Verve

The churning tentacles tore at the platform collapsing beneath them, as the echoing wail of the Entity grew harsh on the ears. Vee pointed to the massive orb before them and gave only one hint. Not an instruction, but a reminder of an old saying. “The eyes are gateways to the soul, Stern-fry.”

At that, Tempest nodded - coming up with a quick plan. Already, fresh, small tentacles had begun to erupt from the creature before them - writhing down to face the party. Umbra helped Arin to his feet, as the Commander prepared orders. But first, she began to strip her wrent and broken armor, freeing herself of the heavy weight. Pumpkin set to helping her, quickly undoing the last straps in less than a moment’s notice.

“Vee, is your left wing as strong as your right?”

“Hohoho!~ Is coffee good with crunchy marehooves? The lovely, delightful, toasty dipping sweet?~ Of course, Jerk-face! I’ve been preening it for seven hundred years, after all.”

“Good. Arin, you’re with me - I need your wings and hook to get close enough to its eye. Falon, you’re our healer on the ground. Celestia, Luna, and Pumpkin, you’re our air support. Vee, Oarkin, and Umbra - hold this ledge; we don’t know how far down this goes, but it’s certain death down there, along with the fact that this may still be our only way out. The moment it starts turning to obsidian, Vee - wing chop with your left wing at the eye. Ready? Move!”

Tempest jumped right over the smaller of the two Seraph, banishment orb now clutched tightly in her tail. With a hoof, she hooked herself tightly over Arin’s back - forcing the Ranger to stumble forward at his new backpack’s weight. Arin nodded, flashing his right hand up into the air - as a powerful vine launched forward into the doming cavern’s ceiling.

With speed, they took to the darkness - Arin’s magelight fluttering in the distance after them.

A tentacle darted in to try and seize at the mass of life, but Umbra’s horn flashed - searing it with sizzling arcane energy. It hesitated, giving Oarkin enough time to lash out with the halberd - slicing it in twain.

For some reason, Umbra seriously regretted tossing away her only weapon. But regrets would be paid in blood, for now - all they could do was guard their damaged, crumbling terrace.

A single lash of a tentacle nearly sliced Pumpkin in twain - if it weren’t for Falon’s vine hook ripping her out of the way, to let it swat harmlessly at nothing instead. The gushing blood from the wound he caused was quickly plugged with a wave of Resurgence, as he darted a trio of arrows into the wriggling mass; before bounding to Pumpkin’s side.

“Are you alright, Ambassador?” He offered her a hoof, which she gently batted out of the way. She wouldn’t cower; not anymore. The courage Pumpkin showed made Falon chuckle, her collar rattling as she made it to her hooves.

“I’ll be fine, Mister Falon - and I think I have an idea.”

Pumpkin, seeing the creature’s vines hesitate at Umbra’s light, withdrew a stun vile - and hucked it hard at a massive tentacle that had come to life before them. Instantly, it shattered in a blinding flash - the fleshy cord hesitating momentarily.

Celestia and Luna both seized this moment, taking to the air to slash through the wavering black mass. Nocturne and Sun Song collided with a flurry of sparks, not as enemies - but as a meeting of harmony within the darkness. The lashing vine fell to the shadows far below, as more swirling flesh began to shoot forward to reach them.

Vee lunged to Umbra’s side, giving her familiar ‘d’ohoho’.

“I am sorry for harming you and your Sister, Vee.” The unicorn sighed, back to back with her old potion supplier.

“First one’s on the house, Spooky-fry! Coffee under the snoot,” the witch said, spinning the haft of her weapon through the air - deflecting several smaller vines from lunging forward and seizing the Umbrum. “Though I expect you to put a hole in your ear after that one.”

“I’ll consider it after we escape here, alive, thank you.” Umbra chortled, horn flashing in the shadow - teleporting them both out of the way of a charging tendril. It crashed into the far wall, as massive stones began to hurtle from the ceiling. Celestia and Luna both landed to the floor in a flurry of wings, and sharing a nod with the former Umbrum - raised a shimmering red, green, and blue barrier above to deflect the falling doom.

“...The Arcanis Ring.” Luna gasped to herself; a unity of the three ponies brought together formed a mimicry of the old constellation in the sky; the very same one Luna wiped from Equestria’s sight, every night. “It… all makes sense now.”

“Luna! What are you talking about? It’s just some magic! There’s nothing here-” Celestia sputtered, but was quickly cut off by her little sister’s voice.

“No! You don’t understand… the Arcanis Ring is a three color band in the sky. Red, Blue, and Green. Arin told me that they represent something in Erenorn - they are of great significance to seraphs! I understand now!”

The churning stone above fell to the last, the cave roof finding some remnant of stability. The lunar Princess turned to face the trio, her eyes gleaming with reeling thoughts.

“The dark of the soul, the light of its remnants - and the bond they form. Umbra, you are the dark - I am the light, and Tia… you’re the entirety.”

“...And this matters now, HOW?” Celestia pointed, narrowly slashing a probing tentacle with her lifeless blade.

“I don’t know! It’s just a thought!” The Lunar Princess dove out of the way, as Nocturne went flying over another rushing tentacle. The sword was knocked free from her grasp by the surging flesh. Umbra caught the magicless blade instantly, slashing right through the hungry vine with a powerful flash.

In the distance, Arin pumped his wings as the mass of tendrils sought to catch the duo; the imposing eye of the Entity traveling along its fleshy body to watch them. They spiraled around the cavern, attempting to close in - but each attempt was met with another lash of a tentacle.

Arin’s grappling hook seized at another blackened pillar, launching them forward with speed even he doubted he could match on his own. “Tempest! I hope your plan works!”

“If it doesn’t, hope for something better!” The chipped horn Unicorn ducked beneath another swipe at the duo; Arin’s hand launching forward to hook around another length of ebony flesh, this time using the momentum he gathered to wrench his body around; tree turning, as Falon called it. At such high speeds, you’d have to break a gallop to turn so sharply. But being able to pivot around a point in space, like a tree, meant that no matter how much momentum you had - you were in full control.

With such blinding speed and momentum, Tempest nearly had to strangle Arin’s neck not to fly off - as they darted towards the unwavering eye with crackling, ripping air.

A tentacle sought to slap them away with force, thick and black; if the Seraph didn’t stop, he and Tempest both would die. His fear built in his chest, as he realized now that he was far out of control; an arrow in the dark, rapidly approaching their demise.

His old self would have billowed his wings, and attempted to stop.

Instead, he knocked Tempest’s hoof off of his back, eyes flashing at her with one word. “Go.”

The Commander’s legs tensed hard, before kicking with all of her might into the Seraph - bolting above the lashing vine as Arin was knocked down beneath it.

This was it. The moment of truth.

Tempest’s body spun in the air, tail whipping the banishing sphere far above her. Years upon years of training. Hours of refining her step, of finding her form - and it all came down to this one powerful buck of her hooves.

And the limb crashed hard into the glassy exterior, all of that momentum from the flight combining with her trained prowess in one ringing clash of hoof on glass. It spiraled through the air in a flash of crackling green lightning, before slamming hard into the center of the Entity’s iris.

All at once, every tentacle, every piece of flesh - shuddered and fought against the impending stone, as the fog turned obsidian across the iris.

Arin hooked on to that very same vine that sought to bat them away, and turned upwards towards the now falling Tempest. And with surprising grace, caught the commanding mare in his arms - just as Vee took her chance. Aiming a pristine, beautiful, and oh so well preened wing high into the air, judging the distance with a hoof and flick of her ear - she shot her last perfect pinions down with a blade of wind cleaving after it.

The air shuddered and sparked, as the Pegasus dumped all of her strength into her final hurrah. The cleaving air spearing forward in a blast of feathery, crackling gales - her left wing falling to shreds from the devastating attack.

The tendril Arin had seized onto split in twain, before the wave crashed into the shifting stone. A FWOOM of sound reached them, as the creature reeled in agony - stone rumbling far above, crashing around the darkened chamber in chaos.

Vee preened her now destroyed wings quietly, as Arin and Tempest returned to the platform - panting in desperate drags of air.

Thump-bump. Thump-bump.

What was once a terrifying undertone fell loudly along the caverns, as from the twisting soul mass now stood a single, blackened point in the center. The Entity’s heart now lay exposed, a fragment of light escaping the darkness in a desperate flurry of its growing wings.

It fell into the shadows, before reappearing several moments later - as none other than the ghostly visage of a red maned alicorn. Her eyes fell along the party before her, wings catching the air to settle on the stone.

“M-Mother?...” Celestia whispered, as Luna looked on - confused.

“I look nothing like her,” she said, hesitating as her older Sister teared up by her side.

“But you did once, my Lulu,” came Queen Astra’s soft voice, a harmony that filled the air despite the looming dark. She gently approached, gallant wings shooting forward to engulf them both in her spectral body. Immediately, the two Princesses cried out - hugging tightly over the magical form before them both.

“Mother!”

“M-Mommy!”

They both sobbed, Umbra snorting as Luna called her ‘mommy’. Oarkin clapped his hands at the delightful reunion, laughing with joy.

“It is a family! I am happy to see good things here.” He smiled, as Tempest rejoined Pumpkin’s side. Unfortunately, Arin had it a little rough - panting on the floor as his wings ached fiercely; the sheer verve of their attack left him grounded. Falon fell to Arin’s side, bumping his head against the Seraph’s.

“You did amazing, Son.” He smiled, hugging him softly with a hoof.

“Thanks… Dad. I don’t… suppose you have… a glass of water… on you? I don’t think… I can handle… another cup of coffee.”

Falon laughed, digging in his feywild leather satchel to withdraw a canteen. “I thought I told you to come prepared?”

Arin drank deep from the reserve, before falling back to the floor with a splash. “I did!.. Kinda.”

“Mother, I can’t believe you’re still here! After all of this time, you… I know everything, mother. Everything. I can’t say how, or why - but… I know Starswirl is our father.”

At that, the spectre blinked - pulling back to share looks with her offspring. “Luna always did have his eyes, after all - but… did he not tell you? Tell the world?”

“No, Mother. And for good reason.” Celestia pointed to the Entity, its heart beating still. “That would have found the light much sooner, had we sought to challenge it before.”

Queen Astra sighed, drooping her wings. “Perhaps he was right. I was outmatched on my own. I should have never sought to defeat it without aid. Yet here you all stand before me - I may not know all of your names, but I see heroes. And… a deer. Are the deer still allies with us, after all this time?”

“We are now. King Aster has declared it so,” Falon called from Arin’s side, as the queen took in the two Seraphs among the party.

“And these creatures… I know what they are. They are… much like ponies. I had met a few among the countless souls within the Entity. It is a curiosity how two had found themselves in your midst.”

Her eyes settled to the two ponies against her chest, a sad astral wing trailing along Luna’s cheek. “I could not protect you, my little Lulu. This is why your fur is blue, your body stunted - and… so much more.”

“It is what it is; I am this now, though I have been… envious of my Sister, until recently.”

“It was never you, Luna - Nightmare Moon is a piece of the Entity’s darkness. She amplified these thoughts within you,” Celestia whispered, nosing her smaller Sister’s cheek. Luna sniffled, simply happy to see the pony who birthed her.

“I hate to say this, my children - but our time here is short. The Entity will heal - it is only a matter of when. I know of no way to destroy its heart; it is a soul of its own making, and no amount of sunlight nor moonpower could tarnish it. You must flee. Find new lands to settle. And keep the light strong.” Queen Astra sighed, her eyes trailing over the prison she’s been trapped in for over three thousand years.

“I don’t think so, Astra. We’ve come all this way - there’s no chance I’m leaving without a dead Entity as a reward.” Arin groaned, standing to his legs. “I won’t give up hope yet.”

The Queen faltered, as the Seraph challenged the very dark that plagued the universe, unfaltering as he seized Sonata.

“There is a way to destroy it!” Luna called, jumping from her mother’s hooves. “Arin! You can do it with Harmony! Just like Leotoln! You can turn its heart to crumbling stone!”

“A thing we lack in heaps and spades.” Tempest pointed her hoof, but Celestia interrupted her. Breaking from her mother’s comforting wings, to face the ponies before her.

“We did lack. Not anymore. I see elements of harmony, standing now before me - undaunted by the dark; pillars of energy that refuse to give up hope, even in our darkest moments.”

As quiet confusion fell on the ponies before her, the sun princess continued, “I see honesty within Umbra’s heart, a bastion of fortitude and resilience. Kindness within Pumpkin, who gives her all to those she cherishes. In Vee, I see laughter - a cheery voice, a warm smile, and an endless amount of sass. In Luna… there is loyalty, despite the dark forces that clawed at her - she would not give up on us, on me, to allow Nightmare Moon to win. And myself, generosity unbidden - had I not spared every expense, every piece of me along our journey, and given my all to come to my friend’s aid - none would stand here now. But there is one more pony, among us, who has discovered the magic of friendship.

“And that pony is Tempest. Fizzlepop Berrytwist. A once fallen unicorn, now shown the light - you stand here now as the culmination of your lessons from our journey. Despite your missing horn, you hold the magic of friendship inside of you, Tempest. Every mistake you’ve made has been a new stone in your foundation - and you’ve grown to be a true leader.”

The five party members gathered, save the lunar alicorn - who hesitated.

“A-Are you sure, Sister?” Luna asked, hoof to her heart. Quen Astra enshrouded her with a wing, nodding.

“If you stand here now, despite the Entity’s call and promises, then you truly are a pillar of loyalty. I may not know what this ‘harmony’ is, but… perhaps its strength is needed here.”

At her mother’s encouragement, Luna sniffled - and joined the party.

“Our magic may be weak, and we’ll never shine compared to Twilight’s call of power, but… it will be enough. It is enough,” Celestia said, “Falon, give Arin room. And Arin… remove your vest. You need to absorb as much of this as possible.”

Tempest hesitated, now at the head of the group - flocked on all sides by her friends, and in this dark abyss - she closed her eyes. Thinking.

Pumpkin had given her lessons on planar alignment; how through one’s meditation, you could draw from elements beyond your own. Her mind turned inward, steadying to the beat of the Entity’s heart. Closing her eyes to focus, and reach out to the embers surrounding her. Like she would, when grasping an object in levitation - these five points anchored her body in place, as a light began to emanate from their chests.

She felt the spirits around her, gathered in the quiet as Arin awaited the magic’s touch. And when her eyes split open - they gleamed a brilliant white. A well of magic formed inside of her, as Tempest called the light to launch upwards.

A faint ray of cascading, balanced magic raised into the sky - before pouring over Arin’s welcoming body in a beautiful ray. The Seraph’s magic drained ember swelled with the power collecting there, gasping as his wings shot upwards - shining brilliantly in a ray of focused light. His eyes gleamed silver now, as the sparkles of energy soaked into his skin.

Immediately - all six ponies fell to the floor in desperate draws of their breath, eyes fluttering shut from the immense drain of power, Vee suspiciously still in the dirt.

Clutching Sonata in his hands, he felt the welling power surge and sear through his skin once more. The Entity felt this magic - as it struggled to preserve itself, to prevent its own demise. The rocks above tumbled and fell in heaps, as an avalanche of stone began to rain on the small platform.

Queen Astra saw this - and with a radiant flash of magenta magic, a barrier sprung up around them - shimmering with her astral body’s power.

With the barrier in place shattering the massive heaves of rock, he couldn’t possibly aim for the black heart swirling within the Entity’s massive core. He needed to be brave - and push beyond, into the falling, churning collapse, But doing so would kill him - unless…

The one spell he needed now; Mana Barrier. A passive defense to impending doom, he pulled his hands up - and targeted the souls of the gathered party, shimmering silver clinging to them, just as well.

“This mine rail implies that the path continues beyond. I will meet you all there - gather there, and run once I shatter the Entity’s heart.”

And with that, he shot through the magenta barricade above, as Falon and Oarkin began to collect the collapsed forms of their friends. Astra’s body fading with each second she channeled their last line of defense.

Arin soared high into the sky, blinded by dirt and gravel that fluttered helplessly through his protection. A boulder crashed into his wing - reflected by the barrier he wore like a coat, as he spiraled up to face the heart directly. Forced to close his eyes, he relied on Aster’s teachings to see - the massive well of power drawing his aim to the abyssal creature’s ghastly heart.

He drew his right arm back, forming the shape of a radiant arrow, his spiritual gaze locking to a single point in space. The world fell to black as he focused on the amalgamation of the crooked heart hammering inside the Entity’s core.

Breathe in. And release.

A thread of silver light formed between him and the fluttering, throbbing vessel. Bullseye.

Unlike with Leotoln, where a hole formed in his chest - this time, the entire organ popped, trapped energy rocketing outwards in a violent pulse. A wave of souls churned and fled - millions of spirits flocking to the winds, as the Entity reeled in its death throes. Small beams of light from the sun fell across its rock-smashing, earth-churning form, as holes in the caverns above formed when the massive tentacles withdrew.

Queen Astra nodded to Falon and Oarkin both, carrying the unconscious forms of the party across their back and in their arms. “Go now, friends. There is no hope left here.”

Astra pointed to the silver-coated Seraph and buck, who nodded - Falon giving her one last look before jumping for the cliff’s edge. On his back, lay the unconscious Pumpkin and Umbra - roughly strapped together by an old leather bind he found in Pumpkin’s hat. Vee, Celestia, Luna, and Tempest were simply carried in Oarkin’s mighty arms.

With a flash of his hook, he seized a wriggling, shuddering tentacle - the limb twitching hard enough to send him flying over the massive chasm. Rocks and stones clattered off the Mana Barrier, as Oarkin’s powerful wings beat towards the far side.

Arin fell from the sky, spent. All of his power, his magic - gone. He didn’t even have the strength to lift his hook for a body saving tug.

He did well. He saved the world, not once - but twice now. He rose from a Knight in Equestria, to a King in Erenorn. He loved two Princesses, and a shadow turned to light. Mended wounds, and saved lives.

He’s achieved everything an Inert could ever hope and dream of, and more - and he did so, at such a young age, too. He could be at peace now.

“Come now, poor child. I will carry thee,” a voice said - before his body was snatched from the air in a glowing purple haze. Queen Astra floated above, with gentle beats of her wings. “You have done what I could not. It would be a shame to see you perish here, at the cusp of your greatest victory.”

And with that, Arin lost consciousness.

And before he knew it, he rested on the spirit mare’s back. They landed just as Oarkin and Falon did - Mana Barriers galore shattering from falling rock and churning stone. The tunnel on this end of the massive rocky arena curved far upwards - a ramp that would have likely spirited gem-filled minecarts across the gap. Cloven hooves, feet, and spectral wings brought them up the winding tunnel, Astra’s spiritual barrier deflecting rocks and stone galore as Arin watched from her back.

And soon, they found themselves at the end of a long tunnel; a small chamber of purple and blue crystals, where dozens of pink feathers lay. Behind, the last of the rock collapsed in - as a flash of purple light appeared before them.

“Hey jackasses! Guess who’s back with Purplesmart!” Anon called, leaning against the re-feathered alicorn with a half empty bottle of wine. Completely sloshed and bubbly, proud of his work. Queen Astra approached the duo, as Twilight dashed forward to give her a hug.

“Princess Celestia, I-!” She fell right on the floor, as Astra looked on curiously.

“A half blood. Much has changed since my death, I see.” She smiled, offering a hoof to the smaller pony. Twilight took it, as she finally found purchase in her astral grasp. Without focus, things could just… fall right through the spirit, it seemed.

“Huh? You’re not… you’re not the Princess?” Purplesmart asked, as Astra shook her head.

“I’m afraid not. My child is resting here, in this giant’s kind h-... they’re not hooves. His… grasp. Yes.” The Alicorn giggled quietly, despite being dead.

“I… you… what?!” Twilight spouted. “This is amazing! YOU’RE PRINCESS CELESTIA’S MOTHER?! THAT MEANS YOU’RE PRINCESS LUNA’S MOTHER, TOO! I NEED TO WRITE THIS-”

Anon tugged hard at Twilight’s tail, having faceplanted to the ground much the same as the Alicorn did just moments prior. “Twilight, I’ve got chalk in my pocket. I’m also happy to see you. Wanna fuck since it’s the end of the world?”

“...Is this the same type of creature as the one on my back, or?...” Astra smiled, as the mountain finally fell still.

“N-No, he’s a human who spent a lot of time on this place called ‘4chan’, and I really don’t want to talk about him now. Anon, thank you for carrying the chalk, and telling me about the mines. Astra, if you will - I need to form the portal gate to bring us to safety.”

“Oh, did my husband Starswirl pass on his teachings, finally? He was such a card, never one to share his secrets with anypony unless I prodded him.”

“YOU… IS STARSWIRL CELESTIA AND LUNA’S FATHER?! OH MY GOSH! I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS, I-”

“Purplesmart, why’d you build a school of friendship if you never actually teach sex ed there? That’s the best kind of friendship.” Anon laughed, spilling wine - the destroyed Castle’s alcohol - over his mask.

“...WE’LL TALK LATER! Chalk, Anon, now.”