Undeath and Rebirth

The portal shimmered over the beach of a small lake, where the outskirts of a town stood on the other side. Bright beams peeked through the clouds. The rift rippled as each of the travelers emerged before closing behind them.

A gentle breeze brushed through their attire and manes as Shadow Scythe held Zeloph's hand while she mentally took a head count. Anarchia surveyed the village ahead, as did Wispy Willow and Kitsune beside them. The reaper inhaled the earthy aroma of her humble homeland.

“To think, there was once a time I was indifferent to the world’s natural beauty,” sighed the reaper, thinking about her history.

“You were missing out,” chuckled Zeloph as he squeezed her hand. “We’ll make up for lost time later. Though who knows? Perhaps I’ll be able to find a guitar somewhere and shake off the rust!”

“Ooh! You play?” Wispy asked, her forked tigress tail swaying curiously.

“And was incredibly good at it,” Ana added, reminiscing about the past before the two demi-humans were pulled in by the Necronomicon. “It's a shame ya never gotta tickle and bite your own songs.”

“Yeah… I’ll have to remedy that once this ordeal is dealt with.”

“We’re also musicians,” inserted Kitsune shyly at her sister's side. “We have a band called B.A.B.E. Perhaps you’d be interested in collaborating sometime in the future?”

“Yeah! You definitely sell the sensitive bad boy rockstar,” the nekomata purred, her slit pupils tracing over his bare torso and abs. “Almost like someone I used to play with~!”

Zell sheepishly turned away from Wispy’s gaze before coughing, “W-we’ll have to see about that.”

Shadow Scythe came between them. “We shouldn’t be planning our victory celebration so prematurely,” she reminded them sharply. “Come. Let’s head to the local villa. My old home isn’t too far beyond it."

Before anyone could form ideas on how to cross the large body of water, Kitsune turned to liquid metal, then hardened when she morphed herself into a speed boat, determined to ferry her new comrades. Once everyone was aboard the vehicle, she revved up the back motor and headed towards their destination.

“Thank fuck she can still transform! So what's the deal with you two anyway?” Wispy asked, shouting over the roaring engine. “From what I understand, you’re the first demi-humans, right?”

“In a sense,” answered Zell.

“Pure demi-humans, technically,” corrected Ana. “We’re the only ones born wif god's blood. The others you’ve encountered must 'ave been given it.”

“If they're anything like Varys, they likely stole it,” Shadow Scythe grimly suggested.

“Stolen?” Kitsune’s voice spoke through a speaker box, sounding concerned.

Zell looked away once he elaborated. “During our battle with the Burning King, we discovered a hidden ploy that Varys set up to acquire some of my blood. He’s an old acolyte to the Divine Father, the being responsible for our conception. He and I share history...”

Wispy cut in, “So you’re saying he’s even more powerful than before!? Shit!”

The neon demon nodded, narrowing her gaze to the water. “By preventin' the End of Days, we inadvertently released the devil. But 'e wasn’t the Burnin' King...”

“Only time will tell when we cross paths with Varys again,” said Shadow Scythe. “And whatever scheme he's formulating.”

“The moment we find him, I’ll rip him to shreds,” Wispy said confidently, stretching her limbs and pushing her bust out.

“We suspect Triad might be involved with his work,” noted Kitsune. “They both used to inhabit our world, so a connection between them is certainly possible.”

“Then we have our objectives,” Zeloph nodded. “We free both Quicksilver and Triad from Mortis’ coils. Then, after stopping the wraith, we use him to go after Varys and shut him down for good!”

Everyone nodded in agreement once the boat arrived at the opposite shore. Kitsune morphed back into her supple shape when each of her allies had stepped out.

“That’s quite a handy ability,” the angelic demi complimented with a smile.

“Thank you,” huffed Kitsune, who politely returned the gesture. “Though admittedly, it's a struggle to maintain forms for that long.”

Wispy conjured a plasma orb that flickered to stay aglow. “Grrrr! Stupid tech hampering zone,” she grumbled testily. “Looks like we’re relying on our natural combat skills for this mission.”

“Don’t feel so glum abaht it, love,” comforted Ana, who wrapped an arm over the tigress’ shoulders. Chaotic energy ignited from her right palm. “I’m not the Mae West of magic either! Most of me stuff only works when I’m close and personal~.” She empathized with this by squeezing her closer, the sides of their breasts pressing together.

“Mmm, you don’t say,” the feline assassin purred coyly. “Maybe you and I should have a sparring match~! Think you can keep up with an assassin?”

"Ooh, I'll do more than mingle wif ya, kitten~!"

The copper maned vixen heaved a belabored sigh. “Hasn’t been more than a day, and already she’s found a new ‘playmate.’ How typical.”

“Curiosity often kills the cat," mused Zeloph with a snicker.

“Yeah, if curiosity was a perverted ball of energy that swallowed the encyclopedia on every definition for the word ‘fuck’,” scoffed Shadow Scythe. “Honestly, she's worse than Belladonna. But if this keeps her distracted, I’m all for it.”

The reaper ushered them to move onward as everyone got more associated with each other. “Still, whatever knowledge you can share about yourself would be much appreciated,” stated Kitsune while walking beside the seraphic swordsman. “We plan to confront Seb once this is finished. Along with that Arron character.”

Zell frowned deeply. “It’s not exactly a pleasant tale, but I suppose it couldn’t hurt. I’ll likely join you when the time comes.”

To start, he went into vivid detail about his less than stellar beginnings as ‘the Fallen One.’ How his love for humanity was blinded by fury at the hands of his father. The death of his Terran mother and friend only fueled the fire. On occasion, Ana would fill in parts of her life that led to her sealing her brother inside the Necronomicon during their world’s precipice. The local village was only miles away once the pair spoke of their fateful encounter with Beatrix.

Shadow Scythe listened intently, reminded of when she confessed her crimes to her lover...and felt more self-conscious than ever when they neared civilization. Zeloph didn’t realize she had stopped moving until she tugged on his arm, still hand-in-hand. He stared back at the reaper, who shivered. She wanted to hide behind her hood more than ever, aware that her reputation as an irredeemable war criminal still thrived here.

"I-I should wait here," she insisted.

"Ohh, come now," replied Zeloph. "You’ve shed your old cloak. No one’s going to recognize you!"

"Doesn’t mean I don’t stand out!" She traced her fractured unicorn horn. "I may have mastered far more advanced spells than Belladonna, but her ability to whip up clothes is beyond me."

"It's sleight-of-hand, really," puffed the female demi-human. "Though ter be yogi bear, she's been at that since she was a tyke. Me garbs should be more than sufficient ter conceal your identity!"

"Ohh, I know!" Wispy spoke up when she turned to her older sister. "Kitsune’s usually the one who does our sexy makeup! So maybe...?"

"Understood, Imoto," acknowledged Kitsune as she approached the cautious unicorn mare. After the president’s militarian run ended, the members of B.A.B.E. took it upon themselves to look after new people. The vixen procured her makeup kit before setting Shadow Scythe down on a tree stump, where she knelt before her.

While they waited, Zeloph pulled out the Vorpal Blade, studying the runic inscriptions etched in the white steel. His frown deepened. “It hasn’t glowed since the attack on the manor. I really hope it's not one of those cases where it only activates when convenient…”

Wispy held her hips to the side. “Yeah, imagine if it suddenly decides to create a portal right underneath us in the middle of an intense battle!”

“That’d suck donkey dicks,” agreed Ana.

“I think, for now, I’ll just infuse it with my Onoma,” concluded the fallen angel. “Until I can figure out how to reliably call upon its true power.”

“Maybe it needs a phrase? loike ‘by the will of Celestia’s ample butt cheeks, I am blessed wif cosmic radiance!’ or sum shite.”

This made Wispy snicker. “Celestia’s butt cheeks?”

“'ave ya seen that ass, geeza? If I 'ad a dumpy loike that, I’d feel blessed wif supreme power too~!”

“What are you talking about?! You’ve got a great ass~!” The nekomata playfully swatted the demoness’ behind, the impact making it jiggle.

She tittered while wiggling her hips. “It is a sweet bum, 'uh? Ya sure I can’t go thicker~?”

“Bitch, please! Any thicker, and you’d need a forklift just to keep that thing from wobbling all over the place~!”

Zeloph groaned as he distanced himself from his comrade’s titillating topic about how nice their ample assets were. Meanwhile, Kitsune was wholly focused on touching up Shadow Scythe's face. She had finished hiding the dark circles under her eyes, then moved on with her band’s stage props to replace her horn’s missing bits. “I have no desire to alter who you are," explained the vixen. "Only to bring out your inner beauty." Shadow Scythe swallowed and nodded, trusting the kunoichi’s standards. Another sensation she had ignored due to her lack of empathy as a child.

"Man, a shame Eclipsed Heart's not here to see this!” Wispy said with a toothy smirk, her paws fondling Ana’s hefty tits. “Ohh! That’s our band leader, by the way. A pop princess sensation! Our universe’s version of Cerise!”

“Really, now?” Zell spoke up with an arched brow. “I assume she’s not a fan of demi-humans either..?”

“That’s a given considering how deplorable Seb is,” Wispy confirmed. “But I’m sure she’d like you! Especially with how handsome you are~!”

“Easy, tiger,” Ana chuckled stiffly. “I’m afraid my brother lacks me sexual appetite. Not to mention 'e and Shady 're very tight.”

“You make it sound like having a committed relationship is a bad thing,” said Zeloph, unamused.

“I’m just sayin'! When you’ve got so many people admirin' ya, it’s 'ard not ter indulge them~.”

“Nah, I totally get it,” interrupted Wispy. “Eclipsed has a boy back home who she’s head over heels with! He’s a swell guy, loyal and brave, albeit a little bland in the personality department.”

“Pft! Guess every version of Cerise sullies themselves over every basic knight in shinin' armor.”

“Ana!”

“Whaaat? Midnight's just so… generic! Never 'ad a fan time ‘rewarding’ those overly 'eroic types wif me coochie. I prefer a lil' spice in me dickin's!”

"To each their own,” Kitsune spoke up. “I, too, would like someone reliable. Regardless, I hope to introduce you once this is over. Aaaaaaaand done!”

Shadow Scythe took the hand mirror from the vixen and studied her face. She could see her mother's delicate features stare back and strained not to sob uncontrollably again. "I look… whole. Beautiful even…” she admitted before throwing her arms around the fox woman; she then squeezed her. “... thank you!”

Kitsune blinked several times before she returned the embrace. "Y-you're welcome," she shyly whispered, her cheeks warm. "I simply wish to help my companions; however I may."

"Aww," teased Wispy as her smirk broadened. “I know you guys are adamant about monogamy, but being open with friends couldn’t hurt, eh? Especially since my sister is crushing on you~.”

"I-I am not," assured Kitsune, who withdrew her hold and looked away. The cyber kunoichi strained to hide her loneliness and the need to find someone who understood her. She offered Shadow Scythe the black hood of her outfit for the final touch. "This should also help."

Shadow Scythe nodded when she stood up, fitting the hood into place, thankful it didn't clash with her outfit. She hesitantly offered, “Maybe in the future; I’d be more willing. But for now, please respect our set limits. We’re wasting enough time as it is. We have to see whether anyone here knows about this supposed demi-human." She took Zeloph’s hand once they strolled up ahead.

"Buzzkill," murmured Ana while she and the cyberverse ninjas trailed behind the couple.

The party settled into the village; Shadow Scythe clung to her lover's arm to hide from the locals. Stallions and mares muttered amongst themselves at the strange newcomers, but some gave a friendly wave and continued their day. Zeloph decided to seek an open-air restaurant to avoid arousing suspicion, which proved a relatively straightforward matter since he followed the scent of food on the breeze. Past the cobblestones that cut through the grass waited for simple homes adorned the paths.

In moments like these, he and Shadow Scythe remembered simpler times before misdirected ambition led the pair to villainy.

The fallen one found a table. Everyone took seats under an umbrella that shaded them from the afternoon sun. The sole exception is Kitsune, who remained standing before stating, "I have no need of sustenance so that I will take a look around."

Once the vixen took to the rooftops, Zeloph curled a brow and snarkily said, "Quite the social butterfly, isn’t she?"

"I’m afraid my sister’s always been like that,” sighed Wispy from across the table. “All business, not one for parties. Our band's concerts aside!”

“Girl needs ter get laid,” snorted Ana, who took a sip from her glass.

“Not everything can be solved with sex, deviant,” Shadow Scythe huffed.

The demoness smirked. “Sure it can! Look how well ya came 'round once ya popped that cherry~?”

Zeloph retorted by dipping his fingers into his water before flicking it at his sister, who hissed. “Behave!”

“Aw, c'mon, Zell. I'm just 'avin' a giraffe... mostly~.”

The reaper took a deep exhalation before taking a drink, utterly flustered. While sex with her lover was undoubtedly lovely, the intimacy he offered mattered more.

Wispy lazily heaved her shoulders. “Granted, I don’t blame her. What with her past and all. The closest times she’s ever at peace is when she meditates, showers, or plays her shamisen."

“Ooh! Tell me more,” the female demi purred as her venus flytrap tail slithered underneath the table. “Would love ter kna 'a she keeps aw those tails nice n' floofy~.”

Wispy returned her smile as the nekomata's striped twin tails looped around the demi's below. "Well..." She watched her sister trail away to investigate the area and keep watch. “She uses a special brand of shampoo that gives her tails the extra fluff factor. Has to go through bottles daily~!”

“Blimey! A whole Aristotle just for wahn shower?”

“Mhm! It makes her feel more included when we’re prepping for our latest concert.”

"I bet ya put on sum wild shows," presumed Ana while their tails continuously intertwined.

“Hoohh yeah~! Maybe we'll invite you to one~!" Wispy's tails directed the succubus' own along the tigress' tender thigh, below the cut of her cheongsam, where Ana quickly learned her feline friend hadn't bothered to wear panties today. Wispy chewed on her lip to keep down a moan upon feeling a slimy tongue lap at her bare snatch, the slurps swallowed by their banter.

"It would be nice to see you guys in action," admitted Shadow Scythe, whose eyes followed the fox woman while she made her way around the villa. “Are you sure she’s alright? I know what it's like to seek comfort in solitude, but…”

“Sis can take care of herself,” reassured Wispy, who wiggled about in her seat while Ana continued to molest her kitty cunt in secret. “She's-aah~! E-easily the strongest person I know!"

"Indeed,” mused Zeloph, who took a gentle sip. “To wield such refined power without the need of an Onoma is truly impressive!”

A waitress came their way and started to take their orders. Once the table had concluded with what they wanted to eat, she left, and the seraphic demi continued while his warm hand clasped around his love’s. “I have to say; this 'cyberverse' sounds like a remarkable world… the cost not included.”

"Yeah, your old pal did a real number on the place," Wispy grumbled, her face twisted into a sneer. "He’s responsible for turning my sister into a killing machine. He robbed her of normal life, and I won’t let that stand!" The moment her lemonade arrived, she immediately downed it.

“Yeah… I can relate,” gulped Zell, who studied his refilled glass. He thought back to their conversation on the boat and the guilt stacked up. He unknowingly played a crucial part in making the cyber demon more omnipotent. No matter their vendetta, he had an obligation to cease Varys’ plans before others were turned into lethal experiments.

Soon enough, their orders came in, and everyone shifted to focus on eating, aware they would need their energy to start their investigation correctly. Shadow Scythe studied their surroundings beneath the black hood she borrowed from the vixen and inhaled sharply once she spotted the wanted posters that adorned a pub nearby.

Her eyes were drawn to her scornful face, her world utterly unaware that Beatrix had spirited her away onto a lonesome asteroid as a punishment rather than let her face execution. That was until the eldritch abomination disguised as a mansion had forever altered their fates.

“Excuse me!”

A peppy feminine voice made the reaper flinch, turning her head to a group of mares dressed in nun attire that had approached their table. One of them held a mug and asked, “Could we ask you for a bit of your time and charity? It's for a good cause, I assure you!”

Shadow Scythe glanced at the cup, reading the words 'Houses 4 Fillies’ with a cute little logo. The other members of her sorority also held up matching mugs.

“I… don’t see why not,” she murmured before fishing a shiny bit out of her short pants and placing it inside the cup with a clink.

“O’, Bless you, miss!” the mare tittered. “May the light shine brightly upon you this day. Your generosity will bring a sick filly into a loving home~!”

“What about you, good sir?” Another nun gestured to Zeloph, who only offered a smile and threw in a few of his bits.

“Sorry, girls! I’ve got nun to spare,” Wispy snickered, earning a collective groan from the superfluity.

“Hadn’t heard that one before…” one mare muttered before they turned to Ana next.

“Unless it’s for the ExpandMyDong foundation, I ain’t interested,” the demoness retorted rudely. “Go get slewed, ya pretentious prudes.”

“How vulgar!”

“Why I’d never!!”

“Ignore her, sisters. This one made it clear she’s a lost cause,” one nun garbed pony scoffed. “Come. Let us complete our charitable work before Mother Superior arrives!”

Bowing their heads to the table, the coven took their charity work elsewhere while the party stared appalled at Ana.

“Ana, was that necessary?” Zeloph berated with narrowed eyes.

“Oh, come off it,” the neon demon puffed. “I can’t fuckin' stand nuns and their ‘holier-than-thou’ charade. Only desperate girls take up the 'abit. I reckon half of them 're skanks!”

“Oooh, the forbidden fruit angle, aye? Not a bad idea! I bet Eclipsed, and I could come up with killer costumes,” the tigress pondered before taking a hefty bite out of her fish sandwich.

The fallen angel heaved a sigh before shifting focus to his lover, who was again staring at her wanted poster from a distance.

"Belladonna's so irresponsible," she murmured. "She didn't even bother to tell them...?"

"Maybe the princesses decided to keep it a secret," surmised Zeloph. "Most ponies would have demanded your public execution, and they didn’t have the stomach for that."

"So they dropped their problem on Beatrix instead," sourly stated Shadow Scythe.

"To be fair, she did hope to rehabilitate you,” he mused. “And technically succeeded, in a way."

"Ah yes. By having one of her friends wipe my memory, force my unbridled emotions against me, and nearly reduce my mental state to that of a child." She exhaled. "In the end, Belladonna's hapless buffoonery always works out."

Zeloph paused between his drinks. “Don’t be like that. If none of that happened, we wouldn’t have gotten together, now would we?”

Her snout scrunched up, and her cheeks blushed. “... no, I would have likely killed you. And never have you realized how wonderful a person you are.”

“Exactly,” he bashfully chuckled. “Well, I mean, I’m not the greatest person either, but-" Glass exploded in his grip, numerous shards and wine splashed all over the seraph, whose eyes shot wide.

The whole party rose up once more, and bullets sprayed in their direction. It didn’t take long for Shadow Scythe to realize it was her father, as she spotted his figure crouched behind the rooftop. The reaper knew Quicksilver Bullet was anything but a lousy shot, meaning he missed on purpose. A warning to announce his presence.

His tactic worked spectacularly since the civilians screamed and scattered in all directions. Kitsune dropped down next to her sister, energy saber erected from the hilt in hand. “It’s them!”

“Good afternoon, doves~!” came the melodic voice of Penny Dreadful, who glided down from the skies on her parasol. Scanning the entourage, her beak frowned when she said, “Not here, huh? Pity. I'll have to coax Beatrix out by sending her lovely packages of her minions' disembodied limbs~!”

"We're not minions," glowered Shadow Scythe, eyes narrowed when she summoned up dozens of sickles that whirled about her.

“Yeah, ever looked at a mirror lately?” Wispy said, striking a martial pose.

“We are more than mere puppets on strings,” assured the black stallion in a pinstripe suit behind the avian lady, his own katana unsheathed. “We serve a higher purpose now!”

“Triad!” Kitsune snarled before intercepting the swordsman, their blades swinging as they took their battle to the streets.

“My, my!” Penny cooed, waving her tail fan over her face. “Quite the cutthroat isn’t sh-ooough!”

She was cut off by a hard kick across her face, knocking her aside. Wispy bounced on the ball of her feet, her hands infused with what little plasma she could muster. “She isn’t the only one, sweetheart!”

Wispy turned to Ana, who strolled beside her and rolled her wrists. “Perfect timin'! I’m in the mood ter break a bitch,” sneered the demi-human.

The clockwork griffoness rubbed her cracked cheek while glaring at the pair of tightly clad heroines. A sinister smirk spreads her features as she quips, “Two against one? Oh, that’s hardly fair… for you~!” Cackling madly, she lunged at Wispy and Ana, twirling her bladed umbrella.

With two of Mortis’ minions occupied, Shadow Scythe tried to locate her father as more gunshots went off to keep the crowd in panic. “Father… surely you know this isn’t right?”

“You need to go ask him that personally,” Zeloph insisted, holding her shoulders firmly. “I’ll make sure civilians make it out of the villa safely. Go!”

With pursed lips and a nod, the unicorn mare sailed to the rooftops while her love ushered the elderly, helping one old mare with a limp.

The food plaza was torn to shreds as Kitsune and Triad fought, stands and chairs falling apart. Their beam sabers collided in a shower of sparks as the fox woman demanded, “How did you slip past me? You should be dead!”

"Through my master’s will, I was liberated," Triad repeated, letting the kunoichi push him off, skidding backward. He took the opportunity to rip off his waistcoat cleanly, green veins pulsating all over his musculature. “This vessel no longer needs a spirit to function, as it belongs to Mortis now. In fact, his prowess expands with every soul claimed! Much like your friend, Shadow Scythe…”

The kunoichi hardened her cold glare as she realized his ploy. “You’re merely a diversion while Mortis extracts the souls of every pony here!”

The ebony stallion nodded.

“I have to warn Zeloph!”

But before she could, the swordsman’s back tattoos lit up, projecting the turquoise dragon and vermillion tiger to his side. “I can’t allow you to do that,” Triad stated before sending his hologram familiars to block the kunoichi, forcing her to continue their duel in the town square.

With as many ponies he could escort, Zeloph surveyed each stallion, mare, and foal present and asked, “Is everyone alright?”

A few nodded while tending to their loved ones, the community doing their best to remain calm. The nuns from before also tried to lift their spirits while one went off to contact their monastery for further assistance. His gaze returned to the ruined villa, more gunfire resounding. Some didn’t make it, but at least he managed to rescue as many ponies as possible from the bedlam.

‘Jonn… mother,’ he pondered inwardly. ‘If you could both see me now, would you be proud..?’

Sudden illumination caught his eye once the Vorpal Blade resonated in his hand, the runic steel alit with chromatic light. Zeloph winched as his sword tried pulling him in random directions. “Nnagh! Oh, for heaven’s sake, not this nonsense again! Why now of all the times?”

His answer came in the form of an ominous, spine-chilling chuckle. Everyone gazed in horror at the lich unicorn levitating above, his tattered black cloak left to flutter in the breeze. Dread began to rise up again before Mortis unleashed a wave of deathly energy. The sword countered by slicing through the ripple, ensuring its wielder was unaffected by the shroud of darkness.

The ponies were not so lucky.

Pained gasps and cries alerted the Fallen One as he watched them rapidly disintegrate into dust. His eyes pinpointed when every mare, stallion, and foal perished before him, their souls floating from their remaining skeletons. Their shimmering spheres were then siphoned into the revenant’s maw, soul essence flowing throughout the wraith's hollowed bones, where it settled.

Zeloph’s mind instantly flashed back to the thousands of civilians his father forced into ascension into the stratosphere, clutching his head and letting out an anguished cry. “What have you done?! You killed them!!”

“She killed them,” Mortis corrected. “This is the penance for all her sins. I am only harvesting what is necessary to fulfill my sacred purpose.”

“Oh, quit fooling yourself,” argued the demi human, whose eyes flashed an angry vermillion. “If your emotions are dead, so is your sense of morality. Even after completing your revenge, you’ll still consume life in a vain attempt to fulfill that emptiness. You won’t stop until everything lies dead at your feet!”

Another mute chuckle slithered out of the dead unicorn’s rictus grin. “You’re very observant, False Idol. And perhaps what you say is true. But it matters not. The traitorous Atalanta will suffer like those who have fallen to her scythe. As will any fool who dares try to protect her!”

Zell’s anger spiked as his Onoma blazed around his form with ultraviolet light, every eye on his wing fixated on the skeletal revenant. He steadily hovered up until head level with Mortis before taking a combative stance. “Not gonna happen!” He proclaimed before flash-stepping in front of the lich reaper to strike him down.

But the corpse of a recently deceased mare rose to intercept the blow. He struggled to pull his blade out before flinging the reanimated carcass to the ground while the other dead ponies rose up under Mortis’ mental command.

Aware that they were no longer who they once were, Zeloph swallowed any qualms about fighting the undead citizens and blessed the Vorpal Blade with sunfire, swinging his way through the hoard, reducing every bone to ashes that scattered on the wind. Knowing it was useless to summon more of his legion, Mortis took up the fight, revealing his own blood-rusted scythe to channel his deathly magic.

The undead unicorn weaved dark spells to counteract the seraphic swordsman’s holy magic. Beams of light clashed with ghastly green vapor waves while their blades collided. Zeloph took solace that their battle was far from his allies, meaning he was free to unleash the full wrath of his divine powers, determined to return the relentless death-dealer to the other side.

“Father? Father!?”

Shadow Scythe cried out, searching every logical spot he might have been hiding. The gunfire had ceased, the sounds of her comrades fighting against undead assailants echoing around her.

“Father, please,” the unicorn mare begged, emotions high. She didn’t conceal her tears as they freely ran down her face. “I know how angry you are with me. I-I deserve it. But the stallion I knew would never put innocents at risk, let alone work with an undead warlock!”

Quicksilver poked his head behind the giant bronze bell within a high tower. With his target in sight, the gunslinger reloaded and took aim. He had a clear visual of his daughter through the scope, finger curling around the trigger.

“So please, father,” continued the distraught reaper. “Leave them out of this!! Don’t become what Mortis… what I am! You’re not a killer!”

The old stallion felt his hands trembling as his finger loosened. His teeth and muscles tightened, forcing his body to take the shot. He’d already swore to serve his master and avenge his wife. His daughter was a monster, and as a famed monster hunter, it was his duty to put her down!

So then why, in the moment of truth, was he hesitant to pull the trigger on his own flesh and blood? After all, he'd lost and sacrificed...

‘Finish it!’ Mortis' hollow voice crept within his wained psyche. ‘She’s right there, do it! Kill her now and redeem Quiver Bolt! Or do you wish to return to that empty house and waste away as you live!? A failure?!?’

“Nnnnaaargh! DAMNIT!!” He bellowed as he slammed his fist into the brick and lowered his weapon, choking up. His haunted wails alerted Shadow Scythe to the bell tower, the pale unicorn floating towards him. He balked when his eyes fell below, many bystanders who didn’t make it out alive. “I-I can't do this,” sobbed the elder stallion. "I didn't sign up for senseless butchery!"

‘You took an oath to sacrifice anything to carry out your vendetta,’ the disembodied voice of his master reminded him. 'You don't have a choice!'

His body rose against his will, retaking aim at the reaper levitating towards him. Quicksilver tried to turn his rifle away, but a migraine pulsated through his head, feeling his brain would split in two. His finger pulled the trigger, but Shadow Scythe had gotten too close and used her Onoma to deflect the bullet.

In a moment of madness, Quicksilver managed to fire a round at the rope tethering the bell, causing the massive ornament to drop through the tower. The entire building collapsed under the impact. Shadow Scythe gasped, ears flat from the crashes, staying clear from the demolition until the dust settled. “Father!” She bawled and used her scythes and magic to dig through the debris.

Quicksilver made an apparent leap behind the demolished structure, using the building's destruction as a cover. He held down a yelp as the headache worsened, crumpling to his knees. Memories of what had happened to his wife continued to flash before his weary eyes.

“G-gaagh! Stop! Leave me alone!!”

‘Your soul is mine, hunter,’ the lich’s voice coldly stated, amplifying his mental domination with false images of Shadow Scythe cutting down her father. The old hunter must be kept unaware that his 'master' had slain him, then forcefully conscripted him into his service upon his resurrection. ‘And you will serve me until my vengeance is complete!’

Shadow Scythe shuddered at groans behind her, pulling her focus back to the plaza. The pony corpses stumbled to their feet, ghoulish green magic shimmering from their eyes. The unicorn mare took a defensive stance, knowing their numbers were far too many. Yet she wondered if Mortis was doing this simply to remind her of what she'd been? That once, their positions would have been reversed..?

The others weren’t faring much better. Wispy’s plasma orbs proved much smaller in this world, albeit effective in batting Penny Dreadful away. She provided cover fire while Ana lashed out at the clockwork griffoness, who used her whirly parasol to deflect each sphere thrown at her.

“S-surely, this isn’t the best you can do, right?” she taunted, despite having bits of herself severely damaged by the demoness’ wicked claws and tail. Oil seeped out her wounds, cogs whirling in stress. But her desire to rip apart Beatrix’s friends drove the avian assassin to keep going, throwing her umbrella upside down as it spun rapidly with slicing blades. The neon demon backed off, taking to the sky while blasting Penny with chaotic balls. She snarled in frustration at the automaton; her Onoma manifested in a blaze of dark flames.

The twin-tailed tigress was about to jump in when her ears picked up painful howls. Her eyes dilated at the sight of her sister receiving a hefty thrashing from Triad and his digital familiars. Try as she might, the fox woman couldn’t overcome the numbers, yelling from each swipe and bite from the tiger and dragon he commanded.

“Kitsune!!” Wispy called before rushing over, unintentionally leaving Ana to fend for herself.

“Wispy, wait! We're in the bloody middle of-gaagh!”

The brief distraction gave Penny enough time to launch feather darts from her wings. The sharpened quills sliced through Ana, cutting her open in places. The parasol then fired a net, which coiled around and electrocuted her with a hiss. Steam fizzled off her head before the demoness fell down, unconscious.

With her weapon returning to her side, the avian lady tittered with malicious glee and skipped over on her talons. “Oh ho ho! Gotcha~!”

Likewise, Triad had taken a couple of blows that exposed his circuitry, static crackling over his open wounds. But whatever damage he suffered pale compared to how badly Kitsune was battered, the cyber ninja struggling to stay afoot as he called off his pets. The cyber dragon and tiger fused anew into the tattoos on his back.

“You fought valiantly,” commended the black stallion. “But you’re out of your depth. Skill alone can not make up for how obsolete your tech is. Face facts, Kitsune. You’ve become inferior!”

“Urusai!” barked the fox woman, who stood on shaky limbs before clumsily charging with her beam saber. Triad simply shook his head before hardening his stance, hand clutching his beam katana’s handle. Faster than the blink of an eye, the swordsman brushed past her with his sword out, causing her to stop in her tracks.

They stood motionless before Triad resheathed his weapon. The moment the hilt clicked, blood gushed out of Kitsune’s torso, a large gash revealing itself. The kunoichi gasped before finally succumbing to her injuries and collapsing.

“You BASTARD!!”

Wispy hollered, lunging at the swordsman, claws extended to tear at his face until a bullet struck her down. She wailed; her body tumbled next to her older sister’s, pain searing out her side from the round lodged into her wide hip.

Triad turned to Quicksilver, who clutched at his head, migraine still ringing. Penny Dreadful dropped between them in a flutter of wings, tossing Ana’s unconscious form alongside the defeated cyber ninjas. “Jolly good show, boys,” she hooted with a wink. “Now, let’s carve them up into mincemeat and ship them back to Beatrix~!”

“No,” said Triad sternly. “Not until the traitor has been apprehended for her crimes!”

“Oh, c’mon! This is our revenge as much as it's Mortis'!" She planted hands on her hips to pout. "Why else would we be summoned here if not-”

But Quicksilver grabbed Penny by her neck, glaring hotly at the assassin, a pistol held in his free hand. “We’re only here because we’ve got a job to do. Now get to it before I put one right between those synthetic eyes!”

She strained a squawk before nodding frantically, gasping once the elder stallion released her throat. “Where is our beloved master anyway?” the clockwork griffoness coughed.

“He’s currently locked in a duel with the Fallen One,” sensed the swordsman.

“Good,” grunted Quicksilver as he led his comrades towards the gathering hoard, where his daughter sliced through the undead droves with her storm of silver sickles. “Once the bastard’s dead, I can take my sword back.”

Zeloph felt his body strain under the enormous heat he emitted as he fought Mortis to a stand still. Surprisingly, the Vorpal Blade was holding up tremendously, its own magic rippling from his hand. But his opponent remained unfettered, ghastly soul energy swirling around his skeletal form as his rust-colored scythe struck back.

‘I’m running out of time,’ he acknowledged, tightening his grip. ‘I need to end this now!’

With a loud cry, he launched a solar wave at the reaper, who cleaved through it with his large sickle. His horn glowed with sickly black magic, firing a beam of putrefaction at the angelic demi-human. Immediately, his ophanim shield activated, the intersecting topaz wheels adorned with eyes negating the brazen attack.

But upon realizing the projectile would last longer than the barrier, Zeloph dispelled the angelic throne and ducked. Yet particles grazed his burgundy jacket and began rotting the leather material within seconds. Gasping, he threw off his surface layer before it dissolved completely, the lithe muscles of his upper body left exposed.

His glare and resolve hardened before firing a pillar of light into the dark clouds. Rays burst through as heavenly swords rained down to pin Mortis to the tainted ground. The wraith wriggled and writhed from the shearing hot blades that fractured the battered lich's worn bones.

With the threat immobilized, Zeloph soared down to deliver the coup de grace. But the lich had enough reserves for one more spell, as he spread his forbidden magic into the ground. The earth rumbled before a tornado of souls escaped, then wailed as they whirled around the fallen angel.

The deathly winds slowly suffocated Zeloph, depriving him of oxygen as he clenched his throat. Eventually, the funneling force proved too much before he descended down to his knees, choking from lack of air. When his Onoma extinguished, Mortis propelled himself to clasp the demi-human by the neck. The reaper lifted his face closer to his equine skull, squeezing his throat tightly to make Zell choke and gurgle, helpless to do more than flail weakly in his grasp.

“This was inevitable,” Mortis said as he teleported them back above the ruined plaza. Shadow Scythe paused upon sensing her foe, snapping her head before a scene played out to her horror.

“Zeloph!!”

“Ata… lanta…” he wheezed, trying in vain to pry at Mortis’ deathly grip, his bones like ice.

It then dawned on the female reaper that they had failed miserably to save anyone. A vast amount of cadavers stood in legion while her father, Penny, and Triad approached her. Beyond them, Ana and Kitsune were knocked out, Wispy struggling to remain conscious while shaking her sister. "Get up," she cried in sheer desperation.

“It’s over, traitor,” Mortis proclaimed triumphantly, an eerie smolder in his eye sockets. “There is only death for you and your allies.”

“P-please,” she bitterly wept. “End me if you must, but let them live! It’s me you want! I’m the one who deserves to be punished!”

“Were you so merciful when slaughtering our kin?” asked the undead warlock. “Or how about the countless lives you stole to empower yourself? Was that an act of mercy?”

Shadow Scythe could not retort, only staring helplessly with watery eyes. Quicksilver noticed how wet her cheeks were from how much she had cried. Never once did his daughter shed a single tear, even when she was but a foal, and yet, here she was, bawling for her friend’s life.

“Know that I do not take pleasure in all of this,” announced Mortis. “I merely wish to enact justice to the one evading it. And for that to be acquired, I must take what you love the most.”

“N-no… NO, PLEASE!!!” The moment Shadow Scythe tried to move, the undead citizens grabbed her limbs and held her down. The mare reaper had spent so much time fighting that her Onoma had been exhausted. Skeletal hands forced her head up, watching helplessly as Mortis opened his bony maw wide.

Zeloph began asphyxiating as his life force was steadily drained, the baleful light of his soul traveling from his chest to his throat. Tears leaked out of his rolled back eyes, his vision fading…

Then, a twinkle flashed from the clouds before something long and fast flew down to strike Mortis through the back. The reaper grunted as a strange elation filled him, causing him to let Zeloph go before he could swallow his soul.

“W-wha? Zell!!”

Rings of light manifested around the fainted demi-human, catching him and gently placing him down. Mortis ripped out the thing lodged in his spine, a topaz arrow with a rose-colored tip. It burned in his skeletal palm, forcing him to drop it as the bone audibly sizzled.

Shadow Scythe cried, “What? Who!?”

Suddenly, a chorus resonated through the plaza, the clouds parting to allow rays of golden light to shine through. The undead legion looked around in confusion as Nuns slowly entered the block. All of them sang with their hands closed together.

“What in bloody blazes is going on?!” demanded Penny, who aimed her parasol at the surrounding choir. Triad also took up a stance while Quicksilver reloaded his heavy rifle.

The older stallion's eyes widened when he pointed and shouted, “Over there!”

Mortis followed the direction to spot another winged figure hovering a few feet from him. She was adorned in a rosewood gown, a red sash tied around her waist. Over the top was a feathery white neckerchief, matched by the sleeve cuffs. A topaz cross rested over her chest, tethered by beads. Like her followers below, she wore a habit over her head curved like a pair of horns.

But the creature’s most telling features were the fluffy daffodil yellow wings, each feather tipped with blush pink. The same applied to her winged ears and her serpentine tail that flicked out its tongue. Taffy-colored hair curled underneath the headpiece. And spreading her pale gray face was a motherly smile, complimented by her large pink eyes.

“T-the demi-human…” Shadow Scythe said, aghast.

“You and your minions don’t belong here, revenant,” she said in a cheery tone. “This is sacred ground, and you’ve tarnished it with your very presence. If you leave now, I will forgive this senseless disaster.”

“All who stand against me have chosen death,” declared Mortis, who powered his bony hands and horn with deathly green magic. “If you value your life, interloper, you’ll stay out of my way!”

This earned an airy giggle from the saintly demi-human. “I wasn’t asking~!”

Almost immediately, rings appeared to inhibit the lich’s powers before blasting him away with her own holy magic. She conjured several rings and, with a gesture, shot out more arrows to scatter Triad, Penny, and Quicksilver. They tried to deflect and evade, yet some spearheads found their mark, jolts of heat overwhelming their undead bodies, yelling in agony.

Shadow Scythe managed to break free from the undead clutches holding her as the nun’s melodic prayers weakened them. Every corpse collapsed into dust, and their vessels were laid to rest.

Mortis was lodged with topaz arrows, his bones hissing as they began to melt. The pain would only escalate as the demi-human drew a sealed circle beneath him, unleashing cleansing illumination that made him scream. All the souls he had harvested vomited out his parted jaws, ascending to the higher plane.

The male reaper started cackling uncontrollably, his entire frame rattling from the overwhelming joy flowing throughout him. Emotions he thought dead suddenly resurfaced under the jubilant light. The sight was jarring to both his underlings and Shadow Scythe.

“Rejoice, unholy abominations,” the angelic abbess cheered. “The light shall cleanse your decaying flesh and return your spirit to eternal slumber!”

“N-no… bahahaha! Never!!” He bellowed, overpowering the inhibitor rings, breaking both them and the circle. He shifted to his followers, recognizing that they were too weak to continue skirmishing with this creature and her sorority of holy worshipers. He cast a ghoulish gaze at Shadow Scythe and said, “This isn’t over, traitor. I will come for you yet!”

As he spirited himself and his legion away, the pale unicorn crawled her way over to Zeloph’s form, pressing her head to his chest. She let out a sigh of relief when she heard his heartbeat, albeit slowly. She cradled his head to her bosom, unable to stop her sobbing. “I-I’m sorry… I’m so sorry...! Because of my actions-”

The female demi-human floated down beside them, tilting her head at the unconscious demi-human, his uneven breaths shallow.

“Mother superior, stay back!” One nun warned as she approached cautiously. “That’s the criminal Shadow Scythe! We should alert the royals and-”

“No,” the head nun rejected with a shake of her head when she took in the aftermath. “I believe she and her companions have been through enough. Bring them to the monastery.”

“B-but-!”

“We’ll settle on what to do with her later. But it is our priority to bring health to those in need.”

“... At once, mother superior,” the mare relented, relaying the order to her sisters as they gathered to carry Wispy, Ana, and Kitsune onto stretchers. Shadow Scythe tensed upon feeling a hand touch her shoulder, staring with blurry eyes at their supposed savior, who gracefully smiled.

“It's okay, friend,” she assured the pale reaper. “Come with me, and we'll get you to safety."