The signal continued to transmit at regular intervals. At first, there had been nothing. In time, however, there had been responses- -but the response was far from what Toxic Shock had been expecting.

Contact with the Wasteland still continued to fail. From what he had managed to find, Toxic Shock was starting to understand why. He had been replaced, probably through Thebe’s influence. The other clans and commanders had moved into the territory he had once contained, assuming his rule and denouncing him as a mad heretic. He only hoped that the soldiers that were still loyal had heard the call. He knew that they were still there, somewhere.

The response he had gotten, however, was bizarre. Several days earlier, he had broken through to, of all things, a nest of rat splicers in the depths of the Pit City. The splicer community was small, and word had spread fast- -not just in the Pit, but in other cities as well. Several cells of splicers of all types had sprung up, hearing Toxic Shock’s warnings and falling under his command.

AIs had also responded relatively well. There were a surprising number of them, more than Toxic Shock had ever expected. As it turned out, very few of them bothered with physical bodies, most preferring to exist in an abstract state, many in massive underground servers. Several had, in fact, joined him in his location, inhabiting his computers and assisting the link to the outside world through which he communicated to his newfound forces.

Toxic Shock had been carefully observing the movements of Thebe, and of the creatures that she appeared to be fighting, and the media coverage of both. The media, it seemed, had no idea how to react. Nopony knew exactly what was going on, or just how bad it had gotten.

The war was immense. The creatures had largely ceased reproduction, but they had immediately started to attack cities. When they did, there were no survivors. The cities simply ceased to exist. With nopony to describe what had happened, few reports of what was really going on got out- -and those that did, Thebe was likely censoring.

Thebe herself was causing far more destruction. Toxic Shock had been aware of the initial detonation, of hundreds of cities simply ceasing to exist. Now, though, he was tracking Thebean golems as they marched across Equestria. Many, upon encountering a city or civilization, would level it. Others would collide with the wandering creatures, resulting in destruction that was virtually incomprehensible.

Many, however, did not. They would simply walk into cities and stop. Their motion inevitably left a trail of destruction, but not an especially large one. Most ponies in such cities did not even bother leaving. Toxic Shock was not sure why that sometimes happened, nor did he have any theory that he could use to reasonably convince himself as to what Thebe’s motive might be.

From above, Toxic Shock could see patterns and, even with his limited resources, intervene to assist. He knew that Thebe was targeting cities that contained the infected, attempting to purge them, or ones that were simply in her way. He also knew that the creatures tended to travel in straight lines at relatively low speed, consuming whatever was in their path. This left him with a pretty good idea of which cities to evacuate. He would at least attempt to warn the population, and to signal his new soldiers to try to get ponies out and into areas that neither side was bothering with- -that is, largely the frontier.

Even that was not good enough, though. Thebe seemed actively intent on the destruction of pony life. Toxic Shock slept little, but when he did, he always dreamed the same nightmare- -that the world was in the midst of an unparalleled genocide, one that would only end with only one pony standing above the mountains of the dead.

As he was linked to one of his computers, trying to command cat splicers to do something, he felt a sudden burst of magic. The framework of the cllapsing tower that he had set up his command station in shook ever so slightly in a way that no bird or motile plant would cause it to.

He rapidly disengaged and picked up a makeshift crystal-motivated rifle in his magic. Before he could even cock it, however, he turned and was staring into a pair of mechanical irises blue eyes.

Toxic Shock blinked, unable to fully comprehend what he was seeing- -but then he spoke.

“Shining…Shining Armor?”

He was suddenly knocked to the side by a metal hoof to the face. Even with most of his body being robotic and far stronger than that of an ordinary pony, the force was enough to send him skittering across the room and into a wall.

Toxic Shock twisted his neck, feeling something pop back into place. His faceplate had been cracked, but his seal had not been breached. The white stallion approached him, and Toxic Shock was finally able to see exactly what he had become- -the tight skin, the crystal implant, the exposed metal: Shining Armor had succeeded.

“This was the future you never told me about?!” the white pony screamed. “My wife, dead! My kingdom destroyed! This horrible world- -Toxic Shock, you were supposed to be my friend!”

Toxic Shock stood, instinctively wiping his mask as though it really were his face. He was slightly taller than Shining Armor- -he always had been. “It doesn’t work that way,” he said back sharply. “And you know it. The future is self-consistent. Nothing I could tell you would change the what for me is already the past.”

“You could have at least tried!”

“No, I couldn’t!” Toxic Shock paced around the edge of the room, his horn charged and prepared for a defensive spell. Though durable, he was no match for Shining Armor in a magic battle- -especially now that Shining Armor was now more metal than pony. He had to try to defuse the situation in a different way.

Toxic Shock took a breath. “Look, Shining. I’m sorry for what happened to Cadence. She was a wonderful and beautiful mare, and a wise ruler. But trying to save her would be like trying to bring the dead back to life. She was dead centuries before I was born. There was nothing I could do.”

Shining Armor sighed. “I know,” he said. “I know…”

“But you,” said Toxic Shock, still not lowering his shield spells. “You should have died back there, back with her- -how are you still here?”

“I did die,” said Shining Armor. “I am dead.”

“So…you actually did it.”

“I had to. You know I had to, and you of all ponies know why.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess I do.”

“But you…you simply disappeared,” said Shining Armor.

“No,” said Toxic Shock, shaking his head. “I did not go anywhere. I simply had a mission to accomplish. I wanted to stay. But I couldn’t abandon my Equestria for yours.”

“I noticed,” said Shining Armor, crossing the room to where the radio transmitter was located, beaming its repeating signal out to the firmament. He looked down at the transmitter, and then out the gap in the wall at the forest below and the sky that had neither sun nor moon. “This world,” he said. “It is…so strange to me. I do not understand.” He turned toward Toxic Shock. “I was not awake through the duration. I was only reactivated a few hours ago.”

“I bet that’s a shock.”

“Indeed it is.”

The space behind Shining Armor seemed to shift, and a fog resolved into the room. Toxic Shock stared in awe- -and then jumped back as a ghostly orange Pegasus appeared in the room. The body of the Pegasus was ragged and sallow, his eyes removed and his mouth sealed closed.

“Flash Sentry,” said Shining Armor without turning. “Report.”

The ghostly image released a sound, but one that Toxic Shock could not entirely hear. It seemed to resonate in his horn, and he suddenly felt panic. He had seen some terrible things in his time, from mutants to monsters to madponys- -but the supernatural was a branch of magic that he had not truly believed in until he had traveled to the past. He was still terrified of ghosts- -and, he realized, but extension, he was afraid of Shining Armor.

“I see,” said Shining Armor.

The ghost nodded slowly, and then turned and left. As it walked away, it disintegrated into mist-like wisps that dissipated and vanished into the darkness of the ancient tower.

“What- -what did he say?” asked Toxic Shock.

“Many things,” said Shining Armor. The older pony turned toward Toxic Shock. “Mainly, that this world is dying.”

“It kind of is. That’s what I’m trying to prevent.”

“I noticed. With…this.” He pointed at the radio transmitter. “I heard it, but the signal is awfully weak.”

“I know. I’m dealing with it.” Toxic Shock “Or trying to.”

“I understand many things of your world now,” said Shining Armor, “but my knowledge is still…limited. My soldiers did not find any information on what happened to me.”

“Of course not,” said Toxic Shock, linking himself back to the computer and parsing his internal subprocessors so that he could at least do some work while he was talking. Being a cyborg did have its advantages. “Nopony knows what happened to the Crystal Empire. The information is simply gone. Which implies that it was erased.”

“By whom?”

“You know, you talk differently,” noted Toxic Shock. “The Shining Armor I knew would never say ‘whom’.”

“I am the same Shining Armor that I always have been.” Shining Armor’s eyes narrowed visibly, and Toxic Shock felt a shift in the magic saturating the room. It was ominous and intense, and almost seemed to stink. Toxic Shock realized that Shining armor really was terrifying- -and that whatever he had become only consisted partly of his friend. “Now answer my question.”

“By Thebe.” Toxic Shock looked down at the screens and the AIs that were watching the events in silence. “I mean, if you had asked me two months ago I would have said it wasn’t possible. I’ve never been particularly religious. I didn’t even think Thebe was real- -but she is.”

“Thebe…that name has occurred countless times in my search. What is it?”

“This,” said Toxic Shock, gesturing toward the computers. “This war. Ponies aren’t fighting it, Shining. Billions dead- -as collateral damage. It is Thebe, our so-called alicorn ‘ruler’.”

“Alicorn? I thought they were all dead.”

“Four are,” said Toxic Shock. “But there was a fifth. Nopony knows where she came from. Half of Equestria doesn’t even believe she is real- -but she is. Real and dangerous.”

“And you believe she may have censored my history?”

“Censored- -Shining, come on! That hardly matters right now! She’s wiping out Equestria! Half the population is already gone!”

“Then you are fighting improperly,” said Shining Armor, coldly.

“So, what, you expect me to attack Thebe?”

“Yes.”

“If I had all the armies of Equestria I would still fail! Thebe isn’t like Celestia or Luna- -she is all-powerful.”

“Have you even tried?”

Toxic Shock put his hoof to his forehead. He had forgot how irritating Shining Armor could be, and how he always seemed to refuse to give up even when it was the logical option. “Shining, let’s say for the sake of argument that I did have enough forces to fight an alicorn. I don’t even know where she is.”

Shining Armor looked confused. “You have maps behind you. I can see them.”

“Yes, I do. I have orbital views of all of Equestria, and maps going back six centuries. And yet nopony has ever even seen Thebe, or wherever she lives.”

Shining Armor stared at him for a moment. “So you are saying that she rules Equestria completely, but has never once met with any other ponies? No galas, parties, diplomatic meetings, newspaper articles, biographies, anything?”

“Yes. And somehow she rules absolutely.”

“And you are saying that she lives in a location that is not on any known map?”

“Yes.”

“Then I know where she is.”

Toxic Shock gaped. “How could you possibly know that?”

“Because I was once there,” said Shining Armor, as though it were that simple. He turned to the window.

“Where- -where are you going?” said Toxic Shock, already knowing the answer.

“To pay your ‘ruler’ a visit. I will learn what happened to me, and then I will kill her.”

“Kill- -kill Thebe?”

Shining Armor clutched the crystal in his chest. “I am far more powerful in death than I was in life. And if you are correct, I would be saving Equestria. Isn’t that a good thing?”

“You are insane.”

“And you have a stupid name.”

Toxic Shock smiled. “Well, you have a stupid voice.” He became slightly more serious. Toxic Shock knew that he would never be able to change Shining Armor’s mind- -and, on some level, held out hope that Shining Amor might be able to accomplish something. This was, after all, a pony who had faced down Discord, Tirac, Oblivion, and Nil in his lifetime and still managed to survive.

“Don’t die on me,” he said.

Shining armor only smiled viciously, as if he was privy to some horribly cruel joke. Then, with an explosion of pink-violet light, he vanished.