I smell smoke.

I taste ash.

I feel fire.

I instinctively gasp and start breathing when I come to, trying to expel acrid smoke from my lungs, and blinking furiously to clear my vision. When I do, I find myself lying before an endless wasteland bereft of life. Long-dried ruins of buildings lie around me, the pale bones of a long-abandoned town at the base of an enormous mountain range.

A single, dead tree stands nearby, as pale as the ash drifting through the air.

I feel the ground underneath me rumble, the intensity increasing with each passing second I wasted getting up.

Wiping my snout clear of dirt and dust, I look up to see the sky covered with thick clouds of smoke, glowing red with flames like an enraged dragon emerging from a long slumber.

I struggle to stand, grunting from the pain of a long cut on my forehead, and a dozen other scrapes and slices as I check myself over. But a more pressing question weighs heavily on me: Where am I?

I activate my radio. “Beakbreaker?! Beakbreaker, can you hear me?!”

All I get is static.

A gust of wind blows debris past me, but I turn away so none gets in my eyes.

The rumbling continues, like the marching of a fierce army.

The spell... did I stop it in time?! I look around; where is it?! Where’s... there! The spire! It lies about a mile away, cracked and fractured from its long fall, but still intact.

If I can get to the spire’s dome, I can free Celestia!

I break into a run. I have to get to the spire before-

A clap rings through the air.

Dust flies as I skid to a stop, trying to see through the clouds of ash billowing about me.

Someone emerges from the ash like a memory returning from the depths of time... or a monster emerging from a nightmare.

Mangus Bluehorn claps as he slowly walks towards me. “It seems congratulations are in order, Silverspeak... I had forgotten how determined you could be when you set your mind to something.”

I stand my ground, unsure what to do.

“Against all odds, you single-handedly turned my minions against me, convinced my most useful follower to betray me, and stopped the ritual... but it was all for nothing.” Mangus thrusts his scepter towards the sky. “My little spell was dragging the sun towards us. You stopped the spell, but the sun’s still coming. It won’t be long before everything is burned away.”

“At least you’ll die with the rest of us,” I point out.

“Oh, I’ll be long gone by then.” Mangus says as he gestures towards the spire. “I’ll accompany my ark out into space, where my subjects will slumber while I rebuild our world.”

“With you as its new god.”

Mangus gives a mock shrug of humility. “Someone has to watch over our new world.”

There’s another rumble, much louder than before.

“You are no god,” I growl. “You’re a bully. You're a thug... a monster.”

Mangus chuckles like he’s already won. “Oh, Silverspeak... All these years, and we’re still at each other’s throats. We may have old, sagging bodies, but, deep down, we’re still two little foals who never grew up.”

Mangus opens his mouth to say something else, but he trails off. He looks around, his eyeless sockets taking in our surroundings.

He chuckles again. Then he starts to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” I ask.

Mangus spreads his legs. “Don’t you recognize this place, Silverspeak?”

“No.”

“Really? I would have thought you, of all ponies, would recognize your home.”

What is he...

Wait... No. No, it’s not possible. I step back, my eyes darting back and forth.

We can’t be...

“Fate has a sense of humor, Silverspeak,” Mangus says. “We’ve landed where it all started... We stand in the ashes of Saddle Lanka.”

I want to say that he’s wrong, but... Celestia help me, Mangus is right. The mountains... I recognize them now. And the ruins around us... it’s all coming back. That ruin over there... that was the old ice cream shop... and over there was the train station. And we’re...

We’re in the old school yard. And this tree...

This is where Mangus and I first met.

“Fitting, isn’t it?” Mangus asks. “This was where you and I met for the first time... and it’s where our feud will finally end.”

I tense up.

Mangus gestures to the sky. “In half an hour, Silverspeak, everything here will be destroyed. In an hour, this planet will be a pile of rubble floating in the void of space.” He points his scepter at me. “But, knowing you, you’ll find a way to stop me... and I can’t let that happen.”

He starts to circle me.

I do the same.

The scepter twirls in Mangus’ hoof. “I could disintegrate you with a flick of the wrist, but where would the fun be in that? It’s so much more satisfying to prove to you, once and for all, that you could never beat me... that you could never win. So I’ll give you a chance, just for old time’s sake.”

“You want to make this a fair fight? Get rid of that scepter.”

“And leave myself defenseless? Oh, I don’t think so. But don’t worry: I only have a finite amount of magic.” Mangus taps the gem atop the scepter. “This scepter can only use magic I drain from others. I topped it off before Iron Hoof’s ceremony, but it won’t last; maybe an hour at most. Your robotic strength against my magic. I think that’s a fair match.”

Lightning crashes through the overcast sky.

“Of course, it doesn’t have to be this way, Silverspeak. You may be stronger than me, but you’re not young anymore. Join me, and your eventual end will be-”

“I will never kneel before you.”

Another condescending laugh. “Oh, you will. I promise you that before this is over, you’ll fall at my hooves and beg for mercy... but not before I have my fun.” Mangus pauses as a thought comes to him. “But then again... Would your precious Princess even want us to fight? Tell me, what would Celestia do in this situation?”

“Kill you.”

“Really? I don’t think-”

“Celestia would know that there are ponies who will never listen to reason,” I snap. “That they’ll never stop until they’ve destroyed everything in this world... that the only way to stop them is to end their worthless lives.”

Mangus actually pauses, studying me for a long moment.

He chuckles, amused at my boast.

“So be it, Silverspeak.”

He spins his scepter, and we glare at each other as the sky rumbles.

My heart hammers in my chest. If I kill Mangus, then this nightmare will end... but if I fail, then Equestria will fall into a nightmare it will never escape.

A massive bolt of lightning hits the earth, the static making the fur on my coat stand on end.

I charge, kicking up a cloud of dust as I race towards Mangus.

Mangus charges too, laughing at me, a sound that has haunted me all my life.

I scream a war cry as we jump, and the sky roars again as our hooves collide.

I tackle Mangus, slamming him into the ground, rearing back to crush his head, but he fires a magical blast that launches me into the sky. I hit the ground hard, rolling as Mangus leaps, trying to impale me with his scepter. I roll out of the way just in time, the tip sinking into the earth.

A kick to the ribs sends him flying into a rock.

I yank the scepter free so I can snap it in half, but an invisible force grabs hold and yanks it from my grasp, sending it flying back into Mangus’ hooves.

“Nice try.”

I leap clear as Mangus fires off a blast, tearing a deep gouge into the earth. He fires again and again, and I run for my life, trying to stay ahead of those blasts.

I’ve got to get in close! Mangus has the edge in magical ability, but I’m stronger and more durable. His body is flesh and blood, and mine is steel and titanium; all I need is one hit!

Howling, I leap at Mangus, unleashing everything I have, throwing kick after kick, blow after blow, trying to land that one, critical hit. But Mangus moves like a pony possessed, his aged body using magic to twist and turn in ways that not even a young contortionist could pull off. He easily dodges my blows, laughing all the while.

“You can’t win, Silverspeak!”

I swing both legs, but Mangus rolls around and hits me in the side, knocking the wind from me.

“Equestria couldn’t stop me!”

A blow to the chest throws me to the ground.

“The Bearers couldn’t stop me!”

He brings his legs down hard, almost caving my chest in.

“Cadance and Luna couldn’t stop me!”

Mangus hammers me like a punching bag.

“Celestia herself couldn’t stop me!”

He hits me again and again.

“What makes you think you can?!”

Howling, I ram my hind legs into Mangus’ chest, silencing his laughs as the air is knocked from his lungs. Leaping, I grab hold, bite down onto one of Mangus’ ears, and tear it off.

Mangus screams with unholy rage, and I return the sentiment, rearing back to break his neck. But Mangus fires a blast, hurling me into the dirt as he retreats, grabbing the bloodied stump on his head, shaking at seeing the blood coating his hoof.

“You love your princess so much, Silverspeak?!” Mangus roars. “Then let’s see how long you last against her power!”

The scepter’s thrust towards the sky as magic erupts from the tip, creating a beam of yellow energy that cuts into the clouds. And then Mangus swings the scepter like a sword, that beam slicing into the earth with ease, leaving deep gouges in its wake.

I run, trying to stay ahead of the beam!

Stopping the beam, Mangus points the scepter towards towards me again, the tip glowing a fiery red.

Oh buck!

An enormous wave of fire erupts from the scepter, rushing towards me like a tidal wave, the heat so hot that I shriek as my skin blisters.

I leap behind the tree; the flames follow seconds later, rocketing past me, setting the ancient tree ablaze.

Spinning, I slam my hooves into the tree, sending it crashing down towards Mangus. He leaps aside, and the flames finally stop.

The earth cracks. Far in the distance, giant chunks of the ground break free and rise upwards. The tops of the mountains do the same, floating up into the hellish sky.

The sun... it’s getting close enough to interfere with the planet’s gravity!

Grinning, Mangus thrusts his scepter away from both of us, aiming towards the horizon as he casts another spell.

I wince, ready to run.

Nothing happens.

I look around. Mangus did something, but what?! Is he going to to send a tidal wave towards me? Is the earth going to drop out beneath my hooves?

The sky darkens.

I look up as something comes through the clouds.

What is...

No... Oh no!

Oh my gods!

Genesis emerges from the clouds. Glasseye’s city of the future, once a shining, proud beacon of progress and technology, is now corroded, covered in algae...

... and falling right towards me!

Laughing, Mangus rockets into the sky, magic propelling him to safety.

I leap up, wings beating, as Genesis smashes through the mountains, towers and buildings falling from its giant base as it hits the earth, digging deep into it like a shovel as it flips over.

I fly faster and faster, wings beating harder than ever before... but I’m not going to make it! Genesis is too big! I can’t get clear in time!

The top of Genesis rises above me like a giant wave as I spin to my left and rocket towards the edge of the city, dodging around falling skyscrapers and collapsing buildings... and just narrowly shoot free as the city slams down and implodes, unable to bear its own weight.

I did it! I got away! I-

A spell slams into me, and I hit the ground, crying out as something breaks deep within me.

Mangus floats down, landing on the dead earth, not caring that he just destroyed his childhood home. “How many times must I tell you, Silverspeak? You can’t beat me.”

Groaning, I try to stand.

“You’re nothing! An earth pony who could never accept his place in life! But me? I’m no longer nobody. I’ve done what no unicorn has ever done! I’ve defeated the Royal Sisters! I’ve conquered an entire planet!” He spreads his legs wide, grinning as lightning flashes down around him.

“I’m the most powerful unicorn that’s ever lived!”

Mangus’ boast is cut off as a barrage of bullets zip past him, tearing up the ground around him and forcing him to retreat.

The Raven rockets down from the sky, miniguns spewing lead.

“Boss, you there?!”

“Gusty?!”

“Hang tight, boss! We’re coming!”

My tracker! Beakbreaker and Gusty must have used my tracker to find me!

High-caliber rounds slam into the ground around Mangus, forcing him to raise a magic shield to defend himself. And as the Raven closes in, Mangus – furious at having his duel interrupted – returns fire with a blast of his own, forcing Gusty to swerve as he comes in fast.

Scrambling to my hooves, I charge Mangus and ram his shield. I can’t break through it, but I can distract him for a few crucial seconds, and it works; he turns his attention to me, firing a blast. I leap aside as the Raven comes in low, the side door swinging open. Beakbreaker leaps out, and then Onyx, and then Chrysalis, each armed to the teeth and looking like a walking armoury. They unleash it all on Mangus at the same time, splitting up to flank him from three sides, making him roar in rage as he’s forced to retreat.

“Gusty!?” I yell. “Gusty, can you hear me?!”

“Boss?”

“The spire!” I shout. “Get to the spire! If we can get Celestia away from here and free her, she can still stop all of this!”

Onyx’s two automatic shotguns unload shell after shell. Even though they’re deflected by the shield, Onyx refuses to let up, forcing Mangus to keep his attention on him.

Roaring, Mangus fires a spell.

“Onyx!” I yell. “Watch out!”

Onyx leaps up, his mechanical limbs just barely clearing the blast that rockets beneath him, but he stumbles as he lands, tripping and falling to the ground.

Seeing Onyx in trouble, and Mangus aiming for the kill, Chrysalis takes advantage by firing her under-barrel grenade launchers. Mangus is forced to divert his attention to her, letting me run to Onyx, where I grab hold and help him up.

Above us, the Raven races towards the Spire.

“You okay?!” I ask Onyx.

“Don’t worry about me,” Onyx says. “Keep Mangus distracted. Don’t let him-”

A flash of light rockets towards us. I instinctively jump clear, falling back onto the ground, my ears ringing as I struggle to my hooves.

“Onyx! Onyx, you oka-”

I stop, the words dying in my throat.

Onyx stands before me.

His head is gone.

A gust of wind blows Onyx’s body to the ground, his legs clattering before going still.

A scream reaches me.

I can barely turn my head to see Chrysalis trying to dodge Mangus as he fires spell after spell at her. But Chrysalis doesn’t have artificial legs, and not even adrenaline can overcome her age and exhaustion.

Chrysalis jumps.

Mangus fires.

A flash of light, and Chrysalis screams as she’s thrown through the air, slamming into the fallen tree with a sickening crunch, and then collapsing to the ground.

Chrysalis doesn’t move.

Gusty yells something over the radio, but I can’t hear him.

Beakbreaker is the only one left standing, the barrels of her rifles glowing red as she fires again and again, trying to break through Mangus’ shield. A yank of the trigger hurls a grenade into the shimmering field, the explosion momentarily blinding me. But when my vision returns, Mangus is stumbling, his shield gone.

He raises his scepter.

“No!”

I tackle Mangus to his knees, rearing back. One hit, one blow to the head, and-

Mangus slams his scepter into my chest and fires, knocking me away. I hit the ground hard and try to get up.

I can’t.

I try again. But I can’t get up. What’s happening? I look down at my body; why’s-

I freeze.

My left leg is gone.

Mangus stands, pointing the scepter at my skull... and then he howls as a bullet hits him, knocking him to the ground.

“Silverspeak!” Beakbreaker runs to me, dropping her guns in the dirt as she reaches my side. “Oh Celestia, no! No, no, no!”

“I... I’m okay.” I know I’m not, but there’s no pain as I struggle to stand. “I’m okay, I-”

“Gusty!” Beakbreaker yells into her headset. “Gusty, get back here!”

“What’s wrong?!”

“It’s Silverspeak! He’s hurt!”

I shake my head. “Gusty! Get to the spire! Save Celestia!”

Mangus tries to stand, magic closing up his wound without healing it. The process is excruciating, and he can barely move, let alone attack us. But that won’t last.

Beakbreaker grabs one her rifles and fires.

Click.

Tossing the rifle away, she tries the other.

Click.

Mangus slams a hoof against the dirt as he rises, shaking, his eyeless gaze locked on us in a death glare.

“Gusty, hurry!” Beakbreaker yells.

“No, Gusty!” I yell into my headset. “Leave us! Save Celestia! She’s all that matters!”

But Gusty doesn’t stop. The Raven turns from the spire and heads back towards us, dropping in low.

Mangus stands, readying a blast that will finish us off... and then he’s forced back as the Raven opens fire, every gun unleashing round after round as Gusty tries to tear Mangus apart.

It doesn’t work.

A wall of shells and bullets floats before Mangus, shaking wildly as more and more join their number, until hundreds of rounds hover before Mangus, who sweats, his scepter glowing.

“Oh, come on!” Gusty yells.

Then, with a shove of his scepter, Mangus shoots the bullets back the way they came.

“OH SHI-”

Hundreds of rounds slam into the Raven, shredding the cabin into confetti. An engine explodes, gushing fire and smoke as the ship careens overhead, out of control.

“Gusty!” Beakbreaker shrieks.

Mangus smiles as the Raven shoots past him.

“Gusty?!” Beakbreaker yells. “Gusty!”

“I’m... I’m okay...”

Oh Celestia, he’s not okay! I can hear the pain in his voice!

Another explosion, and the Raven rocks dangerously, almost falling from the sky.

“Get out of here, Gusty!” I say. “You can’t help us!”

The Raven swerves, almost looking like it’s going to careen out of control before turning, starting a slow, painful loop. Mangus doesn’t notice it. He’s smiling as he walks towards us, in no hurry to finish what he’s started. He wants to savor this moment, seeing his two greatest foes lying before him, helpless and unable to stop him.

He doesn’t notice as the Raven turns towards him.

Gusty’s voice comes over the radio. “Silverspeak... I want you to promise me something: Take care of Beakbreaker.”

“Gusty?”

“I’m so glad we’re friends, Silverspeak. We sometimes didn’t see eye to eye, and I lost my temper a few times, but... I wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world.”

What is Gusty talking about? He’s...

No.

He can’t mean-

The Raven’s last engine kicks in.

“See you on the other side, Silverspeak.”

“Gusty!” I scream. “No!”

Mangus, realizing that something’s wrong, spins just in time to see the Raven racing towards him like a cannonball.

“Hey, Mangus!” Gusty yells over the radio. “Open wide!”

Forgetting about Beakbreaker and me, Mangus roars as he furiously tries to raise a shield. And in that brief moment, I see Gusty in his cockpit, soaked in blood as he hunches over his console, clutching his steering column in a death grip. But he’s not afraid. He’s not in pain.

He’s... smiling.

And then everything goes white as the Raven slams into the ground, vanishing in a thunderous explosion.

“GUSTY!”

The earth buckles beneath us, then falls, taking Beakbreaker and me with it. I spin, trying to grab her as we both hit a slope and slide down.

“Beakbreaker!” Where is she?! I’ve lost her! I-

A boulder rapidly approaches me as I fall! I’m going to hit-

Pain... so much pain.

I blink, wincing at the effort; it’s hard to make anything out. I’m... I’m in the bottom of a crater, surrounded by jagged, broken rocks of all shapes and sizes.

“Beakbreaker?!” I look around, trying to find my wife among all this chaos. “Beakbreaker!?”

Rocks fall from above, rolling down and falling off a ledge into a deep chasm, the walls lit with the hellish glow of unseen fire.

“BEAKBREAKER?!”

There’s no answer.

I try to stand, but I can’t; not with a missing leg. I drag myself forward, fighting to climb up the slope, trying to hold back the grief trying to take me. Onyx... Gusty... I want to collapse and cry, but I can’t. I’ve already lost them... I can’t lose Beakbreaker, too!

“Beakbreaker!” I reach a boulder and crawl around it, desperately looking for... there! There she is!

Beakbreaker’s lying against the crater’s walls, near the crushed, twisted, and burning remains of the Raven. She’s battered, her skin covered in cuts and scrapes, and her eyes are closed.

I can’t tell if she’s breathing.

“Beakbreaker! I’m coming!” I yank myself forward as fast as I can. “Hold on!”

Rocks roll past me as Mangus emerges from behind several boulders. He’s bleeding and badly hurt, barely able to stand, much less walk, his skin smoldering and blistered from the heat.

I freeze. Does he see me? Does he see Beakbreaker?!

Mangus takes several hobbling steps forward, biting down to silence a shriek of agony... then he stops.

He’s seen me.

Buck!

Mangus spits up blood. “I told you, Silverspeak... you were never going to win.” He limps towards me, hissing as magic pulls blistered skin over a giant slash in his side. “You’ve delayed me. You’ve hindered me. But you never stopped me.” He stops, looking around. “Where’s Beakbreaker?”

“You leave her out of this!” I yell.

Mangus spots her.

“No!”

He limps towards her.

“Get away from her!” I yell.

Mangus ignores me, studying Beakbreaker.

“Leave her alone!”

Beakbreaker stirs, eyes fluttering beneath closed eyelids. Then she groans as she opens them, gasping in pain.

I can’t help myself. “Beakbreaker!”

Turning at my voice, Beakbreaker lights up at seeing me. But that joy is short lived as Mangus casts a spell on her.

“Mangus, stop!” I shriek.

Beakbreaker struggles, but she can’t move; it’s as if an invisible hand has closed around her.

“Don’t worry, Beakbreaker,” Mangus says as he strokes her chin. “I’m not going to kill you. Or your husband, for that matter.”

“Get away from her!” I roar, dragging myself towards Beakbreaker; I don’t know what I’m going to do when I reach her, but I can’t just sit here and do nothing!

I’m stopped as Mangus fires another spell, freezing me in place

No!

“It’s pointless to resist, Silverspeak,” Mangus says.

I ignore him, struggling with all my might to break free!

Mangus watches me struggle, amused. “What was it you said, Silverspeak? That I’m a bully? A thug? A monster?”

I keep struggling, but this spell is too strong!

“Have you ever considered, Silverspeak, that I could describe you the same way?”

“I’m no bully!” I roar. “I don’t murder innocent ponies!”

“Perhaps... but tell me, Silverspeak, have you ever thought about how many lives have you’ve ruined?”

“Nowhere near as many as you!” I yell.

“Really? Are you so sure of that?”

I don’t answer. I won’t listen to him! Mangus is trying to trick me!

Shaking his head, Mangus takes a step towards me. “A righteous god looks after his followers, Silverspeak. But he must hold his followers accountable. He lets the know when they’ve committed evil.”

A hoof slides up and down the scepter.

“Black Fang taught me many spells, Silverspeak, but there’s one that’s proven more useful, one so powerful that not even the Princesses can resist it. I call that spell... Enlightenment. It forces the victim to see all the suffering they’ve ever caused, through the eyes of those they’ve hurt.” Mangus smiles. “From what Iron Hoof told me, it worked rather well on the Moon.”

The Moon... Is that what happened before we landed? Was that flash of light Mangus casting his spell? Was that why Gusty, Onyx, and all the others were driven to such despair? Because they saw all the suffering they inflicted and killed themselves, unable to bear the same and the gui-

My blood runs cold.

Oh… Oh no.

Mangus walks towards me.

Oh no, no, no!

I struggle, trying to move as Mangus approaches, but I can’t!

“Mangus, stop!” Beakbreaker yells. “Don’t!”

Mangus ignores her as he reaches me. “Let me enlighten you, Silverspeak.”

I make one last effort to break free, straining with all my might to-

Mangus shoves the scepter against my forehead.

For a moment there’s a blinding flash of light and-

And everything’s gone.

The crater, Mangus, Beakbreaker... it’s gone.

There’s nothing around me but darkness.

Where am I?! Am I-

Screams.

I spin, but I don’t see anything.

“Hello?!”

The screams come again.

“Who’s there?!”

The screams get louder. There’s only a few of them, but... wait. Wait, there’s more. Dozens... Hundreds... Thousands... they’re still growing!

Celestia, what’s going on?! Who’s screaming?! Why are they-

A face flashed before, a mare screaming in fear.

I fall, throwing up my legs to protect myself. But then another face comes, and then another, and another: thousands of faces flash before me, faces of every age and species and gender, all wracked with pain and agony beyond imagining.

Who... who are these beings?! I don’t know any of them, but... Oh, Celestia, I can feel their pain... their fear!

What’s happening?!

And then, in the blink of an eye, the darkness is gone.

Where am I?! I’m... I’m a foal again. I’m in a hospital room, looking up at my parents, who are so young, so overjoyed to see me... but that joy fades. Confusion crosses their faces. Then they recoil in horror and shock. I’m not the child they wanted.

I see myself wailing, and they don’t draw close to comfort me, the child they didn’t want...

Then I see them again.... but now I am them. I see things from their perspective. They’re older now, on a stage outside Medicomp, staring at me in horror, unable to believe that I betrayed them, manipulated them, all to get a horn and wings, without care of what would happen to them.

I feel their shock, their anger, their grief...

Then the darkness comes again. Images flash before me... no, not images: Lives. Lives that I live in a faction of a second, somehow able to take them all in. I’m countless ponies in offices, stores, homes and apartments throughout Manehattan, and then through all of Equestria. All are afraid of the freak running free, the earth pony who gained the powers of an alicorn and would destroy you if you tried to stop him.

After all, he was willing to harm his own family to get what he wanted...

No... no more! I can’t-

I’m in Manehattan again, watching Mangus and myself fight. But I’m not replaying it from my perspective: I’m the bystanders, the ordinary ponies who are running for their lives, scared to death of two monsters duking it out above them.

One stallion tries to get away, only to be hit by a stray magic blast. He collapses to the pavement with a hole blown through his body. I feel his pain, his fear, his terror and shock as he feels himself dying.

I feel his mind fading away into nothingness.

I feel him die.

Celestia... did I... did I do this?! Did I kill him?! I... I didn’t mean to-

More ponies. More faces. More screams. Ponies on the streets, inside buildings, inside that hospital. I feel their terror as a building falls towards them. And though they’re saved, they’re still terrified that Mangus and I could come back.

No more... please, no more!

Then Manehattan vanishes. I’m on the fields outside Canterlot. Thousands upon thousands of soldiers stand together in perfect formation,

Oh no... no, not this! Please, not this!

The arch-dragon unleashes a tidal wave of fire over Equestria’s army, and I feel fur melting into skin, and then skin and muscle burning away, nerves and eyes dissolving. I hear ponies silently screaming in agony, screaming for their mothers, all of them forced to stand still and die in agony.

I feel all of it. I feel the pain of every pony in that army.

Every.

Single.

One.

I want to scream.

I see my parents as they’re shot. I feel their pain as they lie in my apartment, bleeding to death in ruined bodies as I scream at them to live...

I feel them fade into oblivion.

NO MORE! PLEASE, NO MORE!

I see the survivors from the Second Changeling War suffering as they try to adapt to life without their loved ones. I see soldiers driven mad by nightmares that never go away, and I see others plunged into suicidal despair at being trapped inside broken bodies that will never heal.

I see parents, siblings, and spouses in agony as their loved ones join Iron Hoof and his armies, swayed by promises of power, by my words as I give speech after speech, persuading millions to join Iron Hoof’s insane genocide.

I feel the terror of ponies being turned into cyborgs against their will, a process perfected by the technology I helped create. I feel them screaming as their identities, their sense of self are taken from them, until they’re trapped in bodies they can’t control, doomed to spend the rest of their lives fighting and enslaving others.

And it’s all my fault.

All these deaths, all this suffering... it’s all because of me!

And then it stops.

The darkness vanishes. I’m back in the crater, lying on the slanting floor.

I want to vomit, to scream, to yell that it isn’t true, that it was all a lie... but I can’t.

Celestia... Celestia, I didn’t know, I didn’t know, I didn’t know!

I hear someone yelling. Beakbreaker... I... I can’t make out what she’s saying. I can’t think, can’t think about anything but all those ponies, all those beings...

Celestia, what have I done?!

I cry. I try to stop, squeezing my eyes shut, but the tears... oh Celestia, forgive me!

Forgive me!

A hoof touches my shoulder. “You know the truth, Silverspeak. Don’t you?”

Mangus... he-

“I didn’t want to do this, Silverspeak, but you needed to do know what you’ve done.” Mangus shakes his head. “You’ve caused so much suffering, so much pain, and you can never make up for it... you know that, don’t you?”

“Don’t listen to him!” Beakbreaker yells. “Silverspeak, don’t listen to him!”

I sob. Beakbreaker’s wrong. She doesn’t know... she doesn’t know!

“But the pain can stop, Silverspeak,” Mangus whispers. “I can make it go away... do you want me to?”

He... he can? He can make it stop? I... I... oh Celestia, I want it to stop! I don’t care how, or who does it, just please, please, please make it stop!

I nod as quickly as I can.

Mangus smiles, gently rubbing my cheek. “Kneel.”

I fall to my knees.

“Do you, Silverspeak, want me to end your pain?”

“Yes!” I shriek.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

“Do you want me to-”

“Make it stop!” I scream. Make it stop!”

Mangus strokes my cheek. “There, there... it’s going to be okay, Silverspeak.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to stop the tears. Please... just do it!

“You should know, however, that there’s only one way to end your pain.”

Stop talking, stop talking! Make it stop!

“I have to end your life.”

Wait... what is he-

Something sharp punches through my chest.

Something bursts.

My... heart...

Beakbreaker screams.

I turn to her.

What’s going-

...on?

Wait... what’s... what’s-

Beakbreaker is gone. Mangus is gone. The crater is gone. Everything’s gone.

There’s nothing around me but white.

Where... where am I?

I look down. My body’s intact. There’s no hole in my side filled with shattered mechanical organs. My leg’s back. Everything feels normal.

I look around, “Hello?”

My voice echoes into infinity.

“Is anyone here?”

There’s no answer.

My legs respond smoothly and effortlessly as I stand and look around. There’s no horizon, no edges of a room, and no barriers. I don’t sense anyone, either; there’s no angels, demons, or other beings waiting for me.

I’m alone... but, somehow, that doesn’t scare me. Nothing can harm me here. How I know that, I don’t know, but I do.

Am I... dead?

I don’t feel dead. I feel fine. Better than fine, actually. I don’t feel old or young. There’s no fear, either. No worry or anything unsettling. All misery, all unhappiness, all the sufferings and troubles of life are gone, fading from memory faster than a dream.

After seeing all those deaths I caused, it’s a relief. I-

Wait... something’s changing.

I turn around, only to jump back.

There’s a path before me, one made of marble that’s set into the floor, stretching out until it fades into the void. Turning around, I see the same thing.

There are no signs or directions telling me where this path leads, but I somehow know that going back will return me to life. If I go ahead... well, I don’t know where I’ll end up.

It seems I have to choose which way to go.

I squint, trying to see what’s ahead. But there’s nothing. No hints, no indications of what awaits me. Paradise? Perdition? Logically, I shouldn’t go that way: after all I’ve done, no god would take me in. The gates to any heaven would be slammed shut in my face.

Yet... I can’t explain why, but it doesn’t feel like that would be my fate. The longer I look down this unknown path, the more I feel... calm. Like... like this is meant to be. Like there’s something ahead beckoning to me.

It feels... welcoming.

I smile.

I like that feeling.

I step onto the path. A wonderfully pleasant warmth flows through me. I take another step, and the warmth comes again, but just a little stronger. It’s like... like falling into a warm bed on a cold, windy night, feeling safe and sound and protected, free of all worry and cares forever more.

My smile becomes a grin.

I keep walking.

Oh, this is so wonderful... I wonder if Beakbreak...

Wait...

I stop.

Turning, I look back. I’m still alone. Beakbreaker’s not here. But I can sense her. I can’t see her, can’t hear her, but I feel her. I can hear...

I can hear her spirit screaming.

My gut tightens. Why? Why is she so sad? I don’t want her to be sad; I want her to feel this, to be here with me, feeling as good as I am. I’m free from pain, free from fear, free from all those horrible memories that Mangus showed-

Mangus.

Oh Celestia... Mangus... he killed me!

He’s still with Beakbreaker!

“Beakbreaker!”

I bolt back down the path, running faster than I ever did in life, my hooves slamming into the marble.

“BEAKBREAKER!”

I sense something coming up behind me. But before I can turn, a force takes hold of me, propelling me onwards faster than I can run, and-

And I’m suddenly lying on my back.

I open my eyes; the void is gone. I’m back inside the crater, breathing in air clogged with smoke and ash and death, and high above me is a sky red with fire and flame.

Something beeps inside me. What... wait. Wait, my emergency crystals! They’ve activated, taking over for my heart, which-

Oh... oh Celestia! I bite down, trying not to scream. My head hurts, my chest hurts, everything hurts!

Oh Celestia, it hurts!

Why?! Why did I come back to this?!

A scream fills the air, but it’s not my own.

Turning, I spot Beakbreaker lying against the boulder, shaking, crying, weeping as Mangus strokes her hair.

“You killed him!” Beakbreaker screams, barely able to contain her grief and rage. “You killed him!”

“Yes, I did,” Mangus says. “And you want to know something?” He gives a grin that would scare the devil. “It felt wonderful.”

Beakbreaker howls again, trying to bite Mangus.

“Oh, poor, helpless Beakbreaker,” Mangus coos. “All alone in the world without anyone to care for you.” He runs his hoof through her hair. “I’ll take you in. I’ll keep you safe.” He leans in close. “I will love you more than he ever did.”

Beakbreaker shrieks, fighting with all her might to break free of Mangus’ spell.

“You may hate me now,” Mangus says, “but it won’t last... After I wipe your mind, you’ll forget Silverspeak ever existed.”

Beakbreaker screams so loudly that Mangus recoils, wincing as he grabs his ear.

I forget my pain as something comes back to me:

Anger.

Fury.

Pure, unadulterated rage.

Rocks fall nearby. Not wanting to remain down here any longer, Mangus starts up the crater’s slope, using his scepter’s magic to drag Beakbreaker behind him. Beakbreaker still struggles, fighting with all her might to break free, but she can’t do anything as she’s dragged away, helpless and at Mangus’ mercy.

Reaching up, I yank the inhibitor ring off my horn and cast it aside. If I have to use magic to save Beakbreaker, I’ll-

Wait... Wait!

Mangus’ scepter!

Mangus chuckles as Beakbreaker continues to struggle. “Fight if you want, Beakbreaker. It makes no difference to me.” He laughs, the laugh of a bully who has finally free to do whatever he wants. “Scream if you want. Yell. Beg. Cry. It doesn’t matter! No one’s coming to save you!”

I activate my magnet, tearing the scepter from Mangus’ grasp. Shocked, he spins as the scepter slams into my hoof, and I yank Mangus towards me, slamming him into the rocky floor as hard as I can, breaking his nose. He cries out in pain, but the cry dies when he sees me glaring down at him.

For the first time in his life, Mangus Bluehorn is speechless.

I glare into the face of my childhood tormentor. “Get away from my wife, YOU SON OF A BITCH!”

Magic shoots from the scepter as I grab onto Mangus and yank him skywards, screaming in fury.

Mangus screams too, and then his screams are silenced forever as I tear his head and spine from his shoulders.

Blood spews into the air like a geyser as Mangus’ body slams onto a ledge behind me, spasming and kicking. His severed head lands beside it. Then the ledge shakes, crumbles, and breaks away, taking Mangus’ body with it.

For a brief moment, Mangus’ gaze meets my own, his mouth open wide in a silent scream.

Then the ledge breaks away and plunges into the chasm.

I watch Mangus as he falls into the deep, fiery chasm, spinning, his mouth still wide as he tries to scream...

... and then he vanishes, swallowed by the flames of the roaring inferno far below.

He’s gone.

Mangus Bluehorn, the pony who fancied himself a god, is gone.

Mangus Bluehorn, Saddle Lanka’s bastard child, is no more.

Mangus Bluehorn is finally dead.

I look into the inferno below. I want to laugh. I want to cry, to collapse and weep in relief. Mangus is gone. He’ll never torment anyone ever again. He will never threaten Beakbreaker or anyone I love.

Mangus Bluehorn is finally dead.

The ground shakes. A giant crack appears, spreading upwards as the crater begins to crumble.

I spin, spotting Beakbreaker lying on the slope above me. Taking the scepter, I cast a spell to free her. Like a spring that’s been too tightly wound for too long, she leaps to her hooves and stumbles as she runs down the slope. “Silverspeak! Silverspeak!”

The sky roars.

Oh, how I want to take Beakbreaker in my leg and hold her tight, to tell her that it’s over, that we never have to fear Mangus again, but there’s no time! Mangus may be gone, but the destruction he started still has to be stopped!

“The spire!” I yell. “Beakbreaker! We have to get to the spire!”

The walls of the crater break away and fall into the chasm, taking the remains of the Raven with them.

Beakbreaker skids to a stop and drags me onto her back. “Hold on!” I do so as she runs up the slope, leaps out, and bolts towards the spire as the crater implodes behind us, the chunks racing up into the clouds.

The mountains surrounding Saddle Lanka are ripped from their roots and rise upwards. Chunks of earth hundreds of miles wide break apart as they’re dragged towards the sky. Far on the horizon, I can see the oceans being sucked upwards.

“Beakbreaker!” I scream. Hurry!”

Beakbreaker speeds up, sweating as she runs for our lives.

Before us, the spire shakes, gripped by invisible forces trying to break it apart. But it’s not far; we can make it!

As if gripped by a giant hand, the spire is dragged upwards, rising into the sky.

“Hold on!” Beakbreaker yells back. Crouching down, she jumps as high as she can. But she doesn’t fall; she keeps rising as the sun lessens Equestria’s gravity. But we’re too far away, and the spire is rising faster than we are!

“We’re not going to make it!” Beakbreaker yells.

Wrapping my hind legs around Beakbreaker’s torso, I point the scepter behind us. “Hang on!”

A burst of magic shoots us forward. I angle it, steering us towards the spire.

Mountains break apart around us. Below us, the rest of Saddle Lanka does the same, lava and fire rising up to join earth and rock.

The spire gets bigger as we race towards the peak.

“Silverspeak! We’re going too fast!”

“I know, I know!” Thrusting the scepter forward, I fire a counter spell to slow us down. It just barely works as we fly through a gaping hole in the wall and enter the crystal chamber.

“Look out!” Beakbreaker shrieks.

I fire again, blowing apart a pillar floating before us, the chunks smashing into other pillars and blasting them apart in a hailstorm of debris, peppering the crystals embedded in the walls, and the barely-intact conduit.

We reach Celestia’s crystal, slamming into its side with a bone-shaking clash. Beakbreaker grunts as she grabs hold, stopping us from sliding off.

“Brace yourself!” I shout, aiming the scepter at the crystal’s side. One powerful shot should cut through, freeing Celestia!

I fire.

A flash of light, and a red light slices into the crystal...

It stops.

What?!

I fire again, but nothing happens!

Beakbreaker looks back to me. “Silverspeak, what’s wrong?!”

The scepter’s gem... it’s not glowing anymore! It must be out of magic!

Paint begins to melt off the walls. The air is getting hotter and hotter, making it difficult to breathe.

I have to get more magic! I take aim at the crystal, visualizing myself sucking out magic from the pony inside. I hate to do it, but I have no choice!

I cast the spell, and-

And I scream.

Beakbreaker shouts something, but I can’t hear her as I grab my head. My skull... it feels like it’s bursting! Like claws have dug into bone and flesh and are tearing it apart!

The... The gem... what did Mangus say?! Something about... about it storing magic! Only someone who uses magic can drain more magic from others... if I get more of Celestia’s magic, I’ll kill myself!

A slap. I barely feel it, but I look up to see Beakbreaker desperately yelling at me, trying to make me focus,

I... I can’t break the crystal... but she can...

“Break it... Beakbreaker! You have to break the crystal!”

“What?!”

“Smash it!” I yell, shrieking from the pain. “Like in Mangus’ lair! The amber!”

Windows shatter from the heat.

Beakbreaker grabs hold of the crystal, her hooves locking into place on the crack’s edges as she pushes, trying to make it bigger, mechanical muscles holding nothing back.

Nothing happens.

Beakbreaker redoubles her efforts. “Come on!” She screams. “COME ON!”

Her screams are drowned out by the roar of a dying planet.

Out of options, and out of time, Beakbreaker hammers the crack, smashing it again and again, denting her mechanical hooves with each blow, but it’s not enough. She can’t get through. She can’t break the crystal. She doesn’t have the strength. Nobody does. Flesh, muscle, and steel can’t break this crystal.

Only magic can.

Everything goes silent.

I don’t hear Equestria dying.

I don’t hear Beakbreaker’s desperate screams as she tries to break the crystal.

I don’t feel the pain in my head anymore. I don’t feel fear, either. There’s no terror, worry, or grief.

There’s only one way to break the crystal. One more blast should weaken it enough that Beakbreaker can break it open. Celestia will be freed, and Equestria will survive.

Beakbreaker will live.

There’s no time to be afraid, to be scared, or even think as I let go of the useless scepter, letting it fall away as I summon my magic.

Stricken with fear, Beakbreaker looks to me, probably to yell that this isn’t working, that there’s nothing we can do. But then she sees the glow coming from my horn, and she freezes.

She realizes what I’m going to do.

My magic is ready. All I have to do is fire. But I don’t look at the crystal. I don’t look at the dome, or the hellish light in the sky, or listen to the sound of our world as it dies.

I look at her.

My Beakbreaker.

I fire.

An explosion. I’m ripped from Beakbreaker’s back and thrown through the air.

I twist, just barely seeing a pillar coming-

I feel myself shatter.

My lower body is flung away, along with a wing.

I fall from the dome, emerging into the searingly-hot air outside the spire.

The remains of Equestria floats around me, rising towards the clouds, taking me with them.

I can barely see. I can barely think.

The spell... did it work?

Everything’s... hazy... fuzzy...

I’m... I’m losing myself...

Wait... What’s that?

Something’s coming towards me, racing through the rubble and the debris... It’s Beakbreaker. She’s flailing, struggling, fighting to get to me, shoving herself off the debris around her, screaming, crying, refusing to give up even as we’re both pulled upwards.

It hurts to move, to look, to even think. But I stretch out my leg, straining, trying to reach her.

She thrusts her leg forward, teeth grinding as she strains, trying with all her might...

Our hooves touch.

They wrap around each other.

Beakbreaker pulls me in, clutching me to her. She’s crying. Why is she crying? She’s going to live. Celestia is free. She’s going to stop the sun and save us all. Beakbreaker’s going to live.

That’s all that matters.

Beakbreaker’s screaming at me, tears rising from her eyes. But... she’s not screaming from fear. She’s trying to say something, to make herself heard above the chaos surrounding us.

She’s... she’s saying...

I love you.

I reach up and touch my wife’s face, trying to wipe away her tears.

I feel the darkness closing in... but I’m not afraid. I’m grateful. The last moments of my life are going to be spent with Beakbreaker.

I'm not afraid.

Beakbreaker clutches me as tightly as she can.

We rise into the sky, into the light of the sun.

I smile.

I am content.

I close my eyes...

I let go.