Snow, frozen trees and leaves warped back into focus from the teleportation. Explosions and thunderous roars echoed far behind me, adding up to the dizziness and migraine pounding at my skull. Even with the energy I recovered from the hunter, teleporting such a far distance was a taxing use of energy. As I heard the by now familiar string of detonations once again, it took everything in me to not turn straight back around and fight alongside them. But this battle was in their hooves now. The fate of Ponyville rested on Noble’s shoulders until I’ve dealt with the Warmaster. If I could deal with the Warmaster.

I took a deep breath of the icy air, gathered my senses, and pressed into the forest’s depths.

*This was the right call to make,* Inner Malice said as I ran through the gradually quieting forest. *Staying in Ponyville would’ve been a no-win scenario in the long run. It’s just unfortunate that you’re not yet ready to face him.*

I know I’m not ready. If he’s anything like you were in my head, this is going to be very one-sided.

*Yes, and keep in mind that he must’ve already grown stronger from the battle’s emotions. The longer you wait, the smaller your already insignificant chances will get.*

Well thank you! I sneered sarcastically. Hindsight’s twenty-twenty as they say. But I need to go all the way here, and I’m not going to be stopped now. He remained silent after that. Maybe he, too, needed some time to come to terms with the inevitable?

I only slowed upon reaching the deepest part of Everfree. Snow and sleet reached up to my knees. Frozen bushes and rock solid branches covered in ice crystals blocked my path like natural barbed wire. It didn’t take much force to get through or above such obstacles, but they added up to the sense of impregnability. If pony-sized frozen barricades of thorny vines and collapsed trees were his outer fortifications, how would his inner line of defense look like?

To my mild surprise, at least it was not as cold as I remembered it being. A change of the weather? Or a change of me? While I hoped for the former, I instinctively knew it was the latter. After all, I’ve grown much more adjusted to the pathos within me since my last visit to the forest.

As I mustered the frozen landscape, painfully aware of how long it had taken me just to get this far, I channelled my ability to devour pathos. Icicles and snow melted as the energy that had kept them frozen flew into me. It was strange to be able to draw power from something that either drove ponies mad or transformed creatures into feral monstrosities. I was disgusted with myself, both at the newfound reliance and the carnal appreciation my body developed for pathos. I wouldn’t have known such a possibility to absorb it and not lose myself existed had the version of Malice inside me not helped.

That reminds me, why are you helping me? What was that mess about you being labeled a failure the hunter went on about?

*...Why do you ask so many pointless questions?* Irritation filled his tone. *My answer would be meaningless to you. All it will serve to do is bolster your ego. I may be your prisoner, but I refuse to be your mental masseuse.*

These questions are important. Ever heard of the phrase ‘know thy enemy’?

*...are you mocking me? I was familiar with the idea long before it was adopted by the first philosophers of your kind. But how exactly do you plan on utilizing it to survive this encounter?*

Note to self: if it’s combat related, I can get his attention.

It’s pretty clear I won’t win a direct confrontation, But for some Celestia-forsaken reason, you’ve decided to help me go against the very one who I can only assume created you. By understanding what you had in mind, why you made the choices you did, it may give me a chance to get into his head and see what makes him tick.

*...that is the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard from you yet. Do you really expect someone with my mental fortitude to fall prey to mind games? You seriously believe you can outmaneuver us?*

Better question: Are you curious enough to find out? Got this far, didn’t I?

Silence stretched between us as I traversed the pathos-thick forest. Though there were no monsters to face, the magic-laced air served to refuel me just by breathing it in. I recalled Inner Malice’s words about this being the key to defeat him, and it made sense: deny the warmaster any and all resources, all the while using them against him. That alone was not enough, but at this point I would settle for using anything against him.

Just when I started to think he was giving me the silent treatment, Inner Malice spoke up.

*I’ve failed my mission to assimilate you into our fold and suffered a fate no different than when I was defeated by Discord. In the eyes of my fellow battle brothers, I am dishonored. A failure. Fit only to become food for the strong.*

Once I had a firm grip on devouring pathos around me, I increased my pace, absorbing whatever I could along the way as I galloped for the tree. Then why help me? Why not just… let it happen?

*The same reason you foolishly charge headfirst to challenge Death: too stubborn to roll over and play dead.*

Well… can’t argue with that.

The more pathos I absorbed, the further my devouring reach grew, stopping at about few meters around me.

*Humor me for a moment, Flash Sentry: why do you believe it is a warmaster that you will be facing?*

The question gave me pause. Well, from what Noble said, a warmaster is the highest chain of command other than what I can assume is the true Malice. And with Malice going through all this trouble to stay hidden, setting camp right next to Princess Twilight would be asking to get caught, so we can rule that option out.

Doubt crept into the back of my mind. The fact Inner Malice asked the question in the first place made my initial assumption feel insecure. Malice, what brought that up?

*I’m simply assessing your mindset. Your thinking is too inflexible. You’re so set on your beliefs and assumptions that you fail to see the sword hanging over your head. You may not stand a chance against your next opponent, but I would be a poor teacher if I let you go to your death too unprepared.* Smugness filled every syllable.

I rolled my eyes. If you got something to say, just say it.

*Prepare yourself for any and all possibilities. Plan your victories and be ready for defeats.*

Glad you can be so helpful, I huffed. If the true Malice is at the tree of harmony, how in the world am I supposed to plan for that possibility?

*You’re not at the level yet where you would plan for such a possibility. He would smite you in an instant. Granted, we didn’t choose you as a champion for your intelligence, but for the fact you won’t stop no matter who your opponent is.*

Must everything be backhoofed compliments with you?

*Set me free, and I can give you an alternative backhand all you want.*

I’ll pass.

Not long after the end of that conversation my advance came to a sudden halt. I mustered the energy barrier in front of me; it vibrated with pathos and stretched into both directions as far as my field of view—and heightened senses—went. The barrier also rose into the sky, much higher than the frozen treetops high above me. I knew the Tree of Harmony wasn’t far from here anymore, but I’d bet my armor that this barrier covered every possible access route; up to and including the sky above the cave.

*A wise king would never make it so easy for his enemies to reach him.* Inner Malice pointed out.

I don’t have time for this. I readied my hoof to throw a lightning bolt.

*Stop and open your senses. You’re surrounded.*

A quick glance revealed no immediate threats, but the pathos in the atmosphere was too thick to make heads or tails of any vassals hiding among the foliage.

I don’t sense or see anything…

Inner Malice said nothing. I took it as a hint and focused on the cool sensations of pathos flowing around and through me. If their aura alone wouldn’t reveal them, perhaps their movements would.

The air shifted subtly, pulsating like the infected forest had a heartbeat of its own. Readying my staff, the pulse of pathos energy drew from the east and west direction of the barrier. It grew stronger each second, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end.

There’s two… no, four of them. I corrected upon picking out the individual sensations.

*Four… what?*

I felt out the energy signatures. Reapers, at least from what I’ve seen so far, would be little more than ice cubes inside an ice box; barely noticeable. Warlords were way too obvious. Considering who they were guarding…

Hunters.

On cue, four hunter vassals emerged out of invisibility all around me. I spun onto my hind legs, blade staff at the ready and back facing the barrier. Their movements were slow, glowing eyes calculating my every move. They hadn’t attacked, nor made any hostile movements, but I was far from comfortable with letting my guard down.

One of them moved forward, slowly and carefully. “We greet you, challenging champion Flash Sentry.”

This… was new. “Come again?”

One of the other hunters—let’s call him hunter B—snarled. “Fortune favors you, champion. Your life would be forfeit had our emperor not accepted your wish to foolishly challenge him.”

...Emperor? Why would they call a warmaster Emp—

My thoughts slammed the proverbial brakes.

Reapers, hunters, warlords, and warmasters were the known vassal ranks. If warmasters were second only to the original, then this emperor could only mean one thing.

“...FFFFF—” I cut myself off, halting the blend of conniption and panic in favor of putting on the bravest face I knew for the immediate threat before me. The hunters threw me odd, curious looks at whatever face I must’ve been making at the moment. “Only reason I haven’t eaten you all is because I have manners. I’ll only ask once: stop wasting my time and let me through.”

Inner Malice grunted with amusement as Hunter B leered, shooting a deadly stare.

The first hunter, Hunter A, nodded at Hunter B. The aggressive one moved back a few steps while hunter A continued. “The Emperor will grant you entry into his realm. Know this: once you are beyond the barrier, there is no escape. We will not interfere with the sacred duel, nor will you be permitted to leave until you’ve met your demise or the emperor wills it.”

“You mean after I kill your emperor,” I corrected.

“You are free to embrace your illusions of grandeur,” Hunter A scoffed. “Regardless, we are here only to kill those who are unworthy of his attention... and ensure you do not flee in terror.” With the flourish of a ghostly hoof, a gap opened in the barrier just big enough for me to go through. “Do not keep him waiting.”

I took one final glance at the hunters. It was a gesture to ensure I was not going to get suckerpunched, but as I looked at them I couldn’t help it. “Once I’m done with him, I’ll come for you.” Then I hurried through the barrier.

“Malice,” my voice was quiet even with the hunters well out of earshot, though laced with boiling frustration under the surface, threatening to pop off. “You knew I was going to be facing the true Malice, didn’t you?”

*Yes.*

I sighed. “I… I see.”

*I must admit, I’m rather impressed,* Inner Malice said. *When you finally gathered who your opponent would be, I half expected you to lose your—*

“MALICE~!!”

*Ah, there it is. Please go on.*

And I did.

Everything exploded out of me all at once, screaming and cursing both the Malice inside me and the Celestia-damned original Malice waiting for me at the tree of harmony. I stomped and hollered for what felt like hours, though it was only a few minutes of unfiltered rage amplified by soul-crushing terror.

After forcibly stopping my tirade, if only to catch my breath and conserve what precious time I had left, Inner Malice sighed. *...Are you done?*

“Huff… puff… no, but I got enough out of my system for now,” I answered.

*Good. Now that you’ve properly processed your fate, please hurry on to face your death like an honorable stallion.*

And I did press on, but not without making a face. “How in the world are you so... okay with this? Do you believe he will free you?”

Inner Malice snorted. *Are you serious? Of course not! My fate has been long since sealed. We’re going down together.*

That caused me to physically grind to a stop. “Say what now? You’re actually okay with dying?”

A pause.

*...That wasn’t rhetorical? You’re actually asking me that? Your stupidity really knows no bounds.* Before I could retort just as viciously, Inner Malice continued. *Just so we’re both clear, I am neither okay with dying, nor accepting of being a prisoner on this sinking battleship of a situation. Our opinions are aligned on that front.

*However, when we face the Emperor, when we inevitably die by his hand, we will do so our way. We will go down in a blaze of glory so bright we will blind Eternity, our names and actions immortalized through song and legends. Whatever you’re feeling now, whatever fears or regrets you carry in your heart, deal with it now so only resolve and courage beats against your chest upon facing the Emperor himself.*

Somehow, despite knowing I was going against someone who gave Discord a run for his money, despite realizing I didn’t stand a chance against him, despite Inner Malice himself saying these things after everything he’s done to us, I found the strength to grin.

“You really love to hear yourself talk, don’t you?”

*Would’ve made the past few millenia unbearable if I didn’t.*

“...Damn, you got me there.” With nothing else to add to that, I pressed on towards the tree of harmony.

With every gallop, a wave of doubt and fear threatened to ground my hooves. I had no idea how I would defeat the true Malice when I couldn’t deal with a warmaster or a hydra-possessed hunter alone. To go from fighting lions to entering the Ursa Major’s den, the only thing keeping any ounce of courage in me is knowing that failure simply wasn’t an option. To assume anything less than victory meant the destruction of everything I loved.

I may hate Inner Malice, but we had one thing in common: we were not going down without a fight.

It wasn’t long until I reached the cavernous mouth that supposedly lead me into the tree of harmony’s chamber. I could feel the intense and chilling aura rushing out of the opening. This had to be it.

Wind howled from inside as I entered. Just like in Discord’s vision, there was only one short path to take leading into the chamber. At the end of the tunnel was a thin wall of pathos obscuring the otherside.

*He’s waiting for you inside.* Inner Malice warned. *Once you step into the ring, only one of you will leave alive. Are you ready?*

My answer was instant. “No, but it doesn’t matter. Even if I was facing Tartarus incarnate, I can’t stop or hesitate. I will save them and beat the hay out him.”

*Good answer. Find your resolve, and leave nothing wanting. You will need everything for what’s coming.*

Count on it… and thanks.

*...I believe I misheard you. Say again?* He seemed genuinely surprised.

“I said thank you, Malice. You’re a tyrannical asshat who made my life complicated and miserable, but you’ve helped me get this far and even helped salvage enough courage to push forward. That, and only that, is why I’m thanking you.*

*Hmph. I would be a terrible warmaster if I didn’t do something to graduate you from pathetic to slightly-less-pathetic. As long as you do your part and fight with everything you got, I’ll be satisfied.*

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever you say, Malice.”

I stepped through the pathos veil.

A wave of pathos in the form of a chill blasted me the moment I exited on the other side. I reeled back half a step in surprise, before leaning into it and pushing forward. The influence of pathos swept all around me like the blizzards of the Empire’s vast and lifeless frozen wasteland. Snow and ice blanketed the entire ground ahead of me. Icicles and frozen shards covered the walls and part of the ceiling, as well as the tree itself.

A dark aura of pathos pulsed throughout the room, echoing through me with power so intense it seeped into my bones. This chamber wasn’t just alive, it felt possessed. Like a sentient tumor, pathos had enveloped everything within, slowly suffocating every other magical presence.

I’d always known, or at least had an instinctive idea, on what evil was. Someone performing cruel and despicable acts, harming innocents, manipulating others for selfish gains, things like that.

Very recently, Malice had set a new standard for evil. The atrocities committed by him where a whole other level. And still, those faded to insignificance in comparison with the sensation of true malevolence that seemed to stare at me from every corner of the cave at once.

This was the first time I’d ever felt true evil.

I instinctively licked my lips, somehow getting hungry just being in the presence of such an awesome power. Resisting the disturbingly powerful urge to devour all the energy in sight, if only out of fearing what so much pathos could do to me, I pressed further through the thick snow.

Six pony-shaped blocks of ice were fixed to the tree like cocoons. Though the ice was too thick to identify who was inside, it was not hard to guess where Twilight and her friends were imprisoned.

Just before making my way to the pods, I froze midstep. That insane level of power, I realized, was not just coming from the tree of harmony.

It’s not to say the tree of harmony did not emit such terrible energy. Though it still glowed weakly with light, it was no longer the beacon of magic it used to be. Its dimmed aura barely reached the walls; the ice shards and occasional rock causing more than a few long and creepy shadows.

Pathos however, emanated from the tree like morning mist from a river. Its bark was marred with countless deep cuts, cracks, and charcoal blemishes on its otherwise beautiful crystal exterior. Even in its crystalline form, the tree seemed to wilt, woefully depressed from whatever abuse its suffered from its attacker.

And still, even this great power wafting out of the tree was overshadowed by the tall figure resting on her haunches between me and it. Shock rooted me for a beat as recognition dawned on me: Chrysalis.

Ice as cold as Chrysalis’ stare dropped in my veins, but I kept my pokerface in place. My knees nearly gave in when all last doubt was erased. The little hope in me that it wasn’t the true Malice after all died like leaves in a bushfire. The fact that I couldn’t just pack my things and run weighed heavily on my shoulders.

The Spirit of War, a force of nature in the flesh, a millenia-old god who wished for nothing more than to smite me, was here.

“I’m glad you could make it in time, Flash Sentry.” Even with the dual-tone voice, it was all too obvious Chrysalis was not in the driver’s seat. “To have come so far, fought so hard, you have more than earned my attention.”

I wanted to say something, anything, but I was still reeling from seeing the face of evil and war incarnate greet me as if welcoming me to a tea party. That terrified me more than anything else: he was far too confident in his ability to kill me with ease, and I knew it would not be far from the truth.

...I’m going to die.

My legs trembled, lunges tightening like caught in a noose.

He’s going to kill me, kill us, then murder everyone…!

Years of ingrained training and combat instincts kept me rooted in place still, probably the only thing stopping me from from running or screaming in terror. I forced myself to stare Death in the face, to stand strong in the presence of Tartarus given flesh. This civil conversation would not last, nor should it. Once the fight started, I would not have a lot of time to figure out have to save Twilight, her friends, and Chrysalis. All the while acknowledging I would be facing an opponent whose sheer power, even when rested, made the warmaster who kicked my flank in the mind palace look insignificant by comparison.

I… I can’t let fear rule me. I will get through this.

I forced down the terror threatening to overtake me in favor of smug bravado. “What, no red carpet? No fanfare for the pony who beat the warmaster you sent in? You disappoint me, Malice.”

“Heh. I hope you can forgive the lack of appreciation for your arrival. As you see, I’m quite the busy god,” Malice grinned. “Though I admit, some congratulations are indeed warranted. After all, you came quite far from the pathetic pegasus you were all those weeks ago. In such a short time you have become able to harness my gifts, enough to subjugate my warmaster, even if he was still fresh in his own development. This is an unprecedented achievement. I wish to see the full extent of your strength for myself.”

He licked his lips. “And savor myself a victory meal by devouring the failure trapped inside you.”

“You’re out of your mind if you think I’m going to let that happen. The warmaster inside me, my warmaster”—Malice’s eyes narrowed—“filled me in on this sick game of yours. You planted him inside me to get stronger, to carry out the mission of spreading pathos. But now that he’s trapped and you no longer have any power over me, you’re sharpening your fork to reap in your investment.”

Malice paused for a beat. “You have been paying attention. Yes, I fully plan on gorging myself on all the power you collected. Every vassal you absorbed, everything you did to this point, will be collected and repurposed.” He faced the tree, a thoughtful expression on his face. “That will likely be enough to finish infusing this tree with my influence, to turn it from Equestria’s greatest weapon to my own. A weapon powerful enough to turn Discord to stone at my fingertips.”

I wonder… does he know Discord is in that tree?

*We would not be having this conversation if he did. Should’ve suspected something was amiss, but the properties of the tree prevented us from looking in.* The disappointment was clear in Inner Malice’s tone, likely realizing he had Discord captured and, only after being imprisoned learned where Discord had been hiding. *If you don’t wish to have every warmaster on this planet coming down on you, don’t give away the game.*

I gulped. How… many warmasters would that be?

*One problem at a time, Flash Sentry.*

I broke my gaze on the tree, returning my focus to Malice. “If it’s taken you this long to get the job done, it should be obvious that plan is not going to work.”

“On the contrary, the tree is on its last roots of strength,” he gently placed his hoof on the tree. A pulse of pathos fluctuated from his touch, “and it’s all thanks to this glorious fight.” With the same hoof, he performed a sweeping motion similar to how the Warlord did back at the hospital.

Pathos-conjured screens popped up all over the chamber. Droves of monsters rushing into the frontline. Tigers and rocs crashing upon artillery. An armored warlord facing down Spike, Thorax, and an unconscious Shining Armor. Various battles all over Ponyville appeared on the screens, almost none of them looking good for the home team.

“An army on my doorstep, the elements of harmony at my mercy, and witnessing firsthand the potential of a champion that’s exceeded my expectations. You’ve given me more than I could’ve asked for. I honestly tire of the changeling’s cloak and dagger strategies. It had been a necessary evil to ensure my plans proceed uninterrupted.” He turned back to me. “But now you’ve freed me from the boredom of staying quiet. The least I could do is grant your wish of a warrior’s end by my hand.”

I smirked right back at him. “Sounds like that old age is kicking in pretty hard. I’m here to kick your ass out of Equestria. The same goes for those of your vassals who thinks we’re gonna let them run the show.”

He laughed heartily. “The colt’s got bite! I’d already known you would make a grand vessel for my warmaster, but to insult your emperor so boldly? I’m grateful soldiers like yourselves still have their fangs.” After a moment, his expression darkened. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve allowed you to come this far solely because you, a champion whose magic is as pure as our own, fascinates me. I wish to see more of what you can do. Learn from this development. But in the end, I will kill you.

Malice’s confident smirk returned. “But I imagine you didn’t come all this way just to chat. Your eyes make it all too clear what you really want. I’ll make it easy for you: you will die before saving your friends.”

“You know, there was another overbearing warrior who said something similar, and now he’s locked up in my chest.”

I teleported above Malice, hoof raised.

“Let’s see if you’re any different!”

A wall of energy threw me backward. I landed and jumped back from the lavender shield. That color… that’s not his color signature, nor Chrysalis’.

“I approve of your aggression, but I don’t plan on letting Chrysalis slip away from me again. If you wish for an opponent, I have one prepared just for you.”

Purple magic spilled out through the gradually increasing cracks in the foremost cocoon.

Is that… no. He wouldn’t seriously…!

*I’ve already warned you earlier,* said Inner Malice, *I always have a backup plan at my disposal.*

The cocoon exploded, its prisoner using her wings to glide and land between me and Chrysalis. I stared back at the black sclera corrupting Twilight’s left eye. What drove that knife even deeper was the eyepatch covering a bloodied scar on the right eye.

Twilight moved next to Malice, slightly crouched forward, her horn primed with magic. “I won’t let him hurt you, Celestia!”

Malice patted Twilight’s head, all the while throwing me a smug grin. “I shall entrust this task to you then, my faithful student.” To hear Celestia’s regal voice come out of him, his hoof all over Twilight’s mane, and that damn smirk, shattered the fear in me and left unrelenting fury in its wake.

“Malice, you son of a bitch!”

Black lightning exploded out of my hoof towards Malice. It wasn’t until Twilight’s barrier absorbed the blow I remembered that Chrysalis was a hostage here, not my target.

“Let’s not delay this any longer than we have to. I have a war to manage and a tree of harmony to take care of,” Malice flashed me a grin. Twilight’s horn brightened and wings flared. “Entertain me, won’t you?”

The purple light on Twilight’s horn flared with power, pathos blending with her aura like milk and coffee.

I took a step back, motioning her to calm down with a forehoof as her magic burned brighter by the second. “Twilight, don’t listen to—whoa!”

I threw myself to the side, barely dodging the sizzling rays of magic boiling the snow and ice where I had been. “Snap out of it! It’s me, Flash!”

“The Flash I know would never try to hurt Celestia, you faker!” Unholy anger channeled through her words and horn. The ceiling of the cave suddenly ignited with longing flames. Burning debris rained towards me like Tartarus’ fire. I teleported behind her just before her spell blasted and melted my prior position to rubble. Her head whipped around to find me, horn and ire both burning even brighter. “He could never teleport or throw lightning either!”

Sentry sense kicked in, allowing me to duck just in time to avoid the beam that bolted through the chamber. The air left in its wake reeked of ozone, and the rear wall it struck began to melt at the impact point.

*Not too different from your little episode with the hunter, minus combat trauma,* Inner Malice pointed out. *She’s seen too much to believe you’re anything other than some doppelganger, maybe even a changeling in disguise. Fancy that coincidence.*

Not helping, Malice!

I sprinted and leapt into the air, dodging streaks of fiery light. Memories of anti-unicorn training with Shining Armor rushed back to me as magic bolts rained down on me at every turn. I kept the tree between us as much as possible, breaking the line-of-sight whenever her horn glowed.

How the hay do I get through to her? Trying to knock her out is out of the question; I don’t trust my control over the Spark yet.

I tried to peek around the corner, and immediately ducked back behind the tree to avoid another searing beam. When I looked back, she was gone. My Sentry Sense triggered. My fur suddenly stood on end as I could feel the warmth of the spell in my back.

I jumped up and teleported. No clear goal in mind, I reappeared in the crown of the tree, just in time to watch her spell turn the ground below me to bubbling lava. Her blast had been so strong that the ice around the tree had suffered tiny cracks from the heat. Twenty meters above the puddle of molten rock, its sulphur-like stench—carried high by the updraft of the hot lava— forced me to quickly relocate to the other end of the tree.. More desperate in my search for options than before, I activated the Dragon Whisper. “Spike? Are you there? Spike?!” No response.

*Did you already forget about the barrier you passed through to get here?*

Didn’t forget. Just had to try.

Twilight compounded on the bad news by teleporting in front of me for a point-blank blast.

Time slowed just enough so I could cover my face with my forelegs. Ultra-cold ice formed around them, just in time to be annihilated by her spell. However, it worked just well enough. Scorching rays of magic seared my forelegs and knocked me several meters back and onto the floor. Compared to having my head blown off my shoulders, these injuries were the preferable option. Given I had landed only a short distance from ‘Chrysalis’, I immediately scrambled onto my hooves, bracing myself for a possible joint assault from Malice himself.

Malice merely stole a glance at me before staring ahead into the emptiness, his attention far and away from me. I half expected him to at least threaten or mock me.

*He doesn’t see you as an immediate threat,* Inner Malice pointed out. *Between managing the invading vassals, the tree of harmony’s corruption, and manipulating Twilight, he has more important priorities to focus on.*

In that case...

I took into the air. Dodging Twilight’s strafing beam, I flew straight for Malice.

I caught the shimmer of purple too late before smacking face first into a magic barrier.

Just as I shook off the dizzying stun and painful throbbing of my muzzle, a veil of Twilight’s magic wrapped around me. I had no idea what Twilight was doing, knowing only that every cell in my body seemed to vibrate. Muscles became constricted as the magic drilled through my skin.

*Shake it off! Don’t let her magic take hold!*

The genuine concern and urgency in Inner Malice’s tone was all the motivation I needed. I channeled a generous about of spark through my body and ignited it in the form of sparking static all over my body.

Twilight’s horn crackled and popped. She reared back in shock as her magic hold on me fizzled away. “What in… b-but how?!”

Malice… what was she trying to do to me?

*You don’t want to know.*

I gulped. If it was enough to make him worried, I was probably better off not knowing.

This time, Twilight took several moments to recover from her stunned state. It was more than enough for me to press my second attack against the barrier. Taking a large run-up, and charging more then plenty of spark into my right hoof, I smacked it right into the barrier with bone-shattering force. Lightning erupted towards every direction. A shockwave—probably my own kinetic energy—dispersed into the ground, causing the entire cave to shortly quake in its foundations. The shield, however, remained intact.

Taking just a single step of safety distance back, I tried again, this time channelling the spark longer before unleashing it into the barrier in the form of a thunderous, second-long lightning arc. The moment it touched the shield, the superheated air around the impact point ignited. The shockwave and wall of fire tossed me back several feet. The shield rippled like a storm-struck ocean... but again refused to yield.

“You will not—!” Twilight shouted from afar.

I snapped towards her and unleashed another charged-up lightning bolt, realizing far too late what I had just done. My sentry sense went off just as her horn ignited in slow-motion. Then, another thunderous explosion erupted the battlefield.

Frozen in place, I watched as a dust cloud expanded from where she had stood a moment before. Absolute shock kept me rooted where I stood. Malice, did— did I just—

A hate-filled shout filled the cave—no doubt her voice. This relieved me like nothing else, even though the shout promised retaliation unlike anything before.

*She’s charged up with enough pathos to glass a small nation. Push for Chrysalis’ body, now or never!*

I dashed forward, just as the dust cloud exploded into every direction, revealing a healthy but seething alicorn in its place. I channeled the spark to teleport beyond the shield. There wasn’t much room between it and Chrysalis, but I had the hope that I just needed to make contact with her—

All hope vanished as I was brought back from the teleportation prematurely. Purple magic blinded my vision as I was knocked back.

I had no time to find out whether it had been a property of her shield, or an active spell she just cast, because a second later she was above me, hoof raised.

I darted back in time to avoid a soaring downward punch. Rocks and debris hailed in every direction, leaving a sizable crater in their place. Blood drained from my face when I saw how her right hoof was enveloped by sizzling purple-and-black magic.

When Twilight’s horn activated, I readied myself to dodge another magical laser to the face, only to feel a wave of pathos pulse through the snow. Malice’s previous crash course on pathos awareness helped me piece together just enough clues to jump out of Twilight’s next spell.

Stalagmites erupted, crossing each other and piercing the air where I had been a moment before. And, just as I tried to make out where her next spell was going, she instead dashed forward, propelled by wings and pathos alike.

I raised my legs to cover my face, but she was very content with just ramming her radiating hoof into my guts. It felt as if she had punched straight through me. Weightlessness gripped me as I soared through the air, knowing the only thing to stop me this time would be a cave wall.

It didn’t disappoint. I had my wings readied for the impact, but when my back slammed into the wall so hard the stone cracked, it still smashed the air out of my lungs and left me blinded for a moment. Sparks of purple erupted around my impact, remnants of her most recent courtesy.

My back fur tickled once more. Though it was numbed from the impact, in combination with the sentry sense triggering, it gave me a colorful idea of what she was going for. I propelled myself away from the wall, just before more spikes jutted outwards from my most recent impact point.

When I tried to land, the effect was the same. More spikes, more harrowingly close impalements. Each spell now came quicker than the last, forcing me into the air. Not satisfied with the floor and walls trying to stab me, Twilight’s magic reached into the ceiling. A single, huge spike with a razor-sharp tip shot out, threatening to shish-kebab me in mid-air. I twisted and dodged as it was joined by more of its kind; circling the chamber as it transformed into a deadly aerial circuit.

I knew I couldn’t dodge forever. The longer I took to deal with Malice and stop Twilight, the longer lives would be at risk. Right now, primarily mine. With no way to reach Malice, the only option open to me was to somehow deal with Twilight first. Considering the pathos flowing through her, the answer stuck out like a sore hoof: drain her pathos.

My next teleport, after dodging a particular large stalactite falling from the ceiling, got me right above Twilight. My hoof barely grazed her coat before a wave of magic bowled me over and sent me flying.

What the hay? No one’s reflexes are that fast…!

*Speak for yourself.*

No, I mean, it’s almost like she predicted where I would land.

To test my theory, I darted left, right, left, then teleported to the other side of Twilight.

The moment I reappeared, I caught her unimpressed glare before throwing myself to the ground in time to dodge another deadly beam. Parching heat reached for my feathers while more ozone stench filled the chamber.

“It’s getting old, faker!” Twilight snapped, readying another spell.

No, it can’t just be reflex. I must be giving off a tell.

*Such as leaping towards said direction? Or the energy emitted briefly at your destination?*

My jaw slacked a little. I thought back to how Inner Malice predicted where Discord and I would move during our teleportations. Admittedly, realizing how my small hops to initiate a teleport was also a dead giveaway was some damn good hindsight.

I glanced over the wrecked landscape. The entire room was enveloped with pathos, including the snow and ice on the ground and walls. Chrysalis mentioned something about how my magic was different from normal. How I could manipulate external sources.

Wait, wasn’t I able to create ice sculptures?

*Ice sculptures? When did you do that?*

Nevermind. I have an idea.

“I’m tired of messing around with you, faker! RAAH!” Several rays burst from Twilight’s horn, curving out, then towards me. I teleported to the far end of the cave, only to learn those beams were homing towards me, turning at sharp angles and coming in fast.

Come on, just like in the castle! Demand the world around me to bend to my will. Ignite the spark, and let it rip!

I performed a sweeping motion with my forehoof, projecting my magic towards the snow in front of me.

A wall of ice stretched from the ground and followed the upwards movement of my forehoof. The beams connected with the ice wall. Cracks formed like lighting within the ice; shattering the barrier into pieces just as the last of the homing beams found its target. Water vapor shot out and upwards, blocking everyone’s vision for a moment. I could sense Twilight’s fury from across the cave and even through the pathos-laden air. Chrysalis, the only one left within view range, simply threw a raised eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her smirk.

*Finally some finesse from you! It should be foal’s play to use the emperor’s chamber as your playground with this much pathos.*

Playground. Snow. Jungle gym.

I suddenly had a very solid idea on how to utilize this form of magic.

“Stop resisting and STAY—” A radiating purple aura suddenly shone through the fog like a malicious omen— “DOWN!”

A burst of power was released, gripping the ground and ceiling in its arcane hold.

I took into the air just as boulders the size of carts rained down from the ceiling. More spikes, each now as tall as the tree itself, erupted from below me at every turn. I pushed towards one side of the chamber, just to be followed by these very spikes now actively chasing my tail.

Dodging to the side, one of them crashed razortip-first into the wall, embedding itself half its length before it shattered. It didn’t take much imagination to think about what they’d do to a pony. They needed to go.

With the wave of a hoof, I conjured a frozen ramp from the ground and curved so I could slide across it. I used it to launch myself into the opposite direction at a sharp angle, suddenly enough to juke the tendrils into crashing into the wall one after the other.

I then used my remaining momentum to dash towards Twilight.

Twilight fired a panicked beam of magic. Rather than dodge, I accelerated towards her, channeling my spark, a hoof raised towards the laser.

The beam clashed against the thick ice shield that morphed on my hoof. Heat threatened to burn through it, orange hotspots glowing through the barrier. A guttural growl erupted from Twilight as she poured more magic into the beam, growing it even thicker and hotter.

That was when I teleported.

Twilight could only gasp before I tackled her down.

We rolled along the ground in a flailing, tangled mess of hooves and wings. Eventually I managed to snake my forelegs under her striking foreleg and around her neck. Successfully locked, I rolled onto my back, wrapping my hind legs around her waist, then prepared for the ride of my life.

Twilight bucked, and screamed, and writhed with everything she had. Her wings struggled against my stomach to try and find leverage to free herself. When her horn lit up, I squeezed as hard as I could and bit down the exposed crook of her neck to throw off her focus.

The ‘iron maiden’ lock made for excellent grappling, at least against normal ponies. Shine Spark had been the only pony to ever break out of my hold. Unfortunately for me, Twilight’s absurd alicorn strength combined with raw pathos-fueled power threatened to take that crown if I couldn’t get it out of her. My teeth still latched onto her, I began devouring her pathos.

A shrill scream tore from her throat as energy flowed into my lungs. I clenched my eyes, failing to block out the horrid pain in her voice while ripping the vile magic out of her system.

I’m sorry, Twilight. I’m so sorry…!

I dared to take a peek with one eye, catching a mix of blood and tears trickling down her eyepatch.

Memories of that incident flashed before my eyes.

The flow of energy ceased.

I tried again, but nothing, as if my own magic rebelled the very notion of absorbing Twilight’s pathos.

*Ah, the downside of controlling magic with your instincts,* Inner Malice pointed out, *your mind knows what’s necessary, but without the heart, your magic is useless.*

For the love of…!

I had no idea how else to break the mind control, nor wanted to experiment further on Twilight. Stopping Malice directly would’ve been the smartest course of action, except Twilight was protecting him. Even worse, assuming I could get to him, I had sworn to save Chrysalis. I was painfully low on options.

Caught up in indecision, Twilight seized the chance to teleport out of my grasp and towards the other side of the chamber, leaving me to scramble onto my hooves.

Twilight staggered when she emerged from teleportation, teetering dizzily. “Since you like playing games so much…!” Twilight muttered while shaking her head, double voice kicking in with her whitening coat. “I’ll play one of my own!”

I didn’t like the crazy grin that broke out on her muzzle.

The ground around her glowed bright with magic. I was ready for another rock tendril attack or something more explosive, especially as the ground rumbled.

Ahead of me, mounds formed underneath the landscape's white veil. The rose up until they were thrice as tall as myself. Arms as thicks as tree trunks and legs even thicker emerged from the dirt.

My heart skipped a beat as they assumed shape: they weren’t equine, but bipedal instead. Like minotauri. The surfaces of the creatures hardened as they assumed a combat stance. Swords the size of flag poles emerged in their hands, and atop of their ghastly, misshapen, nightmarish gorilla bodies, reptilian heads formed.

Their eyes were cold, without pupils, exhibiting no intelligence or consciousness within. They were animated monstrosities given form and function and made obedient through dark magic; creations good for nothing but destruction.

Golems!

They opened their reptilian snouts, baring their sharp carnivore teeth and releasing an ear-shattering roar.

Of freaking course, because dealing with a pathos-fueled alicorn was not terrifying enough. Could this get any worse?

I really didn’t like how Twilight’s grin grew even further as her horn sparked.

A pink aura washed over the golems. Magic flooded the cracks in their bodies. A moment later, their, eyes began glowing ominously.

My heart pounded savagely against my chest. Face flushed, blood rushing through my ears. Compelled by a presence so righteous and true, a calling to my very soul, all I could seem to do was walk towards the golems.

“Come a little closer,” Twilight giggled madly. “They would love to give you a hug… around your throat!”

*What in the world are you doing?*

I cast all unimportant thoughts to the side. I had no need for them. All I needed were the magnificent stone soldiers before me.

*You infuriating mammal, listen to me and stop—why are you running?! No, don’t telep—*

Stars filled my vision as I was punched hard enough to fling my body across the chamber. Struggling to my hooves, the strangest thrill went through my body as I gazed upon the small army of pinkish golems. The dazing blow left me staggering about like a drunkard.

Hurt. Weak. Need power. Need golems.

A frustrated groan tore through my cloudy mind. *Flash, get your act together or so help me I will strangle you with your own...hmmm…* The angry thoughts shimmered to a contemplative hum.

After a beat, the hostile inner voice cleared his throat. *Flash Sentry, listen well, for I am the voice of the holy golems standing before you…! Do you wish to earn my respect? To earn me?*

I nodded vigorously, drawing odd glances from the original Malice and Twilight.

*Listen well, my herald of the divine golems. Draw in the pathos. Fill your mind with it. In doing so, we will be forever yours. Prove yourself… you worthless dumbass.* The last part was muttered low.

Taking heed of the golem’s divine message, I inhaled deeply, pulling pathos-thick air into my lungs. Power pulsed through me with every breath.

Prove myself. Fill your mind with their blessing.

Rather than keep the power centered in my heart, I channeled and pushed the energy upward. A chill ran up the back of my neck and caressed my mind.

Channel the power of the golems. Fill myself with… with…

Just like that, the mind-numbing haze fled from me. Memories rushed me like a tide, bringing clarity with it.

Wait a… what am I...

Then came the pain of getting absolutely bodied by a walking boulder.

“Agh, Celestia-damn that hurts…!” I clutched my chest with a hoof, which had nearly been caved in by the Golem’s fist. What the hay happened? I couldn’t stop myself.

*First off, you’re welcome, you ungrateful colt.* Inner Malice scoffed. *You were enchanted, so out of the kindness of my heart I decided to save your pathetic self.*

My retort was cut short, almost literally as a rushing golem tried to split my head with its stone sword. I threw myself to the side and scampered away from it.

I mentally scrambled through my basic knowledge of combat magic spells. An inviting and hostile sensation. The insane level of neediness for the enchanted material. Even now, a mere glance at the golems pulled at my heartstrings like a thirsty pony seeing an oasis. Some part of me needed those golems in my life, a need greatly suppressed thanks to the Spark flowing through my mind like a cleansing breeze.

It fitted none of the battle spells I knew… but there was another spell that came to mind. A potent one, a spell with a dark history of crippling towns and leading to the downfall of many royal families in the past.

Twilight enchanted them with the ‘want it, need it’ spell!

*I’ve never heard of such a thing. What is it?*

I jumped back from the golem’s next swing. That spell makes anyone who witnesses the enchanted target fall madly in love with it. Long story short, had you not tricked me into suppressing it, I would probably be eating dirt with a smile on my face!

*...You’re telling me she cast a love spell on murderous animations? Damn, I’d kill to have a champion like her!*

I rolled my eyes. Not the time to be impressed, Malice!

I pivoted around another golem’s lunge, thrusting my hoof out for a lightning bolt. The tiniest of sparks popped and fizzled from my hoof, doing little more than leaving me open to the wrath of it’s backhand. Stars exploded before my eyes as I found myself on the ground in a daze.

What the hay was that?

Before the golems could get close, I attempted to teleport away from them.

Instead, I landed atop one of the center golems.

A swarm of swords crashed upon the head of the golem I barely managed to jump off of. The carved up automaton was split into chunks from the collective blows, a small victory in my favor. I landed just outside the edge of the angry golem army.

Something’s wrong. I drew my bladestaff. Even while suppressed, it must be working on my instincts.

*The answer is simple. Fight that much harder.*

Dodging a sword swing of the nearest golem, I hopped to the side once, twice, then slashed at its leg.

Steel struck stone with a sharp scratching sound. I moved back half a step, then thrust it forward again, utilizing the full length of the weapon. The effect was no more spectacular than the first attempt; a metalling pang that made the staff vibrate, but nothing else.

I stole a brief glance at my trusty staff before collapsing it and placing it back in its hold. This isn’t working. Looks like I’ll have to get a little creative.

Animated golems had a few advantages over living things, not having vital organs being one of them. They also never felt pain, fear, or really anything. However, magic was their lifeblood, and removing that would remove their entire existence. I couldn’t sense pathos in them, meaning this was all Twilight’s own magic. An unsettling theory rested at the pit of my stomach.

Is pathos the only magic I can devour? Can I eat Twilight’s magic?

*You’re no changeling. Just like pathos, your ‘spark’ can only amplify or influence what’s already there. Her pathos, however…*

Way ahead of you. Hope it’s enough to shut them down.

I knelt forward slowly, waiting for the golems to get a little closer. Just when the front three reached for me, I made my move.

Their large hands grabbed air as I dashed in between the first and second golem. Another golem behind that one swung a right hook. The first hit snow as I slid under it. On my back, I bucked as hard as I could at the fist of a golem, narrowly parrying the crushing blow. With a swing of my hind legs I flipped onto my hooves to dodge yet another golem strike. The golem I slid under swung around with a lumbering backhand. I hopped over it, waiting for just the right moment as the surrounding golems crowded me to initiate my plan.

Stone crashed against stone as a series of fists connected with each other. Unfortunately, the rock was too hard for them to do more than chip each other with their bumbling strikes. Lucky for me, they did not have the intelligence or awareness of vassals, unable to find me. From my vantage point, I could see Twilight blinking owlishly, searching for me among the rocky, animated soldiers.

*Heh. Clever little fox,* Inner Malice complimented.

Hanging off the back of a golem on the furthest edge of the group away from Twilight like a monkey, I began siphoning the pathos out of it.

To my surprise, there was little pathos to be found inside the golem. No doubt the potency of animation magic combined with the ‘Want it, Need it’ enchantment was strong. Unfortunately, the amount of pathos laced into this magic was like drinking decaffeinated diet soda, severely lacking the addictive punch. What little I could drain did help accelerate the healing process from the crushing blow I suffered early and bolster my stamina, but it didn’t really affect the golem. None of this helped me get any closer to knowing how to deal with these golems quickly and efficiently.

A looming shadow over my head brought a swift end to my ponderings; the question would have to wait.

I leapt off in time to avoid getting smashed into the golem’s back like a fly. Though the one I drained looked a little more sluggish than before, its movements stalled ever so slightly, all it took was a spark of magic from Twilight to bring it back to full strength.

Well… shit. I learned absolutely nothing from that.

*Speak for yourself. I learned even more about how useless you are.*

...When I’m done punching the daylights out of Malice, you’re next!

*Survive this and I’ll happily greet your face with the earth.*

I sprinted away from the chasing golems, scrambling for ideas. It took too long to absorb their magic, my attacks would do little more than chip my keratin, and my magic-based instincts were hampered by that damn Want It, Need It spell.

Really wish my squad was with me right now. Those anti-magic gems would work wonders right about now.

*Need a helping hand, you say?* Inner Malice asked inquisitively.

Anything would be better than what I got right now. I’m out of ideas.

A brief pause fell as I continued running around the chamber, darting between golems trying to flank me. *Ask for my help, Flash Sentry.*

...What are you up to this time, Malice?

*Simply tell me you need my help. You need me to protect and save you.*

The golems moved to surround me, closing in as I found myself backed into a corner. I could smell the BS from a mile away, but I was a thirsty pony in a desert of poor life decisions. If it helped me live to fight another day, I would take just about any reasonable solution.

Fine, you obnoxious ass! I need your help! I swear, if you’re just mocking me…!

Inner Malice chuckled. *I’d be far more creative if I wanted to make you beg, but never mind that for now. Forge an ice sculpture. Shape it like how you saw me when we first met.*

...Where are you going with this?

*Do you want to live or play twenty questions?* Inner Malice snapped, not an ounce of patience left in him.

I cursed under my breath and, envisioning Inner Malice’s form, channeled my spark towards the clump of snow before me.

Snow and ice erupted from the ground, twisting and forming into a replica of Malice. The original Malice went from amused to curious as he looked at the sculpture. Twilight glowered at me.

“Two against twenty, huh? I don’t know what you’re up to, but I’ll pound you and that sculpture into oblivion! Crush them!” With the wave of her hoof, the golems started sprinting.

*Project as much energy into the sculpture as you can and make it quick! Repeat these words and believe in them! Your instincts will do the rest!*

I sucked in a breath. I had no idea what I was doing. Worse yet, all I could do was rely on the one who probably wants to screw me over the most. My only option was to put my bets on the abysmal chance that the angry ball of hatred trapped inside me was going to play fair.

“Warmaster Malice Doomscale, come to my aid!”

The original Malice peered at the display with vested interest, as did I when a burst of magic shot from me and into the ice sculpture.

I’d just about dumped my soul’s weight of magic into the sculpture when the two closest golems raised their fist to strike me down. I tried to take on a fighting stance, but using up so much Spark had left me winded and vulnerable. I winced on instinct, bracing myself to get pounded into the dirt.

Next thing I knew, the two golems were halted, fists caught in a frozen grip.

The Malice-like sculpture glanced back at me, flashing an icy grin at me. “Was that so difficult?” With a growl, he shoved them back, crashing them into their buddies.

I nearly fell back, a terrible realization gripping me. Did… did I just set him free?

*Hmph. I wish,* Inner Malice said. *Since you lack the understanding necessary of creating your own vassals, I had to manipulate you into making one. Hurry and get your energy back; our vassal will buy you time.*

I knew there was something fishy about your instructions! You tricked me into giving you a body! Frustrated as I was with him, I had no choice but to start devouring the pathos-rich energy around me to regain my strength.

*Not for me, but rather our combined mentality of me. Be grateful; I’m saving your life.*

Twilight gasped. “Im...impossible! How are both of you resisting the ‘want it, need it’ spell?!”

My ice vassal growled. “A vassal’s loyalty can never falter to cheap tricks!” Clenching his fist, he raised his hands to his chin, lightly bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Try not to bore me with your useless toys, Twilight Sparkle!” The vassal charged into the fray.

“Golems, destroy that ice sculpture!” Twilight commanded. All at once, the golems converged towards the ice vassal. My vassal worked his way into the ranks like a deadly hailstorm, punching and clawing at them. While notably slower and weaker than the Malice I was familiar with, he was far from a pushover. I was thankful for the distraction, feeling my strength return as I fed upon the energy from the pathos rich environment.

How did you know that would work?

*...I didn’t.*

I choked. What?! I could’ve died if something went wrong!

*The unknown element was you. Getting you to willingly accept my help was simply a means to guide your instincts in my favor. Remember, we are stronger when our desires are aligned. I simply guided you to the right decision.*

It was unnerving to know how easily he manipulated me, even if it was with ‘good intentions’.

*Don’t get too comfortable. All that did was by you some time. Finding the path to victory is your job.*

My attention went back to the vassal, his sweeping kicks and lighting quick punches working at the golems. Upon a closer look, I noticed his attacks did little more than break some of the stones on their hardy bodies. Though not nearly as fast or intelligent, the golems more than made up for it with their brutal strength and incredibly durable stone bodies. Any hit that landed cracked the vassal’s body. All the magic I poured into him was apparently for more than simple animation, the vassal repairing himself by absorbing the pathos in the chamber.

You’re… I mean, he’s losing…! If I had like twenty of him, maybe they could do some damage, but summoning just one took so much out of me…

*Then I suggest you either release me or think fast.*

I caught myself considering it for the tiniest of moments.

Hay no! I’m not that desperate.

*Good luck freeing her from under the emperor’s spell then.*

Right then, Inner Malice’s words stuck out to me. Something was kicking and screaming at the back of my mind.

Free her… under his spell…

I was onto something. I knew it, even if I didn’t know it.

Golems… magic… charm…

I shook my head furiously. The pieces were there, so painstakingly close, yet just outside my reach.

Charm… control… under a spell… perhaps I could—no, that’s silly. I don’t have any way to control—

I gasped sharply.

If a charm spell is affecting my ability to hurt them instinctively... what about the reverse?

A wave of epiphany struck me. My jaw dropped, the full picture finally clear in my mind.

...I’m a Celestia-damn genius!

*Delusional would be more accurate, but I’m willing to hear you out anyway.*

I was about to snap at him when an impish thought struck me.

...You know what? Just for that, you’ll just have to sit in the dark and watch me deal with these golems in one fell swoop. Enjoy the show.

*Hmph, fine. When you crash and burn under the weight of twenty angry golems, I will be laughing.*

I took a few deep breaths, gathering as much pathos and courage around as I could manage. Not knowing whether this worked the way I thought it would terrified me, but it was all I had left to go on at this point.

“...This one's for you, Twilight,” I muttered to myself.

Alright. It's now or never.

This would either by a moment of brilliance or the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. I shifted onto my hind legs and threw a hoof into the sky, channeling every ounce of spark and passion through me.

Twilight quirked an eyebrow at me, baring her teeth. “I don’t know what you think you’re up to faker, but it’s not going to work.” Her horn lit up, readying a spell.

Malice took this time to throw me an inquisitive glance.

I had their curiosity. But now I was going to get their attention.

♪Oh whoa, oh whoa
You didn’t know that you fell…
Oh whoa, oh whoa
Now that you’re under my spell...♪

“...What?” Malice blinked, head tilted to one side.

“What?” Twilight’s gawked, powering down her magic out of sheer confusion.

*What?!* Inner Malice’s enraged and baffled tone spoke volumes. I ignored all of them, bobbing my head and wiggling my hips to the beat only existing in my soul.

♪Blindsided by my moves…
Shakin’ your flank, stompin’ your hooves
You didn’t know that you fell…oh whoa oh whoa
Now you’ve fallen under my spell…! oh whoa-oh whoa-oh whoa-oh♪

*By ‘show’, you literally meant… I can’t even… what?!* I continued ignoring Inner Malice’s bellowing, as well as the heat flooding my face, and continued dancing around the ‘stage’.

♪I got the music, makes you move it
Got the moves that makes you lose it
I say jump, you say how high
Put your hooves up to the sky♪

Malice and Twilight tilted their heads, narrowed their gazes as if deciphering a bizarre alien ritual. My Spark pulsed with the rhythm of the song. If they noticed the faint traces of golden magic flowing out of me like mist and towards the golems, they didn’t show it.

I started to cut loose, a mad stallion dancing and singing like his life depended on it… which, in my case, it really did.

♪Listen to the sound of my voice...♪

Gold flickered in pink as the golems slowly stopped moving, facing me. My vassal took it as a cue to get out of the mosh pit of stone and get some distance.

“What sort of madness is this…?!” The vassal breathed.

♪Soon you'll find you don't have a choice...♪

Golden energy flickered faster and faster within the golems. Their bodies swayed, as if going along with the song. My moves got more and more provocative as my spark swelled, pivoting my hips and making suggestive notions… towards the golems.

♪Captured in the web of my song...♪

Pink completely faded from the golems one by one. Within moments all that was left was golden light flooding through the cracks of their bodies.

♪Soon you'll all be singing along…!♪

Their mouths moved, a gravelly version of my voice coming out of them, singing.

Twilight snapped out of her reverie, eyes wide as she stared at her—no, my—golems.

“What are you…. What have you done?!” Twilight snapped. Her horn burned with furious energy, flooding the golems I’d affected with my spark. Unfortunately for her, my magic had already taken root, golems continuing to sing along with me.

*..Are you bloody kidding me? This silly little… display is actually affecting the golems?!*

If Twilight is so stuck on invoking seduction for her golems on me, why not use that to my advantage? You would have to be pretty stupid to not figure that out.

The next words out of his mouth were spoken in a language I didn’t dare try to comprehend. Considering how sharp and severe he sounded, my only guess was that I pissed him off enough for him to default into his native tongue.

Worth it.

♪You didn't know that you fell… oh whoa-oh♪
♪Now that you're under my spell…!♪

As the song finished, I sensed no trace of that damning charm magic. I was free!

“You took my golems! Impossible!” Twilight bellowed.

“Sorry, Twilight, but this is for your own good!” I said, facing my golem squads.

Alright, so I have control… now what?

I glanced at Malice, who was utterly dumbfounded, though whether it was from the absurdity or unusual use of magic I had no idea. Though I considered having my golems go after him, I couldn’t risk them fatally injuring Chrysalis’ body or Twilight trying to regain control of them.

However, I knew who else could use a helping hoof of deadly charm golems.

“The equestrian forces need your help in Ponyville! Do everything you can to help the ponies and changelings fighting for their lives! Kill any enemy vassal or possessed beast you come across!” I shouted.

They snapped into a salute. “Yes, sir!” The golems moved into a single file line and charged for the exit.

*Good use of your resources. I’m sure they will appreciate an extra pair of deadly hands,* Inner Malice said.

“No!” Twilight shouted.

Her horn ignited. A brilliant beam of purple and white dashed towards the golems. It struck the reatmost one in his back, and its entire torso exploded into shrapnell. The legs and charred stump of a hip struggled to maintain their balance, and before they managed to do so, they too burst into a firework of magic and boulders.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Twilight yelled. She fired another magical blast at next of the golems, but this time my ice vassal was faster. It deflected the blow into the walls, and before Twilight could prepare another spell, the golems were gone.

“It’s Flash’s turn to play with the toys,” my vassal chuckled. His defense saved the rest of my golems, and thus important new assets that I could bet were desperately needed elsewhere.

Twilight was not pleased.

Baring her teeth, Twilight hovered into the air and worked her magic to levitate loose rocks all around us. Small enough to fit onto the frogs of my hooves, dozens were lifted and suspended mid-air. As one of the rocks glowed with power, my Sentry Sense triggered.

Even with heightened senses that slowed the world around me to a crawl, the rock shot towards me with ludicrous speed. Air warped around it in waves as it broke through the sound barrier, just a fraction of a second before it caught fire from the insane friction alone.

Pieces of my shoulder armor disappeared as the grazing shot’s force knocked me back so hard it sent me spiraling through the air. Still caught in the Sentry Sense, I followed the projectile with my eyes as it struck the wall behind me. The massive granite wall splashed and threw waves like a fluid as the rock disintegrated itself down to its last atom upon impact.

Splinters dashed away from the wall and towards me as all of the pebble’s kinetic energy now sought another way to dissipate. I slammed onto the ground and immediately raised my forelegs to protect my face and throat. Splinters as sharp as razor blades hammered against my defenses.

Only when the hailstorm of shrapnel had stopped did my Sentry Sense disappear. I paled as I quickly picked myself up and clutched at my singed shoulder and bleeding forelegs. Had that rock been slightly more accurate I would’ve lost that shoulder.

Several more rocks were levitated off the ground, brimming bright with magic. By this point I was seriously reconsidering some life decisions.

I had no time to warn the vassal or even protect him, barely staying alive thanks to Sentry Sense. Most of them went after me, but the vassal unfortunately took some shots. Part of his body shattered from the impact, the sharp edges caused by it melting away from the projectile’s heat. When he crouched, readying for a jump, a terrifying realization hit me.

“Vassal, do not harm or go near Twilight!”

The vassal threw me a side glance, growling before lunging out of the way of another high velocity rock throw. “Just don’t get yourself killed, sir.”

It seemed so strange to hear the word ‘sir’ spoken in Malice’s voice, vassal or otherwise. Oddity aside, I was relieved that I wouldn’t have to worry about my vassal accidentally hurting Twilight. My moment of relief was instantly replaced with terror as the heat from one of those damn rocks singed the top of my head.

I need to throw off her aim or make it hard for her to target us before I lose my head. In fact...

With my magic heavily tied to my nature as a pegasi, I was reminded of other weather effects I could make. I took in a deep breath, channeled my spark with a clear vision in mind, and blew out.

Like making breath mist in winter, I exhaled thick puffs of cloud. A single breath created enough cloud to obscure my area with thick fog. One of those superspeed rocks crashed through the cloud, revealing the empty space where I had long since disappeared from.

Twilight paused for a beat, confused until she heard me blow from behind. She spun around and shot several rocks into the cloud behind her, a second too late as she struck air. The cave rocked in its foundations as the stones disappeared somewhere into the walls. I could hear shrapnel fall onto the ground like rain, but this time too far away to be of any harm.

More and more clouds were conjured around her, slowly filling the chamber with thick mist.

“Stop hiding! Show yourself!” Twilight shot down the clouds quicker and quicker, agitation and temper growing with every miss.

Huh. That worked better than expected.

*Clearly not because you’ve just hidden your movements; That alone wouldn’t have stopped her from finding you. But you’ve just covered the entire cave in your aura, and it’s damn difficult to find a needle in a stack of needles. Best take advantage of this while you can.*

Don’t have to tell me twice.

Knowing Twilight’s power, one factor I had to acknowledge was her lack of military combat training. There were some things, certain techniques mastered through training and skirmishes against various forces, that magical prowess and pure strength cannot overcome. With the mist completely fogging the area, my next plan required a little experimentation, and a helping of good luck.

I flew around the chamber, invoking Spark through my wings to lower the chamber’s temperature as much as possible. More importantly, also lower the air pressure. With Twilight’s mounting frustration and pathos influence seemingly clouding her judgment, she blasted away at me with her rocks. I had to dodge angry shrapnel more than once, and gained a number of new cuts in the process, but luckily she missed me by several lengths each time.

I caught the sound of Twilight taking deep gulps of air, seemingly unaware of my plans. I tracked her thick pathos signature through the obscuring mist, careful to avoid staying in one place too long else I gave her the chance to adapt and track my movements.

“Enough of your tricks!” Twilight empowered her horn to cast another spell, exhuming purple light bright enough to shine through the mist. A spell she would never finish if I could help it.

I finally revealed myself above her and latched myself onto her back. Without the use of her wings, Twilight plummeted to the ground. I worked my wings to ensure she didn’t hit the ground too hard, only enough to knock the wind out of her and stun her, fizzling the spell she was about to cast.

If I can’t get the magic out of her, I’ll have to drain her physically.

While she was vulnerable, I carefully locked my hooves around her neck and squeezed into a sleeper hold. Combined with the freezing temperature and lowered air pressure, Twilight might as well be trying to run a marathon atop the world’s highest mountain. Her breathing turned to pants, movements slowing as her fighting strength dwindled. My training allowed me to better control my breathing in such conditions, having a strict upper hand in this grappling contest of death.

“Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student,” Malice started up, using Celestia’s voice again, “you have my consent to use that.”

Twilight gasped, eye drooping. Her choked voice was barely audible. “But… but I…”

What the hay is Malice up to?

*If I had to guess, Twilight’s trump card.*

Malice continued. “The fate of Equestria is depending on you. Do whatever it takes to survive and protect everyone. You are our only hope, my faithful student. Don’t let Flash’s death be in vain.”

My… what? Death? What is he talking about?

Twilight’s eye snapped open, horn igniting and its light cascading down her body. Her shriek of fury was followed by a wall of magic exploding out of her.

The sudden burst of magic tore my grip off her and flung me across the chamber. Furious flapping of my wings kept me from slamming headfirst into the chamber wall, landing on my hooves before dropping to the floor. My vassal stabbed the earth with his blade and held on for dear life, barely holding as Twilight’s overwhelming wave of magic flooded the room.

Such a powerful display of magic diminished Twilight’s already thin supply of stamina, panting heavily as she fumbled onto her hooves. Purple lightning crackled weakly around her horn, her one eye glazed over as she glared at me.

She and Malice exchanged a look, then a nod. Newfound conviction filled Twilight as she forced out another spell with some effort.

A barrier of thick purple magic covered Malice, the tree of harmony, and the ice pods her friends were encased in.

*Why is she protecting them only now?* Inner Malice pondered.

I gulped. I… don’t think it’s me she’s protecting them from me.

A wide smile that crossed madness and excitement reached Twilight’s muzzle, matching the crazed intensity in her eye that made me weak in the knees.

Twilight’s horn—no, her entire body—suddenly exhumed black mist. Her eye emblazoned with fiery black and green magic like I’ve never seen.

*That… is not pathos…* Inner Malice sounded just as confused as I felt.

Whatever she was doing caused any loose objects— snow, water, and rocks—to slowly float. My hooves could barely stay on the ground, practically weightless. Trying to go airborne did little for me, the lack of weight throwing off my aerial balance. I was forced to adapt to a low gravity environment while trying to figure out what in Equestria Twilight was trying to throw at me this time.

Though the familiar white aura of pathos pulsed from her, this kind of magic was a far cry different from that. More reminiscent of how Cadance described Sombra’s—

A proverbial spike shot through my heart.

—dark magic!

Her shadow darkened and grew in size rapidly. Before I knew it, everything except Twilight and I was swallowed in pure obsidian. It’s viscous consistency and squirming sensation made this stuff feel alive and writhing.

“You can hide nothing from me, faker,” Twilight’s distorted voice sent chills down my spine as she suddenly faded from sight, swallowed by shadow. “Nothing!”

My hooves left the muck as a warped force threw me into the air. Wings flapped furiously to regain control, a useless struggle against this twisted atmosphere shifting all of my weight upward. Pain exploded on my back as I fell hard on the ceiling, the wind knocked out of me.

*You should’ve thought twice before trying to replace my friends.* Twilight’s venomous voice echoed inside my head. *I’ll drown you in your own deceit!*

Gravity, along with my stomach, flipped and dropped downward with several times its normal force. A scream tore out of me as I was flung back into the black muck. I braced myself to crash into the ground, only to instead splash into a sea of obsidian.

I scrambled and swam against the unstoppable force that continued to push me through the water, all the while dealing with the sensation of hundreds of tiny needles attacking my brain from all angles. Firmly caught in gravity’s grasp, all I could do was hold my breath and pray as I was dragged deeper and deeper into the endless depths of the swirling void.

Just when my lungs started to burn, my migraine subsided just as I was spat out of the dark sea and towards the ground. Quick thinking with teleportation saved me from becoming a buttermilk pancake, though not completely as momentum travelled with me through the teleportation.

Rather than snow like I expected from the chamber, my hooves crashed upon hot, red brimstone.

What the…?

Neither snow nor black muck were present anywhere. Sweltering winds swept past me, carrying distant howls and screams from the rocky terrain reaching far beyond the horizon. Rivers of lava were scattered across this horrific field, some of it filtered through the tiny cracks in the brimstone.

“Where in Tartarus am I—GAH!”

I jumped away from the gnashing teeth and growling of the feral bugbear trapped behind its cage, nearly stumbling into another cage, one with a manticore, just behind me. Dozens of cages were littered across this nightmarish landscape, each filled with various monstrosities and horrors.

Uh, Malice? I could really use some insight here… Malice? You home?

Nothing.

The sound of enormous beating wings drew my attention upward. From the now-blood-filled sky descended a skyscraper sized Twilight who shook the world with her landfall.

You have gotta be kidding me! My ears pinned back as I tried to step back, stopped only by shaking legs frozen with terror.

I was in Tartarus in every sense of the name.

Calm down, Flash, we’ve been through this before.

I shook my head, if only to rid myself of the paralyzing terror.

Dark magic is just terrifying psychic magic that thrives on fear. This is all in my head, just like in the mind palace.

Recalling my training on handling dark magic did the trick to slow my heartbeat a few notches below cardiac arrest. Twilight was still a very real threat and had infiltrated my mind thanks to her magic. As much as she could tear me apart in here, dark magic had its own share of setbacks that made her just as vulnerable to those who could handle themselves in mental warfare. I had to tread carefully here, for both of our sakes.

“Welcome to your new home, imposter!” Twilight leered. “On behalf of Equestria, I find you guilty of attempted regicide, fraud, and first-degree murder!”

That last word snapped me out of my daze. Unless she learned about what I did to the changelings, I couldn’t figure out what drove her to such a conclusion, twisted pathos-influenced logic notwithstanding. Malice had said something along those lines, but I had to be sure. “Murder? Murdered who?”

“Don’t play games!” Twilight stomped. Everything not attached to the ground bounced from the force. “You parade in his image and dare to claim innocent?! You’re nothing but a liar! A murderer!”

She thinks I killed… me?! How in the—

It clicked. Just like when the vassal possessed me, Twilight was also going through a hallucination. There’s no telling what kind of deception Malice fed her while posing as Celestia. All that mattered was finding a solution fast and avoid either of us ending up brain dead or suffering a psychotic break.

“Twilight, don’t be ridiculous! I am the real Flash! I am alive! You’re being controlled by—”

“Enough of your lies!” Twilight’s wrathful voice carried throughout the endless stretch of Tartarus, threatening to deafen me. “It all ends here, and I have the perfect punishment for you!”

Creaking metal resounded from all the shaking and screaming cages. I had a bad feeling what punishment Twilight had in store for me.

“Your punishment is endless death! You will die over, and over, and over, for all eternity!”

All the cages opened.

Every manner of creatures and horrors one’s nightmares could produce poured out of their prisons and bounded for me, piercing red eyes and frothing maws aimed at tearing me limb from limb.

For once since this messed up war against Malice started, I was relieved to finally have something easy.

Sorry Twilight…

I threw a single forehoof into the air. The environment followed my will as electrified spears erupted from all around me, skewering all the beasts at once.

...But you’re in my world now!

“What?!” Twilight reeled back, gaping as my spears sliced through her ranks, dissolving like burning paper right before her eyes. “Impossible!”

“I used to think so too, until a certain asshole invaded my mind and showed me how it was done.” I said moreso to myself than Twilight.

Like an orchestra conductor, I waved my hoof across the plateau between us. The earth upheaved in a mighty wave from the left to the right, washing the corpses off its edge and into the depths of the pit below. Without the fear of stamina or magic consumption, my powers had free reign, limited only by my imagination. The only catch was not knowing what Twilight was actually capable of.

“Twilight!” I stared up at the giant alicorn with pleading eyes. Couldn’t help but notice the lack of an eyepatch. Intended or not, I appreciated that. “Please stop and listen! Let me prove that it’s really me!”

“No! I won’t fall for your tricks!” Her glare moved to the remaining monsters charging for me, black ichor spreading through her horn, greenish flames erupting from her irises. “Kill him!”

Shadowy tendrils sprouted out of the creatures’ bodies and coiled around their limbs. The ones impaled by my spares howled and wailed as their bodies split in half from the point of piercing, regenerating the severed halves with a shadow version of themselves. Not only did this free them, but their numbers as well as speed were effectively doubled as they charged me again.

I summoned another round of deadly electric spears from the ground. Despite being slashed or impaled, they didn’t burn away like the previous ones.

She must’ve empowered them with enough dark magic to resist getting outright erased. They’re tougher than I thought.

Unfortunately for them, someone far scarier than they could ever be was on my side.

Time to bust out the big guns!

I pounded my hoof into the ground. “Malice Doomscale, come to my aid!”

For each spear jutting out the ground, an ice vassal of Malice emerged beside them, picking the spears off the ground as their weapons. The bewildered shadowbeasts, and Giant Twilight by association, were stunned by the roaring ferocity of the scariest damn dragon I’ve had the pleasure of facing.

“No fear! Yes I can!” Half of them yelled, pouncing upon their target.

“Blood for blood! No mercy, no respite!” The other half yelled, driving their spears into their ambushed prey. The look on Twilight’s face sent a prideful chill through me. She clearly didn’t expect my army of unstoppable warriors to hard counter her Tartarus spawn.

For the ones that narrowly slipped out of my vassal’s claws I had a special surprise waiting.

They slammed into my ice wall like a bird colliding with glass. Conjuring spears in my hooves, I hurled them through the wall, pinning the beasts against my ice shield.

“Enough! Let’s see how you handle this!” With the spark of her horn, Twilight transformed the bleeding sky into a sea of lava. Droplets of molten lava rained all over Tartarus.

...Okay, that is new.

Because that apparently wasn’t annoying enough, the droplets that made contact with the ground transformed into more shadowy Tartarus spawn, this time coated with black fire.

You’re gonna have to do better than that, Twilight!

I conjured full plate ice armor to counter the raining lava and took into the air. The protection held against the literal raining death, only needing to worry about some of the small embers touching my exposed hoof...and the monsters sprouting wings to chase my down.

“Oh come on!” I exasperated, forging an ice spear into one hoof and shield onto the other.

I dove between swarming beasts, using a combination of lightning and evasive maneuvers to avoid getting grabbed. Following my instinctive command, and using some inspiration from Twilight, lightning coursed through the bodies of my ice vassals as they empowered their spears and hurled them at the flying beast coming at me. The spears sailed through the air quicker than lightning bolts with the power to pierce the heavens, skewering and splitting apart anything that got remotely close.

Even if all of this was in my head, I knew better than to risk a flaming shadow monster touching me, using the spear as a spacing tool to keep my distance from those my vassals couldn’t snipe out of the sky.

During my aerial dance of death, I had to remind myself that this was not a battle of power. Twilight seemed to have as much of a hoofhold on this reality as I did. All I had to do is counter her options until I found an answer to end this madness once and for all. To start, I needed to do something about the raining fire that was slowly melting through my armor, and I had just the idea to handle that.

I channeled a healthy dose of spark into creating a raging hailstorm. Ice materialized and swirled around Tartarus like frozen daggers, shredding monsters and dampening the lava. When the ice shards landed, and again thanks to Twilight’s idea, each shard transformed into more ice vassals, half of them Malice and another half shaped into my likeness. While the Malice-vassals took care of the ground forces, the Flash-Vassals took into the air to chase down whatever avoided getting shredded by the hailstorm or by the lightning-powered spears..

Twilight really didn’t appreciate my counter of choice, evident by the raging snarl.

“The battle of minds is my domain, faker! You are nothing!” Twilight sparked her horn again.

I’d expected another phenomenon or magical strike. What I didn’t expect was for gravity to get flipped on its head again, sending me flying straight up into the lava-filled sky.

Oh shit!

I flailed, unable to catch myself from rising—or rather, falling—into the lava. The switch of gravity, and subsequent increase of intensity, had me rushing to a fiery death at breakneck speed. No amount of flying could save me from this twisting of reality’s rules.

Yet, this was still my mind, and I’d gotten out of more precarious scenarios than this. I just had to think outside the box... and screw the rules.

With a cry, I allowed myself to get pulled towards the lava, and slammed my hoof towards it.

An iced platform formed at my hoof, saving me from a burning death. Lava splashed around my makeshift platform, some of it landing on my armor. I regained my balance and stared down—or rather up—at the infinitely irritated Twilight. “Twilight, there are ponies dying out there that need our help! Please, stop for just a second and—”

“Never!” The black and green aura of dark magic swirled violently around her horn. “Imposters like you are nothing but cowards! You hide behind your lies and mirrors! Well, let’s see how you like it when your greatest fears are revealed to the world!”

Everything except mega-sized Twilight dissolved, swallowed by darkness. Gravity went back to normal, forcing me to glide through the empty void of space. A clawing sensation pulsed in the back of my mind, invoking a migraine.

I nearly tripped when my hooves suddenly landed on snow.

I found myself just outside a crumbling city set ablaze. The mad grin and cackling from giant Twilight died down as recognition dawned on her. Once I realized where we ended up, my heart nearly stopped cold: The Canterlot invasion.

“What… what is this?” Giant Twilight glanced around, marveling with horror at the warzone. More specifically, the several figures standing on opposing sides to my alternate self. I suspected yet another terrible trip down memory lane, subjecting Twilight to the terrors of war. It wasn’t until the one pony who should be nowhere near Canterlot slowly approached Alternate Me that I learned which memory she drew my fears from.

“S...Sunset?” My alternate self muttered, breathless.

This was not an event from years ago. This was yesterday.

“What is this?!” Giant Twilight barely tore her eyes from the memory to glare at me. “How are you doing this?”

This was as surprising for me as it was for Twilight. I knew what my greatest fear was. The moments that paved the way for years of inferiority and cowardice to poison my soul. It was the loss of Sunset Shimmer. The loss of my entire squad back in Canterlot.

Yet, watching this memory play out, my shoulders tensing as the defining moment approached, I could not deny the hurt that gripped me. At least I had been able to face my fears back in the mind palace. Forced to confront memories that plagued me for so much of my life. This particular incident was too fresh. Too real.

As the memory played out, my past self realizing that I cut down Twilight and believed I killed her, that terrible, insufferable pain hit me just as hard now as it did back then. Apparently, it struck Giant Twilight just as hard.

“Why are you remembering this?!” Giant Twilight’s voice boomed. Her wings flared in defiance as her glare hardened. “E-explain yourself!”

That miniscule hesitation in her voice. The tiniest hint of doubt resting on Twilight’s tongue.

At that moment, the mother of all epiphanies came to me. What I had to do to save us both was clear.

I looked up at the giantess, steeling myself for the plunge I would have to make. “Continue digging, Twilight,” I offered with the gentlest voice. “Dig deep to find the truth you need.”

Giant Twilight reared back in surprise. “This is… you’re not making any sense!” Her eyes flared with dark magic. “I can see that you’re scared. You’re trying to bluff me, aren’t you? Aren’t you?!”

“You’re right that I’m scared. I never wanted you to see the pony I was and what I went through. There’s so much I wish I could just lock up in the deepest part of Tartarus and throw away the key. Even now, even in such a crisis, I’m goddamn scared out of my mind.”

I stomped a hoof, forcing it to stop trembling. “But I’m done running away from my past! All it’s done was hurt me and everyone I care about. So leave no stone unturned. Look through my soul as much as you want. Nothing will stop me from saving you, Twilight!”

With the wave of my hoof, the environment dissolved, leaving a black void.

“Not even myself.”

The clawing in my mind intensified, sending chills through me. I didn’t fight it this time, allowing Twilight free reign.

Different images appeared all around us, conjured as living photos. Different memories of Twilight and I appeared in the visions: our confidence sessions, my moment of stage fright, the first time I played for her, when she confronted me about my personal issues, even the smaller interactions between us were all laid bare.

“Why, why, why?!” Twilight rummaged faster and faster through my memories, her enormous size shrinking as her panic and doubt grew. Her speed slowed as she reached my meeting with Trojan—that is, Noble Heart—and Shining Armor. Then even deeper, to the Canterlot Invasion that crushed me.

I lost track of how long she stared at the visions, some of them she watched over and over again, searching for some damning evidence or inconsistency that simply didn’t exist. Not once did she look at me, being too engrossed with every single relevant memory she could find.

“This has to be a lie. Some… some sort of trick…!” Twilight was no longer speaking to me, little to no conviction in her assessment of my past. By this point she shrunk down to her normal size, tears of frustration threatening to spill. All I needed was one decisive push to send her over the edge, and I knew just the memory to do it.

“Twilight,” her head snapped to me, “I’ve never explained the true reason behind my stage fright. What filled me with this sense of failure and cowardice. Very few ponies know. I… I was afraid of being judged for it. That you would see me as a weak stallion if you knew.”

“No…! No! Stop it!” She stumbled back from me, clutching her head. “You’re NOT Flash!”

“You believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself,” I continued. “When I had no faith in moving beyond my past, you helped me, even while knowing little to nothing about me. Just as you opened my eyes, I will do the same for you.”

I willed the images around us away. A stage light popped on above us.

“Let me show you what had been my greatest fear. Showing you this is my proof that our time together, your trust in me, was not in vain!”

A third stage light popped on, this time focused on the past version of myself. The last day I saw Sunset Shimmer.

The song, the look on Sunset’s face, everything about this moment should have hurt me more than it did. Perhaps it was due to having faced my feelings so recently, or maybe the harrowing threat still looming over our heads distracted my true feelings enough to numb the pain. Deep down however, I knew it was the look on Twilight’s face.

Her eyes bounced between my past self and Sunset. I could see the light of recognition in her eyes as she began putting two and two together. Just as Discord and Chrysalis did, Twilight was roped along the motions, attention rapt as Sunset kissed past me. And then…

“It’s over, Flash.”

With Sunset’s final words and departure, Twilight’s mouth hung ajar.

I slowly approached Twilight who was still stunned, stopping when I was just a step or two away. “That’s everything, Twilight. If you still think everything’s a lie, have no doubt about what you witnessed, then strike me down.”

She didn’t. Her magic continued to worm its way through my mind, searching for who knows what. Judging from the look on her face, the dwindling intensity of her dark magic as it lost strength, she did not find what she was looking for.

“I… I don’t… why are you…” Twilight babbled incoherently, the most confused and vulnerable I’ve ever seen her.

“I meant what I said,” I dared to get even closer, “that was my greatest fear. But now…”

“H-huh?”

Going against every instinct, casting precaution and fear to the wind, I embraced her.

“My greatest fear is losing you, Twilight.”

The sound of cracking echoed all around us. Twilight stiffened in my embrace, but I refused to let her go. Never again.

Wisps of black mist fled from her body, leaving a weakened Twilight in my hooves. She shuddered, groaning softly as she slumped against me.The real Twilight, my Twilight, whispered back to me.

“Flash… I’m sorry...”

The world shattered.

Our world of shadow broke away like glass, revealing the reality that had been swallowed by dark magic. Cold returned to my limbs as the temperature and overflowing pathos rushed to welcome me back.

My vassal stumbled forward into a halt, staring at me weirdly. “How…?” Even Malice was throwing me looks, his eyes asking the same question. Outside having Twilight unconscious in my hooves, the eyepatch back on her face, the world seemed no different than the moment her dark magic took over.

Malice, talk to me. What happened while I was gone?

*Gone? What are you talking about? One second that vile magic flooded you and this chamber, the next second she’s unconscious in your hooves. That so-called dark magic completely blinded my connection to you.*

Unsettling as that was, I put it aside for now if only to enjoy what had seemed like an insurmountable victory at the start.

Huh. So dark magic even affects spirits... anyway, it’s a long story, but I broke the spell over Twilight.

*What in the holy emperor’s name happened? How did you pull that off?!*

I smiled, unable to help myself. With the power of friendship.

*Hmph. Spare me.* Though I had no proof, I just knew he was rolling his eyes.

“Astounding. Truly astounding.” Malice nodded with approval. “I knew this ‘dark magic’ would be an unusual element, but to see it in action, and you survive it, is truly fascinating. You exceed my expectations once again, Flash Sentry.”

Malice’s voice brought my attention back to focus. Looking down on my sleeping princess, everything Malice has done to her, to me, to everyone, rushed to the forefront of my mind. Even now, friends old and new were fighting for their lives, some of them dying, and all because of him.

Focused calm greeted my mind, contrast to the swell of violent energy raging within me, a wrathful beast begging to be unchained. I carefully laid Twilight on the snow. “Not a hair on her mane gets harmed.” I commanded my vassal with quiet, pure authority.

Whatever the vassal saw in me caused him to grin. “Understood.” He moved next to Twilight, taking guard.

“Oh?” Malice drawled with amusement. “I sense your conviction. Your hatred. Now that you have passed my—”

I dashed at Malice, leaving a trail of sparks in my warpath.

Malice conjurned an emerald shield between us, only to rear his head back as my hoof broke through the shield, crashing into his cheek.

White chitin turned black as the ghostly form of Malice was blasted out of the body, Chrysalis crumpling to the floor like a puppet with severed strings. Unlike his subordinates, his full form materialized instantly as he was flung out of her.

A massive wingless dragon tumbled across the frozen ground. Even without any armor on, Malice’s massive muscles made him far bulkier and taller than his warmaster counterpart. He quickly spun into a roll to break his fall. His claws pierced through the snow and deep into the rock as he came to a halt.

He looked up. First at me, then at Chrysalis’ motionless body. “How in—No!”

Shock and fury exploded on his face as he realized what had happened. He dashed forward in a series of long jumps, each so heavy they made the ground tremble underneath me. His hind claws dug into the ground with every step.

For a terrifying, horrible second I though he was gonna murder Chrysalis where she laid, while she was defenseless.

Helpless.

Fragile.

Just like Twilight.

I dashed forward to intercept, driven by breathtaking fury burning in my lungs. He spotted me, and his claw came down upon me like a reaper’s scythe. His voice roared like thunder. “I will NOT be denied—”

I moved into his strike, grabbing his claw as I passed by him. Using my own momentum I yanked him around, diverting him from his path. Still piloted by instincts and fury alone, I heard myself screaming at him. Holding his claw tight, I used it to lift myself into the air—and drop-kick him right in his Celestia-damn face with all I had.

An explosion of sparks and thunder shook the room, accompanied by a pained howl as Malice was sent skipping across the ground like a pebble over a pond. He crashed through the bedrock wall of the chamber, a Malice-shaped crater being the only evidence he had been present in the room.

Everyone of my muscles burned with energy as I landed on the ground in a cat-like pose. I drew in heavy breaths, eyes fixed onto that hole, expecting him to return any second now.

Any second now...

Only when my breath calmed down did I notice that the entire room had become dead silent, save for the sound of strangled gasps. My vassal gaped at the crater. Inner Malice had made a similar noise, somewhere between a stifled scream and choked words.

*That… did you just…*

Like a light switch, Inner Malice went from speechless to growling with unholy rage.

*Disgraceful...!*

I had no idea what he was driving at until I noted the vassal mimicking his barely contained rage. That murderous gaze was aimed where the original Malice had been bucked to. I knew he was still alive, the rising intensity of pathos pulsing from the crater a warning of the shitstorm now imminent. I moved towards the crater in the wall, ready for the fight of my life.

Only to stop and whip my head around towards Chrysalis. Unconscious, still breathing, and, more importantly, not possessed.

“Vassal, stall him!” I pointed to the crater.

“With pleasure…!” The vassal charged into the crater full of eager bloodlust. Rumbling boomed along the walls, shouts and bursts of flame rushing out of the opening. I darted for Chrysalis’ side, but not before a chilling thought crept into my mind.

Did… did I just send my vassal, a soldier under my command, to his death?

*What are you doing?!* Inner Malice exploded, practically frothing with anger. *Stop wasting time and kill Malice before he recovers!*

I’d experienced Inner Malice’s unhealthy levels of rage before. This, however, was on a whole new level. I only recall Discord making him this upset.

My friends are still fighting a one-sided war out there. They take priority over Malice’s ass-kicking!

Inner Malice growled, but otherwise said nothing more on my decision as I got to Chrysalis’ side.

“Chrysalis, wake up! Please tell me that worked!” I gave her a light shake. She was breathing, yet not knowing where her soul was, I had no idea if it meant she was already in the body or if it was just her body’s natural reflex.

I glanced at the tree of harmony, forming an idea. “Hey Chrysalis, get your fat ass back into your body already! I didn’t do all of this for the street cred!”

After several tense moments, long enough to ponder if there was another way to summon her, Chrysalis gasped, eyes snapping open. Caution grounded my excitement, if only because—having just now realized this possibility—I had no idea who was piloting her body.

I waited with the patience of Celestia herself, letting ‘Chrysalis’ catch her breath. Sitting up, her gaze moved to me. It was filled with disbelief and shock, but also with a mix of something else I couldn’t quite—

“OW!” I yelped as her hoof smacked the back of my head.

“That’s the second time you’ve called me fat, you uncultured brute!”

I should’ve been upset. Shocked. Yet all I could do was stand up and grin like the happiest idiot in the world.

“Welcome back, Chrysalis,” I greeted her warmly, extending a hoof.

“Hmph. That’s Queen Chrysalis to you!” Chrysalis’ irritation lasted a beat before transforming into a smile filled with so much warmth I was surprised the ice around us didn’t melt. She reached for my hoof. “You have the strangest way of solving problems, Flash.”

Accepting her leg, I helped Chrysalis onto her hooves. “What can I say? I work well under pressure. Can you stand on your own?”

“I’ll be fine. Go check on Twilight.”

I rushed over to the collapsed Twilight and crouched by her side. Outside of being unconscious, her breathing was steady. Chrysalis walked over to us. “She should no longer be controlled, but we’re far from out of the woods.”

“I know. We got a warzone outside this chamber. The Crystal Guard arrived to help, but now got their hooves full dealing with the—”

“—invasion using Everfree’s predators,” she finished.

“How do you know that? Were you able to sneak peeks from the tree?”

Chrysalis shook her head. “I’m seeing the war from the hivemind feedback provided by the vassals right now. I’m getting battlefield reports from them… addressed to Malice.” She threw me a worried look. “I’m behind enemy lines, Flash.”

“What do you mean exactly?”

Worried etched into Chrysalis’ face. “The torn control of my body temporarily destabilized my hive mind network. They have no idea what just happened, only that the network was silenced for a moment. I’m connected to every single vassal Malice ever made. The numbers are massive…!”

That was far from what I wanted to hear. “Can’t you just destroy them or separate them from the link? Kinda like how he was able to—” I carefully picked my choice of words “—shut down your changelings?”

“Unless I want to destroy the minds of my changelings as well, I’d have to do each one individually. Everyone, vassal and changeling, use my network as a central point of connection. It takes a moment to determine which is a changeling and which is a vassal.”

Panic reached her eyes. “Even then, I can’t stop warlords or warmasters without everyone and their mother realizing what happened. Once they catch on, they will overwhelm me in an instant. I-I’ll be dead if they’re feeling merciful.”

That’s not going to happen. I won’t let it.

“Can you turn off the network?” I asked.

Chrysalis threw me an aghast look. “That would be insane. My changelings are all over Equestria and beyond. It would destroy us! Put our hive into disarray! We need our network!”

“So do the vassals!” I fired back. “Malice is using the hivemind to kill and control the changelings! Would shutting it down save them from the vassals?”

“It… it will save them from the vassals, but—”

“Do you have another way to save them, then? A surefire way to stop the vassals from taking over?”

The look on her face confirmed we were on the same boat of bad ideas. I could only imagine it was the equivalent of all ponies losing their magic. Conveniences we were born with and integrated throughout our lives and culture, gone. The complexity of this decision was far beyond what I could process, yet it was easy enough to conclude that leaving Malice in control of the network had to be the worst of the two evils.

After a pause, Chrysalis swallowed hard. “T-there has to be another way. I need time to figure this out.”

“Time neither of you will have…!”

I whipped my head to find the skull of my vassal clutched in Malice’s claw as he emerged from the hole. A vicious snarl was plastered on his face. “I didn’t think you had it in you, Flash Sentry.”

The ice sculpture’s head shattered in his flexing claws. I jumped in front of Chrysalis, blade staff drawn.

“I’ll see what else is in you when I tear you in half!”

The blur of where he had just been still hung in the air by the time he had reached me. He moved with such ungodly speed that not even my Sentry Sense seemed to slow him down. As his fist came from his hip, aimed for my skull, I knew I could never raise a defense in time.

An explosion of purple and white erupted an inch away from my face. Energy discharged into all directions at once—except towards me. Snow and shrapnel were tossed into the air, and the former slowly settled on his clenched fist that was still just a breath away from my snout.

Only now did I notice the vibrating purple barrier his knuckles were pressed against.

—Twilight!

Chrysalis and I snapped our heads back to see Twilight on her hooves, breathing hard as her horn radiated a brilliant light.

“Chrysalis…” Twilight spoke between pants, “I’m still trying to piece together what’s going on, but what I do understand is you have a decision you need to make right now. If turning off the network is what it takes to save your hive, it’s better than letting it get taken over.”

Chrysalis growled. “We will be lost without the network. There will be nothing for us.”

“No, there will be something,” Twilight countered. “If you’re willing to put aside our differences and work together with us, you can at least have a home. I’ll make sure of it.”

Chrysalis stared in disbelief. “B-but…”

“And I’ll help make sure of it,” I added. “We’ve already worked together so far, and look how much further we got because of it. If you have to cut off the network, at least do so knowing we got your back.”

Chrysalis squeezed her eyes shut. Tears slipped out the edges. “...Okay. I need a little time to properly sever the network. In the meantime,” fiery rage graced her features as she faced Malice. “I will make sure he pays dearly for what he’s done to us…!” Green magic coursed through her horn, glowing brighter and brighter by the moment.

“Over your dead body!” Malice roared, his claws slashing against the shield with the wrath of a meteor storm. Twilight screamed in pain with each blow, body shaking with effort. The shield began to crack.

I teleported to the side to get clear of the shield. Energy rushed through me as I extended my foreleg and fired a lightning bolt at him. He blocked it with crossed arms, but I fired away again, and again, and again. Whenever he tried to go at the barrier again, I picked up the pace, throwing lightning faster and faster.

When it wasn’t enough, I conjured a spear into my hoof and slashed out for his chest. He blocked me, but I simply shifted my weight and thrust the weapon at his throat. The first time he dodged, but I beefed the next strike up with a lightning conducted through the spear. When he grabbed the blade in his fist in an attempt to yank the weapon from my hold, it blew up right in his face.

He roared in fury, and with a mighty leap, he landed several paces away with a resounding crack on the ground. His glare burned into my forehead like a focused laser. “To think you’ve pushed me this far, Flash Sentry. I don’t know whether to be proud of you or murderously infuriated.”

He stared at Chrysalis, who had already gotten into a cross-legged position. Her pupils were moving rapidly below her closed eyelids, and for a moment I found myself wrapped in utter fascination. Not just that she was confident with pulling off this near-surgical mental operation here, amidst the shrapnel and embers of our fight and mere steps away from this raging monstrosity of a war machine—but also that she trusted us to keep her safe as she did it.

I conjured two more spears into my forehoves and rose onto my hind legs.

And keep you safe we will. I promise.

Black smoke leaked from Malice’s mouth as he slid his front foot forward, fist raised and clenched as he took on a fighting stance of his own.The lingering pathos in the room that was not embedded into the tree twisted towards him and swirled around his limbs like a cyclone. Plates of white armor were forged onto him out of pure pathos until he was covered head to toe, transforming him into a draconic mountain of steel and rage.

“I suppose I’ll just have to settle for both, don’t I?” Malice hissed.

I aimed one of the spears right at him. “You will die here, Malice. No matter the cost, you will not leave this cave alive.”

Malice and I sized each other up. Glares locked, bodies tense.

*Flash Sentry,* Inner Malice started.

I mentally growned. Look, if you got a smartass thing to say about my inevitable death or whatever, this is a bad time.

*Tch, disrespectful colt. Listen to your betters before you open your fool mouth.* After a brief pause, Inner Malice’s tone turned firm and authoritative. *But, no matter your desire to die a martyr’s death, you do not have my permission to die here.*

I couldn’t help the small grin growing on my muzzle. Oh, really? What happened to dying in a blaze of glory?

*That changed when you bucked him through the fucking wall!* Inner Malice laughed with all the giddiness of a raucous drunk. *Underestimating you will be his final mistake! Now, go all the way—*

Battle fury surged through my bloodstream. I bared my teeth at Malice.

*—and dethrone this unworthy reptile! No mercy! No respite! Blood—*

“—for blood,” I whispered, finishing off his sentence.

I caught a look from Malice as he tensed. “What did you just say?”

My expression tensed. I had no idea where that had come from, but he seemed to know.

“Blood for blood!” I shout through the cave. “Now show me what you’re made of, Malice!”

Malice roared—and charged.

Author's Notes:

What's up, my fellow paladins?

Having overcome one of the hardest fights in his life against Pathos Twilight, Flash is now presented to the final boss: the original Malice Doomscale. Even with Twilight, Chrysalis, and Inner Malice on his side, Flash will no doubt face an uphill battle against one of the mightiest foes Equestria has ever faced.

OH MY GOD IT'S FINALLY DONE! This chapter that is.

This chapter was the primary reason I had to remove the update schedule. It's one thing to write a chapter this huge, another to have to rewrite it. Twice! Not to mention this year kicked off to quite the horrible start, slowing me down even further. There are still some rewrites to be done, but I swear I'm making progress and not just sitting on my bum staring at the screen like a lifeless husk.

Unless hindsight strikes again, we're hanging right at the cusp of the end. I swear this will get done, and I will eat my hat if this goes another year without being complete, let alone get past the end of spring. *cracks knuckles* Let's get to that finish line!

Until next time, stay classy, my paladins!