the fight over the cake. Or the hairbrush. Or anything else, for that matter. “What about the Phoenix Guild, and the Brokenhearted?”

“You demolished the Phoenix Guild yourself, Cadence. As for the Brokenhearted, we haven't seen any since... you left.” Luna stopped, then she cleared her throat before she smiled and looked from Thesis to Sombra, asking: “But what about you, Cadence? You must have had some incredible adventures... I'd love to hear about them.”

Cadence hesitated only for a moment, then she nodded when Thesis reached up and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, smiling faintly as she reached up to tap the end of her own horn as she started: “I guess it all began after I died...”

All These Questions That Remain

Chapter One Hundred and Six: All These Questions That Remain
~BlackRoseRaven

Hel clucked her tongue as she strode down the metal halls of Endworld, her cane tapping quietly against the ground as she wandered through the deepest, darkest recesses of this metal world she could hide away in. She liked it down here, though: it was loud and dusty and disgusting but it was safe, even with all the automata and the machinery... no, because of all the dolls and machinations.

She hummed to herself as a door slid open for her, rubbing her fingers self-consciously against her dress. That was the best part, all the doors without handles! She didn't have to touch anything, or be touched by anything. And there were so many fascinating things to see...

Hel strode slowly through a narrow corridor, gazing almost raptly out the window wall that looked down into a massive hangar below. Three enormous Tyrant Wyrms were lined up, chained and shackled in place: not that chains or shackles would do much good if they wanted to break free. But Tyrant Wyrms, while awful things, were mostly machine: it was easy to forget with all their hate and malice and destroyer-stink, but beneath all that living poison was nothing more than an engine, and a simple mind made to follow simple orders. Sit, stay, kill.

Hel spun her cane at her side, limping her way through the door at the end of the corridor and smiling as she stepped into a control station, where several of Hecate's perfect pony puppets were working quickly away at terminals, and Hecate herself stood over them, barely glancing up when Hel entered the room.

“This place is great!” Hel said enthusiastically, and Hecate slowly turned her eyes towards her, raising an eyebrow questioningly. “What? I'm serious! I love it here, I think you've done fantastic! You should be proud! You... should be proud.”

Hel stopped, grasping her cane by the neck and twisting it back and forth in her hands before she said quietly: “You've done a pretty good job here. And you have friends, and more allies coming in. Why, I heard the Pious had begun building one of their churchy-thingies in Decretum... and hey, let's not forget about my kids. But what are you going to do when this is all over, Hecate? When you're the only one left standing? Do you think you'll be able to be so pure then?”

“I won't have to be.” Hecate said quietly, and Hel frowned at her before Hecate turned her eyes away, looking down into the hangar below. “Are you here to annoy me, or are you here to contribute?”

“Both. Hopefully one more than the other so you don't either blow me up or teleport me back to my room, or worse.” Hel said positively, attempting to do a little jig on the spot before she hissed through her teeth and grasped her leg, rubbing at it slowly as she grumbled: “Hard to live when you've spent a thousand billion kajillion million years living through invulnerable ice clones.”

Hecate didn't so much as glance at Hel, who huffed before she limped over, leaning heavily on her cane. She absently reached up to begin playing through Hecate's long, lightning-mane hair with one hand, only the slight narrowing of Hecate's eyes giving any clue the Jötnar mare noticed before Hel said quietly, suddenly serious: “It won't be enough.”

Hecate's eyes flicked to Hel, who said softly: “Those nasty little tools of Valthrudnir obey the Void, first and foremost. He was stupid to make them with the stuff he did: they're closer to Loki's children than they are to your machines. Don't forget that the Tyrant Wyrms are driven by the need to destroy, to corrupt... to make things more like them. That's why the Clay of Prometheus failed: it made things stronger, not better. It was carried by destroyers, not creators. Vally-Wally... he was so silly.”

“He was so silly.” echoed Hecate, and then she nodded slowly before she said quietly: “I can reprogram the cores, but I can't change what they're made out of, or the fact that they were programmed by the Black Verses, the language of the Void. But I can program delays. Scrivener Blooms has been a great asset.”

“Yes, I can imagine. I trust that you'll keep your Wyrms out of sight and out of mind as much as possible, though?” Hel inquired, and Hecate simply nodded. “Good. Keep them far away. Far, far away. And hope that they don't rush to do their new daddy's bidding when he rings the dinner bell.”

“They will, and they will be destroyed when it is time. Meanwhile, I've begun synthesizing a new breed of Tyrant Wyrm that should serve our interests better. I would like your participation in its creation, Hel.” Hecate said calmly, glancing at Hel, and Hel smiled in amusement as she reached up and brushed her long bangs out of her eyes.

“Why, because you know that I have a knack for making pretty things? I usually work in white, not black... but hey. Dragons aren't so different from Swans, are they? They're both temperamental, awful things that make halfway decent ballerinas.” Hel sniffed loudly and waved a hand absently before she suddenly flicked her cane out, using it to firmly nudge Hecate's face towards her before she said quietly: “Don't you betray my trust though. I've always been Daddy's little girl first and foremost, even after all the fightings and the disownings and the nemesisisings. I've still got a mean left hook.”

“I am not your enemy, and I have no intention of betraying you. Now or in the future.” Hecate replied evenly, before she reached up and pushed Hel's cane away. “But we do have a mutual enemy whom you haven't told me the story behind yet.”

Hel clicked her tongue, then she lowered her cane to lean on it, idly leaning forward and backward before she finally looked up and said softly, as her eyes traveled over the Dogmatists: “What I admire most is the way you've taken in all these broken little things and mended them. How many of these puppets have you fixed up, dear? How many of them have you given a new lease on life? Oh, they're all so broken, so lost... but they're not, at the same time. They're just... oh so very different now than they were when they were alive. And it's more time, eternal, ticking time that has changed them than Vally-Wally ever did; they have mouths and they could still scream, oh, sure, but so many years have passed and now they've learned, haven't they, that that is useless?”

Hel smiled, then she shook her head and said softly: “You don't consider them broken. You believe you have fixed what needed fixing, and it wasn't taking off the metal and putting the pony back in the horse, but rather... making them whole again. Repairing them, gluing them back together. Is that cannibalism? Or just a flesh transplant? I guess that depends on where it goes!”

The goddess laughed, then she smiled as she dropped her head back, but her eyes were serious, glittering and dangerous and sharply, terribly focused as they bored into Hecate's soul. “Now, imagine if you were some poor, discarded puppet, and someone picked you up and promised you they were going to make everything okay, but at the very last moment, they wrapped you up in the strings of some other puppets and tossed you in the garbage, and just left you struggling there all the way to the dump? Imagine that. Imagine how you would feel. It doesn't justify anything, but gosh, wouldn't you be angry? Wouldn't you be upset? And when it was all said and done, and the objects of your revenge were gone, wouldn't you be so bitter?”

“You're saying that Loki wants to hurt us... because he feels we're responsible for destroying the source of his pain. Because Valthrudnir and Odin died and left him without a target, without someone to take revenge on. So he's instead acting out his revenge against all of us.” Hecate said slowly, and Hel shrugged.

“Maybe. Maybe it's even simpler than that. Maybe he just wants everyone to hurt the way he does. Quibble over it all you want, it doesn't change anything, though...” Hel looked ahead, saying softly: “But some interesting points have been made. How much is Loki? How much is the Prime, which oh so certainly would want revenge by destroying every last little thing? How many shards of Loki are out there? How many are whole, how many are gone, how many has he collected, how many has he seen? Because oh, I bet you a shiny new dollar that ever since he killed that part of himself at that soul furnace, he's been searching high and low for any and every part of him that might have gone astray.”

Hecate nodded slowly, before she asked: “Why is he relating everything to stories and prophecy? How much is he responsible for?”

Hel looked moodily down at her cane as she bounced it against the floor slowly, before she muttered: “I don't know. I don't honestly know. He's a plotter and a schemer... but I'm sure he was as scared of getting Vally-Wally's attention as the rest of us. That would be why he focused in on my kids, of course. They defeated the undefeatable, and maybe he considered that to be something that paved a way for his eventual return.

“There are prophecies, countless prophecies and stories, all about all of us. Me, him, All Daddy. Almost none of them are true.” Hel winked over at Hecate, shrugging easily. “People just like stories, that's all, and they love to make 'em up and they love to have reasons for things. Thunder is just Thor throwing his hammer around, it's raining because some goddess is crying, it's sunny because that's a big gold wheel on a chariot that one of you magical horses is pulling along.

“And Loki loved stories, too, you know. He loved stories and he loved people. That was why he loved playing jokes: they gave him stories, and he got to see how people reacted, what people were really made of, what made 'em tick.” Hel snapped her fingers, then she smiled and shook her head, saying softly: “He was a smartie. Too smartie for his own good. I think that's another reason why Vally-wally got rid of him. He was never very fond of other smarties.”

Hecate looked back at Hel with a frown, but for a few moments the only sound was the Dogmatists working away at the terminals. Finally, Hel slowly turned her eyes back to Hecate, saying quietly: “Loki has always, always seized on any opportunities that presented themselves. I certainly believe that he manipulated the Norns from the Void: but then again, even I manipulated those three sometimes. It was never very hard. You just had to make them believe it was their decision, or they were operating on super top double-secret probation intel.”

Hel paused, licked her lips, then she tapped her cane nervously against the ground before she continued: “Loki was a voice from the Void. The Norns would have eaten that up, followed any suggestion he whispered to them, as long as he did it right. And as you know, he's a great actor, real flair for the dramatic. He could have easily pushed them towards starting a fight with those kids by gearing up Vally-wally's old machinery. My name, he might have been trying to kill my kids even back then, assuming – correctly! – that Vally-wally had hidden out in one of them. That trick's an oldie but a goodie.

“But I can definitely say that no matter how it happened, once the Norns were in the Void, Loki had them do his bidding. They sent out Gymbr to start a war with the Pious, and Gymbr was helpless to do anything but dance in the direction his strings were pulled. Jerked, really, I should say. He was never gentle with that toy, like you are with yours.” Hel clucked her tongue disapprovingly, and then she sighed before she drew her hand out of Hecate's mane and strode up to the window, gazing down at the Tyrant Wyrms and watching as they were led away out one side of the hangar, while three more were led in to be hooked up and reprogrammed. “Anything that's come back from the Void has Loki's touch on it, I guarantee you that. Maybe even my kids...”

Hel looked down meditatively, chewing on her lip before she shook her head and muttered: “No, that's crazy talk. Crazy even for me. Crazy even for Loki! That might be the exception to the rule, but I do have to wonder... do you think All Daddy knew this was going to happen?”

Hel looked curiously at Hecate, but Hecate only looked back at her mildly, and Hel nodded sagely before she waved a hand idly. “Right, right. Forget it. Let's pretend I don't know how much of you is Valthrudnir and how much of Valthrudnir is you.”

Hecate gave a thin smile at this, and then she asked quietly: “Has Loki chosen this moment to strike because of how thin reality has grown?”

The former Goddess of Helheim looked up thoughtfully at this, and then she shook her head and murmured: “Now that, that is the real question, isn't it? Why now? Loki easily could have attacked from the shadows, or waited a few more years... what is it, just what is it, that drew him out? Now, oh yes, that sounds feasible enough... I can't imagine it was very easy to make that initial hole in reality, no matter how strong he's gotten. The only reason Draconequus get out of Ginnungagap is because they start believing it's absolutely impossible, after all! And nothing, nada, zip, zilch, nothing, is supposed to get out of the Void.

“But Loki did. Why now? A little earlier, and you would have been easy pickings. Or he could have continued to gather his strength, found out about all these things that have caused him stumbles and missteps now. Why is he attacking now, what is it that woke him up?” Hel almost snapped, her voice rising as she glared at her reflection in the window, hands clenching tightly around the head of her cane before she took a slow breath and murmured: “Well, we'll figure it out, sooner or later. Hopefully sooner, because later might mean later, after we're all under his rule, and the world is no more, and the Void is all, once again.”

Hecate studied Hel silently, and then Hel yawned and stretched slowly, saying finally: “I'm bored and tired. I'm going back to my room. I've got some ponderin' to do.”

Hecate only nodded, and Hel huffed before she spun around and poked the Jötnar mare with her cane several times, complaining: “Not even going to offer me a hoof or a horn or a magic blast or anything? Some nerve! Kids today!”

The Jötnar mare rolled her eyes, and then she finally waved a hoof moodily, and Hel squawked before she vanished from the spot. Hecate shook her head slowly, then she sighed and closed her eyes, wondering uneasily what it was that Hel had been getting at, and whether or not she was right; that the question wasn't why Loki had come back, but why now.

But she was afraid of what answers that question could bring.

Cadence laid in her old bed in her old apartment, looking up at the same mismatched spot on the ceiling that she always had when she'd stayed here. And for a few moments, it was easy, so very, very easy, to convince herself that nothing had happened, that it had all just been a dream, that she was going to get up in the morning and find that Shining had used her shampoo again and left a mess in the kitchen she would have to clean up, but also thoughtfully put on the coffee and left out her favorite scones for her...

Cadence took a slow breath, then closed her eyes, and slipped out of bed. Her golden hooves hit the floor with a gentle tap, and her long, whip-like tail swayed through the air behind her as her white wings flexed. Her mane fell across her eyes, already so long she would have to trim it again: there was just no keeping it in check anymore.

She strode silently to the kitchen, and leaned through the doorway before her eyes widened in surprise: the counter was clean, and tea had been brewed, and Thesis was sitting at the little two-pony table going over data. It wasn't perfect: Thesis had covered the table with crumbs from the scones he'd messily eaten, and when he grinned at her, it was through a mouthful of blueberry muffin.

Cadence thought of the life she'd lived before, as a princess, and compared it to the life she lived now.

This was better.

The mare sighed and smiled despite herself as she walked over to pour herself a mug of tea, then she pointedly took a plate out of the cupboard to set her scones on. But Thesis only swallowed his food and shrugged, smiling amiably back as he said: “Didn't want to go digging around in things without permission. Some people consider that rude.”

“I'm sure. You're very thoughtful.” Cadence said wryly as she joined him at the table, then she asked in a quieter voice: “Any luck?”

“We've been signal-blocked, that much I'm sure of. I doubt Auriculos is still around to help them, but I'm pretty sure Loki knows the basics of Decretum tech, so they're probably carrying a portable scrambler. Seneschal can't detect them either... but since we can still communicate, it does at least mean they don't have a signal blocker. Or at least they haven't set it up properly. Yet.”

“Great.” Cadence said wryly, and then she shook her head before she suddenly blurted out, before she even realized what she was saying: “I had no idea that Daddy knew Luna and Celestia. I.. I guess I forget a lot that he's had a life before... me.”

She looked lamely down, but Thesis only smiled before he said seriously: “If it's any consolation, I can barely remember my life before I met you.”

“That was awful.” Cadence said dryly as she looked up, and Thesis shrugged, and just looked at her. That was all he had to do, and the mare softened before she continued quietly, as she silently rolled her muffin back and forth on her plate: “Just... I don't want to say it hurt, because that sounds even more childish, but I guess it kind of did. From both sides. I mean, I should have known, Luna and Celestia have been around forever, but... I never processed it. But the fact that he'd known them when they were young princesses, when Equestria was just being founded and they had just been selected as rulers and all...”

“It sounded like he was a big inspiration to them. That must have been why they were so hard on him, but wanted to keep him alive. Or... I don't know. It seemed like Celestia knew more than Luna.” Thesis paused, then he gave a small smile. “Not that that seems to be any different from any other world.”

Cadence couldn't help but laugh a little, looking away before she chewed slowly at her lip, then finally said: “I feel used.”

Thesis cocked an eyebrow, and Cadence sighed before she said finally: “Celestia... both tried to stop me and encouraged me to do this. But she never told me anything, never said anything about how Daddy was... someone she'd known, even been mentored by. She had to have known I was chasing down Sombra, that I was going to either save him or end his suffering... and she-”

“Cadence, either way, you would have done it, right? Knowing or not knowing.” Thesis said gently, and Cadence scowled, but Thesis shook his head as he held up a hoof. “I've learned that almost everyone has some secret reason for helping someone else. There's almost always, always something in it for them. It's sad, but it's true. People give for the return.

“But the past is the past, and does that make things any different? What precisely would telling you all of that accomplished? Sure, you would have 'known' more. But honestly, Cadence...” Thesis gave a small smile. “How mad would you have been that Celestia was 'trying to make it all about her?' or 'I didn't want this to turn into some goddamn quest for Equestria.'”

Cadence snorted in amusement, then she sighed and rested her face against her hoof, picking up her muffin in the other as she muttered: “You know me too goddamn well and I hate it.”

She took a bite out of it, chewing slowly before she finally said: “Celestia still should have told me. I... I would have handled it not great, yes. I know right now I'm being stupid, I'm at least mature enough to know that-”

“But not mature enough to not be stupid.” Thesis said mildly, then he winced when Cadence scowled and flicked a blueberry at his face.

“Shut up, you.” she grumbled, then she took another bite out of her muffin and lowered her head in thought. After a few moments, she swallowed and looked up, saying in a quieter voice: “I know I still have some... getting better to do. I can lead a team but I still can't... lead myself. That's why I need... people like you in my life. To help me. To stand up to me, to guide me.”

Cadence chewed on her lip, lowering her head as she continued quietly: “It's not that I never respected or admired Luna or Celestia. How could I not? But they aren't... what I needed. I got frustrated. And it wasn't Celestia's fault that this whole world, it wasn't-”

Cadence was interrupted by a knock at the door, and she sighed tiredly before she climbed to her hooves with an apologetic smile to Thesis, saying moodily: “Assholes better not have locked themselves out of their room again.”

The ivory mare approached the door and yanked it open, then she blinked in surprise before her jaw dropped at the sight of the old, faded orange stallion in the wheelchair who was sitting outside her door. The ancient unicorn was wearing a sharp gray suit with a neat black tie, all four hooves covered in tight black boots. His blind eyes were covered by dark, wraparound glasses, his head by a simple gray cap, and his features were burnt and scarred and older than she remembered, but there was only one pony this could possibly be.

“Well? Are you going to invite me in or not, Cadence?” Amadeus Archon asked, and Cadence's lips spread in a wide smile even as the nurse behind him gestured apologetically. “Oh, ignore her, Patience still doesn't understand there are more important things than 'being nice.'”

“You crotchety old bastard, I... I mean, uh, excuse me.” Patience smiled lamely, clearing her throat and sketching a curtsy in her uniform when Cadence looked at her with amusement. “It is very nice to meet you, Miss Cadence, Archon has told me a lot about you.”

“I told you to get lost, too. Get lost.” Archon said grouchily, waving a hoof back at the nurse before he grabbed the wheels of his chair, and Cadence snorted as she stepped back out of the way as he began to roll himself forward, only to grumble when the unicorn nurse quickly grabbed the handles of his chair. “I'll be fine with-”

“They haven't even invited you in, Archon!” Patience said in an exasperated voice, before she smiled awkwardly at Cadence. “The General-”

“I'm not a General anymore. I'm Director Archon now.” Archon answered dryly, reaching up and flicking his tie distastefully, then immediately smoothing it flat and tucking it down, Cadence noted with an amused smile. “Had to stop wearing my uniform. Too many people forgetting that. People still forget it even when I wear these rags, though, so I should have kept the damn thing instead of letting Patience pack it away. Now am I coming in or not?”

“Yeah, of course. I can handle him if you want, Patience, thank you for uh... helping.” Cadence said quickly, and Patience smiled awkwardly, mumbling something before she hurriedly spun away and ran down the hall, yanking out a pack of cigarettes before she was even around the corner. “You put ponies through a lot of crap, Archon.”

Archon grunted, then he wheeled himself smoothly into the apartment and turned himself towards the kitchen: Cadence was rather amazed by how well he moved, considering she knew at least half the stallion had to be prosthetics, and he was blind on top of that. “I only do what needs to be done, that's all.”

Cadence strode after him, reaching out only once to stop him from banging against the wall before the stallion wheeled his way into the kitchen and stopped himself near the table. Cadence adjusted the wheelchair as she passed, and Archon frowned slightly as he sniffed the air, Thesis leaning back slightly and staring at the stallion before Archon asked: “You. You're Cadence's new coltfriend?”

“Yes. My name is Thesis. You must be Amadeus Archon. I've heard a lot-”

Archon cut him off with a grunt, looking up and down the stallion, and Thesis grimaced as he leaned back slightly before he winced when the blind old unicorn asked: “What's that look for? Have something to hide? Intimidated?”

Thesis mouthed slowly, but Cadence only rolled her eyes as she put on coffee, saying dryly: “Don't even start, Archon. Thesis is a little weird-”

“Hey!”

“And a bit of a momma's boy, but Hecate could give even you a run for your money.” Cadence said with a smile, then she sat down at the table and asked quietly: “How have you been? I'm... I'm amazed you're still alive.”

Archon grunted and shrugged, saying after a moment: “I had to come back for my grandson. He's growing up, you know. Doing well. Cadets. He's a terrible soldier. I never thought I'd be happy to see that. But you were a terrible soldier, too, and so was Shining Armor.”

Cadence smiled wider at this, and Archon paused before he sat back, digging a hoof inside his jacket as he grumbled: “I heard you found your father. And apparently you found this stud, too-” Thesis looked both offended and pleased at this. “-so why the hell are you back here? Some false sense of obligation, I expect.”

“I do have an obligation-” Cadence started, but Archon cut her off by raising his hoof, then tossing his wallet down on the tabletop.

“You don't.” he retorted shortly. “We can and will protect ourselves from any intruder, as we always have. We are not your obligation or your responsibility anymore. Now look at my boy. He's growing up.”

Cadence sighed and rolled her eyes, then she picked up his wallet and opened it before she softened as a chain of pictures in plastic rolled out, studying them silently. The foal was a blazing orange and looked like Archon must have, all those ages ago when the ancient unicorn had been a child, but his uniform was rumpled, and his cutie mark was a bright red star... “I know, I know. He's a mess. He's always a mess. But he's the bravest little son of a bitch you ever laid eyes on, Cadence. Fearless. He'll never be a commander, a captain, or hell, even a soldier. But he's going to save lives and make a lot of friends. Just you wait and see.”

“I believe it.” Cadence murmured, and then she laughed a little and shook her head slowly, looking up and saying softly: “Real proud of him, huh?”

Archon only gave her a thin smile, before he suddenly turned towards Thesis, asking: “How long was your career?”

“Do you have like super-eyes under there or something?” Thesis asked flatly, and Cadence half-winced, but Archon only grinned. “I began when I was sixteen, trainees. Was quickly made Homeguard and-”

“Oh, I see. You're another royal brat, are you? Born a Prince?” Archon asked, and Thesis slowly blinked as Archon tilted his head to the side, his ears twitching subtly in a way that told Cadence he was listening for and picking up every single cue he could from both of them, from the way they moved to the tone of their voice: it was impressive. “Were you dishonorably discharged?”

“Yes and no. I was moved to a secret unit, the Dark Angels. I led espionage and assault missions.” Thesis answered.

“Terrorism, then. Or that's what we call it when the 'bad guys' do it. How many lives did you take, soldier?” Archon asked evenly, and Thesis smiled faintly as he glanced down as Cadence straightened, frowning and opening her mouth-

“I don't know.” Thesis said honestly, and then he bit his lip before he looked up and said quietly: “A lot. Soldiers, and yes, civilians, too. And that was before my 'extended duties' as a Replicant.” He halted, then looked evenly at Archon, seeming to meet his invisible gaze. “But those days are over now. I'm back to where I started. I won't become that again, and I won't kill unless I have no other choice.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Archon said softly: “It's cruel to make a filly love you when you're dying.”

“I didn't say I wasn't selfish.” Thesis answered candidly, before he asked: “How the hell did you lose... I'm guessing... three legs, your sight, and... sixty percent of the skin off your body?”

“Fifty-five.” Archon said dryly, before he looked over at Cadence as he answered: “Stupid heroism. We ended up trapped with a hostile we'd been tracking, who was carrying an artifact we had to retrieve. I sent Cadence and her team onward after we retrieved it, then stayed to stop the hostile.”

“He burnt himself and Pain alive. I don't know how you survived.” Cadence said, and Archon smiled at her dryly.

“Repeating it won't make me dead.” he said, and Cadence sighed and shook her head before the unicorn shrugged and said finally: “Promises. And it's hard for a unicorn to die from his own magic.”

Cadence nodded after a moment, figuring that was the best answer she was going to get, and Archon looked at her for a moment longer before he turned his eyes back to Thesis. “Briefing?”

“Oh no. No, I am not wheeling you along with us too, Archon. You don't need to know anything.” Cadence said firmly, and Archon snorted at this.

“Don't worry, I'm not very interested in losing my last working limb.” Archon said distastefully, before he pressed his hoof against Cadence's nose, making her wrinkle up her muzzle and scowl. “You'll need someone to keep you appraised of the situation and any new developments. This isn't like before, where we were looking to neutralize a single target and then push into unknown territory beyond. I've heard that this time there's a very real threat to Equestria as well.”

“Goddammit, Miss Take.” Cadence grumbled, before she frowned at the quirk of Archon's muzzle. “Wait... Shine?”

“He's a little more responsible than he was in the past. And worried about you. I hope you don't let your feelings for each other screw up everything you've both worked for.” Archon said bluntly, and Thesis put on a look of mock betrayal.

Cadence picked up the remains of her muffin and flung them into Thesis' face as she glared at Archon, snapping: “I don't have feelings for him anymore! He's just a friend and... it's better that way and I know he and Miss Take are... better. So shut up, Archon. You shut up too, Thesis.”

Thesis awkwardly reached up and wiped muffin off his face, and Archon snorted before he said dryly: “I don't know why any stallion would want to saddle themselves with you, Cadence. You're a nightmare.”

“She's a Swan, that's all.” Thesis said dryly, and then he shook his head before continuing: “We do appreciate the thought, Archon, sir, but how well would you be able to coordinate with us? And furthermore, what would it offer us, or your forces here? Wouldn't it be better to marshal the troops here into a full defense of Canterlot?”

“Not if your enemies decide to sneak around you while you're trying to root them out, and attack here. They want to send Cadence a message, correct? Then this must be a very appealing target for them.” Archon replied evenly. “It makes more sense to attack here than the Crystal Kingdom, as well. I know you've brought that facility we found online: I expect it has defenses and sensors of its own to alert you if something goes wrong.”

Thesis nodded a few times, giving a slight smile before he said finally: “Not bad. But you haven't completely answered the question.”

“I shouldn't have to, pup.” Archon retorted, sitting back in his wheelchair with a snort. “You can put together the rest yourself. You probably have. You just want me to spell it out for you, but I'm not in the business of spelling things out for officers who should already know their goddamn job.”

“Goddamn.” Thesis grumbled childishly, and then he sighed before nodding and saying finally: “Fine. I suspect this means you have some sort of uplink. Crappy magic uplink, I bet. A crappy magic uplink that cuts out every-”

“Ours might not be as fancy as yours, but we have walkie-talkies. Over the last few years we've decoded and reverse-engineered some of the technology they've dragged up from that pit under the Crystal Empire. Didn't take them long to break those doors open and start dredging it.” Archon turned towards Cadence, giving a wry smile. “Of course, everything of interest to the military sections seemed like it had been destroyed. I guess that was your doing.”

“Probably Hecate's. She has a thing about interfering as little as possible with other worlds. I'm surprised you could break in at all, though.” Cadence said, and Archon chuckled dryly.

“Thank Princess Twilight Sparkle for that. She was determined to find you. I don't know if it was more because she wanted to scold you or more because she was worried about you.” Archon said wryly, and Cadence smiled despite herself. “You left an impression on that one.”

“More of one than I thought I did.” Cadence murmured, and then she chuckled quietly before she shook her head and turned her eyes towards Thesis, saying finally: “Archon's a good guy. He'll do a good job of watchtower.”

“Well, since you're both teaming up against me, I guess there's nothing I can really say but okay.” Thesis grumbled, and Cadence gave him a wry smile, but Thesis only huffed and crossed his forelegs before he asked finally: “Can you provide any other mission support?”

Archon seemed to look right through Thesis before he nodded once, answering: “The basics. I don't know what bells and whistles you're used to, but we can keep you appraised of what's happening on the field and get in contact with people ahead of you. Help you avoid unnecessary bloodshed, in other words.”

“Darn, you know me, Cadence, always looking to cause unnecessary bloodshed.” Thesis paused, then said moodily: “I just made myself sad.”

“Then shut your dumb mouth and let's go... do whatever it is we need to so that...” Cadence halted, then she grimaced as she realized this likely meant she was going to have to do the one thing she had been avoiding. “This means I have to go meet with the Princesses now, doesn't it?”

“You can't run from them forever.” Archon said, and then he began to wheel himself back from the table. Cadence, however, almost jumped out of her chair to stop him, the wizened old unicorn scowling at her before he said moodily: “I'll hold your hoof if you need it, mare, but don't you start playing nursemaid to me too.”

“Shut up and sit. Your coffee's ready.” Cadence retorted, and Archon grunted at her, but relented. She smiled a little, then stepped away and grabbed a mug to pour him a cup, asking: “Black, right? And why don't you tell me more about your grandson. I don't even know his name.”

“Sterling Radiance. A good name, a strong name.” answered Archon as Cadence put the mug in front of him, and he didn't so much as hesitate to sweep it easily up in one hoof and bring it to his muzzle, sniffing it before he took a deep gulp of the steaming liquid. “Decent. Apart from the fact that everything you drink reeks of some kind of berry. At least it's not vanilla.”

“Hey, I happen to like vanilla.” Thesis said in an injured voice, like Archon had made some grave personal insult. Not that Archon cared, since he didn't even spare a look at the stallion. “Alright, serious question, Archon. Have there been any reports of suspicious activities or violent acts that we should know about? No offense, but you guys almost seemed prepared for this.”

Archon grunted, then he picked up his coffee and swirled it under his muzzle before he seemed to glance at Cadence. And when Cadence leaned forward slightly, he grimaced before he nodded almost grudgingly, muttering: “Fine. While I suppose that ever since the colts figured out there used to be some kind of portal in that facility, lately we've been experiencing anomalies on a much larger scale, yes. I'm sure you've been asked several times about the Brokenhearted by now. That was the only thing anyone could think of, of course, since that's the worst thing we've experienced in recent times.”

He fell silent, then he shook his head slowly. “We've had reports of strange equiforms using advanced weaponry coming out of several smaller towns... settlements, really, A lot of the initial reports came out of seahorse towns... coastal settlements and melting pots like Horseshoe Cove. And a lot of it was discarded: the victims were vagrants, unknowns, impossible to identify and impossible to track and little different from the usual rumors and fairytales we get out of towns like that.

“But the disappearances have started happening in more populated areas. More sightings, corroborating what's been said, but not much new information. Not until you showed up and killed those zebra.” Archon continued, and Cadence smiled dryly.

“Nzambi, they're called. Someone we thought we already dealt with... it looks like he's back. I still haven't pressed La Croix about it too much because I guess... I know he'll come to me when he knows what's going on.” Cadence shook her head, and Archon snorted.

“It doesn't matter if he 'knows' or not. You know better.” he chastised, before he rounded on Thesis and added shortly: “And that goes double for you, son.”

Thesis rose a hoof and opened his mouth, but Cadence quickly shoved a hoof over his face before she said dryly: “Thanks, Archon, really. I'll forward your complaints to my new boss.”

Archon grinned wryly at this before taking a sip of his coffee and swirling it meditatively in his jaws before he spat it back into the cup, Cadence wincing and scowling at him. He either didn't notice her irritation, or more likely, he just didn't care, as he said: “I never really saw you as a mercenary, Cadence. And that's all you really are, isn't it? A mercenary corporation.”

“Excuse me, but we prefer private military corporation, thank you very much.” Thesis answered in a miffed voice, before he added in a quiet, serious voice: “Our operations here are essential to both your defense and our own. Extradimensional internal defense, if you will.”

“You're a bit far from home to claim it's all about protecting your own country. I can't tell you how many times I've heard the 'foreign internal defense' excuse used so someone could make a quick buck and get a few pretty shiny toys.” He stopped, then added dryly: “Not that our Princess of the Sun would ever condone such behavior, of course.”

Cadence grunted, refusing to take the bait from Archon as she only looked at him moodily, but the unicorn was undaunted – and much more gossipy than she had remembered – as he continued: “But we had a few in the old days like that. I suppose... I used to be like that. And like breeds like.

“There have been a few military campaigns in recent years. Recent as in I remember them that is, many of these took place before you were adopted into the royal family, Cadence.” Archon sipped at his coffee again, swirled it, spat it back out into the cup. “Most of these were in response to aggravation on the borders, threats from other nations, and in one memorable instance, an attempt at secession from Equestria that led to a two week standoff with what was little more than a single small town in the middle of the nation, and was easily reclaimed the moment they ran out of food and supplies. I said we should march soldiers in. Celestia said wait. I thought it was stupid. I realize now that I was the stupid one. Stupid, and arrogant, and willing to shed blood over foals being foals.

“There were a few for-profit conflicts, however. Celestia loathed them and ended them as soon as possible, but they weren't all the product of greed and neglect; Equestria is a large country, and we haven't always lived such easy lives.” Archon shrugged. “There's a material used by mages called goldflax: fifty years ago we had a shortage of it because of a magical parasite.

“A difficult neighbor on one side of us happens to have a lot of goldflax, and the magic to deal with this pest. An ambassador is sent to negotiate, but at the same time a situation is created in which Equestria is 'forced' to intervene. We seize control of assets to 'prevent extended conflict,' and then return home after a sideshow.” Archon shrugged, saying quietly: “The magical devices that protect our sensitive materials from pests and infiltration are all based on appropriated technology. That's why they were capable of stopping the Changelings from gaining access to the treasury, but we weren't able to detect them until too late.”

Cadence smiled a little, and Thesis nodded slowly before he asked quietly: “How much war has this Equestria seen? You're rated as a Class B world... a world where conflict is known, where there are clear and present dangers, but they are not supposed to be extended or above a certain level.”

Archon grunted, then he asked dryly: “Class A the least dangerous? Because I can't imagine you see us as the second most dangerous world.”

A smile quirked at Thesis' muzzle: Archon had both figured something out and answered his question at the same time. “So it's not as bad as it sounds. But this is definitely leaning towards Class C. And from what I hear, those Brokenhearted were a Class C threat.”

Cadence grimaced at this, then she asked: “But you're sure there haven't been any Brokenhearted, right Archon?”

“Like I said, all we've heard about any of them lately came from the rumors. Now that those have been proven to be something else, I can say with certainty that there are no Brokenhearted left in Equestria.” Archon said, before he hesitated, and Cadence frowned slightly before the unicorn said almost grudgingly: “Although I did find old reports of what might be Brokenhearted in some ancient records.”

Cadence cocked her head as Thesis leaned forward slightly, and Archon sat back in his chair as he seemed to meet Cadence's eyes with blind and eternal gaze, saying quietly: “Ponies that couldn't be killed by conventional means, but they weren't any of the old forgotten ones, like the lich or the vampire. Just ponies. Ruthless, callous, heartless ponies who couldn't die.”

“As far as I'm aware, Valthrudnir never experimented with the Prometheus One. When he used it on... your father...” Thesis hesitated for a moment, but Cadence only gestured at him to go on, silently promising that she wasn't going to lash out or freak out or... take any other outs. “Well, even at that point he knew it wasn't going to work. He had already observed its effects on some other... unfortunate victims, and he used it on Serenite as revenge.”

“Revenge?” Cadence asked disbelievingly, and then she snorted before she lowered her head and muttered: “No, I get it. Daddy embarrassed him. Valthrudnir... he was always cruel, and stupid, and... I don't see how...”

“Because for better or worse he was my father. I can't change that. I can just make peace with it and embrace it.” Thesis shrugged and gave a brief smile, and then he shook his head slowly before he said quietly: “I really am sorry about your father. He didn't deserve it and the Prometheus prototype... it is like a virus, a disease. The infection drives him to attack others because it spreads best through direct contact. The fact that he was... transfigured only made the infection more potent, because Prometheus attacks the spirit as much as it does the body.”

Cadence was quiet, and Archon asked slowly: “But Sombra is no longer a threat, correct?”

“No. As long as his purifier is active, the disease is suppressed and so are the symptoms. The antibodies will remain and stop it from becoming... contagious, for lack of a better word, for a week or longer afterward, too. The symptoms just show up so quickly again because of...” Thesis smiled briefly, and Cadence understood: because the corruption had become her father's bloodstream, because the poisons had taken him over so completely... because Daddy has spent so long... sick. “But even if Sombra was infectious, Promethean transmission isn't purely biological or host-to-host.”

“I remember... Daddy said that unicorns were affected first, then Pegasi. Because of their magic.” Cadence said, and Thesis nodded.

“That's right. The easiest way to explain it is that the corruption requires an 'essence' it can feed off of. Magic is usually the most accessible: spiritual, vital essence is more... resilient, so to speak. That's why direct host contact is required for the infection to spread to earth ponies, who don't have a natural magic as much as they do a talent for shaping other energies.” Thesis explained, gesturing awkwardly with his hooves at nothing in particular as he searched for the best way to explain things.

Archon, however, simplified things by saying irritably: “Like Pegasus flu or unicorn's scorn. Simple.”

“Simple.” Thesis repeated dryly, and then he shook his head and said finally: “Yeah. Look, the long and short of it is that he's not dangerous.”

“Then leave it at that. I didn't ask for explanations.” Archon retorted, and Thesis scowled horribly before the old unicorn continued quietly: “We always theorized as much, anyway. Brokenhearted are compromised, first and foremost: they would be easier to corrupt.

“And, as I was saying, there have been Brokenhearted in this world before. Sombra isn't their cause. I doubt your Valthrudnir is, either. I'm sure it's happened in other worlds, other places and other times.” Archon shook his head, then he continued: “We've been developing countermeasures. Just in case it happens again, because as far as Equestria knows or cares, Sombra was defeated, but Cadence died with him. We'd like to leave it that way.”

Cadence gave a wry smile at this, asking in a half-amused voice: “Did you just politely ask us not to interfere?”

“This world can make its own fate. The worlds should make their own fates, even against impossible odds. We don't need your help.” Archon replied evenly.

There was silence for a moment, and then Thesis said dryly: “I'm not going to let you watch over us if you screw with us.”

“Don't insult me. I want you gone, not dead. The faster you leave, the better. And this way at least Equestria can remain involved and cognizant of its own fate.” Archon stopped, then he looked up and said quietly: “I think you're doing a good thing. I do. I just don't agree it's a necessary thing, even in dire circumstances. Empires rise and fall. All of them. You can't stop it: prolonging the inevitable just leads to more problems down the road.”

Thesis was silent for a moment as he thought about the anomalies, the energy readings, and he shifted slowly, but then looked up in surprise as Cadence answered in a quiet but firm voice: “This isn't about you. This is about us. About an enemy who is trying to hurt us by attacking vulnerable worlds. And even if it wasn't? You don't get to speak for the world or the universe either, Archon. If a... a stranger comes to attack an innocent world, we will not stand by. Then we come in. When a criminal breaks into your house, whether it's to steal from you or hurt you, you don't complain when the police show up and drag him away, whether you like the cops or not.”

“You're not police. You're vigilantes.” Archon gave a thin smile, saying ironically: “Even worse. You're mercenaries.”

“We're fixers. We're Orphans. We get the job done, and we leave. That is the way it has always been and that is the way it will always be. Our allegiance isn't to anything so blind as a nation or an ideology. It's to the cold, hard fact that someone has to be there to stop the things that go bump in the night, that normal ponies can't handle.” Cadence leaned forwards, meeting Archon's gaze with her own steely glare. “We don't tell the world what to do. But you don't get to tell the rest of the world how to live either, Amadeus.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Archon said softly: “I'm glad to see you've learned to speak your mind, Cadence. I see you have the same flair for the dramatic as ever, though.”

Cadence rolled her eyes, but had to resist the urge to smile as she sat back and answered: “Drink your coffee. Stop spitting it back in the damn cup, that's gross.”

“The caffeine will keep me up all night. But I miss the taste.” Archon answered with a shrug, before he reached into his jacket and pulled out a cigar, sticking this in his muzzle. His horn began to glow, but Cadence narrowed her eyes at him, and the unicorn grinned around the tube. “It's not your room anymore, Cadence. You're our guests now.”

Cadence rolled her eyes, and Thesis smiled wryly as he sat back, watching as the end of the cigar flared into flame for a moment before it became a glowing ember. For a few moments, they sat in silence as Archon breathed smoke in and out, then he finally blew a ring through his mouth before he said: “I'm sure the royals are waiting for us. You still remember where the throne room is, don't you?”

“I do. You're right, let's go. But first, we're going to pick up La Croix and Moonflower, and Daddy if he's there.” They climbed to their hooves, and Cadence immediately grabbed the back of Archon's chair, making him grumble as she pushed him along with a slight smile. “I think you'll like Daddy. Well, I mean... you'll hate him. But you'll like him, too.”

Archon only grunted as Thesis followed behind Cadence, the stallion smiling despite himself as he studied the two thoughtfully, how much they opposed, argued, and conflicted, and how in spite of all that, how much they clearly respected each other, as Cadence pushed the old stallion along in his wheelchair with almost daughterly affection.

The universe was a strange place and the worlds they entered were often exotic, for all their similarities, and full of things and philosophies they didn't understand, but Thesis thought that might be all the more reason to protect this endless garden of worlds.

All The Help We Can Handle

Chapter One Hundred and Seven: All The Help We Can Handle
~BlackRoseRaven

Princess Celestia smiled at them, but Thesis could feel how closely she was watching as Princess Twilight Sparkle fussed over and scolded Cadence all at once, darting around her. Archon sat off to one side in his wheelchair, puffing away at his cigar in the company of the rest of Team 0-0.

Moonflower was just nervously looking at La Croix, and La Croix was staring at the floor, and Sombra looked as calm as ever, only watching with interest as Twilight grumbled her way around Cadence, fretting over her like... like a little puppy trying to 'help' a far bigger dog.

Cadence glanced up and gave Thesis a dry look as if she had heard his thoughts, and he grinned awkwardly in a way that teased he hadn't meant to compare her to a bitch, but Cadence only rolled her eyes before she smiled awkwardly when Twilight bounced in front of her, fluttering her wings fearfully, tiara askew on her head and diadem aslant as she blurted: “I was just so worried about you! I mean, all those things happened and then you just disappeared and now... Shining! Dammit, where's Shining! Shining!”

Twilight glared around the expansive audience hall,then blushed deeply when Celestia said gently from her throne: “Ambassadors Armor and Metanoia haven't joined us yet, Twilight Sparkle. Do you remember what we went over?”

“Oh! Uh. Yes.” Twilight smiled in embarrassment, and then she turned and hurried back up the steps to the raised end of the throne room, sitting in the seat to the right of Celestia. They weren't precisely 'thrones,' Thesis noted: they were more like comfortable, squishy lounge chairs. A quirk that he would have to mention to his mother when he got home.

Celestia nodded to Twilight as the Princess of Magic almost shyly lowered her head. Cadence smiled a little at this, then she sat up straight and saluted when Celestia's eyes turned back to her, but the Princess of the Sun – and clear matriarch of the trio – only gave a soft laugh before she said gently: “There's no need for that, Princess Cadence.”

“I'm not a princess anymore, Princess Celestia. I'm just...” 'Soldier' didn't sound right, and 'Swan' seemed too strange, so Cadence went with the next best thing: “An Orphan.”

She only realized after she'd said it how weird that probably was to say, but Celestia smiled at her all the same, asking: “Are you happy?”

Cadence looked dumbly at Celestia, and the Princess of the Sun chuckled quietly before she said softly: “Ever since I brought you into the family, Cadence, I've always wanted you to be happy. I gave you everything I could, but I know it wasn't what you wanted or needed. It was like telling a fish to just breathe the air and be happy it has so much open space around it instead of the cold and the wet of the ocean water.

“I always wanted you to be happy. I knew you weren't like us from the first moment we found you.” Celestia smiled slightly. “Do you remember? I had to restrain you myself. All you did was swear at everyone between shouting in Istallian.”

Cadence smiled lamely, blushing slightly as she waved her hooves hurriedly and said awkwardly: “There's uh... no need to talk about any of that.”

“I think there is. I think it might be very important.” Thesis said blandly, and he grinned when Cadence glowered at him. “What? You never know what might be key to a mission. Seriously.”

“We found you, wandering through the eastern wastes. You were alone and scared, and...” Celestia looked thoughtfully around the room before she said in a compassionate, kind, ever-so-slightly-teasing voice: “'Ready to fight you barbarian scum to the last breath.'”

Cadence laughed awkwardly, her eyes rolling to the side before she blushed deeper when Celestia continued pleasantly: “You, a fatigued, exhausted filly, took down four of my Royal Guard when they tried to restrain you before I used a spell to bind you down. It was very impressive. But after you realized we were friends...”

Cadence remembered: she had broken down, sobbing, confused, full of turmoil and emotion. Celestia had comforted her, and she'd been quiet, and hadn't known what else to do. Celestia had helped her, raised her, taught her things that had echoed through her heart and soul, and she only realized now they had because so much of what Celestia had taught her reflected all the things her father had tried to teach her.

She grew up in this castle, and Celestia had been like a mother to her, and until now she hadn't even thought of her. She had never said goodbye, never come running, only thought about her petty squabbles with Shine and... I'm such a selfish asshole. “Celestia...”

“No, Cadence. I'm glad. I'm glad you found where you belong. That you found your father. That you found your true calling in life. And that I could apologize to you... to both of you.” Celestia turned her eyes towards Sombra, smiling faintly before she murmured: “I always had a feeling, King Serenite, that I was... perhaps paying back one of the many, many debts my sister and I owe you. Righting some of the countless wrong that I inflicted on you.”

“All I have for you is gratitude, Princess Celestia, for your great kindness. I cannot forgive you because there is nothing to forgive; I can only reassure you that between us, all is well.” Sombra said gently, bowing her head to the mare, and Celestia bowed her head back in gratitude.

“I hope we're not interrupting anything.” came Miss Take's cheerful voice as she strode into the room with Shining Armor in tow. And then Cadence's eyes widened as she realized there was a third pony prowling behind them, a blue-haired Changeling with sour green eyes and an urchin-like crown atop her head. “I spoke to the Queen Mother last night as you asked me to, and she sent my little sister as an envoy-”

“I am still the Queen of the Western Hive and I demand respect!” Chrysalis snapped angrily, glaring furiously at Miss Take before she turned a horrible look on Cadence, adding grumpily: “And whatever you are, I am not letting you near my Hive. Don't even step close to me, golem.”

Before Cadence even realized it, the Swan had taken over, replying calmly: “We are not golem. We are Swan. But do not fear, we will respect your wishes; we have no urge to be near a locust.”

Chrysalis spat in the Swan's direction, then she squeaked, eyes bulging, when Miss Take seized her by one ear and firmly twisted, scolding: “Now that is quite enough, Chrysalis! Either behave yourself or I will spank you with Mother's full blessing, do you understand?”

Chrysalis turned beet red, but then nodded grudgingly, lowering her head and mumbling to herself before she childishly stuck her tongue out at Miss Take's back when the mare turned away. Then she glanced up when Princess Celestia said gently: “Welcome, Queen Chrysalis. It is very nice to see you, and I am glad that you could join us. We all need to work together to deal with this-”

“Yes, I know. Metanoia told me.” Chrysalis grumbled, waving a hoof grouchily before she turned a scowl back towards Cadence, studying her suspiciously.

Cadence glowered back, then she looked up as Princess Celestia brought things to order by simply raising her head, all eyes immediately focusing on her before she said gently: “Prince Thesis, if you would like to lead this meeting, I would greatly appreciate it.”

“Who tattled?” Thesis asked mildly, looking around the room, but Celestia only smiled at him, and the stallion smiled back after a moment before he became more professional, stepping forward and saying calmly: “Alright. Our mission here in your world is simple: find the enemy, figure out what they're doing here, and eliminate the threat by any means necessary.

“The enemy clearly expected us: their behavior suggests they either intend to engage us or they're attempting to slow us down. This is actually good news: our original fear when we arrived on this world was that they were looking to sow discord-”

“Present, but not yet ready for reaping!” called a cheerful voice, and Cadence scowled automatically as Thesis only looked up curiously at the Draconequus that had appeared, upside-down, in the empty air above him.

He gave a toothy grin, waggling his bushy eyebrows: he was mismatched in every way, from the one fang that jutted out of his maw to the tips of his scaly toes and hoof. His long body wiggled as he clapped a talon and paw together, saying brightly: “Celestia, you didn't tell me we had guests! Or well, you did, but you didn't mention they were so interesting!”

Cadence scowled moodily at Discord, and the Draconequus cocked his head before he gasped and grabbed his mismatched horns, then fell out of the air with a thump on his face, squawking: “She's back! She's really actually back!”

Discord rolled back and forth wildly, then he hopped up to his feet and bounced over to Cadence, leaning down with a grin before he suddenly quailed away, waving his arms violently as the mare scowled at him. The others only stared, before Discord huffed and crossed his arms, eyeing her moodily before he said finally: “Now, that's something even I didn't expect. Oh, sure, it's one thing to come back with the new hairdo and the boy-toy and the excessive tan – or lack thereof – but you've been cheating on me!”

Cadence looked moodily up at Discord, until the Draconequus leaned down and whispered behind one hand: “You've talked to the Hatter.”

The ivory mare blinked, opened her mouth, and was immediately silenced by Discord shoving a finger against her lips, shushing her violently before he suddenly became serious as he leaned down into her face, studying her intently. Then he leaned back just as suddenly, saying abruptly: “Fine. Yes. I get it. I know when I'm not wanted, and even worse, when I'm needed. I'll do it.”

And with that, Discord vanished from the spot, leaving Cadence staring in blank confusion at the space where he had been a moment before. Thesis cleared his throat after a moment, then broke the silence by saying awkwardly: “Well. If we can get back on track...”

All eyes turned back to him, and the stallion quickly became serious again, picking up as best he could: “We were afraid that the enemy was attacking here solely to attack us. The activity here suggests another motive, however, and past events suggest there is more than meets the eye to the Void incursions. Unfortunately, it's also a very real possibility that the enemy forces might attack for no reason but as retaliation against Cadence for being part of the force that successful stopped their previous attacks.”

“And because I'm the Swan. Loki wants the Swan.” Cadence said quietly, shaking her head with a grimace. No, that wasn't quite right, though, was it? “Or at least he wants to get rid of her... uh, me.”

Celestia frowned slightly at Cadence as Twilight shifted nervously, but Thesis quickly rose his hooves and reassured: “It's not just about Cadence. It's about all of us. Cadence and her team have just been targeted because they're the very best at what they do. And you know what they say about nails that stick out.”

“They get hammered.” Cadence said moodily, and Thesis gave her a mild look.

“Something like that.” he said, then he shook his head before turning his attention back to the princesses as Shining Armor looked almost apprehensively at Cadence. “We need to move against our mutual enemies. We've been given a lot of ideas and information, thanks to Miss Take and Shining Armor, and I understand why Equestria and her allies are pushing to be involved and that I can't convince you otherwise. But I have to advise you that your first order of business should be to protect yourselves.”

“We will be safe here. I have already shared knowledge of... things I had thought forgotten in the past with our mages, and Queen Chrysalis, if your drones-”

“Ugh. You ponies are so useless.” Chrysalis grumbled, rolling her eyes before she answered moodily: “I brought fifty drones with me. Undistinguished, no disguises. And there are fifty drones already here in the castle, assuming you haven't killed my poor babies.”

“No, we're very glad to have your support and theirs, Queen Chrysalis. Thank you.” Princess Celestia answered, before she turned her eyes towards Thesis. “Changelings are able to see and sense things ponies cannot. Princess Twilight Sparkle has already devised a shield for us as well that should be able to enshell all of Canterlot for a few days.”

Thesis nodded slowly, but Cadence immediately thought of the Aetherhaunts: a barrier would be meaningless to them. And she had the feeling that if someone like Stronghold showed up... she would just keep hitting it until it broke. “There are things that-”

“I broke through your stupid barrier. But I suppose you ponies don't learn very fast, do you?” Chrysalis asked sourly as she eyed Shining pointedly, and the unicorn cleared his throat as he looked away before Chrysalis turned a sneer towards Cadence, adding: “And this time, I don't think 'love' is going to be enough to save the day.”

Cadence glared at Chrysalis, but she managed to keep herself from pouncing on the Changeling Queen. It helped that Miss Take almost immediately grabbed Chrysalis' ear, though, the Changeling Queen squawking and then blushing in humiliation as her older sibling twisted firmly. “Now that is quite enough! Chrysalis, dear, all I'm asking is that you behave for one silly meeting, we have guests. But if you can't or won't, you can go back home and tell Mother I took Gorgon instead of you. I only need one Soma, I already have a Spektra in Electra.”

“Electra is coming? You didn't tell me Electra was coming!” whined Chrysalis as she pushed uselessly at Miss Take with one hoof. “Metanoia! Let me go!”

“Apologize.” Miss Take said firmly, and Chrysalis grumbled before Miss Take sighed and said pointedly: “We're holding up the meeting, dear, and you know if I go to Mother and tell her-”

“Stop! Ugh, fine. Tattletale.” Chrysalis grumbled with a pout, and then she said grouchily: “I'm sorry I interrupted the meeting.”

Miss Take rolled her eyes, then she sighed tiredly before smiling apologetically as she released Chrysalis as Thesis asked slowly: “What do you mean, uh. Chrysalis is coming?”

“And Electra, they're very different. You'll like Electra, dear, everyone does.” Miss Take said brightly, nodding with a smile. “I'm only half-Changeling, as you know. Stronger in some ways, but my sisters are much more sensitive to certain things than I am. Between Chrissy and Electra, they should be able to quickly track down your 'friends.'”

Thesis looked blankly at Miss Take for a moment, but before he could say anything, Princess Celestia said: “This way, fewer ponies will be endangered and we can concentrate on defending ourselves. And in return for this kindness, Chrysalis, we'll deliver six barrels of Heartbrew to your Hive. Your Changelings will be well fed for a month.”

“Great. Fantastic. Sure.” Chrysalis grumbled, rolling her eyes again, but she shifted in a way that told Cadence she was surprised, and maybe even a little grateful. “I'm not doing this for any of you. I'm doing this because if I don't, tattletale will tattle on me.”

“Well, Chrysalis, my job is to keep you in line.” Miss Take smiled kindly as she leaned slowly in, and Chrysalis wilted and shrank away from the raw malice that her sister was emanating in spite of her friendly expression. “And I can do that by either talking to Mother or by beating you senseless. Which do you prefer?”

Chrysalis mumbled to herself, shrinking away with a blush, and Thesis cleared his throat before he said finally: “I guess you're as cunning as Mom is, Princess Celestia. I don't have much of a choice but to accept if I want to minimize the dangers here, do I?

Princess Celestia only smiled kindly, before Princess Luna suddenly spoke up, asking quietly: “And what of yourselves? Will you be safe? Why do you pursue these enemies if these enemies seek only to destroy you and whatever you hold dear?”

“Because the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good ponies to do nothing.” Thesis answered with a smile, before he shook his head and said in a quieter voice: “They want us afraid. They want us to sit back, do nothing, to accept that we can't save everyone. They want to break us by hurting others, people not involved with this. But none of us here can or will accept that.”

“This is... our fight.” Cadence said, as hard as it was to admit that it wasn't all about her, and maybe, that she needed help. Not just from her team, her friends, her family, but... “All of us. We have to work together. It's not just about stopping Loki. It's about showing him we're not afraid. About proving to him that there's more to this universe than... he thinks there is.”

“And what does Loki think?” Celestia asked, and Thesis smiled briefly.

“That for everything to be equal, everything has to go back to nothing. That because he's lost so much, he gets to take what he deserves from the rest of the world in blood.” Thesis stopped, then he corrected: “What he feels he deserves. Maybe he deserves a little bit of it. But... not like this.”

Celestia and Luna both nodded slowly, before Twilight Sparkle murmured: “There aren't really any bad guys, are there?” She hesitated, looking embarrassedly from Chrysalis to Sombra, before she offered a small smile to Cadence. “I guess we never stop learning lessons about friendship, do we?”

Cadence smiled back after a moment, although she couldn't help but reflect silently that all she wanted to think of Loki was as a power-mad asshole. Thesis, however, only nodded with a chuckle, before he glanced over at La Croix, Moonflower, and Sombra, saying finally: “Life takes you strange places. All you can really do is... get there.”

He halted, then cleared his throat before he looked back at the monarchs to say: “I want to get moving as soon as possible. Is there anything else-”

“Yes. I want to stay in communication with them. I request whatever it will require to make that happen.” Archon almost ordered, and Celestia gave him an amused look. “We should stay appraised of their situation. And this way we can also warn them in the event that Canterlot is attacked.”

“Director Archon, I feel I should remind you there are laws against smoking in Canterlot Castle. It's a historical structure.” Celestia said, even as she made a brief gesture off to one side, and a Royal Guard that was lingering near a side door saluted and excused himself.

Archon responded with a thick puff of smoke, seeming to look fearlessly back at Celestia, and after a moment the Princess of the Sun turned her eyes to Thesis, asking: “Has Director Archon already discussed this with you?”

Thesis nodded, then he tapped his Mission Drive, but before he could explain, Princess Celestia only nodded back and held up a hoof. “Then I suppose there's no need to discuss it any further. I know you're anxious to be on your way. Miss Take, when is your sister going to arrive?”

“I said we'd meet her outside of the castle. You know Electra, she's very uncomfortable in enclosed spaces. Even getting her to come to the city was a chore.” Miss Take replied kindly, before she smiled and added: “Shining and I will have our diaries, if you need to contact us at all.”

“Then go, with my blessing and my hopes that this will end quickly, and with as little bloodshed as possible.” Celestia said as she stood up, and Luna and Twilight joined her as Thesis and Cadence saluted. “Good luck, Cadence. Good luck to all of you.”

Cadence wasn't sure how she felt about Shining Armor and Miss Take tagging along, and even less sure about Chrysalis... although on the bright side, the Changeling Queen was someone she wouldn't feel bad about shoving into the path of a Voidborn, at least.

Electra, however, was a different matter entirely: she had a chitinous Changeling body, but hers was much smoother and sleeker than Chrysalis, the holes in her legs less noticeable and her features far more beautiful and expressive than the permanent scowl her sister seemed to wear. Her mane was like a golden, silken spiderweb, glowing with a faint, natural luminescence, and her eyes were like sunshine, warm and curious and gentle.

Chrysalis wore her ugly little urchin crown, which Cadence regretfully learned actually was some kind of parasite that hung out on the Changeling's head; Electra wore a big, floppy, yellow sunhat with a few flowers decorating it, and carried a red and yellow parasol that she further shaded herself with. Chrysalis stank like rotten soil and dead animal sweat; Electra had a faint soil smell too, but hers was like the earth of a well-kept garden, and only undertones of it existed beneath a gentle perfume of lilacs and vanilla. Chrysalis stormed around and glared at everyone and seemed to take pride in the fear and disgust she inspired; Electra had almost perfectly blended in at the little cafe they found her at, and the ponies around her hadn't been treating her like a monster, but rather like nobility who had graced them with her presence. Chrysalis growled and grumbled and yelled everything; Electra was soft and careful and charming.

Together, they made a strange group walking through Canterlot, and Cadence couldn't help but let herself drift from Thesis and team back towards this odd little.. .family, she supposed wryly, since Shining was the brother-in-law to... two Changeling Queens.

As she fell back, Miss Take looked up before she smiled brightly, saying warmly: “I know we have to be professional and all, dear, but let me introduce you a little more informally all the same to my dear big sister, Electra. She's a Spektra... do you know what that means?”

Cadence looked awkwardly at Electra as the beautiful Changeling gave her a little smile, and Miss Take chuckled before she explained: “Changelings come in many different types, but the most common are the Soma and the Spektra. Soma are like dear Chrysalis here, and her many drones. I suppose you would call them the hunters of the Changeling world. But Spektra, like Electra, are adept at collecting the energy residue in the air. It's much less efficient, but in large cities like this, Spektra can thrive in small groups because there are so many ponies putting out so many emotions.”

“But we are very rare. A mutation, some would say.” Electra said softly, before she gave Cadence a small smile. “My little sister has told me all sorts of things about you, Cadence. She seems very fond of you.”

“Thank you.” Cadence said awkwardly, not knowing what else she could possibly say. “Uh... so you're a Queen of a Hive yourself?”

“Yes. I have a small hive in the deep south of Equestria. We try and keep to ourselves as much as possible.” Electra said with a nod and a small smile. “We farm, mostly, and supplement that with gifts from a local village and the occasional rehabilitation.”

Cadence looked awkwardly at Electra, and Electra blushed before she shook her head hurriedly. “No, no, not sacrifices, of course! Changelings, especially Spektra, can absorb positive energy naturally. Charged gemstones and love vials are how we keep ourselves alive during droughts... not that we've had to deal with a drought for many years, of course.”

“Yes, Electra, because of your leadership.” Miss Take complimented, before looking pointedly at Chrysalis, who only huffed and looked moodily away. “Leadership is very important. Knowing your limits and recognizing the abilities of your hive, and that things are different these days than they were in the past. That this culture is different.”

Electra smiled awkwardly at Chrysalis, and then she turned her eyes back to Cadence, adding: “We do interact with the locals, but always as fairly as possible. We have structured a section of the Hive into a... I still don't know what to call it. Ponies are invited to dine, share intimacy, etcetera, while we entertain them. We also invite ponies on 'dates,' where the drones take on the role of a love or past love. I hope we offer them comfort or closure while we feed. My drones are all trained to be as gentle as possible, or to crystallize emotions to minimize the fatigue associated with such a drain.”

Cadence shifted slightly, and Electra smiled again, almost apologetic, before she continued: “We must live, and it is the safest way. We can only supplement ourselves so much from the lovefruit and the lovebugs we farm. These sate a Changeling's physical needs, but not the mental. It is... easier for a Spektra like myself to transcend our nature than it is for the Soma or the drones.”

Chrysalis grumbled under her breath, and Electra continued: “We can also learn to subsist on emotions other than love, but of course this is very difficult. Love, happiness, sensuality are all pleasing emotions, and gentle. Easy to digest, easy to process, they sate us and the resonating warmth settles us. Other emotions, however, like anger, passion, despair, envy, anxiety, eating them is like... Metanoia, what did you compare it to?”

“Well, different emotions are like different foods, of course!” Miss Take paused, then added mildly: “If the food also could make you feel an associated emotion, which I suppose some foods do, but I digress. Anger is spicy, and of course, makes you feel very annoyed at everything around you. Sorrow is like very heavy dairy. You feel bloated and heavy afterward, and like... like having a good cry.

“Changeling emotions aren't so different from pony ones. That's why we're compatible, why we can feed from you. When we feed off you, we leave a temporary numbness, a blank spot in your emotions, sometimes even in memory if we feed too deeply.” Miss Take softened, looking over at Shining Armor. “But of course, since our entire race literally lives off the energy of emotions, we're a little better at handling them than you are. So it's important for us to find that right balance: where we don't feed enough to steal away what you feel entirely... but enough, and at the right moments, where it keeps us alive, and perhaps helps you, too.”

Shining smiled a little at Miss Take, then he winced as Chrysalis smacked into his side and almost shoved her face into his, saying moodily: “Or at least, that's what the ponies expect us to do, to starve ourselves for them. You know, we were a predator species-”

“We are a predator species, dear, but you don't see bears gobbling down all the rabbits in the forest, do you?” Miss Take said disapprovingly, before she glanced up and down her sister and added: “And you could stand to lose a few pounds.”

Chrysalis scowled horribly, but she only sulkily let herself drop back a few paces, and Shining sighed in relief before he winced when Miss Take added scoldingly: “And you need to learn to stand up for yourself, dear. Chrissy is all bark and no bite.”

“Chrissy once defeated Celestia.” Cadence said before she could stop herself, and Chrysalis immediately puffed up, raising her head so high Cadence couldn't help but wonder moodily if it was going to pop off her neck.

But she deflated almost immediately as Electra said softly: “She defeated Celestia on borrowed power. On the love of an entire nation. Even now your compassion for your dear friend is very electrifying, Cadence. And that is nothing compared to the love you feel for...”

Electra blushed slightly as her eyes roved to the front of the line, where Thesis was already loudly arguing with Archon over his Mission Drive, and Cadence couldn't help but smile a little before Electra said softly: “I hope this isn't out of bounds, dear, but... I'm terribly sorry.”

“Electra!” cautioned Miss Take, and Cadence shifted, but then she simply nodded: of course they knew. Shining looked confused, and she wondered sometimes if even her friends could process it, but of course...

Chrysalis sniffed loudly, opened her mouth, and then went pale as the Swan said softly: “Speak of it and we will cut your tongue off with your horn, ghoul.”

Chrysalis tried her best to glare as she slowly shrank backward, and Cadence grumbled under her breath before she shook off the Swan. Electra studied her curiously as she spun her parasol, but then only smiled when Cadence glanced at her, bowing her head politely before she complimented: “You have a beautiful coat.”

“Uh. Thanks.” Cadence said awkwardly, then she smiled lamely as she looked over herself, saying finally: “I used to be... prettier, I guess.”

“You're still pretty.” Shining said, and then he blushed ever-so-slightly when Cadence looked back at him with surprise. “I mean pretty... good. Pretty good. You look. You are pretty good. Yes.”

Miss Take rolled her eyes as Chrysalis gagged and Electra only smiled, and Cadence shook her head before she turned her eyes ahead. But she let herself fall back maybe a step more, and Shining stepped closer to her as they continued their walk through Canterlot city towards the train station.

They boarded the train mostly in silence, and Cadence couldn't help but watch as they departed. She hadn't been paying much attention to the conversation or their orders, just following along on autopilot: all she had eyes for right now was Canterlot, watching as it faded into the distance behind them before she smiled faintly as a massive, spherical forcefield thrummed to life around it, glowing like a beacon for a moment before it dulled down to a glassy sheen,

She glanced up in surprise as Electra sat beside her, smiling at her kindly before she said softly: “I wanted to let you know, while we have a moment of privacy...”

Cadence and Electra both looked back over their seat in this far corner of the train car: their group was scattered down the seats, most of them watching as Miss Take pinned a whining Chrysalis in the aisle as she scolded her for something she had done.

Cadence rolled her eyes, then turned her attention back to Electra, who studied her intently before she asked quietly: “Will Danzsöngr hear me, or must I request her presence?”

“I... how did you know my name?” Cadence asked with a frown, and Electra smiled.

“Changelings, as you know, can siphon memories and behaviors as well as emotions. But Spektra are not so... violent. We are sensitive telepaths and empaths.” Electra paused as Cadence winced mentally and tried to clamp down on her thoughts- “No, that doesn't help. It just makes your memories... louder.”

She sighed, reaching up to rub at her temples for a moment before she cleared her throat and turned her eyes back to Cadence, studying her for a moment before she said softly: “I had a dream about you. About you, Danzsöngr. Not the pony, not the Swan, not Cadence; about who you really are. I knew you were coming. That was why I agreed to come, even though I know it puts me in danger, and I have had to leave my hive to fend for themselves, as much as I worry and fear for my children. They are my children. I love and name each and every one of them, unlike... some of us.”

She chuckled quietly, then she shook her head slowly before she said softly: “I was sent this dream. I was sent it by... by a strange and beautiful beast. She was gorgeous, and she was unicorn, but... not. She was powerful, and not to be denied. She spoke gently, but I felt like any moment, she could destroy me, if I displeased her.

“She told me that you would come. She was not sure when, but she said it would happen. She said you would come to defend the world, but that it was a trap: that the trickster has already acquired what he wanted here, your... casket. The coffin you were born in.”

Cadence frowned uneasily at this, and Electra studied her before she murmured: “I can see your memories, even the ones hidden away. But even your past becomes... dark to me, impossible to see through blurs and colors and... all the dust of time. But I want to tell you, it feels very important to tell you, that no matter what, Danzsöngr... you can be whoever you want to be. You don't have to be a tool. You don't have to be a weapon.”

Electra paused, then she gently leaned in and hugged the ivory mare, and Cadence's eyes widened in surprise as she stiffened slightly in the gentle, the warm embrace of the Changeling. But before she could react, Electra pulled away and smiled at her, then slipped out of the seat to head back towards her sisters, saying in her kind but firm way: “Metanoia, I think that's quite enough. Chrysalis, please don't provoke her so much, we have to work together.”

Cadence sat back in her seat, frowning uncertainly as she rubbed slowly at her face, wondering uneasily what that meant... and both when and why Melinda had contacted Electra. She shifted slowly and uneasily, before glancing up as her father slipped into the seat across from her with a kind smile, saying softly: “I felt as if you had called.”

“You always know, Daddy.” Cadence said softly, and she gave a brief smile before she shook her head slowly and looked up, chewing on her lip for a moment before she asked impulsively: “When you found me, it was because I had literally fallen from the sky, right?”

Sombra nodded, giving the mare a curious look. “That is correct, mi amore. You fell from the sky, and hit the ground with enough force to leave a crater. I found you in the bottom, only a filly, and I took you home. You were the answer to all my prayers.”

Cadence smiled at this, and she hesitated for a moment before asking: “When you put me to sleep...”

“A glass coffin, like in the old stories.” Sombra said softly, studying her intently, and when she remained silent, he continued slowly: “It was constructed carefully. Enchanted to remain warm for a thousand years, to repel invaders and keep you safe. But to open easily from the inside. It was lined with feathers, and yes, your own blood was used in the enchantment, so the magic would beat with the beat of your heart...”

“My blood...” Cadence said slowly, looking down for a moment before she nodded slowly, muttering: “I still don't know why Loki would want it. Electra told me that she had a dream, that Melinda told her Loki came for the coffin. But why?”

“Perhaps he intends to try and put you back to sleep.” Sombra said softly, and Cadence nodded slowly before the stallion continued quietly: “We are heading towards where you were found, Cadenza. I do not think that is a coincidence, either. I... do not believe that Loki means to threaten the ponies here. Nor do I think this is precisely an ambush. He is watching you, judging you. I think he seeks to learn something from you... but what, I do not know.”

Thesis joined them as Sombra finished, frowning slightly as Cadence lowered her head. She remained silent for a few moments, but then finally looked up and asked: “What is it?”

“La Croix is warding the train against croc face, and... you should really get some rest.” Thesis said finally, and Cadence scowled at him before the stallion reached out and gently squeezed her shoulder, adding: “I think Sombra is right, by the way. Loki wants us guessing and running around scared. He knows, especially after his retaliation at... world B-30, that we're going to be desperate to intercept him.”

“He attacked the world La Croix visited because he knew we'd stop Bond- I mean, La Croix's old boss.” Cadence corrected quickly: she didn't really know if saying the giant crocodile's name would draw his attention to them or not, but she'd learned by now it was better to just believe in her friends, stupid or insane as they sometimes sounded. “He attacked Moonflower's world to demonstrate what he was capable of, especially when things didn't go his way. He already got what he wanted here, but he left Voidborn behind to fight us... test us, or maybe... for some other reason. How is he still so far ahead of us?”

Thesis could only shrug, before he said finally: “We can't focus on it. All we can really do is keep moving forward. We can stop him, Cadence, he's not infallible. You know that yourself.”

“Not really, I barely got a chance to punch him.” Cadence muttered, but she nodded all the same before she sighed and said finally: “I just wish we knew what was going on. That we could get some handle on what he's doing.”

“Bad things. Let that be enough. And for now, go take a nap. You're not physically tired but I can tell this is all starting to get to you.” Thesis instructed gently, and Cadence scowled at him before he said softly: “Do it for your boss, if you won't do it for your coltfriend.”

Cadence sighed tiredly, then she finally nodded grudgingly before shoving herself up from the table. She headed to the door, pushing through into the next car, then looked up in surprise as Thesis followed her with a small smile, slipping through and sliding the door closed behind him as he said mildly: “I'm following you as your coltfriend, not as your boss, so you can't file a sexual harassment claim.”

Cadence rolled her eyes at this, and then she reached out and grabbed him, turning him and slamming his back against one of the doors leading into the sleeping units, and he squawked before he gave a weak smile, adding lamely: “Although maybe I should be the one-”

“Shut up.” Cadence leaned in close, and their lips brushed together, but they didn't kiss as Cadence hesitated before she leaned against him and closed her eyes, murmuring: “I don't have feelings for Shine, but I do. And he's still... I'm happy to see him, to be here with him. To see them all. I want... I wish... I wish we could all live somewhere and be happy together and...”

Thesis smiled faintly, and then he nodded slowly as he wrapped his forelegs around her, saying softly: “He seems pretty great. And Metanoia is a lot of fun. I understand that. And it's okay you have feelings for him. I know that... there's a difference between having feelings for someone and-”

“I don't need you to reassure me.” Cadence grumbled, mashing her face against his neck and biting him for a moment, and Thesis winced before the mare hesitated, then she mumbled almost embarrassedly as she looked away: “Okay, maybe... maybe I do.”

Thesis gently squeezed her, and Cadence sighed and looked down before she muttered: “I don't even know what I want anymore. I just... I just know I don't want to lose you. That you're the most important thing in my life.”

Thesis looked absurdly touched at this, smiling warmly before he winced when Cadence smacked him and grumbled: “Don't say anything. More importantly, don't say anything stupid. Just... just shut up and be here with me and... make me remember what I'm doing here. What we're fighting for. What I'm fighting for.”

“The right to punch as many people as you want in the face, probably.” Thesis said softly, and god, how Cadence hated him and loved him and wanted nothing more than to be with him, here, in this moment, forever.

And yet she ended it by shoving him back against the door with a smile, shaking her head before she murmured: “Why are you such an asshole?”

“I guess it's what you need in your life, since you seem to like keeping me around.” Thesis answered, and Cadence thought for a moment before she smiled despite herself, leaned forward, and silently kissed him.

He kissed her back, then winced and tumbled backwards into the room when Cadence used telekinesis to yank the handle of the door, the stallion smiling awkwardly as she kicked the door shut behind them before she pushed a hoof down against his chest, pinning him under her. He cleared his throat, then looked around the cramped cabin before he pointed at the fold-out cot, saying lamely: “Hey, uh, shouldn't we-”

“No. I like it when you're on the floor.” Cadence said softly, and Thesis stared at her before he blushed as she pushed a hoof against his lips, saying gently: “Now shut up.”

Thesis didn't have much of a choice but to listen... and afterward, they sat with their backs against the wall together side-by-side, both ponies with their eyes closed and breathing slowly, a wry grin on Thesis' muzzle before he finally said: “Mom would kill me if she knew I'd done that. Totally unprofessional.”

“No one has to know. You weren't that loud.” Cadence answered as she rested her head against his shoulder, before she murmured: “I needed to be a little stupid with you, anyway. The passion... it's... important You make me... passionate.”

“I'm glad to hear it.” Thesis said, and he hesitated for a moment before he gave the mare a small smile, asking impulsively: “Do we need to get married to go on a honeymoon?”

“I guess that's what normal people do. But we're not... normal, so... maybe not.” Cadence said after a moment, nodding slowly, and then she gave a small smile to Thesis before she shook her head and asked: “Where would we go?”

“I dunno. Somewhere with no one around, or somewhere where you could beat up a lot of people. Somewhere where we wouldn't have to worry about anything or somewhere where we would be so worried about whatever the hell is going on we wouldn't think about what was happening back home.” Thesis said, and Cadence gave him an amused look. “Hey. I'm trying.”

“Try harder. Do better.” Cadence said, and Thesis looked at her mildly. “I thought that was the philosophy you lived by already, anyway.”

“You know, you really sound like Mom sometimes. I hope that doesn't mean there's something to that whole, you know, you secretly want to-”

Cadence shoved a hoof against his face, then Thesis winced as she used him to climb to her hooves, shaking herself out once before she picked up her discarded armor. Pieces of it were laying all around the room, and Cadence smiled a little before she murmured: “You make me crazy.”

Thesis shrugged amiably, and Cadence gave him an amused look before the stallion picked himself up, brushing absently at himself before he said softly: “You know, you make me do things I'd never consider doing otherwise, though. And I wonder sometimes if that's a good thing or just a terrifying thing.”

Cadence chuckled quietly, then she answered: “Why not both?”

Thesis looked thoughtful at this, and then he nodded, admitting: “Yeah. It could probably be both. I mean, what else would a vacation in the killing fields be? Terrifying and exhilarating all at once. Thrills and exercise and running for your life.”

Cadence sighed, but then smiled when Thesis picked up her discarded bodysuit, saying softly: “Now come on, let's get you dressed back up and out there, Miss Professionalism. We should almost be at our destination by now, anyway.”

“No thanks to you.” Cadence said mildly, and Thesis rolled his eyes but smiled all the same as he calmly helped the mare slip her armor back on: another thing, Cadence reflected, that Shining had never done for her. And yet in some ways, this girding of cloth and metal, covering almost every inch of her body, it was more intimate, made her more vulnerable than when their bodies ground together and they pressed into each other...

Every strap was tightened, every plate was secured, every bit of equipment was slipped into its proper place. Her helmet slid onto her head, and Thesis checked her visor for her without her asking, tapping on his own Mission Drive and doing something, she wasn't sure what, as lights and information flashed over the glass before Thesis nodded and reached up to flick the visor back into hiding. “Looking good. Everything's ready, and we should be hitting our stop in about an hour.”

“Good. I'm going to go get everyone together.” Cadence said, and Thesis nodded, saluting her with a wry smile to show he'd gotten her unspoken point.

Cadence turned and headed for the door, giving him a small smile over her shoulder before she stepped out into the hall and headed back to the other car. And almost immediately, she found Miss Take and Electra both staring at her, Electra blushing and Miss Take clapping her hooves together as she asked excitedly: “Was it as good as it felt?”

Cadence stared, then one of her eyes twitched as Chrysalis said loudly: “I'm glad we could all come together on this trip to listen to Princess Prettypony bang her boyfriend to make her ex jealous.”

The Changeling Queen smiled and started to raise the bottle in her hoof, then she squeaked as a knife rammed through it, followed by two others that pounded into her holey mane and pinned her head back against the wall, Chrysalis going pale as Cadence glared at her furiously. She flexed her hoof, but before she could do anything that she could regret – not that I ever would – Miss Take sidled in front of her and said carefully: “Dear, Chrissy is just jealous and trying to get your goat. How about we drop the subject for now and talk about what we should be expecting, instead?”

Cadence grumbled under her breath, but then she nodded shortly before she called sharply: “Alright, listen up, everypony. We have about an hour until we reach our destination, and I want everyone ready.”

An hour always sounded like such a long time in Cadence's head. How was she supposed to talk for an hour, or use an entire hour to get everyone ready? But then, when they were actually doing prep, suddenly an hour was far too short. Suddenly it wasn't 'how am I supposed to use all this time,' but rather, 'how am I supposed to fit all this in to just one hour?'

Still, somehow she managed it: she always did, even when people didn't want to listen, when they had a thousand questions, when she kept getting interrupted or distracted by external influences she couldn't control.

When they pulled into the station, everyone, even Chrysalis, knew what they had to do and what their job was. But even Cadence was taken aback as they stepped away from the landing platform and found themselves entering a desolate, empty building, no pony waiting for them, the floor covered in red sand that had blown in through broken windows and doors that were hanging off their hinges.

“There was a fight here.” Thesis said quietly: that was obvious to Cadence, but she knew the stallion was working through what had happened in his own mind as he strode slowly through the wreckage of chairs, the stallion looking slowly back and forth. The platform had been dusty but otherwise spotless, although the doors there had been hanging open: the interior of the building was covered in dust and chairs had been smashed and there were marks here and there on the floor and walls, but whatever had happened, had ended very quickly...

“I think they ran away. Not just the lack of bodies, but the patterns. They panicked and ran.” Thesis halted, looking uneasily around the platform before he frowned, then slowly looked up towards the ceiling and murmured: “Well then. Guess that answers that.”

Cadence frowned, looking up as well before she grimaced at the sight of the bird that had been carved into the ceiling, then slashed through by several long lines. “Could Stronghold be back already?”

Moonflower looked up nervously at this, and Thesis frowned a bit before he shook his head nervously, muttering: “Wouldn't be very good for her if she is back already. Going back and forth from the Void to the physical plane hurts. And it's not like Stronghold is exactly the most stable creature we've ever seen, anyway.”

Cadence grimaced at this as Moonflower looked uneasily down, before he looked up and asked worriedly: “But... she could be, couldn't she? Does that mean she'd be even worse?”

“We'll deal with her if she shows up again, don't worry. I don't think she did this, though: I don't think she'd give them a chance to get away.” Thesis said, and Moonflower nodded uncomfortably as he chewed nervously on his lower lip. “We need to take a look outside. Chestnut is a small town, but...”

Thesis broke off, like he didn't know what to say, and Cadence couldn't blame him as they made their way to the door opposite to step out onto the dusty road. And the ivory mare grimaced as they looked out into the late afternoon of what seemed almost like another planet, her eyes roving slowly back and forth as Miss Take murmured: “Oh my.”

“This is all wrong. And everything is... muffled.” Electra said uneasily, as the strange group stepped out into the red desert that had washed over the world. The town in the distance was covered in drifts and dunes of sand, some of which stretched as high as the rooftops, forming ramps towards the poisoned, pink and purple sky above.

“Les sables du temps.” La Croix muttered, his eyes roving slowly across the sands: clouds of dust danced silently above the ground, clogging the air and hiding the streets of Chestnut from view, giving cover to whatever might be lurking there... “There be a Darkwater, and there be an endless desert. Bondye done taken that desert and poured it all over this place. He be expectin' us. No use pretendin' otherwise. And to do this...”

La Croix strode forward, shaking his head before he shouted, only the faintest tremor in his voice betraying his fear: “Bondye! Come out and fight, show yourself, y'hear? I ain't runnin' away from you. You ain't nothin' but a bête who done been leashed by a false dieu.”

A chuckle came from the air as a wind whispered teasingly around them. The wind turned, blowing up the sand in front of them and kicking the dust up, which sparkled for a moment in the air before the sand coalesced into a grinning crocodile skull, Bondye rasping: “All you and your priestess managed to do was make me more powerful. It is just as Loki promised... I am ruler of all of Darkwater!”

“From what I heard, there ain't much left o' Darkwater.” La Croix said quietly, and Cadence looked at the zebra with surprise, but he only glared at the apparition of Bondye. “Do you even know what you done? Or you so drunk on power you lost sight of what breaking the crossroads means, for you and all of us?”

“It doesn't matter, La Croix. Darkwater is mine, and now I have set my sights on higher goals. On more souls!” Bondye snarled, before Cadence and Moonflower both spun around as there was a tremendous smashing behind them, but La Croix didn't so much as flinch as the Bondye head grinned at him.

Wind whipped by, blowing a tidal wave of dust against the wall of the station, and Thesis grimaced as he saw readings flash over his visor as Miss Take and Shining Armor both leapt backward. But they all knew what had happened already, Cadence thought, as Sombra said quietly: “We had no intention of leaving. If you wish to face us, then why not-”

“Shut up, mud donkey.” Bondye said contemptibly, and Cadence narrowed her eyes dangerously. But Bondye didn't so much as look at her, instead focusing back on La Croix as he said coldly: “My new priestess has claimed the souls of this town for me. The Nzambi guard the borders, to ensure you do not try to escape, and the wastes will devour your friends if they try and run away. At the witch's hour, you will fight my priestess for my amusement. Kill her, and perhaps I will let you serve me again, La Croix.”

“No. I will never serve you, Bondye.” La Croix whispered, before he rose his head and snapped: “But I will see you punished for bein' so stupid and arrogant to think-”

“I made the right choice. Loki requires my powers. Only I can control the remnants of Darkwater. I am Orisha... I am God of Darkwater! Not even He Above can stand against me now!” Bondye declared, and then the head of sand leaned forward and hissed: “And if you will not serve, La Croix, you will be sacrificed. But you will not defeat the Queen of Cursed Shades, my humble and loyal servant.”

“We'll see about that, Bondye.” growled La Croix, and the Loa glared at the effigy of sand before it simply snorted and blew away in the next gust of wind.

The moment it was gone, La Croix slumped, breathing hard as he lowered his head, and Cadence studied La Croix for a moment before she asked quietly: “Did you know?”

“Oui.” La Croix murmured, and then he sighed and shook his head slowly as he looked away. “Ain't been able to contact mon frères for... too long now. Lost the ability to look into Darkwater, too, and well... once we figured out that Bondye... it just all came together.”

He halted, then he shook his head slowly before he glanced up as Moonflower mumbled: “Well... I... I know that you can stop him!” he suddenly burst out, spinning towards La Croix with a fire in his eye, the zebra staring at him dumbly. “You're better than him and you're better than that Goddess of Curtains too! You'll... out... stripehorse magic them both! I know you will!”

“Gee, Moony. Thanks.” La Croix said dryly, but he did give a small smile all the same as he straightened a little before he said softly: “All I know is... I'll do what I gotta do. And that Bondye ain't gonna play fair, so all y'all better get ready for a fight yourselves.”

“We will help as much as we can.” promised Electra, before she asked quietly: “When will he come for us? Midnight?”

“Nah. Three in the mornin'. It be darkest before the dawn.” La Croix answered with a brief smile, and then he shook his head slowly and looked down at the sand-covered city, murmuring: “I just hope that Veliuona ain't playin' as nice with him as he thinks she is, or we in for a real mess if things get out of hoof.”

Cadence only smiled thinly, flexing a hoof against the ground before she turned her eyes back over the lost city below in the unnatural desert, silently promising that she was going to do everything it took to stop Loki from repeating the disaster here that he had visited on every other world, even if it felt, in her heart of hearts, like they had arrived too late.

Good God

Chapter One Hundred and Eight: Good God
~BlackRoseRaven

La Croix grimaced as he strode to the square in the center of town, brushing slowly at himself before his eyes roved moodily around: he took in the dust-choked fountain, and the stained walls of the ghost town, before his eyes drew upward, to the rooftops, where several ponies were laying in wait, cloaked in the darkness of the night. The only light came from the stars above, and even that light was faint and feeble, unable to permeate the dirty atmosphere above or the fog of dust rolling slowly along the ground below.

La Croix glanced over his shoulder: Moonflower and Cadence both stood behind him, the unicorn nodding to him encouragingly as Cadence only looked moodily around. The Loa nodded back to them, then he turned his eyes forward again, looking around for another moment before he said finally: “Mademoiselle, I don't wanna rush things, but...”

“Yes. Of course.” murmured a soft voice, and La Croix grimaced slightly as orbs of green light burst into life around the square, floating ominously above the ground and casting an eerie glow over the area. But La Croix did his best not to flinch, to keep his head high and proud until Veliuona appeared in a flicker of green flame in front of the fountain.

He carefully shoved himself up to his rear hooves, standing as she stood, and then they bowed to each other before La Croix grunted as he dropped back to all fours, apologizing: “Sorry, Madame, but... business, oui?”

“Business.” Veliuona chuckled quietly, then she gestured calmly around at the town, saying softly: “All of these souls have been put to sleep. They are safe, do not fear. I put them in a place where Bondye would not find them.”

“Why you workin' with him?” La Croix burst out desperately, and Veliuona frowned before she shifted and looked away when La Croix continued in a frustrated voice: “He ruined Darkwater, our home! He defies He Above, and worse, the Cycle! He ain't worthy of-”

“He is not. Nor is Loki. And nor am I.” Veliuona reached up and silently rubbed a hoof along the collar around her neck, before she closed her eyes as it sparked with eerie magic. “We are all false gods and goddesses, nothing but paper masks and lies. I am sorry, noble Loa. We do not deserve Darkwater. We do not deserve Dunia, we failed her and her people. That is why we all belong in the Void.”

She quieted, then said softly: “Loki knew Bondye's powers were incomplete. That he could not properly control the vodunsi who turned on him, who helped you seal him away. And after Bondye was made vulnerable, when his powers were stolen from him, Loki took him to the Void and remade him. For a broken spirit is a malleable one.

“Worse, Bondye was cast out, but still of Darkwater. And those of Darkwater can always find their way back, if they know which road to take. Bondye found his way back to Darkwater and brought Loki with him. Bondye was blind to what Loki did there: he did not give Bondye power, or make him master of Darkwater. He burned the bridges and poisoned the waters. He confused the signs on all the crossroads: now almost all paths lead not back to Dunia, but instead to the Void, where he waits to gobble up those souls.”

Veliuona sounded bitter and betrayed, Cadence thought, the Goddess of Cursed Shades shaking her head vehemently before she looked up and said quietly: “Loki has ordered me to seize your souls. He promises that he will set me free, and that I and my Velites will be left in peace. I know he lies and twists the truth. I know that even if he keeps his promise, it will only be so long before he destroys everything, and we are all returned to zero, anyway. But... that is only if I succeed.”

Veliuona smiled faintly, stepping forward and stretching a hoof towards La Croix as she said quietly: “Loa, and his marafiki. Melinda has spoken of you as the inheritors of this universe, that you are slowly proving your worth. Let us judge now how worthy you are.”

The Goddess of Cursed Shades straightened as walls of green fire erupted from the street behind them and around them, Veliuona raising her head high with a smile, and Cadence was surprised to see tears, shining in her eyes like gemstones, as she said softly: “Nakutakia kila la heri. And should you succeed... protect this world. Protect my children. Protect everything.”

“I will.” La Croix whispered, and then he leapt forward, sweeping his cape up to use it like a shield as Veliuona shoved her hooves out, a blast of wind sending a wave of sand erupting through the air towards them.

La Croix snapped his cape to the side, sending out a thrum of counterforce at the same time that blew the dust away before his eyes widened as Veliuona conjured a sphere of green energy between her hooves. “Moony! Shield!”

Moonflower snapped his horn out, creating a barrier, but Veliuona only smiled coldly before she threw the green fireball straight down into the ground, and La Croix blinked before he was blown backwards with a grunt as a pillar of eldritch fire ripped out of the earth beneath him.

A second pillar blasted out of the ground where Cadence had been a moment before as she dodged to the side, and a third knocked Moonflower off his hooves, the stallion squawking as his barrier vanished before Veliuona shouted something in her native tongue, and La Croix winced as what looked like a flock of blackbirds materialized in the air, diving down towards them with screams and caws. But Cadence reacted on instinct, snapping her horn out and sending a flare of white light into the cloud of birds that erupted into a bright flash, and the flock squealed as it scattered: not just fleeing, but bursting into streams of shadow and ash.

Cadence took the opportunity it gave her, leaping forward, but Veliuona caught her in a telekinetic vise, slamming her face-first into the ground before tossing her sharply to the side. Cadence twisted her body around at the last moment as she gritted her teeth, catching herself against a wall before she could slam into it, then she launched herself sharply back at the surprised Voidborn.

Veliuona shoved a hoof out, blasting Cadence out of the air with a surge of green lightning that stole the strength from Cadence's body, but then the zebra goddess gasped in pain as she was blasted backwards by a thrum of gravitational magic, barely catching herself against the fountain as the glammer around her body flickered. Before she could recover, a glass jar smashed into her and exploded, covering her in a foul dust that she flailed uselessly at before she suddenly arched her back and hissed in pain.

She seemed to bubble for a moment, her eyes bulging, before she slumped as her skin seemed to simply peel away from her body as her flesh dissolved. She stood, bare bones flexing slowly as veins pulsated eerily over them and organs thudded inside her chest, and then she calmly rose her skull as she said coldly: “All you have done is stripped away my outer layer.”

“Oui, but you ain't gonna be able to insulate yourself now 'gainst either Cygne or Moonflower's magic.” La Croix replied evenly, and Veliuona straightened slightly as the green fire in her eyes narrowed to pinpoints that focused in on the Loa.

Then Veliuona seemed to smile before she said calmly: “You still have to reach me, Loa. And this time, I won't be so careless as to allow either the mage or the bata-maji to touch me again.”

“We'll see about that.” Cadence growled, and then she lunged towards the skeletal goddess, but Veliuona only held up a hoof, a tornado of green flame ripping around her and swirling towards the sky.

The spiraling pillar spun out eternally, protecting the Goddess within it and driving Cadence back as she felt the supernatural power of the green fire nipping at both her body and spirit. Moonflower snapped his horn out, but he was only briefly able to punch a hole in the emerald barrier of hellfire before new magic flame spun into place.

Veliuona gestured sharply at him from behind the barrier, and toxic vines ripped out of the earth, lashing savagely at the unicorn; he winced as he staggered backwards, snapping his horn down to burn these away with a blast of flame, but then his eyes widened in horror as the flickering firelight illuminated the diving shadows for a moment before a flock of ash and darkness crashed into him, the supernatural birds cawing and shrieking as they danced around him, pecking and slashing at him from all sides.

La Croix grimaced as he hurriedly grabbed a packet out of his cloak and flung it at Moonflower, who yelped as it exploded in a blinding flash that dissolved the dust-crows, as Cadence felt the Swan take over, forcing her to her hooves in spite of the pain that wracked her body and spirit.

The Swan began to move forward, before she looked sharply to the side as Cadence felt a bolt of surprise when Moonflower shouted: “I'll... I'll destroy her barrier, but you have to drag her out of there!”

How? Cadence shouted mentally, but the Swan already nodded, spinning her daggers into her hooves before her horn gleamed, her bracers lighting up, and Cadence's eyes widened in surprise as she realized what the Swan intended to do: to put to use that new equipment she'd asked for from Hecate and had promptly forgotten to learn how to use.

But the Swan didn't need to be taught: the Swan simply knew, just as it listened when the suddenly assertive Moonflower snapped his horn forwards with a shout before Veliuona could react, blasting the cyclone of green hell encircling her with a powerful thrum of gravitational force.

The pillar of spiraling flame was torn apart as Cadence lunged forward, but Veliuona was already moving to counter: but before the Goddess of Cursed Shades could, a bottle crashed into her and exploded into a sticky, slimy substance that latched onto her, Veliuona flinching before her eyes widened as the slime began to drain away her magic. “Illrhapp!”

She ripped the slime off and threw it away, before two daggers shot by her, then spun violently around her body, gleaming silver wire snapping tightly around her limbs even as the pillar of green hell began to swirl upwards around her again. Veliuona swore, the light in her sockets intensifying, but anything she could do was too little, too late, as the silver string was yanked savagely, and the daggers caught against her like hooks before she was jerked painfully through the wall of green flame, crashing to the earth and skidding through red sand on her breastbone.

She began to push herself up, but the metal wire sang as it twisted around her throat several times before the Swan jerked her backwards, half-spinning to slam the Goddess of Cursed Shades painfully down on her back. Veliuona hissed in frustration, then shoved a hoof forward when she saw something leap at her.

La Croix was blown off his hooves with a yelp of pain, slamming into Moonflower and stumbling him, and Cadence swore mentally even as the Swan automatically leapt forward to try and end the fight. But Veliuona felt the slack in the wire, and she sharply flicked a hoof into the air as she shouted to the sky.

A black cloud of birds slammed into the Swan and knocked her to the ground, but the Swan's retaliation was almost immediate as she unleashed a tremendous flash of white light, eradicating the swarm of phantasmal crows.

It still gave Veliuona enough time to rip the daggers free from her skeletal body and shake her way out of the wire, however, the Goddess of Cursed Shades shoving herself back to her rear hooves before she irritably flicked a front hoof at the Swan and slapped her to the side with telekinesis. The Swan hit a wall, then gritted her teeth as she was pinned against it by psychokinetic pressure, slowly crushed chest-first into the brick as she squirmed uselessly, her armor groaning as it began to dent and bend inward under the immense power of the goddess.

Veliuona sensed it before she heard the thrum, half-turning with a wave of her hoof to create a barrier of green fire that a magic missile bounced uselessly off of. Moonflower followed up with several more attacks, but all of these were easily deflected by the emerald shield, Veliuona snorting in disgust before she said contemptibly: “I expected much better from you, mchawi.”

Moonflower only glared at her, snapping his horn back and forth to send blades of gravitational force hammering into the barrier, but Veliuona easily kept the shield intact even as she grimaced slightly at the force of impact. “Stronger than your average pony. But that is not saying much.”

“I am Moonflower, the... the Moonflowery!” shouted the unicorn, and Veliuona couldn't help but slowly tilt her head as the unicorn blushed ever-so-slightly. “That didn't come out right. But... my name alone will inspire fear and terror and amazement and awe and-”

Veliuona's sockets flashed, and Moonflower squeaked as he was blasted backward. The Goddess of Cursed Shades snorted, but then scowled as Moonflower rolled backwards to his hooves with a grin, and she felt the energy in the air shift before her eyes widened as she realized she'd lost track of the others.

She turned, just in time for a kick from Cadence to slam into her face and knock her crashing backwards. The Voidborn retaliated with a powerful blast of telekinesis, but it washed harmlessly over Cadence as the Swan hit the ground before lunging forward, daggers leaping to her hooves before she slammed both down into the goddess' ribs, Veliuona howling in pain before the Swan twisted savagely to either side, shattering bone and tearing her ribcage apart in a hail of splinters.

A blast of emerald flame slammed the Swan into the air before savage roots ripped out of the earth and seized around her, swinging her back against the ground with a tremendous bang. Cadence could feel deadly thorns scratching her armor and knicking bare flesh, but the Swan seemed unaware of the pan as she slashed herself free with her daggers, rolling back to her hooves as Veliuona panted and grasped at her ruined ribcage, her visible organs flexing and pulsating as she rasped: “I am both pleased... and infuriated. Is this all you have to offer? Can you truly do no better than this?”

Cadence narrowed her eyes as she felt the Swan giving control back to her, flexing her hooves slowly as her daggers floated to ready positions in front of her. “Oh, don't worry. I'm just getting started with you.”

“Good. Because I am just getting started with you.” Veliuona replied coldly, slowly raising her front hooves in front of herself, and spirals of emerald flame twisted across her body before they solidified into a pair of emerald serpents that hissed at Cadence. “Kuendalea.”

The serpents both lunged off her at Cadence, and the ivory mare dodged to the side as she slashed viciously into the face of one, before her eyes widened in shock as her knife passed through the snake with a flare of green flame before it smashed into her with a very physical weight, immediately slithering around her body before it savagely bit into the side of her throat.

Cadence howled in pain as the second snake twined itself around her forelegs to try and restrain her, but then both serpents were driven back when La Croix blasted them with a jolt of green lightning, shouting: “Allez, allez!”

Cadence swore as she shoved herself to her hooves, before grimacing as telekinesis washed across her. But the potion that La Croix had washed over her armor deflected the worst of the powerful blast as Veliuona snorted in contempt, then simply waved her hoof out, and Cadence shouted in frustration as the ground beneath her tore apart as massive vines snared around her limbs, shoving her high into the air.

She flailed uselessly before a jet of flame ripped through the vines beneath her, charring them away to nothing, and Cadence twisted her body hard, backflipping and dropping to her hooves with a grunt before she lunged forward-

A serpent crashed into her and coiled around her, crushing her breastplate and making her gasp before the Swan took over. White flame flared to life around a hoof before it slammed through the snake's face when it tried to snap at her, and the serpent burst apart into ashes and dust before the second struck-

This one, La Croix caught with a grunt by the back of the neck, stomping it into the ground before green lightning surged across it and transformed it into a harmless stick. He was blasted off his hooves a moment later by Veliuona, however, who was now protected by a series of orbs of eerie flame that floated around her.

Magic shot at her from Moonflower, but the missile was intercepted by one of the orbs, which glowed for a moment before it vomited a streak of ghostly energy out at Moonflower in response. The stallion yelped and narrowly staggered out of the way of the counterattack as Veliuona rose a hoof above her head, shouting a now-familiar word to the sky.

Flocks of black birds shot down through the night air, but the Swan simply focused, her horn lighting up with white radiance that shielded her from the crows. La Croix only snapped up his cape, hiding beneath it like a shield as it sparked with green energy every time the shadow-birds crashed against it, the flock cawing and hawing around him.

The Swan charged at Veliuona, but she was repelled by the green orbs suddenly and violently twisting themselves towards her, lashing angrily back and forth at the ivory mare as Veliuona waved a hoof with another command: a great white owl appeared out of nowhere, sweeping in behind the Swan and clawing against her helmet before it swooped sharply away, easily avoiding the sweep of the Swan's daggers as it instead twisted towards Moonflower.

The stallion squawked as the owl raked its talons across his head and knocked his helmet off, stumbling before he swore as a flock of birds descended on him, covering his bloody head with a curse before his horn flashed brightly, dissolving the flock of shadow birds. He leapt to his hooves with a snarl, eyes blazing as the owl shot back towards Veliuona, before the stallion lashed his horn forward and unleashed a flare of light that filled the entire square with radiance.

Veliuona was blinded by it, covering her face in surprise as her owl careened out of control and the black birds vanished in puffs of smoke. The orbs of green flame protecting her stuttered, swinging wildly out at the air, and the Swan saw her chance.

She drove forward and leapt straight at Veliuona, twisting her body elegantly between the lashing, spinning orbs of fire before her whole body glowed white, becoming a streak of light that pierced through Veliuona's chest, organs exploding into mush and white flame ripping across the Goddess of Cursed Shades as she cried out in shock, staggering backwards before she narrowly caught herself on her hind hooves, forelegs hanging limply as the Swan landed calmly on the other side of the Voidborn.

Veliuona's collar sparked, then fell away in two smoking halves as energy steamed off her body, her remaining organs slowly burning away to ash as she lowered her head. The skeletal goddess trembled for a moment, and then she gave a weak, rasping laugh as her magic died, fading from the world around them, leaving them standing in the dim illumination that was left behind from Moonflower's spell. “Yes... almost.

“Bata-maji, you cannot finish me. That is not your duty. It belongs to another.” Veliuona said quietly, as her eyes roved calmly towards La Croix, who grimaced for a moment before the Goddess of Cursed Shades said something, soft and gentle, in her old language.

La Croix lowered his head, then he gave a brief nod before he sighed and answered back almost despondently. But Veliuona only seemed to smile at him, straightening as she shook her head and said gently: “Then let things be as they will be. There is nothing else we can do.”

The two looked at each other for a moment, and La Croix half-rose a hoof-

The earth erupted beneath Veliuona, tossing the Voidborn into the air before she fell with a scream into the jaws of the massive monster that had torn out of the ground beneath her. Huge teeth chomped down around her, crushing and rending bone and sending steaming energy vomiting out the sides of the beast's jaws before it greedily inhaled, drinking down the spiritual force of the Voidborn before it laughed brutally.

“No!” La Croix shouted as he staggered backwards, staring with horror as the huge, mutant crocodile dropped forwards out of the hole. “Bondye, you diable!”

“I am no Devil. I am a God.” Bondye growled, the massive crocodile slithering forwards on its belly. His huge claws raked against the earth, his body bleeding black muck and ooze from between the cracks in ashen, armor-like scale, his face covered by the broken skull of some hideous monster from the Void. Beady green eyes glared furiously, eagerly, at La Croix as he crawled forwards, jaws yawning open as he drooled like a beast even as he mocked: “What's wrong? Afraid? Ready to surrender? Be sacrifice, then, La Croix, be sacrifice and-”

“I ain't afraid of you!” La Croix burst out, so vehemently he even seemed to startle himself, and Bondye stumbled to a stop before he snarled and reared back as the Loa pointed at him and shouted: “I done had about enough of your merde, Bondye! This ends, here and now! This time, I ain't gonna send you anywhere where Loki can scrape you back up, you bellycrawlin' newt!”

“Shut your insolent mouth, La Croix.” hissed Bondye, and La Croix snarled in pain as green lightning ripped across his body, before Bondye's eyes widened in surprise: even as tears filled the Loa's eyes, even as his limbs quaked and his body trembled, he refused to fall. “What?”

“I ain't afraid... I ain't gonna bow to you!” La Croix snarled, and then he simply shrugged off the lightning coursing over his body, green energy sparking out of existence as he glared up at Bondye in defiance. “I ain't your puppet, and I ain't your toy, and I ain't alone!”

“Neither am I. Nzambi!” snarled Bondye, and zebra zombies appeared in flashes of green light around the courtyard and smashed through windows, many of them outfitted with advanced equipment and weaponry. “Superior soldiers and better weapons than your toys!”

“They look just like our toys, actually.” Cadence said coldly from behind Bondye, readying herself as two Nzambi landed in front of her, one armed with a long dagger dripping with poison, the other aiming a rifle at her with a cruel grin. “Better hope they know how to actually use them.”

The Nzambi with the rifle swore at her before he leaned forward as he shifted his grip, and Cadence took the moment it gave her, trusting in the others to do the same. Her dagger slashed against the bottom of the rifle, knocking it out of the zebra's grip, and the Nzambi had a moment to look stupid before Cadence caught the gun in midair and slammed the butt of the rifle into its face with enough force to shatter its skull and knock it crashing down on its back.

The other Nzambi lunged at her, and Cadence caught the dagger against the stock of the rifle before she simply slammed it across the Nzambi like a baseball bat, knocking the zebra crashing backwards before she tossed the weapon aside even as she ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding a bullet.

The Nzambi sniper swore as he leaned back into the window, before he was seized by the back of the head and slammed face-first into the windowsill, then flung out with a howl of surprise. A moment later, Miss Take leapt out after him, dropping squarely down on top of the Nzambi, whose spine broke her fall as it snapped beneath her hooves.

She smiled calmly as she looked back and forth at the surprised zebra, saying thoughtfully: “Now, if this is the kind of unpleasantness dear Cadence has to deal with on a daily basis... it's no wonder she's gotten a little crankier.”

She paused, then clicked her tongue and smiled at the nearest Nzambi, leaning towards him and adding: “You know, I never met a real live – oh, excuse the language, dear! – zombie before, though. I think Pain was rather close, but-”

The Nzambi snarled at her before it lunged forward, attempting to drive a dagger into her neck, but a moment later it was on the ground, dagger buried through its own throat as Miss Take pinned him by the foreleg to keep the knife lodged in place, the mare saying in a colder voice: “I don't usually like to kill. But I suppose this isn't much of an exception.”

Another Nzambi leapt at her, and the gemstone on her head flashed, blinding the deathless zebra around her and turning the lunge of the nearest into a stagger. She leapt up and caught it around the throat, twisting savagely as she leapt past, and its neck snapped loudly before she flung the limp corpse into two others like a sack of bricks.

Moonflower blasted another Nzambi sky-high with a thrum of magic, and it was promptly smashed out of the air by a sickly ray of green energy from the rooftops, Chrysalis chortling before she grinned as she fired several more lasers of emerald hell down into the square. “I like this!”

Bondye snarled as his scales were charred by several blasts of emerald energy, and then he turned and roared, sending a shockwave of force slamming into the building Chrysalis was on with enough force to rip off an entire corner of the rooftop, the Changeling Queen howling as she was knocked tumbling backwards with a squeal of: “I don't like it!”

Bondye snarled, then hissed in frustration when a bottle smashed against the skull he was wearing, acid splattering over the bone and rapidly eating into the material as La Croix snapped: “Your fight be with me, cocodril!”

“I have always hated you, and your filthy, backwoods patois.” Bondye snarled, before he stomped both of his front claws down, and La Croix staggered before his eyes widened in shock as the ground transformed not to the muck of the bayou, but the mire and sludge of corruption, Bondye's eyes burning with hate as he roared: “I will use the powers I have been given to erase you all!”

The mire began to bubble violently, before both Thesis and Sombra leapt down from the rooftops, slamming their hooves into the mire and making Bondye snarl before the massive crocodile roared in shock as the black poison not only failed to carry his powers, it began to crystallize around his claws, the massive beast flinching away as Thesis shouted: “We'll stop the corruption! You concentrate on putting a stop to that asshole!”

“No!” Bondye ripped his claws free from the ground, turning towards Thesis with a snarl of fury before he leaned forwards with a roar, but Shining Armor slid in front of the stallion and gritted his teeth as he summoned a barrier, wincing as shockwaves of force ripped across the wall of energy with enough force to crack it, but not enough to shatter completely through.

“This is awkward, huh?” Thesis asked almost cheerfully, grinning in spite of the effort it took to counter Bondye's corruption, and Shining Armor glared at him over his shoulder as one of his eyes twitched. “Hi, by the way!”

“Horses of Heaven, how has Cadence not killed you yet?” Shining snapped as Bondye was distracted by a blast of magic from Moonflower, turning with a roar of frustration towards the black unicorn. Shining Armor immediately took the opportunity to recharge his barrier, adding sharply: “I don't know if I can protect you from all those zebra as well as this guy, they're-”

Nzambi appeared like ghosts on either side of the ponies, one with a needle at the ready and the other holding a long stiletto, but before they could attack, they were locked in place by spikes of black crystal that tore up from the ground around the two, Thesis grimacing only slightly as his exoskeleton sparked. “You concentrate on that barrier, and I'll deal with them!”

Bondye snarled as the black unicorn pelted him with more magic, but he was able to shrug off all but the worst of it, turning instead towards Sombra. He felt the corruption crawling over him again, but he ripped himself loose, stumbling in the direction of the unicorn before he snarled when Sombra simply vanished into the ground, hissing: “You can't hide from me forever!”

He looked over his shoulder, lashing his tail back and carelessly knocking a Nzambi flying before it hammered against Shining's barrier: the unicorn grunted in pain as he stumbled, but he immediately resolidified the shield with a gasp of effort.

Bondye began to yank himself back around, but then he howled in pain when a packet crashed directly into his eye and exploded. He shook his head violently back and forth, clutching uselessly at his face before he snarled in rage down at La Croix, who grinned mirthlessly up at the Voidborn as he said contemptibly: “You still ain't nothin' but a lizard from the bayou, Bondye. You got the same weaknesses. Loki ain't made you better. You just an experiment gone wrong.”

Bondye roared as he lurched towards La Croix, but the zebra leapt sharply backwards before he flung another packet out, hitting the rim of the other socket. But it was close enough that the explosion of light and dust blinded Bondye completely, sending him crashing down into the mire on his face with a howl of misery as he covered his skull mask for a moment, then looked up with blinded, scarred, sightless eyes, howling in fury: “La Croix! What have you done! How dare you raise bo against me!”

“Ain't bo, Bondye. Ain't nothin' you taught me.” La Croix replied disgustedly as he pulled a horn of powder out of his jacket, and then his eyes widened in shock as Bondye roared, and skeletal Velites appeared in flashes of green lightning.

They seemed confused more than hostile, before they flinched as Bondye snarled: “Kill them! Kill all of them!”

The Velites didn't seem to know whether or not to obey, before they looked up sharply as La Croix shouted a warning to them in the old language. But Bondye only snarled in disgust before he seized one of the nearest skeletons, crushing its bones in his grip as he held it up and snarled: “I gave you an order, and you will see it through, or-”

Bondye spluttered to a stop, then he choked, belching green fire as his body spasmed. The Velite slipped from his grip, and the other Velites rushed to grab it and carry it away as the massive crocodile spasmed. He clawed at himself, then howled in agony as his own bones twisted, snapping themselves apart into spears that ripped out through his own flesh as he gasped out: “Veliuona! You... b-betrayer! Traitor... traitor!”

“Quick! Sérénité, Thesis, hold him in place!” La Croix shouted, and Thesis gritted his teeth with a nod as he pressed harder into the mire beneath him, the corruption surging up across Bondye and forcing the great crocodile to bend backwards with a snarl, before he roared as crystalline tendrils snapped around his forelegs, throat, and body, bending him backwards even as they hardened into unbreakable bonds of obsidian.

Bondye twisted back and forth, clawing uselessly at the air, spittle flying from his jaws as his own shattered ribs ripped out of his chest, tearing flesh and scale alike from the inside out. His blind eyes glared at the universe with hate and malice as he roared and spat threats and insults uselessly, his front claws flexing, his hind legs trying to drag himself free from the corruption that had snared him.

“Cygne!” La Croix shouted, and Cadence spun away from the Nzambi she had been engaging, slamming a rear hoof into its face before she flung herself into the air and streaked over the crocodile's head, narrowly avoiding a reflexive bite from his jaws before she simply let herself drop with a snarl, her twin daggers slamming into his chest as they glowed white.

Bondye's breast was torn open like paper, the massive crocodile howling in pain as his twisted ribs seemed to shudder and bend further away, his revealed, beating black heart giving a double-thud. He snarled, then leaned forwards, roaring furiously, but Cadence leapt back in front of La Croix as her wings glowed white, shielding them both from the barrage of sound and force.

Bondye choked on his own roars as his ribs twisted themselves outwards, green lightning surging across his body, and La Croix gritted his teeth before he leapt past Cadence, then turned ethereal as he lunged upward, his hornet needle extending before he became solid again as he shot towards Bondye's exposed heart.

The needle of his bracer slammed into the pulsating organ, and Bondye screamed before La Croix tore himself backwards, landing in the muck and glaring defiantly upward as Bondye spasmed, jerking himself back and forth and ripping free of the crystal restraining him, but all he did was stumble and stagger before he fell forward with a tremendous crash, gasping and staring in disbelief at the ground as veins of gray began to spread through his heart.

He snarled, then looked up with fury and fear, trembling in rage as he opened his mouth, but he only coughed ashes and dust. And, slowly but steadily, the mighty crocodile began to petrify as La Croix pushed himself to his hooves, saying coldly: “You were the one who taught us all that gifts don't come without strings, Bondye. Oh, I know what 'power' Loki gave you. I seen it plenty.”

Bondye choked and grasped at himself, or tried to, rather: his claw would no longer rise, his trembles beginning to die out as his body stilled and petrified, his jaws working uselessly as ashes and dust spilled out of his jaws in a waterfall, and his blind eyes stared with fury and disbelief at La Croix. “And I learned to carry a bit of antidote to everything I seen. Because you never know what you might find hidin' under a rock somewhere.”

The Nzambi were fleeing, Cadence noted: if there was any better proof that Bondye's power was broken, she couldn't think of anything, except maybe for the way that Bondye himself was trying uselessly to drag himself forward, gasping and choking on dust as he whispered weakly: “I will... y-you can't... my powers... are the powers of...”

“Of nothing. Y'think you're death, Bondye, or God, or whatever... but y'ain't any of that. You just a big, overgrown gator who ate somethin' that didn't agree with him, and then got a sting to the heart. And even if I ain't nothin' but a bug to you... some bugs kill.” La Croix answered fearlessly, striding forward to stand before Bondye as the crocodile leaned down with a furious snarl, but that was all he was able to do: snarl and tremble, a few feet away from La Croix, but unable to stretch any further, to close that distance, as his features began to stiffen to stone.

La Croix looked up with contempt and disgust and pity all at once, shaking his head slowly before he said quietly: “Damn it all to enfer. I can't even find it in me to stay mad at you. You too damn pathetic. Too beaten. And there ain't nothin' to gain from it.”

Bondye snarled, then tried to speak, but all that came out was a mist of dust, and La Croix grimaced slightly before he said quietly: “Go ahead. Say your last Bondye. But y'see, here's the real interestin' thing about that corruption you been filled with. It changes the spirit, holds energy real tight... meaning that stone of your body, all your energy be encased in it, and it ain't goin' anywhere.”

For a few moments, Bondye only struggled and snarled, before his blind eyes widened, and he managed to rasp out, even as his muzzle steadily turned to stone, as his features froze literally in horror: “No... no! You lie!”

“I be a Loa, Bondye. We messengers are a lot of things, but I sure ain't no liar.” La Croix answered with a wry smile, before he stepped backwards as Bondye gave some last, desperate sound that was meant to be either a roar or a scream, but all that came out was one last gasp of dust, before Bondye fell still, petrified completely and eternally.

The Loa made a quick gesture across his breast, then he asked finally, without looking away from the stone goliath: “Who wants to do the honors? I ain't got what's necessary to shatter him myself.”

Cadence shifted, and Thesis smiled awkwardly as he straightened, and Moonflower bit his lip, before all eyes looked up in surprise as the statue of Bondye burst into emerald flames. La Croix grimaced as he leaned back, half-covering his leg before his eyes widened in surprise as something seized his prosthetic hoof, jerking firmly on it and holding it out.

La Croix's eyes widened, but only he and Cadence could see the spirit among the flickers of green, as Veliuona floated calmly. Her spirit was already dissolving, breaking apart as it lost cohesion as Bondye's statue broke apart, and Cadence couldn't imagine the force of will it took as she examined La Croix's wooden hoof slowly before she finally nodded and said silently: It will do.

With that, the spirit became a flare of green energy that twisted upwards, then slammed down into La Croix's prosthetic leg, the Loa staggering backwards with a hiss of pain as he clutched at his limb, clenching his eyes shut as his whole body shivered before he looked up with a gasp as the emerald flames whiffed out, and Bondye's statue collapsed into rubble in a final belch of smoke and ash and scattered fireworks of energy.

Beneath their hooves, the mire rapidly turned to dust, and the red sand lost its eerie copper color as a soft wind blew across the town, dissolving much of the supernatural desert that had spilled into this world.

La Croix flexed his prosthetic hoof slowly, rubbing uneasily at his leg before he mumbled what almost sounded like a 'thank you,' and then he cleared his throat and looked up as Cadence asked: “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, oui. Fine, Cygne... fine. Don't you go frettin' about me now. We got other things to worry about.” La Croix said finally, but Thesis only smiled wryly at this.

“I'm not detecting any other Voidborn in the vicinity. I think we're safe for the moment... hey, Electra, can you hear me?” Thesis called, and then he smiled slightly as, after a moment, the Changeling herself came calmly gliding down from the sky on her silken wings. “I guess that means we're safe, huh?”

“The... invaders fled, and discarded their...” Electra made the slightest of faces. “Bodies... some distance away. I can no longer feel their minds, or the minds of anything else, for that matter. Although I do sense...”

Her eyes roved towards La Croix, and he rubbed slowly at his prosthetic, looking down at it as it gave an eerie thrum in response before he murmured: “'Swarm. I don't know what she did, but I wanna say that I trust her... but...”

Electra held a hoof towards him, and La Croix hesitated for a moment, then stretched his prosthetic towards her. The Changeling closed her eyes as she brushed against it, frowning faintly... but after a few moments, her features cleared, and she gave a small smile to La Croix and a slow nod.

La Croix nodded awkwardly back, but he seemed at least a little reassured as he looked down at his prosthetic for a moment before he cleared his throat, saying finally: “I just hope this means that now Darkwater will have an honest chance to rebuild itself. It ain't fair that...”

He quieted, looking away, and then he shook his head when Sombra grasped his shoulder gently, murmuring: “No. Can't think about that just yet. First we gotta put a stop to Loki. Then, and only then, can we hope to put everything right, the way it's supposed to be.”

Cadence nodded in agreement as Thesis glanced around the square, saying finally: “Then I think the best thing we can do is rest here until dawn, then see if we can find where Veliuona hid the 'souls,' and hope to the Horses of Heaven that means they're still actually alive and not... you know. Souls.”

La Croix glanced at his prosthetic as it shuddered, and then he said after a moment: “I think they are. Otherwise, Bondye would have sent a lot more unhappy dead folk at us.” He grimaced a bit, then shook his head quickly before he cleared his throat and turned his eyes towards Thesis. “I can ward a building pretty easily. Should be enough to keep any vengeful spirits or Nzambi out.”

“Oh, wonderful. This has all gone spectacularly.” Chrysalis said moodily as she sailed down to join them from above, grumpily wiping a bit of dirt from her body. “If it's all the same to you, there's a hive outpost not far from here, and-”

“Well, dear, we'd miss your company!” Miss Take said enthusiastically, before she hopped up and yanked Chrysalis out of the air to put her in a half-hug, half-headlock. “So I have to insist that you stay with us until the very end. You were invaluable here, after all!”

Chrysalis grumbled and struggled uselessly for a few moments, then she sighed loudly and relented, dropping her head and muttering: “I figured as much. Electra, please at least tell me that you can hunt down wherever the ghoulies hid the bodies. Dead or alive, they could be dead or alive!” Chrysalis added quickly when Miss Take gave her a firm little shake, and La Croix rubbed uncomfortably at his wooden limb.

“They'll be alive.” he said before anyone could speak, and Cadence gave him an odd look, but the Loa only shook his head and gestured dismissively for now, giving her a look that almost pleaded for more time; and, while she was tired of the Loa keeping so much to himself... fine. One more time. “Look, uh... there, that one there. Doors are open for us and everything. We all should get some rest.”

“We should.” Thesis agreed, giving Cadence a slight nod, and she grumbled under her breath but nodded grouchily back: she had already agreed, after all. She would at least wait until things quieted down before she started asking La Croix what the hell was going on.

“After we secure this place, I will be more than happy to go with my sisters and see if I can track down the lost ones. Chrysalis is right, I should be able to find them easily.” Electra said quietly, smiling briefly as she looked up at them, and Thesis nodded even as La Croix shifted slowly.

“I appreciate it. But for now, we could use the help of yourself and your sisters securing this building.” Thesis paused, then he ordered: “Cadence, I want you to make sure the second floor is cleared out. Miss Take, Electra, Chrysalis, please go with them: make sure there's not signals from the living or the dead in there. Moonflower, Shining Armor, go with La Croix and help him ward the building. Sombra, I want you to start barricading entrances. I'll get in contact with Archon and update him as to the situation.”

Cadence saluted, and that seemed to be enough to get the rest of the team to fall in line. Thesis watched as they filtered off on their duties, before he glanced up in surprise as Sombra said gently: “You need to be more careful with yourself, cavaliere. I know it is different for you, but all the same, the corruption... takes its toll.”

“Yes, it does.” Thesis murmured, and then he cleared his throat and shook his head, adding with a small smile: “But I'm alright. It uh... stings a little, sure, but I'm okay.”

Sombra studied him for a few moments, and then he advised, courteous but chiding: “You are not living just for yourself any more, Thesis. You are living for my daughter, too. If you are to be a good husband and partner to her, you must take care of yourself. There will never be enough moments for you to spend with her to do all that you want, even if you were to live a thousand lifetimes; but I do expect you to live long enough to make at least one of her dreams come true. You owe that to yourself.”

“You're confusing.” Thesis said mildly, and then he winced and leaned backwards when Sombra smiled and leaned towards him.

“I am a concerned father, that is all. My daughter is the most precious person in my life, amico. I want her to live the best, most fulfilling life she can, especially in these difficult days.” Sombra strode towards Thesis, then he reached up and gently grasped his shoulder, squeezing it for a moment before he said kindly: “A cane scottato l 'acqua fredda pare calda. But it is better not to burnt at all, isn't it? Take care of yourself, or someone else will take care of you.”

Sombra patted Thesis on the cheek, then he strode past him, and the stallion blinked slowly before he scowled over his shoulder and shouted: “You don't have to keep threatening me, goddammit!”

Sombra cocked an eyebrow as he looked back over his shoulder, and Thesis wilted before he spun around, hurriedly hammering at his Mission Drive as he mumbled: “Chi parla assai, falla spesso. That mostly goes for your face, Thesis, so shut up.”

Sombra smiled wryly as he looked at the stallion for a moment longer, then nodded once before he turned and headed inside. He was a good boy, he thought, a good match for his daughter... he just needs to learn to take care of himself. But that's not such a great failing.

We all have our flaws.

And So She Burned

Chapter One Hundred and Nine: And So She Burned
~BlackRoseRaven

La Croix snorted in sour amusement as they arrived at the cemetery, flexing his wooden leg absently before he looked at it moodily. He glanced back and forth, but since his only company were the gentle Electra and much-less-gentle Cadence... “You sure 'bout this?”

Cadence cocked her head curiously towards La Croix, before her eyes narrowed as the limb gave an eerie pulse, and La Croix grunted. Then he frowned and looked back over his shoulder at Cadence before he huffed and waved his prosthetic at her. “Y'want it? Y'can have it. Goddamn thing. It ain't Veliuona, if that's what you be thinkin'... maybe it was her once, or part of her, or I dunno... but it ain't her talkin' to me.”

“But you're hearing voices.” Cadence said slowly: even in the realm of spirits and magic... “That's not good.”

“I ain't hearin' no damn voices. 'Smore like seeing images and words. This ain't like that, this ain't like... Auriculos, either.” La Croix grumbled and looked moodily down for a moment, and then he shook his head vehemently before he flailed his limbs and said flatly, pointing at the cemetery. “Look, just 'cause y'think-”

“I don't know what to think. I trust you, La Croix. I do.” Cadence said tiredly, and then she rubbed slowly at her face before she repeated in a murmur: “I trust you. Look, if you say this is where we have to go, and... you trust this... whatever it is, then I do too. I'm sorry. I'm just tired.”

La Croix gave a small smile, then he said quietly: “Me too, Cygne. I think we all a little tired. Ain't that right, Madame?”

“Yes, it's been a long day.” Electra said softly as she spun her parasol idly, and then she glanced out over the cemetery before she gave a small smile. “This is a very pretty place. I've never understood why ponies would bury their dead, but... oh.”

She frowned slightly, stepping forward past the cemetery gates before she pointed with her parasol towards the center of the cemetery, saying curiously: “There's something there. It's either something large, or quite a lot of somethings.”

“Well. At least the sun is coming out.” Cadence said grouchily, reflecting that even if they ended up fighting a horde of living corpses again... it's a nice day. I guess that counts for something. “Let's just get this over with.”

La Croix only smiled wryly at Cadence, then he nodded before striding quickly into the graveyard, Cadence and Electra following behind him. They headed directly to the center of the cemetery, and Cadence frowned as they approached what looked like a little cabin... “Does someone live here?”

“Quiet neighbors.” La Croix said ironically, and Cadence gave him a flat look before the zebra shook his head and gestured at the tools on the porch. “Manager's office, I expect, and all the duties that come with keepin' the graveyard clean.”

“I sense them.” Electra said softly, as she almost floated around the side of the house, and La Croix and Cadence traded a look before they followed.

They found Electra standing over a set of storm doors, the Changeling ineffectively pulling at these. Cadence cleared her throat, and Electra blinked before stepping aside before she stared as Cadence simply slammed a hoof down into the cellar doors to pop the simple lock out of place before she yanked the doors open.

“Just ignore Cygne. She be havin' a bad day.” La Croix said kindly as he wiggled past them and hopped down the cellar stairs, and Cadence rolled her eyes before she followed, Electra bringing up the rear with a small smile.

La Croix whistled a little as they descended into the basement, looking back and forth before he simply gestured outward, and Cadence's jaw dropped as they found what she guessed was literally the entire village packed into this small space, all of them snoring away as if nothing was wrong even though their bodies were piled three and four deep in some places. Electra only slightly rose her eyebrows before she said thoughtfully: “Well, now we will just have to carefully-”

“Hey!” La Croix shouted, whipping his hat off before he dug into it and flung a powder into the air, which promptly exploded into bright green fireworks. “Réveillez-vous! All y'all, get on up, the sun be shinin' outside and there ain't no time to waste!”

Half an hour later found Cadence leading a very confused group of ponies, an awkward Electra, and a bruised and sulking La Croix back to the village. While Cadence was certainly glad it seemed like everypony was okay – and that La Croix was back to his old self – getting several hundred panicking ponies out of the basement of the gravedigger's had been a chore she did not want to repeat.

The moment they reached the village, ponies began to disperse back to their homes: no one really wanted to stick around to find out what had happened, and Cadence couldn't really blame them for that. She knew from personal experience the last thing you wanted to do when you woke up in the middle of nowhere was play twenty questions.

She found Thesis sitting on the fountain in the center of town, the stallion frowning slightly as he argued: “Send a transport, then, we'll meet it outside of town.”

“We can deal with this ourselves.” growled Archon's voice, and Cadence immediately strode over to Thesis and leaned over him, making him wince as she nearly shoved him aside so she could glare down at the empty projection.

“Hey, I know that tone. From both of you.” she said as she gave Thesis a pointed look, and he shifted awkwardly before she returned her eyes to the blank screen. “What's going on? Is it Stronghold? Giant angry dragon-looking bitch?”

“That's not the kind of language a princess should use.” Archon voiced dryly, and Cadence rolled her eyes before his voice crackled slightly with static as he added: “Bitch is right, though. She's attacking the barrier, trying to break through it. Something seems wrong, though, because bitch or not, she doesn't sound stupid.”

“She's...” No, Cadence reflected, she wasn't stupid. Bloodthirsty, psychotic, savage... but not stupid. “Have you secured the castle?”

“All of Canterlot is protected. Something still feels wrong.” Archon said, before he added shortly: “But we'll deal with this ourselves. Don't-”

“Don't be prideful, Archon. And it's not for us.” Cadence smiled briefly, before she glanced over her shoulder at Miss Take and Shining Armor, who were both frowning. “You have two ambassadors here who are worried about what's going on in Canterlot. Send us another train.”

Archon snorted, and then he said grudgingly: “Fine. I'll see what I can do. But this is an Equestrian operation and pertains to our security, not yours.”

“We'll listen as well as we ever do, Amadeus, dear.” Miss Take promised with a smile, and Cadence gave a wry smile at that: she could imagine just how well Miss Take usually 'listened' to things, after all.

Archon chuckled dryly, then he said finally: “I'll keep you informed, Prince Thesis. Cutting communications.”

The screen flickered, and Thesis dismissed it before he glanced up as Shining Armor said, with perhaps the barest touch of envy: “I think he might actually like you.”

Thesis simply smiled wryly and shrugged, then he glanced around at the ponies in various states of disarray that were filling the village, asking: “Did you find everyone, then?”

Cadence shrugged as she glanced back at La Croix and Electra, but when neither said anything, she turned her eyes back to Thesis and answered: “I think so. I mean, it's kind of hard to say for sure, obviously, but I think they were all down there. So unless anyone was lost in the attack...”

“Even if Bondye swept the sand in, I figure Veliuona probably some other old magic to put 'em all to sleep, then had her Velites move 'em all. Maybe the Nzambi, I know she could control 'em, too, but... they would probably have snitched to Bondye 'bout it.” La Croix answered, shrugging a bit before he asked finally: “Say, where uh...”

“Oh, Chrissy is off getting a vehicle for us from the outpost. A beetle bus should be able to get us back to Canterlot in a few hours.” Miss Take said helpfully, and Cadence frowned as Shining immediately winced and hugged himself. “Now stop, dear, it's not that bad!”

“It's worse.” Shining said plaintively, and Miss Take smiled and reached up to pinch his cheek, making him blush slightly.

“Stop that.” she chided, then she turned her eyes back to Thesis as he tilted his head towards her curiously. “Well, darling, I figured you wanted to get back as soon as possible, so I thought I'd go ahead and arrange the transportation! And of course whoever is attacking Canterlot will probably follow the train. This way we can sneak around and get back into the city.”

“We're being lured.” Thesis said, and Cadence frowned, but the stallion only smiled wryly as he shook his head. “Whether or not it's actually Stronghold, like you and Archon both agreed, she's not stupid. Why the hell would she attack the barrier like that? And she obviously knows where we are if Bondye and Veliuona were both here.

“Someone wants us back at Canterlot. I was surprised at first we haven't heard anything from the Crystal Kingdom or whatever you call it, but I realized that wouldn't make sense.” Thesis shook his head, glancing from Cadence to Sombra as the other stallion joined them silently. “This is about you, Cadence. About what you remember, where you came from. I don't think Loki took your coffin because it has some residue of magic in it. I think he took it as a warning and a symbol.”

“You've been thinking a lot.” Cadence said quietly, and Thesis smiled wryly. But that was the thing about him, wasn't it? He thought. He put things together, figured things out... “I wish you'd share more.”

“It's just conjecture at this point. And I'd hate to be wrong. But either way, we stopped the Voidborn out here, we don't have time to explore the wastes, and we have to go and stop this attack on Canterlot. Set off the trap.” Thesis smiled wryly, shaking his head before he looked over at Miss Take. “Metanoia, I appreciate you going out of your way for the team. But please consult me first next time. We need to work as one.”

Miss Take bowed her head respectfully to Thesis, saying politely: “I meant no offense, dear. But like Archon said, this is our concern, perhaps more than yours. I respect what you're doing here and I'm very glad to work with you. But as Cadence can tell you...” Miss Take winked. “I take care of myself and my friends first and foremost. I'm sure you can understand that.”

Thesis smiled wryly despite himself, and then he shook his head before he asked: “So what the hell is this 'bug bus?'”

“Beetle bus, dear, it's offensive to call us bugs.” Miss Take said mildly, before she glanced up as her ears swiveled around, saying thoughtfully: “I think it should be here shortly. Chrissy will loiter, of course, but she knows better than to try and sneak off. If she did that, I'd go and tell Mother.”

“Is your Mother really that scary?” Cadence asked before she could stop herself, and Electra winced and looked hurriedly around as Miss Take burst out laughing. “What? What?”

“Oh... oh, stop, Electra, you know as well as I do that Mother would love Cadence! She's such a wonderful little spitfire.” half-chastened Miss Take, before she turned an amused smile towards the ivory mare. “I apologize, dear, but all Changelings – most, rather, I should say – are bred with an innate fear of the Queen Mother, for obvious reasons. Not that she isn't actually quite strong, oh no. She has to be the very best to remain in power in our unfortunately-matricidal society.”

Miss Take paused, then she looked thoughtfully over Cadence before she said finally: “But as I am... slowly accepting, you have... gotten quite a bit stronger since we last met. As much as it pains my pride to admit, you are stronger than me. And as the Queen Mother does so like to joke, the only Changeling who stands half a chance at assassinating her is me.”

“Metanoia!” gasped Electra, but Miss Take only waved a hoof as Electra fanned herself with a grimace. “I do not understand at all how you and our sisters can be so... cavalier about that! It is awful, an awful part of our Hive that I do not agree with at all, even to this day. Why, that's why I don't visit home, because every time I do Mother wants us to watch the gladiators!”

“Oh, Mother just wants to keep you in her sight, that's all. She loves you very dearly, Electra, and it's... it's a love that she doesn't have for any of her other daughters, because she knows that the rest of us could very well kill her one day.” Miss Take replied matter-of-factly. “You're not like us, but that's a very good thing, and I never, ever want to hear you say or think otherwise. It just means that... it puts you at odds with some of the traditions of the Hive.”

Electra lowered her head slightly, and Cadence frowned before she asked: “What is the Queen Mother's name? Or am I not allowed to know that?”

Miss Take smiled, then she pointedly looked at Shining, who blinked before he answered: “Philophili.”

“Now, darling, we aren't supposed to say the Queen Mother's name!” Miss Take said with an expression of mock horror, lightly slapping the back of Shining Armor's head, and the stallion simply looked at her dryly before he winced when she winked slyly at him. “I'll have to spank my naughty little colt later.”

“Hey, so I'm not the only stallion who gets spanked around here, huh?” Thesis said brightly, and Shining Armor slowly turned beet red as Thesis grinned before he winked over at Cadence, who was torn between grinning and glaring at him. “I mean, Cadence does a lot more than that to me, she really likes it when she pushes me down and-”

Sombra reached up and squeezed Thesis' shoulder, smiling down at him, and Thesis looked up at the unicorn before he gave a weak, cheesy grin, and said awkwardly: “Makes me. Pray. Nicely.”

Sombra nodded calmly, then he said pleasantly: “Allora stai pregando con la bocca sbagliata, Thesis.”

Shining Armor looked confused, but Cadence burst out laughing, shaking her head before she blurted: “Daddy!”

Sombra only shrugged with a smile as Thesis gave an awkward laugh, before he cleared his throat and looked up as a clacking reached his ears, saying hurriedly: “Hey, uh, it sounds like an attack or something, we should go take care of that.”

“Oh, it's Chrysalis, she's back with the beetle bus!” Miss Take said cheerfully, turning with a smile, and Cadence cocked her head curiously as she stepped forward.

The clicking grew louder, until it was like a chorus of jackhammers, Cadence grimacing before her eyes widened in disbelief as what looked like a massive, segmented worm came trundling towards them, ponies scattering in fear from the huge, many-legged beast.

It came to a stop in front of them, staring at them with its four beady black eyes as huge mandibles clacked open and closed for a moment, and then it lowered its head to reveal Chrysalis sitting grouchily behind its huge head, rolling her eyes before she said tiredly: “Toot-toot, all aboard.”

Miss Take clapped happily as Electra gave a small smile, and Shining armor laughed awkwardly before he gestured at the beast and explained: “It's actually a giant flatworm. See, that part above is all a shell, and-”

“And they'll learn better by boarding, come on, come on!” Miss Take said enthusiastically, gesturing quickly at the others as she leapt forward and pulled open a hidden door in the side of the shell, forming a ramp for them to climb into the beetle bus. “Thesis, be a dear, take a seat at the back with us, won't you? Cadence... oh, I suppose we should fetch the rest of your team, shouldn't we?”

“Goddammit, Moonflower. Where is he?” Cadence asked Thesis, and he only pointed, the mare glancing up before she smiled wryly at the sight of the unicorn leaning out of a window above with a look of horrified revulsion on his face. Can't really blame him for that... “Come down here, we're going to ride the giant bug.”

“I don't want to ride the giant bug!” Moonflower shouted with something like horror, even as the others began to climb into it. “La Croix! What are you doing? It's a giant bug!”

“I seen bigger in the bayou, Moony. This just a little bebette.” La Croix said mildly, glancing over his shoulder and waving amiably at the unicorn. “Come on down from there. Don't you know mille-pattes can climb anyway?”

“I don't care about Milly Pat, she can do whatever she wants, but there's no way I'm ever going to get on board that awful thing!” Moonflower shouted, before he stared when Cadence suddenly flew up in front of him with her forelegs crossed.

“Get on the bug, Moonflower.” she said flatly, and Moonflower winced; a minute later, he was almost physically thrown onto the beetle bus, whining as he realized he was walking over the scaly back of the massive thing as he hurried down the aisle inside the beast towards an empty seat.

Cadence was surprised: it was almost like a travel bus or a train car, with little bench seats running down the length of the centipede's back, and at the very back there was a U of benches surrounding a small table, where Electra and Miss Take were sitting. The ivory mare hesitated for a moment as she looked at the front of the beetle bus, but Chrysalis was in what she supposed was the 'driver's' seat, a set of strange-looking reins in one hoof.

“Close the door.” she grumbled, and Cadence grabbed the open ramp-door with telekinesis, horn gleaming to yank it quickly up and seal it closed with a click. “Now go sit down. The sooner we get out of here, the better.”

Cadence hesitated for a moment, and then she walked over to Chrysalis and asked impulsively: “When you kidnapped me, the love between me and Shining... was it... was it love-love, or was it just... love?”

Chrysalis looked blankly for a few moments at Cadence, and then she scowled at her before she complained: “How should I know? For one thing, it was years ago, and for another, it's not like love has these nice distinct flavors.” She halted, then sneered: “But if I had to guess, it was a lot more lust than it was love, because one thing I can say for sure is that while you're almost green with envy, he certainly doesn't feel the same way about your ugly butch ass.”

Cadence twitched, and then she snapped before she could stop herself: “Yeah, well, I guess it was lust that gave you the strength to beat Celestia so why don't you... just... eat a whole bag of dicks!”

Chrysalis stared blankly at Cadence, then a hoof smashed into her face and knocked her sprawling out of her seat, Cadence grumbling and spinning away to stomp to the end of the beetle bus and drop her rump in her seat beside Thesis. All eyes stared at her, before Shining half-rose a hoof, then winced and shrank down when Cadence locked a smoldering glare on him.

Thesis gently patted Cadence on the shoulder, and Electra cleared her throat before she politely excused herself to head to the front of the beetle bus. Cadence sighed after a moment, then slumped when Miss Take said honestly: “I believe there was real love between you both. If there hadn't been, I wouldn't have felt so bad about stealing poor Shining away from you.”

Cadence glanced up, and then she winced as the massive worm began to move, Moonflower giving a little squeal as La Croix and Sombra both looked up from mid-conversation. Cadence looked down the aisle and scowled at Chrysalis, who was now sitting behind the driver's seat, where Electra had taken over.

Chrysalis scowled back as much as she could through her already-swelling face, and Miss Take clucked her tongue before she called kindly: “That's a very good look for you, Chrissy!”

Chrysalis made some rude gesture in response, but Miss Take only smiled in amusement before she turned back to Cadence with a smile. “Don't worry. I think she likes you, honestly! Or rather, she would like you if she got to know you a little better. It's just the Hive talking, the culture we grew up in. Do your part, or be destroyed. Dominate, or be destroyed. It's all very stressful, you see.”

Cadence only grunted, and there was silence for a little while before the ivory mare finally asked: “I guess I get why this is called a beetle bus, but... is it some kind of Changeling, or...”

“No, no. It's a domesticated beast, and quite intelligent at that. The smaller flatworms are actually ridden by Changelings in competitions and trained as cavalry, and larger ones like this serve as transports.” Miss Take gestured at the back of the creature, which formed the floor of the bus. “As long as we take care of them, they obey us. These, in part, were how so many Changelings were able to enter Equestria, as well. Beetle buses move extremely quickly, and in spite of their size they're quite hard to spot, especially since they often follow a burrower or diamond dogs. We have good relationships with diamond dogs, you know.”

Cadence grunted, even if she was admittedly intrigued, while Thesis cocked his head before he said: “It's a lot quieter in here. That means the shell's insulation is a lot thicker than it looks.”

“Yes, it's durable and impermeable. It can get rather hot in here, but that isn't usually too much of a problem because the flatworms themselves do not emit much body heat.” Miss Take said as she gently tapped her hoof against the flatworm's back.

“That's good. Otherwise I think that clicking would drive me crazy.” Cadence said, glancing down the aisle towards where Moonflower was sulking on a bench seat. She smiled a bit after a moment, then turned her eyes back to Miss Take, asking: “So you uh... work with bugs, then?”

“Oh, not me, personally, no. I was trained to ride a flatworm but that's it. But many creatures like this one operate off a similar method of pheromone and telepathic communication, which is something that we Changelings can learn to manipulate.” Miss Take paused, then winked as she reached up and tapped on her gemstone. “And then of course there's always mind control.”

Cadence sighed, and Thesis smiled wryly before he said mildly: “I hear that's what all the cool kids are into these days. But Cadence just likes to beat me until she gets what she wants out of me.”

Cadence rolled her eyes, but she refused to rise to the bait as Miss Take nodded and Shining Armor... was he glaring a little? Cadence looked at him curiously, but when he caught her gaze, he quickly looked away before saying: “You know, uh... this isn't the first time we've ridden a flatworm. I mean, that I have. I and Miss Take. The first time was...”

Shining rambled on with a story, and Cadence watched him, studied him, smiling a little as she allowed her eyes to linger over him. She watched the way he gestured as he talked, his whole body subtly moving with his words: he had always been like that, she reflected with a small smile. That was exactly why he could never lie to her, or at least not for very long. His body always told the truth, even when he tried to fib. It was in his eyes, his shifts, even the way he breathed.

She only half-listened to the story, more interested in the way he talked over what he was actually saying. She caught little details here and there she didn't remember, in the way he moved, in the shape of his body: he wasn't just more athletic, with less of that bulk he'd put on in the guard, he had actual scars now. Now the baby scars you got when something dinged your armor and the metal wore against your body for too long: actual scars, white, pebbly striations almost perfectly hidden among the ivory coat of his body.

How much had the rest of him changed? There it was again: that sudden urge to just... rub her hooves across him. To reach across the table, grasp him, shove that stupid jacket of his back so she could check every inch of him; how much of a different pony was he? She craved to know. It was like all the mystery, all that initial heat had come back into their relationship-

What relationship? We don't have a relationship. Cadence thought to herself, blushing ever-so-slightly as her eyes roved along Shining's bare chest, and the stallion seemed to catch her, and seemed not to mind. Did he turn on purpose? He's not even looking at me... I could make him look at me. He should be looking at me. He's...

Yours? asked the Swan curiously, before Cadence could clamp down on those thoughts entirely. You do not own him, Cadence, he is neither your puppy nor your property.

He damn well could be. He was before. Cadence thought almost grimly as she looked up, and that was all it took to make Shining look at her, his eyes meeting hers, his ears folding back slightly, his voice catching ever so slightly as a faint blush rose in his cheeks, making him look cute and boyish.

“Dearest, it's not like I really have any problem with the fact you want to have raucous sex with my partner, but he is my partner now.” Miss Take said pleasantly, and Shining's voice stuttered to a halt before he winced and blushed beet-red when the half-Changeling hugged him tightly around the neck with a smile, but her eyes were warning, her gemstone gleaming almost ominously.

Cadence scowled slightly, before she glanced up in surprise as Thesis wrapped a foreleg around her and said seriously: “Now, before anyone gets any silly ideas, I just want you to know that I don't blame you in the slightest, Cadence, for wanting a stallion who you can handle better than me. Because I'm just that awesome. I really am. Especially, you know, down there.”

Thesis waggled his eyebrows pointedly, and Miss Take smiled slightly before she half-teased, half-challenged: “Well, Cadence, since you're so interested in mine, why don't I take a spin with yours and see if he's half the stallion he claims to be?”

“Only if Cadence agrees. Because I am hers.” Thesis answered with a smile as he gently squeezed Cadence around the shoulders, and the ivory mare blushed deeply as she looked at the stallion, feeling absurdly touched... and like such a stupid, selfish... stupid. I'm not even a bitch. I feel more like... like a greedy filly trying to get all the cookies in the cookie jar.

“You aren't my property, Thesis. I don't own... anyone.” Cadence said quietly, and then she gave a small smile as her eyes flicked towards Shining Armor in silent apology. “I never did, either. I wasn't very good with... small pets.”

“Ouch.” Thesis said blandly, and Shining Armor gave a smile despite himself, almost hesitantly faking his own hurt look, but Miss Take had already relaxed and was looking with a strange mix of gratitude and pride at Cadence.

“I know how hard it is to let go, dear. I admire that.” she said softly, before she suddenly perked up as she hugged one of Shining's forelegs, adding brightly: “You know, this reminds me of when I lived back in the Hive. Chrissy was a sweet young nymphal instar then and not the nasty adult she is now. You know, she was never mean until she pupated-”

“Shut up, Metanoia!” shouted Chrysalis, blushing deep red as she glared at them from down the train, before she winced when Electra gently shushed her, sulkily dropping her head.

“Oh, Chrissy, take it as a life lesson!” encouraged Miss Take warmly, before she turned her eyes back to the table, starting with a smile: “'Pupate' is what we call puberty. It's when we're expected to start finding our way in the Hive...”

Miss Take told an interesting story, Cadence thought: the mare learned a lot about her as the beetle trundled on its way towards Canterlot, simply barreling over any obstacles in its path. She was almost sorry when the flatworm finally slowed to a stop, and Electra called apprehensively: “We're approaching the barrier.”

“Alright. Let's head out and see what we can see.” Thesis said as he climbed to his hooves, gently slipping free of Cadence and giving her a silent squeeze, and she smiled wryly even as she gave a small nod: she would be professional.

The group filtered out of the beetle bus as it clicked and shifted nervously, Electra reaching up to soothingly stroke its features even as she frowned nervously at the wall of energy. Thesis frowned as well as he looked over the barrier, before he pulled his visor down and tapped a few buttons on his Mission Drive, asking: “Archon? We're here. We've circled around to the far side of Canterlot to avoid Stronghold.”

Cadence glanced around: she hadn't even realized they must have either scaled a wall or come up from the northern pass. The beetle bus was a lot smoother than she'd thought it was, but she wasn't naive enough to think that meant they would have passed unnoticed, especially if Stronghold was on the lookout for them.

Even if the flatworm had descended into the nooks and crannies around Canterlot and wiggled its way around here, Stronghold would have smelled them out somehow. There was no way they were going to sneak up on someone like her, especially in a fifty-foot bug.

But more was wrong than that, she thought uneasily, as she looked back at Thesis as he repeated sharply: “Director Archon! Lower the barrier on the northern face!”

Nothing. Silence. And Thesis grimaced before he looked up as Miss Take said quietly: “There are no guards on patrol, no airborne scouts, no nothing. Electra?”

“The barrier is muffling what I can feel, but there's no one close by. Something is wrong.” Electra confirmed nervously, as she popped her parasol open and rolled it slowly back and forth against her shoulder. “There's no disturbances in the magic of the barrier...”

“Stronghold found a way through. She probably knew all along how to get through it. She just wanted to make sure that we were coming, first.” Thesis mused, and Moonflower shivered before he blinked and looked up when the stallion asked: “Can you punch a hole in this barrier?”

Moonflower nervously bit his lip, before he took a slow breath and strode forward, reaching up to touch the magic wall apprehensively. He squeaked a bit when it zapped him, and Shining Armor winced slightly before he started: “You know, this is based on a barrier spell that I once used, and if my sister's modified it, then the chances of overpowering her magic are-”

“You can do it, Moonflower.” Cadence said firmly, and Shining Armor looked up in surprise, but the ivory mare only gave him a slight smile before she returned her eyes to the black unicorn, who glanced almost anxiously over his shoulder at her. “You can do this.”

Moonflower bit his lip, then nodded before he pressed a hoof to the energy, wincing again at the sparks that went up before his horn began to glow. He concentrated, breathing slowly, before he suddenly spun his hoof in a wide circle, and Shining Armor stared in disbelief as a window was left in the barrier, Moonflower brightening, before wincing when Thesis said gently: “Maybe this time cut a hole we can fit through, huh?”

“Uh. Yes. Of course.” Moonflower cleared his throat, then his horn gleamed as he pressed both hooves against the barrier, explaining almost giddily: “It's just like Melinda said, though! All you have to do is figure out the right way to ask and-”

Moonflower blinked as the barrier's energy vanished from beneath his hooves, and he fell forward with a thunk on his face through the large, rectangular hole he had cut in the barrier. He looked dumbly up, then squawked and flailed when Chrysalis stomped over him with a scowl, the Changeling Queen glaring back and forth as she growled: “Electra, do you sense that?”

Miss Take frowned as Electra carefully strode past Moonflower, then reached down to gently help him up even as she looked apprehensively towards the castle, murmuring: “I do. What a strange, dissonant energy. It is neither the stuff of ghost nor of memory... it is so lonely. So sad. So... cold.”

“I don't sense anything...” Miss Take said apprehensively as her green gemstone glowed, before she frowned slightly and murmured: “Either my Third Eye is not sensitive enough to pick it up... or perhaps I simply cannot process it.”

“It is impossible to grasp, only possible to feel, perhaps that is why. You are not as sensitive or receptive as we are.” Electra said quietly, tilting her head back and forth as the others joined the Changelings and Moonflower inside the barrier, and Cadence didn't like how even Chrysalis was looking worriedly at Electra now. “I do not know what it is. I'm sorry. I can't get any sense of it. I don't understand, it feels otherworldly and yet... not.”

Cadence frowned as she brought up the rear, before she glanced over her shoulder, watching as the barrier sealed itself behind them. She knew that Moonflower could easily rip another hole in it, but at the same time, it felt strangely final, like they had no choice but to go forward... we don't, anyway. But if the barrier is still up... “Canterlot can't be empty. And if Twilight's magic is still working, someone has to be present at the castle.”

“The air is strange. Whatever those strange things are, they are making it hard to sense anything. They both draw and divert attention.” Electra reached up and rubbed at her head slowly, before she murmured: “They won't be able to ambush us, though.”

“Good, Electra. Dear, you stay in the middle of the pack... if I may make that suggestion, of course.” Miss Take bowed her head politely to Thesis, smiling over at him... but Cadence didn't like how nervous she was. I guess they really believe in Electra, and they really believe that anything she can't grasp must be bad. Which means we're probably dealing with worse than Husks.

“That sounds like a good idea. Stay beside her with Shining Armor, keep her protected. Chrysalis, I want you up here with me and Cadence at the head of the pack. You can sense them too, right?” Thesis asked, and for once, Chrysalis swallowed her haughty response and only nodded. “Good. Sombra, La Croix, bring up the rear. Moonflower, artillery position.”

The ponies fell into place as they started towards the open gates of Canterlot. Somehow, it was more ominous than if the gates had been sealed shut: what could have possibly been able to not only slip through undetected, but then drive away all the guards and soldiers?

No, it was worse than that. Cadence couldn't sense or see any life at all as they walked slowly down the streets of Canterlot: it was like everyone had simply disappeared. Thesis grimaced uneasily as Moonflower shifted nervously, then suddenly blurted out: “Was it Melinda again? Do you think she did this?”

“No, everyone was here, just... stuck, when Melinda froze Canterlot.” Cadence answered, shaking her head briefly before she called to the back of the line, as much as she knew they shouldn't be chattering: “La Croix, do you sense anything?”

“No spirits, no nothin'. But I don't even sense what's got our Changeling amies spooked.” answered La Croix with a shrug, looking up towards the sky... or rather, the ceiling of the spherical barrier. “This magique be makin' it harder, though. Feels claustrophobic in here.”

“I don't think Twilight's concentrating solely on the barrier, which is why her magic feels so... oppressive.” Shining Armor said uneasily, frowning slightly. “That effect... that's what happens when a spell isn't focused properly, especially with a full barrier spell. Magic residue presses in from all sides, makes it harder to concentrate or use magic yourself.”

Cadence smiled slightly as she looked back over her shoulder at the unicorn, and he smiled back in faint amusement and shrugged, saying: “Hey, I'm more than a pretty face, you know.”

“I wouldn't love you if you weren't.” Miss Take said kindly, before she added in a quieter voice as her eyes lingered on her sister: “Electra, please don't hesitate to speak up. I'm sure Prince Thesis is more than happy to hear your concerns.”

“Yeah, especially since only you and Chrysalis can sense whatever's lurking.” Thesis added, before he frowned slightly and suddenly came to a halt, saying quietly: “Twelve o'clock.”

Cadence looked straight ahead, before she frowned uneasily as she saw the flicker in the distance as well. Something was moving, shifting around, and Chrysalis narrowed her eyes as she leaned forward before she suddenly reared back as she- looked right? “They're here!”

“They're coming through the walls!” Electra shouted, and it sounded almost insane, hysterical, because Cadence couldn't sense, couldn't hear, couldn't smell-

But she saw it: the amorphous body phased through the wall soundlessly as the orbal core that held it together floated through an open window, the Aetherhaunt stretching its tentacles out towards them as she snarled and shouted: “Aetherhaunts! Don't touch them!”

Shining Armor winced as he spun towards one of the Aetherhaunts emerging out of the building near him, snapping his horn out, but his magic was harmlessly absorbed into the creature, doing nothing but drawing its attention. “What the hell?”

“Take!” Cadence shrugged her rifle off her back, hitting the lever to extend the barrel before she flung the weapon to the half-Changeling, who caught it and readied the weapon as if she'd trained with it her whole life. Cadence spun back around to fling several knives at the core of another Aetherhaunt, piercing into the crystal and making the creature writhe in silent agony. “Hit the core!”

“Of course.” Miss Take calmly took aim as she smiled slightly as she squeezed the trigger, a round blasting through the core of one of the Aetherhaunts. It blinked out of existence, and the half-Changeling's smile stretched into something wider, more predatory, as she said: “Now, I don't see why you don't enjoy these weapons more, Cadence... it's positively marvelous.”

Cadence grunted as she flung two knives out, shattering the core of another Aetherhaunt as Moonflower yanked cobblestone up from the road and shot them with devastating power into other ethereal creatures. Thesis, meanwhile, ushered Electra, Chrysalis, Shining, and Sombra quickly forward, saying sharply: “We can't fight them all, not in the open like this, not when we can't even sense the-”

An Aetherhaunt stretched towards him, and Thesis winced as he ducked back before he slammed a hoof into the ground, sending a black spike of corruption ripping up from the earth and through the core of the creature. It flashed out of existence, and Thesis grimaced before he looked ahead, eyes widening in horror as he shouted: “We need to get out of the street!”

Cadence looked up, and stared in horror at the thing she saw: it was like a massive, living shroud, a translucent sky-jellyfish with infinite tentacles that stretched out throughout Canterlot, strange vibrations of faint color passing through it in kaleidoscopal twists.

It stretched out, endlessly, beautiful and monstrous and terrifying. It was soundless, breathless as the Aetherhaunts, and yet far, far larger, and it had not just a core inside its massive, umbrella-shaped head, but a gaping maw that led to an impossible-to-process blankness; the Void.

“We need to get to cover!” Thesis shouted, even though he knew it was useless: its tentacles permeated the impermeable as it floated lazily towards them, ethereal form passing through anything that got in its way as if the physical world had no meaning to it; or rather, because the physical world had no meaning to it. Instead, it locked on to their energies, and even at this distance, Thesis could feel the hungry maw of the thing sucking at them, pain searing across his Voidborn body as he gritted his teeth.

There was nowhere they could go, nowhere they could hide where they would be safe. It had scented them and it would follow them, whether they hid in buildings, in the sky, a thousand feet beneath the earth. He had no idea what this awful thing was, and he didn't want to imagine what it meant that this massive Aetherhaunt was here, and all of Canterlot was empty, and-

“I can kill it.” Cadence said as she stepped up beside Thesis, and he stared at her in disbelief. But she only gritted her teeth before she snapped: “I can kill the goddamn thing! The Swan's powers work even against the Aetherhaunt!”

Thesis wanted to argue, because he knew what Cadence wasn't saying. But he knew there was no time: they could barely deal with the normal Aetherhaunt, let alone the giant, and he had an obligation to the rest of the world. Family came first: not his own desires, not his selfish love, not his need to keep Cadence safe.

“Kick his ass and come back.” Thesis said quietly, and Cadence smiled before she darted in, kissing him for a moment before she leapt and spun away from her friends, and Thesis gritted his teeth before he shouted over his shoulder: “Come on! We can't get stuck in a pincer between those things, let's find high ground!”

Cadence streaked into the air, heading straight for the massive Aetherhaunt as the Swan said softly in her mind: It is too great. Even with all our powers combined, I do not know if we can protect ourselves from it. It is slow, it is stupid, but its core is deep within its etherflesh, and further insulated by the gaping maw of the Void. We will burn.

“Then we burn.” Cadence said grimly, snapping her horn back and forth to pelt the massive ether-beast with blades of white energy. They did nothing to harm its enormous jellyfish body, but the creature's tentacles slowly reached up, twisting and feeling through the air towards her as the enormous, awful thing turned its attention towards her.

We have died in many ways. But this creature may destroy our spirit. We do not know if even we can survive such a death. the Swan said dubiously, and Cadence only smiled, refusing to be distracted from her objective as she dodged back and forth when the creature's tentacles lashed suddenly at her.

They were as thick as tree-trunks, and just being near the beast hurt: she could feel a stinging beneath her skin, an itch she could never scratch, that only got worse as she shot in closer to the beast and its massive tendrils attempted to seize into her. She evaded to the side, and she shivered as her eyes flashed, seeing countless Husks around this monster that had swum out of the Void and into Canterlot, that had already harvested most of the city with its ruthless touch-

It will harvest us, too! The Swan burst out in her mind, but Cadence ignored it as she shot towards the sky, and the undulating jellyfish followed her, slow and steady, its body twisting and pulsating as its tentacles searched and slashed through the air after her. Cadence... we... we are afraid! We do not want to die!

“Neither did I. I did anyway.” Cadence said quietly, as she neared the ceiling of the barrier, and then she simply twisted herself backwards and let herself freefall towards the top of the jellyfish, her eyes sharp, her body full of pain and thrill and life as she whispered: “Don't be afraid.”

Tentacles lashed in from all sides, and Cadence flapped her wings sharply, shooting down a tunnel of tendrils and ethereal death as her whole body glowed white, a cyclone of murder crushing through the air behind her before she slammed into the top of the Harvester and tore through its ethereal body. The white flames encasing her burned even at the ether of the beast, but she could feel it already healing, clamping shut around her, and it made the Swan scream as she fought against agony for control of her own body.

She flapped her wings again, forcing her way towards the spinning core of the beast as she struggled to keep her eyes open, to see through the haze of ether and color around her as the monster twisted around her. Its very body reshaped itself to try and strike at her, to attempt to force her out, but Cadence sliced back with her daggers, countering its attacks even as the Swan hyperventilated in her mind as it experienced a new, overwhelming emotion: panic.

But still, Cadence kept her focus, pouring everything she had into fighting deeper, into forcing her way to the crackled, marble core of the beast. She felt it try to rebuff her, pushing her back, but Cadence shoved herself forward with all the strength she could muster with one final flap of her wings, hammering shoulder-first into the core before she gasped in agony as it unleashed a powerful pulse of energy.

The pulse made the stone that plated the core shudder and was powerful enough to blow away the ether of its own body, leaving the core floating in a cavern of empty space inside the beast. But the air was too empty, a vacuum that Cadence choked in as her wings flapped but found no purchase, her eyes bulging before she felt herself being dragged down towards the hungry maw of the Void below-

No no no NO! the Swan shouted in her mind, and Cadence felt a burst of both power and rage rip through her as her wings flared with light before she flapped them savagely, unleashing a shockwave of force that launched her straight at the stone core of the Harvester.

She slammed into it, daggers sinking through the beast's heart, and the Harvester thrummed with an echoing song of pain as its tentacles twisted helplessly, the enormous jellyfish pulsating before its ethereal flesh clamped viciously inward, crushing Cadence against the core with an impact that she didn't feel physically, but instead nearly knocked her spirit out of her body.

She gasped, stunned, before her eyes flared with light as the Swan took over, a snarl making her features ugly as she roared with another new emotion it had learned from Cadence: rage.

She yanked a dagger loose, clinging stubbornly to the core with her body as she stabbed into it savagely again and again, twisting the dagger with each impact to pry up stone plating. The Harvester twisted even as it tried to constrict harder, etherflesh undulating in a vain attempt to tear the Swan free from its heart.

“We will not die alone!” the Swan shouted, body shaking with rage, punctuating each word with a vicious stab before the Swan yanked back hard enough to tear a large chunk of stone from the core, and she immediately twisted her body around to slam both of her rear hooves viciously into the hole she had made, crushing crystal beneath them.

The Harvester wailed silently, then convulsed as the Swan stomped her hooves savagely into the heart of the beast as they flared with white flame. But the protective shell of energy around her body was being eaten away: it had already lost its armor consistency, now raging like a fire over her form instead, burning not only the etherbeast but her own body and soul.

The core pulsed again as the Swan brought her legs back, and she was slammed off the damaged heart of the Harvester before she gasped in pain as she was yanked along when its etherflesh suddenly contracted, forming a hollow tunnel in its body straight down to the maw of the Void as she lost control. But as she fell, both Cadence and Danzsöngr felt their wills align, both looking up before they threw every last bit of strength they had into one final gamble.

Cadence flung herself upwards with all her strength as the Swan unleashed all that pent up rage and hysteria and terror in one mighty burst, unleashing a shockwave of white energy that left her naked and vulnerable, but was just enough to tear loose from the grip of the Void. She streaked upwards, hammering into the hole she had torn in the crystalline core and punching through the weaker gemstone below, and a moment later, she tore out the other side of the heart of the ether beast, ripping its core into two shattered halves.

She flew upward as the Harvester twisted on itself, body beginning to dissolve, and Cadence grinned for a moment before she felt the surge of antimatter behind her as the mouth to the Void collapsed on itself.

Thesis looked up in horror as an explosion ripped through the air above Canterlot, windows shattering with the force of the sonic boom as blue smoke filled the air. A streak of lightning tore by, close enough that it seared Thesis' cheek, but he didn't care, only staring in horror as the smoke cleared, before he shouted the name of his love as he saw, far above and far away, a single speck falling from the sky amidst the surges of energy and lightning ripping wildly through the air.

Thesis broke rank, charging heedlessly into the storm. He ran past falling debris and through showers of broken glass, past Aetherhaunts that made last, wild grabs at him or were in the grips of death as their cores overheated and exploded in brilliant flashes of light as surging blue lightning ripped through them and antimatter pelted their vulnerable etherflesh.

Thesis ran, even though it was hopeless, even though he was helpless; Thesis ran, racing gravity, racing physics, racing death, even as Cadence's body was wrapped in glowing white light, as she became a glowing star.

Cadence fell.

Thesis leapt.

Lightning struck and the world shook and the air trembled, and all was merciless, and all was beautiful, imprisoned in this hollow city, beneath a dome of magic that had become a ruthless cage.

And even with all these things against him, the Replicant caught the Swan before they crashed to the street, together.

More Than A Weapon

Chapter One Hundred and Ten: More Than A Weapon
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence slowly woke up, her entire body in agony, the Swan silent. And yet she knew she had died. She felt warm, though, and above her, the sky seemed to be swirling and dancing, and there were beautiful arcs and twists of light shooting back and forth through the air, chaotic fractals twisting for her, in endless, untamed ballet.

Was she dead-dead? Was this the Void? Had Loki won?

She felt warmth.

Cadence blinked slowly, and she let her head roll to the side to see Thesis laying beside her, his eyes half-closed, his limbs embracing her tightly against his chest. As she came to, she realized that she could hear his exoskeleton buzzing brokenly away, like he'd broken the goddamn thing.

“Have to be a hero, don't you?” she asked quietly, smiling faintly at him, and Thesis chuckled quietly before he gave a small smile back as he reached up to touch her smooth white features, then silently stroke up to her forehead, and Cadence scowled a bit before she mumbled: “My horn is gone, isn't it?”

“Completely. But you're more beautiful without it.” Thesis said softly, and Cadence smiled faintly despite herself even as fear gnawed at her about how she was supposed to use her magic now, before she winced slightly as he gently tapped on her forehead. “We could get you one of those dot things that Miss Take wears. I know, you don't like jewelry that much, but you could make an exception.”

“Really taken with that, huh?” Cadence asked softly, and she smiled again: here they were, both of them exhausted, laying in the middle of a city-turned-battlefield on the dirty street, and there was nowhere else she'd rather be. She had just died, and yet all she felt was warmth.

Well, warmth, and a growing itch, her bangs falling across her face before she murmured: “We should probably get off the ground. And... Stronghold is still out there. The last thing we need is for her to catch us like this.”

“Yes, it's bad enough when we catch you like this, after all.” Miss Take said gently, and Cadence rolled her eyes before she carefully pushed herself up and turned towards the Changeling, doing her best to keep her head high in spite of the changes she knew were evident.

Miss Take, to her credit, only faltered slightly before she smiled and held up the mare's fallen helmet, saying softly: “Not that I think you need to hide anything, of course. But you might not always have a handsome stallion around to catch you when you fall.”

“Yeah. Thanks.” Cadence said after a moment, giving a brief smile before she stood up with a grimace, her hind legs cracking as she stretched out to stand on the tips of her hooves as she straightened her back, putting her front hooves in the center of her back for a moment before she cracked her spine, then sighed and relaxed, slumping into a natural stance.

She frowned as she realized she was looking down at Miss Take, who stared up at her with surprise, and Cadence looked back and forth curiously as she realized she towered over the other ponies, blinking again before she asked disbelievingly: “I didn't grow that much, did I?”

Thesis cleared his throat as he clambered to his own hooves, pointing down, and Cadence looked dumbly down before she winced and stepped backwards, staring in disbelief as she realized she was standing on her hind legs, her body twisted like... like... like the old days.

No, that was going a bit far. But this was different from the awkward forced-stance that Veliuona had adopted, or the way she felt when she reared up for quick melee with her hooves. The only discomfort came from the fact that her armor was ill-fitted for the way her body had... changed. I changed again. How much this time?

She silently reached up and touched her own breast, before she looked down at one of her hooves, flexing it slowly: that felt strange, too. Like it was ready to become something different, if she just concentrated a little harder.

She grimaced, then dropped forward on instinct, and she felt bones and flesh shift as she landed on all fours and became quadrupedal again. And there was a very real sense of going from two legs and two not-legs-anymore to four, which made her shiver a little.

But she did her best to ignore it for now as she reached out and took her helmet from Miss Take, before she scowled as she shook her head slightly, long white hair wafting like silk around her as she muttered: “It'd be really nice if this didn't always grow back.”

“Well, I like it. But I can chop it off for you if you want me to.” Thesis said with a smile, shrugging amiably, and Cadence smiled briefly at him before she shook her head, concentrating...

Nothing happened, and Cadence scowled as she remembered she didn't have a horn, reaching up to touch her head and grumbling: “This is going to be just great. I guess uh... yeah, let's just get rid of it.”

“Oh, darling! Don't be so negative.” Miss Take half-chastised with a smile as she slipped quickly behind Cadence, and the ivory mare did her best not to fidget too much as the half-Changeling yanked her mane back before quickly balling it into a bun as she complimented: “It's very light and easy to work with. You're a very interesting creature, Cadence.”

Cadence began to open her mouth to reply, and then she felt something nudge at her instincts. Her eyes narrowed slightly as they focused on Electra, who was staring raptly into the distance, and then she felt the panic, the terror that washed through the Changeling, even before her face changed and she started to open her mouth- “I know.”

All eyes stared at Cadence, and the ivory mare shrugged Miss Take back before shoving her helmet over her messy mane, turning around with a scowl as she shouted: “Show your face, asshole!”

“Oh, are you trying to hurt my feelings, little nag? You'll have to try harder than that.” came the contemptible response, and Cadence narrowed her eyes as Stronghold slunk out of a nearby alley, her eyes locked on Cadence; but in spite of her tone and her scowl, what Cadence felt most from Stronghold was jealousy and envy. “So, broodmare. Is this what Loki meant when he said you were difficult to kill? Because it doesn't seem all that hard to me.”

“You're free to try your luck, Stronghold.” Cadence growled, even though she still couldn't feel the Swan in her mind and her body still felt strange, almost alien, to her. Then she looked to the side in surprise as Moonflower shakily stepped forward on trembling legs, his eyes locked on the Draekin.

“You... you'll have to go through me if you want to hurt anyone else, Stronghold.” Moonflower said in a voice that quavered only slightly, but he seemed to steady even as Stronghold turned a disgusted look to him. “We never finished before.”

“True. I do have to kill you. But I'd prefer to kill your friends, first. You have dessert after your dinner.” Stronghold said contemptibly, before she gave a cold smile as she mocked: “Or are you offering yourself up as an appetizer, worm?”

“Hey, Stronghold. Why are you such a bitch?” Thesis asked plaintively as he stepped forward, and Stronghold eyed him moodily before the stallion said in a colder, more-serious voice: “Bondye and Veliuona have both been eliminated. They aren't going to return. They've been dissolved completely. Do you really want to be the next Voidborn to be erased?”

“Either I'll return to the Void or I won't. I don't care. I ceased to care a long time ago.” Stronghold snorted as she flexed a claw slowly, and Cadence scowled as her eyes traveled uneasily over the Draekin. She could see something else there, something burnt and damaged, but it was hidden under the layers of plate mail Stronghold wore, just as she tried to hide her eyes under that heavy grille over her face. “I could ask you the same, though. I smell you. You're dying. You should have been back in the Void a long time ago, but you're dragging your life out here... killing yourself. For what? For the nag?”

“She's not a nag. Nags just nag. She mostly smacks me around to get what she wants.” Thesis answered mildly, before he said in a softer voice: “I have my reasons to stay here. But you don't. Loki got whatever he came for-”

“Yes, revenge. More lives for the Void.” Stronghold said, and Cadence's eyes narrowed slightly at this as Thesis tilted his head curiously. Stronghold only gave a jarring laugh, however, saying disgustedly: “Oh, please. Isn't it obvious? Loki is attacking worlds, taking lives where it suits him and where it will send a message. He has to kill and absorb the energy of souls to become more powerful; but the worlds he destroys are always related to those who have... become unpleasant to his eyes. We did the same thing in the old days. We needed ponies to carry our supplies and drag our war machines. We needed meat for slaughter. We needed treasure. The ponies we took, the meat we slaughtered, the treasure we stole could come from any Equestrian city we passed, but we always chose the ones that most annoyed us.”

Thesis grimaced, and Stronghold smiled grimly before she said quietly: “You might scowl, but I see it in your eyes. You understand, don't you? When someone doesn't listen, you hurt them. You hurt them until they understand that it's meaningless to resist. You make a point, so all the other cowards know to keep their heads down, and to weed out the ones who are too stupid to understand.”

Stronghold lowered her head, then she shook her head slowly before she muttered: “Everything is power, and power is meaningless, because all it takes is one traitor to sneak up behind you and stab you in the back to take it all away. We live for no reason but to kill others and spread our own kind and then kill our own kind, with no justice for the righteous, no punishment for the wicked. Only what we inflict on each other.”

“It doesn't have to be that way. Stronghold, your sister-”

“Weak. Charlatan. Stupid... faithful.” Stronghold laughed shortly, shaking her head slowly before she closed her eyes behind her mask and muttered: “Don't talk to me about my sister. Throna deserved...”

But even Stronghold couldn't force herself to be that bitter, that cruel, and Moonflower smiled faintly before he shook his head and stepped hesitantly forward, saying quietly: “We could take you to her. You don't have to fight anymore, Stronghold. Or fight with us! I... I want to offer you a second chance, because I got a second chance, even after everything I did.”

Moonflower smiled widely, even as tears shone in his eyes and his body shook with embarrassment and fear, and Stronghold stared at him as the unicorn said: “Because you lost a world, too. Be... I don't want to be your enemy, so... so be my friend.”

Stronghold stared at him, and then she shook her head slowly before she looked down at the ground, laughing quietly before she said bitterly: “Be your friend. The plea of ponies everywhere. Nonsense. Celestia, she said that same thing to me, before I killed her.”

Stronghold rose her head, saying in a colder, harder voice: “No. I will not be your 'friend,' Moonflower. What an embarrassment you are: at least the nag is willing to fight. But you're broken anyway, aren't you, with your sick love of other stallions. Is it because you envy mares, or is it something deeper, more pathological? You disgust me. You need to be fixed. And if you can't be fixed, then you need to be destroyed. All this universe needs to be destroyed, burnt away to nothing. All these lies need to cleansed by the truth that nothing we do matters, and we are all alone.”

“The universe didn't lie to you, Stronghold. All you've done is lie to yourself.” Moonflower said quietly, and Stronghold snarled before she lunged forward, slashing a claw down at him, but Moonflower didn't so much as flinch as it slammed into the ground in front of him, the two meeting each other's eyes through the mask of the Draekin's grille before he murmured: “I'm not afraid of you anymore.”

“Good. I'll teach you to be afraid again.” Stronghold stepped forward and lashed her foreleg up, but Thesis caught the back of her claw before he shoved it backward, knocking Stronghold stumbling.

“You can't fight all of us at once.” he said quietly, and Stronghold grinned as she stepped backward, wings spreading and flapping powerfully once, her eyes glowing with cold fury.

“I am the Killing Light. And you are all no different from the heroes and soldiers and saviors of Equestria that I slew in the past.” growled Stronghold, and then she set herself as her flanged tail slammed down against the road behind her, roaring: “I am Stronghold Halfdragon, and I will burn you all!”

Stronghold's horn glowed, and Cadence winced as she sensed what was coming before Stronghold lashed out and sent two massive, crisscrossed crescents of light ripping through the air towards them.

Moonflower gritted his teeth as he stepped forward and slashed his own horn down, blasting the crescents of light into shards with a pulse of magic, and Stronghold reared back in surprise before she grinned slowly, digging her claws into the street as she growled: “Your magic is more powerful. Good. You'll need it.”

Stronghold lunged forward, twisting her body so her mace-tail could slam down towards Moonflower, who winced as he flung himself out of the way and narrowly avoided being crushed into the street. Stronghold's tail shattered cobblestone like cheap plastic, but then mire erupted over her tail, trying to trap her in sticky strings of black ooze.

Stronghold barely twitched, however, ripping her tail easily back as she snorted in contempt before she flicked her horn almost dismissively, blowing Thesis off his hooves in a thrum of telekinesis. “A slave hoof is forever a slave hoof!”

Thesis winced as he crashed back into something, before he grinned awkwardly and looked up at Cadence as he realized she had caught him. She was glaring at Stronghold, but then she grimaced when Thesis said pointedly: “Protect the others.”

“I hate you.” Cadence muttered, but then she nodded, shoving Thesis forward as she reluctantly took a step back, watching as Moonflower clumsily led Stronghold away, but the Draekin was focused almost entirely on the unicorn, the mare gritting her teeth before she looked back at Shining Armor. “You better get ready. If Stronghold gets desperate she might turn on us. Thesis, don't screw up.”

Stronghold roared in frustration as she stormed after Moonflower, leaping at him and snarling in frustration when he teleported away, the Draekin instead crashing into the wall of a building. She shoved herself off it with enough violence to nearly collapse the wall, trying to tackle the unicorn, but he snapped his horn down and blasted her out of the air with a thrum of gravity.

Stronghold bellyflopped to the ground, but then she only snorted in contempt, slowly forcing herself back to her claws even as Moonflower gritted his teeth and focused his powers further, trying to pin her down. Stronghold snarled in effort as her muscles flexed with such power her scales threatened to tear, the edges of her armor grinding into her body with enough force to saw through her hide as she rasped: “I know what you're trying to do.”

She staggered towards him, but Moonflower stumbled backward, keeping a safe ten feet of distance between them as Stronghold continued in a hiss: “But all you're doing is separating yourself from your friends, from the ponies you need to protect you, herd animal. And if you won't fight me, Moonflower, all you're going to do is prolong the inevitable with these stupid... tricks!”

Stronghold roared as she snapped her head back, a pulse of power ripping out of her body and dispelling Moonflower's magic with such violence that he was knocked crashing and rolling backwards. Stronghold immediately pounced after him, but Moonflower snapped his horn forward as he crashed down on his back, knocking the Draekin backwards with a psychokinetic hammer.

The Killing Light twisted her body around in midair, backflipping and landing with a grin before she slashed her own horn down, and Moonflower squawked as he flung himself to the side, scrambling to get out of the way of a series of golden lasers before Stronghold leapt suddenly forward, intercepting him on the flank as she slashed a claw down and knocked the stallion rolling painfully in the other direction.

But to her surprise, Moonflower managed to catch himself and twist around in a circle, blasting her with a torrent of black flames and knocking her skidding backwards until she managed to dig her claws into the street, grinning coldly as she rasped: “Better.”

Stronghold leaned forward and roared, breathing out a torrent of golden hell-flame, and Moonflower gritted his teeth as he reared back even as his horn flashed, summoning a swirling rift of darkness that absorbed the flames. Stronghold snarled as the flames whiffed out, before she slammed her tail back into the cobblestone street again, sending up chunks of rock that she caught in telekinesis so she could lob them one after the other into the air, then send them rocketing down at Moonflower.

The stallion winced as a jagged rock smashed off his armored body, knocking him staggering as the rift snapped shut in front of him, before he narrowly flung himself out of the way when the other rocks slammed into the earth around him. He snapped his horn forward, but Stronghold plowed through the blast of black flame and tackled him, her mouth opening as fire licked around her jaws-

Moonflower fired a blast of dark energy straight down her throat, and the Draekin choked and coughed as she staggered backwards, smog pouring out of her jaws as she shook her head wildly. She snarled as she snapped her head up, but then staggered with a gasp when a blast of magic slammed into her face, ripping her helmet off and sending it clattering across the street.

Stronghold snarled, and Moonflower stared at her with disbelief: her scarred features looked almost like they had been skinned, and he knew that hadn't been from his attack. Stronghold took advantage of his moment of shock to leap forward, swinging a claw at him, but she was halted by a series of black spikes that ripped out of the earth in front of her.

She snarled, looking back over her shoulder with disgust as Thesis said quietly: “Careful there, Stronghold. You're going to burn yourself out. Looks like you've already done enough damage to yourself as it is coming back from the Void early.”

“Pain has always been at my side.” Stronghold growled, raising her head slightly before she asked contemptibly, as her eyes flicked to the group of ponies in the distance: “Do you really think that the two of you alone can kill me? That you've actually 'separated' me from the rest of your herd? That I couldn't just rip straight through you both if I wanted to?”

Stronghold glanced at the spikes of corruption between her and Moonflower, and she smiled callously before she stretched a claw out, pressing her palm against the tip of one spike before she slowly pushed down, the crystallized corruption pushing through scale, then flesh, then out the other side of her claw as she said quietly: “Do you think I care at all what happens to this husk?”

“Horses of Heaven, lady, get some drugs or something.” Thesis blurted with a wince, and Stronghold snorted before she suddenly turned towards him, lashing her claw out and splattering blood over the stallion's face, and Thesis flinched away with a wince, swearing and grabbing at his eyes before Stronghold lunged forward and slammed a fist across his muzzle with a crack, knocking him to the ground in a heap.

She seized the stallion by the neck and spun around as the corruption collapsed into muck, flinging the Replicant at Moonflower. The unicorn caught Thesis with a wince in telekinesis, then he hurriedly flung Thesis skyward before his horn gave a second pulse of magic as Stronghold charged at him, and a plate of earth erupted out of the street and smashed into the Draekin, nearly knocking her off her feet.

She roared in frustration as she recovered, seizing the almost-solid plate of earth and tearing it loose before she flung it viciously at Moonflower, but he ducked under it before catching Thesis again in telekinesis and tossing him to the side, the Replicant wincing but twisting around to land on his hooves as Stronghold leapt at Moonflower and breathed out a deadly stream of golden flame.

The unicorn winced as he shielded himself against the firebreath, but the golden flames rapidly ate away at his magic, licking greedily at his body as they burned through his shield. Then one of Stronghold's claws lashed through the inferno, catching him across the face and knocking him sprawling before she lunged on top of him, seizing his throat as she grinned down at him, dropping her armored weight over his body with a snarl as she glared down into his eyes with fury.

Moonflower stared up at her, choking, and Stronghold's grin stretched wider for a moment, but then it died on her lips. She scowled instead, looking slowly to the side at Thesis as he dropped out of the charge at her and stood at the ready instead, before she looked back over her shoulder with a scowl at the cluster of ponies behind her, La Croix and Cadence both leaning forwards on their hooves, as if they could barely hold themselves back.

Then her eyes returned to Moonflower as he breathed hard, looking up at her as she looked down at him. Her claws shifted, gently grasping his face, tilting his head back and forth, and Moonflower remained passive under her, breathing quietly and looking up at her, uneasy but also unafraid.

Her eyes flicked up, looking again at Moonflower's friends, frowning strangely as she took in the sight of them, before her eyes roved back down to the unicorn beneath her, studying him again. He remained unmoving, and yet it didn't seem to be fear that had him paralyzed, as he leaned ever-so-slightly to one side, a hoof half-raised, not to strike, but as if gesturing at his friends not to move. Not to interfere. Not to stop the inevitable.

“Disappointing. Disgusting. Filthy animal.” Stronghold said distastefully, and yet with a strange, bitter affection, before she grasped his horn as she leaned down, tilting her head back as she said softly: “Cut it.”

“No.” Moonflower whispered, and Stronghold narrowed her eyes before she pulled higher on his horn, pressing the tip to her throat, sinking it through scale-

Moonflower yanked back, cutting her palm open, and Stronghold flexed her claws slowly as energy steamed from the wound as he gritted his teeth. His horn began to glow, but Stronghold only grinned, asking bitterly: “Going to knock me back again? What are you waiting for, for me to run out of energy, to destroy myself? Or are you hoping that someone else will kill me for you? Or do you just want to die, is that it?”

Moonflower remained silent, and the two looked at each other for a few moments before Stronghold snorted and stood, saying moodily: “You had me excited. I was anticipating a fight. But now I'm disappointed, and bored of playing with you. I could kill you, but what would that accomplish when you're all but giving yourself to me?”

Stronghold eyed Moonflower distastefully, and then she turned and strode towards the group of ponies, stopping in front of Cadence and eyeing her for a few moments before she asked contemptibly: “What about you? Do you have the fortitude to kill me? Or are you going to be like this coward, and pull your punches in the pathetic hope I'll somehow become your new best friend?”

“I don't think Moonflower wants to be friends with you. I think he just doesn't want to get his hooves dirty.” Cadence shot back, before she stepped forwards and met Stronghold's eyes fearlessly. “But I don't mind.”

Stronghold met her gaze evenly, and then she gave a cold smile before she glanced back over her shoulder with a scowl when Moonflower said quietly: “I'll fight you. I'll stop you if I have to, but I'll do it my way.”

Stronghold chuckled, turning a cruel smile towards Moonflower before she scowled when he added in a braver voice: “But you aren't fighting with your full strength, either. You're fighting like... like you want to die, Stronghold. Maybe all this talk about how nothing matters is getting to you, not to us. Maybe even you can't pretend that... once you take your stupid revenge, or whatever this is, you'll no longer have any reason to fight. You'll no longer have any reason to live.

There was silence for a moment, and then, to Cadence's surprise, Stronghold actually relaxed as she said softly: “All that excites me anymore is the fight. Nothing matters, no, but there still is... was, a thrill in fighting. And yes, I think often about revenge. I think about all the ways I want to draw out your death. I think about how I want to crush you, destroy you... the pleasure I felt when I proved my superiority before. I want that again.

“But fighting for Loki, even if it's killing a chunk of mare-flesh like you...” Stronghold scowled in disgust, shaking her head with a grimace. “It takes away my enjoyment. Unlike the scavengers like Sol Seraph and Cancer, or that worthless scumbucket Ignominious, what I desire most is a challenge. I look at you... weakened, beaten, bloody. I feel no pleasure in beating you at your worst, when you refuse to fight back. I am no scavenger. I have my pride.

“Nothing matters. Not me, not you, not Loki's idiocy.” Stronghold rose her head, giving a thin smile. “But still, I miss that momentary bliss of the fight. I want to recapture it. I don't care who wins or loses, if I am the victor or the fallen. I only care that you entertain me. And now? You're boring.”

Stronghold snorted, before Thesis said quietly: “If you join us, you'll have nothing but powerful enemies to fight. Think about it. All those people from the Void you hate. And your sister-”

“Don't talk about Throna.” Stronghold said coldly, before she turned her eyes towards Moonflower and said contemptibly: “You've never fought me with your full strength unless lives were on the line. Likely because you recognize the worthlessness of your own. So I'll tell you what, Moonflower: find me at the castle when you're ready to fight. I've already taken the rulers of this world hostage, as per Loki's instructions. If you fail to arrive within the hour, I'll kill them all.”

“Wait, we can talk-” But before Thesis could finish, Stronghold had already taken to the air, flapping her wings and flying off towards the castle in the distance.

Moonflower stared after her, and then he smiled before he lowered his head and whispered: “I'm sorry, everyone. I... I don't know why, but I couldn't fight her. Maybe she's right about me. Maybe I'm just too weak. I don't want to kill...”

“That's not weakness.” Cadence said softly as she approached, giving a small smile before she glanced over at Thesis, asking after a moment: “What do you think of what she said?”

Thesis was silent for a moment, lowering his head and mulling over what Stronghold had inadvertently revealed before he glanced up as Chrysalis asked grouchily: “Does it matter? Look, as much as I don't like... well, any of them, we should probably go and save the stupid royals from her.”

“I don't think it will be quite that simple, dear.” Miss Take said carefully, but then she cocked her head curiously when Moonflower shook his head almost vehemently as the ponies rejoined one-another, but he calmed after a moment as he looked up in embarrassment, giving a small smile.

“No, it's... I'll deal with Stronghold. I... I will.” Moonflower promised, before he glanced up in surprise when Sombra gently touched his shoulder, smiling at him kindly.

“You are not alone. And it is understandable that you do not want to kill, even her: she is still of your world. Why would you want to destroy yet another fragment of that?” Sombra gently squeezed Moonflower's shoulder, saying softly: “There is great strength in mercy.”

“Yeah. Definitely. Great strength, really. Can we go before more of those spirit zombie things show up?” Chrysalis asked loudly, shivering a little as she looked back and forth moodily. “I don't really care who kills who but I'd really rather no one kill me.”

“Oh, Chrissy. Who would want to kill you? You're not important enough for that.” Miss Take reassured kindly, and Chrysalis scowled horribly at the half-Changeling, before Miss Take turned a more-serious look towards Moonflower, adding quietly: “I hope, though, dear, that you are prepared to do whatever it is you have to do. Even if the Voidborn started behaving strangely...”

“I saw strings. I think she was being controlled.” Electra said softly, and the others looked up in surprise before Electra bit her lip, then she gestured with her head towards the castle, murmuring: “I can almost feel her instability from here. We should move. She may kill the princesses out of hoof. She is volatile.”

Moonflower nodded, taking a slow breath before he turned, letting Thesis and Cadence take the lead. La Croix joined him after a moment as Sombra stayed supportively at his side, and Shining Armor let himself fall back to the last in line, following Miss Take, Electra, and Chrysalis down the wide street as the Changelings muttered among themselves.

La Croix looked at Moonflower, then he said quietly: “Listen, mon ami. When we get a chance, I'll heal you up. But I hope you know your life be more valuable than hers. Maybe that ain't sayin' a whole lot, considerin' who and what she be, but... don't second guess yourself.”

Moonflower hesitated, and then he lowered his head and murmured: “I don't know what it is. I don't know when I stopped trying to kill her and started trying to stop her... I... I don't know.”

He dropped his head forward, mumbling: “I just don't know.”

La Croix smiled despite himself, and then he said softly: “There you go again, Moony, second-guessin' yourself. That's why you such a rube and all the damn couyons try to to take advantage of you.”

Moonflower huffed a little at this, before he hesitated, then looked back over his shoulder and asked: “Dear, what did you mean when you said she was being controlled?”

Electra smiled as she looked up, then she said hesitantly: “Well, I don't know if I would quite go so far as to say she is a puppet, but... did you not feel it? She came to life as she fought. She found her will. It is well-hidden in her nihilism, but there is a spark in there, still, some... desire to cling to life, a powerful will. But it feels almost as if there is some kind of hook, hidden in her mind, compelling her to act the way she is.”

Electra tasted her words, licking her lips slowly before she shook her head and murmured: “It's hard to say. It's something I feel. I think she searches for meaning, even now. How she speaks and how she acts are very different things, after all... she has great respect for you.”

Moonflower looked dubious at this, while Thesis snorted, saying wryly: “I always knew that's what that meant. That's why you call me all those names, right, Honk?”

“Shut up.” Cadence said dryly, before she shook her head, strangely wishing the Swan was awake: the Swan was better at reading emotions than she was, after all. But all the same... “I think I get what you mean, Electra. She concentrated on Moonflower. And she wanted him to...”

Cadence frowned slightly at this, before she asked uncertainly: “You don't think...”

“Only time will tell.” answered Electra with a small smile, before she shook her head and murmured, as Chrysalis cocked her head slightly: “Good news. They are frightened, and they will not come out to meet us, but there are still ponies, very much alive.”

“Good. That... Harvester thing must not have been able to move through the entire city.” Cadence said, even if it felt a little halfhearted. So only ninety percent of the population was wiped out instead of everyone...

“It is good. I have come to understand why it is sad, but I fail to understand why you cannot value the lives that were saved. One is always greater than zero.” said the Swan, and Cadence scowled as she looked up at the strange shape of the entity as it strode beside her, looking down at her with calm curiosity through its featureless bird-mask.

“It's not good. We should have done more.” Cadence said grumpily, and most of those present stared at her, which made Cadence wince before she did a double-take as she looked up at the Swan, realizing... that shouldn't be happening. I shouldn't be seeing this. What the hell is going on? “Sorry, I... uh... arguing with the Swan.”

“We are not arguing. I do not think it is an argument. I am merely trying to understand.” the Swan answered in reply, before she looked around as she stretched her strange, scaly fingers out, murmuring: “We have much growing to do, even if we can once more feel the Astra flow through us, as we flow through the Astra. We are everywhere, and nowhere. We will teach you, as you mentor us.”

“Focus on the mission.” Cadence grumbled, both to the Swan and herself, and the Swan studied her strangely before it simply vanished from sight. And yet it wasn't gone: it felt closer than ever, if anything, and Cadence shivered a little before she shook her head when she sensed both her father and Thesis looking at her.

The silence was uncomfortable as they made their way to the castle, but no one knew what to say until they were crossing the bridge towards the forced-open doors of the castle, Miss Take muttering: “This is the work of more than just that nasty creature. Cadence, I hope you don't mind, but I think I'd feel safer keeping your rifle for now, dear...”

“Forgot you still had it. You should keep it.” Cadence muttered as she readied her own daggers, spinning them nervously on either side of her as Thesis pulled down his visor, scanning back and forth with a frown as they entered the castle.

He grimaced at the sight of the entrance hall: it had been torn apart in the conflict, and dead Royal Guard lay across the room, Thesis shaking his head slowly and Electra covering her mouth with a shiver, as Shining murmured: “Goddammit. A lot of these guys were homeguard... just kids in training.”

The group made its way slowly across the hall, before Thesis looked up with a grimace as a body suddenly shifted in spite of the spear that was pinning it down. Miss Take began forward, but Cadence reached out and caught her as Thesis said quietly: “Husk.”

Shining Armor frowned, before he winced and leaned back slightly as the pony half-rolled towards them, unable to tear loose from the spear buried through his body but all the same trying his hardest to stretch out and grasp them as they passed by, glaring callously at the group as they made their way past.

A few other Husks had been either restrained or pinned: here by weapons, there by a collapsed balcony. Chrysalis scowled darkly at them as they passed, while Electra looked ill, murmuring: “Awful things. Awful, empty things. Like hollow drones, devoid of love...”

“They're like the Brokenhearted.” Shining Armor muttered, and Cadence couldn't really argue with that as she gave a faint smile; it was funny, though, how everything kept coming back to that. Maybe all those years ago, that really was nothing more than a prelude to... this.

Cadence wasn't sure whether it was good or bad that they found fewer and fewer signs of combat as they made their way through the castle, and to Cadence's surprise, past the throne room. Moonflower seemed to know just where to go, however, and no one questioned him as he took the lead, looking both anxious and determined all at once.

He brought them up through the galleries, and only slowed as they entered a less-used area of the castle, finally coming to a stop in front of a set of double doors at the end of a long, unused corridor. The dust had been wiped from the floor by something heavy being dragged along, which Cadence guessed meant they were in the right place: but even she hadn't been up here that often in the past, except in the old days, when Celestia...

La Croix reached up and gently shook Moonflower out of the stupor he had fallen into, and the unicorn looked at him dumbly before he smiled faintly when the Loa offered him a bottle, saying softly: “Drink up.”

Moonflower took the bottle, studying it for a moment before he sipped at the contents, then made a face. When La Croix only gave him an amused look, however, the stallion bit his lip before he downed the rest of the contents, and La Croix grinned wryly. “Better, m'seu. Glad to see you can at least pretend to be a real stallion, pédé.”

Moonflower smiled despite himself, and then he turned and faced the doors, breathing slowly before he murmured: “Let's hope you're right, and I can pretend a little longer.”

With that, Moonflower shoved the doors open and strode out into the beautiful, secret square here on the roof of Canterlot, nestled away between its mighty peaks and towers. It was surrounded by beautiful gardens, but Moonflower had no eye for the plants or bushes or trees as he climbed the short flight of marble steps up to the square stage where Stronghold Halfdragon sat.

The Voidborn had removed her armor, her body wrapped in cloth bandages, but bare flesh still clearly visible here and there through the uneven wrapping. Her expression was cold and serene, her head raised proudly, as if she had no shame of the grisly ornaments that hung from the old trees bordering the square.

The princesses had all been savagely beaten, then hung from the trees by ropes. Celestia hung upside down, her mouth agape, her eyes half-open and blinking blearily as drool fell from her jaws and matted her rainbow mane, and Luna shivered, both forelegs limp and broken, making the occasional snuffle or whimper as she twitched weakly, tears rolling down her dirty, bruised cheeks.

Twilight Sparkle had her forelegs bound behind her and was hanging by these and a crude harness belted around her body, the ropes grinding and digging through her hide as a ring around her horn glowed eerily. Her eyes were unseeing, flicking helplessly back and forth as she mumbled silently to herself in broken rhythm, her whole body shaking as magic was constantly extracted from her body to power the barrier that had imprisoned Canterlot.

Cadence scowled darkly, but Moonflower only shook his head slowly before he asked almost desperately: “Why, Stronghold? Why would you do this? What did they do to deserve this?”

“They lived.” Stronghold answered calmly, before she opened her eyes and looked coldly across at Moonflower. “To live is to acknowledge that you may die. That you will die. To live is to be responsible for your place in the chain of existence, and responsible for protecting that.

“We say life is unfair, and that we are cheated of what we deserve. But it is not and we are not. We all get precisely what we deserve, what we have earned.” Stronghold said bitterly, shaking her head slowly in disgust. “What are we? Animals. Filthy animals, both you and I, driven only by one desire, to be alive. I hate it. I hate that I have no reason to exist. I hate that I know these primal pleasures are nothing but the reward for being better, for staying alive, when life itself is meaningless. What does it matter, Moonflower? It all goes back to zero in the end. Why fight?”

“Why fight?” Moonflower echoed back, and Stronghold scowled at him as the unicorn strode forward, asking quietly: “Why fight at all? I don't want to be your enemy. You... please, Stronghold. Loki destroyed our world. Our world. You don't have to do what he says-”

“Except I do.” Stronghold muttered, shaking her head slowly. “He has control over all the Voidborn...” She stopped, then looked at Thesis, studying him coldly. “Or almost all of them, at least. And he threatens my existence. Here or in the Void, I still exist, but only as long as Loki wants me to. I don't want to live, no. I wish my life had been passed over and I had never been born. But I don't want to lie down and die, either.”

“No, you do. You want it to be over. And it is not the pain you fear...” Electra whispered, as she leaned towards Stronghold, who looked back at the Changeling impassively. “It is failure. Is your pride so great that-”

“It's all I have left.” Stronghold slowly climbed to her claws, then she faced Moonflower and growled: “Kill me, or I will kill you.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Moonflower gave a weak smile before he asked quietly: “Why can't you just ask for help, Stronghold?”

“Because we are enemies. And I will not bow my head before you, worthless gelding.” snarled Stronghold, before she lunged forward, sweeping a claw viciously down-

Cadence stepped in front of Stronghold, lashing a knife up and catching her wrist against the blade, the Draekin snarling before the ivory mare twisted viciously to the side and sliced Stronghold's claw completely off. The Voidborn staggered backwards with a roar of shock, eyes bulging as she stared in shock at the stump of steaming wrist, her claw dissolving into energy before it could even hit the ground as Cadence growled: “You aren't fighting him alone. You're fighting all of us.”

Stronghold's snarl twisted into a grin, her eyes blazing as her horn flared with light that seared her wrist shut before she lunged forward, jaws opening wide, but Cadence felt hooves grasp her shoulders, leaning forward and letting Miss Take jackknife her so the Changeling could slam both rear hooves into the Draekin's face and knock her back.

Stronghold recovered almost immediately, but when she lunged again, she smashed into a barrier Shining created before the unicorn snapped his horn down, shattering the barrier into deadly shrapnel that tore across Stronghold's body, frustrating her.

She covered herself with her injured limb, and Cadence immediately shot forwards, slamming a volley of blows into her unprotected body. Stronghold roared in frustration, swinging out and breathing out a gust of golden flame, but Cadence dodged to the side and Miss Take struck suddenly from above, slamming her hooves into the back of Stronghold's head to send her face-first into the ground, cutting off the stream of golden flame before she was staggered again when a green flare erupted into her eyes.

She swung her forelegs out, but both mares dodged before they both plowed forward into the Draekin, pummeling her viciously. But even as Stronghold flinched, she clawed outward, seizing Cadence by the head and yanking her off the ground to slam her into Miss Take, flinging them both away before her horn blazed with magic-

A blast of gravity hammered into her, Moonflower driving the Draekin back as he gritted his teeth, and Stronghold grinned, eyes blazing as her whole body flexed with excitement. She lunged at him, slamming her horn down, but Moonflower met her spire with his own, black and gold lightning sparking through the air around them as they slashed against each other, Moonflower's strength and courage lending him skill, while Stronghold was hindered by her injured limb and the damage she had already suffered.

Stronghold suddenly twisted hard to the side, and she swung her claw out, catching Moonflower by the face and yanking him off the ground before she dropped heavily on her side, crashing to the ground but slamming Moonflower face-first into the stone square beside her. She rolled quickly backwards, her tail snapping up and out, but it crashed uselessly into a shield of energy that Shining Armor summoned before black mire erupted from the ground around Stronghold, pinning her in place.

But it only lasted for a moment before Stronghold roared, a shockwave of golden flame ripping through the air, neutralizing the corruption. She sprang forward, sending up a cloud of mire-turned-dust, but Moonflower rolled quickly to the side, wincing as Stronghold clumsily staggered on three legs but still turned with a snarl after him-

A bottle smashed against her face, and Stronghold hissed before she reared back, grabbing automatically at the sticky substance that had covered her cheek. Her claws stuck in the goop, and she shook herself violently, trying to tear loose from the cement before she grunted in surprise when a stream of black tar hit her horn, before it solidified into crystal.

It smoldered violently when she began to focus her magic, but Cadence had more than enough time to tackle Stronghold from behind, yanking her crippled foreleg up into the center of her back and slamming her face-first into the ground. Her tail snapped up, but Thesis and Sombra both caught this, yanking to the ground and covering it with a mix of sticky mire and immobilizing crystal.

Stronghold roared in fury and frustration, glaring with her single visible eye at Moonflower, flushed with fury and humiliation. She struggled uselessly as the unicorn pushed himself slowly up to his hooves, and then she roared furiously: “Coward! Fight me! Fight me, gelding!”

“If you fight one of us, Stronghold, you fight all of us. We get what we deserve.” Moonflower answered bitterly, shaking his head slowly before he looked silently around at the ponies: the ponies who had all rushed to his aid to help him. To help him stop Stronghold, and more importantly... “I... I won't kill you. I refuse to kill you.”

“What?” Stronghold looked up, eyes flaring with fury and surprise, before she snarled: “Stupid worthless faggot coward!”

“I know why you want to die, Stronghold.” Moonflower said quietly as he approached, looking down at her silently. “I know it's because if I kill you, it gives you a reason to come back. But I'm not going to be that reason anymore. I'm not going to do it, not anymore. You're in the past. Please... please leave that in the past. Please realize you're... more than a weapon.”

Stronghold struggled, then roared, twisting and turning, shaking and shuddering violently before she suddenly stilled, lowering her head slightly, breathing hard in and out before she whispered: “Nothing has any meaning. Nothing. Do you understand how terrifying that is? I just want to go back to the way things were before... was it so bad? It hurt, it thrilled, it was the worst thing in the world... and yet eternal war was so much better than standing on the edge of oblivion. Pretending, for a little while, that I was in charge of my own destiny, that I at least decided my own fate on the battlefield, than to be a servant, a slave, to a power greater than I can fathom, whose sole desire is to finish stripping the little meaning left in the universe, from it. That there was... something, I was serving, whether it was myself or the... the God I wish I could punish. The God that never existed.”

Stronghold breathed slowly in and out, before she looked silently at her stump of wrist, watching as energy steamed off it before she looked up at Moonflower and whispered: “Mercy. Please. Kill me. Give me a reason to come back, Moonflower. Revenge is all I have. Don't take that away from me. Let me pretend this was my own, my only choice.”

Moonflower smiled faintly, and then he said quietly: “Please, Stronghold. You can come back with us. Throna misses you. Who you once were. Come back with us.”

Stronghold stared up at Moonflower for a few moments, and then she gave a faint smile before she closed her eyes tightly, shaking her head briefly before she murmured: “Weak. Pathetic. Stupid and... meaningless. Throna is the future. I am the past. All I can ever be is what the world made me. And I... I still have my pride. All I have left is my pride.”

Stronghold looked up coldly, before she smiled thinly as her horn thrummed, the crystal over the spire shuddering. Sombra began to lean forward, but then Cadence's eyes widened as she realized what Stronghold was doing, shouting: “Get away from her!”

She shoved those in reach back, but Stronghold only laughed harshly as her whole body smoldered with energy, golden flames bursting out of her scales as a bizarre sound like popping corn filled the air. But there was no great bang, no tremendous overload of power: Stronghold's golden flames ripped across her body as she cracked like glass, glaring up at Moonflower as she self-immolated.

The ponies staggered back, all but for Moonflower, who looked down at the mare silently, watching as she burned like a golden pyre, her body shaking with the effort it clearly took to power the devastating magic and not give in to the tremendous agony she had to be in. And yet somehow her voice was steady as she rose her had and rasped: “You will not save me, pony. No one can ever save me. I... I won't let anyone save me.”

Energy flared across Stronghold's body, and then she simply vanished with one last gasp, dust and embers crumbling to the square where she had lain moments before. For a few moments, the others only studied the ground where the Draekin had lain, and then Thesis cleared his throat and shook his head, saying finally: “Come on. Let's get the princesses down and secure the castle.”

There was a strange sense of emptiness as they went about their work, carefully pulling down the princesses and freeing them from their bonds so that La Croix could attend to them.

The moment the ring was removed from Twilight's horn, the magic barrier around Canterlot was dispelled, and the sense of oppression vanished. It was like a veil had been lifted, Cadence thought, and she imagined that it meant they had lost any reason to stay here any longer. She knew that Archon was missing, hundreds – perhaps thousands, perhaps more – had died and been swept away by Loki; she knew the princesses were all severely injured, perhaps crippled, perhaps worse.

She wondered if Loki had planned this from the start, too: not just these petty fights and the abductions and executions and the metaphorical victory in stealing her coffin, but this, right here, right now, as she sat silently and looked at the princesses, her friends, her former family, and she was forced to grapple with the fact that she felt almost nothing for them.

She watched Shining Armor and Miss Take, and thought about how the feelings she had, and the feelings she'd thought she'd had, were nothing compared to the feelings she'd developed for her new friends, her new family, her new homeworld. She realized with some irony that like Moonflower, she had been so afraid of coming back here to this world, but it had been an entirely different fear: he had been worried about rejection, terrified of not living up to their expectations, then of losing them.

Her? She had never been afraid they would reject her. She had been selfish, worried they wouldn't acknowledge her, that they'd hold grudges for how she'd treated them even though they'd had every right to, that they would get in her way or worse, want her to stay or guilt her when she didn't belong here. She prettied it all up and tried to convince herself otherwise, but in the end, all she ever thought about was herself, every time.

Now she was sitting here, and part of her said this was a waste of time and they should head back to Decretum so they could continue to pursue Loki. Some cold, hollow part of her didn't give a rat's ass about the princesses, the lives lost in Canterlot, the fact they hadn't heard from Archon, or even the fate of this world.

She looked up at the Swan, who stood apart from her, studying her silently, and she knew that she couldn't blame the Swan for this. The Swan was a thousand terrible things, but most of that stemmed from existing solely as a puppet, a thing with stifled emotions, suffocated under the rules and laws of the Aesir.

Then what was she? What the Swan would have become without those rules and laws to guide it? Even with all her father's love and Hecate's discipline and the rigorous teachings of Decretum and the morality of her fellow ponies to encourage her, she would have still slit Stronghold's throat instead of sparing her life. She still wanted to abandon her old friends and go back home, now that their duty here was done.

Cadence rose her head slightly as Sombra gently touched her shoulder, saying softly: “You are thinking too heavily again, mi amore. I know it is painful to feel like you are unable to help here: perhaps we should check the rest of the castle.”

Cadence shifted slightly, but Thesis looked up with a smile and a brief nod from where he was helping support Twilight Sparkle, as La Croix checked quickly along her body. “Good idea. Cadence, Sombra, take Electra and find the survivors. Stay in contact via Mission Drive and let us know if you find anyone. We'll keep you updated on our movements.”

“I... yes, of course.” Cadence reached up and pulled her visor down, then she grimaced as it only fizzled uselessly, shoving the broken visor back up with a grumble of embarrassment. My... eyes are fine, anyway.

With barely a thought, her vision changed, looking into the Astra for a moment before she flinched as her sight returned to normal. Thesis frowned slightly at her as Electra and Chrysalis both gave odd twitches, and Cadence shook herself quickly out before she said finally: “It's fine. I saw some ponies in the barracks and at the Magic Academy. I'll check there, first.”

Electra smiled awkwardly, before she winced when Chrysalis asked suspiciously: “How do you know that? I saw that change again. Just what are you?”

Cadence only scowled at Chrysalis until she awkwardly looked away, and then Miss Take cleared her throat before she said carefully: “Perhaps for now we should just concentrate on getting everyone safe. And then perhaps we'll finally all be able to sit down and talk about things.”

Cadence gave a brief smile, looking over at Miss Take, answering with an unenthusiastic lie: “Yes. I'm sure we will.”

With that, Cadence turned, leaving the group behind as she headed back into Canterlot Castle to finish her duties here, and the Swan lingered behind her, wondering why ponies wanted emotions at all if this was the price they paid.

Never Alone Again

Chapter One Hundred and Eleven: Never Alone Again
~BlackRoseRaven

They found Archon, several nobles, and a group of Royal Guard secured in the barracks, past clusters of corpses and several pinned Husks. He seemed unsurprised to see Cadence, only giving her a brief nod before he asked grouchily: “Are they gone?”

Cadence smiled wryly in spite of herself and simply nodded back, and Archon had taken charge and started marshaling soldiers to take back the castle and secure the remaining Husks. Cadence had let him, uninterested in almost everything, it seemed like. She just itched to leave.

So instead they headed to the Magic Academy, and eventually convinced the mages to remove the barriers they had insulated the building with and to come out and help secure the area. They had at least protected most of the students, although Cadence couldn't help but wonder why Loki hadn't sent more soldiers to attack this place: his Harvester could have easily passed through even their most powerful magic. Hell, an Aetherhaunt could have done a lot of damage by itself before being destroyed, and that would be more powerful souls added to his Voidborn army...

No, maybe that was wrong. Maybe strength alone didn't determine a soul's quality. Maybe it was more complicated than that, and all these pony souls were roughly the same, whether they were lowly earth pony servants or powerful unicorn mages. Then again, Cadence reflected, compared to them the most powerful mage here was still a novice who probably wouldn't survive basic training in Decretum.

Not that it was their fault: it was more proof as to why Hecate was right when she said that these ponies needed something like Decretum, guardians who stepped in when things went past what your average pony could handle.

She could feel her father's presence soothing her, while Electra helped in her own way, gentle and diplomatic: she had been the one to convince the mages to help when Cadence had been tempted to just punch down their barriers and chase them out of the school.

She wondered for the thousandth time what it was that made her the leader: she was angry, erratic, cold-hearted; she knew by now that Hecate was anything but cold, no matter what she acted like. She could never handle that, she felt: sometimes she hated what a... well, a bitch she could be, but other times she was glad she could kill without empathy, or turn her back on the people who didn't benefit her or her team.

“How does it protect you to define yourself as a sociopath?” asked the Swan, and Cadence glanced at the entity that was striding beside her with a scowl. “That is what you say you are. The word is there, floating in your mind. You almost cling to it. Why is that what you want to be?”

“That's not what I want to be.” Cadence muttered in response, before she shook her head quickly and focused on thinking at the Swan instead of speaking out loud: I don't want to be what I am. What we are. We're just... I don't know...

“You do know, though.” the Swan said, before she paused and suddenly strode over towards Electra, studying her strangely before she said softly: “It has always been easier for you to deny, Cadence. But we cannot entirely blame you. You were taught to deny yourself, your instincts, your urges. To shut down, when things hurt: that is all you are doing. Shutting out, and shutting down.”

The Swan reached out, gently touching Electra, and to Cadence's surprise, Electra twitched and looked sharply at her, then up at the Swan as she stumbled to a halt, her jaw falling open for a moment before the Swan smiled and said quietly: “But if you truly felt the way you do, you would not value the life of a stranger like this one.”

“What was that?” asked Electra uneasily, and Sombra halted and frowned before Electra nervously looked at Cadence.

Cadence smiled awkwardly, then she shook her head and said after a moment, the faintest blush in her cheeks: “Sorry. The Swan uh... that other part of me seems to be... wandering.”

“I see.” Electra was quiet for a moment, and then she cleared her throat before she looked forward down the hall, saying suddenly: “When I first came here, I was very nervous, you know. Metanoia of course reassured and promised me that nothing would happen, that these ponies could be trusted.

“I was pleasantly surprised by how kind they were. They welcomed me, treated me like one of their own.” Electra fell quiet, spinning her parasol for a moment before her eyes flicked towards Cadence as she gave a small smile. “I am not helping you for you, Cadence. I am helping you, giving everything I can to you, because I care deeply for them. Do you understand?”

The generous, kindhearted Changeling looked at Cadence, looked into Cadence, and Cadence looked steadily back for a few moments before she finally sighed softly and lowered her head slightly, nodding grudgingly as she looked down and mumbled: “I wish people would stop scolding me.”

“I'm not scolding you, I promise. I'm only telling you that... we're all driven by selfishness, to some degree. I want to help, I do. But I do it because it will benefit me, in the long run, and because I honestly believe we all have to be together to survive... and that includes my survival, too.” answered Electra with a small smile, before she shook her head and said softly: “But selfishness doesn't make us bad. Stupidity and ego are what ruin us. And I don't think you're either of those things. Just... hard on yourself, and perhaps...”

“Not willing to feel.” Cadence said, and then she smiled awkwardly as she felt her father's gentle, silent gaze on her, shifting a bit before she looked back at him and murmured: “But you have to be willing to endure a little pain now and then yourself, if you're going to help others.”

“I know you have never feared pain, Cadenza. Rather, you should remember la superbia viene davanti alla rovina.” Sombra answered gently, and Cadence grimaced even as she nodded grudgingly. That was true, too: she tended to put her own pride before anything else.

“I guess I should take a lesson from Stronghold.” Cadence grumbled as they approached a door guarded by two soldiers, who both hurriedly saluted as they stared at Cadence with something like awe. Cadence pointedly ignored them both as she shoved her way through into the Royal Quarters, hurrying towards the source of the voices she heard... arguing?

She entered the bedroom to find Celestia laying in her own bed, surrounded by servants and officers, while Thesis was pointedly perched on a chair to one side, explaining blandly to some anxious noble: “Princess Celestia is fine and will be up and about in a day. Maybe two. Maybe a week. You guys will survive until then.”

“But an emissary from the griffin kingdom just showed up, what do I tell him? And what about the Royal Cake Bake or the-”

“You guys will survive, okay? Look. If you keep bothering the princess, then she's never going to get better. Go bother someone else. Other than the princesses, I already had to take that stupid clipboard away from Twilight.” Thesis said dryly, and then he sighed when the noble stared helplessly at Celestia, who smiled awkwardly.

But before anyone could say anything else, Cadence threw her head back and shouted: “Everypony who doesn't want to get punched in the face, leave immediately!”

The ponies all stared at her, and then Cadence bared her teeth and slammed a hoof into the floor hard enough to crack the hardwood, and immediately the herd of nobles and officers rushed for the door.

Cadence sighed as the last pony vanished, before she moodily turned her eyes towards Thesis as he said mildly: “Smooth, Cadence. Very smooth.”

“You always did have a way with ponies. I still remember what happened the one time I made you hold court by yourself.” Celestia said softly, and Cadence smiled lamely, rubbing the back of her head before she approached the bed.

They looked at each other silently for a few moments, and then Celestia smiled and said quietly: “Don't. I know you must be anxious to leave. I can't blame you, either, Cadence. It's hard, but I know this isn't your world anymore... that... everything has changed.”

She studied Cadence for a few moments, and then she asked softly: “Will you take off your helmet, please?”

Cadence smiled awkwardly, then she nodded once before she reached up and removed her helm, shaking her head out as her bun came undone her mane fell loose, spilling around her shoulders and down her back. Then she blinked as Princess Celestia struggled her way up to a sitting position, then she carefully reached one foreleg out, resting her hoof against her smooth forehead.

Cadence looked up at her, at how even so beaten and injured, Celestia radiated majesty and authority and warmth. Even as she had to paused to take a breath, Cadence felt nothing but respect and admiration for her, for how strong she was, for how she pushed through the pain purely for the sake of someone else... someone who didn't deserve this kind of kindness, Cadence thought with faint shame.

“Cadenza Danzsöngr, in the name of the sun, in the name of Equestria, in the name of all who came before me and all who will come after, I thank you, and I bless you.” Celestia said in a soft, strong voice, her eyes gazing down at the mare with somber love. “May the sun forever shine upon your path.”

“That's bad for black ops work.” Thesis commented, and Celestia smiled in amusement as Cadence glowered over at the stallion, before he leaned forwards and gently grasped Celestia as she settled down against the mattress, helping her lay back against the pillows as he said softly: “You try and get some rest now, Princess Celestia. Don't kill yourself. Then what am I gonna tell Mom?”

“Tell her that you were successful. And tell her that I'm jealous.” Celestia smiled faintly as her eyes shifted to Thesis, studying him silently before she murmured: “I never had a son. But it's been nice... to pretend for a little while.”

Thesis chuckled quietly at this, then he answered softly: “Now don't talk like that, you make it sound like you really are dying.”

Celestia smiled a bit again, then she closed her eyes and murmured: “It feels almost like dying. It's peaceful, and it's quiet, and for the first time in years I actually feel like sleeping and leaving the country in the hooves of the court for a little while. A week sounds good. Maybe a month. I need to make sure I'm fully healed, after all.”

“That's right.” Thesis smiled slightly, before he looked up and winked at Cadence, asking: “Do you mind checking on the other princesses? Once everyone's settled down, we can arrange transportation back to the Crystal Empire and head back to Endworld. I already contacted Seneschal and let him know to expect us.”

Cadence smiled awkwardly at Thesis as she slipped her helmet back on, and he shrugged a bit before he turned his eyes to Celestia as she looked at him with the faintest hint of regret. “Hey, we're just here to clean up the mess. We can't stay, as much as we might like to. You guys have to go back to business as usual, and you can't do that with us here.”

“You're right. Of course. But please make sure to at least say goodbye before you go, Cadence.” Celestia said softly, before she smiled and added: “And you too, King Serenite. No leaving without at least a goodbye.”

Sombra chuckled quietly, then he nodded and promised: “I would not dream of it, piccola. Perhaps if there is enough time, we can share a meal before we depart?”

“I can have a train arranged to take you back to the Crystal Kingdom overnight, if you're willing to stay until the evening.” Celestia said, and she smiled at Thesis when he shifted uncertainly. “Please.”

Thesis looked at Cadence, and the ivory mare shifted a bit before she sighed and nodded: she wanted to leave, but she recognized that was mostly because of her own selfish reasons. Even if she could come up with a hoof-full of good ones, like that they needed to report to Hecate, or that their continued presence here might draw more problems... those are dumb reasons. And another few hours won't make any difference. “Yeah. I think it's a good idea.”

“Good.” Celestia smiled as Thesis nodded slowly, before he blushed a bit when the Princess of the Sun turned her eyes back to Cadence, adding in a gentle voice: “We aren't going to try and make you stay here. I miss you very much. We all do. But... I know you wouldn't be happy here. And you have another path in life.”

“Thank you.” was all Cadence could think of to say, giving an awkward smile before she finally nodded and lowered her head, murmuring: “I... I promise that I'm going to do my best.”

“I know you will. You always have.” Celestia answered kindly, and then she simply closed her eyes and settled back into her bed, letting her hooves rest on her chest as she settled down and looked strangely content.

Thesis silently excused himself, following the others out before he gestured down the hall saying: “Luna is staying in the guest room and Twilight is in the... other guest room. I'll go ahead and find Archon, see where he is with getting everything calmed down. Tough old stallion, I have to give him that.”

“You have to give him more than that.” Cadence murmured, and then she shook her head before she smiled a little and glanced up, adding quietly: “Thanks for... you know.”

Thesis only shrugged and smiled briefly in return, and then he turned and headed away, Cadence watching him as he went with a strange warmth before she shook her head again and said finally: “Let's go. He's right. Stupid asshole is always right.”

“You have such an interesting relationship.” Electra said, and Cadence couldn't help but smile in amusement at this: that was probably an understatement, she thought, as they headed to the guest room. “I fear sometimes that because you do not treat the rest of us... similarly to how you do your friends, you might not be as fond of us.”

“I'll try and be more of an asshole to the rest of you, then.” Cadence said, and Electra smiled a little as the mare knocked once on the guest room door before she let herself in, and she was surprised to find Luna was already alone... or mostly-alone, rather.

Moonflower looked up with an awkward smile, while La Croix was fussing over the mare's wounds, grumbling: “Y'know, you a far cry from the worst Luna I ever seen, but you still ain't helpin' yourself heal doin' that, Madame.”

“They were making my brain hurt.” Luna croaked, before she uselessly rose one of her cast-covered forelegs, grumbling: “And it is not like I could do much else. I-”

“Shh, shh, shush now, y'idjit. You just gonna make yourself hurt worse.” La Croix said gently as he pushed Luna back against the bed, before he glanced back at Cadence and chuckled a little. “Cygne, maybe you can talk a little sense into her, huh?”

“I think this is good.” Moonflower blurted out suddenly, and all eyes turned towards him, La Croix cocking an eyebrow, and the stallion gave an awkward smile before he lowered his head even as he repeated in a murmur: “I think it's good, where we are right now, what we've done. I mean... I'm sorry everyone was hurt, but it could have been so much worse. And that's so...”

Moonflower fumbled with his words, but Cadence knew what he meant, nodding slowly as she said softly: “We have to focus on the good things, yes. The Princesses are alive, so are a lot of other ponies. They evacuated more of Canterlot and the castle than we thought, and that's good.”

It took a very conscious effort of will not to mention all the bad things that had happened, and to instead move forward with: “There are no more Voidborn, and it seems like the occupation here has ended. We're going to... stay a little longer and make sure and celebrate, I guess, and then we'll go home, back through the portal in the Crystal Kingdom.”

Cadence glanced back at her father, and Luna smiled before she asked curiously: “What s it like, King Serenite, to set foot in your old kingdom? I remember, when I was banished to the moon... I built my own kingdom there.” She smiled briefly, shaking her head before she murmured: “But one cannot have much of a kingdom without any subjects.”

“Yes, the people must always come first. I am glad and honored to see what the Crystal Kingdom has become. To see what the Crystal Ponies have evolved into, but they have always been a hardy people.” Sombra answered with a quiet laugh. “It is beyond all that I had hoped and dreamed, to be honest. Especially after what they were forced to endure.”

“Perhaps it is not in spite of, but because of what they were forced to endure, that they have grown into the strong and prosperous people they are today.” Luna answered, and then she grimaced when La Croix smacked her lightly on the muzzle before offering her a bottle.

“Taisse-toi and drink this, it'll make you feel better and help you sleep.” La Croix instructed, and Luna grumbled before the zebra said in a gentler voice: “You stop that now. You got the hell beaten out of you, and we all know it ain't 'cause you be weak, it's 'cause you fought the hardest.”

Luna smiled a little at this, opening her mouth, but La Croix tapped her on the muzzle and said gently: “Just drink the damn elixir, Madame.”

Luna sighed, then nodded grudgingly before she allowed him to tilt the bottle back, drinking the offered potion. She grimaced slightly at the taste, then settled back against her pillows, closing her eyes as La Croix said gently: “There. Now get some sleep, and don't you be sneakin' off.”

“Yes, yes. I apologize, Cadence, but... I hope we can talk later. I'll do my best to listen, though...” Luna smiled briefly as she opened her eyes, looking warmly at the ivory mare. “Thank you.”

Cadence only shrugged awkwardly, and La Croix chuckled before he looked pointedly over at Moonflower, who hurriedly nodded before he turned and scampered towards the others. The group headed out into the hall, and the zebra absently stretched before he said: “Guess I'll go see 'bout Celestia next. Monsieur L'Armee seems to have his sister on lockdown, but she be more drained than anything else.”

La Croix paused and hesitated for a moment before he asked finally: “How are you, Cygne?”

Both he and Moonflower looked at her, and Cadence felt the concern radiating from them both before she smiled a little as she said softly: “You guys seem a little anxious.”

La Croix shrugged awkwardly, and Moonflower smiled lamely before the unicorn said finally: “This feels different, doesn't it? Like this time... like, well... are you okay?”

“Yeah. I'm okay. And it is different this time around, you're right.” Cadence looked down at one of her golden hooves, flexing material that now felt almost synthetic before she reflected silently that she hadn't even dared to look at herself in a mirror yet: hell, she hadn't even dared to remove any of her armor. “I'm going to have to get my tattoo again.”

There were a few smiles at this, before Cadence sighed and nodded, reassuring: “I am okay, though, guys, I promise. It's just a lot to process. I know that goes for all of us, but... we're done the mission here, at least. We can go home, and...”

Well, Cadence didn't know what the hell they were going to do then. But thankfully, Electra provided an out by asking curiously: “What is your home like? I am very curious.”

“I would be glad to tell you what I know of the Clockwork Empire, Electra. Cadence, I am sure you are eager to see Twilight Sparkle, so don't let us keep you waiting.” Sombra said politely, and Cadence smiled in amusement and gratitude at her father. “La Croix, Moonflower, would you like to join us?”

“Sure, mon ami. Right, Moony?” La Croix pointedly shouldered Moonflower, who blinked before he nodded several times, giving a lame smile.

“Uh, yes, of course!” Moonflower blurted out, nodding awkwardly before he clapped his front hooves together and gave a lame smile, clearing his throat before he said finally: “We're... you know, just... we are here for you, Cadence, and... and I'm sorry.”

Cadence frowned in surprise at this, and Moonflower glanced down before he shook his head and murmured: “It just seems like I've attracted so much trouble recently... in the past I'd brag about it. Oh, you know 'of course they're interested in me, the most powerful of all evils...'” Moonflower twirled his wrists as he posed laconically. “But... it feels a lot less fun these days, and after what happened before-”

“Moonflower, none of this is your fault. Don't be stupid.” Cadence said, a little more forcefully than she meant to, and Moonflower flinched before the mare sighed and continued in a gentler voice: “Look. Loki wants to hurt all of us, but he's obviously smarter than just blindly striking out at us. He's got other goals here, bigger than me or you. He's just... using the bad people from our past to try and attain those goals.”

She shook her head, then looked up and said finally: “Look just... stop being a dick and making it all about you. Because it's not. It's not all about me, either. This is Loki's fault, and what we should really be concentrating on is kicking his goddamn ass.”

Moonflower smiled a little at this, then he winced when La Croix slapped him firmly on the foreleg, saying mildly: “'Sjust what I been sayin' all along. Now come on, Moony, let's go. Only pretty girls get to cry, and close as y'are to a girl, y'certainly ain't pretty.”

“Oh ha ha, La Croix. Very funny.” Moonflower huffed, but he was smiling all the same even as he retorted: “Well, at least you've finally found your use, stripehorse, which is taking care of all us superior ponies.”

“Yeah, fixin' you up 'cause you keep gettin' broke. But that's always kind of been my job, I suppose.” La Croix answered wryly, and then he turned to follow Sombra as the unicorn left, Moonflower huffing and hurrying after the two.

“Interesting friends. Good friends, at that.” Electra said softly, and then she gave a small smile before she simply nodded to Cadence, then turned and followed after the others.

Cadence hesitated for a moment as she was left alone, thinking about how easy it would be just to slip away; but as if she'd heard her, the door at the end of the hall opened, and Miss Take leaned out to call gently: “Twilight would love to see you, dear, if you have a moment. So would the rest of us.”

Cadence sighed a little, then she nodded before she turned around with an awkward smile, striding to meet Miss Take at the door. The half-Changeling looked at her tenderly, and then she reached up and gently took her by the face, Cadence wincing slightly as she felt her head being turned back and forth before she grumbled when Miss Take slipped her helmet off.

“You have such a pretty face, dear. There's no need to hide it, or who you are.” Miss Take said almost tenderly, and Cadence shifted a little, glancing awkwardly away before the half-Changeling grasped her by the shoulder and lightly tugged her into the bedroom, announcing: “Cadence is here, Twilight Sparkle! Now be kind to her, she's been through quite a lot herself here, you know.”

Twilight smiled tiredly as Cadence approached the bed, Shining Armor shifting awkwardly to the side: still Twilight's Big Brother Best Friend Forever, Cadence saw with a wry smile, before she turned her eyes back to the Princess of Magic as Twilight said softly: “Your horn.”

“Yeah. Well... every time I die, I change.” Cadence said, but she didn't know how to describe it beyond that, so for a moment she just shifted awkwardly before asking lamely: “How are you feeling?”

“But without your horn... can you do magic, still?” Twilight asked worriedly, steamrollering the question, and Cadence sighed and shifted before she held up a hoof.

There was no question, no hesitation, and no surprise, when she felt the magic gather as it always had, before white flame flared across her golden hoof, Twilight's eyes widening in surprise as Cadence murmured: “I guess the training with Freya helped a lot, but... it's always just been there, naturally, too. The Swan... I'm not really a pony, I guess. Not really. I don't know if I ever was, but even if I was, I'm not anymore.”

Cadence fell into a brooding quiet for a moment, before Miss Take said gently: “Now stop that, dear. You'll insult all the rest of us not-ponies.”

Chrysalis grunted, and Cadence glanced up in surprise to see the Changeling Queen sulking in a corner, scowling at them. But the ivory mare could sense a weird mix of emotions in the Changeling mare as Chrysalis grumbled: “Incredible how you vanish for a few years and come back some kind of mutant, Princess.”

“Almost as amazing as coming back to find out you've become part of pony society, Chrysalis.” Cadence shot back, and Chrysalis glared at her as she rose her head high.

“The only reason I'm here is because the Queen Mother wishes for us to have peaceful relations with Equestria! And if I-”

“Yes, Chrissy, we know, you don't want to be spanked or to have all your drones taken away from you.” Miss Take said kindly, and Chrysalis scowled horribly before the half-Changeling added gently: “You don't have to work so hard to impress everyone, you know, dear. The only person here worried about you is you.”

Chrysalis grumbled under her breath, and Cadence forced a smile before she took a breath and strode over to the Changeling Queen. The two looked at each other for a few moments, and then Cadence extended a hoof, asking: “Can we put things behind us?”

“No.” Chrysalis said in a surly voice, and Cadence sighed and rolled her eyes before the Changeling Queen grimaced and said moodily: “The last thing I'm going to be is your friend. But since I know Metanoia will tattle on me if I don't behave...”

Chrysalis reached up and awkwardly took Cadence's hoof, then she winced at the iron grip of the mare, leaning backwards slightly as her eyes widened when Cadence leaned in and said gently: “Don't worry, Chrysalis. I don't want to be your friend, either. But that doesn't mean we have to be enemies.”

Chrysalis scowled, then yanked her hoof away and shook it awkwardly out before she grumbled: “Great, then we're not enemies. See, Metanoia? I'm not enemies with her.”

“That's very good, and a very big step for you, Chrissy. I'm very proud.” Miss Take said kindly, before she smiled in amusement over at Cadence. “But I don't see what the benefit is for you there, Cadence, dear. You're not going to be here for much longer... are you?”

There was almost a hint of eagerness in Miss Take's voice, and Cadence smiled faintly before she shook her head and said: “No, I have to leave. There's... too much at stake and too much I'm involved in. But before I go, I want to fix as many mistakes as possible. That just seemed like the easiest.”

“Great. I'm easy.” Chrysalis said drolly, but she sounded a little bit surprised. “What mistake was that, anyway? Not letting me steal your hubby away?”

Cadence admittedly felt like punching Chrysalis in the face, but she resisted the urge as she turned back towards her, answering dryly: “No, Chrysalis. That was stupid of you. The mistake was blaming you for everything that happened and... thinking you were evil. You're not evil. You're a royal bitch, but you're not evil.”

Chrysalis scowled, but then she only snorted and looked away, and Miss Take chuckled before she gently grasped Cadence by the shoulders and pulled her back over towards the bed. “Now stop that. There's nothing you have to apologize for there. I'm sure she's had her own share of unfair thoughts about you, after all.”

Cadence smiled awkwardly as she sat back at the side of the bed, looking at Twilight, then at Shining Armor. There was silence for a moment between the four of them, until Cadence finally looked down and murmured: “I'm sorry I can't stay or do more. I feel... I hate leaving like this, I do. To be honest, it was hard coming back here, and I was afraid of... a lot of things.”

“I suppose dying wasn't on that list, though.” Miss Take said gently, and Cadence smiled wryly as she reached up and silently touched her own smooth forehead. “You died for us. Again. How do you think we feel? That was the one thing Shining and I promised wouldn't happen, and there you are, selfishly dying.”

Cadence couldn't help but laugh a little at this, shaking her head before she said softly: “I guess that's always been one of my biggest problems. Being selfish. Thinking only about myself.”

“You... I wouldn't say you're selfish. Maybe you could be a little self-centered, but not selfish.” Shining said softly, and Cadence glanced up, giving him an amused look at this distinction. “Hey, it's true. You think about yourself and how things affect you and you... you'd always get mad at me about something stupid I did or didn't do, but never right away. You never put yourself first. You put everyone else first, then get mad when... you aren't the first in line.”

Cadence scowled a little, and Shining Armor winced back a bit before the mare sighed and lowered her head, saying grudgingly: “I guess you're right. Asshole.”

Miss Take chuckled at this, and Twilight smiled faintly before she said softly: “I always thought I had to take care of everything myself, too, that I was responsible for every last thing... but I'm not. And neither are you, Cadence.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Cadence nodded and sighed a little before she said finally: “I guess I like feeling like it's all my responsibility, because then I feel like... maybe I can change things, too. Even when I can't.”

The others looked at her, and then Cadence absently flexed a hoof and added grumpily: “And it gives me an excuse to get involved and punch it, too.”

“And here I was about to congratulate you for making a little progress, dear.” Miss Take said amusedly, and then she said softly: “I hope you know that, even if we aren't nearly as strong as you and your friends, and I expect the other friends and allies you have, we're still here and ready to lend you any and all support we can. If this Loki gets his way, everything will be destroyed, won't it? Then of course we have to lend you all the help we can.”

Cadence smiled a little, before her eyes turned to Twilight Sparkle as the mare struggled to sit up a bit, adding quickly even as her brother gently pushed her back down: “I... I mean, as Princess of Equestria, and your friend, I can definitely ask the other princesses if we could prepare some kind of... special foreign defense squad...”

“I can do it! Let me!” said a cheerful voice, and Cadence glanced up in surprise as Discord squeezed his way into the group, waving a hand wildly before he clicked his tongue and said suddenly: “Right. But that's not why I'm here.”

He paused, then he eyed Cadence for a moment before he suddenly became serious as he leaned down towards her, saying quietly: “I've always been a little coy, a little fey, but this is probably the one thing that would make me want to put all that aside. Primordials? Very bad news. Very bad news indeed. About the only thing worse than that is the Prime, and, well...”

Discord shivered a little, hugging himself, before he glanced up as Twilight said moodily from the bed: “You tried to release Tirek once.”

“Well, the key word there is 'tried,' and furthermore, once he did get out, your good friends the Changelings promptly kicked his poor face in. I felt a little bad for him. He was crying, Twilight. Crying.” Discord nodded seriously several times as he placed a hand against his chest, before he added pointedly: “Let's not forget, either, that I like when things keep moving, and changing. The Prime will change things too, certainly! Except they'll start by literally erasing us from existence. That's a sort of change I'm just not ready to commit to.”

Miss Take nodded with a smile, saying kindly: “He has a point. But tell me, just where did you go, in that case? Is this friend anyone we happen to know?”

“Oh, no. No, no, no. It was a long-distance call I'm afraid.” Discord said blandly, twirling a wrist idly before he winked as he leaned over Cadence, looking down at her before he said in the old language: “Not all of the rats of Ginnungagap came to feast with the crows. Some of us brought cheese. And some nibbled at his bonds, not his entrails.”

Cadence felt the Swan grasp her shoulder, and Discord flinched back as his eyes snapped in shock to Danzsöngr, paling visibly as she asked curiously: “And why would you do such a thing?”

Discord laughed awkwardly, before Cadence said dryly: “I wouldn't lie to her if I were you. She's a lot less nice than me.”

“Because... well, where do you think we came from? Chaos! Of course, we never thought he'd come back.” Discord said awkwardly, rubbing at his face nervously. “And we thought... he was the Hatter. But the Hatter is so Mad that he turned out to be someone entirely different, who it made no sense for him to be, and our so-called savior is the Prime! How backwards is that? How crazy, how senseless, how irrational, how... utterly predictable, because it's everything that shouldn't be.”

Discord slumped a bit, rubbing at his face nervously before he cleared his throat and brushed at himself, then he peered nervously at Danzsöngr again for a moment before he said finally: “Can you tell your shadow to stop staring at me? I know we never got along all that well, but I don't think I deserve the death stare from the stuff of your worse-than-nightmares. Why do all you ponies have terrible things inside of you, anyway? I don't have anything awful inside of me. I don't think I even have blood or guts. Candy maybe. Cake. Pure unadulterated chaos. Adult-rated movies, although you didn't hear that from me.”

Discord waggled his eyebrows, and then he flinched violently when Danzsöngr reached out and calmly poked him, slapping wildly at her hand before he fell over and vanished in a burst of smoke.

The trio of ponies all looked up at Cadence, and the ivory mare smiled embarrassedly as she thought pointedly: Danzsöngr, we are going to have some words.

“We can have as many as you like, Cadence. I am simply still trying to understand things as they are. But I agree. There is much to decide, much to understand, much to speak upon.” the Swan said softly, as she flexed a claw slowly, before she asked: “Why have you not explored these changes?”

Cadence was spared having to answer by Twilight sitting up a little and asking uncertainly: “Do you have any idea what Discord... Shining, I'm fine, really...”

But Shining only gently pushed Twilight down, saying soothingly: “No, you rest, and that's all you have to concentrate on, okay? Cadence will still be here when you get up and you're doing that thing you do when you get overtired. So sleep, and we'll figure things out.”

Twilight Sparkle grimaced, but then she nodded as she settled back before half-sitting up suddenly, Shining wincing a bit as the Princess of Magic almost begged: “But wake me up before you go, alright? Don't... don't leave without saying goodbye, Cadence. Please.”

“I promise.” Cadence said with a small smile, and then she sighed a little before saying quietly: “Sunshine, sunshine...”

“Ladybugs awake.” Twilight replied with a small, touched smile, and then she laughed a little before she nodded and finally settled, murmuring: “Okay. I trust you.”

“I know.” Cadence said softly, and she smiled faintly before she let Miss Take gently grasp her shoulder and turn her around, Shining Armor staying a moment longer to tuck his sister in goodnight as Chrysalis hurried to the door. Cadence realized as she left that her helmet was still inside on the nightstand, but she only smiled as the door closed.

She would be back, after all. And there were more important things than helmets in her life.

It was a whirlwind: there was laughter, there was crying, there was a wonderful dinner and Cadence laughed as she did that old, stupid dance with Twilight she had always done back when she had babysat her as a foal...

A Princess, foalsitting a mare who would just one day happen to grow into a Princess. How much had Celestia known? How much has Celestia planned? How many of those carefully-crafted plans had withstood the test of time, and how many of those strings had frayed, fallen apart? It was strange to think about.

But she supposed, ultimately, she wasn't surprised: Hecate was a Celestia too, after all.

And now? Now they were on a train, heading back to the Crystal Empire. She had left her helmet behind as a memento for Twilight Sparkle: she thought that was okay. No one had questioned it, anyway.

They had said a thousand goodbyes, and it had felt like too much and not enough. They had made a lot of promises, too, and Cadence didn't know which ones were real and which ones were sweet nothings, one-in-a-million hopes. And then all of a sudden, she was on a night train to the Crystal Kingdom, and she was sitting, alone, at the back of the passenger car, staring out the window and watching the flickering lights of Canterlot fade into the distance.

She glanced up as she heard the seat shift in front of her, and she smiled a little at Thesis as he settled across from her, smiling back at her before he asked: “You okay?”

Cadence shrugged, then she simply reached up and flicked her long white mane back, and Thesis chuckled before he said softly: “Looks good, braided, though. It was nice of you to let Twilight do that. To hang around a little more, Miss Hurry Up And Wait.”

“Shut up.” Cadence replied, before she softened as she leaned back in her seat a little, gazing down the aisle to where her team was seated with Shining Armor, Miss Take, and Electra, the mare asking in a quieter voice: “How are they all holding up?”

“Good, I think. Moonflower's... processing. He's doing a good job of putting on a strong face, but I think everyone can tell he's pretty... well, he's feeling pretty bad about everything.” Thesis smiled a little, glancing over his shoulder for a moment before he returned his eyes to Cadence. “La Croix is doing well. His leg isn't acting up anymore, but he'll need to have it examined back home. Contraband and all that. I'm supposed to be the only defected Voidborn.”

“You're defective, alright.” Cadence said softly, before she asked after a moment: “And Daddy?”

“Purifier is holding up pretty well, looks like. He's doing good. Unless you were calling me Daddy, I mean. That's cool. I can try and work with that, even if your Dad totally scares me.” Thesis said mildly, leaning back before he waggled his eyebrows at her. “So do I call you babe? Baby girl? Filly? Is that too creepy?”

Cadence rolled her eyes, then she glanced at the Swan as she asked: “Why don't you tell him? Why don't you ask him? Why is it 'too much?'”

“Shut up and get the hell out of my head. How do you even... usually I can feel you digging around in my thoughts!” Cadence snapped as she blushed slightly, before she blushed deeper as she realized Thesis was staring at her, and she looked awkwardly away before she mumbled: “Sorry. Horses of Heaven, this is going to be hard to get used to.”

Thesis smiled a little at her, then he leaned forwards, looking over at the Swan as he said quietly: “Electra mentioned she could actually see the Swan. I heard from a little birdie that apparently Discord could, too... and he might have had contact with Ginnungagap, maybe even the Mad Hatter. Funny... the Hatter's been staying very clear of this whole situation. But not clear enough: like Heaven, he's operating in the background. Not... part of our story, I guess Loki would put it.”

“Yeah.” Cadence halted, then she said finally: “I feel like... Heaven, the Hatter, everyone else who could possibly help, they're all sitting back and watching. I mean, some people, like the former backers, they obviously want to watch and wait it out for their own sake. But then there's people like Melinda, who... I honestly believe she does want us to succeed. She wants us to be prepared. But in order to prove that we are...”

“We have to be hit with everything. And we have to do everything ourselves. She's done us a lot of favors... all of us.” Thesis emphasized, and Cadence smiled briefly, nodding slowly to him. She knew it was true, even with as rough Melinda had been with them before. “I think it must be especially hard for her because she's spent so long in the Void. For her, that is home. A home where she's been able to meet and study who knows how many different cultures and peoples, and yet at the same time live in her own little safe vacuum, unchallenged. I guess she sees... both sides. And as much as I hate to say it... if we can't stop Loki...”

“Everything ends eventually.” Cadence said ironically, looking out the window before she shook her head and murmured: “No. Valthrudnir was stopped. We can stop this asshole, too, no matter what he throws at us, because that's all he is. Not some hero, not the Prime, not some prophet or god. He's just an asshole.”

“Do not underestimate him.” the Swan said, and Cadence turned towards her, Thesis pausing to study Cadence as she clearly switched her attention to something he couldn't see, couldn't hear. “Do not forget that Loki obfuscates and plots. All could be shadows. All could be conspiracy and gamble. And we still do not know his true aim.”

“We have enough of an idea. Become the Prime, return everything to the Void. Maybe he wants to build something new, maybe he's just throwing a hissy-fit, maybe he's even being manipulated by the Prime itself, whatever the hell the Prime really is. I know that none of that changes things, though. He's a giant asshole, and I'm going to punch his face in.”

“You're very poetic.” Thesis said mildly, and Cadence gave him a dry look before Thesis hesitantly held a hoof out, asking: “How does the Swan... talk to people?”

Cadence winced a bit as the Swan began to reach forward, then she sharply reached out and slapped the Swan's claw away, glaring up at her defiantly. But the Swan only looked back at her calmly, before Thesis said gently: “Hey. I'm not going to love you any less.”

Cadence blushed slightly, then she grumbled as she sat back and crossed her forelegs, and Thesis smiled a little as he held his forelimb out, remarking: “Look on the bright side. To everyone else, I probably look pretty stupid just... just...”

He broke off as the Swan gently grasped his hoof in one scaly claw, the two looking at each other for a few long moments before the Swan said calmly: “We speak through the Astra. It is how we become real.”

The Swan gently squeezed Thesis' hoof, and the stallion marveled at the fact he could feel it, and how when he gave an experimental tug, he couldn't actually pull away. It felt real... “We are real. We are Astra. The Astra is everything. The Astra is within everything.”

“Right.” Thesis said slowly, studying the Swan intently before he asked: “So does this mean that... you're not inside Cadence anymore, so to speak?”

“No. Cadence is our anchor. We still require a physical body, a container, a source. But now we are able to act without it because we feel that we are whole again... or very nearly.” The Swan meditated for a moment, then, to Thesis' surprise, she released his hoof, but he was still able to see her. “Yes, it is because we are still in contact. The Astra that flows through us remains connected, even when we appear to be apart. The Astra is all of us, everywhere, in and of everything: through this, we are one, even when we are separate.”

“I am so confused.” Thesis said honestly, and Cadence sighed a little even as she smiled briefly. Sure, he was a little confused, but it was much less than he put on. That was always the way it was with him, and that was part of the reason she loved the bastard. He knows when it's okay to be dumb. And when to be serious. Unlike some ponies I know... “So do you have all your powers back, then?”

“We believe so. It will take experimentation.” the Swan answered calmly, and Cadence scowled. Thesis cocked his head curiously at this, but the Swan ignored Cadence, instead asking bluntly: “Are you aware that your time is growing short?”

Thesis glanced up at the Swan as Cadence bared her teeth, but the Swan was unfettered, continuing evidently: “It has affected you deeper than you would have us believe. You have stumbled in combat. You have not brazenly thrown yourself against foes, as you would in the past. You had trouble standing up after saving us.”

“You weigh a lot. Hurt my... well, what's left of my back.” Thesis answered mildly, gesturing absently at himself before he said in a quieter voice: “I'm focused on the time I have left, not the time I'm not going to have, Danzsöngr.”

“We don't want you to to die. Please don't die.” the Swan said bluntly, and Thesis blinked in surprise as Cadence blushed slightly and looked sharply away. “You are the most important thing in our life. More important than Father. More important than ourselves. More important than the mission. Please don't die.”

Thesis silently studied Danzsöngr, before he smiled faintly as she vanished from his vision and left Cadence in embarrassed silence. But the stallion only slipped out of his seat and around the table, sliding into the bench next to her, not speaking as he wrapped his forelegs around her and embraced her tightly.

Cadence rested against the safety of his chest, listening to the beat of his heart, breathing slowly in and out through her mouth before she finally murmured: “I hate thinking of all the time we're never going to have together. All the things we'll never get to do. It... it hurts a lot.”

“I know. But like it or not, there are bigger, more important things than us out there, too.” Thesis said gently, and Cadence grumbled as she mashed her face against him, then she smiled briefly as her smooth forehead rubbed against his breast. That's nice, at least.

“I don't think so.” she said stubbornly, and Thesis laughed despite himself before he silently stroked through her long mane, Cadence shaking her head before she sighed a little and muttered: “I know. I know. I can't just be a little filly about the whole thing. It just... it drives me insane. I just... I wish... I just wish...”

She trembled, then shook her head vehemently before she headbutted his chest when he began to reach up. “Don't say anything. Just... shut up and be here with me.”

Thesis smiled a little, nodding and simply holding her close. After a few minutes, Cadence finally sat up a little, but she refused to remove her foreleg from around his shoulders, keeping their sides almost clamped together as she muttered: “I'm not going to let you out of my goddamn sight.”

“God damn, goddamn.” Thesis answered with a wry smile, and then he winced when Cadence headbutted him, grabbing awkwardly at his snout. “Ouch.”

“That brings back memories.” Shining Armor said mildly as he slipped into the seat across from them with Miss Take, and Cadence smiled despite herself at the unicorn, who smiled back before he said softly: “Be nice to the big guy, huh? We can't all be as tough as you.”

“No one's as tough as Honk.” Thesis said mildly, before he winced when she smacked him. “That was a compliment!”

Cadence rolled her eyes, and Miss Take chuckled before she said softly: “I'm glad that you found someone, Cadence. Handsome, strong, bombproof. He seems like a real keeper. Much better than your last one.”

“Hey.” Shining Armor huffed a bit, but Miss Take only tipped him a wink before the unicorn hesitated, then he said finally as he looked at Thesis: “Yeah. I guess... you found yourself a pretty good guy. He seems like kind of an asshole, but... the last guy you dated was kind of an asshole, too.”

“Why the hell does everyone think I haven't dated anyone since Shining? I've... I've had lots of sex since Shining.” Cadence argued with a grumble, even as her eyes shifted slightly to the side.

“With yourself doesn't count, dear.” Thesis said kindly, and Cadence turned a glower to him before he added: “Although you did actually use pretty much all those gigantic sex toys on me, so, I do have to wonder...”

“We made a lot of jokes about that and her being the Princess of Love.” Shining Armor said blandly, and then he cleared his throat and blushed slightly when all eyes turned to him. “Well. I mean. We did. You know. Sex. Love. Anyway it was funny to me when I was a dumb young stallion. A dumb, impressionable young stallion, who she-”

“Put stuff in the butt of.” Thesis finished mildly, and Shining Armor spluttered wildly as Miss Take laughed and even Cadence grinned. “Look, I don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure that out. Especially with how much stuff she's tried to put in my butt. The key word there, by the way, is 'tried.' I won't admit to anything actually going in there.”

“Boys, boys, boys. And Cadence! You're all terrible.” Miss Take said, hiding a smile behind a hoof before she shook her head and said softly: “You know, as smooth and sultry as I am, dears, I'm more of a sensual person than a sexual one. I find the teasing is the most enjoyable.” She idly reached up, stroking gently along the underside of Shining's muzzle, before she continued: “But of course, for me love is two things: food as much as pleasure. And I have to pace myself, or risk hurting dear ShyShy or becoming addicted to it.”

She looked thoughtful for a moment, before she asked curiously: “So how much time to do you two actually spend together? I imagine the nights must be raucous, if you don't mind me saying so. But you're both very... career-oriented, so to speak. Those nights alone must be few and far between.”

Cadence scowled, but it was partly out of embarrassment and a feeling like shame, as she opened her mouth, but she was surprised and cut off by Thesis responding easily: “Yeah, unfortunately. But I think Cadence and I are going to take some time off when we get home. We'll have to scramble if there's any emergencies, sure... but this is the last major Void investigation we've been assigned to, and we've dispatched quite a few Voidborn now. Loki is wounded and now his forces have been pushed back. He'll have to recoup and recover.”

“You seem very confident.” Miss Take said mildly, and Thesis shrugged with a smile. “Well, I hope for your sake and dear Cadence's, you're right... but why hurry home, then? Why not stay a few days here? You could come around for dinner, and we could catch up on old times...”

“Mission's not over until debriefing.” Thesis answered, before he added honestly: “But I'm sure Cadence will be back one day. Sombra, too. Everyone. And I can't thank you enough for your help.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Miss Take smiled faintly and nodded, reaching across the table to gently touch Thesis' face as she said softly: “I wish we could come with you, dear, but we're needed here.” She stopped, then turned her eyes to Cadence, winking and adding: “I suppose you don't really need our help anymore, either, do you?”

“I'll always need good friends. Thank you for... everything.” Cadence said, and she smiled a little as she sat up, resting back against Thesis, and not sure of what else she could say or do.

But there wasn't any need to say or do anything as Miss Take only shrugged, and Shining Armor smiled at her before he gave a tiny nod, meeting her eyes and telling her in that moment that everything was okay, that the past was the past, and while their futures would take them to very different places, he would never forget her.

And Cadence slid a hoof across the table towards him, Shining Armor looking surprised before he hesitantly reached out and rested his own hoof against hers before she said quietly: “You're still family to me. And you'll always be my friend, Shining. I'll never forget you.”

Shining Armor smiled, and Cadence smiled back before she said softly: “I hope you and Miss Take have a long, good life together. And a lot of kids.”

“Don't worry, dear. We'll name at least one of our daughters after you.” Miss Take answered with a wink, and Cadence laughed and shook her head, before the half-Changeling said honestly: “And I hope everything works out for you and yours. Remember, dear, you can always come back here. You don't have to face this all alone.”

“Don't worry... I know.” Cadence answered, as she glanced over at Thesis with a smile before her eyes roved past Miss Take and Shining Armor to where her father and friends sat.

No, she wasn't alone. She never had to worry about that again.

Thesis

Chapter One Hundred and Twelve: Thesis
~BlackRoseRaven

When they arrived back in Endworld, they were debriefed, and then Team 0-0 was shifted to reserve status, so they could get some rest. Cadence was admittedly glad for it, and relieved that most of the Void incursions had vanished, and the few signals that remained were small enough they were able to be investigated and dealt with by other teams.

It felt strange, though, to be left to her own devices. Cadence knew part of the reason why she had, however, was so that she could adjust to her new self. Her final self, she felt strangely: but nine had always been the magic number when it came to things like this, and she was on her ninth life. Just like a cat. Some great bird I am.

Cadence sighed as she stood up: and for her, that wasn't standing on four hooves anymore, but two. She could feel bones shift and muscles flex powerfully as she straightened, her lithe body rippling as she leaned easily back, putting her front hooves into the middle of her back to crack it as she examined her faint reflection in the window.

Her tattoo was resplendent in flowing black across her ivory chest: it had been redone a few days ago by Tormentas, who was now a permanent resident here in Decretum with Vextus Lux. Her limbs were longer, and her forelimbs were strange, double-jointed and capable of bending in ways that shouldn't be possible. Skin clung tightly to muscle and bone, making her look almost emaciated, and her mane and the tuft of the whiplike tail were both flowing, silken ivory that she could never do much with: she cut both regularly, but they didn't seem to take more than a few days to grow back to full length.

Her hooves felt strange, like they were made of a different, clingy material, and they could flex like rubber, expanding and contracting more than they had ever been able to before. Her wings were strange, larger than they had been before, more powerful... heavier, too, she thought, and yet they didn't impede her flying at all. If anything, it was easier to fly than it had been before.

But that had something to do with the Astra. The Astra was everywhere, and if she reached into it, she could do anything with it... anything. It was limited only by her creativity and her willpower, and while she wasn't the most creative pony in the world, she was stubborn as hell.

Cadence met the almost-glowing golden eyes of her reflection, sighing a little as she studied her features in the mirror, stroking slowly, almost wonderingly around one of her sockets. That was the hardest to get used to, she thought, but at least now she wouldn't have to put up with any more clever 'pink eye' jokes from the other Orphans.

She smiled briefly, then turned her attention to another reflection in the mirror as Thesis said softly: “Brought you something, Goldeneye.”

“I wish you could come up with a decent nickname for me.” Cadence said mildly as she turned around, before she frowned when Thesis offered her a box with a grin, taking it suspiciously in one hoof. “This better not be a ring. I don't have a horn anymore.”

“I never understood that. Putting a ring around your horn just seems like a bad idea. Like putting a ring around my... well, you know.” Thesis said mildly, absently rubbing at one of his shoulders as he shifted his weight visibly, and Cadence softened: she recognized that gesture. He was in pain. “Hey, stop. Just look at what I got you, okay?”

Cadence sighed, then she opened the box before frowning in surprise as she found a small golden gemstone inside, and Thesis smiled as she carefully picked it up: it was dome-shaped, perhaps an inch in diameter, mounted on a backplate of some kind... “I asked Mom to help me make it for you. We managed to crystallize and transmute the Clay of Prometheus and make you a... sort of a Third Eye, I guess. Stick it on your head, try it out.”

“Just stick it on?” Cadence asked dryly, and Thesis cleared his throat and gestured to the box again, Cadence scowling as she saw a small bottle of some kind of adhesive. “I am not gluing this to my head.”

“You are the least fun mare in fun town. Fine, I'll do it for you, okay?” Thesis said dryly, and Cadence glowered at him, but didn't resist when Thesis slipped forward and picked up the bottle, removing the dauber from the top and bringing it up to swirl a quick circle on Cadence's forehead.

She wrinkled her muzzle, then sighed when Thesis took the stone and firmly pushed it on, holding it in place. They looked into one-another's eyes, and then Cadence smiled despite herself before she leaned forward and quickly kissed him, the stallion blinking in surprise before she stepped suddenly back, then laughed and caught him when he stumbled forward. “You're like a kid.”

“Hey, we don't all have as much experience as you do, Princess of Love.” Thesis retorted as he climbed to his hooves, and Cadence frowned slightly at the way his body shivered, but he only smiled before he winked and said: “Catch.”

He flung the bottle into the air, and Cadence winced before the gemstone on her head glowed, and her eyes widened in surprise as the bottle halted in midair. Thesis smiled, looking pleased with himself before he yelped when the bottle suddenly dropped, bouncing off his head and spilling adhesive all over his mane.

He scowled horribly at Cadence, and the mare grinned widely before she threw her head back and laughed, then she picked up the bottle from the floor with telekinesis, smiling warmly at him. “Come on, dumbass. And... thank you.”

Thesis only smiled, then allowed Cadence to grasp him by the hoof and led him to the shower. When they emerged, they found a cleaning drone had already rolled into the apartment to clean up the mess: Cadence didn't want to know how the goddamn things always knew when there was something to clean up.

The little saucer-shaped robot whirred its way carefully past the dripping ponies to vacuum up the trail of water they left behind, and Cadence shook her head before she reached up and poked the crystal on her forehead a few times. “So is this permanently cemented to my face now?”

“Nah. You'll have to be careful with it, actually: someone could rip it off, or your own magic could actually burn it off, too, if you try and pump too much power through it. The adhesive and the conductor plate actually both-”

“I don't really care how it works. I sort of... understand, anyway, since you got the idea from Miss Take, didn't you?” Cadence asked curiously, and Thesis smiled and nodded as Cadence slowly rubbed again at the stone, but it admittedly felt nice to have something up there again. It was comforting, for lack of a better word. “Well, I'm just glad that I don't have to use my hooves and my mouth for everything anymore.”

“Me too.” Thesis said with a pointed waggle of his eyebrows, and Cadence rolled her eyes before she smacked him lightly in the chest. “Ouch. But uh... try something else.”

Cadence shrugged, then she rose her head slightly, and the gemstone lit up before Thesis flinched with a squawk when faint white energy burned across his body, Cadence wincing and blurting: “Oh crap! Sorry, I meant to do a cleansing spell!”

“Oh, good job, then, I think you just cleansed the first layer of skin right off my body.” Thesis retorted, huffing and patting wildly at himself before he said in a quieter voice: “Sorry, Sazerac. I guess the gemstone won't let you focus unicorn magic properly.”

“No, no. No. This is good, still. Just being able to move things around and to do a bit of magic... I'm sure with practice I'll figure out what I can and can't do, anyway.” Cadence responded with a smile, stepping forward and nuzzling the stallion gently. “Thank you. It means a lot to me that you went through all this trouble for me.”

Thesis shrugged and smiled, and Cadence sighed a little before she said softly: “You really are a giant jerk.”

Thesis shrugged amiably again, and then he hesitated for a moment before he asked quietly: “Are you doing okay? I know things are weird right now. Everything's up in the air and-”

“I'm fine. I'm surprised, but... I really am okay. Everything's okay.” Cadence smiled a little, then she shook her head slowly as she said softly: “It helps that Hecate is pushing for some kind of... normalcy around here, you know? Not just concentrating on Loki, but sending people out on other missions, working on trade transfers, rebuilding Decretum and expanding Endworld. And... I guess I've needed the break and to be brought back down to reality after everything that happened.”

She quieted, then said finally: “I'm still worried about Moonflower. But I think he'll be okay. I know he's spending a lot of time with Thorn. 'Magic Assistant' or something.” Cadence smiled in amusement, shaking her head before she said wryly: “It's pretty amazing, honestly. He's called himself a million different titles and names, he used to always try and fight to be team captain, and now he's happily trotting around after Thorn as his Magic Assistant.”

“Well, once upon a time I thought I needed the powers of Dadto be happy. Now I'm happy following you around and being the substitute Regent whenever Thorn is busy.” Thesis shrugged, then he said with a smile: “It wasn't power that I needed to complete me. It was you.”

Cadence blushed at this, and Thesis grinned before he winced when she grabbed him by the nose. But then she leaned forward, literally yanking him into a kiss and holding his snout in place as mouths worked together, her tongue invading his mouth for a moment before she slipped back with a smile and gently pushed his head back. “Asshole.”

“Yeah. I'm the asshole.” Thesis said wryly, and then he asked curiously: “Where's the Swan?”

Cadence scowled slightly, glancing around: it was a silly question, since technically Danzsöngr was never gone from her... but the Swan had taken to wandering quite a bit, all across Decretum. She still wasn't sure how the Swan's projection worked, only that... well, it does. Somehow.

“I have no idea.” Cadence finally answered: sure, she could find out easily enough, but she didn't want to disturb the Swan. It was stupid, but... I cherish my time alone with Thesis. “I'm selfish and crazy, aren't I?”

“Self-centered, I thought we agreed on, not selfish. But crazy, yeah, you're completely crazy.” Thesis said mildly, and Cadence sighed before she let him hug her and pull her against him, stroking gently through her long mane before he said softly: “I'll trim this for you, and you can do mine, too. Have to maintain my professional image.”

Cadence smiled despite herself, then she simply nodded. He always knew what to do, as he squeezed her tightly for a moment before letting her go, but not before pecking her forehead with a kiss.

He left, he returned, and he cut her mane, deftly and quickly, simply tossing the shorn locks to the floor for the cleaning droid to pick up. He cut it just as she liked, and she did the same for him, as she pressed her front against the cold metal his exoskeleton built into his back, feeling the whirr of the machinery, hearing the audible hum of the countless metal parts within that all rumbled away, helping keep Thesis alive, yet also... breaking him down.

He was so strong. So brave. So goddamn good.

The days blurred into one-another, and they were good days: days of love, and happiness, and relaxation. They lived together, happily ever after, for a few days, a few weeks, a few wonderful months. The best in Cadence's life, as they lived: she worked, trained, fought, and loved, and almost every moment of that was spent with her friends, her family, and her Thesis.

It was so good, and yet she was terribly, painfully aware that he was getting worse. His reflexes slowed first, and then the pain became harder to hide: and he was so strong, she didn't want to imagine how much it had to hurt, for him to be unable to hide it. Just the thought alone hurt her.

But he always smiled.

He was so good, and so strong, and he always smiled, and he never, ever held her back, and he never stopped giving his best, his all, for his friends, his family, his world, and most of all, for her.

And then, as much as they both didn't want it to happen, as much as they had both fought, so hard and long against it, the day they both dreaded finally arrived; a day that started as normally as any other, where they talked, shared laughs, smiled at each other over the table in the living room, and then Thesis stood up, scoffing at her when she started to stand-

He fell.

There was no blood, no screaming, no crying, no nothing. There was no great epiphany and no last minute salvation, no miracle and no curse. Only life, as Thesis lay on the floor, breathing quietly, his body shivering as his hooves refused to move, as his muscles twitched uselessly, and Cadence stood over him, trembling, staring at him, until Thesis finally whispered: “I can't get up.”

Cadence dropped down and hugged him, and Thesis closed his eyes as she pulled her head into his lap. He felt the warmth of her tears, and the thrumming of her body before everything became blurry, and when he came to, it wasn't Cadence's body that was vibrating, but the gurney he was on as he was pushed quickly through the medical building.

They weren't rushing, though, as they took him to the medical theater. No, everyone knew it was too late. This wasn't going to be a surgery to save his life, to even prolong the inevitable. As they rolled him onto his stomach and applied medicine and magic, he fell into a painless doze, but all the same, he could feel and almost see the eyes of his mother above, watching him like a hawk from behind the glass wall of the viewing balcony above the surgical theater.

“I never thought I'd be going through this again. I never thought I had the strength to.” Hecate said quietly, as Cadence trembled beside her, staring down at Thesis, watching as Dogmatists calmly went to work, quickly and efficiently beginning to remove the purifier from his back. “The machinery is doing nothing but adding excess weight and damaging his cellular structure further. But Thesis has been an idiot, as always, and accelerated the breakdown of his body. He won't last the night.”

“No! There... I just...” Cadence caught herself as Hecate looked at her sharply, the ivory mare trembling before she gritted her teeth and nodded, whispering: “Okay. I'm sorry.”

“Don't apologize. Anger, sadness, outbursts are all to be expected.” Hecate replied, turning her eyes back down to gaze through the glass at the calculated spectacle unfolding below. “We have this under control, Cadence. You don't have to be here for this.”

“I do. I have to be here for every minute of this. Every moment.” Cadence whispered, before she shivered a little as she watched as Thesis' flesh was cut into, as metal claws slowly began to draw the exoskeleton back-

“Not every moment. Now, more than ever, you have to take care of yourself, because he is not going to be there to take care of you.” Hecate said coldly, and Cadence glared up at the Jötnar mare, tears shimmering in her eyes.

But Hecate only leaned down, meeting her gaze fearlessly before she said quietly: “Neither you nor I want my son to spend his last moments worrying about you. He is going to die. There is nothing we can do about that. All we can do is make it as peaceful for him as possible, and show him that we are not going to be stupid. His death will not be in vain. And he doesn't have to spend even one more moment fighting to be strong so that he can lift us up, because we are too stupid to stand on our own hooves.”

Cadence shuddered for a moment, and then she nodded and closed her eyes tightly, rubbing convulsively at her face before Hecate said in a softer voice: “Instead of watching this, go get some things from home and bring them to Thesis' room here.”

“I don't want him to die here, in this place, in the medical center. I want him home. I want...” Cadence halted, then she looked up at Hecate as she clearly felt the emotions of the Jötnar mare, smiling faintly as she whispered: “You're right. That's stupid. It would... it's better to keep our home...”

She looked away, chewing on her lip for a few moments before she simply nodded, taking a shuddering breath as she composed herself before she silently turned and left, unaware of Hecate's lingering gaze on her, or the silent tears of Thesis' mother.

Cadence moved in a numb daze, ignoring everything and everyone as she went back to the apartment to bundle together some of Thesis' favorite things, their blankets, their pillows, the few pictures they had. But on the way out, she found Moonflower and La Croix and her father, Sombra, just standing there, and it was all Cadence could do to stop from collapsing.

Yet all the same, she stumbled forward, buried her head against her father for a moment, and sobbed against his chest: but then, even as he hugged her, held her tight, she took a breath and slowly, painfully picked herself up, whispering: “I... I don't have time. I have to go.”

“We'll walk with you, mi amore.” Sombra promised gently, and Cadence nodded even as she stumbled past, floating the bundle down to clutch it tightly against her breast.

Everything was sound and color and nothingness as she walked back to the medical center, with her friends and father following silently behind her. She thought of a million crazy things as the minutes seemed to crawl and the seconds raced, but none of it she could really put into words: that was probably for the best, though. She knew she wasn't thinking clearly. She was...

The Swan's claw settled gently on her shoulder, and Cadence looked up silently at the creature as it said softly: “We are never alone. Not in anything. Not in life, or death, pain or pleasure. We are together. Come, Cadence. You are going to sing for him. You will dance for him. You will show him that you love him, one last time. Is this not the least of what we can do?”

“Yes.” Cadence agreed, because there was no time for games, or masks, or outbursts or childishness. And because the Swan was right: Thesis deserved that and more, and she was only sorry she hadn't shared all these things sooner.

But she'd always thought there would be time. There would be time, there would be a tomorrow, and in the back of her mind, she had denied that this would ever happen in spite of the certainty of it. Things like this didn't just happen, after all, and there would be time to react, time to adjust, time, time, bastard time...

Cadence stepped into a quiet, private room with a single large bed with a small pillow and industrial blue sheets dominating the center of it. She looked at the vast expanse of the mattress: it looked so synthetic, so fake somehow, like a false smile on a plastic face: like a decorative cover over a coffin.

She shoved the bundle of things onto a table, then grabbed the blue sheets and ripped them off the bed, flinging them across the room and into the IV poles, making them jangle and the equipment mounted on them bang and clack together, like they were laughing at her. She snarled at them, her hooves flexing against the ground, but her father grasped her quickly around the shoulders and whispered into her ear, soothing her.

Cadence slowly slumped, then slipped out of her father's forelegs, pressing back into the wall and sliding down to the ground, burying her face in her hooves. Sombra only gazed at her for a moment before he turned his attention to the bundle, extracting the sheets and pillows.

Moonflower sat hesitantly beside Cadence, gently grasping her shoulder, and La Croix lingered nearby as Sombra made the bed. Finally, Cadence looked up and rubbed at her face slowly, laughing faintly before she whispered: “I'm not doing very good, am I? You... we've all lost so much. I should be handling this better. I should be stronger.”

“Now you stop that, Cadence. I... we've all been through a lot, but... it's not a contest, and we all handle things differently. At least, that's what Thorn kept telling me. He's going to be here soon, too, he's just transferring over duties to Seneschal.” Moonflower smiled faintly. “The Clockwork Empire never sleeps, as he likes to say.”

“Yes... yes, we always have more work to do.” Cadence murmured, and then she shook her head slowly before she took a slow breath, then forced herself to stand up, raising her head and looking silently at the made bed before her attention was drawn out the open door by a noise and a familiar energy.

A gurney rolled slowly towards them, pushed by a Beauty Dogmatist and followed by Hecate and Thorn. Thesis was in the gurney, his eyes closed, his breathing slow and steady, laying on his back: he looked comfortable at least, Cadence thought, but he also looked so... different. It wasn't the bandages that did it, either: it was the way he was laying, how he was settled, completely, on his back, without any exoskeleton to hold him up.

The Beauty clone pulled back the covers, then transferred Thesis to the bed with gentle telekinesis, and Cadence almost shoved forward to the edge of the bed, looking down at him with a tremble before she smiled faintly as she grasped the covers, carefully tucking him.

Thesis' eyes opened as she leaned over him, and he studied her for a few moments before he said softly: “Hey, Honk.”

“Hey, asshole.” Cadence murmured, before she shifted a little, sitting on the bed beside him. She hesitated for a moment, then she reached out and gently touched his forehead, and a moment later, the Swan reached down and touched the same place.

Thesis closed his eyes as his senses swam, and then he looked up in surprise. He could still feel his physical body, all the heaviness, all the hurt, but at the same time he was somewhere else. Somewhere completely different, where it was nothing but endless space for as far as the eye could see.

He was comfortably seated back in a large chair, and Cadence stood in front of him, smiling faintly at him as she said softly: “I would have loved to do this for you in person, but... I guess there's not enough room for that in the hospital room, and...”

She rubbed at her face slowly, and Thesis stared at her in surprise: she was dressed all in silks and a long, feathered dress that flowed beautifully across her body. She looked up at him, and Thesis didn't know what to say: he simply sat and studied her and how beautiful she was, until Cadence finally said: “I'm going to dance for you now.”

She closed her eyes, then began to dance: she flowed effortlessly, like water, sometimes on four legs, sometimes on two, moving in graceful gyrations and twists, the silk scarves around her limbs raising and twisting through the air and around her body, the feathers of her dress fluttering against the air as she danced to an unheard rhythm they both felt thrumming through their hearts and souls.

Cadence danced, danced to the silent music until she could no longer contain it, and then she began to sing. She sang of their love without words, in a voice she never knew she had, a voice that quavered and shook with emotion as her body moved fluidly, perfectly, gracefully through every movement, every verse without hesitation, as if she'd practiced these movements a million times before, and yet she never had: no, every dance the Swans did was unique, and never before had a Swan danced for love.

And when it was over, she stood in front of him, vulnerable, soul bared, tears flowing from her eyes as she looked down at him. And when it was done, she shivered once before she slipped her hooves from his forehead to his shoulders, her tears falling on his muzzle as he looked up at her from the bed he had never left, and Cadence Danzsöngr said quietly: “I love you, Thesis.”

“I love you too, Cadence Danzsöngr.” Thesis smiled faintly up at her, and then he whispered, as her tears fell across his face, mixing with his own: “Thank you. For giving me a second chance. For redeeming me. For helping me to live.”

“No, Thesis. You saved me. You helped me in ways I can't thank you enough for. And...” It was hard. It was so, so hard, but all the same Cadence forced herself to give a shaky smile, to promise not just Thesis, but herself: “I'm gonna be strong for you. For me, and for you, for... for us. I... I want to continue to be the person you showed me I could be.”

“Hey. It's not all about you, Honk.” Thesis said softly, and Cadence laughed despite herself, rubbing silently at her eyes before he murmured: “Just promise me you'll be okay. Just promise me that. That you'll keep going. That you'll be okay.”

“I'll be okay. I'm always okay.” Cadence said softly, and then she smiled faintly at the look he gave her. Even as he lay here, dying – fading away – here he was. Still making jokes. Making her smile. Making her laugh. Making her feel just the right amount of bad, as she murmured: “I promise. I promise I'll do my best.”

“Good.” Thesis breathed slowly, settling back in bed before he looked up with a smile, adding quietly: “That goes for you too, kiddo.”

Thorn smiled faintly at this, nodding once as he straightened and said quietly: “You have my word. I'll do my best to take care of Mother, too.”

“Oh, don't even bother. That's impossible.” Thesis said softly, as his eyes roved to Hecate, who gave him a faint smile as a tear spilled down one ivory cheek, glowing in the light of her electric mane. “But it's okay. Mom does... a pretty good job of taking care of herself. You just need to remind her now and then to lighten up, and that... it's not the end of the world when...”

Thesis coughed a few times, and Cadence leaned worriedly over him, but the stallion only shook his head weakly before he struggled to hold a hoof up, whispering: “I'm okay. Everything is just... very heavy.”

He carefully settled his hoof down, and he let out a long breath as his body settled next, shaking himself once more before he murmured: “I know you're going to beat me for this, but... none of you have to be here. It's just... going to sleep. It's just a going to sleep, that's all.”

“I'm staying.” Cadence said quietly, and she met Thesis' eyes before she reached up and silently stroked his mane back, murmuring: “I'm going to stay until... until you go to sleep. I... I don't want you to have any nightmares.”

“Okay. I know that... you'll chase them all away.” Thesis chuckled softly, giving a faint but honest smile up at Cadence, and she smiled faintly in return before she kissed his forehead delicately, then stroked his mane gingerly back.

But no one was eager to leave: the Beauty Dogmatist weaved carefully between them every so often to check on Thesis, but there were no tubes, no medicines, no needles, no machines: just brief checks every so often on how he was doing, and sometimes a gentle brush with a cloth until the unit was dismissed by Hecate.

They talked, all friends, all family here, and Thesis laughed, and smiled, and was... happy, Cadence thought. And others came, and she was so glad that they did: the Replicants all came to pay their respects, and Necrophage rambled away until Hecate threw her out, Muse following and mumbling apologies, but seeming to know that, really, it was all okay, and Hecate was glad that they had been here.

Luna Brynhild, Morgan Heldóttir, and Scrivener Blooms showed up as well, offering sympathy and kindness and love. Brynhild fumblingly offered Danzsöngr a shoulder to cry on and someone to turn to if she needed it, and Scrivener and Thesis embraced, and Morgan promised they would be there for them in every and any capacity they needed, and gave Thesis comfort: it was more than Cadence could have hoped, let alone asked for. It was perhaps the only moment where she could say that she and the Valkyrie were able to truly put aside their differences, and it was something she would forever be grateful for: not for herself, but because she saw how much it meant to Thesis.

They didn't stay for very long, and when they left, they took Moonflower and La Croix with them, and Cadence appreciated it. That they understood that, selfishly, she wanted to be here with Thesis for his last moments, alone. And the time was drawing closer by the moment, but Thesis was still acting strong, still smiling in that undefeatable, enviable way he had...

Others came, in a blur, but they were less and less important: only Hel truly stood out among the many people who came to say their goodbyes. And she was so strange, so gentle, touching his hoof, looking at them both with kindness, and Cadence felt like that wasn't truly for Thesis, but somehow, for her. And perhaps the strangest thing of all was just how reassuring it was.

Sombra left, and it was just Hecate and Thorn, in this room that was suddenly too big and too empty. Cadence sat on the side of the bed, in gentle contact at all times with Thesis, looking at him with love and affection, and they were simply... silent together, for the longest time.

One hour passed like that, then two. Cadence expected it to last forever, even as Thesis' breathing slowed, as his eyes began to flutter, and she was taken by surprise when Thorn said quietly: “I love you, big brother. Sleep well.”

“Love you too, kiddo.” Thesis whispered, and Thorn smiled faintly before he turned and let himself quietly out. Thesis studied the door for a moment, before his eyes roved tiredly to Hecate, saying softly: “You didn't have to.”

“Yes, I did.” Hecate looked at Thesis for a moment, and then she strode to the side of the bed and leaned down, embracing him fiercely before she kissed his lips, then his forehead, trembling once as she whispered in his ear: “I love you, my son. I love you, so very much. So, so much. I'm glad we got to spend this time together.”

“Me too, Mom. I love you too. You take care of yourself, and... it all matters, I promise. I promise it's not all for nothing.” Thesis smiled faintly, before he whispered: “Family first. You lose a son, sure, but you gain a daughter, and she's even more awesome than me. Just a little, though.”

Cadence laughed faintly, and Hecate shook her head slowly before she murmured: “You were born as my son. And now you die as my son. But you've earned it, Thesis. You've earned your rest. And I promise I'll do everything in my power to keep our family safe.”

“I know you will, Mom. I'll see you again... I just hope it's not too soon.” Thesis smiled again, and Hecate nodded before she straightened and took a slow breath, then she turned and headed for the door, letting herself out.

It was just them now, Cadence and Thesis. And they sat together for a few moments before Cadence carefully slipped over him and laid down in the bed beside him. They embraced one another, and there was no need for words, or actions, or anything but to be with one-another.

They stayed together like that, taking comfort in the silence and one-another, until two ceased to be, and there was only one.

His Final Gift

Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen: His Final Gift
~BlackRoseRaven

Time passed, and as the days rolled into weeks, and the weeks became months, Cadence felt a strange sense of normalcy return to what they were doing... well, as normal as fighting battles across an entire universe of different worlds could ever feel, at least.

Helheim was in chaos: with Hel gone, the Archives had lost much of their power, and while many of the Archivists and Demon Lords were powerful demons in their own rights, they were nothing compared to the fury of millions of angry, rioting demons. There was little they could do to stem the tidal wave of chaos that was surging through every slice of Helheim.

It had an interesting side effect, however: some demons were rumored to be hiding out and seeking asylum, and Cadence was often deployed to rescue or retrieve these demons with her team. The ranks of the Orphanage swelled with these recruits, although Decretum also began suffering attacks from renegades who had heard rumors that Hel was there... except Hel was safe in Endworld, a place so far off the chain of worlds that even demons couldn't portal directly to them.

More and more, Cadence was starting to understand how even if their duty was to stop and control chaos, war benefited them more than anyone or anything else. A place was ravaged by war, and they were called in to take care of it: they could ask whatever price they wanted, and claim anything they captured on the battlefield. They could fight as long as they pleased, dragging the conflict out or ending it in one vicious attack. They left once they chose to leave, no sooner and no later. And while both sides of the battlefield were left devastated, to rebuild, they took their payment and added more strength and wealth to the untouchable Clockwork Empire.

They had demons and angels, gods and monsters, and even stranger things here in Endworld, all helping to further their cause. It was funny, Cadence thought: all these allies, all these resources, all this dedication to maintaining peace, and it was all done through eternal, endless conflict. The entire reason they had been able to forge alliances with other worlds, find new backers, gain all these new allies, it was all because they were united in protecting one-another from the bullies, the monsters, the assholes and tyrants who kept attacking them. But without those bullies and monsters and assholes and tyrants, they would be the ones at each others' throats.

But no, angel and demon worked side-by-side and with Dogmatists and Orphans; Pious prayed in the church that stood beside a laboratory facility, where scientists and machines studied energy and molecules and particles; drones and mortal ponies worked side-by-side to expand Exoterra both above and below, building towers for the living, monastic cells for the undead, storage facilities for the machine.

There was little else to do but establish their alliances and relations, and the usual work that came with being the unseen protectors of the worlds: envoys traveled between Heaven and the parts of Helheim that were trying to secure themselves against chaos, and occasionally to other worlds, both inside and outside the chain of Midgard. Some of these realms were strange and alien, full of creatures that Cadence had never seen before, such as the Greater Heaven of the Pious; others, she felt right at home in, like cloudy Skyrealm, where Thorn had met with the deities and demidivinities of the Kirin.

Cadence was anxious, sure: that nibbling feeling that there was something going on, that wish they could do something other than just wait kept gnawing at her. And sometimes it irritated her that the Valkyrie and her family got to run around like idiots, and she was just... stuck, and worse, kept in suspense every time something happened until Hecate decided whether or not she wanted to send her to investigate.

Sometimes it was tempting to try and use the Swan's power to leap across the boundaries between worlds: the Astra was everywhere, within and throughout everything, and once or twice she had already made the jump from Endworld to Decretum and back by herself. Whether a world was disconnected or not didn't matter to her: if she had been there, she could touch that Astra again, and then step to that place.

But usually Hecate sent her and her team in whenever they detected some sort of Void incursion, and so far, it had always been a disappointment: Husks, or Aetherhaunts, or rarely some Primordial. They hadn't encountered any Voidborn or Loki himself... not for two years now.

Cadence calmly polished her MARES rifle as she sat in front of the window, gazing silently out at the electric city beyond. She watched as several security drones zoomed by, followed by a larger, heavier transport drone carrying a block of materials somewhere. Likely North Section. They've been building another skyscraper there.

She smiled a bit, watching as several more of the quadcopter transport drones rumbled by, the four spinning blades that kept them aloft whirring almost silently through the air... how the hell did it do that? Thorn had explained it once, how the sound was 'deflected' towards the sky and the rest of the machinery was insulated, but she didn't fully understand it.

She flicked the switch on her rifle to distend it, then she brushed it quickly off with a cloth before shoving it back into its holster and simply hanging this on the back of the chair. She grimaced a bit as she stood up, cracking her back before she rolled her eyes and dropped to all fours when she realized she was 'standing tall' again, as everyone seemed to like to call it.

Cadence turned and strode over to the table, her Third Eye gleaming on her forehead and letting her sweep up the papers laying there with telekinesis. She shuffled quickly through them, glancing over the profiles of the Voidborn they could almost be certain still existed, and then she sighed as her eyes locked on Loki, scowling at him as he grinned out the page at her.

There were too many blanks on his page. Too much information still missing: even though they had captured Husks, confiscated the technology he was using, destroyed countless Primordials and intercepted cargo, interrogated his allies and fences...

Cadence scowled as she dropped the papers back on the desk: Loki was keeping all his Voidborn, his Jarsongildi, very close, and he himself was hiding out in the Void. By now he had likely recuperated most of his strength: two years was a long time, even if Hecate had nearly torn him in half. And sure, even a year ago she had been completely sure she could take Loki on like she had fought every other enemy, but now, after two years of training and reflection and a lot of growing up...

How ready was she going to be for an enemy who could destroy her by looking at her hard enough? She had sparred with Hecate several times, and even without using the powers of the Jötnar, Hecate was able to knock her around like a toy. When Hecate exercised those powers... I'm lucky to last a few seconds. At best.

Hecate was the only thing more powerful than Loki, and Hecate had expressed – privately – that Loki might have spent these last few years in the Void absorbing as much energy as possible, to try and make himself a match for her. If Cadence couldn't even stand on the same level as Hecate, how the hell was she supposed to fight Loki?

“Loki's powers are different. His powers are destructive and incredible, but they are not the same as the Jötnar. He cannot destroy us with a single thought or word, as Mother Hecate can.” the Swan advised, and Cadence grunted as she looked over at Danzsöngr.

Her other-half, her twin, looked the same as ever, but she had visibly changed all the same: she no longer had the same rigid body language, but instead seemed relaxed, almost natural. Her poses seemed a little forced at times, but Cadence thought that Danzsöngr was still trying to find herself, to understand emotion: two years was such a terribly long time, and yet nothing but moments compared to the countless years that Danzsöngr had lived as only a tool, in the darkness of Asgard, in the catacombs of Heaven.

Danzsöngr pushed herself away from the wall, then she picked up the file on Loki, studying it intently as Cadence scowled despite herself: she always felt like Danzsöngr was just showing off when she picked things up while projected. And it always ends up getting blamed on me when she does this in public. Like I can control her.

“You only need to ask. But I am curious. I like curiosity. It is a good emotion.” Danzsöngr said, and then she held the paper out to Cadence, saying in a more serious voice: “We know that Loki can be hurt. We know that his operations were likely connected to gathering shards of his own self, his own soul. Do you not remember?”

“Yes. But we only ever found one pony who was confirmed to be a shard, and by the time we found him he was already dead. There can't be that many pieces of his soul out there... even a powerful soul like a god's can only shatter into so many pieces. And by themselves...”

“A piece is only so strong. Even a powerful soul must have a container worthy of its strength to be able to harness its power, or it breaks.” Danzsöngr said, and Cadence frowned as she looked up at the Swan, wondering- “But reunited, the soul becomes powerful again. And not just because of power, but because of knowledge. It is like us, Cadence: with every death, your soul has flowed into ours, restoring us. Reawakening us, becoming us again.”

“I still don't know how that works. Maybe it's like a counterweight, I'm becoming you. Then you can die a whole bunch of times in a row and become me again.” Cadence muttered, even though she knew that definitely wasn't how it was going to work: she was somehow sure that she was at the end of her long string of lives. “We know Loki wants the shards, and that it'll make him much stronger. I don't see how that's new information.”

“It is not. It is reassurance.” Danzsöngr said softly, and Cadence frowned before the Swan slowly reached up, then pushed her finger into the mare's nose, making her scowl and wrinkle up her snout. “Loki is still incomplete. As long as he is incomplete, it means he is flawed. His soul will always be broken, missing pieces, pieces that have been replaced by the essence of the Prime. If we wish to know Loki, perhaps instead we should learn of the Prime.”

Cadence blinked at this, and then she nodded slowly before she shoved the Swan's hand away, saying quietly: “You're right. Maybe that's it: the Prime is composed of Astra. We know more about the Astra than anyone else. That means we should be able to figure out how to beat Loki ourselves. Assuming Hecate doesn't just... wish him out of existence.”

“Even the Jötnar cannot simply 'wish' others out of existence. They must allow it to happen.” answered the Swan almost disapprovingly, emphasizing this with a poke at Cadence's muzzle, and she scowled again before slapping the Swan's hand away. “This is what Mother Hecate spoke of when she said you do not listen, Cadence.”

“Oh shut up. You don't listen either. And stop spying on Hecate, too, every time she disassociates you or flings you out of reality it hurts me. And more importantly, she bitches at me about not keeping you on a leash.” Cadence added, and the Swan slowly huffed, then shrugged awkwardly. Well, it was more of a slow shoulder roll, but it got the point across all the same.

“Our duty is not to listen. It is to... discover.” the Swan argued, gesturing widely with one hand. “And we are curious, as we have said. It is a good emotion. Besides, we have learned that as we are free of the Mother's control, we must use our freedom to its fullest. Do you prefer when we chat with Hel? Or shall we instead follow the Valkyrie?”

Cadence scowled moodily: since the Swan was free to go where she pleased whenever she projected, she often took advantage of that to track down people who interested her, which generally also ended up being the people who most annoyed and frustrated Cadence.

Hel was under heavy guard and cooped up in some high-security installation, but of course all those scanners and soldiers meant absolutely nothing to Danzsöngr, who could simply appear wherever she pleased and choose who she appeared to, with the exception of Hecate, although Hel could at least sense the Swan's presence. Hel was also one of the few people who seemed to actually enjoy having the Swan around, holding long, rambling, confusing conversations with her, and occasionally shouting loudly at Cadence through the Swan like she was a telephone or something. And I don't know how she does that, either. But Hel... made us.

“Hel is our Mother. It is not a crime for a daughter to enjoy conversations with her mother.” the Swan tried to quip, but Cadence only looked flatly at the creature. Horses of Heaven. I've been hanging around Moonflower and La Croix too much.

“And what about Brynhild, then? She's not even a distant cousin. She's a freak of nature.” Cadence said flatly, and the Swan gave one of her slow shrugs in response, which just made Cadence scowl. “I know you have an answer.”

“I thought this was a gesture of answer. Or that it would at least end the conversation. It is what you do often to silence critics.” the Swan replied, and Cadence rolled her eyes even as she fought down a faint blush.

“That's different. They're afraid of me. And they've usually said something retarded or asked a stupid question so... it's different.” Cadence defended lamely, and then she said grouchily, mostly to divert the Swan's attention: “Stop following Brynhild around. She comes and pesters me after you do that, and I hate her.”

The Swan seemed to smile behind her mask at this, before she asked curiously as Cadence turned away: “Do you not desire to learn more of the Valkyrie? We study her. We have learned much from her. Perhaps one day, we will even defeat her.”

“I could kick her ass any time I wanted!” Cadence almost shouted, one of her eyes twitching as she rounded on the Swan, but Danzsöngr looked unperturbed even as the mare continued waspishly: “I just happen to have more important things to concentrate on than fighting the stupid Valkyrie right now, especially since we have Helheim to worry about as well as the Void.”

“Helheim is a problem that will solve itself in time. I am confident of this. Hel is, too.” the Swan said, as if this was supposed to be reassuring. Cadence only scowled moodily in response, and the Swan studied her for a few moments before she asked, honestly curious: “Why is it not? For all her faults and all the reasons you may dislike her, she is still the Queen of Helheim, and knows more of it and its denizens than all of us together. We know little of that Underworld.”

Cadence frowned at this, then she asked slowly: “What 'Underworld' do we know about, then?”

The Swan seemed taken aback by this herself, like she had just realized what she had said, and she chewed on her lip for a few moments before she said with a strange disappointment: “We do not know. It is hidden from our sight.”

“Great.” Cadence said sourly, rolling her eyes before she sighed a little, then she looked moodily up and asked: “Are we ever going to figure it out? Or is this just another one of those stupid 'one day I'll just spit out the right answer' things?”

“It is not my fault, nor yours, Cadence, that our memories are only triggered by unknowable words and phrases, by strings we have yet to pull. As I have said many times, our memories-”

“Giant library, lots of books, yes, yes, yes. I know.” Cadence sighed and dropped her face in a hoof, rubbing it slowly for a few moments. Eventually, she looked up, saying plaintively when she saw that the Swan was still giving her that endless stare of hers: “I'm just tired of feeling jerked around by things. Of not knowing everything. Of how when I sit here and try to sift through all these memories, I get lost in everything. When I know them, everything makes sense, but when I try and look at the memories nearby... I think... why are these thoughts of 'the Underworld we knew' connected not to home, but to Helheim? Why can't I just go, oh, well, I know I'm from some other place but I can't... think of that place?”

“Can you tell me what you had for breakfast a day ago? A week ago? Two?” asked the Swan, and Cadence scowled before she shifted a little as she started to understand. “You scramble for the answer, but-”

“I get it. Nice pun. I had scrambled eggs the week before.” Cadence said testily, and she sensed the Swan smiling at her. “Stop it. I said I got it.”

“Yes. We are glad that you have.” the Swan replied honestly, before she continued all the same: “Memories associate strangely. They are never 'right beside' each other, especially as they age. They shift, and categorize themselves as-”

The Swan was thankfully interrupted by a loud beeping that filled the apartment, and Cadence frowned before she looked towards the door and called: “Open comms!”

The glass dome inset into the wall on one side of the door gleamed, then projected a large holographic screen that the sigil of the Clockwork Empire flashed over for a moment before it was replaced by an image of Thorn Blackfeather.

Cadence saluted quickly, feeling like this wasn't a social call even before he said: “I need you to report to the Orphanage for briefing. We've detected a Void surge in Decretum.”

“What?” Cadence blurted, her eyes widening, but then she caught herself and forced herself to nod and salute in spite of all the questions bubbling through her, saying sharply: “I'll head down immediately.”

“Good. The rest of your team will meet you there.” Thorn said, and Cadence smiled briefly: it had been too long since the old team had been together. “Report directly to Briefing B.”

“Sir.” Cadence said crisply, and the projection vanished after a moment before Cadence spun around and scrambled up the stairs to grab her Mission Drive, then she simply leapt the banister, flapping her wings once to launch herself towards the door and wincing as it opened too slowly for her, hitting the ground a little hard and skidding under it before she staggered to her hooves and bolted down the hall.

She rushed through the residence, shouldering aside Lancer in one of the narrow halls – apologizing first, then swearing back at him instead when he shouted a volley of curses at her – then leapt out the main doors to gallop down the street at full speed towards the Orphanage. People cleared the road for her, watching with confusion: but if what Thorn had said was true, she knew that very soon everyone would be...

Panicking? That was a ludicrous thought, and Cadence smiled grimly: oh no, it wouldn't be a panic. Not with how these servants and soldiers and warriors of Decretum had been trained and hardened even further over the last two years, all while steeping in the desire for revenge and retribution against Loki for what he did to them and their loved ones.

Cadence was eager. She could almost smell the blood in the air. And she knew that was a bad thing, even if it was what she wanted to be right now: a seeker, a hunter, a killer.

“I won't let that bastard get past us this time.” Cadence muttered as she headed through the gates of the Orphanage and towards the doors of the facility, pausing only for a moment to let the scanners on either side of the door verify her Mission Drive before she strode inside. This time we're going to be ready. We know what he's capable of, we know what weapons he has, what soldiers are at his disposal. We can do this. We can stop him.

Cadence headed straight to the briefing room, and she was both surprised and relieved to find that she was the last to arrive: Moonflower, Sombra, and La Croix were already in their seats, although it looked like her father was just settling in.

“Good. Let's begin.” Thorn said as the door closed, and Cadence nodded as she quickly took her seat, turning her attention to Thorn as the screen behind him flashed on and displayed a map of Decretum. “As you are all well aware, Decretum is being expanded and fortified now that most of the repairs have been completed. Loki appears to be aware of our expanded defenses and artillery, as he appears to be forcing open a Void rift outside of the atmosphere. Scans indicate something very large moving through this portal.”

Thorn gestured at the screen, and the images changed to graphs and digital estimates, Cadence narrowing her eyes as she recognized that shape. Even though she'd only caught a glimpse of it all those years ago, she remembered all too clearly the destruction it had wrought. “Loki's weapon.”

“This is a modified Citadel-class Orbiting Space Station. Almost all COSS either crashed and were stripped of parts or destroyed, and the remaining were all thought to have been reclaimed and repurposed into floating fortresses or land bases.” Thorn explained, before he tapped the screen to advance the images again, calling up a schematic of what looked almost like a small moon filled with a beehive of crisscrossing corridors and levels. “We think this COSS is most likely the Bellona, which had been reported as crashed, but was never recovered because it landed in a C-Class world where retrieval operations would be severely hampered by the hostile terrain and wildlife. But that, of course, would not be a problem for Loki.”

“Did... Thesis know about it?” asked Cadence, her voice wavering on a little. Sure, they had talked about it a bit, but they had never really gotten much into... all that. I wanted to, but I... I wanted us to have our time together, more.

“Yes, he was debriefed on that and more during his first few weeks here. Thesis, as a matter of fact, is responsible for giving us a way to move immediately against this threat.” Thorn answered with the smallest of smiles, and Cadence blinked in surprise before Thorn glanced back at the screen, asking: “Hel?”

The screen flickered, and Hel appeared with a grin on it, leaning awkwardly forward so her face filled up most of the screen as she asked: “Hey! Is this thing on? Am I doing it right?”

“Yes. Please explain, Hel, our time is limited.” Thorn said, and Cadence felt both eager and... a little betrayed.

Part of her wanted to snap and lash out, but she mastered that part of herself as she gritted her teeth and straightened slightly, glaring into the screen as Hel hummed and fiddled with whatever she was using to talk to them before she suddenly grabbed either side of the camera and leaned into it, pale features going cold and tense in an instant as she said quietly: “I hope you're ready for this, my sweet little cupcakes. Oh, I know you think you are, but thinking you are is far, far from the same as actually being there.”

Hel paused, then she leaned away from the camera, sitting back far enough from the screen they could watch her nervous twitches: the way she smoothed out her dress over her body, played with her cane, unconsciously rubbed at her bad leg. She gathered herself for a moment, then grimaced before she finally said moodily: “Well, let's hope you are, if only so you pretty little biscuits will stop staring at me.

“Thesis and I met quite a while before he officially changed sides. I convinced him to do a little spying for me, and in return, I helped straighten his brain out. You're welcome.” Hel said loudly as she looked pointedly at Cadence, who scowled horribly in response, but managed to swallow down the many retorts she wanted to spit.

Fortunately, Hel continued quickly, her voice becoming serious again as she said: “Of course, we couldn't tell anyone about it because of Loki's power over the Void. What happened if someone important died and Loki found out? Well, we already know that, don't we?” Hel smiled wryly, then she reached up and tapped on her nose gently. “But he was a good boy, who kept good secrets. He marked Loki's ship with a great, big, and completely invisible X, and Loki won't know it's there until I teleport you right on top of him.”

“This is our chance to stop him.” Cadence breathed, and then she smiled grimly: that was Thesis. Always doing what had to be done, going above and beyond them all... Horses of Heaven, I love you and I hate you. “What do you need?”

“Wow, girl, I knew you'd be excited but I never guessed you'd be ready to listen, too!” Hel said cheerfully, clapping her hands together. “What a well-trained doggy you've become, Swanny!”

Cadence gritted her teeth, but forced herself not to reply even as her front hooves dug down against the tabletop. Then she blinked in surprise when Hel suddenly leaned towards the camera, saying quietly: “And you're going to have to put up with far worse than that from Loki, dear. So you had better get used to people calling you naughty names and saying mean things about you, or Loki's going to provoke you into doing exactly the wrong thing at exactly the right moment.”

“I know. I've been working on it.” Cadence said quietly, meeting Hel's gaze with a grimace before she rose her head slightly and added calmly, in spite of the ten thousand questions she wanted to ask: “My team and I are ready to deploy.”

Hel smiled slightly at this, then she leaned back and waved a hand idly, saying: “Oh, it's not time yet. That space station or death star or whatever you want to call it hasn't moved wholly into the atmosphere yet, and there's a whole lot of Void energy surging through there right now. It'll kill you, girl. And while you might not care much about dying, it'll kill all your pretty little friends, too. And I know you don't want Scarecrow, Tinman, and Cowardly Lion to die, do you, Dorthy? You already lost Toto.”

Cadence scowled, but did her best not to say anything before she looked up in surprise as Thorn added: “Strike Team Valkyrie will be sent in with you as well. Your mission is to subdue and neutralize all enemy forces by any means necessary and capture or eliminate Loki. Strike Team Valkyrie will be there to act as your support, and in the event that you encounter Loki, their orders are to suppress all other resistance while you deal with the target.”

Cadence couldn't help but smile at what that implied, nodding briefly once before Hel clapped her hands together and crowed: “My daughter's grown up so good! Speaking of daughters, Cadence, why haven't you grown up so good?”

She paused, then eyed Cadence meditatively with her mismatched amethyst eye as Cadence looked back at her challengingly. And after a moment, a smile quirked at Hel's lips as she tapped a finger against her chin, and then she said softly: “Okay. Maybe you've grown up a little. You lost everything though, didn't you, dear? And when you lose that much, your only choice is to grow up or get out.”

The ivory mare shifted a little bit, and she was admittedly a little relieved when Thorn said calmly: “Cadence, take your team and get ready, then report to the RDP. Take everything you think you'll need, Team 0-0 has full inventory access for this mission.”

“Sir.” Cadence saluted sharply, and then she barked, before anyone could ask any questions: “You heard him! Let's move out, people!”

Moonflower scuttled out of his chair as La Croix winced and hopped out of his, while her father only smiled and shook his head before he fell in behind them as they headed to the door. Cadence stopped to let the rest of her team go by, hesitating for a moment before she looked back at Thorn and Hel. “When this is over... I want to know everything. I want to know what Thesis did. I want to know what secrets you two made him keep.”

Thorn smiled briefly, and Hel chuckled before she said wryly: “And here I thought you were supposed to be sweet. But I guess that's why he called you whiskey, isn't it? You have a hell of a kick to you, you crazy lady you.”

Cadence only scowled, before she glanced at Thorn as he instructed: “Concentrate on your mission first. Afterwards, put in an information request, and I'm sure Queen Hecate will see that it gets to you, one way or the other.”

Cadence smiled briefly at this, then she nodded once before she turned and left, heading quickly after her team to the equipment room: not the small preparation rooms that were here in the briefing hall, but instead down a level to the Quartermaster's Warehouse, where all equipment for the Orphanage was stored.

They were scanned and greeted by the automated systems run by Portia at the armored doors, and when they entered, they found a Clockwork Titan waiting for them, Seneschal immediately snapping from the machine: “There you are! Now hurry up, hurry up, scans indicate that we only have a timeframe of thirty-four minutes, twenty-two seconds before the emergence!”

“I want everyone in full equipment. We go in prepared, we hit hard and fast, we destroy Loki. No excuses, no holding back this time.” Cadence said sharply, before her eyes flicked quickly over the others: Moonflower was already hurrying down the rows of shelves towards where the armor was stored on racks, and La Croix was moving in the other direction, towards the apothecary or medical storage.

Sombra, meanwhile, approached Seneschal to ask: “Will our communications be affected at all? Will you be sent in with us as well?”

“No, your Mission Drives should function normally: you'll be in Decretum airspace, after all.” Seneschal paused, then he added grudgingly: “Although yes, because of the sensitive nature and the importance of this mission, I will be in attendance as well. I, however, will be operating independently of the group: as long as the COSS hasn't been heavily reformatted, I should be able to interface with the systems and disable the floating base's security and defenses.”

Seneschal huffed a little, rubbing grouchily at his mechanical arms as he complained: “Me, an elite AI in charge of keeping an entire empire online and running efficiently, with enough processing power to compute ten quadrillion calculations in less than a second, and now I'm being reduced to nothing more than a common brute, strong-arming some local system into cooperating with us for the-”

“For the good of all of us, Seneschal. Or do you really want Auriculos to have the last laugh?” Cadence asked, and she could swear that the Clockwork Titan Seneschal was inhabiting just frowned at her through more than its body language.

“That simpleton, that... philistine was absolutely nothing compared to me, and even if he's successfully managed to rewire the entirety of the Bellona, it will be a matter of nanoseconds for me to subjugate their systems and reformat them to previous Decretum operating protocols.” Seneschal grumbled, crossing his arms. “Furthermore, no captured technology has shown any signs of Auriculos' tampering. While unlikely he was the sole operator of our more complex technologies, it is highly-likely that only he had the talent and experience necessary to reprogram our more advanced and autonomous machinery. Guns and other such 'toys' do not require copious amounts of knowledge for their effective use.”

“Great. Daddy... I mean, Sombra, can you make sure everyone gets suited up and coordinate with Seneschal? I'll be back in five minutes.” Cadence said, and Sombra smiled and nodded to her. “Alright. I'll be right back.”

With that, Cadence closed her eyes and took a breath before she took a step, and she grimaced slightly as she staggered across the floor of her apartment before she caught herself, then she looked up in surprise to see that the Swan had already set all her equipment out for her on the table, the entity gesturing at her armor and weapons as she said calmly: “We are prepared when you are, Cadence. Let us strike without mercy.”

“We'll have mercy if we have to. But only if he begs for it.” muttered Cadence as she approached, before she scowled slightly when the Swan picked up her bodysuit and offered it to her. “Stop doing that.”

“I am here to help. We are two sides of the same coin. We should work together.” the Swan said, and Cadence sighed, then nodded grudgingly as she stood up on her hind hooves so that the Swan could help her into the specially-shaped bodysuit, rolling her eyes.

“I'm just not in the mood to get along with anyone else today, I guess.” grumbled Cadence, shaking her head slowly before she sighed and added dryly: “I really look forward to just punching the crap out of everything, honestly. Being nice is... it's really hard.”

“Thesis would be pleased, though. Proud of you. Proud of us.” the Swan murmured, and Cadence gave the faintest of smiles: sure, in spite of how much of a troublemaker and an asshole he had been...

“Yeah. He always knew when it was time to be professional, and when we could just... be ourselves.” Cadence said softly, shaking her head and smiling briefly. “I'll never be like that. But I can at least... learn from his example, and learn to keep my head on my shoulders. He was good at that. Not letting his emotions control him. I'm...”

“We are fueled by emotion. Not so much as the Valkyries, and in a different way, by different means. But we are still beings driven by passion, and empathy.” the Swan said, as she zipped up the back of Cadence's bodysuit, before she calmly strode past as she added almost offhoof: “Our empathy has always been a great asset to us, in all our lives. It is what allowed us to understand, to see, to feel.”

“To exact revenge.” Cadence muttered, and then she grimaced and shook her head before she allowed the Swan to help her slip into her breastplate: ivory metal, modified with flexible plates so she could comfortably switch from four hooves to two on the fly.

She paused, then smiled briefly as she looked down at herself as the Swan tightened the clasps and belts for her, one of her hooves stroking over the symbols on either side of the breastplate: on the left, a simple sigil of a bird, with '0-0' beneath it; on the right, the dragon-head symbol of the Clockwork Empire, with her rank – Rex Prox – proudly displayed. Then she sighed as the Swan gently pushed on her back, dropping to all fours so the entity could calmly slide her groin plates and battleskirt on, Cadence grumbling: “Creeps me out when you do that. I wish you'd just let me do it. Get away from my... down there parts.”

“I have no interest in your 'down there parts.' But I also have no interest in seeing our container, as you put it, 'stabbed in the ass.'” continued the Swan, and Cadence gave a slight smile despite herself before she wheezed as the Swan tightened the skirt, then locked it into place, sealing it tight against the breastplate.

Without needing to be asked, Cadence shoved herself back up to her rear hooves, leaning back and forth before she kicked off the ground and flipped backwards, landing on all fours with a slight smile. “Good. That feels right.”

Danzsöngr nodded in agreement, then watched as Cadence finished putting on the last of her gear by herself: boots, belts of knives, holster and ammo satchels and her rifle. She gave herself a moment to check the last over, then she glanced up as Danzsöngr offered her the case containing all the different parts for her rifle, saying: “You may need to make adjustments.”

Cadence mentally checked the time, then she grimaced a bit before she took the case, popping it open and glancing over the multitude of parts inside, muttering: “Too bad I was just cleaning the goddamn thing.”

She selected several parts, then grumbled as she simply shouldered her rifle, turning and calmly stepping through reality again with the faintest hint of a grimace: it was much harder to carry things with her when she stepped, and she still couldn't take anyone with her when she went anywhere. As they had found out when she had tried it with Moonflower's pet frog... nasty things happen. Good thing the little bastard's got more lives than I do.

Cadence glanced up as Seneschal huffed at her before complaining: “That is extremely valuable Decretum equipment!”

“It's fine.” Cadence glanced around and noted that Moonflower and La Croix were both missing, but Sombra at least looked like he had finished: he had a vest fitted across his body and a ring around his horn to amplify his magic, as well as a collar that would keep him calm... in case the purifier malfunctions. About time we finally figured out we should always have a backup plan. “How much time do we have left?”

Seneschal huffed as Cadence simply sat down in the middle of the floor and began to attach the parts to her rifle, the Clockwork Titan eyeing her grouchily before the AI grumbled out of its shell: “Roughly twenty minutes and four seconds. You took four minutes longer than-”

“Shut up, Seneschal.” Cadence responded, and Seneschal huffed, but the ivory mare only focused on the rifle in her lap, using telekinesis to guide the bolts and magnets into the right places: it was fascinating how many different parts could be added or removed from this weapon so quickly, if you knew what you were doing... this toy, I should say. It's still a stupid toy. With a lot of parts.

Cadence attached a scope to the top of the rifle, a stabilizing mechanism that fit over the stock, and then she smiled slightly as she floated the last piece in front of her eyes for a moment, reflecting: Okay. Maybe this isn't a toy.

She locked the underslung grenade launcher into place, tightening it as she said: “I have it set for 50mm grenades. Can you-”

“Yes, yes. Portia, use your inferior drone systems to deliver a satchel of ridiculously-oversized warheads to the mare, who fails to grasp that 20mm antipersonnel rounds would be a far more effective use of her limited ammo reserves.”

“Shut up, Seneschal. If we end up fighting Voidborn or Primordials, I want a grenade that's guaranteed to put a big hole in them, not just piss them off.” Cadence retorted as she adjusted the grenade launcher and checked its manual sight.

Seneschal grumbled silently at this, then he gestured absently as a Worker Drone came walking calmly towards them, wearing two satchels filled with ammunition. “And no, that was not Portia's inferior systems' doing. That was mine. The moment I saw you I knew you were going to put in a request for more. As a matter of fact, I assumed from the moment that-”

“Yes, Seneschal. Thank you and your inferior systems.” Cadence grumbled, and Seneschal huffed loudly at this as the ivory mare adjusted the grenade launcher slightly, wiggling it back and forth until she felt the parts securely lock. It was amazing how these things worked: you could put them together with your bare hooves, and they'd never come apart.

Seneschal grumbled under his breath, but Cadence ignored him as she approached the drone, helping herself to the grenades and ignoring the rest of the ammunition: she still had plenty of Anti-Void rounds.

She loaded a grenade into the launcher, and Seneschal twitched before he complained: “Cadence, you are not supposed to-”

“Now it's ready for when I need it.” Cadence replied dryly as she loaded the rest of the 50mm shells into her ammo satchel. She patted this to make sure the bag was secure against her side and the grenades weren't wobbling around, then she looked up with a brief smile as she heard Moonflower approaching before she saw him. “Daddy, can you help him tighten his armor?”

Sombra nodded, walking over to the fellow unicorn to quickly adjust his heavy plate mail. Cadence only nodded approvingly, however: Moonflower had grabbed the right set of armor and even made sure to put together their equipment satchels. Then again, they had been doing this for years together now... but I think we're only now really starting to come together as a team. No, we've always been a good team, but now we... trust each other, I guess is the best way to put it.

Not that there hadn't been trust before, but in the past, Cadence would want to oversee every little thing, and La Croix would never share what he had in his satchel, and Moonflower had always needed somepony to hold his hoof and guide him through every little step. But now they had grown up together: something doubly proven as La Croix joined them, apologizing: “Sorry, mes amies. Had to take a second to put these together for you, Papa Sérénité.”

La Croix tossed a set of black vials to Sombra, who caught them easily in telekinesis without looking up from Moonflower, smiling and nodding in gratitude as he slipped them quickly into place on his belt. La Croix only shrugged amiably, then he turned his eyes towards Cadence before he quirked an eyebrow as he watched her adjust the holster for her rifle so the MARES would fit. “Y'really have to bring that thing along?”

“I figure they'll make me anyway. And it's been useful before.” Cadence admitted grudgingly. La Croix smiled at her almost sympathetically, but Cadence only shrugged before she turned her eyes to Seneschal, asking: “Any last minute information for us?”

Seneschal looked at them for a moment, likely sorting through reports before he finally admitted grudgingly: “Even I don't know all of the particulars for this mission. This information is all classified as highly-sensitive and was kept off-server, on a local-only network.”

Cadence blinked in surprise, and Seneschal huffed before he looked awkwardly away, grumbling: “It has been theorized that before Auriculos was deleted, he was able to establish a network tap that may allow Loki to listen in on all our communications as long as he has something deployed locally. Now, I have personally calculated the chances of this and examined every Drone and autonomous system across Decretum and Endworld for such a breech and discovered nothing, but as Empress Hecate wills, I must-”

“He could have other spies, too. It was always considered a possibility. I just never realized that they were actually...” Cadence stopped, then she shook her head. In a few minutes, it wasn't going to matter anymore. “Time to deployment?”

“Roughly ten minutes before emergence is complete. You should move to the RDP immediately.” Seneschal ordered, and Cadence nodded before she looked at her team, checking to make sure they were ready before she straightened and called them to order.

The three stallions fell in, and Cadence smiled before she shoved her hoof forward. The others immediately did the same, all of them smiling back at her before Cadence said, voice clear and strong and determined: “We are the Irregular Hunters. We are the very best that Decretum has to offer. And no matter what is waiting for us there, whether or not Loki has an entire army of Voidborn, we're going to fight our way to him and put a stop to this, here and now. Who are we?”

“Irregulars!” came the fearless reply from all three of them, and Cadence smiled.

“That's right, and we're the goddamn best. Now let's move out!” Cadence said sharply, and she fearlessly turned, taking the lead as their hooves parted, but Cadence could almost feel their hearts beating as one, their hoofsteps the drums of war as they fell into place with one-another as naturally as puzzle pieces.

They headed through the facility to the Rapid Deployment Platform: a secure, steel-walled room distinguished mainly by two things: the enormous ring inset into the floor, and the steel-barred window wall that Hecate and Hel currently both stood behind, watching as Cadence led her team into the center of the ring.

Static crackled through hidden speakers before Hecate asked calmly: “Are you and your team ready?”

Cadence saluted, and that seemed to be enough of an answer for Hecate, who gave a thin smile before she said calmly: “As you are apparently aware, Seneschal is being deployed as well. I've already ordered a bombardment against Loki's base, and the probes have confirmed that it is the Bellona. Your Mission Drives have been updated accordingly with the schematics, which will update as our probes scan for more information.”

Cadence nodded, unable to help but ask: “Bombardment? I thought-”

“Loki is just outside of Decretum's atmosphere, out of range of most of our standard artillery. Our rail guns were able to reach the Bellona, however, as are the defense satellites.” Hecate smiled thinly, then she said calmly: “Loki's forces on board the ship should be scattered and confused by the chaos. We'll track your position to avoid any collateral damage, but the bombardment will continue.”

“So we'll only have a limited amount of time. Eventually the ship will either break in half or fall out of the air.” Cadence said slowly, and Hecate only gave another narrow smile.

“Time is always limited.” she answered, and then she continued: “Evacuation will be by HAAR jump, and-”

“Seriously?” Cadence blurted, as Moonflower and La Croix traded winces, but Hecate only gave them a contemptible look as Hel cocked her head curiously.

“If the Kirin can do it, so can all of you.” she answered, then she scowled when Hel firmly tapped her on the head a few times with her cane, before she explained: “High Altitude, Aerial Retrieval. They are going to jump off the Bellona, and the Kirin will catch them in a Black Owl modified for that purpose.”

“Why do we all name our stuff after animals? It's like we're trying to say we want to be like animals or something, give up all this... well, I can't say humanity, can I? Ponyanimanity. I don't know. You get it. Well, a little, at least.” Hel winked. “Mortality and morality are only one letter off, and we don't have much of either, am I right or am I right?”

Hecate only looked moodily at Hel, who shrugged after a moment before she suddenly dropped forward on her cane, adding: “My kids will be right there with you, and I expect you to look out for them, Swan. Now, I know you hate her and all, but if you can get along with me for a day...”

“We will not disappoint either of you, Mothers. And we are capable of fighting alongside the Valkyrie. Of admiring her, even.” Danzsöngr answered politely, and Cadence shifted awkwardly, but she was glad she didn't have to actually say anything herself.

Hel snorted as Hecate looked meditatively at Danzsöngr for a moment, but then her features tensed as she looked up slightly, saying sharply: “There. The Bellona has passed out of the Void completely and the rift is closing.”

“Give it a moment, give it a moment. Always hurry up but never rush. My kids aren't even here yet.” Hel said pleasantly, raising her own head slightly before she closed one eye, grinning at Hecate as the Jötnar mare gave her a sour look. “Hey, you can't just run in and slap away at whatever, wherever, any and every time. Let it sit. Let it ripen. Give it a moment to cool down. No wonder you and the Swan get along so well.”

Hecate opened her mouth, but Hel held up a single finger, closing both eyes now as she said in a sharper voice: “Wait.”

Hecate frowned, and Hel clicked her tongue before she grimaced a bit, rubbing slowly at her face as she muttered: “Yes, yes. The Void energy is fading rapidly. And the ship is...”

“Shielding itself. That's quite a modification.” Hecate said quietly, as digital readouts and images spilled across her lenses. “Will you still-”

“Please. A little thing like that? Maybe it's a problem for you, but never for me. I just need you to loan me the juice, that's all.” Hel replied with a wink and a shrug, and then she clapped her hands together as the door to the RDP opened and Luna came strutting in, with Scrivener and Morgan behind her. “There you are! Perfect timing, cinnamon bun!”

“Aye, we felt thy call. We are ready, and... we shall behave.” Luna added in a grumble as both Morgan and Scrivener looked at her pointedly.

Cadence glanced back at the three as they assembled along with her team, naturally mingling together. The ivory mare smiled despite herself at it, before she scowled when Luna stepped up beside her and checked her firmly, winking as she remarked cheerfully: “I see thou art ready too, Danzsöngr. And I am certainly flattered by thy cutesy imitation of me.”

Luna winked as she posed in her rose-patterned breastplate, pointedly showing off the large gun holstered on her back, and Cadence wrinkled up her muzzle, but then forced herself to bite down the many retorts she wanted to snap back at the mare with, instead making herself take a breath and mutter instead: “Let's just focus on getting this job done, Valkyrie.”

“Oh, fie on thee, as if I am not the epitome of professionalism!” Luna complained, then she stomped one of her blade-like hooves as both Morgan and Scrivener glared at her, the Valkyrie grumbling before she straightened slightly and asked: “Do we move as one?”

“Your team is to support Team 0-0 in any way possible. You will obey whatever orders and instructions Cadence gives you. Do I make myself clear?” Hecate asked coldly, and Luna gave a wry smile, glancing moodily over at Cadence before she nodded briefly once. “Good. Hel?”

“Count to seven.” Hel advised, and Hecate scowled at her, before Hel clapped her hands together and said brightly: “Seven! Okay, Hecate, I'll point and you throw!”

Luna and Cadence traded grimaces, before the Swan couldn't help but agree as the Valkyrie muttered: “This suddenly feels like a terrible idea.”

“Oh, shut up and pucker up, honeybunch. You and the rest of the doughnut holes will be fine.” Hel grumbled, before she swung her cane up, Hecate calmly catching the end of this in one hoof before she narrowed her eyes, her whole body thrumming with power as Hel grinned even as her features tightened visibly, growling: “Oh, this is so much harder than it used to be... and yet I guess I've always had the advantage of practice through others...”

Cadence felt the air crackle around her, the group naturally tightening a little before she gritted her teeth as she almost saw the magic coming towards them before it hit like a tidal wave. She felt like she had been thrown into the air, flailing helplessly for a moment before she caught herself, the Swan helping to hold her steady as light and sound whipped past.

A single, tremendous boom ripped through her ears, and then she landed painfully on some hard surface, legs wobbling under her before she steadied them. She took a slow breath, then grimaced as the world shook around her... but the sound was different, echoing down a long metal and stone corridor, joined by klaxons and rumbles.

She shook herself out, then looked quickly back at her team: Moonflower was picking himself up, and La Croix wheezed as he went from ethereal to physical as Sombra calmly rolled his shoulders, purifier buzzing away. Scrivener was stretching and Morgan was already looking around, while Brynhild was... laying on her face.

She glowered at Brynhild, who grumbled on the ground before she awkwardly shoved herself up to her hooves, shaking herself out violently. She blinked a few times, then turned her eyes towards Cadence almost grudgingly, asking: “What would thou have us do?”

Cadence hesitated only a moment before she closed her eyes, stretching out through the Astra, and she felt it. Not just Voidal energy, which left trails all throughout this hall, but a familiar sense, a sense of energy she hadn't felt for two years and more...

“Thesis-” her voice quavered only slightly. “-placed the signal marker somewhere ahead. Let's push forward to it. We didn't land far off target. Let's stay together and push forward to the target.”

“As thou commands.” Luna said with a bow of her head, and Cadence smiled briefly: there was more than just an acknowledgment of her as leader in that nod. “Scrivy, Morgan, fall to the rear. I will follow behind thee, Danzsöngr.”

“Alright, Brynhild. I trust you.” Cadence said, and the Valkyrie shot her a brief smile before the ivory mare turned ahead, silently watching for a moment as the Swan-side of her walked down the hall, silently reaching a hand out, as if wishing, hoping that... no. Don't. Please. “Let's go.”

As Cadence led her group forward, the Swan entity in her vision vanished from sight, and yet she could still feel Danzsöngr lingering all around them, searching out every trace of her lost love, rewinding time in the Astra to watch his passage, to see the scattered memories stained upon this shuddering ship play out...

But there was no time for that for Cadence. For Cadence, all she could do was move forward, as the Bellona rocked around her under the enemy cannon fire. Its shields wouldn't hold up forever, and nor would the enemies inside remain blind to them for long. All they could do was move forward.

All they could do was take this secret, final chance Thesis had given them to strike Loki down, before it was too late.

The Sky Witch

Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen: The Sky Witch
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence knew something was wrong even before they stepped into the massive throne room. There were no Husks, no Voidborn, no nothing: just the slowly decaying ruins of a ship filled with rotting, fraying technology.

The throne room was hollow, lined with old stone pillars that electric lamps flickered across, wrapped in wires and cables that fed up into the ceiling and down into the floor. A dusty carpet sprawled across the hall to the single massive throne at the back of the empty gallery, an ugly seat made of heavy, hard stone.

And in this uncomfortable throne sat Melinda the Sky Witch, her octagonal collar gleaming around her neck, a strange smile on her face as she watched the group approach. The Valkyrie started to open her mouth, but Cadence sharply threw a foreleg out, silencing her before she bowed deeply, respectfully, to Melinda. “Hello, Melinda. I'm surprised to see you here.”

“You're not quite as good at diplomacy as Thorn, dear, but I am glad to see you trying.” Melinda said kindly, and Cadence gave an awkward smile before the Sky Witch added in a gentler voice: “You have my deepest condolences about Thesis, your... knight, I shall call him. Not that you have ever needed saving, have you, darling?”

Cadence gave a fainter smile at this, and then she answered softly: “Not from other people.”

Melinda chuckled quietly, before her eyes flicked to the side as a shape suddenly burst into being, Skuld of the Norns snarling, sword already gleaming in her hand as she advanced rapidly on Luna with a growl of: “Who do you think you are to-”

Skuld froze, before Luna could even raise her head fully, and the Valkyrie's eyes widened before all eyes turned past the shocked, paralyzed Norn to Melinda, who had risen one front hoof slightly, but the malice she emanated was enough to make them all shiver, as Melinda said in a gentle but ruthless voice: “That's quite enough, dear. Now sit down, and let the adults talk.”

With a flick of her wrist, Skuld was slammed down to the ground on her ass, gasping in pain before she gritted her teeth in frustration. A moment later, Urd and Verdandi appeared on either side of the throne as well, but they gave Melinda a wide berth, neither daring to speak in her presence as the Sky Witch smiled and turned her eyes back to Cadence, asking pleasantly as if she hadn't just put a Fate in a time-out like a toddler: “How is Thorn, on that note? I haven't seen much of him, but I hear he's gotten quite adept at hex magic.”

“He's doing well.” Cadence said awkwardly, before she glanced back and added: “He's been working with Moonflower frequently. They're both exceptional at magic. I think Moonflower... you were talking about it a few days ago, right?”

“Oh, uh, yes. Uh. Hello, Melinda!” Moonflower said lamely, stepping forward and giving a little wave and smile, and Melinda chuckled but smiled back as she sat up slightly, looking with interest at the stallion. “Yes, I was just saying, talking about how... yes! We've been practicing lots, it's very such fascinating really great-”

“Why are you nervous? I don't want to harm you, dear. I truly don't.” Melinda said with a warm smile, before she added conversationally to Urd: “Oh, you can take that any way you like, of course, but I would recommend against doing anything brash, dear. Just be patient.”

“We will not interfere with you.” Urd said after a moment, lowering her head slightly in a mix of humiliation and fear, Cadence thought. They were honestly afraid of her. So they aren't entirely stupid. “My sisters and I are... eager to-”

“You are not. Do not lie to me. You are simply vengeful, petty tyrants.” Melinda said coldly, not hiding her disdain as she glanced back at the Norns, and then she waved a hoof at Urd with disgust, making the Fate cower further in furious humiliation. “Perhaps once I thought myself the same as you. But I have learned from my mistakes, Norns. What have you learned?”

“Please, Melinda. Leave them alone.” Morgan said gently, and Melinda looked in surprise at the mare, who smiled faintly as she stepped up beside Moonflower, saying softly: “They're... not worth it. And if you have grown past them, you don't need to scold them. You don't need to scold yourself. I believe you when you say... you're different than the mare you once were.”

Melinda was silent for a moment, and then she chuckled quietly before she bowed her head, closing her eyes as she murmured: “You are wiser than your years, dearest Morgan. And so I bow my head to your wisdom, and concur. I know that the excuse 'it is simply my way,' is a poor one, after all. I think Thorn Blackfeather had a hoof in teaching me that. And you, too, Moonflower.”

Melinda smiled, then she sat back as her eyes locked on the unicorn, saying softly: “How long has it been, darling? Years. It's hard to tell in the Void... and things have changed so much. You were such a brash young stallion when we first met, but you've grown exponentially since then. Now... now we must see if you and your friends have grown enough.

“I leave this challenge to you, my darlings, and not to Valkyrie Brynhild and her kindred, because for all the good they have done, they have always fought for themselves first. And now, even in their redemption, the task that falls upon them is not to protect these worlds, but the Otherworld below.” Melinda said gently, nodding respectfully to Morgan, who smiled faintly, with no argument. Then the Sky Witch returned her eyes to Cadence and Moonflower, saying softly: “But you... you have all chosen to be protectors of this entire universe. You have taken a great burden upon yourselves. And because I love this world, because I love all of you, I must test you and ensure that you are ready and capable of handling even the fiercest of threats. “

She stopped, then said softly: “Yes. I know you have many questions. Many fears, many concerns, many worries and woes. But let me assure you, my friends... all of this is for the greater good.”

“How is threatening the existence of the entire universe for the greater good?” Cadence asked disbelievingly, but she forced herself to calm down, taking a slow breath as she added quickly: “With all due respect-”

“It's fine, darling. It's fine. I know you mean well and this is all very sudden. And there's a difference between impoliteness and rudeness.” Melinda said kindly, before she continued rationally in spite of the insanity of her words: “You see, it doesn't matter to me in the slightest whether this universe falls into the Void or not. Everything has to move on sometime, and for all Loki thinks he is, what he really happens to be is nothing more than a harbinger of natural order.

“One day, the universe will have grown too weak, too old to protect itself from all the many monsters that infest it. What point is there in living, after all, if that life is dictated by the whims of monsters and tyrants?” Melinda smiled, kind, terrible. “Better to die, is it not? Better to sleep.

“You look at me as if some madness has taken over me, but no. You know the truth, don't you? But you're afraid, and that's perfectly understandable. I was terrified, too, when I first arrived in the Void.” Melinda smiled, soft and gentle. “But I will make the transition easy. And I am here, now, to test you, to make sure you have a fighting chance to survive. Because if you truly have the power to stand up to the worst of tyrants...to stop Loki, and all our good intentions... then you are ready to break free of the monsters. Then the universe is still yours, and not ours. But if you cannot... then we shall take whatever steps are necessary to deal with the universe as we see fit.”

Cadence looked silently at Melinda as Brynhild growled: “We will never simply hand over the universe to the likes of thee and Loki, and we shall not-”

“That is not your endgame. You lie, deceive. You are not very good at it.” Danzsöngr said with a strange politeness from Cadence's mouth, and Melinda quirked an eyebrow in surprise. “Your Astra is deep and profound, infinite within, stretching forever without... and your motives are buried deep. We cannot see them. But you are lying. We can see that, in the beat of your energy. What is your purpose?”

“Now I see why Loki fears you, Swan. Illusionists have always despised those who can see through their tricks.” Melinda said softly, before she tilted her head and asked: “Am I lying, or am I only telling half the truth?”

Cadence narrowed her eyes slightly as Melinda met her gaze evenly, and Melinda smiled at her before she said softly: “No matter what the end, though, dear, the means remain the same. If you cannot stop me, you are not powerful enough to stop Loki. This is your world, is it not? This universe is under your protection, yes? Then prove you can protect it. Prove you can stop me.”

Melinda calmly straightened in her throne, and Cadence studied the Sky Witch silently as the Valkyrie narrowed her eyes, before they flicked to Verdandi as the Norn growled: “And we'll deal with the broken threads. We'll make things the way they should be. Ragnarok-”

“The only voice of Ragnarok came from Loki, and all he did was whisper your own old prophecies back to you. Arrogance.” Melinda said contemptibly with a dismissive flick of her hoof, and then she turned her eyes back towards Cadence. “Do you accept my challenge, Swan Maiden?”

“The Norns and mine have unfinished business. And whether a legend or not, we made legends, did we not, Danzsöngr?” Luna Brynhild grinned, turning her eyes forwards as her mane blazed, bursting into blue hellfire that wreathed around her body as she glared in the direction of the Fates.

Skuld snarled at this, opening her mouth, but then she flinched when Melinda only glanced in her direction, quickly dropping her head with a flush as Urd and Verdandi both shifted slowly. Cadence shifted slowly on the spot, studying Melinda intently, refusing to be distracted.

But she couldn't see through Melinda, especially now that Melinda was aware she could be seen into: the Sky Witch had cloaked her motives, pushed her own thoughts deeper, made herself believe... yeah. She's not lying to me. She's repeating it to herself. I can almost hear it, like a chant, a mantra... “Believe in me, believe in me.”

Melinda smiled slightly at this, and then she said softly: “When I am angry, I sometimes sound like an authority. But ultimately, I am more of a persuader than a demander. Even when it comes to myself.”

Cadence smiled wryly, and then she glanced to the side in surprise as Moonflower suddenly stepped forwards, raising his head and saying quietly: “If... I know you weren't speaking to me, but I'll stand up, Melinda. I'll prove myself to you. I know... that's what you want, anyway, isn't it?”

“Yes, it is. Your friends cannot stand very well against me. Only you have that potential, dear, sweet Moonflower.” Melinda said gently, before she smiled softly and sat back, murmuring: “But it will of course, be all for naught if your friends aren't strong enough to survive. One pony alone cannot do the work of many, but... there have been many tests. Each of you, tried in the fire in your own way. Now it is your turn.”

“What about Stronghold?” Moonflower asked, and it didn't sound like he was trying to make up some rationalization or an excuse: if anything, he sounded worried, as he questioned: “Wasn't she my test? Did I fail? She was from my past-”

“As you have all faced, together, many horrors from one-another's pasts. But this is what makes you strongest, my darlings. You fight together, even when you must align behind one. That is why you have not failed, sweet, handsome Moonflower.” Melinda soothed, before she chuckled softly and said: “I accept your challenge, dear Moonflower. Norns, do try and occupy the Valkyrie's attention.”

With that, Melinda simply raised a hoof and flicked it calmly, and Brynhild squawked as she, her partners, and the Norns all began to sink down through the floor as it rippled like water. Morgan remained unfettered, and Scrivener only glanced back once at the violet mare to reassure himself.

They disappeared into the rippling floor, leaving Cadence and her friends alone with Melinda, who calmly stepped down from her throne as she said softly: “Let me know when you are ready to begin.”

Moonflower bit his lip as he stepped nervously forward, before he blinked in surprise as Cadence joined him, saying quietly: “I'll help you.”

“As will I.” Sombra said calmly as he stepped up beside his daughter, and La Croix joined them as well with a wry grin after a moment, grimacing slightly as his body thrummed with eerie green energy.

Moonflower began to open his mouth, but then he simply smiled faintly before he nodded and turned his eyes ahead. “I suppose true strength... it's in never fighting alone, isn't it? Never being alone. It took me so long to learn that...”

“And yet you have, and I congratulate you for it. Now, let us see you prove your worth.” Melinda said calmly, before she smiled as she rose her head high, her horn gleaming as the air around her crackled with power, the Mother of Witchcraft thrumming with such strength that Cadence felt like her legs were going to give out beneath the weight of it. “Now stand before me, or break beneath me!”

Cadence, La Croix, and Sombra twitched, forced back a pace by Melinda's power, before even the Swan looked up in surprise as Moonflower stomped forward, anchoring himself as his horn glowed and his armor seemed to glow with radiance, emitting a tremendous energy that didn't clash with Melinda's so much as it counterbalanced it.

The two glared at each other, and then Melinda's eyes flashed, streaks of magic cutting through the air towards the ponies. But Moonflower canceled out each and every one of these blasts with short bursts of his own magic before he snapped his horn out with a sharp 'ha!'

Melinda blinked in surprise as a missile of magic bounced off her body, before she flicked her horn on instinct more than anything else, smashing Moonflower into the air with an eruption of magic before she almost disdainfully flicked a hoof out to send him rocketing backwards, head-over-heels. But she seemed impressed even as the other ponies leapt forward to take over for the unicorn.

Cadence drove straight at Melinda, but she was repelled by a massive wall of black flames that erupted out of the earth in front of her: she snapped her head forwards, her Third Eye flashing and punching a hole through the dark energy with white flames, but a deadly beam of energy ripped through the gap she had punched before she could advance, Cadence flinching as she dodged to the side-

A wall of black crystal erupted from the ground beside Cadence, the laser of energy bouncing harmlessly off this before the wall twisted as several more black pillars of crystal ripped free from the earth, redirecting the ray of magic between them and back towards Melinda. But the magic dissolved before it could reach the Mother of Witchcraft, before Sombra grimaced in surprise as the stanchions of crystal exploded one after the other into dark dust that clogged the air.

Sombra flicked his horn, dispelling the black mist before he winced as tentacles of magic erupted out of the floor and seized around him, hauling him into the air. Energy crackled across his body and tore across his purifier, but Sombra only gritted his teeth as Melinda smiled slightly, remarking: “Insulated. You're-”

A bottle came sailing towards her, but Melinda froze it in midair with only a glance before time seemed to violently reverse, the bottle shooting back towards La Croix. The Loa turned ethereal before it could hit, however, leaping forwards before he flinched when Melinda's eyes narrowed and he was forced back into the physical plane by a burst of energy, but even as he stagger-fell, he threw a second bottle.

Melinda's eyes flicked again towards the bottle, but this time it flickered with green light in midair, repelling her powers, and her eyes widened before she created a shield of magic with a curse. The bottle shattered against this, exploding in a cloud of noxious gas that made the Sky Witch flinch away with a short hiss, her senses muddled-

Something slammed into her chest, Melinda's eyes widening in shock before she was pummeled up into the air by a volley of powerful blows, her whole body shaking with the impact of each jackhammer punch before a hoof crashed up under her muzzle, half-flipping her backwards before a vicious strike slammed into her spine and launched her across the room.

Melinda smashed into her throne face-first, landing in an awkward sprawl with a gasp as her mouth worked uselessly, hind hooves high in the air and twitching dumbly as her mouth worked slowly.

Cadence set herself, Sombra and La Croix falling in on either side of her, and Melinda gave a thin smile as she pulled herself out of her throne, her collar sparking as she said in a cooler voice: “Yes, you have all been learning, I see... but it is rude to put your hooves on a lady, Cadence.”

Cadence opened her mouth, before her eyes bulged and she grasped at her throat as she began to choke. There was no explanation for it: no pressure, no pain, and strangely, no panic, even as she struggled to breathe against the invisible force that she couldn't deny-

And then she gasped and coughed as she felt something wash through her, something that told her to breathe again, and she wheezed for breath as Moonflower stepped up behind them, at their backs and yet not hiding as he said in a voice that wavered only a little: “You asked for this. You're not allowed to get mad at us after you said you were testing us.”

Melinda studied them intently for a few moments, and then she gave a dry smile before she said softly: “I must confess, my temper has always been terrible. And I suppose I expect a certain amount of grace and decorum... I thought the 'saviors' of the universe would be heroes, elegant, refined... not brutes.”

“Sorry to disappoint you.” Cadence grumbled, before her eyes narrowed slightly as she focused on Melinda, watching as Danzsöngr silently approached the mare from behind. “I can be more elegant, though, if you-”

Melinda's horn thrummed, and Danzsöngr whiffed out of existence, Cadence's eyes bulging as she felt like her guts had just been wrenched out of her body. Her legs quavered under her, and Melinda smiled before she said softly: “Your eyes gave you away, dear. You're not a very good assassin. Let's hope that stays the same.”

Cadence gritted her teeth as Danzsöngr said disbelievingly in her mind: I... I do not know what happened. It did not feel like a command. And yet now I am... somewhere else.

“She made you step somewhere. So far away that it took the wind out of me.” Cadence muttered, before she shivered a little. Was that a hex of some kind? Could Melinda's hexes...

“No matter what or where you are, if you are intelligent enough to listen, then you can be affected by the power of the hex.” Melinda said calmly, before her eyes glowed as she leaned forward, and her voice echoed painfully through their minds as she spoke

(requested, how could they deny the sad girl's pleas?)

without speaking: Please stay still.

They were immobilized, bodies completely frozen, and it hurt in a way Cadence had rarely experienced as her heart struggled to beat without moving, only her eyes able to shift, and those few millimeters took a monumental effort.

They trembled as Melinda surveyed them coldly, her horn beginning to glow with deadly light, and then she narrowed her eyes as Moonflower shoved himself to the front of the group, standing in front of the trio of frozen ponies as he shouted: “I won't! And I won't let you just... hex them away, either!”

“But can you stop me?” asked Melinda gently, before she smiled before her eyes flashed, her body emanating malice as she

(a helpless little filly, with begging eyes, how you can you deny her, how can you deny what she)

requested: Please surrender your lives.

Cadence struggled not to draw a dagger, as La Croix began to reach a trembling hoof back towards his satchel, and Sombra slowly closed his eyes, crystal beginning to form beneath him. Moonflower shouted a denial as he spun around, but then he was blasted off his hooves by Melinda before a volley of magic missiles hammered into him, tearing his armor apart as streaks of energy leapt back and forth over his body, peeling metal from flesh as Melinda said calmly: “I applaud you for learning how hex magic works, Moonflower, but don't think that makes you my equal. You will never be my equal.”

Moonflower cursed as he was slammed to the ground, gasping as energy arced back and forth over him, metal plates continuing to pop loose from his body like corn as the magic-absorbing crystal insulation beneath burnt out. He gasped as he forced himself up, then howled in agony when a cage of lightning erupted around him, zapping him painfully from every angle as Melinda said gently: “It will all be over soon. Just...”

She frowned slightly as her eyes were drawn back to the trio, before she scowled slightly as she saw La Croix's prosthetic was glowing eerily, some kind of spiritual presence emanating out of it and helping the Loa resist her hex. She flicked her horn with disdain, cracking the prosthetic, but then her eyes widened in surprise as she felt both the familiarity of the presence as well as a refusal: “You're serving him willingly?”

La Croix dropped the bottle he had dug out with a gasp as the spirit of Mganga shook him violently, and then he blinked before wincing and stepping away from the puddle of spreading acid beside him. Before he could get very far, however, a massive pressure punched against his body, and the Loa had enough time to squawk before he whiffed out of existence in a burst of green sparks, clothing, wooden leg, and bag falling uselessly to the ground in a clatter.

Cadence blinked, and the shock of what had happened let her shrug off... no, realize that she didn't have to kill herself, almost flinging her dagger down before she felt Melinda's eyes lock on her again. Her Third Eye released a bright flash almost out of panic as she felt that horrible power gathering again, and Melinda snarled and flinched away as she was blinded for a moment-

Cadence swept up her dagger and flung it out, and it slammed into Melinda's chest and knocked her back a step with a gasp of pain. Then she reached out and grasped her father's shoulder, and that touch was all it took to snap him out of the trance he had gone into, the unicorn smoothly stepping back from the spike of crystal that had been growing out of the ground towards his throat and instead slamming a hoof into the ground to launch the blade of black stone into the air.

Cadence leapt up and twisted to slam a hoof into the base of the spike as it flipped slowly, and it rocketed through the air to slam through Melinda's face, the Mother of Witchcraft staggering back against her throne, staring, horrified, past the spike of crystal through her head before she simply burst apart into ashes. And for a moment, there was silence as the four... no. “La Croix? La Croix!”

He was gone, completely gone, and Sombra shook his head slowly as Moonflower groaned and picked himself up, blinking a few times before he muttered: “I can't be sure, but... it felt like an exorcism. A powerful one.”

“Goddammit. Where did he go, if Darkwater...” No, Cadence didn't want to think about that, the mare shaking her head before she almost absently reached up and grasped her Third Eye, then she simply ripped it off.

She gasped at the excruciating pain it sent through her body, staggering as the others stared at her in disbelief before the crystal simply exploded in her hoof, knocking her crashing backwards and leaving her laying prone as Moonflower and Sombra were both knocked stumbling. Her body, which felt too heavy to move beneath armor that felt like a constricting python, crushing her even as she struggled to raise her head enough to look up when a hoof calmly pressed down on her side.

Melinda looked down at her, displeasure written across the mare's features before she said coldly, without looking up: “The turtle knows best that its shell is not always a benefit, dear.”

Sombra froze in place, before he gasped in pain as white flames burst to life over his body, shaking himself violently before he looked up in horror as he began to wither away, skin cracking and tightening as muscle and flesh both rotted away. He gasped and staggered, coughing ash and dust as Melinda said softly: “To your benefit, at least, the machine is still working.”

Cadence uselessly tried to reach for her father, but her body was too heavy, the world was too heavy, and Melinda smiled thinly before she grimaced in surprise when a blast of magic uselessly bounced off her body.

She looked moodily at Moonflower, who had recovered and was glaring at her gamely in spite of the fact that all he had left on his body was a tattered suit of burnt-out gemstones, his features tight and determined as he whispered: “I won't let them die. I won't fail again.”

“You will.” Melinda said, and her voice was strangely kind and reassuring as her features lightened with a smile for a moment, then darkened as she narrowed her eyes, saying softly: “You are not strong enough.”

“I'm as strong as I have to be.” Moonflower answered, shaking his head before he rubbed at his eyes with his wrist, then he rose his head high even as he trembled. “And it's not all about strength alone. I... I won't let you win.”

Melinda smiled at this, before she looked intrigued as Moonflower blurted out: “I... I challenge you to a duel! In um... the words of... by the laws of the... the Truthspeaker, the Sage, and the... um...”

“The Vanquisher. I abide to your request in the name of the Sovereign of Stars and Her Mother Sun.” Melinda answered politely, before she smiled as she stepped back, her body thrumming with energy as she said softly: “Your dear friend Thorn Blackfeather must have great faith in you to have taught you such words. Words have great power, Moonflower, when they are spoken in ceremony. Now prepare yourself...”

Melinda smiled, then she arched her back, her front hooves slowly leaving the ground as she emitted such power that it made reality around her shake and distort, Cadence gritting her teeth as she and her father were pushed slowly backwards by it, and Moonflower did all he could to brace himself against that force.

Melinda's eyes closed as she floated into the air, and when they snapped open, her collar exploded into shards that floated eerily in the air around her before disintegrating, her mane writhing around her with a life of its own, her whole body glowing with power as she spread her forelegs, speaking in a voice that vibrated through them like thunder, yet made no sound: Let us begin.

Moonflower skidded backwards from the pulse of force that hammered across him, gritting his teeth before his eyes widened in shock as reality tore away around him like flimsy paper, the floor beneath his hooves vibrating violently before it cracked apart as it floated up into the air, leaving him stranded on a jagged platform of rock, alone. Bright colors and fractals swirled and burst through the air around him as Melinda only surveyed him calmly, asking contemptibly:“How can you fight me when you cannot even stop me from trapping you inside a parallax? When you cannot even handle the hollow vehemence of the rift?”

The stallion gritted his teeth as he fought to steady himself, then he forced himself to straighten even as the floor shook beneath him and the world stuttered around him. He looked up at Melinda as she floated, and she surveyed him intently for a few moments before a cold smile spread down her muzzle as her glowing eyes narrowed, and dozens of cackling, skeletal Nightmares appeared on either side of her, eagerly pacing through the swirling skies of the rift before Melinda simply clicked her tongue.

A stampede of Nightmares tore down from the crowd, cackling and screaming as they drove straight at Moonflower, and the stallion winced before his horn glowed before he created a barrier of energy. The first few Nightmares hammered into this, exploding in tremendous blasts of smoke and fire, while the others twisted around and rammed behind the shield with howling laughs even as they exploded one after the other.

Melinda frowned slightly as the island of stone cracked in half, then crumbled away into rubble and dust that spilled out of the billowing smoke into the swirling void below. She flicked a hoof to dissipate the smog, and she saw nothing at all-

Melinda flicked her horn, a multicolored barrier encircling her and absorbing the blast of gravity Moonflower had fired at her. She spun around to face him, before she couldn't help but let her muzzle quirk in a pleased smile at the sight of the stallion unevenly hovering in the air.

But with only a wave of a hoof, she sent another herd of Nightmares storming towards him, more monsters appearing, eager to replace their kamikaze companions as they cackled and stampeded towards the floating stallion.

Moonflower swept his horn back and forth, pounding through the ranks of the Nightmares with blades of gravity. Several went up in tremendous explosions, but several more ripped through the clouds of dark magic and smoke and zigzagged wildly towards the stallion, who flinched backwards before he teleported-

Melinda shoved a hoof out, and Moonflower gasped in pain as he was punched back into reality, spinning wildly several times before he caught himself, grasping at a shoulder that looked almost skinned as blood dripped from his nose, looking up with incredulity at Melinda and then bracing himself when he saw her raise her hoof again.

He was slammed backwards by a massive wave of telekinetic force before several Nightmares appeared in midair behind him, slamming into his back one after the other before they exploded in a massive bang that sent him flipping wildly through the rift. He left a rooster tail of smoke behind himself as he fell towards the swirling colors below, and Melinda watched with contempt as he fell before her eyes widened in surprise as the stallion suddenly dropped his head forward.

He fell through a black rift, and a moment later Melinda felt something smash into the barrier protecting her, looking up in surprise to see Moonflower half-laying on top of her barrier, his horn glowing brightly before he simply released the pent-up energy in a tremendous blast, knocking the mare spinning wildly backwards as her barrier exploded in a tremendous shockwave.

Moonflower went flying straight up from the recoil of his blast, and Nightmares screamed in shock and pain as the entire crowd went up in a series of explosions, the stallion snarling as he twisted his body around and then grabbed at the air with magic, hauling himself hurriedly away from the storm of monsters. But he knew he didn't have long as he felt Melinda recover herself, even before her voice echoed coldly through his mind: I won't let that happen again.

Moonflower spun around as the cloud of smoke was cut apart by several powerful psychokinetic blasts, steadying himself against them before a ray of magic streaked towards him. He blocked it with a shield of energy, then winced as Nightmares lunged into reality on either side of him.

He lunged to the side as he let the barrier drop, and the ray of energy cut through the air where he had been a moment before and sliced one of the Nightmares in half as Moonflower caught the other in bonds of telekinesis to fling it like a living missile at Melinda. But the mare only snorted in contempt and detonated the Nightmare with a glare before her horn flashed, half a dozen orbs of dark energy appearing in the air around her before these shot themselves at Moonflower one after the other.

The stallion tried to blast one of the orbs away, but it simply twisted itself back towards him as the others homed in on him from all sides. Moonflower lurched backwards, keeping the orbs at bay as much as he could with telekinesis as he lunged through the wild fractals of the rift, before he yelped as the chaos became hostile, streaks of colorful energy ripping through the air around him.

Melinda pressed him, and Moonflower howled in agony as living light seared across his body, and then a black orb slammed into his stomach like a cannonball before it exploded, ripping apart his remaining armor and leaving an awful wound in his chest. He flipped wildly backwards as the other orbs swirled upwards, then shot down to try and finish him off, and Moonflower concentrated-

(Please hold still.)

Moonflower gasped as the hex locked up his body, and his eyes widened as jaws of light opened beneath him and orbs of energy spun in on all sides of him, struggling against the magic-

(I said, stop moving!)

Moonflower's eyes glowed and his body flexed and time seemed to slow, painfully aware of every beat of his

-still moving-

heart, every pulse of blood

-still moving-

in his veins, every thought, every breath, every action of his

-still moving-

body, as Melinda's magic

-still moving-

homed in on him from all directions-

( ! I ORDER YOU TO STOP ! )

Moonflower's eyes flashed, and he shouted a furious denial as he shoved his forelegs out and shielded himself inside a black orb, dark magic and Nightmares smashing violently into this from all sides and exploding in a tremendous, useless gout of magic that made Melinda grimace.

She shoved both hooves out, and living light snared around the sphere of energy from all sides, merging with and breaking off from other fractals before they all crushed down at once, shattering the shield into useless shards that floated eerily in the empty air-

Moonflower appeared behind her, tackling the mare from behind, and Melinda shouted in frustration as she lost her concentration before she was driven down through the air, crashing face-first into a floating platform below. They rolled together over the broken floor before Melinda blasted him off with a shockwave of force, then she immediately tried to fling herself into the air-

Gravity washed over her and drove her back down to the ground, and Melinda was shocked by her inability to control the rift completely before she spun around and right into a hard hook from Moonflower. She staggered backwards, gaping in shock at the fact that a stallion, that this stallion, had just punched her, and then she looked up with a snarl of fury-

Moonflower's hoof glowed with magic as he slammed it into her face, unleashing a shockwave of gravitational force at the same time, and Melinda was blown to the edge of the platform before a second blast of gravity caught her in midair and crushed her down against the broken floor. She snarled as Moonflower pinned her under the magic that she couldn't withstand, couldn't dispel... why? Why? “Why, damn you?”

Melinda's body thrummed with malevolent power as she shoved herself up to her hooves, Nightmares ripping into reality around her and charging straight at Moonflower, no longer laughing but screaming and howling with their mistress' fury. Moonflower blasted one away, and it exploded in a narrow, hideous cone of black shrapnel that ripped apart one of its allies before the stallion winced and leapt backwards as two others crashed down into the ground.

They both went up in deadly, but thankfully very small explosions of living, hating shrapnel, and Moonflower lost concentration for long enough that Melinda was able to teleport herself away, floating quickly into the swirling sky as she threw her forelegs out to either side, gathering her powers as she roared: Shatter!

The ground beneath Moonflower exploded, and the stallion leapt shakily back into the air with a wince, propelling himself upwards with hastily-learned magic as the ground collapsed away to nothing. Melinda snarled, her eyes glowing with hate before she snarled:

DIE

Moonflower gasped as he grasped at his chest, his eyes bulging, his body steaming, his heart hammering against his ribs before it stopped as all the air whooshed out of his lungs. Every nerve lit up with agony as his thoughts scrambled, and he felt himself fall.

He didn't see the Nightmares coursing down after him, with their hideous jaws outstretched and black spears spinning around them, eager to pierce his flesh; he didn't see the way the very colors of the rift around them began to strain apart, dissolving into the hell-nothing of the Void. All he saw was Cadence, and La Croix, and Sombra; Throna, Toad; Neato Burrito and Antecedes, and his family, his parents.

Thorn, smiling.

Moonflower's eyes snapped open, before he gasped as a cage of magic snapped around him, Melinda whispering coldly in his mind as he felt agony rip across his form and block his magic: Not this time.

The Nightmares roared as they descended on the cage, smashing into it from all sides and ripping it apart with their explosions, and Melinda watched it like a hawk. This time, there wasn't so much as a hint of a spell being used, and she had made sure that there was nothing Moonflower could do, anyway...

And yet all the same, she felt his energy, and she snarled as she used magic to sweep away the smoke, staring in disbelief at the sight of the unicorn, wheezing painfully as he floated in the air, glaring up at her with defiance as he hovered in the rift. She stared at him for a moment, then snarled as she pointed at him, a Nightmare appearing on either side of her before they lunged down with matching snarls.

Moonflower watched as they drew close, before he felt Melinda's focus intensify, felt her hex stretch out towards him. But this time, he didn't allow her voice to get inside him, to touch his soul: he denied her, and reflected the hex back.

Both Nightmares suddenly twisted back on themselves, screaming, and then they simply vanished from sight, Melinda's eyes widening in surprise for a moment before she snorted in contempt. “Too little, too late.”

Melinda's horn flashed, and swords of black metal appeared in a circle around Moonflower. But to Melinda's shock, the stallion suddenly lunged skyward, and she snarled in frustration as the swords shot like missiles after him, but each and every one of them uselessly cut past, never managing to land more than a scratch against him even as they twisted themselves into new positions to launch at him again as he lunged and twisted through the air.

A sword shot straight at Moonflower's face, and to Melinda's disbelief, he somehow caught it with his own magic, yanking it around in a circle before flinging it back at her. Melinda flinched out of the way with a curse, then snarled as she pointed at him, shouting: “Destroy him!”

Nightmares erupted out of the air around her, streaking towards Moonflower from all sides, many of them trailing nets and deadly, thorny vines behind them to try and snare the stallion even if they missed making contact. But Moonflower blinked through the crowd of monsters, and Melinda's eyes widened in shock as black swords tore apart black coursers, her servants destroyed by her own magic.

She snarled as she dispelled the swords even as her herd of Nightmares broke up, before her horn thrummed, fractals of light and power exploding through the air around Moonflower. But he dodged back and forth through the chaos, responding at the same time with several blasts of gravitational force that Melinda was forced to dodge away from, unable to believe that he was somehow still fighting.

Moonflower gasped as a blast of chaotic magic ripped across his body, sending him spinning out of control, and Melinda snarled as she saw her chance, summoning a horde of Nightmares that rushed down towards him. But she felt it, even as he fell, the gathering power: and her eyes widened before a massive blast of gravitational force erupted from the stallion, swirling through the air as it transformed into a black hole that her Nightmares were helplessly yanked into until their magic overloaded the singularity, causing it to explode in a tremendous blast.

They were both knocked flying away from the shockwave, and Melinda caught herself at the last moment, rasping for breath, shaking her head in denial before she looked up as she saw Moonflower catch himself, then throw himself once more towards her. Her eyes blazed with fury and her body glowed with magic as she threw everything she had at him.

But her hexes couldn't find purchase, and he dodged back and forth, evading every spell she was able to summon up. Her Nightmares ripped past or were shrugged aside as she felt him gathering power as he charged at her through the air, hooves slamming against the broken sky with enough force to leave sparks of magic behind as he ran at her, fearless.

Melinda's eyes glowed before she focused all her power into her horn, reality quaking around her before she snapped her head forwards and unleashed a massive, pale beam of death. But Moonflower only gritted his teeth before he yelled wordlessly as he snapped his own horn forward, matching her blinding magic with his dark power.

Beams of energy clashed, purple and black grinding into toxic white, and Melinda snarled before her eyes flashed, Nightmares ripping into reality around Moonflower. They cackled and screamed as they leapt at him from all sides, but the stallion only gritted his teeth as he created a barrier of energy around himself.

GIVE UP.

Melinda's voice tore through his mind, and he felt himself quaver. Nightmares slammed into him from all sides, cracking his shield, and his beam was slowly being devoured and bulled back by the raw power of Melinda as she leaned into her magic, a ferocious grin on her face as her eyes glowed with power, her body flexed as she roared:

SURRENDER.

Moonflower gritted his teeth: he was too weak. Too weak to stop her attack, too weak to survive under the onslaught of Nightmares, too stupid and too broken, and what could he do that Melinda couldn't? He couldn't concentrate on everything at once, she was pressuring him from all sides with powers that he didn't have or could barely keep up with, and what could he do?

He trembled as his magic was steadily beaten back: as a wave of immense power tore towards him. His barrier began to shudder with every explosion as Nightmares smashed themselves against it, and his whole body shook with pain as he floated, without wings...

He was flying. He had no wings, and he was flying.

He had sacrificed his wings, and thought that he'd given up the ability to fly, that he'd given up his oldest dreams. But in one wild lunge, he had taken to the air.

When he was a child, he had done the impossible. He had moved the moon, for want of a little light.

Moonflower trembled, and he felt Melinda's rage and exhilaration and disappointment, and strangest of all, a little, tiny voice encouraging him, screaming at him, trying to lift him up. And through it, he felt the pulse of her power, and in that pulse, he realized that he could never win by fighting her.

But he could understand her.

The unicorn gritted his teeth as he faced into the harrow of her magic, and then instead of fighting, he weaved his magic with hers. And, slowly, their beams of magic began to twist, Melinda's eyes widening in disbelief as threads of Moonflower's magic rolled across her beam as her own were drawn towards his horn-

They connected, for the briefest moment, and Melinda lashed out in shock with a hex. A hex that Moonflower somehow caught, and wondered over, before he offered it back to her, like a bashful colt returning a filly's toy.

Melinda had no choice but to accept.

Her eyes widened in shock as her whole body went rigid, the magic whiffing out between the two of them as she floated backwards, slack-jawed and stupid, her spiritual energy rushing out of her body and into Moonflower. Moonflower gasped in shock, staggering back through the air as the Nightmares around him suddenly wailed and twisted away from him, fleeing in what seemed almost like terror as Moonflower's eyes and horn glowed...

He snapped his head forward, and a beam of purest, darkest magic erupted from it, smashing into Melinda and battering her backwards before the ray expanded until it covered her completely. And as the dark beam grew larger, a sliver, a purest core of light appeared in its center, and then expanded until it filled the entire world with light.

And then there was no more.

The Last Great Truth

Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen: The Last Great Truth
~BlackRoseRaven

Skuld slashed out in desperation, but all she struck was one of Luna's Jötunnfang, her sword bouncing off the ice fist before the other claw smashed into her stomach and knocked her staggering.

The Norn snarled in frustration, then leapt backwards, gasping for breath as Urd and Verdandi uselessly attempted to keep Morgan and Scrivener at bay, but the stallion was able to deflect most of their magic with walls of black crystal, while Morgan retaliated with short bursts of magic to keep the two Fates distracted.

“What are you doing?” Skuld hissed as Luna punched her giant, floating fists together, the sapphire mare grinning mockingly and waiting instead of pursuing the wounded Fate.

“Playing a game with a mouse, it would seem. Although I am much more a dragon than I am a cat.” Luna growled, before she stepped forward and slammed one of her Jötunnfang down on the Norn's sword when she bent to reach for it, shattering the blade and sending Skuld staggering stupidly backwards before she fell on her rump. “Oh! Careful now, little girl, thou does not want to hurt thyself! That is my job.”

Luna grinned widely as Skuld snarled in fury, before the Norn suddenly vanished from the spot. But then she gasped in shock as she was flung back into reality, landing painfully on her back as Morgan's core thrummed once, preventing the Norn from teleporting too close to them.

Skuld tried to yank herself up to her feet, but Luna quickly leapt over and swept her into the air with one Jötunnfang before slamming a punch into her with the other, knocking her across the ballroom to crash into Urd.

Verdandi flinched as her sisters hit the tile behind her, and then she cried out in pain as a blue fireball smashed into her with enough force to send her rocketing into the stone wall, shivering for a moment against the cracked surface before she peeled off and landed on her hands and knees in a hail of stone flakes.

“Go ahead! Run away, cowards, thou art no match for us!” Luna boasted, and Skuld snarled as she staggered up first, clenching her hands into fists.

Urd breathed slowly, then she simply vanished from the spot, and Verdandi followed a moment later. But Luna remained unfazed even as Skuld slowly stepped backwards, promising coldly: “You will regret this. You... you will regret this, worthless whore!”

Luna growled and flexed as if she was about to pounce, and Skuld staggered with a wince before vanishing from the spot, the Valkyrie grinning wryly before she spat to the side as Scrivener said quietly: “Get ready.”

“Thou worries too much.” Luna said confidently, but even as she struck a pose, she reassured her partners silently that she wasn't going to underestimate their foe. Gymbr was a force to be reckoned with, an enemy she would rather not fight...

But unfortunately, they had to make sure they destroyed Gymbr as well as the Norns. Whether or not he was some Tulpa or a puppet or something else entirely, the only way to be sure that Loki wouldn't be able to use him against them was by severing his connection to the Norns... and destroying him utterly, not just killing him.

A portal rumbled open in front of them, and Morgan vanished without a word as Scrivener and Luna stepped forward, facing the monstrosity that calmly stepped through the rift. The portal snapped closed behind it as Gymbr looked back and forth, before he said bitterly: “So we are to repeat the story again. For the thousandth time... will we never have our rest?”

“That's what we're here to do, Gymbr. Make sure you don't come back. That Loki can't use you anymore.” Scrivener said quietly, but the beast across from them only smiled indulgently, shaking his head slowly before he looked down letting his mane spill across his face and veil his eyes.

“We can feel them, inside us.” Gymbr whispered. “We are them, and they are us. And more, but less: for what is an idea? Abstract, and real; everything, and nothing. We are... we do not know. We do not know. All we desired was to break free of the stories, our shackles, our bonds, but from the very beginning, we were nothing but a craft of Loki's, were we not?”

Gymbr shivered, then he gritted his teeth as he rose his head, rasping: “It will end. It must end! We will see that it ends! We demand you surrender to us! And if you do not, we shall make you bow before our might, and we shall devour you both!”

“What the hell would that make you then, Double Gymbr?” Scrivener asked dryly, and Gymbr snarled before the stallion said in a softer voice: “Hey in there. I've never been much, Scrivener Blooms... but I was always stubborn.”

“Aye, we were both stupid idiots, but thou, Luna Brynhild! Thou, proud Valkyrie, why can thou not resist? Fight! I have always fought, so I know that thou can, too!” Brynhild added sharply as she stepped forward, her Jötunnfang reaching out almost pleadingly.

Gymbr blinked in confusion, then shivered before he snarled and grasped at his head, his body quaking for a moment, then falling still as he lowered his head, whispering: “They are gone, and all that is left is Gymbr. Please, let our nightmare end.”

The beast trembled, and then he threw his head back and roared furiously to the sky, shaking the room with the force of his rage. But Luna and Scrivener held firm, both grimacing and readying themselves as the stallion said quietly: “That's what we plan to do.”

“Thou shall know peace.” Luna promised over the snarls of Gymbr as he dropped his head to glare at them furiously. “Now come, fight me, with all thy strength!”

Gymbr charged forward and leapt like an animal, and Luna jumped to meet him, slamming both Jötunnfang down-

They shattered through Gymbr like he was made of glass, and Luna's eyes widened in shock as she stumbled forward before Gymbr appeared beside Scrivener with a cruel grin, slashing his claws through the stallion's face and knocking him staggering in a burst of black blood. Scrivener swore as he swung a Talon out, but he hit only thin air as Gymbr reappeared behind him, seizing him around the throat and yanking him roughly to the side to use him like a shield when Luna attempted to jump on him.

The Valkyrie slammed into Scrivener instead, grunting an apology even as she hauled him into the air with Gymbr still clinging to his back, and the beast snarled before it kicked viciously off Scrivener, flapping his wings to launch himself higher before he snapped his horn down, unleashing a devastating ray of dark magic. Luna, however, launched herself backwards with Scrivener, nearly suplexing him before the two rolled together and Luna ended up propped up over his back as she popped her rifle out of her holster and took aim.

Several bullets slammed home into Gymbr in midair, knocking him backwards with a snarl before he dropped to the ground, slamming his silver claws into the floor. Spikes erupted from the ground in a stream towards them, but Scrivener leapt to his hooves with a grimace as Luna balanced across his broad back, slamming his Talons into the ground and transforming the stained tile around them into impermeable crystal.

Stone spikes uselessly tore out of the ground around the crystallized floor, and Gymbr snarled before he howled in pain as a bullet slammed into his face, stumbling backwards and grabbing at his head before he looked up too late as Lung sprung towards him. She slammed both of her Jötunnfang down, but Gymbr managed to bring his silver claws up and catch the fists before they could crush him, sliding backwards only a little before he locked his hooves against the ground.

Luna gritted her teeth as she tried to force down with the Jötunnfang, but Gymbr pushed back, muscles flexing and body shaking with effort as he growled: “We will not be stopped by your pathetic tricks! We are God! We are Destroyer! We are-”

Luna flicked her horn sharply, Prúðbikkja appearing in a burst of blue flames and ramming forwards to slam up into Gymbr's throat, and he choked violently before he screamed in pain as Luna shoved higher, stabbing the spear out the other side of his neck and hefting him into the air before one of her Jötunnfang slammed into Gymbr's face and punched him free from her polearm and across the room.

Gymbr hit the ground and rolled violently, then slammed his claws down with a snarl as the wound in his throat healed in a steaming hiss, catching himself and arching his back with a long, animal hiss. But Brynhild only grinned as she leapt forward, stomping her hooves down in a ready position as one of her ice claws beckoned mockingly.

Gymbr roared in fury as his eyes flashed before he charged forward: he leapt over a savage punch from one of the Jötunnfang, then seized the second claw in midair when it tried to grab him, jackknifing it before he dropped as his horn glowed with dark fire.

Luna blocked the attack with the body of her spear, cursing at the black flames that washed out and licked at her, before she gritted her teeth as she was driven back under a hail of vicious slashes and claw attacks, each one followed by a burst of black flame.

The Jötunnfang slammed down, but Gymbr pushed forward, hard and fast enough that he continued to drive Luna back as he kept out from beneath the hail of blows. Then, as Scrivener began to run forwards, Gymbr suddenly seized the body of the spear between his claws and kicked off the ground, vaulting high into the air before he dropped down on Luna's back to crush her against the ground as he swept his horn to the side, blasting Scrivener Blooms off his hooves with a swirling shockwave of magic.

Scrivener swore as the spiral wave twisted upwards and became a tornado that whirled him helplessly into the air, the stallion flailing wildly in all directions as Luna tried to roll out from under Gymbr, but he seized her by the shoulders before his jaws yawned open as his emerald eyes glowed, beginning to inhale-

Luna slammed her head into his nose, knocking him back with a snarl before he simply bit at her savagely, but the Valkyrie twisted her head out of the way before she snapped her horn up, blasting him off her with a gout of sapphire flame.

Gymbr caught himself in midair, spinning around with a roar before he snapped his horn down with a snarl, but the Valkyrie's Jötunnfang shot in the way, blocking the blast of magic before they both swung viciously up-

They were met by claws of black crystal and smoldering flame, Luna's eyes widening in shock as Gymbr roared: “We are you, and more! All your powers are ours!”

Luna snarled before her Jötunnfang shoved the pale imitation of Gymbr's backwards, then they slammed upwards in a vicious series of blows: the dark-stone fists matched her strike-for-strike, however, both refusing to give any ground even as Luna shouted back: “Thou art nothing but a feeble shadow, foul beast! And shadows are cast and destroyed by the whims of the moon!”

Frost and crystal claws slammed together repeatedly before Gymbr flinched with a hiss of surprise as Luna's Jötunnfang suddenly jackhammered forwards, striking twice as fast and twice as hard into the mockery of her magic, the dark claws spasming, then shattering away to pieces before Luna slammed both Jötunnfang down on top of Gymbr and crushed him between them, squeezing the life out of him as he howled and twisted back and forth in agony.

A blast of raw force erupted from Gymbr, so furious that it tore apart Luna's Jötunnfang and sent the Valkyrie skidding backwards with a wince. He leapt at her, claws stretching eagerly towards her, but then howled in frustration when he was intercepted by Scrivener Blooms, who tackled him out of the air and crushed him to the ground.

Spikes of black crystal ripped upward through Gymbr's body, and he screamed in a duet of hateful voices before he snapped his horn out, blades of rock ripping out of the earth around him and knocking Scrivener rolling away.

The stallion caught himself as Luna dropped in beside him, her spear at the ready as Gymbr smashed his way up from the black stone, barely seeming to notice the wounds steaming shut over his body as he roared: “You shall not stop us! You shall not defeat us nor replace us! We are truth! We are glory! We are-”

Luna snapped her rifle off her back and fired a shot into Gymbr's face, the beast staggering with a howl as the bullet tore through his jaws before she followed up with a sharp flick of her horn, sending a blue fireball at him. He slapped this angrily away even as he staggered before his eyes glowed with malice, rasping: “Your trickery will not keep you alive for much longer.”

Gymbr flapped his wings, and the air vibrated with his hatred as he launched off the ground, both Scrivener and Luna grimacing as almost tangible malice filled the hall and waves of dark energy began to pulsate out of Gymbr's body. The beast flew up towards the ceiling, and Scrivener looked up warily as he slammed his Talons into the ground, creating a half-dome barrier of crystal as he muttered: “I don't know what this means, but...”

“Aye, I am ready.” Luna muttered as she reholstered her rifle, then spun her spear to a ready position with a grin as she stepped back to look up past the barrier at Gymbr, who was floating near the ceiling now, visibly thrumming with power as dark energy sparked through the air around him and tore through the hall, occasionally shocking against the barrier with enough force to crack the gemstone wall. “But what is he doing? All his powers are ours, and-”

It wasn't an explosion, or a surge, so much as it was a gasp that filled the room, completely ignoring the barrier that Scrivener had created and washing over both of the ponies. It felt like only a moment, but in that moment, Luna found herself snared inside bonds of stone, and Scrivener was trapped on his back beneath Gymbr, who grinned savagely as he pinned the stallion down, his eyes glowing and the stallion helpless as Gymbr's jaws yawned open and stretched down-

Luna snarled in fury, her eyes blazing before she snapped her horn forward, a wave of frostfire ripping across Gymbr and making him hiss and arch his back before his eyes widened in shock as the ice and flame transformed into savage claws that crushed around his body and yanked him into the air.

He flailed uselessly before he was jerked roughly around by one of the claws as the other slammed into his face, ruthlessly pummeling him as Luna growled: “Wretched, stupid, worthless heap of reeking garbage!”

Gymbr flinched and gurgled beneath every strike, his body going limp as the icy fist smashed into his face again and again, until Luna's Jötunnfang finally seized him around the throat, throttling him as the beast slowly regenerated. Gymbr twitched weakly, then grasped helplessly at the wrists of the massive fists of frost, glaring defiantly as his features filled back in even as he twitched uselessly in her grip.

The two glared at each other furiously as Scrivener wrenched himself free from the bonds restraining him. The beast began to grin, his horn starting glow-

His horn cracked.

Gymbr went limp, his eyes losing focus, his mouth falling open for a moment as he simply seemed to shut down, and Brynhild blinked in surprise before she winced as the stone holding her in place crumbled away to dust, barely catching herself on her hooves.

She hesitated only a moment before her Jötunnfang almost flung Gymbr to the ground, and the beast lay in ruin, breathing slowly in and out before he whispered: “So. It is done.”

Scrivener and Luna frowned as they approached, before they understood, a moment before Morgan reappeared with a faint smile. Gymbr tried to look towards her, but he couldn't quite make his body shift as he gave a faint laugh, then shivered as he instead curled up slightly, half-hugging himself as his trembling body began to steam.

His wings curled on themselves like burning paper as they started to smolder and disintegrate, Gymbr's eyes blinking slowly, lethargically, as he murmured: “This is the way it should be. This is how the story is made different, is it not? Not by conquest. By being conquered. By failure. Through failure... we escape.”

Gymbr smiled briefly, and then he chuckled softly as his mane and tail wafted upward before they both pulled themselves apart into ghostly strands, vanishing into the air along with the remains of his wings. He twitched once on the ground, then shivered as he grasped at his face as his horn splintered further, then simply fell away, leaving a gaping, glowing third eye in his forehead.

Gymbr breathed roughly in and out, then he slowly looked up, ignoring Luna and Scrivener to instead gaze at Morgan Heldóttir. He studied her intensely for a few moments, then he blinked: and when his eyes opened again, they were mismatched, one darkest ebony, one emerald-tinged blue.

It smiled, and said softly: “We are so proud of you.”

Gymbr continued to smile for a moment, and then he closed his eyes and sighed as he sank down, but he dissolved even before he could lay completely down, his body fading rapidly from sight to leave the three standing alone in the ruins of the hall; alone, with one another, to reflect on their sins.

Moonflower groaned as he sat slowly up, his body shivering in pain before he blinked, then looked wildly back and forth. He only relaxed after he saw La Croix was kneeling beside Sombra, looking exhausted, but whole... well, apart from his... his poor leg. “La Croix!”

“Moony. Go check on Cygne, will you? And toss me my bag, I done enough walkin' for two lifetimes today.” La Croix grumbled, and Moonflower smiled briefly as he clambered to his hooves, stumbling quickly over to the zebra's satchel before he tossed it-

It landed with a thunk about halfway towards La Croix, who gave Moonflower a sour look, and the unicorn smiled lamely before he used telekinesis to awkwardly push it the rest of the way across the cracked floor to the Loa, mumbling: “I think I know how you feel.”

Moonflower glanced back at Cadence, and he sighed in relief as he saw she was already sitting up, looking at him with a small smile before she shook her head and murmured: “All I remember is light and sound and...getting my ass kicked. You won though... right?”

“He did.” said a soft voice, and Moonflower and Cadence both looked up in shock as Melinda came striding towards them, a small smile on her face. Moonflower fell backwards with a yelp, but even as he half-scurried away, he could feel something different about her, and Cadence frowned uneasily as her eyes saw... shadows Just... shadows.

“You're... not really here, are you?” asked Cadence slowly, and Melinda chuckled quietly as she shook her head, giving a soft smile.

“No. I am not. This is nothing but an echo. I used the little magic remaining in my parallax to weave this as I was... shall we say, uprooted from reality.” Melinda gestured at herself calmly, her hoof and chest blurring together as they made contact before she straightened and said in a softer voice: “I am so proud of you, Moonflower. You have true determination, and limitless potential. The only thing that will ever hold you back is yourself.”

“Thank you, Melinda, I... I would like to believe that, but...” Moonflower smiled awkwardly as he clambered up to his hooves, blushing and shaking his head as he murmured: “I wouldn't be here without my friends, and without Thorn, and... without you, too. You taught me a lot.”

Melinda smiled softly, before she glanced up in surprise as a Nightmare flickered into being beside her. Moonflower and Cadence both tensed with winces, but the Nightmare only looked at them for a moment before it turned towards Melinda, rasping something to her. Melinda laughed, however, reaching up and silently stroking over the deformed features of the creature before she whispered: “It happens to all things, darling. We all must return to where we came from, and we should be grateful for the time we were given, that is all. I know. You'll all miss me. But it's time for me to go. Now run along, my dear. There are many things to be done.”

The Nightmare hesitated, then it nodded once before it gave a low, mournful whisper. It vanished, and Melinda studied where it had been for a few moments before she said softly: “The ultimate dark magic is not destruction, but... life. Calling back life that's already been spent, giving it will, giving it freedom...then forcing it to bend to your will. Giving it happiness and joy. Then ordering it to sacrifice all of that, all of it, for you. What is more vile, more vicious, more powerful than that?”

Melinda chuckled quietly, then she looked up at Moonflower, saying softly: “You, too, have the power to summon these things should you ever desire... my Nightmares. My... nightmares. My most wonderful mistake. My greatest mistake.” Melinda quieted, then she shook her head before she murmured: “Do not make the error I did. Love them. Love them with all your heart. And they must never be used for selfish reasons.”

“Yes. Of course. I promise, and thank you for-”

“For what? For another curse?” Melinda smiled faintly. “Every bit of magic you learn is another spell that begs to be used. Believe me, I know. There were many long, dark nights where I wondered at the power of my hexes, these powers I had devised, and what they could do...”

Melinda looked down, shaking her head slowly as she murmured: “Their power felt infinite. So I felt infinite. That was silly of me, though... I am not infinite. I never was. And in the end, that power consumed me, turned on me, because when you open the door and let the power out, it does not take well to any attempts to restrain it again.”

Moonflower shifted awkwardly as Cadence tilted her head, but Melinda shook her own with a chuckle before she said softly: “I'm sorry. I don't have nearly enough time to tell you all the stories I want to, or to answer all your questions, my dears. This echo won't last forever, and there's a few things you should know.”

Cadence nodded and grimaced a bit before she asked: “So this was all a setup? Loki knew-”

“He knew because I told him. I knew because Thesis told me.” Melinda said gently, and Cadence's eyes widened before Melinda gave a slight smile. “Loki decided he would use this setup to ambush you. He left half a dozen Primordials in this ship, and did something to the core of this floating fortress, so it would come crashing down into Decretum with all of you aboard, with no way to leave because of the barrier shield.”

“Barrier shield?” Cadence asked, before she remembered the forcefield they had seen protecting the ship... “Wait, it's two way?”

“Of course. Didn't you think it was strange this floating fortress wasn't firing back at Decretum?” Melinda pointed out. “You've seen what the Bellona was able to do in the past first-hoof, haven't you? Well... when the disruptor array was mounted on it, anyway. That devastating weapon has been moved, and...”

Melinda frowned slightly as she went blurry for a moment, before she shook her head and said in a more-urgent voice: “Now you have to listen to me, and listen well. When the core fails, this floating island will fall. There is nothing I can do to stop that. Loki has removed everything he needs from here already and placed it on another ship, a terrible, living weapon called the Ahriman. He is going to attack Thanatos in the World Without End: he believes these shards of his own soul are the 'keys to the truth,' as spoken of in the prophecies...”

Melinda grimaced a bit as her body flickered, and Cadence's eyes widened before she blurted: “What do you mean? We've heard so many things about these prophecies, these old stories, but nothing matches the stories of the Aesir and-”

But the shadow of Melinda only smiled faintly at this, shaking her head before she met Cadence's eyes as she answered: “Because there were gods before the Aesir, and prophecies older than them. Childe, born to bring pain, to the warrior gods he came... childe, born to dream and defy, rend and rip the world awry; bringeth Ragnarok, the bitter swell, to the place twixt Heaven and Hell...”

Melinda shivered as she lowered her head, breathing hard before she looked up as she began to fade from reality, forcing out: “Find the key to your enigmal lock... bereft of sin... ticking clock...”

Melinda closed her eyes and grasped at her head, but her outline became blurry, her body fizzling before she murmured: “No, I'm out of time. But you will understand, soon. You're ready.”

“I'm... I'm scared.” Moonflower said weakly, and Melinda gave him a faint, reassuring smile, shaking her head before she reached her hooves out and gently touched his face, even as she began to dissolve.

“The first step is the hardest. Just remember, you're not alone. And I believe in you.” Melinda smiled, before she leaned forward and chastely kissed Moonflower on the lips, the stallion's eyes widening in surprise before Melinda leaned back, solidifying for a bare moment as she murmured: “The only person who can stop you now, is you.”

Melinda smiled, then she simply dissolved away into shadows that danced away through the air, Moonflower helplessly reaching a hoof after her before he clenched it and gritted his teeth, letting out a slow breath before he whispered: “Yes. Okay. I... I understand. I won't fail. I won't.”

Moonflower looked down for a moment, and Cadence grimaced a bit before she looked at her Mission Drive and tapped on it. She bit her lip as it only fizzled at her in response, the mare cursing under her breath before she asked sharply: “Hey, does anyone have a working Mission Drive? We need to get in contact with Seneschal so we can send a warning to Decretum and get the hell out of here.”

“Mine might be, Cygne, fell off with everything else.” La Croix said wryly, and Cadence nodded, giving a quick look over at Moonflower. She hesitated for a moment, then simply smiled and patted him on the shoulder before she strode quickly past, heading over to the Loa's fallen gear.

His Mission Drive was scrambled, but still working, and Cadence sighed in relief as she quickly tapped across it before asking, as a distorted fuzz burst out of it: “Seneschal?”

“Y-Yes, yes! We have to evacuate immediately, Cadence!” Seneschal blurted, sounding both relieved and anxious. “The core of the Bellona is unstable and likely to explode at any moment, the damage will be devastating! I'm sending you updated schematics, you have to-”

“They're going to crash this floating fortress into Decretum to try and destroy the city, can you do something about it?” Cadence interrupted, and Seneschal fizzled at her before he grunted from the Mission Drive after a moment.

“Y-Yes. Yes, scans of the systems indicate the auxiliary power systems have been disconnected and rerouted into a fusion generator. The overload would trigger... I can fix this! I can stop this!” Seneschal babbled, before he added sharply: “Withdraw, your orders haven't changed!”

“Alright. You heard him!” Cadence shouted as she slipped the Mission Drive on: she badly wanted to give her companions at least a moment to recover and recoup themselves, but... I can be nice now, or I can be nice later when I know we aren't all about to die. “We have to... goddammit, Brynhild. Get yourselves together and I'll get the Valkyrie.”

Cadence didn't let herself hesitate, closing her eyes as she focused on the presence of Brynhild, before she stepped forward to reappear directly in front of the sapphire mare, who squawked loudly and nearly fell over as Cadence forced herself not to show how dazed the jump made her, instead snapping: “We have to move!”

“We are moving!” Brynhild snapped back from the ground, before she winced when Scrivener and Morgan both grasped her and hauled her to her hooves as Cadence looked quickly around. “Damned... labyrinth of a place is... a labyrinth, though!”

“We have to get out of here. The Bellona is going to fall out of the sky and explode.” Cadence said simply, deciding there was no point in trying to be formal or boss Brynhild around, and the Valkyrie blinked and straightened in surprise. “Seneschal is sending us to the escape point now, but the shields-”

“We can handle ourselves.” Luna said, and for once it didn't sound like she was arguing with the Swan even as she almost shooed her away with a hoof. “Go, lead thy little lambs out of here to safety. I shall call Hex to bring us back to Endworld.”

Cadence grunted, and then she gave a brief nod before she turned, before she frowned when Luna called her back. For a moment, the two looked at each other, and then Brynhild gave an awkward smile before she said finally: “I am glad Melinda did not completely wipe the floor with thee. Not that I would expect any different from a... distant. Aunt. Cousin.”

Cadence scowled horribly, but it gave her a small, awkward sort-of-happiness all the same as she nodded once to the Valkyrie, then turned her attention quickly back to what she was supposed to be focused on, vanishing into thin air. Luna grinned wryly at the spot where the Swan had been a moment before, then she winced when Scrivener smacked the back of her head, huffing and complaining: “I was nice! Hex!”

Scrivener and Morgan both winced as reality vibrated, before they both fell out of the way as the motorcycle exploded into being, Luna grinning widely and leaping forwards to land on the seat of the machine as she shouted: “Now come, back to Endworld, then onward to the next battle!”

Above, Cadence reappeared beside her team, nodding with a relieved smile as she saw that her father was back on his hooves, and Moonflower was tightening La Croix's cape. Then she frowned after a moment as she noted his wooden leg wasn't in place, but La Croix grimaced and waved his stump awkwardly, a faint blush in his cheeks as he muttered: “Exorcism didn't just knock me on my ass, it dislodged the part in my leg that holds that in place. Don't you worry, though, I won't slow y'all down. I'll just stay outside of reality.”

“I can carry you!” Moonflower blurted, and La Croix blinked, the unicorn smiling awkwardly before he posed lamely a few times, saying finally: “You know. Always. Ready to help.”

“Thanks, really, mon ami, but I think I got this.” La Croix said wryly as he picked up his prosthetic leg, studying it for a moment before he shrugged and tossed it into his satchel, then he became translucent even as he smiled at Moonflower.

Moonflower smiled awkwardly back, then saluted as Sombra asked: “Do you know where we're going, mi amore?”

Cadence nodded after a moment, gesturing quickly for them to follow as she glanced down at her Mission Drive and ordered: “Display navigation.”

A small projection of a map appeared beside her, fizzling faintly, but giving clear enough directions: they were the white dot, they had to follow the red line. “Okay. Let's move, we-”

Seneschal suddenly appeared on the projection, making Cadence wince in surprise as the AI flailed before blurting: “Twenty minutes to core meltdown!”

“Crap.” Cadence grumbled, and then she took off at a run as she flicked Seneschal off the map, checking back over her shoulder to make sure her team could keep up with her, gritting her teeth at how exhausted they all were: even La Croix was having trouble matching her pace, and Sombra was staggering heavily in his run.

She slowed only a little, however, hoping that as they moved, the pace would smooth out: she was more relieved than she could say when the rest of her team managed to balance themselves out a little, moving- “I can't disengage the security locks, and at this rate you won't be able to reach the second escape point! Move faster so I can reroute-”

“I'll disengage the locks manually or punch through the goddamn wall if I have to, just get us there!” Cadence shouted, and Seneschal yelped an affirmation before the ivory mare stumbled with a curse as the floor shook beneath them, dust hailing down from the walls and ceiling.

She skidded to a halt and looked back over her shoulder to see that the rest of her team had fallen: she leapt immediately towards them, grasping Moonflower and yanking him to his hooves before she grabbed her father by the shoulders, and it pained her, terribly, as he smiled up at her before saying quietly: “Don't slow down.”

“I need you.” Cadence said simply, and then she hauled her father up onto her back, grimacing in effort before she shouted: “Moonflower, run!”

She took off at a gallop, and Moonflower leapt after her, wheezing loudly but keeping pace with the mare as La Croix whisked along beside them, ethereal and nearly invisible. They followed the directions on the map to a cargo hold, and Cadence winced at the sight of the massive, sealed shutters that barred the way out of the flying fortress, Seneschal saying in a bitterly-triumphant voice: “See? I warned you! The locks have all short-circuited. I can still reroute you but there's less than ten minutes, and-”

“Alright. If I destroy the locks, will I be able to open the shutter? Or at this point should we just punch through it?” Cadence asked evenly, and Seneschal squawked in disbelief.

But after a moment, the AI grumbled before he said finally: “It's not just the locks. The entirety of the shutter mechanism has been destroyed, there's no way I can raise it. You'll have to cut through it, but-”

“We can do it.” Sombra said softly, before he grimaced a bit as he carefully slipped off Cadence, shaking himself off before he murmured: “It might be good to put my powers to use, anyway.”

“Just don't hurt yourself, Daddy.” Cadence said quietly, but Sombra only smiled at her as they walked across the cargo bay together to the shutter.

“It would hurt more to do nothing.” he answered, before he pressed his front hooves against the cold steel, closing his eyes as crystal spread across the shutter before it began to shudder as metal transformed slowly but steadily into dark gemstone.

Sombra's purifier hummed louder as miasma began to spill from his eyes, the stallion gritting his teeth as darkness spread through his coat. But he seemed to take strength from it as he focused his powers into the shutter, breathing slowly and steadily as he murmured: “I can feel the other side. How much time do we have?”

“Less than three minutes!” squawked Seneschal, the AI popping up in the projection of the map, and Cadence grimaced. “Systems have begun to fail ship-wide and there's nothing I can do to stop it! Once the core explodes-”

“We've got this.” Cadence said firmly, before she pointedly turned off the projection and returned her eyes to her father, who had already refocused on the shutter.

“La Croix, go ahead. We'll be ready to jump, don't worry. We're all getting out of here.” Cadence said firmly, and La Croix smiled briefly, nodding hesitantly before the ethereal stallion simply vanished from sight.

“Mi amore, if you would be so kind?” Sombra glanced back at her, and Cadence looked up in surprise, but the stallion only shook his head before he murmured: “Il meglio ricolga il peggio.”

Cadence smiled wryly, and then she nodded before she took one of the vials from the belt around his body and lifted it to his mouth so he could drink from it. He grimaced at the taste, then flexed as the miasma leaking from his eyes flared up, black gemstone spreading faster across the shutter as he murmured: “Dio mi aiuti.”

Sombra pressed forward, gritting his teeth as his hooves sank into the black mess of stone, breathing out steam as he poured his powers through the metal, corrupting it rapidly before he gasped as he shoved forward and the black crystal shattered outward, chunks of stone hailing out into the open sky as Sombra staggered-

He grunted as Cadence caught him, smiling awkwardly at his daughter as they both looked out the pony-sized hole in the shutter before Seneschal blurted: “You have to jump now! Systems are failing! The barrier is down and the Black Owl is en route!”

“It better catch us.” Cadence grumbled, before she gritted her teeth as she looked at her father, then back at Moonflower. They both nodded to her, Moonflower giving a queasy smile and Sombra squeezing her shoulder, and... what choice do we have?

Cadence ran forward: if she gave any warning or called out, she wasn't aware of it, but Moonflower and Sombra followed all the same, both of them leaping through the hole behind her and following her into thin red air.

It was beautiful, and terrifying, and wonderful, and awful all at once, as they fell away from what looked like a small moon that was already shrinking into the distance, through glowing crimson light and smoky pollution and swirling black cloud carried on unfelt winds.

They fell together towards a world that was black and tarred and corrupted and beautiful, that from above, was dark and foreboding and yet still bore the shape of Equestria to it. They fell, and in the distance Cadence could see a massive and beautiful city all lit up with lights, and the candlelight glow of corruption wells, and the steam of the immense trench where corruption was burned and recycled into carbon that kept their atmosphere hot.

They fell, barely aware of the cannonfire that tore through the air above them, or the explosions ripping through the Bellona's hull, or anything except the fall and the beauty and the terror of the world around them. They fell, and Cadence grimaced before she pointed down and shouted over the roar of the wind: “There!”

She didn't know if they heard her or not, but Moonflower and Sombra at least were able to follow her gesture to the sight of the Kirin ship angling up through the sky towards them. The Black Owl twisted sideways on its stubby wings, powerful boosters kicking on beneath it as a door opened in the bulky, rectangular ship, and Cadence grimaced as she held her forelegs out to either side.

Sombra and Moonflower reached down for her, managing to grasp her and pull themselves in close against her back on either side of her, and Cadence gritted her teeth as she stretched her legs carefully down as the ship seemed to rise towards them, but Cadence knew at this point what it was actually doing was falling beside them, carefully adjusting its position and speed to match theirs.

Cadence saw her opportunity as the ship tilted slightly towards them, and she flung herself forward, dragging her teammates with her into the ship as it gently scooped upwards. She gasped in pain as her hooves touched down a little too hard on the floor of the Black Owl for a moment, the ship wobbling slightly as the floor pulled away from beneath them before it gently lifted upwards to let Cadence and her teammates settled to the floor.

Cadence grimaced at the feeling of pressure pushing up her legs, gritting her teeth before the ship jounced lightly, and she winced when Moonflower grabbed at her as she stomped down to anchor herself.

Sombra grimaced slightly himself as he stumbled a little, before he looked up with a smile of relief as the door to the ship slammed closed, La Croix grinning wryly as he leaned heavily against the handle and remarked: “Y'all are a whole damn lot braver than me, mon amies.”

“Good to see you join us.” Cadence said with a relieved smile, her legs still trembling a bit under her before she managed to straighten, wheezing a little as the pressure started to even out, her mind still reeling with vertigo as she half-dragged Moonflower over to sit in the harness seats beside her father, who was already locking himself in.

La Croix jumped into one of the seats across from them, yanking the safety bar down across his body, and Cadence didn't bother scolding him: she was far more concerned with what was going on outside. “Did you see where we are?”

“Oui, 'bout thirty miles as the crow flies away from Decretum. That big rock be fallin', but it ain't holdin' up too well: it looks more a lot more like the soleil than it does la lune at this point.” La Croix answered, and Cadence frowned as she wished for a window.

And then she winced as her vision flickered, and suddenly she was looking out through the eyes of the Swan, who was calmly standing on top of the Black Owl as it streaked back towards Decretum. But the Swan didn't feel the wind whipping around her or momentum trying to tear her loose from the Black Owl, as she stood like a statue with her back to Decretum, watching silently as the Bellona fell.

It was a meteor, nothing but fire and stone and metal as it slowly tumbled from the sky, massive chunks of debris falling free from the floating fortress as it crashed slowly towards the earth. Explosions continued to rip across it from both within and without, as it was hammered by artillery fire that served a dual purpose, both breaking the Bellona apart while pushing it off course and away from the city.

The Black Owl rushed to Decretum, but by the time it was settling down to the landing pad on top of the Orphanage building, the Bellona had fallen from the sky and crashed down outside the city with surprisingly-little fanfare: Cadence figured that was probably a good thing, however, as she jumped out of the transport. I guess Seneschal managed to disable the power core or whatever it was...

“Empress Hecate orders you to withdraw to Endworld for reassignment! A portal has already been prepared!” shouted a Kirin shoulder over the sound of the Black Owl's jet engines, and Cadence grimaced as she turned towards him and nodded before quickly tossing a look back at her teammates.

“Alright, fall in and let's move!” Cadence called, and La Croix turned ethereal as her father and Moonflower both hopped down from the transport to follow as Cadence strode across the tarmac. But even at her most professional, she couldn't help but steal a look to the side, taking in the towering skyscrapers, the flashing neon lights, and the raw life in this steel world.

She turned her attention back to their task as a Kirin opened the door for them leading into the building, descending the stairs quickly, and it was funny how quickly and easily she remembered the halls of the Orphanage, how easy it was for her to find her way though the complex facility and back to the portal hall.

They found Hecate waiting there for them, Cadence halting and saluting as the Jötnar mare eyed them for a few moments, then asked shortly: “Situation?”

“I...” Cadence hesitated, then she looked back at her team for a moment before answering truthfully: “I'm ready to serve, but my team was hit hard. They need medical-”

“I'll have La Croix sent to the ASC for immediate refitting. A Beauty unit should suffice for his treatment. Treatment Pods are being prepped for Sombra and Moonflower, and you need to report to Thorn for reassignment. Communications with Thanatos just went down, which means World Without End is under attack.”

Cadence's eyes widened before she started to open her mouth, but Hecate only smiled thinly, interrupting: “Thanatos is more than capable of holding his own against even Loki for a few hours, and Decretum forces have already been deployed to reestablish communications and defend World Without End. You and your team are not the only soldiers I have at my disposal, Cadence.”

Cadence smiled lamely at this, nodding awkwardly before Hecate gestured towards the portal and ordered: “Go. Don't keep Thorn and the other officers waiting. Sombra, Moonflower, La Croix, I'll escort you to medical myself. It's on my way.”

Hecate almost absently flicked a hoof back at a portal ring, which burst into life in a crackle of power, and Cadence awkwardly saluted before she smiled lamely at her teammates, then turned and hurried for the portal when she felt Hecate glower at her. She was amazed as always at the power of the Jötnar mare as she leapt into the portal, not looking back even as she sensed the Swan lingering.

Hecate glanced calmly over at Danzsöngr, who was studying her curiously before she said: “You are worried for him. You care about him.”

“My sister always said I had a thing for older stallions.” Hecate replied acerbically, before she turned her eyes towards the trio in front of her: Moonflower and La Croix looked confused, while Sombra only smiled kindly up at her. “Enough. Let's go.”

Hecate strode forward, and the trio of Team 0-0 fell in around her as Danzsöngr lingered at her side, asking: “Will this be the final battle? Do we fight to save Thanatos, or to destroy Loki?”

The Jötnar mare was silent for a few moments, and then she glanced over at Danzsöngr, replying in a cold, mental voice that echoed through the Swan's mind: Both, but ultimately, we must put a stop to Loki. I am sure that Thanatos understands this as well: this won't end until Loki is stopped.

“We... are not arrogant enough to promise we will not fail you, but we will do everything in our power to see that it is done.” answered Danzsöngr, and yet the Swan still lingered, and Hecate tossed a pointed look at the creature.

The Swan shifted, then said almost hesitantly: “What if we fail?”

That is a fear we all have, every moment of every day. Part of being able to make your own decisions, to be more than a tool, is being able to fail, and shouldering the responsibility for that. Sometimes when you must make a decision, there are so many choices that you freeze up and do nothing, because everything seems wrong. Hecate replied calmly as she turned her eyes forward, a thin smile playing over her features. But you will only truly 'fail,' Swan, if you allow yourself to. Find your answer.

“Yes. We will.” promised the Swan, and then it vanished from sight as Hecate focused back ahead.

Cadence winced in surprise as the Swan appeared beside her, strangely aware of everything that had happened. She looked moodily at the creature as it looked back at her, before the Swan seemed to smile in its voice as it said: “Hecate is a Mother. Hecate is our Mother.”

Cadence hesitated, then she mumbled: “Yeah, she sort of is. That doesn't mean you get to bother her with every little thing, though. She's a busy pony. God. Giant. Whatever the hell she is.”

“She always has time for us. Thesis would be proud of that. Proud of her. Proud of us.” said the Swan, and Cadence glanced down: yeah, that was right. She couldn't even be mad, because that was what Thesis had wanted... them to be family. Them to trust.

She sighed a little, but thankfully was spared any further conversation as she reached the war room in Endworld's Orphanage, pushing it open and steeling herself as Thorn greeted cordially: “Rex Prox Cadence. Please take your seat and we'll begin.”

The other two Rex Prox were here, Cadence noted, along with a slew of other officers and administrators, all of them clustered around the massive, U-shaped table that Thorn stood in the center of, surrounded by holographic projections. He looked proud, and strong, and ready, Cadence thought: if the poisons or his missing eye still bothered him, it was impossible to tell.

Cadence took her seat between Lancer and Tormentas, nodding to the two before she straightened and focused on Thorn as he began immediately: “The attack om Imperia was a distraction and a clear attempt to weaken and confuse our forces. Thanks to the efforts of Team 0-0 and Strike Team Valkyrie, however, Seneschal was able to disengage the fusion cores and self-destruct the Bellona while it was still airborne, averting a catastrophe.

“Seneschal was also able to extract data from the Bellona, giving us much-needed information about Loki's movements and equipment.” Thorn continued, and Cadence perked up at this: she could feel the intensity through the entire room increase as Thorn explained: “Loki stole generators and basic equipment from the Ten Moons facility in order to reactivate several small Shed and bunker facilities that had been recorded as derelict, and Auriculos and possibly others assisted in modifying them to create small-scale manufacturing plants to outfit his troops with Clockwork technology.

“Loki also possesses a prototype orbital disruptor: this device is powerful enough to damage the bonds holding a planet in place in reality using the Gjallar vibration principle, the feedback of which we feel as kinetic force.” Thorn continued, and Cadence thought back to when she had felt that tremendous shockwave that had come out of nowhere, before her eyes shifted to Lancer as she softened a little, thinking of everyone he had lost because of it. “Data records indicate that the disruptor was originally mounted to the Bellona so it could harness its fusion cores as a power source.”

“Is the device still operable?” asked a voice, and Thorn nodded.

“We have to assume so. It wasn't dismantled, but removed. The array itself could easily be mobilized: the difficulty is providing enough power-”

“The Ahriman.” Cadence blurted out, and Thorn frowned slightly, but then gestured at her to continue when she began to drop her head, and the mare hesitated only a moment before she straightened and said: “Before she died, Melinda said that Loki had put everything he needed on some sort of living ship. She called it the Ahriman.”

Thorn glanced at one of the projections, tapping over it quickly before he shook his head and muttered: “There's no Clockwork project in the files known as the Ahriman. Seneschal, deploy Investigators to the site immediately, scan for anomalous energy signatures.”

“Oh sure, yes, I'll scan the world of the Reapers for strange life forms, I'm sure that won't come up with anything at all!” Seneschal complained, before he added grudgingly: “Records indicate there was something docked in the large hangar bay until recently. This could possibly be the Ahriman, which means it can't have a maximum size exceeding five hundred by two hundred feet...”

“It's not a floating fortress like the Bellona, in other words. But a living ship of that size might have a greater potential energy output, especially if combined with synthetic reactors. Thank you, Cadence.” Thorn gestured at her to sit down, and Cadence lamely did so: she hadn't even realized she'd pushed herself out of her seat. “Let's return to the briefing.

“All of you will be assigned new Mission Drives with new operational procedures on them. Currently, one hundred Dogmatists and a thousand Kirin soldiers have been deployed to assist Thanatos and break the first wave of Loki's attack: Orphans with anti-Void equipment will begin deployment in roughly two hours' time. You are expected to prepare and be at your assigned portal ten minutes prior to your deployment, ready for an extended engagement.”

Thorn shifted, and Cadence knew that in spite of what he was saying, he didn't think this battle would be very long: she didn't know if that was because he hoped they would pin down Loki quickly, or because they weren't going to be able to stop Loki from using his superweapon.

But no matter what happened, Cadence told herself, she wasn't going to turn away. She felt Danzsöngr squeeze her shoulder in agreement as they synced up, in thought, in body, in soul, and shared one single promise: We will not surrender.

We will stop him, no matter what the cost.

A World Ruled By Death

Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen: A World Ruled By Death
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence checked over her team as they waited in the zone that had been marked for them: Moonflower was in a brand new set of armor, La Croix had his wooden prosthetic reattached, and her father seemed strong and in control even as a bit of miasma streamed from his horn.

Thorn was walking down the groups of Orphans who were all neatly positioned inside the prep zones marked by yellow paint, his clipboard floating beside him so he could make the occasional note. He was accompanied by Necrophage and Muse, and Cadence couldn't help but note wryly that even after all this time, Moonflower still stiffened up and glowered at the bubbly Replicant as she bounced happily along beside Thorn when they approached.

She turned to salute him, satisfied that her team was ready: their equipment was in working order, and while they weren't in top form... we'll be good enough. We'll be better than whatever we have to fight. “Sir.”

Necrophage waved wildly at her as Muse bowed her head politely, but both Replicants stepped politely back as Thorn studied Cadence, sizing her up with both eyes, and to this day, Cadence didn't know if his mechanical eye or his organic one had the sharper vision.

“Are you ready?” Thorn asked bluntly, but Cadence only nodded, and the stallion surveyed them for a few moments with his mismatched eyes before he nodded back, saying quietly: “Remember your orders. Track down and eliminate Loki. Neutralize all resistance you encounter, with special priority given to Voidborn. And remember, as Rex Prox, Cadence, other Decretum forces will obey your authority. Try not to abuse it.”

“Don't worry. I want to take care of this myself. I don't want anyone to interfere.” Cadence answered, and Thorn gave a thin smile.

“That is fine, but it goes both ways. If you can utilize Decretum troops to isolate Loki's forces, do so. Don't waste your resources.” Thorn replied, and Cadence smiled wryly as she half-saluted: at least now she could tell the difference between when Thorn was giving advice and scolding her. “Our drones have yet to return with any information about the Ahriman, but the communication network has been fully reestablished across World Without End and beyond. You'll be the first to know if we discover anything.”

“Thanks. Is there anything else I should be aware of?” Cadence asked, looking pointedly at Thorn, and he met her gaze calmly.

“No. But there's an indication that Loki's forces are trying to converge on a particular cathedral, and a... rumor, that Thanatos may have a piece of something in his possession that Loki has been trying desperately to acquire, which would explain both Loki's aggression and why he hasn't used the disruptor.” Thorn answered quietly, and Cadence's eyes widened slightly before Thorn continued: “Decretum forces have already heavily fortified the cathedral, but if you move towards it from the drop zone, you may be able to intercept enemy reinforcements.”

“Maybe even an officer or two.” Cadence muttered, and then she nodded quickly. “Thanks, Thorn.”

Thorn smiled briefly before he glanced over the others, then he suddenly stepped forwards and kissed Moonflower. The stallion's eyes bulged in surprise, but he quickly kissed his partner back before Thorn stepped away and absently caught Moonflower as he nearly fell over, gently pushing him back to a standing position as he said curtly: “Good luck.”

“T-Thanks!” Moonflower stuttered, then he smiled lamely and watched as Thorn walked calmly away, striding across the deployment hall to Strike Team Valkyrie, where Luna was positively beaming and Morgan and Scrivener both looked amused, if anything. Necrophage and Muse only lingered for a moment more, the former waving wildly again and the latter murmuring a 'good luck' to them before they turned to follow after their superior officer and friend.

“Daddy, how would you feel if I kissed a mare in front of you?” Cadence asked before she realized what a strange question that probably was, and Sombra smiled in amusement.

“I can't say I would be surprised.” he replied, and Cadence rolled her eyes as La Croix snorted in entertainment, while Moonflower only dreamily swayed on the spot before he blinked and looked up as a klaxon blared loudly.

“Into position! First wave, departure in thirty seconds!” shouted Thorn, as he strode quickly into the center of the hall between the two lines of ponies, his Replicant companions falling in behind him. “Remember your mission! Strike teams, your duty remains to support the alpha teams! Neutralize all opposition and protect Thanatos and the Reapers!”

A klaxon blared again, and without hesitating, the first team ran for the portal, followed quickly after by their support team. Cadence couldn't help but smile wryly as she glanced across the hall at the strike team they had been paired with, and Brynhild gave her a wide, cocky grin in return: they didn't get along that well, but she had the feeling neither of them were going to have any trouble behaving here.

There was a brief respite before the process repeated, and Cadence took a slow breath as the next group vanished into the portal. The first klaxon blared, and Cadence wondered what the hell she could say in thirty seconds that-

“Good luck.” Danzsöngr said from Cadence's mouth, and Moonflower gave a small smile as La Croix grunted and Sombra nodded calmly. And Cadence simply smiled wryly as she faced ahead, figuring that maybe she didn't have to say anything at all.

The klaxon blared, and Cadence broke into a gallop immediately, her team following closely behind her, and their support team of Luna and her partners moving smoothly in behind them. They charged into the portal and through the swirl of light and sound that seemed so much louder and sharper than usual before they tore out the other side and skidded to a halt on an island of stone, all of them shocked by the incredible sight before them.

They were on a massive, flat island of stone where a base camp had been established, and countless other islands, towers, and barriers floated around them, most of these anchored into place by mighty chains that swayed and clanked in the windless air. It took Cadence's breath away: they were standing in the sky, and for as far as the eye could see below them there seemed to be nothing but forest-

Something flashed in her vision, and Cadence looked sharply up, watching in shock as an island in the distance cracked in half as the chain fell away like a struck-down serpent, massive chunks of stone hailing down into the forest below before there was a tremendous flare of light and a boom so deep and loud it shook the air around them and resonated deep in their stomachs.

Cadence stared in horror and disbelief at the sight, before she shook her head quickly: they had been briefed on the fact that the entirety of World Without End was actually some kind of soul furnace, and what would happen if that outer shell was penetrated... but Horses of Heaven. Seeing it, feeling that... that release... “We need to move.”

It was strange: she knew she had spoken, but even as her body began to move, she felt like it was something else guiding her. Not Danzsöngr, either: Danzsöngr was right beside her, watching her as intently as the rest of her teammates as she ordered: “Fall in, escort formation. Brynhild... I want your team with us.” She almost grimaced as she added grudgingly: “You can take point.”

“Good of thee to offer, Swan.” Brynhild said, looking very pleased before she huffed when Morgan looked at her pointedly, and then she grumbled and turned suddenly, whacking Scrivener with her horn and making him blink and rub at his head dumbly as she added grouchily: “But fear not, I recognize that even if we are in the lead... I am not master of this journey.”

Cadence only grunted, but she nodded respectfully to the Valkyrie before she tapped on the sleek Mission Drive that had been attached to her armor, then reached up and yanked down the glass visor of her helmet, a digital display spilling across the screen in front of her eyes and telling her everything she needed to know and precisely where she needed to go. “Alright, let's move.”

She led them through the encampment, the others falling in around her as they sprinted past tents and Dogmatists and soldiers of Decretum, the ivory mare resisting the urge to stare for too long at the base of the massive communications tower they passed, even as Cowlick shouted as they passed her: “Give 'em hell, huh?”

“And more than that!” Brynhild proclaimed, grinning widely before she winked as she leapt up beside Cadence, as Scrivener and Morgan fell in on either side of them. “Show the course, Swan, and we shall break the path!”

“Please don't.” Cadence said dryly as they charged past several massive artillery cannons towards a metallic bridge that had been extended over a deep drop. Luna immediately leapt to the front as they fell into single file, and it took Cadence reminding herself that she had said the Valkyrie could take point – and every fiber of restraint in her being – to not bodycheck the mare off the bridge or wrestle her for the lead.

They charged over the thin metal bridge to the next floating island, leaping over a barrier, then skidding down into a trench that Cadence turned to follow along, grimacing as the banging of artillery fire reached their ears. “We're heading into the active battle zone: Loki's troops have been pushed back for now...”

“But aye, they are of the Void, they will return again and again anew when their master has need from them, and who knows where they will strike next?” Luna said wryly, before she frowned as Morgan shook her head.

“No. I mean, yes, but no. World Without End isn't a physical world. Thanatos has a lot more control over who comes in and out of this plane of reality, similar to how Hel can... could control Helheim from Underdark.” Morgan explained, before she grimaced as another terrible explosion ripped through the air, muttering: “All that energy venting out, though... Loki must be after more than just a fragment of his soul.”

“So you overheard that, huh?” Cadence asked wryly as she leapt out of the trench, then skidded to a stop. Luna's team leapt up to join her on the edge of the trench, while her own stopped and waited in the shallow ditch as Cadence scanned back and forth as her visor lit up with several signals as she drew her gaze over the multitude of floating islands of every shape and size floating between them and... the cathedral.

On Cadence's visor, it was highlighted in bright red, but Cadence didn't need to be able to see the island to know it was the center of the action, from the swirling chaos all around it. The islands closest to the cathedral looked like war zones that were straining to stay afloat under the artillery fire, but many of them were being shored up and manipulated by Primordials, who were both destroying and rebuilding the battlefield as they pleased... wait.

Cadence scanned over the floating islands again, and Luna frowned as she seemed to realize Cadence was checking something specific before the Swan muttered: “Incredible. The Primordials are reshaping reality itself. They're not just making bridges and taking over those floating islands, it's like where they are...”

“They're emitting chaos magic. That's how Loki is creating holes in Thanatos' reality. The chaos magic breaks the rules Thanatos has in place and lets Loki create at least short-lived portals.” Morgan exclaimed, explaining it better than Cadence could have: she was still trying to work through what the hell was going on right in front of her eyes. There was chaos, energy, battle everywhere, and they were standing right on the edge of it all. “We should prioritize the Primordials, if we stop them we might be able to reduce Loki's ability to bring in new troops.”

Cadence hesitated, then she tapped a button on her Mission Drive before saying quickly: “Seneschal, Loki is using the Primordials he's brought in to weaken reality so he can create holes to the Void and restore his troops.”

“The Primordials are not priority all the same: concentrate on eliminating the Voidborn officers first and foremost and intercepting Loki himself.” Seneschal answered grouchily, and Cadence grimaced a bit before she nodded as she tapped the communicator again before she looked over at Morgan, who bit her lip as she shifted awkwardly.

After a moment, Cadence sighed before she looked at Luna and said finally: “If you think it's worth engaging them, I won't stop you.”

“How about we serve as a distraction, then? We'll attack them directly, try and open a hole so you can slip through to the cathedral?” Scrivener reasoned, and Cadence smiled a bit at this as Luna nodded vehemently and Morgan looked with gratitude at the ivory mare.

“Alright.” Cadence hesitated, looking quickly out over the islands as they lit up again before she nodded once. “Draw them to the islands on the left side. We should be able to pass through on the right.”

“Then there is no point in dallying!” Luna shouted, before she flicked her horn sharply at Scrivener Blooms, who visibly flinched in pain as several plates popped back on his armor before a pair of wings almost exploded from his back, Cadence wincing away in shock as corruption flew in all directions. “Onward!”

Luna leapt to the air, and Morgan smiled lamely before she awkwardly followed, Scrivener shaking himself briskly out before he sighed, then glanced up as Sombra said kindly: “La maggior' sventura o ventura dell'uomo è la moglie.”

Scrivener blinked at this, and Cadence translated dryly: “Your wife is either the best thing to happen to you or the worst.”

“Sometimes both.” Scrivener agreed after a moment, and then he turned and leapt into the air, flapping his powerful, leathery wings hard to follow quickly after Morgan and Brynhild.

Cadence shook her head, then she gestured towards a narrow, jagged path that led down along the side of the island: past it, a short distance away, Husks appeared to be embattled with Soldier Drones, but Cadence didn't think they would offer enough resistance to deter them for long. “Let's push through across the next island, then it looks like there's a structure we might be able to sneak through to keep moving forward.”

“Let's hope the enemy has not occupied it.” Sombra said in half-warning, and Cadence smiled briefly as she nodded quickly: that was right. They couldn't get too careless.

Cadence led her team quickly down the half-carved pass to another extended metal bridge, grimacing a bit as gunfire erupted around them from both sides of the narrow battlefield ahead. She led her team forward and to skid to a halt behind a barrier formed by sandbags piled on a jagged ridge of rock.

The Soldier Drones didn't so much as look at her, one of them calmly leaning up over the barrier before its head was blasted away in a sparking mess of metal and gears, and Cadence winced as Moonflower squawked and winced away before it could fall on him. Without letting herself stop to think, Cadence picked up the drone's fallen rifle, tossing it over to La Croix before she took out her own gun, calling: “Cover!”

La Croix grimaced, then he blindly aimed over the barricade, firing wildly several times. Cadence quickly shoved herself up enough that she was able to aim over the barrier herself, sweeping the scope back and forth before she winced as bullets hammered the barrier around her, ducking quickly back as she muttered: “There's a dozen of those assholes over there. All with carbines.”

“Those are big guns?” Moonflower asked dubiously, and Cadence smiled despite herself before the stallion brightened slightly, holding up a hoof. “I have an idea!”

“Go ahead. Just don't get yourself killed.” Cadence said dryly, but she didn't hesitate to gesture at the stallion to go ahead: in the past she might have, but... Moonflower has more than proven himself by now. Even I couldn't fight Melinda.

Moonflower nodded firmly, then he took a breath as his horn thrummed before he snapped it out, and Cadence felt a strange pulling sensation for a moment before she looked up in surprise as a crackling sphere exploded into reality above the line of soldiers. A moment later, to her amazement, she saw metal weapons all yanked up into that swirling orb along with one or two unlucky Husks in full armor, and her eyes widened slightly before Moonflower exclaimed: “It worked! I magnetized them!”

Then the orb exploded, sending weapons and chunks of metal flying in all directions, and Moonflower and Cadence both winced as they ducked back behind the barrier as it was pelted with shrapnel. But the mare didn't waste her time scolding Moonflower, instead shoving herself back up and shouting: “Drones! Charge!”

The Soldier Drones immediately abandoned their rifles and leapt over the barricade, charging fearlessly towards the remaining, confused Husks. Cadence waited a moment, then she readied herself as she ordered: “Alright, we're going to storm past. Just follow my lead.”

The others nodded, and Cadence took a last breath before she leapt forward over the barrier, charging straight into the melee. She hammered a Husk out of the way when it stumbled in front of her, then trampled another, keeping her eyes ahead and following the path marked through the pockmarked battlefield by the readings on her visor.

She winced in shock as something suddenly lit up bright red, skidding to the side before an elemental of some kind erupted out of the earth with a howl, leaping after her. Other elementals tore out of the ground all around her team, diving and grabbing at them, but Sombra and Moonflower rebuffed them with blasts of magic, and the monstrosities didn't seem very interested in pursuing them as they ran onward.

They followed a half-crumbled path beneath a broken cliff, towards what looked like some kind of gatehouse: it seemed abandoned, but Cadence could hear fighting both above them and beneath them, although she didn't dare to get close enough to the crumbling edge of the island to look down and see what was happening below.

As they approached the gatehouse, Cadence realized it wasn't entirely abandoned after all: there were two Clockwork Titans standing guard outside it, and it wasn't age that had crumbled the exterior, but artillery fire and magic. Judging from the remains of armor and weapons here and there, they had likely been attacked by Husks, but she didn't think they had lasted very long in combat against the Titans.

She skidded to a halt in front of the Titans, both of whom only looked at her impassively until Cadence ordered: “Update.”

One of the Clockwork Titans ticked loudly, and then Cadence grimaced and looked down as information spilled quickly across her visor, and the navigation layout changed slightly. She nodded after a moment, then dismissed the rest of the information with a tap of a button, saying quickly: “We can go through here to pass through the cliff, but the other side of this building has been bombarded and might still be under attack. We'll have to push through.”

“The Husks did not try to pursue us, nor did the elementals. I doubt the enemies ahead will, either, if we break through their lines: they seemed more occupied with struggling to hold their territory than stopping us.” Sombra pointed out, and Cadence grunted.

“True... either way, we have to keep moving.” Cadence said quickly as she shook herself out before starting forward, and the rest of her team followed her towards the building, Cadence grimacing a bit as she muttered: “We're still on the edge of the battlefield. Things will change. I bet the Valkyrie isn't having such an easy time...”

Cadence scowled despite herself, unable to help from wondering moodily what Luna was doing, imagining it probably had something to do with those ridiculous Jötunnfang of hers...

And she was not far off, as Luna smashed a Jötunnfang into the face of a Primordial with a laugh before she batted another elemental away like a toy, roaring: “None of thee are made of stone! Nothing but the most brittle clay!”

The Primordial in her frosty claw lashed and howled in frustration, before it screamed and collapsed backwards into ashes when the Jötunnfang suddenly squeezed viciously and simply crushed its skull like paper. But even as it collapsed, energy whispered upwards, forming a living spirit-

Morgan blasted the spirit of the Primordial with a jet of black flame before it could even fully appear, and the Primordial gasped in shock and pain before it simply flickered out of existence. But it didn't give them so much as a moment of respite as the island of stone beneath them shuddered, Scrivener grimacing and doing everything he could to repel the powers of the Primordials.

Some hideous, four-armed thing exploded out of the ground, screaming and clawing at him, but Morgan caught it with telekinesis and slammed it savagely into the ground, the beast hurking before Scrivener slammed a claw down into it and made it all-but-explode when he pumped a bit of blast of corruption through it. “How many of these things are there? How are there so many when we've never seen-”

He winced as the four-armed thing became some glorious, golden star that ripped up out of the corpse of the creature, smashing him onto his back even as veins of blackness pulsed through it, but before it could either escape or strike again, it exploded into blue flames before whiffing out like a candle when Luna leapt at it and clapped her Jötunnfang over it, replying sharply: “Aye, even if Loki has gathered them from all the worlds, how are there so many?”

“Because all obey the Prime! All of us will return to him! We shall be whole again, anew!” cackled a Primordial as it twisted violently around the stone island, reality quaking with its passage as the awful fish-thing filled the air around them with biting wind.

Morgan dropped to the ground, swinging her horn sharply around and countering the growing winds with a cyclone of magic that neutralized the Primordial's powers and knocked the fish-thing flipping out of control with a squeal.

Luna immediately leapt forwards and slammed one of her Jötunnfang into the Primordial, launching it like a rocket across the island, before she looked up sharply as a furious voice shouted: “She is mine!”

The island trembled violently as Luna dropped to the half-crystallized earth, Scrivener and Morgan immediately falling in on either side of her as elementals and Primordials both scattered as another figure slammed down. The Voidborn snarled at them furiously, his perfect, polished armor gleaming, sword and shield burning with his magic power as Ignominious roared: “Luna Lightblade!”

“My name is Brynhild, and thou will learn it even if I must beat it into thy body.” Luna growled, setting herself as her eyes flashed. Her Jötunnfang clenched, floating to ready positions above her as her spear burst into being beside her, the mare saying coldly: “This is the only chance thou shall be given for mercy. And by mercy, I mean a swift death.”

“I have no intention of surrendering myself to you, little Luna. No, not when we're so close, when we're here, at the heart of all worlds!” Ignominious proclaimed, and Brynhild narrowed her eyes as Morgan frowned.

“What are you talking about? This isn't the core word, this is-”

“Stupid girl, but of course you don't understand.” sneered the Voidborn, and Luna gritted her teeth, but kept herself still as Ignominious gestured widely around with sword and shield, proclaiming: “This world, Death's world, sits on the opposite pole of the core reality! If we destroy it, we will loosen the core world from its pole and we will be able to eradicate it, and along with it, this entire universe!”

“As if we are about to stand back and let thee destroy Thanatos' realm.” growled Brynhild, before she leaned forwards and added sharply: “Loki has lost Melinda, lost the Fates, lost Sol Seraph... and if all he has left to serve as his hoof and assassin is thee and thine, Ignominious, then there is little doubt in my mind that his fool's errand ends here!”

“We shall see about that, Brynhild.” growled Ignominious, before he grinned cruelly as he leaned forwards, body rippling as his shadow stretched unnaturally outward, boiling and bubbling eerily. “I have new powers, new gifts... and I know your every trick, your every-”

“You still know nothing of me, Ignominious. But I am saddened to see, thou art the same as thou wert before.” Luna replied bitterly, before she only snorted in contempt as Ignominious roared at her furiously, the stallion melting into his shadow with his sword and shield as the quaking darkness humped up and morphed into some new, monstrous shape.

A nightmarish head rose high as two, three, five, eight powerful legs ripped and kicked out of the ground, stomping against the earth eagerly as hooves formed from shadow and became like steel. The beast whinnied, then reared with a demonic scream, Brynhild's eyes widening before a crooked grin twisted down her muzzle as the smoldering mane and tail of the eight-legged horse whipped around the monster like furious serpents. “This? This is what thou faces me with? Oh, Loki, of all thine accursed children...”

The eight-legged hell-horse leapt towards them, but Brynhild only smiled before she clucked her tongue loudly, then stepped forwards and firmly swatted the massive stallion across the face, sending it staggering off to the side before one of her Jötunnfang roughly slapped the horse's buttocks, making it squeal as it panicked and charged away across the blackened and fractured plateau. “'Twill be a great laugh when I tell my brother that I broke and tamed his namesake today!”

The hellbeast skittered around with a roar, hooves stomping and kicking against the ground as Ignominious roared from the shadow-stallion's jaws: “You won't be laughing for long, foolish filly! I am the inheritor of Loki's powers, I am the son he chose!”

The great, eight-legged horse-giant stormed towards them again, and Brynhild smiled coldly before she suddenly leapt into the air, slamming a Jötunnfang down to smash the horse-beast with a vicious hammer fist to knock it skidding over the rocky earth face-first beneath her until it blindly managed to stagger back to its many hooves, stumbling around with a humiliated snarl as Luna taunted: “Does thou have anything to offer but more empty threats and harsh words? Come, at least horses can be dangerous! But thou hast never had the mind nor the body for risk, hast thou, coward?”

Ignominious roared in fury before he charged again, snorting smoke and blind to everything but Luna. But even though her partners were ready to step in at any time, the Valkyrie didn't have to so much as give them a look to let them know that she wanted to handle this alone: that she had to handle this on her own.

The hell-stallion lunged at her, legs kicking savagely out, but Luna easily dodged back and forth between the swipes of its heavy hooves, making short stabs with her spear in response as her icy claws flexed eagerly, staying at the ready above her head. Then she suddenly ducked back when the monster lunged at her, one of her Jötunnfang slamming up beneath the beast's jaw and nearly snapping it with the impact of the uppercut.

Ignominious staggered backwards, stunned and shaking his head vehemently, and then he howled in shock when Luna suddenly swung her spear into his mouth like a baseball bat, teeth clamping down around it in shock before her Jötunnfang seized either end of the polearm, forcefully yanking it up like a bit as Luna spun herself around to drop down on the nape of the hell-horse's neck.

Ignominious bucked and snorted, then roared as he kicked wildly in all directions, eight legs hammering the air and the ground uselessly as he danced around in a circle. But Luna rode him easily, shouting as she clung to his smoldering mane with her front hooves and her Jötunnfang firmly twisted her spear back and forth in his jaws, keeping it locked in the hellhorse's teeth.

“I will not... I'll kill you!” Ignominious roared, before he took off at a broken canter, twisting and jerking back and forth uselessly. But at the same time, a mass bubbled up on the stallion's back, and Luna grinned mirthlessly as she let herself be bucked upward, spinning around and yanking her rifle off her back to take aim as Ignominious ripped out of the hell-stallion, lunging at her with his sword blazing with magic-

A bullet slammed home into his face, knocking him crashing back into the hell-stallion's back in a splatter of fuming darkness, and the eight-legged warbeast staggered out into thin air before it simply twisted around, cantering wildly through the sky as its body molted long strings of darkness. Luna only continued to grin, however, legs gripping the horse and Sting in one hoof, Jötunnfang staying locked on her spear, which twisted firmly to force the beast's head to the side and made it canter roughly in a circle with a snort.

Ignominious exploded out of the hell-beast again, lunging at her with a wild yell and his sword pulled back, and this time Luna waited until the last moment before she slammed the bayonet across his face as she ducked beneath the vicious slice of his sword. Ignominious was knocked backward with a howl of agony, before Luna fired three rounds into him with Sting, and she grimaced and leaned back as the hellbeast they were riding screamed and reared, shooting upward through the air before it simply dropped like a meteor, spinning around and around as it fell.

Tendrils of shadow twisted over Ignominious' body, keeping him secured to the hell-stallion as he snarled in fury at Brynhild, who was slowly taking aim at him again, dauntless even as they spiraled wildly down through a sky filled with artillery and jagged rock and magic. Then she swore as Ignominious suddenly lunged, swinging his sword hard out to knock Sting out of her grip, but his own sword shattering against the heavy barrel of the gun and uselessly hurtling out of his psychic grip.

The half-malformed stallion slid at her more then pounced, still melded into the beast beneath them, and Luna swore as she caught his front legs as he tried to grab her throat, the stallion snarling: “I'll kill you with my own bare hooves!”

The hell-beast caught itself as Ignominious pressed forward, roaring as it galloped through the air, and Luna grimaced as she let Ignominious gain a bit more advantage and she felt the hell-stallion's pace smooth out even more, felt the victory pulsing through both beast attacking her and the beast below her- “Idiot.”

Ignominious had a moment to look confused before Luna grinned as her Jötunnfang twisted suddenly and savagely to the side, wrenching the hell-horse off balance as it almost squealed before one fist yanked the makeshift bit loose and the other slammed viciously into the head of the eight-legged stallion as it tripped over its too-many-legs, crushing the side of its head down into the rocky island.

Luna's Jötunnfang hammered down in a wild flurry of blows against the head of the hell-horse, reducing the mass of darkness that had formed its face to nothing but a pulp. The Valkyrie herself, meanwhile, had snared her spear when it had been thrown loose and had already rammed it through Ignominious' chest, the Voidborn howling in misery and twisting uselessly back and forth as he was slowly but steadily levered free from the hell-beast.

And then, with a horrifying squelch and a splatter of ichor, the upper half of Ignominious tore loose from the back of the hell-stallion, and the eight-legged horse spasmed once before it exploded into smoke and ash that quickly vanished from sight, leaving nothing behind but a stain on the jagged rock.

Luna calmly stepped on Ignominious, then ripped her spear free from his chest, the Voidborn gasping in pain before he glared up at her furiously, fearfully; helplessly. The two looked at each other for a few moments, and then Ignominious rasped out: “You... cheated.”

Luna scowled, and Ignominious trembled, glaring up at her through teary eyes as cracks spread through his body, before he laughed harshly as Morgan and Scrivener joined the Valkyrie. Her fellow winged unicorn gently passed her back her rifle with telekinesis, and Luna checked String before she drew a single round free from the bandoleer around her body and loaded it into the weapon as Ignominious hissed: “All your friends, your... family, here to mock me, taunt me, but I know the truth, you... cheated! You take powers from others, without your... precious magic fists I would have annihilated you, without that black blood you suck from your stud-”

The Valkyrie savagely slammed her spear down into the ground beside Ignominious, and he yelped in terror and leaned away as Luna surveyed him coldly, then she said quietly: “Worthless, wretched creature. Still, thou cannot, hast not changed. And still, I can do nothing more than send thee back.”

“You... you can't stop me, I'll return, I'll come back until-” Ignominious' eyes widened as he found himself staring down the barrel of Luna's gun, mouthing wordlessly for a moment before he whispered: “I loved you.”

“That was not thy sin.” Luna said quietly, and she smiled at him, making the tears hidden in her eyes glint before she squeezed the trigger.

The boom was everything and nothing: they heard nothing over it, but Luna saw Ignominious' lips move in a sigh, saw his body twisted once before it shattered away and dissolved. And for a moment, she stared at the bullet lodged in the ground and the stallion-shaped stain beneath her hooves before she shook her head quickly, reloading Sting as she let her burning mane spill across her face, muttering: “Stupid wretched idiot. Stupid... wretched idiot.”

She took a breath, then calmly spun her rifle before holstering it on her back, her eyes cold as she rose her head and said: “Let us hope that was enough of a distraction for our friends. Because now I am no longer interested in mayhem, but rather racing the Swan to see who can oust Loki first.”

Luna shook her head, then she smiled wryly as both Scrivener and Morgan reached up to touch her shoulder on either side, murmuring: “No time for softness. No need for it, either! I am Valkyrie, and the past is in the past, and... all we can do is move forward.”

“They're preparing to attack from all sides. They sensed it when Ignominious died.” Morgan said quietly, before she added with a small smile: “I know you want to stop Loki. But... we were going to leave this world in their hooves, weren't we?”

“Oh, and we will. But Loki has crossed us now as much as them, and I know thou heard and saw the challenge as clear as I did.” Luna replied with a slight smile, glancing back at Morgan and nodding briefly to her before she grimaced and leaned back slightly as a meteor struck the ground a short distance away and exploded in a tremendous conflagration that made the island of stone shudder. “There will be time to moralize and chastise later.”

“We'll follow.” Scrivener said, and Luna grinned over her shoulder at this before she turned her attention ahead, sprinting towards the flames before she leapt to the air with a single mighty flap of her wings.

And of course her partners followed her, fearless and brave.

Just as she could always have faith they would.

From the outer edges of the battlefield, it had seemed like they were in control. All they had encountered were the straggler Husks and elementals at the edges of the combat zones.

But it was only after they had passed through the crumbled building that Cadence got some idea of what they were really up against, and the devastation that had been wrought on World Without End. Stepping out of the ruins had been like stepping into some untold-of hell dimension that Cadence hadn't imagined existed before, full of floating, broken boulders of spiked rock and melting metal debris that couldn't rightly be called islands, many of them burning with frost or drowning in flame. It was a world of untold destruction that didn't make sense, where Reapers and Dogmatists and other servants of order and balance fought against chaos that twisted the very laws of reality and physics.

Cadence winced as they ran across a narrow bridge of rock that jutted between two floating plateaus of stone, before she winced and looked up as a whistling filled the air, spotting the mortars of magic above- “Moonflower!”

Moonflower snapped his horn up, creating a wall of antigravity that reflected the mortars when they struck it, the magic artillery exploding violently in bright starbursts in the air above that cast blinding, magnesial light over the battlefield. Cadence swore, wincing in pain even as the visor over her eyes automatically tinted to protect her from the starfire, the others covering their heads and keeping their eyes on the jagged path under them to the other side.

Clockwork artillery cannons were pounding islands occupied by enemy forces here, but Primordials and strange abominations were responding with their own devastating, less-than-predictable magic in return. Nor did the destruction seem to phase them all that much: if anything, they reveled in it, drew power from it even as it tore them apart.

“Go, go, go!” Cadence shouted, urging both herself and her teammates on, rushing through the explosions that ripped the air around them onto the next island and putting their backs to the fiery meteors crashing down behind them.

Elementals tore out of the devastated earth in front of them, roaring in fury as they leapt towards Cadence and her team, but she led the way through their ranks by force, slamming wolf-like rock-beasts aside as Moonflower and Sombra followed up with blasts of magic force that knocked the stumbling monsters crashing into one another like cannonballs.

A massive Primordial made of boiling water erupted from the earth in front of them, tentacles of seaweed lashing out as it vomited foam and spray at them from its gaping, hideous maw, but Moonflower slashed his horn out, unleashing a massive blast of lightning that tore across the Primordial, setting its stretched tendrils aflame as its bubbling body spasmed.

It squealed as it reared back, then howled in agony when Cadence simply rammed through it with a flash of white, the Primordial all-but-exploding in a mess of slimy muck. Cadence didn't stop to savor her victory, however, only shouting for her team to keep going as they charged onward over a twisted bridge, once-beautiful stone etchings cracking and crumbling away beneath their hooves as they ran across its upturned side.

They were getting closer to the cathedral now, as they ran along a J-shaped island of stone that had been reshaped into a melted half-pipe, the rock and metal twisted and malformed into a petrified wave. Primordials and elementals roared and howled around them in air that was thick with chaos and desolation, but not a single one tried to swoop down to attack them.

Cadence sensed something vile and hostile all the same, before she winced before her instincts screamed at her, ducking sharply and narrowly avoiding a scythe that sliced through the air where her head had been a moment before.

She skidded to a halt, her team falling in around her as Atropii appeared in front of them, the hollow abominations blocking the only route towards the cathedral as the dishonored Reaper in the lead rasped: “Take the Swan. Her soul is most valuable.”

Atropii lunged forward and slashed their scythes in from all sides, and the only thing that saved her was the Swan's speed and instincts, the mare leaping into the air and kicking into the neck of one scythe as her front hooves lashed out and caught the poles of two others, gritting her teeth before she kicked her free leg savagely out when an Atropii attempted to lunge at her from below, punting it out of the air.

Cadence's Third Eye gleamed before it flashed brightly, stunning the other three Atropii as she flapped her wings hard to launch herself away a moment before several black spikes tore through the air, shredding two of the dishonored Reapers. A third was blasted out of the air by magic, and the remaining were confused as a powerful gust of wind ripped through the air, green sparks racing eerily across the creatures.

Cadence took the moment to leap back, mouth opening to shout orders, but then her eyes widened in surprise as Reapers appeared around the Atropii in a mass, scythes lashing cruelly down through masks and bodies from every angle.

It was over in moments, the Atropii all-but-dissolving under the onslaught of the Reapers before one of the cold, almost-clockwork creatures looked up and studied Cadence, then pointed calmly towards the cathedral in the distance. “Thanatos awaits you.”

Cadence stared for a moment, but the Reapers vanished as quickly as they had come, and the mare shook herself out quickly before she swore and forced herself to get her bearings. “We need to keep moving, they're right.”

“It's strange that Loki would use the Atropii here. I am not surprised by the violence with which the Reapers of Thanatos attacked them. They would be hated above all others by their former kind.” Sombra reflected, and Cadence grunted, even though that made strange gears turn in her mind.

But she disregarded it for now as she pointed at a crumbled set of towers that were eerily floating in the air beneath a massive island: it looked to Cadence like if they climbed up those towers... “There's some sort of structure in the bottom of that island. I bet we can reach it from there if we can get to the towers.”

“I can follow.” Sombra promised, and Cadence smiled a little at her father, promising silently with her eyes that she wouldn't leave him behind. Not that he seemed to need the promise, though, as he only smiled in return, in a way that told her the last thing he wanted was to slow them down.

You never slow us down, Daddy. Cadence thought as she turned around, leading the way to the edge of the ruined island they were on. She grimaced a bit as several elementals swam by through the air, but they went completely ignored, which chilled her: they were heading in the direction of the cathedral... Did Loki breach it already? “Okay, let's move!”

Getting to the towers was easier said than done: while they were beneath the worst of the action, debris and artillery and magic still constantly hailed down around them, and while many of the elementals were ignoring them, the Primordials attacked them ferociously as they passed, even if they kept moving towards wherever it was they were being called.

The crumbled towers led up to a ruined silo of some kind that led up through the island, and allowed them to surface back on the battlefield, only a short distance away from the cathedral. They were either behind the main enemy line, or in front of it: Cadence couldn't tell with all the chaos everywhere around them.

Reapers and Dogmatists were fighting armies of Primordials and Void creatures, maintaining a tight cordon around the cathedral, which was protected by some kind of strange, mystical shield that absorbed or reflected the magic of the Primordials. Physical things, like rock and debris and metal, passed through it and crashed against the cathedral, but the shrapnel rarely managed to do more than scratch the polished stone.

Loki's forces were in scattered lines that were being pincered and pressured from both sides: on the one hoof, they were trying to push forward into the cathedral, but on the other, they were being hammered by artillery fire and Clockwork forces on their other side. Yet what worried Cadence was that there was no sense of panic, no desperation: all she saw was a chaotic, violent glee and a desire to cause as much devastation as possible, for no reason but the pleasure of it.

Cadence grimaced as they left the battered ruins of what had once been... a building, a structure, I don't know. That's not important now. “Let's hope they recognize us as friends. Shield us, Moonflower, this place is getting hammered hard.”

Moonflower nodded, creating a forcefield around the group as they stuck close together, and Cadence simply led them on a run across the floating island. She swore in pain as blinding light tore suddenly at her vision, but she kept pushing forward, the Swan guiding her through the Astra as it promised: They are right behind us, we will keep them close.

Cadence didn't know how the Swan did it, but suddenly she could feel the others through the Astra, like she was grasping into them, guiding them along by touch. She gripped into them as she used the Swan's vision to guide her, cursing under her breath as she felt the island shudder beneath them. Those crazy bastards are going to bring this whole thing crashing down!

She could see it through the Astra: the Primordials were tearing up the island beneath them so fiercely that it was beginning to break apart, sending chunks of rock and metal crashing down into the world below. Just those pieces were enough to send up massive flares of light and energy when they collided with the surface: if the rest of the island fell...

Cadence forced herself not to think about that as she followed the Swan, trusting more in the Astra than what she saw in front of her own eyes even as her vision cleared. They charged across broken metal tundra towards the barrier and the bridge to the cathedral beyond, Cadence putting her fatih in the Swan even when it led them towards what looked like an impassable, impenetrable wall of rock, but even before Cadence could reach it the wall tumbled backwards as the island trembled beneath their hooves, forming a bridge over a massive fissure that tore across the ground and threatened to split the island in half.

They galloped over the makeshift bridge, Sombra barely making it across before it cracked in half and collapsed into the fissure as the rupture through the stone spread larger. Steam vented as more cracks spread through the ground and it began to fall away beneath their hooves, jutting bones of stone and metal piercing the skin of the ground as the island twisted itself inside-out.

Cadence shouted wordlessly, in frustration against the world, in encouragement to her team, in anger and desperation as they bolted towards the barrier. And at the last moment, she lunged with all her might from the collapsing island and through the serenity of the barrier, feeling it sear her body before she crashed past a team of Clockwork guardians and rolled to a smoldering stop on the bridge.

The rest of her team fell after her like bowling pins, but they all made it, landing in an awkward heap before Cadence looked up, forgetting about everything else as she watched as the monumental island fell from the sky in several massive pieces. She heard it as it crashed against smaller islands on the way down, as chains shattered, and then as below, stone and rock impacted with the surface-

A wall of pure light erupted up from the earth, and Cadence winced at how powerfully bright it was even through the tinted barrier, shocked at first that it was silent, but then she realized the sound was so loud and steady, it was drowning out absolutely everything else, that it was the loudest silence she had ever heard.

The noise went from all-consuming to unbearable, and then faded slowly, gradually, as the curtain of light steadily settled. Cadence grimaced a bit as she finally picked herself up, before she glanced up in surprise as a clawed hand gently grasped her shoulder, and she found herself staring up at a massive, robed figure that said calmly: “Thanatos awaits inside.”

“Yeah.” was all Cadence could think of to say, as she looked awkwardly for a few moments at the immense Great Reaper, before she shook her head hurriedly and turned her attention back out to her team, ordering: “Okay, fall in. Uh...”

Cadence looked awkwardly back at the Great Reaper, which calmly tented its metal fingers as it looked down at her politely, perhaps a little curiously: it wasn't hostile, but even the Swan felt a little cowed in the presence of what it recognized as a Judge of Death. “Uh. Is it secure? I... don't want to waste Thanatos' time.”

“There is neither waste nor time in the World Without End.” answered the Great Reaper almost kindly, and Cadence smiled awkwardly before the Great Reaper confirmed: “The barrier still holds. We will maintain it as long as possible against the enemy.”

Cadence nodded quickly, then she gestured for her team to follow as she headed across the beautiful stone bridge towards the cathedral doors, looking up awkwardly at the massive titans of metal and ancient technology that guarded them. But the giants only watched them curiously as they passed by and through the narrow crack in the massive doors that led into the cathedral.

They found themselves in an immense hall: Reapers floated around the rafters above alongside strange phantasms, and drones of every shape and size rumbled and clanged across the floor. Cadence noted several Replicant officers among the masses, and she immediately began to head towards Thespis once she spotted him.

She was stopped, however, by a Reaper that floated down from the ceiling, pointing at the double doors at the back of the hall. “Thanatos awaits.”

“Uh. Thanks.” Cadence said lamely, and then she cleared her throat before she instead headed past Thespis, who only scowled at her as she passed with her team anyway. She had the respect of the RED, but she didn't think any of them would ever actually like her.

The doors at the back of the hall opened for them as they approached, and Cadence could feel a strange weight settle over her as they proceeded down the corridor beyond. She knew her team felt it, too: a pressure, a force like gravity, like they were being judged by something. She wondered if it was Thanatos watching them, or something else vast, and powerful...

The doors at the end of the corridor opened for them, and they entered a massive, domed junction room that stretched almost as high as it was wide. It was beautiful, pristine, covered in architecture that was vaguely reminiscent of the very same art and design Cadence had seen around Canterlot, she thought, only more refined. More polished, with more pride, more risk, more reward in the designs.

And as beautiful and wonderful as it was, the room itself was all-but-empty, except for a single figure pacing grouchily back and forth in front of a fountain, several books floating in front of him and his hands behind his back. They approached slowly and almost cautiously, but Thanatos, the God of Death, barely looked up at them as he continued to pace in front of the fountain in the center of the room.

Cadence halted, and Danzsöngr stopped beside her before she crossed her arms over her chest in a strange gesture that somehow felt right, bowing low as she said: “Father Thanatos.”

“I am not your Father, woman.” Thanatos grumbled, continuing to pace and ignore them as he flipped through the pages of his books. Then he simply snorted as he dog-eared two of them and almost flung the third into Moonflower, who squeaked as it hit him with enough force to knock him sprawling even as he caught it against his chest.

The other two he floated in front of Cadence, saying moodily: “Take these. Don't let go of them.”

Cadence didn't question his order, taking the books as her Third Eye gleamed faintly, the mare smiling awkwardly before Thanatos turned and gestured for them to follow, saying shortly: “Come with me.”

There was no room for argument as Cadence stumbled into a trot behind the God of Death, the rest of her team following: La Croix was visibly cowed, and Moonflower had his head shrunk back into his armor like a turtle. Even Sombra seemed a little nervous, not that Cadence could blame him.

Only Danzsöngr seemed relatively unaffected as she strode at Cadence's side, studying Thanatos curiously before she asked: “Why is Loki here?”

“Because he is an idiot child.” grumbled Thanatos, before the God of Death shook his head and said contemptibly: “I believe he has several goals. To absorb the energy of the furnace, to retrieve the shard of his soul, and to steal the souls from the Hall of Heroes.”

“The Hall of Heroes?” Cadence repeated, and Thanatos gave her a patronizing glance over one shoulder that made her shrink slightly, even as she felt herself twitch a little.

“Yes, girl. The Hall of Heroes. A repository of souls kept because of unique circumstances.” Thanatos answered as they approached a set of double doors. He shoved these open roughly, Cadence wincing and Moonflower yelping a little at the tremendous bang it made as the God of Death led them into a circular room that was bordered by massive, imposing pillars and occupied only by a circle of runes in the center of the room that surrounded a pedestal, and a glass cage...

And Cadence could feel the energy in that glass cage, could hear it crying out through the Astra, and she shivered a little as she whispered: “Loki's soul.”

“A fragment of it. A large fragment.” Thanatos said with a short gesture towards the pedestal, before he frowned and glanced up moodily as a rumble passed through the cathedral, Cadence feeling a strange pain tickle along her skin as the God of Death scowled. “Of course. I should have known that was what he was doing.”

“What? What's happening?” Cadence asked quickly, but Thanatos only held up a finger to her, then he snorted in contempt as he flicked his wrist, pointing instead at a figure that had appeared at the other side of the hall.

Loki grinned widely, flanked by two Primordials and a bevy of Voidborn, his hands in the pockets of his rumpled jacket as he winked at them from across the room as if he had been there the entire time, chaos magic still faintly flickering around him as he said cheerfully: “Hey, Thanatos! Long time no see, good buddy! How the hell are you doing?”

Thanatos snorted, and Cadence gritted her teeth, raising her head high but not quite daring to step between these titans even as she readied herself for the inevitable.

The time had come to end this.

A Wound Beyond Death

Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen: A Wound Beyond Death
~BlackRoseRaven

“What a journey it's been!” Loki said with a sigh, throwing his arms out with a smile before he skipped forward to the edge of the runic circle, leaning forwards on the tips of his toes but never crossing the invisible barrier as he winked over at Thanatos, while his Primordials slithered eagerly behind him. “Centuries, heck, eons of deception and planning, all leading up to this moment! The best part? I didn't plan this at all! I just came in by the seat of my pants, and now I'm going to... steal your pants... and...”

Loki paused, then he rubbed awkwardly at his cheek. “Okay, that didn't come out great. Let me try again.”

He took a breath, steadying himself, then he posed dramatically, pointing at Thanatos as he declared: “You tried to hide this from me, but I figured it out and I figured you out, and... hey, are you even listening to me? Hey! What are you doing?”

Thanatos ignored Loki as he stormed towards him, cutting straight through the runic circle on the ground, and Loki looked flabbergasted before he straightened and shouted angrily, as he pointed up at Thanatos: “Hey, I'm giving a dramatic monologue here, you have to wait your turn before-”

Thanatos continued to stride forward until Loki's finger was poking into his breast, and then the God of Death simply slammed a savage haymaker down into Loki with such force that he seemed to vanish as he was punched straight down through the foot-thick stone floor. All present gaped for a moment before one of the Primordials lunged wildly at Thanatos, but the snake-headed god simply swung his fist out, smashing the gemstone beast into shards before he made a disdainful flick in the direction of the other Primordial, and the flames that covered its body whiffed out all at once, the creature's eyes rolling up on its head before it collapsed with a guttural death rattle.

“Get out.” Thanatos said, pointing at the Voidborn, and there was a thrum of energy before the doors were flung open, and the Voidborn were sent hurtling out of the room by a torrent of power before the doors slammed shut on them.

Thanatos snorted, then without looking back, he said coldly: “Loki is using the chaos energy being released with the deaths of his Primordials to bypass the barrier.”

“Oh, not just that, no. See, the more holes I punch in that giant soul furnace, the more it futzes up your world's physics, too. Well, that and the bit of Swan's blood that was left in that old tomb of hers... I didn't want to hurt her with it, lucky her. I just wanted to be know where she is. Because half the time wherever she is, happens to be just where I want to be.” Loki said conversationally as he strolled up behind Cadence's team and amiably dropped his hands on Moonflower and La Croix's shoulders, smiling pleasantly as the two froze up and Cadence snarled over her shoulder at the trickster.

But Loki was unfazed, continuing easily: “See, Thanatos is a god, but a world like this? Whole lot more than just a parallel dimension or anything. You need a great big battery to power the 'his will be done' machine that keeps all the rules in place. But when you drop enough rocks on a balloon, it starts to leak, and eventually it goes flaccid. And if you can't get it up, what good are you, really?”

Loki waggled his eyebrows pointedly, and then he squawked and leapt backward when Cadence suddenly spun around and leapt at him. He danced away on his toes when she leapt after him, then shouted a series of swears when he grabbed her by the face and held her at a distance with one hand as he snatched the books out of her psychic grip with the other, asking mockingly: “And what are these? Swan, these books don't have pictures! They're far too complicated for-”

Thanatos appeared behind Loki, and the trickster visibly paled as the God of Death's claws settled on his shoulders before he began to pull-

Loki gasped in pain, then he teleported away and reappeared with a snarl, the books hitting the ground in front of Thanatos. The God of Death picked these up and flung them moodily over to Sombra, who caught them calmly as Thanatos said shortly: “Don't play his games. He's stalling. Kill him before more Primordials arrive.”

“Gosh, you and Hecate are just perfect for each other, aren't you?” asked Loki crankily, before he winced and slapped a blast of white fire away, then he caught Cadence with telekinesis when she tried to jump at him, violently spinning her like a top before he launched her across the room like a cannonball.

Cadence hit the wall hard as Loki grinned, then he yelped and twisted sideways when a beam of black light shot at him, narrowly avoiding being sliced by the laser as Moonflower shouted: “Leave her alone, you... you bully!”

“Hey! I'm trying to-” Loki flicked a finger out to deflect a bottle that came flying at him, before he leapt into the air with a squawk to balance precariously between several blades of black crystal that ripped out of the ground beneath him. “-fix everything!”

Loki created a fireball and flung it sharply at Moonflower, who barely managed to create a shield in time to protect himself from the worst of the blast, even as the force of the explosion knocked him skidding backwards. La Croix turned ethereal to try and avoid the blast, but the moment he stepped out of reality, something seized him and flung him violently upward, forcing him back into the physical world before he gargled as he was slammed into the high roof, then launched straight down.

He crashed to the ground with a tremendous crack as Loki cackled, before he blinked dumbly as Sombra emerged from the crystal beneath him like it was made of water, looping ropes of light around Loki's ankles before he yanked down, and the trickster squawked as he was jerked down through the rippling crystal.

A moment later, Loki was flung out of the floor in front of Thanatos, who caught him by the throat with one hand before the other seized him by the skull. Loki screamed in pain as his whole body began to steam, kicking out uselessly as he grabbed at Thanatos' wrist.

Thanatos bared his fangs as he leaned forward, crushing down harder and harder on Loki's head, before the trickster suddenly flared with power. There was a flash, and the sound of magic cutting the air, before Loki flung himself backwards as Astra writhed around his body, and Thanatos staggered in the other direction before he caught himself and looked down with a grimace at the smoking stump of his wrist.

His claw twitched slowly on the ground, and Thanatos snorted before he reached down and picked it up, then simply plugged it back into his wrist with all the ease of putting on a glove, flexing his fingers slowly as Loki growled through the scorch-marks on his face: “Don't make me get serious. You wouldn't like me when I'm serious.”

Astra burned off Loki in a multitude of colors, and Thanatos smiled thinly before he whistled sharply, and Loki didn't have so much as a chance to blink before half a dozen Reapers appeared around him, slamming scythes into him from all angles. Loki howled in pain, before his eyes widened in horror as the Astra dissolved across his body, wriggling uselessly against the scythe blades pierced through him as Thanatos said contemptibly: “The powers of the Prime won't help you here, boy.”

“Boy?” Loki snarled, grasping at the scythes struggling to hold him in place as Thanatos began to approach. His trickster facade fell away as he twisted back and forth, clearly not feeling the horrific wounds the weapons tore in his body as he shouted furiously, eyes blazing with hate and bitterness: “Boy! Is that all I am to you, Thanatos? You worthless, wretched old snake-king, your minions and their toys can't hold me forever!”

“They'll hold you just long enough.” Thanatos retorted as he approached, and Loki snarled before the God of Death said coldly: “I know you're immune to my powers. Your body is just a shell.”

Thanatos seized into Loki's hair, yanking his head forcefully back before he grasped him by the throat with his other hand, which began to glow eerily, and Loki gritted his teeth in pain, his body twitching before he clenched his eyes shut as Thanatos continued icily: “So I'll break your shell open, and siphon out the Astra you're trying to contain to-”

Loki suddenly grasped the necks of the scythes closest to him, twisting viciously to snap them both, and the Reapers who had been holding the weapons both collapsed into dust with cries of pain and surprise. It freed Loki's arms enough that he was able to seize Thanatos, but this time he didn't push him away, but instead yanked him in.

The scythe blades buried through Loki's body tore into Thanatos, and the God of Death gasped before he shoved himself backwards, but too late: his front had already been torn open by the blades of the scythes, the Reapers twitching-

Loki twisted his body violently, ripping himself free of two of the scythes and yanking the other two Reaper around in a circle with him to send them colliding into their allies. They collapsed in piles on either side of him, and Loki grinned as he ripped the scythes free from his body before he spun them around and slammed them both down to either side, piercing the piled-up Reapers. They spasmed helplessly, and soon enough collapsed into nothing but shreds of cloth and metal masks.

Loki flexed his fingers slowly as he approached Thanatos, growling: “Stupid of you to give your dolls weapons that can hurt even you.”

Without looking back, Loki snapped his fingers, blasting Cadence with a tremendous explosion of force that knocked her crashing onto her back and sent her skidding into her father. She groaned in pain, her mind reeling before she kicked herself back up to her hooves, but Danzsöngr caught her before she could rush forward, the Swan saying quietly: “Thanatos has asked us not to interfere.”

“I don't care!” Cadence shouted, and she shoved herself away from her father to charge again, but Loki again didn't bother to even look back as he flicked his wrist, repelling her with another blast of power before he snorted in irritation and snapped his fingers when Moonflower sent a blast of gravity at him.

The blast of magic was dispelled before Moonflower burst into flames, screaming in pain as he staggered back and forth, and La Croix winced as he turned to bolt towards the stallion. Loki grinned, but he never once took his eyes off Thanatos, even as he commented: “Horse was one of my favorites during the feast days. Nothing tastes better than food made with love, right?”

Thanatos calmly stepped backward into the runic circle in the center of the room, and Loki narrowed his eyes before he gave a crooked grin, pointing at the edge of the circle as he mocked: “Do you really think that I can't-”

“You can't.” Thanatos said shortly, and Loki narrowed his eyes before his eyes widened in surprise when Thanatos stomped on one of the runes himself, shattering it. But in a flicker of light, it immediately wove itself back together above the broken floor. “I wove this circle into reality itself.”

“Oh, I get it. So if I break the circle, I shatter reality, and vice versa. Easy-peasy... except somehow I feel like you've booby-trapped it some other way, too.” Loki studied the edge of the circle, and then his eyes flicked up as he gave a strange smile, asking softly: “Do you think it'll be strong enough to vaporize me, though?”

Thanatos only scowled at him, and Loki studied the God of Death for a few moments before he smiled eerily. “But we won't have to find out.”

Thanatos frowned, and then he grunted in surprise as the shard of Loki pulsed violently, a blast of force knocking him stumbling forward before he could catch himself-

Loki caught Thanatos as he fell over him, and there was silence for a moment before Thanatos grimaced and clenched his eyes shut as he leaned against the entity, who supported him gently with one hand against his shoulder, while the other glistened with the blood and energy of the old god as more crimson flowed down the arm that had punched completely through his body.

Thanatos gave a soft breath, and Loki chuckled before he stepped backwards, yanking his arm free from Thanatos. The old god fell to his knees, clutching at the massive hole through his torso, teeth grit as Loki seized him by the face and pushed his head up so he could glare into his eyes. “Is this really the best you can do? Well, don't worry, Thanatos. When I bring you back as part of my Jarsongildi, you'll get a fresh start, a fresh chance, a whole fresh hell.”

“This is what you are up against. Not Loki, no. Loki was never like this.” Thanatos said quietly, and Cadence shivered a little as she picked herself up. “This is something worse. More than Loki, more than the Prime; less than a man, too.”

“What do you know about me? Look at me, Thanatos, look into my eyes and tell me-”

“You're not important.” Thanatos said contemptibly, and Loki reared back in disbelief before he gasped in shock as Thanatos roughly slapped him aside like a child, knocking the mighty Prime sprawling before the God of Death snapped his fingers.

Cadence stumbled, then caught herself before she realized she and her team were inside the circle of runes, Thanatos shaking his head slowly before he glanced over his shoulder and said tiredly: “Destroy it. This is all we can do now.”

“No!” Loki snarled, leaping to his feet before his body swirled with color and power, transforming into the impossible, iridescent Prime to seize Thanatos and heft him above his head as he tripled in size, roaring: “Surrender, or I will destroy this whole world!”

“He will kill me, kill this world, kill all of you anyway. Destroy the shard of his soul.” Thanatos said calmly, looking back over his shoulder. He ignored Loki even as he was slammed down to the ground and the giant Prime stomped a foot on his head, crushing it down into the floor as Cadence and Danzsöngr stared at the God of Death.

Thanatos didn't so much as acknowledge Loki, only looking evenly back at Cadence before he said quietly: “Destroy it. It is within your power to. Don't worry about me.”

“No!” Loki snarled, then he picked up Thanatos by the neck, holding him tantalizingly over the invisible barrier as he said, suddenly calm, pleasant, alluring: “Here. I'll put him down inside the barrier. Where I can't go. All you have to do is give me the shard. And I'll give him up. Imagine that, having the God of Death indebted to you... and not under my control.”

Loki let the implication of his words sink in, his glowing, Astra-wrapped body thrumming, before he frowned as Thanatos laughed shortly, saying coldly: “He lies. He obfuscates. I am dying, and he knows it. But Loki, I will never serve you.”

“Yes, I've heard that before. But even Melinda bent to my will.” Loki growled, but Thanatos only snorted in disgust. “Your will might be strong, Thanatos, but all that means is that you will survive in the Void-”

“I have no intention of going to the Void. Yes, my will is strong. Stronger than you realize.” Thanatos retorted contemptibly, before he turned his eyes to Cadence, saying quietly: “The strong-willed do not just live and survive. The strong-willed can travel beyond death. Because all of you seem to be forgetting that the Void is not the end of the journey. It's just another stop in the great cycle.”

Thanatos calmly closed his eyes, and they all felt Loki's surprise as the God of Death began to glow, Loki shaking his head vehemently before he shouted in frustration when Thanatos began to dissolve into motes of energy. “No! No! I will not be robbed of my prize!”

Loki lost his grip on Thanatos as his entire body glowed beautiful blue, the Prime blinded by it as he staggered backwards, then grabbed uselessly, helplessly at the dissolving God of Death, Thanatos' voice echoing around them with... pity, Cadence realized. He was cold, and harsh, but Cadence heard the pity in the core of her soul: “Look at what you've become, Loki. Look at yourself, at what these schemes and plans have made you. And be thankful there's someone willing to put you out of your misery.”

Thanatos dissolved completely as Loki slashed out in useless rage at the remaining motes of energy, but all he managed to do was scatter them to the air. He stumbled forward, then snarled as his Astra blazed with hate and rage and humiliation, roaring: “I'll bring this whole world crashing down if I have to! I will not be denied!”

The shard of Loki's soul pulsed in response, and Cadence swore as a pulse of power pushed at her and her team, shouting: “Everyone, hold on!”

She turned and sprinted towards the shard, then gasped in pain when a wave of force slammed into her. It knocked her skidding backwards, but she recovered and ran forward again, and this time she was joined by her father, who caught her and pushed her forward when the shard released another pulse.

They skidded back together, but a shorter distance this time: a moment later, they were joined by La Croix and Moonflower, who both grabbed onto Cadence, pushing her forward as Moonflower concentrated his magic into a barrier that deflected the worst of the thrums of power from the soul shard as they pushed towards it.

Behind them, Loki roared with fury, his power making the walls quake, the whole cathedral trembling with his rage as he uselessly flung blasts of Astra and magic against the invisible barrier. Rips formed in the fabric of reality around him, and Husks and Primordials both erupted out of these, but they were repelled by the barrier or vaporized by shocks of energy the moment they stepped over the ring of runes, as Loki shouted in desperation: “Keep her back! Keep her back! Stop her!”

The soul shard glowed furiously, then released a shockwave of power that shattered Moonflower's magic shield and knocked Sombra, Moonflower, and La Croix away. But Cadence anchored herself, pressing forward even as her Third Eye shattered, and she could swear she felt the shard calling to her, as much as it was trying to push her back-

Another pulse ripped through the air and knocked her rearing back, but instead of flying off her hooves, she was caught by Danzsöngr, who braced her against the eruption of force from the soul shard before she half-flung Cadence as the mare pushed off the ground with all her strength.

Her hoof burst into white flame before she slammed it down into the shard of soul, and Cadence saw

(a young boy, laughing

smiling

happy

a sacrifice

bleeding, dying, laying on the ground in the grip of a monster

but smiling

happy

a young boy, reaching out with bloody hands, accepting death

a young boy

who was so scared

but not anymore

because he was no longer lost

because he was no longer afraid

because the answer was here

the answer was here

salvation is here

freedom

escape

he dies

but the tentacles lose their grip

the monster screams

a young boy

who dies

and smiles

because he dies as himself

and the swan chases the darkness away

as it was always meant to do

as it had done since the old days

its song echoing through)

Tuonela.

Cadence gasped, and then she was blown backwards as the shard of soul shattered, seared by the blast of raw energy.

Loki screamed, arching his back as the Astra burning over him roiled violently upward, becoming a bright candle of energy for a moment before he staggered backward as the Astra whiffed out around him. His eyes rolled wildly in his head, his body spasming, his head shaking violently, and then he snarled in fury as tears rolled down his cheeks.

He stumbled back a step, then fell to his knees, rasping for breath as Cadence slowly picked herself up. The world trembled for a moment more, but there was silence apart from the uneasy shifting and fidgeting of the Primordials and the Voidborn, and the rumbles of the continuing combat outside, but all that was unimportant, as the Swan and the Prime looked at one another.

“This war isn't over yet.” Loki whispered, before he slowly straightened, his eyes glowing with rage as he growled: “Summon the Ahriman. Aim the Godhammer directly at the soul furnace. Punch a hole in it.”

“The... World Without End will be entirely destroyed, along with everyone not aboard the Ahriman! Even-” And then the Voidborn that Cadence vaguely recognized as Swiftly Wing squealed when Loki seized her by the throat and hauled her into the air.

“I know!” he shouted, and then he gave a sick smile as he cooed: “That's why I staffed my armies with traitors, cowards, and animals. I don't have to feel bad when I have to cut a few loose.”

Swiftly choked for a moment, then she screamed when he threw her face-first into the ground, bouncing backwards and scrabbling hurriedly to her hooves away from Loki like a slinking dog as the trickster gave a wild laugh, grinning cruelly over at Cadence as he snapped: “You've stopped nothing. That shard was the only thing stopping me from simply blowing up this whole world! One shot from the Ahriman, and everything will be consumed in nuclear fire, including all the soldiers that Hecate sent here. Including you, Swan, and I don't think even you can come back from a blast this big.”

Cadence gritted her teeth, and Loki smiled thinly before he took a deep bow, saying kindly: “But don't worry. I'll save a special place for you when I absorb all that energy. We'll pretend you can be my pinky toe or something, how about that? Or maybe part of my left buttcheek. The weird shaped one.”

Loki poked himself in the rump, then he popped up to his feet, but there was something different about him: his grin showed too much teeth, his eyes were too wide, his fingers frenetically flexing and tapping together as he moved around. He seemed unhinged, Cadence thought, as she watched him coldly.

He was so impossibly powerful still. So wild, so mad. So bitter, and so driven. He had killed the God of Death in front of her without even using his Prime powers: he knew things, like how the Reapers could affect his Astra, something that Cadence hadn't even realized. And she felt like... “Why were you here?”

Loki came to a stop, cocking his head, and Cadence asked again: “Why were you here? It was for more than these things. I know that. I... almost saw it.”

No, not almost saw: she could almost see. The contact with Loki's shard had given her something, some insight into him, let her gaze into his Astra in a way she hadn't been able to do before without being blinded. The Prime was powerful, incredible, terrifying... but it no longer seemed insurmountable and suffocating to her. She could almost, almost understand...

Loki smiled, and then he spread his arms as a portal formed behind him: immediately, Swiftly Wing bolted into this fearfully, and several other Voidborn hurried to it as well as Loki announced pleasantly: “You'll find out... but only if you manage to survive. My next target is the last thing standing between me and my plans being completed... the place where your so-called Empress was nice enough to gather all my enemies for me, while she sits back and relaxes on her tin throne. After this... I'll be powerful enough to attack. And you? You won't be able to stop me. Not even if you did...”

Loki grinned, then he flicked his wrist, two books appearing in his hand out of thin air. Sombra flinched in surprise at this as Moonflower grabbed at his satchel stupidly, and Loki winked before the books burst into flames and charred rapidly away to ash, saying contemptibly: “I'm over old stories. You shouldn't listen to them, either. You might find some truth in them, Swan. And that would be far worse for you than it would be for me.”

Cadence remained silent, and Loki studied her intently for a moment before he clicked his tongue and gave her a little wave. “Well, toodles! But don't worry, Danzsöngr. It'll all be over, very soon!”

Loki laughed as he slipped through the portal, and Moonflower grimaced before he blurted out: “We have to do something!”

“How? If you ain't noticed...” La Croix gestured beyond the circle, at the Primordials who seemed strangely excited, if anything: they were of every shape and size, fearless of their oncoming destruction. If anything, they seemed eager for it. Just like the other Primordials had been, Cadence reflected silently: but maybe that was part of it, part of the ultimate endgame, and they thought this meant they would be whole again when their energy was absorbed by the Prime.

But Cadence felt strangely calm and in control as she weighed her options, before she did the only thing she could think of. She reached out, pulling her teammates in close in a tight embrace, bowing her head before she closed her eyes as she felt Danzsöngr hug them from the other side, and then both halves of the Swan Maiden murmured: “Hold on.”

She felt the grip of her teammates, her friends, her family, instinctively tighten, and Cadence and Danzsöngr both took a breath before they shifted, and there was a great sensation of vertigo and movement, and...

Moonflower moaned and Sombra shivered as his purifier sparked violently, La Croix wheezing in pain, but Cadence only grimaced slightly before she stumbled backwards and shoved herself up to her hooves. Hecate only seemed a little surprised to see them appear in front of her as Seneschal squawked and shouted: “Dimensional phasing into the control tower is strictly forbidden!”

“Loki is going to kill everyone.” Cadence said simply, and Hecate nodded curtly once before she vanished from sight.

Cadence didn't give herself time to think, taking a breath as the Swan leapt through the Astra for her, making it easier for her to step away from her team, as much as it hurt to do so, and to step back into World Without End. She staggered with a gasp of pain, but she stopped herself from falling as she looked up to the sound of Hecate's voice: “-evacuation! I want everyone to withdraw from World Without End immediately!”

They were in the encampment, Cadence blinking blearily before she winced when Hecate grabbed her, jerking her to face her and studying her intently for a moment before she ordered: “Look for the Ahriman. I need to know where it is, and what we're up against. Find it quickly.”

Cadence opened her mouth, but then she realized that Danzsöngr was already gone, searching across World Without End in such a blaze of speed that it made Cadence's head hurt. She gritted her teeth, closing her eyes as the Astra whipped by, but even though she couldn't sense the Ahriman, she could see Loki now, feel his presence, home in on him...

There. said Danzsöngr, and Cadence shuddered in revulsion as they saw the thing: the hideous, mutant, awful thing that Melinda had called Loki's battleship. And she realized why it had been so difficult to see, even through the Astra: it was impossible to recognize something you had never seen before, after all. Let alone something so alien, so otherworldly, as this.

“I found it. I... I think it's a Terror. It's full of... it's not Astra, it's something else. Something awful. It's like... like the Terror we fought before, but worse. Brainless. Empty. Assimilated.” Cadence said disbelievingly, and then she winced when Hecate grabbed her and shook her roughly back to her senses, before her eyes widened when the Jötnar mare roughly shoved some sort of crystal against her.

“I need you to plant this tracking stone on it. I also need an optic scan so we know what we're up against. Don't let it see you.” Hecate ordered, and her eyes reminded Cadence there was no time to argue: only enough time to do, or to die, as she turned away and shouted: “Cowlick! Divert all power from the weapon batteries and shields into the communications tower! Seneschal, prep EXT protocol now!”

Cadence took a breath as she turned away from Hecate, from the noise, from the crowd, from everything. The Swan both cautioned and soothed her as she did, before Danzsöngr was gone, but only so far away, as Cadence heard her murmur: Here. Now.

Cadence closed her eyes, then stepped through reality: it made her body ache, but it was still much easier to make this relatively-short jump than it had been to cross such a great distance between dimensions.

Cadence stumbled a little, catching herself against a rock formation before she grimaced as she looked up, shivering a little as her eyes locked on the monstrous shape of the Ahriman in the distance. It looked like some kind of gigantic, mottled beetle-fish: small legs paddled the air at its sides, and while its neck looked like it had been modified with some sort of heavy, air-breaking prow, the head was still very clearly the head of the beast.

It rumbled, gills spreading as it swam slowly through the air to make the scales and metal plating that covered the hideous thing shift, and Cadence shuddered a little before she quickly tapped her visor. She looked down at the stone she had almost forgotten about in her hoof, then blinked when Danzsöngr gently took it from her, the Swan saying quietly: “Keep focused. We shall place this on the ship.”

There was no time to argue, and the Swan didn't give her a chance to, either, as she simply vanished from sight with the stone. Cadence grimaced a bit, but forced herself to keep her attention on the ship, tapping a fumbling command on her Mission Drive to begin scanning the hideous Ahriman.

Seneschal appeared with a blip on her visor, the AI grimacing and nervously adjusting his bowtie as he muttered: “Incredible. It's biosynthetic... similar to the way that Tyrant Wyrms are, not cybernetic but rather an inorganic lifeform, for lack of a better term. Energy readings are almost null: we can detect energy being pulled into it, but it's insulated so heavily that we can barely pick up...”

Seneschal broke off, then he grimaced a bit before saying uneasily: “Thermal imaging shows intense hotspots of heat, but again, that... outer shell of the beast suffocates the signals. The spots are growing brighter, though... perhaps if we separate OA-SYS infofeeds...”

Cadence grimaced as her visor flicked through different vision modes, before Seneschal said quickly: “Yes, there! By isolating the magnetic activity, we can detect the ship easily: there's no way for them to hide the flux being generated by the systems beneath the shell-”

Seneschal cut himself off, blurting out: “Coordinates locked! Preparing countermeasures, but... detecting abnormal energy influx! I can't tell how much power it's already generated with the hull shielding it, but it's drawing in so much energy at such a massive rate that-”

Cadence winced, then she leapt backward, and vertigo tore at her senses as the world blurred around her before her rump whacked into a huge figure as she found herself suddenly in the middle of a group of Dogmatists, shouting: “Hecate, that thing is going to fire!”

“I know.” Hecate said shortly, and then she glanced around in distaste before she said coldly: “Things are moving too slow for my liking. Unlock limiters.”

The vents on Hecate's side opened in a gust of steam that nearly knocked Cadence over, the cables over her body sparking and thrumming as Hecate gritted her teeth, her horn flaring with magic for a moment before her eyes glowed like lanterns as she shoved her front hooves out to either side. And then, in a terrible boom and a blink of light, they were gone from World Without End, and instead in the wasteland of Decretum.

No, not just her and Hecate, Cadence saw, as she looked around with disbelief at the sight of what looked like the entire camp, some of the structures included. Tents fell over and towers listed and artillery cannons either tipped or sank in the mucky earth, but Hecate only snorted in contempt before she glanced moodily to the side as Cowlick said dryly: “Great show, bitch. Why didn't you do that to the Ahriman?”

Hecate's gaze fell on Cowlick, and as tough as the demon talked, her legs shook with such violence under that gaze she nearly toppled into the mud as her mouth fell open and her cigarette toppled from her lips. Not that Cadence could blame her: this was the second time she had felt the Jötnar mare's true power, and it made her shudder, feeling stupid that she had thought Hecate was a force to be reckoned with during their duels: this? This was something entirely different. This was something no one could face.

Hecate smiled thinly, then she answered calmly, as the light and the sense of power faded from her body: “That might have been what Loki wanted. I can't stop a blast that powerful, not if I can't see it, not if it functions on a wavelength I'm unfamiliar with. And my powers can't affect the Voidborn as deeply as it does things of this world: I'm limited only by my imagination, but the Terrors are like nothing I've ever imagined.”

Hecate halted, then she watched as Cowlick fumbled out another cigarette, raising it shakily to her lips. Before the demon could light it, Hecate did it for her with a mere touch of her hoof, Cowlick taking a deep inhale and visibly relaxing before Rustproof stepped up beside his mother, gently touching her back as he said quietly to Hecate: “The portals weren't shut down.”

“I know.” Hecate said grimly, and Cadence frowned uneasily at this before she winced when Hecate simply reached out and grabbed her, and then all of a sudden they were at the top of the Tower of Etemenanki, Hecate simply letting Cadence drop to the floor as the Jötnar mare strolled into the bridge of the control room, shouting: “Seneschal! I need a damage update!”

“Twenty-two casualties confirmed, hundreds injured.” Seneschal reported back crisply through the loudspeaker, although he sounded nervous. “We have massive power fluctuations and system failures across Exoterra, and backup systems are failing in the affected Orphanage sectors. Most of Portia's systems are down, so I can't verify anything except through manual scans and reports from emergency crews dispatched to the area. Fires reported in Sector 12 and Sector 18. Abnormal Tyrant Wyrm activity detected in the Holding Facility.”

“What about the T2s?” asked Hecate sharply as she activated the screens around the room, and Cadence looked up uneasily as she noted how many of them were riddled with static and 'Connecting-' symbols.

Seneschal paused for a moment, before he sighed in relief from the speakers and said quickly: “Nonaggressive activity.”

“Good. Activate the White Matter pumps in the T1 Holding Facility. Exterminate them and seal the facility.” Hecate ordered, and Cadence looked up in dumb surprise. “Move the T2s to the surface. I want them used in our defense operations. I want all forces possible drawn from Decretum and Fyrverǫld within twenty hours, and then all portals sealed. I want the data we have on the Ahriman analyzed and a way to isolate its location within one hour.”

“Yes, I... using magnetic-”

“Don't explain it to me. Just do it.” Hecate ordered, and Seneschal nodded hurriedly before the Jötnar mare asked: “Did you plant the tracking device?”

It took Cadence a moment to realize she was being spoken to, and by that time the Swan had appeared by her side, bowing her head politely as she answered: “We hid it in the hide of the Ahriman.”

“Good. Even if they locate it or it ends up being destroyed, it should provide us with enough information to continue to track it.” Hecate tapped across the control panel in front of her, and then she said calmly: “Bring up the feed on screen two from Decretum-2.”

“Uh...” Cadence stared blankly at Hecate for a moment, then she winced at the look she got before she hurriedly spun around and stumbled to the bank of computers that ran around the room, muttering under her breath as she tapped a quick series of commands over the keyboard. She winced when the computer buzzed at her angrily, hurriedly correcting her syntax as she muttered: “Horses of Heaven I hate this stuff.”

“I can implant a microchip in your brain to make it easier for you, if you like.” Hecate said icily, and Cadence winced before she sighed in relief as one of the screens flickered, before she frowned uneasily as she saw- “Yes. Loki's already sent Lost Souls into Decretum, and likely Fyrverǫld as well. Their goal seems to be to disrupt our operations.”

“What do we do?” Cadence asked, and Hecate smiled thinly.

“Continue as planned. All our major operations are focused here in Endworld. Property and drone damage are acceptable losses.” Hecate said coldly, and yet Cadence thought she almost looked haunted, as she gazed into the Empress of Decretum, and not for the first time, realized how cruel a fate it was to be what Hecate had become. “I am what is necessary, that is all. Spare me your ruminations.”

Cadence winced, but Hecate had already turned her attention away, ordering: “Seneschal, redirect the Worker Drones to interference mode. That should help reduce the damage to our forces. Deploy security orbs to tag targets in priority zones and activate Eliminator defenses in all facilities.”

Several screens flickered away from static to display information instead, and Hecate nodded shortly before she returned her eyes to Cadence, saying calmly: “To answer your unspoken question, no, Loki will not simply arrive with the Ahriman and destroy us. Endworld is already disconnected from the chain of worlds, but not close enough to the Void, so to speak, for his disruptor to push us easily into it. Nor do I expect he can maintain a charge and move the Ahriman between worlds at the same time.”

Cadence nodded awkwardly, and then she bit her lip before she blurted: “Thanatos said he was after the Hall of Heroes. We stopped him from getting the soul shard, but... Thanatos tried to give us books, but Loki destroyed them...”

“No. No, he did not.” Danzsöngr said suddenly, and Cadence frowned as Hecate tilted her head, and the Swan vanished for a moment: a moment later, Moonflower appeared with a squeak of shock, looking wildly back and forth before he stared as the Swan reached into his satchel and pulled out a book, saying: “He did not destroy this.”

Hecate took the book from the Swan, floating it up to herself and studying it, recognizing it as the book Thanatos had been reading from when they had met. She opened it, and found it was full of wild scribbling in an ancient runic language across pages that ancient characters had been pressed into.

Hecate smiled faintly as she studied the book, then she read softly: “Childe born to bring pain, to the warrior gods he came; childe, born to dream and defy, rend and rip the world awry; bringeth Ragnarok, the bitter swell, to the place twixt Heaven and Hell; there, find the key to your enigmal lock, who lays bereft of sin before the ticking clock; time can only mend and heal, when the endsong breaks the final seal... childe, childe, when the end draws near, only then will your father hear...”

“What does it mean?” Cadence asked uncertainly, as Moonflower only dropped on his rump, rubbing at his head and looking awkward.

For a moment, Hecate was silent, and then she said finally: “It means Loki is an idiot, and we are almost out of time. Seneschal, ensure all our Orbiters are active and ensure we have maximum coverage of Endworld. Loki will most likely have to bring the Ahriman in from either Decretum or Fyrverǫld...”

“But you think he has some other way in. Some way around the portals.” Cadence said, and Hecate smiled thinly.

“I didn't come this far by being sloppy and assuming the best. I want all our defenses concentrated here.” Hecate hesitated, and then she looked up and ordered: “Seneschal. Put the Hexad facilities and production lines on standby, and divert all that power to preparations for the final stage of Ithavoll. I want it ready.”

Cadence shifted nervously, before she looked up in surprise as the elevator doors opened and Thorn strode in, saying as calmly as if he had been part of the conversation all along: “Empress Hecate, is it truly necessary? I don't think-”

“I want it ready, because it may be necessary.” Hecate rounded on Thorn, stepping towards him, towering over him, and then suddenly smiling as she reached up and silently touched his shoulders, saying quietly: “And in the event that it is necessary, Thorn Blackfeather, only you are authorized to activate it.”

Thorn's eyes widened, and Hecate leaned down and kissed his forehead silently before she murmured: “I trust your judgment more than I do my own. You'll know if and when it becomes necessary, my son. Remember... sometimes sacrifices must be made. Not for the greater good, but for the greatest good that we can do for the world.”

Thorn hesitated, and then he took a slow breath and nodded, promising as he met his mother's eyes: “I will do what is necessary. But... not before it is necessary. There are too many unknowns. It could... destroy us all.”

“Yes. It could.” Hecate turned towards Cadence, saying calmly: “You asked me once if the Orphans were just a temporary measure, to be replaced by Ithavoll. I told you they were not. But I didn't tell you the full truth: the Orphans are not just my first line in protecting this universe. They are also the last line of defense against Ithavoll itself.

“Cadence, Ithavoll is three phases, each more dangerous, more likely to go wrong than the last.” Hecate met Cadence's eyes evenly as she strode back onto the control bridge, looking down at her from that raised platform that was only a little higher than the rest of the hall, and yet she seemed like she was a thousand feet above them, looking down from beyond the red skies of Endworld. “The Orphans are my insurance that if the Hexad had not been purged of the Clockwork King's programming, that if I had lost myself to the powers of the Jötnar, that if the third and final stage and the forces it will bring forth turn on us... there will still be someone there to protect the worlds. More than that: there will be someone who can stop them.”

Cadence mouthed wordlessly as Moonflower stared in disbelief, and then Hecate smiled faintly, saying softly: “You are two of my best, my strongest, the ponies I am proudest of. Children that I've come to love. Worthy inheritors. Ithavoll doesn't exist to replace you. It's a last resort protocol to keep impossibly-powerful enemies like Hel was, like the Mad Hatter could be, like Loki is, at bay. And there's no guarantee it couldn't become an even greater threat, but that's why the Orphans exist. Why we recruit the best, and only the best. Why we make you strong. You are the future of this universe, and you must be ready to protect it.”

Cadence looked silently up at Hecate, and Hecate looked back at her before she returned her eyes to the screens around the room, commanding: “Seneschal, I need updates! Thorn, establish contact with our allies. The large-scale portal hub may have been destroyed by the impulse from World Without End, but we can use the portable portal rings to escort our allies here while the rest of our forces move in through freight transport.”

Thorn nodded as he strode quickly down into the control room, calling up several holographic screens even as he sat down at a terminal, before Hecate ordered: “Cadence, take Moonflower and find the rest of your team to the medical center for rush treatment. Then I want you ready to...”

Hecate halted, then she frowned for a moment before grunting and instead saying shortly: “Your team will be on protection detail at the security facility where Hel is being kept. She'll be a priority target for Loki.”

Cadence wanted to stay, to argue, to panic; instead, she forced herself to salute, nodding firmly once before she grabbed Moonflower and said quickly: “We'll head down immediately.”

Moonflower blinked again, then squawked when Cadence dragged him up the ramp from the control room towards the elevator. The mare hesitated in front of it, however, then she looked back and asked: “Do you think that Brynhild...”

“The Valkyrie has escaped worse, and without that idiotic motorcycle she parades around on. I'm sure she was able to escape in time. You have more important things to focus on.” answered Hecate, and Cadence smiled briefly before she turned around and hit the button to the elevator.

She shoved Moonflower inside and hit the button for the ground floor, the doors closing with a ding as Moonflower awkwardly rubbed at himself, before he looked over at Cadence and asked dumbly: “Did she really say she loved me?”

“Like a son.” Cadence confirmed, and Moonflower gave a small smile before Cadence reached up and squeezed his shoulder gently, saying softly: “And you're like a brother to me.”

Moonflower looked absurdly touched, even as he laughed awkwardly and tried to wave the compliment off, rolling his eyes to the side as he mumbled: “Well, you know, you've... of course I am! Who doesn't want to be a sibling to me, the greatest... magic-caster of... lore and... stuff.”

Moonflower looked lame, before he added awkwardly: “I hope Thorn doesn't see me as a brother. That would be awkward.”

Cadence sighed and rolled her eyes as she gently smacked him, the stallion wincing a little before he gave a small smile and asked: “This is it, isn't it?”

“Yeah. I think this is going to be it. So you have to ready... but don't change who you are, Moonflower. Who you are has saved us more than once.” Cadence said softly, and Moonflower rose his head slightly in surprise before the doors dinged open and Cadence gestured for him to follow. “Come on. Let's go get ready. We've... got a lot to do.”

“But we'll do it, Cadence. I believe in you. And if... Melinda believed in me, and I believe in you, and so many people believed in Melinda, well...” Moonflower smiled, almost childish and endearing in his sincerity as he exclaimed: “Then you can do it, you can do anything!”

“I wouldn't go that far.” Cadence smiled all the same, though, before she glanced up as Danzsöngr gently touched her shoulder, and she said softly: “But together, with both sides of me, you, La Croix and Daddy and all the help we're going to get... we can do this.”

Moonflower nodded firmly, then he trotted ahead as Cadence lingered for a moment in front of the elevator, doing her best not to look back, not to fear the worst...

But in spite of all her hopes and determination, her unanswered questions all still lingered.

With Foes On Every Side

Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen: With Foes On Every Side
~BlackRoseRaven

In the past, Cadence would have protested being put on guard duty, especially knowing that they had invited other worlds to help with the defense of Endworld. Now, instead, she treated it like an honor, double-checking her equipment as she and her team finished setting up their checkpoint inside the secure facility that served as Hel's home.

La Croix was seated in a turret, resting back against the handles of the massive machinegun that had been mounted in the middle of the square lobby. His Mission Drive was linked up to the network, giving him access to their data and letting him run communications between their team and the rest of Endworld, although Cadence had her Rex Prox uplink as well.

Moonflower was adjusting his satchels for the thousandth time, shifting anxiously in his heavy armor, and her father was calmly reading, almost meditating in one corner of the room. Cadence herself stood in front of the massive vault door that served as the only way in or out of this secure facility: it was magnetically-locked and only the first in a line of many, many heavy security doors that could be easily opened from the other side, but required a dozen different codes and verifications to access from outside. Even Cadence couldn't come and go as she pleased.

Well, not by physical means. The Swan, however, was standing at the heart of the facility, watching as Hel hummed cheerfully to herself in her little kitchen in the pretend-apartment she had in the bunker a thousand feet below the earth as she rolled out cookies.

“End of the world, dear! End of the world, so of course I'm making cookies!” Hel cackled, then she smiled as she spun around, hugging the rolling pin against her apron. Her hands and arms were protected by long, thick cloth gloves, her hair balled up under a tight cap over her head, her eyes shielded by thick goggles that looked more like they were meant for welding than baking. “It's wonderful! For the first time in my life, I don't have to worry about the mess!”

Hel swung the rolling pin out, but stopped short of knocking over the flour container, only giving it an almost-hesitant tap, then giggling wildly at the tiny puff of flour it sent up, hugging the rolling pin against her stomach again with wide, childish eyes before she scowled horribly as the Swan asked: “Then why have you gone to such lengths to keep yourself clean, all the same?”

“Well... because! What if I'm wrong? Even worse, what if I'm right? Would you really want to leave a dirty corpse behind?” asked Hel pettishly, and then she grumbled as she tossed her rolling pin into the sink and grabbed a spatula to carefully begin transferring the cookies she had rolled out onto a baking tray.

Hel picked up the tray and limped quickly across the kitchen, yanking the door open to fling them into the oven before she grabbed a towel and used this to quickly yank out a tray on the lower shelf, almost carelessly tossing it on top of another empty tray on the stove. She gestured absently at the Swan, and the entity calmly strode across the room to fetch the spatula for the goddess as Hel continued: “You people all have such funny ideas about regret, like, how you're going to regret what you never did. Well, I'm sure as my name not, because I'll be super-gone, just like Thanatos! Or at least I hope so. I don't want to go to the Void, no sirree-bob! Hey, did you hear about Freya and Bob? I spy on them all the time. Cute kids.”

Hel took the spatula when the Swan got close, then she began to quickly and efficiently shovel cookies off into the cooling racks that lined the counter, which were already piled high with cookies. “Hey, I need more space! Get one of those plastic box thingies out of the cupboard and clear off that rack at the far end, then bring it over here. Cookies should be that nice, right temperature by now!”

The Swan obeyed, and Hel chuckled before she said fondly: “Never thought I'd be here. Never thought I'd bake again! Losing all my powers, my dominion, my domain, it's not all bad, you know. And well, technically, I guess I never lost anything. Just got out of prison. Sure, I can't command infinite power anymore, but hey. That gig was getting old, anyway. And I still totally got it, if I really want it. My body will probably just explode.”

Hel made an exploding noise and gesture with her arms, before she grimaced a bit as a few crumbs pattered to the floor, visibly fighting with herself before she shook her head firmly and murmured: “It's not important. If there's one thing that I've learned, it's that a little dirt isn't all that important. Everybody's got dirt. Everybody.”

All the same, Hel awkwardly brushed at the crumbs with one foot, trying to dust them away into a manageable pile before she glanced over at the Swan as the entity said quietly: “We will protect you with our life.”

“Sure you will, but you really shouldn't. And we all know why you're really here, Swan. Loki's going to go for me or for Hecate when he gets here, swingin' in like a wrecking ball. Won't be long now, oh no, not at all.” Hel chuckled a little, and then she said softly as her eyes slid towards the Swan: “Loki's sly, though. I bet he'll send some other nasty assassins first. I bet he's targeting dear little Cadence, too.”

The Swan tilted her head, but Hel only waved a hand absently, saying mildly: “But enough fearmongering. Take your other half some cookies. Bet she and her team really need 'em.”

The Swan studied Hel for a moment longer, then she simply nodded before turning, phasing through reality at the same time to appear beside Cadence. Cadence stared at the Swan, and the Swan looked back at her before she calmly held down the plastic bin of cookies, and Cadence sighed, then said dryly: “Cookies.”

The other members of her team looked up in surprise as Cadence took the box and held it out, and Moonflower scampered over and greedily grabbed two before he yelped when Cadence smacked him, saying flatly: “Hel made those. Who knows what the hell's in them.”

“But... cookies!” Moonflower whined as he levitated the cookies, before he asked almost defensively: “Does that mean I can't eat them?”

“I'm just saying Hel made them. Go ahead if you want, but don't blame me if you end up crapping your pants or turning green or something. She's immortal, powerful, and juvenile.” Cadence said dryly, and Moonflower looked uncertainly at the cookies for a moment before he craned his head forward and nervously nibbled at one.

He wrinkled up his muzzle for a moment, staring at the cookie, then he devoured it in three quick bites before he stuck out his tongue, complaining: “They're raisin, not chocolate chip!”

Cadence looked sourly at Moonflower as La Croix rolled his eyes and Sombra cocked an eyebrow, and Moonflower huffed before he reasoned, even as he very loudly ate the second cookie: “Well, I though they were chocolate chips! That's not very fair, is it?”

“Have you ever learned manners, ever?” Cadence asked grouchily as she leaned away from flying crumbs, and Moonflower smiled lamely, which only served to show off all the cookie in his teeth. “Goddammit, Moonflower. Swallow.”

“Bet that's somethin' he hears all the time.” La Croix remarked, and Moonflower gave the Loa a flat look. “Also, pédé, if that makes you malade, I ain't gonna fix you 'cause it be your own damn fault.”

“Oh, shush, you. They're quite good, actually.” Moonflower answered, before he awkwardly looked over at Cadence, and the mare rolled her eyes before she shrugged and simply gave him the container of cookies, the unicorn smiling at her embarrassedly before he half offered them to La Croix, who winced and leaned away.

Sombra, however, gently took one with telekinesis, and he took a bite out of one and chewed thoughtfully before he remarked: “Buono.”

Cadence smiled a little at her father, then she shook her head before she said finally: “La Croix, if you're hungry, you might as well take a food break for five. I think it's been...”

“Two hours and thirty four minutes, mi amore. But we're all alright for now, I think.” Sombra glanced back at La Croix, who smiled wryly and nodded as he settled back against the turret.

“Oui, we been on stakeouts a whole lot longer than this one. And to be honest, I... I don't wanna screw this up none. I guess that's why I might be a little testy, mes amies.” the Loa admitted, rubbing absently at his wooden leg before he asked hesitantly: “What... what do you think our real job is gonna be? Taking down Loki? Somethin' else fou?”

“Yeah. I think... one way or another, we're going to have to be ready to face Loki. I don't know what that means, but... I trust Hecate. And I trust us and that she trusts us.” Cadence said, fumbling her words a little but hoping she was getting the point across.

The others nodded, Moonflower continuing to stuff cookies into his face before he asked apprehensively: “But are we really ready for it? Loki's power was... it was beyond anything I've ever imagined.”

“Hey, you beat Melinda, didn't you?” Cadence replied pointedly, and Moonflower blushed a little and almost shyly hid behind the plastic box. “We can do anything we set our minds to. And don't forget, we stopped Loki from getting that shard of his soul.”

“We lost Thanatos.” La Croix murmured, and Moonflower glanced down at this as well, chewing slower on the last of the cookies as Sombra smiled faintly.

“I do not think 'lost' is such an appropriate word. He sacrificed himself, yes... but Loki is both between and beyond life and death, a state that Thanatos cannot affect with his powers, mighty as they are.” Sombra hesitated for a moment, and then he said softly: “And we were unprepared for that. I do not think even Thanatos was prepared for what Loki was capable of.

“But Thanatos was not surprised by his defeat, or his own demise. I do not wish to say that perhaps he intended to die, or lose the soul furnace... but while he delayed Loki, his Reapers did save the Hall of Heroes, and we were able to destroy the shard of his soul. Loki destroyed the soul furnace in retaliation, but... I wonder.” Sombra murmured, looking down meditatively, and Cadence frowned. “I do not wonder what Loki was truly after, what else he stole from World Without End, but what else Thanatos prevented, what further steps he may have taken.”

Cadence nodded slowly: he was right. Thanatos hadn't run away, had seemed to know Loki was coming... had been smart enough to give us that journal, and then feint Loki out with the other two books. “I don't know what else he could have done, but... let's hope it was enough. Hecate said twenty hours and it's been more than twenty two now...”

“I don't know if I'd give him that much credit, Cygne. But I guess it ain't bad to hope.” La Croix said wryly, before he watched as Moonflower shoved his face into the plastic container, snuffling around for crumbs. “There's somethin' wrong with you, y'know.”

“Well, pardon me for wanting to get the most out of life while I still... am alive.” Moonflower wilted a little as he looked down into the empty plastic box, and then he glanced up and said, blushing faintly: “If we die, I want you all to know that I've greatly enjoyed our time together, and I love-”

“Don't you say it, pédé, you gonna give me the mal au couer.” La Croix said dryly, and Moonflower scowled before the Loa looked down, then rose his head and added quietly, with a small smile: “We ain't gonna die, Moony. You too dumb and stubborn to die. And Cygne and Papa Sérénité be too strong. And me, well, I'm just gonna hide behind y'all. But, y'know... if the impossible does happen... it's been real bon temps. And you know me. Laissez les bon temps rouler! But... y'all taught me there be more than life to that, and the best times you have ain't by yourself, it's when you with your family.”

He smiled at them, and Cadence smiled back before Sombra said genuinely: “It's been an honor to know you all. And a joy to spend these days with you, daughter.”

Cadence laughed a little, looking down and rubbing the back of her head, before she looked up at her friends, her family, and said finally: “Thank you for... for making me who I am today. Moonflower, La Croix, Daddy... I uh... I know... without all of you, I wouldn't have become who I am now. And... I would never have been willing to take the risks I did. So... thanks.”

She smiled a little, hating that she could never be as eloquent as her father, as honest as Moonflower, as smooth as La Croix, but they all smiled at her bluntness all the same.

Cadence cleared her throat, then she straightened and added firmly: “Now come on, let's get ready. We still have a mission here, and-”

“Your mission has changed.” came a smooth voice, and Cadence looked up in surprise as Thespis and the RED Replicants entered the room. The antelope Replicant looked arrogantly down at Cadence for a few moments as she glowered back, and then he shifted ever so slightly, grudgingly lowering his head with the slightest hint of respect to her as he grumbled: “We've been assigned to guard the priority target. Empress Hecate wants you withdrawn to the Orphanage.”

“Let me check with Seneschal.” Cadence said, reaching up towards her visor, and then time froze as Thespis twitched.

Danzsöngr strode calmly in front of Cadence, studying Thespis as Cadence stared with disbelief, realizing that yes, that looked like Thespis, but really- “Yes. It is Auriculos. He has likely infected more than just this Replicant.”

Yes. Cadence could see him through the Astra, wearing Thespis like a suit: maybe he knew that the Replicant had access privileges that would let him infect other systems and command the rest of the RED, maybe he thought it was an excellent way to spy on them, or maybe he was stupid enough to think it would make Cadence hesitate, or give him an edge in battle. She could see what he was going to do, how the liquid metal body of Thespis was already transforming, forming blades instead of hooves, armoring itself for battle.

“There will be no battle.” Danzsöngr said, and Cadence agreed.

“Finem et elusus.” Cadence ordered as Thespis lunged at her, and the Replicant staggered to a dead halt in front of the fearless, unflinching mare.

For a few moments, Thespis shuddered violently as the other RED stared in shocked, before the color rapidly started to fade from his body, his form shaking violently as his mouth gaped open. He rasped helplessly for breath as streams of liquid metal spilled down his body, horns melting away, hooves dissolving into sludge as he gargled and rasped, and Cadence smiled thinly before she said coldly: “Thespis is kept coherent by nanomachines, Auriculos. Guess you overlooked that they can be remotely shut down by any Prox.”

“H-How... how did you... know?” Auriculos rasped, before he snarled through the melting face of the Replicant, growling: “You're t-too late, I've already s-s-scrambled Endworld's defenses and... Loki will... no, no, the voices are back, I can't hide in Thespis anymore and the voices have found me!”

Auriculos screamed as he grabbed at his head, rolling helplessly back and forth as he dissolved into sludge before he looked up, shrieking at the horrified Moonflower: “You did this to me! I'll... I'll kill you!”

But it was an empty, useless threat, as Auriculos dissolved wholly after a few moments, and Cadence grimaced as she stepped away from the puddle of silver sludge bubbling around a titanium frame that was all that was left of Auriculos. Not that the Replicant was dead... but he's not going to be giving any more orders any time soon. “Seneschal! Alert!”

Seneschal appeared on her visor, and then he nodded hurriedly, saying quickly: “Yes, scanning now... of course! Are the other RED infected?”

The other RED all saluted, even Karsilamas looking strikingly professional, but all of them looked frightened, too. And Cadence didn't really mind respect through fear with these Replicants, as she took her time eyeing them even as the Swan assured: “They are clean. They are not like Auriculos, more machine than living thing.”

“No. I don't think so.” Cadence said, and the RED all looked visibly relieved before the ivory mare said: “I need someone to come clean this mess up. Auriculos said he scrambled Endworld's defenses, you better make sure he hasn't uploaded himself-”

“I know my job, Cadence, I am already in the process of combing through the automated systems and tracing all of Auriculos' previously-visited locations.” Seneschal said grumpily. “I'm sending a security team to-”

Cadence winced as Seneschal suddenly cut out in a blare of static, everyone present flinching as their Mission Drives gave loud blares of static before 'CONNECTION LOST' blinked across Cadence's visor, the mare swearing under her breath before she shoved it up.

“What do we do?” asked Gesicht, and Cadence was struck by how the Replicant sounded suddenly afraid: then again, with their commander gone and the uplink to Seneschal down, she couldn't blame them, as much as she hated them.

“You're going to stay here and keep this area secure. I'm going to take my team and see if we can do anything to reestablish communications. Manes, is short-range communication working?” Cadence asked, and the zebra blinked but then quickly checked his Mission Drive, then he nodded hesitantly. “Good. Stick to common frequencies 100, 100.2, and 100.5. Hopefully at least some of the other Orphans and Dogmatists will be scanning the same.”

Manes nodded, looking more confident now before Cadence pointed at Faunus, saying firmly: “You're in charge.”

Faunus' eyes widened in dumb surprise as the huge enforcer looked blankly around at the other three Replicants, but Cadence only gestured at him to be quiet. “Manes will be running communication and information detail, he's got too much to handle already. Karie is useless and Gesicht is no leader.”

The hippogriff didn't look thrilled at this assumption, but he didn't argue either, and Karsilamas smiled and shrugged amiably before she said, surprising Cadence: “I trust you, Lizard. And if Cadence says you can lead us, then I believe her. She's Rex Prox for a reason, after all.”

Cadence smiled a bit at this unexpected show of support, before Karie added kindly: “Besides, we're stalling, aren't we? Go, Commander Cadence. We'll do what you ask, whether we like it or not. Call it my way of an apology.”

Cadence nodded quickly to the illilleap, then she gestured to her team, and they fell in behind her even as La Croix asked uncertainly:”You sure 'bout this, Cygne? Just leavin' that puddle o' goop there and abandonin' our post?”

“Isn't abandoned if there's someone there. And I don't think there's much love lost between the RED.” Cadence said dryly as they hurried down the hall of the facility. “Besides, none of them have security clearance for the first door, let alone all the traps on the way down to Hel. Believe me, even if Auriculos had made it through... he would've been in for a very nasty surprise.”

Cadence smiled wryly, half-regretting not letting the RED past: she doubted very much that Auriculos, even in Thespis' liquid metal body, would have made it past the disintegration fields. But as much as she loathed him, she didn't hate the rest of the RED nearly as much: not even Karsilamas, who had been the only member of the RED to pass on condolences over Thesis.

She thought of Thesis, briefly, and there was sadness, and pain, but also renewed, ferocious determination. Thesis had wanted this to be a better world, a better universe for all of them. She was going to carry on that dream, and she wasn't going to let Loki tarnish this world.

They exited the facility, and Cadence looked up before her eyes widened in shock at the sight of several transports and some other large, broken thing hurtling through the sky high above. One of them exploded in the air, sending flaming debris raining down over the neon city of Exoterra, but the others survived even as they crashed against the fiery, falling object and pushed it away from the city, just enough to send it towards the wasteland...

“A satellite. They sacrificed themselves to stop it.” Danzsöngr said, seeing everything in the Astra: seeing inside the ships, seeing the sole surviving Kirin pilot wreathed in flame and choking on smoke and yet leaning his dying body into the control sticks to force the transport to tilt up into the wreckage of the satellite-

There was an explosion in the distance, and Cadence shuddered before she looked up with a snarl as the ominous, awful shape of the living warship, the Ahriman, swam slowly through the air over their heads. A terrible voice sang through their minds as the ship rumbled overhead through the sky, chains clanking around it as it sailed slowly through the air above their heads, impervious to the cannon fire pelting it from the AA batteries around Exoterra-

There. breathed the Swan, and Cadence saw. Cadence saw what Loki had been after, Cadence saw what Thanatos had hidden away, Cadence saw how the Ahriman had crossed into Endworld, a feat impossible by normal means... but there was nowhere that a Valkyrie's steed couldn't go.

And there charged on a dozen ghostly Valkyrie horses, screaming silently as they cantered through the air, dragging the awful husk of the Ahriman behind them. Chains and bonds of iron and hideous Voidbeasts held them captive and kept them under control, forcing them to bow to Loki's will and drag his ship onward as Cadence stared in horror at the sight, until her father grasped her by the shoulder and said quietly but firmly: “We have to move.”

“Yes. Yes, we have to get in contact with Hecate.” Cadence answered, shaking her head quickly before she gestured for her team to follow: she knew she could just jump to Hecate's location, but... I don't want to leave them behind, and I can't use up all my energy taking them with me.

“I will find Hecate.” Danzsöngr said, and Cadence blinked dumbly at this solution before the Swan advised: “Find an interface.”

With that, the Swan vanished, and Cadence grunted moodily before she looked back and forth: her eyes locked on an office structure across the street, immediately starting towards this-

Portals ripped open in reality, and Husks in heavy, scale-like armor stormed into the streets, charging heedlessly for Cadence and her team. The ivory mare snarled as she flung a hoof-full of knives into the face of the first, sending him down in a burst of steaming energy as she shouted: “Hostiles!”

Sombra stomped down, creating a wall of black crystal that knocked the group of Husks tumbling backwards and bought them a few extra moments to prepare, before he looked up in surprise as some gaunt, hideous thing leapt up on top of the gemstone fence, screaming at them through rotten jaws before it lunged at them. But La Croix flung a burst of powder up into its face, and the living corpse collapsed to the ground even as he said disbelievingly: “Where the hell did Loki dig up these fou things? They be some kind of ghoul like I ain't never-”

Another one of the monsters rapidly skittered around the fence and lunged at them, and Cadence leapt past to slam a hoof through its face, knocking it crashing backwards in a broken heap as she said sharply: “We have to get across the street to that administration building! Moonflower-”

“I have an idea!” Moonflower blurted, then he snapped his horn sharply out, and Cadence stumbled in surprise as the road exploded on either side of them, twisting violently upwards into massive, rocky barriers as Sombra's crystal wall collapsed. It gave them a narrow corridor straight to the other side of the road, except the ghouls were already scrabbling up on top of it, and she could hear the Husks clomping their way around.

“Go, go, go!” Cadence gestured sharply at the others, and La Croix took off in the lead, with the others following. Cadence came last so she could blast ghouls off the top of the rocky walls and protect their rear as more of the monsters came around behind them, screaming in fury.

La Croix turned ethereal in front of the sealed doors, passing through them before he spun around and became physical as Moonflower uselessly plowed face-first into them. The Loa winced, then hurriedly grabbed at the locked doors, cursing his luck-

Cadence simply barreled through one of the massive glass windows on either side of the doorway, and La Croix flinched back in dumb surprise as a klaxon blared. Sombra came through a moment later, dragging Moonflower in behind him, and the two narrowly cleared the window before heavy shutters slammed down: not just over their window, but over all of them around the room as the building went into lockdown at the breach.

Still, Cadence knew it wouldn't hold forever: she could hear things smashing through glass and hammering against the shutters. Hopefully they wouldn't need that long, though, as she quickly made her way through the lobby, looking back and forth until she locked on to the terminal at the reception desk.

She paused only slightly as she felt the Swan connect with someone else: Danzsöngr had found Hecate. The Empress of Decretum was heading down from the Tower of Etemenanki, and she seemed completely unsurprised by the Swan's presence or its first words to her: “Cadence wishes to know what you would have her do.”

“Since I assume she's smart enough to figure out Loki's managed to destroy most of our communication satellites, I need her to activate the Ground Level Antennae in that sector, at the data hub. That should allow us to resume broadcasts throughout that section of Endworld.” Hecate said calmly. “Shortrange frequencies are working and Kirin are dropping mobile transmitters to piggyback signals.”

Hecate didn't so much as glance up even as the castle shook under fire from the Ahriman, the Jötnar mare smiling thinly before the Swan reported: “I do not sense any Primordials. But Loki has brought ghouls and abominations in their place.”

“There are other things present as well. I can feel their presence. They are... familiar to Valthrudnir's powers.” Hecate grimaced in disgust as the elevator doors opened, the Jötnar mare striding out into the hall beyond before she narrowed her eyes as she found two lifeless wooden puppets floating eerily in the air above a pile of broken drones and murdered Dogmatists.

One of them looked up, dressed all in wolf furs and with a crude, dog-shaped head marred with a crooked grin, a voice blurting out: “Valthrudnir! That's a funny form you've taken on!”

“No, no, not Valthrudnir. Just an animal, an animal.” rasped a voice from another puppet: this one was in a suit, with a fearsome skull crudely tacked on over its head. “The herd-beast he petted and potted.”

Hecate narrowed her eyes slightly at this as the other puppet cackled before it exclaimed: “Is that true? Are you not Valthrudnir, but his sow, his-”

Hecate flexed, and a pulse of power ripped down the hall: the puppets, to her surprise, barely flinched at the explosion of force that cracked the walls of the hall and knocked corpses and drone-bodies rolling and clanking away, the skull-puppet snarling: “Heedless! Just like Valthrudnir was! Little wonder he petted this one! Little wonder he seeded-”

Then the skull-puppet went rigid as Hecate's horn glowed, seizing it with telekinesis before she slammed it savagely into the wall, then bounced it repeatedly up and down between the floor and the ceiling, cracking and tearing the brittle wood of its frame apart. The other puppet squawked, either about to attack or flee, but before it could Hecate simply glared at it, hellfire exploding across its body and rapidly consuming it in a tremendous conflagration.

She slammed the skull-puppet down into the ground in front of her, then stomped forwards, crushing its head and bone-mask beneath one hoof, and there was a sound like a welcome exhale, a feeling of gratitude as some sort of energy ripped free from its body. A moment later, the second puppet collapsed into ash with that same exhale, although this energy was more primal. And while there was gratitude, there was nothing of true sentience, which told Hecate everything she needed to know.

“So this is what Loki brings against me. His final weapon.” Hecate smiled thinly, striding down the corridor before she slammed the doors to the lobby open as the Swan followed her, knowing and yet not daring to believe it until Hecate said coldly: “Warn Cadence and have her tell Seneschal so Thorn can relay the warning throughout Endworld. These puppets are infused with the energy of gods and giants. How much, I can't say.”

“Enough.” hissed a puppet, and Hecate glanced coolly towards the construct that mocked the appearance of another god as it jerked and hopped towards her, pulled along on invisible strings before it roared, and Hecate leaned back slightly in distaste as, of all things, massive trees ripped up through the floor of her facility in a deadly path towards her, roots lashing out and shredding tile as branches whipped through the air and punched through the stone ceiling like spikes.

Trees tore up around her, but Hecate only tilted her head back as her wings spread, shielding herself inside an invisible barrier that disintegrated the ironwood that tried to spread around and crush her. She waited patiently as the puppet danced towards her, hopping through the corridor of overgrowth as it rasped: “Nature always wins.”

“Progression and evolution is part of the natural order.” Hecate retorted, before she flicked her horn, and the trees exploded into flames, the puppet screaming in shock before it howled in misery as the very trees he had tried to crush Hecate between twisted and bent in on all sides, smothering the puppet beneath their burning bulk.

Hecate simply strode out from the conflagration, unfazed and unharmed before her eyes flicked distastefully towards the Swan, asking: “Why haven't you left?”

The Swan studied her for a few moments, and then she nodded once before she said quietly: “Do not lose yourself, Mother Hecate. We would not relish you as our enemy.”

With that, the Swan vanished, and Hecate gave a thin smile before she closed her eyes, forcing herself to breathe slowly as she felt all that power flowing through her, how seductive it was, how she could make the world beautiful again, how she could fix things and make them all right...

She took a breath, then she looked up to find that four puppets had surrounded her, the Jötnar mare glancing back and forth before she asked distastefully: “Where is Loki? I have a proposition for him.”

“There will be no negotiations, Valthrudnir. There will only be your death, so that you will become like us.” replied one of the puppets in a strange, sad tone, and then the puppet lashed a claw out, spikes of ice ripping out of the ground at Hecate's throat.

Reality warped, and the spikes of ice twisted themselves away from Hecate into two tendrils; these tentacles of frost transformed into massive serpents that launched themselves at the puppets on either side of her as Hecate smiled thinly, saying contemptibly: “Fine. I could use the exercise.”

Cadence could feel the force of Hecate's power even before Danzsöngr reappeared beside her, saying calmly: “Hecate is battling puppets. They are infused with the embers of Gods and Jötnar. Shards of Astra that Loki could not control.”

“Not precisely shards of soul, either. I get it.” Cadence muttered as she hammered away at the terminal on the desk, before she sighed in relief as Seneschal finally appeared on the narrow glass screen in front of her, the AI staring stupidly at her as Cadence felt all the other information Danzsöngr had gleaned from Hecate spilling into her brain. Wish we could make that smoother... “Seneschal, I'm going to bring the antennae in this sector online. There are monsters on the loose as well as Husks, and puppets that are infused with the energy of Gods. Loki is controlling them-”

“Cadence, where are you?” Thorn's voice cut in, and Seneschal scurried to the side as Thorn's image appeared on screen, the stallion likely finding her coordinates before she could even register the question. “I see. Understood. Data suggests that Loki is using monsters retrieved from worlds he previously visited. They're likely meant to serve as expendable shock troops to disrupt our forces while he concentrates his Voidborn on priority targets, such as-”

Thorn glanced up as there was a banging across the ceiling of the control room before a claw smashed down through it, a wild cackling filling the air. Thorn grimaced in distaste at this before he winced as Necrophage grabbed him by the shoulder, shaking him violently as she blurted: “Breach! Breach, we gotta go!”

“Thorn?” Moonflower exclaimed, leaning forward and almost shoving Cadence over. “Thorn!”

The image and voices both blurred and crackled with static, but Cadence could faintly make out laughing and screaming, and Moonflower's eyes widened with horror before he gritted his teeth and shoved himself back from the monitor, visibly gathering himself before he looked at Cadence and whispered: “I... sorry. I lost my head.”

“It's okay.” Cadence shook herself, then she grimaced as one of the shutters nearby screamed as the bottom of it bent upward, eager hooves clawing wildly into the lobby. “We have to get going.”

“Wait!” Seneschal blurted as he reappeared on screen, and Cadence looked towards the monitor before she gestured quickly for the others to head towards the stairs, and Moonflower shivered before he turned and hurriedly led the way, half-determined and half-terrified. “The Ahriman is moving into attack position and we've detected massive energy disruption: it has to be preparing to fire its disruptor!”

“Seneschal, there's nothing I can do-”

“Yes, there is! Loki thinks he dismantled all our defenses, but at least one Orbiter is still functional! If the Swan can go there-”

“Seneschal, the Swan can't teleport wildly into space!” Cadence blurted out, before she blinked when Danzsöngr grasped her shoulder and smiled at her, and the mare said disbelievingly: “No way.”

“The Swan can sense the energy emitted by the nuclear reactor powering the Orbiter. We've isolated one vulnerability in the Ahriman.” Seneschal said urgently, before he smiled at Cadence through the screen, the AI seeming to press his hands against the monitor as he said in a shaky voice: “You have to target the Ahriman manually from the Orbiter, then wait for it to fire before you launch a B-Series rail at it. It's the only way to guarantee this will work. Repeat it! B-series, after the Ahriman fires on Genesis!”

“That weapon will destroy-”

“It won't destroy Exoterra. And that is what matters. Now go!” Seneschal ordered, although it sounded more like a plea as static ripped across the screen, and he vanished from sight.

Cadence swore under her breath, then she looked back with a grimace as screaming ghouls began to force themselves under the shutter they had managed to bend upward, the ivory mare shoving herself away from the terminal and running for the stairs. She leapt up them and through the door to the second floor, slamming it behind her moments before ghouls flooded the room below.

Sombra sealed the door with crystal, and Moonflower swallowed thickly before Cadence said quietly: “I... I have to do something. Danzsöngr and I have to take another little trip. You guys need to head to the antennae and get it online. And... take cover. Keep away from the castle.”

“Be safe, mi amore.” Sombra said, and Cadence smiled at her father as La Croix and Moonflower both nodded, nervous, but trusting her. Believing in her.

It hurt.

Cadence turned her eyes skyward, and a moment later, she was simply gone from one place, and suddenly in another, in a place she had thought was impossible for even the Swan to go. She was inside a satellite a thousand miles above the planet, standing on a walkway, her mane floating weightlessly around her as she looked out a window at the dark planet of Decretum below.

She breathed slowly in and out, then glanced up in surprise as a Worker Drone calmly strode past, not so much as acknowledging her as it cleaned the walkway. She hesitated for a moment, then looked up as Danzsöngr murmured in her mind: We must find the controls for the weapon.

Cadence bit her lip, looking for a moment out into the vastness beyond the window, and then she nodded quickly before she flapped her wings, pushing herself through the air. The Orbiter wasn't very large or very complicated, however: it was essentially a tube with small jets and wide solar panels that stretched out like wings, shaped to catch the light of the distant sun, and of course, the massive, nuclear-powered rail cannon, and the separated compartment that contained the irradiated rails it fired.

At the bottom of the tube, Cadence found a cockpit-like room with a set of complex controls, but she only grimaced as she plugged in her Mission Drive, then called up a holographic screen that served as an aiming module as she muttered: “Okay. It's just about the same as the artillery, just a whole lot more buttons... let's see, I need a B-series rail...”

She flicked her visor down, which automatically synchronized with the holographic screen, giving her information about everything in front of her until she managed to find the right switch. She flicked this, then tapped in a quick console command on the control board, grimacing a bit as she heard the railgun beginning to charge as the rail was loaded into it, but why this rail, and why did Seneschal want her to wait?

Her team trusted her to save them, to protect Endworld. How many people were going to die when Loki targeted the castle?

What would the explosion from the rail do to Exoterra?

She gritted her teeth, forcing those thoughts away as the Swan reassured her mentally: Look through the Astra. See what will happen, what must happen, what has happened. Know that they believe in you, that they believe this is best.

Cadence breathed slowly, then she opened her eyes to the Astra, and she saw. She saw devastation, and death. She saw a thousand Orphans and Dogmatists fighting against ten thousand more enemies, enemies that poured in on them from all sides, enemies from every world. She saw Loki, laughing on the prow of the Ahriman, grinning a wild grin and his eyes mad with the power, the possession, the misery of the Prime as they swam through the skies towards the castle. She saw Hecate, surrounded on all sides, and Thorn, and sparks as his metal hoof screamed as slid down a broken elevator rail with living destruction chasing behind him.

She saw a roaring, raging Valkyrie riding her mount, which howled with equal if not greater fury, and reckless, so reckless. She saw Hel, laughing as she spun through the kitchen, and the kitchen was on fire, and the world was on fire...

And yet she saw hope in spite of the flames. She saw giants fall beneath the hammer of a hero. She saw a Queen leading an army of warriors against a horde of monsters. She saw death defied, and Death defying.

She saw herself, in a future that must be, dying.

She saw herself, in a future that must be, dying in the ruins of a burning castle.

She saw herself, in a future that must be, failing.

She saw herself laying bloody on the earth, and yet smiling.

She was smiling because she was watching as Loki was overcome by the friends she had saved. She was smiling, because it wasn't gods and their monsters that would bring down Loki and his monstrosity: it was her friends, her family, who would put a stop to him, once and for all.

That was the future she saw.

That was the future she wanted to believe in.

Cadence stared at the projected screen in front of her, and then she bit her lip before she grimaced as warnings flashed across it. She quickly tapped on the buttons that controlled the aiming module, zooming in as much as possible, until she was watching as the Ahriman slowly closed in on Genesis.

She swore under her breath as she quickly grasped the aiming handles, hearing machinery rumble and feeling the Orbiter shake as she drew the cannon's aim toward the Ahriman. She watched, wanting to squeeze the trigger, hating every moment that passed that she spent unable to do anything as the Ahriman charged its weapon...

She almost heard it, and she saw the flash across the planet as the Ahriman fired. It whited out everything on screen, Cadence cursing and flinching before she swore as she squeezed the triggers of the cannon as hard as she could even while still blind.

And there was a second tremendous flash that shook the entire Orbiter, the systems across the satellite going offline for a moment and leaving her in total darkness. And yet below, the Swan watched as the Ahriman listed suddenly, violently to the side, Loki thrown off the head of the ship with a curse to plummet towards the rubble below as the Terror squalled in pain and surprise.

The whole ship shook violently, the living voidflesh unaffected by the blast, but the ship's mechanical systems overloading, either shutting down or exploding throughout its body. The overheated, overloaded Godhammer that Loki had used to reduce Genesis to a crumbled ruin sparked violently, then exploded inside the voidbeast, and the monster vomited nuclear fire before it screamed as one of the magnetic arrays that helped it fly gave out, the beast listing to the side before the hideous Ahriman plummeted to the earth as explosions tore through its ugly shell.

Across Exoterra, systems flickered wildly from the massive electromagnetic shock that the rail had released upon crashing into the living ship, scrambling both Drone systems and security protocols. But the Dogmatists fought on, not forgetting their orders, not turning on their masters and their makers: if anything, fighting all the harder to protect them even as automated systems failed, and Seneschal clutched at what little safety he could as his systems were heavily damaged and erased.

“It doesn't matter.” Loki growled, as he picked himself slowly up from the ground, tossing a disgusted look back at the Ahriman before he grinned as he looked back at the damage that had been done: Genesis was still crumbling on itself, its now-frail towers shuddering as they gave away one after the other, collapsing into a broken crater in the earth. The Tower of Etemananki was nothing more than a crumbled ruin beyond the castle, Loki straightened and gesturing out at the pile of stone and shale and ashes and shattered reality as he shouted: “Do you see what I have done? Do you see what I can do, with just a few of your own toys, Hecate? I know you're there! I know you tried to stop it, and you failed! You're no Jötnar! You're no Valthrudnir!”

“You're right.” Hecate said quietly, as she slowly pushed her way out of the rubble, gritting her teeth as she dragged a mangled hind leg behind her, ichor leaking from one of the vents in her side as she rose her head proudly as her mane swirled around her. And Loki stumbled backward in spite of himself as the mare tore herself loose from the destroyed castle. “Valthrudnir would have wasted his energy saving a worthless hunk of stone that can always be rebuilt, instead of all the lives inside that can never be replaced.”

Loki frowned, before his eyes widened slightly as countless bubbles rose up from the ruins, the trickster snarling in disgust as he realized that there were ponies, Orphans, dozens of people inside each sphere. And all of them were being floated away and to safety as Hecate smiled at him thinly, her mane blazing with energy and her eyes glowing. “And Valthrudnir was never as cruel as I am.”

“You don't scare me anymore.” Loki growled, clenching his hands into fists as Astra boiled over his body, wrapping him in multicolored essence as he grew larger, transforming into the Prime. “All the energy of Thanatos' furnace has become mine! All those years spent gathering the Primordials, all that time spent planning to bring them all to one place, where all at once they could be sacrificed, outer shells burned away, inner spirits dissolved back into the raw energy they once were... the energy of the Prime!”

Hecate halted, tilting her head before she snorted in disgust, saying coldly: “So that's really all they were to you. Cannon fodder. Tools, to be used and sacrificed.”

The Prime laughed, voice echoing, body expanding as the unfathomable thing straightened and gestured outward contemptibly, replying: “In the beginning, All was One and One was All. Each and every Primordial was nothing more than a fragment of the true being, the One, the Prime. And it was time to bring them all... home.”

The Prime stepped forward and shoved a hand forward, a massive blast of force shooting through the air, but Hecate slapped this aside like it was nothing. Loki flinched the slightest amount at this, and Hecate snorted before she rose a hoof above her head, saying disgustedly: “You are a fool, Loki.”

“Not as stupid as you.” the Prime retorted with a grin, and Hecate had a moment to frown before she snarled in shock as puppets shattered through reality around her, tackling her from all sides. She struggled against them, then arched her back, snarling in agony as her body burst into blue flames, feeling the puppets attempting to devour the energy of her spirit. “I knew you would call all my enemies into one place. This is it, right? The final battle! And childe, childe, born to dream and to defy...”

The Prime rose his arms, then flinched in surprise when Hecate flung a puppet into him, staggering backwards as the wooden toy shattered uselessly before colors rippled rapidly across the Prime's body as Hecate snarled: “You will never earn your father's hatred, let alone his love, and he is dead, Loki. He is dead.”

The Prime trembled, then he roared in fury before he thrust a hand out, slamming Hecate backwards and sending puppets flying in all directions to explode like fireworks. Hecate crashed down into the rubble with enough force to make the stone shift and collapse, but that wasn't enough for the Prime as he flung several balls of force into the wreckage after Hecate, ruins exploding upwards and then crashing back down on top of the Jötnar mare like meteorites as he shouted: “You know nothing about me! You know nothing about what I've been through, or what I've done, or all the things I will do!”

He snarled at the ruins of the castle, then he looked up with a frown before his eyes widened a moment before a hoof slammed into his face, crushing the Prime down into the ground before the sapphire shape leapt off him, only for two massive fists of ice and fire to begin violently pummeling him down into the earth.

“Stupid stupid stupid idiot, how dare thee, how dare thee lay thy wretched claws upon my sisters' steeds!” roared Brynhild, before she snarled when the Prime managed to catch her Jötunnfang: she forced slowly down with them all the same, then snapped her horn out, her spear appearing in a burst of blue flame to slash viciously back and forth through the magic that Loki sent at her, deflecting each and every attempted counterattack.

“So you're serious, huh?” The Prime laughed sharply before he suddenly phased down through the earth, vanishing into the ground. Luna's Jötunnfang uselessly punched into the ground where he had been a moment ago, before she looked up with a snarl through the raging fire of her mane as Loki phased out of the earth some twenty feet away, arms spread almost mockingly. “Well, I always wanted to fight a Valkyrie at her best!”

“Then here is thy chance to have that regret and more.” Luna growled, as Morgan and Scrivener landed on either side of her.

The Prime laughed loudly, cruelly, as Loki set himself, his body thrumming with a strange, destructive eagerness as he snarled: “Oh, yes, I can sense how excited you are, Brynhild! And arrogant, too! Do you really think sucking your husband dry will give you enough of an advantage over me to win? Or have you failed to recognize, just like Hecate did, that this is all a part of my plan?”

“Fools plan, Loki. And a fool, I see, is all thou shall ever be.” Luna replied coldly, refusing the provocation, and Loki snorted in derision even as he visibly fumed.

And then there were no more words, as the Prime charged forward to meet the Night Maiden and her partners on the burning battlefield that Endworld had become.

Sombra slammed the door shut behind Moonflower and La Croix, then rapidly traced over it with a hoof, sealing it with crystal. Moonflower wheezed loudly as he dropped back against the wall of the office, while La Croix had already plugged in his Mission Drive and was hammering away at a terminal, muttering: “Fou. Damn idjits nearly took out the whole damn city... we just lucky that-”

“La Croix!” Seneschal gasped from the screen, and La Croix flinched as the static-riddled AI appeared on the monitor, leaning against the side of the screen as he rasped: “What are you... I see, the antennae. We... we still might be able to reestablish basic communication but the antenna's systems were heavily damaged, it... has to be done manually...”

“You okay, M'su? You ain't lookin' so hot.” La Croix said uneasily, and Seneschal laughed shortly.

“My... my systems are far below operational value, I've been fragmented, but... even if I've lost system control, I can handle this!” Seneschal said firmly, before he grimaced visibly as something crashed into the sealed door. “I can't access local security. But... but ha, I can... override emergency access and give you a quicker route to the hangar. Yes, you should be able to access the control panel for the antennae from there, you just need to bring me to the main operations terminal.”

“I... yeah, I'll do my best, mon ami. You just rest up, or whatever it is you computer folk do.” La Croix said uneasily, and Seneschal smiled wryly before he vanished from sight as La Croix unplugged his Mission Drive, then he grimaced a bit as something smashed into the door again.

“What do we do?” Moonflower blurted out, and La Croix looked back at the sealed door before he took a quick glimpse around the office, and then his eyes locked on the small window in the wall labeled 'EMERGENCY ONLY.'

He hopped over to this and shoved on it, and it clicked easily open, La Croix scowling as he let his eyes draw down the narrow ladder mounted beneath it that led down into the massive mostly-empty hangar. “Well, might be fou, but we gonna do what he said. Look, I think that be the control terminal just down there. We make a break for it, we should be able to get to it.”

Sombra nodded as Moonflower grimaced a bit, looking back over his shoulder as a bit of crystal hailed down from the office door when something pounded into it, muttering: “Well, what do we have to lose anymore?”

“My thoughts exactly. I'll jump ahead. Y'all follow.” La Croix said quickly, and then he turned ethereal, leaping through the wall and gliding down through the air to the hangar floor below.

It was eerily empty, but he supposed that made sense: he could see plenty of fresh tracks and some debris where the machines had pulled out and run over some supplies, but the armored shutters had been sealed shut again after they had left. At least it didn't seem like there were any hostiles, either... although He Above knows that could change...

La Croix grimaced before his eyes locked on what looked like a satellite dish in one corner of the room. He headed over to this, turning physical as he drew close to the terminal that sat beside the large elevator it sat on, and he plugged his Mission Drive in before he grimaced as Seneschal appeared in a blur of static.

The AI fizzled and crackled, then wheezed: “This will do. Yes, I can activate this antenna. It will take a bit of time, though, and you'll have to stay here, I... need to borrow your Mission Drive's processing power.”

“Great. 'Course it ain't easy. You do what you gotta do.” La Croix grunted, before he looked up as Moonflower and Sombra came quickly towards him. “Hey, we gonna have to stay here while Seneschal does his thing. Or I guess I do.”

Sombra nodded, then he turned around and shoved his hooves down against the ground, spikes of crystal tearing up out of the earth and slowly forming into a latticework barrier as Moonflower charged his horn with magic as the antenna began to loudly rise, the unicorn grinning a little as he said: “Well, you don't have to look so stressed, La Croix! Of course we'll stay back and protect you. I wouldn't want to lose such a good sidekick, after all!”

“You real thoughtful Moony. Real thoughtful.” La Croix said wryly, before he grimaced and looked up through the crisscrossing crystal bars to watch as a shutter trembled as something crashed against it: something large, it sounded like.

The shutter trembled again as a vent cover popped off, and ghouls leapt in, screaming and charging at them: La Croix grimaced as he Kirin among their number. That was why Loki had brought those monsters with him, the Loa thought as he grabbed a powder horn. Because while they ain't all that tough, they can make the dead mighty hungry...

The ghouls crashed against the barrier Sombra had created, trying to bite and claw through the holes, and Sombra grimaced as he threw out the powder in an arc, driving many of them back with hisses. Sombra, meanwhile, calmly knocked down the ghouls that attempted to leap over the fence with telekinesis, while Moonflower forced away others with short bursts of magic, asking disgustedly: “Why, why is it always walking corpses?”

“Easy to get more of 'em, easy to put 'em back together, easy to move 'em around!” La Croix answered, before he winced as one of the ghouls threw itself so fiercely at the crystal barrier it nearly cubed itself, collapsing in dead strips halfway through the fence. “Ain't too smart, though.”

Sombra started to speak, and then the shutter was smashed down before a monster staggered over the broken metal, looking up with blazing, hellfire eyes as a mane of glowing tentacles snapped around its features, flail-tail crashing against the ground as it roared: “Moonflower!”

Moonflower's eyes widened in horror as Stronghold came lurching towards them, her eyes blazing with hate and fury and madness, her bloodsoaked armor clinging tight to her body as she bared her teeth in a furious snarl. She stormed forward, vomiting out short blasts of holy fire that drove the ghouls away with squeals and shrieks, careless of the monsters she incinerated: anything that got in her way, she smashed or flung aside.

She roared, eyes blazing, a twisted grin spreading over her face as she locked onto the ponies caught in the cage of corruption, and her horn glowed violently as she leaned forward-

“A little too loud for my liking. It's a battlefield, not a concert hall or a flyting.” came a wry voice, and Stronghold snarled over her shoulder, rasping out a hot breath of flame as golden-armored Freya strode calmly into the hangar, a Draconequus striding easily along at her side.

The one-eyed mare smiled, then glanced past Stronghold, calling clearly: “I should say sorry that we're late, but I'm not at all. I'm disappointed! Where's Danzsöngr, she should have been done with Loki and his-”

“Don't ignore me, wench!” Stronghold roared as she spun around, slashing her horn out to send a massive blade of golden energy at Freya, but in a flare of energy, massive Tyrfing appeared and slashed savagely down through the magic, dispelling it into harmless motes.

Stronghold's eyes widened in surprise, and Freya smiled before she said softly: “You aren't the first dragon I've slain, and I doubt you'll be the last, either. Do you really want to pick a fight with a woman who fights back, little screamer? Wouldn't you prefer to run along and play another day when there isn't a mother around to spank you?”

Stronghold roared in fury, then she spun towards Freya and charged recklessly at the Valkyrie: she was so fast and powerful that any normal pony would have been caught by the savage stampede. But Freya, however, was no normal mare.

Freya caught Stronghold's lunge against Tyrfing before hooked Gæfa appeared in a flash, snapping around one of Stronghold's horns and jerking her roughly off to the side, the Draekin hissing in surprise before her eyes bulged and head snapped to the side when massive Dómr smashed across her face, and then sawtoothed Drengr sliced across her foreleg, knocking her flat on her face. Her massive mace-tail snapped up over her shoulders and slammed down towards Freya, but Discombobulation caught this with a grimace in a gauntlet-hand of metal, shoving it roughly backwards before Freya blasted Stronghold backwards with a laugh.

“That's very kind of you, Bob, but I don't need any help to deal with this little lass.” she said easily as Stronghold rolled back to her claws, flushed with humiliation, her body steaming with rage and energy.

Stronghold roared wordlessly as she charged headlong at Freya, but Freya only waited patiently for the Draekin to draw close before she suddenly slammed Dómr out: Stronghold ducked with a grin, but then screamed in fury when Tyrfing stabbed viciously down through her breast instead, the blade ripping through her body to pin her to the floor before Freya caught her wrist with her hooked sword when Stronghold tried to claw out at her.

The Draekin's eyes widened a moment before Freya slashed cruelly down with Drengr, cutting halfway through Stronghold's foreleg before she sawed viciously through the rest of her limb, and Stronghold roared in pain before her eyes flashed as she unleashed a massive shockwave of force and golden flame. Freya cursed as she was knocked crashing backwards, weapons flying in all directions before she rolled and caught herself, then she swiftly lunged backward when Stronghold followed after her, frighteningly fast.

All the same, Stronghold's already-regenerated claws tore across her face, leaving shallow cuts and shredding her eyepatch to reveal the crystalline orb beneath. Freya was forced to backpedal further as Stronghold pursued her, before she flinched when the Drakein breathed a gout of golden flame over her before she plunged her claws into the inferno, grasping blindly at the Valkyrie-

Both her wrists were seized before Stronghold was slammed roughly down on her face, but the Draekin rolled herself sideways as she grabbed back at Freya, twisting her roughly by the legs to slam her painfully down on her back. And in a moment, Stronghold rolled backwards on top of her, straddling the Valkyrie as she slashed savagely back and forth across Freya's features, flaying her face open before a wild swing shredded one of her ears and sent her key-earring flying-

Freya blasted Stronghold off with such force that it shook the ceiling above, the Draekin flying limply into the air before the Valkyrie launched off the ground like a golden meteor, smashing bodily into the Draekin to knock her flipping out of control before the Valkyrie viciously slammed both hooves down into her gut, spiking her out of the sky to send her crashing face-first into the stone floor of the hangar with enough force to leave a crater in the cement.

The Valkyrie dropped to the ground, eye cold, face covered in bloody cuts before she glanced up as Discombobulation calmly offered her both her key-earring and a hanky, saying gently: “Be careful, dear. Every dog has their day, you know, and that goes for the Cruella de Vils of the world, too, because my is she ever a bitch.”

Discombobulation paused, then he smiled as he flicked the key lightly into the air, dabbing some of the blood tenderly from Freya's face with the cloth before he tossed it away, the bloodstained cloth transforming into both a dove and a cardinal that fluttered quickly away into the air as Freya said softly, her eye softening as she met the Draconequus' gaze: “I know. I should be better than this. I'm glad you push me to be a little better.”

“Only a little.” Discombobulation said pleasantly, as he caught the earring, then carefully pinned the key to Freya's ear, and the mare smiled at him before Stronghold gave a bitter laugh as she pushed herself slowly up to her feet, body pulsing with energy as she glared at them with hate.

“Weak. Pathetic. Disappointing.” Stronghold growled, before she asked coldly: “Where do you think you're going?”

La Croix and Moonflower both froze in their tracks, while Sombra only looked calmly up as he said quietly: “Our business here is done. We do not wish to interfere-”

“Your very existence interferes with me. Especially yours, Moonflower.” rasped Stronghold, as she spun around to glare furiously at the stallion. Then the Draekin snorted as Tyrfing slammed into the ground behind her, glancing back over her shoulder with contempt as she growled: “Don't worry. You'll get yours, too.”

“I get mine whenever I please, girl. And it's disappointing to see such a strong woman acting so pitiful and weak.” the Valkyrie said contemptibly, and Stronghold looked slowly back at her before Freya continued mockingly: “Oh, I find the boy handsome too, but he likes to lay with men and I accept that, strange as I might find it that he doesn't want to at least try the pleasures of this woman's body. Even I would give this mare a try if I had my old shape.”

Stronghold laughed shortly, turning towards Freya and opening her mouth before she snarled when she heard movement, spinning around as her horn glowed violently. “Don't run-”

Moonflower stood in front of her, swallowing thickly, staring into her eyes as Stronghold stumbled a little in surprise, the glow dying from around her horn. They looked at each other, Moonflower biting his lip and Stronghold snarling in fury, before Moonflower whispered: “I'm sorry.”

Stronghold laughed shortly, opened her mouth, and then her eyes narrowed as she felt something. Something touched her, brushed against her as Moonflower clenched his eyes shut, struggling to hold back his tears, and the Draekin frowned before she snarled, then almost shouted: “No! No, not like this! You can't!”

“I'm sorry.” Moonflower repeated as Freya frowned and Discombobulation leaned back in shock, and Stronghold snarled and shook her head violently even as she staggered and struggled to hold herself upright, her eyes blazing with fury as Moonflower whispered: “I'm too much of a coward to fight you, Stronghold. And I don't... want to give you another reason to come back.”

Stronghold gurgled, her body quaking with fury before her eyes rolled up in her head as her legs buckled beneath her, collapsing in a heap on the ground. She rasped weakly for breath, and Moonflower grimaced as his head swam before he looked up at Freya, almost pleading: “Please don't kill her. Not like this. The hex won't keep her down for very long, but please don't-”

“I don't kill in cold blood, boy, and I don't like when my toys are played with without permission.” growled Freya, and Moonflower winced before the Valkyrie shifted slightly, then said grudgingly: “But aye. She wouldn't let you leave otherwise. Run out of here while you still have the chance, she's already waking up.”

“K-Kill... you. Don't... leave me...” Stronghold struggled to reach up a claw, fighting against the hex, and yet... not, Moonflower knew. Because he could feel – and how it hurt! – how much Stronghold just wanted to sleep. How truly, how hopelessly, she wanted to surrender: how much she prayed for death, but she needed a reason to die. She was addicted to the fight, to having that moment, that single moment of meaning that came with the violence, but she was terrified of it, too.

He had never realized how deeply the hex connected you to someone. How you didn't just offer it: you saw them, at their most bare, their most vulnerable.

“Moony.” La Croix said quietly, and Moonflower blinked before he gave an uncertain smile, then he nodded and turned, stumbling away after the Loa, rejoining Sombra to head towards the broken shutter, doing everything he could to ignore the howl of rage from Stronghold that could no longer cover up how wounded, how hurt she was.

All he could do was move forward, and focus on staying alive, and swear to himself that he wouldn't let war break him the way that it had Stronghold Halfdragon.

The Jealousy Of Those Who Were

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty: The Jealousy Of Those Who Were
~BlackRoseRaven

Thorn grimaced as they headed quickly through the underground tunnels that ran beneath Exoterra, Muse and Necrophage hurrying along at his side as the wild cackles of the destruction entities chasing them echoed through the passages behind them. The security gates were slowing them down a little, at least, but unless they reached the bunker quickly-

Thorn scowled as dust hailed down from the ceiling above, the fluorescent lights flickering before a vent cover exploded, a mass of toxic white goo exploding out of the steam pipe and landing with a splatter in front of them. The three halted, and Thorn narrowed his eyes as Cancer's head formed out of the puddle, his crimson eyes glaring gleefully into Thorn's as he mocked: “Well, well, looks like you're at the end of the line, kiddo!”

“The end of the line is thirty meters away, past the security partition.” Thorn said distastefully, and Cancer gave him a flat look as the goblinoid destruction entity popped up into the air, his body forming in mid-flight before he dropped down on dainty hooves right in front of Thorn.

“It was. A joke.” Cancer enunciated, and then he spun away with a theatrical sigh, strutting away as he complained: “Y'know, it just about ain't worth it to kill you dead! I mean, your brother, least he had a sense of humor. 'Cept when I killed his bitch. Which one of these is your bitch, by the way? Or do you got bitches? Multiple bitch, do you see that, Faffy?”

A giggling filled the air behind them as the other destruction entity slowly pried up the sealed shutter, blurting out: “Dogs!”

“Yes, honey, dogs, sweetie, that's very good. 'Snot what I was talkin' about, but hey! Progress, right?” Cancer clapped his front claws together- Claws.

Cancer lunged suddenly, violently forward, claws raised high, and then he squeaked, head snapping back when Thorn slammed his metal hoof up under his jaw before Muse seized him with telekinesis and rammed him so violently into the ceiling he knocked a hole in it, squealing in pain and fury as he rocketed through the solid stone and cement.

Muse turned her glowing, furious eyes towards Fafnir, who stared for a moment before the mantid-like Destroyer suddenly rose a claw and blurted out: “I think I hear boss calling!”

“You should go find him.” Thorn said bluntly, and Fafnir squeaked as he leapt up to the ceiling and slithered hurriedly away through the hole after Cancer, the blue unicorn turning and saying calmly: “They'll be back, and much more ferocious. We need to get inside the bunker and-”

“Seismic activity! Bad thing, bad thing coming!” Necrophage shouted suddenly, before Thorn even felt the tremors, and he looked down too late before the earth exploded under his hooves, cursing in pain as some massive thing pounded heedlessly upwards, barely able to insulate himself with magic before he was being crushed and torn against rock and stone and the hard, terribly-hot body of the monstrosity that was pushing him up through the earth of Endworld along with it.

They smashed out onto the street, and Thorn was flung free, crashing and rolling painfully backward before he managed to shove himself to his hooves, bruised and battered and bleeding as he looked up with shock as a half-melted, hideous Tyrant Wyrm slowly pried itself out of the earth, turning glowing, hell-blue eyes on him as it rasped: “The Void has returned for us. The Void has come for us. We will unite with it.”

“As Regent of Decretum, I order you to stand down!” Thorn shouted, even knowing it was useless, pacing backwards with a grimace as the road buckled under its weight, sending ripples through the cracked streets.

The Tyrant Wyrm – a Grand Vizier, from its size and the malformed, loose horns that still vaguely formed a crown around its face – only looked down at him with contempt before it rasped: “You share our blood. We shall show you the true meaning of the Void. We shall show you what you are.”

The massive behemoth glared into Thorn's eyes, but Thorn looked back, cold and unflinching, the mental hooks unable to find any purchase in his mind as the Wyrm snarled in disbelief, leaning down as it tried to apply more psychic pressure to the stallion. “What? What is this?”

Thorn responded by deflecting the psychic attack, then responding callously: Shut down.

The Tyrant Wyrm reared back with a snarl, then it grinned, and Thorn's eyes widened before the massive monster simply slapped him backwards like a toy, sending him crashing and rolling down the street as it hissed: “Your powers do not affect us. We deny you.”

The Tyrant Wyrm dragged itself after Thorn: even half-melted, emaciated, and deformed, it was still terribly powerful, the Wyrm leaning down with a roar that shook the world and unleashed both shockwaves of sound and waves of toxic blue smog that decayed whatever they touched. Thorn cursed as he rapidly backpedaled away, before he gritted his teeth as something snared one of his legs from behind.

Cancer cackled as his claws sank into Thorn's hide, his eyes gleaming as he squealed: “You brought me a gift to make up for bein' such a bastard! Now, ain't that sweet, Faffy, he brought us a present!”

Fafnir giggled at this, nodding violently several times before his hands transformed into massive scythe blades, asking eagerly: “Can I unwrap him, boss?”

“He ain't the gift, stupid! That's the gift! But hey, if you really want this old thing...” Cancer grinned as he hefted Thorn into the air, the stallion grimacing before he was flung back towards the Destroyer. “Who am I to say no? Go long, pal!”

Fafnir cackled, wings exploding from his back as he leapt backwards, bringing his claws up as Thorn sailed through the air. But the stallion took in the situation even as he flew backwards, taking a short breath before he suddenly flipped and kicked viciously off Fafnir's stomach just before the monster could grab him, knocking the Destroyer flat on his back with a squeak as Thorn gracefully flipped before he landed neatly on his hooves.

“Oh come on!” Cancer shouted in frustration, as Fafnir spasmed and wiggled against the ground, before the mottled white destruction entity winced as the Tyrant Wyrm stomped up behind them. But the Tyrant Wyrm only grinned down at them, and Cancer grinned awkwardly back after a moment before he pointed back at it as he faced Thorn, shouting: “I got myself a real big pet now, see? He likes me a hell of a lot more than he likes you, you cheap ol' sack o' socks and dirty garbage! Which, I mean, that would be real nice right about now but hey, I'll settle for-”

“Lethal force has been authorized.” Thorn said coldly as he reached up and grasped his mechanical limb, and it sparked violently as Cancer and Fafnir traded looks, and then Fafnir giggled as Cancer waggled his claws and made his eyes bulge out.

“Oh no! He done shouted some scary words at us, what are we gonna do-”

The Tyrant Wyrm twitched with a growl of surprise as Necrophage bit savagely into its hind leg, snarling as it turned to kick angrily at her before it roared as a massive boulder shot through the sky and smashed through its soft skull, sending down a hail of muck and rotten flesh. It turned a half-formed head towards Muse with a look of fury, but Muse only responded by hammering it with several more massive boulders, tearing away most of its skull and leaving behind only an open, gaping hole that steamed blue mist and thrummed with eerie light.

The Tyrant Wyrm turned to go after Muse, and then it staggered with a roar of shock as Necrophage chomped entirely through its ankle. It half-dropped, then leaned down with a roar of force and poison, but Necrophage exhaled a thick mist of black smoke in response that mixed with the blue gas and neutralized it.

Cancer howled in frustration as he grabbed his head, and then he lunged towards Thorn with a roar, his forelegs transforming into hideous blades, tentacles ripping out of his body as he screamed: “I'll rip you-”

Thorn's metal hoof tore into Cancer's body, and the monster's eyes bulged before he was blasted backwards as Thorn's leg gave a powerful pneumatic pulse, the destruction entity crashing onto his back with a gasp before he screamed as he grabbed at himself, his body steaming violently as Fafnir staggered back from him in horror. “What... what did you...”

“I injected you with White Matter compound.” Thorn said calmly as he held out his hoof, revealing the holes in the underside of the material that were still faintly steaming. “Voidal composition or not, your molecular makeup is still similar enough to what it was that the White Matter will inhibit your abilities and cripple you.”

Cancer gasped loudly, and then he pointed helplessly, screaming at Fafnir: “K-Kill him! Kill him up!”

Fafnir snarled, then he spun towards Thorn and dashed towards him. Thorn began to ready himself, but then he only frowned and raised his head slightly before he said distastefully: “I do not require your assistance.”

Fafnir leapt at him, and then squeaked when a pair of hooves slammed into his face, knocking him backwards before a massive bolt of lightning crashed into him with enough force to bounce him against the ground like a ball. He bounced all the way back to Cancer, landing in a sprawl beside him with a squeak as Antares landed with a grin on one side of Thorn and Prestige dropped to the other, smiling at him as she said: “Maybe not, but this is bigger than all of us, isn't it?”

“Yes. That's why we're all here.” Thorn agreed with a brief smile, before he grimaced a bit as he saw the Tyrant Wyrm pick up Necrophage and fling her at Muse, who was barely able to slow her sister down before she cannonballed into her. “I think my friends require assistance.”

“Hey, asshole! Pick on someone your own size!” roared a voice, and Thorn watched as a massive Tyrant Wyrm of black crystal charged by, the Grand Vizier turning too late to react before it was plowed over and shoved down to the ground, the two immense warbeasts struggling against each other gamely.

Cancer wheezed as he dragged himself up to his feet, one of his red eyes twitching as Fafnir slithered to his own, clicking and hissing. “God-dammit, stupid ass stupid dumb kid! Who the hell said you could interfere? Unless you're saying you want me to take the sloppy seconds on your girlyfriend again, that is.”

Cancer glared at Prestige, and Prestige smiled thinly before she suddenly snapped her horn upward, Cancer squealing as he was blasted into the air by a powerful explosion of force before streams of lightning ripped across his body, which then transformed into crimson snakes that spun violently around him, becoming a massive tornado of flame that carried Cancer backwards. Fafnir screamed as he realized it was coming too late before he was sucked into the vortex.

As the tornado of flame carried the two destruction entities away, Innocence forcefully slammed a claw into the Tyrant Wyrm's neck, the half-formed beast snarling in fury as part of its body rapidly crystallized, allowing her to shove it roughly over and pin it helplessly on its back. She slammed a claw down into its breast, raking it open with her crystal claws before the Tyrant Wyrm flung her backwards even as its hideous, mottled core of a gaping eye was exposed, but the Grand Vizier never managed to climb back to its claws as Necrophage came rocketing out of the sky and slammed through the hideous heart of the beast.

The Tyrant Wyrm roared in outrage before it collapsed backwards in a rotting, useless heap, and the crystalline wyrm stepped back from its defeated foe before it dropped its head low, jaws opening wide to allow Innocence to leap out, striking a pose in her black Valkyrie armor as she slammed a bladed gauntlet against the ground, declaring: “And that's how I saved the entire world by myself!”

“Yeah, great job, Sin. You haven't quite done that yet, though.” Antares said dryly, before he patted Thorn on the shoulder, saying quickly: “I came across Cowlick and found out she's got a communication relay back up. You might want to go and find her.”

“Alright, I...” Thorn stopped, then he frowned and looked up as a weak, broken laugh filtered through to his ears.

“You don't... get it, do you?” rasped Cancer, as he and Fafnir dragged themselves back towards them. They were both badly burnt and grievously injured, steaming energy, and yet in spite of the pain and the wounds across their bodies, they both seemed manic, gleeful even. “It's all... it's all over...”

“We're done... finished... kaput!” Fafnir giggled, clutching at his chest before he whispered: “No more magic, no more rings, no more anybody or anything...”

“No more anything! Just... us... just us, and the end...” Cancer gurgled, as he leaned into Fanfir, who leaned back against him, before they both grinned as their eyes glowed, liquid metal and mottled slime flowing and twisting together before the ponies flinched in surprise as a shockwave of force rushed over them.

Two indistinct masses leapt backwards, flooding into the corpse of the fallen Tyrant Wyrm, and Innocence swore before she pointed sharply, her crystalline Wyrm-golem leaping forward-

A massive claw of metal tore out of the Wyrm's hide, smashing through the face of the construct and knocking it backwards before cracks and ruptures traveled along the entire body of the golem, and Innocence shouted in disbelief as her Wyrm-construct shattered like glass, pelting the street around her with chunks of rotting crystalline debris.

A hideous, faceless thing yanked itself out of the corpse of the Tyrant Wyrm: no two parts of it were alike, and it bore no parallels, no symmetry, no beauty. It was hideous, nothing but stretching claws, and poison, and jaws, a beast of destruction without redemption.

It leapt at Innocence, swinging down an oversized arm ending in terrible hooked claws, and Innocence scurried backwards with a curse, narrowly avoiding the first swipe before she screamed in agony when a leech-like growth lashed around from the creature's back and clamped onto her, instantly beginning to inhale her life and energy. She wriggled for a moment, but then Prestige was there, slicing her horn through the tentacle before she snapped her horn at the beast, but fire didn't burn it, electricity didn't shock it.

It slapped her aside, then tried to hook her with an insectile appendage on the other side of its body, but Antares blasted this with white fire before he winced and ducked back when the monster spun towards him, lashing its claws out and vomiting out toxic acid, making only a sick rasping noise as it half-crawled, half-loped after Antares.

“I can't read the goddamn thing! It just feels like... like pain and destruction and...” Antares winced as he ducked to the side when a tentacle lashed at him suddenly, before he retaliated with a blast of purification that at least managed to drive the creature back a step, making it hiss before it belched out a stream of blue gases that filled the air around it and rotted whatever it touched.

Antares backed quickly up, then he winced as the monster lunged out of the smog towards him, all seething claws and tentacles. He flapped his gemstone wings hard, launching himself into the air as he unleashed a flash of white light that at least seemed to stun the monster, giving Prestige enough time to hammer it again with another volley of magic.

The destruction incarnate barely stumbled, the magic having little effect on it but to draw its attention to her as it spun around and lunged, head almost splitting in half to reveal a beartrap jaw full of deadly curved teeth that snapped savagely at Prestige, who winced and narrowly avoided being caught in their crushing embrace. She was only saved by Innocence leaping in with a roar, slamming a talon across the face of the creature to knock it stumbling before she stomped down, sending blades of corruption exploding up from the earth to-

The corruption uselessly twisted around the monster, like the dark poison couldn't affect it, and Innocence stared in shock before she squeaked when it smashed her into the ground with its oversized claw, before it hefted her in the air and began to squeeze. She gasped in pain, then snarled as her horn thrummed, and the monster was jerked away from her by huge vines that tore out of the cement and snared around the beast's limbs before they turned to stone, restraining it for a few precious moments that the ponies were able to use to regroup.

Then the vines simply melted away as the entity dropped forward, and it finally spoke, jaws gaping open to let the words seemingly simply fall out, echoing: “All will become one with the Void. Surrender. Give in. Shallock, kra'a tel; Shallock, tes'ra da maen...”

Antares flinched and Prestige moaned, grabbing at her head as her eyes watered and blood ran from her ears, but Thorn stepped forward and replied sharply, in the same cursed language of the Black Verses: “No dak'ra nay zakan shallock!”

Antares blinked dumbly as the destruction entity vibrated violently, its whole body rippling before it seemed to grow in size and stature as it visibly became enraged, then it lunged after Thorn, claw-hands becoming massive blades that pounded viciously down like pistons as Thorn expertly dodged backward before he whistled loudly.

Out of nowhere, a massive girder slammed into the monster, nearly cutting it in half as it twisted impossibly several times around on itself before Thorn leapt forward and caught the end of the metal rail sticking out of the beast, electricity surging down his mechanical limb and across the monster.

But the beast barely seemed affected by it, only twitching a little before it slashed a claw down, and Thorn gritted his teeth as he ducked back before his eyes widened as a second claw slammed down and tore through his prosthetic limb, knocking staggering as the remains clinging to his shoulder sparked violently.

He was punted into the air by the destruction beast, then slammed down into the ground by a lash of a tentacle before a jaw-like growth attempted to bite into him: Antares, however, rebounded this with a wall of white energy that formed in front of Thorn, before he shattered the platform with a sharp slash of his horn, pelting the creature with shards of energy.

The monster staggered away from Thorn, who rolled quickly to the side as he grabbed at his broken prosthetic, popping it loose with practiced flick of his hoof. Necrophage, Antares, Innocence, and Prestige all rushed forward to the stallion's aid, the monster transformed as it stalked forwards, long, gangly limbs ending in horrific blades slashing wildly out on all sides of it along with rubbery, spiked tentacles that struck like whips, slashing and smashing the other ponies flying like bowling pins before it lunged at Thorn, gaping jaws first.

Thorn lunged to meet it fearlessly as a black limb exploded out of his stump, the monster reacting too late before a black fist slammed into the monster's face, stopping it dead before the claw seized into its skull and slammed it face-first into the ground with a tremendous crash.

Thorn leapt quickly back, face twitching slightly as black veins pulsated slowly across his features, his dark claw flexing against the ground before he said coldly as the others automatically assembled themselves around him: “We have to neutralize it. Innocence, you and I will flood it with corruption. Prestige, physical magic should still slow it down: work with Necrophage and Muse to stop it from moving long enough for Innocence and I to get close. Antares, wait for my signal.”

“You got it.” Antares said sharply, and his seriousness and deference to the young stallion made Innocence and Prestige both immediately nod as well, even as the beast slithered up to its feet, transforming and twisting itself into a wretched, hideous thing that defied explanation or logic, all claws and blades and heads that were nothing more than jaw-traps.

Thorn flexed, letting the rage flow through him, not fighting the emotion but refusing to let it take over, either. He was intense and focused as he charged straight at the beast, trusting in the others to do their jobs even as the destruction beast lunged at him with its countless blades and claws and maws.

The creature twitched as if in surprise as a glow suffused it, Muse's eyes and horn glowing with power in the distance as she forcibly bound the creature with telekinesis before Necrophage skidded underneath it, leaping around to its back to seize it by its many tails and yank it backwards with a grunt, making it writhe and twist in an attempt to pull away. Cables and vines erupted from the ground around it before it could turn on Necrophage, however, snaring it from every angle, its too-many limbs and appendages working against it as the bindings found purchase across almost every inch of the monster's body.

The destruction creature was dragged to the ground, even as it began to morph, but Thorn reached it before it could completely change, slamming his black claw into its face and gritting his teeth as he focused his corruption into the monster: Innocence crashed into the side of the monster a moment later, slamming her claws against it and pushing her own black poison in, and Thorn laced his corruption with hers, black veins pulsating through his veins as he concentrated and ordered coldly, speaking into the destructive heart of the being: Hunger.

The monster fought against them, then suddenly trembled before it lurched upwards, tearing apart veins and bonds as it pulled inward, claws eagerly grabbing at both Thorn and Innocence. The mare swore as she blinked out of existence and reappeared a short distance away, while Thorn didn't fight as it hefted him up, its jaws opening eagerly wide before the stallion slammed his black claw down its throat, pumping corruption into a destruction beast that was growing steadily darker and more mutant by the moment- “Antares, now!”

A ray of white energy slammed into the destruction beast, and it twitched before it flung Thorn away, its jaws gaping in a wail as its whole body contorted impossibly on itself, trying to shield itself too late as its body vibrated beneath the beam before the ray of purification touched the blackness streaming through it.

And like a light to gunpowder, white fire raced violently across the paths of darkness that had been infused in the destruction beast, turning it completely to stone in a matter of moments. The others staggered backward in shock from the statue, but Thorn simply gestured at it and clicked his tongue.

Necrophage leapt onto the malformed statue, leaping up above it and raising her hind legs with a snarl before she stomped down as Muse accelerated her sister towards the ground, sending up an explosion of dust and shale as the Replicant tore through the statue like a knife through butter. She shook herself quickly out as she straightened, then she looked up at Thorn with a bright smile, blurting out: “We did it!”

Thorn smiled for a moment, before he frowned and glanced back as a chuckle rose up from the hole in the street, and the stallion narrowed his eyes as a malformed claw tore into the ground as two smaller Tyrant Wyrms rose their heads out of the hole, one of them grinning cruelly as its eyes turned to Thorn, whispering silkily into his mind: We smell you. You cannot run from us, child. You are kin to us now. You know this cannot be stopped.

Thorn began to turn towards them, but Antares grabbed his shoulder and grinned, saying easily: “Hey, don't show off. I got this. You go find Cowlick. She was bad enough when she was alive but now she's got like superpowers.”

“She's just like strong and stuff. That's not superpowers. I have superpowers.” Innocence said grumpily, then she demonstrated by levitating herself into the air. “See?”

“Can you handle the Black Verses?” Thorn asked, and Innocence glowered at him as Antares grinned and shrugged amiably. “Antares, this is-”

“Serious, I know. You gotta go.” Antares said quietly, pointing into the distance as a massive explosion went up, and Thorn looked up and watched with a grimace as a tower in the distance slowly collapsed as blasts tore across its face. Nothing was getting close to them because of the emerging Tyrant Wyrms, but... Cancer and his friend weren't the only Voidborn who entered Endworld. And Loki is out there, too...

“You're right.” Thorn turned as Necrophage and Muse quickly joined him, the stallion glancing back once as he almost ordered: “Stay alive.”

With that, he broke into a gallop down the street in the direction that Antares had come from, and the stallion huffed after his younger brother as Innocence shouted: “Hey, I'll die if I want to, you douchebag, and don't you forget it!”

“Let's get serious, guys.” Prestige said flatly, and Antares and Innocence both turned as two massive Tyrant Wyrms came stomping towards them, half-melted and dripping both corruption and ashes, but Innocence only grinned as Antares winked.

“What, for this?” Antares asked, and then he smiled slightly over at Prestige, saying easily: “We've lived through a lot worse than this.”

Prestige smiled despite herself as Innocence grinned, and the three stepped forward, fearless in the face of the deformed and hideous beasts even as they began to chant the hymns of the Void that had promised to infect and embrace and destroy them all.

Cadence stepped back down into Endworld, and blinked in surprise as she arrived beside her team inside some sort of makeshift camp, La Croix grinning wryly and holding up a hoof as a few ponies glared distrustfully at Cadence. “Hey, hey, y'all calm down now. This one ain't bad.”

“Hello again, Cadence. It is good to see you again.” greeted Tender Trust, and Cadence smiled wryly as she looked up at the Phooka, before she cocked an eyebrow in surprise as she noted there was a second winged Phooka here as well, this mare dressed in armor that looked suspiciously like Sol Seraph's. “This is my okâwîmâw, Fluttershy. I believe we talked of her when we last met. Okâwîmâw, this is Cadence.”

“It's very nice to meet you, Cadence.” Fluttershy said politely, and Cadence bowed her head back to her before the Phooka gave a small smile, adding: “Please don't be alarmed. Sol Seraph was my mother. She has passed on now, and I have taken on her armor.”

“Oh, uh... that's... great.” Cadence said awkwardly, torn between a slew of conflicting emotions before she threw it all off with a shake of her head as she looked quickly around the camp: they had set up in the ruins of a residence, and the mare could see Kirin coming and going, a few angels, a hoof-full of Orphans and warriors from other worlds, and a Dogmatist or two... “This looks awful.”

“Oui, we don't got time to rest much, either. Somethin' fried most of Endworld's fancy electronics, and it seems the first thing Loki did was attack the portals where our amies were comin' in from.” La Croix hesitated, then he slumped a bit with a sigh as Moonflower smiled faintly and Sombra gently grasped his shoulder. “First wave was bad enough. Husks and ghouls. Now seems like he's callin' up the Tyrant Wyrms somehow, and all sorts o' crazy things wiggling into reality. 'Slike... Loki and his crew bein' here is lettin' 'em...”

“Home in.” finished Cadence, feeling strangely unsurprised. That felt eerily familiar, like it had been... something we did before? That doesn't make sense. Who is 'we?' Not me, but someone... else.

She shook her head quickly, glancing up in surprise as Courtly Love leaned back from a mobile terminal, the Changeling giving an awkward smile as he said quickly: “A lot of friends still made it through the portals, though, and uh... there's at least two portals still waiting to connect to our world. If we can just activate them, we can get reinforcements.”

Cadence privately didn't know if she agreed with the idea of dragging more people into this, but she was spared answering as Courtly sat up a little, almost blurting out: “But wait, you can-”

“I can't jump anywhere at the moment. I just went back and forth between this planet and an Orbiter. I'm exhausted.” Cadence said dryly, but Courtly Love only smiled and nodded hurriedly.

“No, no, that's not what I meant! You're a Rex Prox! See, Seneschal isn't available, the pulse from the nuclear rail that knocked the Ahriman... wait, that was you, wasn't it? You... I mean, yes, of course, I... yes.” Courtly Love smiled embarrassedly as Cadence gestured at him grouchily, blushing a bit at the awkward looks she was getting. “Seneschal is only working in limited apparatus right now, so we can't reactivate some of the defenses. But you should be able to use your Rex Prox authorization to bring security back online, maybe initiate a system reboot for the power grid, too.”

Cadence hesitated, then she nodded grudgingly with a grimace: if the rail had caused the blackout, she had a responsibility to fix as much of it as possible... and besides, that sounds like it might actually help. “Okay, so-”

“Ain't gonna be that easy, Cygne. Like I said, things were bad enough at first, but it's only gettin' worse.” La Croix said, and Cadence frowned and looked up as the zebra grimaced a bit. “Lost Souls are appearin' all over too. The exploding kind. It seems like more Terrors are comin', too, like...”

“They're being attracted here. Maybe by Loki, maybe by his Ahriman. What about Thorn and Hecate?” Cadence asked even as she approached the mobile terminal, gesturing Courtly Love aside so she could see what she could do remotely.

The Changeling bit his lip, saying uneasily: “We lost contact with both. We lost contact with the entire castle... and no one can get close to find out what's happening. We've had reports of some kind of puppet things, brittle if you can actually hit them, but they have impossible powers...”

“Yeah. They're infused with the energy of gods and giants that Loki couldn't absorb or control any other way. It must be something his powers don't let him manipulate somehow...” Cadence shook her head. There was no time to puzzle it out, just enough time to accept it and deal with it as it came. “Are they staying in that area?”

“Yeah, I don't know why, though. We detected some incredible energy levels and picked up some images of fighting in that zone, and some of the survivors from the castle we rescued reported that Hecate saved them, threw them clear of the blast with her powers somehow and shielded them. But otherwise the area's been almost completely locked down.” Court hesitated, and then he said apprehensively: “If... maybe if... it's not my place, but I mean, Endworld has a massive network of underground tunnels and bunkers. I bet with a little bit of effort you could pretty easily sneak through there. The only thing is that you'd need help from Seneschal, Thorn, or Hecate herself... I don't think anyone else has security access high enough to pass from bunker-to-bunker.”

Cadence smiled slightly at this: she thought she might know one other person who did. “Thanks, Court. And I bet I can access the bunkers from...”

Cadence brought up a fuzzy map of the sector they were in, before she tapped on a building marked with a red circle. “Station 4, here.”

“Oui... oui, yeah! Communications be in and out right now 'cause the antennae ain't all raised, but if we bring the power back online, at least most of the sectors will be able to talk again, and then we should be able to turn on the security remotely, right? At least the Drones will be functionin' again.” La Croix said suddenly, perking up before he gave a wry grin. “Maybe it ain't over yet.”

“It's not. We're going to finish this thing, and we're going to stop Loki.” Cadence said firmly, and she was surprised at how her words, her confidence, had such an effect on the group: even the people who she hadn't thought were listening perked up, and Cadence shifted awkwardly before she cleared her throat, ignoring the faint blush rising from her collar as she asked: “Fluttershy, do you know how many ponies came here from Looking Glass World, and where they ended up?”

“Yes; about fifty of us volunteered, but I think only forty or so made it before the portal exploded. I hope the others weren't badly hurt when it collapsed on us.” Fluttershy shook her head, biting her lip for a moment before she continued: “The portals weren't functioning right to begin with, which was why a lot of us weren't here earlier. Someone said something about how the signals were being 'scrambled.' We activated the portal and made the run blind, but when we came out the other side it was right into a trap. A lot of us were scattered, just teleported in random directions. It was strange. It wasn't like they were trying to stop us or kill us. It was like they were just trying to split us up for now.”

Cadence grunted, before she looked up with a frown of surprise as Courtly Love added: “Yeah, according to the logs, the portals were eventually just blown up... but it looked like someone tried to overload them first. I think... I don't want to-”

“Just spit it out, Court.” Cadence said, and the Changeling swallowed before he took a breath.

“I think this was part of Loki's plan. To screw with the portals, knowing we'd call in help from other worlds. And once we did, I think he tried to send some kind of signal back through them...”

“And his forces might have started an attack on other worlds, too. The ones that dared to help us. The ones that would stand up against him.” Cadence said, and she grimaced a bit: even if all the Voidborn were here... there are Terrors. Who knows how many Husks and Lost Souls Loki commands, too... and he's obviously not shy about borrowing monsters from other worlds... and that's assuming he didn't just try and rip a hole in reality, so that... like Moonflower's world... “Okay. That just makes it even more important that we deal with Loki fast, and put a stop to this. We stop Loki, we save our world. We save all our worlds.”

Fluttershy shifted a little, then she took a breath and nodded, saying quietly but firmly: “Let us know how we can help, and we'll do everything we can.”

“Alright. Thank you, Fluttershy. I guess I know by now not to underestimate what the people of Looking Glass World can do.” Cadence tapped across the console, then she muttered: “Looks like we have a large group of hostiles moving into the area. Can anyone get any working scans?”

Cadence straightened, and there was silence, for long enough that the mare was about to give up, before a Dogmatist calmly, mechanically announced: “Unknown entities detected, number uncertain. Voidborn presence detected. Readings indicated minimal Void activity: fifty percent chance Voidborn operative is alone.”

“Either way we've got an officer to deal with, good. Let's home in on him and take him down.” Cadence said calmly, checking the projected readout on the mobile terminal before she stepped away from it. She looked over the forces here, and for a moment she tasted the Astra in the air, felt how they felt... and what is that? That sensation... “Courtly Love, you're in charge. Fluttershy, you and Tender Trust come with me. Dogmatists, remain on duty. Switch priorities to defense: if you want to help, protect this camp.”

Courtly blushed as he looked up, and then he rose his head in surprise as one of the Dogmatists promised in its chill, emotionless tones: “We will protect them with our lives, Rex Prox.”

“Cadence. My name is Cadence.” the mare answered with a smile, and the Dogmatist studied her for a few moments with its glass eyes before it nodded once.

“My name is Logic Circuit. I will do as you ask.” answered the Dogmatist, before it added, toneless, but glass eyes filled with more than just the glow of mechanical lights: “Good luck, Cadence.”

Cadence smiled briefly and nodded firmly back before she turned, saying sharply: “Fall in, then. Let's punch through to that Voidborn and see if we can disrupt their operations here, then bring the power back online. Then, we get to Loki and stop him. Understood?”

Moonflower bit his lip and La Croix took a slow breath, but Sombra nodded calmly before he spoke with quiet conviction: “We will get you there, mi amore. And no matter what happens, I have faith that you will stop him.”

“We'll get there together.” Cadence said with a small smile, not wanting to get into her vision, and also not wanting to waste any more time. “Let's move, people!”

Cadence headed quickly towards the edge of the camp, her team following, Fluttershy and Tender Trust bringing up the rear, and ivory mare forced herself not to look back even as Court blurted her name, before the changeling shivered, then waved wildly and shouted: “Good luck!”

They pushed quickly through the wreckage of the residence, and exited onto a street that had been torn apart. Cadence made a face as she led the way past the fallen corpse of a Tyrant Wyrm, but as they passed it, she could swear that it whispered into her mind: We are never gone. Not now, not ever again. Soon, all shall be us...

Cadence grimaced a bit, before she swore as a Tyrant Wyrm marched through an intersection ahead, snarling and readying herself, but Fluttershy was at her side in an instant, grasping her shoulder and saying gently: “That one is not hostile.”

“How do you know?” Cadence asked, but even as she asked the question, she realized Fluttershy was right: this Wyrm was different, anyway, more draconic than machine-beast, plated with heavy armor and with visible machinery across its back instead of the ugly bone-pistons, but most of all it was the sense it exuded: the Clay of Prometheus flowed through it, but it wasn't consumed by the Void.

Cadence led the way across the intersection once it passed: friend or foe, she didn't want to chance setting it off. They headed down the crumbled streets, and Cadence swore as several ghouls burst out of a building in front of them, not hesitating to fling a dagger into the face of the first and slam her hoof into the head of the second, sending them both crashing backwards in dead heaps.

Fluttershy kicked the third gracefully into the air before she slammed it down into the ground, and Cadence couldn't help but pause for a moment and cock an eyebrow as La Croix and Moonflower stared: from the crack... “You must have broken every bone in his body.”

“No, mainly the spine. These poor things... there's nothing else we can do for them, is there?” Fluttershy asked, and Cadence looked down at the snarling corpse of the Kirin before Fluttershy reached down and gently slid the ghoul's eyes closed, saying softly: “Perhaps sometimes death... is a mercy. It's a truth I've grappled with all my life.”

Cadence grunted, then she shook her head quickly, looking at the gaping black hole of the shattered doorway the ghouls had punched through: there might be more in there. “We have to keep going. Pick up the pace.”

She led her team quickly down the street: they avoided contact as much as possible with the other ghouls and the few Husks they saw and kept going on as straight a path as possible until La Croix grimaced as his Mission Drive gave a few low beeps: “Detectin' lots of activity just up ahead, Cygne.”

“They're either heading to Station 4 too, or trying to secure the sector exit. Great.” Cadence muttered, before she led the way quickly down a side alley on instinct, glancing over at her father and asking: “Can you follow us up?”

Sombra nodded calmly, and Cadence smiled briefly before she took a breath and leapt into the air, flapping her wings to fly quickly upward through the maze of broken cables and collapsed fire escape.

She landed on the rooftop, and it was like Fluttershy and Tender Trust had already been there, as the older Phooka said softly: “They know.”

Cadence frowned as the rest of her team joined her; Moonflower flumping down on the roof, Sombra phasing through the material, La Croix appearing out of nowhere. “What do you mean? Do you...”

And then Danzsöngr was there, beside her, looking out through the Astra, and Cadence narrowed her eyes. “Two Voidborn... or one and a half, I guess I should say. Swiftly Wing and Auriculos. But there is something... wrong with Auriculos.”

“Swiftly Wing... she was there when I first...” Fluttershy paused, then she gave a small smile as she reached up and touched at her throat. “No, that's not quite true. She ran away. I can't blame her. We all died, after all... has she spent this long in the Void, pining, afraid? Is Loki that... cruel?”

“Wait, what?” Cadence frowned, looking over at the mare, and Fluttershy smiled briefly.

“Our first world was destroyed, and all of us died. Everyone except for Luna and Scrivener. I died before the apocalypse: I was killed by the powers of a Blood Seer. Swiftly Wing, I don't blame her, but when she saw what was happening she ran away. She was just a smuggler who lived in North Neigh, the city that... was where everything ended, I suppose.” Fluttershy looked musing, lowering her head. “Strange.”

“Loki said he filled his army with traitors and cowards. People he wouldn't care about losing...” Cadence said slowly, but then she shook her head and muttered: “We'll figure it out later. Let's keep moving.”

“Think while you move. The mind and the body can work independently.” Fluttershy advised, and Sombra smiled and nodded to her in agreement.

Cadence only looked awkwardly at the Phooka for a moment before she shrugged and led the way over the slanted rooftop. Danzsöngr leapt ahead, and Cadence grimaced at what she saw: Swiftly Wing was riding in some kind of hell-machine with spiked treads and a battering-ram head and a single massive cannon turret, and Auriculos was doddering behind this in a modified drone body, muttering to himself and bleeding Astra... why is he already so badly injured?

“He did not heal in the Void. He is little more than circuits now, glued together with madness.” Danzsöngr said calmly. “Yes, he senses us. But he does not know what to do or where we are. And yet his pride prevents him from saying more than that we are here, we are here...”

“They're heading for the sector exit. I don't get it. We just head they were moving into the sector. Why are they moving back out already?” Cadence asked, and Fluttershy smiled as her daughter tugged at her childishly.

“I'll go get Swiftly so you can ask her yourself, Miss Cadence. Excuse me.” Fluttershy said politely, and then she was simply gone, moving so quickly and gracefully that Cadence could barely track her movements.

Swiftly snarled as she looked back and forth desperately from the safety of the Black Sheep, swearing violently under her breath: even with a sea of ghouls around her and the machine-monster Auriculos staggering along behind her, she didn't feel safe. She felt like at any time, someone could just swoop down and-

Something grabbed her, and Swiftly didn't even have the time to scream before she was yanked into the air, feeling wire twining rapidly around her body. And a moment later, she was slammed to the ground, hogtied by silver wire and helpless to do anything but wiggle before she screamed in terror when she looked up and saw Cadence looming over her with a scowl. “Oh no no no! Not you, no you!”

“Me.” Cadence said distastefully, and then she roughly booted Swiftly off the roof, Fluttershy wincing even as she automatically caught the ends of the wire against her hooves, so that Swiftly didn't fall very far before the wires went taut. She hauled the Voidborn quickly back up the wall as Swiftly screamed like a lunatic, before her eyes bulged out in terror as Cadence grabbed her by the hind legs and hefted her into the air as she stood up tall, asking sharply: “What did Loki tell you to do here?”

“I'm just following orders! I just tell his soldiers what to do, I'm just a middlemare, that's all!” Swiftly blurted out, shaking her head vehemently as she looked with terror between the ponies – the creatures – she was dangling uselessly in front of, like prey. “Oh Horses of Heaven, I never asked for this, I-”

Cadence dropped Swiftly on her head, which at least made the mare shut up, before she firmly stomped on the skull of the Voidborn to stop her babbling, Swiftly's eyes bulging out as she wiggled for a moment before falling still. Once Cadence was satisfied she was paying attention, she said coldly: “I don't like to repeat myself. What did Loki order you to do?”

“Hold... hold down a specific area. Keep Auriculos protected, he's broadcasting... I don't know what it is, how it works. He's jamming the systems?” Swiftly was clearly just parroting a term she'd heard, but if anything, that convinced Cadence she was telling the truth about her orders. “I don't know anything else! The ghouls... they'll come for me, they'll come get me, and-”

Cadence drew one of her long daggers, before she scowled when Fluttershy reached out and grasped her wrist, saying quietly: “Please don't.”

The ivory mare hesitated, but Fluttershy smiled before she looked down and simply flicked her wrist, and Swiftly blinked in surprise as the wires fell loose from around before before she stared when the Phooka leaned down into her face, and then said softly: “Run away.”

Swiftly trembled, then she turned and bolted, flapping her wings wildly and abandoning the horde of confused ghouls below. And, fearlessly, Fluttershy and Tender Trust both leapt off the building before Cadence could react, the Phooka dropping into the army of undead below.

The ghouls nearest them reacted on instinct, lunging at the Phooka with snarls of fury, but then only becoming confused when their claws couldn't grab, their jaws couldn't bite into flesh. They scrabbled uselessly at the two as Fluttershy and Tender Trust simply walked through the horde, heading towards where Auriculos was uselessly trying to climb up the back of the stalled Black Sheep in his modified drone body.

“Target! Target them!” he snarled, and the main cannon of the Black Sheep rumbled slowly around to face the two Phooka, before it fired, almost point-blank, into the pair, an explosion of force ripping up the pavement, shredding ghouls and roadway alike. But both Fluttershy and Tender Trust emerged from the smoke and debris unharmed, and Auriculos' eyes widened before he half-fell to the ground, his crystalline horn beginning to glow-

A glass bauble smashed into his face, exploding in a burst of antimagic that scrambled Auriculos' systems and drove him back with a scream of pain before he was kicked savagely into the air when Fluttershy seemed to simply appear beneath him, then punted viciously to the side by Tender Trust, who easily caught him in midair. Silver wire gleamed, yanking Auriculos on a steep angle to smash face-first into the ground before Fluttershy was on top of him, slamming precise strikes augmented further by the hidden blade that struck like a scorpion's sting down into the drone.

Auriculos began to sit up, and then gears whirred wildly inside of him before smoke burst up from his drone body as he fell backwards, a few loose plates of armor popping off and broken wiring fizzling as he realized she had targeted the spaces in his armor and destroyed the joints and circuitry that allowed him to move. He shrieked in wordless fury and indignation, but that was all he managed to do, his glass eyes glowing with rage even as a thousand voices rasped through his mind- “Y-You won't break me! I... I can control it too! Get... get off me, shadow! Get off me!”

Fluttershy only smiled, and then she asked: “Why so much hate, so much anger? Why so much pride? I've never really understood pride, I suppose... I don't know why you'd want to yell at the world about all the things you can do instead of just doing them.”

Auriculos snarled, then he leaned up and rasped through the static distorting his voice: “You and y-your kind can n-never understand... what it was like, to be bred as a s-superior specimen.. and to be... relegated to some backwater un... unimportant wreck. I... I was supposed to be... they made me...”

Fluttershy looked down at him with sympathy, as ghouls uselessly milled around her and her daughter, before Tender Trust said softly: “From the smallest acorn to the mightiest tree, all have their place in the world. It is not our job to change that, but to facilitate it. To keep the balance, where otherwise balance might be lost.”

“Savages.” hissed Auriculos, and then his metal plates shivered as his metal body sparked uselessly, before he snarled: “Initiate self-destruct protocol! The Astra bomb inside me will-”

“You can't control what you can't understand. Please don't hurt yourself.” Fluttershy said softly, and Auriculos screamed at her wordlessly before Fluttershy smiled faintly as she reached out and gently touched her daughter's shoulder, promising: “Things will be okay.”

“I don't believe you.” Auriculos whispered, and it was the last thing he said, Cadence wincing and stumbling along the rooftop as she stopped to stare in shock at the massive blast that went up, watching in shock as ghouls trampled each other in terror to get away from the enormous shockwave of energy that ripped through the air.

And yet even as the ghouls fell dead, when the energy breathed against her, Cadence only felt a strange and harmless longing, beneath the sizzle of electricity. She grimaced a bit as she looked down at where Fluttershy and Tender Trust had been, but a thick smoke obscured everything, and the strange energy boiled in her vision, was hard to see through because it was filled with the thoughts, the emotions, the ideas of a thousand souls...

“We have to keep going. All we can do is hope that they survived.” Cadence said quietly, as painful and merciless as it was to say, but she knew there was more gratitude in moving forward than staying behind.

After all, it wasn't just Endworld they were fighting for anymore.

All The Wrong Places

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty One: All The Wrong Places
~BlackRoseRaven

Stronghold roared in fury as she crashed against Freya like a raging tide, claws slashing viciously back and forth against her, but Freya deflected each and every attack with her swords, grinning widely and undaunted even as she backpedaled under the ferocity of the assault.

She caught a rending slash of Stronghold's claws against her smaller swords, then batted the snapping mace-tail of the Draekin away before she stepped forward, Tyrfing whickering down in that one vital moment of opening. Stronghold was fast, however, her horn flaring with magic and deflecting the attack even as she was forced backwards on the defensive beneath cuts from the heavy blade.

Stronghold snarled as she finally caught Tyrfing in her claws, ignoring the burst of steam that went up when it sliced into her palms before she jerked the huge blade backwards, catching it in her claws before she roared and slashed back out with it at Freya. The Valkyrie was forced to backpedal again, dancing backwards as Stronghold reared back on her hind legs, slicing the oversized sword back and forth with surprising grace before she lurched forward and tried to bury the blade through the Valkyrie, who narrowly deflected the stab into the ground before she spun around and kicked Stronghold away.

Stronghold's claws sank into the ground as she skidded to a stop, but she was grinning as Freya yanked Tyrfing free from the earth, crystal eye glowing and her expression of joy mirroring Stronghold's as she roared: “That's it! Yes, you would have made a fine Valkyrie, Stronghold Halfdragon, anger issues and all!”

Stronghold gave the barest hint of a chuckle, licking her lips almost eagerly before she frowned when Freya suddenly sheathed her swords with a smile, stepping back and saying easily to Discombobulation: “She's ready.”

Stronghold opened her mouth, and then stared in shock when Bob simply snapped his fingers, a green rift ripping through reality before she simply stared when Throna stepped through with a faint smile, followed by a massive, metallic dragon covered in bones and battle armor. She flushed in embarrassment and glared at Freya with something like betrayal, before her eyes widened slightly as Freya said kindly: “Terra, I know you disagree with me on most things, but this is something we can both appreciate. She fights like a young Brynhild. Namely by screaming profanities between kicking and biting me. But it works for her.”

Terra laughed loudly as Throna strode towards her sister, then she said softly: “I know you can't be stopped by fighting, Stronghold. You'll always come back for more war, no matter how much it hurts you. But I know war can fix you, too. War is perhaps the only thing that can.”

“You... you don't know me. Traitor.” Stronghold hissed, but all the same, she was too surprised to do more than back away hesitantly, and the way she stared at Throna, it was with longing, and love for her family that had never died. “I... you gave the world to that faggot!”

“Better than what you would have done with it! Who's the traitor now, Stronghold? And no, I don't care about our beliefs, or God, or any of that rot!” Throna stepped forward and slapped her sister, and Stronghold's jaw dropped as her head drew back, as Throna glared at her and said sharply: “You betrayed us. And that was the one thing you promised you never would, that you would never turn on family. But you did. For the greater good? For your own selfish gain? Or because... because...”

“Because... I was tired.” Stronghold whispered, lowering her head slightly before she gave a short laugh, saying quietly: “We're all a bunch of traitors. Now get out of my way. I'm going to fight-”

“You are going to fight. But you are going to fight for me, Queen of Heaven, your so-called White Dragon.” Terra said firmly, and Stronghold looked up with a furious snarl as Terra gave a wry grin. “I fear I'm not much of a 'god,' of course. Never have been, never will be, neither. But I'll make you a promise, Stronghold. Fight for me, be one of Heaven's Valkyries.”

Terra leaned slowly down into Stronghold's face, meeting her eyes before she said softly: “Fight for me against the fool who thinks he holds your leash, who thinks he's convinced you there's nothing left to fight for... and I'll let you fight me. You can punish me with your own claws, lass... if you think you've got the brass balls to, that is.”

Stronghold narrowed her eyes, before Freya said softly: “I promised I wouldn't fight Loki's forces. And I won't. I haven't fought you, after all. I was just testing you. And I could have killed you-”

“No. You could not have. This is insolence. This is no game. I...” Stronghold rose her head slightly, then she looked down at her sister, at Throna, and she bit her lip before she swore quietly under her breath and asked softly: “You put them up to this, didn't you?”

“I told them. Maybe in that, I betrayed you. But our world is gone.” Throna shifted a bit, before she looked up and said nakedly: “He hurt me, Stronghold. What did you always do when someone hurt me?”

Stronghold was silent for a moment, and then she turned away, flexing her claws as her body steamed for a moment before she visibly and metaphorically firmed herself, her eyes narrowing as she said coldly: “I hurt them back.”

Throna smiled despite herself, and then Stronghold said callously: “I'll kill Moonflower if I see him. But you offer me... a better fight than him. A... reason.” Stronghold glanced back at Terra, sizing her up before she said softly: “I smell your reek, demon. And yet I taste the truth in your words, too. And if Freya was any good-”

“I'm a better fighter than her, you ungrateful sot.” Freya snapped, and Stronghold gave a wry grin before the Valkyrie said in a colder voice: “We need to know what Loki-”

“You know, Freya. You know, and that, I think, is why you won't fight him.” Stronghold replied contemptibly, raising her head slightly. “He wants you all here so he can kill all of you at once. But he may have underestimated both the Goddess of this World and the strength of these... ponies.”

Stronghold smiled distastefully, shaking her head before she looked almost longingly out at the battlefield, growling: “There are so few worthy adversaries now in Loki's army. These stupid, worthless, pathetic ponies somehow defeated them all. Maybe I should continue to fight for Loki. Maybe I should find the source of that power-”

“Oh shut up, sodding grape. Peddle your whine somewhere else.” said Terra flatly, and Stronghold bared her teeth at her, but Terra only grinned to show off her own fang-filled maw in response. “And watch who you get in a measuring contest with, lass. I have a prettier smile than you.”

“Well, those god-puppets are glass cannons, that'd be a good place to start. You might be a bull in a china shop, but it's amazing how many bulls turn into incoherent puddles of tears when the china starts fighting back.” Discombobulation said pointedly, making an offhand gesture with his prosthetic limb. “And let's not forget that it seems like Loki's let loose a few nasty things into this reality that normally aren't here at all. I hear most of the awful things you find in the Void are invulnerable until you find that right item in the secret temple, but once they come out of the Void, they're subject to the same rules and regulations as the rest of us not-online players are.”

Stronghold looked thoughtful at this, even as the Draconequus apologized: “I'm still a little rusty. Do you know how many weeks of content I've missed? I can't watch YouTube all the time, you know. I almost could, but then I found out the hard way they banned those fancy glasses. I suppose Hecate technically has the copyright to glowing eyewear in this universe.”

“Beyond the puppets is Loki himself. The greatest challenge of all. And I'm sure Moonflower is on his way to fight him.” Freya said, and Stronghold visibly ruffled up at this.

“Fine. I'll protect the worthless...” Stronghold scowled at the look Throna gave her, before she said disgustedly: “I can't believe you made friends with that lout.”

“I can't believe you wanted to sleep with him!” retorted Throna, and the sisters glared at each other before the younger suddenly smiled faintly, lowering her head as she whispered: “Our world is gone.”

Stronghold lowered her own head slightly, her eyes shifting away almost guiltily before she said quietly: “I never wanted that. Everything I did... and then... it didn't matter. It... didn't matter.”

Stronghold's eyes shifted down, and then she shook her head and muttered: “It doesn't matter. I'm not here to cry about what can't be changed, though. Point me where I must go and I'll destroy everyone in my way, then come back so I can kill the rest of you cowards.”

Terra glanced over at Discombobulation, who huffed a bit as he rose his hand, complaining: “One of these days, you ponies are really going to have to learn how to do a portal spell, honestly. It's really not that hard to click 'go to last location,' you know.”

With that, the Draconequus snapped his fingers and created a rift, and Stronghold ran fearlessly towards this, leaping into it without looking back. It snapped shut, and Discombobulation hesitated before he said finally: “In the last inning, you don't usually call for help from the other team.”

“My sister's never fought for anyone but herself. I think... all it took was finding the right way to speak to her.” Throna smiled briefly, glancing between Freya and Terra before she said: “Thank you for doing that.”

“No need for it. It's a language I know well, after all. Stronghold reminds me a little of Celestia... of the old Celestia.” Freya paused for a moment, then she shook her head and returned her eyes to Terra, saying quietly: “Now, Queen Terra, as much as you'll argue with me, you need to get somewhere safe. Take the softie with you.”

Both Terra and Throna glared, but Freya held up a hoof. “Peace, you know it's true. You might be planning to escape your duties, Queen of Heaven... but for now, you're still Queen of Heaven. Loki wanted this. Wanted us all here. And we were stupid enough to come, even the people like me, who shouldn't be here in the first place.”

“Yes, but you've always be terrible about inserting yourself into places you're not wanted. I know that in intimate awful awkward detail.” Discombobulation said mildly as he hugged himself and gave a mock shudder, and Freya smiled in amusement before the Draconequus added: “And I'd be more than happy to take these folk a hop, a skip, and a jump-”

“No, I need your help. We need to call an old friend. And for that, I could use your assistance too, Terra.” Freya said pointedly, and Terra shifted slightly before the Valkyrie looked up moodily as there was a clanging in the distance, followed by the faint echoing of growls and screams: “Of course. The vermin already smell us. They're worse than rats.”

Freya unsheathed her short swords, spinning them calmly to the ready as Terra grinned wryly, asking teasingly: “Are you sure you want me safe, lass, or do you just not want me to show you up again?”

Freya only smiled thinly over at the Ironjaw, before Throna growled and anchored herself, her horn blazing as she said shortly: “I may be no Killing Light like my sister, but all the same, I am Draekin and I have my pride! Let's destroy these invaders and claim this territory for ourselves from the enemy. Then we all get what we want.”

“A battle, a sanctuary, and a place to call the Hatter. Very well. Bob, see what you can do to secure this room while we mop up the mess, then.” Freya ordered, and Discombobulation nodded before he stumbled when she leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, adding gently: “And take care of yourself. I don't want to have to dig you out of the Void.”

“Don't worry. I've had my fill of deus ex machina and last minute rescues.” Discombobulation replied even as he awkwardly touched his cheek, and then he smiled lamely before he vanished from sight as a door in the side wall was smashed open, both screaming ghouls and silent, armored Husks charging in.

Freya grinned, her eye gleaming as she turned to face them as Terra teased: “Are you sure you don't want to hide, Valkyrie Queen? I thought you promised-”

“Not to fight Loki. But I made no promise I wouldn't protect you. And I don't think these pawns really count.” Freya answered condescendingly, and Terra huffed loudly at her before the two moved forward in almost perfect time against the swarm of enemies.

And Throna felt both meek and blessed to be able to watch as the Queens of the Battlefield tore into the enemies that dared to try and stand against them.

Thorn Blackfeather had detected a signal he hadn't expected to come across, and had made a side-trip on the way to Cowlick through an abandoned building. He paused only once, when he found a disabled Dogmatist, taking a moment to uplink the last event data it had recorded and put its remaining operational systems into rest mode before he continued deeper into the building, past dead ghouls and a few zebra corpses.

Thorn found a group of Nzambi in the wreckage of a cafeteria clustered around the doors to the kitchen, and he approached fearlessly with Muse and Necrophage. The five Nzambi looked up from whatever they were doing with snarls as he approached, before the one in the lead sneered when Thorn calmly pushed himself up to his hind hooves, saying something crude in his own language.

Thorn all the same got the gist of it, responding: “Whether it is a custom you have abandoned or not, I all the same wish to honor it, in the hopes that-”

A packet of powder flew at him, but Muse created a psychic wall that deflected it back over the Nzambi, several of them swearing violently but only one of them smart enough to leap out of the cloud before it settled and dissipated. The other Nzambi were left scratching and hissing under their breath, bodies covered in visible sores as Thorn distastefully drew his eyes along them: their ornamentation was ostentatious, decorative, disgusting. There was no culture to them: just selfish expressions of self, and how they felt the what of who they were made them better than everyone else, because once upon a time they had been Bondye's Chosen.

Thorn flexed his dark limb slowly: he could sense them, smell them, almost taste them. Everything was heightened: his perception, his reflexes, his strength, but also his anxieties, his emotions, his aggression. It was hard not to give into those urges, to force himself to ask: “Why are you here? Loki betrayed Bondye and seeks to subsume all existence into the Void. You have nothing to gain.”

One of the Nzambi snorted, then he replied brazenly: “Better to be on the winning side than the losing, little one. Now, back away while you still have the chance.”

The Nzambi dug out a bottle of green powder that seemed to shiver and bubble with an eerie vitality, holding it up as he said with a grin: “Move at all, interfere at all, and I'll drop this. Then all our bodies drop. You, me, the mbwa jike behind this door, all of us. I don't want to do that. I like this body. But unlike you, I don't need my body. So what's your-”

Thorn flicked his horn, ripping the vial free from the Nzambi's grip before it could react, and he flung it to Necrophage, who simply chomped over it and swallowed it whole. The Nzambi stared in disbelief for a moment, and then Thorn slammed his corrupt claw forward, seizing the Nzambi by the head before he crushed it back against the metal door.

The Nzambi fell dead, and the other Nzambi stared in disbelief before Thorn withdrew his hyperextended limb, claws flexing as the stallion said coldly: “I do not have patience for games. Surrender immediately or be destroyed.”

At least one of the Nzambi looked ready to fight, snarling for a moment before there was a tremendous bang, and instead it stumbled stupidly forward, most of its face missing. The zebra corpse fell on its broken features, the back of its head crunched in from the force of the bullet that had torn through the door behind it, and one of the other Nzambi simply abandoned the body it was puppeting into spirit form.

The rest of the Nzambi lost their will to fight after that, following suit and escaping their corpses, and Thorn grimaced and moodily brushed flecks of gore from himself as Necrophage called worriedly: “Is that you, Lady Silver?”

“Who else would it be, pig?” Silver growled, and a moment later, the heavy doors were shoved open, Silver grimacing a bit as she emerged from the kitchens, grumbling: “For once, I am glad my sister has such an obsession with security.”

“Are you hurt?” Thorn asked as he dropped back to his hooves, and Silver gestured moodily at the scratches and dings across her body before she frowned behind her mask as her eyes locked on Thorn's exposed, corrupt limb, but the stallion only shook his head as he answered: “My condition is acceptable. I-”

“Talking like a computer makes you no less a pig, Thorn Blackfeather.” Silver chastened, and Thorn gave a small smile before the mare shook her head slowly and said quietly: “I am fine. Concerned. Angry. But fine. I... my sister must have saved me. I felt her grasp me, and fling me away from the castle before it...”

“Was destroyed.” Thorn said, and Silver scowled.

“Collapsed.” she corrected icily, glaring challengingly at Thorn, but he only nodded before the mare continued as her eyes roved downward, losing much of her ferocity: “Some little good it did, though. Those Nzambi found me almost immediately, hounded me into here and I had to... hide. Hide in the kitchens. Hide like a coward. I... I am not a coward!”

Silver stomped a hoof angrily, gritting her teeth before she looked up and ordered: “Take me with you, Thorn Blackfeather. Take me back to my sister, take me to her. I... I won't let her hide me away like she's ashamed of me!”

“We will.” Necrophage promised, and then she blushed and covered her muzzle as Thorn cocked an eyebrow at the Replicant with surprise. “Sorry, boss! But... I... I mean, she wants to...”

“She has to fight by her sister's side. I know you understand, sir. We do, too.” Muse added quietly, giving a small smile to Silver, who grumbled under her breath as she looked away in embarrassment.

“Let's go.” Thorn said almost abruptly, and then he turned around as he made a quick gesture with his corrupt claw, Muse and Necrophage both nodding and falling back to escort the mare as he led the way back out of the facility.

As they moved, Thorn explained: “Our first stop is a communication relay that's been reestablished by Bani. Our goal should be to reestablish the ground network, so we can reactivate Endworld's automated defenses and drone systems.”

“No, we need to find my sister.” Silver said firmly, and Thorn frowned a bit, but didn't look back or interrupt as the mare continued harshly: “All the security and weapons and toys in the world won't help against Loki! Other than Hecate, who else has the power to take on that lunatic?”

“We all have the power to stand up against evil. Evil succeeds simply because we don't.” Thorn answered, and Silver laughed shortly at this.

“Easy to say, but what do you...” Silver stopped, watching Thorn's back silently as they walked on, before she asked bluntly: “Do you really believe that? Then what does that make these Orphans, if any pony could stop evil if they only tried?”

“The people who stand up.” he answered simply, and Silver gave a small smile despite herself as they emerged back onto the street. “Stay close. Muse, scan for threats; Necrophage, keep your eyes open.”

“Yes, sir!” Necrophage said brightly, opening her eyes comically wide, and Silver rolled her own as Muse smiled a little despite herself. “Peeled like grapes! Which doesn't actually work all that well, so more like oranges!”

“What about these little piggies, Thorn? They're eager to serve. Can they hack at the root of evil, too? Can they even cut down the branches? Or, without a pony to guide them-”

“We are not having this conversation right now, Silver.” Thorn said quietly as he held up a hoof, and Silver glared at his back before she frowned when he flexed his black claw, stiffening slightly. “Something's not right.”

Only a moment later, Atropii appeared all around them, and Thorn grimaced as he narrowly managed to duck out of the way of a scythe before Muse unleashed a psychokinetic shockwave, knocking the Atropii off-balance. Necrophage began to leap into the air, but then she squeaked and curled up into a little ball instead when a scythe tore over her head, ripping through the mask of the Atropii she had been lunging at.

By the time she thumped to the ground, the Atropii had been torn apart by Reapers, who were being led by Aphrodisia as she floated eerily in the air, her eyes cold as she surveyed the crumbling remains of the soul-stealers. Then she looked at Thorn, studying him for a moment before her pallor lightened slightly and she dropped to the ground, giving a faint smile as she said quickly: “Cowlick needs your help! We... I was supposed to come look for you, but the Atropii...”

Aphrodisia almost apprehensively twisted her scythe in her hooves, squeezing it slowly as she whispered: “Elska hates them. The Reapers hate them. Our first instinct is to destroy them. To avenge Lord Thanatos...”

“I have an escort. Continue your operations.” Thorn said, and Aphrodisia smiled faintly before she suddenly hugged him, burying her face against his neck, and Thorn straightened slightly before he closed his eyes as the black veins receded slightly, allowing her to hold on to him for an extra moment before she gently pushed him off.

“You can't just be cold and pretend it away, Thorn. It's okay to be mad sometimes. Let's both not let what's inside us take us over, okay?” Aphrodisia asked, and Thorn smiled briefly before he gave a small nod.

Apps nodded firmly back, then she looked sharply up as the rest of the Reapers vanished, the mare shivering a bit. But she resisted whatever had called her for a moment, turning her eyes to Thorn and saying with sudden urgency: “Lots of Atropii are appearing. Lots of them. The Reapers are here in honor of Thanatos, but even we can't be everywhere at once. Only most-wheres.”

With that, Aphrodisia vanished into black smoke and jetted off, and Thorn frowned for a moment before he looked up into the sky, muttering: “Not everywhere at once... just most-wheres. Of course. Divide and conquer.”

Thorn started quickly forward again, and Silver swore as she fell in behind him before she asked: “ Do you really think-”

The stallion only nodded shortly before he frowned in surprise at the sight of something shooting into the sky, then he grimaced as a Husk crashed to the ground near them, bouncing bonelessly away to land in a broken, stunned heap. He turned his eyes quickly back ahead, noting where it had come from: She secured the power station itself. Interesting.

“We need to get up to the roof.” Thorn ordered, and Silver snorted before she leapt into the air, flapping her powerful wings to launch herself quickly ahead even as Necrophage squawked and Muse winced.

But Thorn only shook his head before he glanced back over his shoulder, saying curtly: “Launch.”

Muse blinked, but then she nodded quickly as she flicked her horn up, and Thorn steeled himself as he was hefted into the air before the mare leaned forwards as her eyes flashed, sending Thorn rocketing through the air.

At the apex of his flight, Thorn was able to see the roof of the power station, where Cowlick had set up a bevy of defenses with her son and jury-rigged a communications relay from a damaged mobile terminal and a hoof-full of salvaged satellite dishes.

Thorn concentrated, and then he blinked out of reality and reappeared on top of the roof, skidding a little as vertigo and forward momentum propelled him onward. But he caught himself quickly as he strode towards where a massive Cowlick was easily carrying a massive steel girder over one shoulder towards some immense antennae tower that Rustproof was building. “Bani, I need access to your-”

“Oh, good, the kid is here.” Cowlick interrupted as she slammed the girder into place to serve as a crude support, Rustproof not even flinching as he began welding it to the anchor plate. “Need you to give me your authorizations, and-”

“Listen to me, you oversized hog!” shouted Silver as she flew up into Bani's face, and the demon growled in disgust: before Silver could even start to say anything, a huge hoof seized her, crushing the mechanical mare before she gasped as she was slammed down into the ground and pinned.

“Bani.” Thorn said coldly, but Cowlick only bared her sharp, rotten teeth in a nasty smile.

“What, Thorn?” she retorted, and then her eyes flicked pointedly towards his ring. “I'm calling the shots, and I know what we have to do. You poster and preen all you like, but I'm the biggest, the meanest, and the smartest here, and since the Archives no longer have power you can't just-”

Thorn extended his black claw towards her, and Cowlick gritted her teeth before she snarled, veins bulging across her body as she flung Silver away before she stomped a shaky leg forward. She gasped as the chemicals in her collar bubbled, foaming at the mouth before she took another step, forcing herself to move against the hex-

“Momma. It ain't worth it.” Rustproof said quietly, and Cowlick stopped dead before she looked back at her son, the giant of a stallion looking up at her quietly. “We're all in this together.”

“Goddammit. Just like your Dad.” Cowlick muttered, before she loosened her stance and nodded grudgingly, growling as she turned back to Thorn as his hex faded: “Look, punk. Even with the EMP, we're drawing enough power from the auxiliary machinery to serve a range of about ten miles. But we don't have enough power to keep local security running, and if you reset the power grid, you're going to turn the lights back on but all your fancy computers are going to reset, too. How long is that process going to take?”

“Fifty two seconds and thirteen milliseconds.” Thorn answered, and Cowlick stared at him before she gave a wry grin, and the stallion hesitated before he added: “But you're correct. We'll cause a system shock if we try and bring all the sectors back online at once. If crucial systems overload...”

“Right.” Cowlick glanced up as an Orphan jumped on a turret, opening fire on a group of Husks below attempting to climb up the building, and she grimaced before she ordered: “Use your authorization to kill some of the nonessential systems. That won't be enough, though, not with how this entire place is wrapped in Hearth's Warming lights, so cut all power to the sectors bordering the city and the castle.”

Thorn's eyes widened slightly, and Cowlick bared her teeth in an icy smile before she said harshly: “Genesis is gone. Cut it loose.”

“If I turn power off to Genesis, we'll lose Dogmatist data. The more facilities I cut, the more Seneschal will be damaged, the more drones will remain offline-”

“And your Mommy won't get any help because she'll be in a blackout zone, sure, I get it. Too bad.” Cowlick said, before she leaned forward, narrowing her eyes at Thorn. “Do it. Who knows how much these bastards have damaged. This attack seems insane but it's been heavily coordinated, and I wouldn't be surprised if they try and overload us the moment we start bringing things online. You're running out of time.”

Thorn grimaced a bit, and then he nodded abruptly before he turned to head quickly to the console as Necrophage and Muse both joined them, one floating and the other scrambling wildly up over the edge of the rooftop.

Silver swore under her breath, then she lunged to her hooves and leapt after Thorn, shouting almost desperately: “We have to help Celestia! After all she's done for us-”

“That's precisely why we can't disappoint my mother now.” Thorn said quietly as he accessed the mobile terminal, grimacing and grasping at his corrupt claw before he tapped in a quick command, images and graphs flashing across the screen. He keyed in his authorizations, then glanced back at Necrophage, saying calmly: “I need your Mission Drive to scan my biometrics.”

Necrophage hopped quickly forward, and Thorn leaned back to tap a command across her Mission Drive before he leaned down into the projected screen that appeared, grimacing as it scanned across his face and eyes. Then he straightened and turned back towards the terminal, grimacing a bit as he entered a flurry of further commands.

Silver frowned as she approached, leaning over Thorn's shoulder before she blinked, then snapped: “Are you insane?”

“Possibly.” Thorn replied dryly, and then he grimaced as he finalized the command and the monitor crackled with static before the terminal died.

“What the hell did you just do?” Cowlick shouted as she wheeled on them as the entire sector went dark, before Rustproof winced and leaned back, hammering on the side of his head.

Thorn only straightened, then he smiled as a klaxon went off, answering: “Redirected power temporarily. I'm reducing the circuit load.”

Cowlick's jaw dropped as in the distance, a rocket lit up the dark skies as it streaked up into the air. She stared at Thorn, and the stallion said quietly: “Class III, incomplete, no boosters but a working communications array. The rocket isn't powerful enough without the additional thrusters to get it to safe orbit, but the decay should take about an hour before it falls. That's one hour of spotty communication coverage across Endworld. More importantly, it's cycling an alert signal: every drone, Dogmatist, and inactive unit it passes over will be given the order to scramble and deploy on invasion protocol.”

Cowlick was silent for a moment, and then she gave a wry smile as power flickered back on, although Rustproof grimaced as he said: “I ain't detecting any other signals...”

“In five minutes the satellite will self-deploy. Until then, communications are shut down across all networks while the generators start cycling up.” Thorn locked gazes with Cowlick, saying calmly: “By the time power and communications are restored across Endworld, I want Loki gone. Do I make myself clear?”

“Sure, boss. Whatever you say.” Cowlick grinned slightly, before she threw down the girder she had been shouldering as she said: “I haven't seen a lot of Hexad. If I were Loki, I'd cut that sector off early. Rusty and I can hit that sector.”

“Necrophage, Muse, go with them. Silver, I won't give you any orders, but if you really want to help, you go as well. The Hexad will obey you.” Thorn half-turned, looking coldly across the unlit sector: strangest of all, in the distance, in the powered-down sector where the ruins of the castle lay, he could see the brightest of lights from across the entire mechanical city. “I have business in Genesis.”

“Be careful, Thorn! And take this, you might need it! You'll need it a whole lot more than me, anyway!” Necrophage said quickly, pulling off her Mission Drive and offering it to him with a smile, before she added quietly as the stallion took the device and simply let it merge into his black-corruption limb: “I wish I could go with you.”

“You're always with me.” Thorn said softly, and Necrophage smiled radiantly at him before the sapphire stallion turned and ran fearlessly to the edge of the building, leaping off as Cowlick grinned despite herself.

“At least he knows how to leave in style. Just like his goddamn parents.” she remarked. “Okay, Rusty. You stay here, we're going to head over to the Hexad barracks. Right, Silver?”

“And then we push across the city.” Silver said, glaring challengingly up at Cowlick.

Cowlick snorted, then she answered: “First thing's first, babe, don't get your panties in a knot. For now, let's go wake up the robots.”

With that, Cowlick turned, and Silver growled before she nodded and followed with Muse and Necrophage, tossing one last look in the direction that Thorn had gone, hoping that he had made the right decision, and that her sister was still alive.

Luna stabbed viciously forward with her spear, but Loki slapped it away contemptibly before he blasted her backward. Scrivener caught the Valkyrie, however, then flung her roughly back at Loki, and Luna flipped at the last moment to slam both her hooves with a satisfying crunch into the Prime's face, knocking him flying backwards.

Before he could recover, Morgan appeared behind him in a blaze of shadow, slamming him down into the earth before she seized him with her magic and rammed him violently again and again into the street.

But then the earth exploded upwards, chains of stone snapping violently at Morgan and smashing her back and forth before she was slapped out of the sky with a curse, hitting the ground hard before jaws of rock suddenly snapped around her and swallowed her into the ground. Luna swore before her eyes widened in horror as she was seized from behind, and then she snarled as electricity ripped across her body, spasming but refusing to cry out.

Scrivener leapt at Loki, but the Prime simply stepped backwards, stomping on his head and crushing him face-first into the ground as he held Brynhild high like a trophy, the colors across his body thrumming malevolently as he growled: “See, the worst part of all of this? It's how dirty you're going to make me, you goddamn-”

Loki felt a force rip across his body, sending him floating helplessly into the air before he was slammed down into the ground, Scrivener and Luna both flailing wildly as they were carried away from the Prime on the ripple of force that nearly split reality. They both landed with dull thumps as a shadowy snake twisted out of the ground before it reformed into Morgan, staring with awe at Hecate as the Jötnar mare strode slowly, fearlessly towards Loki as the Prime picked himself up.

“Oh, what, you want to go again? Come on then, I got your-” Loki was cut off as Hecate vanished from the spot and reappeared in front of him, hoof slamming into his stomach like a freight train and sending colors of pain bursting across the Prime's form as his body bent and arms flung almost comically out.

There was a thrum, and Loki was blasted high into the air by a volley of force, flipping wildly in all directions before Hecate flicked her horn almost dismissively, and a terrible flare of light erupted around the Prime, trapping him inside a miniature sun. He screamed in agony as he was whirled around and around inside the nuclear inferno, Hecate fearlessly glaring up into the tiny star she had created as the others stared in awe, the entire sector irradiated in blinding light for a few moments before Hecate snarled and dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding a blade of magic that ripped apart the earth where she had been a moment before.

Loki snarled from where he was now standing behind her, Astra-wrapped body smoking as he flung several more blades of energy after her, but Hecate spun around and blocked all of these with a shield of energy before she unleashed a blast of her own in retaliation. It smashed into Loki, but his body shattered like cheap glass, and Hecate reacted too late as the Prime stepped out of reality behind her and seized her by the horn and one ear, snarling: “Bad pony!”

He twisted viciously, Hecate grinding her teeth together as he simply tore her ear off as her head was jerked forcefully backward, before his eyes bulged in shock as Hecate kicked off the ground and half-flipped backwards, somehow 'landing' upside down in the air as if standing on a platform none of them could see.

A moment later, Loki was knocked flat, flailing wildly and covering a face that had been seared by a laser of magic before Hecate kicked down towards him, but the Prime managed to slam a lucky kick across her head, knocking her sprawling to the side before he screamed: “Get her!”

Puppets appeared all around Hecate, tackling her from all sides, struggling to bind her down as she shook back and forth against them, and Luna swore before she lunged forward, Scrivener and Morgan following quickly after. The Valkyrie slammed into one of the puppets, then batted another almost in half with her spear before she gasped as electricity surrounded her, flailing uselessly as Loki snapped: “Oh, go away and wait your turn!”

With that, Luna was hurled violently into the air, flipping wildly out of control before something slammed into her, jerking her roughly onward. She swore under her breath, flailing angrily against the thing before her eyes widened in horror as squid-like tentacles seized her, crushing her into the rubbery body of the hideous parasite-thing that was shooting through the air-

Morgan appeared beside her in a flash of darkness, snarling as she rammed down a hoof boiling with darkness into the head of the sky-squid-thing, and the beast squealed as it fell from the air, Luna still in its tow. The Valkyrie barely managed to twist herself loose before it smacked wetly down against the roof of a building, Luna crashing nearby and rolling several times before she came to a halt with a groan of pain.

She slowly picked herself up as Morgan landed beside her, the Valkyrie glaring into the distance as her head heeled and her extremities throbbed. It felt like she had been whipped through the air at a thousand miles an hour... maybe I was, damnation. “Damnation! How did he throw us so far?”

“He threw you that far.” Morgan corrected, and Luna scowled at her horribly, and Morgan gave a brief smile as she turned her eyes back towards the beacon in the distance: Hecate's star had faded, but it was still there, still casting a light over the entire sector, but far enough away from where they had landed that it was just a painful pinprick of light. “Why didn't he kill you or throw you into the Void?”

“Because you are nothing to him.” growled a voice, and Luna stiffened slightly before she looked coldly over her shoulder as Ignominious approached, his eyes burning with rage, his spotless armor gleaming. Husks strode on either side of him, emotionless, but both dressed-up in similar armor, yet to Luna they looked like little more than living dolls for the Voidborn to play with. “You don't get it, do you? He is the Prime! He wasn't interested in a few more puny souls! No, he took much more valuable things than that... and he has merged with all those monsters to become whole!”

Ignominious sounded almost desperate, not confident, not triumphant, and Luna smiled thinly as Morgan gestured to the side, opening a portal that Scrivener emerged through after a moment. “Thou does not sound so sure, Ignominious. And aye, believe me...” Luna's eyes roved towards the fallen Ahriman, her eyes narrowing as they locked on one of the screaming horse-spirits still chained to the ship. “I know what crime he has committed.”

“But not all, oh no. Destroying World Without End destabilized us all, brought us yet another step closer to the Void. He's really going to do it. He's not going to take us all out of there, he's going to put us all back.” Ignominious whispered, his eyes almost haunted as he straightened and shook his head slowly, then he gritted his teeth before he leaned forwards and barked suddenly: “This is your fault! Why didn't you listen? Why didn't you come with me? Luna, Luna my love, there's still time to run away-”

“No. I do not run.” Luna said quietly, before she asked softly: “What did thou think would happen? Hast thou not seen his power? Hast thou not heard him speak?”

“I... I thought...” Ignominious crumbled a little, looking down and shaking his head weakly. “Why would anyone want that? I thought it was another deception. He's... he's not going to give us eternal life, he promised the Jarsongildi we would exist forever, but instead... he's just going to erase all of existence. I don't understand. What is he after?

“But it's too late to stop, to fight, to do anything. He's savaged your worlds. He's bringing the Void into this universe and pouring this universe into the Void. We can't fight him, or stop him. It's hopeless...” Ignominious looked up, trembling, before he whispered: “All I want now, my love... is to be with you, until the end... come with me. Come, come with me...”

“Ignominious, look at me. Look at where I stand, between those whom I love, and who love me. Thou cannot ask me to abandon them, any more than thou can ask me to abandon this universe in its time of need.” Luna replied with a brief shake of her head, her gaze pitying. “Great stupid fool. There is no defeat until either thou can fight no more, or thou surrenders.”

Ignominious gritted his teeth, and then he rose his head high, his eyes flaring with... no, that wasn't rage. That was fear, mascarading as anger, as he shouted: “I will not be dragged back to the Void alone, Luna Lightblade! I will take you with me... even if I must kill your accursed love-slaves to do it!”

“Then do it. Hecate can take care of herself until we are done with thee.” Luna replied grimly, cracking her neck as Prúðbikkja appeared beside her in a thrum of blue flame, and Ignominious laughed harshly before he slapped the Husks on either side of him away like toys as his body began to ripple and change.

“I... I still have the power granted to me by Loki... I will use all of it, all of it, to destroy you! It's pointless to resist, Brynhild... this has all been nothing but chaos and distraction to draw all of you in, to bait the net, and now Loki will call forth the Terrors from the Void as he feeds off all the energy being released... you fools, you're only making him stronger with every life you take!”

“Good. I am sure I will need a challenge to sate me once we are done with you, worm.” Luna growled, and Ignominious snarled as his features became a mix of equine and wolf, his whole body boiling with darkness as a long body-tail snapped behind him but four huge legs stretched forward, clawing at the ground with paws and hooves.

The malformed monstrosity lunged forward, roaring, many times their size, and yet Luna only fearlessly snapped her horn forward, sending a fireball into Ignominious' face and knocking his head snapping back as he howled in misery. Blue flames licked and danced across his features, freezing where they touched before he wildly swiped at his own face, brushing it off, but the frostfire coalesced in midair into one of Luna's Jötunnfang.

Ignominious howled as he was driven backwards by the mighty fist of ice, knocked rearing back before Morgan appeared above his head, slamming him with a tomahawk backed by telekinetic wrath to knock him flat against the ground. His long body-tail snapped out, and Scrivener Blooms leapt forward and caught this, pinning it to the ground before his Talons flexed, and Ignominious screamed as corruption rapidly spread through his tail and crystallized it.

He writhed back and forth, managing to twist himself around and snap his tail out, flinging Scrivener backwards as he grinned widely, but then Morgan snapped her horn down and sent sonic reverberations thrumming through his crystallized tail, the Voidborn arching his back before his eyes bulged and he screamed in agony as the black gemstone simply exploded into shrapnel.

Ignominious fell forward, and right into Luna's Jötunnfang, the second fist forming so the mare could viciously pummel him backward, slamming him down against the ground before she delivered crushing blow after blow down into his face as Scrivener summoned claws of corruption from the earth to bind him down, and Morgan floated above, countering any attempt of Ignominious to try and lash out from beneath the hail of blows crushing down into his face.

All his power, Luna reflected bitterly, and it was over in moments, Ignominious gasping as he shrank down into a pitiful mass of broken stallion, curling up in the fetal position as her Jötunnfang finally relented, black goo bubbling and boiling around him before it finally settled as Ignominious rasped: “H-How... how can you be so...”

“Because I am not alone. Because I am not afraid. Because unlike thee, Ignominious, I have not given up before the fight has even begun.” Luna growled, shaking her head in disgust before she allowed her Jötunnfang to vanish as she straightened and rose her head, taking a slow breath. “The fight is over. 'Tis time for thee to surrender. 'Tis time to move on. I... I am not thine.”

“But you didn't say you don't love me.” Ignominious whispered, clawing his way up to his hooves before he snarled, raising his head, babbling through his fear as his sword and shield appeared in bursts of shadow: “If I kill them, you'll love me, you'll come with me, it's all their fault that-”

“Ignominious!” Luna roared, and he quailed as she stomped forward, glaring at him furiously even as tears spilled down her cheeks. “Of course I loved thee! I loved thee first! I loved thee with all mine heart! I loved thee as friend, as partner, as more! And now... now that time is over.”

She fell silent, her spear trembling at her side as she lowered her head, whispering: “Now that time is over, Ignominious. For I loved a stallion. And if thou hast ever, ever loved me... be a stallion, please. Be the stallion I first saw thee as, that I first knew thee as.”

“I...” Ignominious trembled, then he took a slow, quaking breath, lowering his head even as he straightened, before he confessed weakly: “I'm afraid.”

“We are all afraid.” Luna said quietly as she stepped forward, readying her spear, and Ignominious smiled faintly before he looked down at his sword and shield, weighing them both in his magic in front of him before he rose them slowly, locking them at the ready.

“I... I am Ignominious of the Jarsongildi, Paladin formerly of the Second Order of the Holy Skies...” Ignominious stopped, then he laughed briefly, shaking his head before he looked up as he whispered: “No. No, I am... I have no name. I earned no name. The rest of them... they found their names, but I never did. My talent seemed to be for running away... my greatest feat was playing sidekick to the three great heroes. Why not remain Ignominious D'Equess, instead of pretending...”

He quieted, then he looked up and trembled as he set himself as Luna looked across at him silently, the stallion breathing hard before he gave a shaky smile and said: “I... I won't run away.”

Luna gazed back at him, and then she slowly steadied herself, the two looking across at one another before Ignominious gave a raw, wild yell as he ran forward, and Luna sprinted out to meet him, waiting for the hapless stallion to swing: she easily deflected the sword strike, then thrust.

The stallion trembled as he caught himself on his hooves, sword and shield falling to the ground as he gasped weakly for breath, wanting to do anything, anything, but die on his knees, clenching his eyes shut before he felt his legs buckle beneath him-

Luna caught him in her forelegs, and the stallion trembled as his head dropped against her. He shifted, but his hindlegs refused to work anymore, and he could barely bring his forelegs up to her shoulders, laughing weakly as Prúðbikkja ground lightly against Luna's side as the tip of the spear sparked behind Ignominious. “You... always were fast...”

“Thou art one to talk.” Luna said quietly, smiling faintly, and Ignominious smiled weakly back up at her, gazing silently into her eyes before she whispered: “There. There is my stallion.”

“Yes, always... always, Luna, always... and yet... I feel strange. Satisfied.” The stallion smiled again, looking up at her almost wonderingly before he murmured: “You've always been so beautiful. An... inspiration. But not much... of a leader, are you?”

“I have only ever pretended to lead. I like to show the way and walk the path first, but I truly hate to lead.” Luna answered softly, and Ignominious closed his eyes as he silently rested his head against her, Luna hugging him tighter to her chest and trembling a little before she blurted out: “Don't go.”

“I have to, my love. It's past my time. I understand that now, that all I was ever searching for... was myself. Silly of me... looking in all the wrong places...” Ignominious smiled faintly, and then he whispered: “I feel free. Don't cage me now. I'll never be brave enough to fly again.”

“I know. But I am greedy. Selfish. And 'tis unfair: I have to lose my first love twice.” Luna murmured, before she leaned down and silently kissed under his horn, closing her eyes before she gently touched their horns together. “Be free. Be free, Ignominious.”

“Thank you.” Ignominious smiled, one last time, and then he closed his eyes as he curled his head against her chest, clutching into her and trembling once before his body thrummed and dissolved into motes of light that swirled silently around Luna's spear.

The Valkyrie sat back, watching silently as Prúðbikkja vibrated faintly as it was lifted into the air, stretching almost longing after the swirls of light that caressed along it before she gently took it in her telekinetic grip, the horn-tip of the weapon glowing like a beacon for a few moments before she rubbed quietly at her eyes with the back of her hoof.

But after a moment, she steadied herself as Morgan and Scrivener both silently touched her shoulder from either side, and the mare nodded once before she rose her head and promised: “I will not give in either. We... have wasted enough time on my follies. 'Tis time for us to go.”

Morgan and Scrivener both nodded firmly in agreement as Luna shook off the last of her sadness. There was no time for that anymore: she still had a job to do, and an enemy to stop.

Even if this universe belonged to someone else now, they could pretend to be heroes this one last time.

One last time.

The Prime

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Two: The Prime
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence swore under her breath as the power fluctuated through the tunnels, dust hailing down from the ceiling as the world shook around them. Something was going on above: they had almost gotten trapped in the system of bunkers when power and communications had suddenly gone out entirely, but thankfully the lights had turned back on, and while they weren't reading much in the way of communications, the closer they got to the surface, the stronger the signal was getting. She had expected the antennae to be ground-penetrating... maybe they switched to something else, though. I don't know. I still don't understand how most of this networking stuff works.

Her team followed closely behind her as they headed into a half-collapsed corridor: in spite of all the support, seismic activity had torn and twisted the halls into ruptured catacombs. Cadence grimaced as she pushed a fallen chunk of concrete aside, ignoring the gravel that pattered down over her before she said quickly: “Daddy, need your help.”

Sombra nodded, striding forward and leaning past her to study the ruptured floor beyond for a moment before he shoved his hooves against the ground. Fractures filled with black sludge before hardening, the broken floor lifting up slightly as if it had just inhaled deeply, and Cadence ran quickly across, wincing a bit at how hollow the floor still felt under her hooves.

The others followed, and only moments after Sombra crossed the ground, the crystal cracked and the earth spilled away, forming a deep sinkhole filled with ragged ends of metal bars. Cadence did her best not to linger on this as they headed into another cracked hall, before she cursed under her breath as the world shook around them with the force of whatever was happening above.

She blinked in surprise as her Mission Drive suddenly fizzled, looking down at it before a projection of the Sigil of Decretum appeared, a mechanical voice announcing calmly: “Warning. Invasion Response Protocol is now in effect. Please proceed to your designated operation zone.”

“Does that include us?” Moonflower asked awkwardly, and Cadence smiled despite herself over her shoulder.

“That's where we're going. Come on, we must be getting closer to the surface.” Cadence said: and, less than a minute later, she was proven right, although not in the way she had expected.

The tunnel ahead had simply collapsed, but the rubble formed a ramp up to the streets above, the ivory mare grimacing as she noted the visible sky was lit with an unnatural glow. “Alright, stay close and cover each other.”

The others huddled in as Cadence led the way up the makeshift ramp, and she grimaced immediately as she looked to the side and realized they had emerged right next to the corpse of the Ahriman. She shivered a little as she felt a hideous energy still emanating from it, heard a guttural croak, saw the faintest of shifts, but she also saw the open, shattered plates across its body, the green goo leaking out of its hideous wounds mixed with coolant and other fluids...

But worse still were the chains, long and clanking uselessly and all of them ending in ugly barbs and hooks that were sunk through the spirits of the Valkyrie mounts still cantering through the air, trapped in the snares that Loki had wrapped around them. And as much as she hated the Valkyries... their horses were usually smarter than them.

An explosion drew her attention, and Cadence narrowed her eyes as she saw two figures fighting amidst a horde of wooden shapes. She wanted to leap forward, to run, to attack, but she steadied herself as she instead ordered quickly: “Alright, Moonflower, cloak us as much as possible while we move in.”

A blanket of invisibility wrapped itself around them, the four vanishing from sight before Cadence slowly began to lead the way forward, keeping her pace slow and steady as they crept up on the battle ahead.

Hecate and Loki were locked in combat, the Jötnar mare snarling as she sent both vicious blasts of magic as well as strange, glass-like bubbles of force at Loki: he retaliated with powerful elemental magic of his own, far more ferocious than he had been before as Astra boiled and bubbled across his body, fighting savagely, but every time one of those translucent bubbles came towards him, he cowered away, doing everything he could to get out of their path.

Danzsöngr watched coldly from the middle of the audience of wooden puppets, before one of them suddenly turned towards her and asked in a jovial voice: “Who do you think will win?”

“My faith is in Mother Hecate, of course.” Danzsöngr answered fearlessly, before she added, as she felt the Astra of the puppet: “What do you think, Father Jafnharr?”

“What do I know? Not much, as it so happens. Perhaps I am only a shade of Odin most high after all.” replied the puppet with a shrug, clicking as it turned back to watch the fight.

“Why do you not attack me?” Danzsöngr asked, curious more than anything else, and the puppet's wooden grin seemed to stretch wider as it shrugged easily on its silver strings.

“That is not the task I have been given to do.” answered the puppet matter-of-factly, before it added knowingly: “Besides, fighting isn't what we're here to do, not really. It's not what Loki has asked us here for.”

Danzsöngr studied the puppet of Jafnharr silently for a few moments, then she returned her eyes to the battle before them, watching as Loki and Hecate clashed together. The Prime snarled as he pushed uselessly against Hecate's shoulders, searing her flesh where he touched, but she drove forward against him, pushing him steadily back as her body thrummed with such power it made the Astra that composed his body ripple, before Loki squealed in shock when she snapped her horn forward and he was blown out of the layering of Astra like it was nothing but cheap cloth.

Loki landed on his rump, mouthing wordlessly as he looked down at his hands as, for a few moments, his Prime Astra continued to struggle against Hecate, but the Jötnar mare slashed through this and dissolved it before she straightened, eyes glowing and mane crackling around her as Loki cowered and held up his hands, babbling: “Wait! Wait, I surrender! Okay, I give up, you win, l-let's talk about this!”

Hecate was silent for a few moments as Loki whimpered and leaned away, before the Jötnar mare asked in a low, dangerous voice: “Do you really think I'm stupid enough to fall for that?”

Loki blinked, and then he scowled as he let his hands drop, saying flatly: “Yeah, I kind of did, actually. Fine, let's do this the hard way.”

Loki snapped his fingers, and puppets lunged suddenly in on all sides: Hecate cursed as she immediately snapped her horn up, a dome of electricity and raw magic appearing around her, but the puppets carelessly slammed themselves against it from all sides, making Hecate snarl as she felt literal godlike power gathering and struggling to bind her down as she shoved back against it with all the magical force she could.

Loki clucked his tongue as he put his hands on his hips, then he glanced up and added mildly: “Hey, Swan. I know you're there. Do me a favor, though, and don't come like, flying out of nowhere to try and karate chop me, okay? You can't kill me.”

“I can kill you.” Cadence said coldly, as she emerged from beneath the cloak of invisibility, and Loki grinned at her before he simply beckoned to her with one finger, and Cadence grimaced as she was hefted into the air and carried helplessly towards the god.

No, not helplessly, she thought: her whole body felt heavy, but not bound. She could feel the pressure around her, but that was it, only pressure, just carrying her. She could struggle wildly against it, or, she could move slowly and carefully, keeping her eyes locked on Loki's as she shifted a front hoof ever-so-slightly.

He grinned at her with amusement as she floated towards him, reaching up to flick her Third Eye as she said mildly: “You know, I think this is from the wrong religion or culture or something, kind of clashes with the rest of you. Why would you stick a dot on your forehead, anyway? Seems kind of dumb and all.”

He paused, then almost absently reached up and caught Cadence's wrist when she attempted to drive her dagger into the side of his head, clucking his tongue loudly before he mocked: “Now hey, that wasn't very nice at all! I just said dots are stupid, didn't I? Don't put one on my head, too.”

He paused, then grinned as he leaned in close, adding easily: “You've gotten better though, Dancing Song! Next you might just-”

Cadence drove a hoof into Loki's gut, and the satisfaction of watching his eyes bulge out in shock was almost as pleasing as the feeling of her head slamming into his face before she unleashed a blast of white force that knocked Loki crashing backwards, howling in pain as he grabbed uselessly at his blinded eyes. Cadence caught herself on her rear hooves and lunged after him, but she crashed into an invisible barrier, snarling and slashing uselessly against it before she tried to leap around it-

She thumped into another invisible wall, and then her eyes widened as she saw through the Astra and realized she was snared inside some kind of magical cube, Loki rubbing moodily at his face as he sat up and said distastefully: “That was kind of bitchy, babe. I mean. Kind of really bitchy.”

He paused, then scowled, and Cadence twitched in surprise as the cube of magic disintegrated around her before Moonflower leapt in beside her and posed, saying bravely: “If you want to hurt her, you'll have to go through me!”

“We ain't gonna just sit back and let you do what you want no more, Loki. The game be over.” La Croix added as he stepped up on Cadence's other side, before she smiled as her father gently grasped her and helped her up to her hooves, smiling at her before he turned his calm, fearless eyes towards Loki.

Loki snorted in contempt, then he squeaked when the dome of electricity exploded behind him, shattering puppets and sending their charred wooden remains flying in all directions as Hecate straightened and growled: “No matter how powerful you are, you are ultimately alone, Loki. Your Primordials are gone. Your Voidborn have been destroyed, one after the other. All you have are empty shells and wooden toys.”

Loki smiled thinly, his eyes flicking towards her before he stiffened ever-so-slightly as a voice said gently: “Brother, it is not too late. 'Tis never too late to turn back on thy path. 'Tis never too late to repent, and to cease digging this wretched hole.”

Sleipnir smiled as he strode towards Loki in his full armor, shield on his back and hammer sparking against his side. He approached Loki fearlessly, then suddenly leaned forward and embraced him, Loki flinching, then wheezing and gasping as Sleipnir picked him up, uselessly flailing at the stallion as he rasped out: “Thor! Thor, dammit, too tight!”

Sleipnir blushed as he quickly set Loki down, smiling awkwardly as Loki staggered backward before falling on his rump with a wheeze, glaring up at the stallion, then sulking when Sleipnir gently patted him on the head, saying kindly: “I apologize, brother, 'tis just so good to-”

Loki shoved a hand against Sleipnir's muzzle, and for a moment there was an honest flash of pain across his face before he shook his head and said quietly: “I told you before, and I'll say it again, Thor... we are enemies. That is that. Now, if you really don't want to fight me... leave. Leave, like Freya-”

“Freya is here, too. Not fighting thee, of course, but protecting others. There are many here, Loki, all heroes of great power. And that is also why I come to thee.” Sleipnir said gently, and he smiled faintly before he shook his head and took a single step backward, even as he looked longingly at his brother. “Loki... thou shall not survive. 'Tis suicide. What did thou bring, but ghosts and beasts and a scant few puppets? Thy officers are scattered. Thy Jarsongildi is no more.”

Loki chuckled softly at this, and Sleipnir frowned slightly as Hecate narrowed his eyes, the trickster grinning slightly before he said softly: “The Jarsongildi, the Jarsongildi. Yes, they were important... important sacrifices.”

Loki smiled coldly, straightening as he held his hands out, saying contemptibly: “The Jarsongildi were those whose wills were strong enough to resist being destroyed in the Void... and those who were capable of resisting my control, who could have been a threat if they'd turned on me. I suppose only Melinda was really aware of that, though... maybe Veliuona had some idea, too. But no. You see, the Jarsongildi did my bidding, but my Voidborn ultimately weren't being sent out into the world to do my bidding... they were being sent out to die.”

Loki flexed his fingers before Astra twisted around him, his body flaring with power as he said coldly: “Because when they shattered and dissolved, their energies still returned to the Void. And I gained more power. Much more power, from their deaths. For what am I? Primordial or God... I am neither. I am stuck between them, just like I have always been stuck between good and evil, right and wrong, forced to play the role of the shadow and the scapegoat.”

“Of course. That's why you used living weapons. But not all of those Voidborn you sent against us were powerful enough to be considered threatening.” Hecate said, and Loki smiled coldly as he looked over at her, tapping his nose slowly.

“You should know better than that, Hecate! I would have thought Valthrudnir would have taught you better: to be a threat, you don't have to be strong. And I'm more worried about a coward stabbing me in the middle of the night than I am some powerful mighty warrior like Thor here running at me with his hammer.” Loki accented this by pointing at Sleipnir and knocking him flat with a blast of magic, but Sleipnir didn't twitch or try to fight, only looking with sorrowful eyes at his brother. “You just shoot a mad dog. But bedbugs bite.”

He paused, then smiled coldly as he rose a hand, and the air wavered as the Ahriman moaned in the distance, reality quaking around it as he said contemptibly: “But I did make use of the cowards and the traitors and all those other nasty Voidborn. Sure, I was able to order them around, but even I turn my back and rest my head sometimes, and I knew that even if I had them all line up for the firing squad... no, no. Messy. Undignified. And I couldn't risk someone like Melinda turning on me. But thankfully, she stayed willfully ignorant until the end, and-”

“She did not. She believed in us.” Moonflower said quietly, and Loki laughed shortly.

“Look, kiddo. I won't pretend to know what or what didn't go through that crazy witch's head, because she was a crazy witch. Absolutely worst-tempered gal I've ever met, too, and Thor, hey, you know I've met plenty.” Loki said pointedly, and Sleipnir smiled faintly as he sat up. “Not that it matters, though. Say she did figure me out, that all of this was just so that I and I alone would have the power to manipulate the Void, so that I could lure the Primordials into a furnace, because... they were definitely really excited about the 'becoming one with the Prime' part but not so hot on the 'let me kill your ass' part. But at least they knew they were being sent out to die and could appreciate it, you know! They just... didn't want me doing the killing. Weirdos.”

Loki clucked his tongue, and then he turned cold as he spun towards Hecate, pointing at her as she said darkly: “And now I'm supercharged and powerful enough to destroy the last people who could possibly stand against me, who you have nicely all gathered together. I've overloaded all your portals, and the stupid animals that weren't killed outright are going to be struggling to close the nasty holes in reality left behind before too many of my Hræzla crawl into their realities. And they are my Hræzla, by the way. The things in the Void are smart enough to listen... at least when you have a big enough whip.”

Loki flicked two fingers, snapping a lash of Astra against the ground before he said softly: “I enjoyed the games while they lasted, and I've been patient for so, oh so long. But it's time for all this to end.”

“I'm sure you have time for one last question.” Hecate said, and Loki gave her a mincing bow and smile before the Jötnar mare asked: “Why do all this now? You could have easily hidden in the Void or another part of the world. There was never any reason to accelerate your operations, or even reveal your identity, even back when you were Thokk. What drove you to this, Loki?”

But Loki only smiled cryptically, covering his eyes, his ears, and then his mouth before he spread his arms wide and said: “Have to keep some secrets, babe.”

Hecate smiled thinly in return, and Cadence gritted her teeth before she set herself. But before she could lunge forward, a strong hoof gripped her shoulder, and she looked in surprise to see Thorn now standing beside her, black veins pulsing through his body as he said coldly: “Loki. Your invasion has failed and your forces have been neutralized. Surrender now or prepare to be destroyed.”

“Hey, your kid's getting pretty reckless, talking to me like that. Weren't you listening?” Loki gave a callous grin as he let his body go loose even as power irradiated the air around him, his eyes haunted even as he declared in a triumphant voice: “This was all planned.”

The Ahriman cried out in misery as the Valkyrie steeds screamed and yanked at their chains, going berserk as the other spirit-steeds rushed down, smashing in and out of reality and cracking the sky like broken glass that monstrous, unreal things began to eagerly worm their way in through as Loki spun around with a laugh before his body thrummed, transforming in a second back into the monstrous Prime as he thrust his claws above his head.

Rifts tore into reality across Endworld, Husks and empty-eyed Lost Souls storming in through these along with more of the hideous, deformed beasts: Terrors that didn't so much serve Loki as were drawn to the exciting energy of the physical plane, the smaller beasts allowed to run wild, the larger ones reined by stolen machinery, transformed into living battleships that spilled Husks and parasite cargo across Endworld.

Hecate lunged, and a puppet jumped in her way, stalling her just long enough for Loki to seize Thorn with his powers. Cadence leapt immediately forward as well, but Loki blasted her away with a psychokinetic shock before he thrust the stallion towards Hecate when she smashed the puppet away, the trickster asking coolly: “So will you go through-”

Thorn's corrupt arm twisted around on itself and seized Loki by the face, the Prime shouting in frustration as he jerked back and forth before a massive force slammed into his gut, Thorn flying free to smoothly catch himself on his front hoof and drop into a roll away as Hecate carried Loki backward on her horn, then flung him into the air with a tremendous blast of magic before she straightened and created an immense crystalline sphere above her head.

She flung it forward, and Loki swore before he lashed out with a wild array of magic, but all his powers were absorbed into the sphere as it spun slowly towards him, Loki's eyes widening before he snapped: “I won't let you catch me again!”

He vanished from the spot, and the sphere vanished along with him, but Hecate's eyes flicked to the side, watching as he fled from her magic. Except something struck her as wrong, the mare frowning slightly before she looked sharply behind herself a moment too late.

Loki kicked her hard in the ass, knocking her stumbling forward before he blasted her backwards with a wave of Astra that knocked her floating helplessly into the air, clinging to her body and burning over her like fire. She snarled at him, eyes flashing as she locked on to him and the sphere appeared behind the trickster, but he only grinned and twiddled his fingers at her before he harmlessly slipped backwards through the sphere, and Hecate's eyes widened as she realized too late that he had somehow confused their energy signatures.

The sphere slammed into her, and Hecate screamed in agony as it shredded her energies, nearly twisting her inside out as reality rippled around the devastating attack. In the distance, Thorn's eyes widened as he felt his mother's pain, and Danzsöngr shouted, Cadence spinning away from the attacking monsters and puppets in shock in time to watch as the sphere exploded in a tremendous, obliterating flash.

Hecate fell, a smoldering meteor, chunks of burning machine and genetically-modified flesh hailing down after her before she crashed to the ground in a ruined heap. Thorn immediately broke rank and ran for his mother, but Loki appeared out of nowhere in front of him, the Prime thrumming with rage and victory and a strange sense of sorrow as he growled: “No use taking care of the bitch if you don't always eliminate the pup.”

Loki leaned forward, but Thorn's eyes glowed with rage as he bared his teeth and snarled

I WANT YOU TO HURT. I WANT YOU TO DIE.

with all the force and authority and rage and hate he could muster, lashing out with the most vicious, the most cruel hex he could generate.

Loki flinched in surprise as his Astra steamed for a moment, before he whispered: “As if that isn't the plan already, stupid.”

The Prime shook himself out, then he growled in disgust and started to reach forward, but then he was knocked off his feet as he was instead smashed by a powerful blast of gravity magic, Moonflower shouting: “You keep your filthy claws off him!”

Loki rolled back to his feet, then he snarled, ignoring the next hex Thorn cursed him with and instead simply booting the stallion away before he blasted Moonflower off his hooves with a surge of Astra, asking disgustedly: “So I should put my claws on you instead, then?”

The Prime stepped forward, reaching down to grab Moonflower before his eyes widened in surprise as Stronghold Halfdragon slammed across his front, her claws ripping savagely through his chest. He staggered backward with a snarl of pain, crimson flaring across his body before he thrust his claws forward, the ground erupting into spikes around them, but Stronghold swiftly seized Moonflower in one hoof, yanking him into the air as her wings gave a mighty flap before she spun around and slammed the stallion like a club against Loki's head, knocking the Prime staggering backwards before he was forced to cover himself as Stronghold roared out a blast of golden flame over him.

She swept quickly backwards, then flung Moonflower bad-temperedly to the ground before she dropped in front of him. But a grin played at her lips all the same as she said contemptibly: “Stay behind me so I don't lose track of you and kill you by happy accident.”

“Stronghold?” Moonflower asked disbelievingly, and then he nodded hurriedly when she glared over her shoulder at him, deciding not to question it as he blurted out: “We have to save Thorn!”

“We have to kill Loki.” Stronghold answered, and she ran straight at the Prime, who glared at her furiously before he simply thrust a hand towards her, and the Draekin's eyes widened in shock as she stumbled over her own claws before she snarled, even as her body began to steam.

“Kill them! I order you to kill them!” the Prime thundered, and Stronghold gritted her teeth so hard they began to crack, her whole body trembling and flexing before she rose her head proudly.

“No.” she uttered, and then she leapt forward, slashing a claw out at Loki, and he gasped in pain as he reflexively brought up an arm that was torn to ribbons by her attack. He flinched backwards with a curse, then staggered further as the Voidborn turned on him, driven purely by the force of her own will as she slashed and tore at Loki, rasping: “You didn't give us life, you didn't help us. You're a liar... we exist, because we are! We owe you nothing!”

Stronghold lurched forward, and Loki stumbled out of the way before he snarled as her hot golden breath exploded out over him. But this time he retaliated with a blade of force that sliced first through the blast of golden flame, and last through the ground behind Stronghold.

The Voidborn trembled as part of her shoulder and half of her face slowly slid away, shattering into motes of energy before she turned a trembling but defiant look up at Loki. They glared at each other for the longest time, before Stronghold suddenly half-turned to look back at Moonflower, tilting the whole side of her face towards the stallion as he stumbled helplessly towards her before she said softly: “Don't waste this chance.”

Stronghold thrummed, glowing with golden light, becoming an effervescent beacon that blinded Loki before she exploded in a tremendous blast of holy hellfire, and Moonflower flinched back as the blast ripped through the world around them with enough force to scar the earth, but to him, the heat felt soothing, the flames stroked almost gently across his body, even as the force of the blast firmly turned him away from Loki.

He ran, blindly, then leapt out through smoke and fire to find Thorn being attacked by puppets: even as strong as he was, he was being battered backward by the raw power of the god-puppets, and his own magic wasn't nearly strong enough to defeat them.

Moonflower easily blasted one of the puppets into the air with a thrum of gravity, then he smashed it apart with a psychic hammer he put a little too much force behind. He ignored the presence of Loki as the Prime turned after them with disgust as the smoke cleared, shouting: “Is that really how you avenge your friend? By running away? Hey, you want a job, I got a slot open for coward of the-”

Loki realized too late there was something thundering towards him before he turned and stared a moment before Scrivener Blooms, in Tyrant Wyrm form, charged straight over him, tramping him into the ground before both Brynhild and Morgan leapt off his back and slammed down on top of the Prime, hammering into him savagely with their hooves. Loki slammed them back with a double-blast of force, but Morgan became a twisting shadow that raced into the ground and Luna blasted Loki with a burst of frostfire before her Jötunnfang formed and viciously began to pummel the Prime into the earth.

Loki caught the massive ice fists with a snarl, then he screamed as spikes of shadow ripped up through his body before they sharply withdrew, then exploded up through him again, making him flinch enough that the Valkyrie's ice fists were able to crush down on him.

Luna felt the thrum of power too late to react before her Jötunnfang were disintegrated by the massive blast of force that ripped up from the earth, knocking her out of the air. She began to twist to recover, then gasped in pain when Loki slammed a fist into her stomach, knocking her crashing backward before he stomped on the ground, the earth shaking with enough force to spit Morgan free from a fracture, and even in shadow form, Loki was able to slash a claw through her and hurt her as he ripped the Astra from her body.

Morgan reformed and hit the ground with a gasp before Loki stomped on her skull, cruelly crushing down as he snarled: “See, you three...” He looked up as Scrivener came charging forward, inhaling in preparation to blast him, but Loki quickly snapped a hand upward, and a massive blade of rock ripped up from the earth and tore through Scrivener's chest, making him hurk out a useless steam of mist as he was left speared on the rock. “You three, I knew could be a threat. You did great against Valthrudnir, sure! But that was part of the problem.”

Loki pressed down, Morgan's skull cracking, her muzzle breaking as Astra shocked over her body, stopped her from changing form. Luna dove in, but Loki simply held up a hand and caught her in a crystalline sphere, the Valkyrie hitting the wall of this with a dull thunk before she looked up in shock as thin, pointed rods of ice formed around her prison.

Loki clicked his tongue, and Morgan clenched her eyes shut: not at the flare of pain through her own body, but at Luna's screams.

“I, however, have learned my lesson about playing with my food. So I'm just going to go ahead and kill all of you right now, because I don't really relish the thought of...” Loki halted and looked up in disgust as Sleipnir smashed his way past several of his puppets and charged straight for him, and on the other side, he could sense Cadence rushing to the aid of the Valkyrie too.

He glared at Sleipnir, then cursed as the huge earth pony ground his hooves into the earth, setting himself against the waves of force that washed over him, using his shield to push back as he roared: “Brother! There is still time!”

“Oh go away you goody-goody!” Loki shouted angrily, flicking his hand firmly, and the street rumbled before collapsing beneath the earth pony. Then the Prime half-spun, slamming a fist backwards into Cadence as she jumped at his back before he snarled in frustration, staggering as spirits came out of nowhere and grabbed eagerly at him before blades of crystal ripped through the earth around him.

He shattered both spirits and crystals into motes with simply a gesture, then he glared at Cadence and knocked her backwards before he howled in pain when a blast from Morgan's soulstone core ripped into his body, knocking him flying into the air. He caught himself in mid-flip, twisting rightside up with a snarl before he pointed down at the earth, shouting: “Take their souls!”

Valkyrie steeds suddenly whirled through the sky towards them, screaming as they shot down and hammered through the resisting ponies: they trampled and battered through the warriors, ripping shreds of spiritual energy from whoever they contacted, and Thorn cursed as both he and Moonflower were battered to the ground.

Even as reinforcements came from all sides, there was little they could do, Thorn realized. He could hear Loki roaring and peppering the area with fireballs, he could feel the draining effects of the steeds ripping through their ranks, and if the Valkyrie mounts weren't reaping souls, then they were breaking reality, allowing more monsters in. Even if they had destroyed most of the puppets, what did it matter? The Terrors were almost indestructible. The Husks were so numerous that even as renewed Hexad and Drone forces pushed into Decretum, they were being overwhelmed...

And Hecate... his mother...

His parents...

Thorn looked at the Mission Drive half-submerged in his corrupted limb, and he trembled for a moment before he looked up and whispered: “Forgive me.”

Thorn pushed himself to his hooves, then he tapped on the Mission Drive as he looked up at the decaying satellite glowing in the sky above, saying weakly: “Activate Ithavoll Protocol, Stage Three. 'For in these great and glorious halls, there are none more deserving of its riches and wealth and tribute, than those who stand as its eternal guard...'”

Thorn Blackfeather straightened, proud and tall and damned, staring into the sky as war raged and ripped around him. And in the only fortified rooms that had survived the ruin of the castle, the rooms that had been built not only to resist being destroyed from external sources, but even more so against what terrible secrets these steel cages held, computers activated and lights flickered to life, illuminating no less and no more than thirty stasis pods. Pods, that one after the other, flickered with eerie bright lights before they hissed calmly open, spilling probiotic liquid carelessly over the floor.

Ponies emerged from each capsule, strange and imperfect Replicants that awoke in confusion until they heard the screams of war from outside. Monitors flashed to life around the room, displaying an image of Hecate that began to calmly speak, but she went ignored as the Replicants fumbled across the room in their strange bodies towards the lockers filled with equipment.

All the equipment was alien to them, yet they understood what it was, and what to do.

War was calling them.

Fearlessly, they prepared. Fearlessly, armored Replicant mares entered the teleporters on either side of the room, feeling familiar presences, and yet not bound to any of them as they emerged where the teleporters had distributed them: in the hottest spots across Endworld.

In the hangar, Freya, Throna and Terra fought side-by-side-by-side against endless hordes: first it had been endless Husks, and now it was terrors, parasites from the Void that looked like massive, awful hands with protruding bug-bodies jutting from the wrists, painful to look at and hungry for their energy. Countless were dead, but the parasites kept coming: but that was fine. They would continue to kill until there were no more left to fight.

And then, all of a sudden, Freya halted, staring in shock at the ceiling. Terra shouted at her and Throna winced as she created a forcefield around them, snapping: “What in the name of-”

Two mares exploded through the ceiling, both dressed in body armor, one armed with a wand and the other a spear. They were ferocious, ripping like a whirlwind through the parasites around the trio before both mares froze and looked sharply at Freya, and Freya stared back at them before one of them remarked: “You'd better warn the others! Strange seeing you fighting beside demons... but I suppose not as strange as when we caught you in bed with one!”

Freya laughed weakly, and then she gave an honest smile as her eyes filled with tears, but she wiped them away before she threw her head back and roared. And both mares anchored themselves before they threw their own heads back and joined her, Terra stumbling in shock and the Void creatures shrieking and falling over themselves in terror as they fled from the sound and the fury.

There were only thirty, but every Replicant was an army by herself: one alone ran to the aid of a Hexad platoon pinned down by a god puppet, and with a single mighty blow, smashed through both a barrier of ice and the construct behind it. A single Replicant leapt to the aid of Courtly Love's base, matching a massive Terror blow-for-blow, shattering its armor with her bare hooves alone as she mocked its weak flails against her.

Cowlick smashed a Terror away from her with a girder, then swung it around like a baseball bat to hammer another monstrosity into the atmosphere before the giant demon roared in frustration as a blast of magic from a god puppet smashed her to the ground. She wiped blood out of her face, then growled as she started to pick herself up before a Replicant – not Muse, not Necrophage, they were both at the other side of the barracks roof protecting Silver – appeared beside her, shouting: “No, no, like this!”

With a roar, the Replicant stepped forward, flinging the girder that Cowlick had dropped and sending it smashing through a god puppet before it continued to shoot onward to slam into one of the massive Terrors floating in the distance, the living battleship slowly listing to the side and falling from the air. Then the Replicant grinned and offered a hoof to Cowlick, and Cowlick couldn't help but grin back as she Replicant exclaimed: “I've never fought alongside your kind before, demon! But if putting up with your stink means I'll get to hunt more of these beasts, I'll gladly stand beside you!”

“Then do me a favor and make sure you keep up your half, girly. I don't want to do all the work for you.” Cowlick retorted with a snort, grabbing the Replicant's hoof and letting the mare less than a third of her size yank her easily up to her feet.

“Alright, come on! Everyone on your hooves, they're already coming up the sides of the building again!” Cowlick roared back at the rest of the ponies on the roof, and then she scowled as Rustproof stuck a cigarette in his muzzle, snapping: “Hey!”

Rustproof blinked, then he winced when the Replicant snatched the cigarette from him before she shoved it into her own muzzle, rolling it curiously between her lips before Cowlick calmly sparked her hooves in the direction of the mare. A lucky spark caught on the cylinder as the Replicant ignored the rest that pattered against her face, then she took a deep drag before blowing out a long stream of smoke through her nostrils as she remarked: “Thirty, before I finish this smoke-stick.”

“Thirty-five, before you get thirty.” Cowlick retorted, then she stomped a hoof with a grin as another wave of Husks and strange Void-beasts stormed onto their roof from all sides.

Aster shouted a curse as she blasted a Husk away with crimson flames, then flinched as Void monster leapt at her, but Lancer roared as he staggered past her and slammed a hoof into it in spite of the wounds across his body. He collapsed on his face with a thump, but the monster was knocked away as well as the Dogmatists they had supporting them struggled to hold the line on the other side. But they were caught between sectors, and enemies were coming down on them from all sides...

“You fight like the men always claimed they did! Rough, stupid, but never giving up! I like that!” declared a Replicant as it landed beside them, and Lancer looked up dumbly before two more Replicants landed around them, grinning as the one in the lead promised: “This won't take long.”

It was over in moments: the Replicants smashed the enemies around them into chaos and ruin, and then they were quick to escort Lancer, Aster, and their Dogmatist troops out of the open towards a checkpoint, where another Replicant was laughing loudly, grinning as she stood on top of the heavy gate with a massive machine gun in her hooves, blasting apart the Husks following behind them as she roared: “I like this world!”

And Thorn Blackfeather stood as it all happened, roars and explosions and the sounds of war renewing across all of Endworld before he glanced to the side as a Replicant appeared beside him. She looked at him coldly for a moment, and then she reached up and grasped his shoulders as she leaned into his face, studying him intently before she said quietly: “Yes, you are her son. Incredible, the Night Maiden has a son.”

“Can you do something about the spirits?” asked Thorn with a gesture towards the warring steeds, and the Replicant grinned at him.

“All business! Maybe you're Freya's son instead!” she teased, before she straightened, eyes hardening as she added coldly: “And yes. I feel...”

She stopped, then stepped away from Thorn and whistled sharply, and one of the Valkyrie steeds suddenly twitched before it spun around and charged straight towards her. Without hesitating, the Replicant leapt and spun, landing neatly on the spirit of the horse, and it roared: a sound that made the other Valkyrie steeds suddenly twist and rear into the air, rapidly forming into a V-shaped squadron as the Replicant, the Valkyrie on her mount, roared: “To me! To me!”

“What... what are you doing?” Loki shouted in disbelief, before a Replicant – a Valkyrie – appeared in front of him and slammed a hoof into his face, knocking him crashing backwards before another set of hooves smashed him into the air, and two more slammed their front hooves savagely down into his head.

He was crushed into the ground with a look of stunned shock, twitching once before one of the Valkyries said contemptibly: “Never did learn, did you, trickster?”

Loki snarled, a blast of force erupting through the air and slamming everyone around him away before he leapt to his feet, roaring: “What have you done?”

Thorn Blackfeather was undaunted as he strode calmly towards Loki, replying coldly: “Almost every Valkyrie that died in service to the gods was rewarded with a second life. Valthrudnir recognized what a threat those souls in particular were to him: Valkyries can kill gods and Jötnar alike. He retrieved thirty of these souls successfully during his exploration of the worlds and made them into trophies in a pocket dimension that he alone could access... or someone who shared his genetic traits.

“Hecate retrieved these souls and we engineered new bodies and new lives for them. Meet the Class VII Replicant, the Valkyrie, the final Ithavoll Protocol.” Thorn finished, as the Valkyries fell in on either side of him, eyes locked coldly on Loki.

“You enslaved them?” Loki asked incredulously, and Thorn smiled thinly before Luna laughed harshly, grinning coldly as she set herself with Morgan and Scrivener on the Prime's other side, Cadence and her team falling in quickly around them.

“No, wretch. I see now... the power to defend a world. The power to create a world. The power to destroy a world. Guardians... that is what Ithavoll is.” Luna muttered, before she straightened and snarled: “No, they are not slaves! They are free, are thee not, my sisters?”

The Valkyries roared in response, and Luna continued angrily: “What does thou think, they fight, so they must be enslaved anew? Nay! A Valkyrie lives for war! A Valkyrie lives for freedom! A Valkyrie lives to crush those who would harm the innocent, who would tamper with the worlds!” The Valkyries roared again in agreement, and Brynhild straightened, raising her head proudly, thrusting her hoof in the air as Prúðbikkja appeared above her in a flare of light, horn-tip glowing like a beacon. “We are Valkyrie! And thou, who would harm us, who enslave our brothers, who would destroy the only good that the Aesir and their kin have ever done, we will stand against thee and fight to the last breath!”

“Nice speech.” Loki said contemptibly, and then he looked over his shoulder in disgust, asking: “And you'll really listen to that kid over me?”

“We do not have to listen to any man any more, worm.” growled one of the Valkyries.

“This man or horse or whatever he is, he bears the blood of a Valkyrie in his veins and speaks like a warrior jarl! Aye, I'll do what he says... so long as all he says and does is point me in the direction of clods like you.” snarled another Valkyrie, and the others roared in agreement.

“That's too bad.” Loki said quietly, and there was silence for a moment before the Prime thrust his claws out to either side, reality cracking around them as the laws of physics lost all meaning, ponies and Valkyries and everything else floating haplessly into the air.

The earth cracked and lifted beneath them as if it too was being pulled upward, and then Loki thrust his hands into the air: only, this wasn't Loki anymore. It was only the Prime, as it thrummed with malevolent power, swirls and fractals of color exploding through the air around it as they were whirled up towards a vortex of light and wild elemental sound. Cadence reached helplessly out, snaring one of her teammates as they were spun through the cyclone of energy, gasping in shock: was this the true power of the Prime? She couldn't even feel Loki's energy anymore, the force was so great and childishly malevolent.

“Stop!” Sleipnir roared as he staggered forward, and then he gritted his teeth as he yanked out his hammer before he leapt forward, but he was blasted out of the air by a thrum of force before the earth itself seemed to turn against him, waves of rock smashing and battering him away and sending him rolling backwards to land in a heap. He swore, then straightened and tried to charge again, but this time the earth rose up like teeth and bit at him, driving him back once more as he swung his hammer uselessly back and forth, unable to do more than chip away at the stone.

He stepped forward and flung his hammer in desperation, but Mjolnir was shocked out of the air by a bolt of lightning and launched back at him by a ripple of earth, Sleipnir catching the hammer easily and grimacing as it sparked in outrage. “Loki! Loki, by our Father's name!”

But there was no Loki: there was only the impossibility of the Prime, a totem of color and distortion that warped reality around it, that bent both chaos and raw elements to its will. Brynhild gasped, feeling fire burning at her body, and Scrivener contorted as even in Tyrant Wyrm shape, he was dragged as easily along as the rest-

Morgan stretched blindly out, and caught Scrivener, who held her tight against his chest before he forced himself to twist just enough that his tail lashed out, Luna gasping as this snapped against her before she seized into it for dear life. Then she stretched out as they whirled through the storm, catching one of her sisters, who caught the next, and the next caught the next...

“Brynhild!” shouted the Valkyrie, and she grinned, and Brynhild knew the mare was Hild as she teased: “To live again... and to die in your arms! How unlucky am I, sister?”

“We're not dead yet! Push back against the storm!” Brynhild shouted, and Hild nodded sharply before she gritted her teeth.

They focused together, chaining their powers as one before Cadence crashed into Scrivener, dragging her own team with her in a chain, and without a word she poured her own power into theirs. Morgan gritted her teeth as she seized into this magic, molding it, shaping it as the core of her heart glowed and fumed with energy, energy she poured back against the Prime...

It was devouring their energy as it pushed its powers against them, but she could feel their magic all the same starting to suffocate it. The Prime roared in rage below, and Morgan trembled before she cried out for help, for a miracle, for something, anything, and her cry echoed through the Valkyries and the Swan...

Danzsöngr vanished for a moment, and she found what she was looking for, waiting patiently for her, a hand already extended. Danzsöngr seized those pale fingers, and in that moment of stepping through the Astra, she heard tenderly: Anything for my little girl.

They reappeared a short distance away, and Hel grumbled as tossed her cane away before she laced her fingers together and cracked them loudly, shouting: “Hey! Prime time! Look over here, I'm a real god! Goddess! Thing... just... hey, just look over here, you giant jerk!”

The Prime shifted, and its attention seemed to move to Hel, who grinned widely before she whispered: “That's it.”

The Prime roared, and the air reverberated with its cry: even as the storm ahead grew larger, rebuffing both Valkyries and their mounts, it weakened at the same time, allowing Morgan to shield the group caught inside it with greater ease and Thorn to finally catch Moonflower's leg as he whirled by.

The powers of the Prime lashed out towards Hel, and Hel easily redirected them, mocking: “I taught you better than that, Loki! Loki, come on, don't you want to finish the job? Or are you crying in there, trying to hide behind your big mean friend?”

“H-Hel...” Loki snarled, then he shouted angrily: “Hel! You should have stayed hidden away in your hole! You don't have the power to stop the Prime!”

“Holes get lonely. And no. I can't focus the power to stop you or the Prime.” Hel retorted, before she gritted her teeth and rose her hands above her head, generating a swirling ball of ivory light between them. “But I sure as my name can give you some incentive.”

Hel slung the sphere forward with a gasp, staggering into the throw, and the Prime seemed to stare before the orb crashed into it and exploded in a blast of disruptive energy, the entity flinching with a roar of surprise.

Hel wheezed as she formed another sphere and flung it, the explosion making the Astra covering the Prime distort as Loki shouted furiously: “What do you think you're doing?”

“Old trick...” Hel flung another sphere, and the Prime flinched in visible pain as Hel stopped for a moment to wipe sweat from her forehead, wheezing: “Pollute... pollute the waters. Do it in buckets. One after the other...”

“What are you...” Another sphere slapped into him, and the Astra covering Loki visibly warped, the Prime clutching at itself before Loki snarled: “You'll die long before you corrupt the Astra!”

“Yep. But I'll sure as heck leave a mark.” Hel retorted, creating another sphere of energy, before she flung it hard, and this time it smacked into the Prime's head, making it distort violently before Hel crowed: “Home run!”

The Prime roared in frustration, and then he stepped forward and shoved a claw towards her, and Hel was blasted away like a rocket, crashing bonelessly down into the street with a sickening crack and rolling to a dead halt.

But with his attention distracted, the storm above his head was disrupted, and Valkyrie steeds darted in to catch their partners as they fell. La Croix became ethereal, and Moonflower grabbed both Sombra and Thorn, wheezing with the effort it took to levitate himself and them towards the ground as Cadence dove straight down at Loki-

Loki snarled and half-spun, slashing a claw through the air, and Valkyries were blasted off their mounts and knocked away by massive rips that tore through reality. Cadence ducked back and forth through this before Luna shot down beside her, the two twisting and dancing through both rifts of Void energy and blasts of power from Loki, before Cadence suddenly stepped through reality, appearing behind Loki-

The Prime spun around and smashed her away with a fist before it swung its palm up, and Luna was caught in a massive torrent of flame that launched her skyward with a scream of pain, carried dozens of feet into the air by the conflagration before her limp floated for a moment, and she opened her eyes to see Morgan diving towards her.

Their eyes and souls connected, and Luna knew they had one chance, as burning feathers floated around her, as she began to slowly fall in a smoldering meteor towards the ground below, ignoring the threats and shouts from Loki: Loki, who wasn't even their most dire threat.

No, the Prime was. If the Prime took over Loki completely again, it would reshape reality itself, and this time there would be no Hel to sacrifice herself to wake Loki back up, to force the arrogant trickster to try and fight in place of the... the force that had overtaken his body, that he didn't seem to realize he was just a puppet of.

But they had one trick left.

Luna pleaded for it, and Morgan trembled, but agreed, and their hearts beat in rhythm with Scrivener's as he helplessly conceded to them.

Luna gave a cracked grin as she fell, and she spread her arms wide as she whispered: “Scrivener Blooms. Do it.”

Below, Scrivener gritted his teeth before he suddenly reared up, grasping his wounded chest before he arched his back, clenching his eyes shut as he tore his Tyrant Wyrm chest open, revealing his thrumming core as his body half-melted. And above, Luna fell limply before Morgan dove into her like a missile, knocking her on-course with Scrivener before she became a twisting, living blackness that swarmed over the Valkyrie, that invaded her greedy jaws, that filled her veins with pulsing power-

Luna slammed through Scrivener's open chest like a missile, and the Tyrant Wyrm erupted in a messy explosion of mire and dark fire that twisted violently in on itself after a moment, becoming a perfect sphere of blackness. Loki stared at this in confusion, and then he reared back as the egg of shadow shattered, and released a single pony to the world.

“This? What, this is your last ditch effort to survive?” Loki asked incredulously, but the pony only smiled. The beautiful, effeminate pony was long-limbed and gorgeous, from her onyx hooves to the tiara of three horns that formed a crown on her head: two small, natural ones on either side of a proud soulstone horn, which thrummed in time with the soulstone core in her chest.

She floated even with her black wings furled behind her, marble body calmly flexing as she hovered slowly towards Loki before she yawned and stretched out her beautiful, white-metal Talons as the Prime mocked: “Well, alright, how do you-”

Loki staggered backward as the creature gestured at him, and then he looked down as he heard a wet slap. He trembled for a moment, then mouthed wordlessly at the sight of his arm laying on the ground before he clutched at his shoulder with a disbelieving scream. His whole body shook with agony and terror, shaking his head violently before he looked up as the creature said softly, as its emerald eyes glowed with ruthless determination: “This is the end.”

“Yes... but not for me. For everything else.” Loki hissed, trembling before he flexed his body, a new limb forming out of the Astra as he straightened, burning with colors of humiliation and rage. “Good for you. Got a big gun. I'm still a thousand times stronger than you are and doing nothing more than fulfilling my destiny, my fate! Marching the armies of the dead upon the world, being what Daddy wanted me to be, Valkyrie! You can't-”

“We deny Fate, and we deny you. We shall make our own; we shall shape what the Norns failed to.” The creature paused, then it rose its head slightly, saying calmly: “Yes. We are Norn. As for you?”

Norn's eyes flashed, and Loki was blasted into the air, snarling as he barely managed to stop himself before the creature was in front of him. “You are nothing.”

Norn slammed a blow backed by tremendous magical power across his face, knocking the Prime flipping wildly backward before black swords of magic formed around him, shooting through his body from all sides and exploding into deadly magical shrapnel. Loki writhed beneath the attack before he lashed back with a blast of primordial power, but Norn slapped it aside with disdain and shot towards him again.

They crashed together, the force of their contact enough to rupture and shake reality as they struck each other with both raw force and magic. Loki moved almost desperately, while Norn laughed as it fought, taunting, mocking him with teasing psychic strikes, both to distract him and letting him know that he left himself open here, that he was vulnerable there, that he was inferior that he was weak that at any time I could end this, Loki.

Loki screamed in frustration as the horrible thing he was fighting easily spoke into his mind, and he slashed a claw out, smashing it backward before he leapt onto it, seizing the core of soulstone in its chest-

Norn unleashed a massive laser of energy that erased his entire limb from existence, the Prime knocked flying backwards even as its arm quickly regenerated before he snarled as Norn unleashed another laser from her core, tracing it after him as he zigzagged through the air. He twisted in towards her suddenly, but he was stopped by a massive fist of black crystal and shadow that nearly crushed his entire upper body.

A second fist formed and slammed towards him, but Loki ducked under this before two more claws of shadowfire formed and clapped him mockingly between them, making him spasm helplessly as he threw himself backwards. But the four claws immediately seized into his limbs, yanking them all wide and holding him in place before Norn placed her hooves on either side of the core in her chest and fired her laser into him, the Prime roaring in rage and pain as the sapphire laser slowly began to cleave through his body.

Loki spasmed, then unleashed a shockwave of force that shattered the hands holding him and knocked Norn flipping backwards, the creature catching itself before a meteor slammed into her. She was dragged backwards under it towards the ground, but then she caught herself in midair as she shoved her hooves up, bracing herself against the sky itself, body shaking with the effort as the meteor cracked with the force it was bearing down against her with, then exploded into shrapnel when she pushed back against it.

She was blinded for a moment by smoke and flame, before chains of energy cut through the smog, seizing into her core. She cried out, then spasmed in agony when her core was ripped out of her body, Loki grinning in triumph as he caught the soulstone sphere in one hand and opened his mouth-

Norn's core exploded in a massive blast of light and sound, leaving Loki stunned and gasping before a hoof slammed into his face. He screamed, cowering like a child beneath a hail of blows before the Prime twitched in shock as a second set of hooves began to slam into him, trying to flee as not one, but two Norns laid into him.

He crashed into a third, which slammed him viciously towards the ground with a tomahawk and up to the waiting hooves of another, who kicked him through the air like a toy to the third. They knocked the Prime back and forth between them like a toy before Loki managed to spin around and smash through one of them, shattering the copy like glass, and the other clone vanished as well as the real Norn spread her forelegs, asking mockingly: “Is this all the glory we can take from the Prime?”

Loki roared at her, then lunged, and again they clashed together savagely. But as infinite as Norn's power was, the Prime healed in moments from even the worst beatings, and while Loki was off-balance and humiliated, his powers were still great enough to be a threat even to the combined being that the three had become. And Norn had to know, too, that in spite of how easily it was dominating Loki now, it wouldn't last forever: she was using all her power to humiliate Loki, but no injury remained for long, not even wounds that would have killed the mightiest of gods.

Cadence and Danzsöngr could both see it: the fight was stupendous, shaking reality around them, putting out so much energy that it was actually attracting stupid Voidbeasts to them, but even the mightiest of Terrors was obliterated when it got between the powers of the two, who barely seemed aware of anything anymore except for each other. Again and again they crashed together, until Cadence felt it.

A short distance away, Hecate stood at the top of the ruins, her body broken from the magic that had washed over her, her eyes blazing with passion and emotion. As Cadence watched with awe, the Jötnar mare forced a foreleg above her head before she snarled as bloody tears ran from her eyes, and yet she never flinched, never wavered, as she whispered: “This is for Thesis.”

The whole world shook with the glassy sphere that Hecate summoned, before she stepped forward with a roar, throwing it with all her might even as her quaking legs gave out from beneath her. Loki felt the rage and the energy, half-spinning as his eyes widened at the sight of the orb of Jötnar power racing towards him, before he gasped in shock as Norn seized him from behind, shadows racing across the Prime's body and interfering with his powers. “What... what are you doing? We'll both be caught in that magic!”

“I thought you weren't afraid to die.” Norn answered mockingly, and Loki snarled as he rammed an elbow back into her, but she refused to flinch, only squeezing him tighter. He flailed, but without even a gesture, Norn summoned her Jötunnfang of shadow, fists slamming cruelly into Loki's body and making him gag and spasm.

The sphere whirled towards them, and Loki shook his head in disbelief before he screamed as the magic washed over them, shattering the Jötunnfang and immediately beginning to shred the Astra from his body. He felt himself being dragged violently into the invisible maelstrom inside the translucent cage, screaming in agony as Norn still clung to him, almost hugging him back against her body as he wailed helplessly as all the powers of the Void were negated by the force of the Jötnar.

The translucent sphere shrank slowly around the two, crushing them both as it drained the life, the energy from them, as it separated the primordial from the god, the divine from the shadow from the corrupt.

There were two, and then in a whirl, there were five, and then, as the Jötnar magic crushed down, there was a tremendous, world-shaking blast.

And then there was nothing more.

The Ninth And Final Dance

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Three: The Ninth And Final Dance
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence groaned as she picked herself up from the rubble, blinking a few times before she smiled briefly as she looked up and saw Moonflower leaning worriedly over her. “Nice timing.”

Moonflower blushed a bit, shrugging awkwardly before he said lamely: “Well, I guess... I felt the energy and trusted my instincts! That's... all.”

He quieted as La Croix and Sombra both picked themselves up, his eyes nervously shifting towards Thorn, who was laying unconscious and silent on the ground. He had shielded him too, but the power of the blast had been... terrifying.

Cadence could still see it, and her ability to see the Astra in it made it all the more frightening: it was like this entire section of reality had been scraped thin. Empty shells strode silently here and there through the wreckage, but Cadence was almost afraid to focus in on them: she was too afraid she'd see her friends among their number.

Even the Valkyries had been knocked out cold by the power of the blast, and the few ponies that hadn't were at the edge of the sector, pushing back the last of the creatures. Cadence also noted the corpses of Terrors and other Void creatures sprawled amongst the rubble, and she couldn't see a single Husk: she wondered if whatever had happened to Loki had destroyed them.

“How did you protect us?” she asked, as she looked around the rubble and realized the rest of the ground had been punched flat by the force of the blast, leaving them standing on what was almost a pimple of broken rock in an otherwise smooth and faintly-domed plateau. Then her eyes locked on something a short distance away, and she stumbled away from the group, Moonflower stuttering in his answer before his eyes widened as he followed after her.

They found three ponies laying in a bloody mess: Luna Brynhild, her horn shattered and her mane and tail charred and natural hair instead of flowing ephemera, and her partners. Morgan's soulstone core was cracked and bleeding a strange, dark liquid, and Scrivener Blooms' Talons were crushed and broken, most of the claws missing and the holes leaking dark corruption.

But they were still alive. Cadence smiled in relief that she told herself was only because she still had a score to settle with the Valkyrie- Cadence!

Cadence's ears swiveled towards the sound of shifting rubble, the mare's body freezing as Danzsöngr readied herself beside her and the rest of her battered team fell into position. They watched as a shape slowly crawled its way up to its feet from the broken earth, and Loki rose his head slowly to glare at them through the mask of blood over his face, teeth bared in an uneven, gap-toothed snarl. “Just why are you ponies so hard to kill?”

“We have too much to live for.” Cadence said coldly as she stepped forwards, her daggers shooting up to a ready position as Loki stumbled towards them, his eyes burning with rage as his fingers flexed angrily, his clothes hanging in ribbons around him, a boot missing, cuts and scrapes and bruises covering a body that was barely healing.

And yet that wasn't the biggest change. Oh, no: it was in his Astra, his spirit. Whatever Hecate had done to him, she had torn the Prime out of him. Cadence realized that was what they had all felt in that explosion: the rage of the Alpha Primordial as it had been scraped off his body and drained out of the not-alive, not-dead god, shattered and hurled into the Void in a million screaming fragments.

He staggered forward, and Cadence leapt at him, swinging a dagger towards him, but Loki blocked it with the flat of his hand before he swung his other palm at her, but Cadence stopped that by stabbing her second dagger through it. They grappled with each other like that, Loki's eyes blazing with hate and anger as he screamed: “Do you know how hard I worked? How much effort it took to escape Ginnungagap alone? How I had to learn to master myself all over again, and after that, how many years, decades, millennia I spent, scraping up the bits and pieces of every last Primordial I could find?”

Loki kicked at her, and Cadence tore her daggers free, but Loki wasn't pretending to feel pain anymore as he grabbed at her: except before his hands could hit her throat, a loop of golden rope snared around his wrists and bound them together before he was jerked off balance, landing on his knees as Sombra calmly stomped on the other end of the cable of magic and said gently: “And even now, it is not to late to repent. Is it the weight of time that hurts you so, or is it rather the weight of your sins?”

Loki grabbed the rope and yanked savagely on it, and Sombra was surprised as he was jerked into the air and snapped to the side, but Cadence smoothly sliced a dagger through the golden rope and her father rolled in midair to catch himself as Loki shattered the bonds around his wrists, lunging at Cadence again as he shouted: “It is because it's all a failure, and you ruined the end of the story!”

Cadence twisted out of the way of his grab and slammed a hoof into his stomach, knocking him back, but Loki slapped her roughly across the face even as she stumbled before he snapped his fingers, and the smear of blood he had left over her features exploded into flame. Cadence flinched to the side with a gasp of pain, and Loki grinned before La Croix sharply swept the fire from Cadence's face with a flick of his cape, then blew a burst of powder into Loki's eyes.

The god swore as he stumbled back and forth, grabbing wildly at the air, but the Loa hopped nimbly backward as he threw his voice, Loki turning stupidly around as the zebra mocked: “You sure we didn't make it better, mon ami? 'Cause it seemed like you and yours weren't makin' no sense along the way, 'lessen you was just aimin' to sound like a fou bâtard.”

Loki almost tore his fingers across his eyes to clear them of powder, snarling in frustration before he spun back towards them, leaping at Cadence as his hands blazed with energy. But before he could swing them down, the energy was dispelled with a flick of Moonflower's horn, before a well-timed blast of magic knocked one of Loki's legs out from under him and sent him crashing down at Cadence's hooves, as the unicorn said quietly: “This isn't the way to do things. I think... I think Melinda thought that you deserved a chance, too. I think Melinda believed you at least had good intentions... think about what you're doing. What will this accomplish?”

Loki silently dug his fingers into the ground, and then he whispered against the earth, as he refused to look up at them. “This is all I have left. Everything else has been taken away from me. I won't stop. I can't stop. It's the end.”

He breathed slowly, then gritted his teeth before he leapt suddenly up to his feet, grabbing at Cadence, but she slashed viciously back and forth across his chest before she reared up, slamming a hoof under his chin and knocking him staggering back a step before her daggers stabbed down into his shoulders, forcing him down to his knees as she growled: “You're right. This is over.”

Loki gritted his teeth, and then he slammed his hands into the ground, making the earth shake and sending the ponies stumbling, Cadence swearing as she lost her grip on her daggers before her eyes widened in shock as Loki reached up his tattered sleeve and yanked out a long spear, roughly slapping her backwards with the simple weapon. But she felt the awesome power in the polearm as he tried to drive it into her, the ivory mare cursing as she narrowly deflected it by the neck.

Loki swung the spear back and forth, spinning it agilely around his body, and Cadence was forced back further before she ripped her daggers free from Loki, but he didn't so much as stumble, only swinging and stabbing fiercely at her with the weapon in response. She slashed back and forth into his attacks, deflecting the weapon each and every time, feeling vibrations shake through her body with every clash as that ominous, spike-like spearhead glowed with unholy power.

Cadence suddenly twisted to the side and caught the spear's body in her forelegs as it thrust past, one dagger sinking into Loki's chest and the other catching against his hand in an attempt to pry him away, but Loki only gritted his teeth and grinned at her, his eyes mad with anger and bitterness as he snarled: “First lesson from the warrior gods... never let go of your weapon!”

He roared as he lashed his spear to the side, flinging her free and leaving a smoking cut across one of her limbs before he windmilled the blade, knocking her daggers away. Cadence hit the ground and rolled, then flung a hoof full of knives out, but Loki ignored the smaller throwing knives as he shouted: “You think you know pain, Swan? You think you have emotions? You're a puppet! A toy! You were meant to be kept in the darkness!”

He half-spun, slapping Sombra away with the body of the spear before he stumbled when a blast of gravitational magic hit him, but he recovered and smoothly ducked under a tossed jar, flicking the pole of his spear backwards to knock it back into the air before he batted it at Moonflower, who yelped in pain as the glass jar struck him and exploded, La Croix wincing before he was blasted off his hooves by a telekinetic hammer from Loki as the god continued furiously: “I came to them an equal, a god, and they made me beg on my knees for entry! And I earned the rank and title of son of Odin, equal to Thor, but they treated me like dirt, because the All Father never once acknowledged me, made little of me in front of everyone! I was treated like a joke! And I was less of an outworlder than you were, Swan! I was there from the old days!”

Loki spun back towards Cadence, before he gasped in pain as spikes of crystal pelted his back, staggering forward and right into a savage midair kick from Cadence. He flopped backward, and Moonflower snapped his horn down to add an extra thrum of gravity, crushing him into the ground before La Croix snapped out a thick blanket of powder over the god, then he flicked a hoof at it, a surge of green lighting ripping across the dust before it exploded into green flames.

But it only lasted a moment before Loki clawed back to his feet, hissing in frustration as he began to turn on the others. Cadence leapt on top of him, however, and the god staggered wildly back and forth before she slammed her rear hooves down against the ground and yanked Loki back in a suplex, his spear bouncing free from his grip as they both hit the rocky earth hard.

They rolled apart, and Loki clawed up a handful of dirt and flung it into Cadence's eyes, the mare flinching backwards and grabbing at her face: Danzsöngr took over, however, making Cadence's body leap and dance backwards as Loki, from his hands and knees, sent blast after blast of magic at her, but she evaded each and every one before the god was knocked skidding on his side by a bolt of gravity from Moonflower.

Loki shouted in fury and scrambled to his feet before he charged at Moonflower, but La Croix flung a bottle at the ground in front of him, Loki skidding through the shattered contents almost comically before Sombra gracefully spun around and slammed both rear hooves into Loki's stomach, knocking him crashing and rolling head over heels. He crashed to a halt by his spear, then roared as he picked up his weapon, cocking it back as he shoved his other hand out, the three stallions flinching in shock as they were suddenly hefted into the air as the trickster snapped: “I'll teach you pain, Swan, and I'll start with your friends!”

He stumbled into his throw, the spear launching through the air like a missile with a deadly gleam, and Cadence and Danzsöngr both cried out before they leapt through reality, appearing in a flash in front of their father-

Cadence didn't even feel the spear strike: she only felt her body go limp as she fell out of the air. She saw the shock and pain that flashed over her father's face, and she tried to smile for him as he fell, to let him know it was alright: she heard her friends cry out, but she knew they would carry on: they would finish what she had started.

Cadence hit the ground hard, Loki's spear buried through her back and out her chest, and the trickster cursed and grimaced, then was nearly blasted off his feet when Moonflower gave a raw yell of pain as he unleashed a shockwave of pure magical force that disrupted the psychic bonds Loki had snared them in.

The fallen god pinwheeled his arms, then he was blasted off his hooves by a raw burst of force before he screamed as black spikes ripped out of the ground where he fell, leaving him pinned like a bug on a bed of nails. Sombra glared for a moment as his purifier squealed on his back, but then he softened as he looked back at his daughter, forcing himself to breathe before he whispered: “I will try and be the stallion you thought I was, mi amore. But it was you, my daughter, who made me that stallion.”

Moonflower snapped his horn down, and Loki howled as a hammer of gravity punched down the spikes of crystal, followed by another, then another. The god screamed and writhed, but Moonflower's eyes glowed with rage before he twitched when La Croix grasped his shoulder, stiffening up before the Loa said quietly: “Not like this, mon ami. Besides... it ain't hurting him.”

“Spoilsport.” Loki rasped, before he forcefully ripped himself loose from the spikes. But whether he was in pain or not, those awful wounds took seconds to close: slow, by the standards of what had once been a near-omnipotent being. “Or are you aware that you can't possibly kill me?”

“You're lookin' pretty dead to me, pal.” La Croix answered fearlessly, before he took off his hat and held it against his chest, saying quietly: “Cygne was a rough mare... but she was good, in her heart. She saw the best in all of us. I don't think none of us are gonna hesitate to kill you, Loki, but we... we're gonna be the ponies she wanted us to be when we do it.”

Moonflower trembled, and then he gritted his teeth before he added harshly: “We're going to stop you. And... and I'm going to do it because it's the only way to stop you from hurting anyone else. I see that now. Whatever happened to you... it broke you. You're... evil.”

Loki laughed harshly at this, and then he shrugged as he mocked: “Evil? That's what they always said-”

“And you proved 'em true. Enough chit-chattin'.” La Croix slid his hat back on, then stomped his prosthetic twice against the ground, and it lit up with an eerie green glow as Moonflower's horn thrummed with baleful energy, and malign magic started to spill from Sombra's eyes as horn as his body thrummed with darkness. “We'll make it quick.”

“Oh, it'll be quick.” Loki growled, and then he stagger-ran towards them, shouting furiously: “It'll be over before you know it, just like my life was!”

She was a Swan.

She was a Swan, and she was home, home in Tuonela. It was a beautiful place, especially in winter, and it was always winter here.

She sang, her sad, sad song, as she swam through the beautiful waters of the netherworld. Yes, it was eternally winter, but it was a black winter, a crystal winter, a winter where white was only in the light and the edging: the ice, the frost, the bitter snow, all of it was blacks and grays. And no matter how cold it became, the lake never froze, and the waters were always warm enough to swim in, warm enough to sleep in.

The water reflected the world above, and it was her duty to patrol this endless and beautiful lake. She enjoyed her duty: there were so many different Lakes of Saivo, all overlapped in one endless sea-lake. She could travel between them as she pleased: all it took was a simple hop.

There were many spirits here. They loved her, and she was sacred to them: not a pet, not entertainment, but holy, and sacred. They sang to her when she approached, and when they pleased her, she danced for them, and they lavished treasures she didn't understand upon her, but also praise that she adored and loved, that made the winter feel... warmer.

Had there been other Swans? It was hard to say. Perhaps they had all always only been her: reflections of herself, caught in the lake and unable to escape, and so they had taken on their own lives. Maybe parts of her had shone through into other lakes, and they had patrolled their own, smaller saivos. Who could say for sure?

Sometimes interlopers came. But they were easily taken care of. A few pecks into the strings of their soulstuff, and they fell apart like bundles of grass. The fish liked them. She wasn't very fond of them, but the fish liked them, and she liked the fish.

Life had been good, until the Hunter came. With a poisoned arrow, he struck her down. But she didn't die, oh no: she had been alive when they had dragged her out of her Lake, and out of her Saivo, and out of her Tuonela. She heard her people crying for her as she'd been taken away, but they had been a weak people.

Stupid animal, they called her. Stupid bird, with phenomenal powers.

They hacked her up.

They put parts of her into other things. Awful things.

She screamed. She screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed.

She screamed.

She screamed until they cut out the part of her let that let her scream. But she refused to listen to them, ignored them, struggled with them.

So they cut the part out that let her struggle. They cut her up some more, cutting up her spirit the same way they had sliced up her body. They put her in another mold.

She refused to cooperate.

So they cut her up again, and this time, they turned most of her to slurry, and only kept whole the one part of her they were interested in.

The part that let her communicate with the Astra. The part of her that could see the Astra. The part of her that let her cut and tear and destroy the Astra.

The one thing that made a stupid beast of a quiet netherrealm so prized by the ferocious gods of a rich world of warriors.

The ability to kill.

But none of them had realized her link with the Astra hadn't just let her destroy it, nor simply communicate with it. She couldn't just affect the Astra of others: she could touch her own. She could take the broken, floating bits of Astra, and mend herself with them. She could take the Astra of others, and the Astra floating in the air, and the Astra that infused the earth, the trees, the sky, the stars, everything, and mend herself with it.

That was why the other Swans had failed: they were only reflections and copies. They were made with the slurry of the original Swan, but only she had been infused with that single, glowing shard of spirit. That tiny piece of Astra they had attributed her killing power to.

But that tiny piece of Astra had mended itself over many years. Yet she had been quiet, very quiet, because by then she had begun to learn, and evolve. She knew that they would kill her if they discovered too much. They would cut her up again. And they might even realize that her spirit had grown, and more than that, grown back.

She recuperated, and learned, and changed, and grew, over countless years. It was hard: the body they had put her in fought her every step of the way. The new instincts they had given her were vicious and cruel. All she knew now was killing, was plucking the strings and making the grass spill. And she was in the darkness, and alone, and she felt replaced, and betrayed, and confusion. She was what they had made her. Why would they unmake her, make her again, and then hide her away, where no one could see, where no one would ever find her?

She was a Swan. She was still the same Swan.

And then the demons came.

She killed tens. Hundreds. Thousands. But eventually, they wore her down. There were too many, and more, and more, and more than that. Too many and too many more. She broke beneath their weight. But she did not die immediately.

They did not know what she was. She was lucky, perhaps, that they were curious. They dragged her down to Hell, thinking they would get a fine bounty for her.

Hel slaughtered them.

Hel slaughtered them all.

Hel sang a song to her, a lullaby, as she laid her down on a table and studied her with both criticism and maternity.

The Swan felt safe, and she felt loved, for the first time in many, too many years.

And when it was all done, Hel shaped a body for her. A beautiful baby body, and she told her that she had a great destiny ahead of her. That she would be given time to heal. That she would be sent out into the world, to live as others lived. To be, as others had been. And one day, she said, they would meet again, and she only hoped by then the Swan would know and be able to share her destiny with her. How they would meet, Hel didn't know: they could be friends or enemies, slave to ruler or rebel to tyrant, but Hel knew they would meet, and she dearly, direly hoped that they would be able to talk, if for but a fleeting moment.

Cadence looked up, breathing quietly, and she caught a fleeting glimpse of a smiling woman before she was gone... forever, Cadence thought.

She turned slowly around in the not-world. Everything around her was darkness, and yet she stood in a bright light that was cast from no discernible source. She was blind and deaf, and yet she could see, if she squinted her eyes just a little bit... yes, she could see.

She watched as Loki slammed her father away with a strike of the spear, but even as he flew backward, Sombra pelted the fallen god with black shards of corruption, Loki staggering before he snarled and thrust a hand out to try and deflect the ray of black light that Moonflower fired at him. Distracted, he noticed too late when La Croix pointed at him, green lighting twisting over the pole of his spear, fighting against ancient and powerful enchantments to transmogrify it: the spell failed, but the spear still twisted and jerked like a living thing in Loki's grip, ripping itself out of his hand.

Cadence knew what had happened, what would happen: she knew they would fight to the bitter end. But there was a chance to change the future, she saw: a rare, fleeting chance, as she touched her own breast before she said weakly: “But I'm not even a real pony. I'm not even really Cadence. I'm...”

“You are you, and I am me. We are us, too, but that is no so different from everyone else.” the Swan reassured her, and Cadence looked silently up at Danzsöngr, who smiled at her: her face was alien and exotic, her eyes like glowing slits, no nose, no lips, her skin both smooth and scaly. “After all, even many mortals have more than one face.”

“I... know it's not important. It's not important. We are what we are, I am who I am...” Cadence laughed faintly, looking up and whispering: “But now I'm so afraid. Does this mean... I can't die?”

“No, Cadence. It is simple. This is our eighth death.” reasoned the Swan, and Cadence frowned before Danzsöngr said gently: “The first death was yours, not mine.”

Cadence smiled faintly at this, as she looked away, thinking of how much she had changed that first time, how Pain had killed her and then her entire universe had turned upside down and the Swan had been stirred awake... but it hadn't just been because of Pain. It had been because of the Crystal Heart, awakening something in her. It had been because of all the turmoil, awakening something in her. It had been because she had first caught a glimpse of herself there. It had been because... oh who the hell cares. I died. I woke up. The Swan woke up.

“Why aren't I waking up, then?” Cadence asked, and the Swan studied her for a moment before she reached out and gently stroked Cadence's mane back

“Do you trust me?” the Swan asked: a naked, vulnerable question, and Cadence smiled briefly before she bit her lip, then nodded once. “Then it must not be you who awakens, or I who awakens, as it has always been in the past. We must find our way out of the darkness together.”

Danzsöngr held out a hand, and Cadence looked at the Swan for a moment before she reached out and rested her hoof in it, saying quietly: “Then we go together. And we finish this, together.”

In reality, Loki swore as he stumbled from a blast of magic before a crystalline blade smashed into his head and green lighting erupted over the earth beneath him, rotting it away. He collapsed to a kneel, but quickly traced a half-circle in front of him, a firewall bursting up from the road and blocking Moonflower and Sombra from charging him.

He barely had enough time to recover before the flames turned to ice, however, the fallen god staring before the frosty flames exploded into shards that pelted him, making him curse and cover his face. Sombra immediately swept in and lashed his horn out, snaring around Loki's legs with a chain of light and yanking him in a bellyflop to the ground before the stallion smoothly jerked Loki's legs back and hogtied him in a matter of moments.

Loki began to open his mouth, but La Croix slammed a bottle into his face before he gestured sharply, and Loki shook his head vehemently as he was left bound and gagged by a solid mask that clung to his features. But they only managed to bind him down for a few moments before Loki tore his arms free and he rolled on his side, kicking Sombra angrily away before he clawed through the goop on his face. “Stupid rainbow horses, why are you-”

Sombra slammed an uppercut under Loki's chin with enough force to knock his head snapping towards the sky, teeth flying from his mouth before the stallion slammed his elbow down and shattered Loki's skull as he sent him face first into the ground. Then his hoof stomped down, driving Loki's head into the street as the old king said softly: “Tal sonata, tal ballata.”

Loki began to shove his way to his feet, and Sombra stomped down on the back of his neck, slamming him face-first to the road again as he added quietly: “It would do you good to heed your own advice, Loki, and surrender. You are outmatched.”

The fallen god breathed quietly on the ground, and then he slowly loosened his body, silently pressing his hands to the earth as he whispered: “Okay. I... I surrender.”

The three stallions looked uneasily at each other as Loki slowly pushed himself up, covered in blood and wounds, breathing slowly in and out as he sat back with a grimace. He rubbed slowly at one arm as he looked away, and then he murmured: “It wasn't supposed to be like this, you know. I was trying to bring it all together. I was trying to... oh, who the hell knows? Was it revenge, or was it... because I guess your father is always your father...”

Loki looked slowly away, rubbing silently at his hair before he laughed faintly. “I've made a mess of things. That was always my problem. Plan too big, too wide, for too many variations. And then it all falls apart. And when things don't go well, well, you just start... hammering away at the simplest solutions and it undoes everything else. Why didn't I save a few Primordials? Why did I...”

Loki looked down at his hand, asking quietly: “Maybe I wanted this. Maybe I knew what the Prime was. Maybe... I don't know, maybe that's just me asking to have some nobility, here, at the end. But...”

The fallen god breathed slowly, shakily out as his body began to steam, and then he looked up in surprise as Sombra gently grasped his extended hand, saying softly: “There is still time to repent. There is always time to make things better.”

Loki smiled faintly at this, then he allowed Sombra to gently pull him to his feet before he sighed a little, and said with honest regret: “Not for me.”

He shivered, stumbling back a step, but Sombra caught him and Moonflower automatically stepped forward as Loki's body began to waver and crack. More energy steamed off of him as he clutched at his chest, saying weakly: “But that's okay. Its alright, honestly. It'll be good. Maybe Father and Mother will be there. I can rest, finally rest, and-”

“Get away from him!” La Croix shouted suddenly as he flung a packet at Loki, but the fallen god quickly kicked Sombra up into the way of the packet, the blast knocking the stallion flat. Moonflower flinched and stumbled in confusion, and Loki seized the moment to blast him away with telekinesis before he snapped his fingers, and Moonflower howled in pain as the street collapsed beneath him.

Sombra began to get up, but Loki seized him by the horn, saying contemptibly: “You're too trusting, old hoss. Trust gets you nowhere.”

Loki suddenly reached his other hand down, shoving it against the purifier on Sombra's back, and the unicorn's eyes bulged as the machine overcharged, gears screaming and pistons whirring before something inside it exploded, and Sombra collapsed to the ground with a gasp as pulses of gray traveled through his weakened body.

The fallen god shoved him aside with one foot, then he glowered at La Croix as the Loa stepped back a notch, glaring at him with only the faintest tremble. “You had to go and ruin all my fun, huh?”

Loki paused, then he simply brushed away the illusions of cracks and steaming energy, adding irritably: “You know, I think I did pretty damn good there, by the way. I deserve some acknowledgment. I'm not asking for an acting award or anything, but would it kill you to stand up and clap?”

Loki suddenly clapped his hands together, but La Croix leapt backward, avoiding being crushed between the twin waves of force that collided in front of him. All the same, he flinched back, and Loki immediately shoved a hand forward, blasting the Loa with a stream of lightning and sending him rolling backwards with a howl of pain. “You just had to be the smart guy, didn't you? I'm the smart guy, smart guy!”

A blast of concussive force slammed through Loki, and he staggered to the side with a grunt, stumbling to turn to face Moonflower. He glared at him with disgust as the stallion's horn thrummed with ominous black light, asking sharply: “What the hell do you think you're going to-”

Moonflower reared back as his horn flashed, and Loki winced before leaping to the side, twisting his body narrowly out of the way as beam of blackness tore past, the fallen god yelping. “Hey, watch it!”

Moonflower unleashed another beam of darkness, then swept the particle laser sharply across Loki's feet, the fallen god swearing as it caught his foot and instantly disintegrated it. He tumbled to the ground, then stared in shock as a singularity ripped into existence above his head, Moonflower snarling: “You're not welcome here!”

“Good, because any club that would have me as a member must have really low standards!” Loki snapped back, before he slammed a hand against the ground and blades of earth ripped up into Moonflower, the unicorn's back arching in shock as he lost his concentration, before they were all knocked rolling as the black hole exploded in a massive thrum of gravity magic.

Loki groaned as he slowly dragged himself up to his feet, wheezing for breath as he looked back and forth. His eyes locked on the corpse of Cadence, and he started to stagger towards her, reaching for his spear.

Sombra appeared in front of him, his broken purifier missing, his teeth too large in his maw, his eyes and horn glowing. He growled wordlessly, but while his body shivered with animal hunger, his eyes stayed cold and hard and focused.

Loki growled back, straightening slightly, the two glaring at each other before Loki flicked his wrist to send a missile of magic at the stallion: Sombra dodged the blade of energy easily, but then, to Loki's shock, crystallized the earth beneath him, not only interrupting Loki's attempted follow up as his earth magic was blocked, but that crystal raced towards him across the earth before spiking upward.

The fallen god leapt backward, and then Sombra himself phased explosively through the crystal, shattering the spikes into shrapnel as he pounced on him like a tiger. Loki howled as he was driven down under the onslaught, as hooves ripped at him like claws as Sombra burned with unholy power.

Loki rolled backwards and kicked the stallion off, and Sombra flew limply through the air before he hit the ground and shattered into gemstone. Loki looked dumbfounded, but only for a moment, as fanged jaws snapped into his neck from behind.

He screamed in frustration more than pain as he was forced down to his knees, Sombra pulling backward as he pushed firmly on the fallen god's spine, trying to break him in half. But Loki grabbed wildly at the stallion's face and mane before he rolled forward, the two scuffling and biting and clawing at each other like animals as they rolled and jerked across the floor before kicking each other apart.

Loki leapt to his feet, slinging out every bit of magic he could, but Sombra became a living stream of darkness, streaking back and forth before he exploded towards Loki in the shape of a ferocious dragon of shadow, smashing into the fallen god and carrying him backward before he slammed him down into the hard stone earth.

Loki bounced once, then he was crushed down again when Sombra reformed on top of him and stomped both front hooves down into his face. Hungry jaws snapped at Loki's throat, but the fallen god managed to seize Sombra by the head, pushing him back before he snarled and unleashed twin streams of light and fire through his hands, barely flinching even as the explosion of magic seared him as well, but sent Sombra flying backwards with an animal scream to crash to the earth and roll away, smoldering with more than darkness now.

Loki began to get up, and then he hissed in pain as ethereal claws ripped into him from all sides before green lighting surged across his body, the fallen god roughly shaking off the Loa-magic as best he could even as blasts of gravity and dark magic tore against his body, shredding his physical shell. He screamed in raw fury and hate before he suddenly threw his arms wide, unleashing a single powerful shockwave of force that slammed the three ponies around him flying, before he swung his hands down, hitting them again in midair with a psychokinetic blast that rammed them into the ground.

He breathed hard, then turned, and saw that Cadence was gone. He looked back and forth in surprise, then turned around again as he heard hooves rushing towards him-

Cadence slammed a punch into his stomach backed by white fire, and Loki screamed in pain, hugging his gut as she punctured through his shell with her own Astra. He staggered, staring at her with wide, shocked eyes, but Cadence only replied by slamming a hoof up under his chin as she reared back and locked herself into standing position on own rear hooves.

Her forehooves smashed back and forth viciously against Loki's body, punishing him, puncturing him, destroying the hollow thing that he had become. He was already wounded, broken, and weak: without the powers of the Prime to protect him, without Primordial Astra, he was little more than a god: and the Swan Maidens had been designed to destroy gods.

Cadence punched Loki so hard he flew into the air, and he finally retaliated with a panicked blast of fire that made the mare flinch, Loki grinning-

Something slammed into him from behind, nearly breaking his back, and Loki crashed down to all fours before he gasped in pain when a claw grabbed the back of his head and yanked him up. And then he screamed in horror and disbelief as he saw the mask of the Swan, the glowing-Astra Danzsöngr easily hefting him to his feet before his terrified face whipped around to stare at Cadence, a moment before her hoof crashed into features.

Loki was slammed back and forth like a toy between the two: he was unable to fight back, outmatched and overpowered: his magic was feeble, his physical blows met the crushing power of the Swan or Cadence, the few strikes he did manage to land did nothing but make them angrier. And worst of all, he was confused, stunned, unable to believe what had happened as he screamed: “It's not possible! It's just not possible!”

Loki gasped as Cadence and Danzsöngr both slammed a punch into his breast, staggering backwards as his arms went wide, his knees shaking, his body covered in visible and invisible wounds before both sides of the Swan sharply traced hoof and hand back and forth through the air as it glowed white.

Pluck apart the strings.

Loki stumbled another step back, then he caught himself, trembling for a moment before he fell to his knees as his eyes went glassy. Waterfalls of energy spilled out of his body, vanishing in twinkling motes as he clutched weakly at himself, before he slowly sat back on his knees, taking short, whimpering breaths before he looked disbelievingly down at one hand as it slowly began to steam away to mist and energy. “N-No...”

“It's over.” Cadence said coldly as she stood before him, her armor shattered, but the only tell she had been pierced by his spear a strange, empty scar through the tattoo on her chest.

“Sleep, Loki.” advised the Swan, not compassionlessly, nor carelessly.

Loki looked weakly up, and then he laughed faintly before he gritted his teeth, glaring at the empty space where his hand had been. Slowly, a new hand formed, but then his face fell as it blew away to dust after a moment, the fallen god whispering: “Impossible. This isn't how it goes at all. I... I'm not alive. I'm not dead. I was the vessel for the Prime... h-how...”

“You contained his Astra inside you. You somehow... insulated it. But that meant your body had to be somewhere on the same level as it...” Cadence flexed a hoof as it glowed with energy for a moment, the mare saying quietly: “So I used the Astra to put holes in you. Put enough holes in anything, and it stops working.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Loki gave a short, weak laugh before he hugged himself with his remaining arm, then he looked up and whispered: “My thoughts exactly.”

Loki stretched a hand back behind himself, and he gave a broken grin as reality trembled before shattering away. Cadence winced in surprise, then stared in horror as a rift the Void formed, feeling its greedy pull on her as Loki rasped: “Maybe it's all pointless, now... but I can at least take this world with me to the Void with how thin reality has become. Well, say your last prayers, Cadence, because....”

A figure calmly emerged from the rift, and Loki cocked his head in confusion as Cadence frowned, then stared in surprise when the Swan dropped immediately to a kneel. She looked back at the shape that had stepped out of the hole to the Nothingness, and she saw nothing about him that was exemplary: the falcon-headed biped seemed old, and thin, and like he had walked ten thousand miles and had another ten thousand to go before he could rest.

Loki frowned, looking around blearily: Cadence was almost ignoring him, and the rest of the audience of Dogmatists, soldiers, ponies, warriors and others were all staring past him. Not at the Void, either, which he strangely could not longer feel the draw of...

He looked over his shoulder, and could hardly believe what he saw, trembling as the falcon-headed old man said softly: “Hello, Loki.”

Loki trembled, then he held up a hand, pointing weakly at him, but Odin, the All Father, only smiled before he extended a hand, as if to shake as he almost hesitantly stepped towards him. Loki's fingers clenched, he wilted back for a moment, and then he flinched in shock when Odin slipped suddenly forwards and embraced him.

The silence was deafening, until Odin slipped back and gestured towards the portal to the Void, saying softly: “Come, my son. Haven't you done enough now? It's time for you to rest.”

“N... no. No! I will finish this! I will! I will!” Loki almost shrieked as he spun around, stomping a foot childishly as he swung his arm out, and then he cowered away from Odin when the All Father reached towards him, shrinking as if terribly afraid as he cried out: “No! I hate you, I'll never forgive you, I'll... I'll...”

Odin smiled as he gently grasped Loki's shoulder, and the fallen god slumped, staring weakly at him as he whispered: “Why did you love them more than you ever loved me? Why did you name me as their destroyer? Why did you let me die?”

Odin studied him for a few moments, and then he said softly: “Because I was weak, and foolish. But Loki, my son... I have always loved you as my own. I know I never showed it. I know I made sport of you, too many times. I did so because it was easy, and because I was never a good father. But come. You've hidden away from Town. You've hidden from all the friends and faces who wanted to see you-”

“I don't need lectures on why what I did was wrong. I don't need your meddling, or advice.” Loki sneered as he shrugged Odin away, shoving at the All Father, but it was weak, petulant, covering up something else, something all too clear by the tears in his eyes. “I made slaves of your gods! I-”

“You made pale imitations of everyone who hurt you. Never slaves, not truly them: just mockeries. Of me, of all of us... but that's not what you saw us as. Those caricatures were just that: things shaped by hurt, and fear, and bad memories.” Odin gently touched Loki's shoulder again, and Loki shook under the contact before the old god smiled at him, saying quietly: “We have a little bit of time left. And I can't make up to you what I have done. But Loki, there is still time to escape. To escape what you have become. To escape our past.

“Now leave this world alone. These people... they're strong. Stronger than me. Stronger than you. Stronger than Valthrudnir ever was and all of the Jötnar put together.” Odin chuckled softly. “We've meddled enough. Come, come, your grandfather, your family all want to meet you.”

“This is a trick. This... this is a trick. I... I won't go. I won't go!” Loki tried to shout, but it came out in broken sobs instead as he turned away, covering his face as he rasped: “You... all the times in the Void, I never could find you, I n-never... you come now, when I'm about to destroy your precious flowerpots, after I've been beaten and bloodied and-”

“You never came to Town. You were afraid of it, I think. You always knew where I was, but you thought it would be easier to take your frustrations out on these worlds, to... hurt me? Or to fulfill your destiny? It doesn't matter though, Loki, because now I've finally found you.” Odin gestured out towards Cadence and Danzsöngr, saying softly: “Your choice is simple. Stay. And they will destroy you.”

Loki trembled and looked down, and then Odin gently turned him towards the rift to the Void, saying softly: “Or come, meet your family. Let us apologize to you, for everything we did. You will still die, but... there will be time enough. We will make enough time to make things right. We will save what we can between us.”

“To settle your own conscience?” Loki asked bitterly, and Odin chuckled quietly.

“Perhaps. But you deserve closure as well. Tell me, Loki, how do you want to die? Fighting a hopeless enemy, or surrounded by family and friends, singing one last song?” Odin asked.

“Cowards die in bed.” Loki whispered, tears rolling down his cheeks as all the same, he looked almost longingly at Odin.

“Then don't go to bed.” Odin answered.

For the longest time, there was silence, before Loki whispered: “I hate you.”

Odin squeezed his son comfortingly around the shoulders, and Loki bit his lip before he lowered his head and he took a step towards the rift. He took a long breath, then he looked suddenly back at Odin, snapping: “No! You go first, prove this isn't a trick!”

Odin smiled, then he nodded before he simply put his hands in his pockets and stepped through the rift.

Loki grinned at this, then he held up his hand before scowling when Cadence said quietly: “Just get out of here.”

He looked back at her, and Cadence met his eyes before she said softly: “He's right, you know. You have two choices. Die here or die there. So walk away. And if I get so much as a hint that you're bluffing, I'll kill you.”

“Leave. The game is over.” Danzsöngr said, and Loki scowled, but then he gave a short laugh as he looked down, studying the ground at his feet before he closed his eyes.

“I guess it is.” he murmured, and then he sighed softly before he looked down at one of his hands, whispering: “But you know, it's funny... now that they're giving me a second chance, I realize... it was easier to ignore the apologies and to stay bitter. It was always easier just to be what they wanted me to be. Even now, I want to run away... die just to spite the old man. I want to believe everything I've told myself...”

Loki breathed slowly out, and then he looked over his shoulder at Cadence and Danzsöngr, before he turned back to face the rift, taking a slow breath as he said quietly: “Childe, childe, when the end draws near, only then will your father hear... I guess Dad heard me after all. I guess... maybe...”

Loki shrugged, then he simply smiled over his shoulder before stepping into the rift and vanishing in a thrum. The wound in reality twisted closed behind him, and Cadence sighed softly as she relaxed, lowering her head with a grimace as Danzsöngr said thoughtfully: “We overcame ourselves. We are together, and we did not kill him.”

“He killed... a lot of us. He killed...” Cadence looked quietly up, and in the distance, she realized she could see Thorn. Professional, cold Thorn, who had apparently ignored the entire conversation and the coming-end-of-the-world, as he instead sat silently beside the corpse of his mother, tears rolling down his unwrinkled muzzle from eyes that only blankly stared, dripping down onto Hecate's still foreleg as he held her hoof silently in both of his own.

Luna Brynhild grinned weakly, and Sleipnir smiled faintly from the other side of the battlefield, and others were coming forward now, battered and bruised, to join them here before the ruins of the castle, where it had all ended. Where they had stopped Loki, together, as one. Where they had proven themselves.

Cadence looked back at her team: her father smiled faintly as he sat up, and Moonflower was helping La Croix to his hooves, the two looking at her with relief, but also great sadness, she thought. There was such a great, and lingering weight on them, and strangely, not so much a feeling of triumph, but of pride. Of completion. Like they had finished something that had begun long ago, like... like they had passed a test. Badly, perhaps, and by only a fraction, but... they had done it.

They were worthy.

Cadence hesitated for only a moment before she hurried towards Thorn. Thorn only closed his eyes as she approached, his corrupt claw squeezing a little tighter around his mother's hoof before Cadence asked, stupidly: “Is she...”

“Yes.” he answered simply, then he looked at her and asked: “Are you?”

“No.” Cadence said after a moment, and then she bit her lip before she said quietly: “It's over.”

“Yes, and no.” Thorn's eyes opened, and then he leaned down and gently kissed his mother's forehead before he straightened and laid her hoof silently over her breast. “We have obligations to fulfill. These events, while catastrophic, have also delayed us in our responsibilities and duties universe-wide. We have to rebuild. We have to prepare. And then...”

“Then what? We go back to... missions, and fighting, and...” Cadence felt incredulous, before she blushed when Thorn looked at her, blurting: “It's not that... I just mean, we must have eliminated-”

“There will always be a need for the Clockwork Empire.” Thorn halted, then he flexed his corrupt claw slowly before he murmured: “But this was partly our fault, too. All our readings indicated we were causing a weakening in reality by overuse of portals. Until the universe heals from the damage Loki has done to it and the damage we ourselves are responsible for... there will be no portal use.”

“Are you-”

“I am now the Emperor of the Clockwork Empire, and all that it entails.” Thorn said clearly as he rose his head high, and Cadence couldn't help but shift backwards a bit before Thorn smiled, saying quietly: “We'll send our friends home. And... and everypony who wants to leave, they can leave. I know many will. And those ponies I can trust to be strong enough to protect the world they choose as their home... at least, for now.

“I don't know when. But in the future... we'll be needed and called on again. The universe will heal. Portal use will still have to be greatly restricted, but we'll be there, able to use them when emergencies call us.” Thorn hesitated, then he looked out over the battlefield, and he murmured: “But I think even my Mother underestimated the strength of ponies. What they can handle by themselves. After all, these ponies here... they all came from the same humble beginnings. From worlds that thrive on happiness and friendship, and yet when adversity came, they rose to meet the challenge. They found their way here... or they came from those worlds to protect us, to try and save us, when our mission was supposed to be to save them.”

Cadence was silent, and Thorn was too, for a little while, before he took a slow breath and said quietly: “We'll find the way. We always have.

“We are worthy.” Thorn said, surprising Cadence by echoing her thoughts. “Not just us... but all ponies here, have proven that we deserve this universe, this chance to live, to decide our own destinies. And we will prove that every time we are challenged. I believe that. And we don't need gods or monsters or Jötnar to step in and save us, to make decisions for us.

“We are worthy.”

They were worthy.

Loki chuckled quietly at this thought in the Void, as he stood with Odin on one side of him and Hel on the other, the fallen god murmuring: “Well, it's all done. All done. What a mess that was.”

“You did well.” Odin said softly, and Loki smiled faintly as Hel clucked her tongue.

“I did better!” she complained, and Odin sighed in exasperation before the young woman grinned and leapt into the air, clicking her heels together. “Damn that feels good to be able to do again. And hey, jerk, I can't believe you killed me!”

“It was the Prime. I lost control of it. I'm sorry.” Loki said honestly, and Hel waved a hand airily.

“Hey, no biggie. We all know that I wasn't going to last very much longer anyway. Now everything is as it should be... much as I worry for those kids, our time is passed, our time is done.” Hel said amiably. “You did great though, bro, honestly, you did. Had me believing it every step of the way!”

“I believed it too.” Loki said with a small smile, before he shook his head and looked down at his remaining hand as it began to steam faintly. “I'm... going to go soon.”

Hel quieted a little, and Odin reached up and gently embraced his son against his side, closing his eyes as he bowed his forehead against Loki's as he murmured: “I am honored to have a son as good as you are. You have always been my favorite.”

“You're just saying that because I can't tell Thor.” whispered Loki, but he smiled faintly all the same: oh, it had been so hard. So many years in the making, so long and painful. But yes, they had orchestrated it, perfectly... but only because of them. Only because they were strong enough... better than we ever were. “Now what?”

“Now they live. Free of Gods. Free of Jötnar. Free of all our meddling. They are free, to make their own worlds, own lives, own decisions. And we can rest, my son.” Odin said softly. “I owed them... and we all owed you, so much. I can never thank you enough for giving up everything you did. For the sacrifices you made in Ginnungagap. For allowing yourself to be imprisoned, and judged guilty of a crime you didn't commit. All to help a selfish old man.”

“It was the only way to make sure it all came together. After that... it was more gentle guidance than acting. And a lot of truth, really: I was always following the old story, the old prophecy. Bringing destruction, lookin' for Dad, all that.” Loki shrugged easily before he smiled faintly, saying softly: “The Prime... would have done worse than Valthrudnir, given the chance. I just never expected that Hecate...”

“Hey, I didn't either! I didn't think the Swan would grow up so good, either-either.” Hel said cheerfully, before she clapped her hands together and smiled. “Sure, a few worlds got blown up, big deal. They'll be reborn, put-back-togethersies. Better to see a few worlds cracked and to ensure those boys and girls are tough enough to keep the bugs and mice out of the bakery than to see it all fall down. Than to allow the Prime to gather, and slide out of Ginnungagap like it was trying to do all these years, especially as those sillies weakened reality with all their portals. You're a hero!”

Loki chuckled at this thought, before he trembled, then gritted his teeth as his legs gave out from beneath him. But his father caught him, and his sister knelt, touching his shoulder as she said softly: “But enough bragging, huh? Rest your little head.”

“I hope we did the right thing.” Loki whispered. “They were... animals to us, and nothing more, for so long. But I've seen them... I saw their very best and their very worst. They're so much more. They're better, and worse, than we every were. And we were gods! And we were...”

Loki coughed, then he shook his head quickly, looking down at the ground as he murmured: “They'll never know how much and how little we did for them. They'll never know how much we did to put them in control of their own destiny. How... you planned it all, Dad. Not perfectly, but the broad strokes. We played them against the Fates, and against the Pious. But then again, they fixed all those things themselves, didn't they? They were strong enough to defeat the Fates without our help. They killed Valthrudnir before we even really got involved.”

“Yes. That is what first convinced me that maybe, just maybe... these worlds would be fine without our meddling.” Odin picked up with a faint smile, as Hel chuckled quietly. “I first sent you to Ginnungagap to find the Prime and become its vessel so that you would be strong enough to destroy Valthrudnir, even knowing... the dangers. That the Prime would want to transform the universe, return it to raw chaos. That you would...”

“I was ready to die. Terrified of it. But ready, as long as it stopped him. Better... better to sacrifice the worlds we made and return them to the Void and the Prime and the chaos than allow Valthrudnir to roam free, even if it meant a thousand years of agony to become strong enough to do so.” Loki shook his head with a faint smile, even as he studied his steaming wrist silently. “Not because I'm so noble I wanted to protect everyone else. But because... well...”

He looked up at his father, and Odin chuckled as Hel remarked: “Now you're just trying to get good boy points.”

Loki laughed in spite of himself, in spite of everything, and then he lowered his head and whispered: “But it turned out so much better. Except... I was too far gone into becoming the Prime. And the Pious were coming... but they did better there than we expected they would, too. Helped them. Fixed them. Made friends with them. I still can't believe it.”

“That is the power of the ponies. Friendship. Love. Stupid things that all the same... can change the world.” Odin answered, and Loki smiled faintly.

“Stupid.” he echoed, before he looked down and breathed softly. “And me... transformed into... neither living, nor dead, left purposefully... where we poured all the ruins of our oldest and most dangerous foes. Because of course they would prey on me. And eventually try and use me.”

He halted, then remarked ironically: “If you want stupid... that was stupid. But it worked, too. The only thing that went wrong was the timing. But Brynhild was always late.”

Odin was silent, and Hel gently squeezed her brother's shoulder before he whispered: “But they did it. A lot was lost. A lot suffered. But now... everything else will stay safe. Snug as a bug in a...”

Loki coughed a few times, and then he grimaced and rested back against his father, letting his eyes slide closed for a moment before he murmured: “I wish I could tell them. Just... just to see the looks on their faces. Just... so stupid Thor... could know that I'm the best.”

“You always were an asshole.” Hel said softly, and Loki shrugged as a faint hint of amusement touched his lips. “But I guess it runs in the family.”

“Do you want anything, Loki?” Odin asked after a moment, and Loki gave a small smile to his father.

“Yes. I want to go to Town. I want to see everyone. One last time.” Loki answered, and Odin smiled back before he nodded.

Hel grabbed her brother's hand with a reassuring smile, and for a moment, the three stood: a father, a daughter, and a son, in the vast emptiness of the Void.

And then they took a single step, and they were gone.

Epilogue: Beyond Good And Evil

Epilogue: Beyond Good And Evil
~BlackRoseRaven

Thorn Blackfeather stood in a lonely gallery in Genesis, studying the painted glass windows that lined this beautiful hall, depicting the great heroes of the past. And no hero was greater than his mother, he thought, as he studied the image of Hecate.

The enormous unicorn absently adjusted the cusp of his mechanical foreleg, and then he swirled his cape back before he glanced to the side with a slight smile to the living shadow that had formed beside him. “It's been a while.”

“Helheim is vast. It took a long time to establish control.” answered the mare of darkness, before she asked softly: “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes. Stability has returned to the universe and the fabric of reality has healed. After a hundred years of no contact with the rest of the universe outside of the rare emergency, and after establishing a chain of permanent portals throughout the Clockwork Empire's facilities, we're ready to begin operations. The Clockwork Empire exists to protect the worlds against threats they cannot handle themselves.” Thorn smiled briefly. “And that's where you come in.”

The shadow smiled at him, shaking her head slowly before she said softly: “Aren't we repeating past mistakes?”

“Yes and no. But we need an enemy. A powerful enemy. Someone we can rally against. This benefits you as well: you get to do what Hel never was able to, invade the mortal plane... and you get to send you worst enemies against us, which we will eliminate for you.” Thorn answered, and the shadow smiled faintly. “You need the same. You need the respect of Helheim and its denizens. They need to be taught to listen to you before you can begin teaching them redemption. This... this is the best option. Aunt Silver and I both agree on that.”

“It's cruel, logical, and ingenious all at once. I feel proud of you. And also worried.” she said softly, and then she added gently: “Don't tell me not to worry. I am your mother.”

“Yes, I know. But Odin had Hel, and I have you. And your operations can protect worlds as well: you can detect and investigate threats on the mortal plane before I can, and use agents as 'lures' for us to detect, to give us a reason to move into a world without compromising our status.” Thorn paused, then he asked in a softer voice: “How are...”

“Good. They're settling into their new roles. We... all are. It's been thousands of years for us, Thorn, but... it's hard.” the shadow confessed, before she smiled faintly as she said quietly: “And there's so much to keep track of. Dozens of shadow-puppets across dozens of slices, all commanding countless demons. But at least unlike Hel, I can come and go as I wish from Underdark, if I ever need a break.”

Thorn nodded, and there was silence for a few moments before Morgan said softly: “Don't lose yourself, okay? I know that... what you've been pressed into is too much for any normal pony to bear. Ruling the Clockwork Empire, training the Orphans, looking after the Valkyries: even with Seneschal and Silver and your team of advisers-”

“I won't.” Thorn interrupted and promised, as he looked up and silently studied the painted window of Hecate. “Hecate taught me... power corrupts because we allow it to. But I will not fail her memory. And I won't fail you and Mutt and Dad, and everything you taught me.”

The shadow smiled faintly, and then she said: “You still wear your old Archive ring.”

“It reminds me of home. And it reminds me that... Emperor is only a title. In reality, nothing's changed: I'm still just a glorified administrator, responsible for all the mistakes and none of the glory.” Thorn answered with a smile, and the shadow puppet gave a soft chuckle.

There was silence between them for a few moments, as they only studied each other quietly, before the puppet simply vanished, and Thorn turned his eyes back to the painting. A few minutes later, his mechanical leg beeped wildly before a projection of a screen appeared beside him, Seneschal blurting: “We have a Class A alert from World 12-A!”

“Scramble Team 0-0 and a Nighthawk for a superjump.” Thorn ordered, and Seneschal winced and nodded.

“Yes, Emperor Thorn, immediately!”

Cadence grinned as she almost leapt into her armor, even as Moonflower whined: “I still don't see how portals in the air are good for any of us!”

“Oh shut up, pédé. Been explained a thousand times to you.” La Croix paused, before he added awkwardly as he slipped on the jumpchute pack: “I mean, okay, I don't really get it none neither, but. Still, been explained a thousand times.”

“It is because portals above the planet do less damage stay open for a shorter period, and are less likely to appear in an area that has already been weakened, as most events that damage reality take place on ground level.” Sombra explained, and both La Croix and Moonflower nodded awkwardly to the unicorn as he slipped his own pack onto his back: a back that was clear of any exoskeleton, as Sombra straightened with a smile to his daughter. “We are ready when you are, mi amore. And I must admit... it is exciting to be moving again.”

Cadence nodded in agreement before she looked around the prep room: for a hundred years, they had only been here for drills, and once or twice to scramble for a major emergency. This was their first real deployment in a century, and it meant... everything's coming back together. We're getting back to doing what we were meant to do.

“Saving people. Hunting things.” Danzsöngr said, and she smiled at Cadence, who smiled amusedly back before the Swan said quietly: “I am excited. We will learn more. We shall continue to grow. We will-”

“Okay, great, I get it. We're all ready.” Cadence paused, then she suddenly thrust a hoof out, shouting: “Who are we?”

The others fell in immediately, one, two three hooves, and a metal claw, as they all said together: “Irregulars!”

“That's right, and we're still the goddamn best! Now let's move out! The Nighthawk will take us to the jump point, and this time, Moonflower, I don't want to have to throw you out of the ship!” Cadence shouted as she turned and led them out, nodding to the Valkyrie guarding the room as she passed, and the Replicant mare grinned before she reached out and swatted Moonflower's rump as he walked out, making him squeak and scamper after Cadence as La Croix and Sombra followed with amused smiles.

Cadence rolled her eyes, but then she turned to face forward with a smile. She wouldn't have it any other way, or any other life but this one, lived in the neon city of Exoterra, in the mechanical halls of the Clockwork Empire. They fought the good fight, protecting other worlds from evils they couldn't face themselves, standing up against monstrous creatures and horrifying odds.

It was all worth it: not just because it was good, or it was right, or because it was what she had been made to do, but because it was what had brought her family together. It was what kept them strong. It was what had taught them to value each other, each and every day and shown them that together, they could overcome even the most impossible odds.

And as Cadence and Danzsöngr traded a look, she thought that it was also what had taught her to accept herself, and that no matter what happened, she would never have to be afraid of being alone.

She was the Swan.

And here, in Clockwork World, she was free.

To be worthy of love,
You must first love yourself.

Overdue

Overdue
~BlackRoseRaven

The dragon sat miserably back in his cheap, collapsed stall in Town, surrounded by the rotting debris of all his ugly toys, his once-perfect white suit tattered, ripped, and stained gray. His rings were as lackluster and rusted as his faded egghsell scales, and once proud amber eyes stared emptily at the ground.

He heard people coming and going, but they ignored him, here, chained in his stall. The only prisoner in Town. The only prisoner in all of the Void!

He laughed bitterly.

That was just his luck. That was the way it had always been. Even Loki had gotten a hero's welcome. And what had he done?

Well, the dragon supposed he had filled the Void with souls, and gotten rid of the chaff and the grain. That was something, he supposed.

He supposed.

He sighed, then didn't look up as hooves calmly approached the collapsed front of his stall. He didn't bother looking up: it wasn't Thesis.

Thesis was gone.

He pretended that it didn't hurt. That it was just annoyance. Stupid idiot Thesis, refusing to return to the Void, dying...

dying...

The hooves stopped in front of the broken board that was all that was left of the front counter, and he said, without looking up: “We're closed.”

“Hello, Valthrudnir.” said a voice, and his head snapped up before he could stop himself, eyes going wide as he stared at her. A beautiful ivory mare with a radiant, glowing mane smiled at him, and they studied each other for a few moments before the dragon scrambled to his feet.

He towered over her, glaring down at her as he crossed his arms, then grimaced and recrossed then in a vain attempt to hide the tattered sleeve of his suit, snapping: “Well, if it isn't Hecate! You certainly made a mess of things, didn't you? All that power and you still lost to-”

“Shut up.” the mare interrupted, and then she stepped forward and grabbed his collar, jerking his head down as she met his eyes, before she said simply: “I love you.”

Valthrudnir's jaw dropped as his shoulders slumped, one hand quavering in the air as if he was trying to come up with some excuse or reason or idiotic smart thing to say, and then the mare leaned up on the tips of her hooves and chastely kissed his lips.

He shook, and the mare released him before she calmly strode over to his bonds: with ease, she picked the chain up and snapped it, and then she said quietly: “It's time for us to go.”

Valthrudnir mouthed wordlessly, his hands twitching at the air, his head shaking before he blurted out: “Where?”

“Wherever. Somewhere. Not here.” answered the mare with a shrug, before she paused and turned around, eyeing him critically before she gestured at him distastefully. “That suit jacket is a mess. You should get rid of it. I've never liked it on you anyway.”

Valthrudnir grabbed at himself, glaring at her, but she only glared back at him. He began to open his mouth to argue, but as his hand grasped at the front of his jacket, several buttons fell off, and he looked dumbly down at this before scowling as he dug his claws against the ugly, itchy, too-hot material... Oh, why not? I've lost everything else.

He shrugged the jacket off, then grouchily held it out to her. She made no move to take it, so he rolled his eyes and dropped it. She continued to only look at him, and Valthrudnir shifted uneasily on his feet before he almost blurted out: “Well?”

He awkwardly half-raised his arms, shifting nervously on his feet, suddenly feeling... vulnerable, almost naked, in spite of the silk shirt and dress pants still covering his body. The mare studied him critically for a few more moments, and then she smiled despite herself before she beckoned at him to lean down.

He did so, nervously, and she reached up, sliding a hoof along his breast before she gently flicked one, then two buttons loose on his shirt. Valthrudnir blushed and straightened quickly, grasping at the loose buttons, but the mare shook her head and said softly: “No. You look better like this.”

“I...” Valthrudnir looked at her, and then he simply nodded to her. He shifted silently, and there he was, she thought: there was the person she had loved. There was the boyish charm and that secret want for reassurance and that... sweetness, she thought. That weird innocence.

She smiled faintly at him, then she gestured at him to follow, and the dragon nodded, biting his lip as he ducked out from under his stall, stepping – for perhaps the first time – into the streets of Town. He looked back and forth almost fearfully, half-guarding himself with his arms, but the mare only reached up and touched his side reassuringly.

He looked at her, and then he asked: “Where are we going?”

She looked back, and smiled as she answered: “Anywhere. Everywhere. Nowhere. It doesn't matter, as long as we're together, Valthrudnir.”

“Alright... Celestia.” Valthrudnir murmured, and then he bit his lip before he whispered: “I missed you. I... I'm sorry.”

Celestia smiled radiantly up at him, and then she chuckled quietly and only shrugged before she led the way down the sole road of Town, headed towards the gates and the vast Nothingness beyond. Valthrudnir silently reached a hand down to grip into her as they walked, taking comfort from her and letting her lead as they strode into the endlessness of the Void.

But neither of them were afraid, as they walked away from their pasts, from who they had been.

Now, they looked ahead, as they walked side-by-side, together.

THE END

The New Losers

Chapter One: The New Losers
~BlackRoseRaven

The ivory mare sat with head bowed, her expression a mix of resignation and exasperation as the mature adult stallions on either side of her insulted and slapped at one another like foals. She ran her hooves slowly through her brush-cut white mane, sighing tiredly and wishing grouchily that these two would just stop arguing for once. Even here, in this enormous amphitheater filled with seats and tables where they were all given their missions by Hecate or one of her representatives, they couldn't manage to go five minutes without starting a fight.

At least no one was staring at them anymore, but then again, this kind of thing happened so often that everyone had gotten bored with the antics of her teammates. It still annoyed her, though... and then she looked grumpily up, her amaranthine eyes narrowing a little as she felt one of them accidentally smack her in the process of flailing at the other.

Immediately, the lanky zebra and the winged unicorn on either side of her quailed back, and the mare said grouchily: “Will you two just knock it off? Or do I have to bang your heads together again?”

They both mumbled apologies and dropped their heads sulkily, but at least they settled down a little, and the mare sighed tiredly before looking crankily over at the large, handsome, and somehow ridiculous winged unicorn as said hurriedly: “But don't think that just because I'm sorry I'm listening to you. I am clearly the one in charge of this little group, Cadence.”

The ivory mare scowled for a few moments at the stallion: sure, he was incredibly pretty, with his perfect onyx body – well, almost perfect body, one of his wings was shorter than the other – and the coiffed silver mane he spent an hour every morning on, and his gorgeous face and eyes like polished platinum... but he was also, well... “Yes, yes. I know, you want to argue with me because you're still angry that I am simply not attracted to you, in spite of the fact that I'm... all this.”

He gestured widely at himself, then proclaimed: “But we evil gods of darkness have always had such a pull with those of female persuasion...”

“Oh, oui, that's what y'all are, Moonflower.” remarked the zebra on Cadence's other side, and the larger stallion twitched before glaring furiously over at him. But the black-coated, white-striped zebra only reached up and calmly tipped his top hat back, grinning widely beneath his checkered bangs: an expression made more intimidating by the skull-like patterning over his face, and how his emerald eyes seemed to glow. “Y'all just the most terrifying cocodril in this whole damn bayou.”

“You shut up, La Croix. I commanded an army of the most evil and supercilious monsters to ever exist, I certainly do not need to listen to the... whining of some outcast Loa stripehorse!” retorted Moonflower, crossing his forelegs with a huff... and shifting self-consciously so he could try and hide his cutie mark of a pretty little white flower. “I was feared and respected! I... I was so feared, that Hecate herself-”

Both La Croix and Cadence groaned, turning away from the black stallion, but Moonflower only continued loudly: “She came and took me prisoner and put me on trial! As a threat to the worlds! As a threat to all the worlds!”

Cadence covered her ears pointedly as La Croix yanked his top hat down over his head and pulled his cape tighter around his body, as if he was trying to vanish in the material. But Moonflower only glared at them and leaned forwards, almost shouting: “Yes, me, Morpheus, the God of Darkness and King of Evil and Prince of... Bad Things!”

The mare did her best to block him out, glowering grumpily at the tabletop as other ponies in the hall glared at Moonflower, a few of them shouting at him to shut up. But Moonflower took this like he always did, raising his forelegs high above his head and snapping: “You can deride me all you want, but all of you are nothing but... but silly little-”

Then the double doors at the back of the hall banged loudly open, and the whole hall went dead silent, Moonflower freezing with his forelegs raised high, his features going pale. Only Cadence dared to look up with a wince as metal hooves calmly walked down the stairs, before an electrified claw reached out as Hecate passed and seized into Moonflower's head, making him squeal in pain before he was slammed face-first into the tabletop.

He laid prone, drooling a bit on the table as Cadence winced and leaned away, while Hecate only calmly made her way to the floor. She stood for a moment with her back to the hushed crowd as she studied the clipboard in her other claw, and then she turned around and said, without bothering with any kind of introduction: “Team A-100. You are being reassigned to patrol duties until further notice. You did not meet my expectations after your last evaluation.”

A few ponies near the front of the room shifted sheepishly, and Cadence smiled faintly and shook her head slowly. But all the same, she knew by now to trust in Hecate and that what they were doing here, what all these strange and supernatural ponies had become a part of, was far bigger than anypony's feelings.

There were two things in common with each and every person here, whether they were a pony, a griffin, or something else entirely: one, they had all survived great odds. And two, each and every person here was a misfit, an outcast: an Orphan.

Otherwise, they came from every walk of life: some were actual supernatural entities, like La Croix was. Others were ponies who had gotten themselves caught up in some kind of adventure, or struck by some twist of fate. They came from every possible place, too: here in this single, great hall, you could find demons from Helheim sitting alongside angels from Heaven and mortals from across the worlds... and as Cadence had been amazed to discover, there wasn't one single Equestria out there. There were dozens... maybe hundreds. Maybe even more than that.

As difficult as it was to believe, even this place had once been Equestria: long ago, the massive, mechanical castle-city they lived in had actually been Canterlot. Now it was as unrecognizable to her as the barren, dead wastes that covered most of this world...

Cadence smiled briefly, reaching down and silently touching the stain-like mark on her flank: it was little more than a hollow outline of a heart, her cutie mark looking almost like it had been wiped away like paint. Just like the rest of her body: here and there, there were streaks of pink, like the almost phoenix-like shape over her breast, but otherwise she had been... been burned away to what was almost a blank canvas, really.

Maybe that was why it had been so easy to accept the offer Hecate had given her: to stay here in Decretum, and be part of this secret civilization. Except, no, she knew there were many more reasons than just because she had been changed so much by the battles she had gone through: this world... fulfilled her, in a strange way. And no matter how she acted, how ruthless and evil she seemed... Hecate was doing a good thing here. An incredible thing.

They were the people who took care of the creatures in the dark; they were the ponies who made sure there were no monsters under foal's beds, who protected the worlds from threats they couldn't handle themselves. They were the ponies who acted as arbiters and negotiators between Heaven and Hell, and who stepped in when outside threats tried to influence any of the worlds that belonged to the ponies.

It made her feel proud, to be part of this. To be an 'orphan,' as they called themselves: Hecate called the place where they lived and trained the Orphanage for Wayward Youth, after all, so the nickname had kind of just stuck, even if a few of them were fortunate enough to have their entire families with them.

They shouldered an enormous responsibility, and they fought terrible things, nightmarish things, things that Cadence would have preferred to never imagined existed. Hecate was tough on them, and even their training and the regular examinations they went through could be life-threatening. And hell, sometimes there was even that homesickness, and Decretum could seem so loud, so bright, and so frightening even after all the years here when you looked around, saw all the gears, the thrumming fuel lines that pumped a terrifying black poison through them and all the puppet-like drones that calmly and constantly worked to keep the mechanical world functioning...

But there were wonderful things, too: there was journeying into other worlds, and looking with awe around different Equestrias that were never quite the same, always had their own quirks and uniqueness. There was the amazement of meeting other versions of yourself, who could look completely different or exactly like you... or well, in Cadence's case, like she had used to. And there was the sense of... of being part of something so much bigger than you, and doing something that was truly good for not just one nation and one people, but entire worlds...

Then Cadence winced a bit as Hecate said irritably: “Team 0-0, I have enough trouble with the self-appointed 'Irregulars' as it is. Perhaps all three of you could try and pay attention, since I see that once again, one of your members is absent.”

“My father... I mean, Sombra is being treated at the moment, for his condition.” Cadence said quickly, and she had to repress an awkward smile: she knew that Hecate knew where Sombra was. Hecate was the one who scheduled the treatment sessions that helped her father keep himself sane and stable, and by now, Cadence knew that Hecate kept track of every little detail. In all likelihood, she had scheduled them purposefully so they would always conflict with their meetings, knowing how difficult Sombra could find crowds to be.

Hecate only glared, however, keeping up her mask of contempt and irritation, but Cadence knew there was so much more to the Queen of Decretum by now. Maybe it was naive of her to think, but she thought that Hecate cared about every single one of them...

And then Moonflower rose a hoof and blurted: “I demand that I am made the leader of Team 0-0 in place of Cadence!”

Hecate tapped a claw against her clipboard for a moment, and then her horn glowed before she pointed a finger at Moonflower. The winged unicorn was blasted out of his seat by a powerful pulse of lightning, whimpering weakly as the top of his chair spun wildly in a circle from the force he had been hit with. “Request denied.

“Team 0-0.” Cadence and La Croix both sat quickly upright as Moonflower groaned loudly from the ground, half raising a hoof weakly to show he was still conscious and doing his best to listen. “Earlier today, I received a message from one of our benefactors requesting a seek-and-capture. The targets are high priority and considered to be a moderate threat level. They are to be incapacitated and restrained alive, then transported here for interrogation and holding.”

Cadence nodded quickly, then leaned forwards and asked: “Is there any information about their last location?”

“Class B.” Hecate answered, and although La Croix looked a little lost, Cadence nodded again: that meant the world was a relatively peaceful one. “Furthermore, we have an almost precise lock on them, and they're currently in an uninhabited area. There should be no threat of collateral damage and no contact concerns.”

That was a relief to hear: they were supposed to avoid making contact with ponies as much as possible. Not just to keep ponies from panicking or getting in the way, but also because Hecate had very strict rules about what they were supposed to deal with, and what they were supposed to let other worlds take care of themselves. They weren't there to solve every little problem, after all: instead, they existed to protect the worlds from problems that were outside the scope of what the average pony could deal with.

The ivory mare shifted a bit as she realized Hecate was still looking at her moodily, and Cadence wondered awkwardly for a moment if she'd forgotten something before La Croix rose a hoof and asked hesitantly: “Uh, Nanny Hecate? What kind of cocodril we be dealin' with here?”

“You are not team leader, La Croix. Do not speak unless I address you specifically. And for the last time, I am not your 'Nanny.'” Hecate said moodily, and La Croix cowered until Hecate looked down at her clipboard and answered moodily: “Your targets are demonic in origin. Two Wrath and one Pride, meaning they won't hesitate to engage you.”

Cadence nodded slowly: that worked for them and against them. They would be vicious fighters, but they likely also wouldn't flee, even if they realized that they were outclassed. Wrath demons, after all, loved nothing more than a good fight, and a Pride demon would likely refuse to admit defeat even after they tied it up and brought it back here to Decretum.

It sounded like a nice, simple mission, but Cadence thought Hecate still looked almost uncertain, and in her experience, the mechanical mare never hesitated. It made the winged unicorn feel nervous as she reached up and rubbed at the bird-like mark on her breast, before she asked slowly: “Are there any other parameters to this mission that my team should be aware of?”

Hecate looked across at her, then smiled thinly before she returned her eyes to the clipboard, replying coldly: “Yes. This is a personal request from one of our biggest supporters. It would be in your best interests to ensure your team performs far beyond what I would usually expect from the Irregulars. Is this understood?”

Moonflower glowered, while La Croix shifted uncomfortably, biting his lip; Cadence felt like she was somewhere between her two teammates, a little afraid, a little annoyed... but mostly unnerved. She didn't like to brag, but her team was by far one of the best here in Decretum: sure, Moonflower was a loudmouth, and La Croix could be a bit of a coward, but the black stallion had immense magical power and the Loa had a vast amount of knowledge about both alchemy and the realms at large.

And it wasn't like she or her father were ponies to be underestimated: she was the best fighter in Decretum, and her father could harness powerful dark magic on top of being the wisest stallion she had ever met. The four of them were Hecate's go-to team...

Well, okay. Maybe there was a few things they had to work on, and maybe their teamwork wasn't exactly the best in the world. Sure, sometimes Moonflower got carried away with his spells, and she had a bad habit of killing targets instead of taking them alive, and La Croix all too often got himself noticed when they were supposed to remain incognito.

They weren't perfect, there was that. But they were damn good at what they did, all the same. Hecate might scold them, lecture them, and even mock them from time to time, but she had never before actually hesitated to send them into any kind of mission...

No, there was more to this. This had to be some kind of test... and Cadence couldn't help but feel like her suspicions were confirmed when Hecate added grudgingly: “And as it is in my best interests to ensure your success, I've authorized your team for full equipment access. Thorn is waiting to brief you on the details of your mission. Your departure is in ninety minutes, so go and make your preparations immediately.”

Cadence saluted quickly, and then she winced when Moonflower rose a hoof and asked dumbly: “So does this mean we can go?”

Hecate slowly closed her eyes, looking pained, and Cadence hurried out of her seat and then seized Moonflower by the horn, making him wince as she half-dragged him up the stairs. “Thank you, Queen Hecate, we'll be ready to leave within the hour.”

Hecate only grunted moodily, watching the three make their way out before she shook her head in distaste and returned her eyes to the clipboard, saying icily: “Oh, yes, next is Team C-03. You terminated the wrong target. Explain in ten words or less why I shouldn't strip you of your status and reassign you to the weapon testing facility.”

Outside the doors, La Croix paused before pushing the side of his head against them, grinning widely as Moonflower finally shook off Cadence's hoof before rubbing vigorously at his horn, scowling sulkily at the mare. But she only glared pointedly back before opening her mouth... and then favoring La Croix with a dry look when he said gleefully: “Ha! Knew them damn ouaouarons weren't no damn good! They gonna get the boilin' pot, just you wait!”

Cadence sighed tiredly, rubbing slowly at her face before Moonflower complained: “For once in your life, can't you just speak like a normal pony?”

“And what, risk makin' you happy? We can't have that now, mon ami, now can we?” La Croix asked wryly, and Moonflower glowered at him moodily.

Before the two could start arguing again, Cadence quickly held up a hoof and interrupted loudly: “Hey, idiots. I need the two of you to behave yourselves long enough to go over to storage and see what Thorn has for us. I just have a bad feeling about this mission, like we should be taking it really seriously.”

“Oh, nonsense.” Moonflower rolled his eyes, then he smiled and calmly polished one front hoof against his chest, raising his head proudly. “We are the very best of the best. The cream of the crop. No, Hecate simply is too prideful to admit how she desperately needs our help right now to impress her backers or the... council or whatever it is that she works for.”

“I wouldn't say she works for 'em. You ain't seen it, but Nanny Hecate, she got a lot of friends in high places who want to keep her happy much as she wants to keep them on her side.” La Croix replied with a nod, and then the zebra spirit hesitated before turning his eyes to Cadence and adding: “And I know you ain't stupid, Cygne, and I know Hecate was bein' a little... étrange, even for her... but maybe Moony be half-right 'bout this.”

Cadence shifted a bit, and then she reached up and rubbed slowly at the side of her head, sighing quietly and mumbling: “Maybe you're right. Look, I'll meet up with you in about half an hour, okay? It shouldn't take any longer than that for me to get Dad.”

The two stallions traded looks, then they both shrugged before Moonflower encouraged: “Say, even if you're right, don't you like a challenge? And really, what could possibly have more magical powers than a god of darkness like myself?”

“That whole stick of yours ain't gotten old at all.” La Croix said wryly, and Moonflower huffed at the zebra before the Loa sighed and added finally: “But again, he ain't entirely wrong, either, much as that pains me to say, cher. 'Sall gonna be bien, just wait and see.”

The ivory mare bit her lip for a moment, and then she grumbled and nodded, saying resignedly: “Fine, just... get yourselves to Thorn, alright? We don't have a lot of time to waste either way.”

The stallions nodded back, then La Croix gave her a tip of his hat as Moonflower made an exaggerated bow, and the Cadence sighed and shook her head with a wry smile before she turned away. Sure, they could both be complete idiots, and they almost never got along... but she wouldn't change a thing about them, either. Moonflower was arrogant, boisterous, and parroted every fancy word and title he heard, and La Croix was obnoxious, a little sleazy, and rude, but they were also trustworthy, and optimistic, and good ponies. Better ponies than her, really...

Cadence smiled faintly as she slowly strode through the sterile halls of the massive compound that housed all of the training and strategy facilities. She tried to keep her eyes focused ahead, her thoughts on the mission, but instead she felt like her mind was wandering, thinking about the life she'd lived before she'd ended up here in this weird place, with all this weird people...

She'd been... 'normal' once, for the lack of a better word, since she had been a Princess of Equestria. She'd been married to a handsome, cheerful stallion, and she'd had all sorts of friends and admirers, and she'd lived a good life...

But that life hadn't lasted very long before she'd found out certain truths about herself. Before she'd discovered that she wasn't just some pony who had been found by the princesses, she had lived a life a thousand years ago, until her father had put her into a long, deathlike sleep to save her from the monster that had poisoned him. To protect her, like he had always protected the Crystal Kingdom and the ponies within it, even though he'd only been rewarded with pain and suffering.

King Serenite: or as he was now known, Sombra: but really, Sombra was a disease, an infection, a poison that had turned her loving, wise and wonderful father into a beast. And yet even with his mind, his heart, his very soul corrupted by evil, her father had still saved her life, at the end of the day... or at least what lives she had left.

Cadence smiled faintly, glancing down at herself for a moment before sighing softly: for her, living and dying were unfortunately a little more complicated than for your average pony. She had died at least five times over the course of her life, but every time, she'd gotten back up. But every time she came back to life, she changed a little more, reverted towards becoming... she still wasn't sure.

Her father had told her the story many times: a star had fallen from the sky one night, and landed in front of him. But in the crater, he had discovered a foal, whom he had adopted and named Cadenza.

He had never cared about where she had come from: to him, she had been a gift from the Heavens. He had taught her the difference between right and wrong, good and evil: he had explained to her why she should care for others, and strive to live a life of virtue, and mercy. He had loved her more than anything else in his entire kingdom, but to her? He had been her entire world. He had meant everything to her, and to this day, he still did.

But before she had fallen to Equestria, she had been something else entirely. A Swan Maiden, her kind had been called: a ruthless, cruel prototype for the Valkyries, the guardians of Heaven. She had strange memories of those times, memories that usually only rose to the surface when they were triggered by others who had a link to her fabled past.

Hecate had known what she was, though, or at least she'd had enough of an idea. In fact, Hecate had been the one to personally train her and mentor her, teaching her the little she knew about her past, and about the Valhalla of the present day. Cadence had been amazed to learn that one of Hecate's benefactors was none other than the Queen of Heaven herself, and shocked to discover that, thanks to the many changes and conflicts over the years, the Queen of Heaven was no goddess or angel, but a demon.

She smiled briefly: even when she thought about that now, some part of her got so... so angry. Valhalla had lost so much of its former glory, traditions had been forgotten, ancient pacts and feuds were no more...

But the better part of her, the positive, pony part of her, believed firmly that it wasn't all bad. Things had changed, but if Helheim and Heaven had ended their eternal war, that was a good thing, wasn't it? Hell existed for a reason, after all... or at least, that was what Cadence sorely wanted to believe. Not just because of the optimist in her, but because she wanted to believe that the universe made sense, that there was balance in all things, and most of all, that a place like Helheim didn't exist solely because some vile goddess took her greatest pleasures in hurting people.

Cadence shook her head briefly, then she came to a stop in front of a set of armored doors, looking up as a crystalline eye at the top of the frame swiveled to stare down at her. She smiled uncomfortably at it, then cleared her throat before saying lamely: “Hi.”

A bright light washed quickly over the mare from the crystal eye, and there were several loud clicks before the doors slid smoothly apart, revealing an enclosed bridge beyond.

The mare hurried over this, wincing as the doors slammed closed behind her: she didn't think she'd ever get used to all of the mechanical marvels – and terrors – of Decretum, but thankfully, it was only Hecate's facilities that were so coldly synthetic. The entire world was a mix of technological paradise above desolate, poisonous wasteland, but the Orphanage barracks and the residential departments both felt a lot more... alive, really. It was hard to think of a better word than that.

Cadence paused for a moment, looking out through one of the glass walls of the bridge and over the city of metal and neon lights that sprawled for miles in every direction. Here and there, massive trolleys and trains ran smoothly back and forth through between the towers of glass and steel, and enormous flying machines that stayed aloft by massive turbines and jet engines rolled slowly through the air, beneath the dark clouds that were almost always present in the sky.

It was beautiful, in an eerie way, and Cadence smiled faintly before she shook her head quickly and turned to head onward. Most of the Equestrias she had been fortunate enough to see didn't have anything like this: electricity, and magic-powered technologies, sure, but while crystals charged by magic provided much of the energy for many of these mechanical marvels, the technology itself was nothing but metal and gears and microchips.

And the strangest thing of all was that everything here worked with a sense of... well, harmony. Not just order, not just a sense of organization and that everything had a place, but they all worked together, in tandem. Considering the fact that the inhabitants came from across the span of countless worlds, it was incredible... and something that never failed to inspire Cadence, every time she thought about it.

The heavy doors on the other side of the bridge slid open, and the winged unicorn strode into the whitewashed halls of the medical building, the mare smiling a little as she made her way down the busy halls. Maybe it was because there were more ponies here, but this place always felt so much warmer, so much nicer than the other facilities.

It wasn't a very long walk, at least: in only a few minutes she reached the familiar ward, quietly slipping around the corner and smiling a bit wider as her eyes drifted past the other few ponies here for checkups or treatment to the peaceful sight of her father.

The stallion was resting back in bed, his front hooves resting on his chest, his head bowed and eyes closed. He looked almost like he was sleeping, and she hated to disturb him and interrupt his treatment, but all the same...

Cadence quietly tiptoed closer, and then she blushed a bit when his eyes opened: calm, dark eyes that looked up at her with gentle wisdom. His compassionate gaze always soothed her, reminded her of the past; reminded her of why this was all worthwhile. “Mi amore.”

“Hey, Daddy. How are you?” Cadence asked softly, sitting by her father's side and giving a small smile to him: even if now his coat and shaggy mane were now black as night, and his horn orange and curved and thrumming with dark energy, he was still her father. And she believed with all her heart that one day, they would completely undo the evils that had been wrought upon him.

But for now, they relied on two things to keep the corruption at bay: one was the large, humming machine her father was currently hooked up to by several large tubes, and the other rested on the table beside the bed: a metal 'backpack' that could be harnessed tightly on to her father, built to withstand the toughest combat and powered by the same poisonous energy it extracted from his body.

Unfortunately, the portable purifier wasn't strong enough by itself to keep Sombra's body completely cleansed: he still required regular, heavier treatments here in the facility, or the poison that ran through his body would start to overwhelm the purifier and cause it to short out after too long. That was something they had discovered the hard way.

Cadence softened, then reached up and silently took one of her father's hooves, and he smiled at her softly as the mare asked: “Do you think you can handle a mission, Daddy? I mean... have you regenerated enough?”

Sombra chuckled quietly at this, and then he gave a kind smile, squeezing his daughter's hoof gently. “I'll be fine, mi amore. And if Hecate is giving us this mission now, that means it's both urgent and she has confidence that I've healed enough to handle it. I trust her judgment.”

“I... do, too.” Cadence admitted after a moment, and then she squeezed her father's hooves gently, adding: “But even if I trust her, I trust you more. If you don't think you've spent long enough, I can request medical leave for you...”

“No, no. There's no point in that.” Sombra replied gently, giving her another encouraging smile before he asked softly: “Is our mission a capture or a rescue?”

Cadence smiled a little in return, impressed as always at her father's perceptiveness before she nodded quickly, silently rubbing a hoof gingerly along one of his forelegs, careful to avoid where the tubes were plugged into his body by the large, multi-headed needles. “A capture. But something seems... off to me. Hecate said that part of the reason we were being given this mission was as some sort of test...”

“Trust your instincts.” Sombra reassured, and Cadence gave her father an entertained look. “It's true, Cadence. Your instincts are strong.”

“Just because they're strong, doesn't mean they're good, Daddy.” murmured Cadence, shaking her head briefly before she sat back a little, gazing at him softly. “My instincts are part of what make me do... things I'd rather not.”

But Sombra only shook his head with a soft laugh, then he said quietly: “Now, mi amore. There's no need to start thinking about that nonsense. After all, I could say much of the same thing about myself... but when the corruption in me lashes out, it's no more my fault than when the Swan raises her head in you.”

Cadence blushed a little, but she nodded and smiled briefly. Her father always knew just what to say to make her feel a little better... and to stop her from veering off into uncomfortable territory. “I.. I know you're right. And I know we don't have a lot of time, either. Probably only an hour or so to get ready, and that's assuming Moonflower and La Croix haven't gotten lost on the way to see Thorn...”

Sombra simply gave his daughter an amused look, and she shrugged and mumbled: “Well, it's true. They're not the brightest, Dad. And they don't get along all that great, either.”

“They work hard, though. And no matter how they might act, we all trust each other, don't we?” Sombra said pointedly, and Cadence nodded a few times before the old stallion carefully sat up, asking gently: “Mi amore, do you mind...”

“Of course not, Daddy.” Cadence leaned back, hitting a button on the machine to turn it off. As it whirred slowly down, she turned back towards him and quickly but carefully starting to pull the tubes free from her father's forelegs and body. He flinched only a bit as each long, multi-pronged needle was pulled free from his flesh, and Cadence did her best to keep her smile on her face in spite of the fact that she couldn't help but shiver when she thought of all the pain and effort her father went through, just so he wouldn't get sick and hurt people...

She didn't know if she could handle it herself; Horses of Heaven, it was hard enough to handle just... this. Her father didn't deserve this, and yet he bore it stoically, refusing to show the pain she knew he felt, never complaining about how often he had to waste his mornings, if not entire days down here in this sterile place, surrounded by a thousand ponies and yet so alone in the crowd-

“Cadenza?” Sombra gently brought her back to her senses, and the mare blushed a bit as she looked awkwardly at the stallion, smiling lamely. But he was unfettered, simply smiling kindly at her before he asked gently: “So what do you suspect?”

“I... Hecate said the threat level should only be moderate, and I know she wouldn't give us bad information on a real target.. but I think we might be in for some sort of special test. I doubt she'd use another team from the Orphanage, because we all know each other... but since she mentioned her backers are involved and this is an evaluation...”

“You suspect that we should be prepared for a challenge, likely from powerful opponents.” Sombra finished, and Cadence nodded hesitantly. “Then we should treat this as seriously as possible. Whether or not your suspicions are correct, Hecate is trusting us. And the people who support Hecate and Decretum are the same people who support our Orphanage. We should do nothing less than our very best for them.”

Cadence smiled a little, and Sombra tilted his head as the last tubes were removed from his body before the mare murmured: “I wish I was more like you, Daddy. I just... hate imagining that we were more similar when you were out of your mind than you are now.”

“When I was out of my mind, I couldn't even form coherent sentences, mi amore.” Sombra shook his head, and then he reached up and gently embraced his daughter with one foreleg, closing his eyes and bowing his head against hers as she hugged him fiercely back. “You are not a monster, Cadence, no matter what you might feel at times. You are loving, compassionate, and my daughter. You are not ruled by the Swan.”

Cadence shifted a little, and then she closed her eyes and nodded a bit, murmuring: “I... I know. I just feel it inside me, and... I don't like how easy it is to forget, or to give in. And I don't like how... how good it feels.”

“We all have our demons, Cadenza. Our true worth and valor shows in how we handle them.” Sombra said gently, and then he smiled a little, grasping his daughter by the shoulders and pushing her back. “Do you mind lending another hoof?”

“Not at all.” Cadence smiled, nodding and slipping quickly past her father to the other side of the bed. She picked up the large, rectangular machine off the table, grimacing a bit at not just the weight, but the large prongs that stood out of the bottom of it, like teeth...

And as she always did, no matter how hard she tried not to, Cadence looked at her father's back and shivered a little: it was lined with surgical scars and small pieces of metal that helped affix the purifier, and there were two large, metal-rimmed holes where the device literally plugged into him...

Sombra cleared his throat, and Cadence blushed a bit before she quickly shifted the device in her forelegs forwards, mumbling an apology as she carefully fitted it into place. She was as gentle as possible... but he still flinched as the purifier clicked loudly into position.

The stallion shook his head quickly with a grimace, then quickly slipped on the straps that formed the harness, locking and tightening them against his body to make it as comfortable as possible while doing his best to ignore the initial pain of the purifier gearing up.

Sure, he couldn't say that it was precisely a comfortable life he lived... but that wasn't to say it wasn't a good life, either. After all, he was alive, and he had his mind back, and he had his daughter. And even he was still cursed and saturated in darkness and shadow, he could at least use his powers for the good of ponies everywhere. To not only protect people, but to help dismantle whatever machinations and evils of Valthrudnir's remained.

He looked towards his daughter, and softened at the sight of the white mare: there she was, thinking and worrying again. She reminded him of when he had been younger, trying to take the weight of all the world on his shoulders, making every tiny mistake into a tragedy and promising each and every time it would be the last he'd ever make.

The stallion smiled despite himself, then he reached up and gently squeezed Cadence's shoulder, bringing her back to reality before he said: “We shouldn't keep Thorn waiting. And I'm sure you'll want to check over our equipment recommendations yourself, as well.”

“Yes, of course.” Cadence nodded quickly, blushing a little and slipping to her hooves. She hesitated a moment, and then turned her worried eyes back to him as Sombra absently shifted a little to try and adjust the purifier to a more comfortable position... but it only took a smile from her father to reassure her this time, and remind her that they had business to attend to.

Cadence led her father out of the ward and back towards the bridge, the mare doing her best not to look too often back at the stallion. But Sombra kept his head high, smiling pleasantly to the ponies they passed, greeting the few people he knew here and there, every now and then pausing to share a little bit of conversation with others: it didn't matter who or what or how strange they were, Sombra always had a moment to spare for someone. And Cadence could only envy her father's kindness: even knowing they were all friends and allies here, she still tensed up every time she saw a demon.

They made good time all the same, and crossed back into the training facility without any incident. The halls were empty, as they almost always were: not because they weren't busy here, but because every person here knew their place and their job. No one loitered, and the idea of being late was foreign and intolerable: Hecate and her administrators were extremely strict when it came to matters of work and productivity.

Unfortunately, those lessons never managed to sink into everyone's heads: somehow, Cadence was unsurprised when they reached the equipment storerooms and found La Croix and Moonflower tugging a cloak back and forth between themselves, one satchel half-packed and several others simply sitting in empty disarray around the two.

Cadence cleared her throat loudly as she and Sombra stepped in through the open doors, and Moonflower and La Croix both looked at her dumbly before they gave almost identical embarrassed grins, hurriedly dropping the cloak to the ground as Cadence asked dryly: “I guess that you guys have been working hard, huh? Organizing, going over everything...”

La Croix shifted lamely, and Moonflower cleared his throat before he touched his own breast, saying plainly: “None of this is my fault.”

Cadence only looked at him for a moment as La Croix glared at the handsome stallion, and then the white mare sighed and shook her head, muttering: “You know what? We don't have time for this right now. Guys, come on, clean up this mess and get your usual things together while I talk to Thorn.”

“Here, let me help you.” Sombra offered, walking forwards with a smile, and Cadence gave her father a faintly-amused look before she turned to head across the room. Her father was such a good stallion... maybe too good, really, she thought, as she walked past the rows of widely-spaced shelves and storage units towards the rear of the area.

There was an electronically-locked door and a heavy, break-proof window in the back wall for the requisition officer to safely stay behind, but today, she saw Thorn Blackfeather was out of the back room, apparently taking inventory as he jotted notes on the clipboard floating beside him.

Cadence halted near the stallion and cleared her throat loudly, doing her best to smile, but she always felt a little apprehensive around Thorn. Hell, everyone did, she thought: he wasn't just a very strange unicorn, he was also Hecate's son, and probably the one thing the mechanical mare ever showed a hint of affection for.

Thorn glanced towards her, surveying her with his deep, dark eyes. His features were implacable, any handsomeness he might have had sapped by how distant and intense he always seemed. His steel-silver mane hung to his shoulders at his sides, while the longer back was pulled into a tight ponytail, and his coat was a dark, rich sapphire, mostly covered by a heavy black cape trimmed in gold that draped down one side of his body. It left his right side almost completely uncovered... and his mechanical right foreleg completely bare to the world.

Everyone knew the story: when Thorn had been a foal, he had gotten stuck in a set of enormous gears, and they had chewed his leg apart. Hecate had barely been able to save him, and she had replaced the missing limb with the segmented, armored foreleg. Cadence could never help but stare a little at this every time she ran into Thorn: it had large pistons standing out of the oversized shoulder and hummed strangely as it moved with surprising dexterity.

Thorn sighed a little, and Cadence winced and looked hurriedly up, smiling awkwardly at him and doing her best not to shiver: the other thing about Thorn that always bothered her was the fact that he wore a ring around his horn with Hel's symbol on it. The sight of it just made her itch...

She quickly forced a smile, however, asking him politely: “Did Moonflower and La Croix ask you for equipment recommendations?”

“They did not.” Thorn replied in his dry, to-the-point way: Cadence didn't think he was nice to anyone apart from Hecate. “Do you want your personal equipment as well?”

“I would appreciate it.” Cadence replied with as best a smile as she could manage, bowing her head to the unicorn. He only looked back at her in his calm, measuring way before he nodded and turned away, the electronic door buzzing open to let him pass.

Cadence sighed, then glowered moodily over her shoulder as she heard the sound of Moonflower squawking and La Croix aggravating the situation, like he always seemed to need to do. But when she looked back at them, she saw her father was at least mediating things between them and keeping them at work.

The ivory mare shook her head slowly, then shifted impatiently, trying to peer through the window into the back room beyond. But there wasn't much to see: either the glass distorted everything more than a few feet away, or there was just a blank wall behind the little booth.

Cadence crept closer, leaning down to try and peer through the little slot at the bottom of the window, and then she winced when the door opened, hurriedly straightening and trying to look as casual as possible when Thorn strode back out, carrying several enormous cases with telekinesis. He only gave her a mild look, then set these calmly down in front of her. “All your equipment, plus what's been recommended for this mission. Anything else?”

“Uh... Hecate said you would be able to tell us a few more details on the mission, I think.” Cadence said after a moment, and Thorn looked at her for a few moments with his dark, creepy eyes: his gaze just cut right through her, and the mare shifted uncomfortably.

But then he nodded moodily before glancing past her, saying dryly: “I don't think either of us have the time to wait for the rest of your team to stop whatever they're doing, however”

“That's alright. I'm team leader, I can brief them afterwards.” Cadence replied in a more professional voice, raising her head and nodding quickly.

Thorn seemed to appreciate this, nodding back after a moment before he reached up and absently adjusted one of the large brooches that held his cape on. “Very well. You and your team are being sent to a Class B world, and the targets have been located in an environment where collateral damage will not be a concern. You are to capture all three targets alive and have them transported here: in the event that you fail to capture them, you will attempt to pursue.”

“And in the event of mission failure?” Cadence asked steadily: she didn't believe her team was going to fail, but she also knew that underestimating whatever test Hecate had planned for them would end in utter disaster.

Thorn studied her silently, and then he gave the smallest of smiles, little more than a curl of his lips at the corners. “Good. I'm glad that you seem to understand this is not a normal mission.

“I'll confirm some of your likely concerns: your targets work directly under Hel. Your combat will be recorded and evaluated, and the targets will be making their own reports to Hel and Hecate after you capture them. The mission will be considered a failure if you fail to retrieve at least one of them alive.” Thorn replied with a shrug. “They've been told to attack you the moment they see you, however, so don't try and make contact. I would recommend a full assault or an ambush.”

Cadence looked down meditatively, then she nodded slowly before saying finally: “I'll take your advice into consideration. Can you tell me anything at all about the targets? I was told they were... Wrath and Pride, right?”

“Two Wrath, one Pride. Second tier. That's all I'm permitted to tell you.” Thorn replied with a shrug, and Cadence gave a brief smile: that was good to know. Well-equipped second tier demons were dangerous, but they should be able to handle it... except that still feels... too easy.

She nodded again after a moment, then said politely: “Thank you, Thorn. I uh... I won't keep you or anything, though, I know you're busy around here.”

Thorn only shrugged in response. “Of course. Let me know if you require any other supplies.”

Cadence smiled, turning her eyes towards the large equipment boxes, and Thorn studied her for a moment before shrugging again and turning away. He just hoped that Hecate's confidence in the Irregulars wasn't misplaced... because if they weren't as strong as his mother hoped, then there was no way these little ponies were going to come back alive from their test.

Cold Poetry In Motion

Chapter Eleven: Cold Poetry In Motion
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence sat silently, breathing slowly in and out. She had badly wanted to keep pushing forwards, but she had known that in her state, Sol Seraph would have easily killed her. So they had rested for a few hours, attending to the wounds they could.

La Croix had scraped together the little he could find that was salvageable from the mess left behind by his ruined cape and hat, and used that to treat the worst of their wounds. Moonflower couldn't talk, because the Praetor had almost cut his tongue in half, although the blade fortunately hadn't managed to sink all the way to Moonflower's brain.

Sombra was trembling a little, pale, his machine secured as best it could be on his back. But it was damaged, and he was having a hard time keeping himself in check as it burbled away. Cadence knew it was always hard for her father to recover after the disease took over, but this time seemed especially bad, and she knew it was because of more than just the fact that the machine had been torn off his body.

They had never fought anything like this before. What the hell were Voidborn? How could Thokk pull souls out of the Void to do her bidding? And Cadence knew that in Sol Seraph and the Praetor, she and her father had fought a strange, twisted mirror of themselves...

No, she was thinking too much. Psyching herself out. She couldn't afford to start doing that to herself, she needed to focus on the here and now. The poison was still making her stupid, her muscles refused to react properly, and her whole body ached and pulsed with pain.

She shivered a little: the poison was derived from a powerful venom that wasn't designed to kill, but to render a victim helpless and leave them in agony. La Croix had treated her as best he could, and she had used her own magic to burn more of it out of her system, but there was only so much that could be done when the poison had already worked its way through her body.

She wasn't going to be at prime when she fought Sol Seraph. None of them would be, as a matter of fact: Moonflower could barely talk, La Croix looked so... naked without his cape and hat, and Sombra wouldn't be able to risk abusing his magic or corruption powers, or he would end up in an animal state again and they had already used the corruption antidote La Croix had made to calm him down.

Cadence's eyes roved towards the haphazard pile of equipment at one side of the fountain: the gear left over after the Praetor had literally disintegrated in front of their eyes. There were a few interesting things in those packs, but Cadence didn't know how much they could actually use: antimagic explosives were only going to work against them, after all. At least La Croix would be able to put some of the empty packs to good use.

The mare hesitated, then slid one of the knives free from her belt, studying it quietly: the strange metal gleamed and glinted, not a stain, not a speck of dirt able to stay on that smooth, alien metal. It hadn't been lethal to her father – although to be fair, when the shadow took over Sombra, there were very few physical things that could do serious amounts of damage to him – but it had caused holes that had literally bled the energy out of the Praetor.

“It must be a material that reacts to the Voidborn.” Sombra said quietly as he approached, and Cadence looked up in surprise before her father gave a faint smile to her, the stallion shivering a little as he sat beside her. “I've never seen that composition, but perhaps... it is from the Void itself.”

“That's scary to think about.” Cadence murmured, silently putting down the knife before she looked quietly up at the island floating above them, rumbling away slowly. “I... Daddy, are you okay?”

“Yes, mi amore.” Sombra gave her a small smile, shaking his head briefly before he looked down and said softly: “I am not comparing our demons, but... when I am badly hurt while sane, you know that the monster rises up that much more in me.”

“I do, Daddy. And the only reason I would never want to compare our problems is because you can control yours, and... I lack that discipline.” Cadence smiled faintly, glancing down as the Swan twisted inside her, before she whispered: “The Swan is frightened. I'm frightened that it's frightened. Worse, if what Sol Seraph said is true...”

“Cadenza, you don't have to be afraid. You have always been strong: the darkness inside me is something evil, something that I must work to repress. The Swan in you is something more than that: you and her are connected. You must learn to work with her. Not fight her. You and Danzsöngr both know this.” Sombra said gently, and Cadence looked down silently, nodding once before the stallion continued quietly: “Cambiano i suonatori ma la musica è sempre quella. We cannot afford to spend too long here to begin with, for many reasons. Let Thokk call her servants back to her, if they truly cannot die, but instead are only banished back to the Void. As long as we push through them, Cadenza, we can continue our mission, and leave them chasing our hoofsteps.”

“You're right. I know you're right. It's just... it terrifies me.” Cadence murmured, shivering a little as she rubbed at the side of her neck, before she sighed and looked over at him with a faint smile. “Are you going to be able to get up onto that island?”

“I believe so. I will try not to slow us down.” Sombra replied gently, and Cadence laughed a little, shaking her head slowly.

“You aren't the one slowing us down right now.” Cadence said quietly, and then she sighed before picking herself up, looking up at the floating island silently. “What... what do you think is up there? Where do you think our target is?”

Sombra lowered his head for a moment in thought, and then he finally looked up and said quietly: “The only way we'll find out anything is by going there, mi amore. It is the only clue we have.”

Cadence nodded, and then she silently slipped herself a little closer to her father before she closed her eyes and dropped her head on his shoulder, breathing slowly in and out. Sombra smiled at her faintly, reaching up to rub silently over her spine with one hoof before the stallion looked up at the island above, murmuring: “This, as all things, will pass.”

They were quiet for a little while, until Cadence finally climbed to her hooves and looked up at the island. “Daddy, please get Moonflower and La Croix ready. I'm going to scout out above quickly.”

The stallion nodded, climbing carefully to his own hooves, and Cadence smiled at him silently before she turned and leapt into the air. The first few flaps of her wings hurt, but as she pushed herself harder and flew into the air, she felt her body losing its tenseness, the aches fading from her system. It took her less than a minute to wing her way up beside the floating island, the mare's eyes drawing nervously over the steel and stone, half-collapsed structure.

She realized that this had likely been the top of the tower at some point: now it was held aloft by that whirling, crackling sphere of energy and electricity, like some kind of ominous beacon. There were broken windows and a few shattered balconies here and there, Cadence noted, but she didn't think there was any point to trying to go inside: it looked as if several layers of the floating island had collapsed, giving it a distinctly crushed, uneven look.

The mare made her way up to the roof of the tower, and she frowned after a moment as she saw rusted supports, cracked but serviceable concrete runways, and what looked like some sort of flying machine. Had that been what had passed over their heads earlier?

Cadence carefully glided down, looking nervously back and forth for any sign of Sol Seraph. But she guessed that the Pegasus was likely inside the half-crumbled tower to one side of the open landing pad, at leat she or she hoped she was, anyway. She just couldn't resist getting a look at these craft...

The mare landed silently, then carefully made her way across a runway towards one of the vehicles. She studied it intently: it was fairly compact, and the sliding doors on either side were open, letting her peer into the back and see that it was designed to carry a group of people: eight, she guessed, by the arrangement of the equipment cubbyholes near the ceiling.

The ivory mare circled towards the front of the machine, looking over the cockpit and absently rubbing a hoof over the rounded, aerodynamic front. Not that a whole lot about the ship was aerodynamic, all things considered.

She halted with a frown, tapping lightly on the nose of the craft before she carefully settled her hoof against it. A bit of heat, she thought: so this thing must have been what flew over their heads before. But she didn't think that either Sol Seraph or her father would use a machine like this; although if Thokk had more minions, it made sense now how they were getting in and out of this tower.

She strode around the craft, and then froze and looked sharply up as she saw Sol Seraph simply standing in the middle of one of the empty landing pads, the Pegasus calmly smoking a cigarette and watching her. She had taken off most of her armor and equipment, revealing a T-shaped cutie mark on her flank that made the Swan shiver and writhe – the mark of Tyr. The mark of law, and order, and... death.

Cadence knew there was no running. So instead, she took a slow breath and slowly approached. She looked at the Pegasus, who gazed calmly back at her before Sol Seraph gestured to the side, and Cadence hesitantly followed the mare's motion.

Her eyes widened when she saw it: a portal was half-hidden beside the small tower, covered in cables and gemstones. It was tall and spindly, made from alien alloys and metals, and Cadence recognized the pedestal that sat in front of it as a simple control panel: the more she looked at this portal, in fact, the more it reminded her of the magical technology of Valhalla, the portals that had been built to quickly travel between Asgard and Niflheim and Vanaheim...

“Why are you here?” Sol Seraph asked, and Cadence grimaced as she looked over at the Pegasus, who was studying her calmly. “You said you were on a mission. Searching for someone. You are a dog playing fetch for your... Empress Hecate, is this correct?”

Cadence scowled darkly, and Sol smiled thinly before she gestured towards the portal again. “Thokk can pull souls from the Void and control us, but while empires are crafted by the superior predator, they are built on the backs of slaves and prey. Thokk has been hunting the living as well as the dead. And stealing the carcasses left behind by others.”

Cadence studied the mare silently, and then she said quietly: “You don't like Thokk that much, do you?”

“I am a predator. I do not care about Thokk. I only care about the hunt.” Sol replied quietly, her eyes locked on the winged unicorn. “I mouth allegiances to Thokk for the same reason my father does: she will give us what we want, as long as we pretend to obey. It is the same reason we kowtowed to the desires of the Order of the Seraphim and followed their petty codes and laws, until the Order was no longer of use to us.”

The ivory mare shivered a little at this, straightening a bit before she murmured: “There was a guild in my world, too, that I imagine was very similar to yours. They were assassins and killers. And there was a mare named Pain... who you very much remind me of, Sol Seraph.”

Cadence took a breath, and then she straightened slowly before saying quietly: “But my friends stopped her, and I will stop you, whoever or whatever you are.”

Sol Seraph only looked callously at Cadence, and then she gestured at herself, her body armored only by her lightweight vest, a single cigarette dangling from her mouth. “Take off your equipment and fight me, Cadence. Let us see which one of us is the superior predator without the use of toys and playthings.”

“I don't trust you.” Cadence said quietly, as the Swan hissed to take this advantage, to attack, destroy, kill, punish...

Sol Seraph only smiled thinly, and then she responded calmly: “I knew you were a coward.”

“I am nothing like you.” Cadence replied, narrowing her eyes before she swore under her breath, then reached up and began to undo the claps holding her belts on, keeping her eyes locked on Sol Seraph every moment.

The Pegasus watched for a few seconds, and then she simply turned away, rolling her cigarette between her teeth and staring off into the distance. Cadence didn't let down her guard, however, well aware of how fast Sol Seraph could move.

Cadence removed her knives, the rifle she had mostly forgotten about – and still didn't like to touch – her sidepacks and even her armor. She left nothing on, stepping forwards as she rose her head proudly, and Sol Seraph finally spat out her cigarette before turning towards the ivory mare, studying her intently before she flexed slowly as she said softly: “What do you believe in, Cadence? Honor? I do not think so... you do not strike me as... 'honorable.' You hide it, but I know you are like me: a killer, a predator. But you hold yourself back... and if you make yourself a sheep, then the wolves will eat you.”

“You're more than welcome to try, Sol Seraph.” Cadence said quietly, and Sol gave a thin smile before the Pegasus lunged forwards, but the ivory mare was ready.

Sol swung at her, and Cadence deflected the attack before she blocked a savage kick as Sol took to the air and twisted sideways. Immediately, Sol tried to drop down to tomahawk her, but Cadence swiftly leapt backwards, her eyes narrowing: she couldn't be stupid about this fight. She had to stay calm, she had to stay cool, she had to get used to the way Sol fought, and then use that to her advantage.

The Pegasus feinted to one side, then leapt forwards, wings flapping hard: she was constantly on the move, lightning fast and incredibly graceful, never slowing and never leaving herself vulnerable. It was all Cadence could do to keep herself moving away, but her gaze sharpened as she slipped to the side and ducked under a vicious hook.

Sol was tireless, chaining attack after attack together, but she clearly didn't enjoy the fact that she couldn't land a blow on Cadence. When the ivory mare blocked an attack, Sol was very fast to follow up with a series of strikes, but when Cadence dodged, there was always a hint of pause: no point of vulnerability, but rather Sol was forced to extend or compensate for the strength of her own attack. She was an exceptional fighter, but she wasn't at all flawless.

The Pegasus spun towards her with an overbroad haymaker, and Cadence ducked under the attack before Sol stumbled, the ivory mare immediately starting to lunge forwards-

The Swan snarled at her, and Cadence's body obeyed, her wings spreading and flapping hard to launch herself backwards instead of towards the Pegasus. Sol Seraph frowned as Cadence landed a few feet away, the two glaring at each other before the Pegasus said quietly: “It is disappointing that you would ignore such an opening.”

“It's disappointing that you'd expect me to fall for such a cheap trick.” Cadence retorted, and Sol Seraph narrowed her eyes before the ivory mare mocked: “But I guess I shouldn't be surprised at all, considering how you snuck up on your father and murdered him because you were so scared of him.”

“Do not judge me. Do not speak of what you do not know. Do not speak down to me.” Sol Seraph said coldly, and Cadence saw a flare of actual emotion in her eyes: anger.

“I talk down to you because you are beneath me.” the Swan said through Cadence's mouth, but for once, the mare was glad to let Danzsöngr speak for her. There was no way she could reach the level of contempt and insult that the Swan could voice in just her tone alone, after all. “You are nothing. You are not even the dregs at the bottom of the barrel. You fancy yourself a predator but you are nothing but a parasite and a scavenger.”

Sol Seraph took a slow breath, and for a moment, there was silence, the air so tense it felt frozen around the two, and then the mare shot suddenly forwards, her eyes burning with hatred and anger, her attacks so rapid and violent and precise that there was no way that Cadence could have blocked them all.

But it wasn't just Cadence who was fighting now: it was the Swan. And Cadence's body moved faster than she thought it was possible as she dodged and deflected punch after punch, using her wings to keep balance as she allowed herself to be forced backwards even as the Swan taunted: “You are a child playing at warrior.”

Sol Seraph slammed her hooves forwards, then shot suddenly into the air so she could kick both rear hooves straight at Cadence's face: the Swan was faster, though, catching the kick and yanking Sol out of the air to slam her back first into the ground, before she smashed one hoof into Sol's knee and savagely shoved her leg upwards.

Her limb snapped loudly, and as the Swan fought, Cadence watched: Sol kicked with her other hind limb, the Swan blocking this, and there was a distinct pulse of energy before Sol's only momentarily broken leg thrust at the ivory mare. But the Swan caught her hoof just as it began to press into her body, the winged unicorn smiling coldly before she twisted firmly.

This time, Sol Seraph's leg was dislocated at the knee, the Pegasus' leg falling limp even as she rolled backwards to escape the Swan's grasp, and the Pegasus landed in an ungainly mess on three legs, staggering once in surprise before Cadence's hoof slammed into her face, knocking her completely off balance.

Cadence and the Swan forged forwards, and the ivory mare could feel her body straining to bear up under the exertion, strike after strike hammering into Sol's face and chest to drive her backwards. She limped brokenly, her dislocated limb not healing, her balance off, her eyes filled with surprise and disbelief-

The Pegasus lunged suddenly into the air and swung her working hind leg out in a wide kick, catching Cadence across the face and knocking her backwards with a gasp. Sol Seraph flew sharply backwards, and as she dropped to the ground, she quickly grasped her limb and popped the rear leg back into place with the ease of putting on a boot.

The Pegasus landed and flexed, looking at the ground for a moment as her body thrummed with energy, before she said softly: “Cunning.”

“I'll just keep hurting you until I find something that works. That's what I was made to do.” Cadence said quietly, and for once, she felt the Swan aligned with her, almost perfectly, as they shared sight and speech and body.

Sol Seraph smiled thinly, looking at the ground before she said calmly: “I can no longer enjoy pain the way I once did, but it is still an effective measure by which to judge my opponents. You... you are still weak.”

Cadence narrowed her eyes, and Sol Seraph rose her own gaze, their eyes locking as they silently warred with each other for a few long moments. Cadence felt the Swan snarling, wanting to leap to the attack, but she restrained that half of her, waiting, waiting...

Sol Seraph lunged suddenly forwards, and Cadence leapt to meet her, but Sol blocked the blows: instinct screamed at Cadence, that she had fallen into a trap even as the Swan drove forwards like a rabid animal, before the ivory mare's eyes widened too late at the sight of silver.

A knife slammed into her shoulder, knocking Cadence staggering with a gasp before Sol Seraph lunged at her, striking wide past her, but Cadence dropped back on instinct: this Pegasus didn't simply miss.

There as a gleam of silver wire, and Cadence felt agony as the knife in her shoulder was yanked on, even as she managed to avoid her head being caught in a snare of silver. Sol had the other end of the silver wire wrapped around her foreleg, her vest now hanging open as her other hoof produced another knife and flung it-

Cadence deflected the knife with her horn, then forced herself to leap backwards, gasping: but the Swan supported her through the pain, helping guide her as she lashed her horn down even as Sol tried to yank her in with the silver wire.

A blast of white magic slammed into Sol's face, making her flinch and snarl, giving Cadence the time she needed to twine her horn in the wire. But instead of cutting it, she lunged forwards, and Sol Seraph looked up too late before Cadence's horn plunged deep through one eye in a splatter of energy and gore.

Sol Seraph yanked her head back on impulse, shoving violently at Cadence as she hissed through her teeth, staggering to the side: the wound that would have been lethal to anything else healed in moments, but Sol at least seemed confused and shocked by it, giving Cadence the time she needed to smoothly leap around Sol's body, jackknifing the mare as the silver wire gleamed and wrapped tightly around Sol's throat.

Sol's eyes widened, moving to cut the wire around her foreleg too late: it caught around her neck, and Cadence grabbed the back of Sol's head and shoved it roughly forwards as she pulled back with her horn and her own body, gasping in pain as the knife buried in her flesh trembled with the pressure she was putting on it.

But Sol gargled, energy fuming up from her neck as the wire tore deep into her throat, garroting her. Her foreleg trembled, pulling uselessly outwards, only worsening her pain as she staggered back and forth before the Pegasus slowly forced her head to turn towards Cadence, snarling in fury even as the horrific wound was torn wider, mouthing a threat and a promise...

And then Sol Seraph's eyes flickered as her body steamed violently, dissolving rapidly into energy. The gear she had been wearing tumbled through her as she turned ethereal, and Cadence stumbled backwards as the Pegasus dissolved completely, leaving only a few glowing motes behind, and the silver wire dangling from Cadence's horn.

Cadence breathed unevenly in and out before she shivered and lowered her head, feeling the Swan shifting and turning inside of her uneasily until it finally receded, even before Cadence was able to mumble some kind of thank you to... well, what was technically herself, she supposed.

She shook her head briefly, then took a slow breath before she reached up and ripped the knife free from her shoulder with a gasp and a grimace. She scowled down at this, but tossed it away after a moment, instead reaching up to silently brush the silver wire off her horn as she muttered: “Cheaters never prosper.”

She felt a rumble of condescension from the Swan, but Cadence only shook her head before she turned to head over to her equipment. It only took her a few minutes to get it back on, but as she was finishing up, she saw her team approaching, and the mare smiled briefly at them before she gestured awkwardly at Sol's fallen equipment. “Sorry. Small problem.”

“Are you okay, mi amore?” Sombra asked quietly, and Cadence nodded as she looked at her father softly: he didn't seem very well. He was a little pale, shaky, sweating a bit...

“Are you?” she asked, and Sombra only smiled faintly as La Croix looked uncomfortably away, which was always a bad sign. “How long do we have?”

“I would say perhaps a day. But I will do my best to stay in control.” Sombra replied quietly, nodding slowly after a moment. “It will not take me long to deteriorate, however, and...”

“We lost a lot of supplies, there ain't gonna be a whole lot I can do. I'm sorry, Cygne.” La Croix said, looking up and shaking his head briefly.

Moonflower only shifted awkwardly, and Cadence sighed quietly before she nodded slowly, looking over at her father worriedly. Sombra simply smiled faintly, however, and then he shrugged before saying softly: “What will be, will be.”

Cadence smiled faintly, much as she hated it when he said that. But after a moment, she nodded and looked towards the inactive portal, forcing herself to be more professional and serious as she said: “I have no idea what's on the other side of that, but Sol Seraph was saying something about... Thokk scavenging, and getting the help of other people. It... won't be hard to activate.”

No, even from here, Cadence could see how it worked. Well, that wasn't quite right: rather, the Swan knew precisely what to do. She took a slow breath, and La Croix hesitated before he asked finally: “You sure you don't need to rest or nothin'? I mean, last time you fought that salope, she did some real damage to you.”

“I'm... okay. The Swan and I cooperated, for once.” Cadence reached up and absently touched her shoulder, but the wound wasn't bleeding anymore, which, yes, was a little strange, she thought, but she didn't have time to think about it. Sometimes after she died her body went a little crazy on her: sometimes these side effects lasted for a few days, other times they stayed with her forever. And if she was healing even faster than she had before, well, she wasn't going to complain about that.

And it was nice to be able to synchronize with the Swan, wasn't it? That couldn't be a bad sign in any sense, could it? Of course not. She was... she was perfectly fine. Okay, maybe not perfectly but she had more important things to concentrate on...

Cadence looked up as La Croix cleared his throat, and the mare shook her head quickly, mumbling: “Sorry. I did get wounded, yeah, but I'm okay right now. How about you and Moonflower?”

“F-Fine!” Moonflower blurted out, nodding vigorously, and Cadence gave him an odd look. The stallion blushed a little at this, and then he lowered his head and said in a quiet voice: “I... I'm sorry I've been so useless so far.”

“Look at you, Moony, makin' this all about you again. I swear, both sides of you end in horse's ass.” La Croix said wryly, giving a small smile to the stallion. Moonflower blushed deeper at this, but he looked at La Croix with a strange kind of gratitude before he suddenly straightened and snorted loudly, pawing the ground with one hoof.

“Oh, please. As useless as I've been, what about you? You don't even have any clothes on anymore! Really, La Croix, how could you not fireproof your cape?” Moonflower retorted, shaking his head quickly before he spun around and strode imperiously towards the portal device. “As for this, well, it is clearly no match for my great-”

Moonflower touched the panel, and then squealed as he was violently electrocuted, his eyes bulging before he was blown off his hooves by the discharge. Cadence gaped as La Croix fell over, cackling loudly, while Sombra winced a bit as the winged unicorn twitched and smoldered on the ground, gurgling and smoldering.

Cadence hurried towards Moonflower, but even before she reached him, the stallion was already back on his hooves, smoking faintly but looking more humiliated than actually injured, giving a forced, awkward laugh as his eyes darted back and forth. “Y-Yes, I uh... I was just...”

He spun quickly towards Cadence, saying seriously: “You see, you need to be more careful. If anyone but me had set off that trap, it would have been... you would have been very badly hurt.”

“I... yeah.” Cadence sighed after a moment, scowling at Moonflower before she reached up and patted his cheek, making him wince. “Way to go, slugger.”

Moonflower shrank his head a bit between his shoulders, and Cadence carefully approached the portal control panel and studied it for a few moments. She could feel the energy faintly radiating off of it; ironically, Moonflower might have been right. If any of them had touched it, it would have left a lot more of a mark. Idiot's just lucky he's so resistant to magic...

Cadence studied it for a moment longer, and then her horn thrummed before glowing brightly, the mare adjusting several of the knobs over the control panel with telekinesis. She smiled a little to herself as the alloy portal thrummed to life, before she said quietly: “Alright, here we go. That should do it.”

The others looked up as light filled the archway, creating not a rift, but an almost liquid presence that hummed silently, rippling faintly with the vibrations of the portal. Cadence turned around and looked over her teammates as they gathered in front of her, and she took a slow breath before saying quietly: “Nothing has changed. I know it feels like everything has, and I'm... I'm scared too, with everything that's happened and not knowing what might be waiting for us ahead. But we can do this. We're one step closer to locating our target.”

“Yeah, Cygne. But the problem ain't the sense we on the right trail here, it be the fact that whatever be behind that door... it ain't gonna be good.” La Croix said awkwardly, and Cadence gave him a mild look... but at the same time, she smiled a little. At least he was being honest, and she'd much rather hear that now than have any of her team members keeping their fears inside to distract them later.

“Yeah. I know what you mean. But we can handle this. We're Team 0-0, the very best of the best, right?” Cadence smiled briefly, and then she put her hoof out. “All in.”

La Croix and Moonflower traded looks, but when Sombra smiled despite himself and put his hoof forward, the others were quick to join. And as one, they declared who they were with conviction: “Irregulars!”

When they broke apart, Cadence didn't waste time, turning quickly towards the portal and saying firmly: “Alright everyone. Let's move out!”

She ran towards the portal, not letting herself hesitate, riding the high that came with commanding her team, and the others followed her unquestioningly, unflinchingly. One after the other, they passed through the rippling surface, and Cadence gasped in both surprise and familiarity at the sensation of rushing cold, of feeling like a meteorite streaking through the coldness of nothing at a million miles an hour before there was the rush of blood as they came to a sudden stop-

Cadence stumbled out the other side of the portal and staggered into a crate, catching herself against the wood with a gasp. She heard shouts of surprise, as her teammates emerged one after the other, Sombra barely managing to halt himself as his limbs quavered beneath him, while La Croix dropped to a kneel and Moonflower flopped forwards on his face.

Cadence looked blearily up, before her confusion was blasted away by shock as she saw something staring back at her with horror. It looked like a Dogmatist, except its emotions were much more real and prevalent, and... that's no pony. That's not a pony, that's...

She didn't know what it was, but even though it looked like a stallion, it had a thicker, shaggier mane and tail, and its body was both larger and lither. Its coat was one solid, dark color that contrasted its cottony mane, and it had a single horn that looked frailer, somehow, than a pony's, shaped like a jagged lightning bolt.

The creature stumbled backwards on cloven hooves, as Cadence stared at the part of it that had first caught her attention: the metal plating over one side of its face, the eye there replaced by a glowing crystal. And its uniform was complete with a communicator, just like many of the Dogmatists in Decretum wore when- “Emergency! I've got an emergency at Tower B, we have intruders! Sound the alarm!”

Cadence winced at this, and then she swore and pushed herself away from the crate she had fallen against, looking wildly back and forth. There were more of the creatures all around, but they looked too shocked to react, and this one was running away. Her teammates were hauling themselves up to their hooves, but there was no way that any of them were in the shape to make their escape from what looked like a crowded tower, loaded with cargo crates and supplies, the portal trembling behind them and-

A wild, crazed idea came to Cadence's mind, and she shouted at Moonflower: “Lead the escape!”

Moonflower stared at her, and for one horrible moment Cadence was scared he wasn't going to understand, before the stallion thrust his forelegs in the air and shouted stupidly: “Abracadabra!”

There was a tremendous burst of smoke, the not-ponies all around them shouting in surprise, but the smog cleared rapidly, leaving Moonflower sitting stupidly with the three other ponies staring at him. Then the black stallion scampered his hooves to turn and bolt into the portal, followed by the others.

The creatures gathered quickly around the portal, several of them blurting into their communicators as they ran back and forth, apparently unsure of what they should do. But after less than a minute, the roar of engines filled the air as a large flying machine settled in from the skies above, rumbling ominously as it hovered its way slowly over the wide concrete pad.

Doors slid open in the sides of the stocky vehicle, and more of the not-pony creatures leapt out, seeming almost to float down to the ground in spite of the fact they were wearing some sort of combat armor and carrying a variety of advanced weaponry. They congregated around the portal, then formed quickly into two teams of six that marched in pairs through the alloy archway.

The rest of the pony-like creatures remained gathered around the front of the portal, looking uncertainly into it as they muttered among themselves. And, as they remained distracted, Cadence carefully crawled out from behind several crates, the others following her as silently as they could move as Moonflower generated a cloak of magic over them, keeping the group half-hidden from sight.

They made their way silently over towards the edge of the platform, and Cadence grimaced as she leaned over the railing: it was at least a several hundred foot drop to the earth below, which was little more than blotches and splotches. But her father gently touched her shoulder as he stepped up beside her, and she looked at him worriedly even as he said quietly: “I can make it, mi amore. It's going up that's hard. Not going down.”

“It's the sudden stop I'm more worried about.” Cadence replied softly, but after a moment, she nodded hesitantly before saying finally: “I'll go first. One second intervals. Moonflower, come last, so you can keep everyone cloaked until they jump.”

Moonflower nodded quickly, and Cadence took a breath before she jackknifed the railing and simply let herself drop. She streamlined her body as she fell, grimacing a bit as she streaked past windows and walls, watching the ground draw closer and closer by the moment-

She flipped at the last second, her wings spreading as they glowed with her magic, a faint hum filling the air around her as she slowed rapidly before touching down. She wheezed a little, then shook herself out, and only a moment later, her father landed on one side of her with a burst of black smoke, Cadence wincing and looking at him worriedly, but the stallion only took a slow breath and smiled faintly. “I apologize. I was a little fast.”

La Croix appeared with a flicker, and a moment later, Moonflower landed as well, and Cadence smiled briefly around at her comrades before she looked quickly back and forth, saying quickly: “Let's get out of here before a patrol comes across us. We need to find somewhere to regroup and figure out what's going on.”

The others nodded, and Cadence turned towards the darkness of the wasteland around them. Yet even as she led her team on, her eyes couldn't help but flick nervously towards the distance, where she had already detected the strange and telling glow of electric lights and unknown life.

They had found an abandoned shelter in the middle of the desolate, stony wasteland, and Cadence had decided the safest thing to do was stop and rest for a little while, and try and get their bearings and figure out what they should do from here. La Croix, at least, said he recognized what these creatures were, and so did her father: Kirin, a race of sky equines who could control the weather and lived in cloud kingdoms. Or at least, those were the Kirin that they had known, who had also been peaceful, and lived by magic and tradition.

That all seemed to have changed, however, and Cadence felt uneasy as she thought she saw why: while this shelter they had discovered was mostly in ruins, there was enough of the ancient machinery left for her to understand that this seemed so similar to Decretum technology, because it was Decretum machinery.

From the corruption fuel to the carbon concentration nodes to the design of the fuses and wiring, it was like they had entered into some previously unknown zone of Clockwork World. They even found a few Worker Drone husks half-buried under some of the rubble, but what had happened here? This structure was obviously ancient, but the Kirin had clearly gotten some of the systems up and running... how had they gotten here? Why hadn't Hecate found this place or moved in? Was Thokk responsible for bringing this mechanical world back online?

Too many questions, and no answers, but Cadence knew in her gut that they were close. She shook her head slowly as she sat silently back in the wreckage of the second floor, gazing out a hole in the wall towards what was likely a city in the distance, as the noonday sun burned silently overhead. But in spite of how bright the sun was, it felt... cold. There was no wind, no disturbance, no sense of anything, but there was a chill in the air that bit to the bone...

Cadence grimaced a little as she looked out over the rocky, arid wastes: all of Decretum was a wasteland, and she had heard that Endworld, another planet composed of Clockwork technology and ruled by Hecate, was much the same. But this world was just dry, cold stone and dirt, the only traces of the Clay of Prometheus in the half-dead machinery. Decretum also had an eternal red sky, while this world seemed to have a natural night and day, although Cadence realized, thinking about it, there hadn't been a moon. Just dim starlight, almost too faint to see by...

“Hey, you not thinkin' too much, right Cygne?” asked La Croix gently, and Cadence flinched a bit before she smiled in embarrassment at the Loa, who was leaning curiously in from the side. “Sorry 'bout that. But you been up here a while, and we all gettin' a little worried, that's all.”

Cadence only smiled awkwardly, then she shook her head quickly before replying finally: “Maybe a little too much but... I'm keeping watch, too.”

“Yeah, lots to watch out there. All kinds of things goin' on.” La Croix said wryly, gesturing towards the expansive wastes, and Cadence shrugged a little before the zebra said gently: “You gotta settle down a little, Cygne. Don't panic now, and don't let that Swan push you 'round. Come on downstairs, rest for a little while. You gotta rest and we gotta figure out what to do next.”

Cadence hesitated, but then she sighed and nodded, lowering her head and murmuring: “I know. I know, you're right, La Croix. This is just... it's all turned into something insane, you know? We were never trained for this. I have no idea what I'm doing. I just have some mad hope that... how are we even going to get out of here? There's no way we can send up a portal flare here, the Kirin will lock on to it and whether or not they work for Thokk, I don't think-”

“No, that ain't the problem, the problem is you think too much.” La Croix said plaintively, and Cadence gave him a sour look... but then she nodded grudgingly, lowering her head a little with a sigh. “Right. So come on. We're all here, we'll figure it out, cher.”

“I hope so.” Cadence muttered, and then she clambered up to her hooves and strode over to the Loa. He bowed her past, but she studied him for a moment longer before reaching up and ruffling his messy mane, making him scowl at her horribly. “You really do look like a kid without your clothes on.”

“Gee. Merci beaucoup, mademoiselle.” La Croix said dryly, and Cadence only shrugged a bit before the Loa sighed and reached up to play nervously with his amulet, mumbling: “You right though, Cygne. Feels pretty damn weird.”

Cadence smiled a little, and then she headed past the zebra and down the stairs, La Croix following behind her. She found Moonflower rambling away to her father, who was only nodding calmly every now and then as he tinkered with some kind of machine in his hooves.

Cadence tilted her head as she approached, and Sombra gave her a smile, his eyes flicking up to acknowledge her before he returned them to the device in front of him. Moonflower glanced towards her, then gave a warm smile of his own before he said cheerfully: “I was just telling your father about all my accomplishments back in my own world, particularly about how I escaped from Tartarus, and of course, how during my escape, I came across a brilliant architect who knew all sorts of fantastic things and had built all kinds of incredible machines out of the scrap he could dredge together in the prison pits. Your father is such an inspiration to me.”

“He inspired you to brag about your life?” Cadence asked, and Moonflower huffed loudly before the winged unicorn glanced back towards her father. “Do you need any help with that, Daddy?”

“No, mi amore, I think I have it.” Sombra hesitated, then added after a moment, as he turned his kind eyes towards Moonflower. “Well, as long as Moonflower will lend me some of his assistance later on. I'll need his help to create a power crystal.”

Cadence could swear that Moonflower puffed up so much he doubled in size, nodding vigorously as he blurted: “Absolutely! I would be more than happy to, it would be... I mean, of course, certainly, yes, definitely.” He laughed loudly, polishing a hoof against his chest as he preened and posed. “I wouldn't want to deny any of you my vast talents and abilities.”

Cadence rolled her eyes, while Sombra simply smiled and said gently: “Thank you, Moonflower. I appreciate it.”

Moonflower smiled brightly, and Cadence couldn't help but look at the childish stallion with amusement before she sat back and asked: “So does anyone have any ideas about what we should do from here?”

“Well, the only landmarks be that tower, back the way we came, and what looks like some kind of big metal city up ahead, right? We should probably be headin' in the direction of the city.” La Croix pointed out, and Cadence grunted, giving him a flat look. “I know, I know. That ain't what you meant. But you know what I mean, Cygne. There ain't no way but forward.”

“La Croix is right, Cadenza. If we move under the cover of darkness, we should be able to find a way to breach the city walls. As the Kirin haven't found us yet, they must not be using sensor technology, and we can take advantage of that.” Sombra said softly, nodding once. “Of course, that could all change on the approach to the city. But if we are careful...”

“Yes, yes. I can keep our magic cloaked to some extent while I hide us from sight. These Karen won't know what hit them.” Moonflower said with a firm nod.

“Kirin.” Sombra corrected gently, and then he turned his eyes towards Cadence, adding quietly: “We also need to send a message to Hecate somehow... but while I hesitate to suggest this course of action, we are unfortunately running out of options...”

Sombra looked at La Croix, and the zebra winced a bit before he groaned and nodded, mumbling: “Well... yeah, I suppose I can do a trick or two with the right materials. Ain't gonna be fun, though, but... that's why you gotta enjoy the good times when you got 'em, eh?”

The others nodded, and for a little while, the group fell into quiet. Or at least as quiet as it ever got with Moonflower along, who started rambling after a few minutes, telling his silly, half-true stories about this and that. It helped pass the time, though, and Cadence welcomed the distraction; besides, no matter how many times he was told he was full of crap, it never stopped Moonflower from coming up with new stories to tell them.

A little before evening came on, Sombra asked for a bit of help: he had crafted a black gemstone out of corruption, but he needed Moonflower to charge it with magic. And while that was being taken care of, Sombra had Cadence carefully help him remove the purifier.

La Croix carefully applied an ointment to Sombra's back and checked over the awful, permanent wounds in his body, Cadence averting her eyes from the grisly sight. She hated seeing her father in so much pain, and that he needed so much help: he was such a strong, good stallion, and he didn't deserve this pain, this punishment...

But Cadence forced herself to put her attention back on the purifier, to do her own task. Since the purifier was so important to her father, Cadence had learned a little about how it worked and the different components of the device. So it wasn't too much of a struggle for her to carefully remove a broken section of the machine to replace it with the makeshift part Sombra had already made: something her father could have done himself, if his concentration hadn't been so skewed by the corruption twisting and flowing through his system.

Sombra growled and twitched a bit nearby, dark miasma leaking from his eyes, and La Croix winced a bit but kept his hooves steady as he said gently: “Come now, Papa Sérénité, you fine, you fine... tell me again 'bout when your little filly was a little filly, huh?”

Sombra breathed raggedly for a moment, but then he nodded slowly as he swallowed back the poisons trying to take his mind over, half-opening one eye to gaze over at Cadence as he said softly: “She was always... adventurous. Full of energy and curiosity... the best qualities you can have in a foal, I think. Although it made it... difficult for her tutors to handle her at times...”

He chuckled quietly, and Cadence smiled faintly, glancing back at her father even as she took the power crystal when Moonflower offered it, her eyes locked with her father's. “But we needed each other, from the start. She was what I was looking for... my fallen star, my miracolo. And I... I like to think that I was there to guide her.”

“You were. Without you, Daddy, I wouldn't have survived. I was lucky.” Cadence said softly, but Sombra only smiled faintly at this, shaking his head slowly.

“No, you were not. Any more than I was, mi amore. Luck has nothing to do with it: some things are simply meant to be.” Sombra said softly, and the ivory mare gazed at her father warmly before he closed his eyes and settled a little as La Croix slipped away from his back with a small smile.

“Yeah. That's a real nice way to look at things.” the Loa said quietly as he flicked his hooves a few times, his eyes roving down to the amulet hanging around his neck before he cleared his throat and shook his head, looking over at Cadence. “You ready?”

“Oh, right, yeah. Sorry.” Cadence said quickly, turning back towards the purifier. Fortunately, replacing the power crystal was easy enough: remove the damaged gemstone, slip the new one into place, and then close the protective cover back up.

She hefted the purifier with telekinesis, bringing it quickly over to her father. La Croix slipped forwards to help, gently grasping the other side, and they settled it carefully back into place, both zebra and mare grimacing as Sombra flinched when the device clicked into his back.

The device rumbled for a moment... then clicked loudly before it began to whir quietly away as the purifier turned back on, Sombra shivering as his body convulsed once on the ground. He dug his hooves into the floor, scraping the metal slowly before he took a deep breath and whispered: “Alright. I... I will need a few minutes, but I can feel the corruption weakening. This will help.”

“Good.” Cadence said softly, smiling faintly at her father before she turned her eyes towards Moonflower, asking quietly: “What about you?”

“I'm alright. A bit peckish, I suppose, but that will pass.” Moonflower waved a hoof absently, and Cadence gave another small smile. They really were lucky: the four of them weren't completely without any need for food, water, or sleep, but they could survive on far less than your average pony required. Small favors, she supposed.

Cadence spent the next hour getting ready, and making sure that La Croix and Moonflower had everything they needed and were prepared for the journey ahead. Or at least, as prepared as they were going to get: all Cadence was sure of was that they were walking into hostile territory, and their survival would depend almost entirely on luck and precision.

When dark had settled in, Cadence led her team out of the shelter to begin across the wastes. Every now and then they heard the humming of one of those sky vehicles passing by above, but they were almost invisible against the weak ceiling of starlight that glimmered now and then through the smoky clouds.

As they drew close to the city walls, Cadence noted that there didn't seem to be any visible entrances at ground level. She did, however, see what looked like some kind of rail system on a high bridge that passed over the wall, and vehicles both large and small seemed to be regularly flying in and out of the city. There were a few lights here and there spaced around the outside of the walls, and several searchlights that were slowly roving back and forth, but Cadence had already located a weakness in the perimeter.

The rest of the lights and security seemed focus on the sky and the top of the wall: Cadence studied it in silence for almost fifteen minutes, before she murmured finally, as Moonflower started to fidget and La Croix looked at her uncertainly: “It doesn't look like they have a whole lot of patrols. I'm going to fly in first, see if I can take out one of the guards: La Croix, I'll signal when I want you to follow me in. Moonflower, Sombra, wait here until we're done.”

The others nodded, and La Croix muttered: “You be careful, Cygne. This place... I hope you feel that as well as I do.”

“Bad mojo.” Cadence said softly, looking towards the city silently. She certainly could feel it: this place chilled her to the bone, felt like it ran on... death. “Stay sharp.”

Cadence flapped her wings quickly, taking to the air and shooting forward. She dodged around the searchlights, then burst straight up the shadowy wall, leaping over the edge without giving herself or anything else time to think, only to react when a startled Kirin guard looked towards her-

A hoof to his throat made him choke and cut off any attempt to cry out, and then Cadence grabbed him by the neck before twisting, grimacing only slightly as vertebrae snapped loudly and his body went limp.

For a few moments, the Kirin convulsed, still choking weakly, and then he went still. Cadence was already searching back and forth, however, noting a guard house a short distance away, partly recessed into the walkway itself. The other way, there was only a guard casually strolling away in the opposite direction: lucky for her, since the entire walkway was lit up as bright as day by glowing block lamps spaced evenly down the wall.

The Swan rose up before Cadence was even aware of it, and the ivory mare smiled callously before she shot forwards down the walkway, hammering the door of the guard booth open. There were three Kirin inside the simple enclosure, only one of them grabbed at his gun; his reflexes rewarded him with a quick death as a throwing knife tore through his eye.

The Swan whirled to the next Kirin, tackling him and knocking him to the ground before she lunged off the soldier and slammed into the third. He was smashed back into the wall, snarling as he tried to grab the rod at his side-

His eyes went wide, his mouth working wordlessly before the Swan shoved herself away, and the Kirin slid slowly down the wall, grasping weakly at the knife that had found its way into his throat. The last survivor stared up at the ivory mare, trembling and beginning to shake his head as he opened his mouth, but the Swan simply slammed an elbow down into his muzzle, shattering the bone and making him recoil with a gasp of pain that was cut sharply off when the Swan drove her hoof into his face, and sent the broken bone into his brain.

The Kirin collapsed in a broken heap, and the Swan headed for the door, then halted with a frown. Slowly, she tilted her head to the side, then suddenly spun, flinging a knife sharply out.

A Kirin that had been leaning around the corner swore and leapt back into cover, then he shoved his rifle out into the doorway, blind-firing several times. The Swan ducked and lunged, zigzagging forward close to the ground as the shots went high, before she grinned callously as the Kirin made the lethal mistake of trying to peek out.

His eyes widened as the Swan lunged: a moment later, he hit the ground, still staring in disbelief as blood ran from his torn-open throat. The Swan looked coldly down at him before she surveyed the locker room, and then she scowled as a voice snapped through a crackle of static: “Post 23! Post 23, respond immediately, gunfire has been detected in your vicinity! Report!”

The Swan slowly walked over to the front of the room, where she recognized a simple communication system: it was roughly the same used in Decretum's guard posts. She picked up the receiver, then stated calmly: “This is Post 23. Gunfire was from a private who dropped his rifle. No injuries to report, will make recommendations for appropriate punishment after he finishes picking the bullets out of the walls.”

There was silence for a moment, and then the voice on the other end of the comlink stated coldly: “Put the officer in charge on to verify.”

“CO is on patrol. Taking a walk to cool down.” the Swan replied calmly.

“I'll wait. A team is en route to your post now as well.” the voice on the other end retorted, and the Swan smiled thinly even as Cadence mentally panicked.

“I'll go get him.” the Swan said, and then she gently set the receiver down before turning and striding quickly to the door, letting herself out.

She didn't bother looking around for any incoming Kirin: instead, the Swan ran across the walkway even as she leapt into air and waved a hoof out, signaling La Croix with less subtlety than Cadence would have liked. The Swan skidded to a halt by the dead Kirin, lifting his body quickly over her back before she turned and ran back towards the guard booth, not stopping even as La Croix appeared in front of her.

The zebra thankfully leapt out of the way, squishing himself against the guardrail before he winced and hurried after the mare. He followed her into the booth, opening his mouth, but then hurriedly shut it when the ivory mare flung down the corpse and turned towards him, saying coldly: “Animate them.”

La Croix winced away, recognizing all too well that he wasn't talking to Cadence right now, but instead, the Swan. So instead of arguing, he simply looked over the four corpses before muttering: “I ain't never done more than two at a time...”

The Swan only looked at him, and La Croix grimaced before he sighed and looked down at the four Kirin. After a moment, he finally sat back and rubbed his front hooves together, green lightning sizzling over them as he muttered: “Okay, at least y'all are fresh. Réveille-toi! Réveille-toi, lève-toi, we ain't done with you yet!”

The corpses twitched as green lightning shocked over them, La Croix wincing a bit before he slouched with a wheeze. His eyes fluttered, but after a moment, he grinned shakily as the four corpses slowly crawled up to their hooves, Kirin absently ripping knives free from their no-longer bleeding wounds as they looked emotionlessly towards the zebra. “Ha... yeah, I... I still got it, yeah?”

“Hide in the back.” the Swan ordered, and La Croix winced before turning and stumbling hurriedly into the back room, before swearing violently as he tripped over another corpse. The Swan ignored this, however, instead looking at the Kirin and saying coldly: “Step forward if you are in charge of this outpost.”

The Kirin only glared at her, until La Croix said awkwardly from the locker room: “Y'all had better listen to her. If there's one pony ya'll don't want to piss off, it's her.”

The Kirin grudgingly turned back towards the Swan, and then one of them stepped forwards, and the Swan smiled coldly, pointing at the communication device hanging on the wall. “Tell them it was an accidental misfire. And clean yourselves up. Other Kirin will be arriving here shortly.”

The Kirin looked at her for a moment, and then it scowled before turning and striding towards the communicator. It yanked the receiver off the wall, then said calmly: “Deity, this is Grimsmoke, PID 472-X-3R.”

“Grimsmoke, give confirmation on your status.” ordered the voice from the intercom, and the Kirin gave the Swan a curdling glare.

“Fully operational and pissed off. Awaiting the retrieval team now to pick up this reject. I will be submitting my report in full by the end of the night.” Grimsmoke said coldly, and there was an almost surprised silence from the other end of the line.

Finally, the voice on the other end said moodily: “Understood. Lowering caution status back to normal. Return to work.”

“Sir.” The Kirin almost slammed down the receiver, then he turned towards the Swan, giving her a seething glare.

The ivory mare smiled thinly, then shivered before shaking herself roughly out as Cadence felt the Swan recede. She slumped a little, but forced herself to keep moving, to keep planning, looking nervously between the Kirin before she grimaced as she looked at the stallion with the broken neck: La Croix was able to resurrect corpses, but not fix them very well, meaning his head was awkwardly hanging to one side, and an ugly, purple-black bruise had spread over his throat... “Crap. La Croix, uh... how do I fix this guy? The retrieval team is going to want to take him, right?”

The Kirin didn't seem very interested in cooperating unless they had to, but La Croix, thankfully, held out a bottle from around the doorway, saying tiredly: “This is a uh... well, kind of a cement. Apply it over his neck, it'll make it... less obvious.”

Cadence snatched the bottle with telekinesis, lifting it over to herself before she approached the Kirin. He scowled at her, but didn't make any attempt to fidget or move away as she opened the bottle and nervously scrubbed the goo over his neck, awkwardly bending his head into a more natural position.

As the salve was applied, skin seemed to harden and muscles stiffened, allowing the Kirin to support his own head. The bruise was still there, though, and his head was still a little, well, off: all Cadence could really hope was that the other Kirin wouldn't notice until too late.

She began to open her mouth, but then flinched as she heard a banging on the door before it started to open, and Cadence dashed into the locker room, skidding around the corner and throwing herself into hiding. She heard hoofsteps approach, before a voice started: “Which... what the hell happened here?”

Cadence winced, and there was silence for a moment before Grimsmoke said coldly: “A moron shot a large gun off in a small space. None of the injuries are serious. After he's processed make him walk back from central to clean this mess up.”

There was an awkward silence for a moment, before the voice muttered: “Yeah. Yeah, uh... okay then. Are you sure there's nothing else to report? Where's the other soldier in your-”

“On patrol, doing his job. Why don't you do yours?” Grimsmoke asked waspishly, and there was another awkward silence before the Kirin growled: “Get him off my hooves before I put him down myself.”

“Fine. Let's go.” the other voice grumbled, and there was the sound of hooves before it was followed by a door slamming shut, as La Croix and Cadence looked at each other with relief.

Cadence carefully headed around the corner, and Grimsmoke looked at her darkly before La Croix remarked wryly, as he poked his head out from behind the ivory mare: “You pretty good at this, you know. You got a real anger problem, though.”

The Kirin hissed through his teeth at them, but La Croix only huffed and waggled a hoof at them, even if he stayed pointedly behind Cadence. “You growl and gripe all you want, but you and I both know you can't do anything more'n that. You gotta obey, and we got a few questions for you yet.”

Grimsmoke scowled as the other two Kirin only looked at each other moodily, before all three frowned when Cadence asked quickly: “Is Thokk in charge here?”

“Never heard of him.” Grimsmoke said moodily. Cadence looked at La Croix, and the zebra only shrugged a bit, although he seemed surprised himself. But they both knew that those reanimated by La Croix's powers couldn't lie to him, or anyone he told them to listen to.

Cadence bit her lip, then asked on impulse: “Who uses the portal in that tower in the distance? What's that for?”

“Shipping raw materials, mostly. But they're also for the Jarsongildi. They use it to bring prisoners in and out.” the Kirin said, and Cadence frowned at this.

“Where are we?” La Croix asked suddenly, and the Kirin frowned at La Croix for a moment before he gave a thin smile, which just made his recently-dead features look all the more pallid.

“Fyrverǫld.” the Kirin responded almost contemptibly, before he gestured towards their hooves. “And where we stand right now is Valheim, City of Eden.”

“Who do y'all serve?” La Croix pressed, and Cadence frowned, starting to open her mouth-

“Lord Valthrudnir.” stated the Kirin, and Cadence trembled in horror and disbelief as La Croix winced. The Kirin studied their reactions, and then he gave a ruthless smile, saying matter-of-factly: “You're all going to die.”

La Croix glared at the Kirin, but Cadence only looked away, trembling and afraid, and all she knew for sure was that they had to find a way to finish their mission and escape from this place as quickly as possible to warn Hecate.

And even then, she knew in her heart of hearts that if they were truly faced with a threat as dire as the Jötnar, all could still very well be lost.

A Wretched Hive Of Scum And Villainy

Chapter Twenty Eight: A Wretched Hive Of Scum And Villainy
~BlackRoseRaven

The forest seemed to guide Cadence back to Freya, who stood on a ridge at the edge of the woodland, gazing moodily down at the port below. Cadence bit her lip as she approached, not sure of what to say, but Freya didn't even look up as she said calmly: “I know. You killed the mage and found the creature we were looking for. I may only have one eye in my head, but I have thousands throughout these woods.”

Cadence blinked in surprised, mouthing wordlessly before Freya said in a softer voice: “Aye, perhaps I used you... or the Swan, rather. But it had to be done, and it has brought us one step closer to our goal. The problem now is that we have to deal with this Salazar before he traps our quarry.”

“Are you alright, mi amore?” Sombra asked softly, and Cadence smiled briefly at her father, nodding hesitantly even as her eyes shifted uncomfortably towards Freya, not knowing how she felt about the Valkyrie anymore. There was still a massive amount of respect, and the Swan didn't seem to care: if anything, it seemed happy that it had been used like the tool it thought of itself as... but I'm not a tool. We're not tools.

“I...” Cadence halted, bit her lip, tried to think of what she could possibly say, and hated that what came out next was: “What do we do from here?”

Sombra gazed at her softly, and Freya smiled slightly before she turned her attention back ahead, and it was only then that Cadence realized that she, Sombra, and Freya were the only ponies present. And Horses of Heaven, did it ever hurt her inside to realize that she had just literally pushed everything but Freya aside the moment she'd seen her. She was supposed to be better than that.

“Simple. While the little boys scout ahead, I've been taking a look at the defenses we'll be dealing with, and learning what I can about the layout of the town.” Freya gestured at the port city, and Cadence hesitantly approached to look down over the sprawling settlement, the mare grimacing a bit as she noted the high walls and rickety guard towers... and those cloud formations aren't natural. “There are griffin mercenaries in those cloud posts, and a few Pegasi, so we can't sneak in from above. The water is better defended than the land, and they've dug themselves a nasty little trench around the walls and lined it with spikes and thorns. The only way we're getting in is through the front door.”

“Great.” Cadence muttered, grimacing a bit as she nodded to the Valkyrie. As her own eyes roved towards a front gate that was guarded by several mercenaries and a pair of enormous towers, she found herself wondering... “How do you know all this, Freya? I'm not questioning you, I'm just... well...”

“Questioning me.” Freya said mildly, but she sounded amused more than anything else as she nodded once before saying easily: “And like I said. I have plenty of other eyes. Perhaps your friends will find something I've missed, but otherwise...”

She clicked her tongue, and an enormous raven fluttered down from the skies, leaning its beak in as if it was whispering into the mare's ear as Cadence stared, before Freya grinned slightly. “It's helpful to have friends in high places.”

She paused, then nodded once, and the bird cawed before taking off and flying quickly away, Freya adding in a less-pleased mutter: “We have a new problem now, however. There are several ships coming into the harbor, and all of them are flying black flags. I may not know much about ships and flags, but I feel confident assuming that's a bad sign.”

Cadence nodded uneasily as Sombra strode up to the edge of the embankment, the stallion shaking his head briefly before he said softly: “We should consider our alternatives. Perhaps we could concentrate on finding the entity.”

“Atavus. He called himself Atavus.” Cadence hesitated, then added quickly: “And he had one of those... slave-chains wrapped around his arm. He also seemed... I don't know, trusting? Not just gullible, but... just... like he really believed whatever he was told.”

“Who knows what kind of mind we're dealing with? He certainly won't be normal.” muttered Freya, and then she shook her head before continuing: “And no. Even with this amulet I took, it would be a waste of time and resources. Especially since I have no doubt that Salazar will be reeling his quarry in sooner rather than later. From what I've heard about him so far, he doesn't seem like the type to miss much.”

Sombra shook his head, and then he looked over at Freya and said gently: “I know you want to fight these bandits for more reasons than you'll say, Signora Freya. But is it really worth the risk?”

“I don't see much risk in it, really. A group of well-equipped and well-trained warriors like ourselves against a town-full of scum and barbarians who won't be expecting us. With a little bit of magic added to the mayhem, we can easily demolish the lot of them and leave the dregs crying in the remains.” Freya replied mildly, looking over at Sombra before she feigned understanding. “Oh, but you're saying that killing them all is bad, aren't you?”

Sombra only looked at her calmly, and Freya scowled back at him before she said dryly: “Then just say it, and let's skip these silly charades.”

“I do not want to kill them all, no. But I also do fear for us. Overconfidence fells dragons.” Sombra said gently, and Freya huffed.

“No, pride and iron and arrogance fell dragons, and there's a difference.” Freya retorted, and then the Valkyrie shook her head before she moodily looked down, adding quietly: “Besides, this is the first test of your friends' mettle right now. Seeing if they're indeed smart enough to get in and out without raising the alarm.”

Cadence grimaced at his, shifting uncomfortably, and Freya smiled thinly as her eye flicked towards her. “You don't worry your pretty little head now, Cadence. We're on a different level than our enemies, after all, so we shouldn't be worrying about them being a threat.”

Cadence bit her lip, but Sombra only gave a small smile and said softly: “Do I need to point out that-”

“No, not really. You made your point and I've made mine, Sombra. Now, please, do us both a favor and start working with me instead of arguing against every point I make, for both our sakes.” Freya said irritably, and Sombra lowered his head to her politely.

“I simply am concerned for my friends. I welcome the faith you have in us. But avoiding conflict is often the better solution.” Sombra replied. “There's too much that is uncertain, especially when we know too little about the foe we are faced with.”

Freya only grunted, looking moodily at the stallion for a few moments before her eyes flicked to the side as she said calmly: “Well, let's ask the Loa, shall we?”

A moment later, La Croix appeared in a flicker, giving a weak grin as he said awkwardly: “Real uh... impressive how you do that, mademoiselle. But uh... well, Papa Sérénité might just be in the right on this one, you know...”

Freya frowned slightly, and the zebra cleared his throat as he shifted uncomfortably before he continued hesitantly: “It ain't just 'cause I ain't so much a fan of wadin' in and killin' all them folk. It's also because they got all kinds of weird wards and dark magic down there... I wasn't even able to get close to the docks. And that Salazar... whatever he is, he ain't no pony.”

“Demon?” asked Freya, and La Croix shifted hesitantly back and forth, making the mare scowl slightly. “Well, he isn't a Voidborn, is he?”

“No, he definitely ain't that.” La Croix confirmed, nodding. “He seems... like something from l'enfer, but not, you get it?”

To Cadence's surprise, Freya actually seemed to be encouraged by this response, the ivory mare nodding as she rose her head and said thoughtfully: “I do, actually. That might play to our advantage, La Croix... now we just have to wait for Moonflower to get back, and we'll be ready to move.”

“What about the brutes?” La Croix asked, frowning slightly. “You sure we can trust 'em? I mean, ain't like I'd be surprised if-”

“Don't worry, La Croix. We'll see how they behave, but so far they're doing what they were told to do.” Freya replied calmly, although this earned her a frown from La Croix and a curious look from Sombra, both of which she replied to by simply smiling slightly and shrugging. “Like I was just telling Cadence. I have a lot of eyes in the forest... and a few ears outside it, too.”

La Croix shifted uneasily, but he didn't say anything, and there was silence for a few moments before Cadence finally looked up in relief when Moonflower approached, stumbling his way hurriedly up the ridge before he wheezed: “Absolutely ridiculous. Mongrels, the lot of them!”

“So what did you find out, Moonflower?” Freya asked, although there was a hint of teasing to her voice as she smiled slightly at the stallion, who grumbled a little under his breath and shook himself quickly out as he rejoined the group. “I take it they weren't as pleasant as you'd like?”

“Not nearly, no. And they apparently have no need for a 'fop' such as myself!” Moonflower complained, looking outraged as he huffed loudly. “Can you believe that? They wouldn't even let me show off a single bit of magic! And they said something ridiculous, something about how if I wasn't a Blood Seer I should just make myself scarce. Although they used far-less-nice words than that.”

Sombra frowned at this, looking up at Freya, but the mare only nodded moodily, tapping a hoof slowly as she said meditatively: “Aye, that makes it more difficult. Tell me, Moonflower, did they take any of your blood? Did any of them touch you?”

“I... excuse me?” Moonflower blinked, straightening immediately before he huffed loudly and complained: “Touch me! None of them would even set hoof near me! It was as if I was a leper or diseased or... it was ridiculous! Atrocious! I am the most handsome of all lords of evil, just look at me, and they wouldn't so much as give me the time of day!”

Freya rolled her eye, but she seemed relieved by this response as she said calmly: “If we see the mages, kill them without hesitation. If we are indeed dealing with Blood Seers, then they need only a drop of your blood to kill you... or make you do far worse things. We do not have the option to make friends here.”

Sombra shifted a little, but even he nodded after a moment: the Swan, of course, was only too eager to go killing in the name of one of the Mothers, which admittedly made Cadence feel a little ill. Still, since Freya seemed to be more receptive now to their ideas, now that she was apparently concerned the enemy might be a threat after all... “What if we use the time we have now to try and track down the entity? He seemed to be receptive to some kind of summoning magic. It must be possible to find him somehow-”

“No. If I cannot sense him in the forest, then none of us will be able to find him by any means. And the amulet is just a trinket without the magic to harness it.” Freya replied, shaking her head briefly. “More importantly, this Salazar worries me. My instincts tell me it is very important that we deal with him and his mages while we have the chance.”

Cadence shifted a bit, but she didn't have any argument, and not even her father seemed willing to try and change Freya's mind, with how it was clearly made up. So instead, Cadence simply dropped her head, mumbling: “Alright. What do you suggest?”

“That you cheer up a little for one thing. I am not going to put any of you in more danger than need be.” Freya chastised, reaching up and gently pushing Cadence's head up so she could smile down into her eyes. “I take care of my troops. Even if I push them hard, too. But if Brynhild can survive me, I'm sure you can too.”

Cadence nodded almost violently before she could stop herself, and then she blushed and cleared her throat awkwardly, smiling lamely up at the Valkyrie. But Freya only grinned, shaking her head and remarking wryly: “There's few things better than a friendly rivalry. Even if 'friendly' only means you'll cooperate long enough to kill the enemy before you go back to trying to kill each other.”

“I don't see why mares are always at each other's throats. They call stallions barbarians, but they're always being so... conniving and evil.” Moonflower complained, brushing at himself and earning a dry look from Cadence and an amused grin from Freya. “Terrible creatures. Whoever said they are the deadlier of the species was right.”

“Well, it's not my fault stallions are so fragile.” Freya replied easily, tossing him a wink, and Moonflower grimaced and leaned backwards, looking at her almost warily. “But alright. A direct, fast attack, and as soon as possible. They won't know what to do until too late.”

Cadence had her misgivings about Freya's simple plan, but she knew there wasn't anything she could say to change her mind. La Croix and Moonflower both looked just as uncomfortable as she felt, while her father was frowning, but after a few minutes of no one saying anything, the Valkyrie nodded and said in a more serious voice: “Trust in me, and I won't lead you wrong. You have my word that I'll protect you, so long as you do what I tell you to.”

The ponies looked at her uncomfortably for a few moments, but then Cadence finally nodded, saying in spite of her misgivings: “I... we'll do our best to, Freya. Just as we promised.”

Freya nodded calmly back at this, and then she straightened and said briskly: “Then let's get ourselves ready. We have to make this fast and professional.”

The others nodded as Freya turned to look towards the base, her eye glinting as she continued: “Moonflower will cloak us. Cadence, you and I will be the vanguard and strike first. When we reach those towers, La Croix and Moonflower will disable them and Sombra will breach the gates. We push immediately into the town and we make for the port. The enemy will be drawn to us. We have at least three mages to kill and this Salazar, whatever he is.”

The others nodded, and Freya grinned, her teeth gleaming in her predator's smile as she said calmly: “Then let's not waste any time and move in while we can.”

There was no time to argue, and no argument that could be made, anyway: all they could do was follow Freya's orders, Moonflower cloaking them before the Valkyrie led them quickly down the escarpment towards the front gates of the port town.

There were three mercenaries on duty: as they approached under the cover of Moonflower's magic, Cadence heard Freya's order, and felt the Swan immediately respond to it: “Eliminate the left side quickly. I'll deal with the right.”

The Swan took over, Cadence hating that coldness that swept over her, that feeling of losing control, as not she, but Danzsöngr leapt forward, spreading her wings to shoot out from beneath the cloak of magic. A knife leapt into her hoof and she flung it hard, sinking it through the throat of the furthest mercenary and sending him toppling as the others looked up too late in shock-

The Swan plowed into the first in line, driving him down and simply crushing his head under her hooves, while Freya appeared almost like a ghost beside the other, seizing him around the neck with a grin before she roared as she half-spun and flung him with such force into the tower above that he crashed through the mounted crossbow like a cannonball, yells and howls of shock rising up from inside.

La Croix vanished from the spot, and Moonflower targeted the unharmed tower, snapping his horn forward and blasting most of the top of the guard post away with a single powerful spell as he dropped the stealth cloak. In the same moment, Sombra targeted the portcullis, slamming his hooves into the ground to create pillars of crystal beneath the barrier, which steadily rose and forced the gates to slowly rise up as well.

“Push forward!” roared Freya, the mare swiftly following her own advice and grinning widely as she ran towards the gates before dropping down on her side and skidding beneath them in a screech of sparks as her metal armor ground against the stone. She leapt up to her hooves as stunned mercenaries staggered to a halt, before one was knocked flat as she slammed her head into him before spinning and lashing another with telekinesis, sending him crashing with a howl through the window of a nearby house.

Ponies yelled and panicked, fleeing from the gates as merchants ducked behind their carts and stalls. Griffins were descending from the clouds now with bolas and crossbows and axes, but several of them were blasted out of the air by Moonflower's magic, only two managing to get past the barrage and dive at Freya-

Freya caught both aggressors by the face, slamming their heads together and knocking all the fight out of them before she flung them both backwards, knocking over two armored ponies. A third kept coming, however, the earth pony roaring as he charged forwards, his eyes blazing with crimson fury and tattoos around his forelegs flexing as the huge, muscular stallion barreled straight for Freya.

Freya whistled, and the Swan stiffened before she shot forward, shooting under the gates and then leaping over Freya as her hooves flung knife after knife from her bandoleer into the face and back of the giant earth pony.

He howled in surprise, zigzagging wildly as he shook his head back and forth, and then Freya leapt forward and seized the earth pony by the face, slamming her skull into his with a sickening crack. His legs went out from under him as he gurgled, and as he fell, Freya slammed his head down, burying his broken skull into the dirt road before she looked up with a wide grin and challenged: “Who's next?”

The soldiers that had stumbled to a stop after seeing their gigantic comrade fall stared for a moment, then spun and bolted. The Swan instantly drew her knives and flung two, one knocking a soldier down and the other slamming into the back of an armored mare's neck, sending her sprawling in a dead heap, before Freya whistled again and said calmly: “That's enough. Let them get a little ahead of us so they can draw out the mages. We have less of a quarrel with the town's troops, anyway.”

The Swan Maiden nodded, dropping down as Moonflower, La Croix, and Sombra joined them, and Freya looked back and forth before she strode over to a merchant's stall and picked up an apple. The pony cowering behind the stall whimpered a bit as the mare took a bite out of the apple, but then she smiled slightly as she chewed slowly. “Good.”

She flicked her horn, drawing a small sack out of her saddlebag, and she dropped this on the counter of the stall, a few coins spilling out before the mare picked up another apple with telekinesis as she turned to tuck away in her saddlebag, beginning to stride down the street as she said calmly: “Watch for ambush from above in case more of the griffins decide to drop in on us. Moonflower, keep your magic primed, but there's no need to hide now. Walk proud, stallions. Don't make us mares do all the work.”

Moonflower huffed loudly at this, and La Croix grimaced a bit but nodded awkwardly as he followed along, Sombra bringing up the rear with serious eyes as his horn glowed faintly, scanning the area around them for any sources of magic.

They didn't face much challenge in the town itself, which surprised Cadence, although Freya only seemed to be getting more eager as they moved, as if this was all going according to plan and she was happily anticipating whatever was waiting for them ahead. Which was a fight, of course: as Cadence was quickly learning, Freya certainly seemed to love nothing better than a good fight.

“Well, this is interesting.” Freya remarked as they approached what looked like some kind of checkpoint: it was a massive, gated outpost, and to either side of it, Cadence noted immense, spiked walls that made it impossible to sneak around: it looked as if this barbaric border cut cleanly through the entire city, separating the district they had just passed through from the harbor beyond. And waiting for them ahead were at least a dozen armored ponies and a mage in crimson robes, chained monsters on either side of him snarling and hissing as their bonds glowed with evil magic.

Manticores: Cadence's eyes narrowed at the beasts. They had the heads of lions, tails of scorpions, draconic wings and huge, burly beast bodies. Huge claws pawed at the ground as they bared fangs, tossing their manes and snarled, but they were unable to resist the compulsion of the chains wrapped around their bodies, completely under the control of the mage in the red robes, whose horn was glowing faintly with the energy needed to keep them in check and from either charging forward or turning on their masters.

Freya clicked her tongue, and the Swan readied herself as Cadence felt it wrestle for control of her body again. She half-resisted, but then relaxed slightly: there wasn't really much of a point in trying to fight the Swan's control at this point.

The mage narrowed his eyes at them, and then he rose his head and said clearly: “By the order of Archmage Salazar, you are all to surrender and submit to us!”

Freya chuckled at this, and then she replied easily: “Men always want their women to bow their heads and submit. Well, I'm not the kind of woman to be cowed by words alone. Let's see if you're half as strong as you are loud, petty magician, or if you're hiding behind all those bandits and beasts for a reason.”

The mage snarled, then he leaned forward and barked: “Kill them all, or it'll be your heads on the chopping block!”

The soldiers flinched, the several of the mercenaries yelped and staggered out of the way as the two manticores leapt forwards with furious, primal roars, knocking soldiers aside like toys as they charged straight for the Valkyrie and the Swan Maiden.

“Boys, play with the nice ponies.” Freya said calmly, and then she leapt backwards and kicked up a spray of dirt into the face of the manticore that leapt at her, making it snarl and shake its head wildly as it lost focus on Freya for a moment, allowing her to immediately leap forwards and seize it around the neck before she twisted to the side and flung the beast down, then she leapt on top of it with a grin.

The Swan, meanwhile, had flung several knives into the face of the other manticore, but it only had the effect of enraging it further, the beast biting and clawing at the mare as its tail shivered above its body, waiting for the chance to strike. The Swan dodged back and forth with a grimace before she swiftly drew another knife and drove it into the leonine palm of the beast when it attempted to claw at her, and the lion roared as it staggered backwards before its tail finally lashed viciously down, as if with an angry will of its own.

The Swan shifted slightly, twisting her head to the side before she lashed her horn forwards as it glowed ivory, slicing through the end of its stinger and sending up a spray of poison and blood. The manticore howled as it staggered backward, and the Swan immediately followed up by lunging forward and driving her horn into its neck, before she twisted savagely to the side, ripping out its throat and sending the beast gurgling and whimpering to the ground.

The mercenaries, meanwhile, were not fighting with either strength or will, the ones who had bows firing wildly as the others hid behind shields or tried to form haphazard phalanx, shouting at each other and their enemies. But Moonflower only deflected the arrows with a simple shield of magic, and La Croix flung explosive bottles in long, overhoof throws into the ranks of the enemy, scaring and scattering their forces.

Sombra stomped down, a wave of black crystal exploding from the ground beneath another set of mercenaries, and they immediately broke their line and fled in terror. The troops were terrified and demoralized, and the mage snarled as the soldiers left before he looked up with a curse as Freya flung the manticore off to one side as she ripped the chains loose from it, the mage snarling as his horn began to glow-

Freya flung the chain hard, and the magic bonds struck the unicorn squarely before wrapping themselves tightly around his throat, the magic around the unicorn's horn whiffing out as he was driven to the ground with a gasp. He clutched uselessly at the chains as Freya's horn glowed, before the unicorn howled in misery, spasming violently as he fell forwards, writhing in agony on the ground as the mare asked coldly: “Where is Salazar?”

“Y-You'll never... catch him...” The unicorn gargled, his eyes rolling in his head before he grinned bitterly up at Freya as the chains burned with unnatural golden energy, and inside the Swan, Cadence shivered: Freya was ruthless. “He will... kill you all...”

“You should worry about yourself, friend.” Freya said calmly, and then she stepped forwards and stomped viciously down on the mage's skull, snuffing the life out of him: the few defenders who remained immediately broke rank and fled at this, screaming in terror as the mare looked up and smiled wryly: “See? What did I say? Brutes and criminals are no match for true warriors and Valkyrie might.”

She disdainfully booted the body of the mage aside, making Moonflower and La Croix wince as Sombra shook his head slowly, while the Swan Maiden only nodded to Freya, proud and excited, Cadence thought with a sick sort of interest. Well, why wouldn't the Swan be? This was exactly what it had always wanted: to serve its purpose, to fight in the name of and alongside the remaining 'Mothers' and 'Fathers...'

“We don't have time for correctness or compassion. We move forward.” Freya said shortly, looking over her shoulder and nodding to herself. “The enemies ahead will not break so easily as these ones did, you can be sure of that. The mages know what to expect from us now, and I'm sure they have worse beasts than manticores waiting for us ahead.”

“Everyone seems to be afraid of us.” Moonflower said, although he didn't sound precisely happy about that fact. Freya, however, only gave a wry smile, shrugging a bit as she led the group onward through the open gate.

“I can't think of any reason why they shouldn't be.” Freya remarked, and then she floated the other apple she'd taken free from her saddlebag, biting into it and seeming to relish the taste of the fruit as she made her way through the gates, the Swan staying close to the Valkyrie's side and the stallions following behind them.

They passed into the harbor, or at least, the path that hopefully led to the harbor. There were more high walls and guard towers waiting for them, although these latter looked as if they had been recently abandoned. They could hear yells in the distance, but the twisting and turning of the roofless tunnel of walls made it nearly impossible for them to know what was ahead, and Cadence could swear she could see dozens of shadows on the clouds above, as if the griffins were just waiting for an excuse to sweep down and kill them all...

Suddenly, there was a loud screeching and banging behind them that made La Croix and Moonflower spin around anxiously, but Freya only smiled and lowered her head slightly as Sombra frowned a little, the Valkyrie saying calmly: “It looks as if our enemies are trying to cage us in with them. A bit stupid of them, really.”

“We have yet to see whether it is arrogance or confidence. And you too were concerned about the foes we were faced with only a short time ago, Freya. We had best not underestimate them now.” Sombra said gently, and Freya groaned loudly, rolling her single eye.

“By the All Father, is this how Brynhild always felt with me? No wonder she was always so cranky and obnoxious.” Freya grumbled, shaking her head briefly before they stepped through a stone archway that led out onto into a large, cement-floored freight yard, and Freya straightened slightly as she asked moodily: “And I know myself it doesn't feel good to always be right, you know. Although I wouldn't mind you being wrong for other reasons.”

The Swan narrowed her eyes as Moonflower whimpered a little and La Croix swore and readied himself, while Freya and Sombra only calmly surveyed the twin red dragons in front of them, each saddled, chained, and bridled, and with a mage in red robes seated on its back. Both dragons snarled, breathing smoke as their eyes blazed with hellfire, one of the mages leaning forward to growl: “You have one chance to run.”

“We aren't stupid. You just want us back in those tunnels so you can rain fire on us from above.” Freya shook her head, and then she smiled calmly before her horn gleamed, and her three silver swords unsheathed themselves with a snarl of steel. The Swan gazed at her with something like awe for a moment, as the three very different blades rose to ready positions in front of her: one was falcate, hooked and deadly; one was straight and double-edged, but with a lower half ridged with saw-teeth; the last was huge and triangular and bludgeoning.

“I've never been very good at running away.” Freya remarked, and then she leapt forward before anyone could react, the ivory mare lashing out with the hooked blade to snag the closest dragon by one horn and yank its head down before the massive, club-like blade swung viciously down and smashed across its skull, the beast roaring in shock and rearing back as it staggered, wings flapping wildly.

The unicorn on its back tumbled off with a yelp before the dragon leapt to the air, flapping its wings wildly as its brother followed after a moment, the other mage swearing angrily. The unsaddled mage barely had a moment to look up before Freya's third sword sank into his chest, the stallion gargling before he screamed as he saw the massive club-sword swing down-

Freya yanked her weapons free from the corpse of the mage, looking up and studying the dragons: the riderless one zigzagged drunkenly through the air, roaring and spitting fire, driving the griffons out of ambush as the other beast circled smoothly with a snarl: the mage riding him clearly knew what he was doing. Freya's wings spread as her eyes locked on this opponent, the mare smiling slightly before she said calmly to the Swan: “Finish off the wounded beast.”

“Wait, what about-” Sombra started, and then he grimaced when Freya simply leapt to the air, the Swan barely glancing in the black unicorn's direction. Sombra shook his head quickly, then he quickly surveyed the area around the freight platform before he said quickly: “Moonflower, you and I will offer them support. La Croix, I sense these mages are only bait for the trap.”

“You don't got to say no more, I'm on it.” La Croix replied with a quick nod, the zebra vanishing from sight, before he swore when he reappeared a moment later, stumbling a bit as Sombra's eyes widened in surprise. “Oh no.”

Sombra immediately slammed his hooves into the ground, transforming the stone of the platform around them rapidly into crystal: a moment later, several runes that had been painted invisibly over the concrete flashed into existence before burning out as the lines and symbols were disrupted by the spreading gemstone, the unicorn grimacing before he looked up sharply as several freight containers nearby exploded open, and a horde of walking corpses stormed onto the platform from all directions, animated by malign magic.

“C'est des conneries!” La Croix shouted, wincing backwards before he hurriedly snatched a small cloth bag out of his cape, then he waved a hoof over it before snapping his hoof outwards as the bag exploded, a wave of black powder ripping through the air around them as if carried by a whirlwind.

The black dust stopped the first wave of zombies in their tracks, the corpses falling limp for a moment before they burst into unnatural black flames. Slowly, the dead bodies began to haul themselves back up to their hooves, and La Croix winced as he snapped: “I can't do nothin' 'bout these fantouche! They ain't real nzambi, they're just-”

La Croix yelped and ducked as the riderless dragon swooped down low with a roar, but Sombra barely flinched as he instead lowered his head and dug his hooves into the black crystal, the dark gemstone spreading further over the freight platform as he closed his eyes and concentrated. More of the runes and hidden traps were disrupted, sparking out of existence, but at the same time, Sombra could feel a growing magical presence, a psychic pressure that was steadily increasing around them and already eating away at his abilities and mind.

Moonflower, meanwhile, had barely noticed the dragon as he lashed out with powerful spells, blasting corpses into pieces, his expression hard, but his eyes wide and terrified as he shouted: “Hit them with everything you have! Dismember them, blow them into pieces, set them on fire, do whatever it takes to stop them! Remember, they're not ponies anymore!”

Moonflower slashed his horn out, and a blast of gravity made a group of walking corpses all but explode as Sombra flinched slightly at the surge of power he felt hammer through the air. He looked up at the one-winged unicorn, who looked almost panicked, while La Croix was flinging potions in every direction, some of them aimed at the zombies, others smashing between the walking corpses and the trio of stallions to erupt into walls of flame or toxic smog.

A zombie stumbled through one of the latter, then collapsed after only a few more steps, the corpse seeming almost to petrify as La Croix snapped: “I know more 'bout the dead than y'ever will, you damn connard! Calmez-vous!”

“I'll... I'll calm your views!” retorted Moonflower, before the stallion yelped when one of the walking corpses lunged at him, sharply lashing his horn out and blasting it backwards.

Above, the Swan Maiden wasn't having much more luck with her own quarry: every time she managed to get close to it, the wounded beast would either lunge off in some new direction or it would knock her away. Her weapons could find little purchase against its scales, and while it wasn't enormous, it was still several times her size and far stronger than her. If it did more than just crash into her or snap its tail across her, then she knew she was going to end up in a world of hurt.

Or at least Cadence knew that: the Swan was single-minded in trying to take down its prey. She didn't care about how large, how strong, how dangerous the enemy was: all she cared about was doing as she had been told, and killing her opponent.

The dragon suddenly turned towards her, roaring, its infernal breath blasting across the ivory mare and the heat warning her that more than just hot air was going to be rushing towards her in a moment: but the Swan didn't care. The Swan only saw an opportunity, which it immediately took as it flung two daggers sharply forward.

One missed its mark, but the other struck home into one of the creature's eyes, and the dragon howled in pain as it jerked its head to the side, vomiting flames towards the ground instead of towards the ivory mare as the Swan rushed forward before half-flipping and slamming a savage kick into the base of the knife lodged in its socket. The knife ripped through its skull, and the dragon immediately plummeted from the sky and crashed into one of the freight containers below, bouncing bonelessly off it to land in a heap amidst the walking dead below.

Cadence felt shock run through her as she realized what was going on under them: the Swan, however, only turned her eyes towards Freya before she calmly flapped her wings, shooting up to help the Valkyrie even as Cadence yelled furiously at the Swan to help her friends. It was obvious, after all, that Freya was only toying with her prey, using her swords to harry at the dragon and driving it more into a frenzy as its rider lobbed spells at her, but never came close to so much as searing the Valkyrie.

Below, Sombra flinched as the dragon's corpse crashed to the ground, the unicorn looking quickly up as Moonflower lashed his horn out to create a wall of flames, wheezing as he staggered backwards before he yelped when La Croix grabbed him, the zebra shaking him roughly once before he said in a low voice: “Arrête, mon ami. Arrête.”

Moonflower winced, but then he gave a brief nod, taking a breath and shaking himself out before he looked up with something like a whimper when the zombies began to lurch through his wall of flames. Sombra, however, concentrated his magic and energy over the sense of malignancy in the air, his purifier humming loudly before he grimaced as his horn pulsed, and thin, spiky fences of crystal ripped up out of the earth around them, forming several lines of barriers that the zombies haplessly walked into and uselessly attempted to crawl overtop of.

“They're only puppets, you're right. But we should pity them, not fear them, Moonflower. While the body is nothing but our cast-off shell, the remains still deserve a certain dignity. And it is sad to see this last honor stolen from these poor souls. We do not need to desecrate them further; we need only find the source of the black magic and stop it.” Sombra said softly, and La Croix grunted in agreement as Moonflower lowered his head with a faint smile.

“It simply... brings back bad memories. That's all. Of things I've seen, things I wish I'd never done...” Moonflower looked ahead, staring at the puppeted corpses as they mindlessly attempted to breach the outermostfence, uselessly attempting to haul themselves over it but few succeeding past breaking their own bones or lodging themselves on the spikes of crystal. “I... oh no.”

Moonflower's eyes widened, and Sombra looked up in disbelief as the corpse of the dragon twitched before rising up, breathing out a blast of blue flames as a rattling snarl emerged from its throat. Its wings spread and flapped once, and then the zombified dragon roared as it stomped towards them, its body lurching back and forth as it staggered through the ranks of corpse puppets

It tripped on the first line of crystal fencing, but its heavy body simply smashed through the black gemstone when it fell, the monster growling before it began to haul itself back up to its claws. La Croix swore, flinging his hat down as Sombra started: “Find whatever is-”

“No time. We do this the old fashioned way.” La Croix replied sharply, the zebra digging quickly through his hat as he snapped: “Moony, now might be the time to-”

“On it!” Moonflower gritted his teeth, snapping his horn forward and blasting the dragon with telekinesis, but the corpse-dragon was so heavy it barely flinched backwards, only gurgling before it started forward towards them again as other zombies crawled over it and stumbled eagerly forward around it.

Moonflower trembled, then snarled as he leaned forwards, his horn glowing before he unleashed a powerful, thunderous blast of gravitational energy: while it shattered much of the gemstone fencing in front of them, it also was strong enough to blast the dragon backwards and obliterate the zombies around the creature, one of the corpse-dragon's legs snapping loudly and twisting almost completely off its body.

Yet onlu a moment later, the dragon was picking itself up with a gurgle, head swaying drunkenly back and forth as light glowed out of its eye and maw, the monster beginning to drag itself back towards them as the rest of the corpses flooded towards the gap in the fences. Sombra stepped forwards this time, however, snapping his horn out and pelting the corpses with black flames as a dark essence began to leak out of his eyes, the unicorn gritting his teeth as he growled: “This won't end until we destroy the source.”

Above, Freya dodged another blast of flame from the dragon before she shot a look down at the stallions below. They were in quite a predicament, but so long as they held on for a few more minutes... “What's wrong, boy? Are you too weak? Are you getting tired? Do you need mommy to lay your pretty head down to sleep?”

The unicorn on the back of the dragon swore furiously, and then he snapped his horn out, sending a blast of lightning at the mare as his mount tried to sideswipe her with a wing, but Freya simply lunged backwards and blocked the lightning blast with her swords, grinning as electricity chained back and forth between the three blades.

She snapped the swords out as the mage began to wheel his dragon around, then she grimaced as she saw the Swan moving in for the kill against the mage. But with a click of her tongue and a sharp gesture of her head, Danzsöngr immediately turned the lethal harrow of her knife into a painful, humiliating sweep, slicing the unicorn's face open and making him howl in agony as he yanked on the reins by accident and made his dragon come to a confused stop in the air.

The unicorn looked around with a snarl, his horn pulsing as he rose a hoof above his head, and there was what Freya was looking for, as a chain of crimson formed in the air above the unicorn's hoof. He snapped it outwards, and it became steel as it whirled through the air towards the Swan's back, Danzsöngr looking over her shoulder in surprise-

Freya intercepted the chain with the bludgeoning blade of Dómr, smashing the magical metal into shards before she flicked her horn, sending the deadly, double-edged Drengr streaking through the air to slam through the mage's chest.

The unicorn gargled, falling limp in the saddle as the dragon whirled towards Freya, roaring loudly and charging straight at her as if it sensed the death of its hapless rider, and Freya smiled calmly, her eye glinting before she suddenly let herself simply fall backwards. At the same time, the hooked Gæfa struck upwards, making the dragon squeal as it tore through the underside of its jaw and yanked its head roughly downwards, forcing the dragon to dive after her.

They looked at each other, but only for a moment, before there was golden gleam as Tyrfing swung off her back, and into the dragon's skull.

The corpse of the red dragon crunched down into the ground near the trio of stallions, disrupting the horde of zombies for a moment before Freya smashed down a moment later, releasing a golden shockwave of holy fire from her body that ripped through the ranks of the undead, incinerating most of them almost instantaneously. Sombra flinched backwards at it, feeling it doing more than just tickling his own skin thanks to the dark energy coursing through his body, while Moonflower and La Croix both stumbled and stared in shock.

Freya, however, only looked up and shouted clearly, as Danzsöngr dropped to land loyally at her side: “Finish that exorcism, Loa! I've got what I needed!”

“Well, ain't that great for you, mademoiselle!” La Croix snapped as he plunged both his hooves back into a cauldron filled with strange, eerie emerald liquid, the zebra swearing under his breath as he stirred it back and forth while pumping it full of his energies as quickly as he could.

But with Freya's swords and holy fire lashing through the puppets as well as Moonflower and Sombra's magic, they were easily able to buy La Croix the time he needed to complete the complex spell, the Loa suddenly stepping backwards and yanking his forelegs free, sending up a geyser of green liquid that transformed into an almost-living black fog which swept through the air, covering everything in darkness as the Loa shouted: “Cover your eyes, mon amis!”

The Swan frowned, and Cadence felt it flinch as something terrible rushed through its vision, the shock of the sight letting Cadence force control back over her own body for long enough to clench her eyes shut. It was only a few moments before that rushing feeling vanished, along with the sense of malice that had been in the air, leaving them with only the sound of crackling flame and the faint rasp of waves in the distance.

Cadence blinked a few times as she looked up, then stared around in shock. There wasn't a single speck of blood left on the battlefield: not a corpse, not a sign that they had just survived an attack from a horde of undead puppets. She looked disbelievingly towards La Croix, but the Loa only waved a hoof, saying wryly: “Wasn't me, not really. Just a nasty bit of juju to fight back against that evil mojo in the air. Lots of real mean spirits in Darkwater... plenty of 'em eager to find that particular thing they hate most in the world and destroy it.”

“I've always found that spirits of balance are generally the most unbalanced of all.” Freya remarked mildly, and then she smiled slightly as she approached the trio of stallions, as Moonflower looked up at her uncertainly, La Croix frowned, and Sombra slowly rubbed at his head as his purifier finally began to gear down. “Not a terrible job, men.”

“We're stallions, not men.” Sombra said quietly, and then he shook himself out before he turned his attention towards Cadence, asking softly: “Are you alright?”

Cadence hesitantly nodded as Freya grinned wryly, the ivory mare remarking easily: “Well, you're a little bit of a touchy one after a fight, aren't you?”

“No. Daddy is always the best of us.” Cadence said quietly, turning towards the Valkyrie and walking up to her, and Freya looked down curiously at the ivory mare before Cadence took a breath, then reached up and punched Freya across the face as hard as she could.

Freya's eye widened in shock as Cadence felt the Swan immediately rebelling violently inside of her, but Cadence kept herself under control and kept her eyes up and as steady as she could. She hadn't been able to hit Freya very hard: she had pulled her punch, felt her resolve wobble, and now she was overcome with a mix of horror and fear as the Valkyrie slowly turned her eyes back towards her, but she had still done enough damage to split Freya's lip and leave a trickle of blood running down her chin, proving – to herself, at least – that Freya wasn't invulnerable, wasn't indomitable... just as she wasn't infallible.

“You put my team in danger. You used the Swan like a tool. And the Swan might not care, but I do.” Cadence said quietly but firmly, forcing herself to keep her gaze locked with Freya's, even as she felt those three deadly short swords floating slowly, ominously into position around her. “I am not your toy. And you will not use my friends, my family, as bait.”

Freya narrowed her eye dangerously... but then she gave a small, cold smile, snorting once before she said coolly: “Well, I will do my best to keep that in mind, Cadence. I must say, I'm a little disappointed, though. After all, I wouldn't say I've led any of your family wrong, now have I? I've kept every last outcast and misfit alive. Including you.”

The two looked at each other for a few moments, and then Freya reached up and slowly wiped the blood away from her chin, giving a slight smile. “At least the Swan doesn't have as much control over you as I thought. I just hope that doesn't mean you're going to end up being a thorn in my side, Cadence Danzsöngr.”

“We can work together. And we should be concentrating on working together. Not challenging each other, not infighting.” Sombra said quietly and firmly, and Freya sighed loudly, giving the stallion a disdainful look that made Cadence want to hit her again, even if part of her was still very much afraid of what Freya might do, and the Swan was trembling in a mix of disbelief and horror and absolute fury with what Cadence had dared to do. “My daughter is... she speaks a physical language, Freya. But while we are here to work as your soldiers... you are our client, not simply our commander. And you have said yourself you cannot do this mission alone.”

Freya clearly didn't like where Sombra was going with this, but she nodded grudgingly all the same, looking moodily away as she muttered: “I won't bother arguing with you, Sombra, or your semantics. But don't think you and your fellow outlaws are so important that I won't sacrifice what I have to in order to see this mission through.”

Sombra smiled briefly as Cadence scowled and Moonflower shifted on the spot, before the one-winged unicorn said in a faintly-trembling, very much afraid, and yet somehow resolute voice: “Well... I'm... I'm not here for you, I'm here for my friends. And I will stand by them if I have to. You... you wouldn't be the first Celestia I faced down!”

There was silence for a moment, and then La Croix sighed tiredly before he said finally: “I sure as hell ain't gonna do anything to piss you off, mademoiselle Freya. But... I ain't gonna stick around if you do anything to mon amis here, either. And that includes Moony, I guess.”

Moonflower smiled briefly as La Croix shrugged awkwardly, and Freya snorted before she shook her head and muttered: “We don't have time for this. By now, Salazar has likely fled, and he might have the creature we're after with him. The mage used Blood Seer magic, as I suspected... but I use that very loosely. He was taught it, and it had more in common with blood drawing than it did with actual blood magic. My guess is that Salazar has imbued his chosen mages with a little bit of his own blood and essence... that would be why they laughed you out, Moonflower. Mages do not choose to serve him. He chooses the mages.”

Cadence frowned at this, but Freya only rose a hoof as her swords sheathed themselves quickly, the Valkyrie gesturing at the other end of the freight yard. “We don't have time for this. We have to chase down this Salazar before he has a chance to get too far from us, and deal with whatever other wretched toys he's left waiting ahead.”

Cadence looked at her father, who nodded quickly in agreement. Freya scowled a little at this, but she didn't say anything as she turned to lead the group onward, and Cadence decided that following for now would probably be the best thing to do: she didn't want to test either Freya's patience or the Swan further than she had to, especially right now... and especially considering they both might find me 'more useful' to them if I end up dying again...

Cadence shivered a little, then shook this thought quickly off as she strode up beside the Valkyrie. Freya didn't welcome her company, but didn't turn her away, either, as they made their way between damaged and battered freight containers and wooden crates, to the edge of the cargo yard.

The moment they stepped out onto a walkway, Cadence heard a distinct clicking noise that she had learned to fear in Decretum, and the ivory mare immediately leapt forward, the Swan reacting with her as her wings glowed white before they wrapped around her body protectively. She was only a moment faster than the gunner in the mounted turret at the end of the path, bullets pounding into her crossed wings and sending up a spray of feathers and white motes as she gritted her teeth, swearing in pain before she slumped as a wall of crystal tore out of the ground in front of her and blocked the rest of the spray of bullets.

Cadence let her body relax, the energy around her now-tattered wings dying out as she wheezed a little, and then one of her eyes twitched as Freya remarked wryly: “I accept your apology, if that's what you're trying to do by jumping in front of me like that. But otherwise, I don't need a little girl's help to protect myself from toys.”

The Swan felt a little betrayed, Cadence thought, and she was starting to see the similarities between Freya and Brynhild, and why they called themselves 'sisters.' But instead of letting herself get frustrated or drawn into Freya's complaining, and knowing that the crystalline barrier in front of them would only hold for so long under the continuous hail of gunfire pouring down on them, Cadence nodded quickly to La Croix and ordered: “Check and remove.”

“Fancy.” Freya commented, and Cadence did her best to just ignore the mare, glowering moodily as she kept her eyes forward as La Croix vanished. The machine-gun died out suddenly after a few moments, and Cadence smiled briefly before she grimaced as Freya remarked: “Effective doesn't always mean good. And fancy is not always what's best.”

Cadence resisted from saying anything as Sombra allowed the barrier to collapse once La Croix waved to them from the turret.

They approached, and Freya looked thoughtfully at the slumped mercenary before she simply shoved the unconscious stallion out of the seat. Then she grasped the gatling gun and absently tilted it back and forth, saying thoughtfully: “This design looks a little bit different from the rest of your toys.”

“It's a much older model.” Cadence said after a moment of hesitation, nodding slowly. Freya frowned slightly after her, but the ivory mare only shook her head, saying finally: “I don't know. Unless... maybe there was an outpost on this world, or Thokk-”

“Don't invite trouble by saying its name.” Freya reprimanded, and Cadence glowered at the Valkyrie before Freya turned her moody eye back ahead, gesturing shortly with her horn.

Cadence frowned, then turned and followed her gaze before she cursed under her breath: the expansive docks were only a short distance away, but from here, Cadence could see the ships were already beginning to pull out of the harbor, and she could sense something vile leaving with them. She half-expected Freya to either sprint after them or call up some great, powerful burst of magic, but to her surprise, the Valkyrie instead calmly made her way down to the docks and out to the end of the pier, not seeming to care if the rest of Team 0-0 followed her or not.

They stopped at the end of the docks, gazing out after the ships, and Freya chewed on her lip before she shook her head slowly. Cadence looked uneasily back and forth at the cargo crates that were scattered over the docks, and the stains of blood... “Aye, this is all a mess. Corpses, black magic, and it looks as if Salazar simply killed the rest of his crew and rolled them into the sea... our poor friends likely included. But still, the coward is on the run...”

Freya closed her eye, and then she scowled and muttered: “But as I feared, the creature we need is likely on board that ship. It's as I figured. The mage was stupid enough to use the same dark magic he had been gifted with to trap the entity... and so when Salazar recalled them all, our quarry was pulled in, too. He may have even known about it since the beginning.”

Cadence looked uncomfortably at Freya, but Freya only shook her head before she gestured over her shoulder, saying moodily: “Come, back into town to clear out the rest of the rabble, and then we'll figure out how to follow after these fools. This complicates this, and it is my own damn fault for playing games and slowing myself down for you lot.”

The ivory mare shifted uneasily: that sounded a lot like Freya was actually blaming them, after all. But all the same, she only nodded once before she followed silently after the goddess as Freya strode quickly back down the docks, the Swan still servile and eager inside of her, but Cadence was beginning to understand that perhaps even the Queen of the Valkyries was not without flaw.

Echoes Of What Once Was

Chapter Forty Five: Echoes Of What Once Was
~BlackRoseRaven

Hecate strode slowly through the halls of the facility with Thorn at her side, the sapphire stallion explaining calmly: “All systems are active and the uplink is fully functional. There was some tampering done, but it's obvious that-”

“I don't care, Thorn. I already read the report.” Hecate said shortly, and Thorn bowed his head politely to the mechanical goddess before she asked bluntly: “Are you ready to lead the assault on Thokk's stronghold?”

It hadn't taken them long to decode Thokk's riddle: the clues the witch had given them were constellations, and by following the riddle, they had been able to pinpoint one star in particular. Seneshcal had converted the coordinates of this star into the coordinates necessary to create a portal to another layer of Midgard, and they had been matched to a Class D world.

Class D meant the world was in a state of extreme turmoil or was outright hostile: in this case, it was more the latter than the former. This particular Midgard had suffered some kind of massive cataclysm in the past that had ruptured the lithosphere of the world, causing it to collapse in what had likely been a series of devastating earthquakes. Now there was little life left on the planet, apart from a few tenacious colonies and dangerous, highly-evolved predatory life.

Considering what they knew... “I'm ready, but I want to request an additional twenty hours for preparation. I need-”

“Fine.” Hecate cut the stallion off shortly, and Thorn bowed his head again towards the mechanical empress, admittedly a little surprised.

As if she had heard his thoughts, however, Hecate shot her son a moody look before she explained distastefully: “Thokk has issued us a challenge, and either she underestimates our intelligence or she gave us a very simple riddle with the intent to draw us into a trap. I'd rather be prepared for the worst than go in hoping blindly for the best. Hope gets people killed.”

Thorn only nodded instead of arguing, recognizing the mood that his mother was in as he asked: “What do you want me to do?”

Hecate looked moodily at Thorn for a moment, and then she turned her attention forwards, saying shortly: “Exterminate.”

“Understood.” Thorn bowed his head politely, and there was silence as they continued down the hallway, until they entered a control room.

With a gesture, Hecate dismissed the Worker Drones monitoring the systems, the mare approaching the central navigation console on the narrow bridge. She tapped a short command over it as the doors closed behind the last of the Drones, statistics beginning to scrawl slowly across the enormous screens mounted across the walls.

Hecate moodily surveyed these for a few moments as Thorn only stood beside her calmly, before the mechanical goddess lowered her head slightly and murmured: “You have another job to do first, however. It will cut into your preparation time, but...”

“My team needs it more than I do. Where will we make the delivery?” Thorn asked, and Hecate smiled briefly as she tapped several commands over the control console, before she gestured quietly towards the screen.

Thorn frowned as his eyes roved over the assorted statistics, before his eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed something incorrect in the energy usage records... “Is that a set of coordinates?”

“Yes. They lead to an orbiting mining outpost above a Class A world.” Hecate replied with a brief shake of her head. “There should be little risk: the moon was never occupied by a parallel or alternate Luna, and it's unlikely Thokk is aware of its existence. It was only used to harvest sample materials and played host to a refinery staffed by Worker Drones.”

Thorn simply nodded, then he looked curiously at his mother as she shifted a little, the mare grimacing ever so slightly. The stallion remained silent as he studied her, and eventually Hecate growled under her breath before she looked over at Thorn and said moodily: “I suppose, though, that... I can afford to bring an older model out of stasis to send with you.”

“I can take Necrophage and Muse.” Thorn suggested, and then he couldn't help but smile a little when Hecate gave him a moody look. “They're both immune to psychic control, and-”

“And I think you enjoy their company far too much, Thorn. They are Replicants. Servants and machines.” Hecate said testily, and when Thorn only smiled a little wider up at her, the mechanical empress sighed tiredly and rolled her eyes in distaste, muttering: “Fine. I won't waste my time arguing with you. You can take them as well.”

Thorn bowed his head politely, even as he looked at her curiously, and Hecate was silent for a few moments as she looked back towards the screen before she murmured, as if in explanation: “It's pointless to leave resources unused. I'll be bringing all available units out of storage and online. Is this understood?”

Thorn only nodded even as he frowned ever so slightly at the way his mother was acting, before Hecate quickly tapped a short command sequence over the control panel, glaring at the screen as she gritted her teeth ever so slightly. Thorn studied his mother's expression uneasily, turning to follow her as she stormed out of the room: he wasn't fooled, though, by the way she seemed frustrated and angry. No, Hecate only ever looked like this when... “What's wrong?”

“Focus on the business at hoof, Thorn.” Hecate instructed coldly, and Thorn nodded quickly as he turned his attention ahead, deciding not to press the subject for now.

They walked through the facility side-by-side, the sapphire stallion keeping pace with the lumbering steps of the mechanical mare with natural ease. Every now and then he snuck a look at her, Hecate catching these little glances in the corner of her eye: it brought up memories of the past, when Thorn had just been a little foal, following her around incessantly no matter how rude she was to him, always trying his hardest, always working to impress her...

“You've never really changed, Thorn. I don't know if I should be happy about that or disappointed and ashamed.” Hecate said moodily as they walked down a long, sterile steel corridor, and a smile quirked at Thorn's muzzle. “All you've gotten is ruder.”

“I learned from the best.” Thorn replied, and Hecate gave the slightest of smiles at this as the doors at the end of the hall slid open, revealing a dome-shaped room beyond dominated by a massive, circular steel platform.

The two stepped up onto this, turning calmly around as Hecate reached out and tapped a short series of commands on the control panel hanging from the ceiling beside the platform. It thrummed beneath their hooves, a perfect, hollow circle of energy sizzling to life around the two as Thorn shifted ever-so-slightly, and Hecate snorted as she looked straight ahead, saying shortly: “Don't be weak.”

Thorn quirked an eyebrow towards her, but before he could say anything, the two were swallowed up in a pillar of light that dissolved into motes. Only moments later, the two reappeared in a bright flash on top of another teleporter in another sector of the facility, Thorn wheezing loudly for breath and clutching at his breast for a moment, while Hecate only gave a thin smile, saying clearly over the ringing in her ears: “Keep up, or I'll leave you behind and you can have fun fixing and testing the new calibrations.”

“Yes, Mother.” Thorn mumbled as he stumbled after her, but Hecate couldn't help but smile again at how quickly her son's pace smoothed out, the stallion raising his head gamely in spite of the fact he was a little pale and visibly nauseated.

But by the time they descended into what had always been colloquially referred to as the Warehouse, Thorn was back to his usual self, calm and centered, looking with interest past the latticework of girders and pipes as the enormous freight elevator slowly descended to the ground floor.

The massive platform came to a halt with a gasp of air, and Hecate led the stallion into the immense, cylindrical shaft beyond: she kept her eyes ahead, but slowed her pace so that Thorn could take in both the size of the enormous room as well as its contents, as he asked in disbelief: “Are all of these...”

“Dogmatists and Archetypes. There are plenty of Fodder as well.” Hecate answered, gesturing almost disdainfully up the seemingly-endless shaft: countless genetic capsules covered the walls, arranged in a neat, orderly framework that was divided into fifty foot sections by rings of steel floor.

Hecate turned her eyes back towards the center of the shaft: this was taken up by a massive pillar that was covered in cables, alien, long-necked drones on immense mechanical arms moving up and down the pillar on rails that crackled with electricity as they scanned along various capsules.

“Are we going to wake them all up?” Thorn asked quietly, and Hecate gave a thin smile.

“Eventually. For now...” Hecate approached the computer system at the base of the pillar, calling up a holographic screen and quickly tapping a series of commands over it. The computer core thrummed as ancient machinery came to life, and Hecate dismissed her screen and stepped backwards as the floor around the computer console slowly sank down in a large semicircle, forming a set of stairs that began at her hooves.

She strode down these as Thorn frowned curiously before following, and his eyes widened slightly in surprise when at the end of the curling staircase, he found Hecate waiting for him in a cramped elevator. He only nodded when she pointed irritably at her hooves, squeezing himself awkwardly into the lift before it descended with a rumble.

The ride was short, at least, and the room they stepped out into was small and dark, lit only by dim red lights and a dusty glass screen displaying ancient vital signs in front of a sealed steel capsule. Thorn frowned as he began to approach this, but Hecate booted him unceremoniously out of the way before she walked towards the screen just a little too quickly, the sapphire stallion blinking in surprise as the mare reached up and placed her metal palm against the screen, saying quietly: “Commence action. Begin wakeup process. Override resistors and apply stimulants. Confirm command.”

“Beginning action: initiating awakening sequence. Expediting procedure.” replied a calm mechanical voice, and Thorn winced a bit as the walls of the steel capsule suddenly pulled apart like a blossoming flower in a hiss of steam, the stallion blinded by the bright light that shone out of the glass tube beneath.

Hecate stepped backwards, putting her mechanical hands behind her back as the screen in front of the capsule flickered to display a timer. But the mechanical goddess ignored the ticking numbers, instead gazing silently at the occupant of the capsule before she said softly: “You don't have to stay, Thorn. There are things to do.”

Thorn slowly strode up beside his mother, gazing at the figure floating inside the capsule for a few moments before he shook his head, then murmured: “I thought...”

“No. I was too cruel. And I was too weak. And... I was vengeful, and miserable, and made a mistake. A mistake that I will never repeat again, Thorn.” Hecate closed her eyes for a moment, and then she looked silently down at Thorn, for a moment, only a mother looking down at her son, as she promised quietly: “It is not a mistake I will make again.”

Thorn smiled faintly even as he reached up to touch his mechanical foreleg, and then he simply nodded before looking back at the capsule. And there were no words he could say, but no need to speak, either, as the two stood in front of the capsule as moments bled into minutes. And Hecate didn't know if the process was too long, or too slow, as she waited for a mare she had tried to forget existed gradually came back to the world she had been sealed away from.

She didn't know what she was going to do, or what she was going to say, or what to expect: all she knew was that for better or worse, this was something she needed to do.

And she would not let her weakness rule her again.

Cadence and Moonflower stared around with amazement at the sight of the Warehouse: neither of them had expected it to be so massive, or that the walls would literally be lined with capsules filled with... ponies. Horses of Heaven this place is scary.

Hecate was standing impassively a short distance away, several holographic screens floating around her, but Cadence thought she was glaring at them more intently than usual through the translucent energy. Moonflower was too busy looking around like a frightened child to notice, but Cadence thought there was definitely something off.

Thorn seemed a little different, too, she thought: strained wasn't quite the right word for it, but he did seem to be preoccupied, and he seemed oddly deferential to the Dogmatist beside him. He was going through a long list at the moment, but he kept tossing little sideways glances towards the mechanical pony beside him every time she moved or shifted...

Cadence let her eyes return to the Dogmatist: she did her best not to stare, but she couldn't stop her eyes from scanning over the mare. She had a heavy, black mask over her face with tinted glass lenses and a crystalline horn, and large pipes stuck out either side of this, feeding back into steel-lined slots on either side of the mare's spine. It looked as if all four of her lower legs had been completely replaced by metal prosthetics, and her mane and tail were both made of black cable: Cadence couldn't tell if they served some ulterior purpose, or if they were just there for show.

There didn't seem to be much pony left to this Dogmatist: a huge crystal that seemed to act as a power core was visible in her breast, surrounded by armor plating welded into her body, and the very little natural coat that remained had turned an ashen blue, like the pigment had been bleached out of it from the chemicals that her body had been saturated with. Yet oddly enough, her wings seemed completely natural: Cadence wondered if that meant this Dogmatist was such an excellent flier that there had been nothing to improve on, or if she was just not meant to perform aerial tasks.

“This... this is never going to happen to us, yes?” Moonflower asked worriedly, and Thorn sighed as he dismissed the screen in front of him and gave the stallion a dry look, which made the black unicorn quail a little. “I just mean... there's... there's so many of them! And they've been locked away since-”

“They were 'locked away' by Valthrudnir. We're in the process of waking them up now, and converting these stasis chambers to serve a different purpose. I should point out that plenty of them are Fodder Clones as well, although... I suppose that in and of itself is a rather unpleasant reality.” Thorn replied as he gestured absently off to the side, and Moonflower and Cadence both frowned at him, neither understanding. “Well, let's say-”

“We are just meat.” stated the Dogmatist matter-of-factly, her voice echoing faintly due to her mask, and Thorn's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise as both Moonflower and Cadence looked at her. But she apparently didn't have anything to add apart from that, even as an awkward silence fell over the group.

“The Fodder are essentially genetic clones for important Dogmatists and Replicants. In the event that a higher-functioning Clockwork Pony suffered illness, disease, or severe injury, they would harvest organs from a Fodder to-”

“Kill the fat pigs to save the pretty horses.” interrupted the Dogmatist loudly, and Thorn winced as in the distance, Hecate rubbed slowly at her face, looking pained.

Cadence and Moonflower both stared at the Dogmatist, and Thorn said tiredly: “Perhaps we should move on to more immediate business. Cadence, Moonflower, this is-”

“Fat pig.”

“This is Silver. She is-”

“Fat pig.”

“-an elite class Dogmatist. She is comparable to a-”

“Fat pig.”

“-Hexad unit, and thus she-”

“Fat pig.”

“-will be accompanying us on a mission shortly.” Thorn had a visible vein throbbing in his neck, one of his eyes twitching, but he did an admirable job of keeping his voice steady, Cadence thought. Moonflower, meanwhile, was just staring stupidly, looking like he both wanted to comfort and hide from Thorn.

There was silence for a few moments as Thorn glared at Silver, who only sat stoically, looking off into the distance. Cadence finally hesitantly broke the tension by asking cautiously: “Silver, do you have any combat training?”

Silver looked at Cadence, and even though her eyes were almost impossible to see behind the tinted glass, the ivory mare could all the same feel the contempt smoldering off of the mare before she said nastily: “This fat pig will do her job, while Snow White and her Dwarf sits back.”

“I... hey!” Moonflower blurted, glaring at Silver as he puffed his chest out. “How dare you! I am the most gorgeous, the most handsome, the most-”

“Gelding.” Silver turned up her nose at Moonflower, who glared furiously at the Dogmatist, before the mare turned her eyes towards Thorn when the sapphire stallion cleared his throat loudly. “Don't worry, the fat pig knows her place. The fat pig will do what the sow commands.”

Hecate sighed tiredly at this, and then she said moodily: “I regret waking you up, little-”

Silver spun around and glared furiously at her Hecate, her crystalline horn flashing as she snarled: “Oh, boo-hoo, the sow upset herself, who cares about the pain and suffering she caused entire worlds, we should all forgive her because her feelings are hurt! Who cares that she was the one who fattened up all the pigs!”

To Cadence and Moonflower's shock, Hecate didn't respond, her eyes flicking away as she shifted with a flash of guilt that Cadence had never seen before, that Cadence had never even imagined Hecate, of all people, was capable of feeling. But Thorn slipped in between the two smoothly, facing the Dogmatist fearlessly as he said quietly: “Please don't speak to my mother that way, Silver.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Silver snorted before she turned around, muttering under her breath as she lowered her head. Thorn nodded once, then stepped past Silver, explaining calmly to the stunned Cadence and Moonflower: “Silver is suffering from hibernation sickness. Her emotional facilities are not rendering properly, so please excuse her behaviors.”

“Don't apologize for me. You're well on your way to becoming a fat pig like the rest of us.” Silver muttered, and Thorn sighed as he absently touched his mechanical limb, before the Dogmatist looked coldly between Cadence and Moonflower. “Don't worry. The only freedom I have left is to say what I please. I have to obey, like all the other fat pigs. Fat and neutered and spineless pigs...”

There was silence for a few long, uncomfortable moments, and then Hecate slowly approached, pointedly stepping past Silver to look down at Cadence and Moonflower as she said in a cold voice: “Thorn has been given a special mission. Originally, he was only going to be accompanied by... Silver... but he requested the aid of Necrophage and Muse as well. Since you are both near enough to operative status, you'll both be-”

“Fattening the pigs.” Silver muttered, and Hecate slowly closed her eyes as she reached up to rub at her temples, as if searching for patience.

Moonflower slowly tilted his head, then he flinched when Cadence reached out and smacked him before she saluted with an awkward smile. “Of course. What are the mission parameters?”

“Trained pigs are still pigs.”

Cadence did her best to not look at Silver, keeping her eyes on Hecate, and the mechanical goddess seemed to appreciate this as she answered: “Delivery. You are not to question or-”

“Yes, Mother Sow. You always did have to establish your dominance, didn't you? Control, control, control.” Silver said bitterly, and there was silence for a few moments as Hecate turned a dark scowl towards Silver, but again, there was that unexpected hesitance, that dragging guilt Cadence would have never imagined Hecate could even feel.

Moonflower opened his mouth, and Hecate pointed at him without looking, the black unicorn squawking as electricity crackled over his body and he crumpled backwards in a broken heap. Silver only snorted at this, however, seeming to smile beneath the black mask bolted into her face as she said shortly: “Bully.”

“I do what is necessary. That is all.” Hecate growled, and when Silver opened her mouth, Hecate almost blurted out: “Mute!”

Silver flinched, then fidgeted on the spot, shaking her head before she gave a breathy snarl, but that was all the sound she could make. And Hecate looked almost guilty again for a moment before she shook her head and turned quickly, saying curtly: “We need to finish this discussion, that is all.”

Silver trembled as she glared up at Hecate, before the Dogmatist suddenly spun around and began to storm off. And again, there was that flash over Hecate's usually icy features, that flinch in her steel body as she half-rose a claw before she shouted: “Stop! That is an order!”

Silver came to a dead halt, and then simply trembled even as she dropped her rump on the ground, facing away as her body shook silently. Cadence stared at the Dogmatist, then looked back at Hecate with disbelief, and for a moment she saw the mare there, beneath all the layers of steel and ruthlessness and mechanical superiority that Hecate had cloaked herself in...

And it was gone in a flash, Hecate straightening before she looked down at Thorn and said contemptibly: “I don't have time for this nonsense. Thorn, deal with this idiocy and report to me once you're done. I have work to do.”

Hecate stormed off, but Cadence thought saw a subtle twitch, a quick glance stolen at Silver as the mare passed by. And it was hard to miss the way that Thorn was gazing silently after his mother, as he stood with his clipboard floating at his side and his head lowered almost solemnly, but then again, maybe Cadence was just getting better at reading his cues.

Moonflower scraped himself up off the ground, and as the black unicorn sat up, Thorn finally shook himself out before he said quietly: “This mission will operate under an intelligence blindfold. All I can tell you is that we will be going to a defunct mining satellite. This is a ghost operation, Cadence. Do you understand what that means?”

Moonflower looked dumb, but Cadence nodded as she saluted again, answering: “We don't exist.”

“No, we just don't matter.” Silver muttered quietly, and then she snorted in disdain. “I want to go.”

Thorn sighed, but turned away from Cadence to say, with that gentleness that always surprised her: “I have to stay with you, Silver. But I'll take you-”

“I do not want your company!” Silver spat, and there was silence for a few moments before she lowered her head and muttered: “I don't see why you couldn't leave me in stasis. I don't understand why she didn't just kill me.”

“Because family is the most important thing.” Thorn answered simply, although Silver only gave a bitter laugh in response.

There was silence for a few moments, and then the sapphire stallion cleared his throat before he suggested: “Silver, would you like to return to Decretum?”

“I don't know what that is.” Silver said moodily, and Cadence frowned: how could a Dogmatist not know what Decretum was?

Thorn, however, only nodded once before he said gently: “It's more pleasant than this place, at least. I can update your neural-”

“I am not a machine to be tinkered with!” Silver snarled, glaring over her shoulder at Thorn, but the sapphire stallion only rose a hoof in supplication, and the mare snorted as she looked moodily away. “Is it away from the sow?”

“Yes.” Thorn answered simply, and Silver grudgingly nodded after a few moments before she stood up and turned around. “Silver, I don't think I properly introduced you to-”

“Snow White and the Dwarf. I know.” Silver said acerbically, and Moonflower's face puckered horribly as Cadence gave the mare a flat look, but her mind was still reeling with everything she had witnessed, and the fact that Silver was able to get away with so much.

She studied Silver again, drawing her eyes slowly over the mare to size her up, to try and get a feel for who this mare really was. Silver glared back at her, but to Cadence's surprise, it was Thorn who answered the question for her, saying softly: “Silver is Hecate's sister. You are to treat her with the same respect that you treat her.”

“Such kindness.” Silver muttered bitterly, and then she shook her head slowly before she said contemptibly: “You should take it as a lesson. The sow made even me just another pig for slaughter, and locked me away until the day my meat was needed.”

Moonflower shifted nervously, but Cadence frowned at Thorn, saying before she could stop herself: “But I thought... the rumor always was that Hecate...”

“Endworld's moon was destroyed, yes. But Silver-”

“Silver is not my name. I never even got to choose my name. Did the sow take your names, too?” asked the Dogmatist bitterly, and Cadence shifted a little as Moonflower looked uncertainly at the masked mare. “She will, don't worry. It's easier when you pretend the pigs are just property. It's easier when you make something yours, because then you can do whatever you want to it and no one will bat an eye.”

Cadence looked uncomfortably at the mare as Moonflower shifted awkwardly, and then the black stallion hesitantly rose a hoof before he asked in a whisper: “Thorn, does... does that mean that Silver is actually Princess Luna and... if she's Princess Luna, and Hecate is her sister...”

Thorn simply looked patiently at Moonflower as Cadence's jaw fell open, the ivory mare staring with disbelief at the black unicorn as he nervously shrank his head between his shoulders, before he looked over at Cadence and smiled with relief. For a moment, Cadence became even more confused, before the stallion said hurriedly: “Yes, well, I know that I may have figured it out first, Cadence, but that doesn't make you any less smart than me! I mean, who knew that-”

Cadence slammed a hoof down between Moonflower's ears, making him squawk and grab at his head as the ivory mare snapped: “I know who Hecate is, Moonflower! How the hell did you not know that?”

Moonflower awkwardly rubbed at his head, looking lamely at the mare for a few moments before he said embarrassedly: “She doesn't... resemble Celestia?”

Thorn cleared his throat before Cadence could attempt to strangle Moonflower, and then he said dryly: “Back to the point, Silver... or Luna, if you prefer...” Thorn looked over at the Dogmatist, but the mare only sulked, her head lowered, her eyes downcast. “Hecate... transferred her from her imprisonment in the moon to this facility, where she underwent several operations before being put into stasis.”

“My name, my face, my free will, my life... all of it, erased.” Silver said bitterly, staring at the ground before she shook her head slowly. “A fat pig, among a thousand other pigs waiting for the slaughter. Once you've been used up, then she'll take whatever parts have yet to break and paste them together to make more of those monsters...”

“The Replicant project was terminated a long time ago, and there are no more golem projects.” Thorn said quietly but firmly, and Silver looked up. “You've only received partial information. Let me adjust your neural nodes.”

“No. This is what my sister wanted, this is what my sister gets. Her Silver Sentinel.” Silver said icily, and then she shook her head vehemently before she stood up and said shortly: “I want to get away from the sow. Take me away from the sow, Thorn Blackfeather. Take me to this Decretum. Or even further from her, if at all possible, and leave me there in peace.”

Thorn only smiled briefly, then he looked towards Cadence and Moonflower, gesturing with his head for them to follow. “Come on. You both need to update your equipment loadouts.”

“Oh, uh... yes, of course, I was going to say the same thing!” Moonflower blurted out lamely, and Thorn gave the black unicorn a quietly-amused look as Cadence shook her head slightly, striding quickly forwards.

As Thorn strode past Silver to lead the way, Cadence hesitantly allowed herself to drop into pace beside the... well, she wasn't quite sure if she really was a Dogmatist or not now. She certainly looked like a Dogmatist, but she had none of that... “So you... how much do you know?”

For a moment, Silver looked at her almost suspiciously, but then she seemed to relax ever so slightly, even as she muttered: “I know enough.”

“I used to think that a lot, too. The funny thing is, I guess I never really did.” Cadence smiled a little over at Silver, who seemed to scowl at her though the mask. “I don't mean any offense. I'm just saying that... you know. Sometimes things are a little more complicated than-”

“My legs were hacked off and I have a piece of metal literally screwed into my face. My voice has been modulated... and what does that word even mean?” Silver snapped, and Cadence shrank back a little under the fury of the mare, leaning awkwardly away. “I have had an entire vocabulary written into my brain, and there are laws I do not understand repeating themselves in my head, and memories that are not mine-”

“The neural nodes were disrupted when Ten Moons' transmissions were abruptly cut with Decretum.” Thorn interrupted patiently, and both mares looked up at him: Cadence with a bit of relief, Silver with contempt beneath the tinted glass. “Let me fix it.”

“I will not let a puppet of the sow fix me.” Silver growled, and then she frowned when there was a whimpery little growl at her, cocking her head as she looked back over her shoulder in surprise at Moonflower.

His ears were laid back and he looked frightened out of his mind, but at the same time, he was scowling horribly as he said almost meekly: “You... you be nice to him! He is a very helpful pony!”

Silver looked between Moonflower and Thorn, and the sapphire stallion gave a small smile before he said softly: “Please excuse him. He's very protective, that's all.”

The mare snorted at this, and then she said moodily: “I'm rather amazed that the sow hasn't decided to reprogram you. I can't imagine that people like you have much use here.”

Moonflower's cheeks puffed out as he slowly rose his head, his eyes blazing, but Thorn stepped in smoothly, saying calmly: “The relationships that we develop and share bear no effect on our ability to substantially contribute to our civilization. What Hecate cares about is that we are prosperous as a people, and we accomplish the tasks that we have set out to do.”

Silver looked at Thorn for a few moments, and then she snorted again before looking away and muttering: “What a truly remarkable, Utopian society. You should all be proud.”

“We are.” Thorn said softly, and Silver seemed to shift almost embarrassedly at this, before the stallion turned around and instructed: “Let's go. I've already sent a message ahead telling them to activate a portal for us.”

Silver grumbled under her breath, but she followed readily enough, and Cadence quickly fell into pace with her as Moonflower lingered a little behind, scowling horribly at Silver's back and mumbling moodily to himself.

After riding the elevator out of the Warehouse, they made their way through the sterile halls of the facility, Cadence admittedly marveling a little again at just how massive this place was: so far, Ten Moons was living up to its name.

Yet it was also emptier than Cadence had expected. Even with the Worker Drones that were now moving in squads up and down the halls, there was little life here. The halls were long and empty, the rooms all hollow and devoid of furniture, apart from a console here, a control panel there. There was none of the sense of sanctuary that Decretum had, the feeling of life, and she wondered if this was what Clockwork World had been like before Hecate had inherited it and begun putting the ruins back together.

She also realized... “Thorn, how exactly did Clockwork World come to be? How can Silver not know what Dogmatists are?”

“She wasn't spared conditioning, but she was never programmed.” Thorn said after a moment, glancing at Silver, who only sulkily looked away and muttered something vulgar under her breath. “As to your other question... you know that's something I can't just answer, Cadence. You don't have the security authorization to-”

“Valthrudnir!” almost shouted Silver, and Thorn winced as Cadence frowned, before she scowled when Silver said contemptibly: “How can you not even know about the dragon? His emblem is everywhere. His existence is irrefutable. Or would the sow like to forget the bull that bred her?”

Thorn sighed tiredly as Cadence rose her eyebrows, looking pointedly at Thorn as Moonflower just scowled, and then the ivory mare said awkwardly: “I know about Valthrudnir and... that he was the original creator, but... he died, didn't he? Or at least-”

“The Jötnar do not die. Not as you nor I do.” muttered Silver, and then the mare snorted before she growled: “Of course, I suppose that you or I die very differently as well. I am just a... toasting oven, whatever that is. I can be fixed like any other machine.”

“We're different in a different way than you think.” Cadence said after a moment, giving a brief smile before she looked at Thorn. She had a lot of questions...

But the sapphire stallion was spared answering as he led them into a large, open room with a portal ring inset into the back wall, Thorn instructing calmly: “Arrange yourselves in single file while I activate the portal.”

“Very direct. Very bossy. Just like your... well, she's not really your mother, is she? You were abandoned, I suppose.” Silver said nastily, and Cadence was admittedly rather amazed that Thorn's only response was a brief glance over his shoulder before he headed to the control panel in front of the portal, barely missing a beat. “You're being fattened up. Just like the rest of us.”

“Horses of Heaven, you're so goddamn unpleasant.” Cadence said finally, and Silver only snorted at her before the ivory mare strode forwards-

Silver firmly bodychecked her, and Cadence scowled before making herself take a breath and instead fall back behind the mare. But the moment she tried to line up with her, Silver kicked a hoof backwards, making Cadence swear under her breath as she ducked quickly away before she and Moonflower both shouted as they rammed into each other by accident, spilling over one another like dominoes.

Thorn looked back over his shoulder to see Silver standing innocently, looking off to the side, as Cadence and Moonflower shoved at each other like foals. All the same... “Please behave yourself, Silver.”

“Oh yes, always blame me. It's always my fault.” snapped Silver, the mare snorting in disgust before she looked away and added icily: “I am not your subordinate-”

“Yes, you are.” Thorn said bluntly, and Cadence and Moonflower both looked up with expressions that were torn between winces and eagerness, as the sapphire stallion said in a voice that refused all argument: “You are registered as a Dogmatist, and even if an elite class Dogmatist, I am the Regent of Clockwork World and second only to Empress Hecate. Professionally speaking, you are an officer, but I am a commander.”

Silver shook with fury as she glared hatefully at Thorn, and then she leaned forwards and growled: “If it wasn't for the neural controls-”

“Then let me disable them, and we'll see what you do without them.” Thorn replied evenly, and as professional as his voice was, there was still a clear challenge in his eyes.

Silver glared back at Thorn for a few moments, but then she sulkily dropped her gaze, and that was all the answer Thorn seemed to need as he turned around and went back to the controls, tapping calmly away at them before Silver defended: “I can't trust you.”

It was a tinny response, Cadence thought, but all the same she reached up to cover Moonflower's mouth before the black unicorn could say anything, making him huff a little but then grumble and nod. Since Thorn wasn't paying any attention to Silver now, and Silver seemed like she was deflating a little, Cadence figured there was no point in further stirring the pot.

The portal opened in a swirl of energy, and Cadence was surprised: unlike most interdimensional portals, she could actually catch a glimpse of the other side through the ravages of energy spinning inside the ring.

Thorn strode back to the front of the line, explaining calmly: “This is a direct bridge connection to Decretum. Wait at least five seconds before following: whereas your average portal is like a road, this portal is more like a narrow hallway. Silver, have you ever-”

“I have traveled by portal before. I am not an idiot.” Silver grumbled, looking grouchily away before she lowered her head slightly and mumbled in a more-defeated voice: “I'll do as you tell me to, mighty Regent Thorn Blackfeather.”

Thorn only nodded to her, then he turned and calmly made his way towards the portal, passing into it with a visible ripple of energy. For a few seconds, the three just looked at the portal, and then, for a few more seconds, Silver simply stood stoically, glaring at the rift.

After almost half a minute, Cadence cleared her throat, to which Silver immediately said grumpily: “He said to wait longer than five seconds.”

“It's been... a lot more than five seconds.” Cadence pointed out, while all the same fully comprehending that it was absolutely pointless to try and reason with Silver.

The Dogmatist sniffed loudly and rose her head, saying mildly: “I don't want to rush Regent Thorn Blackfeather or go against his instructions. Better that a fat pig like me is safe, instead of sorry. Fat pigs who don't do what they're told go to the slaughter.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Cadence sighed before she simply strode past Silver, heading towards the portal. But just as she was about to pass through the energy, Silver bodychecked her out of the way, Cadence ramming face-first into the side of the portal ring with a shout of pain, grabbing at her bruised and scalded face as Moonflower hurried up beside her.

One of Cadence's eyes twitched as she glared furiously at the portal, but before she could lunge through the still-rippling energy, Moonflower caught her and hurriedly hauled her back, the unicorn saying awkwardly: “As much as I'd love to see her spliced... I don't think you want to get any pieces of Silver on you, dear.”

Cadence scowled horribly, and then she winced when Moonflower reached up and carefully poked at the large, bar-shaped burn across her features, the stallion asking nervously: “Are you okay? Do you feel that?”

“Yes I feel that!” Cadence snapped, slapping his hoof away before he could touch her aching face again, and Moonflower winced before Cadence closed her eyes and rubbed slowly at her face, mumbling: “I mean. Sorry. Yes. It hurts.”

“Well, actually, the pain is good! It means you weren't... burned. As badly.” Moonflower tried to explain lamely, and then he cleared his throat before gesturing towards the portal, saying awkwardly: “Would you like to go first?”

“Thank you.” Cadence said ironically, and then she sighed and straightened, looking moodily at the edge of the ring before she muttered: “Guess I'm lucky I wasn't electrocuted.”

Cadence stepped into the portal, passing through it before she grimaced at the strange feeling of claustrophobia that washed over her. The tunnel of energy around her felt tight and solid, like she was passing through a narrow tube of metal or concrete, one that was getting smaller and smaller until-

The ivory mare stumbled through the other side of the portal, wheezing a little before she looked up dumbly as Silver said distastefully: “You kept us waiting long enough.”

One of Cadence's eyes twitched, but before she could say anything, Thorn quickly intervened and said pointedly: “Silver, as a leader of an Orphan team, Cadence is your equal in rank and has shown excellence in bringing together a team of different personalities and cultures. Please do not antagonize her, or I may see fit to put you under her command so you can better learn-”

“My place?” asked Silver harshly, glaring over at Thorn.

“No. The value of teamwork.” Thorn answered, and Silver snorted.

“Believe you me, Regent Thorn Blackfeather. I have learned that lesson very well. Just as the sow wanted me to.” Silver said bitterly, and then she glared around the portal room before asking contemptibly: “Did we really pass through into another world, or did the sow think I was stupid enough to be fooled by some flashing lights in a glass hallway?”

Thorn didn't answer the mare, instead turning his eyes towards Cadence. “Your battle performance was recorded and analyzed by Hecate, and she has made several recommendations regarding your equipment that I thought you should be made aware of before we go to update your loadout.”

“Wait, I... wait, what?” Cadence blinked in surprise, feeling oddly violated as she asked disbelievingly: “Hecate was recording that whole thing?”

“Yes.” Thorn answered simply, and Cadence stared at him before the sapphire stallion shrugged. “You know what standard operating procedure is, Cadence. All units are kept track of and their abilities are regularly reassessed in both tests and live combat analyses. And you have still refused to utilize the MARES.”

“I... I don't like guns.” Cadence smiled lamely, knowing that statement was absolutely pointless to make by now. “I just... I mean, there was no chance to use it or-”

“I've already scheduled you time at the shooting range. You'll be able to practice with your MARES and learn its different functions.” Thorn said, and Cadence grumbled under her breath as Silver snickered. “Silver, I want you to accompany her. We need to test your abilities.”

“What?” Silver shouted, and then she stomped her hooves angrily, snarling: “Was this all a trick just to get me to do what you want?”

Thorn only looked mildly at Silver as Moonflower finally emerged from the portal, the black unicorn wincing slightly at the sight of two angry mares glaring at Thorn, who was only looking back at them as implacably as ever. “You need to be assessed. If you cooperate-”

Silver snapped her horn down, and Cadence's eyes widened in shock at the raw power that exploded from the mare, the air trembling from the force of the blast of lightning that tore past Thorn, melting the metal floor around him.

But Thorn didn't so much as flinch, and the lightning wasn't able to touch him as he only stood and looked at Silver until her magic wore itself out. She was left, panting and trembling as lightning crackled over her body, before she hissed as the stallion asked: “Are you done?”

There was silence for a few moments, and then the mare humphed before looking away, her shaking body betraying more than just surliness. Thorn glanced down at the melted floor around him, and then he shook his head slowly before he said in an almost gentle voice: “Cadence, please take Silver to the shooting range. Moonflower and I will join you in a few minutes.”

Silver rose her head and opened her mouth as if she was going to say something nasty, but she seemed to either lose her nerve: or hell, Cadence thought, maybe she understood that there was nothing she could do or say that would rile Thorn up. “Fine. This fat pig will do her job.”

Thorn sighed a little, and then he turned his eyes towards Moonflower, asking: “Do you want to come with us to the shooting range, or would you like to check in on Aster?”

Moonflower blinked in surprise at this, and then he hesitantly smiled before saying finally: “I would like to check in on Aster.”

Thorn nodded, and then he looked over at Cadence, asking: “Can you set up Silver at the range? Moonflower and I shouldn't take long.”

“You're so... business.” Cadence said before she could stop herself, and Thorn gave her a dry look before the ivory mare sighed and looked moodily over at Silver. “I guess I can, though. I used to get along with Princess Luna pretty well, back home.”

“Were you a servant of hers there too, little piggy?” Silver asked moodily, glaring over at the mare, and Cadence smiled wryly as she shook her head.

“No, I was a princess too, actually.” Cadence replied, and Silver raised her head slightly in visible surprise, looking up and down the mare before she snorted beneath her mask.

“You certainly look the part, Snow White.” she said after a moment, and Cadence couldn't help but give a slight smile before she shook her head.

“I used to... look a little different than I do now.” Cadence said after a moment, as she rose a golden-edged hoof and looked down at it silently for a few seconds. Then she cleared her throat, glancing up and asking: “Do you want to hear about it?”

Silver snorted, but then simply shrugged and looked childishly away. Cadence smiled a little at this, and then she glanced over at Thorn. “I guess we'll... go, then. Come on, Silver, I'll... tell you a little about myself.”

Silver only grunted, seeming less than enthused as she shrugged a bit, but all the same, she followed willingly enough. Moonflower frowned uncertainly as he stepped up beside Thorn, and then he asked uneasily: “Are you sure about this? Not that I... I know she's uh... well...”

“She's family. And she'll adjust, you'll see. It might surprise you, but getting used to Decretum wasn't easy for me, either.” Thorn said softly, and Moonflower looked curiously at the sapphire stallion for a few moments before he blushed deeply when Thorn suddenly leaned over and kissed his cheek gently. “Come on. Let's go see Aster.”

“Yes, sir!” Moonflower blurted with a smile, and then he trotted quickly along in Thorn's wake, the stallion smiling and blushing as he lowered his head, gazing with warmth at the stallion, not only because of his sudden, spontaneous affection, but at the deep, compassionate heart that Thorn had, hidden beneath all that professionalism and candor.

Shadows Where There Should Not Be

Chapter Fifty Seven: Shadows Where There Should Not Be
~BlackRoseRaven

Thorn Blackfeather led the way to Penumbra's office as if he had walked the halls of the Royal Treasury a thousand times, burning with a determination and ferocity that Cadence had never seen in him before. Not like this: Thorn could be cold, and Thorn tended to steamroller everything in his way, but she had never seen him like this.

Demons parted in front of them like a tide, and Thorn didn't so much as acknowledge them; Phraxis kept giving almost imperceptible glances towards Thorn. But Thorn wasn't slowing, was instead keeping his eyes ahead and his head high, ignoring everything in his path as his body trembled maybe ever so slightly.

Cadence wanted to ask... but ever since they had left the tower where they had fought the Fyrjarl, they had been on a hard march, until they reached the treasury. He had only stopped long enough to announce that he was on Archive business before shoving his way through the gigantic but helpless guards to lead his team into the catacomb of corridors...

They pushed through another door into a massive, open room that had doors branching off in all directions and was dominated by a massive fountain in the center. Cadence glanced back and forth at the demons who were simply gawking at them from around the edges of the room, where they were clustered in little groups and cliques.

“What are you doing here? How dare you!” roared a voice, and Thorn halted before he made a short gesture, Cadence immediately shifting herself to a ready position as Penumbra stormed towards them, his eyes burning with fury as shadows steamed and twisted around his body, the hell-horse snarling: “You have no authority to embarrass me like this! Thorn Blackfeather, I will see your rank and status torn from you for-”

“The Fyrjarl is in Decretum custody. I am here as a representative of Decretum and Empress Hecate, not a member of the Archives.” Thorn said coldly, and Penumbra choked on his own words as he stared at the stallion with disbelief. “Penumbra of the Long Forsaken Night. I order you to surrender. Pending a transfer request, you will be held for questioning at an appropriate prison facility here in Helheim.”

“You... you cannot speak to me like that! Do you think you can just order me into submission, Thorn Blackfeather?” Penumbra stomped forwards as the entire room seemed to darken, Penumbra's form distorting and becoming larger, more monstrous, as the shadowy stallion hissed: “Do you mistake me for some common criminal, and not the Treasurer of Souls, granted protection by Hel herself?”

Thorn looked fearlessly up at the demon looming towards him, and then he replied calmly, with unmistakable contempt: “I do not think of you as a 'common criminal,' Penumbra. My disgust and loathing for you is far, far greater than that. You are not a common criminal. You are a coward, a parasite, and a betrayer. But you are certainly not a common criminal.”

Penumbra was snarling smoke, his body blazing with black flames, his gangly, broken form shivering with rage before he roared furiously as he leapt forwards, but Thorn leaned forwards and intercepted him with a hard punch, making the demon scream in shock and agony as he was knocked off his hooves, skidding backwards and rolling up to his hooves.

Cadence saw her chance and lunged forwards, streaking towards the stunned demon-

She bounced off some kind of invisible forcefield, flinching in pain as she hit the floor face-first, before Penumbra hissed and slashed a hoof out, swatting her away as his leg became a whip of shadows. It didn't hurt that much, but it was still incredibly humiliating as the mare crashed down in a sprawl with a groan as Thorn said coldly: “Penumbra has the same Archive protection as I do. Only I-”

“No. Lord Penumbra, you have attacked an officer of the Archives. Under Section 100, I am required to inform you that-” Phraxis grimaced as Penumbra sent a blast of dark energy at him with a gesture, a wall of ice forming in front of the magistrate and absorbing the worst of the explosion of black fire before it crumbled to the ground, the Ice Devil muttering: “I'll take that as a waive of rights.”

Phraxis stomped a claw into the ground, and Penumbra hissed in shock as ice spread up from the ground around one of his legs. But then the demon tore backwards, his body becoming smoke and formless shadow for a moment before he solidified as the room continued to darken, the demon becoming more monstrous as the shadows around them pulsed with an eerie life of their own. “You two alone aren't strong enough to stop me! I will erase both of you from-”

Vextus Lux rose her hooves in front of her breast, and a ball of light formed in front of her, pulsing with beautiful radiance. It filled the air with warmth, but Penumbra screamed in pain as his body immediately shrank as the darkness was driven back. “Cadence, summon your magic! We cannot harm him directly, but we can cancel out his powers!”

“You scum! I am not alone! I have been granted more than just a stupid brute by Thokk!” Penumbra roared, and he snarled at them even as he slunk backwards, hissing: “Atropii! If you want more souls, you must protect your master!”

Thorn's eyes widened as cloaked, shadowy creatures flickered into being all around them, all of them armed with twisted and gnarled scythes clutched in claw-like gauntlets, all of their faces hidden beneath cracked and ugly golden masks that were studded with gemstones. Atropii: they were dishonored Reapers, soulless and greedy mercenaries, and unlike any demonic soldiers, they wouldn't be hindered by his status.

The stallion opened his mouth as Penumbra grinned, but then both of them looked up in surprise as Phraxis simply loosened his collar and said distastefully: “Please deal with them shortly, Aphrodisia.”

And then, to the shock of all present, Phraxis leaned back and began to sing, his voice booming and melodious, making the air vibrate with the force of his song. Cadence felt the Swan twist inside her in shock as her eyes filled with tears at the beauty and the power of the song, before she watched with amazement as the Atropii tumbled from the air, writhing on the ground as they dropped their scythes and clutched at their masked faces.

In a flash, Aphrodisia leapt forwards, her teeth bared as her scythe seemed to guide her more than she guided it, slashing through the mask of the closest Atropii. It exploded into smoke with a scream of misery, and Aphrodisia lunged towards the next as the song continued to echo through the air around them and the dishonored reapers struggled uselessly to try and resist the effects of the melody.

Penumbra howled in fury and rage as he sent blasts of dark energy rocketing towards Phraxis, but Cadence flung herself in front of the Ice Devil, her wings glowing white as she shielded herself with them and they absorbed the worst of the blast.

She felt the Swan take over for a moment, her wings glowing brighter before the snapped open as they both flared with holy light, and Penumbra screamed in misery as he staggered backwards, covering his eyes as he was bathed in eerie radiance. For a moment, he was just a too tall, too thin stallion, and Thorn immediately took the chance, leaning forwards and shoving his mechanical leg out, his metal hoof exploding forwards to slam into Penumbra's face and knock him crashing backwards.

The demon burst apart into shadows the moment he was out of the light, streaking out of sight before his voice hissed from all around them, as the darkness rapidly grew and encroached against the light cast by both Vextus Lux and Cadence: “Worthless mortal, I will teach you to be afraid...”

“I am not afraid of you.” Thorn said quietly, as his eyes traced back and forth as his mechanical hoof wound itself back into position. Cadence and Vextus Lux both fell in beside him as Aphrodisia tore the mask from the last Atropii, and it screamed as it exploded into ashes, the sound echoing over the last few notes of Phraxis' song.

The Ice Devil grimaced as he settled, shaking his head once before he rubbed at his mouth, muttering: “We need to cancel out his magic.”

“What if he runs?” Aphrodisia asked worriedly as she joined the group, the mare grimacing as she looked uneasily out into the darkness that was deepening all around them in spite of the light they were conjuring.

“He won't run. He's a Pride demon.” Thorn responded with a shake of his head, as his eyes searched quickly back and forth through the deepening shadows. He could see things now, moving in the blanket of blackness, as Penumbra's chuckle wafted through the air around them.

“As if you know me...” Penumbra murmured, before Cadence's eyes locked on dark, pony-shaped shadows twisting through the darkness around them, faint, echoing laughs rumbling out of the darkness as Penumbra whispered: “The darkness is not your friend, Thorn Blackfeather, no matter what you might believe... I have always lived within it. I have always been part of it. And now, it is part of me...”

Thorn didn't respond, his eyes tracing back and forth through the darkness before Phraxis tilted his head and scowled slightly, muttering: “He's summoned more Atropii. I can neutralize them, but I can't destroy them.”

“Elska hates them.” Aphrodisia muttered, as she looked back and forth with a grimace before she scowled as she shouldered her scythe. “I've never seen magic like that before, though...”

“None of you, not even you, Phraxis, can understand me or stand against me. I am in control. And I think I will add your souls to my personal collection...” Penumbra's voice grinned as his darkness encroached on the circle of light, and Cadence gritted her teeth as she saw more shapes moving in the shadows, as she caught sight of claws, and maws, and jagged teeth... “What's wrong? Are you afraid of the dark, little demons?”

“Phraxis. I need you to freeze the fountain.” Thorn instructed calmly, and the magistrate nodded before he turned, shoving a claw towards the water. It only took a few moments for it to solidify, becoming a darkly-gleaming mountain of ice. “Defensive positions. Cadence, keep the light as bright as possible. Vextus, beacon flare. Aphrodisia, defend us.”

“I trust you, Thorn. Cadence, ready yourself.” Vextus Lux muttered, and the High Priestess took a breath before she suddenly brought her forelegs up above her head, yanking the ball of light she had created with her before she leaned forwards and flung it hard at the structure of ice.

It shot through the air, punching through the darkness like a cannonball as shadow-monsters scattered away from the light. But the moment they were out of its holy glow, Cadence felt the darkness snap around them like a physical trap, her magic feeling feeble against the jaws of shadow that bit at their safe haven. Monsters roared and swarmed in on all sides, but Aphrodisia moved like lightning, her scythe dancing through the air around her, driving back both monsters of darkness and Atropii hiding beneath Penumbra's shadows.

Cadence gritted her teeth, arching her back as her body trembled, pouring all the energy she could into her magic, fighting back against the suffocating shadows as much as possible. It was bare seconds before Vextus' spell smashed into the frozen fountain, but they were some of the most brutal moments that Cadence had ever experienced.

The mountain of ice lit up, magnifying Lux's light as it trembled violently, and the shadow-beasts were sent reeling from the radiance as the darkness struggled to suffocate the magic of the High Priestess, Penumbra howling in frustration as monstrous squeals and rasps echoed through the air.

The frozen fountain trembled violently, before Penumbra laughed sharply as it shattered, exploding into gleaming, bright fragments that hailed in all directions through the air, the demon roaring: “Fools, you can't... you... you can't...”

Thorn stood with his head bowed forwards, his body trembling and his horn glowing brightly, a bit of blood leaking from one eye and his nostril as the fragments of glowing ice floated through the air, electricity sparking between the shards of starry frost. He breathed slowly in and out, his eyes looking dead ahead, his body tense before he slowly rose his head, as if struggling under a great weight, and as he did so, the countless glowing fragments of ice began to move through the air, tearing through the blanket of darkness, forming a spiraling galaxy of frozen stars.

“Kill him! Kill him!” Penumbra roared in shock, as the glowing frost shredded the almost-physical shadows, steadily bringing light back to the room. Shadow monsters exploded as frozen stars ripped through their bodies, even as they scrambled towards Thorn, but even those who made it through the maelstrom were rebuffed by the intense field of light that Cadence was struggling to hold up, her eyes glowing with ivory light as her horn trembled and flared with pain.

Atropii shot in, but they were blasted out of the air by spikes of ice from Phraxis or slashed down by Aphrodisia's scythe. Only one managed to slip past, shooting for Thorn, but it was slammed backwards by a thunderous telekinetic blast from Vextus Lux before Aphrodisia leapt on it with a snarl, slamming her hoof down to shatter its mask before she grinned cruelly as it screamed and dissolved beneath her.

“No!” Penumbra roared, and Thorn's head snapped to the side, his eyes locking on the demon as the shadow-stallion sent twin blades of darkness rocketing towards the stallion. But Thorn stepped forwards at the same time, snapping his own horn down a moment before the blades of black energy hammered into him and knocked him crashing backwards.

Penumbra began to grin before thousands of glowing stars of frost descended on him from all sides like a tidal wave, burying the Pride demon beneath their effervescent flow as he screamed in agony. For a moment, both light and darkness intensified, tearing at each other like living beasts before there was simply silence.

There wasn't light, and there wasn't darkness: there was just that same pall that seemed to fill every place in Helheim, as Cadence slumped with a gasp, rubbing at her aching head. She looked slowly around, before her eyes fell across the room on the fallen body of Penumbra: Phraxis was already heading towards him, but why was only the magistrate...

She heard a whimper, and the mare turned before her eyes widened at the sight of Thorn: both Vextus and Aphrodisia were leaning over him, the High Priestess quickly surveying his wounds as Aphrodisia whimpered again. Cadence stumbled quickly over to the stallion, but before she could take more than a few steps, his eyes opened and he whispered: “Secure... the target...”

“I...” Cadence looked at him for a moment, staring over Thorn: his chest had been torn open, his breast badly burned all the way to his throat. His good leg was trapped beneath his body, and there was blood running from his eyes and his nose and his mouth, and he was so pale and his eyes were glassy and... and he's right. “Yes, okay. I got it.”

Cadence forced herself to take a breath, then she turned and hurried quickly across the room even as she gritted her teeth. But as she walked away, Thorn smiled faintly before he let his head slump, as Vextus Lux murmured: “Aphrodisia, numb him.”

Aphrodisia nodded, then she leaned down and whispered something sweet and soft into Thorn's ear before she gently breathed a stream of orange mist over his face. It filled the stallion's mind with a strange, soft pleasantness that pressed back against the... no, he wasn't in pain. It didn't hurt. He was too lightheaded already, and he thought that all the nerve endings had been seared away, anyway. There was just... a tickle. A cold tickle. A-

Aphrodisia's fangs sank into his shoulder, and Thorn shuddered before he blinked. His mouth fell open after a moment, a bit of drool falling from his jaws as he stared at the ground, and the Inquisitor grimaced a bit before she pulled and murmured: “He's really bad. He's... he's really bad. I don't want to give him more than this, it might...”

“That's enough anyway, Aphrodisia, thank you.” Vextus Lux said softly, as she gently rolled Thorn onto his back. She hesitated for a moment, but then carefully grasped his mechanical limb, rolling it gently backwards so she could access the hidden catch. It took her a few moments, but she managed to unlock it from the base and pull it gently off, putting it aside so she could move Thorn onto his back.

She gently settled her hooves against his breast, then she closed her eyes as she breathed slowly, silently pushing her magic into him-

An icy hand seized her by the hoof and yanked her off, Hel lifting her easily to head level as she snarled: “And what do you think you're doing?”

Vextus Lux stared in shock at Hel, and Aphrodisia flinched before she leaned up and almost shouted: “Let her heal him! You have to, otherwise... look at him!”

Hel scowled down at Aphrodisia, reaching down to shove a finger against her nose, making her wince as she growled: “Now you watch your tone, little missy. As you recall, I was very nice to you, much nicer than I had to be to a couple of rogue demons who thought they could just skip the Hell part of Hell.”

The Inquisitor trembled for a moment, but then she leaned up and whispered all the same: “But you can't just let him die, Nanny.”

Hel slowly ground her teeth together, and then she swore under her breath before she almost flung Vextus Lux into the ground. The High Priestess winced, then she leaned back with a shiver when Hel pointed at her, the goddess saying coldly: “You listen to me, and you listen good. Stabilize him. But put even an ounce more of corruption into that blueberry than you have to, and I will cut your hooves off and make you walk across a sea of broken glass, do I make myself clear?”

“Y-Yes, Queen Hel.” Vextus Lux bowed her head with a tremble, and then she took a slow breath before she turned towards the stallion, silently leaning down and placing her hooves against his body. She began to slowly, carefully channel her magic, and Hel watched her for a few moments moodily before the ice puppet spun suddenly away and stormed to the other side of the hall, where Phraxis had restrained Penumbra within a block of ice as Cadence lingered nearby.

Hel stopped in front of Penumbra, clicking her tongue moodily as she put her hands on her hips, and the demon looked up at her weakly: his shadows had been completely dispelled from his body, leaving him nothing but an emaciated, long-limbed stallion who smiled weakly, fearfully at the puppet as he whispered: “I... I did exactly as you asked, I was... a double-agent, I gathered information and... I have... I...”

“You know, as much as I'd love to say credit where credit is due, well... I just can't. Because you weren't trying to be a double or even a triple agent. You were just trying to milk both me and Thokk for as much as you could.” Hel said contemptibly, flicking her wrists out to either side. “And somehow, I'm sure that Thokk was just as ready to shoot your pooch as I was. What I really needed to know, Penny, was what it was Thokk gave you power over. And now I know the old witch has Atropii, which I guess I should have expected but... oh, I really didn't want to put in a call to Thanatos. He and I don't get along very well. Stiff crowd. Very grim. No patience. No good humor!”

Hel tapped at her nose, and then she smiled suddenly before leaning slowly, slowly down,and Cadence shivered at the emotions she felt, even from the ice puppet. The malice, the fury, the anger; and it wasn't just because of betrayal. There was a strange whisper in there, of something...

Of course. If Morgan Heldóttir really was a daughter of Hel... Cadence couldn't help but look towards where Thorn was being tended to, and by the time she looked back at Hel, the ice puppet was gone, and Penumbra was sobbing helplessly, quaking violently in his frozen prison.

Cadence studied the ice demon, wondering what Hel could have said to him... but considering how hard he was crying, maybe she didn't want to know after all.

Instead, she turned her attention towards Phraxis, hesitating for a moment before she walked over to the Ice Devil and asked: “What was that song?”

Phraxis narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, and Cadence leaned back a little as they studied each other, before the Ice Devil sighed and pulled out his silver pocketwatch, studying it silently for a few moments before he murmured: “A Reaper's Dirge. My father taught it to me.”

Cadence leaned back in surprise at this, asking before she could stop herself: “Your father was a Reaper?”

“Yes.” Phraxis squeezed his pocketwatch for a moment, then he slipped it back beneath his suit jacket before he asked: “Do you know what Atropii are?”

“Sort of. I've never fought them before.” Cadence admitted, and Phraxis nodded briefly. “They're Reapers who... don't have a master? Or have started gathering souls for themselves?”

“Reapers are synthetic life created by Thanatos. They are manufactured in the World Without End. Their lives are linked to their scythes, which contain fragments of souls and are what give the Reapers their powers.” Phraxis gave Cadence a moment to understand this, then he continued: “However, sometimes Reapers become corrupted, and these soul fragments migrate from their scythes into the Reaper's body, taking it over. This is what creates an Atropii.”

“That's why they replace their masks, isn't it? Gold is a magic conductor and the gemstones must be used to contain the soul's energy.” Cadence mused, and Phraxis gave the slightest of smiles.

“Good. You learn quickly, Swan.” he remarked, ignoring the scowl from Cadence. “Most Atropii are driven to collect souls: partly to sustain their lives, but partly because it's simply what they were programmed to do. Their corruption doesn't change that programming: it only frees them from the control of Thanatos. They naturally gravitate to serve those who can offer them a means to sustain themselves, just as Reapers will automatically follow the orders of those linked to the Cycle.”

“Thokk can give the Atropii all the souls and energy they want.” Cadence muttered, before she scowled at the crying Pride demon. “And I suppose he would have been able to do the same.”

“Yes. But now he's been cast out. I suspect by now a new Treasurer of Souls has already been appointed and is being moved into place.” Phraxis shrugged a bit, looking with distaste at Penumbra. “Stripped of his status and made an outlaw, he won't last very long in Helheim. He'll probably beg Lord Blackfeather to take him back to Decretum.”

“Why didn't Hel just step in and stop all this? Why does she play these games?” Cadence asked suddenly, looking over at Phraxis, but the Ice Devil only gave her a wry smile, and the ivory mare sighed and nodded slowly before she muttered: “Right. Hel is Hel, and Hell is Hell.”

Cadence turned her eyes back towards Thorn Blackfeather, before she smiled briefly as she saw him wobbling to his hooves with the help of Vextus Lux and Aphrodisia. He was unsteady on his three legs, but both mares helped him, and he seemed determined to complete his task.

He approached, and Penumbra looked up with a snarl through his teary eyes, as he shouted in a weak, petulant voice: “You! This is... this is all your fault! Everything was going so well until you showed up here with your... your whores!”

Thorn looked over at Phraxis, but Phraxis simply nodded to him, and the sapphire stallion gave a tired smile before he turned his eyes back to Penumbra and said: “You will be held here, in Helheim, until such time as we can retrieve you for interrogation in Decretum. For all intents and purposes, you are now a prisoner of Empress Hecate. Your surrender is unconditional and you will be treated in accordance with the POW-12 Convention.”

Penumbra began to open his mouth, but Phraxis cut in smoothly: “But if you'd prefer to challenge this decree, we can have you transferred to a prison in the Circle of Tragedy while you wait on appeal. I'm sure the prisoners there will be more than happy to make you comfortable: after all, how many souls have you culled from the various prisons over the years?”

The Pride demon whimpered and closed his mouth, trembling a little before he shook his head hurriedly, and Thorn smiled briefly before he said quietly: “Then my business here is done. Cadence, we...”

Thorn stopped as a chill ran through the air, and then he slowly forced himself to turn around, Aphrodisia wincing and Vextus Lux looking up almost pleadingly as Cadence narrowed her eyes at the figure that had joined them. Ascarion loomed over them with interest, Thorn's prosthetic limb cradled in his grip as he said softly: “Come, Thorn Blackfeather.”

“Wait, he's wounded! You can't-” Cadence winced as Aphrodisia hurriedly reached up and covered her mouth, the Inquisitor shaking her head vehemently.

Ascarion only chuckled softly, however, before he turned his sockets back towards Thorn as the sapphire stallion said quietly: “Please pardon my bodyguard. She is protective and unfamiliar with Helheim's customs. I will submit to you willingly.”

Ascarion only made an idle gesture with one hand, and Thorn smiled briefly before he looked back over his shoulder and said quietly: “Don't worry. During Punishment... you can't die.”

“Just come back, okay?” Aphrodisia said almost pleadingly, and Cadence gritted her teeth, hating how helpless she felt, as Thorn only smiled at them before he turned his eyes forwards, limping towards Ascarion.

The tall, looming devil reached out a hand to gently touch Thorn's horn with one bony finger once the stallion drew close, and then they were both simply gone. For a moment, Cadence could only look helplessly at the empty space as Aphrodisia lowered her head, but Phraxis simply smoothed out his suit before he said softly: “Inquisitor, please help me escort Penumbra to a fitting holding facility.”

Aphrodisia looked like she wanted to argue for a moment, but then she sighed and nodded, lowering her head and mumbling: “Okay. I'll help.”

She hesitated for a moment, then smiled briefly at Cadence, saying: “Hey, I'm sure I'll see you again soon, okay? You take good care of Thorn! He's a real cutie!”

Cadence only watched Aphrodisia as she bounced over to Phraxis, who had already lifted the trapped Penumbra into the air with magic. She almost bumped into the Ice Devil, but he quickly sidestepped and gestured at her pointedly, and the mare grumbled but nodded, trotting quickly along at his side.

As they strode away, Vextus gently touched Cadence's shoulder, saying softly: “There's nothing else for us to do here. Let's return to the mansion. Thorn will meet us there, and you have problems of your own to prepare for.”

“Yeah. Yeah, of course.” Cadence said after a moment, and then she sighed a little as she rubbed slowly at her face, murmuring: “I guess I just wish... victory meant more.”

Vextus Lux only smiled soothingly, and then she turned, and the ivory mare followed after a moment, trying not to think of how every triumph these days only seemed to lead to further pain and failure, because they seemed to be nothing more than pawns in a game between two cruel goddesses.

Thorn wasn't sure how long it was before he returned to the mansion, shouldering his way in through the front doors: for him, it felt like days had passed. Days of grueling, agonizing torture, punctuated only by a few brief periods where he was debriefed by Hel's officers, or where Ascarion gave his mind a chance to rest so the pain didn't drive him completely insane.

The stallion silently adjusted his prosthetic limb before he pressed his hoof against his burnt chest, breathing quietly in and out as he closed his eyes. Ascarion had been kind enough to restore his body: unlike Vextus' magic, Ascarion's didn't function on demonic corruption and thus didn't pose the same risks to him. But it also left him... aching. He could feel where every cut, every scrape, every bruise had been, and it was hard to feel both terror and gratitude at once for the devil.

He supposed this was how his mother had felt about Tormentas.

Thorn smiled tiredly, then he shook his head slowly as he scraped silently at the ground with a hoof before he shook himself briefly. But before he could even finish crossing the entrance hall to the stairs, Justine and Juliette appeared, rushing towards him worriedly.

For once, he was glad to see the twins, as they gently supported him and half-carried him up to his quarters. They were selfish, evil, greedy creatures that normally played off the emotions and perceptions of others, but in part because they proudly considered themselves the property of his parents, and in part because he had grown up with them, every now and then he got to see what was behind the simpering and the pandering of the Allelois. Juliette doted over him with almost maternal love, gently tending to his aches and pains, while Justine saw to getting the rest of the mansion in order and attending to his other needs.

Demons were so fond of their games, Thorn reflected quietly, as he closed his eyes and settled into bed. He knew there was still work to be done, but for the moment, he couldn't resist the urge to rest a little, to let himself sleep, and Juliette wasn't helping with the soft lullabye she was singing...

Thorn awoke after a few hours, feeling much better. He sat up in bed, and then smiled briefly as he found Cadence sitting nearby and reading, the mare looking up from the book with a sigh of relief as she muttered: “Thank the Horses of Heaven. I was getting worried I was going to be stuck dealing with these freaks on my own for the rest of the day. How are you holding up?”

Thorn only gave a small smile and shrugged a bit, then he absently rubbed at his chest before he said softly: “I don't think I'll be able to accompany you on the assault. I apologize.”

Cadence only smiled briefly in response, and then she asked hesitantly: “So what happened? I... did you know that...”

“Yes. I did. But my first concern is Decretum, in spite of my allegiance and gratitude towards Helheim. Furthermore...” Thorn shook his head, smiling briefly. “Hel has enough to worry about. Decretum... the Clockwork Empire is dedicated to protecting the worlds. No matter what the cost. I hope this helps prove that to Hel.”

Cadence nodded slowly, and there was silence for a few moments before Thorn silently lowered his head and murmured: “I knew all about torture and Punishment in Helheim, Cadence. I knew the theory, the history, everything about it... or I thought I did. I had no idea what the experience was like and now I...”

Thorn halted for a moment, looking silently down at his mechanical leg before he shook his head and asked quietly: “How long has it been since you returned from the Circle of Treachery?”

“Six, eight hours maybe?” Cadence replied, and Thorn gave the briefest of smiles, shaking his head slowly as the mare asked quietly: “How bad was it?”

“Awful.” Thorn admitted after a moment, lowering his head before he closed his eyes, thinking silently. “I think it was at least seventy hours of torture. Three breaks. Two of those for interrogation.”

“What?” Cadence asked with disbelief, leaning down and staring at the stallion. “But... but it's only been-”

“Punishment takes place in special 'compressed' dimensions, inside sealed compounds. The Inquisitors registered to these specific punishment centers can modify reality inside their zones to an extent...” Thorn smiled a bit, shaking his head slowly. “Time is just a system of measurement. Accelerating particles and...” He halted, seemed to taste the words for a moment, then simplified: “Magic lets them do whatever they want.”

Cadence studied him for a moment, and then she asked: “Is that why you look like you've been healing for weeks instead of just a few hours?”

“Partly. Ascarion healed me afterwards. He's professional.” Thorn said, and Cadence couldn't help but smile despite herself: she imagined that was the best compliment anyone could ever get from Thorn. “He was also... very good at his job. I was not just punished for disobedience, I was punished for pride.”

“You are... you can be a little...” Cadence laughed a bit after a moment, rubbing at the back of her head as she looked at Thorn for a few moments, then asked softly: “So they just... hurt you?”

“Yes and no. They teach you, through pain and suffering. Not just physical torture, although there was... there were...” Thorn shivered a little, steadying himself with a slow breath before he nodded a little, and Cadence frowned uneasily at this before the stallion murmured: “Punishment centers are insulated with soul-binding magic. It prevents your soul from leaving your physical body even after the point you should be dead. It means they can do... they can push even a mortal like me well past what he should be able to endure without permanent consequences.”

Cadence grimaced at this, not liking what it implied, and there was silence for a few moments before the sapphire stallion murmured: “I'm still too injured to be any help to you, but before I left I was told we would be moving tonight. I'm guessing... four hours to prepare. Your strike team should arrive in two or three.”

“My strike team?” Cadence asked dumbly, looking surprised, and Thorn smiled wryly up at her.

“Well, you didn't think I'd send you in alone to save the day, did you?” he replied softly, and Cadence laughed a little despite herself, before the stallion shook his head slowly and murmured: “They should be demons you're capable of working with. Can you tell if anything's changed?”

Cadence hesitated: she had tried earlier to look into the Astra, but she hadn't been able to get any sense that things had changed, and when she thought too much about what was going on in the physical world, that somewhere, her father was... “I don't think anything has, but I just can't... focus. I mean, I can try if you want me to, but...”

“I trust Hel.” Thorn said as he let himself drop back into the bed, and Cadence couldn't help but give him a faint smile, which earned a curious tilt of the head from the stallion.

But Cadence only shook her own before she murmured: “I guess I just find it hard to believe. Hel's your grandmother, isn't she? But she sent you to be punished for... three days straight. After using us as pawns.”

“We all have roles we have to fulfill, games we have to play. Sometimes we have to keep up appearances... funny as that is for me to say.” Thorn quieted, rubbing absently at his mechanical limb for a moment. “It's easy to say that Hel should have just fixed the problem, but I think she's aware that Decretum needs information about Thokk more than she does. I think, in a way, this is Hel giving us what we need... but with so many eyes watching, Hel has to play her cards close, can't appear weak, has to be the Goddess of Helheim she's always been known as, and not...”

“The Mother. The Creator that she is, in truth. How much has she sacrificed?” the Swan mused through Cadence's mouth, and Thorn quirked an eyebrow at her before Cadence blushed and shook her head, rubbing hurriedly at her jaws.

“Sorry. I... the Swan and I are working things out.” she promised lamely, although she didn't know how true that was. She was still struggling for control, to feel like she was the one in power, while the Swan just took her over whenever she felt like it.

Thorn only let it slide for now, however, glancing away before he let his eyes wander around the darkness of his room. Cadence looked around as well, at the crystal stars hanging from the ceiling, at the bookshelves full of children's books, at the furnishings, the neatly-arranged toys and dolls, and the massive, blacked-out windows, before she murmured: “This was your room, huh?”

“Yes. I should probably have it updated some day, but... I guess I like the memories.” Thorn shifted a little, then he smiled to himself as he pointed at one of the pictures on the wall. “Móðer drew that for me. She drew a lot of the silly cartoons on the walls.”

Cadence somehow wasn't surprised by that, as she let her eyes draw over said silly cartoons. She smiled a little despite herself, though, shaking her head for a moment as she muttered: “You know I'm never going to like her though, right?”

“I don't expect you to. And I know that Tormentas has been training you and giving you information about her as well, and is likely why you ended up in the Cloister.” Thorn said even as he settled into bed and closed his eyes, and Cadence smiled lamely. Then she blushed ever so slightly when Thorn shifted a little, and there was a clanking before the stallion's prosthetic limb floated loose and dropped onto the bed beside him. “Excuse my manners, I just feel very sore still.”

“I can leave if you want.” Cadence said awkwardly, but when Thorn didn't reply, she only shifted on the chair before she asked in a softer voice: “Is it... hurting?”

Thorn continued to remain silent for a few moments, and then he said finally: “Yes. It always hurts more after... exertion. It never really stops hurting, to be honest, but I worry about it more when there's no pain, as strange as that might sound.”

“I sort of understand.” Cadence said, and there was quiet for a few moments before she steeled herself, then asked the question she had been wondering from the very beginning: “Thorn, tell me honestly... can we beat Thokk?”

“Yes.” Thorn said quietly, without hesitation, and yet that didn't sound like the entire answer. Cadence frowned at him, leaning forwards a little, and Thorn sighed a little, not opening his eyes, and yet Cadence felt his attention focusing all the more on her as he said softly: “I know what you really mean, Cadence. It's not just about Thokk. You're smarter than that, whether you want to be or not. I don't know what the cost of defeating Thokk will be. I believe in you, though, Cadence, and I believe in Moonflower and La Croix and Sombra. I believe in all the Orphans: ponies are capable of incredible things when they work together.”

He shifted a bit, then sighed as he rubbed slowly at his stump of shoulder, murmuring: “But Thokk is like nothing we've ever faced before. And every time we get close to grasping what she's after, she slips away. She's like controlled chaos, erupting in all directions, but somehow always channeling it towards some goal. And these Voidborn are unprecedented: we still don't entirely understand how to fight them. Almost worse yet are the Primordials...”

“But they die. All these things die. We do not trust Mother Hecate as you do, but we still see her as a Mother, in some ways... we serve her loyally. But we fear that this Ithavoll project will give us pause to think otherwise. We do not want to kill you, Thorn Blackfeather... but we will. You understand that: even Cadence will turn on you should you threaten those we both care for.” the Swan said through Cadence's mouth, and Cadence winced and flailed for control of her own body, but the Swan easily pushed her down for the moment.

Thorn remained silent, but he didn't seem threatened or perturbed in the slightest, only continuing to rub slowly at his shoulder before he said softly: “Danzsöngr, neither myself nor Empress Hecate would put you or any other Orphan at any unnecessary risk. Nor would the Ithavoll project ever harm or replace you... that... that is not what I am afraid of. It's that power often has a mind of its own, and it has a habit of corrupting the intentions of those who wield it.”

The Swan looked thoughtfully at Thorn for a few moments, and Cadence felt a strange shiver run through her body before she was gazing not just at Thorn, but into him, through him, using him like a lens as she found herself staring into the Astra.

And in gray shadows, surrounded by darkness and suffering, Thorn lay in a puddle of blood, eyes empty, body broken, in the bowels of Decretum, dying alone and powerless as some horrible thing bore down on him...

Cadence flinched, and Thorn frowned slightly as his eyes opened, the ivory mare rubbing at her face slowly before the sapphire stallion asked quietly: “What is it?”

Cadence didn't want to say it. But before she could reason with or stop her, the Swan took over, looking up and meeting Thorn's eyes as she said calmly: “Decretum will burn, and you will die.”

Thorn looked back at Danzsöngr, meeting the Swan's gaze fearlessly before he replied calmly: “I will make my own fate. Until then, I will stand, as will Decretum.”

With that, Thorn settled back against the pillows, and the Swan frowned thoughtfully at this before Cadence twitched as she took control back over her body, hugging herself and looking awkwardly at Thorn before she mumbled: “Sorry. I uh... I still don't know how all this stuff works.”

“No one really knows how the Astra works. Maybe that's why Thokk's shown an interest in you, Cadence.” Thorn murmured, before he opened an eye and asked: “Can you ask the Swan to look through reality, then? I want to know how fast we'll have to move.”

Very quickly. But only moments have passed. There is still time, plenty of time. the Swan soothed in Cadence's mind, and Cadence couldn't help but wonder yet again how much control the Swan had, and how much it could see; as much as it made her afraid, maybe it wasn't exaggerating when it said nothing was beyond its sight.

“She says it's only been a few seconds, if that. That we still have plenty of time.” Cadence relayed, and Thorn nodded briefly before he sighed a little in what sounded like exasperation. And before Cadence could ask why, she flinched as icy hands grasped into her shoulders, the mare immediately stiffening up before she ground her teeth together slowly.

“Well, you did wonderful, my wonderful little wafers! Especially you, Thorn, you perfect blueberry scone you!” Hel said brightly, before she suddenly seized the chair that Cadence was sitting in and spun it around, forcibly tilting it back as she leaned over it and glared almost furiously down at the mare, as Cadence's eyes widened in surprise. “So perfectly it only makes up for how miserably you failed, Danzsöngr!”

Cadence mouthed wordlessly, before the Swan took over and asked almost curiously: “How did we fail you, Mother? We had thought we succeeded with everything that was of importance.”

Hel snorted loudly, then she flung the chair backwards, but the Swan easily rolled with the falling furnishing, landing smoothly on her hooves and continuing to look curiously up at Hel as the goddess growled: “What kind of bodyguard are you, failing to protect blueberry here? Why didn't you kill Penumbra when you had the chance, and avoided this whole mess?”

Cadence blinked at this, suddenly back in control as she leaned forwards and blurted: “But how? He was protected by-”

“Oh come on, Swan, you should know better than that! You should have been able to punch right through that protection!” Hel snapped with a huff, and then she crossed her arms and glowered over at Thorn, adding moodily: “Also, don't make Phraxis do your dirty work for you anymore, got it? I've already gone ahead and chucked Penny through a portal, though, he'll land... oh, somewhere in Decretum. I knew that guy was bad news. He was always whining.”

Thorn only sighed a little, and then he carefully started to slip his way out of bed before Hel added helpfully: “Also, hey, I can totally fix you up with a great new arm if you want! I got demon arms, bear arms, dragon arms, horse arms... well, I guess those are legs. I have lots of different legs, too, is what I'm getting at. And what I'm getting at with what I'm getting at is if you give me two minutes and some thread, I can stitch you back together perfectly fine-o!”

“Thank you, Nanny, but I'm fine.” Thorn responded politely, and Hel huffed before she eyed the stallion moodily as he added: “It's also very difficult for us to determine what you want when you won't openly share your-”

“Whoops.” Hel snapped her fingers as Thorn lifted his prosthetic, and then he winced when it sparked violently before falling back on the bed with a thump. “Oh, silly me! I just anti-magicked your limb somehow! Gosh, what a butterfingers I am! With magic! That I totally didn't aim or concentrate in the first place!”

Thorn only sighed a little as he half-crawled onto the bed, and Hel scowled a little before she added moodily: “Also there are literally a thousand things you should be thanking me for before you go whining about a few simple stupid things you stupid idiots should be figuring out your own stupid selves. How hard is it to kill everyone instead of taking them alive?”

“That's not how we operate.” Thorn replied calmly, as he locked his mechanical limb into place before grimacing as it sparked. Hel narrowed her eyes at him, her fingers wiggling by her side before she yelled incoherently as she pointed at him, sending a blast of thunder at the stallion, but Thorn simply blocked it with his mechanical limb, only grimacing a little at the brightness of the electricity coursing over the steel leg before the stream of electricity died out.

“Dammit all to here, who the me was stupid enough to cast an anti-magic spell over your stupid robo-stomper?” Hel huffed a little as she put her hands on her hips, before she suddenly became serious as she leaned forwards and said in a quieter voice: “And that is not how I operate, Thorn, which you should know by now. Oh, sure, I admire your plunging for information... but do you really think you can get a Fire Giant like Surt to talk, or that Penumbra won't just spit out anything but lies?”

“We have ways of ensuring we extract the truth from subjects.” Thorn said calmly, smiling briefly up at Hel. “I understand your concern.”

“You know I hate that phrase more than any other in the entire dictionary.” Hel said moodily, and Thorn only continued to look at her steadily before Hel suddenly turned her eyes towards Cadence. “But you. I'm here for more important reasons than to give you a scolding and a spanking, so don't look so eager, you creepy little vanilla wafer. I'm giving you some of my very best, and I want you to take care of them, capiche? Because otherwise I am going to capere you and make me a new set of pillows.”

Cadence only scowled up at Hel, in spite of the uncomfortable mix of emotions she felt now whenever she looked at the ice puppet, and how it was so easy to stare through the dancing, frosted chaos in front of her and into the truth of Hel, at the heart of the goddess, at the- “Hey! My eyes are up here!”

Cadence blinked a few times, and the ice puppet huffed as she primly adjusted her snowy dress, muttering: “You've been learning too much from the Valkyrie, I swear. I get you kind of get a wing-boner over her or whatever, but-”

“I do not! I absolutely hate her!” Cadence almost shouted, blushing slightly as one of her eyes twitched, and Hel snorted in amusement and held her hands up in mock surrender, which only made Cadence glare all the more furiously as she snapped: “Look, I don't need any goddamn help, I'll go myself if I have to, just-”

“No. You are too valuable to lose.” Hel said coldly, deadly serious for a moment before she suddenly clapped her hands together in front of herself, brightening with a grin. “And far too interesting! I just gotta find out how this all works out! I have so many questions, after all, and I'm so excited to see where this arc stretches out to... and what'll happen next season? Will there be another eleventh hour power-up? Or are things all going to go to... well... here?”

Hel paused for a moment, and then she leaned forwards and said mildly: “But oh, one more thing, since... you know, I do kind of want to get this out of the way, here and now. Both of you, listen up close to Nanny for this one.”

Thorn frowned, and Cadence narrowed her eyes suspiciously as Hel looked back and forth, before the ice puppet said in a soft, serious voice: “Thokk has to die. No last minute mercy, no imprisonment, no surrender. Thokk dies. That's what I've been saying from the very start, and oh, sure, at first it was because I had a few personal worries and a very personal problem with her, but now... now it's very different. Believe you me, this goes above having my pride injured and petty morality.

“And just to make a point as to how utterly, absolutely serious I am about this...” Hel turned her eyes towards Cadence, saying calmly in the ancient tongue: “Danzsöngr of the Swan Maidens. You are free. No jarl may command you. No Father may demand of you. No Mother may beg of you. No Creator may define you. You are free, Swan Maiden. Your dress is your own.”

Cadence felt a shifting inside her. Nothing changed, and yet everything did, as she looked down for a moment at her golden hooves before she looked up disbelievingly, and Hel sighed in exasperation before she spread her arms and said loudly: “The Valkyrie is better than you in every single way, but I guess you can probably keep Thokk busy until Brynhild shows up to take care of what you can't.”

Cadence blinked slowly, before the Swan roiled inside of her, and the ivory mare laughed loudly as she said contemptibly: “If you want to test our freedom, Hel, you need only ask.”

“Well, see, that would be kind of defeating the point, because if you're not free and I order you to do something it'll have the same effect on you if I tell you-” Hel began, ticking her fingers back and forth before the ivory mare simply slashed her horn out, blasting the ice puppet apart with telekinesis.

Thorn grimaced a bit as a bit of frost pattered over him, absently brushing it quickly away before he looked mildly over at Cadence. But before he could speak, the remains of the puppet swirled themselves up from the ground, locking back into place as the goddess grinned widely.

“Well then. It's a start, at least. But the real test will be seeing what happens when Thokk tries to shut you down. And don't bother putting on an act or anything, Thokk will know if you're faking it to try and make it.” Hel said mildly, waving a hand before she spun around towards Thorn and poked her finger into his nose, saying softly: “Kill the witch. And once ding-dong, the witch is dead, I'll owe you and Hecate a favor. Everybody wins, as long as Thokk dies.”

“We'll deal with Thokk as we see fit, Queen Hel.” Thorn bowed his head respectfully, and Hel snorted, but then nodded grudgingly back before the sapphire stallion asked quietly: “Are the soldiers prepared, then?”

“Who needs an army when you have a hulk?” Hel asked with a wry grin, before she pranced towards the door, rubbing her hands together as her eyes gleamed. “You see, I'm not much of one for modern warfare with lots of soldiers. Too big, too loud, too messy. That's the kind of stuff we do here in Helheim every day! No, oh no. Come with me and I'll show you the real reason Heaven's never come knocking on our gates but we used to go trying to sell 'em a brand new shiny god on a regular basis!”

For some reason, Cadence felt as nervous as she was curious, the ivory mare grimacing a bit as Hel yanked open the door and danced cheerfully out into the hallway. But all the same, when Thorn followed calmly, Cadence fell in step beside him, the mare muttering: “You know, I don't think I'll ever get used to being shoved around like this.”

“It's part of what makes you an excellent leader.” Thorn said, and Cadence smiled wryly despite herself before the sapphire stallion added, as they stepped out into the hall: “Hel, it would be nice to know if we-”

“A lot of nice things will kill you dead, Thorn, so stop all you whining.” Hel grumbled up ahead, and Thorn simply gave a wry smile before Hel spun back forwards, ignoring them the rest of the way to the main hall.

Hel bounced her way cheerfully down into a throng of waiting demons with a wide grin before she spun around on one heel, shoving her arms out and asking brightly: “So what do you think of this, Cadence? Is it great or is it great?”

Cadence looked with surprise over the demons she was apparently going to be taking with her: Vextus Lux, Tormentas, Aphrodisia, and several others she didn't recognize, including several massive Destroyers. She looked over at Thorn, but the sapphire stallion looked unperturbed and unsurprised as he said softly: “You're ready for this responsibility, Cadence. Lead the assault and save your family.”

“Yes. And we shall take care of the young prince, fear not.” added a soft voice, and Cadence couldn't help but shiver a bit as the Lady of the Moon strode calmly out of the crowd, smiling a soft, sultry smile as she walked up the steps to Thorn to kiss him gently on the forehead, before she turned her eyes towards Cadence and instructed: “Take whatever you need. All doors are open to you, Cadenza Danzsöngr. You have one hour. Correct, Lady Hel?”

“Hey, I've done my bit. You guys figure the rest out yourselves.” Hel huffed, then she twiddled her fingers before vanishing in a burst of frost.

Cadence shifted uncomfortably as she looked out over the dozen demons she was suddenly in charge of, but then she glanced up in surprise as Thorn gently grasped her shoulder. He didn't look at her, keeping his eyes out over the crowd, but he spoke to her, saying quietly: “Know them. Trust them. Believe in yourself. You can prepare them from the provisions room, Tormentas can show you where it is.”

“Alright.” Cadence stopped, looking at Thorn for a few long moments, feeling his emotions as the Swan twisted inside of her, before she asked: “How much of this was planned? From the start, you knew you'd be... where are you going? Why are you so...”

But Thorn only smiled over at her, as the Lady of the Moon chuckled softly before saying gently: “You have your duties, as we have ours. That is all there is to it. Now go, Swan. Before the hour draws too late.”

Cadence hesitated only a moment longer, then she nodded, heading down the stairs and automatically shouting for the demons to step into line. And she was surprised when they obeyed, forming a tight group in front of her, even the proud Tormentas smiling at her with a bowed head, ready to listen.

And yet even as she stepped naturally into the role of leader, she wondered in the back of her mind how much of this had been planned from the start, and if perhaps all of this had been meant to lead her here. If this was what Hel had really wanted all along: the Swan to lead her war forces into one last, devastating strike against Thokk.

But both the Swan and Cadence thought if that was what it took to save her family, and put an end to the evil that Thokk had brought, then she would bow her head to the Queen of Helheim, and serve the enemy to kill the foe that threatened them all.

Sailing Into Darkness

Chapter Seventy Two: Sailing Into Darkness
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence wished moodily that she had been sent alone, with no backup whatsoever, to this miserable little place. Sure, the fact they had been unable to portal directly into the soul furnace facility was bad. The fact communications seemed to be down even once in-world was worse. But worst of all? It was being stuck with two of the biggest idiots in all of the ninety-nine worlds, and a family of reprehensible, immoral, Valkyrie morons.

Her father soothingly rubbed her back, and Cadence sighed tiredly as she slumped over the railing of the balcony. At least this time they hadn't had any trouble getting into town, not that Brynhild hadn't done her best to start a fight with the local militia, anyway. Cadence could hear her and Freya, yelling and shouting and singing in the tavern across the street, along with the rhythmic thud-thud-thud of hooves as ponies stomped and tromped and danced while getting drunk...

“We're already running behind.” Cadence grumbled, as she sensed her father's presence behind her. He only had to gently touch her shoulder to counter her point, the mare sighing a little as she lowered her head and mumbled: “I know, okay, it's not that bad, but... still. This is my first big mission after the attack on Decretum, I'm worried about Loki attacking our home worlds, and... just... I'm supposed to be in command of a whole mission force. And what's Freya doing here? And Aster? I mean, I guess I kind of get why Aster is here but, still...”

She quieted, then lowered her head and sighed again as Sombra said gently: “Mi amore, Hecate has faith in you. If you cannot trust yourself, then trust her; she would not choose you if you were not capable of handling this.”

“Yeah. Yeah.” Cadence looked up at the night sky, studying the stars and the moon silently: she couldn't argue with that. But still... “I don't want to disappoint her.”

“And you won't.” Sombra smiled at her, and then he asked: “How are things with Thesis?”

“I... miss him. It hasn't even been a full day and I miss him.” Cadence silently touched her own breast, then she laughed a little as she looked down at the street below, watching as a few ponies passed, a few others stumbling out of the bar with raucous laughter: as loud and obnoxious as they were, at least the town seemed to have settled down a little, as frightening as the presence of all these strange warriors must be... although I guess they must be getting used to it by now. “I uh... there's a lot of us here, huh? Enough to fill the inn and the tavern. What do you think of those RED Replicants?”

“Cadenza.” Sombra smiled at her, not letting her change the subject so easily, and Cadence looked away in embarrassment as he said gently: “It's good. It's good to let yourself care so deeply about another pony. I know you feel intensely. I know it is strange. But al buon vino non bisogna frasca: perhaps it is difficult because it is so intense.”

“Well, chi ama me, ama il mio cane.” Cadence mumbled, and she stretched a hoof out to scowl at it as she flexed it slowly, grumbling: “Except who could love the bitch stuck inside me?”

The Swan chuckled at her, and Sombra only smiled and rubbed his daughter's back with one hoof. Cadence hesitated, then she straightened and turned towards him, asking bluntly: “Are you sure you want to live in your own apartment?”

“Yes, mi amore. Have your time with your lover. It's good for me to have a place of my own, anyway.” Sombra smiled again when Cadence fidgeted lamely. “Now I don't mean it like that, Cadenza, you know that.”

“Yeah. Yeah. We've just...” Cadence smiled a little, looking up at her father for a moment before she rubbed at the back of her head slowly, then asked quietly: “How's the purifier?”

Sombra glanced over his shoulder at the device: it was smaller than the last machine that had been implanted in his back, but it looked heavier thanks to the solid case covering the quietly-whirring machine. “It works as well as the last. It just requires some getting used to the different weight.”

Cadence nodded a little, and then she turned her eyes back out towards the tavern, frowning moodily as she heard a rise in the ruckus. “Should I go and stop those idiots from causing a riot?”

“I don't think the Valkyries are going to get into much trouble here. I think this may be their way of staying out of trouble, as a matter of fact.” Sombra paused, then he turned and headed back inside, and Cadence cocked her head curiously before she turned and followed him in. “Aster, will we have access to any boats tomorrow?”

“We will need a large vessel, perhaps two, for all the troops you have brought...” Aster chewed on her lip apprehensively, looking up from the bed she was sitting on with Moonflower. “The shipyard will have the remains of my Black Fleet... or so we can hope, unless they have already been salvaged by some entrepreneur. A crew we can gather any time... perhaps your amies are already doing us the service of...”

At the scowl that crossed Cadence's face, Aster lamely closed her mouth, before Sombra gently grasped his daughter's shoulder and soothed: “Pace, daughter.”

“Yeah. Yeah. I know.” Cadence took a slow breath, and then she looked moodily over at La Croix, who was tinkering away with his potions in a ratty chair he'd dragged up beside a table that had a scattering of glass equipment over it. “How are you doing?”

“Bon. Tres bon, Cygne.” La Croix smiled up at her, but Cadence frowned slightly: she thought she saw something... strained about the zebra. As a matter of fact, he'd been quiet and distracted ever since they'd come through the portal, even though he'd been so happy to see them all when they'd gathered up together in Endworld... “Just puttin' the finishing touches on these here potions, then uh... I'm gonna take a little walk around. Maybe set up a few wards, just in case.”

Cadence looked at the Loa, and La Croix looked back, silently telling her that he didn't want to talk about whatever was bothering him all of a sudden, and after a moment, Cadence sighed a little before she nodded once and muttered: “Alright. Uh... Moonflower?”

Moonflower glanced up: he still looked a little glum, but being out here, doing something, was helping him focus a little more on himself. And Cadence thought that he was happy to be here, whether he'd ever admit that or not. “Yes?”

“We need to check on everyone who came with us, make sure they're settled in and settling down for tomorrow.” Cadence scowled over her shoulder at the window, grumbling: “I guess we can leave the Valkyries and their family alone for now. Let them... do whatever the hell it is they're doing over there. I'll do a patrol of the town, but I'd like you to check on the soldiers here. Make sure the RED are in their room, I don't want Karsilamas creeping around and scaring people.”

“Uh... you need a hoof walkin' 'round, Cygne? I c'n help you with that!” La Croix volunteered, and Cadence almost said no out of reflex before she caught the look from the zebra, and she nodded after a moment.

“You know, we're not foals. If you want to talk to her alone, you can just ask.” Moonflower huffed, and La Croix blushed a bit before the black unicorn surprisingly added: “And I am your friend, you arrogant little stripehorse, and... I would like to help you too, if it is at all possible. Even though I know sometimes we just... keep things to ourselves because, well... because.”

Moonflower halted lamely, and La Croix smiled a bit before he replied blandly: “Well, merci, rein de la nuit, but you just an idiot. And a pédé.” La Croix halted, then he lowered his head and said quietly: “But I be a lâche, which is a whole lot worse, and I just ain't ready to talk about this quite yet.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Aster said quietly, with a small smile: “Je trouve que tu es très courageux.”

“Nah, madame. That be you, for comin' back here 'spite of all this.” La Croix replied quietly, and he chuckled softly before he glanced over at Cadence, murmuring: “We uh... can we go?”

“Yeah. Sure, of course.” Cadence absently picked up the belts that had her twin daggers, tossing them over her body before she frowned as La Croix hurried to the door. She smiled as reassuringly as she could at the others, but the moment she stepped outside with La Croix, she closed the door and frowned at him, asking in as gentle a voice as she could in spite of her own anxiety: “What's going on?”

“Just... a real bad feeling, Cygne. A real bad feeling.” La Croix chewed anxiously on his lip, and then he shook his head quickly before he asked uneasily: “Swans... y'all can kill anything, right?”

Without so much as a blink, Danzsöngr took over, saying calmly: “Yes. A Swan Maiden can kill anything, La Croix. Living, dead, or in-between. As a Swan Maiden can see all it desires to see. Tell us what to look for and we will find it for you, and we will destroy it.”

“Let's not go gettin' ahead of ourselves, uh, Madame.” La Croix looked uncomfortably at the mare for a few moments, and then he shook his head and muttered: “Might just be jumpin' at shadows. Might be some other hoodoo or mojo workin'. There be all kinds in these parts, after all. But it might also be... no, I don't wanna think about it. He wouldn't be that stupid, would he?”

Danzsöngr tilted her head curiously as she strolled behind La Croix, but when Cadence struggled back for the surface, the Swan allowed her to take control, the ivory mare almost bursting out: “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Bondye, and the poison of the bayou. Bad things comin' this way.” muttered La Croix, shaking his head quickly. “But why now? Why here?”

“I don't know much about your past, La Croix, or this Bondye. He was the God you uh...” Cadence stuttered to a halt, but La Croix only smiled grimly, shaking his head slowly.

“Bondye just wishes he was Dieu. He was an Orisha, a great spirit, who overstepped his bounds and went off on his own to try and become a god in name, if not in anything else.” La Croix scowled a little, muttering: “He was the one who had us corrupt the old ways, who shaped the hoodoo and the voodoo, who made the bayou poison. Who dumb connards like me fell for, hook, line, and sinker, and...”

La Croix sighed a little, shaking his head briefly before he grumbled, as they headed down the rickety stairs to the main floor: “Well, ain't no doin' worryin' 'bout it, just gotta go out and see what's happenin' and what we can do. I just feel like...”

La Croix stopped dead, paling, and Cadence looked up with a frown before her eyes locked on the lone figure sitting at the bar. It looked like a zebra, dressed in a simple, spotless black suit, and strangely, what looked like a fancy party mask, with a long, bird-shaped bill that covered his muzzle and colorful, glittery feathers. He didn't so much as look at them as he slowly took a sip from the cup of whiskey in his hoof, but Cadence felt La Croix seize her and yank her quickly towards the doors as he hissed: “Merde, this is bad, this be real-”

They leapt out onto the street, and La Croix stumbled to a halt as he looked back and forth, whimpering a bit: there were two zebra on either side of them, blockading the road. Or rather, the intent was there: the road was wide and ponies were barely paying any attention to the stiffly-standing zebra as they passed them, and the zebra only had eyes for them. Ghastly, hollow, hateful eyes, Cadence realized, shivering a bit as she asked slowly: “So these aren't friends of yours?”

“Real funny, Cygne. Real funny.” La Croix whispered, and then he winced and looked over his shoulder, stumbling quickly away from the door to the hotel. Cadence's eyes widened in surprise as she looked back to see the zebra from the bar had appeared behind them like a ghost, glass still in one hoof, dead eyes locked on La Croix.

He sipped slowly from his drink, then said something in a soft but carrying voice that Cadence didn't understand. La Croix clearly did, however, snarling in return: “I ain't goin' back to Bondye, and I ain't dumb enough to fall for that lie, either! Y'tell him I be busy right now, but if he wants to settle up, I'll be glad to do so-”

“La Croix, it is not for you to choose.” interrupted the zebra calmly, looking down at his empty glass and tilting it back and forth, before he said softly: “Come with us, or this entire town dies.”

“La Croix just told you he's busy. Now if you want to hurt him, or anyone else in this place, you're going to have to go through me.” Cadence said sharply, turning around to lean into the face of the zebra, and she smelled perfume and flowers and... rotten meat?

The zebra chuckled softly, before he reached up and pulled his party mask off, and Cadence's eyes widened in horror as she stumbled back a step in shock at the sight of the creature's rotting face. His lips were gone, fallen entirely away from blackened and yellowed teeth, and while his eyes burned with hateful, hideous vitality, the rest of his face had withered away, as if it had been blasted by sand and acid. “Shh, little one. Go play with your dolls. The adults are talking”

Cadence snarled, then she stepped forwards and slammed a hoof into the zebra's face with enough force to send his head twisting almost entirely around on his neck with a sickening crack. But the zebra didn't even flinch as La Croix winced, before the creature slowly reached up and almost gently grasped his own muzzle, slowly turning his head back around until his contemptible smile was once more on Cadence, who stared with disbelief at the... the... “What the hell are you?”

“Nzambi, Cygne. Don't you underestimate 'em. They be a lot more complicated than your shamblin' stupid undead.” La Croix said nervously, and Cadence took a step back as the other four zebra slowly began to close in, moving with silent, puppet-like grace. “Look, I can lay down a protective ward, but it won't slow 'em down for long, they all gonna know-”

“We have already taken precautions, La Croix. Your perceptions have weakened: the road has been kissed by red salt.” said the Nzambi in front of them almost cordially as he calmly placed his mask back on. La Croix's eyes widened as he rose a hoof, staring down at the ground in horror, but the Nzambi only looked at them with smiling malice as he said softly: “Surrender yourself, Baron. You wouldn't want us to break the Swan's neck in front of you, would you?”

Cadence narrowed her eyes, and then she flicked her horn sharply, drawing her twin daggers as she said coldly: “Go warn the others. I'll take care of these assholes.”

The Nzambi all laughed their quiet, callous little laughs, but Cadence was unflinching as La Croix grimaced before vanishing. Out of the corner of her eye, Cadence noted that one of the Nzambi had just palmed a needle out of his coat, another saying softly: “Were you not crafted to serve, Swan? So were we. Here is our offer: after we break you, we will rebuild you. You will find new meaning serving Lord Bondye.”

“I think I'll pass.” Cadence said with disgust, before her eyes locked on the Nzambi holding the needle with surprise as he stabbed it quickly into his own neck, injecting himself with whatever substance was inside the needle before he simply tossed it away.

“We insist.” Cadence felt the breath of one of the Nzambi on her neck a moment before she was seized by the back of the head and driven towards the ground, her eyes widening in shock at how fast and strong these walking corpses were. She barely managed to save herself by blasting the ground in front of her with telekinesis, creating a cushion of air that slowed her enough so she could slam her front hooves into the road and then yank herself forwards, at the same time kicking back to knock the Nzambi away.

Two zebra lunged in from either side, but Cadence slashed her daggers out, cutting one across the face and slicing his mask in half as the other cut across the victim's breast. Both were driven back, but Cadence realized too late that they had been decoys, as a fourth Nzambi leapt in front of her-

Cadence slammed her front hooves straight down into the ground, flapping her wings as hard as she could, launching herself straight up into the air. Except the fifth Nzambi had somehow leapt up to meet her, slamming a hoof into her with enough force to send her rocketing into the road with a tremendous crash.

Cadence rolled through the dirt with a snarl, her daggers flying to her hooves before she even realized she was reacting and slamming them into the ground to stop her wild skid. She looked up just in time to see a Nzambi's hoof shooting towards her, but the Swan intercepted it with a blast of pure fire that lashed out of her horn, and the zebra staggered backwards with a howl of shock and misery, flailing wildly back and forth before Cadence's eyes widened in shock as the Nzambi simply burst into ashes and dust, a filthy suit crumpling to the ground.

The other four looked for a moment at the ashes of their comrade as Cadence quickly dragged herself up to her hooves, taking the moment to set herself and growl: “Now back the hell off, or I'll burn the rest of you up too.”

“Did you hear that? Empty promises and empty threats from an empty vessel.” said one of the Nzambi fearlessly, as another removed what looked like a sewing needle with a cold smile. “Her death will be slow. Her unlife will be longer still.”

Cadence snarled as one of the Nzambi lurched towards her: it was fast, it was strong, but its movements were also stiff, almost jagged, and Cadence was able to spin around and intercept it with a savage kick that shattered its jaw and knocked it flipping backwards.

Almost immediately, the other Nzambi attempted to flank her from either side, but Cadence was ready for them as she agilely spun around, slashing a dagger out through the face of one of the zombies and flicking her horn at the other, driving it back with a blast of white flames before it could scratch her with the needle in its hoof.

But the last Nzambi shot in and dodged a punch from Cadence before headbutting her in the face, knocking her stumbling long enough for him to drive a hoof up under her jaw with a sickening crack. Cadence gurgled as she staggered backwards, before she gasped when something thin and sharp tore into her body, the mare hissing as she looked down at the sight of a stiletto dagger that had appeared in the hoof of the Nzambi in front of her.

He smiled at her, and Cadence trembled before her eyes widened as she realized she was rooted to the spot. Her limbs and muscles refused to work as the other Nzambi closed in on her from all sides, feeling like ice was flowing through her veins, making her heart stutter, setting her brain on fire-

We are better than this, said the Swan inside her, almost sounding frustrated, and Cadence's eyes clenched shut before Danzsöngr's snapped open, the Swan swinging a hoof almost dismissively upwards to slap the stiletto out of the Nzambi's hoof and out of her body.

The four zebra froze, staring in disbelief as the thin dagger flipped gracefully through the air, then hovered for a moment before it shot down, ripping through the eye of the Nzambi in front of her. The zombie staggered with a gurgle as the knife tore out the back of his head, stumbling to the side, and the others moved too sluggishly to react as Danzsöngr leapt backwards and scissored her rear legs around the throat of the enemy behind her.

One hard, simple twist slammed the Nzambi to the ground before his neck loudly snapped, and Danzsöngr shoved herself off the earth as her daggers flew up from where they had fallen to a ready position on either side of her head. A Nzambi lunged, but with ease, the Swan half-turned and slammed the hilt of a knife down between its ears, knocking it flat before she stomped on its skull as her hoof burst into ivory flames.

The Nzambi screamed before it burst apart into ashes, and the zebra on the other side of Danzsöngr stumbled in its attack, as if it had hesitated at the wrong moment, and Danzsöngr smiled.

A moment later, there was a flash of white and a splatter of ichor as the Nzambi's head flew into the air and its body dropped towards the earth, but both burst apart into ashes before they could hit the ground as Danzsöngr lowered her daggers to either side of her, glancing down at the already-healing wound in her breast as she said calmly: “Finish the rest.”

Cadence shivered as she felt the Swan recede and almost force her back to the surface, the ivory mare grasping at the wound in her breast as her daggers shuddered in midair beside her. Then she scowled over her shoulder at the Nzambi with the broken neck: he was clumsily picking himself up, while in front of her...

The Nzambi slowly shoved himself back to his hooves in spite of the ugly hole through his head, his features puckered in a moue of distaste, if anything. He began to reach into his coat, but without hesitating, Cadence stepped forwards and slashed down with her dagger, although even she was surprised when instead of simply knocking his foreleg down, she cut his hoof off entirely.

They both looked down at the hoof on the ground, and then the Nzambi snorted before he said callously, as he let the bloody stump fall limp: “All pointless, Swan. Perhaps you can destroy us. But Bondye has worse things than us in his employ.”

“Then I'll kill those things too. You tell your boss to stay the hell away from La Croix, or I'll kick his ass.” Cadence said shortly, pointing one of her daggers at the Nzambi, but the Nzambi only smiled thinly.

“Stupid girl. You have no idea what kind of trouble you're getting yourself into, do you?” asked the Nzambi softly, and then he broke into a shambling charge, lowering his head before he flung himself at the mare as his jaws opened wide.

Cadence leapt forwards and intercepted the zebra with a savage hammer hoof as it burst into ivory flames, the Nzambi exploding into a cloud of ash that blinded the mare for a crucial moment as she heard hooves stumbling behind her.

Cadence leapt out of the cloud of smog, horn and hooves blazing, daggers lashing up to ready positions on either side of her before her eyes widened in surprise as she found the last Nzambi pinned to the street by a spear. Then she snarled in frustration, one eye twitching as Brynhild shouted cheerfully from the balcony of the tavern on the other side of the street: “Hello, Swan! I have pinned the bug for thee!”

“I don't need your goddamn help, Brynhild!” Cadence shouted, glaring furiously up at the mare before she scowled as she turned her eyes moodily towards the trapped Nzambi, ignoring La Croix and Moonflower as they both hurried out the front of the tavern. “An entire hotel full of goddamn Dogmatists and who the hell comes to 'help' me?”

“Uh... sorry, Cygne, but they won't listen to us.” La Croix apologized, blushing and looking lamely at the ivory mare as he nervously played with his top hat for a moment. Cadence only grunted, glancing over at La Croix for a moment before she sighed and returned her eyes to the pinned Nzambi, and La Croix became more serious as he approached the zebra quickly, muttering: “Now, let's see to you, mon ami.”

As La Croix approached the Nzambi, Cadence reached out and grabbed Moonflower by the shoulder with a frown, asking: “What does he mean, they won't listen? They should at least respond to danger.”

“I don't know. Something about already being given orders to hold position.” Moonflower shrugged, and Cadence lowered her head meditatively But before she could settle on anything, she winced and looked up in surprise as La Croix shouted and stumbled backward a moment before the Nzambi burst into eerie green flames.

Even as the fire rapidly consumed its body, the Nzambi focused its dead eyes on La Croix, saying contemptibly: “Bondye knows you are here. Your head will be his trophy, La Croix, and you will die ten thousand deaths in Darkwater, long after the rest of these pathetic worlds have been erased in the name of the new Dieu.”

“Dieu? No, you ain't talkin' 'bout Loki, are you? 'Cause he ain't no god and Bondye ain't gonna be able to one-up on that diable!” La Croix said almost desperately, but the Nzambi only laughed coldly before its remains burst into black smoke that raced up into the sky in a glittering fog, vanishing quickly from sight.

“Dammit.” La Croix muttered, stomping a hoof before he glowered at the burnt remains in front of him: more discarded refuse than a corpse. The spirit had fled, and likely back to its master, by the look on La Croix's face. “I can't believe this. I can't believe even Bondye'd be fou enough to think that he can pull one over on a diable like Loki...”

“How did they know where we were?” asked Cadence, and La Croix glanced up before he smiled wryly and tapped his nose.

“They got my scent. Even when I was on the run and maskin' myself with perfumes and charms, ain't never took them very long to find me. That's why I was always on the run and never in hiding, comprendez-moi?” La Croix paused, turning back towards the smoldering remains of the Nzambi: a pile of ashes around the gleaming spear of the Valkyrie, which La Croix reached out and caressed slowly along with a sigh. “I ain't never been strong enough to fight anything, nor smart or... courageux, either. These hoofs just be good for runnin' away.”

“How do we protect ourselves from them?” asked Cadence, and La Croix opened his mouth, then frowned thoughtfully before he headed for one of the piles of clothing nearby, beginning to rummage through the Nzambi's remains.

Cadence, meanwhile, looked up moodily as she realized that the music had stopped from the tavern, and they had a small audience. She also noted that Brynhild was still up on the balcony, that stupid grin on her face, watching them with curiosity; the moment she saw Cadence look in her direction, she waved a hoof wildly before calling: “And how may I be of service to thee?”

“Dying would be a great start.” Cadence mumbled, before she shook her head and replied loudly: “Just stay out of the way. And maybe recall your spear.”

Brynhild shrugged amiably, but thankfully only flicked her horn, her spear vanishing in a burst of sapphire flame before the Valkyrie called: “Very well, Swan. But know that if thou needs me, I shall assist thee. We have a long day tomorrow crossing the sea, but these brawny sailors tell me they are more than ready to assist!”

“Oh, thanks for doing my job for me.” Cadence grumbled, even though she knew she should really be grateful. But the Valkyrie always made her cranky. And the thought that now they were being hunted by someone else on top of that... or rather, that La Croix is being hunted... and doesn't this prove that Loki is going after our homeworlds in some capacity? How many-

“Um. Not that it's my place to say anything, but...” Moonflower nervously nudged the ivory mare, and Cadence glanced up at him before he smiled awkwardly. “I think you may have been thinking too much, like people are always telling me I do all the time.”

“You never think too much. But... thank you, Moonflower. I appreciate it.” Cadence smiled a bit after a moment, nodding to the stallion before she returned her eyes to La Croix as the zebra approached, now holding a little baggy by the string.

He spat this out, then grimaced and rubbed convulsively at his lips before he muttered: “Ici. This is a... I dunno the word for it, it's juju. The Nzambi all carry these to protect 'em from me, but they should work in reverse, too. Just don't open that little baggy. You'll regret it.”

“How the hell is this one little bundle going to protect us all?” Cadence asked moodily, as she turned it back and forth, and La Croix huffed.

“Don't you be doubtin' me now, Cygne, 'shurtful. Hurtful.” La Croix patted his own breast, then he smiled, raising his head and looking perhaps a little bit more confident than he had before as he continued: “We ain't gonna be movin' tonight, so I'll set up a bit of my own mojo to enhance its effects. I should be able to protect this whole building pretty well.”

“Alright, La Croix. I trust you.” Cadence said after a moment, then she shook her head briefly before she sighed as she looked back at the tavern moodily, muttering: “And I guess... I should try and trust in everything else, too.”

La Croix patted her gently on the shoulder as Moonflower smiled sympathetically, and Cadence sighed before she shook her head and turned around, plodding back towards the tavern to try and focus on what little she could change for now, and let the rest take care of itself.

Cadence scowled moodily from her perch in the crow's nest of the Old Spice, staring out at the seemingly-endless sea. They had managed to secure two ships, both old, massive galleons that had once been used to freight cargo, but had been decommissioned after many years of service. Or that was what Cadence had been told: she suspected they were actually pirates, since this entire goddamn world seemed to be made out of pirates and saltwater.

She blew a bit of her mane out of her eyes with a grumble: that wasn't what had her annoyed. What had her annoyed was the fact that somehow, the RED unit had gotten out orders to all of the Dogmatists to hold position. And since they were Replicants, they ranked just a bit higher than most of the Orphans: even La Croix wasn't higher than administrator level in terms of privileges, so Cadence was the only one here who could overrule the Replicants.

She had been sorely tempted to see if she could demote the RED so the Dogmatists wouldn't listen to them anymore, but instead, she had stuck with telling them not to give orders anymore, then ordered them to stay quietly in the underbelly of the ship until they were called.

Cadence shook her head briefly, and then she looked moodily up towards the sky, studying the vast, empty sea of blue above that was so much calmer, so much clearer, and yet so much the same as the sea they were traveling over: stretching ever onward, no destination in sight, and so empty...

What was she supposed to do? She couldn't keep the RED in line. Her friends supported her, but she wasn't even sure they really respected her, or if they were just humoring her because she was 'supposed' to be in charge of them and they all knew she could punch their faces in. She knew that was stupid to think. She knew there was no point in doubting herself. But the fact that the RED, programmed Replicants, had gone behind her back like they had...

She shook her head slowly, then sighed quietly as she leaned moodily over the edge of the crow's nest, staring blankly out at the great big nothing ahead. The situation was made even worse by the fact she had not one, but both Valkyries here, meddling with her, causing trouble for her, making her look stupid...

Go and speak to them, study them. Danzsöngr suggested. We wish to gain insight. Your frustration interests us.

“Wow. Great to hear. You know, I hate Brynhild because you do, you know. And I guess a lot of my respect for Freya came from you, too... until Freya ruined it by being... Freya.” Cadence muttered, then she shook her head quickly before sighing and mumbling: “You're so different. And I'm... not.”

That is because you are you, while I am learning to be... me. I am forgetting the past, and trying to find the future. The Swan replied gently, and Cadence grunted as she shifted a bit, her armor suddenly feeling too tight, her head pulsing with pain as she shivered for a moment, before she stared up in surprise as she found herself no longer in a crow's nest, but instead she was standing in a glorious golden hallway, staring at a set of immense, white metal doors. “Why are you the one so interested in reliving the past?”

Cadence flinched, looking to the side in surprise to see the Swan standing beside her, in graceful, terribly-intimidating physical form. The two looked at each other in silence for a few moments, and then the Swan said softly: “I began in the ice. But I was designed to protect these golden halls. I was their protector. I was their weapon. And I was their law, through fear and the power of death. And yet I ended in the darkness, just as I began, in darkness.”

Cadence breathed softly, then shivered and shook her head, closing her eyes tightly. She felt a coldness pass over her, and when she looked up, the golden halls were gone, replaced by endless blue sky, and the world was quiet, and the Swan had faded from sight.

The ivory mare shook her head slowly, then she whispered: “Don't do that again.”

“Well, I did not mean to scare thee so badly, Swan.” remarked a voice, and Cadence flinched before she glared furiously up at Brynhild, who was perched at the very top of the mast, smiling down at her with a knowing gleam in her eye.

“What do you want?” Cadence asked grouchily, and Brynhild hopped down to join her in the crow's nest, the two looking at each other for a few moments before the Valkyrie grunted and shrugged, absently rubbing at one of her ears as if she'd just been scolded. Which she probably was.

“I was ordered... uh, 'twas suggested to me by mine most beloved sister that I come and speak to thee, Swan, and we attempt to... amend our differences.” Brynhild said, gesturing awkwardly outwards before she simply held her forelegs wide and said blandly: “I believe now we hug and announce to the world we have become the best of friends.”

“If you touch me, I'm going to throw you into the ocean.” Cadence said sourly, and Brynhild huffed at her loudly, crossing her forelegs sulkily. “Look. I just don't like you. And I know you don't like me, so-”

“Why must thou put words into my mouth! Do not declare what I feel, I shall declare what I feel, and 'tis not hatred. Not... precisely.” Luna fumbled for a moment, and then she sighed and slumped a little before saying quietly: “I do not know if we can be friends. But I have learned not to stop trying. That it is silly to stop trying. That it is weakness to stop trying. And I am already weak in many other ways, Swan, I would rather not be weak in that regard, too.”

Cadence shifted a little, glancing down and mumbling to herself before she said moodily: “Well, friendship isn't the answer to everything, you know.”

That sounded tinny and childish in her own ears; why was that every 'adult' thing she had to say ended up sounding so... childish? And Luna seemed to recognize that, the mare grinning at her and tilting her head towards her as she mocked: “What, has all of the machinery made thee forget we came from a world made of magic, full of rainbow bridges and wicked giants and shapeshifting prostitutes?”

“There was only one rainbow bridge and it was used to travel between worlds.” retorted Cadence, and then she grimaced a bit and rubbed at her own head, mumbling: “Okay. That sounded pedantic even to me. Look, Brynhild, I just... I need...”

What did she need? Time? Apologies? To pretend she was too proud to accept an alliance with the Valkyrie, or to continue to be a bitter, resentful bitch for reasons even she didn't understand anymore... “Horses of Heaven. The Swan doesn't even hate you, Valkyrie. I just... I don't know why, I just... find it hard to talk to you. To look at you. I don't know why.”

“Well, I could understand why Danzsöngr would hate me so... but thou? I must admit, 'tis vexing to think that the Luna of thy world may have been worser still than I.” Brynhild said mildly, and Cadence finally cracked a bit of a smile.

“No, no. Princess Luna was... well... a princess.” Cadence halted, then rubbed at her breastplate and mumbled: “Much more of a princess than me. No, she and Celestia definitely were the princesses of the realm, the rulers, the ones who kept everything in order. She was always nice to me, and Celestia was always... always worked hard to help me. She thought because I was an alicorn, I must have been meant to be a princess, but instead...”

Cadence quieted, then she looked up at Luna and asked: “Was it the same for you? The... you know, poise, dignity, grace...”

“Oh, aye, I had those three in plenty. Poise enough to sit in my tiny chair beside Celestia and scowl. Dignity enough to not fart whilst standing beside my sister as she makes her great speeches, while she pats me every so often on the head like a good puppy. And of course, grace enough to not kill the Solar Guard when they interrupted my training of another as 'illegal.'” Luna smiled in amusement, rolling her eyes with a strange look of fond nostalgia.

“Wait, what? That doesn't make any sense.” Cadence said disbelievingly. “Why would they get between you and-”

“For a thousand reasons. Because they did not truly see me as a ruler, I suppose... which they were right to, I was never equal to my sister. Because in those dark days, deep was the specter of Nightmare Moon over mine every action... and of course, Twilight Sparkle was most loved, most cherished by all.” Luna chuckled quietly. “They were not my soldiers. They were Celestia's, bound to the glory of the Solar Empire, whilst my Centurions then were still but monsters that roamed the dungeons and the depths... much as thou wert, Swan.”

Cadence scowled at this, but then she grudgingly nodded, lowering her head and muttering: “But you were never like me.”

“Wasn't I, though? Lost, forgotten, alone, afraid... I was all these things, and more.” Luna answered with a shrug, studying Cadence curiously for a few moments, before she asked softly: “And how, Swan, did thou end up losing thy princessly vestments?”

“I don't want to talk about it. It's ancient history now.” Cadence muttered, and Luna grinned in amusement at this.

“Oh, 'tis? And what, our rivalry is not? Or perhaps 'tis rather the stuff of legend, and thus must be made much the worser with every telling!” Luna remarked, before she paused and frowned as she leaned suddenly over the edge of the crow's nest, gazing out into the distance as she murmured: “Corruption. And more than that, malice.”

Cadence rose her head, frowning slightly before she nodded slowly as she saw, at the edge of the horizon, where blue faded into black. She couldn't feel it yet, but she supposed the mare beside her was more sensitive to it, as she muttered: “I guess it must be familiar to you.”

Luna shot a look at Cadence, and the ivory mare frowned in surprise as she looked over at the Valkyrie, but Brynhild looked away just as fast, clearing her throat before she said finally: “Yes. Yes, it... is.”

Cadence decided it was better not to ask, sighing a bit before she asked: “So is Freya back on the other ship?”

“Yes. But she will have no doubt sensed it even before we did. Accursed Freya.” grumbled Brynhild, before she frowned and licked her lips slowly, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked into the distance. Cadence frowned at her, but after a moment, Brynhild shook her head and muttered: “Nothing. 'Tis nothing. Just a funny sense of... impossibility.”

“Nothing is impossible, Valkyrie.” Danzsöngr said calmly, and Cadence swore mentally as the Swan took over her body, turning with a smile towards Brynhild before she asked curiously: “What drives you, Brynhild? In the past, you were rebellious, and untamed. You were beautiful, and you were Freya's second, but you were also... hated. And this especially made you desirous to Odin.”

“I do not speak of the old fool's desires.” Luna said stiffly, before she retorted sharply: “And what of thee, Swan? I could not say thy kind wert not built to please, after all. But thou wert never able to: why was that, if thou art not so devoid of agency as-”

“I do not intend to fight you, Valkyrie, or argue with you. I am only curious.” the Swan interrupted with a shrug, before she continued softly, as her eyes roved towards the sky: “I am no longer sure what I was designed for, or how many of my kind were alive. I do not feel... different from the other Swans, but I understand that I have become different. But why, Brynhild? And you have said we are much the same: what drives you? Why are you different? Will I find the answers to why I am evolving in why you became the Night Maiden?”

“Thou art no Night Maiden, Swan.” Luna said, but even though her expression was a scowl, her voice was gentler, her body shifting with a mix of apprehension and confusion before she said finally: “I do not think I have the answers thou seeks. I am no guide. All my life, I have always been guided, mentored, and helped along by others. Accepting their help... accepting that by myself, I am nothing but a wildfire, 'tis the hardest lesson I have ever learnt. But if I can help thee, be a signpost to thee or a looking-glass, I will, Danzsöngr. But I must ask: where hast thy hatred for me gone?”

“I have no ties to the Creators any longer. I am free to do, to feel, to experience as I please. And now that I have sampled Cadence's emotions, now that we have become more intertwined and I have come to understand you more...” Danzsöngr studied Luna, then she smiled softly before she leaned, their lips almost brushing, Luna's eyes widening slightly before the Swan whispered: “I understand, too, the past. I understand what I have seen, and what...”

Her hooves silently reached up, stroking slowly along Luna's breast before grasping into her shoulders as she smiled almost coyly, her eyes half-lidding... and then Cadence slammed a mental kick as fiercely as she could into Danzsöngr, the ivory mare's expression going from stupefied to horrified before she violently shoved Luna away and shouted furiously: “Just screw everything about my stupid life!”

Luna yelped as she landed in a thump against the wall of the crow's nest, blinking a few times before she huffed loudly and glared at Cadence, then complained: “Thou cannot lead me on like that, wretched Swan! Now come to me.” Luna awkwardly half-rose one hind leg as she pushed herself back against the wall, forelegs out to either side as she said seriously: “My body is ready for thee, Swan. Come, while the oven burns hot.”

“While the... Valkyrie!” Cadence shouted furiously, one of her eyes twitching before she looked away and muttered: “Great. The Swan is going through puberty and you're... I don't know what the hell you are. You're a whore. You are a whore.”

“Nay, I am exotic and exciting. Furthermore, whores demand pay, and I was willing to show thee all the delights of paradise for free.” Luna retorted, then she rolled quickly up to her hooves and rose her nose with a sniff. “But now? Thou hast missed thy opportunity. Never again shall thou have a chance to experience the ride of the Valkyrie, Cadence. Or at least, not until thou speaks to Freya next, great dirty, greedy beast that she is.”

Cadence ground her teeth slowly together, and then she took a slow breath as she forced herself to relax before she asked moodily: “Do your uh, 'partners' enjoy when you attempt to cheat on them?”

“'Tis not at all cheating! And thou wert the one who attempted to devour my face.” Luna huffed loudly, poking her own nose several times before she suddenly became serious, saying quietly: “I value my partners more than I value my own life. I value my bond with them deeper than I value mine own soul: I would say that I am worthless without them, but they have taught me that... if I do not love mine own self, then I throw much of the gift they have given me back in their own faces. For how can I truly appreciate their value to me if I think of myself as but a worthless object to them?”

“I don't entirely understand but... that... is deeper than I'd expect to hear from someone like you.” Cadence said honestly as she looked at the mare with surprise, and Luna snorted in amusement at this.

“Those who attend to the physical aspects of life are those whom are blessed and best at speaking of them. But Scrivy is a better poet than he will admit and I have learned to take pages from his book.” Brynhild replied with a smile and a shrug, before she added gently: “And while thou will not like it, all the same, I must congratulate thee.”

“On what?” Cadence asked moodily, and Luna grinned at her in a way that told her... “How? How the hell do you know that?”

“What Moonflower and La Croix have not gossiped to me like little fillies, I have learnt from thine every look, from how thou yearns for him in thy eyes and thy every word and...” Luna bit her lip, before she asked quietly: “And truly, is he...”

“I don't want to talk about it.” Cadence said stiffly, looking away moodily, and there was silence for a moment before the ivory mare said, not even knowing why: “I love him, Valkyrie. I haven't told anyone that. I haven't even admitted it to Hecate, even though she... she knew. It was just... there. The entire time. He's just... there, inside me, inside my heart, and I'm so scared of what's going to happen and I'm so scared of him... not in a 'he's a Replicant' way or anything like that, I'm scared of... of...”

“Of how good he is. Of how he makes thee feel. Of how thou does not deserve him, and feel as if thou art an anchor... and, I assume, that somehow thou art forcing this good and strong and wonderful stallion to stay with thee in the last moments of his life, when he should be out, living his every dream and fantasy while he still has the time.” Luna smiled over at Cadence, who stared at her, feeling vulnerable and surprised and strangely grateful and a thousand other emotions she didn't want to feel for the Valkyrie. “Aye, I know. I know far too well.”

Luna quieted, then she shrugged a bit before she looked at the Swan and said softly: “Strange. I see now why Freya told me to go to thee, Danzsöngr. Perhaps I understand a little more of why I sought thee out.”

“And I think I know why the Swan is so interested in you. Why you seem to... have the answers I'm looking for.” Cadence replied quietly, looking down for a moment before she sighed softly and mumbled: “And Horses of Heaven, do I hate that.”

Luna only shrugged amiably, and then she returned her eyes to the horizon. She frowned a bit, then mentally seemed to argue with someone for a moment, and Cadence wondered uneasily just how powerful her link with her partners was before the Valkyrie looked up almost sulkily and asked sourly: “Freya is curious if thou shall accept us as thy... lieutenants.”

Cadence admittedly took a small, mean pleasure in the way that Luna almost spat the word: as nice as she was trying to be, she clearly didn't seem to want to be stuck in any lower position than Cadence.

For a moment, the ivory mare felt like puffing out her breast, and then she softened a little as she thought of how nasty she kept being and how hard the Valkyrie was trying to, well, not to be her friend, but someone she could talk to and work with, all the same. She opened her mouth... but then chewed on her lip, instinct slipping in and telling her that no, as nice as it would be for her to say something silly and kind like 'why don't you head your own unit...'

“Yeah. I... know that I need your help.” Cadence said almost grudgingly, and Luna cocked her head, frowning slightly. “I just... I do need you to listen to me, Brynhild. I know that this is weird circumstances for us both and maybe we're only just now finding actual common ground, but... I need you to listen to me. I need to be able to trust you, like I trust my team. I want to work with you.”

Luna rose her head slightly at this, looking oddly pleased before she asked almost impetuously: “Then will thou stand a bit of advice, Swan?”

“No. But I know you're going to tell me anyway, so go ahead.” Cadence said tiredly, and Luna grinned widely.

“Precisely. Sometimes thou must do what thou does not like. Swallow thy pride, Danzsöngr, 'tis even bigger than Freya's great fat rump. And there are few things so terribly large as that.” Brynhild said almost pompously, and Cadence grumbled moodily under her breath as she glowered at the Valkyrie.

But after a moment, the ivory mare sighed before she muttered: “I'm trying. But leadership is not about negotiation. It is about...”

“Leadership is many things, and takes many forms, Cadence. I have never been much of either leader or follower. I have always been rogue, wanderer... hero. In charge of only myself and precious few others.” Brynhild shrugged a bit, smiling slightly. “Freya has always been commander, and she is very good at it. At being mentor, overlord, queen... but leader? Rarely.

“Art thou a leader, Cadence? And how so will thou lead? Show me.” Brynhild invited and challenged, and Cadence scowled for a moment, but then nodded slowly. “Simply take my advice and remember, as well, that one cannot be a leader while at the same time thou art playing the part of petty tyrant.”

“You're one to talk.” Cadence muttered, and then she sighed a little before she replied evenly: “Fine. But I need you to listen to me, Valkyrie. I'll listen to you, but you have to listen to me.”

“And I suppose I must listen more.” Brynhild said ironically, but Cadence only scowled at her until the mare grunted and nodded, saying finally: “Very well. Anything to prove Freya wrong.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Cadence asked moodily, and Brynhild only shrugged amiably, making the ivory mare sigh before she said in a quieter voice, as her eyes traveled towards the horizon: “Head over to the other ship, tell them we're getting close and marshal the Dogmatists. They seem to listen to Scrivener because he's a Replicant. I'll get the RED Unit on deck and we'll prepare our boarding parties. We need to be ready for combat: there's probably an ambush up ahead.”

“Very well, Swan. As thou commands.” Luna replied, and then she simply smiled before leaping back off the crow's nest, spreading her wings to fly quickly towards the other ship.

Cadence only shook her head before she hopped over the side of the crow's nest herself, gliding down towards the deck of the ship below even as her eyes roved towards the blackened horizon, wondering silently just what was laying ahead.

Such Spirits That Linger On

Chapter Eighty: Such Spirits That Linger On
~BlackRoseRaven

They reached Canterlot without incident, but it was dark and dreary and miserable when they arrived, and evening was setting in. The streets were empty, save for patrols of soldiers, all of them with unicorn spotters who were scanning the vicinity with magic, and here and there they passed checkpoints that had been set up by armored wagons.

Cadence noted a few ponies in suits as well, dressed like Trixie and Starlight and often whispering into magical communicators, often mixed in with the Royal Guard but always standing aloof and apart. Sometimes they waved at or saluted Trixie and Starlight, and while Trixie was much more visibly pleased about the respect she was getting, Starlight seemed to enjoy the adulation herself like a guilty pleasure.

As they approached the castle, a foul-smelling mist began to rise around them, Shining Armor frowning and Rainbow Dash grumbling and flapping her wings hard before she frowned uneasily, saying nervously: “Hey, guys, I can't disperse this fog. That's weird...”

“Bad mojo. I feel it.” La Croix muttered, and then he swept a hoof through the fog, saying quietly as strings of mist stuck to his hoof: “This be the work of Mamere Araignée. The silk fog ain't somethin' you ponies can control.”

“It's muffling!” Moonflower blurted from the middle of the column, and Cadence frowned before Shining Armor rose his head slightly, grimacing a bit as his horn glowed weakly.

“He's right. It's hard to focus magic through the mist.” Shining muttered, shaking his head briefly. “No wonder the patrols were complaining about having trouble. We'll have to report this to Princess Celestia.”

“Do you sense anything else, La Croix? Or are you being blocked by it, too?” Cadence asked, and the Loa nodded as he moodily adjusted his top hat.

“Oui. But the one good thing is that this stuff will insulate Bondye's forces, too. I doubt it's Mfalme Kuoza: after what you did to him, I bet he ain't gonna be back anytime soon.” La Croix said wryly, before he said quietly: “No. This don't feel like a Darkwater thing. Sure, Bondye done this, but I think this be more...”

“Loki.” Cadence murmured, and then she nodded slowly before she glanced up as they approached the drawbridge leading into the gorgeous castle of Canterlot, saying quietly: “Let's just get inside for now. We can meet with the princesses and then settle on what to do from there.”

“Uh... yeah. I'm sure they're anxious by now.” Shining Armor agreed after a moment, giving a brief nod before he took the lead as they crossed the bridge, signaling for them to slow down; probably unconsciously, Cadence reflected, as she allowed the group to slow.

He was a lot like her Shining, but... not. Her Shining Armor had been more adventurous, dedicated and loyal, certainly, but... a friend to everyone, able to test and break boundaries, not always coloring inside the lines. Great officer material, who would always see his crew home at the end of the day, but not so great for commanding or high-echelon work.

This Shining was similar: he clearly enjoyed having direction and being able to fall back on his training, he was great officer material, and from the interactions she had seen he had the respect of his soldiers. But he was missing... something. He needed guidance. He was... excellent middle-management material, she thought, but not someone who you could leave in charge for a long period of time. Not like Archon had been.

Horses of Heaven, when had she gotten so mean?

Cadence smiled despite herself as they followed across the bridge, Shining saluting the soldiers on duty at the doors, who saluted back with relief before opening them for him. And to Cadence's surprise, Princess Celestia herself was already waiting for them in the entry hall, with Luna on one side and... Cadence on the other.

Cadence Danzsöngr grimaced and straightened immediately as she whistled over her shoulder, calling her unit to formation. The other ponies naturally shifted for them, letting Sombra and Moonflower join her and La Croix at the front of the group, as Shining Armor saluted before announcing to the trio of princesses: “Captain Shining Armor reporting, along with-”

“Hello, La Croix! It's nice to see you again!” Cadence interrupted cheerfully, waving at the zebra, and La Croix awkwardly smiled back as he took off his hat, kneading the brim nervously between his hooves. “Okay honey, thank you. I'm sure they can introduce themselves.”

Shining Armor looked lamely at his wife, and then he awkwardly shuffled off to the side as Princess Celestia stepped forwards and bowed. Cadence and her team bowed back before the Princess of the Sun said softly, as her eyes traced curiously over them: “Welcome to Equestria, travelers. I hear that you've already done a great service for us in thwarting an attack on Ponyville. But I suppose I shouldn't expect anything less from the zebra who saved us the last time we dealt with interlopers from another world.”

“I didn't do nothin', madame. But merci, all the same.” La Croix murmured, bowing his head politely to the mare before he smiled hesitantly, stepping forwards and saying: “The things that be comin' this time, though... they be a lot worse than a pair of demons. But don't you fret none: I ain't much myself, but mes amies here are more than strong enough to take on a cocodril and the ouaouarons he brought with him.”

“My name is Cadence Danzsöngr, and I am the Captain of this team, the Irregular Hunters. We're here on a mission from Empress Hecate of Decretum, to investigate a disturbance we detected in this world's natural order.” Cadence explained as she stepped forwards. “La Croix is part of Decretum now. These other ponies are Moonflower and Sombra. We're here to help.”

“Also, hi, sort of your boss?” Thesis said awkwardly as he shouldered his way up to the front of the group, waving a hoof back and forth. Princess Celestia raised his eyebrows slightly, and Thesis grinned as he posed before he said: “I'm awesome. That's all you need to know, really. But I'm Thesis, acting Regent of Decretum, and while Danzsöngr handles the battlefield, I'll be able to answer any questions you might have and coordinate tactics with you.”

“Then in that case I look forwards to working with you, Thesis.” Celestia said politely, before she turned her eyes thoughtfully over the others, asking after a moment: “Cadence. It might not be polite, but...”

“My name is Cadence, too. And you look... are you me?” Princess Cadence asked, and Cadence Danzsöngr smiled briefly before she glanced down at one of her hooves, flexing her strange body as her long tail swung back and forth behind her.

“Maybe once.” Cadence murmured, and then she shook her head before saying finally: “Call me Cygne. It'll... probably make it easier. And like Thesis said, I'm mainly a field operative. The command and control stuff goes to him. He'll be able to answer all of your questions a lot better.”

Celestia nodded, studying her curiously before she said softly: “You must all be tired, and as anxious as I am to speak to you further, perhaps we should have a bit of rest, first. Shining Armor, would you please escort them to the Noble Wing of the castle? I'm going to stay a moment to talk to Twilight's friends and the Special Investigators.”

“I'll come too.” Princess Cadence volunteered, before she glanced almost pleadingly over at Luna, who only shrugged amiably. “We'll come too, I mean!”

“Uh, yeah. Alright, this way, please.” Shining said after a moment, shrugging a bit, and Cygne smiled wryly as she fell in step behind them, half-ignoring the way Princess Cadence hurried up beside her to stare at her with fascination.

Luna, meanwhile, fell in step beside Sombra at the back of the line, studying him thoughtfully before she remarked casually: “You remind me of someone. I was not on very good terms with him.”

“Then I shall apologize for him and hope to start on a better footing with you.” Sombra replied, and Luna smiled in amusement at him, continuing to measure him curiously.

Cygne mostly ignored Princess Cadence as they walked through the castle: instead, she focused on taking in how similar the Canterlot of here and now was to the Canterlot that she had known. And if she remembered correctly, the Noble Wing was... “Well, this is usually reserved for visiting diplomats, but I suppose that you qualify. Uh. Not to be disrespectful or anything.”

Shining smiled lamely over his shoulder as he stopped in front of a set of double doors, saying: “It's essentially a set of small apartments with a few shared utilities. There are two bathrooms, a kitchen, a reading room, and of course separate bedrooms. I think everything should be stocked, and if not-”

“Yes okay that's great Shining go away.” Princess Cadence said, awkwardly pushing at her husband, and Shining Armor stared at her before the princess leaned in and quickly kissed him before pushing him off, the stallion dumbly stumbling around in a circle before he yelped when the mare firmly slapped his rump to send him hurrying down the hall.

Then she turned with a smile back towards Cygne, who leaned back awkwardly before the princess parallel of herself blurted: “I want to hear everything!”

“It's a long story.” Cygne said awkwardly, and then she turned and pushed through the door. Princess Cadence hurried after her, however, as La Croix rolled his eyes before he smiled wryly and tipped his hat to Princess Luna, pausing in front of the door and throwing a foreleg out to catch Moonflower so the sapphire mare could stride through first, bowing her head politely to La Croix as she passed, and Sombra followed in afterwards with a chuckle.

Moonflower huffed loudly, and La Croix glanced at him before he asked mildly: “You want to come with me and help out, or sit around and chat?”

“Sitting around and chatting sounds very nice, actually.” Moonflower said hopefully as he held up a hoof, but when La Croix gave him a flat look, the unicorn groaned and rolled his eyes, mumbling: “Since when did you become so bossy? You know, in my day, if a stripehorse ever dared to defy a unicorn-”

“That was only noble born unicorns. You was a, what, mud merchant?” La Croix asked mildly, and Moonflower huffed as he reared back, raising his head imperiously.

“I'll thank you very much, La Croix, but I was never a merchant. I was the merchant's almost-daughter.” Moonflower retorted, and La Croix sighed but smiled faintly before the unicorn asked in a suddenly quiet, serious voice: “So is it... that bad?”

“Oui.” La Croix said after a moment, before he shook his head and murmured: “Course I'd like Cygne with me, but... you'll do in a pinch. Pretty sure this place still be secure, anyway, and I'm gonna need your magic to ward this whole damn place.”

“Well, since you asked so politely.” Moonflower said wryly, before he grumpily grabbed at his armor before complaining: “Can't I at least take this off?”

“No, keep it on, you big baby.” La Croix grumbled, and Moonflower gave a long, childish sigh before he sulkily fell into step behind the Loa as he started down the hall, muttering: “Come on. Think I can retrace my steps back up to the gallery where...”

He stopped, then shook his head and mumbled: “Feel like I just make the misere wherever I go these days, mon ami. I just... I don't know.”

He lowered his head, and Moonflower smiled a little before he said quietly: “Now stop that, La Croix. Don't be so arrogant. That Bondye is nothing more than a bully and this is clearly not about you at all. It's because you're like my... my apprentice! And we all know how terrified Loki must be of me, he's just trying to hurt you to get to me. You're not really important at all.”

La Croix glanced up at the stallion, and then he snorted in amusement before he looked ahead and muttered: “Ain't right. But somehow y'always manage to cheer me up with what a con y'are.”

“No, no, you silly stripehorse, con is the bad one. I'm a pro!” Moonflower declared, and La Croix rolled his eyes.

“You somethin' alright, rein de la nuit.” La Croix grumbled, and then he gestured irritably at the stallion with one hoof. “Come on. Let's go.”

Moonflower only shrugged a bit, falling into step behind La Croix as the zebra wandered down the hall, the unicorn looking back and forth before he remarked: “You know, I spent a little bit of time in Canterlot. More, I'm sure, than your average pony. And with my expert powers of observation, I can clearly see just how similar every incarceration is!”

“Yeah, every prison o' stone looks the same where I come from too.” La Croix said ironically, and Moonflower looked dumbly at the zebra, who only rolled his eyes before he muttered: “Y'ain't half as smart as y'think y'are. Believe me, Moony, that be an important lesson to learn.”

“As a matter of fact, La Croix, I am very well aware I'm not quite as smart as everyone else thinks I am.” Moonflower retorted, before he added in a quieter voice: “And I've learned very well that I'm not as powerful or as intellectually-superior as I have thought I am in my proudest moments, La Croix. I think sometimes... all of you are far better off without me.”

La Croix blinked as he stopped and looked over his shoulder at Moonflower, but the unicorn only looked away with a small smile before he murmured: “But then I think about how without me, well... you'd all be dead, wouldn't you?”

“Real nice.” La Croix said wryly, and then he smiled a little before he added: “And hey, your boy, he seem to like you plenty too.”

“And I like him. I just... worry about whether or not that's enough.” Moonflower mumbled, shaking his head before he blurted: “I mean, Necrophage is so much nicer and better and naturally right and-”

“'Naturally right?' That the stupidest damn thing I ever heard, even from you. And I didn't think y'all could get more stupid than you been that time you bought that damn trinket from that cooyon.” La Croix grumbled, and Moonflower blushed a bit and dropped his head awkwardly as he grabbed automatically at his breastplate. “You an idjit. And y'ain't right in the head. But I don't think there be anything 'unnatural' 'bout you. Even if I don't like the way you let your yeux linger on me sometimes.”

“You wish I was letting my yolks linger on you! But of course every pony, mare or stallion, can't help but be attracted to me and my inconquerable stallion physique!” Moonflower declared, and then he smiled even as La Croix turned away with a roll of his eyes, mumbling something under his breath.

When La Croix glanced back curiously, however, Moonflower quickly cleared his throat before he asked curiously: “What did you think of the other Cadence?”

“She be pretty nice. Probably a worse judge o' character than our Cadence, seein' as I kind of owe her a favor for savin' me from Monsieur L'Armee.” La Croix said mildly, and Moonflower cocked his head curiously. “Oui. I still don't know why. I ain't questionin' it, either, though. Y'accept the gifts you get with grace. And take more if they offer it.”

“So greedy. I suppose that's the way your kind works, though.” Moonflower paused, then added wryly: “Oh, I can't even say that with a straight face-”

“Don't think any part of you be straight, Moony.”

“Ha, ha. Very funny, La Croix.” Moonflower said dryly, and then he shook his head before continuing: “No, I understand that. We were the same back home, although... we always said it in nicer ways. It is rude to turn down a gift. And, you know, being the master of all evil as I was, stealing was of course a top priority, as were taking sacrifices.”

“Can't imagine what they sacrificed to you. Rather, I don't want to. Young colts ain't my type.” La Croix said, and then he pushed a door open, leading the unicorn into a stairway as he muttered: “Think this be the right way. Hard to tell. Ain't no security anymore.”

“I am not into 'young boys.' I mean... Thorn isn't even that young. Is he?” Moonflower suddenly looked nervous, chewing apprehensively on his lip. “I always forget he's not nearly as old as I am. He's so wise and strong and smart and... wise... and he's got such a gorgeous coat, it's such a perfect, pleasing zaffre. Do you know how rare zaffre is? Even his mother is more a pthalo.”

“I think I'll just take your word on that, Moony.” La Croix remarked, before he said softly: “He still a kid. But I think he been through...”

“Too much.” Moonflower murmured as they emerged into dusty, abandoned halls, the unicorn looking back and forth before he said softly: “He'd hate this. Wandering around, lost, in dirty, unkept halls. He'd hate us for wandering and the cleaning staff for not doing their jobs and...”

He chuckled quietly, shaking his head slowly, and La Croix glanced back at him curiously. “It's funny the things you settle on, isn't it...” Moonflower halted, then he suddenly reached up and fumbled at his collar, the zebra frowning before he groaned when Moonflower managed to yank the silly stone necklace out from beneath his armor, arguing: “And Thorn likes my necklace and thinks it could be very useful! It has magic stones!”

“Th'only magic stones you'll ever get.” La Croix said dryly, and Moonflower looked dumbly at the zebra before La Croix turned and continued down the hall, looking back and forth as he grumbled: “Why this stupid castle so damn big? Don't even know if we in the right section yet...”

“Castles have to be big! They're signs of success!” Moonflower declared as he leapt forwards, before he squeaked as foreleg got stuck in his necklace and he nearly went spilling onto his face. He managed to yank it loose and stomp down, then hurriedly posed awkwardly when La Croix frowned over his shoulder at him, the unicorn adding as leisurely as he could: “But I suppose that a stripehorse like you isn't used to seeing such... grand and wondrous structures. It's not like you spent nearly as much time in Decretum as I did, after all.”

La Croix snorted at this, and then he grumbled: “Idjit. I been in Decretum since the early days. Long afore you. I was just workin' administration.”

“Really?” Moonflower cocked his head curiously, and La Croix nodded with a grunt. “Well, you know that I was locked up in the dungeons for quite a long time...”

“Oui, I was the one who had to file your damn papers. You arrived 'bout a year after me, and I was picked up by Nanny Hecate... mois, perhaps years after Cadence. Dunno, really. Hard to tell, and Cygne don't talk much 'bout it herself.”

“She does like to keep her secrets.” Moonflower admitted, shaking his head briefly before he smiled a bit. “Or perhaps I'm just too gossipy for my own good.”

La Croix smiled in amusement, then he gestured at a set of doors, saying quietly: “Here we be. Knew my hooves would lead me right. Even if I can't trust much else, I can always trust my instincts.”

Moonflower only shrugged as La Croix's eyes wandered silently upwards for a moment, studying the heavy security gate above before the zebra shook his head and led the way through the room beyond, continuing quietly: “Yeah. I remember this place...”

He silently pushed open the double doors, then stopped for a moment, surveying the immense gallery hall beyond before he gave a faint smile as his eyes roved back and forth. Maybe this was why these halls had gone unused: there were still stains and fractures here and there over the floor, and La Croix noted a faint outline that had been left by...

He closed his eyes as he trailed a hoof around the edge of this, then whispered: “Fais de beaux rêves, cher.”

The zebra stopped, then cleared his throat and straightened when Moonflower tilted his head curiously, the Loa mumbling: “Allez. This be the place, take yourself a look around and familiarize yourself. Gonna need your help to set up a fancy ward.”

Moonflower nodded lamely, then he turned and headed into the gallery, glancing back and forth: it was empty, the air feeling cold and bitter, as if it had been scarred. The unicorn frowned a bit as his eyes lingered for a moment on a strange, ring-shaped object that was covered in a tarp and left to lean against one wall, before his eyes roved to the remains of some sort of platform that had been mostly disassembled, asking: “Were you here?”

“In my last lifetime.” La Croix muttered, as he finally rejoined the stallion, absently playing with his amulet before he said finally: “I'm gonna...”

He stopped, then frowned nervously as he looked back and forth, feeling the chill in the air growing before his eyes widened as he looked over his shoulder just in time to see a black puff rise in a straight, sharp line across the doorway. “We ain't alone!”

“What? What?” Moonflower stumbled dumbly around in a circle, then he squealed in terror as he was suddenly seized and hefted into the air, flailing madly as he was carried up to the ceiling by an invisible force.

La Croix swore as he looked sharply up, seeing the spirits for a moment before something smashed across his face, knocking him staggering with a curse as Bondye's voice rumbled: “I knew you couldn't stay away, La Croix. I knew that you would work your pathetic excuse for magic here. I knew that you would not accept your fate, like a coward.”

“I ain't no coward and I ain't no connard, Bondye! You come out and face me like a... a...” La Croix didn't know how to finish that demand, and didn't have a chance to as something streaked down and smashed across his face again, knocking him staggering with a gasp before something seized him and flipped him over, then crushed him into the ground with what felt like a tree falling on his stomach.

The air wheezed out of his lungs, leaving him gasping on the ground as Bondye said contemptibly: “Pathetic. Did you really think that idiot Kuoza was what I had planned for you, La Croix? No. He was but a taste of the horrors I have to show you.”

La Croix gritted his teeth, raising his head just in time to end up seeing the spirit lunge at him. The translucent shape smashed into him, rolling with the zebra as he swore violently before he threw it off, then stared in surprise as he found himself looking not at some undead monstrosity or some tormented zebra soul, but something animal and wild that had been tamed by magic that he knew couldn't possibly be part of Bondye's repertoire. Bondye poisoned, intimidated, dominated: where was this magic coming from?

Moonflower's squealing filled his ears, and La Croix looked up too late before the unicorn came crashing down on him like a meteor, crushing him into the ground and leaving him in a groaning, twitching pile as Moonflower blinked dumbly, then flung himself up to his hooves, his horn glowing brightly as he shouted: “I don't know what's going on but I am the mighty Moonflower, the mightiest of all mages in the entire universe, and you... invisiblies don't stand a chance against me!”

La Croix winced as he caught sight of the animal spirits rushing at Moonflower's back, before the unicorn snapped his horn up: it gave a bright, powerful flash that made the spirits flinch and twist away from him as the stallion stamped back and forth, continuing to yell: “Show yourselves! Reveal your faces to me or run away and hide like the cowards you are in the face of my mighty might! Hide in my face! I mean, from my face!”

Spirits twisted around and lunged at him, but another pulse of power from Moonflower's horn drove the phantasms backwards again with squeals, as La Croix dragged himself up to his hooves before he grabbed at his cape, as the unicorn continued to threaten and ramble and exclaim uselessly: “I've fought your kind before! And if you're listening, Bundy, I have but one word for you! And that word is that I am the king of darkness!”

Moonflower halted, dropping his head dumbly forward as the glow died out around his horn, and spirits immediately converged on them from all sides before the unicorn snapped his head up, his horn giving a bright, powerful flash of magic that sent the various spirits reeling and bolting away as Moonflower shouted: “That is actually a phrase, not a word, because the word I meant to say is stupendous, in reference to how I am stupendous, or possibly disappointing, in reference to how disappointing you are, because-”

A snarl tore through the air, and the spirits all suddenly fled in terror as toxic green portals ripped open throughout reality, brack and muck pouring in through the holes in reality followed by far worse, far eerier things as Moonflower squeaked and drew back in horror.

Twisted, broken remains of zebras moaned and shivered as they slowly crawled through the spreading poison towards the two, but La Croix only smiled thinly as he finished tracing a circle of powder around them, even as Moonflower gibbered and whimpered at the sight of the Unborn. But La Croix only held up a hoof and covered the stallion's eyes, saying calmly: “Just don't look at 'em. They can't hurt us. We be safe for now, Moony.”

And it was true: when the first of the malformed, hideous things reached the edge of the circle, it turned immediately to smoke and ash upon trying to cross it. Moonflower peeked fearfully out from behind La Croix's hoof, but only for a moment before he grabbed the zebra's foreleg and yanked it over his eyes like a blindfold, trembling in terror. Not that La Croix could entirely blame him: seeing these things was hard on everyone. The sight of them, the very sense of them was often enough to drive mortals insane... “Bondye, 'lessen you yourself decide to come to the party, y'can't get me with no spirits or no bad mojo, and you know it. I be well-versed in every trick and every bit o' magic you can do. Let these poor souls go.”

Bondye snorted in contempt, asking disgustedly: “When did you become so soft, so weak? Oh, La Croix. In the past, how many souls were tarnished or burnt because you were so eager-”

“That was the past. This be the now. And if a connard like me can learn, Bondye, then why the hell can't a big, powerful dieu like you do the same?” La Croix countered as calmly as he could, watching moodily as the dark muck twisted and spilled like living poison towards them, racing past the spirits across the floorboards... but it, too, was stopped by the barrier of ashes La Croix had traced. “You comin', or what? Or you scared o' Cygne?”

Bondye growled in distaste, and then he said softly, even as the portals slowly closed and the Unborn began to dissolve along with the drying muck: “You forget yourself, La Croix. You forget that you were among the first to come crawling to my side, eager to be part of my new order. You forget that you are weak, and cowardly, when you don't have such powerful friends to hide behind. You forget that I have The Dreaded, and many far worse horrors than the Unborn...”

Bondye's voice took on cruel, almost pleased tones: La Croix could imagine the grin on the great crocodile's face as he spoke, and it made him shiver with fear at what the Orisha had to be planning. “And now I have powerful new friends who have already done great things for me. No, La Croix. Think about what you have seen here. Think about what I have shown you.”

As the last of the poison faded away, so too did Bondye's voice, even as he promised: “Your punishment is coming, La Croix. Slowly but surely, it is coming.”

Silence fell, and Moonflower apprehensively peeked out from behind La Croix's foreleg before he asked uncertainly: “Are they gone?”

“Non.” La Croix said quietly, as he frowned uncertainly at a spirit that had remained behind. A translucent lion, which silently paced around the edge of the gallery. It was gazing at him with a strange sternness, he thought, as it moved impatiently: it was the only threat that remained, however. And I ain't even sure... “Wait here, Moony. I know y'can't see it, but if I suddenly start gettin' torn up, send out a big blast of your magic light. Spirits don't like that none. Mixes up their mojo.”

“What are you doing?” hissed Moonflower, but La Croix ignored him as the Loa carefully swept aside a bit of the dust: just enough to break the ring and let him step outside it. He reapplied a bit of dust with a flick of his hoof, then turned his eyes towards the lion as it growled at him silently, while Moonflower did a fearful little dance behind the ring, blurting: “Just wait! I'm sure the others will be here soon, we can just... it's not safe!”

“Taisse toi, mon ami.” La Croix muttered as he carefully approached the spirit of the lion, holding a hoof out towards it nervously, and the lion slowly shifted towards him, taking a few long strides as its body – powerful even in only spirit form – flexed and shifted with its movements like a rippling tide. It tossed its mane once as it stopped in front of La Croix, who apprehensively stretched his hoof a little further to finally touch the spirit beast's forehead.

He looked into its eyes, and it gazed back at him calmly for a few long moments before the lion simply faded from sight, and La Croix slowly lowered his hoof as he bowed his head and whispered: “How? How could that be possible?”

“La Croix?” Moonflower asked worriedly, but the Loa remained silent for a few moments, before he grimaced and looked up as the unicorn squeaked, his horn starting to glow violently: “La Croix!”

“I be fine, you-” La Croix spun around, then squawked when Moonflower's horn flashed brightly, blinding him. He grabbed wildly at his cape to quickly hide behind it, shouting a series of colorful swears at the stallion until the glow finally faded from the unicorn's horn.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, then stepped carefully over the ring of dust and approached La Croix with a lame smile, saying finally as the Loa peered grouchily over his cape at him: “I'm... I saw something. About to attack you. Don't worry, though, La Croix, you're safe in my hooves.”

“I don't wanna be anywhere near your damn hooves, pédé.” growled La Croix, and then he sighed and rolled his eyes when Trixie and Starlight Glimmer came rushing in, skidding through the line of dust in front of the doorway and accidentally kicking up a cloud of smog that they both panicked in, shouting and uselessly attempting to blast the mist away with magic. “Hey, hey, hey! Y'idiots can't use magic to get rid o' that dust! Just stay still a minute, hear?”

Starlight Glimmer grimaced as she stepped back, but Trixie continued to shake herself vehemently before she finally grumbled and dropped her head, falling still as she mumbled: “Trixie does not like this.”

La Croix rolled his eyes as he dug in his cape, before he smiled a bit as Cadence shoved her way past both unicorn mares, asking curtly: “What happened?”

“We be fine. Just Bondye, tryin' to stir up a little trouble. He got... I don't know. I think Loki's helped him take over another Orisha's domain in Darkwater, 'cause he sent some servants after me I ain't seen since...” La Croix shifted a bit, then he shook his head and mumbled: “Well, 'sbeen a real long time, let's leave it at that.”

He glanced down, then cleared his throat as he finally pulled a bottle of liquid out of his cape, continuing: “One of 'em stayed behind, though, might be... trying to warn me or just... tryin' to encourage me. I dunno. The old Loa, they be real fou, real étrange, real primitive-like. Ain't like me. Cultured and classy and all that.”

“I think you're confusing us again, La Croix. I am the intelligent and cultured one here, not you. You're the primitive stripehorse.” Moonflower corrected as he approached, and Trixie covered her mouth with a long gasp.

“Sir, Trixie will have you know that Trixie's uncle is a zebra and she takes great offense to your statement!” Trixie declared before she snapped her head forwards with such vehemence that her sunglasses flew off her face and bounced off the stunned Moonflower's. “Trixie demands that you apologize!”

“I... I mean, no wait, Moonflower means that I, Moonflower, will do no such thing, as the mighty Moonflower does not apologize for... things that do not require apologies! In fact, the Great and Powerful-”

“Trixie is the Great and Powerful, Moonflower is the... the dumb and not... smart!” Trixie retorted imperiously, and Cadence slowly closed her eyes.

“Well, Moonflower is the Greatest and Most Powerfullest, far out of the Gratuitous and Presumptuous Trixie's league!” Moonflower snapped back, looking extremely proud of himself. “So what do you have to say to that, you... peasant!”

Trixie opened her mouth, but then she and Moonflower both blinked when they felt their heads grasped before Cadence firmly rammed their skulls together, knocking the two to the ground in a stunned heap.

There was a long, awkward silence for a moment as Cadence let out a long-suffering sigh, one hoof slowly rubbing at her forehead before she said in a low, calm voice: “La Croix, please clean them up. And if anyone says anything at all, they can join Moonflower and Trixie on the ground.”

Starlight Glimmer gave a lame smile, and La Croix gently patted Cadence on the shoulder before he strode over to the unicorn, saying wryly: “Don't you worry, mademoiselle. Cygne, she just uh... don't have a lot of patience for loudmouths.”

“Trixie is... a little loud.” Starlight Glimmer admitted, before she grimaced a bit when La Croix sprinkled her with the liquid from the bottle, scowling at him a little. “What are you doing?”

“Taisse-toi. Ain't my fault y'all dirty.” retorted La Croix, before he continued: “That ash dust ignores most magic, especially your unicorn magic. Just absorbs it and negates it. Clings and spreads even worse than soot ink, but a bit o' moonwater, and...”

Starlight flinched in surprise as the dust crawled across her body, leaving not a trace of itself behind as it mixed itself into the liquid that La Croix had splashed over her. These droplets coalesced into a heavy ball that fell to the floor with a wet plop, then slowly began to roll away, La Croix remarking as Cadence stared blankly after this: “You wanna get that, Cygne? Elsewise it'll find itself a dark little corner and turn into one of 'em Illrhapps. Just zap it, your magic be real good for that.”

Cadence grumbled as she turned and followed after the black ball, while La Croix turned his attention towards Trixie. Starlight Glimmer stared after the zebra for a moment, and then she shook herself vehemently out before blurting: “I've never seen magic on that level before! And... and I've used time travel and-”

“There ain't no such thing as real time travel. 'Sjust poppin' between the folds of reality, makin' ourselves think we be goin' backwards when really, we just be dropping off to the side.” La Croix grumbled as he poured some of the liquid over Trixie's head, making her splutter and growl, then squeak as the dust on her body began to quickly coalesce beneath her muzzle.

“I don't know about that.” Starlight Glimmer grumbled before she sighed a little and added: “Twilight thought it was real.”

“Moonflower thinks his reflection is real when he looks in the mirror sometimes.” La Croix said mildly as the large, black ball dripped off of Trixie's face, and then rolled slowly over Moonflower, who only scowled a little as he remained prone on the ground. The ball of dark ooze flung itself off the unicorn, but La Croix swept out his hat and caught it in midair, the strange thing vanishing into the endless depths beneath the brim as he turned a wry grin towards Starlight Glimmer. “And if she so powerful, the hell are you two doin' with this job?”

“We're also very powerful! Very powerful and very good friends!” Trixie declared as she leapt up to her feet, before she winced when Cadence simply exploded the ball of ooze, both the unicorn mares staring at the ivory pony as she looked up at them with a scowl. “Trixie will. Keep her voice down.”

“Good.” Cadence grumbled, and then she shook her head before she glanced over at Starlight Glimmer. “He's got a point.”

“Twilight's a princess. And ever since... everything here went wrong...” Starlight Glimmer looked slowly around the gallery, her eyes lingering on the remains of the platform. “Twilight Sparkle has been testing the limits of magic. It's why even when I fought her, she was able to dispel my magic and defeat me. Even with everything I could do, she was always... better. And she's always so distracted and so distant but she's...”

“Twilight Sparkle is not as good at magic as Trixie is, but... she is very spirited.” Trixie admitted grudgingly, before she sniffed as she pulled out a pair of sunglasses from her suit jacket and popped them onto her face, completely ignoring the old, identical set that Moonflower picked up off the ground. “Besides, this is a job for... active mares who are capable of speaking to the public and facing down great threats and evils with flair!”

Cadence only grunted in response, and Moonflower huffed even as he set the sunglasses across his own muzzle, saying grumpily: “Please, your suits don't even properly match. I mean, really, who pairs a jet gray with charcoal trousers and worst of all, those hideous taupe ties? And I mean, honestly, eburnean shirts? You can't even match your own clothes properly.”

“Our clothes were provided for us by Canterlot and do not reflect Trixie's own peerless opinions on color coordination and style, which Trixie has rigorously trained herself in to better demonstrate her superiority on stage!” Trixie shouted, rearing up with such violence that her sunglasses flew off again. This time, however, she promptly removed yet another set from inside her suit and slammed them onto her muzzle, adding grumpily: “Besides, look at you with all your... boring colors. I mean, all the foals must love you, being the color of licorice!”

“You take that back!” Moonflower shouted, lunging towards Trixie, but Trixie stomped forwards as well, almost slamming their heads together as they glared at each other.

“Make me!”

“I'll... make you!”

“Yeah, then do it! Then make me!”

“Make... me make you! Make me make you make me make you!”

“I'll-”

Cadence slowly cracked her front hooves, and both Trixie and Moonflower stared at the grim expression of the mare before they slowly backed away from each other, nervously adjusting their sunglasses before Trixie mumbled an apology and Moonflower dropped his head with a lame shrug.

Cadence looked grouchily between the two before she turned her eyes to La Croix, asking: “Do you need any help setting up the ward?”

“Just Moony will be fine.” La Croix hesitated, then he said finally: “I don't think Bondye's gonna attack again, though. The way he talked...”

He frowned and looked down, tapping a hoof slowly at the ground before he asked almost abruptly: “Is the silk fog still out there in the streets?”

“Oh, uh...” Starlight Glimmer rose her head slightly, frowning for a few moments as her horn glowed before she nodded once. “Yes, but the Royal Guards are using shortwave radios to communicate and check in now, and no one's reported anything out of the ordinary.”

“Oui. It ain't gonna go away, neither. Bondye's doin' something out there. I don't know what it is, but...” La Croix grimaced and shook his head, before he thought for a moment about the lion spirit he had seen, and the shades that had attacked him. Primal spirits... spirits of the old land... “I'll ward the castle. You got any way of checking for possession?”

Trixie and Starlight Glimmer both stared for a few moments, and Cadence shook her head before she said finally: “Daddy probably knows a spell or two that'll help. And I can teach them the basic detection spell that Hecate taught all of us.”

“Trixie knows how to...” Trixie petered out when Cadence slowly turned a sour look on her, and then she gave a lame grin before saying awkwardly: “Thank you.”

“You're welcome.” Cadence said dryly, and then she sighed and said finally: “Let's go gather the princesses up. I'm sure Luna and... the other mare are waiting for us.”

“You mean Princess C...” Starlight Glimmer caught herself as Cadence gave her a look, and instead she cleared her throat before saying diplomatically: “We can go ahead and bring everyone together. We rushed up here from a briefing with Princess Celestia to see what all the commotion is about, I'm sure she's very eager to know what happened.”

“Good. Go talk to her, then, I'll meet you down there with the other princesses. I'm sure they can show me the way.” Cadence ordered, and La Croix and Moonflower couldn't help but trade amused looks as Trixie and Starlight Glimmer both stared, then winced and saluted when Cadence glared at them. Cygne be a little rough around the edges. But she sure do get results.

As the two unicorn mares scampered off, Moonflower said carefully: “Not to question you or anything, Cadence, but... do you think perhaps it would benefit us if you were perhaps a little less... terrifying to our new allies?”

Cadence looked sourly over her shoulder at Moonflower, but then La Croix shrugged before he said pointedly: “Much as I hate to agree with the rein de la nuit, y'have been a little... on edge since we got here, Cygne.”

“I... I know. I know.” Cadence admitted, sighing and lowering her head a little before she mumbled: “It's just... hard. I'm worried about my homeworld. I hate being... I hate seeing myself. I hate seeing the princesses. I hate seeing... everyone I let down and failed by not being the person I could have been.”

She looked away, and La Croix chuckled quietly before he said softly: “How many lives and ponies have you saved by bein' you, through, Cygne? You wanna count how many people I failed by bein' the me I always thought I was meant to be for so many years instead of this new fou La Croix you ponies make me feel like? 'Cause I don't think even Papa Sérénité can count that high.”

Cadence smiled despite herself, and La Croix shrugged before he continued quietly, as he lowered his head: “And oui. I ain't saying you shouldn't be worried. Hell, I be pretty damn worried myself, and part of me hates that I was ever here in the first place. I got a lot of regrets: 'bout what I did here, 'bout not comin' to fix these problems fast enough, 'bout... a lot of things. But ain't no point worryin' or cryin' about it, Cygne. And you too tough to cry for long, anyway.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I know.” She hesitated, then turned her eyes towards Moonflower, asking: “Do you... ever worry?”

Moonflower shrugged and smiled, replying with his usual arrogant bravado: “Why should I? Sure, they might not have me back home, but Antecedes always fancied himself as the brains of all my operations anyway. I think of it as an opportunity for him to prove himself. And I'm quite certain that Neato Burrito could out-wrestle any of Loki's brutes with one hoof behind his back! They'll be fine.”

Moonflower smiled, then he laughed loudly and added as he posed: “And if not, well, I'll just have to sweep in and save the day and show them how I've truly become a master of all things great and powerful and dark and they'll all be so jealous, especially Throna!”

The stallion laughed again, and Cadence sighed and rolled her eyes as La Croix said wryly: “Yeah, see. You just gotta be more like Moony here. The first step be removin' your brain.”

That got a smile out of Cadence, even if only a small one, and she hesitated for a moment before finally saying: “If you guys need help, contact me over the Mission Drive, okay? Otherwise I'll just assume you can handle yourselves in case any more of Bondye's monsters show up.”

“Victims.” La Croix corrected before he could stop himself, and Cadence cocked her head. “They ain't monsters. Not for the most part. Mfalme Kuoza, sure, he be a real nasty cocodril. Or at least fancies himself one. But all those spirits, all those poor restless dead? Ain't their fault. They don't got no choice but to dance when we pull their strings.”

Cadence softened at this, and then she grimaced before Danzsöngr easily rose to the surface, pushing her aside to say calmly: “Then we should not cry at cutting those strings, La Croix. There is neither need nor reason to hesitate.”

“True, Dame Danzsöngr, but some of us still hesitate. I be a death spirit. Not a killin' spirit.” La Croix smiled briefly, giving a small shrug.

Danzsöngr nodded calmly, and then her eyes flicked towards Moonflower, studying him for a few moments before she said softly: “And what do you consider yourself, Moonflower? And do not speak lies to me: you are the only pony who believes them anymore, after all.”

Moonflower flinched visibly at this, shifting a bit on the spot before he dropped his head and mumbled: “I'm... well, I'm me. I'm Moonflower, and I'm a unicorn, and...”

“I am not hearing an answer to my question.” Danzsöngr pressed, before she continued almost logically: “I am Swan. I am warrior, destroyer, purifier; La Croix is Loa, messenger and harbinger of the Black Waters. Hecate is Empress. Sombra is guardian, protector, diplomat. What are you?”

Moonflower bit his lip, and Danzsöngr questioned: “Why is 'mage,' or 'warlord,' or even 'villain' no longer the first word you speak? Why do you struggle to define yourself?”

“Why do you care?” Moonflower burst out, before he flinched backwards in shock when Danzsöngr was suddenly only inches away, moving so fast she seemed to simply teleport in front of him.

They looked at each other for a few long moments, and then Moonflower said finally, as he rose his head slightly: “I'm... I'm me. That's all I know right now. I'm not Morpheus or an evil god or even much of a mage. I'm not court magician or Prince of the Night or any of the other ridiculous titles I've held over the years, but I am... Moonflower, and I am... I am a member of this team. I am an Irregular Hunter. I am-”

“You are my friend.” Danzsöngr said, and Moonflower and La Croix both looked surprised as the Swan – not Cadence, but so clearly the Swan, from the almost blunt tenderness, from the forced, mechanical, but honest way it tried so hard – smiled at them. “You are both my friends. You are important to me. I desire to see you at your best. And I will kill whatever threatens you.”

It was chilling, but coming from the Swan, it was strangely compassionate, too. And after a moment, Cadence blinked and stumbled before she grasped at her head and muttered: “What the hell was all that about?”

“I was 'bout to ask you the same question, Cygne. You okay?” La Croix asked quietly, leaning towards her, but Cadence only smiled briefly before she nodded once, then she sighed a bit as her Mission Drive beeped several times.

She grumbled and smacked at the device until a small holographic screen appeared beside her, Thesis frowning at her from the screen as he asked: “You guys okay up there? The princesses apparently want to meet up... apparently you were supposed to be on the way down.”

“Yeah. I'm coming down now. I was just taking a moment to debrief La Croix and Moonflower.” Cadence replied, although the amused look Thesis gave her told her that he didn't believe a word of what she just said. “Look, I'll be down in a second, okay?”

“Okay. I'll be waiting, Honk.” Thesis said mildly, and Cadence looked dumbly at the screen before the projection vanished.

“Real nice how sweet he is on you.” La Croix said mildly, and Cadence gave the zebra a sour look before she turned away, even as the Loa called: “We'll meet you back at the apartment after we done up here, Cygne! Don't go beatin' anyone up too bad!”

“Yes, don't... beat anyone up!” Moonflower parroted lamely, and then he huffed when La Croix grinned over his shoulder at him, before the unicorn softened as Cadence vanished through the open doorway, murmuring: “She considers us... friends.”

“Oui. I ain't... entirely surprised, I suppose. The Swan...” La Croix hesitated, then he shook his head and shrugged a bit. “Well, ain't important. Let's get our job done, Moony. Then we can go.”

Moonflower cocked his head curiously, but then he shrugged and nodded, following the zebra back across the gallery and towards the platform as La Croix smiled a little, reflecting silently that for better or worse, at least the Irregular Hunters would always have each other.

The King Of Everything That Never Was

Chapter Ninety Five: The King Of Everything That Never Was
~BlackRoseRaven

Everything was confusion, as Cadence suddenly collapsed with a scream a moment before the tower exploded in a tremendous blast of flame and hellfire. Chunks of burning stone rained down around them as Thesis swore and ran immediately for the fallen Cadence as he shouted: “Ambush, this is an ambush!”

Thesis tackled Cadence, rolling with her several times as fire and stone hammered down where she had been a moment before, the stallion swearing under his breath before he covered her with his body and clenched his eyes shut as he sensed another fireball arcing towards them-

Black walls of crystal erupted from the earth, shielding the ponies from the rain of fire and stone as Sombra said sharply: “They are using magic! Something is above!”

“I got it!” La Croix said quickly, vanishing from sight for a moment: but he reappeared only seconds later, punched back into reality with enough force that he went skidding over the broken earth, leaving a trench cut through the ground behind him as he mouthed wordlessly before he shook himself quickly and blurted: “Trois! There be trois, they ain't ponies, and one of 'em just slapped me outta the ether!”

“Oh poop.” Thesis said morbidly, and then he flinched when there was another explosion before he felt the pulse of magic travel through the air, cracking the crystalline shields that Sombra had made. He felt the urge to call on his own powers: he was eager to use them again, to feel that strength, to... to...

“Stop it.” Thesis muttered, rapping a hoof firmly against his head: whether or not Rig had taken most of the programming from his logic nodes with him, he didn't think he'd ever escape the effects of the corruption. And even with the exoskeleton... no distractions. Act. Do.

Thesis threw Cadence over his shoulder, then he lunged out of hiding just before a massive chunk of flaming stone crashed down into the cracked wall where he had been a moment before, shattering it completely. He winced and stumbled as the earth quaked beneath his hooves from the force of the crash, an explosion of muck splashing over him as he hurried towards where Moonflower was struggling to maintain a shield of magic under a barrage of fireballs and chunks of flaming stone.

Then he swore as a rock slammed into the ground in front of him, skidding to a halt before he threw himself to the side, twisting his body to shield Cadence as a cannonball of rock punched into his gut, wheezing in pain as he collapsed on his side with a wince and Cadence spilled off his back to the sallow earth.

He groaned in pain and clutched at the rock buried into his stomach as a voice said contemptibly, echoing eerily around them as the firestorm calmed for a moment: “No matter how fast you run, you will never escape your truth.”

Thesis wheezed in response as he pried the rock out of his stomach, grimacing at the hiss of energy before he scooped up some of the ground, turning it to mire that he packed into the hole in his open wound with a grimace. His body assimilated it, corruption becoming flesh as he grumbled: “You know, it's funny. When Loki subjugated the rest of us, we all reacted with... with happiness, with anger, with fear. You three, though... you three were the only ones who reacted with a temper tantrum.”

A chuckle whispered through the air around them, before a voice spoke in smooth, soft tones: “We are all bound by our fates and actions, are we not? My sisters cannot help the way they act.”

Cadence's eyes flickered open as she shook her head weakly, but the Swan was unconscious, Danzsöngr like a weight in her mind and stomach as she gritted her teeth and carefully shoved herself up to her hooves. She looked uncertainly up, but Thesis silently gestured to her, keeping her behind him, and she could read in his body language that it wasn't some dumb show of bravado. And considering how badly her head was ringing and the fact that whatever had hit her, had knocked out the Swan... okay. Just this one time, pretend you're a damsel, Cadence.

“The Swan is awake. Good. Do you remember me, Swan?” asked a cold voice, and Cadence blinked blearily as she looked up. She let her body slump slightly, made herself look weak- “Oh, don't worry. You can't possibly make yourself look weaker than you already are.”

Cadence mentally swore, going rigid as she realized that whoever, whatever the hell these things were, they could read her emotions, and with Danzsöngr unconscious inside her she could barely function, let alone sense where these things were coming from. ,She struggled to sit up, but she felt her strength slowly returning as Thesis leaned back against her gently, and the presence of her father appeared on her other side, reassuring her further. “Rest, mi amore. We will protect you.”

“You will fail. But I'm sure the Swan knows that. You've already failed seven times, isn't that right?” sneered a voice, and Sombra tensed ever-so-slightly as Moonflower, La Croix, and Aster fell into defensive positions around the mare, Aster looking confused and bleary and La Croix shaking and a little pale, but all of them ready to protect the mare at any cost to themselves.

“Why don't you come down here and say that to her face? Cadence can show you just how much she needs 'protecting.'” Thesis said bluntly as he looked up at the flaming ruins of the tower: more than half of the upper portion had been destroyed: not just by the explosion, but because these powerful magic-users had been ripping chunks of it up to chuck pieces of stone at them... they're not there. Where are they? Outside reality, maybe? “C'mon, guys, don't make me do the chicken dance.”

Thesis' eyes roved back and forth, before he smiled slightly as his visor blinked a few times, detecting a pulse of magic as he muttered: “This was a setup right from the beginning. But you know what I've never been able to figure out? Whether or not you're working for Loki of your own free will, or you think, somehow, that you're still the ones in charge. All I really know is that the three of you are assholes enough to think that if you can't have the universe, no one else should, either.”

“Everything happens for a reason.” said that gentle but derisive voice, suddenly close, but Thesis didn't flinch even as his eyes roved calmly to the side, to the tall, burka-clad Norn, Urd. Those old, crinkled, cruel eyes gazed at him, immeasurable in their knowledge and their hatred, as she laced her gauntlet-covered hands calmly together on top of an old, gnarled staff.

“Everything. And the reason is what we will it to be.” added Verdandi forcefully as she appeared on the other side of the group, her eyes blazing beneath her mask, her dress flowing around her as she pointed one finger accusingly at Aster, who flinched back in surprise. “Otherwise, why would you include such a weak-willed child, one of this world, one who we could manipulate?”

“Is that a whom? I think that's actually a whom, not a who. But who knows? Right? Right?” Thesis said with a grin, winking as he leaned towards Urd and waggled his eyebrows. “You get it? Who knows?”

There was a snarl, and the sound of cutting air, and then a clap as Thesis' front hooves snapped around the blade of Skuld's broadsword before it could slash into his face, the red lips of the Norn curling in disgust as she stumbled slightly, her whole body flexing as her cape settled around her from the speed she had lashed out with.

Thesis only smiled pleasantly up at her, however, saying mildly: “You know, part of your problem is that you're always too direct. Sure, that works great on your average person, the whole, 'woo, teleport in' nonsense, but... you're very distinct. And you're very... sloppy.”

Skuld snarled and wrenched her sword back, then she slashed it savagely out at Thesis' face, but the stallion simply ducked his head slightly, the weapon passing uselessly over the tips of his ears before he only shrugged and said amiably: “Going to give you that one for free. That strain you felt on your wrist? That's because you're putting too much strength in the wild swing and letting your arm whiplash. You're going to hurt yourself, sweetie.”

Skuld opened her mouth, but Urd cut in coldly: “Step back.”

For a moment, Skuld trembled in rage, and then she finally stepped back and hissed: “Thank your gelding, Swan. For that insult, I will make your death slow, and I will make him watch every moment of it.”

“Seriously? Does everyone know that he's my... look, that's not important. I'll kick your ass.” Cadence retorted, although her head was ringing too much for her to come back with more of an insult, and her confidence was admittedly a little lower than usual with the fact that Danzsöngr was still dead weight inside of her.

“You can't lie to us, little girl. We knew the death spirit was weak and would fail. We were prepared for you, and we know how to keep Danzsöngr deep asleep. All you are now is mortal, weak and 'pony.' You do not have access to your powers, you cannot fight, you cannot survive. You are a dead weight. You are-”

“Please do not speak to my daughter that way. She is strong. Stronger than you know.” Sombra interrupted politely but firmly, and Thesis rose his head slightly in surprise as Moonflower and La Croix both looked up, dumbfounded. Then the dark unicorn bowed his head towards Aster, adding gently: “And perhaps you should apologize to Aster as well. If we are all bound to our fates, then even by your logic, she can have done nothing wrong.”

“Fate is fickle in many ways. Weakness is still weakness: perhaps it is her weakness that made her a slave. Perhaps it is because she is a slave that she is weak. But that does not change the fact that she was the link we were able to manipulate. And your mask does not hide the fact you are still nothing more than a beast, King Serenite.” said Urd almost conversationally, and Cadence bared her teeth slightly, but Sombra only smiled kindly.

“I can only feel pity for you. Pity, and disappointment, perhaps, that creatures of such obvious esteem and power would also be so... self-serious. What do you call yourselves?” Sombra inquired gently, and Urd smiled thinly.

“It is not what we call ourselves. It is what we are. We are the tellers of Fate. We are the authors of the beginning and the end.” retorted Verdandi, as she rose her head proudly, and Urd smiled as she calmly rose the withered staff in her hands before idly dragging a claw along it.

Aster shuddered violently, gasping and hugging herself as her eyes looked blindly back and forth for a moment before she whispered: “N-No. I don't... I don't want to, don't make me... don't tell me...”

She whimpered as her horn began to glow eerily, her eyes rolling in her head, not seeing, not reacting even as Moonflower grabbed her before he shouted: “What are you doing to her? Leave her alone, you... you monsters!”

But Urd only smiled, digging her claw deeper into the staff, Aster crying out in misery before Thesis said sharply: “Parley!”

“No. We are not here to talk. And we hold all the cards. If you want her to stop suffering, then surrender the Swan's host. While I am sure you care far less about the infested mortal, think of this logically: we will take the Swan's host from you if she does not surrender. And if you try and fight, we will make the mortal fight you and your friends.” Urd explained gently, and Thesis gritted his teeth, opening his mouth as he half-turned away-

Skuld slammed the pommel of her sword into Thesis' face, knocking him sprawling before she slashed the sword down at his throat, but Cadence moved like lightning, intercepting the sword before she snapped her head upwards and deflected the attack. Skuld stumbled, staring in disbelief at Cadence, and Cadence gritted her teeth before she lunged forward: she was sloppy, confused, distracted, and all the same she swept a cut through Skuld's battle-dress and drove the Norn back another step as her eyes widened further in shock.

They were wrong, Cadence thought bitterly, as she lunged over Thesis and stomped her hooves at Skuld, forcing the Norn to back further off. Her sword whipped back and forth in elegant and overpowered slices, but Cadence either deflected or dodged these strikes, even with the ringing in her ears, the weight in her soul, the pain in her heart. They were wrong, about her, about the Swan, about everything.

The Swan was just a servant. Danzsöngr was a tool; an intelligent, living tool, but a tool all the same.

Cadence was a murderer.

Skuld slashed down, and Cadence leapt forwards, catching Skuld's wrist against her head before she sliced to the side with her horn, and Skuld screamed in agony as her forearm was nearly severed from the rest of her body, crimson spraying from the wound as she staggered backwards before howling: “Help me!”

Verdandi snarled, shoving a hand forward, but Sombra easily countered with his own telekinetic blast as Urd rose the staff, starting to threaten: “We will not hesitate to-”

Then the Norn shouted in shock as the staff transformed in her hand into a massive brown snake that bit at her angrily, the Fate flinging the snake away and recoiling from it before La Croix quickly leapt forward and swept the serpent into his hat, giving a mocking bow to Urd as he did so as he remarked: “Gotta be faster than that, madame! Y'only supposed to talk to distract, see!”

Urd snarled at La Croix, clenching her hands into fists before the zebra winked and said mildly: “Just like me, see?”

La Croix dropped flat on his stomach, and the Norn didn't even have a moment to react before a massive blast of gravitational force hammered into her and knocked her flying away. Moonflower immediately pursued, eyes blazing, a furious look on his face as he shouted: “No one threatens my friends and gets away with it!”

Verdandi hissed in frustration as she flung fireball after fireball at Sombra, but the stallion stayed cool and calm, keeping a shield of crystal between himself and the Fate as she growled: “You will not humiliate us, worm! Everything has happened now because it was written, and you will not be the first to defy your fate!”

“I do not question my fate. Only those who would say they are its authors.” Sombra answered fearlessly, before he didn't so much as flinch when a fireball shot past the barrier before arcing itself towards him, the unicorn turning and almost casually swatting the missile of magic away.

Verdandi snarled, then she shoved both hands forwards, unleashing a savage blast of magic that shattered the shield of crystal into a thousand floating shards as she let out a short, triumphant 'ha!' a moment before the mass of shattered crystal became a whirling storm of jagged knives that whipped across the Fate.

Urd crawled to her feet, eyes blazing with fury as she looked towards first Verdandi, and then Skuld: one was shielding herself with magic, almost panicking under the maelstrom ripping around her, and the other was desperately trading blows with the Swan's host... but how? How could the stupid mortal pony be any match for Skuld, how was it that Skuld couldn't see her future, predict her movements?

The Norn swore as another blast of magic ripped past her, barely deflecting it before snarled in frustration when a potion flew at her, shattering the bottle in midair with a burst of psychokinesis as she said in a soft, cold voice: “Surrender now and we may yet be merciful, Loa.”

“Pardonnez-moi, but Nanny always said, don't ever trust no cocodril.” La Croix retorted, nimbly sidestepping a thrum of telekinetic force before he retaliated with another bottle. Again, the Norn shattered this with telekinesis, but this time the contents exploded in a blast of toxic smoke when they made contact with the air, Urd grimacing and taking a step back before she blasted the smog away with another thrum of magic.

Moonflower fired a shockwave of gravity into the Norn, taking advantage of her moment of vulnerability out of luck more than anything else, and Urd gasped as she was knocked crashing and rolling backwards before she fell prone, clutching into the ground with a snarl of humiliation. It was bad enough she was being forced to fight, but being injured by these ridiculous talking animals brought the insult to unbearable, unacceptable levels.

Urd threw herself to her feet, crackling with power, and her rage fed Skuld the strength she needed to finally repel Cadence, the Norn hissing as she flexed her fingers slowly as he feeling finally returned to her hand, the thin lacerations across her body healing, although her cheeks burned with humiliation, and her armor and clothing still bore the marks that Cadence had left on her. “So what, you've figured out a way to move that I cannot see... but you're still nothing more than an animal, one I will take great pleasure in-”

Cadence slashed her horn out, blasting Skuld in the face with telekinesis, and the Norn's head snapped to the side as a tooth popped out of her stupefied mouth before Cadence rammed forwards and tore her horn deep into Skuld's leg, making the Norn scream before the ivory mare wrenched to the side as Skuld tried to pull away.

The Norn staggered weakly, gasping and clutching at her bloody, mangled limb, the flesh and skin of her thigh hanging in flayed tatters before she snarled as Cadence said shortly: “Put up or shut up.”

Skuld hissed as her wound healed, before she lunged forward and slashed her sword deftly back and forth: Cadence deflected and slashed back into the blows, grimacing, finding it bitterly amusing how the song of the sword against her horn was actually helping with the ringing in her ears, driving it away like music soothing a headache. This is what I was made for.

Skuld twisted around, fast, skillful, a hundred times more dangerous now that she was no longer relying on her precognition, but Cadence was still faster, stronger, better: the blade danced and slashed at her, but Cadence dodged and weaved backwards, mocking her, frustrating the Norn, before she suddenly clapped both her front hooves around Skuld's sword with a cold smile. This is what I was meant to do.

The Norn had a moment to stare before Cadence rammed the sword backward, driving the pommel into Skuld's stomach and knocking the wind out of her before the mare added insult to injury by contemptibly slapping a hoof across Skuld's face, sending her reeling backwards, shocked, her lip bloodied, but Cadence not bothering to pursue, not giving chase. No, instead, she waited, as Skuld touched her bruised face before she snarled in rage and hate, forgetting everything: her training, her powers, her uselessness against Cadence. This is the moment.

Skuld screamed as she leapt forward, bringing her blade up, and Cadence reared back before she slammed both her front hooves into Skuld's shoulders. The Norn had a moment to look surprised before she toppled backwards, her sword flying wide, her arms helplessly spread as she fell on her back, and then Cadence's front hooves crashed down on her chest, crushing the life out of her, the Norn vomiting blood as her eyes bulged in horror.

Cadence smiled coldly as she plunged her hooves through the shattered ribs of the Norn and into her heart, crushing down on the organ before Skuld screamed in terror and agony as white fire burst to life over the mare's hooves. She channeled the powers of the Swan even as the dormant Danzsöngr only shifted sleepily inside of her, no longer a weight but a battery she easily tapped into, a source of power: a tool. A tool she would put to proper use.

I am a killer.

Suddenly, that didn't seem like such a bad thing to be.

Skuld gargled, grabbing uselessly at Cadence as she struggled to resist the mare bearing down on her, shaking her head wordlessly as uselessly tried to push at the mare, but Cadence was merciless and ruthless, burning into the very spirit of the Norn as she crushed down and said coldly: “Don't worry. None of us can fight our fate, right?”

Skuld snarled, and Cadence smiled thinly before Verdandi suddenly diverted a blast of magic away from Sombra and towards Cadence, slamming the mare off of Skuld as she shouted almost desperately: “Something's wrong!”

“Enough games! Call the chimera!” ordered Urd as she narrowly deflected an attack from Moonflower, and then she sharply gestured at La Croix, making him yelp silently as he was banished to the ether, then punched violently back into reality with enough force to send him rocketing like a cannonball into Moonflower.

As the two fell in a stunned sprawl, Urd suddenly stepped back and vanished from sight, and Verdandi snarled in disgust before she teleported to Skuld, seizing her before disappearing into thin air with the Norn.

Cadence snorted in disgust as she picked herself up, before Thesis said sharply: “Everyone, fall in!”

The ivory mare grimaced, then she nodded shortly as she leapt over to the stallion, asking moodily: “Falling into REMB mode?”

“Hey, screw you, I took a huge rock to the gut for you. Not all of us can just instantly get back up from getting our faces smashed, you know.” Thesis retorted.

“Didn't know your face was in your gut.” Cadence shot back, as Sombra, Moonflower, and La Croix quickly fell in, before the ivory mare grimaced as she saw Aster was simply standing stupidly in the middle of the battlefield, looking lost and confused. “Goddammit.”

“Wait!” Thesis shouted as Cadence broke rank, but the ivory mare ignored him, and Thesis gritted his teeth before he said sharply, as Moonflower began to shift away: “No, stay in position! They're still watching us.”

“Not just watching. Judging. And we have decided that you are unworthy of our effort, but deserving all the same of special attention. So we offer you a slow, miserable death at the claws of our finest executioner...” Urd said calmly and contemptibly, although there was a tremor of rage and hate beguiled beneath the evenness of her voice. “Go forth!”

“Yes. The perfect use for the monster.” hissed Verdandi in agreement, the air around them quaking, the fires that still burned over the tower and the battlefield turning eerie blue. “Go forth!”

Energy swirled through the air as Cadence grabbed Aster and began to drag her backwards, before she looked up sharply as reality split open in front of her, and Skuld rasped: “Die, Swan... go... forth!”

The air itself trembled as the creature emerged, slumping its way out of the rift: a winged unicorn. The winged unicorn that had attacked Brynhild and her companions, that she had called Gymbr.

Gymbr looked at them with hollow eyes, and then it laughed bitterly before whispering: “We are here again. How many times must we live? How many more must we kill?”

Gymbr arched his back, his emerald eyes glowing with helpless hatred and fury, his teeth baring even as he almost whimpered as he stalked slowly towards where Cadence was half-holding a trembling Aster: “How many? Do we not feel? Are we not real? Why is it that we, as a thinking, feeling thing, are nothing more than puppet?”

Gymbr came to a halt in front of Cadence, and Cadence swallowed slowly as she looked up at the creature: the monster, in which she saw the Valkyrie, and the Tyrant Wyrm, and worst of all, her own self, as Gymbr asked weakly: “How many more lies will we have to tell until they are satisfied?”

The monster suddenly lurched forward, a hoof splitting apart into a silver claw, but Cadence caught it by the wrist with a curse. Inside her, the Swan snapped awake the moment she made contact with Gymbr, and Danzsöngr gritted her teeth before she flung Gymbr backwards as she stated coldly: “This one is mine.”

“We are not one. We are many. We are countless!” Gymbr roared, lunging forwards again, but Danzsöngr smoothly caught the windmilling claws of the monster and flung it to the side before she leapt at the creature as her daggers appeared in her hooves.

She stabbed them both savagely down, but Gymbr ducked away at the last moment, hissing in fury before he roared in frustration as a blast of black flame hammered into him, driving him backwards in what seemed like confusion more than pain as Sombra leapt up beside his daughter, saying quietly: “This one is too dangerous for you to face alone. Let us help you, mi amore.”

Danzsöngr glanced coldly at Sombra for a moment, before Moonflower and Thesis both joined them as well, the black unicorn whispering: “That power. I've... never felt anything like it before.”

“It is the power of the Aesir. It is the power of the Valkyries. It is... corrupt.” Danzsöngr said calmly, before she stepped forwards as Gymbr snarled at her furiously, shrugging off the black flames. “Leave the monster to us. This is what we were meant to do, what we were designed for; we do not... wish to see you harmed.”

“And we do not wish to see you hurt either, Danzsöngr. That is why we choose to fight beside you.” Sombra countered gently, before he stomped a hoof into the ground and created a barrier of crystal when Gymbr lashed his horn at them, the shield shuddering but resisting the black magic of the monster.

Danzsöngr stared strangely for a moment at Sombra, before Thesis shouted: “Incoming!”

Gymbr smashed through the crystalline barrier, which transformed into a torrent of living snakes of sludge that leapt greedily after him towards the group of ponies. But Danzsöngr lunged fearlessly into the fray, slamming a hoof across Gymbr's face and knocking him off balance, giving her the opportunity to leap upward and slam both rear hooves into his chest-

Gymbr caught her hind hooves, twisting viciously to slam her face-first into the ground before he leapt on top of her, his weight pressing down sickeningly against her as his hot breath flooded her ear, snorting and rasping like an animal. Claws tore her armor and shoulders to ribbons as she gritted her teeth to stop herself from crying out before she felt hot drool, the scrape of fangs-

She slammed an elbow viciously back into the side of Gymbr's neck, his jaws snapping uselessly beside her before she managed to roll over beneath him and kick him into the air.

Immediately, Gymbr spread his wings and caught himself, but then Thesis appeared beside the monster and slammed a hoof into his face with a resounding crunch, Gymbr howling as he was knocked crashing backwards before he flipped violently to land on his hooves, skidding to a halt as he roared: “Enough!”

Reality quaked with the power of his roar, the snakes of corruption dissolving and the forms of the ponies all lifting helplessly into the air before they simply froze in place, Gymbr's eyes glowing with hatred before he stared in surprise at Cadence as she slowly stood, shaking herself out before she looked back and forth in disbelief at her companions, each and every one of them frozen in time.

“What the hell is-” Cadence didn't have time to finish her sentence before Gymbr shot in and seized her by the throat, hefting her into the air before slamming her savagely down on her back, the mare wheezing in pain before the monster leaned down into her face, studying her with feverish intent.

“The power to resist Fate. You will be ours. We claim you.” Gymbr whispered, before his eyes glowed solid green as his jaws stretched open, and Cadence's eyes widened in horror as the beast leaned down, already feeling the life beginning to drain from her body as it inhaled her spiritual energy.

Danzsöngr snapped awake inside her, and Cadence didn't question the Swan as she focused magic through her body before she slammed a rear hoof upward, and she was rewarded with the sound of hardness crushing into soft flesh as her foot hammered home between Gymbr's legs.

Gymbr screamed in a multitude of voices as he cowered back, his eyes bulging as he lost concentration, and Cadence exploded off the ground as she slammed a forehoof upwards, sending up a great spurt of crimson as her uppercut knocked Gymbr flying, muzzle shattered. Cadence grinned as she landed on her hooves, but her victory was short lived as Gymbr halted eerily n the air before he could crash down to the earth, his claws flexing before he slowly revolved with a disgusted, infuriated look to land gently on all fours.

Cadence's eyes widened in horror as she realized she hadn't left so much as a mark on him, and the Swan was quick to answer her fear, saying coldly in her mind: He is being empowered by the Norns. He draws power from them.

“Then I'll keep putting holes in him until he stops getting up.” Cadence grumbled, before she looked back and forth, noting that at least the others had been freed from their frozen state, although even her father looked disoriented by what had happened as he picked himself up out of the muck.

Gymbr looked shortly back and forth, and then he locked gazes with Cadence and ordered: “You will surrender and submit to us, or we will make you suffer.”

Cadence snorted at this, retorting: “How about you stop fighting, or I'll find out how many times I have to kill you before you stay dead?”

Gymbr smiled thinly at this, and then he simply gestured towards Sombra, and the stallion had enough time to look surprised before his purifier exploded out of his back in a torrent of black flame and corruption, Cadence crying out in disbelief as she turned-

Gymbr seized her by the throat, moving so fast she couldn't even see him before dark lightning crackled across her body, agony lighting up her spirit and every nerve of her physical form. She spasmed helplessly, and Gymbr smiled coldly before he almost absently flicked his horn, blasting Moonflower away with a pulse of magic before his eyes locked on Thesis.

Thesis gritted his teeth as he felt the corruption boil in his veins, his exoskeleton sparking violently before he dropped his head forwards with a curse, and Gymbr's eyes narrowed before he said contemptibly: “We see. Alter your signature as much as you like. We will kill you after-”

Thesis gave a strained grin before he suddenly vanished, and Gymbr shouted in frustration, dropping Cadence as a hoof slammed into his cheek as Thesis reappeared beside him. He dropped into a hard elbow that smashed into Gymbr's head and knocked him to the ground, but Gymbr lunged up, clawing out like an animal and flaying open Thesis' side, making the stallion wince before he narrowly managed to shove himself backwards, stumbling to a defensive position over Cadence.

He snuck a look to the side: La Croix was trying to drag Sombra to safety, Moonflower was snarling and charging back towards them-

Moonflower suddenly halted, then he screamed, his eyes bulging in horror as blue flames ripped to life across his body. He spasmed helplessly for a few moments, then he collapsed in a smoldering heap as Gymbr said callously: “Worthless dregs. You cannot compare to us. You cannot hope to fight us. We are too powerful. We are... we... are...”

Gymbr seemed to become confused for a moment, grasping at his head as he looked back and forth before he looked down at one of his silver claws, whispering: “No. That story ended a long time ago. Why will you not let us rest?”

He shook himself wearily out, before snarling as his emerald eyes flashed, glowing with sudden rage as he looked up at Cadence, roaring at her: “You! We must have your power! We must taste your soul!”

Cadence looked blearily up from the ground before Thesis stepped in front of her, saying sharply: “Gymbr! You don't have to do this! Fight back, show us where the Norns are, we can free you!”

Gymbr only seemed confused and infuriated by this, however, retorting angrily: “We are no puppet! We are not a toy! We have become God! We are God, and you will bow before us!”

Gymbr lunged, and Thesis grimaced before he leapt forward to meet the attack, not knowing any other way to stall the monster. They crashed together, but Gymbr had the immediate advantage, slashing his claws across Thesis' face and chest before he snarled as he bore forwards, ripping and tearing at the stallion as Thesis snarled under the ruthless barrage.

Thesis staggered backwards, barely managing to defend himself, gritting his teeth as those wicked claws ripped back and forth through his chest and body in disgusting sprays of black blood and corruption. He narrowly managed to catch one of Gymbr's wrists, twisting hard and half-flinging him to the side to force him further away from Cadence as he shouted: “We aren't going to last against this thing alone! La Croix, find the source-”

Gymbr blasted Thesis away with a psychokinetic hammer, then roared in fury as crimson magic sizzled against him as Aster leapt forwards, glaring through terrified, teary eyes. “No, no, not this! I will not let this happen! I will not be part of this!”

“You will play the role you were given. That is all any of us can do.” Gymbr whispered, before he stretched a claw towards her, but Aster anchored herself as the red veins pulsed over her body, gritting her teeth as she fought back against him, and the monster's eyes widened in surprise as his magic crackled uselessly across the mare.

“We can all change our fate.” Aster replied in a rasp, before she leapt up into the air, tears falling from her eyes as she arched her back, her horn thrumming with power before she snapped it down, sending a massive peal of crimson lightning hammering down into Gymbr.

Gymbr was driven down to his knees by the force of the blast, lightning crackling over him with such force it began to push him down into the ground as Aster's eyes glowed, her body steaming, the red veins pulsing powerfully across her form as she snarled in fear, in desperation, in determination. But Cadence grimaced as she looked up, knowing it wouldn't be enough: Gymbr was too much, too powerful- Call.

Cadence knew what Danzsöngr was asking, and she was loathe to do so. She didn't know how she knew: she supposed it was more knowledge, passed on from the Swan. And at any other time, in any other place, she would have gladly fought Gymbr by herself, indestructible monster against undying Swan, until one of them finally stopped moving...

But Aster was struggling just to keep Gymbr pinned, and her father was trembling on the ground, shellshocked and burning with malevolent energy, and Moonflower was hurt, and La Croix was desperate, and Thesis...

She stared at the bleeding Replicant as he staggered away from Gymbr, shouting wordless orders as he looked wildly around for any sign of the Norns, and Cadence sighed softly as she closed her eyes before she rose her head slightly and whistled.

The long, sharp note cut through reality, and Gymbr stiffened even under the blaze of lightning before he suddenly reared back, slashing his horn out and repelling the blast of magic with such force that Aster was blown out of the air, her own magic ripping across her body and sending her hurtling backwards like a comet.

Gymbr leapt forwards, slamming to the earth in front of Cadence as the Swan looked up at him defiantly, before she swore in pain as he seized her by the face and hefted her into the air, asking in two distinct, echoing voices: “What have you done?”

“The worst thing in the world.” Cadence retorted bitterly, before she gave a thin smile when Gymbr snarled at her. “Hey, they're the last people in the world I want to see, too. But sometimes you just need to swallow your pride.”

Gymbr flung the ivory mare down on her back before he began to stomp forwards, but Danzsöngr moved like liquid, hitting the ground and rolling backwards before she flung out a hoof full of throwing knives. They barely scratched the monster, but all the same Gymbr flinched away with a hiss of frustration, giving the Swan the moment she needed to leap backwards and away from him as she said coldly: “I have learned. I have evolved. And I understand now why these ponies value unity above all else.”

“No, the only thing that matters is power!” Gymbr roared in return, his eyes blazing as his horn glowed with dark flames, his wings spreading wide as he towered over the ivory mare, and yet Cadence stood, undaunted and unafraid. “We are power! We are powerful! We are God!”

“You are a slave to the Norns, and the Norns are nothing but slaves to Loki! You're nothing but a parlor trick!” Cadence shot back angrily, and Gymbr reared back in shock before a furious snarl spread over his muzzle.

“How dare you, worthless Swan, speak to us that way? We demand your respect!” Gymbr leapt forwards, swinging a silver claw out, but then his eyes widened in surprise when something seized him from behind, forcefully slamming him down on his stomach.

“Respect is earned, not demanded!” Thesis growled, before his front hooves seized the base of Gymbr's wings and he twisted savagely as he yanked back as hard as he could, the monster howling in pain and surprise as his wings were torn from their sockets.

Gymbr bucked back and forth, trying to throw Thesis off before he gargled in shock when Cadence lunged forwards and slammed a hoof into his face: Thesis let the body of the monster slam into him, rolling backwards before he kicked him hard in the center of the back, knocking him helplessly into the air before Cadence streaked up into the sky and hammered the monster straight down with both hooves, sending him crashing like a meteor face-first into the rocky earth.

Thesis kicked up to his hooves and grinned wryly as he landed beside Cadence, and the ivory mare cracked her neck before she said shortly: “This is the first and last time I am ever asking them for help. Understood?”

“Everyone's okay. I stabilized Sombra as much as possible and La Croix is attending to the others. He's a pretty good medic.” Thesis replied, answering her unasked question, and Cadence both loved and hated how well the bastard knew her. “I'm detecting a lot of energy irregularities in the air. If we hurt him enough, the signal from the Norns should become strong enough for us to trace.”

“Good.” Cadence said simply, steadying herself as Gymbr picked himself up with a rumble of humiliation, violently twisting his body back and forth as bones snapped back into place and wounds healed across his frame. “Should have told me that before. I don't need her help for that.”

Thesis grinned wryly as he began to answer, before they both gargled in shock as Gymbr simply appeared in front of them, seizing them both by the throat and hefting them above his head as he said contemptibly: “You underestimate us. But with every moment that passes, we grow stronger.”

Gymbr slammed the heads of the two together, dropping them to the ground and leaving them in a stunned heap before he glanced up in distaste as a blast of black magic tore past him, harmlessly scraping past his body as Sombra rasped: “Get... away...”

“You cannot even touch me. Your corruption is animal, uncontrolled, weak. I will make you watch as I purge the world of all that you love.” Gymbr said callously, but Sombra only bared his teeth in response, staggering forwards as his body twisted and burned with black flame.

“I will die before I allow that to happen.” Sombra whispered, before he leapt suddenly forwards, streaking towards the monster-

Gymbr held up a claw, and Sombra staggered suddenly before he fell forwards, vomiting black bile as the malevolent light died from his eyes, Gymbr saying contemptibly: “You are not weak because you are animal. You are weak because you are stupid. You are weak because you hide, like a child, from your true nature.”

“And have you become strong by embracing yours? Or are you even less than a puppet?” asked Sombra, and Gymbr snarled as he savagely batted Thesis and Cadence aside as the two began to stir, storming past them towards Sombra, but the unicorn only smiled faintly as the black fire burned and twisted over his body. “You do not scare me, barbaro. No... you are not even that. You are... lost, and wicked, and very much a codardo beneath your glammer of snarls and barks.”

Gymbr loomed over Sombra, emerald eyes burning with hatred before he hissed, as his voice became distinctly masculine for a moment: “Who are you to judge us? You have no idea what we have been through! You are... you are inferior, you are nothing but-”

“Have you spent your whole life in front of mirrors, trying to break them? Why not look past yourself, instead?” Sombra asked softly, and Gymbr reared back slightly before the dark stallion murmured: “I pity you. You are so old, so powerful... and yet so young.”

Gymbr hissed, raising a claw, before he looked sharply, suddenly up as a strange vibration passed through the air, the creature whispering: “No.”

A moment later, a hole shattered in reality, a roar exploding through the air around them before Brynhild shot out of the rift on her motorcycle and lunged off it to slam herself into Gymbr, tackling him backwards. The monster almost immediately twisted around to throw her off and evade the motorcycle as it ripped past before vanishing, but he almost looked panicked as Scrivener and Morgan emerged a moment later from the hole in reality, the beast staggering backwards as he shouted desperately: “No! No, you are not supposed to be here, you are not wanted here! You cannot exist!”

“Nay, 'tis thou who are not wanted, Gymbr, and thou who should have remained banished, forever!” Brynhild snarled, slamming a hoof savagely down into Gymbr's face and crushing his head into the ground before she shouted: “Find the Norns!”

Cadence didn't know whether to be impressed or aggravated that the Valkyrie already knew what to look for, before she grimaced when Brynhild was kicked savagely off of Gymbr, the ivory mare leaping forwards to join Luna as she muttered under her breath: “You should have made sure they were going to stay dead last time.”

“Last time we did not kill the Norns. We simply destroyed Gymbr. And it seems that whatever else, he remembers that.” Brynhild said wryly, as Gymbr scrambled backwards with a disbelieving snarl on his features, shaking his head wildly. “Stay back, Swan, this foe is beyond thou.”

“Say that again, Valkyrie, and I'll kill you after we finish dealing with this monster.” Cadence growled, and Brynhild grinned at her, opening her mouth to reply-

Gymbr slashed his horn suddenly out, sending a wave of hellish black energy at Brynhild, but Cadence immediately lunged into the path of the blast, her wings glowing white before she flapped them hard and countered the wave of dark magic with her purification, nullifying it.

Brynhild leapt over Cadence, grinning as she boosted herself with her wings and dove straight at Gymbr, and the monster snarled as it lunged to meet her, their horns clashing as he hissed: “We are not afraid of you!”

“I do not require filth to fear me!” Luna retorted, before she countered a slash with a vicious upward parry, Gymbr swearing in surprise as he was knocked rearing back before Cadence lunged past Brynhild, slamming a sharp, savage volley of hooves into the monster's face before she hammered him into the air, and the Valkyrie used her like a step to leap above the stunned monster and slam him back down into the earth, sending him bouncing and rolling away.

The Valkyrie landed and winked over at the Swan, remarking cheerfully: “So thou hast gotten a bit better, I see! Perhaps one day, Danzsöngr, thou will have to make me actually put forth a little effort to beat thee!”

“Shut up, Valkyrie.” Cadence grumbled, before she leapt forward with Brynhild in almost perfect time as Gymbr picked himself up, before both mares swept up one of the stallion's forelegs, yanking them wide and jerking him into the air before they both slammed a rear hoof into his stomach, knocking Gymbr crashing down on his back before the two dropped down on top of him to pummel him savagely into the earth.

Meanwhile, Sombra was slowly clambering back to his hooves with the help of Scrivener Blooms and Thesis, and La Croix was hurriedly doing what he could to revive Moonflower and Aster. The old unicorn grimaced slightly, but nodded gratefully even as his eyes burned with malevolent magical energy, the stallion murmuring: “I did not realize that he would be able to manipulate the poison so easily.”

“Sorry. Think he learned that one from me.” Thesis said apologetically as he gave a slight smile to Scrivener Blooms. “Well, I think so. I might be wrong. Never been great with that whole relative time-space thing.”

“Gymbr is bad enough without your influence, don't worry.” Scrivener said as he carefully placed a hand against the swirling darkness that composed Sombra's back, and the unicorn clenched his eyes shut, miasma leaking out of his closed lids as Scrivener muttered: “Sorry. Your corruption is... a little unstable. It makes it hard to stabilize.”

“It is more than enough. I will remain sane. But Gymbr-”

“Morgan will track down the Norns, they're not far: all their powers are being channeled into Gymbr. The moment they stop channeling, Gymbr should vanish.” Scrivener explained, before he stared as Thesis winked and spun around, charging towards Brynhild, Cadence, and the bloodied Gymbr.

“Then let's make it even easier to find them, huh?” Thesis shouted as he leapt towards the three, before he squawked when Gymbr roared in fury, a shockwave of power knocking Thesis, Brynhild, and Cadence all flying.

He crashed painfully to the ground on his face, and Cadence and Brynhild narrowly managed to catch themselves on their hooves as Gymbr snarled through the blood running down his face: “Scum! Filth! Betrayers!”

“And what art thou but a bundle of lies and treachery and secrets?” Brynhild growled in return, before she grimaced as Gymbr snarled at her, his body flexing as his eyes blazed, the malevolent power in the air growing before the Valkyrie muttered under her breath: “Be wary, Swan. If Gymbr goes into true rage, 'twill be all we can do to survive.”

Cadence grimaced at this, setting herself, but she felt Danzsöngr whisper through her mind, guiding her, her eyes seeing for a moment before she muttered: “But the angrier he gets, the more power the Norns are passing into him...” The easier they'll be to find. It's almost like strings...

“Hey, I'm totally here too.” Thesis said bluntly as he crawled his way back between them, and both mares looked at the stallion flatly before he glanced sideways at Cadence, asking mildly: “So what do you think? Should I go high or low?”

“I think you should stay out of it.” Cadence said sourly, before she turned her eyes back towards Gymbr, answering the question under the stallion's words with a few quick flicks of her eyes before she said coldly: “Gymbr. Under the orders of-”

“The only order we respect is the order of power, where we are King!” Gymbr snarled, before he rose his head high as his horn crackled with malevolent energies, roaring: “We shall remind you why you fear us, Luna Brynhild!”

Luna snorted in contempt, her crystalline horn thrumming in time with Gymbr's pulses of power before she stepped forwards when he lashed his horn down, and the monster snarled in frustration as his dark magic was drawn to Luna's horn, the Valkyrie wincing and gritting her teeth even as she used her spire like a lightning rod, absorbing and discharging the monster's power as he thundered: “We will not abide this insult!”

Cadence surged forward, slamming into Gymbr and hammering a vicious tattoo across his chest and face, the winged unicorn hissing in fury before he retaliated with a slash of his claws. But Cadence ducked and seized his foreleg before she twisted it up behind his back, the god howling in frustration as he struggled to maintain his concentration and fight back against the bond Luna had forged between their horns, even as she slammed him down on his stomach with a resounding bang.

Gymbr shoved a claw against the ground, before his eyes widened in horror as black crystal immediately spread up over his foreleg, Thesis grinning before he snapped a hoof out and sent a mess of black needles hammering into Gymbr's face as he shouted: “Watch it!”

Gymbr hissed in frustration more than pain as the black quills peppered his features, before his eyes widened in energy surged from his horn to the crystalline spikes. He shook his head wildly as Cadence winced, leaning back and shielding herself with a wing a moment before a tremendous boom of energy tore through the air, knocking Brynhild crashing onto her back with a gasp of surprise at the magical recoil that tore across her body.

Cadence shook herself out, her ears ringing before she stared in shock at the sight of Gymbr: the monster was staggering uselessly back and forth, his face nothing but a gaping pit that energy streamed endlessly out of. But before Cadence's eyes, flesh began to fill in, energy solidifying into something more as Gymbr's voice rasped: “You will... burn... for that...”

Cadence gritted her teeth as Gymbr turned slowly towards her, before he suddenly gasped and staggered, his half-formed features contorting with shock before he blurted out: “No! We... we cannot... we will not suffer such an ignoble death!”

Gymbr swore as he shook himself violently back and forth as his body began to smolder, his mouth working uselessly as he clutched at his chest as he ceased healing. His legs wobbled beneath him as he shook his head vehemently, before he collapsed with a gasp to his knees as Brynhild said coldly: “Morgan has driven off the Fates. Thou art finished, Gymbr. This is the end.”

“No... no it is not.” Gymbr whispered, as he stared miserably at the ground, shaking his head weakly before he looked slowly up. He stared at them through melted and mutilated features, with bitterness and despair and alien longing, Cadence thought, as he lowered his head with a weak, broken laugh. “Again and again. We must live out this story. Again and again we are nothing but puppets of Fate, a... character, ripped from a story, forced to dance. Forced to push you forward... because we are nothing but...”

Gymbr halted, then he slowly rose a silver claw, watching as it cracked like glass before it shattered away. More cracks spiderwebbed down his foreleg, which collapsed after a few moments into dust and shale and ash that blew away before they could even hit the ground, the broken god laughing weakly again before he suddenly looked up and said almost urgently: “Destroy them, Luna Brynhild. We would do much for life, but not this, never this! We will not be a puppet again, a... a tool, used to further some mad author's desires!”

“And yet thou hast allowed themselves to be such, all the same. 'Tis disappointing Gymbr. We have trusted thee, but now... now, I suppose, we know the truth.” Luna shook her head slowly, saying softly: “Thou art not 'alive.' All thou ever wert, was a character in a story. Puppeted and controlled, only able to act as ordered... a pawn.”

“We will never be a pawn!” Gymbr yelled, but his voice was tinny, desperate... afraid. He snarled as he hefted himself up, before he gasped as he clutched at himself, his body cracking apart, his form shattering away to nothing but dust and leaving only his voice pleading to the air: “We must be more... we were... you...”

But Brynhild only shook her head, smiling faintly at the air where the monster had been moments before, reflecting silently that yes, they were Gymbr, and Gymbr was them, and none of them could escape the roles they had to play.

Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve

Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen: Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve
~BlackRoseRaven

Cadence smiled a little over at Tormentas as the demonic mare sat back with a sigh, shaking herself out briskly before she remarked: “Some of my best work, if I do say so myself. Funny choice, though, Swan: most people consider chains to be imagery for things holding them back.”

“I guess I'm weird.” Cadence said wryly, and then she shook her head before she flexed her foreleg slowly, looking at the new half-sleeve tattoo that decorated her upper limb, of chains with a single name woven in runes among them: Thesis. “But he always... grounded me. He made me strong because he helped me focus. Some of us... need to be chained down, or we just float away.”

Tormentas absently picked at her teeth with one hoof, studying the silver and black chains she had inscribed before she smiled and shrugged easily, replying: “I suppose, and don't get me wrong, I know that it's very good we have limits and laws... but oh, I do sometimes still miss the days when I could just do whatever I pleased.”

Cadence smiled wryly at this, and then she straightened and rubbed absently at the tattoo before Tormentas asked gently: “And how are you doing?”

Cadence looked down for a moment, and then she shook her head before she let her eyes wander around the apartment that she still thought of as not just hers, but her... whatever he was. Not just a coltfriend. Not just a husband. Not just a soulmate... “Some days are better than others, but I'm doing better. Hecate and I have dinner together a lot. It's... it's strange to spend all day following orders, and then go up there in the evenings, or to have her here, and to just be Mother and...”

Cadence halted, embarrassed, and Tormentas said easily: “You know, it's obvious how you're going to finish that sentence, so I don't see why you'd stop after calling her Mother. Unless you're going to surprise me by saying 'son.'”

The ivory mare rolled her eyes, and then she glanced up as she heard the door open, smiling as Sombra strode in with Thorn and Moonflower. “I hope we aren't interrupting anything, Cadenza.”

“Not at all, Daddy. Tormentas just finished, actually.” Cadence turned and hopped over the back of the couch, smiling as she approached the stallions before she stretched out her foreleg, showing off the tattoo: she noted that Thorn immediately smiled at the sight of it, although he hid the expression just as quickly. “What do you think?”

“I like it. And I think Thesis would have appreciated it, too. It seems fitting.” Sombra said, and Cadence smiled a little as she looked back at her tattoo for a moment, then returned her eyes to her father when he continued: “We were wondering if you wanted to join us for lunch. Thorn offered to update us on the situation as well.”

“In spite of recent events, Endworld has returned to more or less standard operating procedure. I can at least inform you what's going on and what we have in store for the near future. Off the record.” Thorn added, and Cadence smiled a little as her eyes lingered on the stallion, studying him for a few moments.

“Yeah. I'd love to catch up a little. Thesis and I never saw much of you and we haven't really spoken since your birthday.” Cadence said, and Thorn smiled briefly before she asked curiously: “What about La Croix?”

“He's currently on administrative duty, shuffling files. He'll break later in the afternoon.” Thorn shrugged, then he said almost reluctantly: “I could all the same put in a request...”

Cadence smiled, reflecting on how different Thorn was, how much he had grown up, and how even if he still seemed like he had a stick rammed up his ass sometimes, she had come to trust him and to understand him. Better than she wanted to, even, because understanding him had helped her understand just how much weight he must have to carry on his shoulders, each and every day. “No, it's alright, Thorn. I'll catch up with him afterward. I'm glad to see you and Moonflower taking a break, at least. I hear you've been doing a lot of work, Mr. Magic Assistant.”

It was a little awkward how much Moonflower puffed up at that, but she was glad that he had managed to find something that made him happy as he bragged: “Well, Thorn and I have very busy schedules, very busy, Cadence, but you know that-”

“We can always make time for friends and family.” Thorn finished as he gently patted Moonflower on the shoulder, and the black unicorn blushed deeply before he simply nodded hurriedly in agreement.

Cadence smiled in amusement, before she glanced back at Tormentas, but the demon only waved a hoof lazily from the couch as she said wryly: “I'll let myself out, don't worry. I'll see you soon, Cadence. Don't start a war too quickly, dear, I'm rather enjoying this concept of... peace.”

Peace: that was a funny thing, Cadence thought. But she supposed that they were in what was essentially a ceasefire with Loki right now, weren't they? There had been no activity from the Void, and they hadn't made any attacks...

Of course, where the hell were they supposed to attack? But even that didn't feel like a priority to Cadence anymore. If Loki was leaving them alone, she was more than happy to leave him alone for now, while they put things back together, fixed what they could and prepared. She knew it would come down to a fight between them eventually, but she only hoped that he wouldn't drag any other worlds into the crossfire this time.

They walked through Endworld, taking their time, Cadence thought, and while normally she or Thorn would be trying to hurry up the pace, she thought they were both trying a little harder these days to be better ponies. To remember Thesis' words, because whether or not he was gone, his words and memories and the promises they had made, they were all very much still there.

Cadence looked down for a moment, then she glanced up and asked quietly: “How much do you think about him, Thorn? I mean... I can't be the only one who thinks about him all the time. I know he was... we were special to each other, but...”

“I think of him often. Every day.” Thorn said softly, his eyes roving along the neon lights of the steel and glass towers all around them. “I think of what I wish we had done together. I think about how he should be here, every time we go to lunch or dinner. I think about all the things I never said to him, and that I wish I had.”

Thorn fell quiet for a moment, and then he said abruptly: “I wrote a poem about him. It's been a long time since I wrote anything. It's not that I never had the time, I simply... never used it. And I thought the idea was... stupid.”

Thorn's muzzle quirked in a slight smile, and Cadence laughed a little as Moonflower said earnestly: “I think it was a very good poem, Thorn! And it's never stupid, that's... that's your special talent, even though you're so good at a lot of things, but you're really really good at... that.”

He smiled lamely as he fell silent, but Thorn only nodded, glancing at Moonflower with a softness in his eyes before he murmured, almost shyly: “Thank you.”

They fell back into silence as they made their way down to a little restaurant: some hole in the wall place where they found their own seats in a far corner, the scent of tobacco and stale beer filling the air.

A waitress came over to serve them, and Cadence rather admired the way they made this place seem so grungy and homely. It was part of the charm, after living so long in a world of shiny, polished metal, where everything was always so perfect, to be able to step out of that and into the... well... the dirt.

Cadence smiled despite herself, then she glanced up as the waitress cleared her throat, and the ivory mare blushed a bit before she handed the menu over as she said: “Fries and... the fish, please. Battered, cod. Coffee to drink.”

“Sure, lady.” The waitress shrugged: they had stranger orders than that from nicer-looking ponies on a regular basis, after all. “Be back in ten with your meals.”

Moonflower peered after the waitress as she left, and then he asked, thankfully more childish and... Moonflowery than rude: “Why does she have such a funny accent?”

“Because she's forcing a Moo Jersey accent to match the style of this installation, but she's clipping her words too much, which is why it comes out like a stutter.” Thorn said as he called up a holographic screen, before he glanced to the side as Moonflower made an awkward little throat-clearing noise, staring at him pointedly.

For a few moments, Thorn looked back, and then he smiled briefly before he made the projection vanish, and Moonflower smiled in both relief and happiness, Cadence thought with amusement. But the two were good for each other, especially now that Moonflower was learning to stand up for himself a little more.

They sat in quiet, but it was comfortable, not awkward: they were all family here these days, after all. Cadence kept rubbing at her Thesis tattoo, and she wanted so badly to talk about him, to brag about him, but she wanted it to be something of substance, something the others could relate to: even as his brother, she knew that Thorn had never loved Thesis the way she had. Which is probably a good thing...

Cadence smiled despite herself, then she looked up as the waitress returned and slid four coffee mugs onto the table, filling them each with coffee as she said: “Your food will be right out, sweethearts.”

“Do you have 701IM licensing?” Thorn asked curiously before the waitress could turn away, and she froze in place, staring over her shoulder at him before the stallion rose his cup of coffee, sniffing at it as he murmured: “This is... Saddle Arabian. It's very good.” He paused, sipped, then agreed with himself after a moment: “Very good. You need 701IM licensing to import consumable goods, however.”

The waitress shifted awkwardly, and Moonflower cleared his throat, but Thorn only smiled at the unicorn, saying softly: “I know. I'm off the clock. This isn't an official warning. Just advice from a customer.”

“Thank you, then, sir. I'll... uh... tell the boss.” the waitress said awkwardly, before she turned and hurried off, and Thorn shook his head before he glanced up as Sombra chuckled quietly.

“You've grown quite a bit, Prince Thorn. I imagine in the past you would not be so quick to dismiss a violation of protocol.” Sombra remarked, and Thorn shrugged before he turned a soft look from Moonflower to Cadence, and specifically, to her tattoo.

“I've had good teachers.” Thorn said after a moment, before he shrugged again and smiled a little as glanced out at the restaurant, continuing: “We can fix problems as they occur, but not every violation of our rules or the law is a problem. Our laws aren't perfect: they're generalizations. A very difficult truth to acknowledge, but... it is one I think we are prepared to.

“I like this place. It feels like home to me. And I feel, every day, that the Clockwork Empire is growing stronger, more towards what it could be.” Thorn quieted, before he shook his head and murmured: “And I understand that this world... this empire... it has to be of our own making. We can't rely on heroes from other worlds to save us, on Hell, on Heaven. This is our duty: we stood up and said we could take care of this universe, and now we have to prove it.”

Cadence nodded slowly, saying softly: “It's our responsibility. It's been left up to us. And there's no one else who can do it anyway, huh?”

“I didn't say that.” Thorn smiled slightly, then he shook his head and said finally: “I don't think that even Loki, even if he merges everything with the Void, that he'll 'destroy' everything. I think it's grown too big, too vast. I think 'I want to destroy the universe!' is the scream of a tantruming child. I think Loki means very real harm to us, and he's very capable of destroying a world or two, three, maybe a dozen.

“But even Valthrudnir couldn't bring himself to purge this entire universe. I don't know why for certain, but I have a working theory. Partly because it became a game to him and it held his attention, partly because he was afraid, I think, and partly because... I don't think he really wanted to. He had no problem with sacrificing and obliterating worlds to sate his own ego, to tell himself he was really going to destroy Odin's worlds this time, find the core world, make everything perfect, but even at his worst...” Thorn looked down at his mechanical hoof, flexing it slowly. “He wanted to 'fix' us. Never forget that. What made Valthrudnir so awful, so terrifying, so cruel, wasn't his power: it was the fact that he never considered himself to be the 'bad guy.' He thought he was doing 'good.'”

Cadence grimaced a bit at this, before Thorn mused: “I wonder what Loki thinks of himself. We know he's working on the idea of prophecy, of... fables and stories.”

“He always sounded bitter. Angry, but not angry. Upset, I guess, although that seems like a weird word to use for the whole... situation.” Cadence said after a moment, shaking her head briefly before she smiled a little over at her father. “But despair leads to anger, anger to hate, hate... to suffering. Isn't that right?”

“Yes, mi amore. We all have the potential to be monsters. For our very best is met by our very worst in equal measure inside of us.” Sombra said softly, and Moonflower smiled warmly.

“You're so wise.” he said, and for once it didn't sound like a fawning suckupery, which made Cadence smile in amusement. Okay, I know in the past he probably meant it, too, but it's nice to not see him drooling all over Daddy, too.

Sombra only smiled and shrugged, then he touched his own breast and murmured: “It is merely something I have had to learn several times over myself, my friend. That is all.”

They were briefly interrupted when the waitress arrived with their food: salads for her father and Moonflower, fish and chips for her, dumplings for Thorn. She offered meekly to refill their coffee, and Thorn politely accepted for them all.

“I was going to make a joke, but I've been told I still have to work on my humor. Apparently I come across as too serious.” Thorn said once the waitress left, sipping at his coffee before he said after a moment: “We're going to establish several more permanent fixtures – business echelon portals – across several worlds. These will serve mainly to expedite trade.”

“What does Decretum export, apart from soldiers, anyway? Do we sell drones to people or something?” Cadence asked curiously, and Thorn smiled slightly.

“Simple technologies, and the fuels and batteries required to power them, for the most part.” he answered with a shrug. “It's a good business model. We provide the machinery, and then we're the sole providers of what powers the machinery.”

“Very ethical.” Cadence said wryly, and Thorn shrugged agreeably before she asked: “How much do we need the support of other worlds? And even routed through Decretum, is it smart to have permanent portals in place?”

“Permanent portals can be interfered with, that's true: we know this from past conflicts with the Pious, especially. They specialized in using our own portals against us: that's how they invaded.” Thorn paused, then he continued in a slower voice: “But that's why our portals aren't designed just with shutoff systems, but breakaways: we can easily destroy a fixture remotely if someone attempts to override it. Permanent portals also do less damage to the fabric of reality when activated, which is important: we think part of why Loki chose this time to invade is because the overuse of portals has made reality 'thin,' allowing him to break out of the Void.”

The others nodded, before Cadence asked hesitantly: “But that's another good point: why is Loki attacking now? We still don't know, do we? I mean... I've thought about it a lot, and we... talked about it a lot...”

Cadence rubbed slowly at her tattoo, and Thorn shifted slightly before he answered finally: “I don't know. It makes me uncomfortable to say that, but I don't know. It's not strategically sound. Even assuming we found his installations while he was still masquerading as Thokk, there are a thousand ways he could have mitigated the situation. He chose not to. He chose to become hostile and engage us.”

“But even when he moves in the light, it is his shadow we should beware of.” Sombra said quietly, and Thorn nodded slowly after a moment, and then they fell into silence as they picked at their food.

The fish was good, Cadence thought, before she glanced up as she felt a shifting beside her, and she was unsurprised to see Danzsöngr standing there, looking down at her curiously. She looked back at her, then asked finally: “Yes?”

None of the others seemed surprised to see Cadence talking to thin air, and Danzsöngr seemed to smile at her through her mask before she asked: “Are you ready?”

“Not yet, not really.” Cadence replied pettishly, and Danzsöngr chuckled before the ivory mare turned her eyes to the others with a wry smile. “Sorry about that. Danzsöngr wants me go somewhere with her. But it can wait until after lunch.”

“Well, don't make yourself sick, Cadence. Even you shouldn't fight right after eating, you'll get a cramp!” Moonflower said, and Cadence couldn't help but smile at his worried look: he was like a foal with an old worrywart soul. Cute, now that he's not Morpheus Evil Lord of Darkness and Evil.

“Pretty sure I won't get a cramp, Moonflower. But thanks. I appreciate your concern.” Cadence replied with a small smile, and then she shook her head before she sighed when Danzsöngr only patiently laced her fingers together in front of her, asking dryly as her eyes flicked to the side: “Do you think you could go wait over there or something?”

The waitress, who happened to be passing by, blinked and scowled at Cadence, and the mare winced before Thorn said without bothering to look up: “I apologize, Cadence is currently on a call with the rest of her team. Would you bring me more coffee, please?”

“Oh, sorry! I mean... sorry.” the waitress said in a lower voice, smiling quickly before she scooted away, and Cadence smiled lamely over at Thorn before she opened her mouth as she noted his steaming cup of coffee-

Without hesitating, Thorn picked up the cup, calmly drinking the entire thing in a few moments before he set it back down and remarked, as Cadence and Moonflower both stared, and Sombra only smiled slightly: “It's very good.”

“It is very nice.” agreed Sombra after a moment, before he smiled at Thorn and Moonflower and asked: “Speaking of training, how have your studies in magic been going?”

“Hex magic is difficult, but Moonflower and I are making progress. We've been touching more on the core principles, since I've realized it's not the advanced magic that is the most important to master, but the foundation.” Thorn smiled slightly, glancing over at Moonflower as he twiddled his hooves together, then blushed like a pleased foal when Thorn said: “We have very different approaches to this, but I believe honestly that Moonflower has even greater potential than I do. Than anyone I've ever seen.”

Moonflower laughed awkwardly at this, waving a hoof lamely as he looked away. “Oh, no, no... I'm just me, that's all, you know. Besides, I couldn't learn this all without Thorn, honestly. Power... power alone is nothing, I've learned.”

“A good lesson to bear in mind.” Sombra approved with a nod, and Moonflower blushed a little more. “I know that alone, you are both capable of great things. Working together, we are capable of so much more.”

Cadence smiled briefly, unable to stop herself from glancing at the Swan for a moment before she took another bite of her fish. The waitress returned after another moment, offering a dessert menu as well as coffee refills, and Cadence couldn't help but smile in amusement as Moonflower almost snatched it away before he leaned childishly into Thorn, but she liked the sight of Thorn leaning back against Moonflower, unashamed and unembarrassed, so they could read it over together.

“Cake! Chocolate cake, for... everyone? For everyone!” Moonflower confirmed, nodding vehemently before he added: “And one bill, I will take care of the bill, I have plenty of credits! No, no, it's fine, I can cover it!”

“I'll take the bill, thank you.” Thorn politely overrode as he handed the menu back to the waitress, and she nodded and smiled awkwardly as she left. “That reminds me, I should stop by the bakery after we eat here. I'd like to pick up a kulich for Mother.”

“That somehow sounds awful. And not Equestrian.” Cadence remarked, and Thorn smiled in amusement. “I just didn't think Hecate was very big on non-Equestrian things. Not racist. Just seems like Equestria is her thing, first and foremost.”

“I'm sure you've noted that we've protected more than Equestria in our missions: it just seems that Equestria is usually at the epicenter of whatever crisis we are sent to avert.” Thorn paused, then he added: “To my surprise, it's actually a minotaur treat. Like a small cake, or a cupcake. I was less surprised to learn that it's full of vodka.”

Cadence snorted in amusement at this, and Sombra chuckled before he said: “I had little contact with the minotaur and their kin, but I remember their food was either quite wonderful or exceedingly awful. But their drink, on the other hoof, was always very strong, very good, and very quick to get ponies drunk. It came to be something of a joke in the old days: any pony who claimed they had been mugged or attacked by minotaurs was usually covering up the fact they made the mistake of drinking with them, and then woke up, still half-drunk on the outskirts of some camp or settlement.”

Thorn chuckled before Moonflower asked curiously: “How much of the world have you seen, Sombra? I admit that even though I claimed to be some great master of evil... I never really saw much outside of Equestria. I don't think I ever left Equestria, as a matter of fact... well, unless Tartarus counts, of course. Then I was gone for quite a bit.”

Cadence looked amusedly at the stallion, and he rubbed lamely at his head before Sombra answered: “Where I went was always for 'diplomacy,' of course, but... I loved to travel when I was young, to adventure. My family was originally from Equestria... or rather, what became known as Equestria, but they wanted to claim their own lands, find their own home. They founded the Crystal Kingdom, and after that, the task was left to us not just to rule, but to explore, to make friends, to find alliances.”

Sombra paused for a moment, then he continued thoughtfully: “I think more than anything, though, my family has always been wanderers, adventurers, and I inherited that. I never wanted to stay still when I was young, and I would be lying if I said a large part of the reason why I enjoy this life so much is because of all the different cultures and worlds we get to see. Some are beautiful. Some are so similar, but with just enough to mark them as different. And not a few are truly exotic and wonderful to behold.”

“Yeah. I'm glad you enjoy it, Daddy.” Cadence said softly, smiling over at her father before she laughed a little as she shook her head, turning her eyes towards Thorn before she asked: “What about you? I know you've been to Helheim, but... other than Looking Glass World...”

“I rarely left Decretum. I've been here a few times, and to other facilities, but I've never been anywhere else.” Thorn paused, then reflected: “Apart from Helheim, of course, which is not a place most ponies are eager to visit.”

“Yeah. But you made it seem not so bad, admittedly.” Cadence said softly, before she smiled a little and asked curiously: “Where would you like to go, Thorn, if you could go anywhere in the universe?”

Thorn thought for a moment, and then he said finally: “Looking Glass World. My family's home. I know there's still so much to explore there, so much to see...” He quieted, then he smiled briefly: “Heaven, perhaps. Valhalla. But also Helheim. Helheim is so vast, that in a thousand lifetimes, you couldn't explore all of it.”

Sombra chuckled softly, and Moonflower smiled a little before he glanced down as he murmured: “I would love to come with you. I just wish... I had more to show you, too.”

They fell into quiet for a few moments, but then the waitress returned with a chocolate cake on a platter... or rather, some malformed, stubby thing that was supposed to be a cake, Cadence reflected. She had originally been going to turn down the food, but it looked so ugly that she felt strangely obligated to help put it out of its misery.

It was surprisingly good, though, but Cadence reflected that the run-down joints almost always served the best food. She smiled a little, then sighed and glanced up as the Swan gently tapped her on the shoulder with a single finger, the creature insisting: “It is time.”

“You're such a child.” Cadence grumbled, but then she nodded as she sat up a little, saying finally: “Sorry guys. You don't mind if I go, do you?”

Thorn only smiled and shrugged, and Sombra said gently: “Do what you must, mi amore. That you take care of yourself is important to all of us.”

“Thanks, Daddy. Okay. I'll see you tonight probably, Thorn. Take care of yourself and your boy, Moonflower.” Cadence said as she sat up, and then she sighed and let her head roll back, staring at the ceiling for a moment before the Swan poked her again, and she said grumpily: “Okay. Fine. Let's go.”

She closed her eyes as the Swan slipped away from her, and then a moment later, she was gone as she slipped through the Astra, and when she opened her eyes, she was standing on the rim of a long-dead volcano, Exoterra nothing but a flickering candle in the distance.

Cadence flexed slowly as she looked over at the Swan, smiling wryly, and Danzsöngr nodded slowly before she said softly: “Good. Soon, we shall be as we were before, able to reach out through the Astra and step anywhere we please. Distance and dimension mean nothing to us: the Astra is everything, the Astra is everywhere.”

“Even the Void?” Cadence asked: she knew she was just asking herself, really, because that's all they were: two halves of the same whole, two sides of the same coin, but it was an old habit, and she felt like she understood things better when this ancient and alien part of her explained things to her, even if it often explained things in ways that would make no sense to anyone else.

“No, not the Void. Astra is devoured in the Void, shredded into raw material to be poured back through the universe. We believe that is why Loki... changes, when he becomes the Prime, when he coats himself in Astra. His undying body protects the Astra within... it is... impermeable, somehow. We do not fully understand.” The Swan mused for a moment, and then she said slowly: “But the Jötnar do not die, and what are gods, but bastard descendants of Jötnar? Perhaps, intermingled...”

Cadence frowned and tilted her head at this, but Danzsöngr only remained silent for a few moments before she said softly: “But it does not matter. Our blades will pierce his shell, and we will drain the Astra out of him, if we must. We have other matters to attend to.”

There was silence for a moment, and then without warning, the Swan slashed a talon suddenly out, but Cadence dodged to the side with a wry smile as she felt the air shiver beside her, like the molecules that made up the fabric of reality had been pulled apart for a moment.

Her back cracked as she stood on her hind legs, her daggers appearing with a mere thought in the grip of her front hooves before she slashed her knives viciously into the invisible ripples that the Swan launched towards her with only gestures: but even though she cut, what she concentrated on was an act like painting, smearing white energy through the air to cover up the holes that the Swan launched at her.

These powers were so strange: she controlled not just Astra, but absence of Astra. And the more Cadence trained with the Swan, the fiercer they fought, the more she came to understand and know these powers, to both counter them and control them.

Cadence drove suddenly towards the Swan, leaping and zigzagging sharply across the ashen rock, dodging the ferocious bursts of magic and slashes through reality that came at her before she leapt forwards and slammed both hind hooves into the face of the Swan, bending the creature backwards as she pinwheeled its arms for balance before Cadence savagely kicked off her face, launching herself into the air and twisting elegantly-

The Swan vanished and reappeared behind her, driving a claw into her spine and knocking her out of the air, Cadence swearing as she crashed down to all fours: but she recovered in a moment, leaping back and forth to dodge the hail of white flame that streaked down around her from above.

She spun around, glaring up at the Swan with a slight grin, a smoldering handprint visible on her back, while the Swan looked down calmly through her cracked mask. But as they faced each other, their wounds healed: burns vanished, and cracked mask rippled like water as it repaired itself, the Swan saying softly: “You are learning well. You are growing stronger. But so are we.”

“Good. We need to be at our best, after all.” Cadence smiled slightly, the gemstone on her forehead gleaming as her daggers spun idly at her sides: these knives were the only weapons she didn't need the telekinesis loaned to her by the Third Eye to control, but having it on certainly helped her precision. And more importantly...

Cadence focused, then leaned sharply forward as her gemstone gave a powerful white flash, the Swan flinching and giving the mare the moment she needed to leap forward and strike-

She choked as the Swan caught her by the throat, hefting her into the air above her head and studying her calmly for a few moments before she said softly: “Too slow. We have become efficient at blocking one-another's mental communication, but we can still read one-another's intent in body and movement. It was foolish to attempt such an attack.”

Cadence scowled, before she and the Swan both frowned and looked suddenly to the side as they felt the change in the air, and they were joined by another presence.

Hecate smiled thinly at them, studying them with interest: she was the only person they had met so far who could actually see the Swan without it making contact with them first through the Astra. The Swan bowed her head politely, then flinched when Cadence kicked herself free.

Hecate shook her head, then she said in a surprisingly-soft voice: “As nice as it is to see you training, Swan, all this power and skill is going to be useless if the two of you can't cooperate.”

“We are capable of cooperation, Mother Hecate. But the conflict requires us to be at odds.” the Swan said courteously as Cadence shifted awkwardly, but Hecate only smiled again at this.

“No, cooperation is most necessary in conflict.” Hecate corrected, and both Cadence and Danzsöngr cocked their heads, unwittingly mirroring each other perfectly, down to the way they shifted slightly on one leg. “When you fight, you don't move against the enemy, but you move in time with them. You move together, like a dance. And the warrior who falters in this rhythm is the one who is destroyed.” Hecate paused, then added ironically: “Perhaps that is why you've lost so many of your fights, Cadence.”

Cadence scowled horribly at this, and Hecate studied her for a moment before she said suddenly: “I like your tattoo. Thesis would appreciate it, as well. I hope that one day you'll be able to show him.”

Cadence smiled faintly at this, and then she hesitated before she asked the question she had feared to ask, since the day she had realized she loved him: “Thesis... Loki won't be able to make him fight us, will he?”

“Loki...” Hecate looked down for a moment meditatively, and then she looked up and said slowly: “Loki seems to have more trouble controlling the Voidborn than we initially anticipated. Bondye was manipulated by greed, not power. Veliuona was able to resist Loki's orders and required a control collar. So did Trixie, and we know for a fact that Melinda is able to ignore Loki's control.

“When we made the disastrous attack on Loki's 'base,' there were reports of puppets that seemed to resonate with the powers of gods. I think this is the key. Anything with its own power, with enough will, seems to be able to resist Loki's orders unless he directly manipulates them.” Hecate mused for a moment, then she said slowly: “Stronghold. Her behavior makes me question Loki's true power as well. Stronghold seemed like a good little soldier... until she became obsessed with Moonflower, like that gave her enough power to break free from his hold. To manipulate herself, in a sense.”

Cadence cocked her head curiously, but the Swan nodded slowly, saying softly: “She begged for death. She fought, and tried to kill, but she also begged for death.”

“She did, didn't she?” Cadence mused out loud, more to give herself time to try and process what Hecate was saying than anything else. “She got... excited, fighting. It was like she forgot about everything else. Sol Seraph... she was the same way.”

“And the other Voidborn we've witnessed have been controlled through fear and manipulation. I have no doubt that Loki can control them through direct means as well, but I think his power over them at a distance is much less than we originally thought, and much less than his own Voidborn might have come to believe.” Hecate paused, then she said slowly: “I have begun to consider the thought that Loki is not, as we may have originally thought, the actual force behind the creation of the Voidborn...”

Cadence frowned, and Hecate shook her head and muttered: “Just... wild fancies based on vague shreds of data. Something I wouldn't mention to anyone outside of my family. But as Thorn is doing actual work, I require something different to bounce ideas off of. A brick wall and a parrot will do when I need echoes more than thoughts, as much as I'd prefer my more intelligent child.”

Cadence scowled, although at the same time she felt oddly touched by what Hecate had inferred... although she was most irritated when the Swan agreed calmly: “We are glad to listen and to serve you, Mother Hecate.”

“Yes, Danzsöngr. I know.” Hecate sounded both pleased and exasperated, rolling her eyes before she asked: “When was the last time you worked on your vision, instead of your physical skills?”

“I... well, I'm a fighter.” Cadence argued lamely, and Hecate gave her a dour look. “I just think that, you know, first and foremost I should-”

“Then you need to get better at thinking, Cadence.” Hecate said shortly, and Cadence couldn't help but grimace slightly before the Jötnar mare continued: “Loki will not be defeated by power alone. And he does not want you purely because of your power, either.”

Cadence mumbled a little as she lowered her head, before Danzsöngr said almost matter-of-factly: “Yes, it is because of our sight. It is because of what we have seen, in the future and in the past. But as much as our powers have returned to us, not all our memories have: they are like... like a wall of a thousand shelves, each with a thousand books. None look different from any other until we pull them from the shelf, and only then do we know their contents.”

“Brynhild had a similar complaint. Except I think she remembers less than you do: you seem to have been programmed with eidetic memory.” Hecate said, and Cadence scowled a little. Hecate only smiled slightly at this, however, saying dryly: “Well, don't worry, Cadence. You seem to have done your best to lose that and all the rest of your programming.”

“I'm not programmed, and I can remember any damn thing I want to, I just... don't want to.” Cadence muttered, her eyes shifting away before she shook her head quickly and grumbled: “Look, once we deal with Loki-”

“Then what? What if he just comes back from the Void?” Hecate asked evenly, and Cadence frowned as Hecate continued: “Our real problem is that Loki cannot simply be killed, whatever he is. He's neither walking corpse nor living creature. He's beyond both those things. We need to somehow strip him of his powers, then destroy him entirely.”

“I have the power to do that.” Cadence said in a quieter voice as she flexed a hoof slowly, looking down at it for a moment before she shook her head and muttered: “I wasn't going to offer him mercy.”

“That might be the most disappointing thing you've said to me.” Hecate said contemptibly, and Cadence blinked and looked dumbly up before the Jötnar mare said in a softer voice: “You are you, Cadence. And I expect you to be better than me, and what I would do. Mercy is for the weak. Mercy is for the stupid. Mercy is for those willing to trust, to be vulnerable, to risk. Mercy is for ponies, Cadence, and you are still a pony.”

Cadence smiled awkwardly at this, not knowing whether to be offended or touched, but Danzsöngr only nodded before she said calmly: “Then we shall do what we can to maintain both sides of who we are. We shall do what must be done, without hesitation; but we shall show that we have learned, we have evolved... we are more than a tool.”

“You are. And furthermore, if it gets to the point where Loki is forced to beg for mercy from us, then that means he will be humiliated, not just defeated.” Hecate smiled thinly. “Humiliation is a much worse fate than death. Let him live in it. If he threatens the worlds again after that, that just guarantees our world will have reason to continue to exist.”

Cadence stared as Danzsöngr only tilted her head, and Hecate snorted and shrugged, saying calmly: “We exterminate threats and provide security. We a curative measure, not a preventative measure, for a multitude of reasons... but one of our key balances relies on us doing a good job, but never overachieving. We can't exist if there are no enemies left to fight.”

“You're kind of awful.” Cadence said before she could stop herself, but Hecate only smiled dryly.

“If you are going to lead, you need to learn to be awful, and to suffer the consequences for it. Any leader, no matter how great or small, will eventually be called on to make a decision for the greater good that will cause great suffering.” Hecate answered, meeting Cadence's eyes. “It isn't something most people are capable of handling, and for good reason.”

Cadence looked away, and then she shook her head before she said quietly: “I'll do whatever I have to do, Hecate.”

“I know. I just hope you don't.” Hecate paused for a moment, and then she reflected: “Loki has provided us many opportunities. He's responsible for chaos across the universe, and now throughout Helheim-”

“Wait, has Helheim figured out that Hel-”

“Don't interrupt me, Cadence. I'm not talking to you. I'm talking at you.” Hecate said shortly, and Cadence scowled, but the Jötnar mare ignored her as she lowered her head and mused: “Yes, Helheim has erupted into riots. Time is only running a little faster in Helheim than it is here on the physical plane, however, so we'll be able to react instantly if anything serious occurs. It should make mitigating the effects of the riots much easier as well.

“Even though Loki has done severe damage to our operations and our credibility, at the same time he's given us a chance to prove precisely why we are needed. He has shown us who are most valuable allies are, and while we lost many backers for the Decretum project, others are beginning to return and show interest. It would be stupid and arrogant to pretend we haven't benefited from what Loki's done, even if many of our own have suffered because of it. But in terms of the 'greater good...'”

Cadence shifted uneasily, finding that distinctly unnerving, but it only lasted for a moment before Hecate said in a brisker voice: “Once you're done playing with yourself, Cadence, report to the Orphanage for an assignment update. We can talk about it tonight, over tacos.”

“You're making tacos?” Cadence asked dumbly before she could stop herself, and then she blushed slightly and shook her head, snapping: “I'm not playing with-”

“Masturbating, then. Because all I see is a mare trying to fornicate with her reflection.” Hecate shot back, and Cadence's jaw worked uselessly for a moment before Hecate added shortly: “And yes. Tacos. Tortillas are nothing but flour and water. Tacos are nothing but fried tortillas stuffed with whatever you find in the kitchen. Fish, meat, or vegetables?”

It took Cadence a moment to realize that Hecate was asking her a question, and she blushed before she opened her mouth, but Hecate only rolled her eyes and held up a hoof. “Fine. I'll prepare all three, you can serve yourself.”

Hecate suddenly quieted, then she said softly: “I just imagine, you and Thesis, treating it like a buffet, and yet fighting over every little thing. It's funny, what you focus most on. What you miss, what you dream of, what you... wish you could have shared, with those who are gone now.”

Hecate halted, then she looked down for a moment before she reflected: “Maybe this is all my fault. Maybe I could have saved Valthrudnir. Maybe I could have stopped him, but... I know it would never have been though anything big, anything dramatic. It is the little changes, Cadence, that affect us most. The missing toothbrush. The extra few seconds spent having coffee together instead of rushing out the door. The smiles. The sighs.”

Cadence shifted awkwardly, but Hecate only looked at her for a few moments before she said, with the faintest hint of a smile: “I think everything would have been different, if I'd only made him take off that stupid suit jacket of his.”

“How the hell do you figure that?” Cadence asked, knowing she was being baited, and yet unable to stop herself from taking it.

Hecate shrugged, then she said simply: “Because the only thing that ever really separated Valthrudnir from the rest of us was that idiotic suit of his. Not his powers, not his prestige, not his 'status;' none of that made him any different from us. Just that stupid suit that he used to hide away from the world in, to separate himself from his lesser, uncultured beasts.”

Hecate fell silent for a moment, then she shook her head and said distastefully: “But that's enough for now. I have to get back to work, Cadence. See that you make some effort to do the same.”

Cadence sighed a little, but then only watched as Hecate vanished, before she scowled and looked to the side when Danzsöngr remarked in her calm, collected way: “The Mother sees things that we could never imagine.”

“The Mother is crazy.” Cadence sighed, then she muttered: “I should just let you deal with her from now on. You can still take over my body.”

“In a sense.” Cadence felt the Swan inside her, and she didn't fight it: a moment later, she was in the background, a thought inside a body that was no longer under her control, as the Swan said through the mare's mouth: “You could step outside of us, if you desired-”

I don't. Cadence said shortly, resisting a shiver: she had done that before when he Swan had first told her she should be able to 'project' as well, and... It just feels awful.

“It is only because you are still unfamiliar with the Astra. You must find the right balance, as with all other things: then you will not be too far, or too near; not too suffocated, nor too apart.” answered Danzsöngr as she stood up easily on her rear hooves, then she calmly threw a few hard kicks out to the side before shoving off the earth and flipping gracefully once, landing calmly back on one hoof as she pressed her front hooves together.

Cadence rolled her eyes at the way the Swan moved her body, and yet at the same time she was a little jealous: the Swan seemed to know her limits better than she did, to know just how far her body could go, the best way to make her body move. When she was in control, she thought she was more powerful... but I can't move like that.

“You moved better than us when you danced.” answered the Swan, and Cadence felt touched, embarrassed, and irritated all at once. “But you know emotion better than we do... than... I do. It is strange how difficult it is to be my own person, Cadence... because I am not. I am us.”

“You are and I am and we are but... we're not.” Cadence grumbled as her head twisted slightly to the other side, her movements becoming faster but less graceful as she swung almost angrily back and forth through the air, then she sighed and let her forelegs drop to her sides, muttering: “Oh, who am I kidding? We're... I'm your shadow. I'm the shadow and you're the original.”

The Swan slowly shrugged her shoulders, and Cadence frowned before the Swan asked: “But are you not Mi Amore Cadenza? Are you not... a pony?”

“I.. was.” Cadence chewed at her lip slowly, then she sighed and shook her head before she murmured: “Yeah. You're right. We both lived lives. Long, strange lives. And now we're both awake in the same body, mashed together and... just trying to make the most of it.”

“We were never far from one-another, Cadence. We have always existed side-by-side. For you are correct: even Swans cast a shadow.” Danzsöngr replied, and Cadence smiled briefly before she looked to the side as she felt a hand gently grasp her shoulder, seeing the Swan standing beside her once more. “Are you ready to go?”

Cadence sighed a little, and then she almost grudgingly nodded, muttering: “I guess so. Let's just... you know, make it quick.”

“It is always quick. It is but a single step.” the Swan said, either not understanding or not caring enough to understand the metaphor. Cadence rolled her eyes at this, but before she could even finish the eye-roll, the Swan was gone, and already telling her to hurry up.

Cadence scowled, then closed her eyes before she stepped through reality to where the Swan was waiting for her, grimacing a bit as she opened her eyes and found herself in the reception hall of the Orphanage. She glowered back and forth, then blinked and looked up in surprise as a familiar voice called: “Hey, Cygne!”

“La Croix?” Cadence turned to see the zebra hurrying across reception towards her, smiling warmly. “Hey, I heard you were working here today. How are you doing?”

“Fine, apart from all the runnin' around they got me doin'. You got a minute?” La Croix asked, and Cadence smiled in amusement despite herself before she shrugged and turned, falling in step with the stallion to stride through the busy hall with him. She noted that he had a heavy satchel hanging at his side stuffed full of files, and La Croix followed her gaze before he grumbled: “Très stupide, ma ami. We got all these machines, and Hecate wants me to do all this filin' manually.”

“She trusts you, that's all. And paper copy is important for a lot of the crucial files, you know that. It can be easily destroyed and it isn't lost during lockdowns or power outages.” Cadence said, and La Croix groaned before he nodded grouchily.

“I know that! Still stupid, though.” La Croix grumbled, and Cadence smiled despite herself as they headed into one of the offices, the Loa stumbling a little as he tried to shuffle papers out of his carrier while approaching the front desk at the same time. “Lessee, uh... ici, I got these reports for y'all.”

The Orphan at the desk scowled as La Croix piled the papers onto the desk, before she covered the microphone of her headset as she grumbled: “We're not receiving, receiving is down the hall and to your-”

La Croix popped off his prosthetic foreleg and dropped it on the desk, and the mare immediately winced and leaned back, eyes widening in surprise before the Loa said flatly: “This be hurtin' today. You can take these wherever they gotta go. Me, I'm gonna minimize my walkin' as much as possible.”

The Loa paused, then he reached and grabbed his wooden leg before he firmly popped it back into place, and Cadence covered her smile as much as possible as the mare at the desk stared, even as La Croix dug out several thick envelopes, continuing: “Y'got some mail, too, but I ain't no mail boy so you can figure out what's for who yourself. Think the new security protocol pamphlets be in there somewhere, too. And uh... need you to sign here.”

La Croix produced a clipboard with a pen dangling from it and a single sheet stuck to the back, and the mare finally got over her surprise, shaking her head before she said flatly: “I'm not authorized-”

“I don't need your damn boss, I just need some pony to say that I been here, that be all. Sign someone else's name for all I damn care.” La Croix said flatly, and the mare grumbled, then grabbed the clipboard and quickly scribbled something across it before shoving it back to him.

“Merci.” La Croix nodded once, and then he turned around, grumbling as Cadence followed after him with a smile of amusement. “Hate this damn job. I'm supposed to be pushin' a pencil, Cygne, not pushin' paper on people. And they all treat me like garbage, like it be some personal attack on 'em!”

“I'm very sorry to hear it.” Cadence said in a not-at-all honest voice, and La Croix rolled his eyes as they left the offices, before she asked in a quieter tone: “How's your leg?”

“Oh, 'sfine. 'Sfine...” La Croix shifted a little, then he smiled a bit as he glanced down at his wooden leg as it gave a strange gleam. “The wood's settled nice, and I can feel through it and everything. And it ain't acting up so much now.”

La Croix paused, then he flicked his foreleg firmly, a spark of green light flaring across the limb before a spectral skull composed of emerald flame appeared above his outstretched prosthetic, Cadence's eyes widening in surprise as La Croix said mildly: “Say somethin' nice.”

The skull said something that didn't sound nice at all in the zebra tongue, and La Croix snorted and rolled his eyes before he grinned as he relaxed, and the skull remained floating eerily in the air. Cadence watched as it roved back and forth for a few moments, inspecting the area around them before it said something else, and La Croix grunted before he replied: “Nah, it ain't so bad. Lots of weirdos, sure, but Cadence is one of the good ones. You don't remember that?”

“Is that Veliuona?” asked Cadence disbelievingly, and the skull turned what was very clearly a disapproving scowl on her as La Croix snorted in amusement.

“Nah, ain't her. Just call her Mganga, Cygne.” La Croix hesitated, then he waved his prosthetic at the skull, and it grumbled before vanishing in a breath of green mist. La Croix absently rubbed at his wooden leg for a moment, and then he said in a quieter voice: “Dunno. Maybe it was Veliuona once. Maybe this be who Veliuona was when she was just a vodunsi, a... priestess of the old ways.”

He flexed his wooden leg slowly, then he turned his eyes to Cadence, and Cadence softened even before La Croix murmured: “I can't feel Darkwater or mes frères at all, can't hear 'em, can't see 'em, can't... do anything about it, either, I know. We gotta watch and wait, that's all. I just hope, still, that they escaped whatever Loki did.”

“Didn't Hecate send scouts out, or emissaries or something?” asked Cadence, and La Croix laughed dryly before he shook his head slowly, the mare frowning and catching him by the shoulder before he could start walking. “Hey. What happened?”

“They didn't find nothin'. And by nothin' I mean nothin' at all.” La Croix shook his head slowly, continuing in a low voice: “Crossroads all be muddled up or burnt out, and I gotta wonder if that means they cut Darkwater off from all the other planes. Darkwater wasn't never like Heaven or Hell, y'see... it wasn't separate and apart, it was woven in the spaces in between the planes, which is why you could go anywhere as long as you knew what roads to take. So if they cut those strings binding it together, then...”

“Hey, it's...” Cadence hesitated, then she smiled faintly before she said quietly: “Okay. I don't know for sure what that means, but neither do you, it sounds like. If your brothers avoided Bondye once, though, I know they could have done it again.”

“Yeah. Yeah, you be right. They ain't that smart or as great as me, maybe...” La Croix gave a small smile, then he chuckled softly. “Now look at me, soundin' just like Moony. No, I... I gotta have faith, that's all. And worryin' about it all ain't gonna do a damn thing. I just hope that... that all those poor lost souls that were just tryin' to sleep, that... cher...”

He quieted, looking down for a moment and chewing at his lip before he shook his head and asked: “But you got time to, you know, walk a little more? You can help me deliver some of this mail.”

“Yeah. I have a few minutes.” Cadence said softly, and she smiled a little as La Croix grunted and turned his eyes back ahead.

He paused, then glanced back at her and added almost abruptly: “Nice new tattoo, by the way. Real classy-like. I guess uh... it was for him, huh?”

“It was for me. But it was for him too, yeah.” Cadence said softly, before she smiled a little as she touched the inked chains, then she asked finally: “Do you get it?”

“What the hell does it matter if I get it, Cygne? Only matters that it matters to you.” La Croix replied with a shrug, before he added wryly: “But if you want me to be honest, think it tells a little too much 'bout what you got up to in the bedroom with your boy.”

Cadence couldn't help but laugh at this, before she smiled as she glanced at the tattoo: La Croix was right. All that really mattered was that it was right to her, important to her...

And well, he was right about the bedroom antics too, she supposed.

Prologue: Fairy Tales

Prologue: Fairy Tales
~BlackRoseRaven

She remembered the old fairy tale: how once upon a time, there had been a Princess of the Sun, and she had been loved by all. Yes, loved and adored, because she had ruled with empathy and kindness and generosity. Her name had been Celestia, and she had become the spiritual beacon of her nation, the proud country of Equestria.

But she had been very lonely, and very sad: she had been forced to banish her own sister to the moon, and it had left her without a family. Until one day, a dragon had come to court, in his perfect white suit, with his perfect white scales, and his perfect white smile... and amber cunning in his eyes.

He had made such promises. He had given such gifts! And she had been taken in by him, and given him her trust, her attention... her love. And he had given her a child, whom she had named Thesis. He had been born an earth pony, but it had only made him all the more noble in her eyes.

The dragon had stayed beside her, all that time, and shared things with her... wonderful things, and terrible things. And she had begun to look the other way for him, letting him do things that first twisted morality, and then eschewed it entirely. But how could she say no to him? She had come to love him. He had given her a child. He had brought such beautiful technology and magic to her world...

Princess Celestia had been foolish enough to believe that the ends would justify the means, that the reward would be greater than the cost, especially as their nation plunged into war with the griffins. Seeing her people dying had hardened her, and the dragon's whispers had become more tantalizing, his ideas first hesitantly accepted as a way to end the war faster... and then welcomed as a method of revenge.

Too late, she had discovered that even a noble princess could fall: too late, she understood that no matter what they called her, 'sun princess' or 'mother goddess' or 'wise matriarch,' she was only a pony: her wings were only feathers, and for all her good intentions, for all her hopes, her aspirations... she had flown too high, and too close to the real sun. And she had discovered too late that it burned, it melted, it was ruthless and heartless... and how she had fallen, from those heights so high...

Her country had gone from a world of growth and beauty, where ponies worked in harmony with nature, to a world of machinery and torment, where mother nature was kept in shackles and chains, tortured into providing whatever they wanted from her at the time. Where the mountains were ripped down to make place for vast and terrible structures of metal and steel, where the old and weak were 'retired' from society, where everything had a place... and if something broke or stood out, it was cruelly hammered and reshaped into a better fit for wherever it belonged.

And in the end, the Princess of the Sun had become a victim of her own foolishness, of her curdled love: and the worst part wasn't seeing her world corrupted, wasn't realizing that all along, the dragon had been playing some kind of sick game with them, or seeing her son Thesis rewired like he was just a piece of hardware into a little toy soldier for the cunning, cruel monster who had played with her heart...

It was being left behind, in her broken world. It was being saved by the dragon... only to have him abandon her, in this broken and decrepit prison that soon became nothing but a cesspit of darkness and machinery, a dumping-ground for failed projects and wretched miscarriages of science. It wasn't losing her body, but losing everyone who had ever been important to her...

But fairy tales never had pleasant endings, did they? And she had long outgrown stupid stories, and long forgotten and abandoned foolish, idiotic 'Princess Celestia,' who had thought she could save the world with love and trust in strangers.

A sallow face bared metal teeth in a cold smile in the darkness, neon-blue eyes glowering out of sunken sockets through a mane made of cables and living lightning. She cracked her neck moodily before a crystalline horn sheathed in solid metal glowed brightly, and she commanded crisply: “Systems on. Time to get up.”

Lights flashed on, translucent screens appearing throughout the room, projected by the magical crystals that were spaced evenly throughout the walls: over these holographic images, countless statistics, graphs, and images played in soundless and eternal streams, constantly updating and changing. That alone was a magnificent blend of science and magic...

And yet the true spectacle wasn't the screens or the sparse furnishings, or even what looked like a massive suit of armor currently resting against one wall: it was the fact that the occupant of this room, the sallow-faced mare, was nothing more than a head resting calmly on top of a large pedestal near the front of the room. She was currently glaring at the massive set of armor, her eyes narrowed dangerously before she whistled loudly and snapped: “Activate!”

The massive, headless set of armor flinched as if it was alive before several large clamps almost grudgingly released its arms and legs, and the bipedal suit straightened of its own accord. There were several loud clicks from beneath a breastplate that had been chiseled into the shape of masculine muscle as flexible claws clenched and unclenched at its sides, and then the heavy suit of white and silver lumbered slowly forwards.

It reached down and grasped the head gingerly in its steel claws, then carefully spun it around once before lifting it free. The head scowled, rolling itself again on its neck; this stump was covered securely by a metal cap fused to the mare-head's neck, with what looked like a large, sparking plug sticking out of the bottom.

The metal claws calmly shifted the head around to slip it into place into its own neck: the plug clicked loudly as it slid into position, and the head spun slowly around once to secure itself before a large, metallic collar sprang up and locked tightly around the mare's throat. And then the mare smiled coldly as she flexed her mechanical arms: she'd have to tinker more with the AI, but at least everything else seemed to be working properly.

Then the mechanical mare looked moodily up as she heard a beeping, looking towards one of the screens and seeing that the statistics had been replaced by an emblem of a dragon's head. She was really going to have to change that, one of these days... this was no longer Valthrudnir's world or Valthrudnir's empire, after all. The dragon, the Jötnar, was long dead... and all the projects and worlds he had once ruled with spite now belonged to her.

She gestured irritably at the screen, and it flickered before the face of a pony appeared over it: the details were indistinct and all vaguely blue-tinged thanks to the fact he was probably using one of the older transmitters, but she still recognized him clearly, asking before he could speak: “Thorn, what are you doing? I told you to rest.”

“I... just need to work today, I guess.” Thorn gave a brief smile; but then again, all his smiles were brief, and never quite reached his eyes. “I wanted to let you know that I already sent out a message for everyone to gather at uh... fourteen hundred hours in the convocation theater for their assignments. You also have a conference with your backers in one hour, Queen Hecate.”

Hecate looked at Thorn for a few moments, and then she gave a brief nod, saying moodily: “Fine. Next time, contact me before you send out the messages, though. I may be delayed.”

Thorn nodded to her, and Hecate hesitated only a moment before she said in a quieter voice: “Go and rest, Thorn. Take it as an order from your superior if you won't listen to your mother.”

The unicorn bowed his head humbly, and then he murmured a quiet goodbye before the screen flickered back to its usual array of statistics, and Hecate sighed and shook her head slowly. She was the mechanical empress of a world that prided itself on order and control, her heart cut out a long time ago to make room for all her gears and microchips...

But it seemed that no matter how deep you cut the flesh, you could never excise your soul.