Preparations went smoothly and well into the afternoon. Rainbow Dash went with Dante to question Gilda. Apparently, the high king of the griffons was the one to strike a deal with Aselith. He wanted to keep the ruling nobles in check and under his control, and a few legions of changelings, combined with the display Aselith gave them, was more than enough to convince the nobles to cooperate.

The deal, obviously, didn’t last. The king was becoming more reclusive, refusing to attend court or accept council from the nobles. Eventually, it was discovered that the king was being controlled by Aselith. A number of the nobles were being controlled as well. Aselith forced every able-bodied griffon into fighting; if they refused, he would kill the griffons that couldn’t fight. As it turns out, Gilda’s mother has been bedridden as of late, hence her involvement in the fighting.

Despite this, a dollop of good news was to be had. Griffons show the utmost honor and respect for the dead, according to Gilda. Seeing their fallen comrades turned into life-draining mockeries of their formers selves made them reconsider their position in the conflict. Gilda suspects they’ll turn their attention to freeing their home.

If that wasn’t enough, Celestia returned with more good tidings. One of the changelings she encountered acted quite erratic. It kept slamming into a wall, barely keeping its focus on Celestia. It also kept repeating “Please save the Queen!” Unfortunately, it cracked open its head on the wall before Celestia could stop it.

After Dante made his own preparations, he was ready to go after Aselith.

~ _ ~ _ ~ _ ~ _ ~

“Then twenty miles due east from there, you’ll come to a large plateau. There will be a cave entrance on the north-west side of it.” Shade says, pointing to the marked location on the large map spread over the table.

“You’re sure this is his hideout?” Dante asks, sipping from a mug.

“Positive. I didn’t go in, but I could smell the stench of death emanating from it, just like the zombies I’ve seen.”

“Excellent.” Dante places his hand over his crystal ball sitting on the table. Concentrating for a moment, an image of the cave appears in the crystal. “Got it.” Dante looks over at Celestia and Luna, who are observing the crystal. “You two know the plan.”

“Of course.” Luna states. “We will remain behind, in case Aselith is just waiting for you to leave. I have the Sending scroll you gave me to warn you.” She places her hoof over the scroll sitting on the table.

“I still don’t like the idea of waiting around for you to finish this.” Celestia says, eyeing Dante. “You act as if we’re powerless to defend ourselves.”

“I simply don’t want you both to come with me to fight Aselith. Your world would be in a lot of trouble if the sun and moon no longer moved through the sky.”

Celestia lets out a grunt. “Then your plan is flawed. With my sister and me in the same place, a defeat would mean just that.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Dante says, waving her off. “This is only part of the plan. It’s highly subjective to change. Also…” Dante trails off, noticing a low thumping noise. It repeats slowly before being followed by several other thumps. They begin to get louder as the seconds pass. “Ah, and the next part of the plan arrives.”

The doors to the room open as Iatril steps through with a large iron golem behind her with two stone golems trailing behind it. They lumber behind Iatril as she walks up to the table, looking at Dante.

“Your toys are here.” She says, gesturing to the golems.

“What are these?” Celestia asks walking towards the iron one.

“Golems.” Dante spreads his wings and hovers up towards the iron golem’s head. “They are incredibly strong and nearly immune to magic. This one,” he pats the iron golem on the head, “normally takes five months to make, but I’ve learned a few tricks about forging magic objects. Against someone like Aselith, however, they’ll only buy you a minute or so.”

“Why didn’t you bring them up to the battle before?” Celestia asks.

“Without me to guide them, they could have hurt more than helped us.”

“If you’re quite done, Dante, I believe you have something for me.” Iatril says forcefully, extending her hand.

Dante hesitates for a moment before lowering himself to the ground. He reaches under his cloak, pulling out Iatril’s amulet and holding it between his fingers.

“Are you certain?” Dante asks, keeping the amulet close to him.

Iatril snatches the amulet from Dante, clutching it in her fist. “Of course I am!” She puts it around her neck, glowering at Dante. “How can you even ask that?!”

“He just died, Iatril. You aren’t thinking straight.”

“I’m thinking just fine! Flurry wa—” Iatril stops mid-word, her body shaking in place. In an instant, her form turns to light as she twists and stretches, rushing forward at Dante’s hip, disappearing. Her amulet drops to the ground as Dante stands there, a disappointed look on his face.

“What just happened?” Luna asks.

“She’s fine.” Dante says, reaching for his pocket. He pulls out a diamond the size of an apple and shows it to Luna. “She’s in here.”

Luna walks over to Dante, observing the gem in his hand.

“What was the purpose of that?” She asks.

Dante chuckles softly. “That, dear Luna, is so Iatril doesn’t get herself killed.” He slides back over to the table, setting the gem down. “Forging a magic item to make one immune to the effects of corrupt magic like violet rain would take months of research with several more months to create it, plus tens of thousands of gold pieces worth in obscure alchemical ingredients.” He walks back over to the amulet and picks it up, dangling it from his fingertips. “This binding spell, on the other hand, took a minute to etch her name and a code word onto her amulet, one pricy gemstone I got from Razorwind, and a few seconds of casting. I think the choice was clear.”

“But…what about Iatril?” She asks, gesturing to the gemstone. “Is she…how does she get out?”

“Smash it. Or, you can dispel the magic. Either way, Luna, you’re coming with me.” Dante says, tossing the amulet on the table and walking past the princesses.

“Wait, what?” Luna asks.

“Yeah, I need someone to watch my back and help in the fight. Give that scroll to Celestia and we’ll be off.” Before Luna can speak, Dante turns to his golems. “You three! Protect Celestia!” He gestures to her.

Immediately, the three golems walk forward, surrounding Celestia.

“This still doesn’t seem like a good idea.” Celestia states. “Would Aselith really leave in less than a day?”

“He might. Besides, a person like Iatril doesn’t fight well with hate in the front of her mind. By the time she is ready, Aselith would have changed locations.” He looks over at Luna, tilting his head towards her. “Ready?”

Luna rubs her eyes with her hoof, sighing. “Do you ever inform others of your plans beforehand?”

“I find that the less time I give people to think about things, the more they’ll agree with me. Works wonders in giving ultimatums.”

“Fine.” Luna turns to Celestia. “We’ll be back soon.”

“Take care, sister.” Celestia says as the pair teleport away.

~ _ ~ _ ~ _ ~ _ ~

Appearing outside the cave, Dante and Luna gaze inside.

Luna lets out a quick breath. “Let’s do this.”

“Just a moment.” Dante says, reaching into his cloak. He pulls out a white-gold necklace and presents it to Luna.

“What’s this for?” She asks.

“It’ll protect you from life siphoning magic.” He says, putting it around her neck. “I’m sorry I didn’t give it to you sooner, but I got sidetracked by my prisoners and…” Dante’s eyes shift slightly. “Anyway, this will protect you.”

A soft smile appears on Luna’s face. “Thank you.”

“I’m not done yet.” He says, pulling out his needle. “I need a few things too.”

He holds the needle in front of him, casting a spell over it. In an instant, a loud tearing noise sounds around them as a hole appears in front of Dante. He reaches in and pulls out a pair of metal rods, sliding them into his belt as he does so. He then pulls a sheathed longsword out and closes the portal, placing the needle back in his belt.

“I just needed to grab a few powerful items from storage.” Dante says, wrapping the scabbard in his belt. “I created a second dimensional area that can only be accessed with a spell and let me tell you, it’s not a low-level spell. This is because the strongest thing I can store in my other dimensional area is the crystal ball and the second area is harder to access. However, I don’t know why I’m telling you this. You haven’t listened to a word I said.” Dante looks over at Luna to see her eyes transfixed on his second blade.

“What…is that?” Luna hoarsely whispers.

“The single most powerful blade from my world; it is also the most evil weapon. It belonged to a vampire over a millennium ago, created by a lich that would become a god. The essence of the vampire lingers in this blade, granting its wielder extraordinary physical strength. It eventually found its way to a werewolf under Aselith and then unto me.” Dante plays with the hilt, moving it from side to side. “I don’t like using it, as I’m forced to compete with its mental influences on top of Astaroth’s.”

Luna stands there, staring at him. It’s quiet for a bit before Dante speaks again.

“I know this isn’t something you’re too keen about, but—”

“Alright.”

Dante looks over at Luna. “What?”

“It’s just a sword.” She says plainly. “Why should I object to this? If it grants you even greater power, then defeating Aselith will be less of a problem.”

“Really?” Dante crosses his arms.

“Really. However, once this conflict is at an end, I expect never to see that blade again.”

Hesitating for a moment, Dante gives a toothy grin. “Yes ma’am.”

The pair walks toward the cave entrance. Dante stops them just before the opening. He opens the mouth on his palm and points it towards the opening.

“Magical alarm.” Dante says, lowering his hand once more. “It’s safe now.”

The pair move into the cave. Luna lights her horn, lighting the walls of the cave. They travel down the sloped, mostly straight path. The have just enough room to walk side by side with a few inches distance from each other and the walls.

“You feel that?” Dante asks, breaking the silence.

“Mm. It’s the same as when we first fought.” Luna responds.

“Yeah. He must have spent some time dimensionally locking this cave.”

“Can you remove it?” Luna asks.

Dante shakes his head. “The area of the spell is small. He must have cast this spell dozens, if not hundreds of times. Even if it’s one big spell, I need to be where it originated.”

“Right.” The pair turn a corner and continue on. “I suppose that just means we must be extra cautious.”

After walking around a more and more windy passage, they come to an opening. The room before them looks to be man-made. Lit by unseen light sources, three separate hallways, one on each of the room’s three other walls, lie before them. The ceiling reaches only a couple feet above Dante’s head.

Luna and Dante look at each other for a moment. Smirking, Dante turns around and lets loose an blast of lightning, arcing between the incorporeal forms appearing behind them. Luna lets out blasts of magic at the forms phasing through the floor and ceiling in front of them. One specter reaches up underneath Luna with its ghostly talon. Luna sidesteps, blasting the spectral griffon with her magic.

As the specters dwindle to zero, the pair walk into the room.

“So, which way?” Luna asks, changing her view between the three tunnels.

“This way.” Dante points to the hall to the left.

“What makes you say that way?”

“I don’t know.” He says, slowly walking up to the hall. “I feel…something. It’s not Aselith, but…it feels…familiar.”

Luna stands behind him, looking down the dark path, lit only by the light of Luna’s horn. “A trap?”

“Hmmm. Perhaps.” Dante runs his fingers over the hilts of his blades, shifting them slightly in their scabbards. “A precaution, should I find his lair. Even so, we’re more than a match for any trap, especially one he’s announcing.”

Dante begins down the hall with Luna beside him. Their steps echo down the solid stone corridor. They round a corner, climbing up a slight slope before leveling out.

A short distance later, they see another turn with a faint light emanating around the corner. As they come around the bend, they enter an open area. A few tables decorate the sides of the room, with a few tomes and pieces of alchemical equipment on each. On the opposite wall, another opening shows a well-lit passage. A cage made of translucent energy sits in the center of the room. A creature with mismatched limbs stands at the front of the cage, looking at the pair with yellow eyes.

“Ah, the other human. I was wondering when you would show up.” He says, looking between the pair. “And Princess Luna. It’s been too long.” He grins, a snaggletooth protruding from his mouth.

“Discord…” Luna breathes out, approaching the cage. “This is…unexpected.”

“Quite so.” Discord agrees, running his paw against the small holes of his cage. “Imagine my surprise to see a human after so many years. Imagine my greater surprise when that same human took advantage of my weakened state and drained me of my powers.”

“He…did what?” Dante asks, approaching the cage.

“Indeed.” Discord nods. “And the greatest surprise of all was realizing the clarity it gave me.”

“What are you talking about?” Luna asks.

“I mean, dear princess, that I now see what has transpired since my ascension to power. I remember the first binding of an outsider that started me on my dark path; I remember my battle with the elder gods, and my subsequent banishment; I remember wandering the void, the astral plane, for a century before finding Equestria.” Discord diverts his gaze from Luna. “And I remember the pain I caused so many while in my depraved state.”

“Feel guilty another time.” Dante slams his fist against the cage, small ripples moving around the bars. “Aselith has your power?”

“Yes, and no.” Discord looks down at Dante. “He kept me imprisoned until about a month ago. The moment I was released from stone, he robbed me of all my eldritch magic. I’ve been imprisoned in this barrier since.”

“What further use could you be to him?” Dante demands.

“He didn’t absorb all of my energy at once; he stored most of it away. Bit by bit, he’s been adding the stored energy to himself and asking me questions about my powers.”

“Tsk.” Dante strides over to a nearby table. “You could have not told him a damn thing!”

Discord shakes his head. “I tried. He is…persuasive. Electrocution, combined with mental assaults, isn’t something that can be resisted for long.”

Dante spins around. “What, a few days too much for you?!”

“Sigh. A constant, increasingly severe pain isn’t something that can be simply ignored.”

“Don’t you talk to me about pain! I…” Dante looks behind Discord, sighting a form on the floor.

Discord looks over his shoulder before hunching over the form, placing a talon over it. “Starvation is not a method of torture that can work on me. However, it does affect her.”

Dante walks around to the other side of the cage. “Chrysalis.”

“She has been here longer than I, and Aselith has been none too kind to her. I’ve kept her breathing as best I can while free, but I simply don’t know what she needs.”

“Tsk.” Dante continues his walk around the cage back to Luna. “Someone like you wouldn’t be able to figure it out.”

Discord raises his eyebrow, watching Dante. “How so?”

“She’s a love vampire.”

“I see.” Discord stands, coming to the bars of his prison. “And you believe I know nothing of love, boy?”

“Dante.” Luna interjects. “Now is not the time for—”

“You’re damn right I do!” Dante steps back from the cage, pointing at the cage and charging his hand with magic. “It’s because of you and your selfish desire for power that I’ve been hunted all my life! You were a sorcerer, a being with more power than most mortals, and yet that wasn’t enough for you! You stole the power from demons, devils, angels, fey, and any number of other beings. If that weren’t enough, you cursed your lieutenants with your power as well!” Dante’s hand begins glowing with a bright, white flame. “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t obliterate you where you stand!”

Discord looks at Dante, his eyes heavy. He opens his mouth to speak before slowly closing it, turning his face from him.

A soft grinding sounds from Dante’s clenched teeth. “Have you nothing to say?”

The air thick with tension, Discord speaks. “You are misinformed.”

“What?” Dante asks, the magic in his hand pulsing.

“I am not a sorcerer.” He says, looking back at Dante. “I am a dragon. A red dragon, as referred to by humans. I was also the last of my brood.”

Dante lowers his hand, dissipating the magic.

“My siblings, my parents, their siblings, their parents, all killed by adventurers. As such, I took it upon myself to ensure the continuation of my family by any means. At first, I merely consorted with devils. My mate made the bold suggestion of siphoning their powers instead. I did so, and the results were well beyond anything I could have hoped for. When adventurers did come, I slaughtered them. Mercilessly.

“However, I began to fall into the same trap other dragons tend to: greed. I kept siphoning the powers of devils, even expanding my reach to demons and angels as well. But I got too greedy. I absorbed the essence of a fey creature, and my mind shattered. By the time I regained any semblance of conciseness, I was already face to face with the elder gods. I was banished shortly after.”

Dante clenches his fist. “And, what, you imbued humans with your powers to spite them? Spite the gods?”

A soft smile spreads on Discord’s face. “No, son. I imbued my children with my powers to protect them from the retribution that was soon to come.”

Dante’s eyes widen. “You…but…”

“My mate was a human.” Discord beams. “Surely you aren’t surprised by this.”

Dante stands there numbly. He clenches his fist again before bringing his hand up, pointing at Discord. With a quick incantation, he fires a green beam from his finger. The beam strikes the magical barrier, quickly dissolving it. Discord’s surprised look is quickly replaced with a content smile.

“I can’t deal with this right now.” Dante says, walking past Discord. He points at Chrysalis on the ground. “Pick that up and don’t fall behind.”

“Of course.” Discord says with a shrug, lifting Chrysalis over his slim shoulder.

Luna steps next to Discord, watching Dante walk off. “I’m…at a loss.”

Discord smiles warmly at him. “Humans always fascinated me so.” He starts walking after him.

~ _ ~ _ ~ _ ~ _ ~

The group reaches the end of a long hallway, their path blocked by a sturdy wooden door.

“This is it.” Dante says, placing a hand around the scabbard of his fiery blade.

“I’ll stay back and watch over our vampiric friend here.” Discord says, adjusting Chrysalis over his shoulder.

“Do you have any plan, Dante?” Luna asks.

Dante closes his eyes in concentration, scratching his goatee with his free hand. “Yeah. I’ll attack him straight on and note his reaction. If I think we can take him, will go at him together. Otherwise, we’ll cut and run.”

“Hm. That’s about as much as I was expecting.” She says with a smirk.

Dante charges his hand with magic and blasts the door, knocking it off its hinges and slamming it onto the ground in the next room. A nearly empty space is set before them. The carved halls from before end at the door. The room looks to be a simple cave with no work done in it. A few stalactites line the ceiling of the tall area. At the other end of the room, Aselith sits on a throne made from what looks to be the corpses of changelings. With one leg crossed over the other and a sheathed sword at his hip, Aselith looks across the room with glowing eyes, one iris gold and the other blood red.

“Aselith!” Dante shouts throughout the room and he strides in. “I’m here to violently murder you!”

“Well, now, that’s hardly a proper greeting.” Aselith stands from his throne, opening his arms towards Dante. “It’s been months since we met and I get that?” He looks beyond Dante and sees Luna enter with Discord bringing up the rear. “You’ve brought guests? Excellent! Although, two of them seem to be residents anyway.”

Dante launches forward, fiery blade in hand. His form changes almost instantly as he brings his blade down on Aselith. It’s stopped inches above his head, a glimmering green blade blocking its path.

“You blocked it.” Dante states, glaring down at Aselith.

“Surprised?” Aselith gestures with his free hand towards Discord. “The power I’ve gained from our mutual benefactor is amazing.”

“Blocking means you’re afraid.” Dante’s blade begins burning with a hot, white fire. “You’re afraid of my blade!”

With a mighty heave, Dante pushes his blade down at Aselith. Kicking off Dante’s leg, Aselith lurches at his throne, bouncing off the changeling corpses and hovering overhead.

“You used to be so much more talkative, Dante.” Aselith glides backwards from Dante. “Whatever happened to that?”

Seeing a glimmer from the corner of his eye, Aselith brings his sword up and cuts through large beam of azure energy, both halves smashing into the wall behind him and bringing down part of the ceiling. Luna hovers in the air at the opposite end of the beam, her horn alight.

“If I recall, you weren’t this powerful before.” Aselith says, scratching his chin. “Have you taken to binding demons too?”

A red fist grabs Aselith’s leg, pulling him from the air and throwing him at the wall. Slumped against the wall, Aselith sees Dante with his hand alight with a white flame. As Dante unleashes a torrent of fire at Aselith, he brings up his free hand against the fire. When the torrent crashes into him, the flames swirl and begin diminishing. Dante ceases unleashing fire, lowering his hand. As the last of the flames disappear, Aselith is left sitting on the ground, an open mouth visible on his palm.

“You didn’t think you were the only one to learn this little trick, did you?” Aselith stands, sheathing his sword. “I may not have liked using my warlock abilities, but I’m not above using them. I can see why you enjoy them so much. The power is…intoxicating.”

Dante glares at him, his muscles tightening at the anticipation. He wraps his hand around his second blade, pulling it from its sheath. As he holds it before himself, the pitch-black blade grows to fit in his hand. As it finishes growing, his muscles begin to bulge and grow, his chest heaves from ragged breaths. His bright yellow eyes begin swirling with darkness until only two small, yellow pinpricks remain. The blade itself begins emanating a black fire around it.

“By the gods.” Aselith says, staring at the blade. “I always wondered what became of that blade. By the way, Dante, with the whites of your eyes black, you remind me of that lich, Prusheen. Well, I suppose in your case it’s the yellows of your eyes, but—”

“Shut up and die already!” Dante launches forward, bringing his black blade up.

As he brings down his sword, Aselith dives to the side and lashes out with several blasts of eldritch magic, striking Dante and tearing into his flesh. Pushing on, Dante continues slashing at Aselith, only for him to dodge and sway from every swipe. Dante took a swing with his demonic blade next, only for Aselith to soar above and behind Dante and blast him from behind.

With both blades swinging at Aselith, Dante began blasting at him from his mouth in between swipes. Every time, his magic was blocked, dodged, or absorbed. In one swift motion, Dante brought both of his blades forward, only for Aselith to duck under them and slide under Dante, positioning himself behind him.

Just as Aselith was about to blast Dante from behind again, a small azure beam pierced Aselith from behind, leaving a fist sized hole in his chest. Aselith looks behind him, only to see Luna smirking at him. Clutching the hole in his chest, Aselith took a knee, coughing up blood.

Dante stood tall in front of him, his black blade shimmering with energy. He brought his blade over his head, shifting his legs to prepare for the cut.

“DIE!” He cries out, bringing down his blade. As it nears Aselith, he brings up his hand to defend himself. The black fire from the blade bursts around him, covering Aselith with darkness as the blade sounds throughout the room with an explosive echo.

The darkness, however, quickly clears from Aselith. He kneels there with a smirk on his face and an eyebrow raised as Dante’s black blade rests delicately in Aselith’s hand.

“Really now, enough nonsense.” Aselith says nonchalantly. He slowly brings his other hand up at a surprised Dante and thrusts it forward, sending Dante back with a blast of eldritch energy and slamming him into the wall. Dante falls forward, his fiery blade clattering next to him.

Aselith stands, the black blade still in hand as he inspects it.

“The Sword of Kas.” He says, holding it by its grip. “An immensely powerful blade crafted by the lich Vecna in days long past.” The black fire from the blade dissipates in the air. “Forcing your own demonic influence into the blade was a smart move, but your whole plan was foolish. Did you honestly believe you could defeat me with this trinket?”

He turns to face Luna, who’s standing there, speechless.

“What did Dante say?” He asks. “Did he fill your head with nonsense? Tell you your magic could harm me? How naïve.”

Almost instantly, the hole in Aselith’s chest fills itself in.

“Right now, there are only two things in this world that can harm me. I’ve already taken care of one and I’m about to take care of the other. First things first, though.” He points the blade at Luna. “I will eliminate the distractions.”

From behind Luna, a thin, blue ray strikes the blade, freezing it and his hand.

Luna turns around to see Discord standing with a talon pointed at Aselith.

“Don’t presume too much, child!” Discord says, bringing both arms in front of himself. “You still face your draconic ancestor and an immortal princess.” He steps up to Luna, standing at her side. He flashes her a quick smile before refocussing on Aselith. Luna follows suit, lower her stance and lighting her horn.

Aselith stares at them, cackling. “Peons are so amusing! You cannot hope to defeat me! Look!” With a swing of his sword, the ice shatters, freeing his hand. “Your high level spell has left me undamaged! What could you possible hope to do?”

“Fight!” Discord calls out.

As if on cue, Luna fires a large blast of energy at Aselith. Dodging to the side, he charges at the pair. With a quick spell, a hand the size of Discord materializes between them and pushes Aselith back.

With a mighty swing, the hand is cut in half and Aselith rushes forward again. Luna fires at him again, only for him to thrust his hand forward and absorb the magic through his palm. When the energy subsides, his hand is left with naught but a slight burn.

As he prepares to charge again, Discord finishes a spell, conjuring two huge earth elementals next to Aselith. They quickly grab onto him, allowing Discord to cast another spell. Just as Aselith breaks free of their hold, a greed ray shoots out from Discord’s talon and strikes him. Aselith shudders slightly before unleashing a torrent of hellfire around him, obliterating the elementals.

Luna takes to the air, rounding Aselith and blasting him with magic as she circles him. Each blast hits its mark, only for the damage to immediately repair itself on Aselith’s body. He rapidly fires blasts from his hand at Luna, seldom striking her, but the debris from the ceiling struck true. Luna slammed into the ground, attempting to stand immediately after.

Before Aselith can move, another fist materializes and grabs hold of his whole body. Before he can react, he sees Discord cast spells rapidly. In an instant, three red beads of magic surround his head. They explode simultaneously, engulfing him and the hand in fire.

With a swipe of his blade, the fire clears from Aselith, leaving him unscathed. He points the end of it at Discord, shooting a beam of white fire at Discord. Ducking, the fire narrowly misses his heart, instead piercing his shoulder. He slams into the wall, sliding onto the ground. With a smirk, Discord twists his claw and another hand grabs Aselith’s legs from behind.

“Now, Luna!” Discord screams.

With enormous power, Luna unleashes a torrent of Azure energy directly at Aselith. The torrent washes over his torso, concealing him from sight.

As the energy dies down, nothing remains above his gut. His sword clangs on the floor, still clutched by a disembodied hand. Discord releases the hand, letting Aselith’s body fall backward.

Panting, Luna slowly walks over to Discord.

“You did it.” Discord says, grasping his shoulder.

“We did it.” Luna says, a small smile forming on her face. It slowly recedes as she notices his wound.

Smirking, Discord casts a spell, closing the wound. Before Luna can speak, he casts the spell again, placing his claw on Luna’s back and healing her.

“I didn’t realize you could heal.” She says, regaining her smile.

“Though I was greedy, I wasn’t arrogant.” Discord stands, moving around his shoulder. “I should go and heal…” He trails off, freezing in place.

Luna follows his gaze and does the same.

Aselith’s legs move around, pushing themselves off the ground and standing up. A spine bursts from its abdomen, quickly growing ribs, arms, and a head. They’re quickly filled with organs and muscles before skin wraps around them.

Aselith stands before them, cracking his neck. He rips the remnants of his shirt off and throws it to the ground. Slowly, he walks over to his sword, picking it up and tossing the hand aside.

“Now,” He says, grinning, “what’s next?”

Luna and Discord stand there, mouths agape.

“Well?” Aselith asks, pacing around. “Surely you must have something else?”

Neither one says anything.

“Pity, but not unexpected.” He says, sticking his sword into the ground. “This is goodbye.”

He holds up his hands to them. A small green light forms between his hands and rapidly grows into a sphere. The energy whirls around in the sphere, crackling in the air.

Just as Aselith launches the energy ball, Dante lurches in front of the pair with the same sphere in hand. He throws it at Aselith, the two spheres colliding and exploding on impact. The room fills with ricocheting energy, fire spreading around the ceiling, acid smearing across the floors, lighting striking against the walls, all accompanied by a echoing boom.

With a swipe of his hand, Aselith clears the dust from in front of him, clearing the path between himself and his opponents.

“Dante, my friend!” He calls out, clapping his hands together. “I was wondering when you’d get up! You really should have been helping them out, you know.”

“I had to think.” Dante says, curling his hands into fists. “See, I heard what you said and I wondered: what could harm you? The only thing taken care of I could think of was Twilight and, therefore, the Elements of Harmony. So, if that power scared you, why didn’t Luna?”

Aselith smirked at him. “I suppose you’re about to tell me some great revelation.”

“She is powerful, no doubt about it. However, she is not an epic. But I am.”

“Oh please.” Aselith rolls his eyes. “I am an epic. You are not. You forget, you cannot access your full power. Only Astaroth can. Perhaps you plan on giving him control to kill me?”

“I can control him.”

“Yes, I remember the last time you controlled him. I distinctly remember you losing said control and me nearly being killed by him. Didn’t I also convince him to join me? I seem to recall him going after Iatril to make his control permanent.”

“I remember that too. I remember transforming into a horrible gestalt of demons after you sunk a magic dagger into my…our backside. I remember you saving Iatril.”

Aselith stood there, glaring at Dante. “What did you say?” He muttered.

Dante just stood there, grinning. He turns to look down at Luna. “Do you remember what I told you?” He asks. “What I asked you to do?”

Luna looks up at, her mouth moving to make words. “I…”

Dante nods his head slowly. “It’s time.”

Dante stands tall. His body convulses, muscles spasm and shift around. In a fiery explosion, his legs seem to stretch out between Luna and Discord, combining into a long tail. His torso lengthens, two new arms springing out from both sides. One set ended in pincers while the other ended in meaty fists. A pair of black, feathery wings sprouts from his back. His whole body lights up in a brilliant orange flame.

He stands there, glowering at Aselith.

With a horrid scream, Dante lunges forward. With no time to react, Aselith’s shoulders are pierced by the pincers, pinning him to the wall. In Dante’s remaining four hands, four identical balls of whirling green energy form.

“You bastard!” Aselith cries out, white fire lighting his hands.

Luna pulls the dagger from under her wing with her magic. She fill it with power as she charges at Dante.

Dante brings the four spheres to Aselith’s chest. Luna lunges the dagger into Dante’s back. The whole room fills with blinding light.

And then, everything goes dark.

END CHAPTER

Author's Note

There is darkness...

and peace...

for a moment.

Then they are replaced by a pulling, a pain to strong to resist, and then...

by emptiness.

"AAAaaiiigghh!" The Main Man cries out from his stone crypt. "I live again!"
(Above quoted from Battle for Wesnoth, Descent Into Darkness)

That's right, I'm back! This is it! Second to last chapter. You know this because this and the next chapter are up at the same time, and the story is changed to 'Completed'. It's been a long and arduous trip, but it's almost over.

Now, I'm gonna need you all to do me a solid and lower your expectations for the next chapter. I'll talk more about it in the next Author's Notes, but, for now, please lower your expectations by about 39%. Suffice to say this isn't how I originally planned on ending the story.