Attacked from all directions, Shadow Scythe called on the full extent of her stolen powers to keep pace. Most of all she focused on Sunny, Twilight Sparkle, and Tempest Shadow, the three who came closest to closing the gap between them...but they were still no match for her. They too were pushing themselves to the limit, visibly shaking and sweating at the effort.

The Cores in her violently shook in her ribcage, threatened to crack it under the oscillation. Her face continued to maliciously twist, driving them back with her beams that flashed out, aware that she had them on the defensive.

“What now?” The reaper mocked them, satisfied they had no cards left to play. Oh sure, they could call in more reinforcements, but if such heavy-hitters struggled and failed to match her, what chance would any other creature have even in numbers?

Sunny's maw twisted in a lazy smile, despite the fact that they were obviously at a disadvantage. The reaper bristled in irritation, charged up another particularly powerful blossom of magic, and prepared to nuke them once-and-for-all.

Hopefully, after the pieces of their bodies were cast about, she'd have time to collect their souls and with it their might.

“Wh-what-?” Suddenly Shadow Scythe's torso stretched, and her spell threatened to sputter out in a series of sparks. The Cores within her began to boil and smolder, flesh and fur cooked with a sickening sizzle, and she shrieked.

She was forced to pull away from the beam that connected with her own. Their blast rocketed into the ceiling behind her, smashed into the stone and cast chunks about, and the reaper floated away, writhing and screaming.

“What in tarnation...” Applejack shook her head.

“She can't handle that much power on her own,” explained Sunny. “Few creatures could.”

“Especially when she stole it,” added Twilight. “They're still conscious in her, fighting for dominance...”

From the reaper's flesh partially ripped free Grogar, who grumbled and trashed amidst the bloodied spray, his horned head poking out as he attempted to fully pull free. From another portion tore out Lavan, rocky head poking out, bubbling over with molten magma. She whimpered and tore at herself, flesh tearing, melting, and regenerating with steady rapidness.

The onlookers stared, and Shadow Scythe snarled between pained cries, to proud to plead for help. “B-bastards...!”

“What do we do,” asked Pinkie Pie. “Let her burn out?”

“Pretty much,” said Sunny who if she hadn't given up smoking would have lit a cigarette in celebration. Instead she plucked another flower from her pack and munched on it,thankful that Sunset's simple but brilliant plan seemed to be working.

Suddenly a black, tentacled mass tore its way from her abdomen, where Shadow Scythe's womb lined up. She howled, the creature thrashing and slithering, its slimy tendrils lined in shifting, almond-shaped eyes that bled, and bloodied lips filled with serrated teeth that drooled red. The watchers instinctively drew back from the hissing abomination.

AJ cradled Rarity's unconscious form and cried, “Okay, now I've seen it all! What in the heck is that thing?”

“It's called the Demiurge,” explained Sunny who backed up with the rest of them. “Beatrix didn't really talk about it, but I touched her and used Sunset's power to check her out, just to make sure she was really on our side. I feel bad about that, but I had to make sure. Think of it like a background check. Anyhow, short story is it's part of her.”

“I don't understand,” said Twilight who watched in fascination as the creature tried to pull itself free.

“She's connected to a grimoire called the Necronomicon, and from what she believes, that monster's the real her under that cute appearance. It's also why she can tear rifts between dimensions. Anyhow, improperly separated from her, well, it doesn't know what to do with itself. Ah,” she cried when the Demiurge finally yanked itself free in a massive spray of blood.

Shadow Scythe slumped to the floor, Grogar and Lavan going limp. At the same time the Demiurge crawled with a slurping noise across the rocky terrain, over to Beatrix Belladonna, and slithered down her throat, making her body shake.

Her maw frothed with blood. She went into convulsions, until the mass somehow stuffed its entirety into the witch's small form, and she coughed up blood and mucus, blinking awake hazy eyes. “Wh-what happened,” she whispered.

“You died. And got better,” answered Sunny with a wink.

Shadow Scythe was barely conscious, the partially torn loose forms of Grogar and Lavan slumped from her torn torso pulled back into her. She sat huddled in a daze, surrounded by her tattered and burnt robes, her scythe discarded near her. The embedded Cores within her were shattered, and from her arose a storm of stolen souls, which fluttered away.

Pinkie stared at them. “Ooh, pretty! Where will they go?”

“Where they belong,” said Tempest Shadow. “She's practically powerless now.”

“Still indestructible though,” noted Twilight. “And with her abilities, we can't just banish her to Tartarus.”

“We could have her powers stripped,” offered Sunny with a shrug.

Beatrix rose to her hooves with a smirk. “I have a better idea. Plus, I need to bring the Dazzlings back, anyhow. It seems like a fair exchange.” Rather than explain herself she drew a circle in the air, cut a hole that formed a swirling bluish-white nexus, and lighting her horn used her aura to wrap up the trio that had been cast in and draw them back to her.

Trotting past the bewildered Dazzlings, Beatrix said, “Be back soon!” She then trapped Shadow Scythe in her aura, stepped into the portal, and it closed behind her with a soft buzz. For a moment those present stared at the empty space now left behind.

“We're back,” cried a teary-eyed Sonata who hugged her sisters and nuzzled them. “Hey, what about Flash-?”

“He'll be fine,” assured Tempest Shadow. “I delivered him to Nurse Redheart, and he's receiving the best medical treatment.”

“That's a relief,” said Aria who wiped her brow. “So, is it finally over?”

“Looks like it,” said Adagio. “Well, I suppose there are plenty of demons left out there to round up...”

Twilight nodded. “My duties never end. Every creature who can't or doesn't want to fight anymore, you're free to head home. The rest of you, ready to help clean this up?” Nods, stomps of hooves, and an eruption of cheers met their Princess.

They galloped back into the maze of caves, where a menagerie of monsters waited to do battle with them. Sunny smirked at Twilight, running at her side, the Dazzlings close behind, flanked by Princess' entourage, the Pillars, and sizable platoons of Royal Guards. Hooves and claws thundered with an echo throughout the stony terrain.

Without a leader to guide them many of the demons reverted to wild beasts driven by sheer instinct. Howls, hisses, growls, and snaps sounded, teeth, claws, and stingers bared, some of them even fighting amongst themselves in an all-out brawl.

Sharing a nod between them, the heroes joined the fray, determined to break the last line of resistance.

*****

A portion of stone floated through the vastness of space. Stars glittered in the distance, the surroundings cool, despite a magic barrier that encased the small island that enabled the two occupants to breathe. Beatrix looked upon her fallen foe, snout drawn somewhere between contempt and pity. “You're too dangerous to simply roam free, I'm afraid.”

“So what? You'll banish me here forever?” Shadow Scythe curled her maw, still huddled and helpless in her cloak.

“I...don't know. Maybe I'll come back for you, eventually. Could be any number of years. I'll have to think it over.” She shook her head. The witch's features softened after a moment. “Want to know why I decided to visit here?”

“Not really...but I suppose you'll tell me anyhow,” she replied with a nasty pout.

“The Necronomicon ended up here once. Don't ask how, it's not important. Anyhow, I came to see if it had really been destroyed, as this place was set to collide with either a meteor or the sun, whichever it reached first. Couldn't find a scrap of evidence it was ever here, though. Last place I visited, so I guess this is where you cast the Dazzlings for a while.”

The reaper ground her teeth impatiently. “Is there a point to this story?”

“The point is, if it's still here you should hopefully be safe for quite a while, maybe forever! I know it seems a cruel twist of fate, but after you killed me, not to mention all the other stuff you did and planned to do, well, it's practically merciful. Sorry, I didn't want to gloat.” She wanted to believe the reaper could still be saved, but doubted she was open to that.

But who knows? After quite some time in solitude perhaps she would be more open to redemption.

“Screw you! I'll find a way out of this, somehow, and I'll make sure you all suffer a thousand-fold!” She shook a hoof at her, snarled, her eyes wet by bitter tears. Shaking her head, Beatrix drew a circle to reopen a nexus between worlds.

After a last look back, heart gnawed by guilt, Belladonna stepped through and closed the rift behind her.

Author's Note

Next: The Epilogue!