Fallout: Equestria - The Storm

Fallout: Equestria - The Storm

Chapter 29: Inner Demons

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There was only one way to get the Darkness’s attention. I had to be bait. There was no doubt in my mind it would want revenge on me. So I waited, in Manehattan’s largest balefire crater, for the sun to rise. All the while, I practiced a specific transformation, one that would give me the edge necessary to survive.

The Vetera, Novo, and Silverstream were parked between buildings several blocks south of me. Spike, Slash, and Smolder stood by to play their part, as did the Elements. I kept my helmet radio tuned to DJ Pon3, waiting for the pre-recorded signal. One the pegasi agreed to broadcast on every loudspeaker they had. My invitation.

Once the Shadow Dragon arrived, our plan had three parts. First, weaken it with all the firepower we had. Celestia One would do the heavy lifting, with the storm cruisers making sure the Darkness didn’t squirm out of the magic light. Second, we had to break Ember out of its hold. This was ultimately up to her. If she couldn’t let go, we’d have no choice but to kill her, depriving the Darkness of its host. I couldn’t forgive myself if it came to that. Lastly, the Elements had to banish the Darkness back to Limbo before it could claim another. The one most at risk of being possessed was me, but I had a reason to resist this time. I had a promise to keep.

*****

“Good morning, Equestrian Wasteland. In case it isn’t obvious, this isn’t DJ Pon3. My name is Rosegold, and this announcement goes to the dark creature terrorizing the sky. You know who I am. We have a score to settle. I’m in the Manehattan crater. Come get me.”

At the edge of the crater, I watched the silhouette of a tattered flag against the rising sun. It had been billowing gently with the northern wind. Moments after my broadcast, the flag stopped, then abruptly blew south with force, nearly being torn from its pole. I definitely had her attention.

An unnatural cloud rapidly approached, a black flame darkening the sky. The current it carried was powerful, forcing me to tuck my wings tight against myself to keep from being blown away. I hadn’t yet seen what Ember became, but I did remember how much larger the Pony of Shadows was than Stygian. Even Knightmare was at least twice the size of the friend it possessed. I had to assume that the Shadow Dragon would be enormous. I wasn’t disappointed.

*****

The unholy behemoth that erupted from the clouds and slammed into the crater in front of me was nearly four times Spike’s size. The tremors of its impact nearly knocked me down, causing me to dig in my hooves and talons to stay upright.

Her eyes, white voids, drilled into mine. “If it isn’t the weak-willed fool who cost me my last hosts. I will savor reducing your body to ashes.”

I hid my frightened trembles, steeling myself. “Ember, you have to fight this creature. I know you’re in pain. I know you think you’ve lost everything, but you haven't. There’s still-”

“ENOUGH.” She reared up, puffing her chest. “The Dragon Lord belongs to me, worm! DISAPPEAR!”

Magic from the Pearl surged through me, and I closed my eyes as the umbra flames poured over my experimental form. The Darkness was thorough, engulfing the entire crater in its destructive rage.

*****

The ground around me was blackened glass, yet I remained. The Shadow Dragon gawked in disbelief at the hybrid standing firm before it. “H-How!?”

I smiled smugly. “Dragons are immune to fire. Bat-ponies are immune to umbra magic.” I fluttered my leathery wings, flicked my tufted ears, and opened my scaled muzzle in a toothy grin. “It only makes sense a hybrid of the two is immune to both. Your flames can’t touch me.”

The demon roared, baring its fangs and claws. “Then I will rend your flesh!”

My gamble had paid off, but now I had to dodge razors the size of skywagons. Thankfully, the clouds she brought with her made it dark enough to warp. I never could have dodged her slashing claws or snapping jaws otherwise.

*****

I just had to stall her. Regina led Gritt and Crimson, alongside several NCR griffons and Enclave pegasi, clearing the clouds to make way for Celestia One, a task she was familiar with. Under normal circumstances, Littlepip would be able to clear it in seconds. Unfortunately, the hippogriff fleet managed to damage her connection to the SPP grid. It’d be hours before it was fixed. The Shadow Dragon would be exposed, but so would I. I’d need to warp to safety at the last possible moment and pray the monster didn’t catch on. When a beam of sunlight sent a surge of discomfort through my dark physiology, I was barely able to dodge an attack with just my wings.

My opponent hissed at the intrusive golden light, turning her gaze up. “What are you playing at? The Sun alone cannot defeat me!”

“Eyes on me!” I swooped between her curled horns, bucking the back of her head as I passed. She roared and lunged to swallow me, her teeth closing mere inches behind me. I just needed a couple more minutes, but I was already getting tired. I should have rested before this, but I couldn’t.

I couldn’t afford to slow down. Thankfully, I had a risky solution. A thought went to my armor’s inventory sorter, and a compartment produced a dose of Dash. With a sharp inhale, the concentrated energy was coursing through me. Time slowed almost as if I’d entered SATS, and not a moment too soon. I slipped effortlessly between Ember’s fangs, swooped around her head and down her back. Her attempt to swat me with her tail was thwarted just as easily.

The combat chem was made for ponies, not hippogriffs, and certainly not for impossible hybrids like what I had turned myself into. I had to hope the sky would open enough for Celestia One before I suffered the inevitable crash.

*****

The debilitating after effects of the chem came faster than I hoped. Pain surged through me as my mechanical heart and lung desperately tried to regulate my body. I had to keep pressing on. The signal for me to take cover could come at any moment, and I had to be able to reach a shady spot so I could warp. But there was no cover, and the Shadow Dragon was right on my tail. If I left the sunlight, she’d follow, and the mega spell would miss.

Instead, I kept her in the center of the crater. There was one place dark enough for me to warp, and I sure didn’t like it.

“Now!”

Regina signaled through my radio, and I banked directly towards Ember’s maw, launching myself down the surprised monster’s throat. As soon as I no longer felt the unbearable sunshine, I sent myself to the Vetera’s bridge.

*****

I returned to being a hippogriff as I flew to the window, ignoring the pain and exhaustion of my Dash crash. “All cruisers, to the crater!” The cruisers were a last resort, if Ember couldn’t be reasoned with.

We lifted off just as the blinding beam of Celestia One fired down onto the confused and stunned Shadow Dragon. The demonic shriek could be heard for miles. Its body split and contorted, the Darkness’s connection to its host weakening immensely. I caught glimpses of the cyan dragoness trapped within. Even at this distance, the pain and sorrow in her soft red eyes was clear. Slash, Spike, Smolder… you’re up.

*****

The two full sized dragons and the comparatively tiny third flew to the edge of the beam, Spike helping the still-weak Smolder. Ember stared in amazement and shocked joy that her daughter-in-law was still alive. Her expression towards Spike was severe, and her gaze simply became sad as it fell on Slash.

“How…” Ember struggled to find the words. “What are you doing here? What is he doing here!?”

Spike winced, then resolved himself and stepped forward. “I didn’t have your back. I betrayed you, and I’m sorry. You’ve suffered because of me, and I’m here to try and make things right. I’m here for you now, like I always should have been.”

Smolder joined him. “What was done to us was wrong, but what you’re allowing the Darkness to do is beyond vengeance. More destruction won’t solve anything. It won’t bring Glaive and Garble back. It won’t bring anyone back. Please, stop. For your sake as much as ours.”

The conflict on the Dragon Lord’s face became sadness again as Slash stepped forward. “This isn’t your fault.” Tears streamed down my friend’s face. “None of it was ever your fault. You were dealt a stacked deck and have been doing the best you could for two hundred years. We’re the ones who let you down. No longer.”

Ember broke into sobs as the Darkness’s grip on her loosened with every speech. “Smolder. Spike… Barb. I’m so sorry. I thought I could save us.”

“You still can.” Smolder reached out her claw, followed by Spike and… Barb. Ember took their grasp, and let them pull her free.

*****

The six Elements took their cue, surrounding the hostless Darkness. Multicolored magic surrounded the entity, a banishment spell taking form. It wasn’t going down without a fight, lashing out with all the dark magic it still had. I felt it gnaw at my mind.

My power could be yours, Rosegold.

I don’t want it.

An immortal King, unrivaled.

No one has the right.

I see the emptiness in your soul. Without her, you are incomplete. Without her, you will live out your days cold and alone. I can fill the void. I can make you feel.

You could never be what she was to me. Her soul was radiant light. Yours is hollow. Be gone. Disappear.

*****

The shrieks became silent as the spell was complete. The sky opened, pouring sunlight across us all. The Darkness was sent back to Limbo. Ember was saved. We won.

The Dragon Lord weeped in her family’s embrace. They were given all the time they needed. The rest of us had jobs to do.

I took my cruisers above the clouds, with a pegasi escort, to assess the damage and give whatever aid I could. The devastation was immense and widespread. The eastern Enclave’s entire military was gone, and several settlements were obliterated. Thankfully, the majority of their civilians were able to take shelter.

Sabre had made arrangements the night before to create a safe harbor for displaced pegasi in Vanhoover. The Silverstream and Novo would spend the next several days ferrying survivors there, while my Vetera would help rebuild.

*****

What was left of the pegasi leadership agreed to a peace treaty with the dragons. Both sides were in shambles, incapable of continuing the bloodshed even if they wanted to. With their nesting grounds destroyed, Ember’s people were at serious risk of going extinct. I made it clear to her that Hippogriffia would protect her home while they healed.

Taking inspiration from Hollow Shades, I offered to transform volunteers into dragons to help them repopulate. Pragmatism overrode her initial revulsion at the idea, and she agreed. In exchange, she offered the farmlands. I refused to annex them outright, instead insisting that the volunteers would settle them under her rule. I will not become a conqueror, even a peaceful one.

*****

Back in the Athenaeum, Sla- Barb hugged me for what felt like hours. I had to shove her off when she started kissing me. A victory kiss from Gritt, however, was welcomed, and he responded to a mocking whistle of endorsement from his half-sister with a raised middle claw.

Purser, now officially Captain of the Gilded Gull, was convinced to chat with Charity before she left, and set up trade routes with her along the coast. The seadog couldn’t help but also flirt with the mare. Barb surprised her family by expressing that she wanted to stay in Baltimare, with the Hot Rods. She’d visit them often, of course. They gave her their blessing.

Then Life Bloom approached me, holding Knight’s core in his magic. He had a proposal I couldn’t refuse.

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Footnote:
Max Level Reached.