“Zettaaaa!” Fear's scream was dark, filled with aggression, animosity, and vengeance. An emotional outpouring. His familiar feminine voice crying forth. It was long, drawn out, contained in the chamber, enough to concern his family. While most could not make such a voice sound threatening, Fear succeeded. He held his lunar quartz sword in his telekinetic aura next to his face, edge pointed toward his foes. His three companions fanning out behind him.

The carriage was host to one of those familiar hatches in the ceiling, four turrets (two on each wall) and a console at the front (the windshield made of plexiglass) for controlling the entire vehicle.

Zetta had been busy speaking with Seele, both of them glancing back toward where they heard the voice.

For the briefest of seconds, Fear saw fright flit across the sadistic, vengeful umbran's eyes. There were no words, just that hint of things not going according to plan. Then a righteous fury bubbling across his zombified face made of glossy necromantic energy. “You!” Zetta seethed. Not even a 'how.' It was pretty clear from the bloodied Gentler just how.

Acrid stepped forward, up next to Fear, taking a battle ready stance with legs spread, getting low to the ground. “You're not winning this time, Zetta! We've got you cornered!”

Zetta merely grinned, closing his eyes and shaking his head. Seele was getting antsy, preparing for combat and slamming metal fist into metal hand. He still had the numerous dings, dents, and spiderweb cracks. Evidence of their previous efforts. “There's four of you. In a tight space.” Zetta began pacing back and forth. “You're liable to hit each other, whereas I can subsume into the shadows and fight from within Seele.” Twisting around, Zetta smirked, the squad able to see through his stringy cheeks to the jagged teeth beneath. “And neither of you four can hide in the shadows that I command.” Zetta ceased his movement, glaring down at them from his high horse.

Fear drew on every single inch of his family's charisma, his voice pre-planned and violent. “Wanna bet, Zetta!? I have the perfect plan for taking you and your insipid host out from this world.”

“You don't even have the soul rifles!” Zetta scoffed with the barest hints of uncertainty in his voice. “You're bluffing!”

Fear grinned to one ear. “Wanna try me?” He got low to the ground, preparing to bum rush them, Gentler and Faith behind him getting into their own battle ready stances.

Zetta's face cracked. After the previous underestimation he wasn't going to do that again. He turned to Seele for a split second, then flicked his head toward the others. “Separate them, Seele. They can't fight as well without Fear, and he can't fight as well without his companions. He's clearly hurting, it's plain on his face. You can take him out on your own.” There was a purring confidence to his voice, sure that this plan would work.

Fear ground his teeth together, glaring triumphantly. This was as he'd expected. As he'd wanted. Crate and Angel would be proud of his molded bluffing skills. His head swept back, then tilted in the direction of their foes. “You guys take care of Zetta. I know you can. It's time for my rematch with Seele.”

Zetta's confidence was massively offset by Fear's, and it showed on his face and stumbling posture, feeling like a cornered rat. The look on the faces of the others only exacerbated that concern.

Fear twirled his sword in the air, getting ready for the first attack. Seele hardly noticed, just preparing for the rematch. This was the moment the smaller stallion lived for, that moment where his enemy wavered, where they knew they were fucked. His tongue slipped from between his lips and dragged over them, leaving a trail of saliva before retreating.

This was going to be exciting. His telekinetic grip strengthened on the hilt of Shaybna. He could feel her desire to end this once and for all. Her desire to survive, to not be used as fuel. She was teeming with trepidation and need. As she called out to him, he reassured her that he had a plan. Even if it was just a theory.

Zetta was the first to speak, while Seele was the first to make a move. “Even if you have a plan as you imply the worst possible foe you can fight is a trapped beast! And I am more intelligent and experienced than all of you combined!” Seele meanwhile dashed forward in an attempt to grapple Fear.

Fear met Seele head for head, jumping into the grapple. Seele squeezed tight, enough to break his small body. Fear merely sank into the shadows of the magic resistant steel. Seele jumped, the thrusters on his feet igniting and forcing him up... and up. Breaking the hinges off the hatch above with the brute strength. So hard it not only slammed open, but with the screeching sound of wrenching metal, severed at the base and went flying into the air, only to be yanked backwards by the momentum of the train, bouncing across each carriage.

The last thing Fear heard was Acrid, with all the gathered confidence from the time spent traveling, declaring that an umbran who spent most of his life behind a seal wasn't as experienced as he wanted to think.

Gutsy.

There is nothing more inspiring than a scared opponent, Fear thought to himself as he was brought into the open air, the duo falling back down onto the train car behind the front. Your final mistake was letting my namesake get the better of you, Zetta.

Sun

or

Moon

Sunrise shone on the speeding combat train. Glinting off the inky metal.

Seele let out a tinny roar of excitement, pleasure, and pure power as he landed on the train car with a huge 'kachunk,' nearly denting the metal with the force. “Feeeeeeeeeeear!” His voicebox raged teasingly. “You're going to have to come out eventually!” According to his voice, this was merely a game to him.

Fear popped off the shadows, spiraling through the air back down the train cars, only slightly slowed down by the fact Seele was taking the brunt of the wind pressure and skidding along the metal, nearly blown back and off further down. Fear's ears were pressed back, his fur whipping behind him, tail sticking erect out behind him from the sheer force. “Gladly, Seele!” Fear puffed out his chest, holding himself high as the sword and saddlebags stayed fused to his shadows, a pane of telekinetic energy filtering in before him to keep from being blown back and make his movements more agile in the rush. “Come at me you fucking abomination!” Fear lifted a hoof, using a come hither motion to beckon him into the fray.

Seele charged.

Fear charged on three legs in return.

Seele pulled back one arm and threw it forward, ejecting the fist from the base. The jet blast back as it careened straight for the colt.

He leads into his attacks too much. Fear jumped off his healthy hind leg, getting a couple inches, then sending a burst of telekinesis below him to shove him up a little higher. Just high enough that when his body spun like a ribbon his back barely scraped the top of the fist which ground across the top of the train cars, eliciting a screech of metal. All brute strength, no technique. He breathed in deeply. Without the shield of magic it'd be difficult.

Seele jumped forward legs first, digging in his other hand into the metal and gliding over it as he brought a foot up to slam into Fear's face as they nearly met.

Fear, in the middle of his twirl, turned himself into shadows, the wind pressure from the speed of the train enormous, nearly sending him tearing backwards. His shadow melted under Seele's mechanical body and popped out from his head, spinning around to face where Seele was as he landed on the leading carriage.

Seele fell onto his side and quickly got back up, whirling around with a mechanical hiss. “There are no soul rifles on this train! How do you expect to make me feel pleasure again, colt!? This is merely a game of cat and mouse, a test of endurance that you will surely fail!”

Fear manipulated his vocal cords magnifying his voice. “I'm the Marvelous Spiral and I always find a way! Even if that means depending on others!”

For a fleeting second, Fear was certain he felt Discord's smile rain down on his mind.

“Even if you depend on others!” Seele shouted out. “You've still lost. They can do nothing to me. You're a disabled youngling, what do you and your friends hope to accomplish against a conqueror?”

Fear smirked, flicking his head to the side. “A little dumbass disability isn't going to stop me from being the best me I can be all the time, I'll work around it as much as I can! I'll try to work around any and every tragedy and come out on top!” Fear's voice was almost drowned out by the hum of the train, by the roar of the wind. Just need an opening. He slowly inched toward the blown open hatch. It didn't help his hind leg was starting to flare up, making him ground his teeth together.

Seele released a high pitched, guttural noise. “So you say! But all I must do is outlast you and your agility!”

Acrimony bubbled in Fear's stomach like acid as he realized just what Seele was capable of, what he would do, and it felt good, it was the feeling of vengeance, the feeling of a good fight against a dark opponent. Not since Corona had Fear felt this way. All of the knowledge of what would transpire if Fear failed here burned in his gut, making him flex his muscles. And that's when Seele noticed what he was doing.

“Running to your friends, are you!? I thought you could take me on yourself, you stupid colt!” Seele seemed enraged due to Fear's supposed retreat. “Come and fight me like a satyr!”

It was a bluff. Fear kept approaching the hatch. “Make me!” His tail was fluttering against his body, ears pushed forward as wind swept past him, not as strongly as it would without his shield.

“Gladly!”

Fear clenched a hoof, he knew what was coming as his eyes darted from side to side nervously. There was only one chance at this. A deep breath. Seele knew his methods by now, but he didn't know every move he was capable of! Seele brought his fists up...

And fired.

One fist careened straight for Fear as he muttered an incantation vehemently under his breath, eyes closed to keep himself calm in the moment. “Fires of life inspire their fervor, berserk!” He wove to the side.

Seele had expected that. What he hadn't expected was for Fear to bring his sword down on the fist as it passed by, scraping across the metal then swinging into the air and pointing tip down over Fear's head.

The effects were gentle at first, like a rising tsunami just starting out. One earth shattering tremor at a time building up. A light, smoldering ferocity as the second fist came flying at Fear at an angle in the middle of his movement.

Due to the lame leg, he couldn't move as fast as usual.

But that was fine.

Fear ducked, morphing into shadows as soon as the fist's shadow encroached on him. It was an instant, a split second, barely noticeable. It was like going invisible for the briefest of moments.

The fist crashed into where he was, the sword's tip slamming down into the Antithaum metal.

A roar undulated through Seele's soul.

Fear pulled out of the shadows as the fist passed by him, sunrise beaming over his body. He flicked his head. Opening his eyes. Seeing exactly what he'd predicted.

Seele wasn't a warrior.

Fear was. Though it was uncertain if his exceptional tactical skill was due to Seer's Eye taint or developed intelligence.

The mechanical menace had been leaning forward, leaping off his legs, the ring on his back spinning furiously as the thrusters on his feet activated, sending him careening forward. It scorched the metal under him as it shoved him along.

Fear closed his eyes, sword melting against his body. One more time. His chest jerking. This was it... just one more hopefully. It's your turn, Storm. Let's make up for what we couldn't do then with what we can do now. It wasn't a series of thoughts, it was merely a call to action, a powerful sentiment that flooded through him, along the connection with his tulpa.

Omega Storm leaped from his body, soaring into the air.

It was going to be dizzying.

As Seele made to crash into Fear, his body disappeared. Exactly as Seele had planned. He spun around, using the thrusters on the hands that had reconnected with his wrists to halt his forward momentum, brought his feet down, and ignited the thrusters where he stood, where he expected Fear's shadow to be.

Incinerate him alive. Disperse the shadows.

Fear's body was in the air, splooting as he fell back toward the train, a constant flow of telekinesis keeping the momentum from his time on the train alive and well. He brought the sword down on Seele's head, scraping off and to the side as one more violent surge of fire flowed into the robot's soul.

As Seele tried to glance up in startled, enraged confusion, a tinny scream emitting from his voicebox, Fear collapsed on top of his head, his hooves giving out under him.

Landing was not the part Fear had fully figured out as his body slid down the back, then as his telekinesis gave out his body was nearly flung backwards down the train, tumbling end over end. Dizzy... he nearly lost hold of his saddlebags in the shadows, knowing he'd break his legs if he hit the train's roof at the speed he was going with the intent to land. So he curled up into a roll.

BAM!

COUGH!

His spine hitting the metal hurt! His entire body freezing up as he was sent barreling further down, getting the wind knocked out of him.

And as he expected, a ferocious, out of control Seele was right on his heels intending to pummel him into paste.

Fear couldn't breathe, impact having torn his breath from his lungs, splayed on his side over the roof. For a moment he thought his death was about to come to him as Seele threw himself into a full body tackle. But on instinct, instinct that could have suffocated him, he seeped into the shadows up against Seele's body, winding around to the side and poking his head out in order to inhale massively so he could slink back in.

Seele was screaming. It was riding above the wind pressure, over the hum of the train.

Next step, Fear thought.

As Fear pulled off of Seele, energy gradually draining from re-utilizing the screen of telekinesis, he called on Shaybna for the next part of his plan. Soul tackle! He called in his mind, pointing the sword forward. The blade glowed, wielding what was normally a reconnaissance spell, and as Seele was climbing back onto his feet Fear's spirit ejected from his body.

On a crash course with Seele.

The robot didn't rock on his feet, but he did feel the slam of soul against soul, knocking his hold over his infusion loose. There was a moan of pleasure from the sensation of nearly being torn from his anchor.

Shaybna controlled Fear's form, forcing it to endure as Fear's spirit came careening back, gasping out loud.

Fear ran to greet Seele.

“You little shit! Hahaha, anyone ever tell you how impressive you are, Fear!?” Seele's voice raged with pleasure and violence, the heat of battle as he charged at him. “But none of your attacks can do anything to my body with or without your little improvisation!”

Fear threw himself at the robot, just glowering. No more time for words. Taking a deep breath again.

Seele readied to grab onto Fear, not knowing what to expect, but at this point he wouldn't be surprised if the stallion turned himself into a bullet, Seele's form vulnerable.

Fear buried himself into his opponent's shadow, winding around his shell.

Seele staggered backwards and tried to claw at where Fear was to cremate him with his thrusters.

One more, Fear thought. He ran through two swift incantations, yelling them in his mind's voice. Poison of mortis, inching ever closer, decay! Fires of life inspire their fervor, berserk! He wasn't sure if overlaying spells was possible or if it'd wipe out the previous but Fear was nothing if not a risk taker as he pulled the sword out of the shadows and swept it across Seele.

Two things happened at once. Exactly as the soul was pushed into a feverish rage, so was his body weakened, even if only slightly.

Just slightly enough. That magic resistant metal was just resistance after all.

In slow motion, Fear slithered and skittered over Seele's body, from point to point: under, top, to the sides, everywhere and pulling out just momentarily now and then to get a breath of fresh air. Seele was able to feel him winding all over him like the persistent, ugly bug he was. The souljar started hammering itself with its fists, pounding into its armored body and liquefying itself with its thrusters, twisting end over end, falling to the train, writhing around.

Fear once more performed his soul tackle while on top of him, able to feel victory in his grasp, assuring it even as his head felt light, breathing heavy.

CLANG!

SLAM!

CRACK!

SNAP!

CLANG CLANG CLANG!

CRICK!

The shell was breaking apart, slowly but surely, pieces breaking off, revealing chunks of vulnerable parts underneath, bits of sensitive machinery that helped Seele to function.

Fear darted toward the abomination's knee.

In his rage, not even understanding what he was doing, Seele brought the fist down onto it.

With a brutal CRACK and the screech of metal being ripped apart, the leg snapped in half. Seele fell to his side, moaning from the pain, from feeling his body separated. The body his soul inhabited. His spirit split apart like a Black Book spell.

Fear pushed up out of Seele's stomach, standing on top of him and looking down. “You think I'm done with you Seele!? Not even close!”

Seele wasn't sure what to make of it, disoriented by the severance.

“You may have an Antithaum metal exterior but what about your interior!?”

Fear, while twirling his blade, brought the tip down into the vulnerable souljar, ejecting his soul one more time and hammering into Seele's spirit, sending his control off kilter once more. And as he came back to his body, he exclaimed one more incantation.

“Firey mountains, uncontrolled inferno, incinerate!” As Seele looked up at the stallion with wonder using his cameras, his sensors recorded a sudden influx of dangerously volatile temperatures flooding into him.

And it only got worse.

As multiple overlays of magic formed over Fear's horn and over his sword, the blade caught on fire, before secreting, in droplets at first, pure magma. Draining into Seele's innards. Into his heart, into everything that made his body operate, made it function.

Pieces melted away, components turned to slag. Seele's tinny voice box screeched terribly, in pain and pleasure.

It eventually died off as even that was rendered useless.

Fear yanked his sword out. He knew Seele was still alive in theory, still contained inside his vestige. But alongside that, Fear also knew you could not add onto a souljar because the spirit had already infused a specific portion.

Seele was completely incapacitated. This was the end of the Storm King. As well as, hopefully, the satyrs' aggression. This neigh eternal entrapment, voiceless with only himself for company, his punishment for playing with such abominable forces and trying to spread that cancer to the whole of Equus.

And that's when the train thundered toward the bridge into Equestria proper, the soul engine's enchantments causing it to flow like a river over the break in the rails, its AI bringing it to the other side, flying across the air as if it had been repaired long ago.

Fear glanced around him looking down at the small sea near him. And put massive effort, his thaumic gland aching, into throwing Seele's husk of a 'corpse' overboard into the water.

Never to be heard from again.

“Feeeeeeeeeearshatterrrrrrrrr!”

Fear glanced behind him with exhausted, lidded eyes as he heard Zetta's fervent, wounded scream for vengeance. Ungodly and unnatural, like decay made manifest. His mane was flitting about in the air, nearly fluttering in his eyes, his tail pressed against his body. His hind leg hurt so much by this point, his jaw tightened. His skull throbbed like a nail had been driven in it. His spine was agonized. Heart sounding like a hurricane in his chest.

He couldn't take on Zetta right now, no matter how wounded the umbran was.

As the train passed into the shade of the pegasi's turbulent cloud cover, it felt like an omen of things to come.

At least Seele couldn't be zombified.

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

Planet. Fighting Death Itself.

or

Sun and Moon. Love is the answer.

“Acrid!” Faith cried out. “Now's your chance! Seal him!” She shoved Acrid in the shoulder with a hoof, coming up next to him.

Zetta immediately froze up, paralyzed from the idea Acrid had... remembered. Thinking about escaping immediately.

“I can't!” Acrid ground out between his teeth.

Confusion crossed Gentler's face and he stepped forward, putting a paw on his shoulder. “Why not?”

“I don't wanna talk about it! Now's not the time!”

Gentler and Faith were silenced by the enormity of Acrid's words. No quips, no honesty, just plain deflection in an unwitty way.

Zetta laughed maniacally. “Ahahahahaha! Is that so!? So this is the end, is it Acrid!? You can't do anything to me nor us! Your inane love will get in the way!”

Acrid slammed a hoof on the ground. “Quiet!” Causing the bottom of the train to vibrate, and then a slice of a section to erupt, breaking off with the tearing of metal and slamming against the hatch above, sealing it off. “You're not getting away from us! Fear's counting on us!”

Zetta held a hoof against his forehead, still cackling and occasionally wheezing. When he finally calmed down, he glared daggers at Acrid. “Oh, little pony. You misunderstand. I'm not getting away from any of you.”

There was a pause.

“You're stuck in here with me!” Zetta leaped into the fray.

Gentler whipped forward, pulling a fist down by his hip, turned upside down as he channeled the power of nullification into his gauntlet. All while shadows erupted from Zetta's body, scourging through the whole carriage.

As they were bathed in darkness, Gentler's fists and feet became the only source of light, brilliant beaming stars in the shade. They distorted and blurred with every movement, emitting the rays everywhere like a person dancing with glowsticks. His fist came up, slamming home into Zetta's neck.

Zetta staggered backwards as an explosion of light revealed his body.

“This is the end, Zetta!” Gentler hissed through his teeth, bringing a leg up in a roundhouse in quick succession, slamming into the side of the umbran's barrel, another snap of light as he stumbled to the side, necromantic and shadow magic warped from the connection.

Acrid lunged forward, screaming deafeningly as he yanked up not only the metal from the ground, moving the metal under Gentler's feet to give him a platform to fight on, but also ripped the plexiglass from the turrets into thousands of sharp shards that hung in the air around the Abyssinian and umbran.

Alongside that, Faith was charging up her weapon carefully, readying to blow a hole in Zetta, who was thrown onto the defensive.

Zetta became an undefined flow of necromantic energy, spinning around and trying to harass Gentler from the air, only to get snapped back and away by a fist or a leg, then scraped and gashed by a piece of plexiglass or steel flooring.

A bitter harassment without end, the necromantic horse's body becoming a flurry of movement. Unable to attack Acrid or Faith without shredding himself to pieces, and with Gentler acting as ferocious as he was, landing a number of blows across his body and negating Acrid's manipulation magic whenever it touched him, he couldn't spend time decaying the shield of spikes shielding him in, especially not the plexiglass which would take far longer due to including plastic.

Zetta roared, pieces of his body getting bashed up as every single slam home into his body released a cascade of light that filled the room and kept him from diving into the shadows and caused him to become stunned momentarily, unable to avoid the cat's reach. It was like a strobe light effect with every hit. Seizure-inducing and making everything look like slow motion.

BAM! FLASH. BAM! FLASH. BAM! FLASH.

Over and over again repeatedly.

Zetta was weakening, his movements were becoming sluggish. How in Tartarus were these three able to keep him on edge!? And he couldn't get too far away from the cat or the mare'd fire her cannon at him!

Faith yelled out. “You're trapped in here with us Zetta! Just like Fear wanted!”

Zetta's full body worbled at the idea that Fear had planned this from the start. Seele! What had happened to him!? Had Fear planned all of this!? The umbran was thrown for a loop and he did the only thing he could.

The umbran flew up toward the hatch, away from Gentler.

Blast of light revealed where Zetta was going. Moving away.

Faith fired her weapon at the ceiling.

As Zetta's body was nearly shredded apart from powering through Acrid's dome of shards, he dodged to the side as he heard the vworp, avoiding the shot as it blew a hole in the ceiling where the hatch had been.

And slid up and through, escaping.

There was a long pause as light filtered in through the hole, the others dazed a little from the strobe light effect.

“Feeeeeeeeeearshatterrrrrrrrr!”

“You're not getting away from us Zetta!” Acrid cried. He was going to be a hero just like Fear!

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

“Even if I can't kill your companions I can at least kill you when you're drained! Save my people from your toxic abuse!” Zetta's body turned to what looked like a gush of water, flickers of himself falling off his hind end as he approached Fear at a laggard pace.

“I'm not believing that shit anymore Zetta!” He smiled, knowing his family was okay, even in his lethargic state. He momentarily considered coming at Zetta with an illusion of love coating his sword, bluffing that it was from his friends and the satyrs on the train, but he wasn't sure if the necromantic aura would deteriorate it. “You are all so Celestia-damned redundant!” His tail was flicking out from him as he turned to face Zetta, hair and ears being blown back. Fur bristling backward. He looked fuzzy in that moment. Like he was going to poof outward when it was all over. The speed was intense, and the only thing keeping him in place was the telekinesis at his front to resist some of the pressure.

The urge for victory, the adrenaline high, everything he'd been through and come to accept gave him strength and brought out the shittalker within him. “You should've killed us when you had the chance! Because you're going down!” He brought a hoof up, twirled it, then stomped it into the metal roof.

As Zetta came up to rain attacks on Fear, the smaller equine just flowed into a series of extravagant dodges, often utilizing telekinesis due to his lame leg, knowing he couldn't risk getting touched by the necromantic energy. Whenever Zetta cornered him on the side of the train by coiling necromantic energy around him to keep him stuck, the cute little stallion let off a powerful, cracking flashbang to startle him and then tried to stab him with his sword.

“Your arrogance is unbecoming and your downfall! Acrid's going to seal you away for eternity, and none of you are ever coming back!” Fear spun around an attack and brought the sword around in a swipe that Zetta jumped over then tried to tackle Fear from above. Fear rolled forward out of the way.

“Umbrans are nothing!” Fear continued. “I beat a soul jar, I've beaten you umbrans time and time again. I beat a dragon. One single umbran is nothing compared to me!” Trying to get Zetta enraged.

Zetta pulled away, smirking. Which alarmed Fear more than his next words could have. “Oh? And what about Acrid's sacrifice? You going to just let him do that? I'm surprised you're willing to give up your friend for the sake of an endeavor that will one day wear down too.” Even if he couldn't beat Fear, he could at least destroy his confidence! Destroy his psyche! Siphon despair from him! “Despair is inevitable, Fear. All ponies in the wasteland feel it, why do you fight us from experiencing our feeding ground?”

Fear shoved the shock from his system. Not letting you get to me that easily! And he could feel Acrid's presence approaching, slowly but surely. They were going to win! “You want to control the world, all of it! There is no limit to your power hunger!” The various different factions that existed in the wasteland, the ones he knew of at least, flashed through his mind. Their methods to attain prosperity. Leo and Lisa's refusal to help were included in it. Fear grit his teeth, letting out a tired roar. “And there may be no way for everyone to agree on a method to rise up, but I will always continue loving the unlovable, I will protect it all from the likes of you no matter what I must do! You're just trying to rile me up, I'm above your stupid tricks! I had an existential crisis, but no more. What you were going to do to me wasn't my fault, it was yours! You're toxic! The epitome of what's wrong with your kind. There are those of you who are good, but you're not one of them!”

Zetta was stunned speechless at the stallion's gall, at his confidence, almost able to feel it like a tangible substance despite not being an empath. His jaw gaping open, feeling Fear to be a fool. And fools were the worst enemy of umbrans.

Fear proclaimed, “I'm going to get justice for you destroying my mother's rifle, all in your hopes to break me down! You should have gone further, should've overkilled me! Because I promise I'm above letting my despair control me now!”

Zetta flowed into an attack that Fear continued dodging, the only thing keeping him going being sheer anger. “What do you hope to accomplish!? We know of your pain! The world's hurt you too and you would protect it!? Despite it continuing to hurt you!?”

“You got that fuckin' right Zetta!” Fear screamed, weaving around him. I have a job, I have a life, and the umbrans are interfering with that. I can't talk them down, and Zetta had every intention to torture me to the brink and beyond. This is my final chance! No giving up! No letting my body give out! It's not my fault!

“Zetta!” Acrid yelled, halting Fear and the umbran in their movements. “Get the fuck away from Fear. Seele's not here to save you from me this time!” Now that Fear could see him clearly, he noticed the older stallion was covered in a field of floating, undulating, twisting plexiglass and steel.

Zetta pulled away from Fear. He thought about escaping. His eyes darting from side to side. He was wounded, he could tell how weak he was. Acrid was fresh, Fear was on his last legs.

“Even if you kill me!” Zetta shouted. “I will at least kill your little friend here! Your reasons are shallow! We are fighting for freedom, prosperity, for power! You are merely fighting to delay the inevitable!”

Fear lunged at the umbran with his sword.

Zetta countered the stab by sending out a pulse of telekinesis so powerful it sent the sword flying out of the stallion's weakened grip.

Toward Acrid.

As Zetta lunged at Fear to kill him, Acrid caught it out of the air in his manipulative field, bringing it to bear, leaping forward, and thrusting.

Fear rolled to the side away from Zetta as the sword pierced the umbran's belly, skewering through to the other side. “Nothing shallow about it! You ever heard the changeling... haah... creed!? From beginning to end, through every trial we must face, ever onward we persevere, for the glory of the hive, and the unification of all who stand for the source of all love! And I won't let my hive down. This world is my hive! And we are its champions!”

Zetta was stunned speechless, for the second time that day.

And as Fear's faltering telekinetic grip surrounded Shaybna, he knew his end was coming.

The light around Zetta distorted. The kenaz rune activated, and with a powerful burst of light, Zetta exploded into slivers.

Fear wobbled on his hooves, barely staying up. Acrid let all but the shield behind him, stopping the air pressure, fall to the roof and rushed to hold his partner, his lover up. “Fear!” Acrid cried.

A sketchy orb came out from where Zetta's body had been, and shunted into the sword, creating a new rune.

Screeching sounded as the train was pulled to a gradual stop in Equestria's limits. Seems Gentler and Faith figured out how to use the controls Acrid thought. Fear could only feel the satisfied emotion radiating from his friend... partner?

Fear leaned against Acrid, letting his eyes fall shut for a nap. “We gotta stop the umbrans now, Acrid. Once and for all. Are you ready?”

Acrid squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to tear up, trying not to have second thoughts. It was his time. He needed to be strong for Fear.

Fear tried to assume Acrid was just worried about the journey. That was it, right? That was all it was?

Probably not.

Acrid opened his eyes, steeling himself as he looked at Fear's twisting face. A light coming to his eyes that, as Fear gazed up at him, he hadn't seen from him before. Something determined and flaming. “I'm ready to be a hero, Fear.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6wlvgN1GIg

Some years ago I had a roleplay with a friend, lasted a long time (over 2-3k pages of logs), and in it Fear ended up finding a pistol and eventually learning how to funnel elemental magic into the bullets. All in order to make them more powerful and have different effects. One effect which was the lightning bullet he used to destroy an elder drake (around 2 or so years before we learned dragons grew wings when they matured enough) after he realized everyone would die if he didn't take swift, decisive action. It was a pretty intense scene, and I wouldn't be surprised if I subconsciously took inspiration from that host of ideas as a basis for the sword's capability of funneling elemental magic and harnessing it for various spells. Alongside that, the original idea for the magical bullet was MOST LIKELY built on the basis of the Energy Shot from Parasite Eve, where you channeled mitochondrial energy into a single shot. Which, while stupid and silly, was one of the most badass things when I was a child alongside Liberate. I don't remember what the inspiration for Amelio's “shaman form” was (and like their namesake spells Fear shares this potential with her) back during the first story, when Amelio confronted Luna, but... I would not be surprised if it was inspired by Aya's Liberate form.

As for how it relates to the fic, I have a headcanon there were a multitude of specialized bullets lined with quartz or some other special, magic-infusing material that would allow said bullets to take on the properties of certain elements and other spells to do more damage. Like fire to explode on contact. Wind to bend through the air. Magical spells Fear's used in the fic. Stuff like that. They'd be extremely rare though, so utilization of them would have to be in extreme circumstances. And I imagine the majority of them would be found in places like Canterlot where magic is common. Probably in the chambers of the two sisters. I've thought about using them in this fic, but it not only seemed like overkill (no kill like overkill though amirite?) but I also decided sort of spur of the moment that Fear's Garand had to go for various reasons. But I wouldn't be surprised if I gave him another weapon someday, even if only in the epilogue. The only other weapon I can see a character like Fear wielding, though, is a silenced pistol or some other heavy duty sniper rifle that relies more on magic than the pure brute strength of the bullets themselves. Similar to Littlepip's zebra rifle.

Sorry for the spiel, but I'm always super excited about my headcanons and the worlds I either create or add onto so I wanted to share! If you haven't noticed, combat is one of my favorite scenes to write, but relaxing vacation scenes come in a close second. Though tbf I also love horror and emotionally intense scenes. :)

Moon asks Acrid: How exactly does your earth/metal manipulation work?

Acrid: This is what the scientists told me. I essentially match the wavelength of my thoughts and very being with the wavelength of whatever I'm trying to manipulate to a very precise level in order to guide it. I do not conquer, nor do I serve. I guide. As an earth pony I am naturally attuned to things like earth, carbon, steel, et cetera, and also familiar with passively nurturing what's around me. But it would not be possible to go through this... 'door' of control without the intense training and experiments like pegasus cells being integrated into my body. I also had to learn to take a more active approach, like unicorns and pegasi do. They used a lot of scientific mumbo jumbo to describe this 'door' but I don't really remember it. From there I move the element to my will and the acquiescence of nature.

Shining asks: What's your favorite sport/recreation?

Fear: Probably wrestling? It's the main sport I'm familiar with from Abyssinia and I loved it a lot! There are bad guys, good guys, and they all have their own themes and objectives and stories but it's all really pretend so there's no actual drama to it, if that makes sense? I love the heroes who do the right thing even when it's tough, the ones who face their fears. The underdogs that lose sometimes, but win when it counts.

Faith: You probably wouldn't expect it, and it's not really sport, but I'd have to say gambling. Even if I can't bluff to save my life most of the time, I like shooting the odds – just for fun, not for profit. It's nice to take a risk, try to read others, and sometimes come out on top so long as there's no real hard feelings. I did it a lot when I lived in Friendship City, and when Sim picked up those dice so long ago I was really happy, even if I didn't show it much at the time.

Gentler: Probably baseball? Maybe soccer? It's a little different where I'm from, just to make it more difficult and more athletically pleasing. As in there's a little more hands on contact because we're durable and can take a lot. Aside from those, I'd have to pick competitive dancing. I was never good at it, but boy is it a wonder to watch!

Acrid: I imagine Fear's and my answer are the same. I liked hoofball long ago but wrestling is better. If only because I can relate to the misunderstood heels, the ones who just want to achieve their goals and make it big. Though it's primarily because I know from seeing them after the show that they're actually really sweet. It's all a display, all an act. Annnnnnnd... if I'm being honest, I did always like theater even if I didn't hang out with them much.