https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiMwi57xoLg

Sleep was blissful. An unrelenting flood of serotonin that burned with contentment like a full body massage. A place where every little dream could come true with the slightest bit of thought, far more malleable than reality. There was no lack of comforting euphoria available, and it was such a harsh wake up when you realized that none of it was real, especially if you achieved your grandest dreams, whether it be getting that degree, saving someone else, vacationing to that ultimate spot, or anything in between.

Such wasn't the case for Fear. For one, he was always dealing with the aftershocks of trauma whether awake or asleep, it just took him awhile to remember what he should. Second, everything he dreamed was, hard as it was to believe, real. Being able to spend time with Princess Luna, his friend and old lunar guard Saway, or even the ancient stallion from the moon Nyx. Oh, there was also his sister who'd swallowed fate into herself temporarily, and was forever tainted by the exchange, but lately... that was neither here nor there. The occasional times they met up were great, it was eye-opening albeit exhausting analyzing himself so much in the therapy she provided, but it just wasn't...

Fear missed his old sister. When they could do anything and everything under the sun, always experimenting and chatting away. While it was nice she'd never fade away, it just wasn't the same. However, he was in the middle of one of those prime therapy sessions right now, having just finished speaking about how disturbed he still was by murdering Linebreiker. No matter how much Ameliofate told him otherwise, it still felt like he'd done the wrong thing, that he could have talked her down if he'd calmed down himself, if he'd tried to reach a compromise with her. He didn't have to kill her as thoroughly as he had, and it was one of many things that bothered him deeply on his road to redemption and, later, heroism. Even despite knowing it was in his nature to question everything he did after the fact, wanting to know if there were other options... someday maybe he'd get to use the Seer's Eye far more and realize those other options.

“Nearly everything about you and what you do,” Amelio's overly-enunciated, proper and melodic voice sounded out, “is driven by self-worth. Either because you do not have enough of it, doing things in order to comfort yourself because you do not have the motivation, or in order to salvage more of it. Your feelings revolve around it, and it is the primary driving force of most, though not all, mortals. It is why we escape through drugs, sex, hoarding, and violence. To help us heal. And often times we only end up making things worse because we feel enmity toward ourselves for hiding from our problems.”

Fear tried to come up with a reason why that wasn't true as Amelio paced back and forth. He always thought her pristine face and body were sorely sumptuous, driving a pike through his heart whenever he saw her. It was debilitating at the worst of times. And it kept him from thinking properly, even as his inner gaze sought out any excuse as to why he wasn't tied with the way he valued himself. But it was true, the more he thought about it. All his past guilt stemmed from it. His actions were in part due to feeling for others, wanting others to be happy, but the more he thought about it, at its very heart, his self worth was entwined with his conduct. The way he felt about himself depended on how he behaved. It was why he drove himself to be a certain way, to return to what he was like when he was a colt.

The 14... 15? Year old young stallion pressed a forehoof against his forehead, feeling terrible and selfish all at once, his stomach churning in his belly at the thought that he wasn't as selfless as he once thought.

“However, Brother, before you start beating yourself up,” Amelio continued, “you should know that it takes a selfless creature to hold themselves to standards like that, basing their self worth on a sense of empathy and camaraderie, on caring for strangers and trying to do the right thing. On focusing on the needs of others before the desires of yourself.”

The emotional whiplash was tangible inside Fear as he shifted in place, frowning deeply from being so easily mentally manhandled by Amelio's logic. He hadn't thought of that, and if he was being honest he never would have. He didn't want to tell himself he was a good pony. It didn't feel... genuine. But that was what this therapy was all about. Appreciating his voice for what it was, as important as every other creature's. Healing.

Ameliofate proceeded. “I know it will help to know that I have been... gazing. Scrying with my ties to Fate, and I have found that there are, albeit very little, pieces of Linebreiker's soul that refused to assimilate with the others in order to make a singular force of nature.” Amelio had her eyes closed, before twisting around to face a tentatively smiling Fear, his friendly, glowing sapphire eyes (as blue as Canopus) full of tears. There was a sense, whenever Amelio looked into them, that she was staring into a boundless ocean of tranquility, and it brought her to far away times because of it, times that connected to Fate as well as herself, the two almost one in the same, forever altered.

==========================================================================================

Princess Luna was, in a phrase, a fucking wreck with her desiccated body, ribs visible in the most grotesque of ways, belly so thin it was hardly even there and pulling up almost against her spine. Her legs were spindly and bony, face sunken and patches of fur missing here and there, her cutiemark barely surviving, and her starlight mane in grayed out tatters. Signs of age and destruction from what the Pink Cloud had done to her before she'd escaped to the world of dreams, where her life giving treasure lied. All of it screamed of a damaged mare.

Despite all that, Luna's eyes, especially now, were as strong as ever. She'd been through so many ups and downs in her life, especially downs, that she was wise beyond her years. Which said a lot given she was far over 1,200. “Like I said before little Fear...” her voice held incredible respect for the young stallion who had done so much good in a short amount of time, even if some of his decisions in the past had been questionable. He was primed for better things, and he could overcome the worst of things. Luna was sure that with her assistance, the two of them could overcome Fate itself – not that either of them wanted to try. “You may never have a chance to use the Solar Flare spell because it requires sunlight and an affinity for magic, but it is important nonetheless. Just in case.”

Fear hardly believed it was necessary, but being curious his entire life did a lot of things for him, and one was his insatiable desire for knowledge that wasn't math – he liked the cold hard logic of it but was far too impatient to go through the longest of equations. Always made mistakes. Luna had tried to teach him but he was just too antsy, his horn writing demonstrating that far too well through his scribbles. So, he was insistent on learning it anyway as they practiced in a place with faux daylight, a small chamber Luna had set up within her dreambubble for Fear to capitalize on.

Nonetheless, it'd probably be awhile before he really got the hang of it enough to actually use it for real.

“By the way, little Fear. What have you really been up to these past years? You rarely talk in depth about it.”

“Eh.” Fear wasn't too forthcoming, feeling sort of depressed about it by the tone of his voice. “Not much really.” He tried to find the source of sunlight within himself, and pull on the same up above him, trying to merge the two wavelengths. “I rarely ever leave Dryfield, and I spend a lot of time in bed not knowing what to do. I get out sometimes, but I never really... travel, you know?”

Luna nodded appraisingly, as if she knew more than she was letting on. “That is... too bad. Maybe soon you will find the strength to leave your home and start traveling again.”

With a shake of his head, Fear responded. “I don't... really know about that. I like hanging out in Dryfield and protecting it, doing things around town with family. I don't know what I could possibly have to offer the wasteland as it is right now.”

“What about your friends? You intended to help them out with their endeavors did you not?”

Fear glanced off to the side, having a hard time concentrating. “Yeah, I did, but I just haven't felt up for it. But the time is coming soon where we'll have to find a way to fight that massive creature and get to Abyssinia, or warn them in their dreams. Both ideas have a chance of falling flat though.”

Luna grinned slightly. “I believe in you little Fear. You've come this far, you will overcome this stagnancy and push through the hardest difficulties you could imagine. I am sure that after the... pseudo loss of your sister, you are intent on finding another significant other after all.”

Fear laughed. “Hey hey hey, watch where you're treading Luna.” He snickered and waved his head back and forth. “That's my business. But yeah, if I wasn't so bothered by Amelio leaving me I'd feel more comfortable picking up folk at Scavver's Tavern for more than just business.”

The princess frowned. “Have you not talked about these issues with Amelio?”

“Nah.” Fear looked to the ground. “How can you tell a therapist that was once your sister and significant other that they've completely ruined your motivation to get with another mare?”

Luna hmmed. “I suppose it would be hard. But I am sure you will manage it Fear. You have managed many other things. I trust you.”

Fear also managed a smile in that moment. “Thanks, Princess.”

==========================================================================================

“I'll be entirely honest, little Fear,” Freiya began, lifting a forehoof and dragging it through her curly, peppermint colored mane, “I'm proud of you for weaning yourself off of using the Seer's Eye for escape. You've made a lot of progress. For awhile I thought you were going to be lost to the addiction.”

Fear refused to look at Freiya, even if he always loved staring at the Stable 47 barding he wished he could wear. Did they even have it in his size? No matter how old he got he was hardly getting any bigger. He had hit his growth spurt a year or two ago and stopped at 3'2”. Everyone else was so much taller than him! The pangs of jealousy were very real. Maybe someday he'd grow to love his height, but today was not that day. “Thanks Grandma,” Fear uttered somewhat sourly. It was genuine gratitude nonetheless.

Freiya reached over and stroked her hoof along his shoulder, twisting up and over the back of his neck, then dragging through his mane. “Before I get to the important news, how has Sim been doing? You hardly ever talk about them all anymore.”

Fear cocked his head to the side, brushing a hoof against his other foreleg. “Eh. That's because constantly repeating myself sucks. But Dad recently put on a play called the Crucible. It's about a bunch of paranoia in Equestria. It's supposed to be a... a...”

“A metaphor?” Freiya asked.

The young stallion nodded. “Yeah that. A metaphor for war time Equestria when suspected zebra sympathizers were being absolutely ruined, but told through the lens of alleged Nightmare Moon sympathizers back centuries before.” He grinned a little at the idea. It was interesting to be sure, hearing all of those ponies talk old timey, far before him.

Freiya smiled brightly, her mellifluous voice flowing across the blank dreambubble they were sharing space in. “That sounds pretty extravagant if I do say so myself – very dramatic. I wish your father could come to the Stable and put on those plays for us sometime.”

Fear grinned like a doof. “I'll ask him if he'll be willing to travel for it.”

“We'll certainly make it worth his while, though we don't have too much to give.”

“Yeah yeah.” Fear shook his head a little. “I'll let him know. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to get a chance to perform for you guys. Anyways, what's the big news?”

==========================================================================================

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mgB-zwOkwY

The field of ghouls was terrifying at most, and absolutely grotesque at least. The shambling, deteriorated bodies of ponies long since passed, kept alive simply by mutation and radiation coursing through their dilapidated forms. Ribs poking out and joints exposed, tendons and other sinewy muscles revealed stringing across bone. Nonfunctioning organs able to be seen between rotting flesh, sometimes a jaw or a tail or something even more personal was missing from the equine, be it a pegasus, a unicorn, or an earth pony. Occasionally you could see the brains through crumbling craniums. It was a mess, and the stench was Godawful, kept at bay only by the magical necromantic energies flowing through every single one of them.

Fear looked out on the expanse with a steely gaze, occasionally shifting in place and swallowing hard, trying not to gag on the aroma of carcasses wafting over the gentle breeze in the desert. His lunar guard sword and Garand held on either side of him at the ready in a warm, white telekinetic aura, his horn caressed by the same chromatic energy.

Simulacrum, his dazzling father stood at his side, holding the ivory-handled ebony carapace knife in his teeth to keep the weight off his magic. Next to him was Gentler who dug his greaves into the dusty ground. Occasionally he knelt down and dragged his gauntlets through what little sand there was, his cloak barely fluttering behind him, his sharpened fangs gritting together. Fear came up to his thighs, while Sim came up nearly to his chest.

On Fear's other side stood a hesitant yet confident Faithdriver, occasionally gnawing on her lower lip and holding her alicannon slung across her back, a hoof threaded through the handle like it was a hammer.

“Fear, you should go after the big boss you mentioned earlier.” Gentler's calm, cautious, stoic feline voice filled the air that was only joined by deathly moaning and the trampling of hooves against cracked ground. “You're the most capable one among us, as dirty as it makes me feel to say that.”

The young stallion glanced to the tabby Abyssinian close to him.

“It feels like just yesterday I'd met the tiniest colt imaginable and put him in his rebellious place by beating his shit in until he couldn't walk anymore.”

Fear shot Gentler a stupid grin, nodding his head upward. “It's been, what, three years since then? Maybe more? I fucking wreck your ass on a near daily basis, that should be history by now.” The young stallion's voice had a hint of amusement to it.

Gentler scoffed. “Tease me all you want, I win in our spars now and then.”

“Only 'cause I let you win, mangy cat.” Fear stuck his tongue out at Gentler.

“Eh, I heavily doubt that. You're just a big softie, holding back's gonna get you killed.” The Abyssinian shot Fear a wink.

“Whatever!” Fear squeaked out. “We're friends. Besides, the sly eagle hides its talons.”

“Sheesh Nightlight,” Faith's composed, powerful voice resounded, “when did you get so dramatic and pretentious?”

Sim guffawed over the handle, his laugh bitonal in nature, but comforting rather than unnerving. “Probably all those books he's been reading.”

Fear half grimaced, half grinned, cocking his head to the side and gazing out at the approaching hoard. “Hey now guys, it's not fair to gang up on a colt like that. I'm gonna bring karma down on all of you if you keep that up.”

Sim got sassy. “You wouldn't do anything, son, and we all know it. Keep dreaming.”

“Pfft,” Fear started. “You say that now but you know I'm a force of nature nowadays.”

Faith sat on her haunches and put a free hoof on Fear's shoulder. “Yes we all know you're strong Nightlight. Now why don't we disperse and take on this threat before it gets too close?”

The young stallion groaned out, rolling his eyes in a wide arch. “Yeah fine. I'm sure this guy's wondering what we're doing just standing here. Well team, let's wreck some shit!” Fear got low to the ground.

Faith was the first to bolt into action. “With pleasure.” The older mare with silver streaks, nerves frayed from having to fight such a huge group of ghouls, raced ahead as her heart hammered in her chest. “For harmony!”

Gentler's slitted eyes revolved in their sockets at Faith's drama, snorting slightly. “Why am I surrounded by nerds?” And with that he was charging into the fray as well, followed closely by Sim.

Fear was next to run in.

As the ghouls saw three ponies and one Abyssinian approaching them they growled and snarled, hissing out and forming an attack line, immediately going on the offensive, a few surging into action and lunging forward to bury their teeth into their new enemy and pummel them with their hooves.

Most didn't even get the chance to bite. As Faith jumped into a group of them and whirled her warhammer-like cannon around in a circle, bashing a few into each other and slamming another one back, charging it up with magical energies in the air all the while. Occasionally thrusting out and skewering one of them on the eddied horn and curving around to use a hindleg to yank herself free, she was a wild card, bashing skulls like watermelon.

The ghouls ahead of her, simpleminded as could be, tried to brute force her.

Faith aimed her weapon at the ground and fired into it, causing an upheaval of earth, jagged edges of rock vaulting into the air, a couple managing to shank a zombie or two and the rest of the upturned earth causing the ghouls to lose their balance, some falling on their face.

Sim led the secondary assault, while Gentler leap-frogged over Faith with a 'yoink.' They were quick to get into the action as well, with the Abyssinian throwing a fist toward one of the zombie's faces and shoving it into the ex-pony's mouth, all the way into the back of his throat and then pumping his fist downward into the ground. The power splattered the creature's skull into the dust. Then the tabby leaned on that fist and vaulted forward, pumping his leg out in a side kick and caving in another ghoul's throat. It nearly crushed the brainstem in the back and brought it crumpling to the ground. Gentler was quickly back on his feet and doing a variety of close quarters combat moves on the ghouls surrounding him.

As they became too much to handle though Sim was right up against his back, levitating his carapace knife up and pumping his turquoise magic into it, causing it to unravel before everyone's eyes and become a cloud of wires that lashed out, wrapping around limbs and skewering through musculature, fusing zombies into place and giving Gentler the opportunity to put a fist where the sun didn't shine, before kicking them into oblivion.

Fear was swift in galloping past them, leading the next assault, tertiary and primary all in one, reacting on empath instinct and cleaving his sword through a long series of enemies that about faced on the leader's command and tried to tackle him. The young stallion merely danced his way through, cutting, hacking, and slicing through ghoul after ghoul, the positive emotions he pumped into the sword making it come to his defense and slide between teeth before throwing off a rather persistent one, then decapitating it. He kept his rifle as back up, floating it behind him as he hacked through. All while tendrils of radiation exploded into the air from the source of it all and crashed into gored ghoul bodies, regenerating them and bringing them back to life, leaving the others to fight rejuvenated corpses, arising once more to do their master's bidding.

==========================================================================================

Freiya stood in front of Fear with a confident, yet wary smile. “All I wished to do was inform you of an incoming threat to Dryfield. A pegasus, non-feral ghoul by the name of Ghastly Feather is directing an army of ferals across the lands in order to cleanse it of impurites, and then himself, so as to pave the way forward for those above the clouds, at least that's what he's apparently preaching to his brethren, not that they can understand.”

Fear lifted an eyebrow, a look of distaste crossing his features. “All for the enclave? Why? What does he hope to gain?”

“I'm getting there little Fear.” She lifted a hoof and placed it on his forehead. A little condescending, Fear thought, but not the biggest deal. “From further scrying I learned he was once a magician with varying levels of success depending on the timeline, working for the Equestrian Military to keep up the morale at the behest of the Ministry of Morale.”

Fear let out a little snort as Freiya continued.

“He gallavants about how his transformation into a ghoul was a divine promotion to the real war front, where he will eliminate both the tainted Equestria and the evil Zebrica for the Enclave's sake.”

Fear was impressed with the sheer amount of information his grandmother had managed to collect on the stallion. She had meant what she said when she'd told him she'd do everything in her power to protect him. The rest was up to him it seemed. “What kinds of tricks should I expect from an ex-magician?” Fear pulled a foreleg against his chest and smirked, as if it was no big deal, his ears flicking.

Freiya grinned, tilting her head to the side as she resumed debriefing him. “He was born with the same mutation as you, with crystalline nerves extending to his wings. He's an empath, Fear.” Fear's stomach churned in his belly, a look of surprise crossing his face. Though Freiya didn't stop there. “He wields pure radioactive force to heal his allies and kill his opponents with disease. It's going to take something big to bring him down for good given he's... probably eaten a radioactive rock. Further, his trick wingblades make him deadly in a close range fight.”

Fear was feeling a little more trepidation at the enemy he was up against. Still, it wasn't like he could just sit back and do nothing, and he definitely wasn't going to run away. There also wouldn't be time to try and talk him down as long as his ghoulie friends were busy attacking the town. He'd have to be swift and decisive. “Thanks Grandma.” Fear gave a confident grin once more. He could do this, he had to. The only other choice was death.

==========================================================================================

The young stallion had beheaded and delimbed more than a few ghouls in the swath he'd carved out for himself, the path he'd cut as if chiseling through flesh and blood, positive emotive energy keeping the various gore from sticking to his sword, though there was a little splatter on his fluffy, dark gray coat.

That was until he came to his destination, yellowish-white pegasus with nearly preserved body except for his partially de-feathered wings which were clad in blades. He had a near translucent glow to him, a lime green light radiating outward from him, X-raying his organs and bones from within. Part of his jaw was missing on second glance, and a magician's starry cloak clipped around his neck, coupled with a witch's hat on his head. His mane and tail thinned, a glorious platinum color. As if an imaginary sun had washed all the color out of him like a pair of jeans. There was an infernal frown on his tightened face, eyes glaring daggers at Fear as blorby, splorchy tentacles writhed from his body, slowly flailing in the air as if seeking to latch onto anything and drain the life from it.

Fear was quick on the draw, not that the same could be said for the pegasus. “Fuck, and my family called me pretentious, just looking at you makes me feel like I've stepped into a fantasy novel. You know this is the wasteland right?” Fear chastised Ghastly as he paced back and forth, acting like he wasn't scared in the slightest, showing no hint of fright nor disconcert. “You should probably leave and come back when you're dressed for the part.” Fear tilted his head up, stopping in place as the pegasus snarled at him. “And for Celestia's sake your posture is way too stiff! You're here for a fight, not a modeling competition.” Luna had shown Fear one of those. “Fucking get your act in gear if you're going to try to play pretend.” Ghastly's eye twitched, both of them widening a second later. And to add insult to injury, Fear jeered. “Also some stallion, your dick probably rot right the fuck off!” Fear's face was full of faux acrimony as he held a hoof against his chest.

Ghastly had finally had enough of the small, young stallion running his mouth off. “SILENCE! WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW YOU INSIGNIFICANT SPECK OF DUST!?” His voice was full of rage.

Fear smiled like a doof. Unlike all the other ghouls Fear could feel a sort of pseudo soul residing in the pegasus, as if part of it had been left behind and was waiting for the body to officially die before it could move on. Only that would probably never happen. He could feel the emotions, just not hear the soul inside of it. It felt good to feel that supposed soul rage against its confines, having been taught by Gentler to throw his enemy into a frenzy to make them make mistakes.

Ghastly took that smile as rubbing salt in the wound, and lashed out with one of the tendrils of radioactivity, the blorby tentacle sweeping across the ground. “You insolent little clod you think you're smart!? You think you're funny!? Making fun of my glory!? My divine mission!? You think you know me!?”

Fear was busy ignoring the stallion, taking a deep breath and seeping into the ground with both his weapons, becoming one with the shadows cast by the rippling cloud cover above. Only a scouring darkness revealing his position. He felt the vibrations being cast by the pegasus as he surged across the ground, feeling the radiation pass over him as a gentle fizzy warmth, like downing too much sparkle cola. The young stallion raced across the ground before jumping up out of it from behind Ghastly, twisting around in the air and spinning this gun around to press the muzzle against his skull.

Ghastly didn't know what to make of any of it, having been so distracted trying to call Fear names his body froze up.

There was a loud bam. One of eight bullets down.

A visceral squelch of brain matter exploding outward.

But the body didn't collapse.

Fear took another deep breath and dove back under the ground, knowing the stallion wasn't dead, intending to reappear somewhere else as the pegasi's body reformed, bits of brain regenerating at a rabid pace, his skull and mane being restored as if he'd never been hurt at all, as if the dead body had been snapshot and that's what it would always return to.

Ghastly stared at the ground, looking for Fear, now using his empathy to sense where his body was traveling to, thrusting the tendrils of radiation into the ground in an attempt to drown him out.

Fear and his gear was made of nothing more than shadows and magic in that moment though, unaffected by the sickness. But he couldn't come back up for air as long as the radiation was covering his exit. He quickly pulled away, getting out of range, and popping up out of the ground, aspirating as he leveled the gun like a pro while hanging in the air for a few seconds, lining up the shot.

A second bam, a second bullet used.

The shot punched through Ghastly's body, doing nothing more than vibrating on the spot as it quickly healed, flesh becoming effervescent as it was repaired.

Fear took another deep breath and dove back down.

“You can't keep running from me you imbecilic pest!” Ghastly cried out as he tried to grab Fear with his tendrils.

The young stallion jumped out of the earth on his side, in an area where it was still cool, and brought his sword around to lop off his head.

Ghastly was prepared though, trying to lure Fear into a false sense of security, bringing up a wing and trying to slash through Fear's jugular with the blade.

Fear saw it coming though and slipped back into the shadows, latching onto the underside of Ghastly's wing and zooming across his body to pop out from under his cloak.

Ghastly's hackles rose on end as he snapped his head behind him, jumping forward and reaching out with a tendril of radiation.

Fear's eyes widened as he saw death look him in the face, unable to connect to any shadows from this far away, and did the only thing he could do, shoved his body out of the way with a burst of telekinesis, causing him to skid across the ground as the tendril of radiation slammed down where his body just was. He then lunged forward, trying to stab Ghastly through the barrel.

Ghastly brought up his wing blade and blocked it, throwing the sword up into the air and twisting around, intending to slash across Fear's chest with the other wing blade.

Fear ducked, already breathing hard from being in the shadows so much, using his small body to his advantage and bringing the sword back down onto Ghastly's spine.

The pegasus hardly reacted in response as the sword dug in deep, hitting the rock in his belly and causing it to jostle.

Fear grimaced and tried to breathe deep, falling into shadows again, leaving his sword behind but bringing his Garand with him.

Just in time too as Ghastly reached out with another slash.

Fear popped up behind him, lining up another shot and firing, the bullet pulsing through him and blowing away his rear end for a singular moment and striking the rock, nearly shattering it. The young stallion grumbled, recalling Freiya's words that it'd take something big to take him out as he dipped into the shadows again, another tendril of radioactivity flailed at Fear to glide through him and leave him lethally poisoned.

Ghastly let out a cry of rage, getting fed up with Fear and his antics and finally deciding to end this once and for all. He'd noticed the young stallion had to come up out of the shadows for breath eventually, he could hear how despite barely physically moving at all his breathing was growing labored. With it he pulled radiation from the rock inside of him, and his own power, and released a blanket of the green venom, settling over the ground in a large radius around him. Fear would have to come up for air soon enough. There wasn't enough time for him to get away. “Give up! Either poison yourself or die by suffocation you hellish colt!”

The young stallion was hardly one to give up, sliding under Ghastly's body and separating the shadow of his Garand from the shadow of himself, pushing it up out of the air and pressing it against his side.

“Hah! Foolish attempts!”

Fear wasn't done, reaching out with his telekinesis and latching onto the rod-like handle of his sword, twisting it inside, creating a hole, and then yanking it out with a shluck, only to plunge it into where he was sure he felt the remnants of that soul – his skull, and drilled it down as deep as it'd go, skewering right through.

Ghastly's body froze up, eyes crossing over his snout as his concentration was interrupted from the brain damage, unable to heal properly with blade stuck in his skull. The blanket of radiation receded back into him on instinct, trying to dislodge it and heal the vital damage.

Fear surged out of the ground, pumping his hindlegs into the ghoul boss' ribs and shattering them, forcing his body into the air as he popped free, taking a deep breath. The young stallion swept his Garand up, lining it up with the underside of Ghastly's body and fired while the sword wound was still mildly fresh. The bullet screwed through the air and pounded into the rock, causing it to shift, lifting up to the surface, and cracking it.

Ghastly's eyes nearly plopped out of his skull from everything that happened to him in one moment.

Fear submerged himself back into the shadows as Ghastly fell onto the dusty dirt in a heap, still trying to shove the sword out of his skull so he could repair the damage with radiation. Fear hopped up out of the earth next to the ghoul, his vision vignetting from not getting enough of air, and reached out with his telekinesis, prying the rock free with one desperate show of force, oomphing it out of his back and into the air and throwing it as far from them as he could, his hooves tingling a little touching Ghastly's chest.

The pegasus ghoul's body then went still, the brain damage becoming permanent. No matter how hard he tried to use what radiation was left, it wouldn't work, until it was all draining from him.

Fear let out a cry as he schlupped the sword out and with one deft swing brought it down onto the back of Ghastly's neck, chopping off the offensive headpiece, and killing him once and for all.

The young stallion plopped onto his belly, trying to catch his breath, chest heaving and falling rapidly. All as the high of victory, a sensation he hadn't felt in what seemed like forever, penetrated his body and pumped euphoria through his brain, leaving him light, airy, on cloud nine. So much adrenaline and the sheer endorphin release... everything was suddenly so fantastic, his consciousness stretching out like it was made of elastic. He rolled over onto his back, smiling up at the sky as the rest of the ghouls were taken care of, a dull laughter escaping his lips from every close call he'd just been through. Using every method at his disposal except for the Starlight Shredder, a difficult spell to perform even under the best of circumstances, even nowadays. His bloodlust, he found, was as bubbly as ever despite being latent for so long. It felt good to kill for the sake of others.

And it'd never stop, the occurrence lighting a fire inside Fear's soul. Everything about him had been dormant for so long aside from constant practice, but now... now everything was falling into place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJAX7nGhuHA

Next Chapter: Project Ace Estimated time remaining: 12 Hours, 6 Minutes