Everywhere and Nowhere

Light footsteps padded in the darkness. The unicorn mare's ears flicked in response to each echoing movement, dulled only by the clocks that chimed around her. The pathways were lined by towering bookshelves, each one's jacket adorned by descriptions of various dates. She didn’t have time to slow down, echoing footsteps not too distant from her. Her eyes dilated, seeing a strange cyan light grow stronger along the stainless floor.

Abadonna had no clue how long she’d been in this place, but she wanted out. Now!

Clenching her teeth, the little filly picked up the pace, her lungs burning within her chest. It didn’t help that her form kept glitching without warning, parts of herself separating into small blocks that caused her to trip again. Yet Abby only got back up and fought through the distortions messing with her monochrome mass.

Abadonna hid behind one shelf, catching her breath as quietly as she could, the glow of the illuminated figure shimmering through each isle before passing towards the other side. The deformed unicorn sliding down, taking a moment to respite. Her head felt like it was splitting, straining to keep her hand from dematerializing, with little changing.

Her dwindling ability to maintain her presence didn’t happen until what she assumed was three days ago. What magic she could do had depleted, her horn too bent out of shape. Abadonna suspected this was because of the shift between her parents. They must have been far apart from each other, not just physical. She could still recall the look of shock and horror in her father’s eyes when he was banished. As well as her mother’s tearful promise of finding her.

“Mommy… D-dad…” The grey child whispered to herself, hoping one of them could somehow hear her.

Her throat tightened in dread as the familiar glow grew brighter. Frantically, Abby picked herself back up and ran across from the shelves. Huffing and nearly stumbling over her robes, droplets of sweat beaded her skin and dripped over a face partially covered by mottled scales, a cruel reminder that she was incomplete.

Despite his best efforts, her father could not help Abadonna properly maintain shape whenever she manifested in the physical realm. And because of their rift, she found herself lost in this ancient conjunction of gears, books, and clocks. Was it even possible for anyone to find this place?

“Huff...huff...” Abby wheezed, almost spent again. Her heart hammered, head-turning for any way out of this neverending labyrinthine maze. She glanced down, the ethereal blue glow stretching her shadow. It was right behind her!

She didn’t lift her head up in time to realize she’d reach a dead end. Abadonna slammed into a giant glass barrier, her form stumbling back onto her rump. Abby’s eyes widened to see the vastness of space moving along the window, many galaxies and stars brightening the black void.

If Abby didn’t feel small before, she definitely felt insignificant. Her head turned, back against the glass wall, the large ball of light growing more extensive as it steadily approached her. The filly flared her horn, small sparks of whatever energy she had left sprinkling out as she tried to defend herself. Her mother nor her father would go down whimpering!

“I-I’m not afraid,” she insisted, more to herself than the pursuing light, balling her fists up, eye squinching to adjust against the light’s glare.

Suddenly, large wings unfurled as a body formed. A large, cat-like body gently touched the floor; its front legs the hooked talons of a bird. Many layers of fur rested along its long neck, two long strains braided over its chest. Its head bore the face of an owl, Head feathers spaced out in a cross.

Abadonna gazed over the celestial creature in astonishment. Like her, it too was transparent, its form glittering with stars and light. And upon staring into those enormous eyes, the little mare could see a small galaxy within! Abby jumped the moment the being spoke; a calm, baritone voice arose from its beak.

“You have nothing to fear,” they said. “I have no intention of harming you.”

Their words, while comforting, didn’t encourage Abby to lower her guard. “Then why were you chasing me?! Can’t you see I-’m g̴͠-̢̨g͘͞á̡̧͡a̧̢̧̕͟à̛͘͞u̕͢g̴̵̶͘H̢͘͜H̶́̕͠!̧͟͞” She coughed out, her body glitching as Abadonna clutched her stomach.

The owl-griff sat its hind legs down, stretching their long neck to better examine her. “You’re suffering, yes. I wanted to help, but yet you kept running away. So lost and confused about where you were.”

“G̷̸n̡̡͢͝ń̴f̵̶̶̕f̛̛́̕n͘͠!̧͜ M-mhm!” She sniffled, curling into a ball against the glass. “W-well, where am I? And who are you!?”

“I am Enock,” the celestial introduced themselves. “And this...” All at once, light illuminates the once dark place, revealing how vast and pristine it was. Everything that wasn’t a book looked to be made of steel or crystal! Thousands of clocks, all different in age and shape, clicked away at different rhythms. “...This is my sanctuary.”

“Wow...” Abadonna marvelled, eyes lighting up momentarily before another glitch broke her amazement. The celestial beast sat down on their hind legs, stretching ou their neck to better examine her condition. Enock’s eyes were so wide, Abby could see herself clearly in reflection.

“Unbelievable,” Enock commented, stroking over her head with a claw. “I can touch you for one moment…” The filly yelped, another hiccup glitching her body, causing their talon to phase through her head. “... But not the next. It’s as if you’re in an endless battle to keep your existence! What is your name, child?”

“A̵͜-̧A̸b̀͞a̸̸͟.̛͝.̷̀͢.̶͜͡donna..” The monochrome filly panted weakly.

“Abadonna... Yes, I have heard that name before. Hmm...” The owl-griff stroked their mane in thought before turning their head entirely around, extending their neck towards a shelf of books, making Abby squirm a bit. Enock looked over a few covers before spotting the one that interested them. The celestial hooted before clamping their beak on it, pulling it out as their neck retracted back to ‘normal’ length.

The book opened, Enock licking one talon to scan through the pages before stopping on one. “Ahah! There you are!” The owl-griff presented the filly with the page entry, paragraphs going into detail about depicting a small creature, bathing in grey colors that split off from two entities; one white, the other black.

Abadonna did her best to remain stable, eyes sweeping over the picture of herself. “T-that’s me! W-hat exactly is this?”

“You are the Child of Lightendark,” Enock responded. “It is prophesized that a young soul, born from two opposite ends of fate. One parent is a beacon of hope, the other an avatar of darkness. Through their union, a child of unimaginable power will come forth. A power so awesome, they could change the multiverse's fate if given enough time to flourish!”

“Ww-hooa…” She wheezed, trailing her finger over the depiction. She recalled her father knowing about this prophecy, telling her she would be destined for great things. And this was actual proof! If only her mother was here to read this, she’d be so proud…

“But then,” Enock continued, head tilting to the side with a puzzled expression. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

“I-I agree,” Abby nodded, coughing out more distortions. “I-I got separated from my mommy and daddy. M-Maybe if you help me get back, I-I’ll be-”

“No,” the owl-griff cuts in, shaking their head. “That’s not what I meant. You’re not supposed to exist yet.”

“W-whaat?!”

Enock turned around, lowering their body and wings onto the floor. A slight jerk of their head motioned Abadonna to climb onto them. “Come. I will explain.”

With shaking steps, the little filly grabbed onto the cosmic entity’s form, surprised to feel the softness of fur and feathers on Enock’s otherwise incorporeal form. And with a couple of flaps of their enormous wings, the owl-griff took off, soaring silently through the further reaches of the establishment. Gripping tightly, Abby looked around as many clocks, shelves, and machinery passed by, her hair whipping along through the stream.

“Hang on,” was Enock’s only warning before they dipped down in a fast dive, Abby screaming in excitement as they descended below. She was thankful her glitching had momentarily stopped, or she might have fallen off!

Fixing their wings, the celestial beast slowed their declining speed, making big beats until they gently glided down towards a new section of the library, much more dimly lit. All around were small orbs of light, shimmering around in a globe. The grey filly must have been one of the few people to experience such a magical place!

“W-where is this library located?” Abadonna asked, hoping to come back with her mother once this mess was behind her.

“Everywhere and nowhere,” Enock answered. “I built this library to collect all the knowledge and history of the cosmos—a never-ending journey through the fabrics of time and space. Currently, we’re in the Mesozoic era of a sapient universe. But in a matter of moments, we’ll be at a different point in time.”

“Whoa! S-so this whole library essentially is a giant time travel device?”

“In a sense,” the celestial chuckled. “We’re not traveling anywhere in particular, but traveling through time itself. This ensures the safety of all things within the library. No malevolent forces can find this place, for they could learn something that might threaten the destruction of one’s timeline.”

Abadonna groaned, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of it all. “But if p-people aren’t meant to be here… H-how did I do it?”

“I believe you were meant to come here,” Enock hypothesized. “After all, what better place for one who shouldn’t exist than a plain of existence flowing through many timelines and events?”

Abby considered this theory as the celestial owl-griff found a spot to land, gently beating their wings. Once more, Enock pinned their body to the floor until the little mare slid off, her white orbs gazing over a massive sphere before them, small pillars of light spiralling around it.

But that wasn't what caught the unicorn’s attention. One pillar was devoid of color, weakly phasing in and out through distorted static, much like the monochrome filly was.

“That represents your timeline,” Enock explained. “Through some strange phenomenon, you were conceived long before you were meant to. And the universe is attempting to correct this grievous error. I fear it won’t be long until you cease to be all together.”

“N-no!” Abby trembled, frightened of the implications. How long until her body finally gave up on fighting reality? Would the pain get worse? She couldn’t comprehend the thought of disappearing. “I-I don’t wanna... I-I want my mommy! My daddy!”

The celestial looked over the sobbing filly, watching her pull her legs into her chest, tears glistening through her mutated cheeks. They examined the glitching pillar, reading into it a little before fully turning towards Abadonna.

“Normally, such things are inevitable. To mess with one timeline could threaten the complete erasure of others. However, your’s makes an interesting case. And while we are mere dust particles that make up the entire galaxy, each of us holds importance. Yes...” They nodded, lowering their head to nuzzle the sad filly, the two sharing a glance at each other, a slight curl formed from Enock’s beak.

“I will help you, Abadonna. Follow me.”

Rubbing the wetness off her face, Abby nodded as she waddled to follow the owl-griff up a large fleet of stairs. At the top, they reached a door. And inside was a massive roof of glass, more stars, and constellations passing by in an array of colors. Enock manifested a large variety of pillows, patting on for Abby to lay onto.

“Sleep, Abadonna,” Enock told her.“I will place this section under stasis. Time will not flow around you as long as you slumber.”

“B-but…” Abadonna yawned, realizing how fatigued she was in trying to fight off the glitches. Her body automatically started to curl into the pillows comfortably, clutching at her rags like a blanket. “Why are you doing this for me? I-Isn’t there some form of conse...con- quent..”

“Consequence,” they corrected. “There is. My entire library is at risk of being infiltrated due to your presence. At the same time, I find it remarkable that one girl is fighting fate itself for her right to exist. How is that not worth the risk?”

Tears welled her eyes once more, a big, grateful smile on her face before her eyelids fluttered shut. A low, “... t-thank... you…” was her last response before Abadonna drifted off, her glitching freezing in place.

Enock closed the door before they silently glided back down towards the globe of light, studying the other anomalies. One orb shined brighter than the others, while a smaller dot blinked from the other end.

“Worry not, dear child. You will be with your parents soon,” the celestial proclaimed. “I sense a great shift in the cosmo as two opposing forces race towards this establishment. Who will reach here first remains to be foretold? But like all wondrous things that make up our worlds... It’s only a matter of time.”

𝔼 𝕧 𝕖 𝕣 𝕪 𝕨 𝕙 𝕖 𝕣 𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℕ 𝕠 𝕨 𝕙 𝕖 𝕣 𝕖

𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝑒𝒶𝓇𝒸𝒽 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝒜𝒷𝒶𝒹𝑜𝓃𝓃𝒶

The pile of books continued to stack up as Beatrix tossed another after scanning through its pages. The section only had a couple left, the tired witch taking a long sigh before sitting down and picking up the next book. Her horn lit up to turn over each page, violet eyes slowly moving from side to side under furrowed brows.

Six Months had passed since Beatrix Belladonna began her quest for her missing daughter. Ever since her friend’s wedding, the spacial sorceress ventured into every library she could visit to find even a hint of where Abadonna could be. Today’s route brought her to a version of Manehattan, where monsters ran rampant through the busy streets. Beatrix fought a handful right before finding the public library. And since then, she’s been devouring every tome and grimoire this place had to offer.

Due to her portal hopping shenanigans, Beatrix remained unaffected by age, preserving her youthful appearance. Her platinum locks had grown out a bit, a tinge of violet highlights draped over her face while she read. Plump purple velvet clung tightly over her violet coat, a high-cut leotard amplifying her cleavage. Long-heeled boots did the same to her curvy thighs. Matching fingerless gloves draped over each arm, a wide-brimmed witch’s hat tilted to the side of her head. Beatrix’s cape tucked behind, held around her neck by the Prima Materia, a bauble shaped like a stylized eye. And each part of her sultry attire was decorated in fur similar to an Ursa Minor’s coat.

Beatrix took after her mother, a proud traveling magician. If she didn’t boast herself in both voice and body, no one would take her seriously. The opposite was right, too, often being labeled as some ‘slutty witch cosplayer.’ Not that she minds, all the more to tease and entice them before unveiling the big surprise.

But such an attitude was not present as she shuffled the thin pages of her current read, her frown growing more perpetual before she reached the end. Unable to restrain her mounting frustration, Beatrix chucked the book at the pile, knocking others aside.

“Damn it!” She cursed, rubbing her temples. “Should have known better than to think a public library would have anything on otherworldly endeavours. I was sure that one library in middle age Equestria would have something! Ugh, me and my rotten luck…”

A wry sigh escaped her lips, the back of the witch’s head hitting the shelf as her body slid down, legs tucked into her squishy chest. Doubt and dread took ample root within her mind, the thought of never finding her daughter harder to ignore.

For the first time, ever since dedicating herself to exploring multiple worlds, Beatrix understood how small she was in the endless vastness of space. It might as well take her eons to check every corner, and there’d still be unexplored worlds and galaxies. All she had to go by was Abadonna’s unique magical signature, which she could hardly detect anymore with how faint it was.

Beatrix felt the familiar sting of tears building, wiping her eyes. The witch promised herself she wouldn’t cry, that she wouldn’t give up. Yet what else could she do? Each day she spent searching, or reading was another day she wasn’t with her. Was she okay? How stable was she?

Beatrix shook her head, knowing worrying over Abby’s safety would only make her feel worse. “Okay, let’s take a deep breath,” She told herself, inhaling and exhaling slowly. “Sure, things look bad. But gotta think of the positives. Lady Ewe’s out there searching for her too! So is Bellatrix, Dion, Moxxi... Z-Zeloph… probably…”

The witch felt her heartache recalling the vivid memories of the false messiah. Practically a demi-god, Zeloph tried to purge the world of Equestria with ill intentions, narrowly succeeding. She met, loved, and feared him who would be known in infamy as the Fallen One. And despite everything cruel and merciless about him, Zeloph did show love for their daughter.

More concerning questions dauntlessly pressured her head. What if he already found her? What if Abby no longer knew who she was thanks to his influence?

Beatrix let out a loud cry, power flaring in her clenched fist before slamming it into the bookshelf, causing it to tremble. She hissed, clutching her hand. The shelf once more shook, causing her to look at it in confusion.

It rumbled again, this time accompanied by a low thump sound. Then another heavy thump, causing the remaining books to drop out.

“What the..?!”

Her ears twitched as the sound of screaming came from outside, the rumbling getting louder and thunderous. Beatrix looked over to the window, the entire building now quaking, almost causing the witch to lose her balance. A troubled sigh left her lips as she dusted off her cape and sleeves. “Hmph! Rarely is there any peace, no matter where I travel…” From the sounds of it, it was another monster, though a lot bigger than most?

Still, perhaps taking it down would help ease her mind and renew her vigor. Using her magic to quickly sort the books back into their shelves, though most likely in the wrong categories, Beatrix whisked her cape before walking confidently outside.

Upon making her exit, Beatrix was nearly shoved back by the crowd of ponies running away, screaming in terror.

This particular version of Manehattan had become a ‘monster magnet,’ attracting all sorts of creatures and cryptids for some unknown reason. Beatrix wrestled with a pack of Timberwolves on her way to the library. So surely, one more wouldn’t be a huge problem, right?

A thunderous quake pulled her attention towards the source of all the chaos, peering up the looming shadow blocking the sunlight. The unicorn’s violet pupils dilated, her expression pale.

“Oh… that’s really big.”

The monster’s roar echoed through the streets, enough force to shatter glass. It was easily taller than the highest skyscraper, most rooftops only reaching under its fat torso. It had dark green skin, tusk-like yellow teeth curving out its bottom lip, and one giant red eye taking up most of its skull. Along its bald head was a crown of purple horns. Each step it took caused its obtuse nude body to jiggle grotesquely, though thankfully, it lacked any genitals. That would have been horrifying!

Overhead, Beatrix watched as the Manehattan military force flew by, brave pegasus attempting to take on the cyclops. Of course, it was futile, as it quickly swatted them away like flies. Some flew into the rubble of collapsed stones, bones breaking upon impact. Others had the unfortunate fate of being caught and thrown into its mouth, harrowing in fear.

Beatrix stood still for a good minute before shaking herself out of it, putting on a brave face. “Okay… Nothing out of the ordinary for you, Bea! Just a really… gargantuan monster that could crush you.” The witch swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked around for something she might use as leverage. The violet unicorn then found one particular building high enough and quickly ran towards the fire escape. Another thud from the titan almost caused Beatrix to slip back before she reached the top. Catching her breath, she steadily approached the lead, cap whipping about in the wind as the monster drew closer. With a deep breath, she called out,

“Alright, ugly! Prepare to be dazzled, starstruck, and captivated by the all-mighty powers of wondrous and fabulous Beatrix Belladonna! Spacial sorceress of the… t-the... uhhh…”

Her proud declaration was ignored by the one-eyed titan, the massive creature continuing its path. The unicorn puffed her cheeks and stamped her heel, absolutely steamed by the audacity of this beast.

“HEY!!” She shouted louder. “DON’T YOU KNOW IT'S RUDE TO IGNORE SOMEONE TALKING TO YOU!?”

The cyclops momentarily stopped, as if it did hear her, before digging a nail into its ear and pulling out a ball of wax. The giant sniffed its finger before flicking the grimy glob away and continuing its destructive walk.

“GRRRAGH!! THAT DOES IT! TAKE THIS!!” Beatrix furiously yelled, firing off a lightning spell to electrocute the fat bastard. Despite the intensity and potency, her attack harmlessly bounced off its bulk, not even leaving a scorch mark. Clenching her teeth, she teleported to another building ahead, casting another spell to throw fire, yet doing little to damage the cyclops. Beatrix continued to hop around rooftops, launching flurries of different magic and energy to slow down the humongous beast or even divert its attention.

Yet nothing the witch threw at it stopped it, all her spells and tricks unable to do any significant harm to its leathery skin and overwhelming size.

“Blubbering walrus!” she spat in frustration, fists clenched tightly, aura steaming off her knuckles. If she didn’t do something quick, more lives would be lost. And the collateral damage would be too much to recover.

“Curse it all… Guess I have no choice. I’ll have to play my trump card.”

Best as she could among all the stomping and cries of terror, Beatrix closed her eyes and focused her breathing on slowing down, calling the power of the Demiurge that stirred within her. Once an eldritch evil, it now settled within her Prima Materia, only being conjured should circumstances like this prove dire. For all her time doing research, Beatrix had yet to properly master the arcane magic of Erebus. Sometimes, she could pull it off, only for it to grow more uncontrollable. There were a couple of days where the spacial sorceress couldn’t even muster it fully! But if she didn’t act now, thousands would perish.

So with a gentle exhale, Beatrix clasped the Prima Materia and whispered, “Oona, please be with me…”

As her eyes opened, familiar darkness enclosed her in coolness, a reminder that the abomination once wore her skin. But now, they fought in unity. The Demiurge settled around her figure before completing the merge, untapped power flowing off Beatrix like flames. The very cosmos itself trails around her as she lifts to the skies. It garbed her otherwise nude form, her starry mane swirling around her neck, eyes narrowed with determination.

That’s when the monster finally noticed her, its large, horrible eye staring with a widened pupil.

“About time you noticed me,” she huffed. “Now watch THIS!!”

Out of her palms shot beams of cosmic energy, blasting the titan in its face, the creature bellowing in pain. The force was enough to push it into a skyscraper, the building collapsing over the top of its head. Her eyes widened, surprised that she managed to pull it off. Beatrix couldn’t help but squee in jubilation.

“I did it! I DID IT!! YEESS~!!! Ah, if only my friends could see me now!” She chirped before she continued her pursuit as the colossus rose back up, glaring angrily at her. Oh yeah, she had its attention now.

It released another roar, spit launching out its mouth before it threw its fist towards her. Beatrix ‘eeped’ before zipping out of the way, landing on its shoulder. From there, she tapped on it with her foot, causing the giant to turn towards it, only to find nothing there. Then it received another tap on its opposite shoulder, where it was greeted with another direct blast in the face.

Beatrix lengthened her archaic energy to loop around its gargantuan body with the cyclops discombobulated, binding its limbs together while whirling around at neck break speed. The dizzy monster, unable to break her hold, was left struggling as Beatrix ascended, summoning her spectral sword. With a loud cry, she launched to strike the titan’s chest, using its own weight to finally bring it down with a massive thud.

Beatrix slowly descended before stepping onto the cyclops’ nose, flashing a smug smile at the giant’s glaring peeper.

“That’s what you get for underestimating my power, you ugly brute,” the unicorn declared, her snout up and swishing back her mane. “Maybe next time, you’ll--W-waaaaAAH!!”

The moment she started getting cocky, karma came back to bite her in the ass. The colossus’ iris widened as a glowing light began to emulate, heat slowly rising before a hot pillar of energy shot out, nearly blasting Beatrix off its face. The violet unicorn managed to teleport off in time, though not unscathed. Steam hissed off her shoulders, burnt marks breaking apart Erebus as her power tried to stitch itself back together. The earth shook as she tilted her head, eyes wide in disbelief.

“Shit! You’ve gotta be kidding me!”

The cyclops rose up once more, breaking through her bindings with ease, bellowing with so much rage, the air itself quivered.

“Damnit,” Beatrix groaned. How could she have been foolish to expect Erebus to respond to her appropriately with how weak the Demiurge still was? Despite all her times perfecting her ability to hope between realms, Beatrix still couldn’t grasp her arcane magic. She cast a glance towards the rubble and debris, a few limbs and bodies trapped underneath. In the distance, the screams continued to cry out. The weight of all the death she couldn’t prevent was suffocating.

Tears leaked down her cheeks as she stared back at the giant, its horrible eye fixated on her as it prepared another beam from its pupil. And once more, doubt came in. Could she even stop this thing? Would she die here, long before she could fulfill her promise to Abadonna?

“No! Don’t give in… get up! Get up!” She told her, struggling to stand, to keep Erebus from falling apart. The unicorn glared back at the colossus in defiance, ready to put up her most substantial barrier for the impending attack.

But just as the titan fired another visionary beam, something shot from the sky like a comet, intercepting the projectile's path, energy deflecting off in sparks. Beatrix shielding her face from how intense the blast was.

When the laser depleted and the monster was left grumbling in confusion, the unicorn lowered her arms, gasping. In front of her stood a figure, a green cape flapping behind his stature. Bright red energy flowed in the shape of a helmet and chest plate, with his claymore and shield enhanced. Broad horns protruded out from his head, Beatrix instantly recognizing her savor.

“Dion?!”

At his name, the helmet dissolved, revealing the ram’s face to her. Alabaster fur clashed with his black crest, a beard resting along his chin. Crimson eyes twinkled under his thick brows, a smile spread his muzzle.

“Guid day, Beatrix!” he greeted. “Hope ye don’t mind me droppin’ in. Ye looked like yer in a wee bit ov trooble.”

“Oh, not at all~!” She smiled back, fully glad to be with an ally, especially one so close to her beloved Lady Ewe. “How did you find me?”

“Wasn’t hard,” he shrugged, rolling a stiff shoulder. “A sudden surge ov arcane energy tipped me off ye were close by. Thank th' spirits Ah got here. Otherwise, ye might have bin deep-fried!”

“Pft! I could have gotten out of there,” the wandering witch protested with a pout, earning the faun’s chuckle until a thunderous stomp pulled their attention back to the behemoth before them.

“Alrecht, nae time tae lose! We’ve got lives tae protect, lass!”

“R-right! But how are we supposed to stop this thing? I could barely keep it down on my own.”

“Together,” Dion assured, rubbing a rough hand over her shoulder. “We push stoaner until our enemy has fallen. We stand sae that they cannae reach what we’re protectin'. 'at is th' warrior’s way.”

Beatrix felt her cheeks flourish, his words holding such motivation as his sister would. Smiling, she nodded, the ram’s eyes drawing towards one particular building before he pointed it out.

“See that skyscraper? Ah want ye tae go thair an' cover me wit all th' spells ye’ve got! An' make sure it ne'er makes it beyond that point. Got it?” With that, he turned back to the looming threat, his archaic helmet forging back over his face.

“But what about you? You can’t honestly think you can fight that!!”

“Oh, Ah don’t plan on fightin’ it, lass...” he assured, placing both hands on his sword’s hilt, taking a stance. “... Ah plan on killin’ it!”

At once, Dion leaped into the air, his archaic magic blazing off his cape as the monster swung another fist to him. The knightly ram intercepted, jabbing his blade into its knuckle to roll over its hand, ripping it out to ascend its arm.

Reinvigorated into action, Beatrix flew up to the vantage point and unleashed a storm of her most complicated spells, their potency enhanced through Erebus. Cosmic beams ripped into its mass, preventing the one-eyed titan from advancing further. Each time it tried to fire its glaring beam, Dion would block it with his magically enhanced shield, his cloven feet pressing into its skin until deflecting it off.

“C’MON!” He hollered, “IS THAT ALL YE GOT, YE WOMPIN’ THUNDER TURD?!”

The beast tried to smack the warrior sheep off its bicep, only for it to lose its fingers with one mighty swing. Blood dripped from its freshly severed digits, bellowing before it prepared to fire another eye laser.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Beatrix seethed, perspiration layered her forehead as she focused all her dark-infused magic into one beam, aimed directly into its eyeball. The titanic monster screamed in anguish, hand clutching at its blinded eye. Dion took the chance to bash his head into the cyclops’, staggering the brute further.

“Well done, lass! Now let’s finish it!” Dion commanded.

“Time for this bastard to fall!” She called back, grasped her beam to form her sword. The two launched to deliver the coup de grace, letting a warcry as violet and maroon energy mixed together, slashing across its face, hand and chest.

In dying agony, the cyclops collapsed on its backside for the final time, smoke rising from the crater formed. When the dust settled, the few citizens that survived slowly came out of hiding before the entire city of Manehattan erupted in cheer. The day was saved, and despite the massive amount of destruction the titan caused, they could replenish the damages.

The two warriors took respite at the rooftops of the skyscraper, panting heavily after the fight. It was likely they wouldn’t be recognized for their heroism, another urban legend to add to the city’s growing stories. And while she did adore praise, Beatrix was happy to have at least prevented a total disaster.

“Phew!” Dion sighed, rubbing at his arm, his magical armor and enhancements removed. “Bin a while since Ah took on somethin’ th' size ay mah granny’s funbags!”

“Ha! You mean you fought monsters like that before?” Beatrix asked in shallow breaths.

“Aye. Mostly brine monsters back home, but thair was th' occasional two-header. Hell, one dobber had a third head!”

“Damn… Well, that’s one way to put all those muscles into good use~” Beatrix giggled, momentarily admiring the charred physique Dion boasted, scars cherishing his broad arms and torso. “So that red armor and energy… was that your Onoma?”

“Aye,” he nodded, smiling. “Ares grants me mair protection when things get tough. Th' shield, in particular, deflects all forms ov magic. Haven’t bin hit by a spell that got past magically infused steel. Ye, however, haven’t gotten th’ hang ov yer Onoma yet, have ye?”

“Yeah,” the unicorn admitted, folding her arms underneath her bust. “I just can’t seem to control it for long. I think this was the closest I’ve held out before Erebus overwhelm me. That, and I’m still figuring out how to wield my sword…”

“Ye’re probably a two-hander,” Dion suggested, getting behind her, his large arms sliding up to hers and holding them out. “Ye manifest it like a fencin' sword, only usin' one hand tae fight. Sure, it’s effective, but ye lack proper strength tae back up those thrusts or jabs.” The warrior sheep mimicked those motions with their left hands before placing them back together.

“Now, if ye conjure a blade meant fur both hands, ye’ll fin' a lot mair power an' force behin' yer swings.” They made motions once more, swinging their arms forward through the wind. “Ye felt that, right?”

“O-oh yes… mmm, I did~,” Beatrix said in a softer tone, cheeks flustered. It had been good while she was this close to someone. And with Dion’s arms wrapped around her, feeling his chest pressed against her caused a fire to burn in her loins. Ever the tease, the violet unicorn purposefully arched her back, pressing her plush curves into his woolly crotch, gently wiggling her ample, thong-clad rump side to side. “Maybe you’ll show me how to properly wield that ‘sword’ of yours~.”

Her advances didn’t go unnoticed, Dion’s own cheeks coloring as a low chuckle left his throat, hands sliding way to secure her wide hips, a familiar hardness poking from underneath his furry loincloth. “Heh… Oona was right. Ye’re very distractin' when it comes tae instructin' you~.”

“Part of my charm,” she winked at him, bending forward more until her hands rested on the ledge. “Why don't we celebrate our victory, mmm~?”

The thought of them fucking right here excited her, her nipples hardening and marehood growing wet. Being bent over, supple tits popped out of her leotard, bouncing freely while her champion railed her from behind. Beatrix bit her lip, imagining the reactions of everyone looking up at her while shouting for Dion to give her more, without a single care in the world.

But her fantasy was short-lived as Dion pulled away, an awkward smile on his snout as he brushed the back of his head. “As much as A’d love tae pound yer brains intae mush, lass, A’m afraid Ah’ll have tae decline. Now is not th' time.”

“What!? Awww, why not?” she whined, pouting playfully.

“Ah didn’t just drop by tae help ye win th' day, Beatrix. A’ve come tae brin' ye back tae th' manor.”

The mention of her home base startled her. An ancient eldritch abomination disguises itself as a mansion, now acting as her home under her adopted sibling’s servitude. Gosh, how long had it been since she last spoke with her?

“I do miss home,” Beatrix lamented. “But I can’t go back yet. I need to find a lead on where my daughter is!”

Her statement brought a large grin to Dion’s snout.

“Well, that’s th' thing, lass. We dae have a lead!”

“H-huh?!”

“Oona’s waitin’ fur ye,” he explained. “She’s found somethin' that might be th' key tae locatin' yer lost dochter.”

Beatrix’s eyes went wide, hope shimmering in her violet pupils. “R-really!? Oh my… Well, what are we waiting for?! Let’s go!!” Her index finger traced a circle in mid-air, slicing apart the space between them as a rift opened. The nexus shimmered brightly, humming to beckon the pair inside.

As the portal closed behind them, a figure walked out from the stairwell, silently watching from afar. Shrouded in a ghostly white hood and cloak trimmed in black, resembling death itself. A white mane trailed over her pale blue coat. The unicorn mare's expression was neutral, her icy blue eyes underlined by dark circles.

With the sickle held in her sleeved arms, the blue mare walked to where Beatrix was lurched over, surveying the devastation below. The monster might have been killed, but who knows how many bodies were crushed under its corpse. Her teeth clenched together, fist balling over her scythe.

“Belladonna...” She muttered. "How many more lives must suffer because of your carelessness?”