New Jersey, Camden, two hours after the Manhattan Incident

Reappearing in a field, the friends stood on wobbly legs and hooves. Flynn was holding his stomach, bending forward.
“Two hours... Two hours of constant teleportation! I feel sick!”

Rachel looked around, feeling a bit dizzy herself. They were at the waterside of a river.
“Where are we?”

Coming to her side, Twilight looked straight ahead.
“In New Jersey.”

Looking up, Flynn continued to hold his stomach while Rainbow held him.
“New Jersey? We don't need to be in New Jersey, we need to be in Bermuda! What do we want here?”

But Twilight's glaring eyes didn't falter. In fact, the alicorn seemed far more determined than two hours ago. Her voice, frail when she lost her love, was now solid and hardened by determination.
“The New Jersey.”

Rachel whirled around to the harbor and shook her head, an unbelieving grin on her face.
“Oooh.... Oh, no! You're not serious!”

Looking up to her, the mares exchanged puzzled looks.
“What? What is it, Rachel?”

Seeing the stern glare of Twilight towards the harbor, Rachel stepped in front of her.
“Twilight!!! Do you have any idea of what you're about to do there? You're attempting to steal an Iowa-class battleship!”

Hearing that, Sam and Flynn as well looked over to Twilight.
“What?”

“Seriously?!?”

“I am just borrowing it!” Twilight retorted.

Throwing her arms into the air, Rachel shook her head frantically and raised her voice.
“Borrowing means the intention of giving it back like you got it!”

Twilight rose up to Rachel with a few flaps of her wings and rested a hoof at the woman's chest.
“Listen up, Ranger! They got the Elements of Harmony, they got my herd mate and former mentor, important to me like a second mother, my herd mate and ultimate lover and they're still sitting in a sky fortress with Celestia knows what evil intentions for our country and endangering everything I love and cherish...” Twilight took a deep breath and looked deep into Rachel's eyes. “... and you expect me to sit idly by? No! Not gonna happen! Tyler taught me this while we're on this planet. If so much is at stake, buck the consequences of theft or other minor crimes.”

Rachel's eyes widened and she got Twilight by the shoulder and pulled her down to go down on one knee herself.
“Minor crimes? Twilight, we're not talking about stealing a package of bubblegum from the store around the corner, we're talking about a 100 million dollar navy vessel here! I think the US government is pissed enough after Manhattan, do we really have to add grand theft of such a magnitude to the list of why they're pissed at us?”

Slapping the hand from her shoulder, Twilight pointed a hoof at Rachel's chest.
“Well, then, Rachel? If you want to sit here and wait until Equestria is destroyed and the Darkness Sisters come back into this world to destroy it as well, feel free! Right now all I know is that I will get the love of my life back as well as protecting my herd and family!

Standing up, Rachel went through her hair with both hands closed her eyes just for a second and sighed. 'Fuck this shit'
“This is unbelievable... Twilight, you're totally crazy!”

Not hiding a cynical tone in her voice, Twilight then headed for the riverside, looking around for the New Jersey.
“You think?”

Walking at Twilight's side, Rachel then matched her own walking pace to Twilight's trotting.
“Yeah! And I think I'm too. For what it's worth, this day started crazy enough for worlds to collide. We survived a Harmony nuke, a tactical nuke, a Draconequis invasion and a 60ft Changeling monstrosity. What's the theft of a battleship to us? Hey, if you as an alicorn princess are certain you can take responsibility on this, I'm with you. Just wanted to make sure.”

Stretching out her tongue in good fun, Twilight chuckled with a shake of her head.
“You're an awfully bad liar, Rachel.”

Not an hour later, the museum staff on board the New Jersey was quite amazed. Correcting his baseball cap, one of the veterans looked at the assembled ponies standing in one straight line.
“Well I'll be damned! Am I going senile on my old days?

Saluting in front of these old men, Rachel nodded at each of them before she began to talk.
“Listen, gentlemen... I know no one has the right to ask anything of you since you already did your part for this country. And I know how crazy this sounds, but I need you to listen to what this pony here has to say.”

Now assembling in a line in front of the ponies as well, the veterans eyed their unusual visitors.
“That purple one? Alright... What do you have to say, Missy?”

Taking a step in front of the others, Twilight looked up to the men in front of her.
“My name is Twilight Sparkle. In this world of yours, I may not be of importance, but in our world each one here has a very big role. The love of my life was taken from me from the same forces who attacked New York City a couple of hours ago. They took our means to defeat them and have returned to our world. If we don't stop them, they'll spread destruction to our homeland. I think the situation was never so dire. If we don't take this ship and hunt after them, chances are high we'll soon won't have a home to return to. Gentlemen, I don't ask you to grant me this ship...” Twilight then bowed down to the veterans. “I beg of you!”

Looking a bit puzzled at the sight of a real talking pony, the veterans looked at each other.
“Well, what do you think, boys?”

“The news are full with that stuff, they sure tell the truth, Howard.” answered another

Recognizing it around her neck, one of the veterans pointed at Rachel's dog tag with a nod.
“A buddy of mine was with you marine folks. Sadly he died two years ago. Good to see there are a few young men and women out there still doing the right thing, upholding the principles my friend and I were following. You remind me of him back in the days. Young, brash, always trying to do the right thing. A quality that seems to get lost over the recent years with each batch of cadets.” Correcting his cap, he then looked up to the New Jersey. “Well, I always thought this old lady here deserves better than to die of old age in the harbor, bored to death with rust eating her from the inside. And you can bet she still has it in her if one manages to start her up. So if you manage to help us to start her up, we'll prepare her on the way for a nice good beating. Whosoever attacked New York will soon wish he'd messed with another kind of folk. But I have to tell you, there are very few things still operational. She's a museum, not completely fitted for duty.”

Looking up to Sam, Twilight arched both brows.
“Sam, you're a mechanic for the Harmony Rangers... Are you able to give me an assumption of how long it might take them to start this ship up?”

“Well, Twilight...” he started, “You see, I'm mainly a car mechanic... I worked on a hover tank with Lyra, Pinkie and Vinyl Scratch, but from a naval vessel of this shape, class and size? I have no clue how long it will take to make that baby functional. It could take months, maybe even years to make her fully operational with the small amount of personnel we have here. This is a swimming museum after all. The ammunition rounds for the main cannons weight about... I don't know... 2 to 3 thousand pounds?”

Twilight nodded and looked over to Rachel.
“Rarity? Lyra? I want you to accompany Rachel over to the cannons to charge her up as best as you can.”

Rachel's eyes widened. Looking over to the main cannons for a second, she stared at Twilight, aghast.
“You want me to do with these what I do with firearms?”

Lyra bumped her flank into Rachel's hip.
“Make sure not to enjoy yourself too much while doing so.”

Twilight gave it a nod and began to head towards the bridge.
“While the gentlemen here get the engines running and explain to you how to aim with these cannons, I'll take her out of the harbor.”

Looking after Twilight, Rachel bend over to Lyra.
“She means...?”

Smiling up to her, the mint-coated unicorn nodded.
“Our magic may be limited here, but she's an alicorn nonetheless. And the magic that got into this world is still lingering in the air. She may be able to pull that off, yes.”

Entering the bridge, Twilight looked at the many instruments. Confused, she looked up to the old man at her side, who smirked down to her.
“Don't you worry there, Missy...” Placing a captain's hat onto her head, he patted her shoulder. “... I'll tell you what to do...” While the engines started up, the tows at the pier were levitated up on deck and slowly Twilight steered and propelled the Battleship out of the harbor, what caused several police cars to arrive on the scene.

Looking to the side, Flynn shook his head.
“Yeah... I think we got their attention. And I also think that we'll get a response in about ten to thirty minutes, if not earlier.”

Looking straight forward, Twilight narrowed her eyes as the New Jersey gained speed into open sea.
“Plot a direct course for Bermuda! And then we'll get back to Equestria.”

“Course is set, Captain Twilight.” One of the two men joked, causing Twilight's stern face to vanish under a chuckle. She then concentrated and slowly but surely, the New Jersey gained more and more speed and altitude until it almost surfed the sea.

On deck, one of the veterans looked over to his colleague.
“Ben, was she ever that fast?”

“Not even quite! This feels more like a motorboa-WHOA!!!” All of a sudden, the battleship gained enough altitude to ascend from sea-level and was flying in the air.

A navy helicopter arrived on the scene, yet the pilot's jaw dropped at the sight in front of him. Turning his eyes to his co-pilot, he shook his head.
“Do you see, what I see?” A simple nod was the only answer.

All of a sudden, the radio turned on. “Bravo Two, do you copy?”

“Oh great... It's Earle... How do you think I should report it?” the pilot asked as he looked over a second time.

Answering with a shrug, the co-pilot began to smirk,
“Well, the truth is probably the best thing to tell them. And with what happened already, they actually might not toss you into the brig.”

Holding his head, the pilot then looked at the New Jersey.
“NWS Earle? This is Bravo Two. We see the New Jersey clearly now and we are both sober. I repeat: We are both sober.”

“Bravo Two, why do you emphasize of being sober?” the voice on the other side asked.

“Well, the thing is: The New Jersey has left the sea.”

“The perpetrators have beached the New Jersey?”

“No, the perpetrators have moved the New Jersey above sea-level.”

There was an awkward silence on the radio, before the voice returned, noticeably irritated.
“Come again?”

“They are flying a battleship!”

* * * * *

Near Equestria, Nagohod approached the southern outskirts of of the main land and gained altitude. As the doors to the throne room opened, both Princess Lamira and Princess Asira were in extraordinary good mood. Lamira closed her eyes with a smirk.
“So much for our little side journey into the human world...”

Looking over to her, Asira chuckled.
“I still can't believe they tossed a cute little nuclear weapon at us.”

The smirk on Lamira's face now turned into a broad grin as she looked forward.
Seeing Celestia caged into the force field, Lamira couldn't help but to attempt to mock her.
“What do you think, Celestia? You're the harlot sleeping with apes, what's your point of view? Should we punish them for that audacity after we dealt with Equestria?”

When Celestia looked up, the exhaustion was all over her face. For days now she was disconnected from her precious sun and without any second of sleep while withstanding the effects of this force field. Slight under-eye circles had formed on her face and she shook her head with determination and defiance.
“It is not too late to stop this madness. You cling to an idea of a mad ruler obsessed with the thought of destruction. One who never raised a hoof for his family and used everypony he could for his own selfish desires of revenge. I and Luna on the other hoof follow the idea that Darkness and Light cannot exist without one another but are entwined with one another. There can be no victory with only darkness or only light... only death..."

Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Asira shook her head.
"Thanks for that boring little attempt to lecture us, Celestia. Here is our response…"

Six Descendants stepped forth wearing the all too familiar trinkets. Celestia gasped. The girls had been defeated, maybe even killed. Understanding this brought tears to Celestia’s eyes. Tears that were only further victories for Lamira as she levitated the precious amulets and the tiara to Celestia, only to bask in the white alicorn's shock.
“Yes, Celestia… The Elements of Harmony! Ours! Now and forever!” With this the most precious trinkets of Equestria were put into a chest and locked up. Tyler was brought forth to the throne in chains. He was dirty, his clothes on his upper body were torn apart and the wounds all over his body made clear that the Descendants had beaten him up. Lamira pointed a hoof at him, presented him to Celestia like a trophy. “Your monkey champion…”

When Tyler looked up to Celestia, his face bowed down in shame moments later. He had failed her. It was a moment that Princess Lamira enjoyed with every second.
“Witness this moment, Tyler Jones! This is the very moment when the Alicorns of Darkness are victorious over the Alicorns of Light for eternity. Our ancient war is ending at last in the only way it could…” An arrogant sneer formed on Lamira's face as she looked down to him. “When we undo the Abarasion atrocity, all the ponies of Equis shall see you kneeling to us… Just before you die!"

But Tyler reared up in rage once more to her, determination still raging in his blue glowing eyes,
"I’LL NEVER KNEEL TO TYRANTS LIKE YOU!!!"

This enraged Princess Lamira even more. How dared this human to rebel against them any longer? He was defeated. There was no point in resisting any longer,
“YES, YOU WILL!!! Yes, you bloody will… Or I shall wreak unimaginable harm upon you…” One moment later, her horn flashed up and a dark sphere surrounded Tyler and blackened more and more. Levitating him up the sphere pulsated like a real heart.

Before it turned completely black and blocked any sight at Tyler, his eyes stabbed at Lamira.
“I swear to you, Lamira... You may deem yourself as a goddess... But if I get out of here... I will unleash a Götterdämmerung upon you...”

“A göter- what now?” Chuckling, Lamira turned around to her half sister. “Witness this, Celestia. Defeat is not enough for your champion… But death would be too easy for him. No! I won’t make him a martyr! He will be exposed to the darkest influences of alicorn presence and thus made a champion of darkness! I can think of no more exquisite idea but to turn your ape lover against everything you cherish.”

As the tears ran down her cheeks, Celestia closed her eyes and shook her head, unable to witness this madness any further,
“You don’t have the slightest idea of what this will do to him…”

Ignoring Celestia, Lamira looked up front.
“Report! What has happened in our short absence on Earth?”

From the control terminals on the sides of the hall, one unicorn stood up and stood attention.
“Only three citadels have passed the blockade with us. All others are still fighting the enemy lines.” Several ships and airships of the alliance have broken through and are in pursuit, among them the airship of King Gifford, Queen Sheeris' personal cruiser and an airship of the Crystal Empire... We believe this is the very ship holding Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence.”

Looking into the dark clouds of Black Omen, Lamira began to grin.
“They shall be dealt with. Three citadels and Nagohod against a nearly defenseless Equestria... Victory is at hoof.” Shooting Celestia a victorious gloat, the dark alicorn couldn't help but grin. “Where is your harmony? Where is it gone, huh? Look at all your precious hopes! Destroyed and battered by us. Your champions defeated and withering... Dying!”

But instead of giving in, Celestia’s face hardened.
“There is one force yet untapped. If my calculations are correct, you are yet to recognize that Equestria also has a dark side. I am sorry she has to unleash this once again, but you leave us no choice!”

A distant rumble went through the fortress and Lamira's eyes widened for a moment.
“What's the meaning of this?”

A Descendant looked up from his terminal.
“Queen Sheeris has caught up with us. Her artillery is firing.”

Gritting her teeth, Lamira shook her head.
“That little fur ball is forgetting her place. I mean, if she so desperately wants her son back, we could send him down to her... without a shuttle!”

The Descendant behind her began to grimace nervously.
“Uh...”

Lamira stood perfectly still and looked over her shoulder.
“Let me guess... They freed them while they were here the first time?”

“It... It appears so, your highness...”

Lamira sighed and charged her horn up.
“Who's responsible for the guards in the prison cells?”

Looking over to another stallion, the asked stallion pointed at him.
“H-he is, your highness.”

A sudden flash went from the tip of her horn and the stallion at his side detonated, his organs and blood splattered all over the place. Lamira sighed in frustration.
“Correction: He was!” Turning around she looked at the shivering stallion, who's right side was smeared with the blood of his executed comrade. “By now you should know how little patience I have with incompetence... Go and take as many forces as you need! Come back to me with them subdued and imprisoned or die trying! Don't disappoint me any further...”

While the stallion saluted and stormed out of the throne room, Asira came to the side of her sister.
“Contact the captains of the remaining citadels! Tell them to stall-” Another detonation, this time quite close made the throne room rumble. Looking up, Asira gritted her teeth. “That came from above.”

Lamira's glance remained on target, on Equestria. Something was out there. A presence that lurked in the darkness of Black Omen. And it wasn't her doing or that of her sister.
“The griffin airships are of no concern! The other citadels should handle the remains of their fleet with ease!” And not one minute later, the three remaining citadels turned around from Nagohod to attack the Nephelion, the Tiger's Claw and the Crystal Empire's flagship, the Eros.

On the Eros, Shining Armor huffed a bit.
“That last citadel really meant business. So... What now?”

Looking over to her husband, Cadance shook her head.
“What now? These bloodthirsty maniacs just decimated half our crystal fleet! The rest is still fighting miles behind us. Do you know what this means?”

Smirking, Shining looked over to his beautiful wife.
“That you'll cause a medium sized foal boom once we go home?”

A dreamy expression came on Cadance's face.
“Maybe even a big one...” Once she licked her lips, she snapped out of it and shook her head once again. “Not the point! It means we'll need an opening. I don't know how we're going through that thick armor, but we'll need to get into that fortress!” And with that the Eros engaged the three citadels together with the Nephelion, prompting several cannons to blast their devastating payloads and several horns and rifles to strike with precision.

It was in this moment, when the battlefield was again in uproar, when several high screeches from the horizon silenced the battling armadas in an instant. Hundreds turned their head towards these unnatural screeches, who came from the north, from Equestria itself.

A certain sphere of dark blue emitted enough light to make the one or another sharp eye see the figures coming down from the sky. Thousands of them, winged ponies in wings of leather, but unlike their harmless brethren with a fiery red than a golden glow in their eyes. Terror struck several hundred Descendants as the swarms of dark figures descended upon them, mouths wide open, revealing sharp fangs.
“Vamponies... Shoot them! Shoot them for your life's sake!!!

But already it was too late. Causing a bloody slaughter among the Descendants in their citadels, the vamponies quickly turned the tide in favor for the Alliance. To the surprise of anyone they were aided with several bright and highly energized beams of dark blue, when another figure landed on top of one of the citadels. With a booming voice this darkest of all figures raised a hoof and pointed at Nagohod.
“TO BATTLE!!! Find and destroy them!”

While Shining Armor teleported King Gifford and Queen Sheeris and their entourages onto the Eros in the meantime, Cadance raised a shield around the Eros in order to protect them all. With worry did she look up to see the winged menace that descended down onto the Eros. As it landed in front of King Gifford, Queen Sheeris, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, Shining attempted to step in front of his wive, but was held back by her as she stepped in front of the group.
“Aunt... Aunt Luna?”

Turning her head slightly around, Nightmare Moon gave Cadance a strict glare, prompting the Princess of Love to gulp.
“I must beg thy pardon, child... But until mine sister is set free again, I'm not very willing to fond titles. Even talking in this... this state of anger is a trial not to shout all the while. King Gifford and Queen Sheeris!” The eyes of both monarchs narrowed in anticipation. “I must ask for thy forgiveness! I'm a bit late, I fear. I would have come earlier, but I took an oath to someone I love with all my heart to postpone my anger to this moment now.”

Sheeris growled in excitement as she came to Nightmare's side.
“The embodiment of fear and shadows... If you want me to forgive you, I demand one thing from you...”

“Very well then... State thy demand!”

“Let me hunt them down at your side! Hunting together with the night and the fear will make several good songs for the feast.”

Nightmare merely glared at Nagohod.
“Then so be it! I shall let thou all accompany me on my way inside. While I will free my sister, thou can free thy sons and kill whatever crosses thy ways. Our enemies will surely redo that favor, if thou hesitate.”

When the dark alicorn turned around and joined the battlefield once more, Cadance leaned over to her husband.
“Honey, I am deeply worried about her. Don't you think this goes way beyond reason?”

But Shining simply shrugged.
“Didn't you snap as well when I was held captive by the Changelings? Seems to me alicorn mares are quite protective if it comes to their loved ones... And who am I to question that?” Exchanging a few fond glances with Cadance, Shining's expression then became concerned again. “I worry more about another princess out there fighting for her beloved ones.”

* * * * *

The wind blew strongly through the broken window. More and more the New Jersey' hull groaned under the structural stress she was put under. But Twilight was determined to make it back to Equestria. With this ship preferably, but if she had to, then without it as well.

The intercom was sounding off and Sam's voice became audible.
“Am I the only one finding it a bit odd that no one is trying to stop us?”

Rachel answered over the intercom as well.
“There are plenty of reasons why they might oversee us. One: A major city was attacked by a series of enemies not responding to conventional arms. Two: They deployed a tactical nuke and instead of destroying the enemy, that nuke fell flat on its ass, not doing any kind of damage at all. They have a lot to explain anyway because of that nuke and the Draconequis wonderland this morning. There's no TV here right now, but I bet the nation's reeling from that incident similar to the towers. I think they'd rather follow us in a safe distance to see what's happening.”

Coming to Twilight's side on the bridge, Flynn shook his head frantically.
“Twilight! I have no freaking idea how long this ship can take this sort of stress! Put her back into the water for God's sake! She's a battleship, not an airplane! She will fly apart!”

Looking up front, Twilight shook her head in determination.
“We'll fly her apart then!”

Right after she said that, the clouds massed up like they did a long time ago and Flynn looked out the windows, seeing the raindrops flying upwards again. Gulping a heavy lump down, he looked up front where the water was sucked into the sky. Not losing time, he then looked over to one of the veterans.
“We're at Bermuda! Sound the alarm; it's going to get bumpy!”

Not three seconds later, the ship-wide alarm howled off and Rachel pulled in Rarity and Lyra.
“Hang on, girls! This will be some ride we take!” Both unicorns nodded and braced themselves for the worst.

More and more the battleship gained altitude and Twilight did her best not to hold the ship in a horizontal position. The weight was fading from the ship, what came to her relief, but it started to tilt upwards towards the growing pillar of water. Sweat ran down her forehead. All the magic she had stored was almost used up. Only a few more seconds and she would have-

Her train of thought was abruptly ended by a sudden flash and all of a sudden, the clouds had turned from dark gray to total black. And the sudden surge of magic flowing through her body once again confirmed it.
“We are back on Equis!”

Narrowing his eyes, one of the veterans looked outside and opened his eyes wide.
“Jeez... It sure is dark in this place. That about right? Howard! Something on your side? Here I see only blackness.”

Howard Stelter corrected his cap and shook his head, not believing his eyes.
“Well... I see something, but I don't know what to make of it. There are several lights flying around that sky fortress over there!”

Looking over to the southeast, they spotted Nagohod being surrounded by several citadels and airships, which in turn seemed surrounded by several objects even smaller and faster. Slowly but surely, the citadels fell one after another. This only caused Nagohod to activate its defenses. Taking a look, Rainbow simply shook her head.
“Whoah... You guys won't believe what's going on over there!

Recognizing that Dash had the best eyes of all of them, Twilight turned to the window Rainbow was leaning in to.
“Rainbow! What's going on over there?”

Throwing her hooves in the air, Rainbow shook her head in confusion.
“Bat ponies! Hundreds of them! But from what I see, they're all Wonderbolt material head on! I never saw such agility and speed!” Harrumphing a bit, she closed her eyes with a smirk. “Except in me, I mean...”

Gritting her teeth, Twilight looked over to Nagohod.
“If that's true then Princess Luna has finally mobilized the vamponies! Which means she's on the field of battle already. And I'm sure these airships are the Nephelion and the Eros. Cadance and Shining are over there as well!”

Coming into the bridge, Rainbow then landed beside her friend.
“Well? What are we waiting for? We have this sweet human battleship, let's do something awesome with it!”

Giving a nod and a smirk, Twilight took a look at Nagohod. 'We're coming, Tyler! Hang on!'
“Yes! We've been away from this fight for far too long. Now... Let's give them something else to think about!”

And while the three large barrel runs at the New Jersey's front aimed for Nagohod, Rachel's magic flooded all of the cannon tower, giving it a distinctive glow. Once the aim was perfect, a sly grin formed on her lips.
“Yippie kay yay, motherfuckers!”
The magic detonation thundered throughout the night when Rachel released the magic projectile with a scream. The projectiles struck Nagohod's front and ripped open three holes in its stone hull, revealing several floors inside.

In the throne room, the tremors of the impact caught everyone's attention. A magic hologram appeared in front of the Darkness Sisters showing the battleship. Princess Asira's eyes darted over the screen in a hurry.
“The Tartarus was that? It had way more power than these measly little cannons they used.”

Lamira spotted the New Jersey and shook her head while clenching her teeth.
“These damned monkeys... They're persistent like cockroaches. You'll see to the intruders in Nagohod, I will take care of this steel abomination.”

Giving a nod, Asira made her way to the doors, a big grin on her face.
“How typical of you to hog all the fun, Lamira.”

Gasping for air, Rachel fought for control over her shivering arms and shaking legs, as a wet warmth crawled down her tighs. Wrinkling her nose a bit, Rarity took a step back.
“Darling! You're-”

“I know!” Rachel retorted sharply.

Looking up, the unicorn shook her head.
“Maybe you should-”

“I KNOW!!!” the marine huffed under her breath while gaining a safe stance again.

Wiping Rachel's forehead clean with a handkerchief, Lyra leaned in with a grin.
“That good, huh?”

Laughing a bit, Rachel shook her head while the blush on her face grew.
“I'll try to remain standing...”

In the throne room of Nagohod, Princess Lamira gritted her teeth. These cannons fired shells way bigger than any unicorn could muster and thus caused way more damage to Nagohod's shell, which actually was thick enough to be considered magic-proof for attack spells.
“Give this pest a full volley of our cannons and attack spells!” Cannons were fired in retaliation and perforated the hull of the battleship, yet caused little damage at all. Attack spells cut the outer hull, yet since the New Jersey was flying and not swimming, it was unable to sink.

However, each hit shook the ship fiercely and Sam held Pinkie and Applejack close.
“We're hit!”

The veterans couldn't but laugh at this.
“Are you kidding me? Cannon balls and laser beams?”

“Now that's cute!”

“They won't sink a battleship that easily with that little firepower!”

But Twilight shook her head, already expecting it to become worse.
“Don't get cocky! Right now they're probably just charging the next spell, this time even stronger!” In this moment, Sam and Pinkie exchanged some determined glances and nodded at each other.

In the throne room, Lamira shook her head and swatted the Descendants out of the way.
“Incompetent good-for-nothings! Slackers! Do I have to do everything myself?” Aiming her horn at the battleship, she then began to grin. “Now... The game's afoot!”

In the next moment a fierce beam of energy sliced right through the cannon tower at the stern end of the New Jersey, prompting it to explode. The detonation shook the ship fiercely and Twilight gritted her teeth.
“See?!?” Getting to the radio, Twilight took a look at the other two towers. “Rachel! They are firing precisely for the cannons! You're in the front cannon! Get out of there!” Right in this moment, the middle tower began to turn to the left side of the ship, causing Twilight's eyes to widen. “What in Celestia's name is happening?!? Rachel?”

Sam's voice roared as he triggered the firing mechanism.
“TAKE THIS, YOU BASTARD!!!” The following blast caused the ship to tilt to the other side and Twilight to wince at the thundering sound. The three shells flew right through the skies and penetrated Nagohod's front with ease before the detonation on the inside ripped the fortress a new hole into the front, softening up the heavy armor more and more. Inside the tower, Sam and Pinkie brohoofed before getting out of the tower. Just when the beam of alicorn magic blasted the tower to shreds, both of them slid over deck and gasped for air. “Hell, Pinkie... You just lifted three 16"/50 caliber shells, each of them weights about 2000 pounds!”

But the pink pony waved it away like nothing.
“Psshhhh! Pounds... If you would be an earth pony and were raised on a rock farm, you wouldn't see that as much. 2000 pounds is nothing! My sister Maud hauls rocks about ten thousand pounds!”

Helping her up, Sam looked at her with wide eyes.
“Alright... More about that later! We are hundreds of meters above sea level, we should go inside. NOW!” Meanwhile Rachel, Rarity and Lyra were on their way back when the third turret was blown away, prompting them to tumble over their feet and hooves in the narrow corridor. The New Jersey had now lost her main cannons and Nagohod's front stone hull had taken a heavy beating. Lots of the many firing turrets with Descendants had been damaged or destroyed. But at least now with the main turrets gone, there was no alicorn magic fired at them anymore as Princess Lamira seemed satisfied to disarm the battleship to a helpless state.

On the bridge of the New Jersey, Twilight brought the battleship directly to the front of Nagohod.
“It's too quiet. Why don't they fire at us anymore?”

Howard Jackson glared at the fortress of Nagohod. He never waged war against something like that in his days, yet now he could be of use to his fullest by giving his knowledge and experience to that young girl they called Twilight.
“They don't deem us a threat anymore, now with our main cannons gone. Ben, what's your take on that?”

Ben Faultermeyer stood up, patting some small shards of glass from his clothes.
“Well, you know what me and my boys said back in the day? If they cut off your arms, we'll just punch them with our heads! We might be battered and our limbs broken, but we will get this girl back to the harbor or accompany her to the ocean ground!” This made the two Navy veterans chuckle a bit.

In Nagohod's throne room, Lamira sneered at the heavily battered New Jersey confronting Nagohod.
“What is this little upstart princess trying? She has no more means to fight us!”

Twilight's face grew more stern. This was her choice and hers alone. The Descendants deemed them not a threat. Narrowing her eyes, she grew more aggressive. This hubris was the Descendants' greatest weakness and their window for an attack. By now all her friends were with her either on or beneath the bridge.
"That's it..." she said, prompting the others to look at her. "They don't think an Alicorn of Light can fight without the Elements of Harmony or without any weapons. But in that they are sadly mistaken! We will show them that we're able to fight for our friends! And for Tyler!" The Element Bearers all nodded and prepared themselves of what would come next. Twilight grinned. And for once, she herself felt ready to fight. Inside that massive citadel were Tyler as well as Princess Celestia and Luna. Her herd mates, who she loved and cared for. And no one would harm them if she could help it. "Everypony! Prepare for impact!"

The order brought several replies, reaching from amazed over to panicked.
“Wha-?”

“Impact? B-but... Darling!!!”

“Is she serious?!?”

“Aw yeah!”

“Oh my goodness!”

Shaking her head, Rachel held on for dear life.
“Oh my God! She's crazy!”

As the New Jersey was shown on a screen in Nagohod's throne room, Lamira looked over her shoulder to Celestia.
“Take a good long look at your faithful protege, Celestia. In a few seconds I'll reduce her to-”

But right then a Descendant looked up in panic.
“Incoming!”

Stumped, Lamira looked at her minion.
“WHAT?!?” Looking at the screen once more, she saw the battered New Jersey closing in directly at Nagohod's upper section. Several Descendants rose from their seats in the throne room, not believing the incoming threat. Slowly Lamira's eyes widened and she gritted her teeth. Looking over to her minions, the inability to react enraged her. “TAKE EVASIVE ACTION!!!” But it was too late already. Like a dagger the New Jersey slashed deep into Nagohod's softened hull and pushed several towers aside. All over the mighty war citadel the Descendants tumbled over one another or fell to their demise.

* * * * *

The air was dusty and filled with cold smoke. Resting a hand on Pinkie Pie's flank, Sam looked around.
“Damn it! I'm still alive... Amen, Hallelujah and peanut-butter! Every pony alright?”

Groaning a bit, Lyra tried to stand up.
“Ugh... I don't feel my legs anymore...”

This immediately caused Sam to listen up.
“What?!?”

Pushing at Pinkie, the mint-coated unicorn shook her head.
“Pinkie! Get down from me! I've got pins and needles in my hooves due to you lying on them!”

Jumping up at once, Pinkie inspected her herdmates hooves at once, only to shake her head.
“No, silly! Your hooves are totally fine. No needle anywhere. Or did Rarity stick some into you? If she did, I could retaliate... with cake!”

Sam couldn't help but arching his brows and shaking his head.
“How can one even retaliate with cake? Pinkie, this is no time for nonsense!”

But the pink earth pony looked at him with a dead serious expression.
“Sam, the cake wars were one of the most brutal and devastating wars in pony history before the princesses came to power and the last great conflict before Hearths Warming Eve!”

Both exchanged glances for a few seconds. Sam was sober and searching, Pinkie's was dead serious. This went on until Sam shook his head.
“We'll talk about that later.”

“Okidokiloki!”

As the friends regrouped outside of the battleship, they got into cover quickly.
“Hurry!” Rachel exclaimed, “We don't have much firepower to take on the entire citadel!”

Listening for noises in the gigantic hall the New Jersey had slashed herself in, Flynn narrowed his eyes while standing outside.
“I hear some detonations in the distance. Maybe we're not the only ones fighting the Descendants in here.”

Picking up pieces of debris or some tools, the veterans stayed behind.
“We're no fighters anymore. But we'll wait here and secure the New Jersey. Once you're done in there, I guess you'll most likely need something to get down to the ground. So promise to come back here and take the New Jersey down, will you?”

Turning around, Twilight gave them a determined smile.
“I will! I promise!”

* * * * *

In the same moment, in another part of Nagohod, a large metal door detonated open and was ripped out of the wall. Once the debris landed on the ground, several dozens of Descendants fired either their horns or firearms. But like an unstoppable killing machine Nightmare Moon simply trotted onward, the bullets bouncing off of her, the spells deflected like nothing ever happened. Her eyes glowed in a demonic turquoise when her own horn started to charge up, her face only showing that death glare. Creating two orbs of magic left and right of her, both orbs levitated half a hoof length in front of her.
“Thou are all going to die up here...” Lightning shot to the ground from both orbs as light itself was absorbed into them and the corridor the Mistress of Nightmares was standing in became darker.

Fear got the best of several Descendants, backing away, while others looked at the orbs, puzzled. An alarm went off and in the throne room, a section was displayed and enlarged.

>>>ALICORN ATTACK SPELLS ACTIVATED<<<

Lamira arched both brows.
“What the...? Asira, what are you doing?”

Celestia looked up, only to shake her head with tears in her eyes.
“No... Not Asira. Somepony far more angered.”

Both orbs were suddenly connected with a sharp laser blade and shot towards the Descendants, who mostly jumped out of harms way in the narrow corridor.
“LOOK OUT!!!” One mare, however didn't evade and was just standing still.

Looking up from a fellow Descendant with a cut off hoof, one stallion look up to her.
“We got injured! Silver Flower! SILVER FLOWER!!!” But the mare didn't respond to their calls. Slowly a red line appeared all over her neck until her head fell off due to a clean laser cut. One by one the Descendants were reduced to corpses and Nightmare Moon showed little to no regret in her rampage.

Approaching the scene behind the Descendants, Asira laid witness to the massacre in front of her.
“Luna! Finally you show your true face. A real Princess of Darkness!”

Looking at Asira, Nightmare Moon paid no more attention to the minions cowering on the ground as she stepped over the lifeless limbs of torn apart ponies. And despite all the blood and gore left and right of her, the war-maiden never once stained herself with a single drop of blood.
“Luna? That's Nightmare Moon for thee! Thou insolent scoundrels have taken mine sister…” A pressure wave emitted from the dark war-maiden and several limbs were tossed around. “MINE BELOVED SISTER!!! She has the right to use that name. Not thou! Do thou have any idea what I will do to thee for this?”

An earth pony Descendant fell to the ground before her and shook his head.
“Princess Luna! I beg of you! Stop this! This isn't you!”

“What’s the matter, traitor? Afraid of the real dark?” the Princess of the Night taunted with sadism in her voice as she glared down at him. “Thou have started this. Now it is I who will bring it to an end! And all thy begging for mercy won't save thee.”

Next, her own shadow grew like a veil and surrounded the Descendant, who wriggled and squirmed in panic to get free while being wrapped in darkness.
“No! NO!!! I SURRENDER!!! PLEASE!!! SPARE ME!!!”

As Nightmare Moon released the earth pony stallion from her dark shadow veil ten seconds later, he lied on the floor, coiled together, shivering. His face was terrified and pale. His mane had turned white and he looked dirty, as if he had spent several days in this dark veil.
“It- it was… so dark…” he stammered as Nightmare Moon passed him.

Ignoring him for being not worthy of her time, the dark alicorn war maiden had her eyes fixed on Princess Asira, who backed away with every step Nightmare Moon took. Summoning a black scythe and levitating it in front of her, Nightmare inspected the blade lovingly, like caressing a child which was about to be fed.
“Now... Where were we? Oh, yes, of course... Thou were talking about Darkness. Thou know? Thou really have sparked my interest in this topic. What do thou think to know about Darkness?” Asira took a gulp once the dark war-maiden in front of her looked up and those slits in her eyes became thin in determination.
'That level of power... We've trained a million years and she's only awake for a few thousand one! And yet the gap between her and me is breathtaking! She’s the highest Alicorn of Darkness, direct daughter of the King and Queen, born from the highest royalty. She may be a bastard, but she's one of the two most powerful bastards ever conceived. There is no chance for me to win this fight on my own... Lamira, where are you?' Reluctantly, Asira had to accept defeat for now and retreated to the throne room.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, a few dozen floors above, the Harmony Rangers were engaging the enemy when all of a sudden a small group of crystal ponies covered their right flank and aided them in their fight. Recognizing Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, Sam made room for them behind their cover.
“Princess Cadance? What are you doing here? We thought you were engaging the enemy outside.”

Looking over to her husband, Cadance couldn't but grin.
“Well, Shining takes me to the most wonderful places.”

Embracing his younger sister, Shining Armor made sure they both were well protected by a shield dome.
“Twily!”

“Shining Armor!”

After embracing Twilight for a short time, her older brother looked down to her, deeply concerned.
“What's going on? Why is Tyler not with you?”

Looking down, tears filled her eyes.
“They took him.”

“What?”

Placing a few shots at the Descendants, Rachel then turned around.
“Rather “Mr. I woo Pony Princesses” wanted to play hero and sacrificed his freedom and the freaking Elements of Harmony for us to be spared.”

Both Shining and Cadance exchanged some concerned looks, but then nodded at each other with smiles before Shining raised Twilight's chin again.
“Well then his plan came together. You're here to fight another round in the ring. We brought the Griffins and Masar as well, each party is wreaking havoc among the Descendants.”

Pointing his thumb at the shooting behind the cover, Flynn shook his head.
“Yeah, about that? We're stuck here. I suppose you don't have some Masar to help us out here?”

“So, seems you all have a nice shootout with the Descendants?”

“Well, we're short on weapons. Rachel is our only means to fight back.”

While Lyra and Rarity charged her up, Rachel looked over to Shining.
“I may be just one Marine, but I'm taking some of them down at least. These Descendants have a worse aim than the imperial troopers from Star Wars!”

Holding his head down, Flynn grinned.
“Oh yeah? Well, they managed to hit each R2D2 and Princess Leia once.”

Rolling his eyes, Sam couldn't but chuckle.
“Oh yes... Out of all the hundreds of shots fired, two actually hit the main cast. Progress!”

Cadance arched a brow.
“There are princesses on your world as well? I though you didn't have monarchy anymore.”

Shaking her head, Rachel grinned.
“Oh, we do! But they're talking about a movie princess. Just forget it!”

Giving her husband another concerned look, Cadance shook her head now.
“Shining, what are we going to-”

“Cady! I have to wonder a bit about you. This is the man who got me out of the clutches of a Changeling hive! Tyler is like a brother to me. We owe it to him to redo the favor!” Shining retorted on the spot.

Giving it a smirk, Cadance arched a brow at her husband.
“Alright then! We'll bolster their defenses with our force fields.”

Rachel nodded and looked at the couple.
“Well, your help sure is welcome. I could take them down far more easily if I only had the time to aim properly. With a bulletproof shield that would be a walk through the park.”

Aiming blindly, she shot several times out of her cover, resulting in one distinctive scream.
“Will Helm! NO!!!”

Now another voice barked over the covers.
“You Rangers are surrounded! Surrender your weapons and we'll spare you!”

Fighting the urge to laugh, Rachel rolled her eyes.
“Oh, I'm sure they'll do that.”

Cadance then began to beam.
“Maybe now's the right time to hand you over what we got out of the Ranger HQ before heading to the battlefield. Shining?”

Hauling a big bag from the shadows, Shining placed it in front of Rachel.
“Heavy stuff. But they told us you were trained in handling this one.”

When Rachel opened the bag and took a brief look at the content, she beamed and placed a big kiss on Cadance's nose.
“That's going to work wonderfully!”

The Descendants were on their edge now. For half an hour they were fighting the Harmony Rangers with prolonged resistance, yet all of a sudden, the Rangers seized their fire.
“What's this? Are they out of ammo?”

“Must be... They can't charge them up so fast with only two unicorns.

It was then when Rachel's voice became audible again.
“Alright! You've won! We're coming out! Don't shoot us!”

One Descendant wanted to arrest them at once, but was held back by another.
“Don't be fooled so easily... We lower our guard and they'll shoot us in the head...” Raising his voice, he faced the Rangers again. “Throw over your weapon! I know you still have your pistol! I've seen it!”

“OK!” The Beretta was tossed over to the Descendants, who now began to smirk. A shield was erected and one by one, the Rangers stood up with their arms held high. Sam and Flynn looked not happy about the situation. Even Shining Armor and Cadance peeked up. The sight caused the Descendants to smirk in mischief. Finally they had their arch nemesis in captivity. But then Rachel stood up and all the smirks withered.

Coming in front, Rachel held her 'Bic Mac' vulcan minigun with a big sadistic grin. Pointing the barrels at the Descendants, she started the motor and with a whirring sound, the barrels began to spin. What followed was an inferno of attack spells raining upon her targets as Rachel began to laugh maniacally as well. When she seized fire, the Descendants in front of them were nothing more than smoking corpses or shaking ponies too afraid to even move a muscle. The only thing making a sound in that moment was the still whirring motor. Giving a satisfied sigh, Rachel closed her eyes and grinned.
“Man, what a kick...”

Cadance grimaced at the sight in front of her.
“Such a terrible weapon of destruction...”

“Not comparable with what the alicorn attack spells did to Shadowgate...” Rachel retorted. Cadance didn't like this comparison but had to agree. Alicorns were able to do so much more damage than humans.

* * * * *

In the throne room, Asira appeared after a sudden flash of teleportation, much to Lamira's surprise.
“Asira? What happened?”

Gasping for air, Asira shook her head.
“Luna turned into Nighmare Moon again! One can't reason with her anymore. She's out for blood.”

Just when Lamira wanted to say something, Celestia raised her head again, a stern expression on her face.
“How many lives do you have to ruin until your lust for revenge is sated, Lamira? How many of your Descendants have to die in vain until you give up this fruitless crusade?”

Foaming in anger, Lamira turned to Celestia.
“Why don't you just shut the buck up before I-”

Interrupted in midsentence, the door was blown open and Twilight stood in it with the Elements and Harmony Rangers as well as the Crystal Pony members of the alliance.
“Your plans are finished, Darkness Sisters!”

Raising her minigun up, Rachel's eyes narrowed.
“Hand over Princess Celestia and Head Ranger Tyler and leave this land at once!”

The Descendants also raised their weapons, but Princess Lamira interfered.
“HOLD IT!” The pressure wave with her command caused several Descendants to fall over, causing Lamira to giggle and harrumph a bit. “Hold it, my beloved subjects. Stand aside and make way for them.”

While the Descendants made way towards the throne, Rachel shook her head.
“Not gonna happen, bitch! At least here in the doorway we could find cover from your attacks!”

Looking over to her sister, Asira now arched a brow. Lamira enjoyed this visibly. Coming over to the Rangers, she eyed Rachel with the wish for murder in her eyes.
“Quite a fancy weapon you got there... Do you know how to use it or is it just for show?”

Aiming the six barrels at Princess Lamira's face, Rachel's eyes narrowed.
“Considering the amount of dead Descendants this baby got me in the last ten minutes, you bet I do!”

“Don't waste your magic on her, Rachel...” Cadance now interfered, “...She's trying to make fun out of you. There's no way alicorns can be harmed by unicorn magic in the little magnitude the human body can endure. But alicorn magic can harm her for sure...”

Looking over to Cadance, Lamira now sneered at her.
“Ooooohh... The Princess of Love... I'm shaking! What are you planning to do? Turn the Descendants against us? Forcing them to kiss us to death?” Laughter now filled the hall.

But Cadance kept her cool.
“No, I was more thinking of a close bond between your heart and my horn. Release my aunt right this instant!”

That threat was enough to bring Lamira's amusement to a sudden stop.
“You are right. Perhaps the opportunity to joke is best saved for another time...” While trotting back towards the throne, Lamira's horn charged up and all of a sudden the floor behind the friends was under fire, cutting off their only way to escape. The fire was spreading fast and within a second, had the friends surrounded. “Descendants! Shoot everypony jumping out to safety! It will be a nice training for the bombardment of Equestria. We're just getting warmed up!”

Trying to get a clear aim despite the flames, Rachel held the minigun high.
“Are you afraid to face us yourself without any hostages, you cowardly snakes?”

Stepping through the flames unharmed, both alicorns approached the Rangers,
“Snakes we are now...? Perhaps you'd like to see-” A loud and primal roar which reminded the ponies of dragons, yet sounded more like a T-Rex to the humans, interrupted the two sisters, followed by a loud, almost thundering heartbeat. Upon hearing this heartbeat, a feeling of unrest and anxiety befell the alicorn mares present in Nagohod. A feeling powerful enough to snap Nightmare Moon out of her killing frenzy. Like the shell of an egg, the dark sphere cracked and hiccuped like trying to keep its content further in bondage. Then, with yet another audible heartbeat, the Heart of Darkness shattered and splattered all over the floor. Celestia, who was directly behind the Heart of Darkness, felt her throat tightening, feeling the presence of the entity coming outside the most. Her pupils shrank down to dots while her eyes widened. 'This vile being... This can't be Tyler...'

And what emerged was nothing good. Soaked in blood, the humanoid form rose from the ground. And though it was Tyler, at the same time it wasn't him. The exposure to the full power of the Heart of Darkness had turned him into a wicked form of his former self. His once blue eyes turned red and his pupils had become cat-like slits. The white in his eyes had vanished to a complete dark coloration and his dark hair had turned into a dark blue, almost moving by itself while sparkling. The aura surrounding him… It was the mighty aura of an alicorn of darkness and icy cold emanated from him. Celestia didn't recognize the tears running down her cheeks. It was the corruption of evil all over again. Just like with Luna before. 'No... Not again...'

Inhaling sharp, the new form had exhaled breath smoldering hot. With another primal and deafening roar this new demonic Tyler freed himself from the chains holding him, revealing a body with four times of the usual muscle mass. The blaring roar caused everyone around to cover their ears, a primal form of the Royal Canterlot Voice seemed to be at work here. Another sharp inhale followed as he turned around to Princess Lamira, who began to beam widely. Not interested in the all too easy targets trapped inside the flames, both Lamira and Asira approached this new dark champion.
“Welcome, my friend. Feel and indulge in the power of darkness. Commander Sonara? Undo the rest of his chains!” Sonara nodded and approached Tyler. While the unicorn stallion came closer, he noticed that Tyler's eyes followed him at his every move, empty and emotionless. Tyler was feared by the Descendants for a reason by now, was the cause of many of their recent defeats. But none of these defeats were of importance right now as the feeling of terror crawled up the stallion's back. Standing in front of Tyler, he levitated the chain just a second, before it happened.

With a quick and sudden move, Tyler had grabbed the head of the Commander and snapped the neck like a twig. This prompted the rest of the Descendants to jump away. It was as Celestia had feared. Now, filled to the brim with dark influence, Tyler had become a mindless berserker, not able to differ friend from enemy and with no valuation for life. Coming down the stairs one echoing step after another, the dark champion looked around as if taking note where to find the kills. Lamira gritted her teeth as her Descendants backed away more and more. The situation began to get out of hoof. A dark champion working against them was not what she intended.
"We are both part of the same grand game, Tyler Jones! But we don’t have to find ourselves on opposite sides of the board… Join us and you shall be granted powers beyond your imagination!"

But while Lamira got Tyler's attention, the only thing she earned from him was a low growl, before he unleashed another deafening roar. Whatever it was that had control over him, it deemed her its enemy. With Gravitation spells he hasted down the throne hall on the floor, the walls as well as on the ceiling, evading several dozen shots by the Descendants standing between Lamira and him before he jumped right into the middle of them for a bloody slaughter as bloody pony limbs flew through the air.

Flying up high, Princess Lamira looked down in shock at the terror her creation caused among her servants. No, ripping them apart limb for limb, this truly was no longer the man she captured on Earth. He looked at her with an empty impression, hissing like a predator readying itself for killing its prey. “What kind of monster are you…?” she said, shaking her head as his now dark colored fingernails carved deep into the stone pillar next to him, leaving no doubt on his intent to murder her just like the mortal ponies down there. 'Who… What is this creature? Are humans really so much more powerful when they are in the midst of our noble alicorn presence?' Slowly the black alicorn backed away. Reluctantly, she had to admit that she didn’t know how to handle such a wild human under so much dark influence. He seemed to be totally erratic and a complete berserk.

There was something in his eyes, something she couldn’t make out. And suddenly, without any further hesitation, Tyler leaped at her with superhuman strength. The first punch sent her head to the side, her vision flashing white for a moment, her ears ringing.
He could cause her pain, but he could never harm or hope to kill her. For this, she knew, he needed the horn of an alicorn and in her wisdom she didn't transform him to one. As her dark magic hit his shoulder, he clenched his teeth. The wound seemed painful, yet not deterring enough for him. Streams of dark magic left his body. “CURSES!!! WHY AREN’T YOU DYING?” But the monster she created didn’t answer to her.

* * * * *

Tyler woke up. He wasn't in the throne room. All around him was nothing but a gargantuan cathedral. While looking around, he overheard a heavy breathing, before he turned to face it. A human like himself, looking like himself, but with a stance far from anything civilized. Whirling around, this being growled like a rabid dog as it saw Tyler. Taking a step back, Tyler shook his head. This thing was him, only crossed with a caveman attitude. What struck him the most were these bloody red eyes that shined in this beast's eye-sockets. Without hesitation, this other creature jumped at him and delivered several punches, before it jumped back and Tyler fell to the ground. To say that it was simple and primitive in its attacks would be the understatement of the century. This wasn't the clumsy pummeling of an untrained man, these were precise strikes, hurtful, punctual, skillfully executed. And yet this creature punched out the wind of Tyler without killing him. Sitting there, it just growled at him.
“Great... Just what I need. A fucking stranger in God knows what a place and the others in peril...”

In this moment, another voice rose in the cathedral.
“Oh, he's not a stranger as such... He is Rage, awakened by Twilight and strengthened and surfaced by the Heart of Darkness.” When Tyler looked up, he saw himself standing in front of him in a third form as well. This third Tyler, his eyes were glowing in a blue tone, his irises not round, but like cat like slits... and the cold. He emanated this uneasy coldness, like a shiver running down the spine. Calm and sober he looked at Tyler, his face showing almost no emotion. 'Why isn't he attacked as I am?' Tyler thought. “Because Rage knows that he can not take on me...” The answer left Tyler stumped. He could read his mind? Shaking his head, this other Tyler now began to smile. “No... Our thoughts are one. Yet I am far more used to this than you are. Yet... Sooner or later you will learn to hear my thoughts as I can hear yours.”

“What is this place?”

“This is your mind. Or rather: The image we three agreed on in our subconscious mindsets to communicate with one another. A mind limbo, if you will.”

Looking around, Tyler eyed the walls of the cathedral.
“So... None of this here is real?”

“It is as real as you want it to be.”

“Wait a second... Agreed? I never agreed to have both of you here!”

Crossing his arms, the other Tyler shook his head.
“And we both didn't agree to be put in here. And yet: Here we are!”

Rolling to his side, Tyler looked up.
“Who are you...?”

But this earned him another growl from Rage.
“Careful! Rage doesn't like you moving. If you move too much, you'll have to face him again and we both know how that went until now.” When Tyler laid down once again, his alter ego came over and looked down to him. “I am Sage. But we don't have time to discuss pleasantries now. Tyler! That beast within you is rampaging in the real world.”

Looking up, Tyler nodded.
“I know. There’s little I can do. But at least he’s ripping them a new one in my name…”

“Oh? You leave him that much control over your body?”

“Well, do I have a choice?”

Sage wrinkled his nose at the remark.
“There’s always a choice, you pathetic worm! Don't talk like you don't have a choice! Besides… There are other warriors of Equestria on the field of battle right now…”

“WHAT???” A window opened in midair, showing Tyler the real world through the eyes of his own body. Right now, behind the enemy lines, who stood between his amok running body, were Cadance, Shining Armor and the others. A fact that filled Tyler's mind both with relief and concern. They had survived, yet they had to face the Descendants while his body was out on control on a bloody carnage. “I have to help them!”

“I agree. Rage currently doesn't care who or what he kills. But in order to defeat him out there, you'll have to defeat him in here first!” Glaring at the red-eyed Rage, Tyler had enough of this and stemmed himself up to his feet.

* * * * *

In the throne room, Cadence, Shining, the Harmony Rangers and the Element Bearers went into cover. A droplet of sweat ran down Cadance's forehead.
“By the stars... That's not a human anymore... He's murdering everypony!”

Shaking his head, Flynn remained in cover as not to be seen by this berserk.
“Well, basically he's just killing Descendants now. Comes to no surprise since there are mostly no other ponies than Descendants here. We should be lucky he's not after us.”

“Oh yeah? Well that might still-” Rachel was interrupted abruptly as two thundering noises came from the wall they were hiding in front. Raising a shield, Shining prepared himself for the worst. And as the wall detonated and the bricks flew left and right, Nightmare Moon stepped into the throne room, causing the Elements of Harmony and Harmony Rangers to look at her with big eyes.

But just as Twilight was about to say something, the Mare of Nightmares glared at Tyler and stepped right through Shining's shield dome like it wasn't even there.
“Cadance! Child! On your hooves and aid me! NOW!” Not knowing what's going on, Cadance complied and they both raised a massive shield dome.

It was then that another roar came from the amok running Tyler and he angled his limbs close to his body into a fetus stance while levitating over the ground. A harsh wind came up and a fierce vortex of magic leeching prompted the unicorns among the Descendants to collapse to the ground as if all life had faded them. With an immense quake, the vortex around the berserk running Tyler gained strength and sucked magic into his body, only for him to stretch his limbs out once again and release the magic into a fast growing dome of crackling, black lightning strikes with a wild roar. The floor was a smoking field of sheer rubble now. Whoever got hit by these strikes fell to the ground as well. Within seconds, the once filled throne room was void of all Descendants.

Cadance eyes were wide in terror.
“What a devastating magic attack technique... If we wouldn't have raised this shield up...”

“All that dark influence... It's like my darker side returned to wreak havoc upon all of us!”
Stomping her hoof on the ground, Nightmare Moon went into fighting stance. “But I am the Princess of the Night! The Warmaiden of Darkness! The Dark follows MINE every command! My father's dark madness will not avail over mine beloved!"

Looking over to the berserker running amok, Cadance narrowed her eyes.
“Tyler is fighting inside that beast! I can sense it! Deep within there's a battle for control over his body!”

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Shining glanced at his wife in worry..
“But how do we aid him?”

“The big question is, Shining: Can we aid him at all?”

* * * * *

Meanwhile Tyler got the beating of his life by his darker form. With inhumane speed and swiftness Rage kicked Tyler's legs off the ground, teleported to his side and delivered a hay-maker into Tyler's face while he still was falling. The impact to the ground felt hard and almost real.

It was then when Tyler thought he saw through it. Rage had to be his own subconscious, the darker part of him, the animal always out for a fight, the monster deep within. Of course it would be faster, stronger and more ruthless. It knew no restraints, no fear, no control, but it had all of his knowledge about fighting. Without any care for the opponent, Rage was the absolute fighter, the perfect killing machine.

And right now it was in total control over his body.

But how could he possibly destroy this thing in order to save the others? How could anyone ever hope to destroy a part of oneself? He seemed untouchable. Whenever Tyler tried to stand up, Rage simply took him and delivered a punch to keep him down.

Arching a brow, Sage looked down at Tyler, disgust in his eyes.
"And who do you think you are? You want to defeat dangers in order to defend others… But you cannot even defeat yourself!"

"SILENCE!!!" Tyler barked, "If you're not going to help, stay at least quiet!"

Folding his arms, Sage shook his head in disappointment.
“You're still trying to destroy yourself rather to accept of what you truly are?”

This made Tyler listen up.
“What is that supposed to mean?”

"It means that you began to accept me already because you deem me useful, but you refuse to accept your violent, ruthless version that yearns for bloodshed."

Tyler's eyes widened. Of course! Assimilating this ultimate fighter into himself would make him... Realization brought him back to the ground.
"No, forget it! If this goes wrong, I'll be more violent than before!"

“Wrong!” Sage retorted, “You would be unbeatable. Of course, it would be a given that you would struggle with your inner demon for the rest of your life..." Another punch threw Tyler around and he gritted his teeth. 'Either I risk it or I die trying. Time is running out for the others.' But the sudden silence unnerved Tyler. That's when Sage spoke up again. “Well then... Seems he finally spotted Luna's form of Nightmare Moon.”

Looking up to the window to the outside world, he could see how Rage was storming at the others. That's when his pupils shrank to dots.
“Not them… NOT THEM!!!”

* * * * *

As soon as the berserker almost reached Nightmare Moon, there was a sudden pressure wave and a blinding white light emitting from Tyler’s body. Dust was whirled through the air and the War Maiden of the Night raised her wing in order to keep the dust at bay. But there was no hurtful blow that hit her. Instead Tyler’s silhouette just stood there,static. When the dust began to sink down, Nightmare could see that this wasn’t Tyler anymore. What stood there was yet another form of his. No longer the mindless berserker, but something frightening in a completely different way… a man who looked similar to Tyler’s usual look, but had slightly, shoulder-long dark brown hair. His pupils were like Nightmare Moon’s and the iris was glowing in a bright blue in contrast to the former red.

Dressed in a dark billowing coat that billowed without a breeze like a cape. Narrowing her eyes, she gave this a closer look. This clothing… Then, as she realized the meaning of it, her eyes widened. Tyler wasn’t merely a puppet in this transformation. No, he was actually channeling the dark influence that went into his body outside of it again. But while he was unable to get rid of it completely, he made sure that it wrapped around him like clothing and armor instead of clouding his mind and judgment. Gulping down a heavy lump, she looked at her own armor.

He copied her! Yes, this was exactly the thing she was doing right now. Her own magic and influence had hardened her cuirass. 'To copy an alicorn technique just like that…' Just how strong was the human will? No longer was he a plaything for alicorns, no leaf flying helpless among their enormous winds of power… Like a bird, he was able to bend and catch on these winds, taking full advantage of them. And filled with that much dark influence… despite being mortal, he was a force to reckon with. Deep within, her heart raced like a young filly in heat. This beat got even faster as he bowed down to her to put his lips on hers for an intimate kiss.

Turning around, this new Tyler now then gazed at Princess Lamira and Princess Asira. His very presence felt different than before. No longer the boasting daredevil or the mindless berserker, but something far worse. And Tyler himself? An unprecedented force of life rushed through his body as he felt the influence Sage had put him under. Now that Rage was tamed, Sage and Tyler seemed to share the control to some degree. But never before did he feel so alive. There was no battle he couldn't face feeling like this. Whatever Sage had done now, there was no feeling like this. The whole world had a whole new spectrum of thrills and sensations. 'What would loving someone feel in this state? What would killing...' It was then when he snapped out of it with a dark chuckle and finally recognized the two alicorn enemies in front of him. Upon seeing them in front of him, his eyes fixated Asira, stabbed right through her. Yet somehow, Tyler could hear his own voice despite having nothing to say. In an instant it occurred to him. Sage was in control of his body now.
“Wait! What's this? Dark Miss... I thought you'd have enough. It's fate. What bliss... Dark Miss... Your folly will cost you dear. My dear... You'll see, you'll never escape me! I'm here! I fear that you will pay dear, my dear...”

Cocking her head, Lamira gave this new Tyler a sneering glance.
“And who in Tartarus' name do you think you are?”

Intensifying the eye contact with Asira, Tyler now stared at the alicorn, his catlike eyes beginning to glow blue while a sadistic grin formed on his lips. Slowly but surely, that glow became fierce as his eyes almost penetrated directly through the Alicorn of Darkness.
“Why don't you ask your sister?” he hissed.

Lamira clenched her teeth as an all too familiar voice erected right beside her.
“La- Lamira... He's hurting me...” When the alicorn princess looked at her sister, she saw Asira's lips shaking, her body trembling in fear, her wings clamped down as she stared at Tyler. That gaze... Somehow this human was having telepathic contact with Asira, showing her sinister, dark and unknown horrors. Once Asira closed her eyes and shook her head in terror with a helpless yelp, she took a step back, causing Tyler to laugh out loud. Without laying a hand on her, he had make her retreat, what filled his mind with victory.

“ASIRA!!! PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!!!” Lamira barked at her, causing the alicorn to snap out of it.

Taking a heavy gulp, the alicorn nodded while a drop of sweat was running down her forehead.
“Forgive me, dear sister... He got me by surprise there... It... It was a mental violation!”

Whatever happened to this human, he sure was a whole different type of dangerous than in the unpredictable berserk before. This berserk had been a wild animal, this human here was calculating, perverse and sinister. To make matters worse, he was of nigh equal stand. This was by no chance the same human they captured back on Earth. Giving a smirk, this new Tyler now shook his head gently.
“You done goofed!” This sentence alone caused the humans to snort in laughter.

“Beast of Tartarus!” Not wasting any time, Asira shot her dark magic right at Tyler’s shoulder, but the dark coat he was wearing absorbed the most of the blow and grew larger. Several drops of his blood fell to the ground, leaving Asira stumped. That blow was powerful enough to obliterate his shoulder into a bloody carnage. More so, it already detonated an entire pony stallion!

Erecting a forcefield, Tyler then turned to Twilight.
“Get the Elements and free Celestia!” Giving a brief nod, Twilight galloped towards the chest as more Descendants stormed in from the main entrance, but also the Masar and Griffin that stormed in from the sides. Among them Grinko and Griffith, both covered in the blood of Descendants and accompanied by their parents.

In the mind limbo, Tyler looked over to Sage
“Sage, hand me some control, will you? I've got to ask the girls something while I can.”

“Hm... Nothing wrong with that, but make it quick. I need full concentration, OK? Your thoughts are still too unfocused.”

Standing back to back to her in the real world, Tyler then turned his head to Nightmare Moon.
“Luna! Girls… Will you four marry me?”

It was then when the members of his herd listened up in a surprised manner. Asking such a thing in the heat of battle… The Tyler they knew was surely in this person and not some evil berserker any more.
“Thou really ask the strangest things in the midst of battle... But it's certainly not unwelcome. Let us discuss this later!”

Back in Tyler's mind limbo, Sage looked over to him, puzzled.
“Really? That question? Out of the blue and in this situation?”

Tyler, standing right next to him only chuckled.
“Shut up! Something to look ahead for is never wrong.” Firing another round at the Descendants while Twilight attempted to break the elements free from the case, Tyler then raised several force fields like shields to get the others more cover from the sides.

Taking a look at the case the elements were kept in, Twilight shook her head. These locks were quite sturdy and protected by several dozen spells in order to repel any attempt of magical lock-picking. But as it was, she knew someone who could help her opening them anyway.
“Tyler! Help me out!”

Seeing Tyler running towards Twilight and the chest with the locked away Elements of Harmony, Princess Lamira gritted her teeth, seeing their intent at once.
“NO!!!” Shooting a highly energized beams of magic, Lamira bombarded the area around the case, to hinder Tyler from getting them. Several shields broke down and Tyler pushed Twilight back into cover before the first couple of beams went down on him. Concentrating the attack spell on his hands, Lamira gritted her teeth as his grip on the locks didn't seem to cease. With a fierce roar he used the charged magic to destroy the case's locks and stemmed it open, freeing the elements, which now emanated a bright, almost blinding light as they were levitated up, forcing the Darkness Sisters and their minions to turn away.

As the light ceased, the Elements had returned to their rightful bearers and Tyler and the Harmony Rangers stood united between the Element Bearers and the Darkness Sisters with their Descendants. Fuming in anger, Lamira gritted her teeth while looking at Tyler.
“YOU!!! You shall stand no longer between us and our fate!”

His glare hardening, Tyler clenched his fists, focusing the magic in them.
“But I will! I will always stand before you if you want to harm the ones I love!”

Lamira was about to spit another curse, before she realized the situation, re-evaluating it completely. And while Nagohod was still ascending into the sky, something far worse than anger rose on her face. Princess Lamira began to smile.
“I see… Your power has grown in the Heart of Darkness and you somehow managed to preserve your mind… I don’t know how and frankly I don’t care! You’re just another mortal… Powerful, yet still mortal! So I will just keep hacking and slicing until you die!”

Standing in front of the others, Tyler smirked. The way things turned out now could be to their advantage.
“Princess Lamira… the more you two fight me, the mightier I will become… But I won't hinder you to do mistakes... Are you mare enough to face me on your own?”

Lamira's smile withered and the friends were uncertain if that was for good or for worse. With a strict and sober glare she faced Tyler.
“Anyone who opposes us will be destroyed... No matter who! Masar, Griffin, ponies or apes like you!”

Looking over to Tyler, Rachel shook her head.
“Jones! You can't do that on your own!”

Never letting Lamira and Asira out of sight, Tyler began to focus.
“Oh yes, I can! Rangers! Get the royals and Elements of Harmony back to safety! Don't wait for me, evacuate the alliance members without me. The four of you, that's an order!!!”

Now Cadance, Shining Armor, Grinko, Griffith and Twilight lead the rest of the Mane Six and the regal sisters towards the Rangers, who escorted them out.
“Come on! That's not the Tyler we know anymore. The stars know what's going on in his head right now.”

While they retreated Queen Sheeris nodded over to Celestia.
“An impressive young man...”

Nodding over to Lamira, Tyler now continued to smirk, causing the Princess of Malice to grit her teeth. 'What insolence! How dares he to challenge us like that... But I can oblige... I will make an example out of him.'
“Descendants!!! Out!!! Drive the enemies back down into the sea and out of the skies! LEAVE US!!!”

Two minutes passed and both the members of the alliance as well as all remaining Descendants had retreated from the throne room. As the two alicorns approached him, his boots and their hooves echoed with every step the three of them took. This would be it. Himself and these two settling it. No bystanders, no Descendants or Rangers to interfere. Tyler could almost see the silent rage Lamira was enduring now. It all played into his plan now. Gritting her teeth, Lamira then suddenly smiled again.
“You know, I should thank you. Your own stupidity to believe that you could face the two of us on your own has sealed your fate. To get rid of the worst troublemaker after he lost all his strength will make a fine treat. You have made me a happy mare...”

It was in this moment when Tyler once more began to grin sadistically. 'She fell for it...'
“Next I'll make you a dead one!” With that, he began to charge directly at them both Just as Lamira wanted to blast Tyler with alicorn magic, he teleported and reappeared to the left of her, punching her face hard to the right, causing her to tilt back.

Lightning strikes twitched through Black Omen as the three opponents faced each other.
Foaming in rage, Lamira snorted at Tyler's insolence. How dared he to oppose them in close combat!
“You have to do better than that!”

But this only earned her a grin from Tyler.
“OK!” Again, he teleported out of sight, only to re-appear behind them and shot a ball of energy at Lamira's sweet spot right between her hind legs, causing her to shriek in pain. “Not that you'll use that without an alicorn stallion, you barren, incestuous lesbian!”

Turning around, Lamira got out of her mind and roared in blind anger before a pressure wave blasted away half of the throne room's east wing. Tyler, being caught by the wave, barely managed to cast a shield strong enough to withstand such power. The result was certain damage to his clothing. Shaking his head for a bit he then grinned once more. A sight that worried Asira for a bit.
“He’s stronger. Way stronger than before, my sister! Could it be that-”

“NO!!!” Lamira exclaimed while stomping her hoof to the ground. “The prophecy of the Tilerions is false! An ancient pony’s tale to scare alicorn foals! And even IF he were to be Tilerions, he's still weak enough to die! The fact that he's down there now gives proof to that! You've been quite passive these last few minutes... How about you do your duty, little sister while I get a cool head and patch up these aching, sore muscles of mine?”

Arching a brow, Asira shook her head.
“A muscle? Really? I think he aimed for something below that muscle.” Ignoring her sister's enraged growl, Asira focused on Tyler. “You love to provoke, don't you? Playing mind games with us...” The surroundings became darker and darker until Asira and Tyler were engulfed in total darkness. Only her voice was audible now. “I wonder... You see, Celestia told us about how your kind has horses and ponies in similar shape and form to ours, only as animals. And there I thought Celestia would be the one who's sickening...”

In Tyler's mind limbo, he looked over to Sage and gulped.
“She's trying to provoke us.”

Sage only gave it a sneer.
“Not gonna happen. She doesn't know what really ticks us off. We've passed the cultural shock a long, long time ago. Appleseed is testimony to that.”

While Tyler tried to see something in the blackness, Asira slowly encircled him, seeing him clearly in the darkness.
“Celestia also told us about you, Tyler Jones... About your many achievements... If one could name them as such. What surprised me the most was the procreation of a little filly...” Now both Sage and Tyler looked up, both equally silent. There was a certain sadism in her tone that showed her ill will for Tyler's daughter. “She made it sound like a real cutie. Once we're done with you, and before we begin with our crusade of destruction throughout Equestria, I shall take personal pleasure in taking care of this little bastard on my own...”

In the next moment, Sage supercharged in Tyler's mind limbo with a fierce roar and Tyler's body jumped at Asira, breaking through the darkness with a hellish blue glow in his eyes.
“NO!!!”

Surprised, the alicorn mare didn't expect him either to break so easily through her illusion, nor to attack that boldly, so she raised a shield to repel him. But each of his punches sucked some energy from her shield and thus each blow became stronger than the one before. Backing away, Asira quickly ran out of space to evade. Although Tyler agreed to protect his daughter from the clutches of the dark princesses, the extent of violence wasn't to his liking.
“Sage! Stop! Do you want to stop her or do you want to kill her?!?”

Gritting his teeth, Sage simply stared at Asira, lust for blood all over his face.
“As if it's not your wish as well! This beast! THIS BITCH!!! I'LL DESTROY HER!!! I'LL DESTROY EVERYONE WHO ATTEMPTS TO HARM APPLESEED!!! RAGE!!! HAND ME MORE POWER!!!”

Staring at Sage, Tyler didn't believe his ears. Like Rage, who knew no restraints at all while running amok, Sage seemed to have no moral restraints in his fury as it came to punish those who wanted to harm the ones he held dear. Sage, unlike Tyler, wasn't bound to conscience. Was he a darker version of Tyler, a mastermind of evil? No doubt his name was chosen with a purpose, since he could take one type of magic and transform it to another. He was a master of magic, yet his goals remained a mystery.

But as Tyler looked a bit more closer at Sage, he saw the fine glitter of tears. Tears of sheer hatred. There was this unforgiving and abyssal hatred oozing and emanating from him that frightened Tyler. The darkest pit of human behavior, the dark mirror image of what Tyler wanted to be. This was Sage. Pure magic power with no regard for the life of others than those who are held dear. And deep within, in the darkest corners of himself, Tyler had to admit that the wish to harm Asira just like that had occurred to him as well, if only for a second. Then it occurred to him: Sage was his very own version of Nightmare Moon. But this destructive hatred, however just it may be, had taken control over him in the past, now he had to overcome this fathomless hatred of his darker self. For this was Tyler's body and above all he would have a say if his hands were spoiled with alicorn blood.

By now Tyler's real fists slammed down with thundering brute force to the magic shield protecting the cornered Asira, the shield fluctuated under the constant barrage of punches and the mare's face beneath it showed an expression of fear and terror with each hit while deep inside Tyler struggled against his own shadows.
“Stop it! SAGE, I SAID STOP IT!!!” But then the final blow pierced through Asira's shield and hit its target with an unhindered blow. With a painful screech, Asira fell to the ground, her eyes shut tight in pain, the tip of her horn broken.

Just in this moment, Tyler regained control over his body and he saw what Sage had done in his anger. Unlike before, when Tyler demolished Queen Chrysalis' entire horn, this time merely the tip was broken. For the alicorn, this seemed to be painful nonetheless. But there was no time to regret this as up above Lamira's voice boomed down.
“ASIRA!”

Jumping back, Tyler then evaded the magic beam attack as the older sister came to Asira's aid. Standing in front of her sister, shielding her with her wings and body, Lamira's eyes glowed in a fierce red coloration.
“You accursed monkey... For what you did right now, I want your head on a spit!”

“She brought that upon herself by enraging me to that extent.” Tyler retorted, “I didn't want to hurt her like that, but she left me no choice. By fueling my anger to that level, she had to endure the attack until I was able to reel it back in. That's what you get for turning others into monsters.”

Lamira eyed him coldly, her voice sounded as poisonous as if she wanted to attack Tyler with every word of hers.
“Excuses to save your own skin from my own rage now. But I will make you pay for that wound. HOW DARE YOU TO HARM HER!!! It is blasphemy, it is outrageous...”

Pointing over to Asira, Tyler arched a brow. Maybe this incident could flip to his advantage. Sadly, of that he was certain, this was a very big maybe.
“I know about the pain this had inflicted to her. I have seen it before in a similar case. By now her will to fight is broken. I have proven to you that I can take on you two... Let us stop this fight while we still can. There is no reason to continue this madness!”

“Madness?” A sneer formed on her lips just for a second before her voice boomed through the entire hall. “WE! ARE!! ALICORN!!!” Stomping her hoof to the ground, Lamira lowered her head as she went into fighting stance. “Fighting Asira has weakened you. But since you're able to cause injury to our horns by no doubt some sort of sneaky trickery, I'll stop toying with you.”

Tyler shook his head.
“You mistake losing power with getting it under control again! Lamira... I pity you!” Inside his head, Tyler's mind was racing. 'Alright... Sage? Tell me she's bluffing. Is there any way she can have more where that power came from?' A humming became audible as Sage was thinking. 'You know? Maybe it wasn't that wise of me to put out one without the other...' Tyler gritted his teeth. 'Shit!'

In the next moment, Lamira had moved faster than he could react. With alicorn agility, the Princess of Malice had raised her right hoof and buried it bent and deep within his stomach. Like this it had the same effect of a strong punch or a knee rammed into his belly. Tyler gasped desperately for air. Lamira remained on her place and began to smirk.
“You beating me? I'm too determined to be defeated by a worm like you...” Turning around, she used her hind legs and gave Tyler a kick that sent him flying. Sliding over the ground, he held his ribs, which had cracked during that attack and was bending in agony. Slowly approaching her opponent, Lamira then charged her horn. “Something wrong, monkey? Come here prepared to face a madmare and instead you find a goddess?” Lightning struck from her horn into his body, causing him to scream in agony until his skin began to smoke. Looking up, Tyler stemmed himself up with a roar and attempted to counterattack, but a magic beam into his stomach ended that approach at once.

Blood now dripped to the ground. All of his muscles were burning, shivering. His right side limp, his upper body free of any clothing with scorched skin all over him and partially ripped off by jumping from the ground, Tyler was barely able to stand. The sound of hoof-steps echoed in his mind as Lamira stood in front of him.
“You are a fool for fighting me, monkey. No matter how you reach for the stars, you will never EVER reach them.” A sadistic grin grew on her face. “Now... Begone!” With that a pressure wave tossed Tyler out of the great eye socket of the gargantuan pony bust and out of Nagohod in a wide trajectory.

The world grew dark once more. Cold air passed him and he knew he was falling to his demise. This was the end. There was no hope to survive this. Not if the opponents were immortal and have an unlimited supply of magic and you don't. 'I thought you said we could take them on...' The reply didn't need any waiting time, for Sage answered on the spot. '“I did. But I never said it would be a walk in the park if you bitch around for morality! You're still holding back Rage. Which is understandable. He was a berserker that attacked anyone and out of every control. You are alone now, the others are out of reach and only you, the two of us and these alicorns are fighting here. Nothing to stop you from releasing him and me now to full capacity. Do it! Only with the full power of the two of us can you hope to defeat Lamira. Only our combined force can take her on as equal. So grant him some space inside of you. Rage is the beast deep inside of you. And right now this beast agrees that they are the enemy, not you or me. It will not die! It will fight back, surpassing limits that are yours alone!”'

Live or die..

Another heartbeat thumped through Tyler as the cold air around him suddenly became blazingly hot. As he opened his eyes, they were glowing blue as before, yet this time with normal irises. A pressure wave emitted from him as he kick-started a force field around him and gained in altitude again. As his wounds healed by within seconds, he felt alive. So infinitely alive as light, darkness and instinct were united as one unbroken force of nature. Like this, it felt like nothing in the world could ever hope to stop him. Crashing through several tons of falling debris, he hauled off with a fierce roar and penetrated the immense stone armor of Nagohod. This sudden immense well of magic... It was nothing like being charged with magic. He felt the princesses' magic grip on Nagohod and could tap in on that. Both Sage and Rage could do what he couldn't and this made them necessary evils at the moment. Not fighting each other, the three of them created something completely new and powerful. He could sense the very magic he used and that surrounded him.

Up above in the throne room, Lamira stood above her Asira, caressing her mane while her sister shed tears in pain.
“Asira... My beloved sister...No need to be afraid of this insect. I took care of that”

Shaking her head, Asira looked up to her big sister, her once booming voice frail and timid.
“These humans... They are worse than the terrors of old.” Clenching her teeth, Asira shed another couple of tears. “My horn hurts so much...”

Bowing her head down to Asira, Lamira nuzzled her crying sibling.
“I will get them for what that monster did to you. Time to end them all...” Standing tall again, Lamira trotted over to her eye of the throne room. 'I'll bombard Equestria from up here. These little maggots won't know what's coming until the flames will give them insight to their impending and inevitable doom...' However, just when she was standing next to the giant eye socket and supercharged her horn for the final attack, she stopped when she noticed something out of the ordinary. “What the Tartarus?” A tremble went trough the hall Lamira was standing in as Tyler smashed through the ground and stormed right at her, roaring in a mixture of pain and rage. Fighting like this was taking it's toll on his body no matter what. But now he had a fighting chance.

Spinning around, the Princess of Malice was more than surprised to see him return. He was different once again. And this aura? This was not the aura of an alicorn, but equally strong. The following punch set her vision flashing white and send her back to her sister
“Get away from the window, YOU BITCH!!!”

With sheer hatred, Lamira hissed at Tyler. Unlike Asira, who was intimidated by his unfamiliar power, Lamira showed no signs of fear and was willing to take the fight to Tyler.
“YOU!!! How many times do I have to kill you, ape?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbaVJ8XlNfk

The feeling of empowerment rushed through Tyler's veins. No longer was dialogue between him and the two phantoms needed. Every single one agreed on it. They would face the Darkness Sisters and end this conflict once and for all.
“Sorry it took so long. I was setting some things right with myself. But now I'm all here for you for a nice beating.”

Anger and confusion formed on Lamira's face.
“How could you regain consciousness after being beaten to nigh death? Or gather so much magic again? You alone shouldn't be able to do that!”

Looking down to his muscles, Tyler had to agree that this wondrous revival of his fighting prowess and the surpassing of his former limits wasn't easy to explain. Looking up to Lamira once again, he gave her a challenging smirk.
“You're quite right that I couldn't do that on my own...” His voice now became different once more. As his eyes began to glow blue, Tyler spoke in two voices at once, underlined with a steady growl from a third voice. “By your doing, I've become the legendary Tilerions, the tri-faced time scourge feared by the time ponies and alicorns of old. I am the 'first human', your worst nightmare!”

While Asira winced at these words, Lamira spat on the ground in hatred while supercharging her horn once more.
“You shall be my first human victim, ape!”

Within split seconds, Tyler's entire body supercharged and orbs of energy formed in his hands while he jumped up and levitated high over Lamira.
“EAT THIS!!!” In the next moment Tyler unleashed a fierce beam of hellish red lightning magic. Gritting her teeth, Lamira raised a shield, blocking the immense beam of destructive magic while the very air around her shield quaked.
'Impossible! How can he suddenly muster so much power? The Heart of Darkness was only supposed to turn him over to Darkness, maybe strengthening him to some degree, but not like this!' The shield withstood the lightning beam, but Lamira was slowly pushed away while everything else in the path of the beam was obliterated.

Seeing the immense spells shooting high up in the sky, the enormous beams firing from the still ascending Nagohod into the far horizon, the myriad of different detonations both chemical and magical, the ponies down below shook their heads in awe. Celestia looked up to Nagohod with an expression of worry.
“I wonder if he's alright...”

Twilight merely shook her head in disbelief.
“How can he still have all that magic? Or withstand all that stress? This doesn't make sense...”

With a sudden flash, Discord appeared leaning against the lavender alicorn, a smirk on his lips.
“Making sense? Oh what ever do you mean, Twilight? With all the chaos he's currently lacking, I deem him perfectly fit to battle these two now. It makes perfect sense to me.”

Looking up to Discord, Twilight shook her head, not understanding a word.
“Lacking chaos? What do you mean?”

At the sound of yet another, more fierce detonation, Discord's eyes returned back to Nagohod.
“You will learn about it soon enough, Twilight. He seems to have finally found a way to overcome his inner chaos...”

Rainbow and Fluttershy looked at each other.
“Inner chaos?” Celestia and Discord exchanged some glances and despite his earlier smirking, the former Spirit of Chaos gave her a concerned nod.

Meanwhile the clash inside of Nagohod grew more fierce with each passing moment. Firing a highly energized beam of magic at him, Lamira tried to hold Tyler at bay. But Tyler simply absorbed the alicorn magic and ejected it out at once while homing in to her. Maybe he wasn't able to store big amounts of it, but the little he could take with Sage's help was enough to face Lamira. Stemming himself against her never-ending beam of magic, Tyler teleported away and reappeared directly below her, digging his fist deep into her stomach with a thundering punch that caused Lamira to spit blood. Looking up and into her eyes, Tyler thought he saw skull shaped pupils in her eyes just for a second. And before Tyler knew it, her magic got hold of him and catapulted him away with a powerful blow, prompting Tyler to yell in temporary helplessness.

Smashing Tyler into one of the many towers of Nagohod, Lamira took off and homed in on him. Tyler looked up from the impact hole he caused into the wall as he saw the incoming alicorn menace charging directly at him, lust for blood in her red glowing eyes.
“TYLER JONES!!!”

It didn't matter to her if he was of equal strength as an alicorn. This could only mean he was suffering the same weaknesses. She only had to pierce his heart with her horn and he would be done for. The tower collapsed as she smashed into him and they broke out on the other side of the tower. Her horn, however, only managed to pierce his right shoulder. Tyler, upon recognizing her plan, grabbed her head and planted his knee into her throat, forcing her to sway back from him, what only gave him time to kick her hard, so her body slammed down into Nagohod's main body, causing a deep impact. Several other towers now fell as well.

Flying high above, Tyler raised his arms high and accumulated massive amounts of magic to form a gigantic, bright orb of magic for his next attack

Down below, Lamira's hateful screams became audible again.
“That bucking ape! How I hate you! Wait! What's going on? I can see a light.”

With a sadistic grin, Tyler slammed the bright orb down into the hole.
“WALK TOWARDS IT!!!” The resulting detonation thundered throughout the entire fortress, causing several more parts to collapse. Landing down there, he held his bleeding shoulder as healing magic was working in a rapid rate. Looking through the clouds of dust, he gave his best to spot her.“Where are you?!?” The ground to his feet began to tremble and seconds after, Lamira broke through from below, her mane a mess, her coat dirty and roughed up, her eyes showing only one wish: The wish to end him. And in the midst of the mighty fortress, which was falling apart under their clash, both opponents gave their all to best the other in close combat, exchanging punches and kicks. From the side, Asira mustered all her strength to lift her head. There they were, fighting, their punches thundering through the hall.

Infuriated by Tyler's persistence and defiance, Lamira more and more got more lurid with her attacks.
“Why aren't you dying? Your body shouldn't be able to withstand all this magic!” And yet, his body managed to evade most of her powerful punches by magically accelerating out of harms way. When both Tyler and Lamira blocked each others attacks, Tyler's whole body began shining brightly, prompting Lamira to teleport away just in time before a magical detonation emanated from him, blasting several tons of rubble away. Reappearing in mid-air, she spread her wings and bombarded him with a shower of magical projectiles.

Asira's body shivered at the sight of him simply ascending of the cloud of smoke her sister's attack had left. He was nothing but a destroyer. When he, the destroyer came for them and stood in their way, they attacked. Never had they've been defeated. He was like the many others that came before him in all the ages. Strange, hideous, resisting, fighting. Yet one thing about him was different. He did not die nor did he hesitate to fight them. Unlike the others before him, he inflicted them pain, brought them misery and defeat. And most of all: Try as they might, they couldn't defeat his will to fight them. Now her sister was fighting him with her all and still this creature showed no sign of fear or intimidation. No, not since they've left Earth. But maybe this was just what he wanted in the first place? 'What could have possibly happen to a mortal to become so strong?' It was in this moment, when the fighting between Tyler and Lamira seemed to happen in slow motion for Asira, that she noticed something about Tyler. The eyes. His ever so shining blue bright eyes. From far away, it seemed like a fierce bright blue would shine, but upon closer inspection, Asira could make out a glow like a welding tool inside his eyeballs. Paired together with his grin, these eyes left only one conclusion. He was enjoying to fight them. Only one thought sprang to her mind:

And for the first time in a very long time, Princess Asira was terrified. Not just afraid of receiving harm from others, a deep rooted terror took hold of her. All the stories alicorn mothers told their children about the demon who would come to bring them misery if they're not behaving now came back to Asira's mind. 'And to think that these stories were true...' Both of them created the very demon who was now coming for them, to punish them. Petrified, the once proud and composed alicorn mare could only stare at Tyler, who withstood her sister's power in combat, while fear and terror got a fierce grip on her and rendered her unable to even move a muscle. Until all the fear erupted into one terrified scream.

Surprised by the sudden scream of her sister, Lamira turned around forgot about her opponent for a second. It was the second Tyler needed. Not hesitating, he delivered a group of punches to Lamira's face, followed by a very strong ray of attack spells fired into her sides, causing her to slide over to her sister. Looking down to the ground Lamira gritted her teeth in anger, when she suddenly saw something red on the ground right below her. Puzzled for a split second, she blinked as the little red dot suddenly had another red dot next to him. Then it occurred to her: Blood. Her muzzle was bleeding! Her rage nearly exploded in that moment. How could he, a mere mortal, ever hope to inflict injury to her? Was it because of the Heart of Darkness? Yes, it had to be that way, there was no other explanation.
“You damn dirty monkey!”

But Tyler shook his head, looking down to the two of them.
“You are beaten! Defeated by a monkey. That humiliation is punishment enough. Do yourself a favor and let us stop!” At that moment he felt the strength of his body to wither a bit. Seemingly Rage and Sage disagreed and were out to deliver a final blow. The mere thought about sparing them was enough to dim the power they provided.

Gritting her teeth, Lamira spat some blood on the ground.
“Oh please... Don't take me for some cheap fairy tale villain like Nightmare Moon or Discord. Do you think I would have started all this, prepared all of this over all these centuries and millenia if I would have left even the slightest chance of you monkeys and your friends to stop us? I have one last weapon at hoof.”

Arching a brow, Tyler followed her every move with his eyes while slowly approaching them. Seemingly this battle was not yet over.
“Oh? What is it? There is no weapon system to launch an attack and you won't have time to fire a spell towards the ground with me around. So there is no way you've-”

“I'll drop it!” Lamira interrupted him, putting up a sadistic grin on her face. “Gravity does the rest...”

Looking around in surprise, Tyler then halted his approach. The sudden tremble let the ground began to shake more and more as a breeze began to come up, becoming a strong wind fast.
“What have you done?!?”

Huffing in slight fatigue, Lamira raised her head while standing protective over Asira.
“I finished it! My grip over this citadel has ceased and it begins its descent. Now Nagohod with all its explosives, armaments and negative energy banks from the Machina Infernum will smash right down into Equestria and turn it into a crater significantly greater than the one in the Amasian Empire... I'll retaliate one holocaust with another! Everything that will survive the blast will be irradiated with enough negative energy radiation to become anything but equine. And you... Tyler Jones or Tilerions, you will die here just like all these traitors down there!”

Gritting his teeth, Tyler clenched his fists. 'So that's why you built a giant stone fortress... Not only to show off with shock and awe, not only to make it almost indestructible, but to have a final weapon if everything fails. A stone, smashed into a skull, still kills. Clever bitch... But Machina Infernum? Negative energy? What does she know I don't know about?'
“No, I won't! I will survive this shit, save Equestria in the process and then I'll come to kill you once and for all!”

This only prompted Lamira to laugh maniacally while her younger sister's body rested over her,
“Killing me? You, mortal? Ha!” Flying up high with her sister still on her back, Lamira made her final announcement.

A bright red sphere engulfed both sisters until one last beam of hellish red light penetrated Nagahod and was shot into the ocean to the south-east. Once the beam ceased, the red sphere lost its brightness and both princesses had disappeared with only the tip of Asira's horn remaining in the throne room.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSDn1qN8s5g

Standing up and taking the tip as the only trophy and proof of partial victory over the Darkness Sisters, Tyler then held his aching shoulder while looking around. The winds in the throne room now became strong and began to howl.
“Sage! Come on, asshole! Speak with me! I need you on this!”

Not a few yards away, a large chunk of glass showed Tyler's reflection and it began to move on its own as it depicted Rage and Sage.
“Oh, now you want our help again... Not like a few seconds ago when we had the chance to finish it once and for all...”

Throwing his arms into the air, Tyler looked around in amazement. Just how stubborn was this phantom?
“Forget about your revenge for a moment! The others are going to DIE if we won't do anything!!!”

Growling a bit, Rage hustled Sage, only for him to roll his eyes with a groan.
“Alright... Point taken. I'm not such a monster, I will grant you the magic necessary to contact them. Seemingly you care more about them than us, then let THEM help you out of this one. I can only transform magic, not create it. Frankly I don't know how to stop such a big pile of rock from falling down without us biting the dust...”

“Come on, tough guy... THINK!!! The human mind is said to move mountains... Let's see if we can make it happen...” Gritting his teeth, Sage accumulated all the magic he could muster in Tyler's body while the very air around the human began to charge up. As he took out the most of his body, Tyler gritted his teeth as well. 'Twilight... Girls, help me to save them all!' Down below the four princesses stood on a hill and charged their horns. With alicorn power they sent the magic directly to Tyler, their own hearts beating with excitement. This was unprecedented and they as well would go to their limits to save Equestria.

Down in Ponyville, the Element Bearers looked up in shock. With an attack like this, no princess alone could gather enough magic quickly enough to repel or block such an attack. Taking Big Macintosh by the neck, Rachel gave him an uncertain glance just for a second.
“Last chance for romance, big guy! Let's make the best of it if we're about to die.” The stallion's confusion quickly turned into surprise as she pulled him in and pressed her lips on his.

The veins in Tyler's body began to glow as an all too familiar pain returned. The magic was slowly eating his body away and he began to overcharge his body with processing too much magic at once. Rage growled in pain and aggression as the stress grew in magnitude and tried his best to maintain Tyler's body. Maybe it was a glimpse of intelligence or maybe just survival instincts not to die of overcharge, but Tyler nodded at the fierce beast in gratitude. Looking forward, he tried to focus as best as he could while howling wind was gushing through his face. More and more the mighty citadel was collapsing into itself, the large towers and halls crumbled without the hold of the dark mistresses that held them together and the machinery that was powering several deadly turrets broke out in flames, which quickly engulfed Nagohod into a smoking inferno with Tyler in the center of it all.

Acceleration spells, teleportation spells, strength spells, attack spells, healing spells, everything began whirling in his mind as the idea for salvation occurred to the three of them. It was worth a try, but time was extremely short. Only a few thousand meters stood between Nagohod and the utter destruction of Equestria. Tears filled Tyler's eyes as his mind saw short flashes of all the battlefields it took to face the Darkness Sisters in an epiphany. The thousands that died on these ancient battlefields, the misery they brought upon each other. The millions that died along the ages for a conflict that bore no fruit other than even more misery. The senseless fighting had to stop. The senseless suffering had to stop. Nagohod's fall was only the latest climax of all the hatred and fear in this fiery storm of the Alicorn War he was now undeniably a part of. And deep within the determination to end this war once and for all to end all the fighting. Even if would take an eternity. He uttered only two words as he let go of the spell they've created.

There was one bright flash and the gigantic fortress vanished instantly. Looking up in surprise, the alicorn princesses looked around, yet there were no signs of debris. Then, almost in an instant, the air whirled pass them with a thundering noise and ripped the dark veil of Dark Omen apart, releasing the sunlight onto Equestria again.

Looking the way the dark clouds ripped open more and more, Twilight shook her head.
“That wasn't mere teleportation! It was actual movement! But this was movement faster than pony eyes, maybe even faster than light.”

Celestia blinked in disbelief, her head slowly shaking.
“Deflecting the fall by rerouting the inertia and accelerating the fortress away into open sea... Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!”

Luna and Applejack each took a gulp in worry.
“Celestia!”

Understanding the worry, the white alicorn mare nodded.
“Already on it. Let's salvage our hero.” And with that, the two sisters took off accompanied by Twilight, a levitated Applejack and Cadance.

Author's Notes:

Not proofread yet, any notice about typos welcome. ^__^