Author Notes, WARNING: Part of this chapter is dark like way darker than I meant for it to be, I actually had to rewrite it and dial it down a bit. There's also very vague mentions of non-con NSFW, but none actually happens. Just a character implying that they want to.

Holy fuck that hurt. I can’t believe that guy actually used space itself to launch me. The worst part is that for once I have no clue how he did it. We’re both using the Weave so how the fuck did he do that? Okay enough stalling in frustration I have to get up and get back to the castle.

Oh wow okay that’s sore. Not as bad as it usually is when I use Symphony of Steel, but still pretty sore. I think I can actually use it one or two more times before I’m incapacitated now. Alright channel mana into my legs, let’s get to the castle in two leaps. In just a few seconds I’m a block away from the main gate of the castle.

As soon as I come up to the gate I can feel my eyes widen in joy. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes! Force~!”

Force is with Cadence and Shining Armor and when she hears my name she turns and sprints at me. Slamming her face into my gut as she starts to sob. “Woah… it’s okay, I’m alright. I’m back. I hope you didn’t worry too much, Force. Oh you even held onto my Moonblade for me? I was looking all over for this thing! I was worried I left it in Ponyville or something.”

As I speak to her I rub one of her ears with my thumb and scratch the top of her head under her mane. “Th-that’s… that’s not why I’m upset! I’m so happy you’re back, and you’re okay and you’re alive! B-but. But, Ignis we’re all doomed!”

“Why? Luna, Celestia and the element bearers just went into the vault room and they should be ready any minute now!”

“Are you sure it was all of the element bearers?”

“Pretty sure? Let’s see…” I start remembering the faces and counting the ponies I saw. “Oh wait, they're missing Twilight.”

It’s only now that I see the absolute look of shellshock on Shining Armor's face. His eyes are completely blank and dead inside. Cadence doesn’t look much better, but her eyes are bloodshot. Looking down at Force I feel a pit start to sink deep into my stomach. She looks up at me and confirms my fear.

“Twilight’s dead, Ignis…”

“Why did I have to get teleported here?! I hate the lower city…it’s okay Twilight all of the ponies were randomly teleported. So, the odds of this place being filled with shady ponies like normal is astronomically low. In fact it has to be at least one in eight hundred thousand fourty-”

“Twilight! I’m so glad you’re safe!” Twilight stops her spiraling rant and her head snaps to the left. Spotting the source of the voice her spirits brighten up instantly.

“BBBFF! Oh I’m so happy I ran into somepony I know! Have you seen any of my friends?” The two siblings meet in a big hug as Twilight asks her brother her question.

“No, I haven’t really seen anypony until now. I did see the Princess fighting with that shadow creature, though. They went off to the north after she was thrown through a building. Knowing the Princess, she went to the least populated area in the city, so let’s go to the south and see if we can find your friends.”

Twilight was about to reply in agreement with her brother but before she could speak both of the ponies were alerted by the sounds of glass shattering just a few feet away. It’s accompanied by the sound of a few different ponies talking amongst themselves. Shining nudges Twilight towards a narrow alley next to the building they’re standing in front of.

The element of magic is breathing heavily with a fear she’s never felt before. Even though she has no idea if the approaching ponies are friends or foes she’s still being assaulted with the overwhelming feeling of being hunted.

Twilight stares around at the upper windows and rooftops surrounding her and her brother in the narrow alley as she quietly moves further into the dark passageway. The sound of the talking ponies gets quieter and it sounds like they’re moving away from the two.

Only feeling a modicum of relief the mare starts to whisper to her brother. “It sounds like they are moving to the south, are we still going to head in that direction?”

“No, let’s just move towards the castle. That’s where you’ll need to be anyway and this is too dangerous for us to keep wandering around aimlessly.”

Twilight nods her head in agreement and the two stand there in silence for a few seconds as the air becomes awkward. She’s waiting for her brother to move so she can follow him but he’s just standing there.

Deciding not to waste time Twilight shuffled around her brother with a confused stare and quietly began making her way out of the alley. She reaches the end of the alley and all of the hair on the back of her neck stands up straight. Something is wrong, but she can’t figure out what.

Then she notices it. There’s eyes in the windows across the street. At least five pairs of eyes are staring straight at her. The former unicorn gasps in a huge breath of air, preparing to scream and run back down the alley towards Shining.

Before she can scream or turn around though Twilight feels a sharp pain in her neck as her legs buckle and she collapses onto the ground. Her eyes widen in primal fear as she looks over and watches Shining Armor go up in green flames, revealing a jet black insect pony.

She starts to hyperventilate as the ponies across the street exit their hiding spots and also transform into similar looking creatures. Her mind is running faster than light as she tries to process and calculate anything she can do to get out of this.

“Are you sure about this Larynx? This seems like a waste of food.” One of the changelings calls out to the changeling that was disguised as her brother.

“The Elements of Harmony are a weapon that would’ve stood in the way of our Queen at some point in the future. Killing this one not only saves us from this nightmare of a situation, but it’ll be good for the future of the hive. At the end of the day it’s just one pony.”

The other changelings nod in agreement and Twilight's mind finally shatters as she starts to scream.

“Shiny! Princess Celestia! Please ANYPONY?! SOM-hik-SOMEPONY PLEASE HELP ME!”

Her pleas for help turn into just an ear piercing scream as a spear is suddenly plunged into her barrel.

“Why did you do that?! We could’ve at least had a meal or two before we eliminated her! Do you know how pent up I am after being undercover for the last two months?! Two months with strict orders to not raise any suspicions! No crime or nefarious activities whatsoever!”

“What was I supposed to do? She’s just screaming! I don’t know why she can even speak if she’s paralyzed from the venom, that’s not supposed to happen. The longer we let her keep screaming like this the higher the chances are that we’re discovered.”

Larynx nods his head in agreement and grabs a spear from the drone next to him and another spear joins the first one in the element bearer.

The screaming stops as Twilight devolves into just sobbing. Everything is blurry and she can taste blood in her mouth. With a sputtering cough most of the blood finds itself splattered on the gravel path. She can’t even hear what the changelings are saying anymore as she goes into shock.

One of the changelings is sent careening into a wall where it hangs there, impaled by a spear. All of the changelings turn and ignite their horns ready to engage whoever just happened upon them. They were not expecting to find the real Shining Armor joined by Princess Cadence and her knight. WIthin an instant two more of the changelings find their chitin cracked as the two mortal ponies surge forward and deliver an unexpectedly fast buck. Just a few more seconds and all of the changelings are dispatched.

Cadence and Shining run over and slide across the ground as they drop down and tend to the former unicorn. Her brother is saying her name and trying to get her to look at him while Cadence and Force stare at the spears sticking out of the mare with looks of despair. With no magic and no medical supplies they both know there’s nothing they can do. If they take out the spears she’ll just bleed out, but there’s a good chance those spears went through her critical organs.

Twilight is still completely oblivious to her surroundings as she quietly sobs and mutters out the names of her friends and the Princess over and over. She keeps apologizing to them and to Equestria while asking for help. Another lethal cough rocks her body and more blood is splattered out onto the white fur of her brother.

Shining was originally telling her she had nothing to be sorry for, that he was here, help was here. But, now he’s just apologizing and sobbing as he cradles his sister's neck and head. All of the sound silences and they all look over to find the element bearer staring up with empty eyes and her jaw slightly slacked. All of the light is gone and she’s no longer breathing.

The three ponies console each other and grieve for over an hour, completely unable to find the strength to move forward.

The Element of Magic is gone.

Time remaining until Canterlot reaches Ponyville shelter camp: 105 minutes.

“You can revive her, right Ignis? She’s just a few minutes away from here…we decided it’d be too demoralizing if we paraded her around to bring her here…but you can save her right?” Force looks at me with such a desperate look in her eyes. She’s trying to find anything, even the smallest piece of information to give her hope.

“If it’s been over a minute then I have to perform a ritual that takes an hour. We don’t have an hour…I can revive her but it’ll have to be after we defeat Discord. What are we going to do….?” Looking towards the gate where Shining and Cadence were I’m surprised to see no one is there.

“They must’ve gone inside to tell the others…Ignis can we really still win?”

“Of course. We have no other option. One way or another we have to defeat Discord. If I can reach that state… the True Bladesong. If I can achieve that I might have a chance on my own. The only step I think I’m missing is a completely clear mind. I have to kill all of my thoughts and emotions.” Easier said than done.

As I sit down on the ground, Force looks at me with sad confusion. “I’m going to meditate for a couple of minutes. I need to clear my mind. Go find the others in the castle and tell them that it’s do or die time. I’m not going to act like it’s too dangerous for any of you to get involved. All of you need to get involved or we aren’t going to make it. When they hear the bladesong, that's the signal.”

She gives me a slow nod before blinking and sprints into the castle.

Time remaining until Canterlot reaches Ponyville shelter camp: 13 minutes.

The mane five all collapse and stare at Princess Cadence as the bombshell is dropped on them without warning. Even Celestia can’t maintain her mask of emotions as she begins to grieve and gives in to despair. Luna looks at all of them with a pained expression, but with every ounce of willpower she manages to keep her mind on the task at hand. Thousands of thoughts race through her mind of how they can overcome this and defeat Discord.

Luna doesn’t know how long she was in her thoughts but she’s brought back to reality at the sounds of hooves running up the stairs to the vault room. She looks at Force with the same pained expression as she enters the room.

“Everypony, I know this is bad. I know it seems hopeless. But, we have to fight. We have to defeat Discord. If we can defeat him then Ignis can revive Twilight. Ignis gathered himself outside the main gate and he mentioned something about the True Bladesong. We need to join him and give everything we have to this fight. Once we hear the bladesong that is our final stand! There has to be a way, we need our second wind.”

“I’m afraid you’re mistaking your second wind with your final gasp. I told you, Celestia, if you knew what I knew you would also give up, but you didn’t believe me~! Now the game is officially over and you all lose!”

At the mention of the game being over every pony regains their horns and wings. Discord doesn’t even take the elements away from the bearers as he floats around in the room, gloating.

Suddenly the air in the room grows a bit brighter. Crackles of silver lightning appear randomly along the walls and in the air of the room. They go completely unnoticed by everyone but Luna. Luna see’s the sparks and crackles and recognizes it as her knight. That mana doesn't have his signature it still feels like the mana of the world that exists all around, but it has a hint of his presence in there.

Faint sounds of music can be heard and every one, Discord included, quiets down and turns their head towards the stained windows facing the main gate of the castle. Suddenly all of the windows shatter and a bright silver line zips into the room through one of the broken windows as the volume of the music becomes louder.

The silver line hits Discord and keeps going, until they both hit the ceiling. Then the entire roof of the vault room is torn asunder as they shoot through it and slam into the barrier containing the island city. Everyone just stares with wide eyes as the entire room is now open to the sky.

Clear my mind. Eliminate all unnecessary thoughts and feelings. Emotions first, I’ll do the same thing I did in the changeling hive. Now I need to empty myself. Symphony of Steel involves forcing the mana around you to harmonize and vibrate at the same frequency as yourself. That effectively makes it my mana signature which allows me to expand my metaphysical body as wide as I can spread that harmonization effect.

How do we go from that to the True Bladesong? What could be missing? Wait, could it really be that simple?

What if I just change the frequency of my own mana? If making the world's mana vibrate at my frequency allows me domain over that mana then what if I vibrate at the frequency of the world? That should effectively do the same thing no?

Bladesong. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mt8Q0s7VxA

Wait, why is it activating on its own?

Stay just like this, you’re on the right path. You’ve captured it in essence, but you must be careful. Changing your own frequency to match the world has a serious consequence.

What the fuck? Wait, I know that voice. It’s one of the voices from the clearing in the Everfree that housed the souls of the ancient bladesingers. What’s the danger?

You would be changing yourself. It wouldn’t be surprising if you were to completely lose your sense of self and assimilate with the world.

You’re standing on the border of everything.

Wait, that explains how the echo’s of that bladesong are still playing in that clearing in the Everfree! That bladesinger achieved this feat and then at the end of the fight he must’ve lost concentration and become one with the world. But how do I change myself to match the world?

Listen close, can you hear the spirits sing lost messages of long ago?

I can hear them. This is why I have to empty my mind, no it’s more than that. I have to erase myself entirely. I have to become nothing, become truly neutral. That’s why the old order of bladesingers was a neutral force belonging to no kingdom. It’s a core value at the center of their very being.

I’ll trap my mind in my Trance state. Leave just my subconscious, let myself become one with the world and let my body move on instinct alone. Until I become one with the world then allow myself to seep through as if I was dreaming.

That’s it…

Leave the life you knew before.
See, a new world worth fighting for!

I can see it. I can see the entire castle and a quarter of Canterlot. Discord is taunting the ponies in the vault room. I want to attack him. Moonblade, give me Haste. Next I'll cast Tenser’s Transformation.

Find the truth of who you're meant to become.
Another path you must now walk on.

It’s like an out of body experience, my field of vision is in the vault room, but I know I’m at the main gate. I want to attack Discord, so just need to will my body. Force myself into a dream-like state so I can control my subconscious.

My eyes open and everything stretches as I move at a speed far beyond anything I’ve ever done before. I hear glass shatter. My hand is inches away from Discord's throat.

“I’M HERE!”

My hand is around Discords throat and he makes a squawking sound as we crash through… something. It’s too fast. Squeezing his throat as I stare into his eyes I imagine in the future I’ll look back on this sheer terror on his face quite fondly. Right now though…I don’t feel anything. The barrier that I’m holding him against cracks and then instantly heals itself. The draconequus pops out of existence and time slows down.

Reaching far across these new frontiers
With my life I fight this fear

Where is he going? Sixty feet to the left the mana there is disturbed. Time resumes and his teleportation channels. He appears right where I predicted and has not even a nanosecond to react before my Moonblade is cutting into him.

In my hands I hold the ones I love
Walk forward through the cold dawn
Always to new horizons

3rd Person POV

“He wants us to help him in THAT fight? I can’t even see them moving!” Rainbow yells out as Discord teleports away from Ignis but the elf seems to know exactly where he’ll appear.

“Tia, we’ve both wielded the Element of Magic in the past. What if we were to try and use it ourselves?” Luna comments, ignoring Rainbow's statements.

“We can try. At this point it’s our only shot.” The solar alicorn has a flat and cold tone. As if she’s completely emotionally drained.

Celestia puts on the Element of Magic and suddenly the entire group is enveloped in a silver light. They’re a bit confused about the meaning of the event until Pinkie jumps and then swims through the air. Smoothly flying into the sky. Everyone else joins her and the entire group zips into the air to try and assist the elf.

Come with me. We'll travel through thе trials and tragedy~

The air near the two main combatants is stretching and cracking as they zip around faster than most of the ponies can even track with their eyes. All of the element bearers plus Celestia start to glow even brighter. They attempt to fire the elements.

Can you hear the spirits shout
The secrets in their melodies?

Sensing a large ripple of mana nearby Ignis realizes the elements are going to fire. Instantly he starts trying to direct Discords movements to get the two of them closer to the element bearers. All of Discord's attention is on the bladesinger, he doesn’t even notice the elements are about to fire.

Dream, explore the mysteries
Breathe; a new life is revealed to me

Discord teleports one last time and Ignis instantly compresses as much mana as he can into the space where Discord is occupying. Attempting to recreate Hold Monster purely through mana. It seems to be somewhat effective as restraining his physical movements, but Ignis feels the disturbance of mana just a few feet away signifying an imminent teleport.

Once again, we'll start our story anew
Don't be afraid; I will be with you

Suddenly Ignis can feel that someone else is restraining the draconequus, leaving him free to cast Counterspell. Instantly stopping the Gods teleportation. He looks over and sees Luna with her horn ignited, casting a soft smile towards him.

The rainbow beam fires from the group of ponies, but it seems a bit dull. There’s also a couple of colors missing entirely. Discord still screams out in a panic and holds out his hands to shield himself as the rainbow slams into him. But, nothing happens and he starts to laugh.

“I’M HERE!”

His laughing is cut short as a Moonblade protrudes through his torso. Glancing down with shock he watches as the entire sword starts to glow bright silver. This guy doesn’t know that restrained targets are a guaranteed critical. Level 5 Divine Smite.

Reaching far across these new frontiers
With my life I fight this fear

The divine energy explodes at the very center of Discords being and shakes the God down to his core as thick black liquid oozes out of the wound. Before he can react though, the elf still has four more swings of his sword. In rapid fashion the draconequus is slashed and smited four more times. All of them are natural 20s due to being restrained.

In my hands I hold the ones I love
Walk forward through the cold dawn
Always to new horizons

Discord is oozing ichor from several wounds as he begins chain teleporting around, completely on the defensive versus the bladesinger. While this is happening Luna trades out with Celestia and puts on the Element of Magic.

Ignis senses the next attempt from the elements and grabs the draconequus by the neck again before flying him straight at the rainbow beam. Unfortunately the beam passes through both of them harmlessly once again.

Now the elf is wide open though. Discord snaps his claws and starts to bend the space around Ignis once again. Next several giant red beams of light are fired from seemingly thin air. With his calm and silent mind, Ignis is able to quickly calculate the trajectories in a fraction of a second and starts to zip around evading the beams. But, whenever they miss Discord bends the space around the beam to redirect it at the elf. The attack in this manner is never ending, and Ignis is somewhat aware that all of those beams look similar to Disintegrate.

Switching strategies, Ignis starts flying back towards Discord while avoiding the lethal lasers.

Standing here
The way ahead's becoming clear

Rolling, diving, leaning, Ignis evades the Disintegration rays by the slimmest of margins until he makes eye contact with Discord. Discord can feel all of his hairs stand end as they make eye contact and the song quiets down.

All across these new frontiers

All of the nearby mana that has been acting as the elfs domain during the bladesong is suddenly compressed down and pulled into the elf. His body starts to glow bright silver as he imbues every fiber of his muscles, and every blood cell in his veins with as much mana as possible. There’s golden lightning in his eyes as his body becomes super charged.

In my hands I hold the ones I love

Time seems to stop as Ignis instantly appears next to Discord. There’s several afterimages all around the draconequus as he slashes and cuts at the God. All of this happening within a fraction of a second.

Walk forward through the cold dawn

More and more wounds appear on Discord as Ignis feels more and more of his muscles tearing. His bones shattering. His body can’t withstand this. He notices he can only see the whites of Discords eyes and assumes the bastard has actually fallen unconscious.

Always to new horizons.

Finally the song ends and the elfs body completely gives up. He coughs up blood with a smile on his face as he and Discord start to fall out of the air. Until those pesky Disintegration Rays reminded him of their existence.

Celestia and Luna start channeling their most powerful sealing spell using combined magic technique since the elements are inoperable. When suddenly the red lasers impact the elf one after another. His body bounces and recoils with every hit as he’s sent careening into the barrier. In between the lasers he was able to cast Cure Wounds on himself, but the elf is still unconscious as he bounces off the barrier and starts to fall to the ground.

Luna realizes that neither Rainbow nor Force can catch him in time and Cadence is nowhere to be seen. Rarity can’t use teleportation. The weight of reality settles in that she has to choose between casting this sealing spell with this one opportunity that the elf provided them, and let him fall to potentially his death. Or, teleport down and save the elf and hope she’s fast enough to still complete the sealing spell before Discord recovers.

The lunar alicorn doesn’t have to think about it for even a moment. She cancels the sealing spell and teleports under Ignis, catching him mid fall. She quickly sets him down on the ground and teleports back to Celestia to begin channeling the sealing spell again. Her sister is giving her a slightly judgemental look, but Luna knows she made the right decision.

Until the draconequus suddenly disappears and reappears next to the unconscious elf. Completely healed.

How in the hell did he achieve that form? That bastard I killed back then was the only bladesinger to ever pull it off but this chump did it in a matter of months? His eyes were just as unsettling as those eyes back then. No pupil, no slits, no patterns, his eyes were just solid golden orbs. Well, let’s dispose of this thing for now. I don’t think I want to kill him yet, I want him to watch the last few minutes of his friends' lives.

With a snap several purple walls appear and surround the elf. They start to fold in a way that it seems like the elf should be dead, but he’s not harmed by it at all. The walls turn into a cube that compresses down and could fit in the palm of one's hand. Then he floats the cube up to the top of the barrier, with the best view in the house.

Turning his attention back down towards the ponies he scoffs. Somewhat annoyed for the first time in centuries. “Now then have you all gotten that out of your system? Who’s ready to watch a city land on hundreds of ponies?”

The ponies in question have landed on the ground after slowly falling at a safe speed as the silver light around them dimmed. They don’t even bother responding to the draconequus as they all start comforting each other and desperately asking if there’s any more ideas to try.

Integration…97%

Time remaining until Canterlot reaches Ponyville shelter camp:6 minutes.

Author's Note

All of the branches are finally converged and there's no more POV's to go through. Ignis is sealed in some magical prison, Twilight is dead, and the elements are inoperable.

How the fuck are we gunna get out of this one? Don't ask me cause I don't know either.

That's a lie, I do know. Next chapter is almost surely the finale of the arc, but it might end up being two more chapters. We'll see when it comes time I suppose.

Thanks for reading!