Author's Note

Well, finally managed to wrangle this chapter into shape--mostly--and I hope that I managed to convey that the ponies are very close to what canon portrays.

Whether I succeeded or not is up to you, dear readers, as this chapter caused me more than one mental hernia until I managed to write myself out of the corner I inadvertently ended into.

I also am thinking whether to copy the example of TKepner, Hiver, and other writers that finish the story before publishing at a regular schedule. Share your thoughts as to this plan, as both sides of the argument 'publish per completed chapter vs publish once completed' have good and bad points. Going the whole 'finish writing first' would cause this story to be tagged 'hiatus' due to the challenge ahead of me.

I hope that you enjoy the closure of the first third of the story.

Next... to upload the interlude the first. *Sighs despondently*

Dark Tidings: From the darkness they strike

The herd of ponies moved briskly to meet with the princesses in the midst of the pandemonium assailing the castle’s corridors—among them the Element Bearers, who held hope that their friends Twilight and Spike were alright, as their room was thrashed by the time they arrived searching for them—when Pinkie Pie started to quiver and shake, ears and eyelashes slapping at random as she ‘ooh’d’ at the sensation of her ‘Pinkie Sense’ entering into action.

Rainbow Dash was the first to voice her opinion in this matter as she quickly turned back, and began pushing Pinkie’s butt with her head one moment after landing behind her.

“Seriously!? Your Pinkie Sense’s working now of all times!? How come it didn’t warn us before these horseapples happened in the first place!?”

In between the vibrations, Pinkie giggled despite the situation they were in. “Silly Dashie, my Pinkie Sense works in weird ways! And this one’s a doozie, if I go by the way it is coming!”

“Oh, come on!!” Dash’s exasperated response echoed through the empty corridors of the castle. “Isn’t all this already one big fat doozie!?”

Looking at Reality as a wraith was something Ash never liked doing, as the currents buffeted his being akin to a maelstrom of fire and ice impacting at the same time without contradiction.

In short, it burned while freezing him from outside in—creeping into what he knew was his self—his dread increasing as it slowly advanced, an instinctive rejection of the sensation working at the same time to halt it within a threshold.

Adding to that, his perception of the surroundings was misty gray at best, with only the souls of other living, sapient beings shining like beacons through the mist surrounding him.

He also had to be mindful of where he moved, as more often than not he had head-butted into a wall if not attentive of how the ‘mist’ conformed around him, all while braving the fierce currents around him.

However, unlike the times before where he had being left in this state, Ash immediately realized something was wrong as he pursued the ones who were after his ‘life’.

For one, whereas in his earlier experiences he could feel all limits go away despite the creeping dread … now, instead, a deep tiredness started to assault his senses a few minutes after rising again as a wraith, when pursuing the ones who had come to try to slay him.

And his dread rose when the sensation kept on advancing inside him—beyond the threshold that he was accustomed to so far.

And that was troubling for him, since to his own awareness he was currently more of a Dark-empowered wraith than a mortal—unbound to mortal limitations, or supposedly so—which only lead to one conclusion … .

His bond to The Wellspring of The Dark had somehow been compromised by the equines that reduced him into this state.

Not willing to test his luck even further and risk nasty surprises, Ash stopped at once and gave a brief look to his surroundings—where his eyes took in the sign: “Medical Supplies” on a plaque next to a door that was open.

Voicelessly grunting, he sidestepped into it—quickly taking in the canisters, jars and containers of diverse substances organized through the shelves through the mist that was the result of watching Reality through Dark-bound senses … along with one beacon of light hiding in that room.

His body quivered, the wing holding the severed head shaking along with the body as the sense of exhaustion grew worse by the second.

‘Why am I feeling so drained—so weak? Why … ?’

Feeling that he had pushed his luck as far as he could, he placed his head back into place—the squelching sound growing in intensity as the two cut surfaces entered contact and aligned themselves as if they were two pieces of a jigsaw.

The point of contact started bubbling in an unnatural fashion as they merged back into one whole; hair, fur and dirt foamed out along with clotted blood in a matter of seconds leaving only the blood staining the fur from the attempted murder … .

With a snap, Ash felt himself once more wrapped up in the flesh of his body—where he retched, the sensations overwhelming his physical vessel as he felt the symptoms of his situation by experience and by medical report.

Symptoms of his once mortal vessel which he hadn’t suffered since that day that he was given complete immortality.

The cold storm surrounding him now didn’t help matters, as everything around him began to gather frost—the bite finally reaching his weakened constitution as his mood worsened along with the accumulation of ice.

‘What did those monsters do to me!? Even if everyone was cleansed back then when offered cleansing … my remaining strength should’ve remained untouched! My bond to The Dark should’ve remained intact!’

Iron Ash tasted bile as he heaved into a nearby bucket in vain—nothing having come out from the dizziness that was dominating him at that point, hearing the very fast beating of his heart beating through his skull.

“Jumpy, feeling weak and clammy … it—it seems I lost too much blood. Damn it, th—is is the only thing that fitssh.” Ash muttered to himself in an attempt as he clumsily moved to see if anything in the supply room could aid him, vision blurring and beginning to tunnel out—the thought of having missed something the moment he returned to his fleshly vessel … .

And heard someone eep while he struggled to remain on his feet—causing him to stand still, eyes widening slightly in shock … which he on instinct schooled back into neutrality, despite his hearing still feeling like someone playing the drums next to his head.

Ash remained immobile, and strained to listen to his surroundings while attempting to remember where did he saw that soul. To be able to do this was a feat on its own, in between his mind becoming sluggish due to the lack of blood, the din of battle happening elsewhere and the drumming of his heart wailing upon his hearing … until he managed to get a hold of someone’s breath, breathing in and out from behind some large canisters in what its owner believed to be a discreet fashion.

“… If you help me out now, I’ll … .” Ash almost bit his tongue as he felt his guts churn at what he was going to do out of necessity.

‘As if I had any pride left when they brought me to this point … .’

They’ll help you out, just ask

Let them know you’ll deal with those who’re trying to harm them and their patients—they’ll support you now

What will your final choice be, when all the pieces of your self-awareness fall down into place?

You are a pony royal in their eyes despite everything—

Take command! Take advantage of them!

‘Quiet.’

As his mind slowly went quiet, he almost felt like an eternity had gone by after commanding the ones inside him to be silent.

So, he waited for the one hiding to make a move … only to realize that he had been distracted from his offer’s detail.

He tasted the metallic taste of bile as he finished the phrase he left hanging—going against all that which he believed up to this day … . So, with a herculean effort, he finished it as another wave of dizziness washed over his senses.

“I’ll drive out … the ones that came here to ca—cause trouble to you and your patients. Do … .” Ash leaned himself against one of the canisters to avoid falling down, and gasped out—equal measures of displeasure and the need to endure long enough to leave and plan out his reprisal within the time he’d be inside monster country. “Do—do we have a deal?”

He waited as he eyed carefully the labels of the containers and jars—keeping a close eye on the ones that he could use to his benefit.

Mind feeling as if filled with cotton, he still could notice among the shelves several containers of pure alcohol of different types, containers of oxygen of different sizes, and one that made him raise an eyebrow at its sight in this place: a cylinder that had explicit warning signs engraved into the metal, ‘Thaumatic Infusion Tank. Extremely inflammable. Handle with care when full. Do not shake repeatedly. Keep away from heat and sparks.’

He kept sight of the cotton wads, towels and several cases with surgical instruments as he felt movement from behind … .

“Who are you?” Inquired a matronly voice behind him as he kept still. “And how in Celestia’s name were you able to move while holding your head on a wing!?”

Ash could do nothing but sigh at this.

‘Do not kill this fool. Ignore the fool’s attempts at banter. Focus on recovering, then cleaning up the Dark-users.’

Trust us—they won’t turn their tails on you if don’t turn on them

They are wary, but will help you if you help them

Will you keep on rejecting change, instead of moving on with the hand given to you?

Don’t make threats, and you’ll do fine

As much as it galls me, you need to bide your time until reprisal is possible

Gather your power, and impose thy will upon them

Will you not adapt to your situation, and seek companionship in the end?

‘As if I were in a position for threats … why am I even bothering answering you? Didn’t Iorder you lot to be silent!?’

Outwards, Iron Ash simply turned—feeling dizzy as he carefully moved—until he faced a pudgy regular pony in a white robe, whose appearance brought forth unpleasant memories involving dogs throughout his long life.

She was looking at him with equal measures of outrage, fear, and what appeared to be an attempt at sizing him up.

Ignoring the meaning of her stare, Ash painfully gasped while returning the stare, “We have more pressing matters to attend now, ma’am.”

“Excuse me! Mister horny!”

The three unicorns didn’t lower their pace, and the pegasus keeping watch glared at the unexpected new arrival.

Lowering himself down to a hover very close to the ground, the pegasus kept his distance to the cart without taking his eyes out of the mare approaching them now. This pegasus, who on closer look had a brown mane with a hint of red which looked as if some hardening mane potion had been used due to how spiky it was. This contrasted wildly with the peach-toned coat that he had over his body, while his flanks had the cutie mark of a looking glass. This pegasus barked at her, glowering all the while. “We’re busy, mare. Go bother someone else!”

Lyra grinned at him. “Oh, my—that won’t work at all!”

The stallion looked at her askance before being hit with a bench from behind by Bon-Bon.

Unfortunately for her, she forgot to take into account the sound of the impact from the bench, and the sound of the impact that said pegasus would make when hitting ground.

“Damn it all! Gallop you two! Run!” Cried one of the unicorns who had turned his head to see what just happened to their lookout before running with the cart behind, all sense of discretion now gone from them.

Bon-Bon was about to tell them to stop when she got bucked in her barrel. Hard. Hard enough that she heard her ribs crack from the hit, making her wheeze whenever she tried to breath in.

Coughing up, she tasted metal, but couldn’t think much about what entailed—hearing the cart moving away from them with their victim.

She was distracted further from what was looming over her.

“Damn you, you’ll pay for blind-siding me, you filthy mudbuck.” Growled the pegasus as he stood shakily on his hooves, wings open to the sides as he approached menacingly the downed mare.

“Hey! Leave her alone, you foalnapper!”

The stallion turned, where he got hit again with the woodbench that Bon-Bon had used the first time. Unlike before, he stood his ground—albeit shakily as the pieces fell to the ground with Lyra gawping at the sight.

The stallion’s eyes told Lyra everything that she needed to know about him, as he looked at her as if she were a maggot on his plate.

Gulping, Lyra steeled herself as the stallion blurred before she got sent flying towards a tree with force, coughing up and tasting metal as she nursed two hoof-shaped bruises in her chest which were quickly worsening in feeling.

She briefly looked at Bon-Bon, before realizing that the pegasus was approaching her friend with bad intent. Lyra glared at the stallion’s back as he got ready to stomp on her mate’s head. ‘Not on my watch.’

Thinking quickly, she grabbed a large stone close to where she was laid prone by the buck with her magic … and threw it as hard as she could after a brief prayer to whatever deity existed for it to land on target, and land hard on the stallion’s head.

The pegasus didn’t stand a chance, too focused as he was on making Bon-Bon suffer where she was. With a loud ‘twack’, the stallion fell heavily to the side—thankfully missing Bon-Bon’s barrel, falling instead over her hind legs.

Grimacing as she tried to move from her spot, Lyra wondered how she would do it to take Bon-Bon to the hospital and ask for help in stopping the other foalnappers while they looked over their injuries.

‘Vinyl. Octy. Be careful … these guys aren’t pushovers … .’

Unknown to any of the mares present, a slithering shadow hovering over them had been watching … and decided to interfere at this point.

Lyra and Bon-Bon’s ears twitched as they heard a now-familiar snap from out of nowhere—and their injuries were now gone.

As they rose and quickly went to each other and briefly hugged … a bright flash went off—new guest appearing next to them in his own special fashion.

Both mares were grateful that Rarity was not in town, lest they had heard her wails of despair at the sight. From an inflatable beach ball that was bouncing unto invisible walls, to the draconequus lazily floating with a bizarre bottle that made their eyes hurt. They blinked twice before realizing that he was sipping noisily from a straw leading to the bottle. All of this topped by his clothes. Discord, dressed in a bright orange tuxedo that clashed brilliantly with his flamingo pink tie and light lavender tu-tu.

He cackled after taking another sip from the strange bottle. “My, my … and here I thought you ponies were all about talking your issues with one another rather than using the head-crackin’, rock-hard approach!”

“I still insist that this is foolhardy, mister!” The mare—who by now Ash had labeled as ‘annoying monster pony nurse: Ratchet number 5’, by how annoyed he had been by the nurse’s constant chattering, “this transfusion should be done over a long period of time, not in a matter of minutes!”

She cringed as Ash squished the cold blood bag connected to his foreleg. Ash grimaced as the blood flowed into him. “I’ll endure … now, how’s battle at the entrance?” He inquired, trying his best to be polite at his temporary ally … before seeking answers from the ones wielding his power, then retribution against the ones who broke him down.

Unaware of what was going through his mind, the nurse huffed, “You are not supposed to be even out of your room, mister! What with your distinct lack of magic to even help yourself with! And I don’t know what your story is with the Royal family, but they weren’t keen on leaving you on your own!” She stomped her hoof on the floor-tile before snorting. “Instead of going out, leave the job to the Guard! That’s what they’re trained for! Besides, there will be reinforcements coming from Cloudsdale and Hoofburg! We will resist until the reinforcements arrive!”

Ash coldly regarded the now empty bag connected to his arm, looked down to the two bags already drained, and without any doubt pulled at the needle with his free hoof in vain.

“What do you think you’re doing? You’re messing up the intravenous line!” She cried out to him, making an attempt at removing his hoof from the needle.

“I’m removing this—we lost enough time already, and the trespassers will be already on the defensive.” Ash pointed out with his free hoof as he glared at the nurse. “Remove this. Now.”

“It’s far too dangerous!” The mare complained. “We must wait for the reinforcements to arrive!”

Ash kept his glare on the nurse … until she sighed and wordlessly removed the needle and IV line from his foreleg.

“I still believe you should remain with the patients while the Guards keep the intruders at bay.” She looked up to him, sadness and concern showing in her eyes. “Please wait for the reinforcements to arrive.”

This exchange caused Ash’s breath to hitch for a second before he stamped on his emotions to put them back on check.

“… Reinforcements?” Ashley questioned her as he turned his head to a side to stare at her … only to discreetly move towards a supply cart, and start to put on it several canisters, one thaumic tank that was full, and one smaller tank of oxygen followed by another one of nitrous oxide along with sheets and towels—which he used to bind the containers and tanks into place.

Quickly thinking about it, he took with his wing something that he hadn’t noticed before—a box with the description ‘Thaumic Cauterizer: Three-second preheating’.

He put it on the cart too.

Once he was done, he turned towards the nurse for an instant before giving her his back as he bit on the handle to drag the heavy cart … .

He paused for a moment, releasing the handle being held on his mouth and added without any emotion: “I am the reinforcements.”

Briskly, Ash moved to bite onto the handle, until he stopped again for a moment—as if he had realized something … before turning his head towards her.

“Would you point me towards the Reception Room?” Ash requested while he metaphorically chewed upon his liver at the need of making such a request.

The nurse was going to kick the unknown alicorn being kept in the depths of ICU for his madness … until she saw the determination backed up by his glare.

Gulping, she realized her opposition to this plan was meaningless … so she meekly, wordlessly nodded before taking point—the creaking of the cart being almost dragged on the pristine grounds echoing through the ghost-like facility while the sounds of battle echoed through the silence.

Fifteen minutes later

Riskbreaker Retrieval Team

Night Track frowned, muzzle scrunched as disbelief dripped from her question to the changeling that returned to report to her. “Come again?”

“There are a lot of frightened civilians and guards hiding in the depths of this place, ma’am!” One of the agents of the long-gone-awry mission answered back, as they just stared at the blown-up wall and crater that was at one time the reception area of the Medical Center.

Her eyes briefly flittered to the remains of what appeared to be pony and heavy armor that were dispersed around the blast radius of whatever explosive spell had been cast onto the attackers.

“Have they spoken about what happened here?”

The changeling agent shifted uncomfortably as his superior kept her gaze on him.

“We have little time before the equines turn on us after this crisis passes, so report quickly.”

The changeling cringed, and with a grimace, he started unveiling his report. “Well … .”

The attack had been done in stealth and with brutal efficiency, deadly spells being thrown from the invader’s side without reservation towards the overrun defenders—whose armor’s thaumic defenses barely protected them from the onslaught.

This desperate fight wasn’t happening only within the castle grounds … it was happening everywhere within Canterlot borders.

From the Night Guard’s efforts at protecting the civilians down to the garrisoned Day Guard—who were woken up by the din of battle from their comrades keeping watch over them; within the depths of the Castle, where the servants supported the Guard however way they could to distract the assailants from doing more damage.

All this happened while several unicorn officers tried to send ensorcelled scrolls to the garrisons in Cloudsdale and Las Pegasus for aid, only for the spell to fail.

Naturally, this lead to the second line of communications: deploying the pegasi couriers for the task.

The couriers flew with the call for help in their satchels swiftly; determination oozing from their very beings as they left with the call for help in order to rout the adversaries laying urban warfare within Canterlot walls.

They were grateful that their innate magic wasn’t rendered useless like their horned companions, as they found out quickly enough that many types of standard unicorn magic spells had been rendered null by means unknown.

What the overrun guards did notice, was how they recovered when the weird magic circle looming over Canterlot sputtered out … only to be followed—to everypony’s surprise—by a very loud roar that echoed through the city.

For all the intruders who were counting upon discretion, disorder and the magical circle’s effects over Canterlot’s ponies this meant a disaster, as now everypony was awake, aware and unhappy with the chaos that was unfolding at their very doors.

An unforeseen consequence resulted of whatever had caused said magic circle to die out and the following roar: it softened the tough assailants down everywhere through the city proper—though for some unknown reason, while it shook them emotionally … it took the fight out of the hostile ponies attacking them.

Topping that off, was the fact that the formerly blocked unicorn magic was available to the defenders and the population of Canterlot proper once more.

Thus, acting as one despite there being no leaders to lead the charge, the pony civilians—and many of the immigrants living within the city—started a swift counterstrike against the weakened hostile ponies preying upon the city’s inhabitants and causing property damage with the fires they were starting.

Most of this counterstrike involved the use of furniture, nails, tools, hammers, and many other things besides rocks being tossed against the now overwhelmed and disadvantaged malicious equines.

But this didn’t matter to the Night Guard posted at the Medical Ward, desperate as they were to prevent the hostile equines from going inside the Ward.

Unfortunately, in their last clash a group of them managed to get through—wounding several of the guards and a few civilians in the process before they could do anything about it.

One of the fighters, a roussepony officer named Nightingale was worrying over that. ‘They went straight into the ICU … .’ Her eyes widened at the realization. ‘Can it be? Did they go after the comatose alicorn! How’d they know he was kept there!?’

She was drawn from her questioning as she heard a shriek coming from the depths of the Medical Ward.

This wasn’t ignored by the ones pushing in, one of whom voiced out in concern, “It was supposed to be easy pickings! What’s going on deep in there!?”

“Force them back! If the crack team failed, it is up to us to do the deed!” Another of the black-armored unicorns bellowed as his underlings started to shoot spell after spell onto the defenders. “Leave no survivors!”

Nightingale’s crumbling fortitude steeled out at those words. “Everypony! Force them out! Force them out!” Which she followed by aiming her crossbow towards the enemy, firing a bolt to their exposed flesh.

Once done, she dropped it and received another one from her comrade—who quickly used the cranequin to force the empty crossbow back into position before placing a bolt into place, moving on to the remaining crossbows that remained intact.

To that guardsmare, the bolt count was unfortunate.

“Ma’am! Only ten shots left!”

Nightingale’s hoof shook momentarily at that statement. ‘Please let every bolt count!’

Before she could point her proffered crossbow, she felt her body freeze on place—panic quickly rising through.

But instead of the death that was assured, she realized that the team of intruders that had gone into the Medical Ward returned—all of them dishevelled and outright scared as they quickly made their way to the panting black-armored equines.

Nightingale’s attention was drawn towards a unicorn medic which was with them, and bile rose to her throat at such treachery before getting distracted by their exchange of words.

“Sir! We must go all at once to end that thing!” The leader of the returning team wailed as she attempted to return her breathing back to normal, heaving from either the exertion or the fear dripping from her words and her expression.

The leader examined her and the new arrivals coldly. “What happened to Light Strike?”

The same officer panted before wailing. “He—It brained her! We were supposed to slay an dead-in-all-but name alicorn! Instead, we were received by a roar that literally weakened us! … then, adding insult to injury, we were surprised by hearing metal crushing bone when we couldn’t find the body! It killed her without any regards for her life! Weren’t these ponies life-and-peace loving cowards!?”

The medic traitor stuttered as the mare finally succumbed to panic, helping her void her stomach on a nearby pot. “That-that wasn’t the worst, sir—I’ve never felt such hate focused personally upon me! He was beheaded … but—but!”

The leader’s face scrunched as if he had tasted a particularly bitter lemon. “But?”

The creaking of an overloaded carriage echoed through the corridors, drawing the attention of guardsponies, intruders and civilians alike.

The medic gulped. “… It rose again after getting beheaded. And getting stabbed in the heart by Sacred Spear here.”

“Damn monster managed to destroy my sword on contact!” The heaving mare whispered out, her stare fixated on the entrance points to their place as the cart wheels echoed.

“Sir? It felt like the Guardians that the Queen can summon from the Sacred Shade. Only incredibly hostile towards us.” Another one of the unicorn hit-ponies—a stallion—softly added as he started to shiver, “The Windigoes were surrounding it when we went to find our target … . What’s worse, they kept following it even after it lost its head.”

The templar scrunched his face at that statement. “That is indeed troubling.”

“Is it just me, or is the temperature lowering?” One of the nurses in hiding whispered to another, as they waited for the inevitable.

This question didn’t go unnoticed, as the team that had pushed through and returned began to panic.

“Nonononono!” The mare suffering the breakdown started to mutter, pupils shrinking down into pinpricks as she took in the sight of the one who didn’t die despite her efforts; great advantage from their self-empowering weaponry; and increased strength in magic on their side … all pitted against what should’ve been a corpse in all but name.

“H—how did he rejoin his own head? That’s simply impossible.” The medic inquired, before straining into looking at the distance. “Hold on a second. … Is it just me, or is that cart on fire?”

The speed of the cart increased as the one pushing it accelerated towards them.

The templar leader huffed. “If he thinks that sending a burning cart our way will be enough to vanquish us … then he’s a fool.” He lazily brought his glaive to bear. “When he enters our range … make mincemeat out of him.”

The paralyzed guards were placed in the way by their captors’ telekinetic hold to their own regret, as they could do nothing but watch the cart coming their way along with the one pushing it with determination.

“He’s a pony royal—his subjects come first. He’ll stop the cart ‘lest he hurts the hostages.” The templar snorted disdainfully. “Just in case … Cravat, get some of the medical personnel to add to the hostage wall.”

Wordlessly, the templar underling dragged several of the personnel in hiding—who cried and whimpered out when subjected to the rough manhandling—and floated them towards the guardsponies. At this point, the black-armored equines were sweating profusely from the strain imposed upon them from keeping their hostages both paralysed and floating.

“In the name of the Queen of this land we’ll succeed.” The unicorn leader snarled as he readied his glaive.

The cart’s speed increased as the temperature lowered even further—and at this point everypony present could see the wraiths surrounding the figure now moving with celerity towards them, the path behind covered in frost from the ground up to the walls and ceiling.

“… He’s not going to stop, sir.” Another templar gulped. “I suggest we throw the hostages aside and focus on stopping him before he arrives—”

What happened next none of them saw coming, as the bleached alicorn jumped to the front of the cart and bit into the lower bars while throwing himself to his back—wings helping his grip as he flipped the burning cart over towards them with assistance from his forelegs and hind legs.

The templar officer cursed, tossing the hostages and guardsponies aside followed shortly by his subordinates. “Mere fire won’t stop us! Focus shields on the front! Keep some of the ponies frozen, too!”

The cart did another flip when it contacted their shield, and plopped without ceremony behind them in a cacophony of muted steel, burning uselessly.

Keeping their shield up, they watched the stallion recovering from sliding on the floor with some effort—only to grab an I.V. stand close by with his teeth as he glared at them, eyes betraying nothing but cold rage.

“Is that all you can muster, Equestrian royal!?” taunted the leader at their silent adversary. He stopped just out of their range of attack and after a short beat made a choice, and ignored them as he went inside one of the rooms adjoined by the corridor.

This sudden entrance was ill-received by the Canterlotians, judging by the cries coming from inside the room before they went silent.

Frowning at that, he almost managed to order his soldiers to go after him before their target returned with another cart—one which held several canisters, bottles and what looked like surgical instruments haphazardly strewn over them along with the stand.

Their target then chose to say one word. But the way it was said was less of a question and more in lines of a command that brooked no challenge.

“Move.”

The templars blinked, their concentration waned as their hold upon the hostages lessened by the weirdness of that statement.

The moment they felt the hold weaken, their former hostages took the chance to move aside and get refuge with the others while the stand-off persisted between them.

“You dare to command us!?” The unicorn leader roared in outrage at him, followed shortly by his subordinates.

“You worthless alicorn! How dare you speak to your superiors!?”

“We will be teaching you respect, you mockery of a unicorn!”

Their mocking continued as the alicorn just glared at them.

“No. It is a statement.” The alicorn growled as he used his wings dexterously to remove several of the surgical instruments—scalpels, by the looks of them—before he tossed them at their faces without warning.

By the time the scalpels had rebounded of their makeshift shield, he was already tossing towards them a canister—one that broke on contact, and began to release freezing liquid from its contents that forced them to retreat to where the burning wreckage was.

“Damn you!” The templar roared before unleashing an empowered armor-piercing spell towards the one that forced them back.

The spell hit the royal stallion … only for a mysterious light to emanate from his body, removing the injury that had trespassed him a moment ago at the neck—leaving only a bleeding gash.

Their adversary simply pulled from his side what looked like a surgical cauterizer and pressed it onto his wound, closing it up without blinking … .

To the templars’ confusion, they heard the hissing too close to them despite the source being at a distance as well—only for their target to swiftly move backward using his hind legs alone, toppling the cart over to its side with his forelegs and hiding behind.

The templar unicorns and their mole didn’t get the chance to act upon this development, the upturned cart behind them exploding a moment after in a ball of super-compressed, burning thaumic essence.

The explosion was large enough to cause part of the ceiling to collapse along with the wall blowing up backward from the output of said blast. The crumbled ceiling partially filled in the crater made by the cart, while the wall blowing up outwards wreaked havoc onto the templars that were serving as reinforcements.

There was silence, broken only by the grinding of the masonry falling apart; the crackling of fire; the hissing of raw thaumic power still burning through the floor tiles, ceiling and what remained of the walls. All of these sounds competed with the now-empty cryo-thaumic container.

The frost that was formed slowly sublimated from the floor, the enchantment sustaining its temperature dispelling as the environment’s temperature canceled it out.

At this point, the shades surrounding their vanquisher had all but dispelled, their ice slowly melting from the frozen corridor.

Having been shoved back quite far from the backlash, the alicorn rose from his defensive position … and took in the damage to both targets and environment with a calm look, ignoring the cries beginning to come from the ponies’ hiding spots. Moving with certainty towards the wreckage—ignoring the rubble and pieces of what once was fully healthy equines that were turning to dust as he moved—until he took a glaive that had escaped the explosion fairly intact.

His ears twitched as he glanced at the source of the voice calling out to no one in particular.

“Please … help me … everything hurts … .” Wept one of the black-armored unicorns, whose armor was all but melted into her flesh, hind legs nothing but charred stomps that were still smoking from what had just transpired—all of this framed by broken forelegs and a horn shattered from the thaumic feedback.

Hearing out the medical personnel gasping at the sight, he simply nodded once before searching out among the rubble. With a grunt, moved towards one stone that he moved with the glaive serving as a lever—revealing a regular sword as the stone grind with the glaive’s wooden handle.

Taking it with one wing while the other one kept the glaive, he moved towards the fallen equine as the same nurse who had guided him to the main corridor now fretted over the soon-to-be-dead attacker.

Shoving the medic and nurse to the sides, he plunged the blade into the templar’s neck without a word, ignoring the gurgling sound that the dead enemy soldier made before finally going quiet.

Turning from the deed with grim determination, he was met with several looks of shock, outrage, disgust, fear, and regret from the medical personnel and the guardsponies still conscious.

“She was no longer a threat! How could you just murder her like that!?” The nurse wailed at him, while the other equines present were now glowering at him as they started to approach.

Pointedly ignoring their stares and the outburst, Ash answered back without emotion. “As part of the deal, I’ll go out and hunt the stragglers.” Moving with decision despite feeling for the first time in a long time the signs of exhaustion, he briefly stopped on his way out, dropping the sword and glaive while at it. “Once that is done, I’m going to express my displeasure to the ones responsible for turning me into a broken man before dragging me here.”

Before any of the still-rattled guardsponies could say anything on the matter or move to stop him, the alicorn picked up a still-serviceable crossbow with its remaining bolts and calmly moved out of the Medical Ward.

The changeling’s ears were splayed as he finished. “And that’s what happened, from what they reported.”

‘The witnesses described a Riskbreaker Defense Art … we must find him. Fast.’ Out loud, Night Track asked the agent. “Did he take anything else?”

The changeling just shook his head. “No, ma’am. Though there was that statement that he was going to find the other invaders, then the ones responsible for bringing him here before leaving the Medical Ward.”

Night Track’s anxiety increased at this point.

‘If he’s indeed Iron Ash, then he’s aiming for the ones who kidnapped him! We must stop him before he does something that will turn bad towards Minos!’

“Coffee! Go with your agents to the Royal Quarters! We must intercept our target before it gets too far away from us!” Night Track barked, causing the diamond dog to briskly nod before mobilizing with his team out of the Medical Ward.

“This goes against the parameters of the current mission, everyone—however, split up and weed out the assailants! Avoid casualties unless necessary—we need answers as to who they are and what they’re doing here! Now!”

The roussepony’s stomach twisted as she saw the gratitude in both the civilians and overwhelmed guards, who actually smiled at her as her medics on her team assisted the pony specialists in giving emergency care to the casualties.

‘Can this situation turn any worse!?’

Iron Ash retrieved with his teeth the spent bolt from the heap of armor that once housed one of the dark-touched equines, the body had dissolved into dust and its power gone to him—only to leave as soon as it had come as their souls joined with the ones remaining within him to his everlasting disgust.

He didn’t delude himself. He knew fully well that whatever power he managed to scrounge from these fools went straight towards the seals—arcane devices that Sydney and the others had made long ago in coordination with the being that brought them here. All of this, to imprison the monstrosities that broke this world’s reality rules originally laid for its independent function.

Moving with decision, he passed by one room that had a broken window of what he had garnered were part of some ‘Royal Guest Quarters’ from a sign … .

Only to come back briskly, hooves noisy now as he disregarded all sense of stealth as he rushed into that room—noticing how at the distance the glow of a sigil of immense proportions, skewed by distance and angle hovering over a very familiar forest, one which now had a town next to it.

But still, his eyes half-closed in both recognition and trying to remember the why and the what.

‘… Didn’t Bardorba said something about ‘an early warning system’, when they finished up the matrices to keep those monsters imprisoned?’

Iron Ash sighed at this, head lowering along with his wings. Eyes closed, fighting for the first time in a long time the tears as he had done in his youth, he whispered sadly. “Sydney, everyone … I need your help, yet you’re gone for good … .”

… . We know some of their memories … but, are you willing to give us a chance? To let us aid you in this time of need?

Will you realize the truth of your existence in this path?

Will you reject us and our aid because of the mistakes of our kin?

‘… As much as it pains me, I’m left with no choice. Do not make me regret this … . Speak.’

The Seal of the Shadow-Warg army resonates from that direction … .

Ash stood still at hearing those words, now straightened up and looking at the horizon, ignoring the orange lights sourcing from fires set within the city proper and the sounds of combat.

‘… Come again?’

Please forgive our fellow equines—they didn’t know about your bond to these places

They acted with fear leading their actions, to their own detriment

The cleansing done by the spell, with its wide-ranged sacred power called forth by the will of the caster, brought forth a chain reaction that caused the return of all souls from your own world back to the Other

—you’re now weaker than ever, all strength remaining being drained to power seals you are no longer able to fuel

Will you finally learn to live rather than just exist, and to forgive yourself and others for their past and future mistakes? Will you learn mercy?

We cannot tell about the state of the other two seals, but the one over the woods … it looks almost undone, three days at most before breaking

We’re sorry, please don’t hate us

We beg of you, don’t throw us out to Reality! Please!

Ash’s eyes frowned as he tried again to cool down his composure, face growing hard as his eyes turned into flint, mood growing fouler by the second as he remembered how they dared to kidnap him along with his granddaughter for no real reason that he could pinpoint on his side.

“They will pay for this unwarranted assault.”

Breath getting ragged as Ash bared his teeth, all composure was now gone as he stated to nobody in particular, “They made their final mistake by coming for me at this point … when I finally had put my losses by their hand behind me … taking from me the ones who kept me company all this time, even endangering my current family while at it just to get me. Again!”

And snarled at a mirror still in one piece in the empty room—the reflection of a gaunt, greasy equine face and hair, all discolored for reasons he didn’t know. Teeth bared as his expression showed something that he hadn’t shown since his youth. Unfettered rage, despite the weakness of his very being dragging him to the ground. “This ends now! These animals won’t get away with undoing my work, taking away my long-lasting support, my family away from me, and endangering this entire world with their idiocy!!”

Once done with his venting, he continued making his way deeper into the complex, all interest on why there were ponies wielding some of his power now gone from his mind.

The equines weren’t going to let him be at peace. That much he knew.

It was time to make arrangements to remedy that … albeit as late as it was at this point, heart bleeding at the loss he had suffered at their hands.

The reprisal wouldn’t bring the ones who had kept him company—the closest he had to an actual family in terms of relation and support—for the last ten millennia, that much he was aware of.

Dealing with them though … permanently, would most certainly assure him peace of mind for what meager quality of life he could get … once he had dealt with the ones responsible for his downfall.

So focused he was, that he failed to pay attention to his surroundings—and the discreet flapping of a set of wings coming from up the chandelier that illuminated that section of the castle that started to discreetly follow him from a distance as he moved deeper into the compound.

“Twilight! Spike! Auntie Luna, Auntie Celestia!” Cadance called out first, followed shortly by her friends as they met Luna, Celestia, Twilight, and Spike along with about a dozen Lunar Guards, as the herd of equines made their way towards the Lunar Wing of the palace to find Luna.

What followed was a cacophony of warm welcomes and inquiries as to their present state coming from both sides despite the grim situation they were in.

“Cadance? Everypony!? You’re alright! Thank Harmony you’re alright!” Celestia called out to the herd approaching them, relief in her voice and expression.

“Guards! Join their escorts—we’re moving to evacuate them, then we return to fight these invaders!” Luna commanded sternly as she too approached them, relief all but written on her visage.

“Everypony! Thank goodness you’re here!” Twilight called at her friends before rushing in with Celestia and Luna to greet them.

“Guys! You’re alright! You won’t believe what has been going on in the last half-hour!” Spike cried out as he clung to dear life at Twilight’s neck as she moved towards her friends and family.

Trotting alongside the remaining Element Bearers was Starlight—still weakened, and being carried around by her current ‘thralls’—and Sunburst, who looked unnerved at the sight of his friend commanding them, still in their robes and black armour and with eyes vacant.

The guards escorting them were being led by Flash Sentry—as besides the guardsponies guarding the Royal Guest Quarters, they had come across other guards—their own officers targeted by the hostile unicorns in the decapitation strike before they managed to fend them off.

It was fortunate that the intruders had lost much strength during their operation, as it allowed for retaliation by the remaining guards against the otherwise formidable intruders.

“Fluttershy! Have you managed to get a hold of Discord?” Twilight asked her friend, who sheepishly shook her head.

“No, Twilight. I’ve been too busy trying to not freak out under this situation, and we were rushing to find you.” She meekly answered, before briefly closing her eyes and adding with determination now on her voice, “but now I think it would be a good time to do so.” She sheepishly asked to the air: “Discord? Please come over here with us, we need your help here.”

To their surprise, they heard his obnoxious voice transferring over from the air, but no sign of the draconequus. “Fluttershy? I’m so, so sorry … but you see, there were some mean ponies here at Ponyville who tried to take something they didn’t own. Specifically, the younger sisters of Rarity, Applejack and that rambuctious pegasus filly so fond of Rainbow Dash, Scuttle Loo or something like that.”

The mentioned mares plus Fluttershy couldn’t help but answer back.

Rarity was the first mare to cry out, “Sweetie Belle!? Is she unharmed!? Did you turn those cretins into dustbin sale dresses for their gall!?”

Rainbow Dash rushed too to ask out, concern in her voice as her wings fluttered. “Scootaloo!? Ohmygosh, is she alright!?”

Followed shortly by Applejack, “Well, thank ya kindly Discord, for saving Apple Bloom! Ah hope you keep those no-good varmint in place until the Guard takes them in!”

Waiting patiently for her turn, Fluttershy was last as she spoke to the air. “Thank you so much for saving them, Discord! I’m so happy you rescued them. Now … would you be so kind as to come over? We really need your help here.”

To their surprise, there was … a sheepish laugh coming from him.

“Well, you see … whatever they had for dinner is making things most interesting for me, as I’m currently having trouble not ending up in a jar of all things!” Discord whooped as the sound of someone muttering lay at the background noise, “Close, but no cigar! Here, have one!”

The sound of an explosion with the echo of a clucking chicken, a quacking duck and goose, and a cat’s screeching echoed through the air, only to be followed by silence.

Silence broken by Discord of all beings.

“Seriously, first a statue, then a glass jar. What’s next? A big-mouth Billy Bass?”

By the time everypony shook their glazed-over eyes at the concept of somepony being able to put a fight against Discord of all beings, only Spike and Starlight—with the barely-contained guffaw from Luna, Cadance and Celestia—saw Twilight hugging Flash Sentry briefly, but with intensity as she whispered something into his ear.

And whatever that something was, it made his grim look change into a big smile.

Unfortunately, what followed next removed Flash’s giddy smile from his face.

An arrogant speaker questioned from the depths of the corridor from where the new arrivals had come through. “It is quite funny, really. You all think you’re going to make it out of here alive.”

The Guards quickly scrambled, forming a perimeter around the Royals, Element Bearers and guests, before raising their spears, swords and many a horn glowing towards the corridor.

Starlight didn’t lose time in commanding her thralls to help the guards in stopping the ones coming their way, to which they replied with a dull ‘Yes, master’ before stepping into place next to the guards.

While they got ready, a figure approached—becoming visible from one of the remaining night-lights glowing at a wall … revealing the figure of Prince Blueblood, flanked by seven unicorns and five pegasus hovering over him.

Next to Blueblood was one of the unicorns, whose face was one of abject despair—yet kept pace with the noble with self-restrain and a thousand-yard stare.

Luna did a double-take before asking in disbelief, a tremor in her voice. “Stalwart Shield? Have you betrayed your mission? Have you forsaken us already?”

Her answer was silence, as the lights of the corridor revealed that behind the twelve hostile equines were soon joined by the appearance of several black-armored equines, all staring balefully at them as they started to make a row in front of Blueblood—swords at the ready, and a couple of unicorns wielding glaives.

“Do not concern yourself over this failed mole of yours—he knows where his loyalties lie now.” Blueblood sneered at the stallion next to him, whose hair heckled but remained still. “Even with the devastation brought by that supposedly dead alicorn stallion to our forces within this castle, there are still enough of us to deal with you unwanted lot with celerity.”

At this point, Twilight’s brain took a second to start a second train of thought to manage this revelation. ‘Alicorn stallion? He is awake … he’s awake! … Oh Celestia, no! He’s awake! How will I manage to apologize to him after what happened inside his mind, and what we inadvertently caused by purging him!?’

Her panic monologue was abruptly cut off, as she heard Spike speak out loud, “You won’t harm them.”

She could feel Spike trembling from where he was perched, claws grasping her coat firmly as he growled, rage barely contained as the grip tightened further. “You won’t harm my friends!” He proclaimed as he got down of Twilight’s back and glared back as much as he could to the approaching equines.

“Aww! Look at it! The slave thinks it can threaten us.” One of the unicorn mares in leather-plate sneered as they slowly approached, while the royal guards and their wards readied themselves for the inevitable confrontation.

The Equestrian guards opened their eyes widely when the unicorn mare that mocked Spike’s words moved—leaving an aftershadow in her motions—by the time they had reacted to halt her advance she had already gone behind them towards her prey with a sadistic smirk on her muzzle.

Spike flinched as this happened, watching the enemy move through the gaps in between royal guards straight towards him—blade wielded by the horn’s glow, ready to swing with a smirk on her face.

Remembering the desires—the emotions he felt when that massive iceberg was going to fall down the Crystal Empire’s stadium, that it was going to hurt everypony; Spike steeled himself, breathing in as the mare was almost upon him—blade already swinging.

Spike’s thought as he exhaled fire, looking straight at the mad pony’s sword coming to hurt him: ‘If I can make them back off from hurting everypony … then we’ll stand a chance!’

To the unicorn’s regret, her swing was far too gone—and when the blade entered into the stream of fire as she sidestepped to avoid the brunt of the flame, everyone close by started to hear the sound of glass cracking.

“What the—?” The soldier muttered intelligently before the screeching blade started to smoke as its appearance cracked, before exploding into dust right next to the dragon … some lights escaping into the ether from the still smoldering ashes.

Spike smirked, feeling elated at what had just happened. ‘Heh! It isn’t the same when the other side plays chicken too, huh!?’

Judging by her widened eyes and how she teleported back to her fellow equines’ side before the guards on their side went down on her, the gamble worked properly.

The dramatic effect of this reversal, to Spike’s regret, was quickly broken by the pony closest to him.

“Spike!? What were you thinking!? She could’ve killed you!” Twilight’s frazzled face shook Spike by the shoulders, briefly ignoring the situation they were in before hugging him fiercely. “… Thank goodness you’re alright, Spike … but please, don’t do that again!”

Shining Armor, Cadance, Luna and Celestia looked at each other … .

Nodding, they joined streams of magic towards Shining Armor’s horn—allowing them a brief respite as the reinforced shield separated them from the assailants.

Twilight’s friends quickly stood next to the alicorn, a variety of expressions on their faces showing—from rage down to relief, passing through resolution as they nodded at each other, the guardponies quickly placing themselves in the middle to shield their wards.

“Really? You lost your blade to the whelp out of all beings?” Blueblood drawled in dismissal at the scene being shown, ignoring the shocked mare, who submissively lowered her head as her ears splayed over her skull.

“I’m sorry, my Lord.”

“You should be. All of you,” the equines standing at the noble’s side straightened up, “keep them busy, I’ll create a well of The Dark to tap from to end this charade. Self-destruct if you must, but keep them away!” Blueblood snarled as a very familiar glyph appeared beneath him in blood-red glowing with his horn and eyes … .

Where tears began to stream from, at odds with the treasonous noblepony’s expression.

Stalwart Shield looked defeated as he stood straight, joining the invaders in the frontline. Shineless, empty eyes greeted Luna as the former mole crossed sights with her, causing her to gawp in disbelief at the sight.

The lull only lasted a moment before some words came out of the failed mole as if it were a sigh.

“I’m sorry, everypony.” Stalwart Shield muttered before he joined the invaders as they rushed the barrier in an unnatural silence, magic-devouring blades held by their magic.

Light Scalpel was not having a good day—or night as it were.

Fluttering as discreetly as he could, shooting sleeping spell after spell to put down the ponies torching houses down and the ones wielding weapons trying to hurt unarmed ponies and creatures—all before them realizing that he was there, vanishing into the darkness.

He really didn’t want to be doing this.

Being a changeling medicine professional who was working undercover within Canterlot’s walls as a ‘mailpony’ didn’t give him time nor a chance to pursue his calling, only attending ‘visitors’—fellow infiltrator changelings or rousseponies from the garrison hidden within the mountain in order to avoid them going missing for long periods of time, and the minotaurs and diamond dogs that never came for his services.

This, of course, meant that his schedule was truly skewed towards him being a ‘morning pony’ rather than a ‘bloody batpony’ like some of the more … unsavory locals liked to say. He much preferred ‘night-owl’ to that other one, being perfectly honest.

Many of his friends were rousseponies after all.

Being what most Minoan changelings would call ‘a soft-spoken, soft-shelled ninny’, he barely managed to survive the brutal training that allowed one to become a Riskbreaker—and thus the freedom to live outside of Minoan borders within reason—by the end of his chitin, all for one purpose: to go to medical school, then go outside Minos.

An opportunity arose by an advert by the time he had been a freshly minted medical officer—for which he quickly volunteered for.

Who was he to say no to free food, lodging, and a place within a city considered a jewel of Equestrian culture? This naturally meant that he’d get to be part of what he now knew to be a small part of the network that supported the Garrison within Mount Canterhorn.

Back then he had his own reasons. Selfish reasons, reasons that would have already made the shy changeling into a laughingstock to his peers.

He wished to get to know ponies, and how they lived in harmony with each other. Now he knew. Oh, by the gods, he now knew.

It wasn’t much different from Minos’ large cities being perfectly honest—only pony nature made him feel as if stepping on eggshells, as more often than not he heard the gossip told by … certain equines that didn’t deserve the title ‘harmonious’. More often than not, he had to meekly agree with whoever was insulting him involuntarily, but alas! That was the way he learned his lesson.

There are good people and bad people everywhere. Or perhaps it was the location, who knew?

His already disrupted schedule was broken further by what appeared to be a sudden ‘bout of civil war on the streets outside, where he could see ponies fighting ponies to the death or until unconscious—surrender didn’t seem to grant mercy from the assailants for their victims.

The bizarre glyph glowing in the sky—as brief as it was—was unsettling on its own, judging by the emotions that it transmitted.

Raw hatred against everypony and creature living within Canterlot’s walls and what they stood for.

Hatred against Harmony, Love, Friendship, Discord among equals that brings forth discussion, dialogue, and the other three… only subjugation to a single party.

The roar that followed its disappearance was both unsettling and welcome reprieve, as that poisonous emotion disappeared along with the glyph.

He did what he could, his disguise as a pegasus now being a liability—tossed aside as he moved like a shadow, putting down to sleep what ponies he felt were too vicious towards their fellow equines.

Their choice of gear made things easier too in that regard.

Fluttering above the chaos, turning into stones, gargoyles, and other common things to avoid detection, he kept doing what he could to keep his neighbours safe.

Just because they didn’t know he was a changeling was no reason to leave them to their own devices, or at the tender mercies of the ones assailing them in this forsaken hour.

He passed over the domicile of some particularly friendly nobles that had gotten somewhat close to him in the time since he received his post in Canterlot when his peripheral vision detected flashes within the house proper.

Stopping in mid-air, he quickly changed his coloration to match that above them: the night sky’s cloudy tone, and kept watch over the doorway.

Frowning, he realized that a cart with a carp was already parked in front, with a pegasus latched onto it—

When four unicorns came out of the house’s entrance with his friends over their backs, his acquaintances Night Light and Twilight Velvet being unceremoniously shoved into the cart by the four unicorns.

Light Scalpel gulped as he inwardly panicked at the sight.

‘Th-this is wrong! Who are they!? Why did they take them out of their home!? How do I get into contact with the Garrison!? The Guard!? What do I do!!??’

… .

The changeling’s expression shifted through a myriad of emotions as he pondered the situation—keeping the cart on his sight as it moved away from the building taking advantage of the chaos.

And one particular emotion bubbled above his meekness.

With a frown and his fangs bared, he started following the kidnappers.

Iron Ash furiously made his way to one of the many corpses of the Royal Guard littering the corridor, where he quickly started to fumble around with the cuirasses—hoping against hope to both find something his size from the few pegasi strewn around, and that said parts of armor to be relatively whole after the ordeal they went through.

Perfect wasn’t required for what he had in mind—regular condition was good enough, as long it held the right proportions and colours … .

“Halt! You will not harm the Princesses! Not at this time, not ever!”

Iron Ash stood still at hearing the determined female calling at him in the darkness behind him.

“What makes you think that you’ll be victorious?” He asked as calmly as he could, letting training take its course as he fumbled with his wings against the straps holding his prize on the ground—a gut feeling beginning to form as he realized something that so far hadn’t crossed his mind: all his previous kills had been potshots from the shadows at open spots in the helmets or at the necks, and the closest thing to a sword-type close encounter he had literally lost his head due to overextending his reach.

His stomach fell as he realized that he simply wasn’t accustomed to the four-legged and two-winged configuration, nor was he proficiently trained in his own battle arts for this situation, and only a few of his techniques had worked out of everything that he had tried during those encounters with Dark-tainted attackers.

None of the Defensive Battle Arts that involved rejuvenation of any sort worked as well as they should despite his hope of securing some strength from that source.

Strengthening his determination with grim resolve, he kicked viciously the body aside and roughly placing the enchanted armor on his barrel with his wings, he hooked his hoof over a helm that was without an owner and asked to the air: “… I suggest you leave. No need for you to lose more than a match.”

One moment he was saying that, the other he was tumbling over the ground with a massive ache on his head, helmet clanging at a distance. Vision dancing, he tried to focus on his assailant … .

“Sorry, can’t hear you over your groaning!” The mare flapped at a height over the prone man-turned-pony. She growled after a beat, “Surrender, now!”

Ash glared at the roussepony flapping over him from where he laid … and proceeded to rise from the ground.

The mare saw this and growled again “I don’t have time for this—” before yelping as a bolt nearly impaled itself on her.

Ash threw the useless crossbow as he tried to focus—

A stronger buck at his barrel sent him sprawling, armor barely defending him as it slid off of him … only this time, with one of the few Defensive Battle Arts that he found out that he could use shortly before, he sent part of that buck back at her.

“What the—!” The mare whispered in disbelief before a shock tossed her up without control, plummeting with a loud smack onto the ground.

She quickly took notice of the sound of metal scraping stone, and cursed under her breath as to how the sickly stallion was already close to her with a potted plant on his wings’ grasp and a vacant look on his face.

She quickly scrambled onto her hooves while turning to buck—and bucking she did, though she felt another of the bizarre shockwaves hit one of her hind legs—and as she screamed in inordinate pain, she believed to have heard her hind leg bone crack as the potted plant struck her hoof.

Eyes watering, she tried to move back—only for a hoof to backsmack her face, sending her sprawling as she found difficulty in using her magic to move. Raising her hoof to defend herself, another strike hit her flesh and she felt her body go numb as a result, making her movements groggy.

She watched her assailant in a vain attempt at defying him to the end … only for him to stare at her—

And a flash of light to originate from the other side of the corridor, where soon afterwards screaming started to be heard.

The screaming of mares in terror.

As she tried moving in vain to go towards that corridor—feeling as if her body was submerged in solid cloud—she could see the alicorn stallion crumple to his belly and cough up blood as his breathing echoed loudly through the air.

Even though it was a whisper, she could hear his muttering.

“… don’t have … much time … left. Must … .” He shakily rose back to his hooves, whereafter he shifted towards a wall, where he helped himself to remain up. “… Must finish this … or they … they’ll … seek to undo me … never allow me any peace.”

To the Night Guard’s horror, she saw how he struggled to move … and move he did, with a determination not frequent to see in her experience as he reached over to the armor and helmet laying on the ground, haphazardly placing them on his body before trying in vain to secure the straps.

Her heart fell as she saw how the enchantments kicked in and his appearance changed to that of one pegasus Royal Day Guard … with a horn showing from the unicorn helmet being used.

As he trudged away from her, the guardsmare took that lesson in determination to heart—

—and started to force her body to move as well, despite everything in her complaining about that, hind leg included as she favored her other hind leg to reduce the strain.

The shield erected by Shining Armor and three Royals lasted thirteen seconds of constant hacking by the horde—whose rage, with exception of their involuntary guest—that made them gawp their mouths in disbelief.

Still, it was enough.

By the time the shield fell, there was nothing they could do as the former Element Bearers once again shone brightly with the power granted to them and their unity, a colorful wave washing onto all their adversaries swiftly—who could nothing but scream as it rushed them like a tidal wave at the beach that brushes away all that stands in its way.

It was enough.

As for everypony else, they were forced to cover their eyes in an attempt at saving their battered night-vision for later.

The sight that greeted them the moment their sights returned was both soothing and alarming for many reasons.

From the attacking ponies, all but five were turned to stone. To their surprise, Blueblood, Stalwart Shield, one unicorn and two pegasus were spared from that fate. Instead of belligerent, they were laying haphazardly on the floor … unconscious.

The shadows rising from the stoned equines, the prone equines and Blueblood’s prone body though were a cause of alarm—solid masses of shade giving the appearance of rips on space as they coagulated into one mass.

One mass that shortly afterward shoot up tentacles and grabbed every pony present, causing more than one scream as the congregation of shades started to squeeze. From wings down to hooves, horns and bodies being disabled as pulses of ruinous power started to poison their nerves and thaumic pathways, their screams increasing in intensity—

Instead of silence, they were greeted with a sound they wouldn’t have expected from something that had eyes inside mouths, mouths around what appeared to be wings, legs, and claws more in line with scorpions than with the draconic ones appearing and subsuming at random.

The monstrosity began to chuckle.

“Well, this is awkward. I thought my vessels would have been enough for you … so much for planning. But I digress.”

It started squeezing harder, drawing gasps from its victims as they began struggling against the stranglehold.

“Our goal will be achieved in the end. We will be fully free—of hosts, of fools, of lifeforms other than us. Only we deserve to inhabit this and all worlds … .”

Frost began to gather in the corridor, causing the warmth in the air to flee as if chased away by ghosts of hatred which were starting to show up.

Shivering from the cold joined at the fright caused by the appearance of the monstrosity, the trapped ponies weren’t focusing properly on the environment with such a threat literally squeezing them.

The Element Bearers—in a show of will to go against the beast—tried to tap once more their power to purge it from this world. They were answered by a pulse of power as they screamed in pain, feeling electricity coursing through their bodies while their inherent magic slowly but surely began to corrode from exposure to the wrongness within the monster’s power.

The monster tutted at them from over a hundred wrongly-shaped mouths. “Now now now, we don’t want that show of light ruining the mood now, do we?”

Hoofsteps falling onto stone started to be heard at a distance, drawing the amalgamate to silence.

It started chuckling as its eyes focused on the newcomer, submerging into the mass and turning to its other side to watch. “Look what have we here … another pony coming into the slaughterhouse. Eager to be turned into a rug and glue, are we not?”

The hostages couldn’t help but gasp at the sight despite their predicament—a heavily battered unicorn from the Royal Day Guard, glowering at the monstrosity despite helping himself moving with the wall closest to him, metal scraping against stone as he slowly approached them.

To their disbelief, the guard remained both silent and at a distance from the amalgam of shades, not showing any regard to their current state. Distantly, the alicorns gathered barely noticed how the cold currents were surrounding that guard though the sensation of sickness penetrating their bodies kept them too unfocused to think beyond that sight.

If the mass had a face, it would’ve frowned at the sight and the unnerving feeling it was getting from the guardspony. “Despite my obvious superiority, I feel curious … what do you expect to gain by standing there and doing nothing? You fools normally cry out ‘For Princesses and Equestria’ before dying ignominious deaths—”

The horn of the guard started to gather power—and to both the shade mass and the ponies’ surprise—it wasn’t magic.

The helm broke in half, the two pieces falling down at the heads’ sides and causing the disguising enchantment to fail as the gathered power—a blue orb of light that quickly changed into a shining spear exited through the horn—

Moving quickly, the amalgam created a wall of shadow to absorb the magic the same way it had done so with its prey’s magic … but the beam punched through both the wall and the amalgam’s core body to its shock.

The ponies screamed as the shade started to shake and scream in a legion of voices with eyes emerging from the mass of shadows, staring at the source of this attack as it couldn’t help but see another horn-sourced beam already on its way to its core.

Once the beam pierced what passed for its heart—punching a hole into the stone floor behind it—the mass started to dispel on its own with gurgling that felt more in context with a drowning pony. As it gurgled, its last words were “Oh no … it is you—” before collapsing in a cloud of dark dust, all its hostages falling down to the ground.

The ponies groaned as the black mist started to move as if caught in a current … away from them and towards their ‘savior’, while the cold snap increased in force.

Ignoring that bizarre event, the ponies started to regain their sense and checked their states, until they noticed something was wrong when one of the guards inquired in awe: “How did you do that!?” before his awe changed into puzzlement, “Magic wasn’t working … on … that … thing … ?”

Nothing but silence as an answer.

The Royals and the Bearers turned to look and blanched at the sight as they realized just who was standing in front of them.

Black mist was entering the body of the one they believed wouldn’t wake up again, fur matted with sweat and blood, all of his fur and mane’s color grayed out, blood coming from his mouth and a big dent on the cuirass being held mostly by his feather-misaligned wings—a nimbus of mist slowly forming in the space surrounding him.

After a beat, it was Fluttershy of all ponies who said in disbelief at what was coming from her now even-more-frightened self. “Oh … oh my, mi-mister Ashley.” She quickly lost her nerve as she took in the feelings shown in his face, finishing with a lame, “You don’t look … too good?” as she quickly back-pedaled behind Rainbow Dash.

The stallion remained silent, glaring with teeth clenched in absolute loathing that froze her in place as the mist finally finished entering his body, and what appeared to be some kind of pitch black smoke started to pour off of his body as if it were streaming someplace else—his previously bleached cutie mark glowing with an eerie red as the flesh over it started to burn, smoke wafting from their places as his body slowly but surely showed signs of mending itself as the influx of power rejuvenated him.

One of the guards gagged at the smell of burning flesh and fur coming from the equine, while the others started to take positions in front of their charges with an uncertain look on their faces.

Iron Ash simply glared at the herd in front of him and turned his sights on Celestia, upon which his body started to gather power once more, horn starting to glow blue at its tip as he snarled at her.

“Congratulations, ‘princess of the sun’,” Ash spat at the alicorn who couldn’t help but flinch at the tone, “you won.”

“Sir Ashley! We didn’t know! We honestly didn’t know! I’m so sorry! We’re really sorry about what happened!” Twilight cried out as she tried to place herself in front of her mentor, her friends, and Luna quickly joining in.

Ash’s glare didn’t move from Celestia as he growled at them, “Ashley Riot was murdered at your hands several days ago … I’m only ash that was left from your deed as you burned me and my own to oblivion.”

The brightness in his horn increased as he ignored the ponies calling out their apologies while keeping his sights on Celestia, who at this point looked at him with tears in her eyes and an expression that he couldn’t quite place.

“The ones responsible for the endangerment of this world and Minos, and for taking everything from me must be dealt with. Permanently.”

The Minoan garrison stationed in the depths of Mount Canterhorn mobilized efficiently, quietly and discreetly—showcasing their training and discipline within the Minoan Knights the moment they received their mission parameters.

Of course, the paths leading up to the mountain city were problematic on their own for several reasons.

From the layout of the connecting tunnels down to the eldritch nature of the caverns deep within—as the massive geode-like chambers that filled the heart of the mountain were labyrinthine by themselves, and the large crystalline outgrowths acted like mirrors that could reflect even magic.

Both changelings and diamond dogs had reported unusual phenomena because of said outgrowths when exposed to light sources—which more often than not led them down into uncharted places that were hard to backtrack due to both layout and the illusions passively caused by the formations.

Naturally, this would force anyone who entered the heart of the mountain to do so with a map and a changeling guide to the side in order to be able to tell the signs that only a changeling’s eye could perceive in the darkness.

Some of these markers included pheromones, as sight would be compromised for any unwanted visitor—whom would get consequently lost in the depths and die in loneliness.

Within these caverns discreet action was taking place, as a roussepony soldier trotted briskly to report to his officer in command, softly whispered to his ear. “Sir, we have unknowns in chamber seventeen. Team Ore’s waiting for orders.”

The diamond dog in charge frowned at this report. “Unknowns?” he growled with a raised eyebrow.

The soldier nodded. “What are your orders, sir?”

The dog grumbled while scratching his neck. “Let us see who’s being a non-paying tenant to these ponies.”

It didn’t take long for the officer—led by the roussepony soldier to reach the tunnel leading to the chamber, changelings, diamond dogs, and rousseponies all in armor and staying in silence.

The officer peeked out from the reflective crystal formations to see who was in the way … only to bear witness to equines in dark purple robes doing things that gave him a headache just from exposure.

Equines in these gods-forsaken caverns, standing in the path of the Minoan Riskbreakers, performing unknown procedures involving unknown magic in the uncharted depths of the mountain’s crystal caves.

Silently, the dog made hand signals to the officers close by, to which they briskly nodded and started mobilizing as silently as they could, while the unknowns’ voice echoed through the chamber.

The ears of those who remained at that post quickly twitched as a couple of the ponies collapsed on the side, heaving violently as if being under extreme pressure. As the rest continued—albeit at a much slower pace—one that looked like their leader took hold of some crystal device within his cloak and ignited it.

He spoke out in distress at the device. “Lord, we’ve reached the limit that the current glyph array allows for the maximum output of The Dark into this plane!” The cloaked equine gesticulated while sitting on his haunches with his free forehoof. “If we are to meet your current demand, then we need more time to rework the glyph array into a more complex one, in order to channel it without having it blow up the mountainside!”

The answer was even more enlightening to the Minoans, as the crystal device’s voice clearly echoed through the chamber. “I do not care what needs to be done, as we already lost the element of surprise to factors unknown! Find out what is wrong, and deal with it, fast—the mercenaries are already struggling, the same with the Dark Templars and the Reliquarians!”

The robed figure nodded acquiescently. “Yes my lord. We’ll be on it at once.” He then turned to this fellow robed equines. “Adjust the runes and the summoning craft! We must increase the outpour—something happened on the surface—!”

The Riskbreakers moved in at once.

Lord Patrician frowned at what he was looking—or more precisely, what he wasn’t seeing up to this point.

Everything had worked out just fine at the start of the Glyph of the Calling Dark … until it flickered and died out. An eyebrow twitched as he pondered just this:

What in Tartarus had the Princesses done to cancel it out with such efficiency? Had his plan been compromised by that mole despite his precautions?

He frowned at the thought of that annoyance. The busy-nosed mole he had managed to get his hoof on was no longer an issue. A trump card of his own would make certain of that.

One that employed the mole’s fatal weakness.

He was brought out of his thoughts by another refined voice belonging to a mare.

“Lord Patrician, what news did the darksmiths gave? What is happening most certainly is not part of the plan discussed, you know!”

Lord Martinet was no fool as he thought out how to answer the lady—and through her the supporters of this course of action, all too willing to become greater than alicorns with the aid of Helighet’s deity … .

All of them interested in the perks that wielding The Dark provided them, making certain their superiority to the other pony tribes and the vermin that thought themselves people outside Equestria’s borders.

In the beat before answering Lord Patrician felt a distinctive ‘cancelled-out’ feeling concerning another point of interest: the magic he had placed on Blueblood and the group that went with him. He frowned at that, glowering at the city that had red spots giving light into the night.

Pulling out a contraption with a crystal wired to it he simply said: “Kill the hostages.”

The noblemare simply rose an eyebrow at that while waiting for his reply to her question.

Patrician’s other crystal communication device crackled, drawing him out of his attention towards the mountain city.

“Sire! We’re under atta—!”

After a moment of stunned silence that drew the nobleponies closer to the mare and Patrician, he glared at the city. “We’re leaving to Helighet, we’ve lost everything that matters for this mission to be a success.”

Further crackling from the crystal communication device started echoing calls for help from the mercenaries and their supporters.

All of them involved ‘help to fend off’ among many things: vicious diamond dogs, rousseponies, and changelings of all things.

All that was missing was the appearance of the comatose alicorn stallion joining the fray and it would be the ideal picture of the worst of setbacks.

Their ‘god’ wouldn’t be happy in the slightest about this.

Unfortunately for him, his other crystal communication devices started to crackle—a cacophony of retreat cries, and reports of unknowns rising to support the Royal Guard against their onslaught.

They failed to hear the mission report concerning said alicorn stallion’s current status.

Patrician’s frown could make competition if put next to a lemon. “We need to reassess our plans under better circumstances. Mobilize at once.”

By the time the guards started to move towards Ash, it was too late—the piercing magic was already unleashed towards their ruler who could only see her death approaching in slow motion.

To the surprise of everypony present, a battered roussepony guardsmare divebombed towards the crippled stallion, rushing at him to climb onto his back—using her forehooves to force his head up in a vain attempt at diverting the beam going Celestia’s way. She screamed in pain and effort as she struggled with her targets’ neck, “Protect the Princesses!”

Briefly blinking in surprise by this turn of events, Ash’s focus wavered—and along with it the guidance of the Break Art Ruination that had come out of his horn.

As this was happening, years of training had already taken over Shining Armor’s body, who moved quickly towards Celestia with determination—body-slamming her into the ground as the ‘spell’ turned upwards and scoured a groove on the ceiling, nearly missing Celestia’s ear as it passed over where her head had been at one point.

The shot had missed, so Ash did not waste time and slammed repeatedly against the walls to force his assailant into releasing her stranglehold of him.

Taking advantage of the distraction, the guardponies that remained functional quickly rushed to subdue the berserk assailant—and were met with a series of unexpected reversals.

The unicorns that tried to stun the alicorn with stunner spells saw their spells either miss by his reflexive sidestepping, or him actually using the mare on his back as a shield—causing her to yelp before ending up stunned, with him biting her broken foreleg to keep her limp body in place to intercept the spells coming his way that he couldn’t move away from.

Their second surprise was when he backhooved the guard closest to him—and she slumped into the ground with eyes wide open in shock and unable to move. The others tried to body-check him, and found out the same result—until one hoof struck armor rather than the flesh, and the guardsmare punched Ash into the side of his muzzle.

As Ash’s head was thrown aside from the hoof that struck him, light gathered around the guardsmare—who reeled in shock shortly after from the impact due to the light giving her a diffused smack to her body, eyes widening at the unexpected retaliation.

Hoof moving fast, Ash struck her down like the rest with one paralysing strike before being struck himself by a rainbow streak, tossing him like a ragdoll against the floor a few meters from the guardsmare—crunching over the gathered frost as tiny crystals of ice were forming from the air.

Focused as he was—and given to his rage as he struggled with the pony guards—Ash didn’t hear Twilight’s quick plan to her friends, who while looking uncertain nodded with decision at her, which sent Rainbow to run interference at him while the others prepared for him.

“Seriously, dude! We know we screwed up, and now want to make things right! But we can’t do that if you don’t. Stop. Trying. To kill us!!” Rainbow screamed at him from the air, before a splash of light crashed to the ceiling above her as she evaded, Ash panting as he glared balefully at her as he kept her on his sight.

He got blind-sided again by a pink, fluffy pony that launched at his side before climbing over him as if she were a crab—hugging the stuffing out of him while whooping out as he bucked to send her flying as if he were some ride.

A hug that was preventing his use of his wings while at it to strike at the rainbow-maned nuisance, leaving only his hooves and horn to defend himself with.

Enraged further by that violation of personal space, Ash tried to slam her against the wall as he did with the other guard—only to find to his surprise that he hit himself against the stone wall, leaving him in a dizzy state.

“Nopperoni, I am not interested in surveying the quality of the walls! Oh, wait! I didn’t know you were a fan of rocks! Maud will be happy to meet you!—”

“Silence, you bloody fool!!” Ash raged on as he tossed himself to the ground to avoid getting hit by another buck from the pegasus dive-bombing him. “Stand still, you flying eyesore!” were his words only to be pelted by hard, rough and round objects on his exposed parts that made him grunt and focused him on a certain unicorn that was looking at him with severity.

“As much as I understand your rage towards us, and I freely accept that we were mistaken, and hurt you much … this isn’t the proper way to express your displeasure at ourselves.” She snorted as her horn glowed, more small-sized rubble rising along with it. “It is most uncivilized, dear sir.”

Ash’s eyes closed in on her forming a scowl unto his face, immediately chanting a cantrip as he did his best to ignore the pink pest and the flying eyesore running interference to distract him.

“Ventaval eniltes parcrulta erunis … .”

Panic immediately reflected in the ponies around him as he moved to avoid them, focused entirely on the now even whiter unicorn.

Twilight’s screams were soon heard. “Stop him! Rainbow! Pinkie! Stop him from casting!!”

“… parcresu desduri per calderu … brightana Zephir!” Finished Ash with a wave of his hoof towards Rarity … only to find no result, and a multicolored streak to send him flying again from his formerly current position.

Confusion dripped into his consciousness, muddling his rage with despair even further. ‘The magicks of the dark … why was the cantrip empty? Where … how.’

His fleeting thoughts were silenced by a scratchy laughter coming from above. “Oh Celestia, the look on his face when his spell didn’t work!”

‘I will end that eyesore of a nag—’

He rose, only to stare into eyes that gave his own glare competition in the unsettling and intimidating departments.

Cyan eyes attached to a pink-maned, yellow-coated pegasus judging by the wings escaping from his field of vision as the intruders’ irises consumed his every thought, removing the memory of the face they were attached to, the appearances … filling him with something indescribable though very similar to one that he felt once, long long ago … .

Terror … terror that would have consumed lesser men, had he not been through a similar situation once—when facing The Dark-posessed Romeo Guildenstern at the top of the Cathedral all those millennia ago.

The terror that the thing was inflicting him with that glare slowly gave way to resolve bubbling forth from the depths of his torn self, kindling his rage further.

As this happened, words flowed out of the owner of said eyes, and yet he was no longer able to understand their meaning as everything turned from hot and red to deadened, cold grey … .

As he once used to be before being awakened by Sydney’s machinations at Leá Monde, being merely a watcher to his own body moving towards a single purpose … .

With the mentality of a free-willed sword.

“Mister Riot! How dare you hurt all these ponies in a fit of rage! You should feel ashamed of yourself for your lack of self-restraint!”

Twilight trotted towards Fluttershy with a weak, strained smile as the pegasus glared at the now frozen alicorn stallion according to the plan as the normally shy pegasus kept on her tirade. “Thank you Fluttershy, you really pulled us out of the fire! Now, we need you to keep The Stare just long enough for Rainbow and the guards to get the shackles to immobilize Mister Riot.” At the end of this last statement, she sighed despondently. “How can I make it up to him, everypony? I bucked up … badly.”

“Ah don’t know, sugarcube though ah do have this rope in good condition.” Applejack announced before tying the stallion’s wings to his barrel and looping it into his four hooves, tying a knot out of range of his neck. “This’ll have to do while we wait for Rainbow and the others to come back with the shackles.”

The farmer sighed as Fluttershy kept her attention and words flowing towards Ashley. “Ah don’t rightly know, Twi. Thing is, nopony knew much—it was either that or facing another Tirek at full power in the least if we were wrong ‘bout him.”

Twilight was going to reply, but Fluttershy’s words were cut off brusquely.

“I know that we hurt you badly, and we’re sorry for that—”She was cut off by the sound of rope breaking, followed by ”EEEEKKK!!”

The ponies turned—and saw Fluttershy stepping back in terror as a now blank-faced alicorn stallion was moving, ignoring the ruptured rope formerly holding his wings and along with it the tautness holding his hooves together, moving towards the pegasus who now was frozen in place as he approached at a sedated pace.

Before any of the ponies could react to this sudden change of demeanor, Ash backhooved her to the floor the moment that the pegasus was within hoof-striking range, earning a pained croak from the poor girl as she fell.

“Get away from Fluttershy you big jerk!!!”

It took a moment to register to Twilight, but by then it was too late for her to prevent what was coming.

“Rainbow Dash! Stop!!” Twilight screamed as she readied her magic to protect her friends from the now—terrifying foe at their hooves.

A multicolored streak moved to strike Ash, only for him to quickly grab Fluttershy with his jaw by the scruff, brutally tossing her towards the irate pegasus coming his way when she was too close to avoid his projectile as if he were throwing a rock or wielding a mouth slingshot.

Tumbling into one another, the two pegasi were briefly held by a blue aura that tried to arrest their momentum and draw them back before Ash closed the distance swiftly, striking the aura holding the two downed ponies with a wing in a particular motion that emitted a slight glow.

The aura holding the two ponies popped like a bubble, the two pegasus falling into a mess of feathers and hooves.

Picking a rock from the ground that appeared to have once belonged to the stone ceiling, Ash silently approached his soon-to-be victims—when he was approached by Starlight Glimmer, looking at him in the eyes with her horn glowing before said glow touched Ash’s head.

“I command you to stand still!”

Ash’s body stood still for a moment … only for the cloud of magic around his head to fizzle out and earn a scowl. There was no time for Starlight to react before a quickly chucked rock struck her straight into her forehead, toppling her down with a pained cry as she clutched her bleeding forehead, horn sparking erratically as she whimpered.

A beam of magic grazed his side, followed by others from the royals and remaining unicorns capable of such that he ignored and even tanked as he moved with absolute certainty.

Without breaking stride and tanking a few spells, he stomped on Rainbow’s right wing while she was trying to get up from the floor—causing her to cry out as the bone cracked, stomping again for good measure and grinding against the floor before Rainbow passed out from the agony he had just inflicted, face indifferent to her suffering.

“Rainbow Dash!” The mares cried out in fear for the state of their friend but were not given a chance to rush the stallion.

In one motion, he picked the crying, shivering and frightened Fluttershy again from her neck with one wing—earning a pained gag from the half-conscious pegasus—moving towards his assailants, disregarding the beams coming his way as he placed the pegasus in front of him to receive the spells.

Having realized why Ash had deliberately done what he had done, Twilight cried out in disbelief “Fluttershy!!”. In a blink, Twilight made a choice with a decisive look. Her horn flared, forming a shield in front of Ash’s hostage where the beams struck one after another, causing her and Fluttershy to flinch with each impact that made that shield ring like a bell, cracking with the final shot done by Luna as they stopped.

“You … you are hypocrites—I recognize the power that your worthless pawn wielded against me … another fool playing with might never meant for your witless kind to handle … .” Ash growled with loathing while moving towards them, body smoking up upwards while his face was at odds with his voice—impassive, as if he was doing nothing more than walking through the park.

The sound of a cannon exploding followed by a shower of cake batter came his way where he simply used his hostage to receive the brunt of the batter while ignoring the spatters falling onto his body.

With that done, and ignoring the sound of a deflating balloon he picked up from the ground one of the shaft-broken spears that the Guards had thrown aside with his other wing—pointing the sharp edge of the spear’s broken shaft towards his hostage’s neck.

“You lot are nothing but Celestia’s witless lapdogs—give me that monster for me to put down, and I might spare your sorry hides.” He snarled at this point, almost hoping that the herd in front of him refused. “Refuse … and you’ll join your enabler even if it costs me all I still have.”

Luna’s mouth was opening to try and call for them to negotiate when a sorrowful voice answered at him.

Shakily standing from her spot and ignoring Shining Armor’s attempts at pushing her back, she lowered her head and ears as she spoke out. “Mister Riot, I beg of you—please understand, we honestly didn’t know … I honestly didn’t know that you did not have a part in this disaster in the making. I now know I wronged you in ways that cannot be repaid, I hurt an innocent—letting my assumptions drive me. … I beg you, let my ponies leave, and I’ll do as you wish … .”

Applejack at this point tried to get closer to Iron Ash without making a sound with her hooves as the princesses kept him distracted.

“Fie! Sister, don’t listen to him! As much in the wrong as we may have been, he doesn’t have the right to try and murder us all, much less you!” Luna answered with outrage at her sisters’ attitude while glaring at her now foe. “You cur! We can’t believe we were speaking in thy favour to seek to redress thee the moment that thee regained consciousness! Give up thy hostage and vengeance, and we might spare thee the reprisal to thy madness!”

A blank faced answered her outburst. “Brave words coming from one who would have let the world die just to fatten up thy wounded pride.” Ash raised an eyebrow at her, “Isn’t that right … Nightmare Moon?” Luna blinked at that, rage momentarily forgotten. Pressing the shaft into Fluttershy’s neck until a bead of red formed and a whimper came, Applejack stopped on her tracks until she stepped back, Ash reducing the pressure on the pegasus’ neck.

Ash continued as if speaking of the weather—all former emotions now locked away with dead eyes looking straight at hers. “You speak of redress? You attack dogs kidnapped my granddaughter along with me from our abode; broke the spell keeping my real shape in place; assaulted me with your so-called ‘harmony’ and raped my essence and soul until it was scrapped to nothing … just to make me fit in the same mold as you vapid, shallow creatures … all with no cause!.”

Fluttershy choked, the wing holding her standing on her hindhooves cutting off her already low air supply as Ash snarled. “To make matters worse, you monsters purged forcefully out of me the closest thing to a family I had for the last ten millennia—the main part of my burden that has kept me sane to this day!”

He ignored the gagging noises and the vain pawing of her hooves to push his wing away coming from his hostage, keeping his empty glare focused on the royals. “I do know this: you endangered this whole world by your witless actions … you did the impossible and broke my power, and with it the seals that kept the Shadowbeasts sleeping.”

Ash’s eyes focused on Twilight, who stepped back on reflex. “The irony is, we were researching a way to make those seals permanent and leave this world to its own devices, as we knew we didn’t belong in this place … no matter the so-called guarantees that the treasonous bitch that created you gave to me in regard to my presence in this domain.” He briefly laughed mirthlessly before snapping back into an indifferent, cold-rage. “It didn’t matter in the end—she sold me out for you to strike me down, no matter what the terms of our deal said originally.”

Ash tilted his head as a wan smile worked its way into his face. “How ironic, that the race meant to keep the world moving and living for all living things to thrive was the one responsible for sealing its fate, and taking away the only thing that kept things as they were … or had a chance at fighting the abominations off.” He shook his head as if to clear it of the smile and something that came to his mind while at it. “Even now, I wage war with myself—the vapid overlay that you lot imposed on my self. I will not falter—” He snarled at the end, froth spitting out from his mouth. ”I shall not falter and become like thee, down to the bitter end!”

The toothy grin that came after that statement drew a chill out of all the ponies that saw it. “You need six to wield your weapon … so, what would happen if that number were to be lowered?”

A blink of incomprehension passed by from all ponies present before comprehension dawned on them—along with a look of horror.

Fluttershy whimpered as she felt the jagged point of the shaft dig against her neck once more—

Within the depths of the caves of Mount Canterhorn a brutal battle raged on, where an explosive device thrown by a diamond dog rebounded from one of the crystal walls and landed by chance straight into the border of the ritual circle where it flared briefly from the intrusion—missing the group of remaining unicorns that were pelting them with lethal spells to keep them from overrunning them by a couple feet.

The following blast tossed them to the wall with a sickening splat, and a massive roar echoed through the ground itself, going upwards as the summoning circle unraveled.

Iron Ash’s eyes widened as he felt his newfound strength leaving him at an exponential rate—wooden shaft falling from a now limp limb as it fell to the side of his hostage.

“No! Not like this!” He cried out in despair before he fell to the ground in a heap, his former hostage making a break for freedom while at it as the dark smoke coming from him flared up briefly before leaving him dry—cutie mark ceasing to shine and nearly disappearing as this happened.

Soon after the weight of two earth ponies landed on him with force, forcing his air out from the weight slamming onto his weakened body.

“We’re sorry things came to this, mister Riot. Believe me … .” The accent of an apologetic farmer muttered remorsefully. “However, you threatened mah friends—yeh hurt Fluttershy … Rainbow … .” The same voice growled in barely contained anger, “Ye’ll regret doing that, mister.”

The broken stallion pawed the stone floor in vain, body too weak to move as he ignored the threat and muttered weakly as if it were a mantra, muscles shivering as he tried to raise himself with the two ponies keeping stuck to the ground with their weights: “You must … be stopped … no matter the cost … .”

A canister clanged on the floor in the middle of the gathering, shortly followed by another. One of the guards only had time to say “What in Tart—” before the first canister exploded into a cloud of light and noise—shortly followed by a cloud of irritating smoke that made everypony present reel back from the shock.

“What in tarnat—!?” The same farmer cried out in shock—briefly lifting her weight from Ash’s body before a green spell struck tossed her to the side, shortly followed by another shot that tossed the other earth pony aside.

Ash winced as he felt how someone within the smoke stuck a needle into his shoulder—consciousness quickly deserting him as the drug took hold onto his weakened constitution.

As what felt to be paws swiftly lifted and carried him away from this place of defeat, he managed to hear from his rescuer:

“Target found—move him quickly away from this place … .”

Darkness claimed him as he lost his hold onto his consciousness.